Title: From Underneath Dark Skies
Rating: T
Word Count: 7,400+ (total)
Characters: introducing: Kiran Singh (a.k.a. Solstice), Kaldur/Kiran, Dick/Barbara, Wally/Artemis, Conner/M'gann, a little Roy/Jade towards the end
Summary: It's not fair for her to be introduced to the Team like this, all broken and dysfunctional, but she smiles brightly upon her introduction that no one else is listening to and it's the first glimpses of sunlight that has reached the Cave in what feels like a long, long time.
Prompt: #1: light
Other Inspirations: "Lights will guide you home, And ignite your bones, And I will try to fix you" – lyrics from "Fix You" by Coldplay

Note: This is for jenniferhudsonfan33, who requested for a fic with Solstice. The angst kind of took over, so I'm sorry that it didn't end up being focused on Kiran like I wanted it to be. If you don't like it, I definitely owe you another fic!

From Underneath Dark Skies (2/2)

Ever since everything went up in flames over a week ago, the Cave has been unsettlingly silent. Before, it used to just be quiet, but there were still muted signs of everyone else still there. They were just soft noises of activity or occasional confrontations if the wrong people happen to pass by each other; just things that reminded them that they all still existed.

But it's been days since Robin, Batgirl, Wally, and Artemis have beamed in, and Conner and M'gann never seem to be awake or around whenever he is, so the place is silent.

Cold and dark and quiet—things that can't help but make Kaldur think of the very bottom of the ocean.

Pretty soon, he thinks, lifeless will be added to that list.

... ...

It's completely dark in the living room, with the exception of the kitchen light he turned on so he could get himself a glass of orange juice.

He's not exactly sure what time it is. It's probably well past midnight, but lately he can't find it in himself to have a few decent hours of sleep. It doesn't even have to be peaceful, just restless sleep. And he's not sure how long he's been sitting alone in almost total darkness on the couch, with his head hanging and elbows on top of his knees, when he opens his eyes and sees something moving.

He lifts his head up in time to watch this swirl of light trace around the living room in front of him before darting back, and as he looks over his shoulder, he sees Kiran standing there. Her hair is tied into a ponytail like the first day they met, and she's hugging her robe tightly around herself.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course you may," he says quietly, sitting up a little straighter as she walks around the couch and sinks herself into the spot beside him, legs brushing against his as she tucks her legs under herself.

"How do you not get cold whenever you sit out here for so long?" she asks, shivering a little. He looks at her, and she smiles very faintly. "I haven't been sleeping much, either. I hear you when you come out but… I haven't been able to bring myself to leave my room."

He nods and lays his back against the couch, closing his eyes. "I have become used to it for a while now."

He hears her take in a breath, as if she wants to ask him if he's speaking literally or figuratively, but when she exhales and no words follow, he's glad. He's not sure how he'd answer that question.

After a pregnant pause has passed, he opens his eyes again and sees that she's still staring forward into the darkness, hugging herself and shivering a little every few seconds. He shifts closer to her, and she takes the invitation to do the same, lying against the couch as well with her arm pressing against his.

"My parents used to tell me," she says softly, "that things have to get worse before they can get better." Her body leans a little more against his, her head resting on his shoulder.

She doesn't say anything else after that, and even though a large part of him is doubtful and already giving up, there's a small, small part of him that thinks (hopes) that she could be right.

... ...

It feels like days since he's really seen Conner, other than barely acknowledging each other if they happen to pass by.

He was swimming laps in the pool to try and burn off some of his pent up energy, and when he gets out and dries off, he has to walk into the gym to get to the locker room and Conner just so happens to be in there, taking his frustrations out on a section of the steel wall that is now bruised with dents.

Kaldur walks over to Conner as he's throwing another swing at the wall, and he sort of just leaves his fist in the dent he's been working on, breathing heavily.

"I messed up."

"We all did," Kaldur reminds.

