"We'll need the Titans to team up with the Beta Squad," Kaldur announced at the team meeting. It was a huge operation; so huge that even Jason Todd's team were involved, suited up for whatever was going to happen. For Tim, it was just so much happening at once. He glanced over at Stephanie, who was lacing up her boots and eyed him with a glare. They were angry at each other, and with good reason; because now it was her wearing the cowl and herwearing that eggplant colored suit. He practically shivered in anger just looking at her in it. He sighed, slumping in his seat next to Cassie who had her arms folded across her chest.

"I thought we had our own team," she grumbled under her breath as she slung one leg over the other.

"We are," Tim answered. "But this is too big for our team to handle alone. Kaldur knows what he's doing, too." He glances at Kaldur again, as he closed up their small meeting before setting off for the missions.

It was a very serious mission, a matter of life and death. It started in Gotham, with James Gordon being killed and their world turning to shit when Ashlynn's father became commissioner. His hatred and willpower made vigilantism completely illegal in Gotham, which he spread to the other major cities. Now people were taking it upon themselves to shoot at them in public. It's become worse, however, now that their foes were supplying them with heavy firearms and giving them names of people to kill. Their excuse? They were supporters of vigilantism.

His team, Stephanie unfortunately included, was being sent to Metropolis to try and keep the violence down. How a bunch of vigilantes were going to achieve this was beyond Tim. He was almost relieved that Connor was part of the Gamma Squad, especially since he needed his best friends with him since Ash was no longer part of the Titans. The former Boy Wonder respected how she handled Steph's immaturity, even if Ash didn't necessarily "win" in the end.

"Why stoop down to her level? She wants to take my mantle, fine. Let her. Who said I could only be Batgirl anyway," he remembers Ash's words precisely, because he knew she had something up her sleeve. He walked with Cassie and Connor into the Bio-Ship, buckling his seat belt as he began putting the coordinates into the Ship's log.

"Okay team. I know, this mission is going to be a little tricky… but I have faith that we can figure it all out."

HOURS LATER…

How could he be so blind to the world they lived in now to have faith.

"Pull back!" he practically screamed, trying to protect his team from the gunfire. He could practically see Cassie roll her eyes she she slammed her fist into somebody's gut.

"Speak for yourself, Red. I can handle myself," her thoughts ran into his telepathically, thanks to M'Ghann's link.

"We're not going to be able to isolate the problem when we're being attacked and attacking civilians. Pull. Back. N-" His speech was cut mid-sentence as a bullet shot through his abdomen. Connor shot him a look and ran over his his side, catching him before his head hit the floor.

"Red…RED!" he exclaimed, lightly smacking Tim's face. He pulled his body into an alley, blood making a trail behind them. He placed his hand over the bleeding wound as Tim groaned. "T-Tim… everything is going to be okay, alright? You need to s-stay awake for me." He tore off part of his shirt as he replaced his hand with him, putting Tim's own over it. "Apply the pressure, stay awake. I'm going to go warn the others that you're down." Tim nods, blinking in an attempt to keep his eyes open. He knows Connor and knows that he can keep the team calm and be able to lead them out of danger.

He doesn't know when he loses consciousness, or when Connor took him to the hospital. He remembers fading in and out…

He's so pale…

He's bleeding everywhere…

There's too much blood…

When he does come to, he has Connor and Ash at his bedside, passed out and resting their heads on his side. He reaches over to gently stroke Ash's hair as she wakes up, quickly wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank God!" she exclaimed. "I thought I lost you!" He notices Connor wake up as well, a frown on his face as he notices the two of them in their embrace. Tim smiles weakly at him, almost in a silent thanks for saving him in time.

"It's okay, I'm fine," he tells her, only to realize that she was not only crying, but now she was sobbing.

"No, you're not." She said, her green eyes meeting his.

"What are you talking about?"

