0200 PST+ / / The Watchtower

"This used to be a place of comradery to most," Doctor Fate spoke with Oliver, overlooking the sparsely populated Watchtower floor. "Do you not prefer the busyness as I do?"

"Not as much as I used to," replied Oliver, somewhat bothered by the emptiness of the station. "I can hear a hairpin drop from all the way up here."

It was true. The Watchtower wasn't quite as active as it once was. There were the rare occasions in which a few would come to clean the growing dust and rust, but it was Brother Eye who truly remained active within the station, functioning on its own rather than have assistance. Many had already decided to retire semi-permanently from any and all Justice League-affiliated activities. Although, some were coerced to leave retire rather than make a decision on their own behalf. With only a limited number of members left, it was becoming a growing concern on everybody's radar, especially with the increase of brazen moves by both governments and ARGUS.

From Oliver's perspective, it seemed as if the Suicide Squad was getting more public support rather than the Justice League.

That wasn't a good thing.

"Have you spoken with what remains of the team yet, Oliver? I heard more of our youngest have decided to join the rest of civilian life," said Doctor Fate, hands placed flat against the table.

Oliver could only nod, a tad bit disappointed by the lack of communication between him and Artemis beginning to bother him.

"I've only spoken to a few of them. Haven't exactly heard much, to be honest," admitted Oliver. "I don't exactly have time to look for another protege, Kent. I have a business to run and a feisty toddler to watch. I think it's safe to say that the Green Arrow might be retiring one day or another."

"A bold choice for someone with such limited options," Doctor Fate acknowledged. "You and I both know it will be hard to keep our enemies in their place. Using empty-minded killers to do our job will cost those in charge greatly. A blade to the throat and a bullet in a back is what they will receive for such stupidity."

With a short groan, Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose, nodding absent-mindedly once again.

"I'm doing the best I can to solve lingering issues, Kent. With only the two of us doing this, it isn't going to be easy bringing another team together," the archer argued, motioning with gloved hands. "Artemis wants nothing to do with us anymore. She's gone, Kent. The others are gone. The only ones left are the Titans and the Birds of Prey. Hell, we may have Harleen and Selina with us now, but it barely makes any change. We're short in numbers, Kent."

A flicker of light emanated from the palm of Doctor Fate's hands, only to fade into air at the sound of a faint click.

"Do you think of me as one who ignores this? I fear only for the lives of the children we have to bring into our fight. Wallace's death has proven that we are all mortal; we are not gods," said Fate, head leaning against the back of his seat. "Should you find someone suitable for your method of training, you do as we have discussed, Oliver. Whether or not they are as skilled as your former protege does not matter. Artemis has left us; I truly doubt she will ever return to us."

Both had to face the obvious fact: most from the old team weren't going to return. After Wally's death, things seemed to slowly fall apart, leading to an inevitable dissolving of the entirety of the team. It was painful having to watch as everyone went their separate ways, preferring civilian life over one of secrecy. Then again, without a team to do what the Justice League couldn't was becoming a problem, one that needed to truly be addressed with both discretion and aggression.

With the Injustice League in play, the world wasn't going to last. Not without something to counteract the spreading "virus."

And with Lex Luthor as a candidate for the presidency, it was going to get worse.

"I can at least try to convince Bruce and the others to come back for once. But Dinah is going to outright refuse for sure," Oliver said. "They're only going to be mentors this time, Kent. This doesn't mean we're all back on active duty."

"Agreed," Fate spoke, a subtle grin hidden behind his helmet. "And what of you? Your son is going to need a father."

"I know, Kent," mumbled the archer, rubbing at his forehead. "Let's just hope I live to see my son's next birthday."

Author's Note:

In all honesty, I thought I'd never work on a Young Justice SYOC in my lifetime. After discovering that the show was going to come back for a 3rd season, I said to myself:

"Hey, why not at least write something to do with the show?"

And then this story came along. I was working on it during a lab at my school, and it has been sitting in Word for a few weeks or so.

The story itself takes place in 2019. Most of the core Justice League members (and those who are part-time/minor members) have left due to growing scrutiny from the public eye. Most of the original team have decided to leave as well, leaving people such as Kaldur to at least try to fix things.

In other words: things are not going well for anybody at all.

As you already know from this short introduction, Doctor Fate and Green Arrow are trying to assemble a newer team. With Harley Quinn and Catwoman as "temporary" allies to what remains of the league, there are going to be some definite changes in policy when it comes to chosen proteges and mentoring.

With every SYOC comes rules, right? Rules are rules, and they are meant to be followed.

1] Mary Sues/Gary Stu original characters are not allowed. Should one show up in my inbox, it is more than likely that I'll respond with quite a list of why I won't accept them. Harassment after this will get you barred from messaging me an/or reviewing the story. If you're calm about it, then it will be good to have you along for this endeavor.

2] Diversity. One can easily be a amputee (regardless of leg or arm) and still fight with a prosthetic. Even those who are deaf (partially or fully) can be of great use to an entire team. I don't just want atypical caucasian OCs, either. This world (and the expansive world of DC) has more people of color than you can imagine, and everybody, regardless of skin color or background, is different.

3] This isn't a first come, first serve SYOC. I'm looking for detail. Tragic backstories may be a bit cliche, but if they're detailed enough to a point where I can compare it to Sin City (bloody good graphic novel, by the way), I'll more than likely accept said OC. Humble beginnings are good, too.

4] Title your submission: INTT: (insert character name, codename, and age). It helps me organize between submissions and normal messages.

5] If you've read the rules, put the name of your favorite comic character at the end of your submission.

I am well-aware that I might have to skip a few classes just to sort through submissions this week. My inbox is always open; should you have any questions, just talk to me, and we can get things sorted out.

You can find the submission form on my profile.