After the Fall of Olympus

by Killthespares

The League has fallen. The team is dead. All that's left is for Dick Grayson to pick up the pieces and move forward. Easier said than done. AU: Failsafe Actually Happened

11. Year 6: Lightning in a Bottle Part 3

The tension in the room is palpable even with the Reach contingent safely escorted back to their own ship.

Dick sighs, looking away from the monitors to the two other figures in the room. "The Green Lantern Corps are being contacted."

Mera snorts. "For however much good that will do. The Reach was right on at least one thing. When's the last time the Guardians have ever responded to a summons from Earth? Even before the Invasion?"

Hippolyta's mouth firms, eyes sharp as ever even with the lines around them more pronounced. "The Guardian's...abstinence from typical communication doesn't necessarily mean the Corps have abandoned their duty to us."

"It's certainly not a good sign." Mera lifts a brow. "The Corp's Guardians are not your Amazonians, Hippolyta. They're as far from a neutral party as possible."

"No, but I like to believe they have a similar concept of responsibility as that of my warriors," Hippolyta counters. "I find it hard to believe a single battle, even one as devastating as our Invasion, would cause them to abandon our entire solar system as a lost hope."

"With all respect, Your Majesties, debating the Corp's mindset isn't exactly our concern right now," Dick says. "Until we hear word from the Corps themselves, we have to plan for the worst. We have to assume we're acting alone."

Mera hums, surprised. "You think we should trust the Reach?"

"I think we should assume the most vulnerable position," he corrects.

"And, in the most vulnerable position, what do you suggest we do," Hippolyta presses.

"We need support," Dick says bluntly. "Earth's still a fairly new planet. We don't even have the intel on the threats we could be facing. Trust me. When dealing with threats you can't beat in terms of resources, you have to be able to out plan them. Currently, we can't do either."

Hippolyta's expression gives away nothing. "So, you do think we should accept the Reach's offer."

He hesitates.

Hippolyta continues to watch him and Dick can't help but feel like he's being assessed.

"No," he finally admits. "I don't trust them. It's too nice of a story. They come and tell us we're in danger and, in the same breath, offer up a solution with no strings attached. Nothing's that easy."

A perfect story tied up with a bow. Easy, lucky, almost as lucky as finding a torn H.I.V.E badge at the scene of a kidnapping. The same kidnapping that gave the team Blue Beetle. And isn't that something that deserves more thought?

Dick shakes out of his thoughts just as Hippolyta nods, slight approval echoing off the older woman's face. "The best way to predict your opponent's next move is to make them believe they have only one option."

"Then we're agreed," Mera says. "The Reach isn't telling us everything."

"And what of the Blue Beetle," Hippolyta asks.

"Jaime's a good guy," Dick says quickly. "And one that Omen's run as thorough a mental check as possible on. Whatever's going on with the Reach, Jaime's not involved."

Hippolyta taps her hand against the hilt of her sword. "So another question, then. If the Reach is our enemy, why gift us with advanced technology that could be used against them?"

"If it can be used against them," Mera adds. "I'd also like to know more about how they got a Martian working with them."

"More and more questions without any answers," Hippolyta surmises. "Not particularly a situation I like to be in."

"Give the Titans a chance to follow in to a few leads," Dick says. "We need time before we can do anything."

The two Queens exchange a glance before nodding.

"Sensible enough," Hippolyta agrees. She stands, her robes shifting elegantly around her like the old statues of Greek goddesses. "Then, if that is all that can be discussed, I would like a moment with my wandering daughter."

Dick nods. "Donna's in the common room with the others. It's just a floor above."

He stands to show her and Hippolyta holds up a hand to stop him.

"I believe I'll manage," she says before her eyes go sharp once again. "Not one, but two of my daughters have spoken quite highly of you, Dick Grayson of Gotham. I will be interested to see whether that faith was well placed."

She glides out of the room before Dick can formulate a response.

He turns to Mera.

"Yes, Hippolyta's always a bit terrifying, isn't she," Mera says. "When I first met her at mine and Arthur's wedding, I was half convinced she'd eviscerate me at a single wrong word. I've seen killer whales with less bite."

Dick falls into the seat next to her. "That's nothing. The first time I met this one queen, I almost drowned."

"That was your own fault," Mera says primly, hiding a small smile before sobering. "You've always made a remarkably good ally, Dick, and do you know why? It's because we're on equal terms. I can trust you to do what you need to do just the same as you can trust me. The Earth's terms with the Guardians were barely tenable back when we had two Green Lanterns serving in their upper ranks." She shakes her head. "Yet, somehow, the terms that the Reach gave are even less reasonable. To hear them talk, they want practically nothing from us."

"What are you thinking," he asks.

"I think that those aren't terms of alliance, they're terms of servitude." Mera's lips go tight. "Dick, I've been Xebellian far longer than I've been Atlantean. Being pressed under another kingdom's rule can be even worse than standing alone."

"You know I don't disagree with you," Dick argues tiredly. "But, Mera, what happens when another invasion comes? If we're alone, we're powerless. That's the whole point behind any alliance, behind the Titans even. The more of us there are, the more defense we have."

Surprisingly, Mera laughs. "Powerless? And tell me, Dick, would the Titans have quit if Atlantis had not given their support? I seem to remember it a bit differently."

"I remember, too, and was that power or the desperation of being the only choice," Dick shoots back just as quick before he leans back, rubbing at his eyes,"...and this is a far different scale, Mera."

"Yes," she says firmly, standing and squeezing his shoulder. "But, Hippolyta is right about a good many things. Don't forget the Earth's strong alone, too."

Dick doesn't answer and Mera nods.

"I have a kingdom to reassure and I'm sure you have your own business to take care of," Mera says, already heading to the zeta room. "I'll tell Artur you say hello."

A few seconds more and Dick's alone.

He taps on his comm.

"Hey," Barbara's voice sounds on the line, the slight echo of the Batcave around her. "Still alive, then?"

"For now." He smiles.

"And are we being invaded?"

"...Undecided. Any word from Jason or Roy yet?"

"No." She continues before he can speak. "They were tracking down one of the Light leads in Bialya, Dick. You know the rules there, radio silence unless it's an emergency. They know what they're doing. Don't start worrying yet."

He sighs. "Only Jason could go on a mission right before an alien invasion."

Barbara laughs. "He's going to be so mad when he gets back."

"I'll give him the Cliff Notes," Dick says dryly. "Maybe this'll teach him not to complain there aren't any 'cool missions'."

Barbara hums lightly before her tone drops lower. "...how bad is it, Dick?"

"I don't know," he answers truthfully. "And it looks like it's the Titans' job to find out."

"I'll keep you updated here," Barbara promises and there's a small click as the connection ends.

Dick grimaces, restraining from the urge to just...to just go wait on the side for someone older to step in and come up with a plan that'll somehow make everything okay.

There isn't anyone else coming though. And Dick stopped believing in perfect plans six years ago.

They always cost something. Always.

"I've got an idea, okay?"

He pushes himself up and off in the direction of the Titan's living quarters.

This time, he doesn't even get the chance to knock before Kory's pushing her door open and pulling him inside.

Her arms wrap around him and, for one second, Dick lets himself relax, his own arms coming up to hold her closer.

He kisses her hair before pulling back to address the other person in the room. "Thanks for waiting for me."

"Of course," Kara says immediately. "Seemed like kind of an all hands on deck thing. I already texted Martha and Johnathan that Gar and I'd be at the Tower tonight. You want to know about the Reach, right?"

"Yeah," Dick confirms. "...and the Green Lantern Corps. Anything that can help."

Kara and Kory exchange a glance.

"Sorry," Kara says quietly, "Krypton didn't really do the whole Green Lantern thing. I mean I'm sure we were part of some Lantern's jurisdiction; but, Krypton was a science planet to the extreme. The whole defend the galaxy shtick wasn't exactly what they pushed us kids into...and Uncle Jor El was pretty big on learning about Earth once he found out Krypton was failing."

"What about the Reach?"

Kara shakes her head. "Never heard of them until today."

"I have," Kory speaks up. "Not much, unfortunately. It was...when I was a child, before the Citadel, before the Psions. Back when I was still being trained to serve Tamaran."

"What do you remember?"

Kory presses her lips together, thinking. "I believe they were telling the truth about their relationship with the Green Lanterns. I remember learning about...tensions, I suppose...a long time ago, maybe close to two millennia. I think the Reach is under some manner of treaty with the Guardians."

"What was the treaty about," Dick asks.

Kory shakes her head. "I do not remember the exact details. Something about specifying terms of engagement to divide areas that were under the Reach's control from the Lanterns."

"That might at least explain some of the Reach's behavior with Earth," he says, turning the facts over in his head to try to find the Reach's strategy. He looks up. "Anything else you remember?"

"Sorry," Kara says, rubbing the back of her head. "I'll tell you if I think of anything, though."

Kory just smiles apologetically.

"Alright…," Dick takes a breath, talking more to himself. "This is still better than we had….We just need to...just need to figure out…"

Kory lays a hand on his shoulder, stopping him before turning to Kara. "Do you mind if we have a moment?"

"Oh...oh, yeah, sure, I'm just going to, ah," she waves her hands vaguely, "go find Gar and Vic."

And then she's gone with only the kind of quickness that Kryptonians and speedsters can manage. The door falls shut behind her.

The hand on Dick's shoulder moves to his face, tilting it up until he meets Kory's eyes.

"How are you, my friend," Kory asks.

Dick gives a small little laugh. "Feeling like I need to run forty directions at once and my legs are bound together….so, you know, pretty normal, actually."

Her hand moves up, running through the hair above his ear.

