He screamed as something hit his broken arm. For an instant he thought he had made first contact with the stones that seemed fated to act as his executioners. Then fingers wrapped around his wrist and yanked, dragging him free of the pounding water and up into the open air.

A moment later his feet touched the unsteady earth. He slumped to the ground as soon as he was released, clutching his damaged limb. Blinking water out of his eyes, he stared up at Superman's concerned expression. "Charity," he sputtered. "Get Charity."

"I'm r-right here," she answered from a few feet away, her voice trembling.

A single glance verified that she was no worse off than he was. "Dick," he demanded next. "Do you...is he...?"

"He's safe."

"Where?"

"He's in the plane with Batman. He'll be all right, Tim. Relax."

A beat passed as he absorbed what he'd heard. Safe. He shut his eyes again, gratitude washing through him. Safe, and with Bruce. Dick...I thought...

"...Where's my mother?" Charity queried slowly. "If you got Tim's brother, then you must have seen her, too. Where...where is she?"

The vague shadow that crossed the Kryptonian's face told Tim that Tracy Collins was the last thing on his mind. "I didn't see her when I was looking for Dick. I'll search for her again once you two are safe."

"We're safe!" she protested. "Go find her! Please!"

"You're not entirely safe yet. The excess flow seems to be tapering off a bit," he tilted his head towards the still-rushing river, "but that doesn't rule out additional aftershocks."

"I don't care! You've got to find her!" Charity tried to stand, but between her shock and the still-shifting earth she couldn't quite manage it. "I need my mother alive, don't you understand?!"

Superman's face went hard, but Tim cut him off before he could speak. "Her mother's all she has left," he explained. "...And Tracy doesn't deserve to die."

"Your brother said something similar, but I didn't leave him on the ground unattended to go look. I won't leave you, either. I'd never be forgiven, and with good reason."

"Superman-" She'll never forgive me if Tracy dies, he gulped. He was the one who had convinced Charity to betray her mother and help bring down the system; if the older woman perished as a result of their actions, he wouldn't be able to blame the girl for loathing him.

"Then take us up there!" Charity interjected, jabbing one finger upwards. Following her pointing, Tim found the Batplane hovering some hundred-odd feet above them. "That's safe, right? Take us there and go look for her!"

"...I can't take you up there without permission from its owner," Superman countered.

"You took Dick, so why not us?" She glared. "Tim, help me!"

He grimaced, understanding the problem but unsure as to what could be done about it. Simply put, he and Dick were not in costume, and while Superman could be privy to their reunion with Batman Charity could not. "Batman's particular about who gets into his plane," he said slowly. "He won't be happy if you just...show up."

"Wait..." Her expression turned suspicious. "You say that like you know him. And you two aren't exactly acting like strangers, either." Her eyes shone with tears even as her mouth tightened into an angry line. "What going on here?! Why won't you save my mother?!" She directed her glare at Tim. "And you. Were you with them all along? Did you...did you just say all of those things in there, do all of those things," her hand rose to touch her lips cautiously, "to get me to turn on my mother?"

"No," he denied vehemently. It was only half a lie, but it still made him feel guilty. "C'mon, Charity," he pushed forward, "do you think Dick and I would have arrived in the condition we did if we were part of some big plan to take you down? How would we even have gotten inside the force field? And if they," he waved in Superman's direction, "could get two people past your dad's shield, why would they have sent a couple of civilians instead of superheroes? That doesn't make any sense."

"But you know them!"she accused.

"Yes!" he blurted out. Superman shifted in his peripheral vision, offering a wordless warning, but he forged ahead anyway. "Yes, I know them. Both of them. So does Dick. But there was no secret plan to take down your mother. We just happened to be hiking in the area when the force field went up. As for knowing them..."

He gulped. What he was about to say would be pushing the envelope on how close they let their civilian identities get to their masks, but he didn't see any other way to calm her down. "...Look, I know your mom kept you kind of isolated, but if you know who Superman and Batman are then...then you've probably heard of Bruce Wayne, right?"

