Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“... Kon! ” Gasping for breath, Red Robin blinked his eyes open as he finally fell from the memories and into reality. He takes a single glance to Zatanna’s blurry frame and is suddenly compelled to let out a choked sob.

“ Cassie! Bart! ” He manages to say, the names finally knocking something into place in his brain. He falls to his knees, clutching at his head as he’s hit with more images and more feelings.

There are more people, people he loved, people he tolerated, people he hated, people he knew. They make everything slot back into place the right way, so opposite of the way the last lifetime few years made no sense and jumbled his mind until he barely recognised the boy in the mirror. There’s a shout and then another gasp as he slowly looks up and sees Cassie kneeling on the floor in front of him, also clutching her head as memories fly at her with the force of eighty bull elephants. He reaches out, helpless and wanting nothing more than to comfort his friend. 

Oh God, Cassie. How could he forget her? His teammate, his co-leader, his friend. Watching her suffer was always one of the best ways to make Tim feel like his heart was being flayed. They had been through so much together and it’s just so unfair. Why? Why were they kept apart this way? Cassie’s sobs break his heart into tiny pieces with each shuddering moan of despair. Meanwhile, Tim’s tears refuse to fall even as his vision gets more and more blurred. 

He can’t even mourn and revel in relief the right way. All he can do is sit there in turmoil as his life blurs around him. It only serves to make him vulnerable when he notices too late that Cassie’s sobs have quieted somewhat and she was staring at him with those eyes the color of a stormy sky; a blue that was almost grey. Tim always felt his mouth go dry when he was caught in that gaze. 

Cassie drinks in Tim’s form, eyes roving all over his body as she seems to try committing his visage to memory. It makes him feel naked, how focused and tunneled her look is. Tim finds he doesn’t mind it as he normally would. If it’s Cassie, he’d be willing to peel back his skin so she could memorise his musculature as well if she wanted. It ends up being not much of a shock when she tackles Tim into the floor and hugs him like there’s no tomorrow. He just hugs her right back. 

The hold is tight and unwavering. He grips into her hoodie and buries his face in her bountiful golden locks and breathes in her scent as she shakes in his arms. She’s no doubt crying again as she holds her friend close. Tim takes the time to rub her back and memorize how warm she feels in his arms; remembers a time when things like this were their way of calming down from the stress of leadership. Of the great expectations their mentors would have for them as the World’s Greatest Detective and the Legendary Amazonian Princess. He remembers how they rejoiced in their shared burden of the world. 

Atlas was not one man but a young boy and girl who clung to each other in the hopes of not buckling under the weight of it all alone. 

And here they were now, brought to their knees because the universe is cruel and horrid as it ripped them apart. Took away their common points and kept them separated. Left them to be crushed under the globes they each held. Tim tasted copper as he realized that he was biting on his lip to keep himself from making noise. Cassie will hate it if she finds out he was purposefully suppressing himself. Again.

He becomes distracted by the way her hands were fisted in his cape and how her tears felt as they soaked the fabric and his neck. He wishes he could take her sorrow away but there’s nothing he can do. He hates feeling useless. So, instead, he clings to her the way she does to him and they stay this way, crumpled on the floor and holding each other desperately for a good while.

And as they do, reality continues on.

Zatanna clears her throat and it takes a moment before Tim resigns himself to prying away from the comforting touch of his friend. Cassie’s look turned sour, rubbing at her puffy red eyes and trying to compose herself. She keeps one hand fisted in the cape and Tim has his own hand on her shoulder. He doesn’t want to lose the connection, afraid that it will all wither away to nothing again if he lets go. He wonders if Cassie feels the same as her grip tightens a fraction.

“I don’t mean to cut the reunion short but… Those memories, we need to talk about them.” She looks serious, like she’s troubled by even the notion of what the memories of their previous lives meant. 

Tim was going to say something when Cassie stood up, his hand falling off her shoulder and hers leaving his cape. He wanted to hold her again but was distracted by her long blonde hair swishing behind her. He never knew how much he missed those flowing locks until today. They felt so different to the ones he saw everyday back in Gotham. So right. He feels a stabbing pain in his heart at the thought.

“What about them, Zatanna?” She sounds angry and defensive. Cassie really only got this way whenever she was particularly scared. It made sense, anger leads to action, to doing something about what’s causing problems. Fear holds her back. Cassie always was better at doing. It made her a good leader. He admired that about her.

He stopped lounging on the ground and instead stood up besides his friend. He puts his hand back on her shoulder and Tim tries to ignore how needy and touch-starved he must seem right now.  Instead, he sets his sights on Zatanna and speaks.

“Is there something… wrong with the memories?” 

“No. The memories aren’t the problem. It’s the fact that you have them at all.” Zatanna looks worried and okay maybe this is more serious than he thought. Cassie tenses next to him and he puts a hand on her shoulder to calm her some as Zatanna continues.

“I’m not sure what it means but the fact that you have memories of people who don’t exist and events that haven’t ever happened means that something is wrong with the universe. Or maybe the timeline itself is having issues. Ugh, probably one of the Flashes doing things they shouldn’t. Again. I didn’t want to drag the two of you into this but seeing as how the both of you have been able to somewhat access these memories, even without me unlocking them fully… It might mean that the universe is actually trying to fix itself. Or, at least, point people who can fix it in the right direction.” She taps at her chin in thought and Cassie shares a look with Tim. 

