Hey y'all, reminder that this is lots of edits and there are tons of characters present that I just couldn't focus on everyone without shattering the overall focus of the scene, so please bear with me ^^"

Chapter 3~ Never Seen Again...

Robin's POV

We didn't have to go far into the forest to find the signs of a fight with the splintered wood and blood-spattered rocks. Instinctively Batgirl and I split to look for a trail but it came to a quick end, not a trace of what direction Nightwing was taken. All that was left was his torn and bloodied emblem, tossed aside like it was trash.

I felt cold, far colder than the summer rain could take credit for. Today should have been a day of celebration, Artemis was alive, Aqualad wasn't a traitor, and we had beaten the Reach with no casualties. Instead, my brother was lost, injured, and the team splintered by an imaged betrayal- like they couldn't understand what had been at stake, what Dick had to balance.

Batgirl lightly touched my arm to draw me from my thoughts, her fingers tight around the torn fabric. We had to head back to the Team, tell them the latest development, and work from there. Focus on the mission. Batman's voice and training practically puppeteered me back through the forest, disengaging my grapple to land before the gathered team as they came out to search.

"Did you guys see any sign of him?" Wally called, the first to notice us. I exchanged a nervous look with Batgirl.

"I can't find him telepathically, but there's no way he should've been able to get out of my range that fast on foot, especially not while injured." M'gaan supplied, the glow fading from her eyes as Batgirl handed over the patch of fabric we had found to Wally. I barely made out the shake in his hands as the realization hit.

"He was attacked. He's… gone." The speedster said, stunned. The words only made it sink in more and I could see the shock and disbelief mirrored among the team… except one. My training swept over me and before I knew it I had grabbed Impulse by the front of the shirt, the speedster too distracted to dodge.

"What aren't you telling us?" I growled, sinking my pitch to mimic my mentor. I ignored the eyes on me, staring into Bart's. Closer now I could see the signs more clearly, tightened jaw, darting eyes. "Do you know where he is?"

"Robin, release Impulse. This will not help anything." Aqualad ordered, trying to set a hand on my shoulder but I shook him off, tightening my grip.

"Tell me."

"You know I can't." His admission only increased my determination.

"I don't care about the time stream. Tell me where my brother is."

"I can't Robin, please." Despite his words, Impulse didn't try to struggle, even though he easily could have vibrated out of my grasp. There was something else at play and the rest of the team could tell, circled around us without interfering.

"Don't make me get Zatanna." I see his resolve crumble and I release him. The speedster shuffled on his feet, looking down as he picked his words.

"I thought this was one of the things that would change when I came back." He started, lightning flashing in the sky behind him. But I'd long gone numb to the rain. "In my time Nightwing went missing around this time and well… no one ever figured out where he went. As far as history knew he was never seen again."

My breath caught in my chest, rattling around like a bird trapped in my ribcage. I felt myself stumble back like my body wasn't my own, felt like a spectator as the faraway sounds of Superboy shouting and punching a tree in half tried to penetrate the fog in my mind. A warm hand slipped into mine, giving it a firm squeeze to break me out. I blinked, taking in in Cassie's encouraging smile as she held my hand.

"The future isn't set in stone Robin, we're going to find him." The rain seemed to lessen with her words and I forced my composure to return. We'd already changed Impulse's future, this was just going to be another thing we'd have to change.

"Thank you Wondergirl, you're right. We'll find him." We turn to head back into the Hall of Justice to get out of the rain and to work, the two speedsters heading deeper in the forest to see if they could see anything we missed. Even still Bart's words echoed in my head, like an omen. Never seen again. We couldn't let that happen, no matter what.

~Fate