"The bullet ripped through your spine, Tim," Connor explains, coming over to rest a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You'll…you'll never be able to walk again." The news hits Tim like a ton of bricks, and at first, he's almost in shock. He was waiting for Connor to crack that stupid "got ya!" smile and punch him playfully, but the dead expression was still plastered all over his face. He looks down at his legs; which were more like dead weights now. 'Move your foot', his tried to command himself. 'Prove them wrong, prove them all wrong and just do something.' He frowns when nothing happens, biting his lip as if to keep everything bottled up. He slumps back down into the pillow, every thought and every emotion hitting him like a semi truck on the interstate, going 80 mph. It was over; he would never be able to don the mantle of Red Robin again and would never feel that satisfaction of being able to swing from rooftops, or save people's lives. He feels Ash wrap her arms around him, but it's more like a ghost then anything.

He doesn't want to feel anything.

Weeks pass by, and it's a hard adjustment. Dick wouldn't even look at his failed brother as he helped move their bedroom set from the second to the first floor. Barbara sits with Tim, trying to console him since she's been through it all before. He can't help but tune her out, as he's done with practically everything upon hearing the news.

"You can't shut people out.. no matter how badly you want to," she told him, resting a hand on his. "Especially your family.. we're here for you and care about you."

"I don't want to talk about it," Tim snaps, glaring at her. "I don't want to keep being reminded of how much my life is going to change. At least if I didn't want to hear something before, I could walk away from it." He folds his arms across his chest, looking down at the floor to where Rybak stared at him, his curled up tail wagging uncontrollably as he sat by Tim's feet. Leaning down, he scoops the pug into his arms and allows him to snuggle into his lap. Rybak used to jump up whenever he got the chance to so he could sit with Tim; it was almost a ritual. It didn't matter if it was the couch or even the bed… Rybak cuddled. However, the wheelchair changed things, and Rybak didn't dare try to jump up on the metal contraption. It didn't help that Rurik had been avoiding him because of the new foreign object.

"I'm just trying to help," Barbara responded, putting her hands on the wheels of her chair. "But hey, I guess the saying runs true, then huh?"

"What saying?"

"You can't lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink."

"Tim, have you even gotten out of bed since I left for work this morning?" Ash drops her things on the dresser as Tim looks over his shoulder at her. He wasn't much for being a couch potato, but lately all he seemed to do was watch TV from their bed. He hasn't been at work in weeks and there's bags under his eyes from waking up to phantom pains. Plus, not to mention that he's been overly frustrated about having to learn simple tasks over again, because nobody ever tells you the truth; that living in a chair sucks. "You need to get up, now."

"And go where, exactly?" he groans, pushing the glasses closer to his face as he watches yet another episode of Supernatural.

"Well you are the CEO of a huge corporation." Ash sits down on the edge of the bed, stroking his hair as he leans into the touch. She smiles, noting that it's the first time Tim reacted to anything positive since the accident. "And they need you." Tim shakes his head, using the handles above him to lift himself into a sitting position.

"They've gotten along fine without me before I even became CEO Ash. They have Lucius, and he's a great leader. I was never good at leading anything. Look at where my leadership got me! Connor won't come see me, no matter how badly I beg him. Cassie won't even talk to me and let's not even get started on Steph. Then there's Dick, who I could use at a time like this but he's not around…" he could feel his throat closing up, swallowing down the knot forming there. "I need to stay away… I need to stay here."

"What do you mean you're not good? You're the reason there's even a team of Titans to begin with. Kaldur believed in you, the Justice League had faith in you. So did I." Ashlynn bites her lip, knowing that talking about a topic like this is like walking barefoot on broken glass. One of Tim's insecurities was his belief of not being good enough. Even when Dick and Tim were on rocky ground, Dick pushed him. "You know, I was shocked when you let me join the team; I thought it was going to be pure hell working with you when you were still mad at me. Good leaders brush away their personal feelings, and you did… you practically welcomed me with open arms. You made sure to take care of your team and keep them safe. That's what made you a good leader, if not the best." She hesitates to wrap her arms around his shoulders, burrowing her face into his chest as he slowly takes it in; willing himself to slowly do the same. His face is practically set in stone; a puppy kicked around too many times look. Still though, a small smile comes to Ash's lips. "You know this is the first time you've really touched me in weeks."

