Kon woke up at home. The world swum around his head, bobbing and too bright. His temples throbbed and when he brought a hand to rub at them, he found a large bump. Wonderful.

Tim.

Through the blur of the last few… days? Weeks? Kon couldn't remember how long he'd been here. Whatever the amount of time… it was blurry. Like a fine fog over his mind. It made him feel sluggish and tired, as if just falling asleep, listening to the repetitive pounding of his blood in his ears would just make him feel so much…

No! Kon dug his fingernails into the heels of palms, jolting himself awake. Tim. Tim. Think about Tim.

About the way the street lights reflected off of his light skin, making it glow. He'd worn a cropped, sleeveless, black tank top, showing off more skin than Tim tended ever to do in public. His long, lean arms had been roped in muscle (all the fat on his body wasted away) and glittered with pale scars. He'd worn red pants, reminiscent of one of Cassie's old uniforms. They'd been shiny and before his foot had stomped Kon into unconsciousness, they'd seemed iridescent. Like butterfly wings.

Kon sat up suddenly.

Tim's feet. He hadn't been wearing shoes. He hadn't been wearing sleeves... He hadn't even seemed to recognize Kon. Not even when he told Tim his code-name. Something was really wrong with Tim.

Kon had to go back there. If Tim wasn't wearing shoes then he probably hadn't come from far away from the Underground. Going back was the best place to start. Kon had been to the top of the Underground. Or at least… well, he must have, right? That was where April lived? His memory of it was hazy at best.

April…

She might be able to help him find Tim! Tim definitely had gone back to the Underground, maybe he was there more often and Kon had just never noticed because-

Because… he was always with April. Distracted by her. How could he have missed Tim? How…?

He'd failed Tim. He was supposed to come here to help. To find Tim. His best friend. To make sure he was alive and he-

Kon gasped out a sob, covering his mouth with his hand. The pain ripped through his chest, making him ache. How could he have…? How could he have forgotten?

Stop. No pity parties, Kon chided himself. He sniffed, sucking it up. He had to save Tim. He was here to find Tim. He wouldn't forget again, if he just avoided that damn dance floor-

April. She did this. She must have. Or that man of hers. Had to. He wouldn't have… Kon didn't want to believe he would have forgotten about Tim on his own.

Kon was about to rise, to stride back to the Underground and take it by force until he found Tim, but as soon as his feet hit the floor, pain stabbed through them. Kon cried out and fell onto the bed. His feet… his feet!

Kon looked down at them, unable to believe the pain.. He hadn't felt that since… since… since he'd died. Kon was invulnerable, he was never in pain-!

But his feet were raw and blistered. Scabs covered the heels and toes. Bruises colored the bottoms a big black and blue mess. How could Kon have not felt them before now? Even now, so long as he didn't walk on them the pain was more a dull burn than anything else. And the rest of his feet-his toes and heels-were numb.

Who knew. Apparently, if you wanted to bruise a Super, all you had to do was make him dance until he dropped.

Or until his best friend drop-kicked him.

Kon would get Tim back. He would. If he couldn't stand, he'd fly, if he couldn't fly, he'd crawl, and if he couldn't crawl….

He'd get Tim back.

But first, his head was swimming… he really needed a nap.

Kon floated on the rooftop across from the Underground that night. After his nap, and a fast food binge (had he even consumed anything other than booze in the past days? He didn't think so), Kon was feeling much better. Walking still felt like there were shards of glass in his feet and his legs were sore, but that was manageable.

At least Kon knew Tim was here. Or could be here. That was a start.

And he knew the layout of the Underground. Now, what he needed was an idea of what to do. Or… Kon's gaze drifted to the penthouse on top of the Underground. To the glass domed windows and the gauzy open curtains.

April.

April would know what to do. It was because of April that he was in this situation at all. This was all her fault!

Kon flew around the back, where the bouncers couldn't see. From there, he slowly lowered himself onto the roof. No alarms went off. Either April didn't have security to keep people who could fly from her rooms, or there was some silent alarm and Kon would be taken down by a handful of bulky bodyguards. Maybe Tim would be among them.