He nods at his old friend and speaks. “Zatanna, I think we should stave off from telling anyone else about this. This may be bigger than what we can anticipate and it won't be a good idea to rile anyone up at this point. Especially after everything that just happened with the multiverse and that Batman Who Laughs. There’s not enough information here to justify causing another panic.” 

Cassie backs him up as Zatanna looks dubiously between the two of them. “So far we’re the only ones that have displayed this anomaly, right? So why don’t we do this; you go around the JL and see if there are any others that also have memories locked away of people that don’t exist and we’ll work on figuring out what these memories could mean in the meantime. Keep us posted on others you find, too, so we can induct them into this.” 

Tim was so proud of her. She was still every bit the leader he remembered her being. He could absolutely kiss her right now if Zatanna wasn’t here. But he couldn’t. Because Zatanna was here.

And he’s also still dating Steph. Which- he should probably figure that out first, huh?

Zatanna just looks between the two of them, eyes squinted as if she was hesitant to even think of leaving them alone, and then sighs. She just nods once and takes two steps back to leave in a dazzling burst of glittery magic. The sparkles fall to the ground and a silence reigns over himself and Cassie before he breaks it.

“I missed you.” He manages to say before he gets tackled to the ground again by an overzealous Wonder Girl. He wraps his arms around her tight and hugs her back. They stay like that for a long while. 

In the silence he lets himself stew in the relief of being held by his friend once more. He can’t believe it's really her. Tim feels a faint memory assault him of a thief with godly powers that wore Cassie’s face in all the wrong ways. He shivers and hugs his friend tight. She rubs her hand over his back gently. It’s a comforting gesture and he appreciates Cassie more than anything else on the planet at this moment. 

Tim has always wondered if he’d be stuck feeling so isolated for the rest of his life. He knew he had friends once upon a time but whenever he tried to search for them, a blank was pulled. His heart sinks as he thinks about how looking up the name Sebastian Ives had yielded no results for anyone under the age of 40. Zoanne Wilkins was a nonentity. Bernard Dowd didn’t exist. 

That one stung. It stung bad and it didn’t take much for Tim to figure out why.

It was the realization that he knew names and faces of people who were impossible and that his head was filled with contradicting facts that sent him on a three week long case binge where he did nothing but punch criminals in the face and ignored calls from.

From who? Who bothered to call during that time? Steph, maybe. They’ve been distant lately but Tim is starting to realize that it’s probably due to how little holds them together. Sure, it was good at first, that whirlwind of fuzzy emotions he felt for her had been at its peak and it was no doubt the same for Steph. 

He hugged Cassie tighter. He didn’t want to think about Steph right now, as much as he hated how unfair that was. She deserved better. He wished he would’ve been braver and stopped hurting her. He can feel tears sting his eyes again. No. He forces it down; that reflex to let the tears flow. He can’t. Not here, not on her.

Tim needs to stop thinking. He has to stop thinking about how alone he was, how sad he’s been, and just enjoy cuddling with Cassie. Enjoy holding her as they just silently take in being brought back together again once more. He can lament his lost relationships and such another day. Right now, he celebrates the one he managed to get back.

Or, he would, if his comms would just stop buzzing in his ears where he has them on vibrate mode instead of sound.

He grits his teeth and lets go of his friend and realizes that Cassie’s phone has also been going off for a good minute now. He blinks and watches as Cassie answers it in a small voice, only barely able to hear the voice of Helena Sandsmark over the speaker, frantically asking her daughter about where she was and if she was alright. Tim can’t help but sigh silently at the way Cassie’s mom frets over her daughter. He just gives Cassie a reassuring smile as she glances at him and mouths the word ‘sorry’. Finally tapping on the comms unit, Tim answers with a very tired and annoyed- 

“What.”

“Where. Are. You.” Batman’s voice filters over the ear piece and Tim feels like he’s aged both the lifetimes he’s apparently lived through. He really didn’t want to deal with fucking Batman of all people after the emotion draining revelation he just had. But fuck him, I guess.

“Ran into Zatanna. She needed a second opinion on a case and I was available. Is there an emergency in Gotham?” Tim lies to Batman as if it’s second nature(and it is) as he feels Cassie’s hand squeeze his own, having never let go of him fully. Like she’s afraid he’d disappear in the short time that she hangs up her phone and he talks on the comms. She seems to have ended her conversation with her mother though the way her brow is furrowed makes him think their overall talk wasn’t over. Or maybe she’s worried about the fact that of course Batman had to call to scold and then steal her friend away after they just reunited. He flashes her a small smile that doesn’t feel as confident as it looked.

Cassie’s own lips twitched up in amusement. She was so pretty when she smiled.

“Scarecrow has just put out a broadcast entailing his cooperation with Riddler to place Fear gas grenades in hidden locations.” Bruce explained gruffly as faint typing was heard over the comms. Seems like B was already scanning Gotham for hits. Tim sighs. Another city wide hostage attempt by a couple of the biggest annoyances in Gotham. He gripped Cassie’s hand. She squeezed in return.

“No activity since?” Tim asked and a grunt was all he got in return. Right. 

“Okay, I’ll have Oracle update me on the situation while I’m on my way. ETA in 20 minutes.” There was a stern grunt and some banging noises in the background. Possibly Jason or Damian doing some warm ups. The thought of seeing either of them again makes bile rise in Tim’s throat.

