The buzzer went off once, then twice, then did not stop. It was a long incessant buzz that made him want to crack his skull against the wall.

"What?!" he yelled.

"Will!" Will's hand froze on the intercom. "Will? Is that you?"

'No… no it can't be.'

"Will, please. If that's you, let me in."

"K-Kirk?"

There was a laugh, a small huff of a ghost Will had mourned for over the years. It was a laugh Will was so familiar with, so haunted by it ached to imagine the small quirk of those lips Kirk did after such a laugh.

Will buzzed him in. Ghost be damned, Will welcomed it. He welcomed the illusion into the building, and waited for it to open the front door. A knock sounded.

Will froze. He didn't dare move to answer it but simply stood a few feet away from the door.

'I dare you to open that door,' Will thought. If it opened, it couldn't be a figment of his imagination, right? It couldn't be some twisted dream that he would wake from in a cold sweat.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Will nodded, and the doorknob slowly turned.

'God, if you're listening…'

"Will?"

Brown eyes widened at the sight of his friend. He was bruised, battered, and bloodied. He was a walking corpse. His skin was deathly pale save for the bruises that bloomed across paper-white skin.

The dark shirt was ripped, seeming to hang on by a thread, or perhaps it stuck to him by the blood that had soaked through the material. And yet, despite all the blood and bruises, those very same lips Will had dreamed about quirked up. They curled into a smile that made his heart stutter to a stop.

Oh god, it was a nightmare.

"W-Will? Will!" hands reached out to him. Warm, solid hands had grasped his arm, his shoulder from falling over.

"Will, listen to me for I don't have much time, but do you have the nanite-bat serum we made all those years ago?" Will saw those lips move but he couldn't make the words out for the life of him for there were hands were touching him. Touching him!

He wanted to pull away. He wanted to throttle the demon for mocking him, but he did none of that. He couldn't do that.

"Will, do you hear me? Will are you—" Kirk's words were abruptly cut off by strong arms that wrapped around him. He winced. The embrace was crushing, causing his bones to feel like they were caving in on him at last.

"Will," Kirk repeated. He repeated the name over and over again, and still Will held on to him. His fingers dug into his shoulders, and his head buried in his neck as if the moment he pulled away, Kirk would be gone again. He'd leave and never return whether it was by death's cold hands or Kirk's own violation.

"Kirk," Will called back at last, his voice soft. It was near inaudible that Kirk wasn't quite sure whether Will had said anything at first. But then Will said it again, bolder this time. "Kirk."

Kirk slowly raised his bloodied hands up to return the embrace. "Will, it's me. I'm here; it's me."

He affirmed, but even so, as he continued to try to comfort Will, he had to get moving. He had to warn Hernan. He had wasted enough time trying to get back to Gotham by hitch hiking, that there was barely any time left before Waller had Hernan right where she wanted him, and Kirk… He couldn't lose Hernan.

"Will." Kirk placed a gentle hand on Will's shoulder to try to get him to detach himself long enough to talk sense to him.

His hand never made it.

A sudden hand snatched Kirk's wrist, while an entire force moved him, pushed him. He was slammed against the wall, a broken cry of pain breaking past him.

"W-Will…"

"Shut up." Will's eyes narrowed on him dangerously as he pinned him there. There was little resemblance to those warm, brown eyes Kirk had loved. They were livid, feral in a way that made Kirk feel as though this was not Will. This was someone else, a crazed stranger – Will would never hurt him. He'd never do this, but then Will's snarl turned into a bitter bark of a laugh.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you're not Kirk." Will grounded out between clenched teeth. "Kirk would never leave me for three years without a trace, without so much as a single phone call or letter to let me know that he was at least alive. No, my Kirk would never hurt me that way. He couldn't even hurt a fucking fly much less his best friend. So tell me, imposter, why should I believe you?"

"Because I am sorry." Kirk felt his chest cave in with guilt. "I'm sorry for letting you believe that I was gone. I know I should have written or called, but… I couldn't drag you in that mess, Will. The Kirk you knew… he was gone."

"So who's this now?"

"I'm… not sure, but Will, please, I need your help. I can tell you everything after, but right now someone needs me."