"No, I really messed up," Conner says, clenching his jaw a little before releasing. "None of you messed up like I did."

"I am sure our mere suspicion and hesitation, alone, was enough," Kaldur points out, placing a hand on Conner's tense shoulder. "She loved us, which was why she was hurt by our initial reaction. And even after we claimed to have forgiven her, our doubt still rests at the back of her mind." He squeezes a little. "But she was in love with you, which made your blow particularly heartbreaking."

Conner's muscles tighten as his fist does. "I was just… so mad. You know how I am—she knows how I am! …I overreacted."

"We do," Kaldur agrees, "but your overreactions have always been verbal. None of us were expecting for you to lash out in the way that you did."

Conner closes his eyes. "Cassie was… there at the wrong time. I shouldn't have… I just shouldn't have. It wasn't fair for me to use Cassie like that, and it sure as hell wasn't fair to M'gann."

"Be sure that she knows this, my friend," Kaldur advises, and Conner looks at him. "Be sure that they both know this."

... ...

When they walk down the hallway towards the kitchen, they hear voices.

They peer out a little, and a girl with fair skin and golden curls—undoubtedly Cassie—is sitting on a barstool at the island, her head on the counter and Kiran standing beside her with a hand on the girl's back, rubbing soothing circles. Kiran looks up at them and holds up an index finger, and then presses it lightly to her lips.

"Gosh, I just feel so stupid," Cassie groans, voice muffled by her hands over her face.

"Why did you throw yourself at him like that, Cassie?" Kiran asks.

"I don't know!" she cries. "I just… When I found out about M'gann like everyone else did, I was just… so mad at her for lying and being such a threat to my friends that… I just wasn't thinking. And Conner was sulking and furious, too, and my anger took advantage of that… of him."

Kaldur meets Conner's eyes, and he nods slightly at his friend when he notices the hesitation on the boy's face.

Conner walks forward a little, speaking up, "Cassie."

The girl sits upright, cheeks red and eyes watery and a little puffy, and is obviously surprised to see them there. Kiran places a hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezes reassuringly.

"I… I'm sorry," Conner gets out, walking a little closer, until he's standing at the opposite side of the island from them. "I was overreacting and I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

"Conner, I'm sorry," Cassie says shakily, sniffing a little. It's obvious she's been crying for a while, now. "I didn't mean to do that to you and Megan. I mean… I'm sure at the time, part of me meant to, but… I was overreacting, too, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you like that just because I was being emotional and overprotective, and because I was mad at her."

Conner nods, and Cassie brings the heel of her palm to wipe at the corner of her eye.

"Guys," Kiran says softly, catching their attention, "it's great that you apologized to each other… but there's someone else who really deserves it, too."

She's looking ahead, and they follow her gaze to where M'gann is standing in the middle of the living room, staring back at them. Her eyes are watery, too, and her bottom lip is quivering.

Conner and Cassie look at each other for a second, and then at M'gann, but when they try talking at the same time, M'gann says, "I know, guys," in this nervous little laugh, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I accept your apologies. And I'm… I'm sorry for lying…"

M'gann lifts her hand and holds it out, and Conner immediately walks over to her and slips their fingers together, squeezing.

Cassie's crying softly to herself, holding her hands over her face again, and Kiran wraps her arms around her friend and presses her head against Cassie's. She meets Kaldur's eyes and smiles a bit sadly, but it's a smile nonetheless, and as Kaldur looks from them and back to Conner and M'gann again, he can't help the small smile that forms on his face, too.

... ...

Later that night, they're all in the living room and pretty much doing nothing productive.

He and Conner are playing some shooting game that Kaldur couldn't care less for, but Conner usually plays this with Robin and Wally and they're nowhere to be found lately, so of course Kaldur's going to play with him. M'gann is kneeling behind Kiran and braiding the girl's hair as she's flipping through a magazine.

"You're really good with this," Kiran compliments.

