Chapter 13: The Beginning of the End

Dark Eagle wearily opened her eyes. Everything was blurry. She felt someone shake her shoulder and someone shouting at her.

"Mary!?"

Dark Eagle rubbed her eyes and sat up, taking in sharp breaths. She saw Speed Arrow next to her, his arm slid around her shoulders. The Black Mistress looked around her. She was lying on a bed in the Watchtower med-bay. Everyone who had almost suffocated and their ex-mentors were there. Wally was sitting up, his legs hanging off the bed and he was wearing a pristine uniform.

"Ow! My head hurts," Dark Eagle groaned, rubbing the crook of her nose.

She realized she wasn't wearing her mask and looked around the room, realizing none of her team-mates had their masks on. Robin -Lauren- was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, her head bent and her hands between her legs. Mary -Dark Eagle- could see the look in the Girl Wonder's eyes. Mary slid off the bed and lent down beside her sister.

"What's wrong, Laur?" the Black Mistress asked.

"My powers..." she murmured.

"Where'd you get them?" K.F asked.

Everyone looked at the Girl Wonder. Lauren bowed her head and screwed her eyes shut. Mary put an arm around her.

"Have you ever heard of Silvia Ashland? You know, Ash-Maker?" said Lauren "And her insane ex-boyfriend, Bone-Crusher?"

"Yeah? I also know how Bone-Crusher and Ash-Maker had a daughter, Sabrina Ashland, then Ash-Maker cheated on Bone-Crusher and had Danica Ashland," said K.F "And I know Bone-Crusher found out about the affair after Ash-Maker was put away and..."

"...and murdered Danica when she was 7, right in front of Sabrina, who was 11," said Lauren "and Sabrina hasn't been seen since,"

"I knew that to, so what does that have to do with you?" K.F asked.

"Lauren Bennett is an alias," said Lauren "I- I'm really Sabrina Ashland,"

"WHAT!?" K.F shouted.

"Dark Eagle found me crying over my sister's body the night she died... she took me to the Batcave where Man Martian did a mind-scan, confirming I don't want to be a League of Shadows assassin like my parents..." said Lauren "I became Robin a year later to catch my dad,"

"How come you didn't tell anyone?" K.F asked.

"Speed Arrow and Archeress know and Dark Eagle, Nightwing, Zatara and Zatanna of course... I'll tell the rest of our Team when we get home," said Lauren, curling up on her chair.

"She's like the Tigress of her generation of Team," said Nightwing.

"So you're our kids in the future?" said Tigress, changing the subject.

"Yep," said Dark Eagle, there was a beeping from her utility-belt and she turned on the time-worp communicator "Dad?" she said, bewildered.

"I'm guessing you've just got saved from almost suffocating?" said the crackly voice.

"Yep," repeated his daughter "What now?"

"Hand the time-worp communicator over to my 19-year-old self," said the Future Nightwing.

"We need to talk to our past selves only. You lot need to leave the med-bay," came the Future Tigress's voice "Kids, put your masks back on and get outta there!"

"Yes, Mom," Speed Arrow murmured.

Dark Eagle passed the time-worp communicator to the Past Nightwing. Her and the rest of the Future Team replaced their masks and walked out of the room.

The Team was waiting outside of the med-bay. They looked up when the Future Team walked out.

"What's going on?" Wonder Girl asked, holding her boyfriend's hand.

"Nothing. They're just talking to their future selves over the time-worp communicator," said Dark Eagle.

"Why?" Beast Boy asked.

"We're not at liberty to tell you that," said K.F, smirking.

"It's confidential," said Robin #5.

Guardian suddenly ran over to them, panting as he bent over.

"Mal? What's wrong?" Bumblebee asked.

"W-we n-need..." he panted "Get the rest of the Team and get to the briefing room, ASAP!"

Nightwing walked out of the med-bay and handed the time-worp communicator back to Dark Eagle, he was followed out by the rest of the Team and the Leaguers.

"Nightwing!" Guardian exclaimed "Th-there's-"

"We know," Nightwing said "C'mon. The Future Me said it was important,"

They all ran into the briefing room. A hollo-screen was up and Lex Luthor was on it.

"Luthor," Superboy snarled.

The Teams and Leaguers stood at attention. Beast Boy refused the urge to smile when he saw Wally step beside Nightwing.

"Hello... you seem to have something of mine," said Luthor, eyeing Wally "Hello Project Exeleration,"

"I'm not a project!" Wally hissed.

"Very well... Wallace," said Luthor "As you have guessed I know Kid Flash's secret identity. The G-gnomes did some... research... and I learnt a lot more," said the mad man.

"Yeah right!" hissed Blue Beetle.

"Yes. Right," tormented Luthor "For example... oh, I don't know... Nightwing's real name is Richard John Grayson, Dick for short, perhaps?"

This took everyone by surprise. You could see Nightwing's eyes widen behind his domino mask.

"Which makes Batman the boy's adoptive father, Bruce Wayne. Thus making the second Robin the deceased Jason Todd, yet another ward. And that makes the current Robin Timothy Drake!" said Luthor.

The Teams were shocked. Robin #3 and Nightwing looked at each other with worry. No one spoke until...

"Nightwing's name is Dick?" said Blue Beetle, out of the blue (excuse the pun).

"Yes..." said Luthor "and I now know Superboy's name is Conner Kent and that Miss Martian's human alias is Megan Morse and..."

"Stop!" Batman hissed "What do you want?"

"Return Project Exelaration to me, at Cadmus, or your secret identities become public knowledge!" threatened Luthor.

"WHAT?!" everyone there shouted.

"As we speak a count-down has been initiated on every T.V, computer and jumbo-tron in the world! And when it hits zero... you'll all be famous for a different reason," said Luthor and the screen went dead.

The heroes looked at each other. Batman brought up a hollo-keyboard and started typing. He brought up security footage of several different public screens, all were black with a red count-down.

"What are we gonna do?" Beast Boy said, his eyes looking to the Future Team.

"To be honest I'm just trying to remember if we covered anything like this in history class back in high school," said Speed Arrow "Dark Eagle? You got anything?"

"Now I regret skipping class," said the Black Mistress "I got nothing,"

"Duh!" said Robin #5 "We stop the broadcast of their secret identities!"

"But if we do Luthor will only try again," said Aqualad.

"Not if I erase his memory of our identities," said Miss Martian.

Batman typed at the hollo-computer again, a hollo-graphic world map appeared with red dots across it.

"I've pinpointed where the main broadcast points are. If you take them out while Miss Martian erases Luthor's memory we should be in the clear," said the Dark Knight.

"Miss M will need cover," said Man Martian "I'm going with her,"

"So am I," said Superboy.

So they split into squads. Robin the Boy Wonder with Robin the Girl Wonder. Wonder Girl and Archeress. Blue Beetle and Kid Flash (Bart). Beast Boy with Static. K.F with Batgirl. Guardian with Lagoon Boy and The Flash. Bumblebee with Superwoman. Tigress with Wally (no one was stopping Wally from going). Nightwing and Zatanna. Dark Eagle with Speed Arrow. And, finally, Aqualad with Rocket.

The next chapter will be the last then I'm gonna write some follow-up stories like I did last time. PLEASE REVIEW!