Will's hold on Kirk loosened a little, but his eyes remained firm. He opened his mouth to say something, most likely yell Kirk suspected, but nothing came. Not even an incoherent sound, but silence. Will shut his mouth, and his hold left Kirk's shoulders for a moment before he pulled him in close.

"I can't forgive you… not now, Kirk, but I'd be damned if I didn't help you as a brother."

Kirk stiffened at Will's admission, but he deserved it. He had hurt him, unforgivably so as he would spend a life time making it up to him.

"Thank you, Will."

"Yeah…" Will let go of him. His brown eyes had lost its firmness as they now looked weary. "You wanted the nanite-bat serum?"

"Yes, if you have it."

"I do, but I changed the nanites."

Kirk stilled. "By how much?"

"Not much, just changed the material. They're made of lead now."

"Well, there's no time now to change them back. We'll just have to hope it works." Kirk replied as Will led him to the room where he kept them.

Upon entering, the office had not changed, not since the last time he had seen it. Kirk thought once Will and Tina got married, Tina would have redecorated the place, but nothing seemed to be out of place.

When Will went to hand him the serum, it was then Kirk noticed his ring finger was bare. Did he never get married? But Tina… Kirk had heard her voice over the com earlier. They must still be together, right?

"Your ring?"

Will sighed, "Yeah… I still have it in my drawer. I've been waiting for my best man to give it to me, but he disappeared years ago."

Kirk nodded, and swallowed down the bitterness that rose up once more.

"Do you want me to help you?" Will offered but Kirk just shook his head. He remembered all those years when Will had helped him. His hand shook with uncertainty, not knowing it would turn him into a monster.

Now Kirk knew. He knew it wasn't the serum that had turned him into a monster. He always had the monster in him – the serum had only awakened it.

He prepared the needle, and held it steady. Monster or not, he needed the strength the serum gave him to help Hernan. He couldn't do it in the current form he was in. He couldn't help anyone in the form he was in.

It was done. The serum had gone in as smoothly as it did the first time, but this time he was ready. He was prepared for the effects it would leave him with.

"Are you okay?" Will asked.

"Yes, I will be," Kirk replied. "Thank you for everything, Will. But I must go now."

"Already?"

"Yes, a friend needs my help."

"And if I need you?" Will asked, his voice nearly breaking. Kirk paused for a moment before looking back at Will with a broken smile.

"I know you'll be okay, Will. You always are, and I wouldn't have made it this far without having your voice in my head telling me everything is going to be alright. But right now… there's someone I need to help more.

Will was silent for a moment before asking. "Need a car?"

Kirk couldn't help but laugh at that. "I might. Are you offering?"

"Just… make sure she comes back in one piece, okay?" Will tossed the keys over to Kirk.

Kirk caught them. "Thanks, I will."

"You better," Will replied. "And preferably in less than a year."

Kirk smiled, before moving to hug Will close to him. He wasn't ever the one to initiate a hug, but at that moment… he was just glad to have been able to see Will again. He was happy to see him unharmed and in one piece.

"I've missed you dearly, old friend."

"Shit… I swore I wouldn't cry." Will's voice cracked, and Kirk only held him tighter. He held Will for as long as he could before Kirk knew he had to get going. However, before he could even move from Will, Will gave his back a solid pat before gently pushing Kirk towards the door.

"Go on now. I'll see you around."

"I'll see you soon. I promise."

Will heard the front door shut, and just like that Kirk was gone, again. His knees felt weak at the thought of it, but he was alive. He had been alive all these years and yet… Will wanted to throttle something, but at the same he couldn't move. He couldn't move an inch –

It was as if he were frozen, as if the world had stopped. Instead he only fell into his seat with his head in his hands, and a smile crookedly hanging from his features.

"You shouldn't make promises you may never keep."

Hernan wasn't sure what had brought him to her doorstep. It had been a while since he last dropped by. How tall had his nephew grow since he last saw him? Did he lose any teeth yet?

Hernan smiled at the thought, and as he raised his hand to knock on the door, it opened.

Warm brown eyes meet his. They were dark with wisdom he never had as he smiled at her.

"Buenas tardes, hermana. I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Hernan?" Dark brows furrowed with worry, akin to the way their mother used to do. Nonetheless she wheeled her chair back to let him in. "No, hermano, you are always welcome. But quiet, I just put Mateo to bed."