Kory hums. "Good, then you know we can handle it. We can make it through to the other side of the storm."

"Not every storm has another side," Dick says.

Red light. The heat of a ship core stinging across his tick of a countdown.

"Shh," Kory pushes up to kiss him gently. "We can make it through this one."

Dick lets his shoulders fall, leaning forward until his head is resting against hers.

"Stay here," Kory asks.

"I can't," he breathes out. "I need to check in with the rest of the team, run through the databases,...try to come up with a few failsafes just in case….oh, not to mention Jason and Roy are still somewhere in Bialya because of course, they are."

Kory kisses him again, brief but thorough, until she leans back, dropping her hand to run along his arm until her hand is clasped in his.

"Come back then," she compromises.

Her hand is smooth and warm and Dick can feel the energy running from it until his hands are just as warm. He doesn't want to let go.

"...I don't know if I can tonight," he says, the words pulled out unwillingly.

Kory only smiles. "I did not say tonight. I only need you to come back."

Dick's chest feels tight like it's suddenly a size too small.

"Always, Kory," he promises. "Always."

Kory squeezes his hand one last time before letting go to pull open the door.

"Hurry so you come back then," she tells him and Dick makes himself move before he can stop and reconsider.

The door shuts behind him and Dick finds himself smiling at it anyway.

Something small and light and terrifying is beating in his ribs and Dick's working really hard on not looking at it too closely.

Then, there's a rush of wind so sudden Dick shivers.

"Bart!"

Bart Allen is standing at the end of the hall, more jittery and nervous than Dick's ever seen him, like one wrong move will send him scurrying.

Something clicks in Dick's head. Two pieces coming together in a way that leaves more questions than answers.

There's always more questions than answers when it comes to Bart.

Dick approaches him carefully, like he would a scared kid or a feral alley cat.

"Bart," he says quietly, "are you looking for me?"

Bart blinks, plastering a smile on his face far too haphazard to be believable. "Well, yeah, I mean aliens-er, um, I mean more aliens-that's so...so crash, right? Yeah, so, the Reach? It is the Reach, yeah? What are you thinking? I mean-"

"Bart," Dick cuts him off, "is there something you want to tell me?"

The hum of the Tower lights echoes around them.

"No," Bart says.

Dick sighs. He was really hoping it would be the easy way.

"Bart, I need you to tell me what you know about the Reach," he says bluntly.

Bart's eyes widen-fake, fake, fake. "Why would I know about the Reach? They didn't exist in my universe."

"Except that's a lie," he says. "I know it has to be a lie because they're the ones that reactivated the Blue Beetle armor. If the Blue Beetle was a hero in your world, it had to be because of the Reach so I'm asking again: what do you know?"

"I don't know anything."

"Bart, we're facing an alien invasion here," Dick says, struggling to keep his voice calm. "I'm not your enemy!"

"I know that," Bart snaps out. He's practically vibrating now. He stops, clears his throat. "...I know you're not."

"If there's something I need to know, you need to tell me," Dick tries again. "Look, everyone has their secrets. I get that. I worked under Batman. I know about keeping secrets. The difference is when it's other people's lives at stake. Now, Bart, is there something you need to tell me?"

Bart's lips stay firm as he shakes his head.

Dick steps back, closes his eyes and breathes. "Then I pray to God, that's the truth, Bart. I really, really do."

He turns because there's things to do, plans to make, contingencies to alter.

"...Dick," Bart whispers, tone fast and scared, "...just because you're not my enemy doesn't mean...doesn't mean I won't end up being yours. I'm not a hero. I know I'm not."

Dick turns back. "Bart, what does that-"

Dick's alone in the hallway.

His comm beeps.

"Nightwing," he reports.

"Dick," Babs' voice sounds rushed, "we've got word from Jason. We need an emergency retrieval now!"

ooooooo

"We're fine," Jason insists over the line.

Dick looks over Vic's shoulder at the jet's targeting map. "We're five minutes out. And, no, you are not fine. You're surrounded by soldiers and being held down by gunfire in an abandoned cave in Bialya! That is the very definition of not fine, Robin! Un-fine!"

Jason doesn't say anything immediately, long enough that Dick is half hopeful and half afraid that the words actually took.

"...well, obviously, the cave's not that abandoned now is it?"

Dick swears, pinching the bridge of his nose.

He spares a glance to Jade. "I'm going to kill them….Right after we save them, I'm going to just murder them both."

Jade smiles sharply, a knife twisting in her hand. "I'd help but unfortunately that would put me down two free babysitters."

"We'll get you new ones," he promises.

"In this economy?"

Dick huffs out a laugh, going back to the comm. "Status report?"

"Same as a minute ago," Jason says, sounding bored. There's muttering in the background. "Oh, wait, no, Speedy says he's getting a cramp. What do you know? The mission's first injury."

"Robin," Dick warns.

Jason sighs heavily. "We're fine, Nightwing. I told you they didn't see where we went. I hacked the monitors, they're searching the ground level. All we need now is for you to hurry your asses up so we can get a proper extraction." A pause and the next words come out slightly mulish. "I did the responsible thing."

Dick winces, mentally debating commenting before there's a hiss from the comms.

"Shit," Jason swears, voice dropping low. "One of the contingents broke off and is headed our way. How far out are you?"

"A minute but we're coming in from the other side," Dick says, tensing. "Can you manage until backup?"

There's another pause, longer this time.

"...yeah," Jason steadies his voice. "Yeah, we can do it."

Dick tries to believe him.

Bialyan troops travel in groups of seventy five. Five contingents, each made up of fifteen highly armed and well trained soldiers. Fifteen soldiers against two sixteen year olds. Those are hard odds no matter how good the teens are.

Everything...everything can always change so fast.

He looks to the team. "Remember, this is an extraction mission. Team Alpha distracts the soldiers while Team Beta gets Robin and Speedy. We get out quick. Zatanna and Cyborg are on getaway. Troia's Team Alpha leader. Cheshire, Omen, and Bumblebee with me. Everyone, stay safe and keep moving."

Vic turns to Dick, hand going to the console button. "Ready?"

Dick grabs the bar above him and nods. "Ready."

The jet's floor drops out from under them.

Zatanna stretches out her arms, hands glowing blue. "Etativel!"

The fall is halted almost as soon as it starts with the team floating down the sheer rock face. Dick stamps down on the not-quite-right feeling of falling through the air when he's not the one controlling it.

Their feet touch the edge of the cave.

Not a second later, they're moving-all with the uncanny grace and coordination that only comes with the kind of deep familiarity that normally has Dick smiling to watch.

The guards see Kory first, the quick tap of bullets flying through the space only to be melted in a wave of intense heat before they can land.

And then, it's chaos. Terrifying, loud, messy chaos, perfect enough to distract form four figures breaking off to the left tunnel.

"Found the soldiers," Lilith says as they scale quick up one of the metal support structures lining the tunnel walls. "To the right...probably 50 meters away."

Dick swears, checking his wrist computer for Jason's locator. "Have they found them?"

"No, not y-"

There's the sound of gunfire, far, far too close.

They start running.

By the time they arrive, four of the soldiers are already down on the ground, the rest firing at a pile of boxes Dick would bet his life has two teen superheroes hiding out behind them.

A shot ricochets off the stone wall, landing a bit too close for comfort and Dick hears a muffled curse from Roy. Jade takes out the soldier that fired it before the next breath, adding in the one beside him for good measure.

Karen takes her left, the distinct zap! of her stingers taking out two more guards as they aim their guns at Jade's back.

Dick moves forward, firing off a line at the bars along the ceiling and pulling up in a flip over the crates.

He lands in a crouch, smirking. "Fancy seeing you here."

Behind the mask, Dick has the distinct impression Jason's rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, now let's get out of this stupid cave."

Another volley of gunshots starts, only to cut off a second later.

"Clear," Jade's voice calls out.

Roy stands, stretching. "Hey, Chesh, enjoy the exercise?"

Jade hums. "Not much of an exercise."

"Rude."

She kicks at one of the downed guards. "Was this you?"

"Yeah." The teen grins a bit wild. "The new poison darts worked great. Down in five seconds"

"Better. I'm still adding a few more...stronger options," Jade says. "Just in case."

"There's stronger?"

Jade pinches his cheek, making an honestly disturbing fake cooing noise. "Adorable. I can teach you the same time as Lian."

Roy swats her hand away, grumbling under his breath.

Dick turns to Lilith. "Think you can get us out of here without running into any more guards?"

Lilith nods. "Team Alpha's already made a good dent in the ones upfront."

"Don't know why an entire Bialyan squad's even here in the first place," Jason grumbles.

"We'll figure it out when we get home," Dick says before pausing. "Speaking of, there's something we need to catch you up on. Something...something big."

Jason groans, rubbing a hand over his face. "I was only gone twelve hours! What could have happened? A freaking alien invasion?"

"..."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

ooooooo

"-so, really," Tim continues, "if you think about the odds, it's incredible that the Bialyan troops just happened to choose to patrol the caves the exact day that you and Roy did. I mean really it has to be like ten thousand to one-"

"Uh-huh," Jason says without looking up from his phone.

"-and that's not even counting the odds that you also missed the Reach, so when you throw in those probabilities-"

"Tim," Jason cuts him off, exasperated, "get to the point!"

Tim smirks. "You're like the unluckiest person alive!"

Jason glares.

Tim's smirk widens.

"Next patrol, I'm punting you off a freaking building," Jason says.

"That's fine. Given your luck, you'll miss."

"Hey, Tim," Dick steps in, cutting off Jason's next retort. "Mind helping Alfred with lunch? I need to talk to Jason for a second."