Kon waited. Five minutes. Ten. Nothing. Either they were the worst response team in history, or no one had noticed.

So Kon made a fist, and punched through the glass. Still, nothing. Kon let himself in.

April's room was empty. He shouldn't have been surprised. Even without Kon she would be downstairs, probably on her balcony. Getting drunk and wishing her husband would join her.

He floated over to the bedspread and sat. The satiny material soft under his rough fingers. April's entire room sparkled like gold. Kon waited.

April didn't come back until dawn. It was a beautiful dawn… dusty pink and pale yellow. The type of dawn that made you want to see it. The type of dawn where you realized that it was already four am and thought "fuck it" and waited up to see. Or maybe Kon was just tired.

Or maybe Kon was just angry.

April didn't seem that happy either.

She gasped and dropped her bottle of wine. It bounced on the carpet, and spilled its contents, instead of shattering.

"W-what? Orpheus? What are you-?"

Kon stood, hovering just enough above the ground that his feet didn't scrape it. He crossed his arms, and realized, much to his disgust, that he probably looked a lot like Superman right now.

"You knew."

April's stained lips quirked downward. "Pardon?"

"You knew T-" Not his name, Kon, be careful, "Eurydice was here. I've been looking for him for.. For… who the fuck knows how long and he was here all along!"

"Eurydice...?" April's voice was soft and puzzled. She shook her head. "Orpheus… I missed you tonight. After you saved me the other night-"

"Yesterday, April. That was yesterday."

"Was it? Time gets so fuzzy downstairs," April murmured. Kon couldn't help but feel his heart tug when she swayed over, sitting down on her bed.

Wait.. what had she said?

"For you too?" Kon asked, cautiously.

April nodded sadly. She patted the bed beside her and Kon hadn't realized he'd sat until the blanket was under him.

"Everything gets so blurred… that's why I never go down and dance. It's… it's too much. I can't.. I can't let myself forget."

Forget?

"I forgot him. That was what happened to me, wasn't it? I kept coming back, and I… forgot."

"Who did you forget?"

"My-" Kon's throat constricted against his will. "My friend. Eurydice."

"Your… friend? The one you kept hoping to meet?"

Kon nodded. A sob crawled back out his throat.

"Oh… my poor, poor zinnia," April cooed. She crawled over to him and pulled him into a hug.

She smelled like marigolds.

"You thirsty?" April asked. She fumbled around for a bottle and Kon had it in his hands before he knew it.

"Woah, wait." Kon shook his head and pushed the bottle away. "No. No. I have to…" he couldn't get distracted, not again.

"Are you sure-?"

"Stop! April, I'm here because you lied to me!"

"I… what?"

"Eurydice was there last night!" Kon snapped. "He was there! In the club! "

April frowned. She shifted, curling her feet under herself. "You mean, in… my club?"

"Yes! Your club!"

"Well, what does he look like?"

"Do you even remember yesterday? Do you remember that fight?"

April frowned, chewing her bottom lip. "Not really… I told you I don't remember things that happen when I'm on the dance-floor. But, you said that he was there at the fight?"

"Yeah."

April thought for a moment. "Wait… you said that he came here to dance and you couldn't find him recently, right? And he showed up when all those bodyguards did-?"

"Bodyguards?" Kon asked. "Those men were bodyguards?"

"Yeah, they work for my husband."

"Your… husband?"

"Yes. He must be one of Hades'-"

"Hades ."

Kon remembered that. April Mae wasn't in the file but Hades… Hades was the man they were after. The one that this whole thing was about.

"Your husband is Hades?"

"Well, of course. He owns the club."

"So… all this time, you knew that Eurydice was here and you just let me… pine for nothing? " Kon cried, jumping to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair. All this time…

"No! Of course not!" April cried. "I didn't know that you meant…. one of them."

One of her husband's slaves. "He's my… you know what he is to me, April! I've poured my soul out to you!"

