Author's Notes: Okay, so basically a lot of dialogue that we need to get out of the way. Also, everything regarding the Speed-force is mostly manipulated to believable extents for the story's purpose. The chapter turned out to be so long that I had no choice but to cut it in two (the other's only one-third done, so it's that big), so prepare for a lot of hair-tugging since we got all the Batkids discussing frankly together.

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to DC and I only use them for entertainment purposes. I own nothing. If I did the reboot wouldn't exist. Like other details.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Summary:
Post-apocalyptic world. Six long years ago the world fell apart at the hands of Leviathan. Now, the Bats must decide if past events and strained relationships are to be put aside to end the Empire, while trying to remain alive. Pre-reboot.

Eventual Pairings:
Dick/Jason and Dick/Tim with Dick being the center of the triangle; hints of Tim/Conner, one sided Tim/Stephanie, and one sided Dick/Barbara, Minor Bruce/Selina and Bruce/Talia.

Warning(s): Angst, frustration, and some fluff feelings.

Thursday October 2nd, 2014 Words: 10,184.


War of the Bats

By Robin Wingster

Chapter XXIX.- Nothing according to Plan.

-~19:27hrs. (Next day) Hidden facility inside the D'Angelo Sewage Treatment Plant.

It felt strange to have the cat-out-of the bag, Dick summarized, walking alongside Donna in-much better clothes and higher-spirits.

Jason had been reluctant to share part of his story; fortunately he hadn't counted on Cass saving his broody-self.

Apparently his brother had stumbled upon him at the beginning of the year by accident and helped him shortly before they went to Omicron-Metropolis to save Tim, after which he'd lost contact of the acrobat until yesterday by-chance, when they stumbled with him and Milagro and Jason had agreed to keep Donna hidden as was per his request.

He said nothing else. It had just been a coincidence.

A far-fetched coincidence, but it had to have some true to it since it was easily bought.

Shaking his head he slurped the last remains of his milkshake. Bruce said the yet-unnamed Team had been securing food for the City—who now lived in the Asylum to be kept from being terrorized by the Inmates or worse, Superman.

That one had actually hurt. He wished he hadn't questioned Bruce's word when he told them Superman had been responsible for most of the World's genocide—including Dick's; of course Batman had proof.

He always had proof.

And Diana...

He chanced a peek to his friend, who also had a milkshake of her own, though unlike him, was taking her time with it, refusing the break their hold, yet cautious of the bandages from his previous escapade. That was her sister who'd been exiled from her own Kingdom as a result of her life-decisions.

Donna had cried for hours.

Dick slurped again, following his Guardian's (Father's?) shadow.

Although most of their memories were getting better the longer they spent together, the damage had seemingly been done, and the doubt that enveloped each movie in their heads (more than occasionally) left them lost.

Was it all a dream? A fabrication of an alternative reality by the hands of a very-brilliant-if-not-bored villain, until their friends or any member of the League found them?

"Do you really need to do keep doing that? Honestly, Grayson." Damian quipped at his left, to which he gave a one-shoulder shrug.

"You just want one, admit it. Should've asked Alfred, no way he'd say 'no' if you asked nicely."

"The day Junior asks something instead of demandit is the day I'll stop using guns for a livin'." Jason scoffed at Donna's right, shaking his head-dramatically.

"Careful, Todd, we might remind you, you're only a guest at best after all your treachery."

"And this is how you treat your guests. Instead of a shake you should ask Alfred for some manners."

"He has a point, Damian."

"On Themyscira you would be facing punishment for that amount of disrespect towards your sibling. Perhaps a challenge. The world of men eludes me, no matter how long I've been here." Then Donna looked at him with judging eyes. "It's actually disgusting to hear you do that; stop it."

Dick grinned apologetically to which Donna rolled her eyes, and adjusted her backpack with a reel of her shoulders.

"Boys."

"Regardless of insult, you are not one to talk, Grayson. Father and Pennyworth have quite the collection of your misadventures." Damian stated, bypassing Donna's comment; the teen's discomfort around her was funny.

That shut-him-up though and Dick stared at Bruce with look of such acute-betrayal that prompted Jason's laughter, Damian's satisfied chuckle and Donna's glinting eyes. Bruce, as if sensing his ward's (son's; he kept forgetting that) eye turned to look at him over his shoulder.

"You were warned to face the consequences of your actions. The Chandelier had to be replaced more times than its warranty allowed after the first one; and the gardens were never the same."

Dick winced. Did he have to keep reminding him of the Chandeliers? He hadn't known the first one he broke was there since the Mansion was built; it wasn't like he'd misjudged his footing on-purpose (he had the scars to prove it). And the gardens' situation was so not his fault! Landscaping improved didn't it?

"I said I was sorry…not like you didn't make me clean the Cave for months," he grumbled moments before Batman stopped just like their brief-chat.

"Are you two sure about this?" Bruce asked them with every-bit the heavy-weight of its implications. 'You'll change everything,' it's what he meant, 'there won't be a way to go back' he meant to warn.

They understood enough: he'd talked to Donna the remainder of the night until but an hour ago and the two had reached an understanding.

"Yes." Both answered at once. Plans always changed, at least they were the ones making the change, he tried to soothe himself when they made their way inside, their lithe bodies hidden by Batman and Jason's when Damian went toward his group.

"I will remind you that nothing said in here will leave this place unless specified by Batman or myself, understood?"

Bruce told them Damian briefed the teens about breaking-news the night before, and had gone with his team to bring the rest of the West's; it was enough that if he or Donna were to change their mind, they wouldn't know any-better.

"Yes, sir!" Four new-timbers answered in the reduced meeting-room.

With resolution after a tentative-squeeze to Donna's hand he stepped between Batman and Jason, bringing the Titan along and defiantly ignoring the unusual chill-up his spine when he saw them up-close.

The resemblance was eerie.

He felt Donna shift between her feet, her anxiety palpable after a distinctive crush on their grip with a speck of amazon-strength.

Five people stared at the two; unconvinced of what to make of them.

Dick wasn't sure what he thought about it; he summarized they had every right to be confused, not like they ever met him before he went past Batman's shoulders. Then one of them took a cautious step-forward, with Dick and Donna standing-put for her inspection.

It was a grown-woman with jet-black-hair who hid her mouth beneath quivering fingers. She kept looking from him to Donna in impeding circles, reaching one of her hands towards them like they were a mere reflection, but neither knew who was she exactly.

