Young Justice: Everymen

Crashing Down

Disclaimer: Young Justice belongs to Greg Weismann, Brandon Vietti, Cartoon Network, and DC Comics.

The Oxford Comma belongs to Oxford (clearly) but I rather like to use it.

21:32 31 December 2011

Hall of Justice

When you're in the superhero business, you almost expect to die in fantastic ways.

Not that I want to die, I mean, does anyone, really? Hello.

No, but what I mean is that when you can leap tall buildings in a single bound, or run faster than the speed of thought, or block bullets with your wrists, you kinda expect to die in some fantastic way, ensuring the safety of humanity or saving the world's existence or something. But, when it finally comes your time, you'll find that it comes crashing down on you like a ton of bricks.

But the long story short? The League was attacking my family and I needed to stop them. So I pulled, with all my power and all my mind, to collapse the ceiling and save my friends.

The Hall of Justice came down. And two heroes were killed that day.

I was one of them.

21:29 31 December, 2019 (eight years after)

The Bat Cave

"On this day, we mark the seventh anniversary of tragic deaths of Wonder Woman and Miss Martian and the disbanding of the Justice League along with the apprehension of the international criminal, Vandal Savage. I'm here at the site right now and can I tell you that it looks exactly the same as..."

"...today marks the six year anniversary of the implementation of Lex Luthor's Everyman project and the construction of the first Everyman Institute where..."

"...are you kidding me? Speedsters are a menace to public safety. The inhibitor collars are necessary to ensure a level of security against meta-humans that can move faster than you can blink..."

"...oh no, the Everyman Institute isn't mandatory. The majority of our clients have gone through with our procedure and not went to the Institute. Let's just say that those who want to handle their new abilities with a certain finesse..."

"...In other news, the US government is predicting that forty percent of the population will register as meta-human in the next census due to Lexcorp's Everyman project. I'm Linda Park, saying good night and happy New Year's Eve, Keystone City."

"You wanted to see me?" A familiar voice came from behind him. Dick muted the monitors on the bat-computer and turned around to his visitor.

The Bat Cave was dark- too dark in Dick's opinion- but he knew who was here. After Barbara's accident there were only two others who could sneak into the Bat Cave unnoticed. One was Alfred.

"Tim," Dick smiled as he turned to face his successor. He nodded towards the other chair. "Take a seat."

Tim Drake nodded and sat down in the chair facing Dick, the teenager avoiding the young man's masked gaze.

"Sorry," Tim said, "but could you take the cowl off? It creeps me out. Still makes me think it's him under the mask."

"You know," Dick sighed, pulling down the cowl , "I think the same thing when I look in the mirror. I think he's come back but then I realize it's me."

Tim frowned at Dick and looked back down again, rubbing his hands together nervously. "He's not coming back."

Batman and Robin were quiet. Only some real bats chittered and scratched and made any noise at all far off in the recesses of the cave.

"So, how'd it go?" Dick asked Tim.

"The procedure? Oh, you've seen the ads. 'Virtually painless' and all that. Well, yeah, it's painless. You're doped up so much you don't feel a thing."

Dick looked Tim up and down in the light of the monitors. Nothing looked different. He had seen some of the Everyman ads. Most subjects did look normal after the procedure. Only a few had sprouted wings or grew to eight feet tall.

"Did it work?"

"Yup," Tim said, his head still hanging low.

"Can I see it?"

Tim stood up and gave a wary glance at the bat-computer before stepping back a few paces.

Palms up, he thrust his arms down. There was a burst of light illuminating dimly lit cave as electricity snapped and danced from his fingertips to down to his palms.

Tim relaxed his arms and closed his hands almost as soon as he had started. Dick gave a low, impressed whistle.

"Totally whelming. So's that why your hair's is so poofy? Static electricity?"

Tim scowled and ran his hands through his hair, trying to flatten it. It stood up even more.

"I've already fried my cellphone and my watch! Those things things don't grow on trees, you know!"

"They do for me," Dick said grinning.

"Well, we can't all be next in line for the Wayne family fortune."

There was an awkward pause as Dick frowned. Tim's face turned red.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I can get you a new phone, if you want."

"Nah, It's fine. I don't have anyone to call with the folks in witness protection."

Dick nodded and turned, typing into the bat-computer. Tim heard the printer start up and start spitting out paper. Dick retrieved the papers and handed them to Tim.

"These are copies of your files. You'll need them to get into the Everyman Institute. Oracle should send you the real things in a few days."

"So, Barbara's doing okay, then?" Tim asked, looking over the papers. "I was really worried after- whoa...wait a minute. Alvin Draper? You couldn't think of a normal name as an alias?"

Dick grinned. "It's so weird, they won't even suspect it's an alias. Your middle name is Robert," he added consolingly. "Make them call you Rob."

"Clever," The newest Robin said, smirking up at Dick. "And next time your alias's middle name can be 'Batman-o'. Nobody'll suspect a thing."

"That's the spirit." Dick smiled brightly, a small reminder of how he was eight years ago, but then face darkened. "Don't get caught, Tim."

Tim nodded. "I won't." He paused and looked like he wanted to say something important. "Don't get caught either. Gotham needs her Batman." He moved his hand out for maybe a high five or a handshake but then sparks flew out from his palm. His eyes widened as he redirected his hand and and awkwardly stuffed his fist into his pocket. Dick smirked.

"Alfred made up the guest room if you wanna recharge there."

Tim nodded at the change of subject and yawned. "Good idea. 'Night."

Dick frowned.

"Make sure not to fry the bed sheets," he yelled up after Tim, "Alfred won't like that."

Tim's face turned red again as he opened his mouth wide to retort. But deciding not to take the bait, he waved his hand dismissively and walked up the stairs to the mansion proper.

There was a crackle, a yelp and a "damn doorknob" and Dick chuckled to himself.

Dick looked over the papers once again and sighed. Then, making sure that Tim had left, he pulled the cowl back over his head. Bruce had been working on an investigation of the Everyman program when he had disappeared. It was Dick's responsibility now.

Setting Tim's papers aside, Dick whispered into the night.

"This is for you, Bruce." The sound echoed and carried through the cave. Dick sat silently almost hoping for a response.

"This is for you, Bruce," his voice replied.

"For Bruce."

Next on Everymen: Collateral Damage. Cassie Sandsmark deals with a robber and gets and offer.

AN: This is an AU. Superboy hasn't been found yet and the final showdown between the Team and the Vandal Savage-controlled Justice League did not go as well as it did in Young Justice season one.

Because of the deaths of Miss Martian and Wonder Woman, the League disbanded because of the potential danger a group of their power could be to the world. Also as a result, Lex Luthor set up the Everyman project in order to profit on the under-protected, frightened citizens by accessing their meta-gene and activating it (in this universe, most of the population has a dormant meta-gene) and setting up the Institute for the training of (in his opinion) the very best. All of this is in the name of protection for the everyman.

As a result, this universe is quite different but I promise to reveal the changes as needed with Miss Martian on occasion narrating. Just stay tuned.

Thanks for reading!