Final Chapter - Read to the end

"So… what's on your agenda today, Mr. Drake?" Tim's assistant asked as he boarded his corporate plane.

"Dammit Rob! Didn't I ask you to not be so formal with me? We're friends and I don't like keeping friends apart like that."

"Why? To save them from the fallout of your after-hours job, or to soak up the attention of friendship because you don't make time for friends otherwise?"

"Well… that's better. But try to not be my therapist too, okay?" Tim said with a chuckle.

"No… not your therapist. I don't think I want to get into that pretty little head of yours. But I do know that you need to take time to just be a guy. Spend some time with Kon and get to know your son. Go spend some time with your friends and just be normal for a bit. Try to remember why you do the things you do."

"That's good advice son." Bruce Wayne asked as he stepped into the Gulfstream G5 jet. Trimble's first reaction was to reach into his coat for his pistol, before he realized the interlocutor was his boss's father. But he also was a pretty smart man in his own right. If Tim Drake was Red Robin, he knew damned well that Bruce Wayne was Batman… and the pistol under his suit coat was not going to help him one bit, but he would never need it with those two on the plane.

"Trimble is it?" Bruce asked him as he found a seat at the side of his son.

"Yes sir, Mr. Wayne."

"Thank you for taking such good care of my son. I appreciate it very much." And the most notorious billionaire of Gotham shakes his hand.

The intercom blares "Gentlemen… we'll be taking off in ten minutes with a flight time of about three and a half hours. We'll pick up another hour flying to Gotham so by the clock… four and a half hours. But, the weather is clear and cool and we should have a very smooth flight." But the cockpit was very close and he could hear the pilot's own voice in front of him.

"So dad, you hitching a ride home?" Tim asked his adopted father.

"Yeah, do you mind? It will give us time to talk. You've been so busy lately and your assistant was right. You need to spend a little time just being Tim for a while. You have a great husband and a wonderful young lad… you have a reprieve for a while. Make good use of it."

Bruce Wayne made obvious reference to the rooftop encounter with Rha's al' Ghul… and was telling him to let the cape rest a bit and be a husband and dad.

"Think about it Tim. When was the last time you took little Kon to one of his school's soccer games?"

"Never… But he prefers lacrosse and I think there's a guy on the team he likes."

"What gives you that impression?"

"Oh… only a bunch of pics of him on his phone."

"Who is this kid?" Bruce Wayne asks darkly.

"Some dark-haired scamp… 'Terry' I think he said. Really cute kid, but he looks like trouble. Kon and I are still trying to figure out how to talk to Junior about it."

Batman, or Bruce Wayne, was rarely at a loss for words, but he clammed up like slamming a door shut at the mention of the other kid... like he was hiding something.

From a few feet away Robert got the education of a lifetime. If you had asked him, or anyone, what Batman and Robin talked about when not making their enemies wish they were dead, no one would have been able to tell you. But he now knew how it is… pretty normal… for them... The talks that every father and son should have.

"So… you and Kon dove into parenting early and now you have a son who is having teenager issues, when you're still practically a teenager yourself?" Bruce stated smugly as he leaned back his seat for the flight.

"Thanks for the support dad." Tim responded deadpan.

"Well, at least this Terry doesn't seem to be trying to get into Junior's pants."

" Gawd-Dammit Dad!… "

"Now you know how I felt when I found out about you and Kon… we're even." Bruce said smugly.

"Besides…" Tim says deflatedly, "I think it's the other way around. I'm betting Junior is trying to get into Terry's pants. He's a pretty 'confident' kid... and pretty good-looking" Tim says bitchingly with air-quote fingers at the word "confident."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sir… Tim…" Robert gently shook his employer and friend… very, very carefully. He knew Tim could be dangerous, but he and Bruce Wayne had both fallen asleep on the flight and he was leaned over with his head on his dad's chest; and Bruce's arm around his son's shoulder. But it was the old tale of "The devil you know versus the devil you don't know." But he knew Batman's reputation, and didn't want to disturb the man at 35,000 feet in a small corporate jet with nowhere to run, even if he was the good guy.

"Tim… there's a call for you sir. It's Kon."

"Tim… get to Metropolis General as fast as you can. We'll meet you there." Tim hears Bart through satellite phone.

