They were on the alien mother-ship, the last one standing. All the leaguers were injured, so the Team went in. Cassie didn't know it, but her boyfriend, Jaime (A.K.A Blue Beetle) knew the only way to destroy it would mean sacrificing himself. To end the invasion, Jaime would die. But before he did, he had to get her out.

"Exactly how does the indestructible Wonder Girl get a broken leg?"Jaime asked her as they flew to the waiting bioship, but there was no humor in her boyfriend's voice. He was worried, that was obvious. Cassie shrugged (hiding a wince of pain), and said "Advanced Alien tech and bad luck?"

"Ha ha," they reached the bioship, where Blue Beetle handed her to Nightwing.

"Get out of here. I've got a mother-ship to destroy," he told him. Nightwing gave him a look, which Jaime returned. Then he nodded.

"Good luck," he said. Cassie was about to pass out from the pain.

"Jaime, what are you-"

"Stay safe, Cassie. Te amo." Cassie was shocked. Te amo meant I love you. He had never said it before.

"Te amo demasiado, Jaime," she said, and he flew off just before she passed out.


You harbor thoughts of the Cassie as you fly to your doom? The scarab asked, something close to incredulity in the electronic voice.

"Yeah. That's what love is. Now let's go out with a bang."

Agreed. Activating Plasma Cannon.
There was a bright flash of light, and the Blue Beetle was no more.


When Cassie woke up, what she expected was a white cast on her leg and Jaime sitting next to her, ready to call her an idiot in Spanish but smiling too much for her to take it seriously.

Well, there was a white cast.

But no Jaime. Instead, Diana was there, head on her chest, asleep. She soon woke though.

"How do you feel?" she asked, her voice gentle.

"I'm okay. Where's Jaime?" Usually he was the first to check up on her, even if she was indestructible. A look of pain flashed across her mentor's face.

"Cassie, Jaime didn't make it."

"What? He had to. He was going to blow up the mother-ship and come meet us!"

"Did he say that?" Diana was being gentle, but firm.

"No, but he must've meant to. There's no way he'd..." leave me, Cassie thought.

"Sacrifice himself? It was the only way Cassie, but even we didn't know till after."

"No, he can't be...he can't be." She started to cry, and Diana put an arm around her.

"I'm sorry Cassie."

"Can-can I see him?"

"The explosion vaporized everything. We searched for hours. Nothing." No body? Maybe they were wrong.

Maybe Jaime's still out there, somewhere.


The funeral for Blue Beetle was huge, attended by the whole League as they carved his name into the monument for fallen heroes, joining the original Blue Beetle, Aquagirl, and others who gave their life.

Cassie didn't speak. She just cried.

The funeral for Jaime Reyes was small, simple. Like the small white headstone.

Jaime Reyes

Born July 10, 2000-Died August 17, 2017

Hero, Son, Brother


Evetown Memorial Hospital, the day of the explosion:

"We have a John Doe, late teens, unconscious, blast marks. Going into shock. I need two units O negative, stat! Get him to the operating room now!"

"ugggg" the boy moaned a few hours later, waking up.

"Hey son, can you tell me how old you are?"

"I don't... remember."

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"A hospital?"

"Close enough. What's your name?"

"I don't know." The young Hispanic boy said.

He had amnesia.