"Oh," April said, softly. As if finally understanding why Kon felt like his heart was going to fall out. Like he'd bared himself raw and had been torn apart.

"You came all this way for him?" April asked in that same soft voice. "You've come back every night looking for him?"

"Yes!" How long would it take her to get that through her skull?

April looked down at her wedding ring, running her thumb over the band. She looked like she was daydreaming.

Kon had no other avenue. He fell to his knees in front of her.

"Tell me where he is, April. Please. I need to take him home."

April looked up. "You really love him? You would do anything for him?"

What a stupid question. "Of course."

Her hands clenched into fists. She swept up onto her feet.

"I can't stand in the way of love like that. Well, come on then."

April strode from the room, looking purposeful for the first time since Kon had met her. Kon followed, what else could he do? The bottle was left behind.

The Underground was empty and quiet. All the lights were out except those over the bar, giving just the dimmest glow to the room. April led him down the stairs and back into a dark corner of the room Conner had never seen before. He'd thought he'd known everything about the Underground. Just goes to show how horrible he was at recon.

The door led to another staircase. Dark and winding. There was just darkness. Conner used his x-ray vision but he couldn't see anything through the walls of the steep staircase. There's just forward and back. That's it. Conner's legs thumped down, heavy.

The tunnel opened up to a blindingly white basement. Conner yelped and covered his eyes.

April turned around, hands on his arms, steadying him.

"You alright?"

"Y-yeah. Just… I just need a second." Conner's eyes adjusted to the brightness.

The basement was quiet. Conner couldn't hear anything except his own heavy breathing. April waited beside him patiently.

"Why… why can't I hear anyone?"

April frowned. "Everyone's asleep."

"Is… is your husband okay with this?" It hadn't occurred to Conner to ask.

April snorted. "Please, he never cares what I do. And true love is a good enough reason as any. Ready?"

Conner nodded.

April led him across the large, empty, whiteness of the room. She opened a door Conner hadn't realized was there and led Conner down an equally blindingly white hall. April wove her way through a maze of hallways. Conner would have accused April of trying to get him lost, if he didn't trust her. April just seemed like a lonely woman, even though Conner knew that if Tim was here he would be skeptical.

Finally April stopped at a closed, white door.

"Please, keep your voice down," April told him in a whisper. Conner was about to open his mouth to ask why but she pressed her finger to her own lips, shushing him. She opened the door.

Kon's jaw dropped.

The room was… filled. Large oblong metal bases were laid out in the room in rows, from one end to the other. Glass lids covered every single one. And inside these coffins-because that was clearly what they were-were sleeping people. Or… well, how many people slept in a…

Kon couldn't hear any heartbeats. Conner couldn't hear any heartbeats!

Had April killed these people? But-but Conner had trusted April. She hadn't known Eurydice was Tim, Conner had been willing to forgive her for that. But mass murder?

Kon spun to-to… he didn't know. Attack April? Arrest her? But April was gone.

Kon was alone in a room of glass coffins.

Tim. Kon had to find Tim. April had said that Tim was in here.

Kon rose into the air to look for him. He scanned the room with his super-speed.

There.

Kon zoomed over. He swooped down.

Tim lay on a bed of crushed alyssum. Peach blossoms and asphodel cradled his face.

No.

NO!

The glass shattered beneath Kon's frantic fingers, and he used his TTK to make sure it didn't fall onto Tim's face. Kon pulled him up and into Kon's arms, his chest aching.

He'd been alive only yesterday. Kon had failed. Failed. Kon curled Tim closer to him, holding his body. The scarred skin. The soft, silky hair. Kon almost laughed as he ran his fingers through the short strands. It used to be crunchy with gel. He rubbed his thumb across Tim's cheek. Lowered his temples to Tim's. Felt the tears drip down his face, plinking against the long black lashes.

It surprised Kon. The small movement against Kon's hand. And-wait, was that-?

A breath. A small, gorgeous breath, puffing against Kon's lips. Another twitch. Then a flutter of those wet, black eyelashes.

