"Again, West! Move those feet! It doesn't matter if you can break the sound barrier; without proper footwork, the only place you're going is on the floor!"

Sweaty, tired, and aching, but determined none the less, Kid Flash turned a graceful pivot and swung out with his booted foot, launching himself at least five inches into the air. His drop kick was aimed at the center of Aqua Lad's face. His foot just barely whistled past the Atlantean's head as he slid back, smoothly activating his hydroelectric bracers in the same instant. The crackling jets of water formed fluid, flowing swords that gleamed as their handler chased the young speedster around the mat.

"Keep out of his reach, West! Slip past that offense!" Black Canary shouted, watching the battle from the sidelines with a critical eye. It was hard to tell whether the red color on Kid Flash's face was from effort or embarrassment. "I'm-trying-but-he's-too-frea-king-slip-per-y!" he gasped out. Aqualad was nearly as quick as Kid himself, and twice as serious.

It ended with another kick: Aqualad bent into a spinning sweep kick, aimed at Kid Flash's ankles. Wally threw himself backwards and up to avoid it, turning a tuck somersault. But Aqualad recovered faster than he thought. Just as Kid Flash was untucking his body to come out of the flip, a powerful jet of water caught him directly in the chest and blasted him back. He landed with a loud "OOMPH" and a thud on the mat.

"Kid Flash: FAIL."

The other sidekicks on the sides hid their laughter behind their hands, except for Artemis, who laughed out loud. "Aww, Man." Kid Flash grunted. "M'gann didn't see that, did she?" Artemis snorted and grinned. "Everybody saw THAT epic fail, Kid Clumsy. Especially M'gann." The redhead in question rolled her eyes and waved a hand. "Come on, don't be so mean. He wasn't that bad."

"THANK you, Gorgeous."

"Kaldur's just better!"

"...Thanks, Gorgeous..."

Kaldur leaned down and helped his teammate to his feet. "Do not despair, Kid Flash. It was a lucky hit." Kid Flash shot him a sideways look, trying to determine if he was being funny. After a minute, he shrugged and grumbled. Black Canary shook her head. "Too slow, Kid. You were too high on that jump. That's why he was able to tag you."

"It was sloppy." Conner growled suddenly. All heads turned to him, and the thundercloud expression on his face. "It was sloppy and slow and unacceptable." The others shuffled uneasily at his stiff tone, and Black Canary frowned. "It wasn't THAT bad, Superboy. Don't be so hard on him. And remember who the instructor is here."

Conner scowled darkly. "I'll be as hard on him as I need to be! I'M the leader of this team, and I need to make sure they don't get killed. What if it had been bullets, not water? He could have-"

"Kon El!" Black Canary snapped. "In case you're forgotten, this is training. Training is for getting better and improving in preparation for combat. None of your are perfect. Not even you."

"That's not good enough!" Conner barked. Canary stiffened, and the others held their breath in anticipation. Finally, she spoke up again. "I think you're done here for today, Kon El. Take some time to clear your head." she said icily. Superboy narrowed his eyes and stomped away without another word. They watched him go for a minute, then Black Canary waved the next pair forward. "Come on, people. Let him go and pout. Let's start again." M'gann wrung her hands in front of her body with a conflicted look on her face, red cheeked and flustered. Artemis shot her a raised eyebrow and nodded in the direction the super clone had gone. M'gann sighed, dipped her head once, and turned to follow him.

«»«»«»«»

Didn't they understand? Didn't they get that he was only trying to help them stay alive?

Conner stalked into the kitchen and made his way over to the fridge, throwing it open angrily. A headache throbbed in his skull, and his breath was short and strained. Red flickered in the corners of his eyes.

He could see every error in his team, and it sickened him. They all thought he was being "too hard" on them, when all be was trying to do was make sure they stayed safe. One of these days, something horrible was going to happen, and then they'd all be looking to him to explain why, when they KNEW why...it was because they weren't good enough. He had to make them good enough! He HAD to be tough on them.

He had to, or else...they might end up like...like...

The memory was too painful. He flinched away from it and snatched a water bottle out of the fridge, then yelped and glared as the plastic burst in his grip, showering him with cold water. He snarled and crushed the bottle in his fist, preparing to throw it as hard as he could-

"Conner?"

Conner froze, arm still raised to throw the remains of the bottle. He glanced to the side, and went bright crimson when he caught sight of M'gann exiting the hallway. For a second, all he was capable of being was embarrassed. He'd been so caught up in his own thoughts, he hadn't even heard her come in. He knew he looked insane- dripping wet, growling at himself. He slowly lowered his arm and stared at her as she stared back, both of them wondering what to say, if anything.

If thinking about Erin was painful, actually being around M'gann was excruciating and awkward. She'd broken up with him not too long after Erin died, and it was a double blow.

M'gann's eyes darted around the room, focusing on anything other than Conner's face. The air between them was thick and tense. "I just...I just wanted to know if you were...okay." she said finally. "You seemed more...upset than usual." Instinctively, Conner crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm fine, M'gann."