"Lo siento. I shouldn't stay long." Hernan walked in. "And your husband, is he home?"

"No, he's on a business trip. He won't be home for a few days," Valentina explained. "Let me make you some tea and then you can tell me why you're here."

"Gracias, but must there be a reason to visit you other than wanting to see you?"

Valentina stilled her chair to look back at Hernan. Her dark eyes were blackened by years of bullshit, she had told him once. They weren't taking any more, her eyes clearly told him, along with sit down before I come over there with a spoon.

Hernan sat down at her kitchen table wordlessly. He watched her silently as she moved around the kitchen with ease. You could never tell the restrictions the chair thrust upon her. She had none. Like all Guerras, she overcame what life threw at her. Now if only Hernan could do the same.

She placed the steaming mug in front of Hernan before coming to place her chair across from him with a mug of her own. A child's handprint, most likely his nephew's, was painted across the ceramic mug she held between her strong hands. It was heartwarming to see, and Hernan knew Valentina was the best mother there was.

She blew at the steam that rose from the rim of her mug before taking a small sip. She hummed. It was good. A little too sweet for Hernan's tastes, but he wouldn't dare say anything to Valentina.

She set her mug down softly on the table. "Now talk."

"About?"

"Don't give me that, Hernan. As much as I know you love me, you only come on holidays or when you're upset. Easter is months away so what's up, mi querido? What's eating at you?"

Hernan scoffed lightly as he went to deny her claim but one sharp raise of a brow silenced him. He looked away. His blue eyes focused on the steam that rose from his mug. A silent pause feel between them as Hernan's finger tapped against the handle of his mug thoughtfully and Valentina waited patiently.

At last, his voice softer than before and lacking the air of confidence he usually exuded, Hernan said honestly. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

"We never do."

Hernan cracked a smile at this sister's optimism.

"It is life, is it not?" Valentina smiled. "But not all of life has to be confusing. What has you thinking?"

"Am I... am I being the hero I can be?" Hernan asked, looking at Valentina to weigh her features carefully. Her smile faded for a moment before it reappeared again with an incredulous scoff.

"Were you not the one who told me that justice is not black and white? You said, 'sometimes you must be dark so others may be light'."

Hernan laughed at his own rhetoric thrown back at him. "No, I don't remember telling you that. I might have slipped a line to Lane, although I never took you as one to read the Planet."

"I like to stay on top of things," Valentina replied simply. "And where else am I gonna cut out pictures of you to stick on the fridge?"

Hernan turned to look at said fridge as true to her word, there was a picture of him lifting up a whole train car off the exploded tracks. It was stuck to the fridge with a red heart magnet next to his nephew's 100% vocabulary quiz.

"I'm flattered." Hernan chuckled at the sight. "Although I hate to take up space from Mateo."

"He has more than enough space," Valentina assured him. "I'm so proud of the two little men in my life."

Hernan couldn't help but grin at that. It seemed no matter who he was, or how old he got, he'd always be Valentina's little brother. Her words made him smile, and it was what Hernan had come looking for. He was looking for reassurance, to know that everything was going to be alright.

"So, are you going to tell about this chica in your life?"

Hernan nearly choked on his tea. "Who?"

"You have a glow to you Hernan. You didn't have it when you first walked in, but I see it now. You can't hide it from me. I've known you for too long."

"Ah, I don't know of any chicas whom you may be referring to."

"Chico?"

Hernan sipped his tea, hiding the smile that threatened to form across his lips.

"Ah-ha!" Valentina slammed her mug down with greater force than needed, blinded by her victory. "Tell me about him."

Hernan shook his head. "There is no 'him'. He needs… his space to find himself."

"I see, and so you came here to mope about it."

"I'm not moping."

"You're moping."

"I thought I was glowing."

Valentina clicked her tongue reproachfully towards Hernan. "If you're not going to tell me about him, then at least tell me what you did to shoo him away."

"Why do you assume it was me?"

"So you're blaming him?"

"No." Hernan shook his head lightly. "I… it was not a good time for either of us."

"Hm." Valentina hummed cryptically behind the rim of her mug, but said nothing more upon the matter other than. "If he can make you glow like a little bug, then I expect him over for Easter."