It all happened two lifetimes ago and he’s on technically better terms with them now but… It all feels too fresh. Fuck, it’s gonna be a pain acting like nothing’s wrong in front of them. He wonders if maybe he can convince Cassie to let him hang out at her place for a bit. It’d be nice to see-

His heart sinks. Right. Mrs. Sandsmark probably has no idea who he is. He wasn’t a friend of Cassie’s in this new reality so there’s no reason for Helena Sandsmark to happily welcome Red Robin or Tim Drake into her home. He shut his eyes tight and felt his hand be squeezed again as Cassie laid her head on his shoulder. Her long blonde locks cascade over his shoulder and clash with the colour of his suit. He lays his head on hers as he absently listens to Bruce bark in his ears about getting to Gotham sooner than 20 minutes. He stays this way with her until Bruce is finally out of breath.

“Okay. Red Robin out.” He signs off before Bruce could think to continue and he forces himself to not cry again as he thinks about how unfair the universe is. 

“I need to go.” Cassie doesn’t respond immediately. Just stays still with her head on his shoulder and her eyes closed. For a moment, he thought she had fallen asleep there. He wouldn’t mind following suit. But then she nods slowly and picks her head up. He misses her warmth. 

“Me too. Mom is kinda freaking out right now.” He shook his head at that, his smile rueful.

“What did you tell her?” She smiles melancholically and sighs.

“Just that I got caught up with meeting you, Wonder Boy. She freaked for a solid 3 minutes about me being in Gotham before I told her that I was actually at the Watchtower running an errand for Diana. Total lie, by the way. I’m only here ‘cause Zatanna asked for me but there’s no way that wouldn’t send her blood pressure rising more.” She waves her hand dismissively and Tim can’t help but admire the way she looks in that moment. 

Cassie was always a pretty girl. One of the prettiest girls Tim’s ever known, really. Right up there with Tam and Zoanne and Steph. But more than that, Cassie was strong and determined and she literally told a God to give her powers at one point- like, how could he not adore her? He flushes a little when he thinks of how he used to tell her these things, back when it was Just Us and then during those dark times with the Titans. She was really amazing; there was no one better to bear the name of Wonder Girl in this world. Though if you asked Cassie, Tim was sure she’d say that Donna was a much better match for the name.

“What are you thinking about that’s got you all red in the ears?” Dammit. Even Cassie’s shit-eating grin was gorgeous. Tim just rolled his eyes and tried to play off his embarrassment at being caught.

“Just thinking about how funny it’ll be to tell the others that your lying skills still aren’t any better.” He snarked and dodged out of the way as his friend tried to swoop him in for a noogie.

“Anyways- what’s the plan?” Cassie looks at him expectantly. He’s suddenly reminded of the myth of Atlas.

“Nothing. For now. I need to get back to Gotham, quick. You should get home to your mom. But!” He says the last bit quickly when it looks like Cassie was going to protest.

“But- but I’ll let you know when I have an idea. For now, we should keep this stuff between us; like we told Zatanna. We have no idea who else might remember them, if anyone else remembers them, and we don’t know whether the two of us remembering is a good or bad thing. For all we know, this could be the start of another major crisis. Which I really hope is not the case. I’m getting super sick of those.” Tim groans and Cassie joins in. 

“Okay. You got a point. Get going to Gotham and I’ll head back to Golden Gate. I’ll do some research of my own while you deal with the usual Gotham weirdness. If you figure anything out then call me; I’ll do the same.” She snatches a napkin from a nearly empty dispenser on the small conference table of the room they were in and finds a stray pen with ‘Coast City Groomers’ engraved on it. She scribbles on it the best she can and tears the number she wrote off.

“Here. This is my personal cell. Write one of your numbers on this and I’ll save it to my phone when I get back home.” She hands him the pen after he pockets the ripped napkin and he writes down his own number. Cassie looks the other piece of napkin over and smiles.

“Is it cool if I give you you're old contact name? ” Cassie smirks mischievously and Tim just chuckles lightly at the look.

"Only if I can do the same." He was hoping she'd ask. 'Fearless Leader' always did suit Cassie. She smiles and gives him one last hug.

“See you around, Tim.”

“Right back atcha, Cass.”

Chapter Text

Cassie lands softly on her doorstep and finds herself hesitating to enter her own home. She stares at the wood of her front door and knows that her mother, no doubt worried sick, is waiting for her on the other side. All she needs to do is pull her key out of her skirt pocket and unlock the door, just walk in, smile all carefree and happy because she knows she can’t burden her mom with this. So, she’ll push the door open and go pretend as if she didn’t just have a whole other life exposed to her. One where her heroes had died and failed her. One where she’d met and lost one of her first loves. A life where she’d made some of the best friends she’d ever had, only to end up losing them as well.

Her skin tingles and her arms feel empty. Holding Tim on that cold floor had felt so right, so familiar. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to anchor her friend to the real world, huddled over him on a cold, damp floor in some dim room where- where.. Where people sized testing tubes and giant supercomputers ran simulations while an alarm blared deafeningly behind them where screens flashed red, declaring ‘FAILURE’ in all caps. There, bathed in the dim glow of  red green light, she felt helpless as Tim sobbed into her shoulders begging for him to come back to them, tears coming so fiercely, they  blocked her view, and she couldn’t breathe -!!