"A-are you sure? I mean...you left pretty quick. And you just look really..."

Conner avoided her green eyes and the clear emotion in them. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm fine. I'm wonderful. I'm as great as I can be with Deathstroke's spawn sleeping under the same roof as my team and the girl I-" He brought himself up short, choking on his own words. "I-I...guess...I'm just a little distracted." he mumbled finally. "I can't sleep without thinking I'm going to wake up with a knife in my heart. And I'm worried about you guys, too. I don't want them to hurt you."

M'gann took a deep breath and steeled herself. "But...are they really enemies anymore? Robin did help us-"

"What?!" Conner yelped. "M'gann, you can't be serious. They're killers! They're criminals!"

"Maybe not! Look, I talked to Starfire-"

"Oh yeah. Remind me to revoke her entrance code..."

"-AND she told me she talked to him. Like, she actually spent time with him, and lived. She said he was, I don't know, normal. A little messed up maybe, but mostly just like any other person." M'gann finished. "We think with a little time-"

"M'gann." Conner interrupted. "Listen to me very closely. Robin and Wren are evil murderers, and they always will be. They can't change. They don't want to change. They can't be trusted. I can't believe you would be so naive."

M'gann exhaled sharply. "I am NOT naive, Kon El! See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. You started acting like this WAY before Robin and Wren got here! All defensive, and jerkish and closed down..." She faltered slightly, sniffing back her tears. Conner's face softened slightly, and he opened his mouth, but then M'gann forged ahead again. "But fine. Since we're on the damn subject-" he flinched. It was only a very angry M'gann that used curse words. "I'm just trying to see the good in them! If you gave them a chance-"

"There IS no good in them! Why can't you see that!?"

"Why are you so convinced!?"

"BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT FIRST HAND!"

"W-What?"

"..."

«»«»«»«»

{F.B}

"Erin?"

Conner blinked and gazed around the empty rooftop, suprised beyond belief to see it vacant. His friend was late, which was unlike her. Every time they'd met, Erin was always on time. And if Superboy was even a minute off, she'd tell him off all night.

He didn't know what to think of Erin, or why he kept meeting with her. Things had been rocky with M'gann and him lately- he never knew what to say to his girlfriend anymore. With Erin, things were much...simpler, easier. He liked her, he knew that, but beyond being a friend...he just didn't know. She had never said anything to him romantically, and yet there were times when her words seemed to say something more. She was easy to understand, but at the same time, she confused him.

The silence was strange and creepy. He didn't like it. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He frowned and started to sit down, before a single, muffled scream rent the still air and had him jumping to his feet. His super hearing zeroed in on the sound, and he crouched, bunching his muscles together in preparation to spring. If someone needed help, Erin would have to wait.

His heart fluttered in his chest as he had a sudden thought. Erin was almost always on time, which meant she wasn't far away. Maybe if she saw him save a civilian, she'd finally believe that he was a super hero. Maybe she'd be impressed.

The scream came again, and then choked off into a pained gasp. Conner leaped with all the strength in his body towards it, landing roughly a few minutes later on a rooftop halfway across the skyline. He tensed and adopted a fighting stance, ready to mash a few purse snatchers, maybe an intended rapist...and stopped, utterly shocked.

He didn't face a criminal, but his absent friend. Erin stood a few yards away from him, shadowed by the overhang on the building. The only reason he knew it was her was because her bright red hair stood out on the dark, and he could smell her trademark bubble gum. Her posture was weird- she stood stock still, wobbling slightly, on the very very edge of the roof. He couldn't see her face, and weirdly of all, she didn't move to hug him hello. Conner stood and took a step towards her, shaking his head in amusement. "Erin, what the hell? Why didn't you tell me we were meeting here?"

"..."

"Come on, don't be mad at me. I'm not that late. Why are you standing so close to the- move back, you're gonna fall." he said, smiling. Still, she said nothing, and she didn't move. Conner began to feel that something was very...wrong.

"Erin?" He took another step closer, and she finally moved, startling him. Her body swayed dangerously. He reached out to grab her and steady her, but she made a strange, garbled sound in the back of her throat and scrambled back, like he was a monster. "Erin, what-" As the light caught her face, his blood chilled at the sight of the crude gag in her mouth, and the terrified expression on her face.

"Hey, Test Tube. Funny meeting you here, huh?"

Conner started to spin around, before there was a sickening crunch, and pain exploded in the back of his skull as something cold and hard connected with his head. His vision whirled in nauseating spirals, and he dropped to one knee, gasping more in surprise than anything. He heard Erin give another gagged yell, and something darted past his head. When he was able to see again, he looked up and shakily climbed to his feet. Erin was still there, but she wasn't alone anymore. Conner was stunned to see Robin standing behind her, gripping her shoulder tightly.