Tim frowns in close to a pout. "If it's about the Reach, I can help-"

"Tim," Dick interrupts. "I know you can. Just...later, okay?"

Tim nods, reluctantly heading up the stairs.

The door to the cave clicks shut behind him.

Jason turns to Dick, crossing his arms. "We could've handled it if we needed to, you know. Back in Bialya. Roy and I could've made it out fine if we had to. Calling the Titans just made it easier."

"You're not always going to have backup," Dick says.

Jason's frowns. "So, what? You're saying we shouldn't have called!"

"No, that's not what I meant."

"You think we should've been able to handle it ourselves rather than-"

"That's not what I meant," Dick repeats. He falls back in the chair by the monitors and sighs. "Look, Jay, I need to talk to you about what we're going to do if the Reach thing doesn't go our way. I'm dividing the team. You're Team Gamma leader. I need you, Roy, Tim, Gar, Bart, Jaime, and Kara to stay out of this for now. You can use the old Young Justice cave as a secondary base. Understand?"

Jason's fists clench tight at his side. "Is this about Bialya?"

"No."

"Bullshit," Jason accuses. "You think I screwed up the mission and now you're banning me from the Reach!"

"No, I-."

"Yeah, right?!" Jason shouts, nearly quivering in his anger. "You don't trust me so you're benching Roy and me at the kiddies table with the newbies! That's such bullshit, Dick! You know how hard I train! You know I can handle this. I've been doing this for two years and not once have I given it anything less than my all. And, now, because one mission goes to shit, you're putting me on the sidelines! I can handle an alien invasion, Dick!"

Dick's on his feet, shaking Jason's shoulders before either can think. "JASON! THE LEAGUE COULDN'T HANDLE AN INVASION!"

Jason stares at him, wide eyed.

Dick lets out a slow breath, willing his voice to a more controlled level.

"Robin," he says quietly, "I need you to listen to me. The last time we faced an invasion, the only reason we survived was that Young Justice was separate and, therefore, able to act after the Justice League fell. Now, I need you to take Tim and Roy, Gar, Kara, Jaime, and Bart and make sure all of you are away if there's a fight. Do you understand?"

The cave goes silent. Completely and utterly silent.

Jason swallows, face gone pale. "Dick, you...you don't really think it's going to get that bad...right?"

Dick hesitates.

"Jason, I don't...I don't make plans where we fail. Not ever."

Red light. The heat of a ship core-

Dick shakes it off. "But...things can go bad whether it's in my plans or not." His lips firm. "Jay, this isn't my main plan. Not even close. This is just our failsafe. And I'm sorry. This isn't fair. I shouldn't be asking you this at all. I shouldn't ask this of anyone and I'm going to do anything I can to avoid it. But...but, I need you there in case things go wrong, alright?"

"..."

"Jason?"

"...yeah...yeah, okay. I...I understand."

Dick relaxes. "I trust you. Always. You know that, right? And you did fine in Bialya, stop beating yourself up about it. Tim's right; it was just bad luck."

Jason lets out a slightly strained laugh. "Already forgot about it."

Jason's still staring straight ahead without particularly looking at anything.

"Hey, Jay?"

"Mhm?"

"I'm proud of you."

Jason finally blinks, turning to Dick with a disgruntled expression. "Ah, crap, Dick, it's bad enough already. Don't start saying all the emotional stuff, too! Because then if you start, you're gonna want me to start and I hate that stuff, Dick! You know I do!"

Dick laughs, holding up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, far be it for me to trick you into emotions. I guess I'll have to use the actual end of the world for that."

"You're the worst!"

"Sticks and stones." Dick turns to the stairs. "Now, come on, I'm starving and I know you'll want to tell off Tim for all the things he's supposedly doing wrong in the kitchen."

Jason's slowly shaking himself back to normal. "Kid, doesn't even know how to slice an onion right, Dick."

"Is there a wrong way?"

"This shit here is why Alfred banned you!"

Dick rolls his eyes.

He's almost to the stairs when something hard hits into his side, wrapping around him.

He frowns, looking down at the top of Jason's head. "Jay?"

"Shut up," Jason huffs like he's not hugging him. "And don't you dare tell anyone about this."

"No one would believe me." Dick smiles, wrapping his arms around Jason's shoulders in return.

It lasts for a second, maybe two, and then Jason's pushing off, almost running up the stairs and muttering to himself all the way with the door slamming shut behind him.

Dick shakes his head, amused.

There's a cold rush of wind, almost like a draft running through the cave.

Dick doesn't look behind him. "Change your mind?"

"I….maybe," Bart answers.

Dick finally turns.

In many ways-possibly too many-Bart is exactly like Wally West. He's got the wild hair, the lanky build, he's energetic to the point of aggravation, and he has that uncanny brightness that all the speedsters have like it's interlaid in their very skin.

Bart is not Wally. Dick isn't stupid. He knows Bart isn't. Bart hides and obfuscates like he doesn't know how to stop where Wally could barely bluff in a card game. Where Wally had soft, kind edges, Bart has too sharp eyes and sad smiles. Wally was transparent and honest and good just like his uncle, like his adopted grandfather before him. Bart is...harder to define.

"What are you afraid of, Bart," he asks."You know-you have to know I've realized some of it. I know the world you came from wasn't as nice as you want us to believe. I know we lost the Invasion. What else are you trying to hide? Why are you trying to hide it?"

Bart looks down at his shoes, scuffed and beat up. "...you're right. We lost the Invasion."

Dick lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Okay. That's a start. What else?"

"It wasn't….it wasn't the Invasion you're thinking of."

Dick stops.

"...what?"

Bart fidgets. "That one-the one that happened six years ago-it didn't happen in my world. It never happened on my world. I don't know why it's different."

Bart takes a breath and closes his eyes.

"...in my world, we lost the Reach Invasion."

Dick tries to stay calm. "The same Reach we just met with?"

"Yeah," Bart still isn't looking up. "They even sent the same people to do it. The Ambassador, the Scientist, the B-Black Beetle and Green Beetle. It's...it's all going to be the same, Dick. And I don't-I don't think I can stop it. I don't think I can-"

Bart's mouth falls shut with a click.

"We can do it together, Bart," Dick steps forward cautiously. "I just need you to tell me what you know."

Bart finally looks up. "I didn't tell you the worst part. The reason Earth lost, the greatest weapon that the Reach had….it's Blue Beetle, Dick. They're going to use Jaime. And it's going to destroy him."

ooooooo

On the other side of the glass, Jaime sits on the infirmary bed, tense and jumpy like a single wrong move will fracture him.

Bart buzzes around him, barely staying still for more than a second as he lobbies topic after topic at Jaime more akin to someone playing a haphazard game of darts than a conversation.

Jaime gives him a weak smile in return, whenever Bart stops long enough to see him.

"Are you sure," Dick asks.

Lilith shakes her head. "I'm not sure about anything with this. We're talking about technology from an entirely different species. The only thing I can say right now is that Jaime's definitely the one in control for now."

He sighs. "And there's no way we can bring the scarab totally offline from the Reach's control? Make sure they can never access it?"

"Dick, I can't even tell right now how the Reach could link to it. You said Dan Garret used it for years, right? Maybe in our universe, the scarab's broken."

Dick shakes his head. "That's not a risk we can take. We're already going through Garret and Kord's notes to see if we can find anything." He runs a hand over his face. "Right now, all we can do is make sure Jaime's as far from the Reach as possible. Make sure they never even get the chance."

Donna clears her throat behind him. "And that sounds like my cue."

Dick turns, giving a brief smile. "Hey, sorry I couldn't go with you."

"Delegation's a virtue, Dick. Glad to see you're finally learning it." Donna comes to lean next to him. "Besides, it went fine-or at least as fine as it could given the situation."

"How did the Reyes take it," Lilith asks.

"That their son secretly got bonded with an alien parasite or that said alien parasite might try to take over the world?" Donna shrugs. "Shock, mostly. But, they agreed to let him stay here and go along with the cover story. As of today, Jaime Reyes was officially diagnosed with rheumatic fever."

"That's at least one problem down," Dick says, pushing off from the window and heading toward the Tower meeting room. Donna and Lilith follow him. "Jason's taking the Gamma Team to set up base in the Young Justice cave this afternoon. Hopefully, the Reach won't even know where to look for him."

Lilith nods. "And everything else?"

"Well, I guess that's what the meeting's for," Dick says, pushing open the door.

Everyone else-with the exception of Bart and Jaime-are already crowded around the table.

Zatanna looks to Lilith. "What's the verdict?"

"Mentally, Jaime's clear of Reach influence," she hesitates, sliding into her chair. "For now, at least."

"Now, we just have to keep it that way," Vic says grimly.

The room is tense. And….for the first time in a long time, Dick recognizes it as fear. The few that fought in the last invasion are staring down at the table while the rest who watched the world fall around them look nervously at each other.

Something sharp shifts against Dick's chest, something jagged and rusty and wrong.

He doesn't want his team to be afraid.

And maybe...maybe that's all it is. Maybe Mera's right and all it takes is a single choice, a single act of defiance even if it can cost everything.

Or maybe it's something else.

What would Bruce have said?

What would Wally?

Dick's felt powerless before. It's not a new feeling, just a greater scale. He's been fighting against bigger opponents since he was a nine year old in pixie boots. Since he was thirteen, watching a spaceship explode.

The jagged feeling in his chest doesn't go away but he fights against it anyway.

He looks up. "We're going to win."

Around the table, heads jerk up to stare at him.

"This isn't six years ago," he says firmly. "This isn't an invasion we're losing before we even get in the fight. This is a fight that we're going into fully armed and with the advantage."

"Dick," Garth says carefully, "even with an advantage, it's still an invasion without allies."

