"You can do that?!" said Clark, talking to someone on the scroll, "Oh thank you so much, sir! I'll message you when it's time!"

Clark hung up, sitting down with Oliver in the eatery.

"Who was that?" asked Oliver.

"A friend," said Clark, "and the key to getting Bruce to the dance."

"Hey, guys!"

Yang walked by while holding a small rolled up piece of paper, "Thanks for coming, Ollie."

"No problem." said Oliver, "Anything for a friend."

"Right," said Yang, taking a look at Clark, "You're here too, Clark?"

"I've got an idea on how to get Bruce to come to the dance," said Clark, "I just want to run it by you first."

"Alright," said Yang, "I'll hear you out."

Leaning in, Clark whispered in Yang's ear. Oliver watched as Yang's face turned to one of shock before she began to giggle.

"What?" said Oliver, "What did he say?"

"Oh man!" said Yang, "If you do that he's gonna flip out for sure!"

"It's a nuclear option," said Clark, "but you know how stubborn he is. If I do that, he really won't have much choice."

Yang nodded, "That gets the Xiao Long seal of approval for sure!"

Clark nodded, "Thanks Yang, I'll tell him that."

Clark walked out of the eatery, leaving Oliver and Yang alone.

"So," said Oliver, "What's the plan with Blake?"

Yang moved closer, grabbing Oliver by the collar.

"Uh!" yelped Oliver, blushing.

"I need those archery skills." said Yang, "Now let's go!"

"Gah!" yelped Oliver as Yang dragged him along out of the eatery.


Blake typed away at a keyboard in the Beacon library next to a mug of coffee, looking up news articles detailing White Fang robberies in Vale. Her eyes slowly drifted shut every few minutes before they snapped back open as Blake realized she was falling asleep. Looking at her mug, she realized it was empty.

I need another cup of coffee.

Standing up, Blake grabbed the mug, taking a walk out of the library. It was a serene evening, the sun was setting and the students were starting to settle into their dorms for the night.

Stepping up to the coffee machine, Blake placed her mug underneath the spout and let the coffee pour into the mug. Sighing, Blake tapped her foot while checking the time.

Suddenly, a red dot appeared on Blake's mug. Blake eyed the dot immediately, waving her hand over it. Blake frowned, realizing what was happening immediately.

"Yang, stop it with the laser." said Blake, "I don't have time to talk."

*Whistle!*

An arrow flies through the air, hitting the coffee machine and shattering Blake's coffee mug.

"REALLY?!" shouted Blake.

"Shh!" said a fellow student in the library.

Blake gave the student a hairy eye before looking back at the broken coffee machine. The arrow was green, signaling to Blake that Oliver was involved too. There was a piece of paper wrapped around the arrow with some notes scribbled on it. Blake grabbed the note and read it out loud in a hushed tone.

"Blake, meet me in Port's classroom in five minutes." said Blake, "If you don't I'll force Oliver to make your bed a pincushion."

Blake groaned, looking back at the remnants of her coffee mug.

I have to put an end to this nonsense.


"Is that all you needed me for?" asked Oliver, sitting at a desk with his feet resting on top, "To break Blake's coffee cup? That's not cool."

"Relax Ollie, I need you for more than just that." said Yang, sitting on Professor Port's desk, "Just stick around, trust me."

"Alright." said Ollie, "If you say so."

Yang looked up at the doors to the classroom, "There she is!"

Blake stumbled into the classroom, still barely keeping herself upright as she shuffled down the stairs to Yang. She shot Oliver a look of malice, prompting him to inch away from her while leaning back in his chair. Blake stopped at the table, "This is stupid."

"No it isn't." said Yang, "It's for your health."

"What's more important, my health or stopping Torchwick and all the other awful people he's involved with." said Blake, "If you think Torchwick doesn't take priority you're not thinking clearly."

"Slow down Blake," said Yang, "I'm not going to force you to go, but I do want you to at least hear me out."