"Tim ?" Kon whispered.

Tim's eyes blinked open. He stared at Kon, as if unable to place where he'd seen him before. But he didn't say anything.

Shoot, what was Kon supposed to say?

"Eurydice? It's me, Orpheus." What was it Batman had said about a safeword? Uhhhhh… Oh! "Pomegranate."

Tim blinked slowly. Then, in a voice cracked from disuse, he whispered back, "Kon?"

Kon's heart leapt for joy and he hooted and pulled Tim into a bear hug. He would never let Tim down again! He would never-!

The door to the room slammed open, making both Kon and Tim jump. Kon's grip on Tim tightened as he turned to see the large, shadowy figure of Hades stomp through the door. He pulled April Mae along with him, her dainty wrist crushed in his meaty hand.

"There you are, Songbird," Hades hissed.

Kon jumped up, and blasted himself off of the ground.

"Catch him! " Hades shouted as Kon made to barrel through the ceiling only to be caught in the face by a sucker punch. From Tim.

Tim, whose eyes didn't see him. Tim, who somehow managed to wiggle out of Conner's arms, and slam an elbow into his chin.

The world swam around Kon's face and he lost his grip. And together, he and Tim plummeted to the ground with a crash.

Tim had him in a hold before Kon could stop him. It seemed some things never changed.

"Make him pay for taking you, Eurydice," Hades snarled.

Conner turned back, looking up at Tim. At Tim standing over him, once again.

"Please don't do this, Eurydice. Please," Kon begged Tim.

"HADES! NO!" April screamed. Hades held her back.

"END THIS, EURYDICE!"

"No," Tim said. The room went silent again.

"Excuse me?" Hades' voice was furious.

"No." Tim blinked, staring at Kon. Shaking his head.

"Eurydice…"

"I won't hurt." He paused, looking for the correct word. "I won't hurt, Kon."

"Kon? Who is Kon?" April asked.

Kon blanched. But Tim didn't say anything else so Kon had time to think up a lie. "I-I am. Khan. You know. Like from Star Trek. Eurydice loves Stark Trek. Eurydice, it's me. Orpheus," Kon said pointedly. "You still smell like pomegranates." Screw Batman for this stupid codename shit.

Tim blinked. Nodding slowly. "Pomegranates… Or… Orpheus."

"That's me, Eurydice. That's me."

Tim's eyes rose slowly up from Conner to Hades and April in the doorway. His brows drew together and his lips pulled back from his teeth.

"Hades," Tim snarled.

Kon whipped around to see Hades. He was tensing, still holding April's wrist. Her hand looked limp, and she winced in pain.

"Get away from her!" Kon said. He moved to get up, only to find Tim's bare foot planted in his back at the merest open of Hades' mouth. Hades was controlling Tim somehow. He had to be. That was why Tim followed every order. Why Tim had beaten Kon up yesterday.

"Good boy, Eurydice."

The praise made Conner's skin crawl. Tim didn't seem to hear it.

"Now, bring him to me. I'll punish the intruder for all of his transgressions."

April let out a small whimper. "My love, please -"

But Tim didn't drag Kon to Hades. Tim didn't move, as if he hadn't heard Hades at all.

"Eurydice! I gave you a direct order!"

"Pomegranates," Tim whispered. "All I can smell are flowers."

"Pomegranates." If that was all Tim remembered then Kon would hang onto that. Would clutch it close and not let it go. "Come with me, Eurydice. We miss you. Please. Your old life needs you. I need you."

"Lies!" Hades snarled. "I am your family, Eurydice! You know that!" Hades strode towards them, dragging April with him. "I am your father! Your mother!"

"Eurydice, please. Please."

Tim's head rose to look between Conner and Hades. He hesitated, then stepped off of Kon.

"Eurydice!" Hades shouted.

Tim's eyes looked back up to Hades.

Kon had to keep his attention. "You'll be able to see everyone! They all miss you!"