"We have allies," he corrects, "we have the Atlanteans, the Amazonians, and we have us."

"Is that really enough," Jade asks darkly.

"Has it ever not been," Dick counters back. "We have one of the strongest teams that Earth has ever seen and we're going in with an advantage of foresight." He shakes his head. "And no, you're right, it isn't going to be easy. When are things ever easy for us? But….that doesn't mean we're going to lose. That doesn't take away from any of the other hard things we've been fighting against for the past six years."

He pauses. "Someone very wise told me recently that the best way to predict an opponent is to make them think there's only one move. We've have more than one move. In fact, we have options they haven't even guessed at."

"The Reach is just another mission, guys," he says firmly. "It doesn't matter if they come from Earth or space, we can beat them."

The room watches him and slowly, almost gradual, the unease shifts into determination.

"We're the Titans." Dick stands, looking at the table one by one. "We built ourselves in the ashes of what we've lost and we never stopped fighting. I'm not going to stop fighting now because the Reach was foolish enough to pick Earth as their next target. We're Titans. And we stand together. Always."

Donna smiles like she always does. "Titans forever."

ooooooo

"Dick."

Dick stops, hand still stretched out to the zeta keypad.

He turns. "Jade?"

"I need to talk to you," she says, already dragging his arm and all but shoving him into one of the smaller meeting rooms.

She locks the door behind her.

Dick raises an eyebrow. "Has anyone told you motherhood's made you even scarier?"

"Thank you." She turns to face him. "I need to know if we can trust Bart Allen?"

He sighs. "He's not lying about the Reach Invasion, Jade. Or about Blue Beetle. I know it. I trust it. People don't time travel to stop a perfect world."

"I'm not talking about his intel."

Dick frowns. "Then what do you mean?"

She hesitates. Jade hesitates. That alone is enough to set Dick on edge if he wasn't already.

"I mean…," Jade begins slowly, "...he grew up in a very different universe, Dick."

Dick pauses, thinking through the words.

"I think we can still use the information despite the differences in the timelines. Too much of it already lines up."

She stares at him. "You're not listening."

"I'm trying," he counters. "Jade, it's been a very, very long day. Please, I'm begging you here, if you think there's a legitimate reason to distrust Bart just tell me."

"No."

"No, there's no reason?"

Jade shakes her head. "No, I don't think I'll tell you...because I'm not sure I disagree with him yet."

Just once, Dick would really like things to go the easier way.

"Then, why drag me in here?"

Jade shrugs. "I do try to follow my better nature. Sometimes, at least."

Dick rolls his eyes. "Jade, no offense, but I reached my daily fill for cryptic answers trying to pry information out of Bart. If you're not going to tell me, I'm going home and getting sleep before I pass out."

Jade simply nods, opening the door.

Dick trails out, eyeing her suspiciously.

He hesitates, right before they reach the zeta. "I wasn't lying in the meeting, Jade. We can beat them."

"I know," she says simply. "But not everyone has the same kind of methods."

ooooooo

"Still no response, then," Dick asks.

A sigh rattles over the communicator. "The Guardians have always dragged their pointy blue feet when it comes to answering anything, Dick. Don't give up hope yet."

Dick rubs at his eyes.

"Thanks for your help, Alan."

Alan Scott smiles on the screen. "Anytime, kid. All you've gotta do is ask."

"Sure, you don't want to join back in the fight," he asks, half hopeful.

"I'm retired." The old former Lantern laughs, eyes crinkling around the edges. "And, unlike Jay, I know that means to but out." He eyes Dick seriously. "You're doing a fine job with the Titans, Dick. You don't need us old timers slowing you down."

Dick smiles. "Thank you."

"I'll update you when I get word," Alan agrees and with a click, the screen goes black.

"If we get word," Dick can help but mutter, sipping at his coffee and pulling up another file.

Two weeks since Bart's new intel and the Titans are still working on the long game until they can find an in. Two weeks of slow, meandering conversation between Dick, Mera, Hippolyta and the Ambassador with no real progress to show.

It's the best way. Dick knows that. It's the safe option until they can gather more resources to make sure they can put the Reach down hard and without casualties.

It still feels eerily like playing a game of cat and mouse with the team on the wrong side of the equation.

He sets the mug down, glancing around the manor kitchen. "Where's Barbara?"

Alfred gives him a look, highly implying he should already know.

"Is she on a date," he guesses haphazardly. For some reason, it's always the option no one ever tells him about.

"No, Master Dick, I believe she's put a momentary suspension on her romantic life at least until after we're finished dealing with a secret invasion starting at any moment."

Dick rolls his eyes. "She shouldn't. With that kind of logic, we'd never get any free time."

"Indeed."

"So, where is she?"

"In class, sir." Alfred raises an eyebrow. "A place, I highly suspect you should be."

Dick winces. "There's an invasion, Alfred. I can catch up on my classes later."

"What was it again?" Alfred hums. "'With that kind of logic, we'd never get any free time.'"

"I'm never going to win one of these, am I?"

"I do have far more practice, young sir."

"An unfair fight, then," Dick mutters, distracted by the files.

Alfred allows him a moment.

"If I may be so bold, sir, to ask what's on your mind."

Dick snorts. "As if you've ever had to ask."

He drums his fingers along the counter, thinking.

"We need an in," Dick says finally. "We have Bart's information, now, we just need a way to use it. More than just an option the Reach hasn't considered, an option they've entirely thrown off the table." He rolls his shoulders. "And, then, there's the H.I.V.E."

"The H.I.V.E.?"

Dick holds up the badge Jaime found at Tye's abduction. "Too big of a coincidence to assume the Reach wasn't behind Tye's kidnapping. Which means that somewhere they have to be holding the other runaways, too. Which also means they've been on Earth far longer than we assumed or….they have another source."

He pulls up another file, scanning down it to follow a hunch.

Alfred clears his throat. "And what about Mr. Reyes?"

"Hmm?...oh, we're still working on hacking the scarab. Tim think he's got….," Dick trails off, looking at a write-up of the attack on Central City, "...an idea. Until then, I wouldn't worry much. From what Jason says, Bart's barely letting Jaime out of his sight."

"I suppose that's understandable. For Mr. Allen, especially."

"Yeah, I guess."

He scans through Jason's mission to Bialya. Tim's right, the odds of troops patrolling there were extraordinary. Unlucky-just the opposite of finding a H.I.V.E badge or getting a too good offer of alliance.

In his peripheral, Alfred shakes his head somewhat fondly, turning back to the oven.

For Mr. Allen, especially...

Dick stops, pulled out of his thoughts so sharply it feels like a car crash.

"Alfred," he says slowly. "Why is that 'understandable' for Bart especially?"

Alfred frowns. "I thought it was fairly obvious, Master Dick-"

Dick's heart is beating fast in his chest. Bart's always been close to Jaime. Since he first showed up. They're friends, maybe more than that. Everyone who's been at the Tower knows it. Bart cares. Of course, he'd stick close.

But, Dick doesn't ever remember telling Alfred that. Alfred's never seen Bart and Jaime together. How is it obvious?

"-After all, from what you told me, the Blue Beetle was responsible for the destruction of Mr. Allen's universe," Alfred continues, unaware. "I'd imagine Mr. Allen would stay quite close."

Watching with Will from the other side of a window.

"He's quieter than Wally."

He's focused.

"I can't read his reactions."

Talking to Tim.

"Almost like he doesn't view the world quite the same."

Bart smiling, too bright, too happy when Blue Beetle first showed up. A lie.

"I guess I got a bit over excited at actually getting the chance to meet him."

Was it all just a lie...

"Bart is not Wally, Dick."

I know.

No, not just a lie.

"Just because you're not my enemy doesn't mean I won't end up being yours. I'm not a hero. I know I'm not."

Not a lie. But, that would mean...

"Not everyone has the same kind of methods."

The mug falls from Dick's hand and breaks across the floor.

"Oh."

ooooooo

Bart stands on the other side of the meeting room.

He's not fidgeting, not running around the room, not babbling off a thousand and one tiny things. He's still.

He knows.

Dick watches him.

There's a truth that's never acknowledged. That's never had to be acknowledged. You can't stop a speedster. Not even a Kryptonian can. There's no way to truly stop someone that moves faster than you can think.

Only a faster speedster can and Bart….Bart Allen is the fastest man alive.

Bart clears his throat. "Jason said you wanted to see me?"

"I do," Dick says. "I realized something. You never answered why. You told me what. You told me about Jaime, about Blue Beetle, about the Reach. But you never told me why you were afraid to tell me."

Bart looks down at his shoes.

"You know why," he mutters.

"I need to hear you say it, Bart."

Because if not, Dick doesn't think he'll ever fully believe it.

Bart shrugs stiffly. "You're a detective, you can guess. Don't make me say it, Dick."

"Okay," he says. "I'll guess and you can tell me if I'm wrong. How's that?"

Bart doesn't say anything.

"Let's start with what I know." Dick pauses. "I know that, in your world, we lost the Reach Invasion. I know that people died, that heroes died. I know that the world you came from wasn't a good one. I know it was bad enough that the only way you thought you could save it was to build a time machine and make sure that it never happened in the first place."

Bart's fidgeting again.

"I know the kind of world you came from was one where you had to make hard choices," Dick continues quietly. "I know that you had to have a plan to fix it. I don't think the plan was just to save Barry Allen. Am I wrong?"

Bart takes an unsteady breath. "No."

"I know you told me Blue Beetle worked with the Reach. I know you said he's the reason they won." Dick doesn't drop his gaze. "I also know you've been at Jaime's side since the moment he showed up at the Tower. I know when I asked, you lied and told me Blue Beetle was a hero."