"It's not possible...it's...it can't be."

"Mom?" The twins asked hesitant, so that had to make her Wally's wife. It brought a new light to her for Dick to scrutinize the woman who'd his friend married in search for a memory to tie a name.

The woman remained oblivious with her eyes glued on them; in all honesty it was a little disconcerting. The intensity of her gaze and the palpable battle she had with herself when she probably identified them. Maybe they would meet her in their nearby-future.

Regardless of intent, she finally detached her eyes from them to stare at Batman followed by a vigorous shake of her head.

"What's the meaning of this, Bruce?" She pleaded, going back to look at them with glistening dark-eyes.

"I think the meaning is perfectly clear, Lady." Jason simply interjected, crossing his arms in nonchalance.

"Are you Wally's wife?" Donna asked, breaking the staring-contest between the woman and Jason, and ignoring the fidgeting forms in the background.

"…yes." Wally's wife turned to them after a flinch; voice-broken with quivering lips, she folded herself to her knees to observe them better.

"A pleasure. We're awfully sorry about this; it must be very confusing." Donna said, tugging at his hand discreetly to add to the conversation. The woman was nodding lost in a daze of her own; eyes no less threatening to release tears than a moment ago. "You have lovely children."

"I take it you know us," Dick said, abnormally self-conscious with all the watching eyes, "sorry we can't say the same. Our years are getting to us." He joked, trying to break the tension.

At her questioning look directed to Batman, Dick was stunned to see him nodding with empathy.

"It's them, Linda. However their memories were affected at some point; they will have trouble remembering something past the age they resemble. We expect it to get better."

Another slow-nod, "…so it's true. I—I've seen pictures," a nervous laugh she swallowed with a sob, "—a lot of them; Wally always liked to keep them all over the house; always changing them to other ones so they didn't stay just in the albums," she choked, now crying freely with eyes so sad Dick felt really guilty not being able to reassure her, "it's how I knew—you look just like them—" Linda sobbed, taking the Titans into her arms with every-bit of the strength she had.

After the initial shock Donna patted her on the back, silently allowing 'Linda' to cry to her heart's end from his left, and when Dick deemed to look past Linda's quivering shoulders another three-pair of eyes were already glistening.

"…no…Uncle Dick, Auntie Donna...?" Roy's daughter whispered in denial. No sooner than she said it, she and another joined the impromptu hug.

"You're both dead—Daddy said you were dead!" She bawled, digging her hands on his shoulders further. "Everyone knows you're dead!" She was taller than him, and her azure-eyes bore into his one with pouring disbelief.

"Harper." Damian growled from someplace above, about to separate them.

"Let's keep them thinking that, okay?" He was about to say more when a blur of orange-hair took his attention; 'Iris' was crying with her hair buried in his neck.

"Uncle Dick, Auntie Donna-itreallyisyou! I'msorryImissedyousomuch! Somuch!" She wallowed, clasping his middle and backpack in-between apologies and confessions of love and shame; half her words undistinguishable with her speed and face buried.

Lian was close behind, uttering the same as the other though with a more sedated-pace, and taking refuge in the other side of his neck and Donna's.

Dick chanced a glance over the three-mops of hair to see Jai hadn't taken his teary gaze-off of them, instead attempted to maintain his composure; then he must've caught sight of Donna eyeing him, because he stumbled to hug her side, silent in his grief.

Linda then shifted her embrace, now enveloping all the children as much as she could between her arms while whispering soothing words.

On the distance, Milagro's face was shining with comprehension while talking with Damian, who was avoiding looking towards them; there was something hidden there—the teen looked troubled.

Pressing his luck, he also sent a look towards Jason and Bruce, only to be nervous at the heavy stare sent their way.

Amid the people holding them, he tugged Donna's palm to catch her attention, and in the middle of the uncertainty they shared, Dick really hoped they made the right decision.


-~21:21hrs. Hidden facility inside the D'Angelo Sewage Treatment Plant.

Donna yawned, scarcely keeping her head straight anymore after the torturous couple of days they had went-through. Along the same train of thought she curved her neck to see Dick at her right sharing some data with Bruce.

Introductions aside, the Titan was honestly relieved the kids had gone to rest to process the news better. She had been overwhelmed by them, and was overjoyed on knowing that she and her friends were still very close despite their obvious life-paths and having to tend their own families (she was an Aunt!).

A small part of her, irrational in its nature, had ached at the news of Roy having a daughter that wasn't also hers. Even if she knew deep down that they had went-past the stage of being a couple several times, her young mind pushed the knowledge aside and hurt unfairly.

Lian was a wonderful girl; brief flashes when they played Supermodel together and with a third woman that had gorgeous-fire hair resurfaced and so did her guilt at her petty sentiments.

She was an Aunt. The bonds with her friends stronger with the passing of every spring. It had been her only consolation through her inner-turmoil, and the only thing that kept her from squirming uncomfortably when the hold went-by far longer than she considered appropriate. On the back of her mind she was sure she'd never felt so before; she knew them, and cared deeply for them.

It had been too long a day.

As she stared at Dick, she knew that sleep would be the last thing on his mind. Her friend tended to pull more-weight than he could reasonably handle. Distantly she toyed with her backpack's straps. When they finally came-out from Dick's 'room' after solving things-out, they had received apprehensive stares from everyone.

She guessed their first assumption was that they would flee and make their own path. Admittedly, they weren't without cause; Donna had been steadfast on her decision to keep together and by the Gods she wouldn't be dissuaded otherwise (though the occasional migraines she could do without).

Dick had placated the others soon-after; they couldn't risk anything with their minds-clouded, he said; it was just a precaution he reassured them. Fortunately nobody questioned them anymore, perhaps more out of inadequacy or plain bewilderment at their circumstances than anything else.

It felt so odd; she could perfectly recall a conversation with her sister about being careful around those boys and how she needn't do any of this to prove a point. It was odd to have everyone just accepting their decisions when they've always been questioned and second-guessed.

At this point she would take it. There was this void she couldn't fill, and it troubled her that the pace in which she was starting to make sense of her head was slower than they've expected. Actually, it felt frightfully familiar and also spiked Wally's person to her mind.

"You can go to your quarters and rest for the night, Troy." The youngest—Damian—said without removing his eyes from the table where he and the rest of them interchanged data.

