I apologize for my long absence. These past few weeks have been so busy I wasn't able to spare any time to write. Hopefully I will be able to post a little more consistently now. There are only 5 more chapters in this story, so thank you for your patience and I will do my best to make these last few chapters worth it!
In the days following the Battle of Atlantis, a memorial services was held at the Hall of Justice. The League had decided many years ago, that no matter how fierce this war became, the Hall of Justice would always remain neutral ground out of respect to all those fallen heroes that were memorialized there. Several holographic statues were places surrounding the hall, each depicting a brave hero or heroine that died in the line of duty: Blue Beetle (the first), Tula, Robin, Red Hood, Nightwing, and Kid Flash all stood proudly, looking over their living companions. Wally felt a little unnerved seeing his own memorial, but Batman refused to have it taken it down. It was Dick that insisted on the memorial of Kid Flash years before and the young man had spent hours sitting in silence, staring up at the holographic image of his long-lost friend. Bruce couldn't bare to tear down something that meant so much to his son. Now that Dick and Wally's memorials were joined by M'Gaan and Kaldur's, it was as if the team was finally together again… all except for Connor and Artemis. It broke Wally's heart to think that Artemis would never earn her place among these great heroes. Their Team would never be whole again, not even in death.
The months following the funeral seemed to drag on for an eternity. While Barry and Bart worked away at the time machine, Wally spent endless hours with Damien, reading up on League history and researching past events, trying to pinpoint the exact time and place he needed to return to. Wally wasn't sure whether it was the death of their friends or the threat of the approaching war that sparked Damien's interest in helping him, but he wasn't complaining. Like his brother's before him, Damien was intelligent and highly skilled in hacking priceless information. In a matter of weeks, they had accomplished more than Wally could have done in months, even with his super speed!
Getting to know Damien also came with other benefits. Wally had graduated from "Imposture" and was now just referred to by his last name, like everyone else Damien spoke to. Although the young Robin never showed any form of warmth or appreciation towards the speedster, Wally couldn't help but feel he was making progress. Damien wasn't great company, but at least he was around to break the silence of the base.
Lian and Artur had become nearly inseparable since the Atlantean's close call. With Lian's own experience with the loss of her parents, she could understand Artur's pain of losing his mentor. With Linx' support, the prince was slowly recovering from his trauma, which was more than they could hope from Connor.
Since the funeral, Connor hadn't left his room. He refused to eat or sleep or talk to anyone on the Team; content with lying on his bed, gazing endlessly at the picture of him and M'Gaan that sat on his bedside table. Damien had taken full advantage of the clone's depression, claiming that he was no longer capable of leading the Team. Robin had asked Batman to appoint him as the new leader, but Batman assured him that the clone's state was only temporary.
"Superboy will be fine once he finds the right motivation." Batman insisted.
"Tt, and what motivation would that be father? Vengeance?" Damien replied with a sneer.
"Justice." Batman corrected him.
Another month passed and Wally became hopeful that Batman`s threats were nothing more than hate-filled words. There had been no direct contact with Superman or his allies since the funeral and with most of the Team physically hindered by their last battle, it seemed that their anger and hatred for the other side was fading along with their injuries. Lian said that this had happened before after her parents were killed. Many of the League members (Green Arrow included) had wanted Superman to pay for provoking the attack on the Mountain, but as time went on both sides decided it was not worth spilling any more blood. Wally was starting to believe the same thing was happening now. He should have known better than to be so optimistic.
It was three months to the day since the Battle of Atlantis, and Damien, Lian, and Artur were finally well enough to return to the field. Connor, still riddled with depression, stayed at the base while the others paired off to patrol the streets of Gotham. Aqualad and Linx were to cover the harbour while Robin and Kid Flash checked out the abandoned remnants of Arkham Asylum.
"I didn't think Arkham could get any creepier."
"Quiet West!" Damien snapped at the speedster, rolling his eyes as he lead the way into the abandoned asylum. The two has just crossed the threshold when a familiar voice froze them dead in their tracks.
"Kcol eht rood. Niartser meht!"
The doors slammed shut behind the two heroes and ropes appeared out of nowhere, binding themselves around Damien and Wally.
"Zatanna!" Wally cried out in surprise, followed by Damien's vicious hiss.
"Release us, you witch!"
"I'm sorry. Don't resist and you won't be hurt." Zatanna said, flashing Wally an apologetic look.
The magician hadn't changed much in her looks, aside from gaining twenty years. She wore a similar costume (albeit, slightly more modest than the one she wore as a teenager), her long, ebony hair still fell in loose waves along her shoulders, but her eyes had lost that playful charm they used to carry.
"Excellent work Zatanna." Superman stated, stepping into view and placing a reassuring hand on the Magician's shoulder.
"Take Robin back to the others. I want to have a word with Kid Flash."
"You're not taking me anywhere! If you think I'll go quietly…!" Robin snapped back, interrupted mid-threat by another one of Zatanna's spells.
"Ecnelis! Pots gnigglurts dna klaw!" The woman ordered, causing Robin's mouth to snap shut, silencing him instantly. Unable to resist the spell, Robin ceased his struggles and walked with Zatanna into the next room, casting a sharp glance back at Wally.