Tim looked back at him. Something lost and confused crossing his face. Worse came to worst, Kon would drag Tim out of here. But whatever whammy Hades had done-was doing-to him was still clearly fucking with his mind.

"We'll binge Star Trek and Wendy. We'll stay up all night playing Mario Kart. Please , Eurydice. Please." He wished Hades and April weren't here, so he could call Tim by his real name. That would help. That had to help.

"You're mine, Eurydice. You came to me. For me." Kon turned to see Hades as he spoke. His eyes glowing with every step towards Tim.

"No! Me! Eurydice, it's me. I'm your best friend, Eurydice. Please remember me, Eurydice. If you don't, I don't know what I'll do, please."

"You'd die for me. You promised yourself to me. To my crusade. Say it, Eurydice. Say it!"

No! Kon was losing him! "Please, I love you! "

Hades stopped where he was. Tim looked down at him. Tears stung at Kon's eyes.

" Please, Eurydice. You have to know me. I love you. Please! "

Tim fell to his knees beside Kon. He held two shaking hands up to Kon's face. Kon wanted to pull Tim close, to kiss him senseless. Now that the secret he'd kept so guarded was out. Tim's electric blue eyes searched his. His fingers rubbed at the tears Kon hadn't realized had started to fall.

"I came here for you. I've been looking for you for… what feels like forever. Without you, time stretches into nothing. Please. Remember me."

Pomegranate, Kon thought as hard as he could. Please, remember.

"Eurydice," Hades' voice was soft. Kind. As if he were speaking to a child. His eyes are two blinding lights, Kon couldn't look at them directly. But Tim didn't look away from Kon. "Eurydice…"

"I… know you," Tim whispered to Kon. He stroked Kon's cheek again with a thumb. He pressed his forehead to Kon's. "I know you," he breathed.

Tim recognized him. Tim knew him. Kon saw a flicker of Tim's usual smug smirk in his eyes.

"You love me," Tim teased.

Kon did. And Kon gasped in a half sob. He pulled Tim against him and breathed in his best friend. Tim grinned against his neck.

"You loooove me~" Tim sang. Kon laughed.

He wanted to kiss Tim. He wanted to kiss him so much.

"You came to me," Hades' voice was layered with rage. Tim pulled back from Kon and stared down Hades, the King of the Underground. "Because you needed me, and now you forsake me? Everything I've done for him! You still need me!"

"Maybe," Kon said. "But I need him."

Hades spat at the ground. "And what? You thinking of leaving, my Eurydice?"

"I'd like to see you stop us," Kon said.

Tim's eyes widened and he grabbed Kon's wrist. "No!"

"What?"

"You-you can't. It's not-" From Tim's panicked face, Kon understood he was… scared. Of something. "Safe. Hades-Hades likes greenery." Like… flowers? Tim clearly was trying to communicate something with his eyes, but Kon just wasn't getting it.

Kon intertwined his fingers with Tim's. Don't worry. "He can't hurt you any longer."

"No, Orpheus, you don't understand-"

But Kon pulled him closer. He needed to get Tim out of here, as fast as possible. "Cover your ears," Kon told Tim. Maybe if he couldn't hear Hades he wouldn't be susceptible to whatever mind-control Hades did. Tim opened his mouth to speak, but Kon put on a burst of speed and crashed through the ceiling.

No… wait. Not thro-

Nausea hit Kon like a train. The world dipped around him and his belly rose into his throat. Once again, he felt himself fall, but this time it wasn't because Tim had attacked him. The room flooded with green light.

April screamed.

Kon crashed once more into the ground. The hit to his head made the room swim. Tim cried out, covering Kon with his body, as if that would shield him from the kryptonite embedded in the lead walls of the fortress that was the Underground.

"-ay away from him!"

Hades chuckled. His deep voice vibrating through the floor. Kon tried to rise but ended up retching onto the floor. His hands shook uncontrollably beneath him, unable to hold him upright. Tim pulled Kon into his arms. His fingers-his cool, strong fingers-stroked Kon's already sweat-slicked hair.