She shook her head, and then bit-down the following yawn.

"If you're really tired you shouldn't push it, Donna. You've had a long day." Tim stated with a more comprehensive timber and an amicable upturn of his lips. He was by far, the nicest one of the brothers, and she could pinpoint his face and a vague-semblance of their relationship she supposed.

Again she shook her head.

"It's alright."

Dick finally ventured to part from the holograms to face her. She pouted at the fatigue beneath his eye; if anything he was the one who needed to go to sleep—Donna was an Amazon.

"You can feel tired, you know." Dick told her. She nodded in comprehension about to take the suggestion and take him with her.

"Donna," Batman beat her to it, and Donna was duty-bound to listen instantly, "go and sleep; you've earned it." A nod towards the girl-in-blacks—the one Donna felt remorseful at hurting at the sight of an impressionable bruise on the girl's jawline. "Cassandra can take you to her room so you can rest appropriately."

The aforementioned woman was already waiting for her to follow, but Donna panicked at the implication.

"What about Dick?" She shared a look with her friend who seemed just as confused.

"What about him?" Damian countered while Dick scratched his mane of hair.

"I guess I can go later; we'll be done in a few, you go sleep, Donna." He said with a reassuring smile that Donna didn't bought.

"I don't believe you; and where will you sleep?"

At that Dick turned to his family in question and Donna placed her hands over her small hips. The room from before wasn't that bad, all things considered, but frankly, Donna would rather Dick stayed with her, even if it meant foregoing the generous offer of Dick's sister's more comfortable quarters.

"Grayson can stay with us, Father." Damian stated gesturing to himself and Jason. She had figured that out-of-the-three young-men, those two wouldn't oppose to share space. There was a veiled tension between them and Tim for reasons she was sure she knew in the back of her mind, though they seemed less. It was odd.

"Sure, it'd be the only way we can make sure he's actually sleeping. Don't worry, Donna, we've got your boy taken care of." Jason procured her with a facsimile grin and shrug she placed when faced with the vigilante; recollections of a younger version of the man before her and in her friend's place trying to lead their team until she took the Leadership of the Titans instead.

So they were close on their own. Interesting.

Batman nodded with Tim frowning at his side.

"Come, it'll be fine." Cassandra spoke with a whisper, gently redirecting her attention, but Donna involuntarily freaked.

"No." She made to stand closer to Dick, and took his arm among hers. "We stay together." She was not going to wake-up confused and alone again; Donna refused to.

"The rooms aren't that far—"

"No; Donna's right." Dick comprehended her plight then. "We'll stay in the same place if there's no option; we keep together."

It was clear as the water that her friend wasn't asking, which automatically calmed her frenzied heart.

"Very well." Batman said, not batting an eye. "It might be for the best. You'll still take Cassandra's room; at this point we need both of you on top condition. Meeting will be adjourned until further notice, so that means you," he glared at Dick's spreading frown, "will go to rest too."

"Bruce—"

"It's an order, Dick. No negotiation."

When her friend's frown deepened she tugged him closer to her, raising her eyebrows; just daring him to lie to her about feeling as tired as she was.

"…fine. We're going, geez."

"Finally! I'm so tired I could sleep forever." Donna teased, earning a glint on his eye (so all wasn't lost), and they followed Cassandra to go rest after such a hectic awakening.


"Dick, we really need to sleep."

"Go ahead, I'll finish something first."

Donna glared at her friend's back, reaching towards him at the end of the bed with a far less patient disposition.

"You heard Batman; we can continue this later, it's important to rest." When she received a dismissive nod on her general direction she huffed and sat next to him, careful to keep on his left so she could hear him better.

Funny how he always seemed to gravitate on her right side. With a sigh she shook her head.

'Of course he would do that. Stubborn boy.'

"What's so important anyways?" If he was determined Donna would rather help him; then they might actually sleep for a change.

"It just—something doesn't add-up. It makes no sense."

"What doesn't?"

He stopped his hands hovering on his gauntlet for a minute, and then shifted in his spot to face her directly, so Donna copied his action and sat cross-legged in-front of him, patiently waiting.

"My notes." Dick answered, taking another contemplative gaze towards the backpack. "There's something missing, I just know it."

Donna hummed while trying to think of something. He was probably referring to his gut.

"Hey, you never checked mine." She realized, twisting her waist to reach for her backpack at the end of the bed. She heard Dick hit his forehead with a loud 'slap'. "Careful there, sweetie; might knock more than just sense in that thick skull of yours."

"Hilarious." He reached towards her then. "Now gimme that."

She settled with a roll of her eyes and handed him over the bag; Donna was intrigued to see how long it would take him to recognize it was written in Greek and then ask for her help to translate.

"ελληνικά (1)." Dick grinned proudly and Donna sat-still; mouth-agape and eyes-wide. "Good call!" Then he went on to read like he hadn't just done something amazing.

She chuckled, shaking her head in wonder at his antics. Figures he would know the language; might've been him who probably encouraged her to write it like so.

"Hey, Wonder Girl?"

She shook herself out of her semi-lucid state: by the Gods was she tired.

"Yeah?" The look on her friend's face woke her enough to sit from her lounging position by the bed.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" he asked her, signaling a scribble she had some trouble focusing-on thanks to a dull-throb on her head.

"… yeah…" she took the backpack from him, reading the whole thing to let the information sink. How could she had been so irresponsible as to bypass checking her own annotations just because Dick had been telling her everything she needed to know? "So this means we can't stay here?" If there was a glimmer of faith in her voice at the new predicament she hoped Dick didn't took it the wrong way.

"Yes; and neither can he." The Leader of the Teen Titans answered in all his glory. "Get some rest; hopefully our heads will be better by the time we wake."

"Will we be leaving by then? What about your family; about our nieces and nephew—the Speed-force…?" While she wanted nothing more than to relish in the fact of their new destination she couldn't help worry about the other plans they've made.

"Don't worry, Donna; trust me, I haven't forgotten." He made a point to tap his gauntlet too, then he took his backpack, to place it back on his shoulders, and she copied his actions: better to have it at all times, after all the last time they woke… "Hey," Dick called her, and she lied on her side, facing him with uncertain blues.

"I'm sorry; I'm scared. I know it's silly," she confessed in a small voice, lacing their fingers when he took her hand in his.