Blake sighed, "Go ahead."

Yang scooted over to Blake's side of the table, patting the spot next to her. Blake slumped her shoulders before walking over and sitting next to Yang.

"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, our parents were huntsmen." said Yang, "While our dad has always been there for us, our mom was a different story. I was mostly raised by Summer Rose, Ruby's mom. She died a couple of years after Ruby was born. She was great. However, when she passed I learned that my mom was actually someone else, Raven Branwen, another of dad's teammates."

"Half sisters." said Oliver, "I probably should have figured with the different hair and eye colors."

"I'm trying to tell a story Ollie." said Yang, "Let me tell it."

Oliver nodded, staying seated.

"I wanted to know why my mom left." said Yang, "I would run around the house every week, looking in every drawer for a clue, even though I never found anything each time."

Yang looked Blake in the eyes, "And then I actually found something. It was an address to a cabin in the woods, I thought that it might hold clues to where my mom was or maybe she was staying there. So when my dad left for the evening, I put Ruby in a little wagon and decided to walk to the cabin."

Yang sat up, a serious look on her face, "It was grueling, I walked for hours and hours in those woods. My legs got cut up and I even sprained an ankle, but I wouldn't let that stop me. I was ready and willing to do anything to find answers, no matter what happened."

Yang got on her feet, "And then I got there. It was a broken down uninhabitable nightmare that didn't hold any clues, even worse, there were grimm there. I was so determined on giving it my all to get there that I didn't even consider anything dangerous waiting on the other end. It would have been the death of both me and Ruby if our uncle, a huntsman like our parents, didn't follow us and pull us out of the fire."

Yang turned back to Blake, "Without that stroke of luck, my obsession with finding my mom would have killed me."

Blake looked down, avoiding Yang's gaze, "It's not the same thing, I'm not a child."

"You're missing the point," said Yang, "It's not about being naive or young, it's about not letting your goals hijack your life."

"What does that mean?" asked Blake.

"I didn't want to do this," said Yang, "but I mean I don't want you ending up like Bruce."

"What?!" said Blake, "That's absurd, Bruce is trying to do some real good in the world. Why wouldn't I want to be like Bruce?!"

Yang turned to Oliver, "Ollie, you're on Bruce's team. You know him better than anyone. Explain what I'm talking about."

Oliver's eyes widened at the impromptu call to action, sitting up straight in his chair.

"It's true, Bruce is relentless when it comes to his goals of bringing criminals down and making sure people are safe." said Oliver, "But that's all he does."

"So?" asked Blake.

"It's all work." said Oliver, "Think about it, we seem to be the first friends he's made in a long time. Even then, I don't think he really...plans to stop."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"What I mean is he's let his parents' deaths define him." said Oliver, "He seems set on just improving the world until he dies, and he doesn't seem to want to do anything else."

"Isn't that what a huntsman does?" asked Blake.

"I guess," said Oliver, "but huntsmen have lives outside of work, Bruce doesn't. I have to ask, do you really want to be like Bruce, letting your goals control you until it's the only thing you can hang onto?"

Blake looked away, silent.

"Bruce is right in a way, we have normal lives, he doesn't." said Oliver, "He's willingly thrown away his chance at a normal childhood, you haven't."

Blake remained silent, still indecisive.

"We aren't asking you to stop." said Yang, "Just take a second to breathe, rest, have fun."

Blake looked up at Yang, staring her in the eyes before nodding, "Ok, I'll rest, but if you want me to go to the dance I'll do it on one condition."

"Name it." said Yang.

Blake looked to Oliver, "Bruce has to agree to come too."

"What? Why?" asked Oliver.

"You said he threw away his chance of a normal childhood." said Blake, "I disagree. I don't think it's too late for Bruce. If you can convince him to take a breather too, I'll be all for it."

Blake got up, stretching her arms before walking up the stairs, "He deserves a break more than any of us."

