"I…am…sooooooo tired." Cassie complained softly. She flopped down on her bed ready to fall asleep in an instant. Cissie came in through the window practically tripping over a few stuffed animals and Teen Beat magazines. She stumbled over to Cassie's bed, still in her Arrowette garb. Cassie's voice was muffled into the pillow as she spoke. "Wake me in a week."
"Agreed…" Cissie slid down the side of the bed sitting on the overly cluttered floor with a thump. She shifted uncomfortably feeling she had probably just sat on some poor cuddly creature. She crossed her arms over her knees and rested her head on them.
Robin and the others had given a less than cheerful good-bye as she had climbed off of the Super-Cycle. They were all bushed. Superboy was shakily reclining, practically nodding off with every jolt of the Cycle, Secret was barely keeping herself awake and keeping up with the Cycle, even the speedster was trying to nap in the back. It was really quite cute. Robin, however, seemed alert and attentive. Cissie questioned if he was even human sometimes.
Cissie blinked into the darkness of Cassie's bedroom, pairs of paper eyes staring back at her from posters on Cassie's pink walls. Cissie breathed a heavy sigh and couldn't contain it any longer.
"Cassie?" She whispered softly.
"Whaaaaat?" Cassie moaned, her wig now fallen off of her head and onto the pillow beside her. She turned her face to breathe and to hear Cissie better.
"That was…really cool. I mean…we just saved the world from possibly the worst disease known to man. We…we saved everybody." Her voice was low, but it seemed kind of excited. Cassie shifted a little more.
"I don't mean to sound unappreciative or uncaring but we can talk about this in the morning? This whole saving the world thing…get used to it." Cassie muttered. Cissie smiled, too tired to laugh. She climbed up on the bed and lied down next to Cassie. The floor was too cluttered and a nice, soft, warm, comfortable, bed was just too good to pass up. Before she fell asleep, something bothered her.
"Hey…Cassie?"
"What?" Cassie complained again.
"How DID you contract the disease in the first place?" Cissie questioned. Cassie smiled a bit.
"I'll tell you tomorrow…or maybe when you're older." She responded. Cissie gave her a slight questioning look, but yawned lowly and they both fell asleep.
* * * *
It was an odd and rather unnerving sight to watch the world's most impulsive and out-of-control teenage speedster trudge to the door of his home in Manchester, Alabama. The speedster had been doing a fine job with his energy, but as soon as he'd left the D.E.O, Bart had calmed down considerably. With the excitement of the evening gone, Bart had become much more…manageable.
The door of Max Crandel and Helen slammed shut and as Max braced himself for a hurricane, he only heard large shoes pounding up the staircase. Helen had long since gone to bed, it was much too late. But Max, in his concern for his "nephew", awaited his return. This was something he didn't expect.
Max folded his newspaper and climbed the stairs quickly; Bart was only halfway up the staircase. Max frowned, suddenly worried and almost in a panic.
"Bart…are you okay?" Max asked.
"Yeah Max, I'm…fine." Bart yawned and stretched. "I'm a little tired though." Max glanced at his watch.
"As well you should be!" He noted, almost astonished at the time. "What exactly happened there, Bart? You leave for a YJ meeting and you don't return for hours. There's no call, no notice. I'm getting the feeling that maybe something's happened to you. I thought for sure you'd done something impulsive again and I'm not afraid to admit I was frightened. Helen stayed up almost all night waiting for you. I practically had to force her to go to sleep she was so worried. I'm not sure she's asleep now. I was just about going crazy thinking you'd done another spontaneous-Bart?" Max noticed that in his long and worried speech, Bart had drifted off, while standing up.
Max frowned with a twitch in his eye, which he had developed over a long time with Bart. He thought Robin might have developed one too. Max sighed and smiled. At least he was all right, that's all that was important.
He picked up the sleeping speedster and carried him off to bed shaking his head slightly. He laid the young boy in bed and pulled up the covers. Bart's eyes were shut lightly and Max sighed. He moved over to the door and opened it slowly, the light pouring in from the hall. Bart's light breathing could be heard as Max's silhouette shown from the doorway.
"Good night, Bart." Max half-whispered, smiling slightly. He turned to leave thinking to himself. I'll talk to him in the morning.
"Good night, Max." He heard come from the teenager as he supposedly slept. Max frowned EARLY in the morning
* * * *
A cool draft ran through the Justice Cave as Secret floated in the main meeting room. Her mist circled around as she hovered lightly above Green Lantern's old chair. She let out an exhausted sigh. The day had been a long and sad one. In that single day she had gained and lost a new friend, a soul such as herself lost in the tortures of the D.E.O. But, at least she could take solace in the fact that her friend had escaped and would find happiness with her new friends.
Marina had told Secret before they had finally left for home that she would remember Young Justice, remember everything they had done for her and how they had been terrific friends. Secret sighed again sadly, the destroyed monitors bringing her little comfort. The steady lines of gray, black, and white that ran across the screen proved horrible company.
Suddenly she heard a loud clunk. She turned around ready to attack when she saw Superboy standing behind her, a sheepish look on his face. He smiled a little embarrassed picking up the fallen "Superman" chair he'd accidentally knocked down.
"Sorry Sec, didn't mean to scare ya." He smiled sympathetically. She floated above the ground slightly stunned. The fizzing sound of the broken equipment that surrounded them the only filler.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at-" She started.