"It's not silly: I'm scared too, but we're both here this time. We have each other." Dick whispered back to her, the truth behind his reassurance a welcome feeling that made her eyelids heavy and drop little-by-little. "Good-night, Wonder Girl."

A smile; her eyes were so heavy now….

"'night, Robin…"

For the first time since she could reminisce, the red fog wasn't underneath her eyelids when she slept nor were the constant aches that sprang what she assumed might've been her own voice she'd stopped recognizing after years of sleeping and constant scratching against her skin that became rougher and rougher until she couldn't feel but a ghost.

No sharp-point poked at what she assumed was her—their?—body; objects cold and breaking after pressure was applied with the constant pulls that became worst and worst when the songs that sprouted with different notes yearned for one another and they kept being pulled farther apart to keep them from singing.

This night—tonight, she sang-voiceless and undisturbed with another in her slumbers for once.


-~16:48hrs. (Next day) Hidden facility inside the D'Angelo Sewage Treatment Plant.

"Night-Robin, can I talk to you for a minute?" Milagro asked, venturing a look at her occupied teammates in the background. They've been doing drills since they woke—even Jai—but she could feel their anxiousness over the day's previous, um, occasions.

Over once long-dead 'Aunts' and 'Uncles'.

Milagro was getting used to the impossibility; even she had been no stranger to World-Famous Dick Grayson, and Donna Troy. They'd been as much as an inspiration to her brother and her.

Pero (2), the preteens they saw... well, they were hardly what she would've expected.

Her Leader nodded, and both walked a few meters away from the rest of their team. Milagro steeled herself into the subject she would have to cross; the others were too biased to do it.

"What is, Reyes?" Night-Robin demanded, and now, closely-observing her elusive team-Leader, she could really assume he was compromised too.

Ay Dios, this wasn't going to be easy.

"I wanted to ask you the reason behind yesterdays, umm, revelations, I guess?" She started with little eloquence. His stare without his usual domino-mask made her nervous and all too conscious of the thin ice she was treading.

"'You guess?'" He wasted no time in pinpointing her uncertainty, arching one of his dark eyebrows like she knew he did every time he questioned someone.

"Well, you can't expect us to believe you told us out of the goodness of your heart." Milagro was quick to dismiss her own hesitation. "Don't get me wrong, I'm just saying it seems fishy how you suddenly trusted us with their appearance just because it was the right thing to do." Hopefully he wasn't taking her words with spite.

Night-Robin glared at her, crossing his arms above his chest, and she felt he'd done exactly that.

"Not that you don't do the right thing—or that we aren't grateful you trusted us with this!" She waved her hands at the increasing dark-aura surrounding the older teen. "This is very sensitive information; I'm glad you trusted us, but you—all of you—wouldn't take a risk like that if you didn't need anything."

"Hm. Seems I've underestimated you, Reyes." Night-Robin surprised her with a satisfied voice; he was satisfied she was right about them? He kept being a strange one. "You are correct. My brother and Troy's 'revelation' as you've put-it to you was not without purpose." Then he inclined his head and afforded her a long stare. "Perhaps you would be a good choice to discuss the matter with first."

She gaped, confused between feeling proud and insulted at the implication.

"And what would that be?" Milagro asked instead; with their Leader feeling insulted wasn't abnormal; sometimes the guy seemed genuinely oblivious to the offensive remarks he gave. Must be childhood issues.

"Not here," then he walked past her towards the others, "continue with Evasive Tactics #7 until our return." He didn't wait for anyone to consent his order (they would anyhow) and signaled her with his hand to join him while tapping on his gauntlet.

They walked in silence to the floor above where they had been for the previous meeting, and Milagro felt nervous without her friends' company to reassure her she wasn't entering dangerous grounds (she totally was) all by her lonesome.

Night-Robin entered the small room without input, so she just followed like a good soldier would and stood by his side when he took the same seat from the last time.

The wait was a little nerve-wracking to be honest. She could count with her two hands the amount of times they both had been alone in the same room for more than two minutes before somebody else joined them.

It made her all too-aware of the situation she placed herself on her own volition when she had decided to follow Iris and Robbie all those months ago, but also made her all the more conscious that she and Damian had more in common with themselves than what they would admit.

Like yesterday for example; Milagro would've been lying if the teary-reunion of her friends' with their loved-ones hadn't been awkward for her as an audience.

Asides from an occasional mention from her brother, she had no ties with the former Titans; no 'Aunt' or 'Uncle' to run to. And it was another one of those moments when, despite her friends' efforts, she felt secluded from their previous life spent-together.

Watching the black-haired teen's head, Milagro knew he was the only other one she could relate to when placed with the feeling of being an uncomfortable third-party.

Maybe that was why she had no qualms to voice her thoughts and opinions to him, and why the others usually turned to look at her to do it for them. She and Night-Robin were their own group of sorts; mismatched with the ties that bound the others, with their training.

The fact that they were also the oldest ones might've had something to do too.

Only now after her silent contemplation did she realize that the silence in the room wasn't as nerve-wracking as she'd established. It was filled with comradely gained through extensive bouts of patience and discussions where she had to prove her worth to her leader and vice-versa and neither found the other lacking—well, except maybe Night-Robin, but maybe not as much as he wanted to think.

After all, she was always worrying when she was with her friends: worried over their safety, because she was the oldest and had the more control over her own resources; worried for their mental well-being, because they had suffered so much and were too young to not be happy about finding one another.

And when Milagro was alone, all she could do was worry over her parents; how she abandoned them and her people too on a crusade of her own volition. Worried about her ring and the weight she had to carry with it.

Worrying; always worrying.

It was only when Night-Robin was around that she could think with more clarity; that she could dissipate the weight because she trusted him to make the hard decisions for everyone even when he was a pain to deal with most of the time.

That was probably why she had time to ponder like this; because she could sidestep her usual worrying thoughts when he was nearby; and wasn't that what friends did? Shared burdens—distributed the weight?

She refocused her dazed-eyes to his profile again; nourishing in the revelation.

He wasn't her Leader (he was, but that wasn't the point); he was her friend. He was probably starting to become her best friend and she hadn't even noticed.

"Is there something you want to say, Reyes?" Damian cut through her line-of thinking like a blade.

"¿Qué?" She answered fluently, a new-light forming around him when he twisted on his chair to grant her his attention.

