A/N: Please read and review!

Darkseid watched his plan fall into place. the people of Earth were slowly becoming disillusioned with their protectors, and his towers were being built, creating a world that would be his own. Glorious Godfrey worked to make them his mindless worshippers, but it was the group he "worked with" who did most of his work. At least, at first. Lately though, he was enjoying the slowly fracturing of that once close group.

One member was betraying them by helping their enemies try to destroy the towers. Another, but disgraced member chose to guard his brother's realms and protect his family. He obviously realized that blood was thicker than water, regretting breaking their bonds of brotherhood. The rest saw through the partnership to what it really was, and they were slowly growing uneasy with each attack, each passing day. Vandal Savage was blind to it all, and he still believed that they were in it together, far more close knit than their enemies.

What a moron.

"Any word from Morgen?" He asked Vandal Savage.

"Very little," he admitted. "She plans to wait near the sword for the brat."

Darkseid kept a cool outside, but inside he was worrying, remembering what happened the last time he tried to take Earth only to be beaten back by the brat's very legendary ancestor. It must not happen this time.

"Tell her," Darkseid said in a chilling voice. "Their lives are forfeit if they fail me."

Morgen felt weak, almost light headed. She was dizzy to the point that she needed to sit down.

"Mother?" Mordred asked her.

"My child," she said. "You need to be strong for me."

"Mother?" His voice was full of fear.

"No, my son," she said, calming him down. "One of my more powerful spells have been broken. I just need to rest."

Her most loyal slave was out of her control. Damn Merlin.

"Jason?" Dick asked in shock.

"Miss me, Goldie?" The tragic Robin asked, smirking.

"How. . .?" He asked, still cannot find the words.

"Ras felt bad," he answered. "Revived me."

Elaine was staring at the two of them, clearly confused over what was happening, but she kept quiet. Dick noticed the look in his old friend's eyes, and he kept her behind him protectively. Jason only laughed, a chilling sound.

"I'm only here to ask you one question, Goldie," he said. "How did he react when I died?"

"Badly," Dick answered, still standing between Jason and a struggling Elaine. "He became dangerous for a little while there, and he became withdrawn."

Jason almost seemed to accept that. Almost. "I didn't stop him from replacing me." That was more of a hiss.

"A couple years, and he only came along after he convinced him to join," Dick explained as vaguely as possible. "He still has your old uniform as a memorial."

Jason calmed down, but he still had that light in his eyes. Not madness. Anger.

"You're going to that sword, right?" Jason asked, but he already knew the answer if he had been following them. "Because if you are, it's heavily guarded."

"Some of the Team are also keeping an eye on it," Dick said.

"Of course," Jason agreed. "You wouldn't do any less, but you do realize that anyone who touches that sword ends up dying. Five already died."

Dick felt anger. Her uncle was sending them there, never once even bothering to mention that danger.

"Always siding with a manipulative -" Elaine punched Jason, and he held his nose which started to bleed.

"You don't know my uncle!" She told him. "You don't have the right to talk about him like that."

Dick tried to calm her down, glad he took her swords away earlier, and Elaine was starting to worry about what Jason had told them. Dick watched the one-time Robin he thought was dead walk away. Despite the way he broke the news, he at least cared enough to let them know. Depending on how long he had followed them, he would have noticed the way he was towards her.

"He would've told me," Elaine said. "He would've told me."

They were so close to the sword, and they could practically see it stuck in the pavement. Dick pulled her into an abandoned building for the night. Early the next morning, their dash to the sword would pay off. They needed to believe that they would succeed. The alternative was unthinkable.

Elaine sat against the wall, staring at the other, and Dick sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his.

"This sucks," she said. "I don't know if I should even try."

Dick shook his head. "Your uncle really loved you. He would never have told to get it if he thought you could die."

She lifted her head to look at him. "I know that, but. . .I guess I'm not sure if it would even work."

He hugged her to comfort her. "The way he said it, this worked before."

They stayed like that for awhile, enjoying how close they were. He gently pulled her head back and leaned forward to kiss her deeply. Elaine wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her even closer. Dick mouthed down her neck before he met her lips. Elaine pulled away and looked into his eyes. A pain of seeing their whole world falling apart, but there was also hope.

Artemis kept an eye on the people around the sword, waiting for the signal from Nightwing as he moved into the square with a young woman with red hair. a small hand signal, and she shot two of her special arrows at some of the bigger guards. Bart took out the rest.

The young woman ran to the sword, even though Dick moved to hold her back. A boy waved his hand, tripping the young woman while he laughed at her.

Elaine could not move. The sword was right there, practically within her reach. That boy was laughing at her.

"No one with your blood can even touch Excalibur," he was saying. "It's mine."

Elaine began to laugh. He sounded so ridiculous. "Really? Why don't you take it now?"

"Stop talking!" The boy yelled, kicking her in the side. "Mother was worrying about you. I don't see why. You're a girl."

"What? How is that so important?"

"You can't be king," the boy practically sneered at her.

"I don't want to be king!" Elaine was struggling to move. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dick struggling, too.

"Whoever can pull that sword would be king."

"Mordred," a woman's voice admonished, though it was a little weak. "Don't play with your lesser family."

The woman wore purple and had a golden mask that covered her face. Though she tried to hold herself up like she was of royal blood, her shoulders slumped forward a little bit and each of her steps were timid and small.

"I cannot believe that Merlin guarded my brother's line all these years, and I worked so hard to discredit your ultimate grandmother."

Elaine remembered all the stories her uncle used to tell her about King Arthur and his knights. One story, this one he told in anger, had a jealous enchantress telling lies about his queen and most trusted of knights and closest friend, and that her child was not Arthur's.

"But the king knew," he would finish. "He asked that the lies would always be told, so his daughter would be safe."

That story always ended with her uncle saying that Merlin spent the rest of his days guarding the king's daughter and all her children.

"For when Britain needed him most," Elaine said, speaking in the same manner as the woman. "The Once and Future King would return."

Dick threw two small objects at the boy, distracting him enough for Elaine to scramble to her feet. She grabbed the sword and pulled.