"Bart, what's wrong?" He asks, hearing both his friend's concern as well as the reference to the hospital.

"It's Calvin… and his dad. They were in a wreck. It's bad Tim… I mean... it doesn't look good" the young speedster choked on his words and emotions. "Just be quick, okay? Please Timmy?" Bart hadn't called him that since they were young when he and Kon were fostering the ADHD poster-child speedster.

Tim's heart began to beat wildly in his chest, and he felt a sickening nausea come over him that he managed to push aside. Focus… he had to focus on his friends.

"Alright Bart, I'm on my way. Call the others then meet me there as fast as you can. Calvin will need your moral support, you know that."

"I know." Bart answered sheepishly, knowing how Calvin had carried an unquenchable boyish crush on him from day one… much to his occasional discomfort.

Tim hangs up the call with one of his oldest friends and dials out to make a difficult call.

"…Kon? I need you to listen for a moment…"

XXXXXXXXX

Tim tossed the phone back to his bodyguard and stomped his way up to the cockpit and asked the pilot:

"How fast can you get me back to Metropolis?"

"Sir… we're rated for 585 miles per hour... which is closer to the speed of sound than most any aircraft of World War II. This plane can do more, but not safely."

"Fuck safely… what can you do?"

"About 675 miles per hour (damned close to the speed of sound, all things considered), maybe more, but the engines will be fried and the wings will need a thorough inspection for stress fractures. Rolls Royce makes fine aircraft engines, but even those have limits." The pilot responded fearfully.

"Do it, and you just got a raise if you get me home fast enough. Make Rolls Royce proud." Tim told his pilot desperately. He trusted the man. He'd hired the mercenary pilot full time after he made the flight to get them to Nanda Parbat when they rescued Brian a few months ago.

"Son… why are we turning back?" Bruce Wayne asked after waking and feeling the radical 180 degree turn back to Metropolis. Tim stepped away from the cockpit and quietly spoke with his father. The billionaire's face went pale and was about to "encourage" the pilot, but Tim held him back. "He knows what he's doing dad. He got Kon and me into Nanda Parbat. He will get us home as quick as is possible."

"Not fast enough." Bruce growled softly. "Son, tell the pilot what will happen if he ever speaks of this."

"Dad, he knows… a little bit. I trust him, Robert trusts him, and he came with a reference from Alfred, from… before he came to work for your parents."

Bruce knew quite a bit of what Alfred had done or been before he came to work for the Wayne Family, and had trusted him time and again with his own life. Bruce tapped a couple icons on his smartwatch and called up to the pilot:

"Get us down to 18,000 feet... now!... and I really mean NOW!"

The Gulfstream jet dove steeply to comply with Bruce's orders as the tall businessman wrenched aside the emergency handle on the jet's fuselage, opening the side door.

"30 Seconds… come to a heading of 270 degrees." Bruce called out to the pilot as he checked his watch.

As the plane turned sharply, the open door turned downward; and Bruce Wayne checked to make sure his son was at his side… and dove out the door with him… plummeting earthward at a freefall speed of 120 miles per hour… matching the diving speed of Batwing that had remotely come to Bruce's call. The unique stealthy plane's cockpit slid open and Bruce and Tim dropped unceremoniously into the plane. It never occurred to either one that if anything had gone wrong, they would have plummeted over three miles to their death.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yes doctor… I mean right now… You're the best pediatrician I know and we need you badly... No, its not Wally. Its one of the guys we rescued a few years ago. The kidnapper's "special" one. Wonder Woman will come to get you." Tim said into the microphone of the communication gear of Batwing. The doctor was once Wally's pediatrician when he was little, and had taken fine care of Bart when Match had almost killed him… though the treatment took its psychological toll on the doctor. But the man could handle anything and the Titans trusted him… (and Wonder Woman respected him, which was something) and they needed that trust. In truth he carried a special and silent pride that he was the doctor of heroes.

"Dad… give it more gas…" Tim called out to his father in the front seat while he wiggled out of his business suit down to nothing but his black silk bikini briefs, and then into his uniform.

"I am son…" The dark knight answered with grim desperation in his voice and the plane's thrust vectoring exhaust narrowed as it launched forward forcing both father and son into their seats in high g-forces.