The wind picked up and blew her hair in her face, startling her out of her unwanted memory. She tries to relax, thinking of Tim and his icy blue eyes that somehow always seemed more purple than blue, she sighs softly, despite everything, the thought of her friend seems to soothe her. She pauses, opening her previously closed eyes and narrowing them as she mouths the word ‘friend’ to herself, unnerved by how alien it suddenly feels on her tongue. Cassie tries to shove the concepts of Tim and friend together only for her eyes to widen and her face to flush a light pink as she realizes that, no, they don’t really fit together do they? She gulped and tried not to whimper out loud. The words only fit if there was a ‘boy’ attached to that ‘friend’.

She had been so worked up earlier from the great reveal of that lost life, of the turbulence that the initial reveal created, that her past relationship status was just now slapping the Honorary Amazon in the face. Oh Gods, she was with Tim. They were with-

And as more memories flood her about the relationship she was in before all of this universe resetting nonsense Cassie became resolute to talk to Tim more about it later; after certain details made themselves known. Sucking in air  through clenched teeth, Cassie tries not to think of the absolute mortification that conversation is sure to bring and get some control over the hot blush currently dominating her face. She has bigger fish to fry right now. Like opening the door to her own  house that she’s not even sure is still or ever was her real home.

Okay, stiff upper lip Cassie. Time to face the music.

S he opens the door and is greeted with the sound of the TV playing some inane midday programming as her mother scrolls through emails on her phone. She’s sitting on the couch, the smell of food still lingering in the air, Cassie knows she must’ve finished making dinner some time ago and was no doubt waiting up for her daughter. The knowledge makes Cassie want to bite the inside of her cheek bloody as she enters her home through the tiny entrance hall to wordlessly join her mother on the couch.

It’s a miracle that Cassie Isn’t getting grounded for a million years right now. Instead, her mother remains silent, continuing to watch the television as a game show host announces the winner of the current round. Cassie takes a moment to commit her mother to memory, wondering if she can spot any difference in the woman who gave her life. 

The physical features have stayed untouched. Her mother’s straight brown hair and large square-framed glasses are the same as they’ve always been, no matter the timeline. No, she doesn’t look any different on the outside, however, her composure speaks of differences that are jarring now that she knows where to look. Cassie bites her lip as she debates what to say. She has to break this unbearable silence. Her mom had been worried already, Cassie was expecting a lecture almost immediately, so the silence is concerning, especially after the revelation she’s  just had.

“Uhm…” Great start Cassie.

Helena looks at her daughter expectantly and mutes the show. “Well?”

The harsh tone and sharp gaze of her mother are a surprisingly welcome comfort. As she searches her memories, she finds flashes of similar looks that would often lead to long winded lectures about how she had to be careful and how dangerous this path Cassie has chosen is and could she please reconsider her life choices?

Cassie looks down and steels herself once more for the dressing down about to be shot her way.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I was just helping out, uh, a friend with some projects.” She grimaces at her own hesitation. She should’ve just said she was with Robin or Zatanna, the desire to shield her mother from this, If only temporarily, was both instinctive and fierce.. Something about revealing the ever changing and twisting nature of their reality to her poor mother, who tries so hard to keep it together with just the regular bank robbers and wannabe gangsters, has Cassie wanting to pull her hair out in chunks.

Helena purses her lips at her daughter before sighing. “It wasn’t anything too dangerous was it? After your last adventure, I just want to make sure that you’re not getting in over your head, again.” 

It’s hard to hear her say that. It always felt as if she was looking down on Cassie, that she doesn’t think her daughter is good enough to be a real hero like Diana or Donna. Even if Cassie knows that isn’t the case, that her mom is just worried and wants her daughter to have a safe and stable life like any sane parent. Not for the first time, Cassie can’t help but feel the weight of privilege on her shoulders as she watches her mother fret over her. She knows how lucky she is to have a truly good parent. So many of her friends aren’t as fortunate, too many lacking even a mediocre parent.

“No mom, we didn’t even do anything. They just wanted to give me a heads up to keep an eye out for, um, material we could use.” She frowns. That sounded more convincing in her head, luckily for her, it looks like her mother bought it so she’s saved from having to further elaborate.

Helena wraps an arm around her and brings Cassie in for a hug. Unable to help herself, she clings tightly to her mother as she asks, “Mom?”

“Yes Cassie?” Her mother’s voice is gentle but tired, and Cassie knows she’s the reason for the exhaustion in her voice, which makes her lungs flood with guilt. Her mind freezes for a moment and she forgets what she was originally going to say. Instead, she just says the one thing she has still floating in her head.

“I love you.” ‘Even though everything is different and we’re not the same.’

“I love you, too. Just please let me know the next time you run off. A text, at least, something to let me know who I should bother for updates on you.” Helena’s teasing smile is half hearted as she pulls back from the hug and Cassie can only smile tightly back, pushing down the ugly feelings that are threatening to explode. 

Not for the first time today, Cassie desperately wishes that some crisis or other would happen so she can ignore the way her chest hurts her.

Instead, Cassie nods at her mother’s request and settles for silently watching the TV with her. 

  Helena puts the volume back on and lets the sounds of game show buzzers and uninspired banter fill their silence.