"I- I know."

"I don't really think you know, Tim. I… I missed this. I know it's all a lot to take in, but I hate being pushed away." She places a kiss to his jawline, inching up little by little until their lips touch and when she kisses him, he kisses back. Gently pushing him down, she straddles his hips, as he pulls her deeper into the kiss, snaking a hand down to her hips. For a moment, it's like it's back to normal all over again, every move and touch so well rehearsed. They get completely lost in the moment, until Ash could feel Tim pulling away; staring up at her with those big blue globes.

"I- I can't," he barely whispers, his voice quivering. "It w-won't be the same." Ashlynn could almost swear that she saw tears forming in his eyes before pushing her off of him, curling onto his side and away from her.

She was so close to pulling him back to her; to have the same intimate moment that they used to share so many times ago, and the gut wrenching feeling practically guts her as she leaves him in the bedroom. She didn't know how to fix this, or how to console him; because there's no real way to ever console Tim.

He's been broken, even since before the accident.

Ashlynn is completely startled when she walks in the door, broken glass and random things all over the place. She notices Jason using a dustpan to pick up the shard pieces, looking up at Ash with a frown.

"Jason, what the hell!"

"Tim called about an hour ago, while you were at work. He tried to get a plate down from the cabinet but the shelf broke and.. well, you can kind of see what happened." Grabbing a broom from the closest, the pair get to work on trying to make the kitchen safe again.

"Thanks for coming over, I appreciate it." He gives her a sad smile as he dumps the broken glass into the trash. She wished that she could tell Jason everything; how she was feeling and how hard it's been.

"I um, it's fine really. When you live with a drug addicted mother who could but didn't take care of herself, it becomes second nature." He goes over and puts his hands on her shoulders. The tears in her eyes are enough to tell Jason everything, even if she does wipe them away. A small shade of pink spreads across her cheeks as she pulls him into a hug. He opens the door to the outdoor padio, leading her outside.

"What are we-"

"Talk to me, Ash. If you keep it bottled up, you're going to end up hurting yourself more then you could ever hurt him." Jason usually doesn't open up like this; maybe he was trying to redeem himself from the years of trying to stay away from the family. Either way, the two of them sat down on the chairs; Jason taking out a cigarette from his pack and lighting the end. After two hours of the endless conversation and Jason's company; Ash feels better, okay even.

"You didn't."

"Yes, I did. Jason and I both did it." Tim eyes the cabinets, now at a reasonable level for him to get stuff out of, in pure anger.

"Why?" he asks, his voice in complete monotone. He wraps a blanket around his shoulders as his eyes narrow to slits looking at her. "Can't you just leave things alone!?" Ashlynn returns the same look back to him, crossing her arms across her chest.

"That's it. My patience has officially worn thin. I can't do this anymore. There's only so much I can take of this; having to see you suffer while you pushed away…that killed me, but this. No, this I just can't deal with. I was only trying to help you out!"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" he exclaims. "I DON'T NEED ANYONE'S FUCKING HELP, DON'T YOU GET THAT!" He practically shaking, from all the emotion he just let out, and the cold that was shaking his core. Lately, he just couldn't find a way to get warm; the only heat he could really feel was the one he was using to fuel his argument.

"I can't even.." she shakes her head, grabbing the keys from the island. Tim barely blinks when the front door slams shut, because he could see it coming.

He practically feels the dread peak as he wheels himself back to the bedroom… but he doesn't get back into bed. Instead, he wheels himself over to their dresser to look at himself in the mirror. They both had a thing for keeping pictures around. He never realized why he never took the time to really look at them, to really admire the stories and history behind them. The picture of his parents on the far right; they had just gotten married and were on their honeymoon and went to Costa Rica. That picture of him and Bruce? That was taken shortly after he adopted Tim. Those weren't the only ones, because there was plenty with Dick, Damian and even Jason was in a few, but it was the one in the center that got his attention the most.