"You've been staring." At his raised eyebrow, Milagro didn't stop the smirk filling her lips that only grew in response to his confused-narrowed eyes. "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," she answered, enjoying having the upper-hand for once when he glared at her in petulance; now that she started adding the pieces, she could see how he was easy to read when he was relaxed, "just thinking; nothing to lose your sleep about."

"Tsk, your antics grow tiring; do try to not overexert yourself from contemplating far more than what you're used to." He dismissed her, and, oh, she could really see it now. How could she had remained blind to it for so long would remain forever a mystery… or maybe not, considering they hadn't spent much time together enough for her to really dwell on stuff.

Whatever. They were so besties and the punch-line was she was the first to discover it; Damian would never live-it down (she wasn't going to let him live-it down).

Grinning in answer to his usual-taunting—seriously, how did she missed they always taunted each other?—she secured her hands behind her and swung in the balls of her feet. She had a best-friend and she hadn't even realized it!

"Whatever you say, amigo (3)." She chirped, proud and giddy of his dramatic roll-of his eyes (he never rolled his eyes at anyone else but her!) before he resumed his previous activities.

"Perhaps it would be wise to add an appointment with Dr. Leslie in the nearby-future; less there might actually be something wrong within your brain."

She scoffed amused; now that she made sense of things, nothing he said—maybe; Damian could achieve a medal at pissing people-off—could make her angry. Life was full of surprises if among their own team, she found more solace in the dramatic-uptight-teenager.

"Sure, while we're at it we can ask her to remove that stick up-your-butt."

Predictably, he clicked his tongue in distaste, but didn't fumed in righteous anger as he would have on their first meeting or when Iris was getting the better of him.

She loved her friend dearly, but sometimes she stuck her foot in her mouth one-too many times; luckily she had Lian to fish her out of troubles—and now Jai, too.

The soldier liked Jai a lot; he was more tranquil than his sister, a perfect balance, and naturally amicable to get along with.

"We've thought about it." Red Hood's voice broke their friendly chat with Black Bat on his left. "Unfortunately it turns out it's a Medical Condition that was hereditary from both sides of his family; talk about bad luck in the gene-pool. Good thing we're the adopted ones, right sis'?"

Black Bat beamed that exquisite smile of hers and nodded, sitting beside the older man whilst her friend reeled with irritation.

"Spare us from your pathetic attempts at jokes, Todd."

"I don't know, maybe he has it in him; he thought about it pretty quickly. Although he could be deflecting out of jealousy in the first place." Milagro shrugged, earning a surprised look from Damian and what she thought was a glare from Red Hood (the Helmet was an unfair advantage).

"I see you've been teaching your pets well, Junior." Red Hood said nonchalant before yelping at the sudden smack to the back of his helmet, courtesy of his sister. "What? She was technically insulting you too."

"She's his friend." Black Bat said simply, awarding her a notorious nod filled with new-found respect.

Black Bat was definitely her role-model.

"Regardless," Damian, not one to be forgotten added with reproach, "despite your barbaric ways, Reyes proves a point, Todd. It would bode you well to not antagonize her any further." And just like that the conversation dropped and the three easily side-stepped into other topics while she stood in-place.

He hadn't denied Black Bat plus there was the additional perk of standing-up to her; and she could see that the three siblings held no ill-thoughts to one another despite what appearances might've implied, what with their exchange of words. It made her wonder if the friendship she had formed with Damian was similar to the relationship he was forming with his siblings.

At least these two; she could tell the changes on their interactions however subtle from when she met all of them until now.

"Did we keep you waiting long?" Batgirl added, followed closely by Red Robin, and wasn't that another relationship that had slowly progressed into something closer than what first appearances said?

"No, it's alright." Black Bat interrupted both her friend and his brother knowingly. "How is he?"

"We need to reach a decision quick," Red Robin said taking his seat, and whom was he referring she had no clue, "it's dangerous to keep him here."

Oh; him.

"What do you suggest we do then, Replacement? Let him roam free?"

Red Robin glowered at the clear aggression behind Red Hood's words, making Milagro flinch and hide behind Damian's seat; if there were two people she hoped she could avoid seeing together it was those two (at least without Batman in the same vicinity). There was something dangerous in the air whenever they exchanged words—even space.

Watching Damian she understood there was a buried tension between him and Red Robin too, but it wasn't dangerous; at least not anymore. It was strange; receding to just aggravation when their ideas clashed more than anything.

Completely unlike the older two… Milagro shivered.

"Of course you wouldn't think any other choice, Jason. If you stopped for a moment to think things through before doing them you'd find the fallout is extremely different."

"Guys," Batgirl groaned in exasperation.

"And you would know about it; all that time thinking because in reality you're too scared of doing."

"Do we really have to go through this every time?"

"We wouldn't if your ex hadn't trouble in keeping his mouth in check."

Milagro watched Batgirl huff in annoyance.

"You were the one who started—Tim was just opening the discussion."

"Where's Batman?" Black Bat asked, dissuading the attention back to her.

"Guard-shift. Father made it clear we were to discuss this amongst ourselves first." Damian procured, faintly nodding towards her to sit in the only clear space beside him, opposite from Red Hood.

She shook her head discreetly; she felt unnerved since Batman wasn't here to watch the two oldest brothers.

Damian scowled and she avoided his eyes guiltily.

"Guess the old-man still has it," Red Hood commented inclining towards his sister, "talk about surprises."

"How are you so calm about this? We just discovered you lied to us—" Batgirl stopped from her tirade, eyeing her cautiously in advance to crossing her arms against her chest. "I mean, whatever. So what do you guys think we should do?"

It irked Milagro that she had no idea what they were talking about, and it must have shown on her face because Red Robin was eying her methodically sans cowl.

"Milagro, have you been briefed?"

She looked at Damian first, hands at her back like the soldier she was.

"We were getting to it, Drake. I assumed we had another few minutes before all of you arrived at the least." Damian answered a little off-put at his reply. So she was going to be briefed, wasn't it about their involvement though? It made her nervous to think it might've involve Superman.

"Are you serious? Aren't you the one who's always complaining of not being prepared for Meetings—a Meeting that you called in the first place. You're getting sloppy, Damian." Batgirl halfheartedly scolded, sending her a sympathetic glance. "No wonder you're so tense; we must be confusing you a lot."