Dick pauses one last time. "Bart, I think your real plan was to stop Blue Beetle. Am I wrong?"

Bart stays quiet, lowering his head.

"And I don't think your real plan was to save Jaime," Dick says. "...I think your plan was to kill him."

Bart doesn't look up.

"Bart, am I wrong?"

A second, then two.

Bart lets out a wet sounding laugh. "You know Wally always told me not to play guessing games with Bats. Guess he was right, huh?"

"Wally always sucked at guessing," Dick counters without missing a beat. "Bart, Jaime's still alive. It's been over a month. You've had hundreds, millions of opportunities to kill him if you truly thought it was the right choice. That has to mean-"

"No! STOP!" Bart's shaking his head almost violently. "Don't do that, Dick! Don't think I'm a hero just because I haven't-because I couldn't...I told you I'm not a hero, Dick! I can't be!"

"Making the choice to save someone's life," Dick says. "To care about them even when you know their potential to hurt. What makes you think that's not-"

"I SAID DON'T DO THAT!" A blink and Bart's in his face, hands pulling on Dick's collar. "I KNOW WHAT A HERO IS! I've heard it, over and over again. From Wally. From Jay. From you. I'm not a hero. The world that built me, the person I am...this isn't one of those things that's going to be stopped with the power of hope and a pep talk, Dick. I'm not one of those things. I'm...I'm broken and I'm not a hero. I'm never going to be."

Bart sighs, finally letting go of Dick's collar. "You don't understand, Dick. Blue Beetle, he was a monster. He didn't just help the Reach win, he betrayed the League. He killed them. Jay, Grandma Iris, Batman….you."

Dick lays a hand on his shoulder. "That's not Jaime, Bart."

"He killed Wally." Bart's hands are fist at his side. "It took them years to find us; but...he killed Wally, Dick. And if I wasn't so weak, I'd be able to..."

"Blue Beetle's not Jaime," Dick repeats. "And you know that. Because if you didn't, Jaime Reyes would already be dead."

Bart looks up with dead eyes. "I know. But, what if that's not enough?... I can't be a Flash, Dick. I can't be a hero. I know I can't. But, I can make sure others can be. I can at least make sure they get the chance."

"Why don't you start with Jaime," Dick argues. "Don't lie to me, Bart. I know you care about him. You just need to keep trying."

Bart's shoulders slump. "'Do what you have to, we must save the world.'"

Dick stops.

"Wally told me it was something Grandpa Barry used to say."

Dick shakes his head. "He didn't mean this, Bart."

"I-"

Dick's comm goes off.

"Nightwing," Donna's voice rings out. "We've got the Ambassador in the lobby. He's requesting a meeting. He says it's about Blue Beetle."

"I'll be there," Dick answers. "Call in the rest of the Titans that's not on Team Gamma. I want back-up in case there's an issue."

"Got it," Donna says before signing off.

He turns to Bart. "You know I can't let you go back to the Young Justice cave. Not now that I know."

Bart fidgets and nods. "You know you can't really stop me, right? Not forever."

Dick sighs. "I only need to stop you long enough to change your mind. And lucky for me, I think you want me to change it. Bart: stay here."

Bart swallows.

"...okay."

Dick watches him. "We only need time, Bart. I promise, we only need time."

ooooooo

"Ambassador."

The green skinned alien turns, hands clasped behind his back as his eyes land on Dick. "Ah, Nightwing, a pleasure to see you as always. Don't tell the queens, but I confess I believe I enjoy our meetings the most."

Dick graceful hides a snort. Probably because Hippolyta never bothers to fully hide the air that she'd rather skewer the man and eat him alive and Mera only holds back enough to seem like she'd at least wait for silverware first.

Sometimes, Dick still feels remarkably like he's wearing a bright leotard and listening to criminals cry their hearts out as long as they don't have to face the big bad Bat.

"That's an honor to hear." Dick smiles. "You wanted to discuss Blue Beetle?"

"A quick meeting," the Ambassador assures. "We were only curious why we had not spotted him out on patrols the last few weeks."

"Oh, Jaime just came down with a simple Earth bacteria. We took him off patrol until he's feeling better."

The Ambassador's eyes widen. "It must be serious if the scarab hasn't already healed it. If he needs medical assistance, I'm sure our Scientist can see him."

Dick shakes his head. "It's not serious. He should be better in a few weeks all by himself. Maybe the scarab just didn't have the bacteria in its database yet."

"Ah, knowledge-another reason that the Reach and the Earth with benefit greatly from our alliance." The Ambassador sighs. "Though, I must admit it is...troubling that negotiations have yet to start. I don't suppose you have any advice on swaying Queen Mera and Queen Hippolyta to our side?"

Dick smiles thinly. "It's not the Reach, Ambassador. We're still waiting for word back from the Green Lantern Corps."

The Ambassador tilts his head, frowning. "You do not believe us about your system's abandonment by the Corps?"

"It's just a courtesy," he says. "Trust me, the Earth-including Queen Mera and Queen Hippolyta-are not unaware of the generosity of the Reach's offer. I'm sure we can reach an arrangement soon."

"That's good to hear." The Ambassador sticks out his hand. "A pleasure as always."

Dick takes the hand, the conversation with Bart still running in his mind.

He lets the hand go before he can't.

"Let me show you out, Ambassador," he says with a smile.

The man goes without complaint and Dick watches him, all the way until he's out of the room, out of the Tower, and finally-finally-until he's out of sight.

Dick lets out a breath, slowly letting his shoulders relax.

He taps his comm. "Don', we're good. He's gone."

Static greets him.

Frowning, he tries again.

Static.

...The comms are down.

….the comms are….down.

Dick starts running, faster than he's ever run in his life.

The comms are down.

In a meeting with the Reach.

When all the Titans are in the Tower.

They know.

A trap.

They're under attack. Dick knows it with a terrifying certainty that settles in his bones.

He runs into Donna the moment he gets to the third floor.

She grabs his shoulders to steady him, eyes wide. "The comms are down!"

"I know!" Dick's hearts beating hard in his chest. "Where's the attack? Who's down? How-"

"Dick!" Donna's frowning at him. "Calm down. Vic said it was just a computer error. We're safe. The Tower's not under attack."

Dick stops. He blinks.

The Tower's not under attack. The comms are down and….the Tower's not under attack.

His blood goes cold.

"Donna, it's not the Tower! It's the cave! They're going after Jaime!"

ooooooo

Lights flicker around the Young Justice cave as the team steps out of the zeta.

Dick taps his comm. "Robin? Red Robin?"

There's nothing but static.

"Impulse, go," Dick orders and in a flash of light, Bart's gone, checking every inch of the cave.

Garth steps forward, laying a hand on Dick's shoulder. "I can't hear them."

Dick takes a deep breath. "Spread out. Zatanna, locator spell?"

"Llet em thaw si raen!" A pause. "Nightwing, something's coming. Left corridor."

Dick tenses, holding up his escrima sticks. "Everyone, get ready!"

A figure appears, scant light from the hall casting shadows across his face.

He's limping, desperately holding the wall for strength.

"Nightwing!"

Jaime Reyes throws himself forward off the wall, catching Dick's shoulders.

"Please," the teen begs. "Nightwing! You have to help me! The Reach-they attacked! Please! I don't want them to get the scarab!"

Dick tries to steady him. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Jaime shakes his head frantically. "They just attacked and then I ran and-"

There's a rush of wind.

"I found the others. They're unconscious. No Reach soldiers-," Bart stops, staring. "Jaime?"

The panic slowly slides off Jaime's face, replaced by a smile.

His eyes are flat.

….shit.

"Guess the jig's up, huh, hermano?"

There's a flash of blue armor and the buzz of electricity.

Dick falls to the ground, unconscious.

ooooooo

Dick blinks awake to the familiar feeling of metal cords cutting into his wrists and soreness of being electrocuted still stings through his muscles.

He focuses his eyes.

The Reach Ambassador smiles back at him.

"Aww," Dick slurs, voice getting stronger. "Is this your way of saying I'm not your favorite anymore?"

The Ambassador laughs. "Humans. You know I think what I'll miss the most about your pathetic world is your sense of humor."

Dick takes stock of his surroundings.

They're still in the zeta room of the old Young Justice cave. The Titans are around him-bound and certain members with large metal collars around their necks, but alive. That's the important thing. Team Gamma is propped against the other wall, right next to…

A bomb sits in the middle of the cave.

With Blue Beetle standing next to it.

"How?" Dick turns back to the Ambassador. "How did you find out where Jaime was?"

The Ambassador chuckles again. "Find him? We never lost him."

"We're ready," The Scientist says, walking back from the zeta port.

The Ambassador nods absently, still looking at Dick. "You know you could have caused us a real problem here. One of our greatest weapons with a malfunctioning scarab? Honestly, I shudder to think of the consequences. It's a good thing we thought to check it beforehand. The Blue Beetle was never yours; he was always ours. Right from the beginning."

"But, I checked his mind," Lilith speaks up, the collar around her neck. "I checked! That was Jaime in control, not the scarab."

"A gambit on our part and luckily, a successful one," the Ambassador says. "We knew you wouldn't fully trust it unless it still had the appearance of being controlled by one of yours. Easy enough, really, to activate the scarab remotely once he was put in 'hiding'. The pinnacle of a millennium old technology versus the mind of one small human teenager. There was no contest." He looks up. "Isn't that right, Blue Beetle?"

The Blue Beetle walks to the Ambassador, movements sharp and robotic. "The bomb is ready to be activated, Ambassador."

"Jaime?"

