WARNING: I ship Tim/Kon, Bruce/Selina, and Clark/Diana so be prepared for little bits and hints of that in this chapter.


Chapter II - A Solemn Farewell

At last, their seven days were up.

After a week of packing and preparation for the big day, Dick still felt considerably unprepared for what was to come. He found that the hardest part about the situation was saying goodbye to his friends and family being left behind. Eventually, he expected to be separated from Bruce and Jason as well. It would be a miracle if they were all somehow assigned to the same unit so he wouldn't be left in the dark about their whereabouts, but he knew better than that.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror and imagined that he was only in a dream, a nightmare where Bruce, Jason and himself were being sent to fight in the second World War. He watched as his expression contorted to that of grief in his realization that he wasn't in a fantasy, but reality.

A soft knocking withdrew him from his poignant musings. Dick blinked once more then moved towards the door. He opened it to find Damian and Tim, both seemingly despondent.

"Hey, Dick." Tim was somehow able to muster enough happy thoughts and willed himself to smile. "We just wanted to, you know, say goodbye…and that we won't be going with you guys to the armory." Dick nodded then waited for him to continue. "It's not that we don't want to. Bruce doesn't want us to go. He says it's easier this way."

"Good luck out there, Grayson," Damian added. "Just promise us one thing."

Dick smiled fondly. "What is it?

"Promise that you'll come back. Alive."

Dick sighed as he approached his youngest brother and kneeled before him. He offered a tiny smile as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll try. That I can promise."

Tears welled up in Damian's eyes and he turned around. "If you die, I am going to personally rip apart the gates of Hell and drag your sorry soul back to the land of the living so I can force you back into your stupid body."

"Assuming it's still in one piece," Dick teased with a laugh. "Or maybe just missing a limb or two. If I get my head blown off, then I don't see how that plan of your is going to work out." That earned him a glare.

Tim gasped, his eyes wide. "Don't joke around like that!"

"Sorry," Dick chuckled as he knocked on his hardwood door to put his brothers at ease.

"Hurry up, Dick!" Jason called as he turned the corner, his bulky duffel bag in tow. "We're leaving in an hour." One look at Damian and he immediately knew why he had turned himself away from Tim and Dick. He was trying to hide his tears. "Don't cry, kiddo. We'll be back in no time."

"You better make sure of it," Damian sniffled. "Or I'll drag you back, too."

"You got it," Jason smiled half-heartedly. He was aware of the consequences for promising such things when he knew he had no control whatsoever over the outcome, but if it made his little brothers feel any better about their departure, he didn't care that it was wrong. "Anyway, Dick, are you ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be."

Selina had arrived the day before and spent the night with Bruce. It was their last night together until God knows when, so she wanted to make every moment she had left with him a memorable one.

"You be careful out there," she whispered as she gently caressed his cheek. "And take care of the boys."

Bruce placed his hand above her own. "I'll do what I can."

"I'll look after Tim and Damian. And Alfred, but I doubt that he needs any looking after," she smiled.

"I trust that you will."

Then she kissed him. It was sincere, filled with longing, and neither wanted to stop. But alas, their moment was put to a halt when said boys entered the foyer.

"Get a room," Dick cried, covering Damian's eyes. The two lovers hadn't realized their kiss had become more fervent than they had originally intended. "This is one of the most public areas in the house, not a goddamn bedroom!"

"Get off!" Damian shouted, ripping his brother's much larger hands away from his face. Oh, how he despised being patronized.

The massive doors permitting entrance to the manor swung open with a thunderous bang. On the other side stood Clark Kent, his girlfriend Diana Prince, and his son Conner. Both Kents shared exuberant smiles, paying no heed to the dim cheerlessness of the day's upcoming events. Diana, however, did not feel as optimistic as her companions.

"Glad to see you could make it, Clark," Bruce greeted as he untangled himself from Selina. He held her hand instead. "How are you, Diana?"

"I've been better," the woman admitted, looking earnestly at the man holding her own hand.

Clark grinned at her in the hopes that she would return the gesture. "You worry too much." He lovingly kissed her forehead when her expression retained its sorrow.

Being slightly uncomfortable with the whole lovey-dovey scene his father and his girlfriend so chose to display, Conner stepped inside and found his way to his best friend.

"Hey," Tim smiled weakly, his cerulean eyes an empty void. Conner found this distant demeanor of his unsettling.

"You know that you don't have to go through this alone, right?" Conner spoke softly. "My dad's leaving me, too. I know how it feels. You've just got to smile through it all, while you still have any reason to." Tim hugged him, his words of comfort forcing its way through his unyielding barrier of misery.

"I'm glad you aren't going," he murmured into Conner's neck.

His friend laughed as he patted him soothingly on the back. "Even if I wanted to, I'm still only seventeen."

"But that means one more year and then you'll have to go." Tim held on tighter. "I can't lose you, too."

Dick and Jason advanced toward the two.

"Do you think they like each other as, you know…more than best friends?" Jason asked in a low tone so only Dick could receive the message.

"It's not impossible."

"Alright, break it up," Jason placed a hand on each of their shoulders, smirking at the two of them as he interrupted their tender moment. "What's with the love fest all of a sudden?"

"Love fest?" Damian scrunched his face in disgust.

"Yeah!" Jason insisted with a wide grin. "Bruce and Selina were practically getting it on before we walked in on them. Clark and his girl were being a little too friendly for my tastes a few minutes ago, and now look at you two!"

"Oh, shut up, Jay," Tim protested. "That's not funny."

Dick chuckled, illustrating no disagreement with Jason's pronouncement.

Tim's eyes shot to his eldest brother and stared at him disbelievingly. "Dick!"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Not funny, I'm sorry."

"Alright, boys. Let's get a move on," Bruce publicized, his cobalt eyes locking with Selina's emeralds once more in a soundless farewell. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

Shortly, Alfred rolled up before Wayne Manor in their vehicle of transportation. It was going to be a long ride to the armory.

To be continued…


A/N: So yeah, they're just saying their good-byes and whatnot. It's pretty slow so far, I know.