Chapter 21

"It's a bomb." Roy looked up in surprise. He had not even noticed that M'gann had woken up. They were practically alone. Everyone had either abandoned the medical bay or fallen asleep. Roy hadn't planned on hearing M'gann's voice for quite some time. She looked down at him with fear in her deep brown eyes.
"What?" He asked stupidly. He had heard her of course but he was so sleep deprived that the words hadn't really registered.
"A bomb. A bomb that will take out over two thirds of the world's population. I saw it in Klarion's mind." She replied softly. Roy briefly wondered what M'gann had seen. He had never seen her look so startled before.
"They're going to blow up over half the world. That's their plan. M'gann, are you sure?" Roy asked slowly. He was very close to rousing Kaldur from his sleep and demanding immediate action.
"I saw every horrible detail. The children are a power source. They needed more energy for a bomb that size. They suck them dry and then throw their bodies away like trash. That's why they're dying." M'gann whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "It's only going to get worse. I can feel it."
"Okay. Stay there, I'm going to go get someone." Roy said gently. He hopped to his feet and stepped away from her bed. Was this it? Had they finally figured it out? Why in the world would someone want to destroy part of the world?
"Less people. Easier to rule. They're going to divide up the world and start their own League of Nations. It'll be hell on earth." M'gann explained. Clearly she had read his mind.
"This can't be happening." Roy rubbed his face anxiously. "You wouldn't happen to know how much time we have would you?"
"Not much. They're moving fast. They want to retrieve Klarion and then they'll move forward." She said in a rush.
"Well shit." Roy ran a tired hand through his hair and groaned. It was like things were only going from bad to worse.
"Roy?" Robin's wearied voice met his ears. "What are you doing awake?" They boy had fallen asleep on the edge of Wally's bed.

"We need to wake everyone. This is about to get ugly. Really ugly." Roy said.
"I'll stay here with M'gann." Robin scampered off the bed and to M'gann's bedside. Roy left them.

YJ

"A bomb?" Superman's dumbfounded voice came through the monitor screen. "And you're sure about that?"
"M'gann doesn't seem like the type to lie." Black Canary replied dryly with a roll of her eyes.
"I wasn't implying that she-"
"She's telling the truth. We have Klarion detained." Batman strolled purposefully into the frame.
"How'd you get anything out of him? We were with him for hours before we got any information." Flash said incredulously.
Batman shot him a look that told him all he needed to know.
"What matters now is how we stop it." Superman chimed in. "I'm sure the kids want an actual home to return to."
"That'd be nice." Roy snarked.
"I might be able to help on that avenue." A familiar voice called.
"Blue Beetle." Robin rattled off. It was so strange how much he looked like the Ted from their home. Did everyone have a counterpart here?
"Wow, you weren't kidding about the whole super-kids thing. For a second I though Flash was just pulling my leg. Looks like it wasn't a joke after all." Ted smiled at them.

"No, not quite a joke." Black Canary said.

"I've been going over the designs the other me sent. Wow, that's an odd thing to say. The other me." Ted pursed his lips. "Anyway, I've given it a really hard look and I think I've figured it out." He was rolling some sort of mechanism behind him.
"You mean...you can send us home?" Artemis gasped. "Like, right now?"
"Most likely."
"Most likely? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I don't know what you're thinking but I'm not getting torn to bits again-" Roy began.
"Easy kid. Don't worry. Every project has its variables. I've done my absolute best with this one." Ted promised him. "It will connect with the machine in your dimension and open up on both ends. Hopefully, you should be able to walk through safely."
"Should be." Roy scoffed.
"As of right now, it is all we have. We will use your machine." Kaldur said softly. "I think I speak for almost all of us when I say we are anxious to return home." Conner hung his head.
"We will cross that bridge when we get to it." Clark said softly so only he could hear. Conner gave a subtle nod.
"And what do you want us to do? Just forget this ever happened?" John demanded.
"At this point," Superman paused to take a breath, his eyes flickering to Batman, "we'll take all the help we can get. If this is as serious as M'gann thinks it is-"
"You want us to come through too?" Shayera asked. "That's absurd!"
"Is it?" Diana cut across her. "This is a serious threat. Not just to their dimension but to ours as well. They've already demonstrated a capacity for cross-dimensional travel. We all could be at risk."
"She's right." Batman sighed. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this."

"I think we were all hoping that. Who knows what damage this could do to the space-time continuum?" Robin muttered contemplatively.

"No more damage than what's already been done." Batman assured him. "We'll do it. We'll neutralize this threat and then everything will return to normal. Everything." He shot a pointed glare at Superboy.

"No promises." The boy snapped back.

"No offenses, but we really don't have time for this. They could come for Klarion at any moment. I say you should go ahead and fire up that machine. Get ready to come home guys." Flash said.

YJ

"Home…" Roy barked out a laugh. "It doesn't even seem real, does it?"

"No. We've been here so long. I was beginning to think we'd never get home." Artemis sighed softly. "I guess it'll all be like a dream."

"A sick messed up dream. I could have lived without it." Roy shrugged his shoulders." They sat in the medical bay, staring out one of the windows and out into the cosmos. A dream. A horrible horrible dream.

"Part of me doesn't one to leave." Artemis whispered.

"What do you mean? What could possibly be here for you?" Roy asked of her.