"Kon… yes, it's me. I'm on my way… with dad… I know honey, me too." He said into the communicator as his voice cracked a bit from the fear. "Is Junior okay?... He's with him? Good… I hope. I called Bart's doctor. He'll be there about the time I get there. Diana's bringing him. Give his dad a hug for me…

"What!?"

"God Kon… tell me it's not true… KON!…" Tim cried out into the microphone as tears rolled unchecked and unashamed down his cheeks. It was an uncharacteristic outburst of emotion from one who was so often believed to one day be Batman's sucessor.

"Kon… honey…!"

Batman had heard his son's part of the conversation, but he heard enough to understand.

"Son… I'm sorry…" It was a rare recognition of personal pain from the dark knight of Gotham... thus his statement came out like a growl. Batman himself wanted to right this wrong, but it was his son's fight. He wouldnt thank him in the least for the intrusion.

Red Robin strode into Metropolis hospital with his cape billowing slightly in his wake. Were circumstances different you might take advantage of the opportunity to see that skintight spandex-clad physique, yet his presence created quite a storm of speculation through the hospital staff as he made his way to the Intensive Care Unit… until they saw his father keeping pace beside him. Then, all whispers were silenced. He was quite a lot like his adoptive father, but the original source of the dark bird brought a dread with him. Robin knew how to laugh… No one had heard Batman laugh, and now was definitely not the time.

"How are they?" Red Robin asked desperately of Superboy as he blew past the nurse's station and into Kon's arms outside the ICU room.

"Not good. Keith is in a coma… but Calvin… Tim!..." Kon answered as his voice cracked and he stifled his tears in the shoulder of Red Robin's cape.

"He's lost a lot of blood... he's bleeing out internally, but he has an 'AB null' type." AB negative they could find for transfusion and have it shipped over from Star City or Gotham, or even Central City… but he has a neutral Rh… There's nothing rarer.

"He can give blood to anyone but only another of the same can give it to him… and he's got a lot of internal bleeding."

"So no matter how hard he breathes, without enough blood it can't carry oxygen through his body, never mind his other injuries."

"True." It was such a single word of finaltiy that he had ever heard from his husband.

"Wait! Isn't Bart an AB blood type? Remember we thought it was a commonality among speedsters?" Robin remembers with surprise.

"What do you mean young man?" The wizend old physician asked as he strode in with Wonder Woman.

Superboy had been training himself in the practice of medicine, both to heal his friends and allies and to be even deadlier to their enemies, and he answered for them all: "Calvin has an AB null blood type and there isn't any blood available, other than Impulse."

"Yes, I remember the young man. Getting into trouble still, I am sure."

"Probably but save the value judgements for later doctor." Kon responds bruskly. "He is somewhere in town and he is Calvin's only hope."

"I will teach this physikos (using the ancient Thymiscarin word for doctor) the meaning of haste" Wonder Woman adds as she commits to the ever-growing mission to save Calvin's life.

But ever confident and incensed, the doctor tells the group "I have tended you unique young men starting with Wallace at an early age and have always come through and have also kept your confidences. There is no reason for you to treat me as though I am a simple tool to be used... an unwilling one at that; nevermind that I'm quite willing. My life's calling is to heal people; and sometimes that means healing those who can heal wrongs in society that makes greater healing possible."

"You're right, doctor... our apologies" Superboy interjects. "Calvin is very special to us for many reasons. He is our first sucess in all ways from our first mission years ago and his father is almost as dear to us... a family healed and reunited. If we lose him now..." And he left the rest of the statement to be only a thought to not be spoken... But then he spoke it: "Father and son are so close as to mean that if we lose one we lose both." Superboy states in a voice that was both firm but soft.

"Son, I have lost patients under my knife in the operating room and at the bedside after long illness and all treatments failed. I remember every one and each one pains me to the core and to this very moment. If I can save one more I will; and if doing so saves another then all the better. But, I say again, I will have you speak to me better than a lapdog and not pester this great woman to drag me about. I would freely do my best for your friends as I would for you. You owe me that respect."

Kon looks down at his boots sheepishly and consedes: "You're right doctor, and we are all sorry for that. Will you please help us?" He asks humbly with a hitch in his voice.

