A/n: This prompt could have meant so many things that I couldn't confine it to one good story so you get this: Dick whump over the course of the Young Justice seasons. Maybe, idk we'll see where it goes lol.

When they'd made the team, they hadn't thought it'd lead to this.

"Why won't it stop?"

The sheer number of teens who'd end up risking their lives, following in the footsteps of their idols, following in their footsteps. The sheer number of teens who'd die following in their footsteps.

"Why won't it stop?"

Too many people kept dying. He'd become a vigilante to save people, formed a team to save more people, yet it felt like they barely made a difference at all sometimes. The fate of the world in their hands, a world that they managed to save more often than not but at a terrible price. Save the world, destroy a piece of his own.

He'd barely gotten over Jason and Tula's deaths when Wally had died. He'd only just learned to get through the day without blaming himself for failing his brother every second when he had to learn to live without his bro. Wally had helped him get through Jason's death, but now he wasn't there when Dick had to deal with Wally's.

"Why won't it stop?"

Everywhere he looked, everything he did reminded him of his best friend, the friend who was dead because of him. The memories refused to stop bombarding him with every glance at the team, or the base, or even just any blur of bright yellow and red. Too many times he laughed at something funny and turned to air or reached for his phone and froze because he was hearing a dead man's voice telling him to call him back later.

That was why it wasn't a choice of whether to leave the team and go solo for a bit. He just did it. Stayed long enough to make sure his part was done and that the team wouldn't crumble without him and then left. Even being in the same room as one of the original team was a painful reminder of the one missing, so he had to admit he felt a little relief after he left.

"Why won't it stop?"

The world stays in danger, more villains and plots to either take over or destroy the world. The number of metas in the world has tripled, and so has the number of people wanting them dead. He can barely catch a breath, but as long as it means no other metas die on his watch then he'll power through. Too many have already died, too young.

"Why won't it stop?"

He's back with the team and it still hurts, but they need him. Someone always needs him and it's nice knowing he'll be missed, but he's always so scared he'll fail them. He's failed too many. If less people count on him, then less people die because of his failures.

"Why won't it stop?"

The cruelness and immorality of people never ceases to disgust him. Unfortunately, it's those people who are hardest to take care of because they have no qualms about killing even innocent people but to kill them as a 'hero' is more complicated.

There's always an enemy too powerful, one they can't defeat no matter how hard they try, no matter how many of his friends get hurt or die in the process. And just when the threat is finally taken care of, another one takes its place.

"Why won't it stop?"

It's his birthday. He himself can barely keep track of which one - time moves too fast. He's left staring at the number on the cake, thinking 'is he really that old' and where the time's gone. Where his childhood has gone because that number is still relatively small but god, he doesn't remember being a child. And if he does, then it was with/ because of Wally dragging him out of the Cave or Manor telling him he's missing out and needs to get a life and it hurts because Wally's not here anymore so who's going to remind him to enjoy life? That it's fine to be childish because he's still the youngest of all of them yet he's the one in charge, with the most responsibility.

He wishes he could just freeze time. Wishes he could have done it back when he was just turning sixteen, or even earlier in those first few days of the team where they were still getting to know each other but they had no real responsibility yet.

It's too late now though, so he covers up his pain with smiles and 'thanks' to anyone he had left who showed up to try and make his birthday special. He appreciates it but maybe he should ask them not to throw him a party next year. Too many reminders, memories, the people missing, the empty chairs too obvious with all of them there to fill the room.

"Why won't it stop?"

The question he asks himself all the time, never to earn an answer, and too selfless to do the obvious solution.

A/n: So yeah, that's the fic, keeping it short and sweet (I think I don't actually know the word count rn) but Dick whump! Idk, I'm exhausted, mentally and I barely made progress with prompts today because I kept getting bored and losing focus but it's okay. I'm managing ;)

Stay safe and see ya soon.

- CrowofArcadiaOaks