Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to the lullaby.
Note: The lullaby is "Goodnight my Friend" from ABC's "Galavant." Look it up.
Gotham City, New Jersey
November 5, 2010
19:45 E.D.T.
Ryan is in Gotham, waiting outside the train station for Alfred to pick him up. Dick had invited him to the Manor to sleep over for a night or so.
"C'mon, where is he?" Ryan asks no one in particular.
As if on cue, a limousine pulls up in front of him. Alfred walks out of the driver's seat and opens the door for Ryan. "Master Ryan." He says.
"Alfred." Ryan says with a smile. He gets into the limo.
Alfred smiles back and closes the door once Ryan is seated. He then gets into the driver's seat. Once he straps himself in, he starts driving to the Manor.
"I kinda figured Dick would've come with you to greet me." Ryan says.
"Master Richard is helping out at the Cave. He said he'd be back at the Manor at around eight thirty." Alfred says. "Might I ask why you didn't just zeta to Gotham? It seems like a long train ride from Missouri to New Jersey."
"I tried, it didn't work for some reason. So, I zeta-ed to Manhattan and took the train from there, as to not draw any kind of suspicion." Ryan explains.
"Why wouldn't it be workin-" Alfred starts before just disappearing.
"What the…" Ryan starts before realizing nobody's driving. He climbs into the driver's seat. "ARIAS, how do you drive a limo?"
"Allow me, sir." ARIAS says.
"Be my guest." Ryan says, putting his armor on. ARIAS takes control of the armor and starts driving the limo, though not for long. The suit flies through the roof of the limo as they are about to crash. Once in the air, Ryan sees that a large amount of cars on the road are out of control. "What's going on?" He says.
"Where's mommy?!" Ryan hears a little girl scream.
"What?! Where's my dad?!" Ryan hears a teenage boy say.
"ARIAS, where are all of the adults?" Ryan asks.
"Sir… everyone in the world that is eighteen years old or older has just… disappeared." ARIAS says.
"We need to get to the Cave." Ryan says. "Contact Aqualad."
"Contacting…" ARIAS says.
"Ryan?" Aqualad says on the other end.
"I'm guessing you're experiencing the same phenomenon that I am?" Ryan says.
"Wait, all adults are gone?" Kaldur asks.
"ARIAS just gave me a worldwide reading. Everyone in the world who is eighteen years old or older has disappeared." Ryan says.
"Get to the Cave as quickly as possible." Kaldur says.
"Already on my way." Ryan says.
Mount Justice, Rhode Island
November 5, 2010
19:53 E.D.T.
Recognized. Iron Bat B-0-6.
Ryan walks out of the zeta-tube to find the rest of the team, and Zatanna, waiting for him.
"Ryan…" Aqualad starts.
"At seven forty-seven PM Eastern Daylight Time today, every adult vanished for unknown reasons. The most likely case would be magic, but I am currently unable to tell." Ryan says. "The streets are in chaos and the kids are all panicked. We need to get a message out to them."
"The last time we did that, we were in a mental simulation." Wally points out.
"Well, this time, we're doing it in the real world." Ryan says. "We need to set up camps where we can take care of the children who can't take care of themselves, preferably the high schools. I'll set one up in Star City."
"I'll set one up in Gotham. Miss Martian, Happy Harbor. Superboy, Central City. Kid Flash, Keystone. Artemis, Metropolis. Robin, Zatanna, you two will stay at the cave and search for any sign of adults in case ARIAS missed something. Once we're done, we'll meet back at the Happy Harbor camp." Kaldur says. Everyone nods.
"By the way, the Gotham zeta-transporter isn't working for some reason, you might have to swim to Gotham from Manhattan." Ryan informs the Atlantean. "Also, the high school in Central City burned down."
"Then tell Superboy to set one up at the middle school." Kaldur says.
Ryan nods and does so. He then walks up to Robin. "By the way, you might need a new limo after all of this is over." He says. He then walks to the zeta-tubes.
Robin lifts an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.
Recognized. Kid Flash B-0-3. Superboy, B-0-4. Iron Bat B-0-6. Artemis B-0-8.
Recognized. Aqualad B-0-2. Error. Gotham transporter out of order. Directing B-0-2 to transporter nearest to Gotham: Manhattan.
Star City, California.
November 5, 2010
16:56 P.D.T.
Ryan flies over to Star City High School.
"Sir, you know that, even if you did find her, now would be a horrible time to introduce yourself." ARIAS says.
"Yes, I know. I just want to make sure that she's okay." Ryan says. "Now, broadcast."
"Connecting to all televisions, radios, cellphones, and other devices that can be broadcasted to… Connected." ARIAS says.
"Children and teenagers of Star City." Ryan starts. "I am the Iron Bat. I am setting up a camp at the high school for children who can't take care of themselves. I need the oldest among you to help out. Meet me outside the high school."