"Yes, if this woman can show me what haste means we'll find Bart. But I suspect he's near and just has his radio turned off."

"Why would he do that?" Red Robin asks oddly.

"You idiot young man... have you already forgotten what it was like to be a teenager in love... and want to be left alone to your own devices?" The doctor answers, as though his audience had lost their sense of humanity. "Don't make me spell it out for you.

"OH!" Robin, Superboy, Batman and Wonder Woman all respond in recognizing the obvious.

XXXXXXXXXX

*BEEP*...*BEEP*... *Beep*...*Beep*...*beep*...*beep*...*beep*...*beep*

The ECG monitor carefully, precisely, and coldly calculated Calvin's descent into oblivion...

*beep*...*beep*...*beep* the tones came farther and farther apart. His cardiac condition was such that thoracic surgery was not yet possible and Tim could see where his chest was all wrong... lumpy in the wrong places. He didn't posses Kon's x-ray vision, but he could see that he had multiple broken ribs... but not just broken... destroyed. The fact that he still lived with such an annhilated ribcage was a testament to his will to live. A normal man would want to cry, and he truly wanted to not just cry but weep... to openly weep... cry out to whatever gods might exist to demand peace and healing for his friend, but also he wanted to hunt... needed to hunt... hunt down he who caused the hit and run wreck that did this to the boy who has survived so much already to come out at the other end with a happy life with his father.

XXXXXXXXXX

*beep*...*beep*...*Beep*...*Beep*...*BEEP*...*BEEP*... The tone from the ECG machine grew stronger and more insistent with each passing moment. Electrodes ran from the thin, lively young man to a monitoring machine; and an IV drip flowed into his left arm giving him life-sustaining fluids;... but the thin clear conduit from his right arm, flowing red and unabashed, ran to Impulse; who sat so very still at Calvin's bedside with tear-stained cheeks. Blue Beetle sat next to him holding his hand, offering his support, and holding back his own tears and rage. And rage it was as his symbiote whispered dark notions of righteous vengeance in his mind. It was Beetle and Impulse who had gone into the den of evil, vulnerable and undercover, back at the beginning of their life's mission, and saved the boy. This was personal... very personal. But rather than darken his heart, Calvin had learned true love and loyalty and reconnected with his father and they loved each other deeply.. He always hoped for true love, like his rescuers possessed. And he had made a new home with his father that would be an envy of any young man.

*BEEP*...*BEEP*...*BEEP*...*BEEP*..*BEEP*

The ECG tones came closer and closer together as Bart's blood and strength flowed into Calvin and his young bright eyes flickered open... slightly at first, and then wider open as his strength returned. The Speedforce dwelling in his blood healing faster than any modern medical technique. Nonetheless, it took some time.

"Bart? Jamie? Where am I?... We were in a wreck. ... Where's my dad?" The last asked in fear of lonlieness as he looked around at the sterile medical environment he found himself in.

Bart couldn't quite move, connected as he was by a conduit of life-giving blood that was swiftly healing Calvin. But Jamie... he couldn't take it and he was having a hard time drowning out the sybillant whispers of the symbiote that was telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. He quietly left the room after leaning down and giving Calvin a kiss on the forehead... and the sound of crushed concrete reverberated down the hospital hallway as he vented his rage in the only way he knew how... shedding tears under his mask that only his beetle symbiote knew of.

"Bart?... tell me... what's wrong?" Calvin asked as he swiftly healed. The old doctor had theorized that Bart's blood wouldn't just sustain him, but heal him as well and he was more right than he could have know.

"BART?..." He cried out to his innocent crush as Impulse could only look back at him silently but lovingly. For all his strength, he couldn't say it. His bright, young, innocent eyes begged for answers, but Bart could only look back silently at him trying to will him to better health.

Having kept watch in shifts, Robin and Superboy were always nearby, outside Calvin's room. It took almost a week of Impulse's blood transfusions to get him to this point... the moment they dreaded. Hearing Calvin's cries of anguish Tim and Kon looked to each other silently choosing who would be the first to go in. In unspoken agreement Tim opened the door to the intensive care room to carry the pain in and out of that place.

