April 8

I walked into the warehouse as Nightwing was debriefing the team on their next mission. "Obvious any partnership between the Reach and Lex Luthor is bad news. So Alpha squad is going undercover to recon Lex Corp farms," Nightwing stated. "Robin, you'll be running alpha."

"Me run alpha?" he said in surprise before he recovered. "Who's on the squad?"

"Blue Beetle," Nightwing said.

Beetle protested. "Woah! Woah-woah," he exclaimed. "I should not be in the field, Ese," he protested. "What if the scarab goes all reach apocalypse on us?"

"Your scarab has had multiple opportunities to betray us and it hasn't," Nightwing reasoned. "It hasn't and right now its connection to the Reach may be our best shot at identifying what they're up to."

"Well if Blue's going, I'm going," Impulse said.

"I assumed as much," Nightwing stated. I could hear the smirk in his tone. "And last but not least Arsenal."

I walked into the room at that. I was going to patiently wait and stay hidden and have a talk with Dick after everything. But this? It's way too soon for him to work covert missions. I've been assisting with his training and he's entirely too volatile.

"He's not ready," I said as I began walking toward Dick. "Not for this mission. He's too chaotic for covert."

"I was told he was ready," He told me. "Are you sure you aren't being overprotective?"

"Don't you gaslight me," I snapped at him. "You're sending him just weeks after he's woken up and with barely any training to use the property of the man who has ruined his life-"

"I see she still likes to talk about people in other languages while they're in the same room," Arsenal said icily.

"It is entirely too soon for you to go on a mission like this," I argued toward him. I gestured towards him. "Look at you, carrying a whole weapons cache on your back. This is your idea of stealth?"

"She's right," Nightwing said behind me. I sighed guess my opinion doesn't matter. "You have to travel lighter. Nothing that won't fit under civilian clothes. Questions?"

"Yeah, why are we meeting in the dump?" Arsenal asked.

"With the cave and the hall of justice destroyed we don't have many other options," Nightwing answered sternly.

"Except the Watch Tower," he said, "It's national news now. You can't pretend it doesn't exist."

"Only Justice Leaguers and Senior members of the team are authorized for the Watch Tower," Nightwing stated. "You don't qualify."

"Good to know where we stand," Arsenal said darkly.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not all that fancy," I said sarcastically. "Think Star City Botanical Gardens, a dormitory, and a science lab with bleach-white walls floating around the Earth in the shape of a sunflower seed. It's literally not as magically as Oliver makes it out to be." I looked at him. "But I believe you were giving a mission, get dressed in civies and head out."

"Do I answer to you?" Arsenal asked.

"Yes, you do. While you were an ice cube, I helped found this team, making me a senior member and your superior," I said, completely over the attitude that he's been giving me for weeks. "I know that's hard for you to swallow. I'd get a glass of water on your way to Smallville."

All the members of the team left, I turned and looked at Dick. "We need to have a chat," I asked, "What did Blue Beetle mean by his scarab "going apocalyptic on us"?

He sighed and offered me a seat and got explaining.

"And you thought it was safe for him to go on a mission with Reach connections?" I asked.

"He hasn't shown any signs of deceit," he responded.

I nodded. "Did you interview those kids we saved ever tell you what the aliens wanted with them?" I asked.

"Something to do with this concept called a meta gene," he said. "The League and I have theories on what it could be but we can't know for sure."

"And do I get to hear these theories?" I asked.

He sighed. "Captain Atom said only for the need to know."

"And let me guess I don't qualify?" I asked rolling my eyes. "He's never liked me," I stated. I looked around the warehouse. "I'm looking into finding a property to build a new training facility for the Team. We're too cool for the Watch Tower."

"Yeah, the warehouse isn't ideal for training," he said glaring at the lack of space.

"This was supposed to be just a stop-n-nap, kind of place," I said with a small smile his way. "It will do for a temporary place."

I looked and checked my watch. "I have to go. I'd like an update after they return from their mission. I hope that Arsenal proved me wrong and he was ready."

Later that night during dinner I received a text message. "Mission accomplished."