Both Ambassador and Blue Beetle turn to look at Bart, glaring up even from his position on the floor. With the collar, he looks distinctly small.

"You can beat it, Jaime," Bart says. "You don't have to do this."

The Ambassador cocks his head. "Ah, yes, the boy from the future. Another unexpected hitch in the plan. Congratulations, boy, you see normally we like to take our time hunting down the host planet's protectors. I'm sure you understand why. It sets the tone: no matter how strong you are, you're all prey to the Reach. But, now," the man gestures to the room at large. "We're going with a different tactic, one with less loose ends. Besides, I'm sure blowing up the Titans and an entire mountain will still be quite the message."

Blue Beetle steps forward. "It's time to go, sir."

"Right," the Ambassador turns back to Dick. "I take it you're aware of the situation by now. You're trapped, the metas on your team are secured with our inhibitor collars blocking off their powers, our bomb is set to go off in ten minutes, and-as of a few moments ago-our scientist has set up a zeta shield around your cave." He smiles. "We thought it was fitting, you see. Your new shield is what convinced us it was time to act before you became more advanced. Now, a shield can doom you twice."

He turns to the rest of the team. "So, any last words?"

Jason spits at him.

"Charming." The Ambassador swings an arm around one of Blue Beetle's sides, the scientist taking the other. "If it helps, you never had a chance to beat us. Not really."

And then Blue Beetle's in the air, flying out of the top of the cave with all three of them disappearing in the darkness.

Dick waits a second before shrugging out of the bonds, Tim, Jason, and Jade doing the same in his peripheral. Roy glares, struggling more obviously against them until he's doing the same.

"Red Robin, check the bomb," Dick orders. "Everyone else, check the collars."

"No need," Bart huffs, hands going up to pull at his own in a way that looks painful. "I know these. They're still the old models."

A click and the collar falls to the ground and Bart blurs into movement. There's a flash of lighting, static stinging across the room, before the rest of the collars are on the floor.

"Nightwing," Tim calls, voice panicked. "The bomb! I can't hack it! It's Reach technology, I don't even recognize it!

Dick swears. "Rocket, can your shields take the explosion?"

"It's a mountain!" Raquel shakes her head frantically. "My shields can take maybe half of it or direct some of the rubble! But, no way, I can take the entire explosion!"

"Starfire?"

"I-," Kory bites her lip, "I may be able to absorb the heat, but I cannot melt pure stone."

"Supergirl, can you run it out?"

"They laced it with Kryptonite," Kara says quietly, hand reaching out to grip Gar's beside her. "It's how Blue Beetle took me down in the first place….Nightwing-Dick, they were prepared for us, they created this bomb specifically to destroy us. I don't think we can beat it."

"Yes, we can! We have to!"

Dick turns, bending down next to Tim to look at the bomb.

It's a heap of dark black metal, inscribed with foreign symbols. The only thing Dick can even begin to recognize is the blinking red numbers.

Six minutes left.

Tim swallows. "Dick, I….I don't know what to do."

Donna comes to Dick's other side, gripping his shoulder tightly. Jason stands behind Tim.

Dick lets out an unsteady breath.

"It's okay, Tim," Dick whispers. "It's okay. We'll think of something."

Five minutes.

Dick thinks through the cave, trying to remember something-anything-that they can use. He thinks about...

The kitchen. M'gann, smiling at Conner while she baked cookies.

The training room. Dinah helping Kaldur with a new punch.

The living area. Wally and Artemis bickering over a movie.

The living quarters. Wally's souvenir room. The showers. The infirmary. Red Tornado's room. The mission briefing room. The ship dock.

The zeta room. The last place Young Justice was all together before their final mission.

The place where now there's a bomb he can't stop.

Behind him, he can feel his team watching him, waiting for the plan. The miracle, really, because there's always a miracle. A last ditch play to save the day….

….until there isn't.

Four minutes.

Dick closes his eyes.

The tick of the bomb still rings in ears.

It's warm beneath his hand.

….Red light….

….The heat of a ship core stinging across his face….

….The tick of a countdown….

Dick's eyes fly open.

"I've got an idea, okay?"

The Titans are staring at him.

"I've got an idea," he repeats. "Everyone, get to the zeta platform! Now!"

The entire team rushes to comply, even if the confusion's still obvious.

"Dick," Donna stands beside him as he moves to the zeta keypad. "What are you doing? The Reach said there was a zeta shield around the cave."

"I know," Dick says, typing in the code. "That's why we're not going anywhere. Tim, how does the zeta system work?"

"Hacking a way around the shield would take hours!"

"Just tell me how it works, Timmy."

"It separates, transfers, and reassembles molecules," Tim answers with a frown.

Three minutes.

Dick finishes the code. "Exactly and what happens when the molecules can't be transferred. What happens before they reassemble here?"

Tim's frown deepens. "They-"

"They vibrate," Bart answers suddenly. "They vibrate until they can find the right frequency to reassemble."

"Absolutely." Dick gives a small smile. "The exact same system a speedster uses to vibrate through walls."

Vic's eyes widen. "We're not going away from the explosion."

Dick nods. "The explosions going to go through us. We'll be going at a different frequency than the rubble."

Two minutes.

He turns to Raquel. "How long can your projection shield hold without you present?"

"Maybe fifteen seconds," Raquel answers.

"Great, use it to make sure the explosion doesn't take out the main zeta processor," he says, gesturing to the small piece of machinery beside the zeta. He turns to Kory. "Think you can handle the residual heat?"

Kory smiles. "I can do it."

Dick smiles back before addressing the entire team. "If we time this perfectly, we can do this. We can survive. And then," his smile flattens, "the Reach won't know what hit them."

The team nods, expressions going serious and silent.

One minute.

"Bart," Dick grabs the younger boys shoulders. "You're the only one who can start the zeta and make it in before it activates. You're in charge of starting it, got it?"

Bart nods, standing by the keypad.

Thirty seconds.

Dick lets out a breath. "Raquel, ready?"

"Ready."

Twenty seconds.

"Kory?"

"Ready."

Fifteen seconds.

"Bart?"

"Ready."

Ten seconds.

Dick takes one last look at the Young Justice cave and just...for the span of a few seconds...let's himself remember.

….There's always a cost.

"NOW!"

The cave disappears around him to the sound of a bomb going off.

ooooooo

Ash is still falling from the sky an hour later, burning in the small fires not yet extinguished and blanketing everything else in a dull grey. The cave's gone. The mountain's gone.

His team's alive.

That's what matters.

Bart and Tim are still bent over the intact zeta processor, trying to find a way around the zeta shield.

Tim sees him watching and offers a smile. "Almost got it."

"Good. Just make sure the Reach doesn't catch it." Dick nods, turning to the rest of the team.

The Titans are covered in streaks of ash, still poking around at what's left of the cave. But, there's an energy in the air, an anticipation that Dick recognizes like the second after pulling off a jump he didn't think he'd make.

We survived. What's next?

Dick grins, wide and just a bit wild.

"The Reach thinks we're dead," he says succinctly. "That's good. That's our in-the best opportunity we're ever going to get."

The team moves around him, getting ready.

"Here's the plan," he says. "Donna and Garth are already informing Queen Hippolyta and Mera. The Amazonians and Atlanteans will attack the Reach ship from the outside, draw their attention." He pauses. "Ours is the real mission. We zeta outside the ship, find a way inside, and take out the Beetles. Without them, the Reach doesn't have an offense."

Jade nods, crossing her arms. "What's the strategy?"

"Divide, surprise, and conquer," Dick answers. "Last time, they took us by surprise. That's all the Reach strategy ever is, working off surprise and false assumptions. This time, we return the favor. Three teams. Team Alpha-Garth, Donna, Raquel, Jade, Jason, and Roy-are on Black Beetle. He's the least familiar with Earth tactics so use it to your advantage. Team Beta-Zatanna, Kory, Vic, Kara, and Gar-takes Green Beetle. Remember, under everything he's still got the same weaknesses as a Martian. Use heat." Dick's mouth go firm. "Lilith, Tim, Karen, and Bart are with me on Gamma. We'll take Blue Beetle."

"And what….are we doing with Blue Beetle," Kara asks cautiously. "It's still Jaime. Under all of it."

Dick sighs. "I know. We'll figure that out once we have him secure." He looks to the rest of the team. "Any other questions?"

No one has any. The three teams sort into their groups to further strategize.

A few minutes later, Tim looks up. "We're ready to zeta."

Dick nods.

And then, he smiles at his team one last time.

"They think we're dead. Now, let's go make them wish that were true."

ooooooo

With the distraction of the entire Amazonian and Atlantean armies surrounding the Reach ship, finding a way into the Reach ship goes surprisingly easy.

Tracking Blue Beetle is trickier.

Team Gamma turns down the next hall. "Anything?"

Lilith shakes her head, not opening her eyes. "Nothing yet."

Dick taps his comm out of habit, only to hear the same empty static as a reply.

They can't re-activate a comm system for a team that's supposed to be dead. Dick knows that.

It doesn't make the static any less unsettling.

They're in an empty hall in the ship, guarding Lilith as she stands in the center and tries to find Blue Beetle's mental frequency. Karen's shrunk down, patrolling their immediate surroundings, while Tim is still muttering at his wrist computer as he tries to find a way to hack into a completely alien system.

Which leaves only two.

Bart's staring at him, the same questioning gaze that he's been looking at him with since back in the wreckage of the Young Justice cave.

Dick knows why.

"I'm going to check the left hall," he announces. "Impulse, come cover me."

Bart nods.

They barely get out of ear shot before-

"Why did you assign me to Blue Beetle?

Dick sighs. "Bart, you were going to go after Blue Beetle whatever team I assigned you. At least, this way you won't distract the others. The others can't afford distractions right now."