"Bruce Wayne is unavoidable even in isolation," she scoffed. "But what does he have to do with anything?"

"Well...Dick and I are kind of..." He trailed off. Charity had balked earlier when Dick had mentioned getting his money back for not being alone out in the wilderness as promised; what would she think once she heard that they were tied to a man of Bruce's net worth? Sure, the billionaire gave an excessive amount of his income to good causes each year, but somehow Tim doubted that would be enough for her.

"His sons," Superman finished for him. "They're his sons. Bruce Wayne has asked for Batman's assistance rescuing them from kidnappers in the past, and when he heard that an earthquake had occurred right under where they were hiking he requested help again. Once Batman arrived and discovered the force field, he called in the rest of the Justice League. Tim, Dick, and I have met before through Batman. As for them being part of any plan, while they both have a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time there was no plot to take your mother down that involved them."

It was a perfect weaving of fact and fiction, and to Tim's relief it worked. Charity stared back and forth between them for a long moment, then shook her head in exasperation. "Fine! Whatever! You're Bruce Wayne's kids – which totally explains your brother's attitude, by the way – and-"

"He's not like that," Tim countered. How many times do I have to tell you? Leave Dick out of this. You don't know him, not at all...

"I don't care, Tim!" she shouted. "I don't care! All I care about right now is the fact that my mother is missing and your buddy Superman isn't doing jack shit to help find her!"

"Stop shouting and he can call Batman and ask for permission to take you up!" The solution fell out of his mouth before it had fully registered in his mind. "I mean...couldn't you?" he turned to the Kryptonian, trying to make it look like he didn't know exactly how communications between League members worked. "I've seen you guys talk to each other before via radios or something, right?"

"Yes. You have. I can call him."

"So do it!" Charity wailed. "My mother's dying out there somewhere!"

For all that Tracy Collins was responsible for the deaths of more people than he wanted to think about, Tim couldn't help but flinch at the pain in the girl's voice. As Superman turned away to hold his conversation, he slid closer and tried to comfort her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm trying, it's just that things are complicated when Batman's involved. Bruce really likes him because he's...well, because he's saved our lives more than once," he shrugged. "Anyway, I...I know how you're feeling right now, okay? I get it. I, uh...I remember what it's like, knowing one of your parents is...is dead...and waiting to see if you're going to lose the other one, too. I get it."

She blinked at him, then fell forward against his shoulder and began to sob. "I'm s-so scared. If mom...if I lose her...if I killed her...I..."

"He'll find her," he encouraged, hoping he wasn't making a promise that was already unfulfillable. "She's got to be a tough lady to have raised you for so long by herself and put this place together at the same time. And Dick survived, so...well...there you go, right?"

"He says you can come up," Superman broke in. Charity didn't move, but Tim met the standing man's eyes. There was something there – compassion, maybe? Confused acceptance? Pity? Dick would have known for sure, but he couldn't tell – that made his guilt grow three-fold. I made her betray her mother, he swallowed as he extended his good hand. I had to do it, but... But even if she had wanted to turn on her already, which he thought she had a little, he had been the catalyst that pushed her into real action. I gave her this uncertainty. I drew these tears. God, I'm an asshole...

The thought stayed with him as they rose into the night once more. Charity's tears continued to dampen his shoulder while they flew, and didn't stop once their shoes connected with the mercifully steady floor of the Batplane. Tim patted her absentmindedly on the back once his unbroken arm was released from Superman's grip, but his eyes were trained on the closed medical bay door. Dick...

It opened as if on cue to reveal the person he wanted to see only slightly less than his elder brother. Batman. He had to bite back his smile lest Charity look up at the wrong moment and realize that they were a bit more than acquaintances. We're safe now.