I texted back, "With how much of the farm blown up?"

I received no response.


April 9

"She already has gotten so big," I said before making faces at my niece who was sitting in my lap. Roy brought her over after he finally caved to my multiple requests.

"Yeah, I kind of wish she would stop growing," Roy said sitting in the chair a few feet away. His eyes never moved from his daughter, lighting up at every single laugh or noise of joy she made.

"Fatherhood suits you, Roy," I said smiling at him.

He nodded after a moment, "Yeah, it does," he said in agreement. "Look, Carter, I need to apologize for some of the things I have said in the past year—"

"Apologize?" I asked suspiciously cutting him off.

"I talked with Dick,"

He sighed, "He is concerned."

"I'm…..dealing," I said slowly choosing my words wisely. "I'm angry at everything."

"Have you been sleeping? Eating?"

I rolled my eyes, "He told you everything, didn't he?" I said sarcastically. "I'm fine, that was months ago."

"When were you going to tell someone you were depressed again?" Roy asked me seriously. He was probably thinking back to a dark period a couple years before the Team was formed. My powers were unstable and I was still scared to use them. A group of men had ganged up on me while I was in civilian clothing, I lashed out and accidently killed one of them with my powers. I had nightmares about it for months. I attempted to commit suicide but discovered my healing power instead. I figured it was something telling me I should stop trying and live my life.

"Roy, please—"

"What? Don't start?" Roy said angrily. "Carter, do you know how much you have to live for? How many people would be effected by you….leaving?"

"I know, Roy, trust me you have no idea," I said angrily, "I didn't reach that point. I know I have to much to many people to live for this time. You, Lian, Irena, Connor, Mom, Oliver, the team. I know what would do them if I did that? I'm not suicidal, I'm not depressed, I'm angry, I'm worried. I feel useless." I looked at Lian's smiling face and she spoke to me in baby gibberish. "I promise, I'm never going there again. That was years ago and that's where it will stay."

He left a little while after that, leaving on an awkward note. It was six at night when I received a knock on my door. I opened the door and saw Connor and Dick standing there. I sighed. I opened the door and left them to close it as I made my way to the kitchen. I was in the middle of cooking dinner. I leaned against the island and watched as they entered the room. "So, what happened now?" I grabbed my glass of water that I had been sipping on.

"Artemis and manta soldiers kidnapped M'gann this morning," Dick stated.

I looked at Connor. "Artemis?" I gestured towards him with the glass in my hand and raised an eyebrow. "So you know now?"

"Yeah, yeah I know," Connor stated.

"So does La'gaan," Dick added.

"So are we going to finally tell everyone? Or are we still keeping people in the dark?" I asked sarcastically, mostly towards Dick. "Because I hope you realize now that Connor knows, I'm going to tell Irena."

"Can we hold off—"

I threw my glass at the wall in anger, the sound of the glass shattering against the wall cut him off. "No," I said loudly in anger. "I am done with waiting for you to get over you fear of everyone being a fucking mole, Dick. I am through with lying. I am telling my sister, I am telling Mom, Oliver, and Aquaman."

"We have to hold off for their sakes," he argued.

"And you think they are going to what, Dick? Out them?" I asked in disbelieve. "They were their mentors, they are their family. They think they are either dead or a murdering traitor, Dick. They have a right to know. The Team has a right to know." Dick opened his mouth and I slapped the counter top. "Stop arguing, Dick, and just admit it. You were wrong, we were wrong." I turned to Connor, "You have no idea how many times I wanted to tell you, Irena, and everyone….it's been eating at me lying to all of you."

He came around the table and gave me a hug. "Still mad," he admitted, "But nice to have…answers."

"Yeah, it is …relieving to have you know the truth," I said letting go of him. I turned to Dick, "So M'gann, they took her to fix Kaldur's mind?"

"That's what we suspect," Dick said with a sigh.

"So that's another one," I stated, "Another one that is in their hands."

"M'gann is smart," Dick reasoned, "As long as they need her she is safe."

"And when she isn't?" I asked curious as to what he would say.

"Artemis and Kaldur will help her escape."

For her sake I hope so.