"And you think, because you love him," Hades snarled, "I'll just let my best puppet go."

Puppet. That was all Tim was to him. A fucking puppet. Kon should bring this building down around him. As soon as he could stand upright without- urk! " It seems those kryptonite and lead linings were well worth it."

Kon spat the bile from his throat. He raised a shaking finger and pointed at April. "She would."

"Orpheus, please," Tim whispered to him, "stop." He turned to Hades. "Let me get him out of here, please. I'll stay with you."

"NO!"

"You could die in here!" Tim hissed. His fingers tightened around Kon. Kon groaned woozily. "You should have listened to me!"

"T-Tim…. No…"

"Let me take him out of here. I'll stay with you. Just let me get him to safety."

April made a small gasp, and everyone turned to her.

"You love him too, don't you?"

Hades rolled his eyes. "Dear god."

"I-" Tim's cheeks darkened under the green glow of the kryptonite.

"You love him back?" April asked, hopefully.

"I-It's not-I just-He's my friend, I-"

Kon couldn't help but find this funny. He chuckled and Tim glared at him. As if this was all his fault and not Tim's for getting whammied but whatever.

"You looove me~" Kon murmured, copying how Tim had said it to him before. He laughed again before his tummy did something not good and he groaned again, dry-heaving. Sweat poured down his back. Aching pain radiated up his spine and his limbs wobbled weakly.

There was some noise. Shouting, but Kon didn't have the presence of mind to understand the words. The world dipped in and out. Kon waited until it leveled itself out, and by then, Hades was looking disdainfully at his wife.

"April believes in true love. I don't."

"Ouch," Kon couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"But Hades, look at them! Willing to die for one another! You never loved me so much!"

"April! I'm not giving up one of my own for some deluded fantasy you have about soulmates."

Soulmates. The word felt like a click. Something perfect in this imperfect world. Kon could live with that. Could die like that. Knowing he was Tim's soulmate.

Tim shook Kon. Something wet dripped down Kon's cheek. "Orpheus? Orpheus! He's going to die! Please!"

"Why should I? He deserves what he gets!"

"Do you care at all?" April this time. Shrieking. Kon hadn't known she could sound so upset. "Do you care about us? Do you even love me?"

"Of course I love you, April-"

"If you love me, you'll let them go! Look at them! You have hundreds of other drones to do your work, what do you need these two for?"

"hat's not the point! He gave himself to me! I fed him, clothed him, gave him a purpose! And this is how he repays me?"

"And now he's taking himself away! Songbirds do that, you know," April snarled, "they leave the nest."

Hades took a few steps forward, he knelt by Conner. He grasped Kon's chin and raised it so their eyes met.

"I will come back," Kon told him weakly (but honestly). "I will come back. Over and over again. Until you let me take him home."

Hades' eyes glowed and the words forced themselves from Tim's mouth.

"I don't want to go."

Kon turned to him. Pulled his hand close and shifted to his knees, ignoring the pain and nausea. "Yes, you do! He's messing with your mind!"

"Am I, my darling Eurydice?" Hades rumbled. He brushed his fingers across Tim's cheek.

Tim didn't move away. His eyes glassy.

No… Kon was losing him.

"It's so nice here, isn't it, Eurydice? Simple? Mindless."

Mindless, the perfect word for this hell.

"No, Eurydice. You love me! You want to go home!" But Tim didn't look at him. Didn't reply. "You said you did!"

"Did he?"

Kon searched his memory. The world swam and he leaned on Tim. The cloying sweetness of flowers made him feel more sick and confused.

Tim… wanted to go home… right?

"Eurydice?"

Tim stared at him.

Hades rested a hand on Tim's shoulder. "It's easier when you don't have to think, isn't it, Eurydice? Easier to just give in?"

Tim looked torn. Confused and upset.

"Eu…." Kon couldn't get the word out, instead, he fell.

He must have fainted for a second or so, because next thing he knew he was on his back. His whole body felt green. Everything was green.

"Please! Let me take him up!"