They watch TV for another few minutes before Cassie’s stomach protests so hard that she’s fairly certain people in Australia heard it. Her mother simply smirks and takes her daughter’s hand before leading her to the dining room area in the kitchen. The pots and pans are still on the stove and it looks like her mother has everything set to simmer. Cassie helps her mom set the table, going at what feels like a snail’s pace compared to what she could actually do. Unfortunately, there’s a ‘no superpowers in the house’ rule. 

Dinner is simple Italian tonight, stuffed pasta shells with a red sauce and meatballs. It’s easily one of her favorite dishes that her mom makes. Memories dance through her mind of her younger years where she would always beg her mom to make her the cheesy shells and her mother teasing her for loving them so much. The joke eventually evolved after her godly heritage finally came to light; her mom really thought she was a comedy genius when she first told the joke.

“Heh.” Cassie laughs, unable to keep the grin off her face as the dumb moments continue to roll into her mind. Her mother watches the smile stretch on her daughter’s face and can’t help the way her own lips twitch.

“Thinking of something funny?” Helena smiles softly at her daughter as the heroine tucks a long lock of blonde hair behind her ear. Cassie’s hair is so long, and nowadays it shines like spun gold. Helen really loves the way it flows around her daughter’s face, the golden locks giving her a sense of elegance that made her look so grown up all of a sudden.

“Oh, just that, you know- maybe my dad’s actually Jupiter.” Cassie glances up to give her mom a joking look.

Except her mom just snorts into her glass of water and giggles as she wipes her mouth. “Oh Cassie! That’s too funny, but I think you mean that your ‘granddad’ is actually Jove.” 

Cassie pauses and then looks back at her mom. Oh, right. In this world, Diana is Zeus’ kid. Not her.

Right.

“Yeah, of course.” Cassie watches as her mom finally comes down from her giggle fit. Helena smiles at her daughter and she returns the sentiment, though it’s a half-hearted gesture on her part.

“Your father…” Helena frowns and it’s all Cassie can do to keep from face planting into her food. 

"Your father was- well he was a good man, Cassie-” Here we go. “He loved you very much and I know he would be proud of the young woman you’ve become.” 

Knowing what she does now, she can’t decide which is worse; The one God that doesn’t seem to realize condoms are a thing in the present day, or some no-name Brit expat who walked out on his family only to go get himself killed. Why does she always seem to get the really shitty guys for fathers!?

…

Okay maybe that’s a bit harsh. But her point still stands that she doesn’t seem to have the best luck with father figures. Maybe that’s why she’s so attached to Diana? Despite being a woman, she’s the closest thing to a non-maternal familial figure Cassie has and it just makes sense that she would gravitate towards her. It would also explain the… arrangement in her past life.

No, fuck, why does she always feel so insecure and embarrassed when she thinks about them? She absolutely shouldn’t! They were great, the greatest thing to happen to her in a long time. Why is she like this?

Great, now her appetite is ruined. Cassie pokes at her food once more with her fork before sighing out loud and giving up. Her mother, having been closely watching her with concern written all over her face, stands slightly from her own chair and reaches one hand out for Cassie.

 " Is everything ok? I didn’t mean to upset you-”

“It’s okay mom. I just remembered that I have to go do some research for my, uh, stuff.” Cassie lies lamely. Thankfully, any mention of superhero work tends to make her mother recoil and fold. Sure enough, Helena just sighs to herself and sits back down in her seat.

"Alright then. Just, do me a favor and put the rest of your dinner in the microwave for now. I’ll throw it out tomorrow morning if you still haven’t eaten it by then.”  Cassie just nods and makes her way back to her room after putting her leftovers away. She takes a second to spare her mother a second look. Her heart aches as Cassie watches the stranger in her mother’s seat eat her food.

She makes sure to close the door and lock it behind her before throwing herself on the bed. Cassie hugs a pillow to her face and screams into it. The muffled sounds of frustration carry on only to drift off into pathetic whimpers and sobs.

This reality blows.

She gives herself a few minutes to calm down before sitting up and wiping away the rest of her tears. Cassie has work to do, no more feeling sad about a life that she barely got to live and relationships she’s lost. Gods, this is depressing.

Ok, getting serious now. She takes out the laptop she uses specifically for her hero work and gets to starting up some searches. She really isn’t sure what to look for at first; staring at the blinking cursor on her custom laptop as she searches her own mind for keywords relevant to this little side mission. It hits her all too hard when the image of wild hair and lightning yellow eyes crosses her mind.

Cassie pulls up the menu for the Titans’ database and immediately chooses the active cases’ files. The files flood her screen and she goes to the search bar to hopefully narrow down her options. “Speed… Force… Anomalies…”

Time to get her boys back.

Chapter Text

An arrow is notched and the string is drawn taught as Olympic Gold Medalist Cissie King-Jones stares a target down with fierce determination and lets the weapon fly, hitting dead-center on the bullseye. The movements are like water pouring over smoothed stone, the sequence of poses like second nature in a way that screams of prodigy level genius. She was a master markswoman with a bow and arrow, often compared to the ever famous and infamous Green Arrow and his many compatriots of the same weapon. 

