"It's Charley..." Superman said between shuddering gasps, "He's dead, and it's all my fault."
Barry breathed a sigh of relief at Clark's words. It was awful that someone was dead, of course, but this at least was something he knew how to handle. Finding themselves on much more familiar ground, the three men turned and gathered around the two on the ground. Guilt over a death was, unfortunately, something they had all faced at one time or another.
Flash was about to launch into the standard 'not your fault, can't save everyone' speech when he was cut off by Batman's terse "How?"
"He ran in front of a car..." Superman murmured, his tears beginning anew.
Batman shot Flash a glance and he sped off to search the area for the deceased victim. He returned in less than the blink of an eye and shrugged, shaking his head. He'd found no body, no blood, no evidence of an accident. Batman's brows drew together in thought.
"Tell me exactly what happened." Batman demanded. Superman shook his head and burrowed deeper into Diana's arms, hiding his face. "Now, Clark."
"Bruce, can't this wait? You're upsetting him." Wonder Woman chastened.
"No, it can't." Bruce insisted, then to Clark, "Calm down and focus. What happened to Charley?"
Clark took several deep breaths then seemed to steel himself before spilling the entire story in one breath. "We were coming back from a walk and mama let me hold the leash while she got the mail but then Charley saw another dog across the street and jerked the leash out of my hands and... and...it's all my fault!" Superman dissolved into tears again while his teammates looked on in stunned silence. A dog. A fucking dog.
"You're crying over a fucking dog?!" Hal exploded, echoing Barry's own thoughts. Superman flinched at his outburst earning Hal a murderous glare from Diana as she resumed cradling Clark like a child. "Jesus, Superman, you scared the shit out of us!" Hal continued, seemingly oblivious to the danger he was in.
"Shut-up, Hal" Flash whispered, then took a few steps away from him when Wonder Woman reached for her sword. He just doesn't know when to quit.
"How could a dog pull a leash from your hands?" Good old Bats, always catching the details and distracting Wonder Woman from murdering G.L.
"I held on as tight as I could, but I was just a little-" Clark's brow furrowed, "...girl? No, wait."
Flash and Green Lantern erupted with laughter then dove to the ground when Wonder Woman's sword embedded into the wall behind them.