"Nah." Kon-el waved her off slightly. "You know, it's been wayyyy too long a day to possibly go back. I'm exhausted. 'Sides," He grinned, "you seem a little lonely." Superboy stated sitting in the Superman chair backwards. Secret stared at him surprised but smiled softly. She hovered above the Green Lantern chair mock sitting. There was a long silence as a drip echoed from somewhere in the cave. Secret looked down shyly.
"Thank you." Secret blushed lightly. There was another pause.
"For what?" Superboy questioned genuinely. Secret blushed a little more. Superboy smiled and cricked his neck. "Uh, just do me one favor, Sec."
"Sure, what?"
"Don't wake me for 3 months." Superboy groaned stretching a bit. Secret just laughed.
* * * *
"When's Daddy commin' home?" Traya asked her mother sadly as she looked out the window into a darkened Chicago sky. She had been fretting for the past couple of hours about her father's safety. Kathy Sutton gave Traya a sorrow-filled look. Poor Traya. Kathy thought looking through the window as well. Why do you always worry us so, John?
"Well, Honey, he'll be home soon. It's time for bed anyway, why don't you get ready for bed?" She encouraged the young child. Traya still looked longingly out the window, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.
"But Mommy, what if he comes while I'm asleep?" Traya begged staring at the city skyline. "He said he'd be back! He said he would!" Traya exclaimed almost on the brink of tears. Kathy wrapped her arms around her little girl and let her cry into her shoulder.
"There, there Traya. It's all right. Daddy will be home soon enough you'll see." Kathy smiled brushing a hand through Traya's short black hair. Traya just whimpered softly and looked back out the window hoping to catch some glimpse of her father or feel the breeze of the wind against her cheek. Any sign that he may return home soon.
Kathy prayed softly that John would return home soon. She looked out the window as well, hoping to see that familiar figure in the sky.
"Why is everyone looking toward the window?" Red Tornado (AKA John Smith) asked as he stood in the doorway to his apartment.
Two sets of surprised eyes turned to see him. Both filled with glee.
"DADDY!" Traya yelled excitedly and ran toward him wrapping her arms around him. "I knew you'd be back! I KNEW it! I told you Mommy, didn't I?" She happily hugged onto him tightly. Kathy Sutton raised to her feet and smiled, relieved.
She walked slowly over to John and hugged him tightly with one arm resting on Traya's shoulder.
"John," Kathy murmured with tears in her eyes. "I don't know why but this time…this time I thought you weren't coming back. This time I thought you were in such horrible trouble. I don't know why I thought that." Kathy whispered softly.
John Smith lived in that moment. Lived in the warm touch of his wife and daughter. Lived in the tears that ran down his metallic skin. He lived in that very place in time. He'd never felt more alive, more human…more loved before than with his daughter and wife hugging him so tightly. All the struggle of that day, all the destruction, it faded away as the touch of his family made him feel warmer and happier than he thought any man could ever be.
The steady hiss and hum of hospital equipment surrounded Tim as his eyes rested upon someone he hadn't seen in a long time. He gave the hand he was holding a gentle squeeze as the monitor next to the bed clicked vigorously. The body on the bed was still and motionless the sheets just draped over the pale body, barley keeping below the boy's chin.
Tim looked around the room to see cards and pictures and other "Get Well" gifts along the white walls and on the floor, all of which Tim doubted his friend would ever see. A stuffed teddy bear on the other side of the room seemed to be keeping Tim more company than the person lying on the bed.
Last night had been one of the most horrible nights of Tim Drake's life. He watched almost helplessly as his friend, the same friend lying in the hospital bed was shot in front of him. Blood poured from the boy seeping out of his wound onto the gravel, over the broken pavement and into every crack in the ground. The look of pain on that boy's face was the most heart wrenching looked of utter anguish Tim thought he had ever seen.
And there he was. Lying there. Lying in the white hospital sheets as if he was all ready dead. All someone needed to do was put that sheet over his face. Tim couldn't bear to look at him any longer, not like this. Tim turned his head away.
His day had been filled with pain and damage. He felt he'd caused this. All of this. From his friend's hospitalization to the disease his whole team had suffered from. Tim shuddered sadly, his back still aching his body ridden past exhaustion, but it meant nothing as long as he could be there for his friend's last moments. Please don't let these be his last moments. Tim prayed softly.
The night grew on and as Tim sat there holding his friend's hand, he couldn't help but let a few tears fall from his eyes. I'm sorry. Tim thought. He licked his lips slowly and said it aloud.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I wasn't there on time. I'm sorry I couldn't have come here sooner and sat next to you sooner and said these words earlier. Man…I don't even know if…if you're gonna…you were a…are a really great friend, you know that?" Tim smiled sadly. "You always were and you know I stayed with your mom when she was in the hospital and I'll stay with you." Tim dropped off as another hiss from the respiratory began. Tim's voice shuddered as he spoke. "I'm sorry."
Tim bowed his head the machines blocking the sound of his tears. He heard a soft groan and looked down at the face beneath the respirator mask. His eyelids fluttered softly as he let out another groan. Tim's eyes went wide and a smile graced his face.
"Hey, how…how are you?" Tim stuttered and his friend fluttered his eyelids a bit, "I…uh…I guess you can't answer that right now." Tim wiped his tears away and…and his friend smiled. It took a lot of energy and effort and it was almost a strain but he smiled. And suddenly, that seemed like the perfect end to that hard day's night.