She meets Kaldur's eyes and smiles at him, and he smiles back, of course, but then Conner kills his guy with a headshot a second later and Kiran laughs.

"I've had a lot of practice," M'gann admits. "I used to do Artemis's hair all the time."

Conner puts the game on pause and has a worried look on his face when he looks over at M'gann.

She's not tearing up or anything (she's done her fair share of crying today), but her hands kind of stop moving through Kiran's hair and she has a really distant look in her eyes. Then Kiran reaches over her shoulder to place her hand over M'gann's, turning her head as best she can and telling her, "She'll be back soon. They all will," in such a convincing way that they can't help but believe her.

... ...

When the transporter announces a new arrival, Kaldur's eyes kind of grow wide. It'd felt like forever since Roy had visited the Cave, and yet, he's walking into the kitchen and smirking at Kaldur so casually, as if he'd done this every day.

"It is good to see you, old friend," Kaldur greets.

Roy chuckles a little and punches his shoulder lightly. "I'm not that old. But I get it, I'll visit more often." He sits down on a barstool. "So, the others…?"

"I believe M'gann and Kiran are in the gym," Kaldur informs, "and Conner is in the hanger with Wolf and Sphere."

Roy nods and looks over the room once before asking if they've got anything to drink. Of course Roy knows everything that's been happening with the Team. He, Robin, or Wally all keep him updated, and if not, Black Canary will or anyone in the League, really. According to King Orin, League Members asked frequently about the status of the Team and were more closely affected than they probably realized.

Kaldur pours Roy some lemonade that Kiran made the previous night, and the redhead makes a face but drinks it, anyway, when Kaldur places it in front of him.

"So, what brings you to the Cave?" Kaldur asks, because he knows Roy. The man is not above visiting friends just because, but he was probably aware that almost none of them would be here. Obviously there is more of a point to this visit.

Roy just looks at him for a moment before reaching into his pocket and sliding something onto the counter.

Kaldur picks up the small photo in front of him, holding it carefully between his thumb and index finger, and for a few seconds, he's just staring at a blur of black and white and gray. Then he makes out the profile of a small head and lumpy body, and when he looks up, eyes wide, Roy is smirking again.

"Is this—"

"Yeah," Roy cuts him off, swiping his thumb over the condensation on his glass, just for the sake of doing something. "She's fifteen weeks along."

Kaldur sits down on a barstool, too, and stares at the picture in his hand. "Who is the…" he begins to ask, but he can't seem to get the word mother out of his mouth.

"That's the tricky part, Kal," Roy tells him, and Kaldur wonders how it can get trickier than him becoming a father.

Roy digs into his pocket again and pulls out two photos, placing one down first. It's obviously a candid, because the young Asian woman isn't looking at the camera, but he can still make out her face pretty clearly. Then Roy places the second photo down beside the first, and it's undoubtedly a surveillance photo that was zoomed in and cropped to get a clearer picture.

But really, the mask is all that one needs to see to know who this is.

"Look, I know it's crazy," Roy begins. "She's not… I wouldn't have let it get this far if I didn't think she wouldn't be able to—"

"You do not need to justify yourself to me, friend," Kaldur reassures, smiling for a second before adding, "Does this mean Artemis—"

"She knows," Roy replies. "Actually, that's the second reason I came today." Kaldur hands back the sonogram and watches Roy slip them back into his pocket. "I talked with Artemis. Well, Jade and I both did when she… never mind. But she told me about what happened."

Kaldur nods. "It was the worst I had ever seen them get."

"She's not taking it well," Roy tells him. "And Wally isn't either, according to Rob. He's been calling nonstop. You think they'll ever be able to get passed this?"

"It is hard to say," Kaldur admits. "Wally is untrusting and does not take lightly to being lied to. Artemis is too strong to admit to having her heart broken, and will be bitter because of it. Robin does not cope well with feeling abandoned, which is what he feels Batgirl did to him. And Batgirl has always had Robin in her life, so with this strain on their relationship, she may no longer want to continue heroism."