"Take the girl back to cargo and stay with her," a brusque order came from beneath the cowl. "Tim, come with me."

"What about my m-mother?!" Charity raised her head to protest with a hiccup. "If he stays with m-me, who will look for her?"

Batman's lips thinned. "Superman?"

"I'm going," the Kryptonian nodded. "Now that they're safe, I'll go. Tim..." He cast a glance at Charity, then gave a little sigh. "Good luck."

There was a gust of wind as he exited back into the open air, and then it was just the three of them. As much as he liked the girl holding onto him and understood her pain, Tim found himself wishing that he could shake her off in exchange for one of his mentor's brief-but-meaningful clasps.

Batman was clearly of the same mindset, and leaned back through the doorway to speak to someone. "Hey, Tim," a tired, paler-than-usual Flash greeted a moment later. "I see you're capable of standing, at least."

"Um...yeah. I am." Tilting his head towards Charity, he shot both costumed men a conspiratorial look. Don't get too friendly in front of her.

"How many of these people do you know, exactly?" her muffled voice queried, dispelling any hope he'd had of her not noticing the speedster's hello.

"We've never actually met before," Flash filled in quickly. "Batman just told me who to expect."

"...Oh."

A beat passed before Batman re-issued his instructions. "Flash, take the girl to the cargo bay and keep her there until I come for her."

The redhead didn't look happy, but he agreed. "Fine."

"No!" Charity raised her head. "...I want to stay with you, Tim," she begged. "I...I don't...if mom...I mean, you're all..."

All she has left, if her mother's dead, he winced. I'm just a guy who's kissed her a couple of times, but...jesus. Who else does she know, really? It was a deeply depressing thought. As little as he wanted to hurt her when she was already so vulnerable, though, he ached for a few minutes alone with Bruce and Dick. He thought he might not even mind the first thirty seconds or so of Damian's presence, if he was still on the plane and hadn't been sent packing back to Gotham. I need to be with my family, a whine began to build in the back of his throat. "Charity-"

"He's injured and needs medical attention," Batman cut in. "You do not appear to require immediate aid."

"I'm freezing!" she protested.

"Then Flash will get you some blankets. There are spares in the cargo bay." His voice hadn't yet taken on the threatening tone it adopted when he was speaking to criminals, but there was a definite edge to it. "Go with him now."

"I don't want to!" she pressed her luck.

It was too much for the beleaguered Bat to take in stride. "I don't particularly care what you want," he rumbled. "Go, or you will be sedated and carried."

She sputtered for a second. "...Tim?"

"It's okay, Charity. Just...just do what he says, okay? It's usually easier that way."

A bolt of hurt flickered behind her eyes, but she didn't pull away. "...I'll see you later, though, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Of course."

"Come on," Flash appeared beside her. "I think there's still some food back there. I know I could eat, how about you?"

"I...Tim..."

"It's okay," he encouraged, gently prying her arms from around his neck. "Go with him. Get something to eat. I'll see you in a little while, okay?" I know you don't understand, but I need to be alone with them. Please, just go...

"...Okay." Releasing him finally, she shivered. "You'll come see me, though? When your arm is wrapped up, or whatever?"

"Go, Flash," Batman almost snarled.

"Time to make our escape," Flash advised as he guided Charity away. "Come on, you don't want to see him when he's mad..."

Neither one of the remaining pair moved until the door to the cargo bay had shut. Then Batman followed them and the bolt slid into place, locking the speedster and the teen inside. Finally, he stepped forward.

"...Hey," Tim smiled shakily as the gap between them closed.

Batman stopped one stride short and considered him for a moment. Tim suddenly found himself being pulled into a tight hug, one gauntleted hand rising to cradle the back of his head. The pressure hurt his arm terribly, but he wouldn't have dreamed of complaining. Instead he returned the embrace as best he could with his good hand, squeezing tighter when five words, husky with gratitude, were spoken in his ear.

"Thank god you're safe, son."