"And you'll return to me? Will you?"

"I-I-"

"Let them go!"

"Shut up, April! "

"You really love control, huh you abusive bastard?" Kon mumbled.

Kon couldn't see Hades, but he could feel the rage.

"The people here come to me for help!"

"And what? That-" Kon coughed, "that means they can't outgrow it? Heh, get it? 'Cuz flowers?"

"You don't know anything about me and mine! And soon, you'll never bother us again! I'm the King of the Underground!"

"What good is a king if he's felled by a raver?"

"You're the one dying! "

Kon coughed again. Tim cradled him in his lap.

"And you're screaming at a corpse."

"You're not going to die!" Tim cried. "Please! Let me save him!"

"If you really mean that much to him," Kon said. His voice rasped. Black spots speckled his vision. "He'll come back to you."

And the challenge was set.

"He loves you," Hades spat out the word.

"But you don't believe in true love, right?"

Kon knew someone was next to him. Someone was bending down, getting into his space. He knew it must have been Hades too, but his senses weren't on speaking terms with him at the moment.

"On one condition. You go first. If you turn back, if you motion, if you try to convince him in any way to follow you, you'll never see him again."

But Tim would follow Kon. He would. Because at the end of the day, Kon would follow Tim into hell (Or out of hell, as the case may be), and Tim would follow him back.

Kon wanted to tell Hades to suck it, but he couldn't have said anything more if he wanted to.

"Orpheus," Tim hiccupped. He pulled Kon close. His fingers were fire on Kon's skin. His eyes burned like lightning.

Kon relished how close Tim held him in front of Hades. Stupidly proud every time Tim stopped in their limping stumble to check how he was doing. To wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Hades and April followed Tim and Kon to the stairs up to the main floor of the Underground (thinking back, Kon almost laughed at his own stupidity for not realizing sooner than there was a basement). They whispered conspiratorially, and maybe it was Tim's strong hands holding him (or maybe it was Tim's breath in his ear or the comforting beating of his heart, rise and fall of his chest or-) or the kryptonite poisoning but Kon couldn't make out the words.

They reached the spindly staircase, and Tim let go of Kon so suddenly that he stumbled and almost collapsed.

But Tim didn't reach for him this time. Held his arms ramrod straight by his sides-so un- Tim it made Kon want to scream. He couldn't wait to get Tim out of here and back to normal.

"Go on," Hades said. The deep vibrato of his voice made the whole hallway shudder. Conner saw Tim's eyes go glassy at his voice and Tim swayed. Kon snapped forward, but where he saw Tim falter was suddenly empty and Tim was where he had been before in the same stiff position.

Kon needed to get out of here. He was going crazy.

"I said, go on now, Orpheus."

Kon opened his mouth to tell Tim that he loved him but Hades snapped his fingers. When Kon glanced over, he tisked.

"No words."

Like you'll listen to that, Kon wanted to grumble, but couldn't bring himself to make his mouth work.

Kon, instead, turned to the rickety staircase. Two staircases-this one and the one out of the Underground. He just had to trust that Tim would follow him.

Kon took a deep breath, ignored the pain and ache in his bones (he was still too green to use any powers). With one trembling hand braced on either side of the narrow walls, Kon dragged himself up the first step.

Don't look back. Whatever you do, don't look back.

Kon closed his eyes to force himself not to look for Tim. Not to automatically turn to and from him. Kryptonian sunflowers, doubly drawn to the sun to soak themselves in their glory.

Another step.

Kon took another. His whole body protested. A shiver racked his body and he stumbled, stubbing his toe on the next step. He just barely caught himself. Not once did he open his eyes.

He knew Tim was there. He could feel it in his bones. In his ears and head. Tim was always with him.

Another step.

Conner didn't realize that he'd made it all the way up until he tripped over nothing-imagining a step where there wasn't one-and sprawled on the cold, tiled floor he knew so well, even without looking.

Keep your eyes closed, Superboy .

Did it say something about him that the voice that whispered orders into his ears was always-had always been-Tim's?