Hernan went to retort when he heard the thundering sound of something large rolling about a mile away from where they were. It clanked like metal, machinery, a big one and more than one.

Waller.

Hernan clenched his fists causing the handle of the mug to break off and tea to spill everywhere.

"Go to Mateo, and stay there."

"Hernan?"

"Now, Valentina," Hernan ordered. He knew the day would come when Waller would make good on her word, he just didn't think today would be it. Why now? Why at this moment?

Hernan flew out of the house, and up high in the sky. It was a moonless night, but he could still see the troops rolling in with bulletproof vehicles and two tanks. Hernan scoffed. Did Waller think she could take him down with two tanks? He could catch their shells, and if he was forced to, he could carry Valentina and his nephew far away from here.

Waller wasn't taking the last of his family. She had tried once, and he was locked away for it, probed within every inch of his body. Never again.

"Waller." his voice boomed the great distance between them, but he could feel her lips curling at her name. He could see it through the metal of the car she was held in.

"Turn back now, and I won't crush you."

The tanks rolled on. Hernan could draw a line between his sister's home and them with his heat vision, but it would set fire to the woods around them and ultimately the house. He had to go in himself.

When it was clear they were not stopping, Hernan used his heat vision to burn their tires, being careful not to hit the trees. Shots were fired up at him, but the bullets fruitlessly bounced off him, not evening leaving a mere scratch. It was a nuisance at best.

The car he worked on broke down as he moved onto the next. Hearing the group begin to rapidly shout various commands nearly made Hernan smile.

Pathetic. He expected more from Waller than this floundering group.

'Boom!'

Hernan moved quickly, catching hot cylinder of the shell in his hands.

'Using your tanks now, are we?' Hernan whirled the shell back at the group as he watched them quickly disperse.

It exploded.

They were showered in dirt and smoke, some crying in pain from the shards of scrap metal that were projected straight through them. Of those still left, they moved onward. Even as a number of their comrades laid bleeding, and crying for help, they moved on.

"Haven't you had enough?" Hernan peered over the group for Waller. Surely, she was still alive. There was no killing that woman. She was like smoke, a poisonous gas that would choke you without thought, and if you tried to grab her she would slip through your fingers and dissipate into thin air as if she were never there. More so, she was hidden behind swaths bureaucratic red tape – it was impossible to find where you would even begin to cut.

Hernan seethed. They didn't slow, as now they were nearly a half a mile away. If they wanted to, they could aim for the house. Hernan couldn't have that.

Making up his mind, he dove in. He gave them their chance. He warned them, but Waller didn't listen. Waller never did.

As soon as they saw him coming, they opened fire on him again, raining bullets. Nothing struck. Nothing slowed Hernan down as he burned through their bullet proof vests. He burned their hands that held their rifles. The tank fired. At such close range, Hernan was caught off guard.

The force threw him back, causing him to smash into several trees, and they toppled over like dominos in his wake.

"Mierda…" Hernan coughed at the smoke, and wiped the dirt off his dark coat before throwing himself back into the fight. It wasn't over yet.

"Waller!" He yelled. He paid little heed to the bullets that ratcheted off him, but only focused on finding her. Sever the head of the snake and you're left with a floundering tail.

"Subject 036." Waller replied calmly. Hernan turned sharply in the direction of her voice only to be shot in the back. It burned. It stung like a bee as Hernan reached behind him to find that whatever hit him seared through his protective black coat.

'Shame.' Hernan mused for a moment. 'I liked this coat.'

His eyes turned back to Waller only to be struck again. He winced, but didn't stop. He moved towards her looming figure only to be fired at, stung by a laser he couldn't see.

"Enough!" Hernan's eyes flickered red, but no heat was produced. He paused…

"Having trouble?" Waller asked at the bewildered look Hernan sported. His heat vision… gone.

"What is this?" Hernan glared up at her, wanting nothing more than to burn a hole right between her viper eyes.

"It's an anti-radiation ray. It's been in the works for three years and it seems it works."

"Anti-radiation?" Hernan focused once more to get his heat vision to work, to fire at anything, but nothing. Not even a small spark was produced.

"Thanks to one of our scientists, we were able to discover the source of your powers: the sun." Waller explained, "Your cells feed off of their radiation during the day, and can store some for days, months even. With this ray, however, we can suck the radiation straight from your cells. No solar radiation, no powers."