"Anonymity. No one knows me here. My family…my father. None of it is real here. I could finally escape his curse. As long as I'm in that world, I'll always be his daughter. I'll always be the child of a killer. His blood is all over me. I can't escape it. This could be my clean slate."

"Artemis…you didn't kill those people. You never wanted anyone to get hurt. You don't have to crucify yourself for his evils. It wasn't your fault." Roy placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're going to go home and we're going to beat the bad guy. That's the person you are. You're a hero."

"He's right you know."

"Canary." Artemis rushed to dry her eyes. When had she started crying?

"Your hands may not be clean, Artemis, but none of ours really are. It comes with the territory. However, you are good. You are strong and kind. You would never raise your bow just to hurt someone. You use it to protect and defend. That's who you are. Don't think of yourself as Sportsmaster's daughter. You're so much more than that." Dinah bent down to her eye level. "You're going to fight and you're going to win. It's who you are."

"It's who we all are. Those kids need us to fight for them. Wally needs us to fight for him. He'd put his life in your hands in a second because he trusts you. We all trust you." Roy added on.

"You don't." Artemis turned away from him. "You hate me."

Roy sighed. "I don't hate you, Artemis. I hated the fact that Arrow had replaced me so easily. I wanted him to miss me. I wanted him to want me. It wasn't fair for me to blame you and I'm sorry for that. If you tell anyone I said that, I will deny it." Artemis smacked him on the arm.

"You'll never change, will you?" She gave him a watery smile.

"Do you really want me to?" Roy smirked. "Now wipe your face. Tears don't look good on you."

"That's exactly what every girl wants to hear. Tell me, do you talk to my sister that way?" Artemis nimbly dodged his punch.

"I think I liked you better when we hated each other. You weren't this sassy."

YJ

"You must be excited to get home."

Robin looked up from where he sat. He'd been telling Wally the good news. "I suppose I am. You must be happy to get rid of me." He said sharply. "I'm used to the sentiment."

Bruce pulled his cowl back. "I heard what you said the other day. To the other me." Robin's eyes snapped to him.

"You eavesdropped on me. Why would you do that?" he demanded. The man had no right. What went on between him and his mentor was their business. Who did this pretender think he was?

"I wanted to understand you. I wanted to finally see where you were coming from. It wasn't a very nice place. I feel responsible for that." Bruce finally admitted.

"Look, I don't need you to feel sorry for me or my situation. I just need to get home." Robin slid his mask back onto his face. "I'm fine now. I'm not a little kid and you don't need to coddle me. I know what I need to do."

"Richard-"

"Robin. There's a war coming. There's no place for sad little boys on the battlefield. Believe me, I know. I've learned that much." Robin stood. They'd be coming to move Wally soon. He'd best start suiting up. It would feel so much better once he was fighting alongside his own Batman. Things would be normal again. He'd heal.

But could he forget? It was his worst nightmare to have Bruce turn him away and for a few crucial moments, he'd felt it. Alone, unloved. Parents dead. He suddenly felt a presence behind him. "Go away."

"No. I don't think the other me would be happy if I left you in this state." Bruce said quietly. "I know what you're thinking. You can't blame him for my sins against you. I'm not him. I don't have the heart he does because it takes a heart to take in a child. Especially one as young as you. We're both damaged, both hurt. I wish I could have seen that sooner, I think that would have helped me. I think you could have helped me come out of a very dark place."

"So now you're trying to make amends?" Robin barked a laugh. "You don't have to pretend for me. I've had enough pretenders in my life. I don't need any more and I certainly don't need you."

"You're right. You don't need me. I think I needed you." Robin took a step back and gulped. "I don't even know the other me. I would have just assumed we were identical but we're not. He's not nearly as haunted as I am. That much I can see." Bruce sighed deeply. "I suppose he has you to thank for that. I hear that children have healing qualities."

"I didn't heal Bruce. He healed me." Robin snapped indignantly.

"That sometimes goes both ways. You aren't the average kid, Richard. I'm glad he has you. I'm glad that at least one version of me has the chance to be happy." Robin bit his lip. He could seet J'onn helping M'gann out of bed. Kaldur carfully avoiding Orin. Barry seemed to be watching Wally's bed with longing. Robin wondered if he too was trying to make amends. Conner was nowhere to be seen.

"I want Bruce to be happy." He finally said. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"You've succeded. I can see the difference you've made. I can see the difference that all of you have made."

Robin glanced his way. He was telling the truth. Robin had known Batman long enough to spot a lie.

"You don't have to apologize any of us. We're tough." Robin squared his shoulder and stepped away from the man with his mentor's face feeling suddenly lighter. "I need to get dressed." He called behind him. "I'll see you out there."

YJ

"This isn't fair. They aren't going to let me stay." Conner punched a hole in the wall. "It's not fair!"

"Calm down. You're going to be fine. We're going to work something out for you, Conner. I won't let you rot. I promise." Clark assured him. They sat together right outside the monitor room. There was no need for a costume change.

"You can't help me. They won't let you help me." Conner snapped.

"No one's going to stop me, little brother." Clark patted him on the shoulder. "You'll be flying in no time."

"Little brother?" Conner asked quietly.

"Well yeah. We share DNA and you're younger than me. So you're my little brother and I'm going to protect you. No matter what."

Conner couldn't help the grin that pulled at his lips.