Blake walked out the door, leaving Oliver and Yang alone in the classroom.

"Well, let's hope Clark succeeds." said Oliver, "Or else the dance won't be all that fun."

"Relax," said Yang, "his plan is foolproof, I can vouch for it."

"That might not be a good sign." said Oliver.

"Pfft, and you're one to talk." said Yang.

"Hey c'mon," said Oliver, "I'm just saying we aren't the smartest of the bunch."

"Speak for yourself!" said Yang in a playful manner.

As Yang and Oliver began to chuckle, Yang got a text on her scroll.

"Hang on, let me take this." said Yang, walking away.

Suddenly, Oliver felt his own pocket vibrate. Pulling out his scroll, Oliver realized it was from Victor.

Vic: Yo, I asked Coco out and SHE SAID YES!

Oliver smiled.

Ollie: Good for you dude. Proud of you.

Vic: Hey, did you ask Yang out?

Oliver's eyes widened.

Ollie: Why would I ask her out?

Vic: I'm not stupid, she's totally the girl you're crushing on.

Oliver swore under his breath.

Ollie: Listen, I'm definitely not a good enough person for her. She'll find someone better.

Vic: Shut the hell up about the "I'm not a good person" BS. You've changed for the better. Just ask her out!

"Hey Ollie!" said Yang.

"Huh?!" said Oliver, shoving his scroll in his pocket, "What's up?"

"I'm gonna go help set up some of the party decorations," said Yang, "Wanna help?"

"Uh, sure." said Oliver, getting out of his seat. As the two walked out of the classroom, Oliver thought over Victor's words. As they walked through the hallways of Beacon, he reached his hand out, considering grabbing her shoulder. Ultimately though, he retracted his hand, putting it in his pocket.

Oliver Queen, you are a complete and utter Pussy.


Bruce tapped away at his computer, taking a deep breath. He had narrowed the scarecrow formula down to under ten possible chemical combinations and he was eager to try them. He checked his watch.

Getting late.

Returning to the computer, Bruce continued until he heard a knock on the hatch.

"Bruce? It's Clark."

Bruce groaned, staying seated, "Don't bother Clark, I've locked everyone out until after the dance."

The knocking started to get louder, "Bruce, we need to talk, let me in."

"No." said Bruce, "and don't bother forcing your way through, the hatch is made from solid stee-"

*CRASH!*

Bruce whirls around as the hatch falls from its spot over the ladder to the cave floor, a notable fist-sized dent in the plating. Clark dropped down as a very pissed off Bruce practically jumped out of his chair.

"What are you doing?!" said Bruce, "The cave is exposed to the world now!"

"I'll fix it up later!" said Clark, "But you didn't give me any choice in the matter."

Bruce slumped back in his chair, "If this is about the dance you know there's no changing my mind."

"Maybe, but I have to at least try." said Clark, "Bruce, you've been doing this for a long time."

"Yes, and I don't intend to stop now." said Bruce.

"I'm not asking you to," said Clark, "I'm just asking you to try and have fun for one night."

"What's the point?" asked Bruce, "I can work at peak performance for days on end. I don't need as much rest as the others. Besides, I've made my choice when it comes to a normal childhood."

"It's not too late." said Clark, "You can still enjoy these years. Think about what your parents would have wanted for you."

Bruce looked back at Clark, a dark look in his eyes, "Bringing up my parents is low, especially for you Clark."

Clark had a somber look on his face, "I'm not trying to insult them, I'm trying to ask you to look through their eyes. Would they want their son to never enjoy life again and just fight crime his entire life?"

Bruce frowned, keeping his eyes in Clark's.

"One night," said Clark, "that's all I ask."

Bruce turned around in his chair, tapping away at his keyboard, "I can't."

Clark sighed, pulling out his scroll, "Then I have to go with plan b."

"I won't leave this cave willingly." said Bruce, "It'll never happen."