Sometimes, it feels like Cissie’s chest is going to cave in whenever she hears such comparisons. The need to humble herself by saying she could never trump an actual superhero with her flimsy skills always makes itself an unwanted guest in her mind. Other times, it feels like an arrogant boast is on the tip of her tongue; like she wants to claim that- ‘Of course I’m better than him! Every Arrow is better than him.’’ . She has no basis for such boasts as she’s sure that if he had the means to compete, Green Arrow would be a Gold Medalist 500 times over.

She is also not an Arrow.

 But it’s very hard to think rationally when a tiny voice in her head, that sounds so familiar it almost breaks her heart, continues to insist that she’s the better of the two.

She takes a deep breath, notches another arrow, and releases it in the exhale. Lately, Cissie has been feeling off. She feels like this isn’t where she’s supposed to be but also where she was going to end up anyways. Like, there are scenes missing in the insofar underwhelming movie that is her life. Important clips from her story that would’ve been, should’ve been, defining moments of her character. And yet those moments did not exist. It was so very vexing if not downright worrying to Cissie.

A break. Cissie needed a break from practice and from being so deep in her own thoughts. The blonde shook her head and put down her bow, stretching her shoulders one final time. Reaching for her water bottle, Cissie looks around the outdoor archery range used by the US Olympic team. Everyone was laser-focused on their training, doing their utmost to perfect their skills in their beloved sport. She took a few long gulps of water before just dumping the rest of it on her head. It was hot out, the middle of summer in Star City was always sweltering enough to make eggs fry on concrete. She let the cool water bring her skin down to a decent boil instead of blistering from the heat, relishing in the slight breeze that picked up randomly throughout the day.

There’s a hand on her shoulder that has her almost jumping out of her skin. She turned her head to see one of the newer members to the team, a girl about a year younger than her and half a foot shorter. Her name was Nevaeh Aside, Cissie thinks. The two haven’t had much chance to talk one on one since she joined the team but the few times that Cissie watched the young girl practice she had been impressed. She was a wonderful archer who deserved her spot.

Nevaeh took her hand off Cissie’s shoulder when she saw how spooked the older girl was by it and gave her a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about that. Just checking in is all. You looked like something big was bothering ya.” Neveah’s bright brown eyes sparkled a little with the kind of hero worship that most of the younger athletes always had for the older ones. The age difference between them may not have been much but it seemed that didn’t matter much to the young girl.

“Thanks and I’m alright; just feeling a little spacey. It’s probably about time I called it quits for today.” Cissie smiled at the other girl and she beamed right back. Her neatly done box braids swayed behind her back as the wind picked up some, as did Cissie’s own bright blonde hair that she kept up in a tight ponytail during practice.

“Oh, then do you wanna come get some smoothies with me and some of the other girls? We were planning to call it a day too.” Neveah offered, hands clasped in front of her as if she was pleading for Cissie to join them instead of just asking nonchalantly. Cissie just chuckled to herself and nodded.

“Sure thing! Let me just-” She turned her head and was immediately about to ask if she would like to join too. Only to halt in her tracks and blink. She? She who?

Cissie felt a sudden wave of vertigo hit her as she took a step backwards. Who was she about to ask to join her and the other Olympic hopefuls for smoothies and girl talk? Her heart started to ache as an incredible sense of longing and sadness overtook her for a brief moment. A blurry image of four girls invades her mind; two with pale eyes that felt like they could see right through her and two with the warmest brown eyes she’s ever seen. The image makes her want to cry.

Just as quickly as she was overwhelmed by these strange feelings, they vanished. Her attention is pulled away from her momentary lapse of vertigo to see that Neveah had called over a few of the other young ladies on their team. Sandra and Milagro are sweet and eagerly greet Cissie with the same kind of hero worship as Neveah. Jackie was a little quiet but also sweet in her greetings. It was nice to make all their acquaintances and soon Cissie was able to shake off the strange feeling by focusing entirely on the new girls and not whatever the fuck had come over her at that moment.

The smoothies were pretty damn good and her chosen blend of coconuts, bananas, pineapples, and mango juice was delicious. Since it was majority fruit with some optional kale and wheatgrass shots thrown in at her own request, it was free of any artificial sugars and the perfect drink for the kind of health conscious diet she had to adhere to for her training. And, just and, there was something so very familiar in a sad way about the taste. Like it was something she associated with someone else a long time ago. Which is silly because she’s never met anyone who would remind her of something so tropical.

That strange feeling from earlier washes over her again but she shakes it off and listens back in on the conversation that was being held around her. The group of girls had decided to sit down at a picnic table in the small park area that was nearby. All 5 of them were sitting and sipping, conversation light and mostly just comments on the first things any of them observed. Right now, the topic seemed to be the small pieces of jewelry that Jackie and Sandra were wearing.

“This necklace was actually one I got from this local carver and painter. They were selling their pieces on the street corner one day on my way home from practice and it was all just super beautiful.” Jackie held her painted, wooden turtle for the others to see. It was cutely done up in a delicate lavender and baby pink with an ornate S carved into the back of the shell. It was very pretty, Cissie thought, not to her own tastes but she could see how someone as soft as Jackie could fall so in love with it.

“I got my bracelet online!” Sandra shoved her right wrist into the air and showed everyone the large bangle-like bracelet that gleamed under the sun’s rays that sported a very famous lightning bolt symbol painted elegantly on in yellow. “This one HVF blog made some jewelry using premade gemstone bracelets as a template. This one is made from smoky quartz.” 

