Two years later, after the invasion of the Kroloteans. The Justice league was cleared of charges and the light's plot with the Reach was exposed. All the Reach's destruction devices were destroyed except one. Robin or Nightwing, as he was now called gripped the console watching as Wally was slowly being torn apart by the winter storm in the Arctic. Slowly being shredded by ice. His friend would die. This can't happen, he thought desperately. Someone, Anyone help him, his heart and mind cried out in anguish.

A sound whispered across his mind.

A yawn?

No need to shout.

Nightwing spun around but no one was there. It couldn't be. Could it?

Watch who you call an it.

"Jessie?" Disbelief was all he felt as he uttered her name out loud, but who else could it be?

Nah, I'm the other girl in your head. There was an amused sort of pause. That's right Megan is also in your head. Scratch that sarcastic remark.

"Can you help him?"

Jessie snorted as if that were a stupid question.

I told you just to ask when you needed help. I wasn't expecting you to wait so long.

Nightwing got the impression of her flexing muscles.

Are you linked to Miss Martian?

"Yes."

Be there in a minute.

"Wally doesn't have a minute, neither does the world."

Jessie seemed to disconnect from his mind with a snap of power that gave him whiplash. Power erupted behind him like a small bomb going off, tripping every censor in the mountain. A black and purple swirling mass opened. It looked like a giant rip in the very fabric of reality. Then two people stepped out of the mass of energy. One had pixie cut hair with strange glowing purple lines going up her body. She wore a skin tight purple and black dress with a belt cinching her waist. Slightly out of place was the brown pouch that hung from her belt. The other was dressed in a long green cloak, flowing white blouse, thick riding pants, a belt that held three different swords hugged her waist, and tall boots finished off the look.

"You're right, they don't have a minute." Jessie threw back the hood on her cloak. "Megan," she asked out loud and through Robin.

The Martian girl's shock radiated through them.

"Jessie! I mean Bard! You're alive, well you-."

Jessie gently interrupted the other girl before she could go on a ramble. "Yes, I need you to link to me and my sister to everyone. Now."

"Right."

Nightwing felt Megan reach out through his mind and link up to Alexandra and Jessie. Jessie then touched every member of his team including Arsenal through her connection to Megan.

"I have a way to stop this, but it will come at price."

Silence greeted this.

"I need to merge with all of you and leave a piece of myself with you. But be warned, once you give me permission to enter your minds I will always have the power to do so. Permission cannot be rescinded afterwards."

All but one of his teammates hesitated. Artemis was the first say boldly, "Save Wally and I'll give you whatever you need." After that there was nods of agreement and consenting. A few "Do its" sounded and then everyone had given consent. Jessie nodded and looked to Nightwing.

"You have already a piece of me, so there is no need."

Nightwing felt a flame ignited within in him and spread through his body. He became like liquid, his body changing in one fluid motion. His hair grew longer and his clothes morphed to long following robes. Itachi, the presence gave him his name. Nightwing looked back up at Jessie to find a tall cat like woman stood in front of him. Nightwing felt Itachi's mind push at his. He bowed to the woman in front of him.

"Haku, it is good to see you again."

She laughed, it was Haku's voice; not Jessie's, who answered when she spoke, "We can reminisce later, now is time to wake up our friends." To herself she said, "Bard, I will send you out to the others." Energy crackled across Haku's fingers and Robin felt all of his team and friends cry out in fear as energy licked at them like hunger flames. A crest was etched on the backs of their right hands. Then Jessie's calm voice echoed into the very depths of their beings.

"Peace friends."

Their fear; Robin felt, was stilled, but not gone.

"Let the character take you. Relax into it and let it carry you. They will settle back down and give control back to you once we are done, I swear. But if you fight them they will be too weak to save anyone."

It took a few of Nightwing's team a moment to settle themselves, but when they did a flame started deep in their being. It washed like a river over them, but didn't burn. Actually it energized them like nothing they had ever felt before. As a collective the power rose up and each of them. Each one came face to face with the character before it took over each body.

"Shiva, get us to Wally."

The girl in purple nodded. Swirling black mass opened again in the cave. Megan hesitated and asked, "What about me?"

"I need you and my sister to help hold a connection to all of us while we perform the ritual and ensure it is not interrupted. If you or her can't hold all of us together, all of this will fall apart." Haku/Jessie walked through the portal first with Shiva/Alexandra behind her, Itachi/Nightwing followed the two women. Freezing wind and snow battered them when they stepped out onto the stark landscape of the Arctic. The ice storm howled and raged with yellow and red lightning circling around inside of it. Nightwing recognized Wally from inside Itachi.

Do not worry. Trust Haku. Trust your woman, Itachi reassured him.

Saving him will come at a cost. He knew firsthand what that cost could entail. Itachi nodded knowing what the cost of a life could be.

There will be a price, but this one won't be as steep. Your friend isn't dead. The unsaid yet hung in the air between them.

He's dying. Nightwing guessed.

Itachi nodded. The older man it seemed wouldn't lie to him.

Itachi seeing Nightwing's thoughts informed him, I can't lie to you. I am part of you right now. He paused and glanced around. We are about to begin.

Portals opened up all around the storm. Each person that stepped out of one was dressed similarly to Itachi, but each was their own individual person. They spread out along the perimeter of the quickly expanding storm. At the same moment the lightening in the storm flickered for a breaths time before going out. Wally had stopped running.