Seeing another familiar and trusted face Calvin asked: "Is my dad okay?" Through his own pain and brush with death his first words and only concern were for his father.

"I'll take you too him, once Bart finishes your transfusion, okay?"

"What's wrong? Where's my dad?" Calvin asks plaintively.

Bart checks the medical monitor and painfully pulls the needle from his own vein as he heals almost instantly and leans down to Calvin in his hospital bed and gives his young friend a hug and a kiss and says "I'll be right outside when you need me."

"But Bart... Robin?... What about my dad?"

The young speedster barely manages to keep a straight face and cool composure, very barely, and leaves the room to give Robin time to speak with their dear young friend. He sees Robin sit on Calvin's bedside as he closes the door... and moments later his shoulder shudders with sobs as he hears Calvin's wailing cries through the closed door.

Minutes later, Robin steps out of the Intensive Care room and gently closes the door on Calvin's soft sobs. But once he heard the click of the latch of the heavy birch and ash door, he strode past the gathered heroes, all of them having spent day and night keeping watch over their young charge... and out into the darkened city. The rest of the team already knew, and they knew to not bother Red Robin at this moment. His smooth and calculated gait and calm demeanor told them the level of hatred and rage... and pain in his heart... only matched by Superboy's. Why did it have to be Tim? Why did he have to be the one. Because, they said, "You can take it!"

On the rooftop deck of the hospital a certain doctor chain-smoked while waiting for the next crisis. Diana Prince sat next to him and together silently lamented. "I couldn't save them both."

"But you saved one." Wonder Woman said. "And he that saves one life saves the world."

"Nice platitude. I heard it was said about some after 1945 to their credit, but what saves the boy now?" The doctor responds bitterly.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Rob" a scarlet-garbed archer lad said, trying to get Robin's attention. "You need to see this. I found this on security camera footage of the wreck. It happens that the intersection had not just speed-trap cameras, but local businesses have their own cameras there and I was able to hack into their video files."

Arsenal activated a holographic video that he had constructed from several security cameras of the moment of the wreck. He then isolated a single man in the large sedan that had hit Keith and Calvin's truck... and recognised the slender man with his long flensing knife on the dashboard. In the passenger seat was a black-clad, Persian-looking fellow in a familiar uniform. A combination of cold rage and an equally cold chill went down Robin's spine and wondered if Nanda-Parbat had decided to tie up loose ends. But if so, Tim and Kon would bring it back to them ten-fold. No more intrigue. No more secret missions. The League of Assasins was here... in Metropolis... and working with the most vile of criminal society. This could not stand. Not now and not ever. It had been professional before but it was personal now... it had to be. Clandestine operations would never be sufficient for this. There was only one dark and terrible option... one that Red Robin, Superboy and all their friends and allies would relish... or dread if only they knew.

Young Justice was going to WAR!

XXXXXXXXXX

Two weeks later, after significant reconnaissance, they moved in and took a small warehouse as their base of operations in Suicide Slums. Roy Harper, now known as Arsenal, was priceless in the setup of the mission. He knew the streets and could blend in and gain information even where Robin could not. He often was opposed to the lifelong mission of the team, being a significant non-team-player... but on this one he was completely on-board. He felt he was trapped in his street life, or so he thought. But Calvin had been rescued and escaped it all... and Roy was going to see him avenged, regardless the cost. To him there was a personal factor. For the rest of the team, it was equally personal. Having rescued the teenager and seen him grow up and restore his relationship with his father... its what they wanted for every troubled family. Calvin was their success. The fact that he was pretty much the cutest guy in Metropolis didn't hurt matters either, even if he did have an awkwardly nonstop crush on Impulse.

"We need to know the layout and the placement of the Leagues' troops." Robin says to Superboy.

"We got this." Impulse said calmly with rare seriousness as he strode in with his biocybernetic boyfriend.

As they moved into the warehouse Superboy and Nightwing sped out to inspect the perimeter and secure their site. Though brothers by marriage, they were dear friends in their own right now and had learned how to put each others skills to advantage. The only thing stronger was Superboy's ability to fight alongside Robin, his husband and soulmate. Meanwhile, Bart and Jamie, speedster and bug, started pacing out a space in the center of the warehouse. They had a plan, but hadn't discussed it with Robin beforehand because they didnt think he'd even believe it... much less approve of it.