A picture of Tim and Ash as kids.

They had to be two, maybe three when it was taken. They had only met a week before it was taken, but by the looks on their faces, the pair didn't care. He sighed, wishing things were that simple again. He feels his phone vibrate and checks it, a text from Ash on the screen.

'Sorry I snapped. I'll be home later, just need to get out for a bit and clear my head. I love you, see you soon.'

When she does come home, she finds him asleep in the wheelchair in front of the dresser.

He doesn't remember when he was put into bed or even under the blankets, but when he tries to get out of bed to get a drink, he lands on the ground with a loud 'THUD.'

"Tim!" Ashlynn is practically ripped from her sleep due to the loud disturbance. Tim was on the floor, only a little ways away from the chair which was propped up against the wall. She gets up from the bed, wrapping her arm around his waist, only to have him pull away.. "Did you fall?"

"No, I hovered out of bed and threw myself onto the floor," Tim responds sarcastically, annoyance in his tone as he pulls away from her grasp. He winces at the look on her face as she sighs. "I'm sorry, that came out way worse then I meant it to. I'm just-" He looks away from her, biting his lip as hard as he can. Tim doesn't know how to tell Ash anything; from the horrible stress the accident causes him, to the self loathing that he starts to feel every time he looks in the mirror. He hates himself for letting his team and himself down. He loathes that wheelchair and how dependent he has to be of it. He cannot stand to even look down at his legs anymore; because all he can think about is that small hope that maybe he could walk again. He's been to the doctors and physical therapist; all of which put a complete damper on that hope. And feeling depressed all the time, that killed him. But nothing was hurting him worse then the pain he was putting Ash through. He's hurt her so much in the past already, and he's even thought about letting her go; leaving her so she wouldn't have to deal with how broken he was… but he was too selfish. He needed Ash in his life like he needed air; she was an essential part to his being. "I'm just-" His voice cracks, even though he is trying to suppress his emotions that were trying to spill out. He's held up that wall for so long though, bottled everything up inside. This time, the wall doesn't hold and he looks up at Ash with tears spilling out of his eyes.

"I'm tired, Ash," he croaks, cradling his head in his hands as he begins to sob uncontrollably. He feels her next to him; cradling his shaky form in her arms as she rests her head on his shoulder. Her lips meet his cheek, placing a small chaste kiss onto it in a small effort to show him that she cared. Her heart practically breaks for him, never ever seeing him cry in front of her before. Tim never let anyone see himself so vulnerable, because he wanted to appear strong and collected. She always figured it was his way of trying to prove himself, but maybe he was finally realizing that he had nothing to prove to Ash. She knew him inside and out, so what was there to hide?

"Shhhh," she coos, trying to calm his trembling form as she rubbed small circles into his opposite shoulder. "It's okay Tim."

"No it's not," he replies, cringing at the crack in his voice. "I'm not myself anymore… that scares me."

"Yes you are. You've always been the same man that I've fallen for since day one. The one that would sacrifice anything for other people over himself. The same Tim that picks all the pepperoni off the pizza pie…the same Tim that even to this very moment, is someone I could look up to. You've always had such an caring and inspiring personality, too. You don't need your legs to be the Tim everyone knows and loves." She cups his chin in her hand so she could make him look at her. "You need to have your heart." Pulling him into a tight hug, she holds him until his quaky body stills and his sobs dissipate into hiccups before helping him back into bed. Before crawling into bed herself, she fills a glass of water in the kitchen and places it in his shaky hands. A smile comes to her lips when Tim, for the first time since his accident, wraps his arms around her like they had done so many times before. She wiggles closer, breathing in his scent deeply before placing a kiss to his jaw. Almost as if rehearsed, she feels his lips against her forehead.

"I love you, Ashlynn," he remarks, his voice hoarse.

"Love you too, Featherbrain."