Damian had the decency to look rattled by the blonde's statement. Milagro, on the other hand, was quick to act; she didn't like how every-single one of them focused on her when it was an honest mistake.

"I know the basics; Damian told me we were going to be discussing why you needed to tell us about Dick Grayson and Donna Troy." She deterred any further misconception, relieved when her leader nodded after awarding her a calculating gaze.

"Indeed," he made a more brusque gesture to offer her the seat on his right, leaving her without the option to decline, less she might make him look bad in front of his comrades, "furthermore I sent you the details regarding this Summit, there was no mention of either topic you've brought in the open." He chastised completely regal at regaining his upper hand.

"Again, it falls on Replacement's shoulders, after all, he was only 'opening the discussion' about it," Red Hood mocked Batgirl ready to strike that ball.

Red Robin glared daggers at the man.

"I only answered Cass's question; nobody was talking to you. Of course you find yourself in that spot so often you do anything to be involved in a conversation that doesn't include you."

'Ouch.' That made Milagro almost wince, and she shifted her body ever so subtly towards Damian.

Red Hood wasn't even bothered.

"She's my sister; anything concerning her, involves me." Then he cocked his head in her friend's direction. "Same applies to him." He voiced with an undertone that challenged the other's stiff-back to keep disagreeing.

"I hope not the 'sister' part," Batgirl kidded when the room felt degrees colder; Milagro hadn't seen surprise as clear on Damian's face since she told him of her ring, "you look distinctly male to me, Damian."

"Huh, you prove a fair guess, Barbie. And here all this time I've been saying I've got only one baby-sister. You wouldn't hide anything like that from your big-brother would you, kid? You can trust me."

Black Bat chuckled and sent her friend an apologetic look when he turned his nose and scoffed.

"Unfortunately recent events demonstrate the opposite, Todd."

"By the way, shouldn't we be discussing this with, um, the people in question?" Batgirl misdirected the topic again, looking at Red Robin's ice-gaze.

Milagro couldn't help feel sorry for how excluded he was among siblings.

"Last I checked they were still in their room." Red Hood added lounging more comfortably on his chair with an annoying creak.

"They're still sleeping. We shouldn't bother them until we have something solid; Batman will be included in the next Meeting too." Red Robin answered clipped, opening some files for all to see on his Holographic Computer; Milagro loved them, and found incredibly funny that the people around her were such personalities that they had to have them in different colors.

"Very well," Damian said next-in line, facing towards her and she mirrored his action, "as you may have been capable of discerning from yesterday's entanglements, neither my brother nor Troy are at their former persons." She nodded solemnly; comprehending the implication. "Dick then suggested we ought to try something with the Speed-force, since he was previously informed by Wally West it could tamper time."

Milagro felt her mouth dry; so that was why they had to go for Jai and Mrs. West.

"We know it's a long-shot, but it might be worth the try." Batgirl added. "Dick said Wally's uncle was going to teach him how to avoid those disasters; you can understand why we're going along with it."

"The fact that remains though is how little control Iris has of her powers." Red Robin continued. "And the limited information we have on the Speed-force. None of the Flash's was very informative about their powers."

Black Bat nodded.

When it was clear everyone was expecting an answer out of her, she straightened in her seat clearing her throat.

"You say that like it's her fault," she defended her friend first.

Damian clicked his tongue in mild-aggravation and Red Robin waved his hand to placate her.

"We're not pointing fingers, Milagro. She has been without proper training for a long time, and the powers she has have made every Speedster in existence have a hard time in controlling them. It's one of our concerns."

"We don't want her to hurt herself for trying to help Dick and Donna." Batgirl agreed, and Milagro noted how they finished each-other's sentences often. "That's why we're afraid to ask her about it, and why we also brought their mom too. She might help them figure it out."

The soldier gave a firm nod after reassuring her friend's security was first.

"She might have more control than you think," she finally decided on revealing, looking straight at Damian, "she told me—vaguely—how she had went through something similar a while back. It's why Jai doesn't have his powers; Iris had to control the Speed-force or it would've killed them both. I figured it was because she had a better grasp then Jai, also she said it somehow made her older than him."

It was hilarious how the intimidating group around her was flabbergasted for once at her revelation. She found it even funnier that they hadn't noticed the visible age-gap among the twins in the first place.

'So much for detectives.'

"Whoa, I don't know why we didn't see that one coming." Batgirl broke the silence, staring at Black Bat as if asking for an explanation.

The other woman was at a loss, then, like a hound would she raised her head in direction to the door just a second before the lot of them had their computers at the work with a tiny version of two 'T's' blinking.

Milagro turned to Damian.

"Alarm?" She had nothing.

"Not quite." He mumbled sour.

"I'll get it." Red Hood sighed, walking strictly towards the door and opening it to the sight of two pre-adolescents staring at the boy's red-computer that mimicked the other's screens. "A simple knock woulda done it."

Dick Grayson shrugged, tapping something into his screen that immediately shut the rest of them.

"We actually did." Donna Troy interceded, taking the wrist of her friend and forcing them into the room. "A couple of times even."

"Must've been a hell of a discussion to keep you guys from hearing us."

"Always with the dramatics with you," Red Hood shook his head, placing his hand above the boy's shoulder to put him on his chair instead, "guess there's no helping it."

"How did you guys sleep?" Batgirl asked forcing a smile.

Milagro had never been more anxious by how much the tension rose in so little time.

"It was exactly what we needed," Donna Troy stated, "I don't think we've ever slept that long." This she said facing her friend, who now shared the seat by perching on the chair's back.

"Me neither," then that young face turned to her and stared.

A penny dropped somewhere and pigs flew in the horizon because what the hell was Robbie doing watching her but he wasn't and then Milagro got how wrong she'd been all along.

"Oh, we found a message for a Conference," Donna Troy interjected because Robbie just stared at her and Milagro knew—she knew, and how could she be so stupid? "You are Milagro, right?"

"Yeah, Milagro Reyes," she cleared her throat, because Damian had just said they had trouble keeping things in-check, and now so did she and how was this even possible?

"Donna Troy," then she gestured to the perching boy above her—who kept staring, "and Dick Grayson at your service. What have we missed?"

"We were just discussing West's ability to aid you. Apparently we might've misjudged her skill." At that the boy finally stopped his gaze to grant her friend the honor.

"That's a nice way of saying you made a rash call without knowing squat about it."