Kon stayed on the floor to catch his breath.

Come on, get up. Tim needs you.

Come on, clone boy, get up!

Kon pulled himself to his feet, half using whatever TTK he could grasp at.

He stumbled a couple times more across the room. Eyes shut, aura stretched as far as it could go to tell him if there was anything in his way (usually, there was). His foot hit the steps of the second staircase hard enough to send recoil up his leg.

Another step.

Kon crawled. Hands mapping out the steps in front of him. Knees and toes finding the edges to lever himself up.

He took another break at some point. He didn't know if he was anywhere near the middle of these stairs. They seemed to go on forever. Had they always seemed that way? Had he ever counted the many nights he thumped up or down them? Had he cared about anything then other than his next blur of a night and the one that came after that?

Yes, he had. He'd cared about Tim. He's looked for him every night. Every time he'd seen black hair, pale skin. Seen long thin scars coloring a party-goer's exposed skin. Every stunning pair of blue eyes. Looking for some type of recognition.

Yesterday (was it still the same day? Kon's body burned) had been a wake-up call. Had been the punch that knocked Kon straight (ha, or gay). (Kon's head swam, colors flashed in front of his eyelids. He paused to dry-heave.) It wasn't a sisyphean cause.

Here Tim was.

But those eyes… glassy and cool blue. Without that glint. Without that well-deserved Tim smugness. Kon had waited months for those eyes. Had begged and the catharsis of surrender (of giving, truly) from Tim had been well worth it.

Everything about Tim was worth it.

Was he following Kon? Did he know what he meant to Kon? Did he understand?

He had to. But whether he did or not didn't matter, because Tim had almost followed Kon into hell, now it was Kon's turn to one up him and lead him back.

Sing me home, Orpheus.

Another step, or you pull weekend monitor duty.

A sleepover, a wtws marathon, and Bart's excitable jibber-jabber.

Come on, clone boy, just a little bit more.

Kon felt the entrance give way beneath his fingers. Felt the hard asphalt as he hit it.

Kon stayed there. The oppressive atmosphere of the Underground was gone. Kon could breathe.

He smelled piss and new crosswalk paint. He heard birds. Felt the sun on his skin as it purified the kryptonite poisoning from his system. He soaked it up eagerly, turning his face up to the sky.

It was then, basking in the ease of freedom, that he realized what he didn't hear, smell, or feel.

Tim wasn't behind him.

Maybe a few more steps. Kon wanted to look behind but-could he? Could he yet?

"T-" Could he even say his name? Was Hades listening? Looking? Kon didn't dare risk anything.

"Eurydice?"

The birds answered him.

No…

"Eurydice?"

Nothing. No voice, no footsteps, no touch, no-

" Eurydice!"

"Hey there, Clone Boy."

Kon's eyes fluttered open in time for Tim's to close as he pressed his lips to Kon's. He tasted like antiseptic smelled but Kon didn't care. He laughed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Tim's thin body (fragile and weak from captivity now that Kon could see in the sunlight). Tim smelled like long nights and felt like a sugar crash of too much zesti. His hair was soft. Just as soft as Kon always thought it would be.

"Did you mean it?" Tim asked. "What you said? About loving me?"

"Did you mean it back?" Kon asked instead of answering, breathless.

The way Tim looked in the bright sun made Kon bloom inside.

Tim let out a small huff-Robin's version of a chuckle. A sound that had imprinted upon Kon's psyche. A sound he craved. A sound he knew as well as his own soul.

Kon grinned proudly at Tim's own version of his confession, and re-enforced his by kissing Tim as he'd wanted to do for years now. Until Tim gasped against him, more laughter pulled from his lips.

"I'm going to take that as a yes," Tim said. He kissed Kon once again, making Kon giddy from happiness.

"Yes."

Kon flew.

Tim laughed and pulled Kon closer. Wetness dappled against the crook of Kon's neck.

"Fucking Bruce," he said through tears, "he knows I hate pomegrantes."