"Oh."

Dick would smile if the situation was less serious. "Not every plan's going to have an easy, safe answer."

"Does that mean…," Bart fidgets. "Does that mean you're not going to try to stop me?"

Dick shakes his head. "It means I think you'll make the right choice."

"You're wrong," Bart whispers. "I...I can't. You know why I can't."

"You can."

"If I don't…," he fidgets again, "if I don't, the entire world could be destroyed. Everything I came back for. Everything I tried to fix. Just because I was selfish."

"It's not selfish to not want to kill someone, Bart," Dick says. "If you're wrong, an innocent person will die. Jaime will die. Give us more time, Bart. That's all we need more time."

"That's not-

"Nightwing," Tim's voice calls out and Dick's stomach drops. "Omen found him! Two hallways to the left-"

Bart meets his eyes. "We're out of time."

And then, he's gone in a flash of lightning running down the hall.

"Shit," Dick curses, turning back to Tim. "Stay back and wait for Bumblebee!"

Dick starts sprinting.

The sound of scraping metal reaches his ears before he sees the fight.

"How are you alive?!" Blue Beetle's entire left arm has shifted into a blade, swiping through the air a millisecond before Bart vibrates through it.

Bart doesn't answer, thrusting a still vibrating hand up before hopping back. Blue's cannon leaves a dark singe mark in the place where Bart stood.

"I'll kill you again," Blue Beetle hisses. "Slowly."

Bart's quiet as he dodges before Blue's other arm hits him hard on the side, knocking him to the floor.

Blue aims his cannon at him. The cannon heats up a bright white.

Dick's escrima stick hits the armor in the chest, sending a volt of pure electricity to knock him back.

Blue Beetle recovers quickly, narrowing his eyes at Dick. "Another to kill."

And then...

Bart's fist hits Blue Beetle's chest.

No...no, that's not quite right.

Bart's fist goes through his chest, the hand vibrating as it clutches where Jaime's heart should be.

Everything stops.

"BART!" Dick yells, running closer. "DON'T DO IT!"

Bart ignores him, eyes not looking away from the armored face of Blue Beetle.

"Let me see him," Bart orders quietly.

Nothing happens.

Bart pushes his hand further into the chest, sparks of white lightning running up his arm.

"Let. Me. See. Him."

The face plate comes up and then, Jaime Reyes is looking back at them, eyes blank.

"I'm sorry," Bart whispers, small enough that even Dick barely a foot away has trouble hearing. "I have to do it. You understand, right? I have to."

Jaime's eyes remain flat, expression unmoving.

The arm cannon twitches.

"BART!" Dick yells.

The arm cannon burns a bright blue, aiming at Bart's head right before-

It stops.

The arm that holds it up is shaking faintly.

Something, something small moves behind Jaime's eyes and….

Jaime's head moves, the smallest most minuscule movement almost like…a nod.

Bart's eyes widen.

There's the sound of footsteps behind them. "Impulse! Nightwing!"

Bart's hand twists and Blue Beetle crumples to the ground, unmoving. Bart falling to his knees beside him.

Dick can't do anything but stare.

Beside them, Tim skids to a halt, eyes huge as he looks at the body. Karen and Lilith stand beside him.

Tim's head jerks up to Bart. "Is he...is he dead?"

There's a long pause as Bart stares down at Jaime's body.

"No," he finally says, tone expressionless. "Just stunned. I moved his heart out of rhythm. Will probably take a few minutes to recover."

Dick gains the breath back in his lungs almost violently.

Tim just blinks, unaware. "Oh. How'd you know you could do that?"

Bart shrugs.

"Lucky guess," he lies.

Dick finally gets his voice back. "Omen, secure him. Make sure he doesn't wake up."

"Got it," Lilith says, closing her eyes and bringing a hand up to her head.

Tim's already got his wrist computer back up, continuing to attempt hacking into the system.

Dick looks to Bart. The speedster's still standing quietly, expression still in the way that means he's processing thoughts at a million miles an hour and covering up each of them before it shows.

Dick moves beside him, not saying anything, just laying a hand on his shoulder.

Bart doesn't look up.

"Nightwing," Tim says, voice picking up in surprise. "You're….you're not going to believe this."

"What is it, Red," Dick asks, coming over.

"It's the code," Tim's says, nearly tripping over his words. "The code I've been trying to figure out from the Light files! It's not just a code! It's a key! It's….it's the most extensive backdoor code I've ever seen." Tim stops, staring up at Dick. "I can….I can get into the Reach's system! I CAN SHUT THE ENTIRE SHIP DOWN!"

Something's beating in the back of Dick's mind, the final piece of a puzzle that he doesn't have time to look at right now.

"Do it," Dick orders before pausing. "...Wait, before you shut it down, let's do one more thing…"

Karen, Tim, Lilith, and even Bart all look up at him.

Dick smiles. "I want to have a chat with the Ambassador."

ooooooo

The lights are out in the ship's control room as the Ambassador frantically types in commands.

"You won't find them."

The Ambassador jumps, twisting around to find the voice.

Through the dark, Dick smiles, leaning idly on the desk.

The Ambassador stares. "You're...you're supposed to be dead."

"Am I?" Dick hums. "I'm curious. Do the Reach have the concept of ghosts?"

The Ambassador swallows.

Dick pushes forward. "I guess it doesn't matter. You're trying to contact your Beetles, right? You won't find them. My team's already taken care of them. And your Scientist."

"You'll come to regret that," the Ambassador threatens.

Dick circles him slowly, feet light almost like a dance. "I won't."

"You will," the Ambassador swears. "You think this is all of the Reach's forces? We were merely an envoy! An entire army is coming! Straight to your pathetic world!"

Dick laughs.

"Promises, promises. Tell me, do you ever get tired of making claims you can't keep?"

He stops circling abruptly, leaning in until he's a few inches from the Ambassador's face.

"I'm going to explain the situation to you and then, because I'm nice, I'm going to offer you a choice." Dick grins. "I wasn't lying. We checked as soon as we brought the comms back up. Your Beetles are all down-taken out by surprise-and our psychics going to make sure they stay down for as long as we need them to be. More than that, we've hacked your ship and, without the Beetles, your basic troops won't stand a chance against the Amazonian and Atlantean armies. You're done here."

He leans back, still smiling. "Now, let's go back to your threat, shall we? I know you were an envoy. In fact, I have no trouble imagining that there's a larger Reach army out there. What I don't believe is that said army is going to attack Earth. Do you know why?"

The Ambassador stays silent.

"Because you don't have more Beetles," Dick says quietly. "I don't know why. Maybe it's because you lost the how-to guide over millennia, maybe it's because they were never yours in the first place. I don't know and, frankly, I don't really care. What I do know is that if you could make more, you would. You called them your greatest weapon, why stop at just three? Why not equip your entire army with scarabs?" He tilts his head, dropping his voice even lower. "And why if you had better options, would you rely on a broken scarab a millennium old and with a problem of malfunctioning?"

Dick shakes his head. "We have your Beetles, you can't make more, and if we really wanted to, we could make sure those scarabs never see the light of day again."

The Ambassador lets out a small sigh. "What's the deal?"

Dick throws an escrima stick, watching it spin through the air before catching it and throwing it again.

"Well, it's more of a favor really," he admits.

The Ambassador narrows his eyes. "What is it?"

Dick catches the escrima.

"A quick death."

When he looks up, the Ambassador's paled so significantly he's almost white.

Dick laughs cheerfully.

"A quick fake death," he adds carelessly, throwing the escrima again. "I imagine your Empire isn't going to take too kindly to the man who lost them three Beetles to a 'second rate' planet. Take the favor and, as far as the larger galaxy knows, you were killed on Earth."

The Ambassador sniffs. "That's not much of a deal. Giving up my entire life, my very name, so I can go live destitute on backwater planets hoping the Empire won't find me."

The escrima lands hard in Dick's palm.

"I don't think you understand," he says slowly. "You attacked my planet. You kidnapped and experimented on children. You tried to kill my team. As a rule, I don't believe in killing. Queen Mera and Queen Hippolyta don't share that philosophy." He takes another step forward until the Ambassador is pressed against the keyboard. "So, yes, you will live penniless on the most miserable, isolated, unforgiving planet that Starfire and Supergirl can remember to ship you to. And, while you're living there, you will spend every single second of your life hoping that either mine or Mera's or Hippolyta's more charitable nature hasn't run out." He smiles sharply. "And if anyone ever asks you how you ended up there, why you're living like that, I want you to tell them this. It's because you thought Earth was easy prey and You. Were. Wrong."

He leans back again. "Do we have an understanding?"

The Ambassador nods, hands gripping tightly against the table. "What do you want in return?"

"Lucky for you, that's pretty easy." Dick's smile flattens. "I want you to tell me everything about the Reach's deal with the Light."

ooooooo

The air is humid and heavy with the feel of an approaching storm. The rubble crunches under Dick's feet as he bends down, knocking away lose stones to get to the dented metal underneath.

Two weeks after the explosion and the entire area of what used to be Mount Justice is still closed off and faintly smoking. Today's the first time Dick's gotten the chance to really look at it.

It's kind of funny in a way….or no, funny isn't that right word. Humbling. That even something as massive and unmoving as a mountain can be lost between the seconds.

It's not important, Dick reminds himself.

He's still not sure if that makes him feel better or worse

A soft thud lands behind him.

He holds up the dirty, dinged Helmet of Fate. "Figures if one thing was going to survive an explosion, it'd be this."

"We survived," Kory corrects softly.