Hernan's jaw clenched, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He still had his super strength. He could still punch a hole through her gut if he wanted to, but then he felt another sting between his shoulders.

He went down.

His muscles spasmed at the shower of rays that stung him left and right. He gritted his teeth, the pain stinging as his entire body felt as though it were on fire. But he wouldn't cry, he wouldn't show more weakness in front of Waller than he already had. This wouldn't stop him. He wouldn't let it, and yet his muscles clenched to his bones refusing to release long enough to move. He couldn't stand.

Waller grinned as she made her way over to Hernan fearlessly. Her eyes gleamed with victory, as she took her time to get to Hernan. He wasn't getting up anytime soon. They both knew it.

The firing stopped, and Hernan's muscles gave. He collapsed.

"You see, subject 036, you are no god." Waller looked down at him. "You are no man. You are simply an alien who does not belong here."

"What… d-do you want?" Hernan rasped through clenched teeth.

"I wish to put you back in your cage."

"What makes you think I'll stay in that shithole?"

Waller's smile widened. "The one who occupies your cell now is a dear friend of yours I believe."

Hernan stilled at her words. She couldn't mean… impossible.

"If you don't go back, he will stay in your place. You might have survived two years in that cell sanity still intact, I can't say the same for Langstrom."

Hernan remained deadly silent, glaring at Waller's feet as she stood before him.

"Of course, if that's not enough of an incentive, then I can always tell the man I have stationed at your sister's house to pull the trigger. I just thought I'd try something new this time."

Hernan groaned.

"What was that?"

"I said…" Hernan pulled himself together enough to glare up at Waller. "Don't hurt them."

"I won't if I don't have to. All you have to do is say yes."

Hernan clenched the loose dirt beneath his fingers, but he could feel what little remained of his strength slowly ebbing away from him. He couldn't fight back. He had lost his heat vision and now his strength. He didn't know what else he had lost or what he had left. He could try to fly, but his body still ached. It still screamed in protest when he tried to stand. Flying was not an option.

"Well, do you yield?"

Hernan cursed her, but he couldn't let anything happen to Kirk. It was his fault he was in this mess. It wasn't Kirk's, and Valentina… He swore he'd never hurt her again after the incident that crippled her for life. Thus, he willed himself to form the words. He willed himself to move past the bitterness of the dreaded words, to move past the feeling of being weak, small against Waller once more.

"I—"

"Waller, this is sergeant Miller, we have a situation down at—" The voice was abruptly cut off before muffled cries could be heard. Waller stood up with her com at hand.

"Miller? Miller come in." Waller spoke into the receiver, but there was only silence. She turned to a few of her men. "Check out Miller's crew. And you, contain subject 036 and get him up and into the car."

Waller didn't spare a glance over to Hernan, but simply began issuing new orders, and moving to pull her team together. Hernan watched her stunned.

"Fire at anything that moves." Waller commanded into the receiver.

Hernan moved, "No!"

A shot fired.

"Hernan!"

Hands came up to feel the wet warm liquid seep through his shirt. He looked down. His hands were stained red.

"Hernan!"

'Kirk…?' A smile crossed his features at his name being called. He knew that voice. He had listened to that voice for days through a vent. His days surrounded the times when he would be able to hear the other's voice laugh or tell him seemingly pointless stories that meant the world to him. He knew it. He knew it was Kirk.

But his knees gave and as that voice, that voice he loved was drowned out by gunfire.

'Kirk….' He shouldn't be here. He should be home. He should be with his friends he spoke so fondly of. The ones he lived for. Why wasn't he with them? Why wasn't he in Gotham?

Did Waller really capture him or had she been lying this entire time?

'Kirk...' Hernan struggled to keep his eyes open. 'Kirk.' He called out to him, or did he? Hernan wasn't sure. He wasn't sure whether what he saw was real or whether this was the side effect of the anti-radiation rays. He couldn't be certain that this was just an illusion, a figment of his imagination of what he wanted to see most at the moment.

Red blurred his vision. They blinked. They were eyes. His eyes.

'Kirk… run away.'

"I'm right here, Hernan. You're going to be okay; I'm right here. Stay with me."

'Always.'