It's been another three weeks, and things start to brighten up. Since the two of them don't go on patrol, they spend more time together. When they're not watching TV, or going out somewhere, they sit in bed and just talk for hours; Tim is glasses and Ash in her Call of Duty shirt. Usually, because of their previous nighttime obligations, they never had time to just be with each other, and it's nice. Tim opens up more to Ash, because there is nothing to hide anymore. One thing that hasn't been brought up was their lack of intimacy; Tim always stopped it before it went too far. He doesn't mean to, he wants to make Ash happy and wants to be connected to her on that emotional level again. But lately, there's a barrier. Ashlynn doesn't know how to bring it up without seeming needy or desperate. She can't stop herself one night, climbing on top of him during a commercial of American Horror Storyto litter kisses all over his neck.

"A-Ash?" He brings his hands up to her head, cupping it into them. "I, um, I can't." It pains him to see the frown on her face.

"…What are you scared of?" she asked. "Talk to me." He responds with a sigh, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he rests his hands on her hips.

"I'm not scared," he replies matter-of-factly. "I don't think I can- I don't think-"

"What, Tim! Spit it out already!"

"I don't think everything is in good working order. There, happy?" His cheeks grow red as he buries his face into his hands. She gives him a small smile, removing his hands from his face to place a kiss on his nose. She tries to put on a playful grin, taking his glasses off and placing them on the nightstand.

"Oh, I'm sure I can cure you," she tells him, leaning over to suck on his earlobe. She had succeeded in eliciting a moan from the male, as he pulls her closer. "Yup. Mr. Drake, you're a cured man." She meets his eyes, now burning with a hunger that he stowed away for so long. Lightly tracing his hands down her sides, he pulls at the bottom of her shirt.

"Shut up and take this off," he tells her, a small smile appearing on his lips. He watches as she pulls the shirt off, dropping it to the floor as she places a kiss onto his lips. "I missed this," he comments, his lips against hers.

"I missed you more," she retorts, unbuttoning his jeans and pulling them off; noticing the way he relaxes into her touch as she touches his new scar; the bullet wound right in between the splenectomy scar. "Let me show you how much."

They've been intimate before, but it's different this time. It used to be a about how one could pleasure the other. This time, this moment is on a different level. At first, it's hard for Tim, because he loved getting the chance toshow Ash how much he loved her, and act on it. It was more about expression this time; how he paid extra attention to something new he did that she liked. For Ash, she got to take more control; make sure Tim didn't feel broken or unwanted but instead, that he was her's; no matter what condition he was in. When they are completely worn out, holding each other close, the feeling is there.

They're both wanted. Needed. Loved.

Accepted.

Easter Sunday practically comes out of nowhere; and Alfred had been extremely busy planning on the evening supper that Tim couldn't say no when it came to going; not that Ash was going to let him either.

"It'll be fine," she told him, straightening his tie. He did believe her until they got to the manor… where everyone except for Bruce and Alfred avoided him like the plague. He noticed Barbara glance over at him from time to time, but only to look away and back to whatever conversation she was having with somebody else. Dick was sitting outside by himself; a glass of wine in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He wheeled himself over to the older male, looking up at his somber expression.

"Long time no see," Tim comments, making sure to put the brakes on the chair. Dick's blue eyes meet his own, as the older sibling scowled at him.

"I suppose you're right. I've been… I've been busy." Tim notices the bruised, swollen knuckles that Dick sports, squeezing into into a fist, tightly. Tim furrows his brows and drops his hands into his lap.

"Besides the obvious night job, what's been keeping you away? Dick… I haven't seen you in over two months. Two. Months. I used to see you all the time." He notices Dick flinch at Tim's words, especially over how much time had passed. "Did I do something wrong, or say something to you? I mean, please give me something better then 'I've been busy.'"

"Don't pull that crap on me, Tim." Dick replies, his volume of his voice rising. "You know that's not fair."