Roy sets his glass down and looks Kaldur in the eyes, and when he asks if maybe it were better to just disband the Team altogether, Kaldur presses his lips together and doesn't answer.

... ...

They're all on the training platform, sparring, when Red Tornado appears on the screen and tells them the news. The Birds of Prey were in Gotham and had a run-in with Joker and Harley Quinn. They were able to send both off in cuffs, of course, but before that, Harley's hyenas got to Batgirl and there'd been a lot of blood when Black Canary called Watchtower.

When they're about to leave for the Watchtower, however, Robin and Artemis appear through the zeta transporter at the same time, with Wally following shortly after. All three are still in civvies, and there are tears in Artemis's eyes as she runs over to M'gann and the two hug.

Wally grips Robin's shoulder as Batman arrives and is authorizing each of them, individually, so that they can zeta to the Watchtower.

Before it's her turn, Kiran slips her hand in his and squeezes. She looks shaken up and is holding onto his hand tightly, like she's expecting something similar to happen to him any moment.

He squeezes back and then untangles their fingers, grasping her shoulder and pressing a kiss to her forehead. He lets his lips linger, mumbling, "I will be right behind you," against her skin, and she looks into his eyes as she nods before stepping away and disappearing through the transporter.

... ...

As they're sitting in the waiting room, the air is thick with tension.

The boy is hunched over with his head bowed and arms tucked between his knees, hair falling over his shades. Wally is sitting on the arm of his chair, hand still on his shoulder, but his eyes are looking at Artemis, who has her face leaning into M'gann's neck and wetting her green skin with tears. Conner has his arm around M'gann, so it's somewhat around Artemis, too.

"This is my fault," Robin says after a long while, and they all sort of just look at him, because it's surprising that even he spoke.

"Rob," Wally begins, "don't say—"

"It is," Robin insists, sitting up straighter. His hands curl into fists atop his knees. "Black Canary said that Batgirl was distant and distracted the entire time, right? That was because of me."

Artemis lifts her head to look at him warily. "What did you say to her?"

"It doesn't matter," he mutters, standing up. "It distracted her and she got hurt because of it."

"Of course is matters, Robin," Artemis cries, and then asks again, "What did you say to her?"

Wally looks like he's about to defend his friend when Robin says shakily, "I told her that she might as well forget everything we've ever been through since it obviously meant nothing to her." A tear rolls down his cheek and he continues, "I didn't mean it! Of course I didn't. She's my best friend, and I was just being stupid."

Artemis wipes at her eyes and says softly, "People say stupid stuff and don't realize how the other person will take it." Wally winces. "You need to tell her that."

Robin curls his fists tighter. "If I can," he whispers, and Artemis brings a hand to cover her mouth.

... ...

When they finally (finally) get an update, it's in the form of Batman telling them that Batgirl will be fine after a few weeks' recovery. He's looking right at Robin when he tells them this, and Robin lifts his shades a little so that he can wipe away his tears with the back of his hand.

Then he tells him that she's semi-conscious and hasn't stopped asking to see him, and Robin nods and follows his mentor out after Batman asks if he's ready to visit.

So they all sit around the waiting room a little more relaxed than when they first arrived, and for a while, things seem fairly normal. They're sitting in a circle around the table and kind of talking about whatever comes to mind. Artemis even brings up Roy and Jade and the baby for a few seconds, obviously without using any names, since apparently Roy's got around to telling the rest of the Team.

But when that conversation dies out, Artemis says how she's sure Robin and Batgirl will be fine, if not better than before, once Robin's made amends.

"It's not like it was entirely Robin's fault in the first place," Wally says kind of defensively.

Conner and M'gann look at each other nervously, and Kiran grips his elbow where their arms are linked.

Artemis kind of narrows her eyes. "I'm not trying to blame it all on him, but he really shouldn't have said what he said in the first place."