"True." Dick moves to stand. "Tye's showing signs of waking up, by the way. We'll give him a few days to recover and then put him with the rest of the rescued teens for therapy and training their new powers."

"Do you think any of them will stay with the Titans?"

He shrugs, looking up to the dark clouds. "I think most of them just want to go home."

"And what of Jaime," Kory asks, coming to walk next to him. "Do you think he will stay? And Green Beetle?"

Dick pauses. "I think that Jaime-that both of them, really-have been through a violation more than what most people would be able to comprehend. We're lucky the Bialyans were so interested in guarding that cave and that Zatanna and Lilith were even able to translate the hieroglyphics or we'd never have figured out how the Blue Beetle scarab malfunctioned in the first place." He sighs. "Jaime and B'arzz are grateful enough to have their minds back, expecting them to carry on using the scarabs is more than anyone could ask."

Kory smiles. "You did not answer my question."

Dick thinks of a shaking arm, a bright blue cannon, and the fraction of a nod.

"...Yeah, I think Jaime will stay. Heroes always have a hard time knowing when to quit."

Dick stops walking near the center of the rubble, turning slowly as he takes it all in.

Kory stands next to him, a silent, warm light among the ash.

"It's not over," he says. "This is only the beginning."

"We won, Dick," Kory says. "The Reach will never bother the Earth again."

He shakes his head. "It doesn't have to be the Reach. Four weeks and still no word from the Green Lantern Corps. That's more than just a bad sign, Kory, it's a declaration. The Reach may have been lying about a lot of things; but, they weren't lying about that. Earth's been abandoned. How long until someone else makes Earth our next target? How many times can we keep winning? How many without mass casualties?"

"Or…," he sighs, "or maybe the next threat won't be from space, it'll be from Earth. The Light was working with the Reach, Kory. They were the ones who led them to Earth in the first place. Gave them intel. Told them about H.I.V.E. I'd even bet they're the ones that originally kidnapped the runaways."

Thunder starts to rumble around them, the clouds getting darker and heavy.

Kory frowns, expression tight. "Why? What gain could the Light possibly have for seeing Earth enslaved by the Reach?"

"Well, that's the thing," he offers a small smile. "I don't think that was their plan at all. So many lucky coincidences. A line of code from the Light files that just happens to beat the Reach's system. A suspiciously large patrol in Bialya that just happens to hold the key to resetting the scarabs. An unidentified monitor at Tye's attack on Central City. They were watching us, Kory." He looks down at the helmet in his hands. "The Light wanted the Reach to attack Earth, it wasn't so they could win….It was so we could beat them. I just don't know why."

He looks up. "It's the beginning, Kory. It's still just the beginning."

He turns back to the destroyed mountain.

"...then why does it also feel like the end," he adds quietly.

"It is not the end, Dick," Kory wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "None of this is an end."

Dick stays quiet.

"Please tell me what you're thinking," she asks.

He shakes his head. "It was just a cave, Kory."

"No, it was not," she disagrees.

"...Maybe." The rubble crunches under his feet. "But, either way it's gone now."

A hand slips into his, squeezing tightly.

"Things that are no longer present are not forgotten, Dick," Kory says. "Because something is gone now, does not mean it did not happen once. It does not mean it was not important. It does not mean it does not matter….it does not mean they do not matter."

Above them, the sky rumbles once more and finally, finally, it starts to rain.

They both look up as fat drops of water paint their faces.

"...ominous weather signs do not dispute my point," Kory adds quickly.

And Dick...Dick laughs, loud enough to echo over the thunder.

He bends back to kiss her cheek. "Has anyone ever told you that you're exceptionally wise."

"You, once or twice," she mumbles, resting her head back on his shoulder. "Should we go in or would like to stay here a little longer?"

Dick shakes his head. "Actually, I think there's something else I need to do."

"Come back?"

"Always, Kory. Always."

ooooooo

Bart Allen sits, drenched from head to toe and dangling his feet through the railing of the tallest building in Central City.

"I thought I'd find you here." Dick comes to sit next to him.

"How'd you know," Bart asks.

"Oh, I installed a tracker chip in you."

"Seriously?!"

"No." Dick laughs. "This was Wally and Barry's favorite spot, too. It gets struck by lightning roughly twenty times a year, the most highly conductive place in Central City. And I've never known a Flash who wasn't trying to chase lightning."

Bart leans his face against the openings of the rail. "I'm not a Flash."

"You're an Allen, Bart. Some things are just nature."

"You know Wally…," he swallows, "Wally used to tell me all these stories. About Grandpa Barry and the League, about Jay and the old JSA, about you. I always thought they were incredible, too good to be true, like a fairy tale. Just the old kind of stories that teach you what kind of person to be. Wally was always like that. He liked to teach me things. He taught me the periodic table before I turned one. He taught me about my speed, how to find food. He was everything." Bart watches the rain. "...I miss him. It's been years now and I really, really miss him."

"Yeah," Dick says quietly. "Me, too."

"I'm not like them," Bart repeats. "I know I'm not. I know what people talk about when they see the Flash. Wally, Grandpa Barry….they were hope. They were a light in the dark. I'm...I'm just the dark. I can't be the hope for people if I'm still trying to find it myself, Dick. That's just the truth."

The sound of rain falls across the building.

"You're not Barry," Dick agrees. "And you're definitely not Wally."

Bart nods, hunching down against the wind.

"But, you know what? I think you're wrong about the rest of it." Dick shrugs. "I'm from Gotham, Bart. I've seen darkness, you're not it. And….and I've seen hope, too. You're right sometimes hope's about being an unfailing light. That's how Barry and Wally did it for sure. But...that's not all it is. Sometimes….sometimes it's not about showing people the light. Sometimes, it's just showing people they can take another step through the darkness."

Bart's quiet for a long moment. "...I told you a pep talk and the power of hope isn't going to fix this, Dick."

Dick gives a sudden laugh. "Bart, I don't how to tell you this, but I think you vastly overestimate the power of my pep talks." He shrugs. "Yeah, that stuff never fixes anything. Not really. That's just the stuff that looks good on paper. All the shit that comes after and takes forever's where the actual work gets done. But, I guess you know something about that already."

Bart doesn't answer and Dick reaches in his pocket.

"Here." He hands it to Bart. "I think you should have these. They were Wally's."

Bart holds the goggles in his hands as if they will break apart at the single wrong move.

Dick smiles. "They've survived explosions, Bart, they're not exactly fragile. You can put them on."

Slowly, possibly the slowest thing Dick's ever seen a speedster do, Bart slips the goggles on.

He blinks up at Dick, expression flickering.

"Just another step through the darkness," Dick says.

Somewhere down below the sound of sirens gets caught in the wind and red and blue lights flash against the night.

Bart looks at Dick.

"No way I'm going to make it in time," Dick says honestly. "Looks like they need a hero."

Bart gives him a look, but his eyes keep flickering down to the street.

Dick grins. "Run, Bart, run!"

Bart groans. "Oh my gosh, you're the worst!"

And then he's gone. In a jagged bolt that streaks across the street.

Dick sits back and laughs.

A moment later, a second voice speaks.

"You know you're not immune from lightning, Dick...no matter how much you'd like to think different."

Dick looks up, not even bothering to get annoyed. "Hey, Jay."

Jay Garrick comes forward, bending down with a wince to take Bart's recently vacated spot.

Dick eyes him skeptically. "...that can't be good for your health."

"It's...it's probably not," the older man admits ruefully. "I take it you were talking to Bart."

Dick nods. "Are you going to keep trying to stop him from joining the Titans? You know who that's going to hurt the most, don't you, Jay?"

"You can't stop a speedster, Dick. Not really. We both know that." Jay sighs a bit wistfully. "Stopping Bart completely would be like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. That doesn't mean I'm not going to fight it in other ways. The JSA isn't done. Not by a long shot."

Dick hums, letting the noise of the rain settle around them.

"...I miss the days when I could count on you," he admits quietly

"You still can, Dick."

Dick laughs. "No, I really can't."

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Dick." Jay sighs. "Please, you can believe the worst of me however much you want. But, please believe I never want to hurt you kids. I'm doing this for you and I'm doing it for them, the League. Because they're not here to do it themselves. You can't honestly tell me they'd want you kids doing this? That this is good for you."

"It's probably not," Dick says.

Jay stops, cut off from whatever his next retort was going to be to stare at him.

Dick raises an eyebrow. "Did you think I'd disagree? You're right. I think the League would hate it. I think they hated us being out there then. And you want to know the truth, Jay? I don't blame them. My brothers are doing this, my friends are doing this. You really think after everything, I want to lose more family?" Dick breathes. "You're right. We all could die. How could this be good for us? But, that's the thing. It doesn't matter what people want, not me, not you, not the League. You want a world without superheroes and I'd love a world that doesn't need them. And. That's. Not. This. World. So neither of us are going to get what we want."

There's a long pause.

"No, I don't think we will." Jay watches him. "Take care of yourself, Dick. Please. If not for me, then for Wally."

"I'm trying." He leans against the rails. "Hey, Jay, for once in a blue moon, let's not end this conversation in an argument. Not tonight. I don't want to fight you tonight. I just want you to do one thing for me, okay?"

There's another pause, then a sigh, and finally Jay's voice softens ever so slightly.

"Okay, Dick, what would you like?"

"For you to enjoy the view."

Below them, a flash of lightning races across the streets of Central City.

ooooooo

Okay, so, first off, thank you so much for your patience, everyone! Next, this chapter ends Year 6 which marks the halfway point since this first story will cover 12 years. So, yay! Last, I seriously want to thank everyone for your support-every view, follow, favorite, and review. I couldn't write this story without your kind words. o Next Up: Year 7: The Princess and the Witch