"Dick," Donna Troy murmured and he offered a one-shoulder shrug.

Damian's glare seemed feeble against the argument; and now she could see why the two had always been together in their short amount of time as a group—matter of fact, Dick Grayson had helped them be where they were. It wouldn't be a fat chance if he planned the whole thing from beginning to end…

For goodness sake, it also explained Red Hood's disposition a few days back!

Milagro looked at Damian then; they must've looked like fools—caring for a child that was in reality taking care of them.

Her friend must've felt the weight of her eyes, because he slipped a hand under the table to grasp her forearm and added pressure.

'He knows that I know now,'

Nothing to do but to demand an explanation later, she supposed, so she returned a pressure to his own forearm. She was sure he got it since he dropped the hold to return to the others.

The soldier had no option but comply too; it was hard to stare at that face that harshly-enlightened the sunglasses and the bandages in all their occasions together.

"She had to tamper with it to save her brother and herself years ago." Milagro added, because she refused to let this get in the way. "I'm worried about her safety."

"Milagro—"

"—I don't think any of you realize she was in a life-and-death situation when she did that. There was no other way around it." She interrupted Red Robin because she needed to make this clear—this was important. Iris was also important.

Robbi—Dick Grayson's gaze remained unwearied and it jabbed at the back of her mind.

"We've established that Iris' safety was a definitive factor in the equation, Milagro." The man attempted again when he was sure he wasn't going to be cut-short. "But if what you're saying happened when she was a child she might've do better than we concluded."

"What are you saying?" she furrowed her brows in preoccupation: she didn't like where this was pointing.

Red Hood rolled his eyes (helmet gone the moment the two pre-teens joined them).

"That if we ask her she'll probably be able to do it."

"No."

"Listen, Gina, you don't seem to comprehend the significance of this." Red Hood snapped at her and Milagro felt her anger rise.

"Oh I follow enough. But to be frank, none of you do." Then she confronted the perched-boy with a hard glare. "Is this the reason you brought us here: to tamper with the Speed-force? What for?"

"Milagro, you need to calm down." Batgirl acquiesced. "Arguing will not help anyone. That's why we're having a proper Conference: to discuss this peacefully."

"And avoid misinterpretations." Red Robin finished far more subdued but probably a little miffed.

"Reyes," Damian demanded her attention, and she yielded momentarily, "the reason we consider using the Speed-force is to reverse the ailment on Dick and Troy." He explained, and it made sense in a twisted way that she didn't agreed on one bit.

"Damian, you know that if you ask Iris she'll do it." Milagro attempted to reason. "What good would come-out of it? They have no relation to it, and Iris will be devastated either way. You can't ask her that."

"If there's a chance that Freckles can do it, then it's good enough to do it."

"With all due respect, none of you know if it will even work." Again, she gestured towards the two silent pre-teens, "They look healthy enough, why do you want to risk another asset to your War effort for a 'maybe'? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Simple math, Gina: they," Red Hood mocked signaling to both Titans below him, "are worth far more than one speedster."

She let the comment slap her for all of three-seconds before she went livid.

"Iris is a Meta—she's the last speedster!" Milagro backed her friend, outraged at having to fall to these arguments.

"Thus why I specified the 'one speedster' part. You really oughta learn to listen, Gina: this gets old fast."

"Enough: both of you." Damian broke the argument, but Milagro was reeling with righteous fury.

"Damian's right; you're taking this way out of proportion. We aren't saying Iris' life is worth nothing." Red Robin reprimanded them. "We only need you to really comprehend our dilemma here, Milagro."

"What dilemma? All I can see is you taking a huge chance with something that will most definitely not work."

"What Drake means is that my brother and Troy represent an upheaval in the current scale." Damian explained, nodding towards the former man.

"What do you mean?"

"Dick reappeared back on February; I take it you noted slight changes in the every-day life even back at the frontier." Red Robin took Damian's cue and Milagro felt a shiver run-up her spine; simplicity was not overdone, not when the implications were crystal clear (she'd been part of them too).

"Sí… but—" her mother's voice stopped her from babbling: she had no argument.

"As you can see, admittedly after years against the same adversary even we encountered several limitations." Her leader added when it was clear she had nothing to say. "It would be foolish to not consider taking the risk."

It infuriated her.

"Then why risk them too? They've done so much like this—why do you need to put them in danger too?" She tried with a different approach.

"Because we hadn't counted on the severity of the 'Cause-effect Clause'." The acrobat interrupted the whole lot of them. "Neither did any of them, by the way. But to be fair: that was neither here nor there back then." He excused the rest of the area stoically. "It's really something that for all our supposed worth nobody will even talk to us when we're in the same room." This he said to the girl nodding-agreeably beneath him.

"I thought they would at least acknowledge our presence." Donna Troy stated with following disapproval.

The soldier felt heat rise to her cheeks in shame at her poor disposition (something everyone was probably doing too).

"Sorry." Most of them mumbled or said, but the boy swatted their amends away: the damage, while unintended, was done.

Milagro had been on the receiving end enough times to get it.


"Anyway, you'll be glad to know you've all made fools of yourselves because you're all wrong." Dick spoke coolly.

"¿Qué?"

"Dick—"

"Don't worry Tim, we're more than happy to let you know where you hit and miss." Donna stated with reproach lacing her words. She'd always been their mother hen for a reason.

"So care to explain, Golden Boy?" Jason demanded when the quiet stretched for far too long.

"Of course not, Jason. Why we only wanted to make sure you were all listening to us first. You know trying to avoid any more predisposed misunderstandings."

In the background Dick saw Milagro flinch and hiss at the passive-aggressive remark.

"Strike one: Iris can't help us all by herself—it'd be impossible for her to do it." He listed with his index finger.

"You said—"

"Ah-ah!" He shut Tim's upcoming-argument moving the same finger to chastise his brother. "I said I wanted to meet them. That they could help and needed to know why they tapped into the Speed-force. I never said Iris would be the only one." Then he paused reconsidering. "Even with my brain-fuzzy."

"Dick, maybe you aren't aware, but Jai lost his powers; Iris is all that is left." Tim tried to placate him, getting a glare in its place.

"And none of you fathom the concept of listening. You're worse than Batman." Donna argued for his sake. "It won't matter that Jai doesn't have his powers—he was born with them. He's part of the Speed-force."