The young couple, Impulse and Blue Beetle, stood opposite one another as the rest of the team gathered to see what was happenning. Ironically, Bart was the most misundertood hero in the group. He was powerful, but hid much of it. He was kind to a fault, playful to the point of childish, and loving to the point of naivete, but his motivation wasn't known, and had never been. He was attractive beyond compare, but came from a future that must have been such hell that he wouldn't speak of it. Tim and Kon were honored to have him as a friend; and the rest of the team didnt know what he was... but Tim and Kon suspected greatly... but they all respected his ability when put to the test.

Tim heard a line of music as Bart and Jamie faced one-another on the warehouse floor... using the inspiration of the song from a blutetoothed earbud turned up too high to fuel their mission

Bart gave Jamie a brief kiss and strode away and ran... and run he did, in a tight circle around Jamie... the fire and lightning of his Speedforce building around and along him... with music playing in his and Jamie's earbuds. Tim could just barely hear it but suddenly realized they were up to something when he heard "light it up!" Red and yellow lightning power gathered around the pair in a circle, when Jamie found his moment and fired his energy weapon into the maelstrom of Speedforce. Bart continued to run and build up power as Jamie added his own might to it... and the Speedforce became more... purple... a combination of both their abilities. Tim always knew there was more to Bart, even going back to his playful time in his teens. He bore the scars of the future that no one could see and the bruises of the present. But this power... amazing, and augmented by Jamie.

Having created a self-sustaining circle of Speeforce, he reappeared before Jamie as his powers built between his hands. Jamie fired his sonic cannon right at his boyfriend, who caught the power in the building Speedforce in his hands. The movement of their hands in the circle of Bart's Speedforce power looked almost like a martial arts kata, a technique that Tim had taught him to focus himself and avoid distraction. The blue and red/orange power combined in Bart's hands to a vibrant purple and it started to take form... the form of his little elfish scouts that no one had seen since the Warworld mission years ago. Three of the cute little guys appeared before speeding off... the last one pausing before Robin to give him a wink... and sped off on his task. They would find out what the enemy was doing in the dark... every hidden place. There were no secrets from Bart's scouts.

His bright amber eyes glazed over as Jamie held his hands helping him focus his power. Silent as a winter breeze they sped their way through every alley, room, hallway, and corridor of the Slums... finally returning to Bart and Jamie with their information. Jamie broke the concentration and held a tablet computer as each scout sped to him and silently mapped out the location of each warrior of the League of Assassins in the area... the last little elfish guy blowing Kon a playful kiss before he disappeared within the Speedforce. Bart dispelled his circle of power and only showed the slightest strain from the demonstration of of his apparently great and previously unrevealed power.

As the residual Speedforce and Jamie's symbiotic power faded Tim and Kon ran to their side to see what they had learned... and they learned they'd have a long night.

"Come around guys." Robin said as he reviewed the information brought by the scouts. He activated a 3D display and showed the greatest concentration of Assasins. "Be calm and cool... this can't be personal in any way if we're going to pull this off."

"Speak for yourself 'do-gooder' but its personal... very very personal." Arsenal responded for everyone else around.

"I get it completely, but if we lose focus we lose this battle. But yeah... it's peronal." Tim Drake said very darkly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Moments later Arsenal and Nightwing were being targeted... purposefully... drawing in Parbati assasins toward the warehouses of Suicide slums. From time to time Nightwing would swat away an arrow with his escrima sticks as Arsenal fired back an arrow of his own... rarely missing a soft fleshy target.

"Bring them inward" A small but grim voice intoned.

"Damian? How the hell did you...?" Tim asked blindsided.

"This is personal for me too... for the same reasons and my own."

"Okay, but please keep an eye on Junior." Tim and Kon's son refused to sit the mission out, as he managed to refuse to sit anything out.

"You have my word on it." He aid with certainty; and yet again Tim had to wonder if Damian had personal designs on their son. It'd be awkward as Kon Junior already seemed to be after some Terry-named-guy. But hey... kudos if their son had two handome heroes after him. But for now, the battle...

