Roy was shocked to see his deceased best friend hugging him.
He still remembered the funeral as if it had been yesterday. It was as if he could still see the tears falling from Greg's eyes as he lost his composure at the pulpit, Ollie and Justin running up to try and soothe the disheartened man. It was as if he could still see the sad glances given to him in supposed secrecy as his friends stood to his side, while he stood straight, not even blinking behind his mask.
Immediately he pushed Stuff away and glared at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He couldn't relive all of those horrible memories. He couldn't relive the ache and worry he once went through as Greg became almost obsessed in bringing Stuff's murderer to justice.
And seeing the heart-broken face of a teenager that looked so much like his Stuff, yet wasn't... Well... It was a wonder how he had been able to stay standing.
"Roy? What do you mean? It's me, Danny!" Stuff's saddened face gave him a sad smile that flickered away as soon as the Asian boy fell victim to Roy's dark glare.
"I don't know you."
Those words hit Stuff hard, if the fact that he looked like a kicked puppy was anything to go by, but Roy knew that his pain wasn't even close to the one he was feeling right now. Not only was he seeing his deceased best friend right now, but he was also pushing him away as a way to not get hurt again.
"Uh, Stuff. Ah was meanin' ta talk ta yuh 'bout that, actually." Greg intervened after a moment of absolute silence, none daring to speak up after Roy's harsh words. "This ain't our Roy..."
Stuff's brown eyes now looked up at Greg, dozens of emotions swirling inside, "... So, he's still missing?"
The question was directed at Ollie, Roy's 'father'. The blonde man only sighed and nodded, scratching the back of his neck.
"I haven't received any word from him yet." Ollie offered, almost apologetically.
Stuff nodded and sighed heavily.
"I should have known."
Roy felt his heart become heavier at those softly spoken words, but he didn't dare say anything that even resembled comfort because he didn't want to grow close to this Stuff. He just couldn't bare to part with another Stuff. Not ever again.
Greg placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head softly, before giving the kids an almost apologetic smile.
"Roy Harper has been missin' fer the past six months. We haven't heard squat from 'im an', like any normal friends, we're worried 'bout 'im." He explained and Artemis nodded.
She understood what he meant. Their own Roy had a bad habit of disappearing without explanation.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy now. So heavy that- even though no one else seemed to notice it- both Conner and Clark saw Ollie wipe a stray tear away from his cheek.
They were all left without any more words to say.
"Batman. Where are they?"
The Dark Knight looked up from his large computer in the Bat Cave to see an enraged Jason Todd making his way to him, red helmet under his arm and deadly weapons glinting dangerously as the light reflected off of them.
"What do you mean?"
Jason growled menacingly at the almost emotionless answer that came from the Bat, but somehow managed to reign in his anger enough to not punch the man in the face.
"I mean the Young Justice Team!" He yelled, grabbing the back of Batman's chair harshly and twisting him to face him. "I haven't heard a peep from any of them in the past day!"
Bruce's annoyed frown was all that met Jason's anger.
"They've been on a very important mission, Jason. One that requires full radio silence."
Jason glared darkly at his ex-father. "Bullshit and you know it! Even when silence is required, Dick always sends you and I information on how the mission is going! It's what you taught him to do!"
Bruce sighed and shook his head softly, "They are fighting the Light, Jason. A mission that required full silence to ensure the safety of the team."
The ex-Robin didn't seem to want to understand Bruce's words.
Like father, like son, it seemed.
"I don't care what they're doing! Something bad must have happened if none of them has called me up as their backup!"
Those words seemed to finally strike Batman.
The Young Justice Team had a very bad habit of calling up Jason whenever any mission of their's seemed to be taking too long so he would help them fiinsh sooner. He was, of course, annoyed by this to no end, but the fact that the kids had not called on the rogue Robin was slightly... Worrisome.
"What do you want me to do, Jason? I cannot call them, for I would be jeopardizing their mission."
The dark haired young man smiled darkly at Bruce, "If you don't call them right now, Bruce, I will make sure to make your life a living hell. Now contact those brats right now before I figure out a way to expose your secret life to the world."
Finally Bruce seemed to understand just how serious Jason was about the situation. So he turned to the computer without another word and began to try and make contact with the team.
After a full five minutes of nothing, he turned to Jason once more.
"I'm going to go to the Watchtower."
Jason nodded and crossed his arms. "You better."
Wally breathed out heavily as M'gann slept peacefully on the bed beside his, even though Robin was wide awake to her left.
"There could be no home, Wally. How could she be sleeping at a time like this?" The bird asked, voice quivering softly.
The red head could only give a humorless chuckle with a shrug of his shoulders, "Being tired is a bitch... But... Rob... Maybe we're overthinking this."
"What do you mean?"
Dick's blue eyed looked into Wally's green ones, silently pleading for his friend to give him any reason to hope.
"I mean, we've heard the theories before. Alternate universes. One where we're ourselves, but not. One that has nothing to do with us. We went to the convention once, remember?"
Robin's hopeful gaze became an annoyed frown, "Wally, we were kids when we went to that! And the leading scientist was then called out on his bluffs and all his theories are now defunct! You can't possibly tell me you're thinking that's what happened."
The red head shrugged, "Think about it, Rob. A flash of light when we were fighting the Light. I don't know... I guess... Maybe if it had been fighting anyone else I might start thinking that our world is no more. But the fact that they have Klarion with them- out of all the villains in the world- leads me to believe he wouldn't want to kill us without a bit of torture first."
Dick looked away from his friend, registering the words and analyzing them, before speaking up once more.
"What proof do we have for both sides of the story?"
"The proof's the same for either theory. A flash of light while fighting the bad guys and suddenly we're on an Earth with a Justice League that doesn't recognize us. Apart from that, nothing."
Dick sighed heavily now, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And we don't even know if the rest of the Team is here."
Both boys mood darkened at the thought. If their conversation had been serious before... Well, they didn't even want to entertain the thought of the rest of their Team not living anymore.
"We have to get Coyote tomorrow." Robin spoke up after a minute or two, changing the topic of the conversation.
Wally didn't disagree. "It's best we all stick together. We can't afford to get separated in a world we don't technically exist."
Robin nodded softly in agreement, then Wally shook his head.
"I never thought I'd say this... But I even miss Guy Gardner's incessant chattering right now..."
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