That certainly shut everyone-up. Dick and Donna fist-bumped one another on reflex. (He wondered if the twins were in the dark too).

"Strike two: we're not dealing with math where two is higher than one. Meaning if there's a slight chance Iris and Jai won't be able to pull-through then it's a no deal."

"We aren't the ones you want if we risk even a life in exchange of ours. Regardless of the misplaced value you add to it." His friend finished, and nobody argued the point, still shocked with the first piece of information.

"While we're at it, you get a Foul ball: if Iris and Jai accept to help us, we aren't going to proceed unless we deem them ready, and nobody but Donna and I have a say on it. Now, with that out of the way, can we continue? Donna and I have things to do."

"Important things to do." She nodded regally.

"…um, I have a question," Stephanie uncertainly raised her hand, "what are your standards for 'deeming them ready'?"

"Their level of training, what else." He answered annoyed, but Stephanie only seemed more confused.

"Right, but, what type of training are we talking about here? I'm trying to figure if you mean about specific speedster-training or just training-training."

Dick spared them a look before finally settling his eye on Donna.

"Is that even a question?" He asked her totally confused.

"I don't know…is there a different way to simplify it?" She answered him with the same amount of confusion filling her eyes, and they both turned to Damian when he cleared his throat.

"West has been preparing with basic drills for combat, endurance and covert purposes." Damian told them with a speck of pride underneath his reluctance. "When I'm not able to provide exercises directly, either Brown or Reyes take care to put the lessons in motion."

"Okay, yeah, but, asides from our training, you have taught something specifically-tailored for each one," Dick ventured, already perceptive of the horrible truth, "right?"

"We don't actually know how to help her with that, Dick." Tim amended, "Not even Iris knows."

"I don't think Linda does either." Stephanie said, "If not she'd have been way more prepared than she did."

Dick fell to the urge to massage the bridge of his nose; his patience was deteriorating.

"She hasn't been the only speedster—wasn't there one in your team?" Donna questioned Tim, unable to recall the name.

"Bert—no, Bart." Dick gambled a guess; the files were one-too-many.

"…yeah, but he had Barry and then Wally to help him out." Tim answered like it should've been obvious, and it irked Dick because what it was was an excuse.

"He was under your team." He insisted feeling the last crumbles falling. They simply didn't get it—how couldn't they get it?

"Of course, but even Wally had trouble dealing with his Uncle—"

"Stop making excuses." Dick snapped, regretting just so the hurt on Tim's eyes. "If you're the one in charge it's your responsibility to see everyone receives the help they need in every step of the way."

"Dick, to be fair Wally was in your team too. Back then he relied a lot on Barry." Stephanie tried to dissipate the blow but it only made the Roma angrier; in the back of his mind he knew that if the situation were different he might've cut them some slack.

"What reasoning is behind that argument?" Donna questioned irritated. "We all had our Mentors; regardless Dick never let that stop him from giving us specific preparation for every-one of us." His friend looked at him. "You are particularly-tactless when we perform below average. Why have none of you applied what he did—you've been Titans." This she demanded from the others who remained mute against the confession. Why? Because Donna got it.

What was wrong with them?

Grumbling and with a foul mood growing worse, Dick covered his eyes with one hand; he was too mad to look at them right now.

"Forget it—all of you; forget everything. It's no use now." All those months… nothing.

"…I'm sorry, Dick, but you were the one who brought them here—who went for them. It's as much your fault as you're handing away." Stephanie's hurt voice argued for everyone's sake.

He inhaled deeply to keep his composure while Donna shifted in their chair, clearly upset about all following generations.

"Yes, it is." The Titan accepted easily. "It was stupid to think you would ask for pointers." Finally he uncovered his right-eye, his glare-tired and filled with pity. "After all, you've all had seven years' worth of experience in the art of avoiding each other."

The blow was low, Dick knew it, even sensed when Donna grimaced at their stupefied expressions, but he was so disappointed. He couldn't remember all of it—all of his plans: his life—but he knew himself enough to know he'd been treading on eggshells with every single person around him in an effort to make them a Unit once more.

The way to fix things was so simple if not for how complicated they liked to make things.

"You left. How could we when you just up and left without letting us know of your plans?" Tim whispered, avoiding his fatigued-eye on him.

"Because you still have Bruce; you still have Selina, and nobody wants to seek each-other out unless it's for emergencies' sake." When Tim finally deigned him his attention, Dick slipped from his perch and stood next to Donna, watching the man sadly. "Who do you think helped us with our training-regime when we became the Teen Titans? Bruce knows about honing speedster's skills, and I bet that nobody asked for his opinion when he didn't as much as glanced at them. His fault too."

"…I'm tired." Donna stated, no doubt feeling his depression oozing-out of him. "Can we go back to our room?"

Dick nodded, feeling Jason panicking behind him, "Yeah, we're done here." Then he saved Damian a final look. "I'll make sure to let you know when we can meet-up to talk to Jai and Iris; maybe tomorrow."

"Wait, you can't leave like this—" Damian spluttered indignant.

"There's nothing more to the discussion." Dick replied, heading towards the door.

"You basically announced you know how to train Iris—the solution to our conundrum—and you're going to leave the kid dry?" Jason stalked to him irritated.

"Batman can help you—"

"You're being unfair, Dick. To all of us." Stephanie argued too standing up, and Dick froze mid-step; feeling the foundation of his irritation spiking again.

"'Unfair'?"

"Sweetie—" Donna tried to placate him, making to grab his arm, but he shook himself out of her hold.

He had about enough.

"You could've avoided this, and I'm the one being 'unfair'?" Dick scowled at them.

"What do you mean—"

"I mean that if anything, you guys are unfair to everyone and I'm tired of holding your hands all the way to see that the moment I let go you can't tell head from tail." He exploded, raking his hand over his head in frustration. "You've all gotten too lazy if you automatically expect me to do it—or ask Bruce in your place—without even asking the favor. No: I'm not going to tell you how to train Wally's kids, you are going to do something by yourselves for once and ask Batman about it, because, frankly, I don't want to help any of you anymore." With that, he stormed-off livid, pushing his way against an emerging Batman and Alfred with Donna on his trail who paused briefly to stare them down with hard eyes.

"Strike three: you're out." Then she was off too.


(1) "Greek."

(2) But,

(3) "[…] friend."