Cissie stared at the light brown color of the smoothed over stone bracelet. Something about that and the specific shade of yellow had her mind foggy for a second. It was that feeling again. That heavy sadness for something missing but unknowing of what it is that she’s missing. She’s starting to think that maybe she needs to take a break from people today.

“Cool find. You used to live in Central, right?” Cissie asks as she tries to think of a way to excuse herself from the group.

“Yeah~ Green Arrow and the other Arrow fam are all right, but I really miss Flash sometimes. He was really nice and sometimes he’d let you take a selfie with him!” Sandra babbled. Seems like she was a huge cape fan. Milagro seems used to it as she just nods along with her friends rambling and Neveah and Jackie are sharing the contact info of that artist she got her turtle from. Okay, now’s a good time to bail.

“That’s actually pretty neat you guys! Uh, shoot.” She pretends to look at her phone and then gathers her things. “My mom texted and I gotta get home now. See you guys next practice?” 

“Oh, sure thing Suzanne!” Cissie tried really hard not to make a face at the sound of that name.

“I prefer Cissie.”

“Ack! Sorry about that. Get home safe!” 

This time she just nods and takes off, speed walking out of sight from the other girls still enjoying their day and continuing their talks without her. A knot forms in her stomach as the ghostly imprint of electric yellow eyes flash in her mind. She doesn’t know why but they feel so familiar and the ache in her heart is back.

She shakes her head and holds out her phone. She calls a Hytch and waits for her driver to show up while scrolling blindly through her very short photo reel. It should be longer, she thinks. She’s not sure why. She’s not sure of a lot anymore. 

The car ride back home was silent and when she finally arrived, she found herself dreading entering her own home. Her mom was too friendly in a way that made Cissie want to push her away from every hug she pulled her daughter into. She felt like her mother should be more demanding, wanting perfection from her in every extracurricular under the sun. But she doesn’t. Instead, Bonnie King simply encouraged a love for archery in her daughter after taking her to a shooting range.

Cissie could still remember that day clearly. Watching her mother take up the bow that was provided to her and holding it aloft, arrow readily nocked, made her heart race. It felt right in all the best and worst of ways. She had been so adamant to try it too and her mother had eagerly gone to rent out an extra archery set that she could use. Luckily the place had kiddy bows and arrows and the afternoon of that Sunday was spent on Cissie getting her first ever lessons on archery. Bonnie had been delighted to share a passion with her daughter, even though it would only be a few years later that she would have to hang up her bow forever after being diagnosed with severe carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Sure, her mom was kinda pushy about the archery stuff after that, but she never got… She never got overbearing or even physical with Cissie. She thinks her mom should’ve hit her at least once and not because Cissie thinks she deserved it or anything but because it seems like something her mother would do. And isn’t that just a horrible thing to think about one’s own mother? It makes her feel like a bad daughter. She loves her mom, and her mom loves her. Why would she ever think her mom would abuse her like that?

After years of pondering on the weirdness of these feelings, Cissie has come to the conclusion that she’s just majorly messed up in the head and she has no idea why. Her therapist tells her that it may be a form of narcissism or some type of Munchausen syndrome. She thinks that’s bullshit but she also couldn’t completely deny it because what the heck does she know about psychology? Not more than her shrink, that’s for sure.

She shakes her head and suppresses her own dread to finally just go inside. Cissie almost collapses in relief when she realizes that her mom isn’t home yet. A glance at her watch has her guessing that she’s either held up at work or just grabbing something on the way home. 

Whatever the circumstance, Cissie is just glad she has a few more minutes to steel herself for another night with someone who feels like a stranger but very much shouldn’t. Immediately, she books it for her room and toes her shoes off, tossing them into her closet with haphazard abandon before collapsing into her bed. The haven of her bedroom does little to comfort her as she stares at the wall opposite her bed. Her dresser is pushed up against it and her T.V. is perched right on top of it along with all the other knick-knacks she tosses onto it haphazardly. 

The wall not blocked by her television is covered in posters of varying interests. A few of them are related to boy bands and celebrities that she admires and at least two are from the Olympics she took her first gold in. One of the smaller posters is from that old show she guest starred in once and never again afterwards; its premise had something to do with werewolves and teen melodrama. 

One poster stuck out to her in particular, though. Her eyes fell upon it as she was trying to let her brain numb itself into a deep sleep so she could maybe rest before dinner, but this particular poster just wouldn’t let her look away. It wasn’t anything special, really. She got this small thing for free at some street festival she went to with some classmates a few years back. It featured some of the more prevalent JLA members at the time and Cissie wasn’t even paying attention as it was pressed into her hand. She just sorta shoved it into this free tote bag she was given in the same fashion as the poster and went on with her day.

When she got back home afterwards, she had taken one look at the thing, slapped it onto her wall with some tape, and then promptly forgot about it as it was eventually covered up somewhat by the other posters, she eventually brought home to decorate her room with. Currently, Green Lantern’s head was obscured by one of the Olympics posters and the bottom half of Aquaman and Black Canary was covered by the commemorative poster she got from her one guest star role on that werewolf show.