"To who, you? No offense, Dick, but if you were in a chair, I'd make sure I was there for you. I wouldn't let a fuckingchair ruin what we had."

"Oh really? You let Ash ruin it for the longest time!" Tim swallows, trying to keep his composure. "I want to be able to talk to you, Tim, really. But every time I look at you… all I can see is my own failure." At that moment, Tim wheels himself over to one of the outdoor chairs and points to it.

"Sit. Now. Explain." Dick ambles over to the chair, sipping down the rest of his wine, wincing at his pained hand when he sets the glass onto the table next to him. "What did you do, Dick? Make somebody into your own personal punching bag?"

"Something like that," Dick says softly. "I just… Why did… Tim. Why didn't you ever tell me I pushed you so hard? I should have known you weren't ready to lead a team, even then. You were so hesitant… scared. I just thought you could handle it; Robins are always supposed to figure it out and move on, excel." He sits forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees as if to talk to Tim in more depth.. about to unload much more onto Tim then expected. "And when Connor called me, and told me about your injury; all I could think about was how I let the same thing happen to Barbara; how I wasn't there to save Jason. And Bruce, well, I always failed Bruce. Tim, I haven't put on my uniform since your accident, apparently I can't handle that kind of responsibility."

"Dick you weren't there when I got shot."

"Doesn't matter. You thought you could lead a team… and you couldn't. I put that thought in your head that you could do anything; then you got hurt. And then Connor found the name of the guy that shot you… and I couldn't help myself." He's now burying his head into his hands. "I ended up beating him so badly that he could barely see. If Connor didn't make it- he would have been dead. Just like how I almost let myself kill Joker, he was an easy target. Easy, Tim." Tim wants to shrink down to the smallest size possible when he notices the pained expression on his brother's face, how much guilt he carries around on his shoulders. He couldn't understand it; maybe it was because he was the oldest, or the first won to don the mask of Robin, but he feels bad because of how Dick takes everything. Just the fact that he almost killed the man that crippled him made Tim want to take back everything he had just yelled at him for.

"I- I don't know what to say," Tim replies. "I didn't realize that you took my injury that hard." Silence envelops the two of them, so much that needed to be said hanging over them and at the same time, there's nothing because they already know. Tim could go ahead and scold Dick for defending him; could tell him that there was a reason he was shot and that was because vigilantes are being targeted for "killing" innocent people. However, his brotherdefended him.

"Well, I did. Believe it or not Tim, we all did. Do you know how hard it is to be in the cave with your uniform ondisplay?"

"No. I… I haven't been in the cave," Tim replies, biting his lip. Since the accident, he hasn't had a real reason to. He grips his elder sibling's hand tightly, a small smile on his face. "It shouldn't matter though, Dick. I'm fine. I'm still me, whether I can walk or not. Plus, I don't need legs to kick your ass on the X-Bax." A smile spreads across Dick's face.

"I can kick your ass in Call of Duty."

"I can kick yours in Mortal Combat."

"It's on, Drake." Dick playfully punches Tim's shoulder as Alfred comes out to tell them that dinner is ready. The butler is startled, however, when Tim tells him to stay behind.

"I need a favor, Alfred," Tim tells him. "And if you could do this, I'd be extremely grateful."

"What is it, Master Timothy?"

"I need to make some alterations to the uniform."

"Your driving skills scare me," Ash tells him, covering her eyes while Tim wheels her into their bedroom. "And I hate surprises."

"I know you do," Tim replies, putting the brakes on the chair. "I think you'll like this one though. Go ahead and look." He watches when she unshielded her eyes, taking in the sight of what is now laying on the bed.

"Is that your-"

"No, it's your uniform," Tim retorts, matter-of-factly. "I had Alfred make the appropriate adjustments; and added the changes that I was going to use after that mission. It's got wings and a domino mask instead of the cowl. But it's yours, Ash. I want you to take up the mantle since I can't."

"…I don't know what to say," she says, picking up the kevlar in her hands. She strokes the utility belt in awe. "It looks awesome, beautiful even… but are you really that okay with me taking your identity like that?" Tim nods, a smile on his face.