Even though he had no clue what was going on, or how or when the junior criminal had even snuck up on him, Conner registered one thing very clearly- Erin was in danger, and lots of it. He moved without thinking to grab her, but a loud click stopped him. Robin let out a watery chuckle and nodded down to her side, where a gun was pointed directly into her ribs. "I wouldn't move if I were you, honestly." That explained what had brained him a few minutes ago- Robin had pistol whipped him.

"What...?! What in the hell are you doing here? Let her go!" Superboy's heart was pounding in his chest, and he was horribly hypnotized by the fear in Erin's brown eyes. He could hardly believe this was happening. It was like a nightmare.

"No can do, chief." Robin responded. "I knew if I followed you long enough I'd find something worth finding." Even in the dark, Robin looked...different. Bad different. His cocky bravado was gone, and he was shaken and rattled. Big purple and red bruises blotted his skin, and he stood hunched over, as if hurting from the inside. Most disturbingly, he had clearly been crying not too long ago. Tear tracks had dried crusty on his face, and his eyes were shiny, red, and wet. His nose was red and swollen. He looked like a distressed little kid- with a Glock.

"Let her go, Robin!" Conner snapped. Robin sniffed and tilted his head. "You know what I just realized? We're not that different. Because when you said that...you sounded just like me..."

"I will NEVER be like you!"

"We'll see about that..."

"What do you want?!"

"Revenge." Robin spat. "Payback. You cost us more than you'll ever know yesterday. And now you're gonna pay for what you did to us."

"Yesterday...? You mean the Factory?" Conner asked, bewildered. His team had shut down and torn through one of Deathstroke's main Gotham factories. It had been a joyous victory, and Robin and Wren hadn't been able to stop them. Conner himself had spearheaded the attack and gotten the drop on them. By the time they realized what was going on, it had been too late.

Robin nodded jerkily, and a manic, agonized gleam shone in his eyes. "Yes. The one you destroyed. He punished us for that...Bad. We f-failed...we failed and he...he swore he'd n-never...never again..."

Conner had no idea what he was talking about, but he knew now why Robin was here. He had gotten punished for the Factory failure, and now he was blaming Conner for his pain. Superboy felt bad for him, but not bad enough to forget about the gun aimed at his friend. Meanwhile, Robin had regained the ability to talk, and he was now glaring hotly. "He fucked us up, Super baby. And it's all your fault."

"Look, I'm sorry for that. But it's not my fault, and its definitely not hers, so just-"

"Let her go? There you go again..." Robin moved the gun slowly up to Erin's temple, tenderly brushing a loose red strand away from her eye. Conner twitched erratically. "Sounding like me..." he mused softly, ignoring her frenzied breathing and gasping. "She's really pretty. You like her, huh?" The boy didn't seem to be in his right mind.

"Huh? You like her?"

"I...yes..."

"You love her?"

"I...I don't know..."

"I love my sister." Robin continued. "She's my little sister...we're not sure, but I think I was born first. I'm supposed to protect her. I'm supposed to watch her. I'm supposed to make sure nothing ever happens to her. But wait, here's the funny part. I'm the villain. I hurt people. And you're a hero. You help them. But I've never hurt my sister. And now, because of you, the HERO, she's dead inside. Hilarious, right?"

"P-please, please don't hurt her..."

"But I couldn't protect her this time...I h-had to stand by and let him...and now, you're gonna know what that feels like...just like I had to..."

The gun was moving again, migrating back down to her ribs. Erin was crying silently now, shaking uncontrollably, begging him to save her. Robin was half frantic, trapped by something in his own head, trembling just as hard as she was.

"P-please," Conner croaked, reaching out a hand. "Please, please don't do this. Let her go. This is between you and me. Please."

There was a pause that lasted two eons. Robin smiled- an empty, tortured grimace. There was nothing but memory and agony behind his cold grey eyes. "See? I told you you were like me...you're even begging, like I did. I begged him..." His finger tightened on the trigger.

"NO!"

"AAGH!"

Erin had thrown her elbow into Robin's stomach. He barely felt the hit through his armour, but it had surprised him enough to loosen his grip on her shoulder. Conner yelled and sprang for her.

BLANG. BLANG. BLANG.

Robin had started firing blind shots at him, knowing they couldn't kill him and not caring. He looked like he didn't care what happened- whether he was arrested, killed, or otherwise. The shots ricocheted around the rooftop, and in the silence that followed, one surprised, breathy gasp was as loud as a cannon shot.

"ERIN?!"

One of the slugs had hit Conner dead in the center of his chest, a sure kill shot...if he hadn't been bulletproof. It had bounced off to his right, where Erin was sheltering under his arm.

She was not bulletproof. The shot had gone right through her side, ripping through her lungs like tissue.

"ERIN! ERIN!"

She collapsed into Superboy's arms as lightly as a feather, eyes wide and frozen. She whimpered, once, then coughed up a spray of bright red and went still. She never moved again.

Kon El howled his anger and grief to the sky. Later, after his furious lament, he would find the steaming gun in a puddle on the street.