"Spread out," Haku yelled somehow making her voice carry over the storm's howling.

Itachi/Nightwing stood beside a few feet to the right. Shiva/Alexandra extracted a card from the pouch that hung from her belt. She pulled out a card of a woman Nightwing had seen once before. An elf like woman with silver hair, white eyes, and even whiter robes.

"Neeha, I want you on this side, Miss Martian take the opposite."

"But Wally-!"

"Do it or the speedster will die." She wove hand signs that even Itachi had never seen before. Chi exploded out of her with the cry, "Ice coffin!" A long worm like piece of ice shot from her open palms and dived into the storm; a thin line of chi connecting the worm to Haku. After a moment Haku yanked on the thread with both hands. A large block of ice was ripped from the storms grip. It skidded to a stop between Haku and Itachi. Wally was incased in the ice, a look of shock spread across his face.

He lives. Itachi assured him. But just.

Can she save him?

If Haku says she can, I believe her, she has never lied to me.

Haku's voice broke into everyone's thoughts. I need you all to do as I do. If you hesitate we will fail. Silence greeted this remark. But Haku pushed on. I have faith in you. Let's begin. Everything they needed to do flowed from Haku, into Megan, then into them. They followed Haku's images as she lead in a giant dance of power. Signs were woven with their hands to direct the flow of Chi as it slowly seeped from their bodies, and became a river that connected each other by their feet. They were going to make a large interwoven barrier, which would allow the storm to vent in a contained way. However, if they failed, the backlash would be even worse. The amount of contained pressure would be worse than nuclear weapons. It would literally rip the earth apart in a matter of minutes.

Blue green energy of the chi solidified and moved connecting everyone. It sluggishly traveled up, slowly coming together above the storm. It came together at the last possible moment; the storm lashed at it, bulging in some places like a balloon that was about to pop.

Focus.

The storm whipped and battered against the shield, shoving hard against the wall of energy. The ice on which they stood started to buck and give way as the pressure was slowly being vented downward, crushing the ice. Some started to slid and slip until Megan or Neeha focused on them. Soon everyone was floating just above the icy water. Ice started to form along the interior of the shield; building and growing heavier. It seemed like hours that they all stood there then silence fell. The howling storm stopped with a strange pop; like a light bulb had burst. The ice stilled and Haku was the first to drop her hands and collapse to her knees.

"It is done."

Like a spell that had been broken the barrier faded and everyone shifted back to themselves. Some went to study the thick ball of ice that floated and bobbed in the water in front of them. Only Artemis came running over to Haku/Bard and Itachi/Nightwing. She dropped down beside Wally incased in ice.

"Is he," she couldn't bring herself to say the word dead and Haku didn't blame her.

"I am holding him in the ice and it has slowed everything in him. In order for him to survive he needs boost. A kick start if you will. Then you will need to bring him back."

Artemis looked up at this girl.

"What do you need me to do?"

Haku stared into the other girl's eyes.

"You will not have to die. Do not worry, however what I do will connect you two for the rest of your life. Are you alright with that?"

"Don't you mean our lives?"

Haku shook her head no.

"Your lives will be connected, when you die, so will he."

Artemis looked from Wally to Haku.

"Do it."

Haku smiled as if she agreed with Artemis' choice, and drew a dagger from under her cloak. She took Artemis's hand and quickly sliced the dagger across her open palm.

"Cup your hand, try to keep the blood from leaving your hand." Haku then laid her hand over Wally's hand. Chi glowed and caused steam to rise until Wally's hand and arm was completely free. She then proceeded to make the same cut in Wally's palm. Haku waited for the blood to well up, then she took Artemis's hand and laid it over Wally's. Chi flared blinding them.

Artemis felt the bone chilling cold vanish and when the light faded she was standing in a beautiful place. Stars far as the eye could see above her. Then she looked down to see she was standing on water that reflected the night. But it was the middle of the day? Wasn't it? But more importantly, how was she standing on water? It should have easily been up to her waist. Ripples bumped into her feet distracting her from her thoughts. She looked up in the direction they had come from.

"Artemis?"

Her eyes widened in shock.

"Wally!" She threw herself at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Where is here?"

Wally looked around, "I think this is my mind's hallucination before I die."

Artemis gripped his hands in hers and shook her head. "No, Haku said she'd sa-." Then she thought about it. "No, I'm here to save you."

Wally cocked his head to the side as if he were speaking a foreign language.

"You really are here."

Artemis nodded.

"How do we get out of here then?"

She opened her mouth, then paused, and finally admitted, "I'm not sure."

Wally laughed but looked somewhat relieved.

"Wait, I think we go this way." She felt something strange as she walked. It was like an ache that spread through her body the closer they got to a strange light.

"Artemis I don't think we should go this way. It hurts." He tried to tug her the opposite way. In that moment she knew they were going the right way. She squeezed his hand.

"Trust me." Artemis saw when he looked like he would protest again and she told him, "Life is painful, but that doesn't mean we should give it up."

Wally nodded and together they stepped back into life. Light blinded them then cleared to reveal the cave. A moan beside Artemis had her turning over to see Wally sitting up and no longer incased in ice.

"Why is it so cold?"

Artemis threw herself on him again.

"Idiot," she told him trying to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Wally looked to Nightwing and to Jessie who stood just behind him.

"Thanks," he told them.