"As my Pa always says," said Clark, bringing the scroll to his ear, "there's always a way."

The scroll rang for only a few seconds before the person on the other end picked up, "Mr. Kent?"

Bruce recognized the voice immediately, "Alfred?!"

"You were right," said Clark, rubbing his eyes, "Bruce was too stubborn, do what you have to do."

"My pleasure." said Alfred.

Suddenly, the cave's lights turned off as the monitor for the cave computer lit up with Alfred's face.

"Alfred, what are you doing?" asked Bruce.

"Much like you've revoked your teammate's access to the cave, I'm revoking your access." said Alfred.

"Alfred," said Bruce, "what I'm doing is life and death. It needs to be done."

"You forget, I'm a skilled Chemist and analyst as well." said Alfred, "I can pick up where you left off."

Bruce trembled, "I can still do it faster."

"Perhaps, but at the cost of your humanity." said Alfred.

"What?!" said Bruce, "That's preposterous!"

"Master Bruce, I'm deathly afraid for you each time you go out to fight what you hate so much." said Alfred, "But I'm even more afraid that in the future, after years upon years of service, without the love and support of others you will simply descend into the violence and become what killed your parents."

Bruce was wide-eyed, having nothing to combat Alfred's words.

"Please sir, listen to the Kent boy." said Alfred, "Spend one night for yourself. You can return to business afterward."

And with that, the cave shut down, leaving Bruce and Clark alone. Clark stepped forward, "Bruce?"

"You couldn't convince me." said Bruce, "So you took my choice away?"

Clark looked grim, "I didn't want to do it this way, but you can be pretty bullheaded."

Bruce sighed, leaning back in his chair, "I guess so."

Bruce looked back at Clark, "So, what should I wear to the dance?"

"Wait!" said Clark, "You're actually gonna go now?!"

"The alternative is sitting in the cave being unproductive." said Bruce, "I should at least give the dance a try-"

Bruce yelped as Clark tackled him out of the chair with a hug, squeezing him tight.

"Clark! My spine!" gasped Bruce.

"Oh! Sorry!" said Clark, putting Bruce down.

Bruce stretched out, resetting his back, "I'll need to brush up on my party behaviors, I haven't gone to one since I was nine after all."

"I think it's a little more casual than that." said Clark, leading Bruce to the ladder. Bruce looked down at the hatch, prompting Clark to look too.

"Oh, right!" said Clark, "Just go up, I'll meet you up there."

Bruce nodded, climbing the ladder until he reached the top. Turning back, Bruce watched as Clark leaped up through the hole with the hatch.

"You'll need tools to-"

Bruce stopped mid-sentence when Clark placed the hatch over the opening and sealed all the sides with his heat vision. Looking back at Bruce, Clark gave him a thumbs up.

"Ugh!" said Bruce, facepalming, "Being in the same band as you is going to be disastrous."


Hey! I made it back! Just finished a big two part origin story for a character in my other fic. It's really dark so writing this was a lot more fun!

Also I know I've already spewed a bunch about DCNext, but I just need to state that it's a subreddit just in case people missed it.

Reviews:

DCDGojira: I like the op!

Thanks for the feedback as always! :)

Shadow Joestar: Thanks for the feedback as always! :)

Red: The villain will be Mongul, and it won't play out like a traditional Crisis. The multiverse thing sounds like a great idea! I currently have 3 ideas/upcoming fics. One is a more traditional fic that will launch at the end of the crossover (It will be another DC Character/MHA fic.) as well as one involving Fairy Tail. Funnily enough, for the Halloween and Christmas chapters of MHA, I wrote myself talking to Constantine to both prologue and epilogue the stories in the house of mystery (Thanks DCDGojira for the idea!).

P.S. I'm totally fluorescent.

Thanks for the feedback as always! :)

Hyper-Nexus: My Cyborg chapter will drop on the 18th this month. I've had positive feedback from the other writers so it should be good!

Thanks for the feedback as always!