"Ending broadcast." ARIAS says.
"ARIAS, prepare the Magician-Buster. Who knows what caused this." Ryan says.
"Yes sir. Person in need of rescue on your five." ARIAS says.
Ryan flies to where the person ARIAS mentioned is. He sees a car hanging off of a bridge.
He flies down to the car and rips the door off. He finds a girl who is about fourteen years of age, has scarlet hair and is unconscious and stuck under a piece of bent metal.
He grabs the piece of metal and bends it so that the girl isn't stuck under it anymore. He grabs her and flies her out of the car just before the car falls into the water underneath the bridge. He then notices that the girl's leg has a huge gash in it, her arm is bruised all over, and her other arm is clearly broken. He immediately flies her to the high school. He finds that a group of teens have already arrived. He lands in front of them. "Please tell me at least one of you knows how, and is able to treat her."
Two of them nod. "We're both Boy Scouts, so we should be able to help her." One of them says.
Ryan hands the girl over to that one, and both of them run into the school, the other carrying a First-Aid kit he had brought. Ryan turns to the rest of them.
"The rest of you, go out and rescue who you can. Direct them here. I have other things to attend to." Ryan says. The group nods and Ryan flies away.
"Sir, the girl you just rescued… She has the same DNA as Maria." ARIAS says.
"Good to know. But, for now, let's get to the lab, then back to Rhode Island. Tell the Cave that the Star City camp is up and running."
"Yes, sir." ARIAS says.
Ryan lands in front of the zeta-transporter and walks in. "Iron Bat B-0-6. Destination: Iron Legend's Lab."
Recognized. Iron Bat B-0-6. Destination not recognized. Please repeat destination name.
"Iron Bat's Lab, sir." ARIAS tells Ryan.
"Destination: Iron Bat's Lab." Ryan says.
Destination recognized. Altering destination to Iron Bat's Lab, Central City, Missouri.
Central City, Missouri
November 5, 2010
19:07 C.D.T.
Ryan walks out of the zeta-tube and into what is now, apparently, his lab. He walks into the elevator.
"Is the Magician-Buster ready?" Ryan says.
"Yes sir." ARIAS says. The elevator takes him to Project League-Buster.
He walks out of the elevator to see the Magician-Buster waiting for him. He pushes the button on his belt. He then pushes a button on the other armor, making it fold into a metal sphere that Ryan can hold in his hand. He puts it in his bag and heads back to the zeta-tube underneath him.
"Iron Bat B-0-6. Destination: Happy Harbor." Ryan says.
Recognized. Iron Bat B-0-6. Destination recognized. Altering destination to Happy Harbor, Rhode Island.
Happy Harbor, Rhode Island
November 5, 2010
20:18 E.D.T.
Ryan starts walking over to the high school. Once he arrives, Wally and M'gann walk up next to him. They smile at each other, then walk into the gymnasium.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star… ummm… Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full." They hear Artemis sing in front of a group of children.
The children start laughing. "That's not 'Twinkle, Twinkle.' That's 'Baa Baa Black Sheep!" One of them says.
"Um… oh!" Artemis starts again. " V"
The children start laughing again. "That's 'ABC's!"
Wally, Ryan, and M'gann walk up to her. She gets up from where she was sitting and turns to them.
"Did you call home?" Artemis asks Wally.
"No answer." The redhead says.
"You could zeta there." Artemis suggests.
"I've been collecting kids all day. I don't need to see another empty house." Wally says.
Connor then walks in with three kids, two in his arms and one on his head. "Got three more."
Ryan walks over to the group of kids Artemis was entertaining before. "Hey, who's tired?" He asks them. Most of them raise their hands as Connor sets his three kids on the floor. "Well, should I sing you a lullaby?" Ryan asks. The kids nod.
Ryan sits where Artemis was sitting before.
"Lay by my side, and we'll sail away
Off to the shores of another day
All set to go once I hear you say
Goodnight my friend, until the morning
"Up we will float as we close our eyes
Stars all around us like fireflies
Just me and you drifting through the skies
Goodnight my friend
"Not a thought
Not a care
Resting safe and sound
With each other there
"And so we'll rock on a nighttime ride
Cozy and warm on the rolling tide
Till we arrive on the morning side
Our journey's end
"Goodnight
Sleep tight
We're gonna be alright
Goodnight my friend." Ryan sings in a beautiful, soothing voice. By the end of the song, all of the kids are asleep.
Artemis walks over and places her hand on Ryan's shoulder.
"I never knew you had such a good voice." She says.
"I never knew you could make children laugh." Ryan says with a smirk.
"Oh, shut up." Artemis says, punching her boyfriend in the shoulder.
Ryan just laughs, rubbing his shoulder.
"Team, return to the Cave." Aqualad says over the comms.
"On our way." Ryan says. And, with that, they leave.
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