"Well, she shouldn't have left him like that in the first place," Wally reminds. "The only thing that sent their whole relationship to the rocks like that was because she left the Team—left him—for Black Canary and the Birds. She betrayed him!"

"God, Wally, it's not always that simple!" Artemis yells. "He could've been supportive or attempted to understand, but he shut her out instead. He didn't even try to be there for her!"

"Well how could he?" Wally questions. "How could he try to meet her halfway if every time he looked at her, it just reminded him of how awful he felt that she did this to him in the first place?"

M'gann has her arms around herself, eyes shining, and Kiran shifts anxiously in her seat.

"You know what? I'm done."

Artemis gets up, and there are tears rolling down her cheeks as she slips on her jacket, and Wally asks, "Where are you going?"

"It's obvious you'll never stop being pissed at me for lying!" she shouts, and Kaldur sees the door open and some of the Leaguers start to crowd the doorway, probably to check on what all of the shouting is about. "I can't keep doing this with you, because it's killing me and we're never going to get over it! So why should I even be on the Team anymore?"

"Artemis," Wally says, and she just shakes her head and begins to walk away. Wally gets up, "Artemis!"

"Just shut—"

A blur crosses the distance between where they're sitting and where Artemis is, and Wally is standing behind her, holding onto her wrist. And they all know Wally would never hurt her, or anyone, like that, but Kaldur can tell everyone kind of tenses at the same time.

"It just sucked, okay?" Wally tells her softly. "It sucked finding out that you were lying to my face the whole time after I just realized that I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you."

It's completely silent.

Kiran looks at Kaldur, eyes glazed with tears, before looking back at them, and Kaldur sees M'gann bring a hand to cover her mouth, tears falling. Artemis shakes her head a little, whimpering, and while it may possibly be the worst time for Wally to admit his feelings, it's probably the best. If anything will work, that might.

"It sucked looking at you and thinking that maybe you lied about everything else, too," he continues. "Maybe you were only acting the whole time."

None of them can see her face, but she's obviously crying. "I didn't pretend with anything else."

"I get that, now, but it felt pretty crappy when I believed the whole thing was fake, or is just one-sided."

And Artemis obviously caught onto the "is" part like Kaldur, and probably everyone else, did, because she's turning around a little and looking him in the eyes as she says, "It's not one-sided."

He kind of nods a little and says, "Good." Then he adds, "I'm sorry."

She laughs breathily, more tears spilling from her eyes, and wraps her arms around his neck in the same second that he wraps his around her waist. M'gann is crying, too, and kind of giggling to let it all out as Conner pulls her against his chest and smiles at her. Kiran loosens her grip on Kaldur's arm and leans up a little to press a kiss to his cheek, beaming at him widely.

The League members kind of disperse shortly after that, and after Wally and Artemis walk outside to sit down on the bench to finally talk about everything, Kiran whispers into his ear, "I told you it had to get worse before it could get better."

He chuckles and whispers back, "I am glad you were right," before pressing his lips to hers.

... ...

They're all sitting in the small living room of the apartment, and while it's definitely more cramped than he has become used to due to living in the Cave, Roy and Jade's apartment is warm and cozy and definitely an atmosphere he can see them raising their daughter in.

Roy and Jade are sitting on the couch with Artemis beside her sister and Wally on her other side, and both redheads have an arm around their girl. Batgirl is in the recliner with her feet propped up and Robin sitting on the arm of the chair, their fingers laced between them. Kaldur and Kiran sunk into the giant bean-bag chair on the floor, which Kaldur knows Ollie gave to Roy as a present some years ago.

The lights are dimmed very low, because Kiran is making swirls of light dance across the ceiling with her fingers and they're all kind of just watching, whispering to each other every now and then.

Kaldur rolls his head to look at Kiran, watching the lights reflect off of her brown eyes, and thinks that it's entirely fitting that her powers are what they are.

(Because she was the light that pulled the Team through their darkest time.)