"If anyone can do it, it's you. I wouldn't trust anybody else with it. I know it's safe in your hands, and no offense, but if I watch you wallow around the house at night one more time…"

"I do not wallow."

"Loll about, lie around, whatever you want to call it, I know you miss it. I told Dick that if you're not in the Cave in a half hour, to come here and get you, so you might want to go change." She pulls him into a hug, holding on tightly before Tim places a kiss on her lips. "Go have fun, Ash."

It's a new team now; the Titans. Ever since Tim stepped down from the mantle, Wonder Girl stepped up and took the leadership responsibility; Superboy volunteering as a beta to her alpha superiority. He gathers up all he needs to know for the mission; sent from the Watchtower and peers over at the new Red Robin. She's sitting by herself, on a laptop. Connor smirks, walking over to sit down next to her.

"Now why are you over here by yourself? Does the mantle come with the laptop and serious expression?" The new Red Robin sneers at him, closing the laptop.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That he picked the right person to put on the cowl; or in your case, domino. He was always so serious when it came to work… in fact, is that his laptop?"

"It's Red Robin's laptop. To answer your question from earlier, the laptop came with the uniform. I just never knew there was so much to know when it came to this position of power though… the knowledge I needed to know. As Batgirl.. I was never trained as extensively when it came to computers; hacking and crashing computer systems…"

"Just wait till you have to dress in drag… I think that was his favorite part." They both share a laugh, Connor placing a hand on her shoulder. "You know he asked me to keep an eye on you. He wants me to keep you safe." The former Batgirl smiles, a light shade of pink coloring her cheeks; the color deepening when he pulls her into a hug. "If you need anything Ash, you come right to me. Tim is my best friend… which makes you like a sister to me."

"Thanks Connor," she replies as she's released from his bear hug. "I appreciate that."

"Okay team," Cassie alerts the team with her loud voice. "I just got my assignments from Watchtower. I'm splitting up everyone into groups. Team Alpha, you'll be heading to Metropolis. Lex Luthor has teamed up with Poison Ivy and he's using her powers to bend everyone to his will. Superboy, Red Robin and Beastboy; that's all yours. You'll be working alongside the Beta Justice League and Superman. Cyborg, Jericho and Speedy, you're Team Beta; you'll be heading to New Orleans; your mission is to rescue the mayor and take him to safety. I'm putting everyone else on Gamma with me; I'm still waiting for Watchtower to give me more details on that one." She narrows her eyes at the computer screen. "Which he is being awfully slow about."

"Hey now, Wonder Girl… don't be so harsh." The voice comes over the intercom; Ash smiling lightly at the sound.

"Well, hurry up then!" Cassie replies, tapping her foot. "I don't have all day for you to sit on your-"

"Jeez, are you PMSing; go lay down Ms. Crankypants," Connor comments, trying to stifle a laugh."

"I second that," Watchtower agrees.

"Shut up Ti-Watchtower," Cassie replies, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, bad mood. Get to it Watchtower."

"Eh, will do," the voice replies.

Cassie sends the Alpha squad out to the Bio Ship, waving them off and linking them all to their communicators. As Connor sits in his seat, he hears a low beep and gives a small smile.

"What's up, closed com link?"

"Yup. Sort of worried for you and the team, to be honest. Umm, you know… it's Metropolis." He can hear the worry in the male's voice, which makes Connor frown and sit up.

"Listen, Tim. I know, really. I'm not going to let Ashlynn get hurt; I've already failed you.. I can't let it happen again." Ever since the accident, Tim has never returned to Metropolis. He has a permanent fear latched onto his brain; he wouldn't even visit Connor whenever he was invited. "I'll never let you down; you have always been my favorite Robin, Robin."

"…And you'll always be my clone boy." Tim replies, almost like it's drilled into his head. His voice sounds small, completely void of the usual commanding tone. "Just.. be safe, please."

"Always Tim."