XXXXXXXXXX

"Arsenal... flanking on the left!" Robin called out as he was presed on the side. But a red shaft erupted from his nearest enemy ending that specific concern.

"Bug, with me if you wanna make points!" Superboy called out to Blue Beetle as they blasted a group making their way toward the speedsters.

"Wally... Bart!... don't stand still too long... they're coming." Connor called out.

The team of heroes had managd to draw out the Assasins into an alley junction... but these weren't thugs. They were highly skilled, talented, and disciplined to a fine edge.

Red-fletched arrows met their target and two fell to attacks from a red and white streak that must have been Impulse. Robin's staff clanged off the skull of one who definitely would not be getting up again soon.

"Grouping at the front!" Superboy called out. But the word 'front' faded as he spoke it. Robin saw it, barely, passing him as he attacked. Impulse tried to intercept it, but was too far away. But Robin's eyes widened in horror as the green-glowing bolt flew through the melee...

Superboy stopped in his tracks... almost more surprised than anything, before he fell. The same green glow erupting from his lean chest. Robin rushed to him and softened his fall... the glow emenating from the arrow in his chest... Kryptonite.

"Tim... I don't want to leave you." Kon choked through blood-stained lips as Tim softened his fall.

"Then don't leave me Kon." Robin gasped to his husband as he felt his solar-fueled skin cooling.

"I love you... so much... husband... our son..." "I love you too Kon. JUnior is safe with me." "Kon!... don't go! Please! Stay with me!" He wept, cried, and sobbed and then ever so gently laid his husband's head down and pulled off his cape to tuck under his head as a pillow. He kissed his beloved husband... and his heart and lungs erupted in a wail of grief, sorrow, and rage... It was beautiful in its love and yet terrible in it's rage.

At a distance, Brian witnessed the beautifully terrible scene; and he stole Robin's veangeance as great spikes of stone rose up from the alley and tore the assasin archer apart. But there was much more hatred to be sated. He activated the blade at the end of his staff, never used. Batman would have never approved of killing... but Batman had lost his parents, terrible as that was; not the love of his life that he'd spent his entire adult life with and raised a some together. A love as fierce as a hurricaine, and yet as gentle as lamb's down... a love that legends are written of. Within the next few moments his staff turned spear was dripping in blood as he barely choked back sobs of grief and loss. The team had won the battle in Suicide Slums, but Tim had lost... forever.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tim's shoulders shake in silent tears at the foot of his husband's grave. Bruce Wayne insisted that he be buried at Wayne Manor as a way to honor him. Dick, Jason, and Damian proved what brotherhood was as they gave him comfort when they could. All the friends and teammates were gathered... Wally was near Dick; Brian and Andy came togethert of course. Bart and Jamie were broken, given their deep closeness to the couple. But Calvin... he slowly walked over to Tim and wrapped his thin arms around him and sobbed deeply. He'd had lost twice, but knew he'd not lost half of what Tim had. Tim wrapped his arms around the guy and his tears wetted his hair.

As they all collect themselves Tim looks up and sees a pure alabaster statue of Conner as Superboy in a pose of pure apotheosis. Epic and strong and yet beautiful and deceptively fragile. "I hope you don't mind." Brian says softly... having summoned the rare stone and sculpted it himself.

"Not at all... it honors him. Thank you."

A gentle rain begin to fall and Timothy Drake-Kent starts to walk away into the dark night.

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In my many years of writing this fanfiction it must be obvious that it is written from the perspective of Timothy Drake and his love for and romance with Connor Kent... my husband. For all those years it has been a joy to share this with you all. I hope it has given you joy, and even amusement. But I have just recently lost my Connor to cancer. That struggle has been the reason for any lack of update for the last few years. He fought it like the Boy of Steel. He was indomintable and victorious. I don't know of any man or woman would would have faced it with such calmness, courage, and love. We literally spent almost all of our adult years together and it was such a blessing that I would do it again, even knowing the terrible pain at the end.

But just remember the glow of the sun from where he gets his strength... and every beautiful sunrise is a memorial of Superboy... Connor Kent... The Boy of Steel... Richard Wayne Jarrett-Crawford.

Do not let love go unspoken. Life can be brief, but very rewarding if lived as well as he lived it.