"Where are you taking him? Why are you doing this?" Wally hissed a the Man of Steel.
"This war has cost too many lives; Batman needs to be stopped. I've tried to bring him in peacefully, but he has fought me at every turn. I didn't want it to come to this… but he has left me with no other choice. Bruce won't risk losing another son. I'm going to trade Damien for his father." Superman explained in a calm, cool tone that sparked a new rage in the speedster. He was talking about kidnapping a hero! Blackmailing a father with his son's life!
"You can't do this! You're supposed to be a hero!" Wally shouted back in outrage, but Superman merely raised his hand to pacify the young protege.
"Please Wally, let me explain. Since you've returned, all you've heard is Batman's side of the story. I know he used to be a hero, that you used to look up to him. But since you disappeared, Batman has become a villain. He's a murderer Wally, and a master of manipulation. He needs to be stopped and trading Damien is the only way we can force him to surrender to us peacefully. As long as Robin doesn't resist, he won't be harmed. That I can promise you."
"And you think he won't resist? He was trained by Batman, he'll never stop fighting! And neither will I! This is wrong Superman, and I won't let you use Bruce's own son against him!" Wally snapped back, fighting furiously against his binds.
"Wally, I'm giving you a chance to see the truth! You don't have to be bound like Damien. If you join us willingly; if you see our side…"
"Never!" The speedster snapped, vibrating his wrists so fast that the friction burned through the ropes, causing them to snap. Wally crossed the room in seconds, sending a flurry of punches towards the Kryptonian, but Superman was too strong. With one swipe of his arm, he swatted Wally away like an insect! The young speedster slammed against the wall, hard enough to daze him. Before he could recover, he felt a strong hand curl around his shirt and lift him a foot off the ground. Superman pulled the communicator from Wally's ear and crushed it between his fingers.
"I tried to reason with you Wally. I gave you a chance. But if you insist on siding with those murderers, I have no choice but to treat you like one!" Superman growled, tossing Wally effortlessly across the room. The young hero hit the floor hard, and painfully pushed himself to his feet. Wally tried to sprint away from the approaching Kryptonian, but Superman used his speed against him. A breath of frigid air covered the floor in a glassy sheet of ice beneath Wally's feet. The speedster slipped and slid directly into the wall, soon pinned beneath the weight of Superman's foot. Wally felt the pressure on his chest, forcing the air from his lungs. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying that he wouldn't hear the crack of his ribs giving way.
"Let him go!" Robin's voice rang out, followed by a pained groan from Superman. The weight on Wally's chest was suddenly removed and the speedster wasted no time in rolling away from the Kryptonian and rejoining his Teammate. Damien had apparently taken care of Superman's allies himself, but not without earning a beating of his own. The young hero was leaning on the door frame for support, hardly able to stand after his beating, but his injuries did nothing to distract from the scathing glare in his eyes. The bright green stone glowing in his open palm was enough to keep Superman at bay. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Damien threw the piece of Kryptonite at at Clark, knowing the Kryptonians weakness would give them the chance to escape. Wally, ignoring Damien's protests, picked up the bird and sped away from the Asylum, not stopping until they reached the entrance to the base.
Recognized: Robin B32, Kid Flash B03.
"Robin! Kid!" Connor was by their sides in seconds, taking Damien from Wally and lying him on one of the medical tables so Batman could assess the boy's condition. Now safe in the confines of the base, Wally let himself collapse into a chair and rest, taking stock of his own injuries. Superman left him with a few cracked ribs and some abdominal bruising, but it was nothing his rapid healing wouldn't fix. Damien didn't have that luxury.
"What happened?" Batman demanded, forcing Damien to lay down and rest while Connor fetched the medical supplies.
"Superman ambushed us. He sent his little witch to make sure we couldn't fight back. Fortunately, they made the mistake of allowing Arsenal to guard me. It doesn't take much to provoke that hothead, and the witch doesn't approve of unnecessary violence. Once they started bickering, I was able to fight my way out and find West before the imbecile got himself killed." Damien explained, hissing out his pain as Connor snapped his dislocated shoulder back into place.
"Superman wanted to use Damien to blackmail you into surrendering. He's supposed to be a hero, how can he stoop so low?!" Wally growled.
"Superman's ignorance and lack of foresight have cost us too many lives. Not only Miss Martian, Kaldur'Ahm, and Lagoon Boy, but countless innocent civilians that have perished in the course of this war. His mistakes allowed Artemis to slip through our fingers, his rage crippled Impulse and drove Flash into retirement, and his stubbornness provoked the deaths of Cheshire Cat and Red Arrow. And now, he has the audacity to threaten my son. Until now, we have only fought Superman in order to protect ourselves, but I refuse to stay idol. Superman is dangerous and he needs to be stopped before he risks any more innocent lives." Batman stated, earning an obedient nod from Damien and a wide-eyed stare from Wally.
"When you say you're going to stop him, you don't mean…?"
"Yes Wallace. Superman, like the Joker, cannot be contained. The only way to stop him from spilling more innocent blood is to spill some of his." Batman stated, sending a wave of dread and fear coursing through Wally's mind.
"We are going to kill Superman."