She stares at it for a long time, and she can’t help it. She can’t help the way her eyes stray over to the obscured figure of Green Lantern and think that she could trust one of them to back her up in an argument with the rest of the League. Like, the very scenario pops into her head unbidden and so very realistic. When she finds herself staring at Batman and Superman and Wonder Woman, she can envision herself getting up in their faces and telling them to screw off. She can especially see herself just outdoing Green Arrow and his archery. 

It’s absolutely demented. Insane. She could never hope to compete with a literal superhero. She would never even need to confront them for anything! She’s a normal civilian with a normal life. Cissie King-Jones had nothing to do with any of them.

And yet, the feeling is there. Like a foreboding piece of foreshadowing to events yet to pass, the feeling of familiarity seeped into her bones and played the sound of auspice. Something about that tiny poster had her wondering when this quiet, mundane life she has led all this time will end.

Cissie wonders if maybe she wanted it to, just a little. The thought has her stomach tie up in knots with conflict.

Looking away forcibly from her wall, she flops over in her bed and squeezes her eyes shut. Maybe she’ll feel less emotionally and mentally drained after some rest. She hugs a stray pillow to her chest and hopes that a nap would solve all her problems. Even though she’s well aware that things hardly ever get solved so easily.

Chapter Text

Getting back to Gotham was easy compared to the disaster that was waiting for him when he stepped foot in the city. According to Babs, who can walk and is still Batgirl, only a quarter of the grenades planted by Riddler have been uncovered and it’s a major race against the clock to find the remaining ones via the puzzles Riddler left behind. Tim had already figured out the first few and was working his way through the rest when he finally got to a bomb location. Disarming it was easy enough as he had already finished up the riddles and had the answers before he even got to it. Crane and Nygma were either getting predictable in their games or Tim are probably just remembering a time when they pulled this exact same scheme before- well, before.

 He shook his head as he took out the explosive, careful with the fear toxins it held within, and grappled his way to the next location he managed to sparse out. He can’t think of that mess right now. First, he had to deal with the mess at hand and then he could sneak away to the Nest and- wait, shit, fuck. 

He didn’t have the Nest anymore. 

It was gone along with everything else from his old life. He grimaced at that and then had to actually think hard about where it was, he was actually staying now. In the manor, he thinks. Yeah, that sounds right. Dammit, guess he’s going to have to figure out how to do his own research without Bruce catching on. Hopefully a few firewalls and virus traps should do it for now. God, what a mess. He really needed some Zesti and his signature pizza order after this. That one place on Grant Lane should still be open hopefully.

As he was thinking about his future stress-eating order, Tim grappled around to his next target and disabled that one too. He was getting through the different grenade locations so quickly that it was drawing the attention of the others on the comm lines. He ignored their questions, both asked and unasked, trying to keep all his attention focused on the task at hand. He also ignored the way his own heart was thumping so loudly in his chest that he was certain it would jump right out of his ribcage. He muted himself and his comms, desperate for a reprieve as his swing faltered mid arc and he landed roughly a few roofs away from the next location.

He fell to his knees and took deep, grounding breaths as Zatanna’s words and the reality of his life finally bore down on him in full force. This wasn’t fair! It wasn’t fair at all! He just wanted his life to go back to normal, but he’s not too sure what normal even is anymore. The deep, yawning abyss of longing he feels for existence before this reality has him reeling. He can’t afford this distraction right now but it’s just too much as Tim’s brain felt like it was developing oedema with how many conflicting memories warred for space in his head. 

The chaotic cacophony finally fell off in an anticlimactic murder of the crescendo when he heard a voice call out to him.

“Tim? Are you okay?” He hates it when he turns to look at her.

Stephanie Brown was always so pretty. She had the kind of looks that probably would have gotten her cast as Regina George or Heather Chandler in their old school’s yearly musicals. Eyes a sharp blue like diamonds made to cut other diamonds, blonde hair that shone so bright it could’ve been mistaken for strands of molten gold, and a smile that hid danger in every corner. She was a beauty that came off as insanely intimidating. It made him shiver once upon a time.

He had really liked that about her. A selfish part of him that always ever thought in terms of how it would affect him being Robin would whisper to him that she had the kind of face that told everyone to back off or she’d ruin their life with barely a flick of the wrist. Perfect for Robin’s girlfriend; no need to worry about her being hurt when she could just as easily intimidate them into leaving. It had seemed like destiny when it turned out that Stephanie Brown was the at-the-time newest vigilante on Gotham’s unforgiving streets, Spoiler.

“Hey Steph.” Once upon a time, he would have run into her arms and placed an ecstatic kiss on her lips.

“Tim, babe, you were shaking a second ago. I think you still are. What’s wrong?” Once upon a time, he would let her hold him tight and keep him safe from the thoughts clogging up his own head.

“I-uh. It’s nothing, Steph…” Instead, he takes a step backwards as she takes one forward and he keeps the distance between them. Once upon a time may have been just yesterday for Steph but Tim was falling through the cracks of two whole lifetimes that have him shattered and scrambling for pieces that fit together properly. Pieces that could make the real him again, whoever that may be.

And honestly, does he even want to be that person again? Is he really not content with his life as it is now? He stares at Steph in prolonged silence, trying desperately to find the answer in her eyes as she continues to doubt his words and fuss over him. She steps into his personal bubble and takes one of her gloves off. She goes in to brush her fingers against his forehead, wanting to check his temperature in the most rudimentary of ways only for him to stumble back in surprise. He feels awful for it.

Stephanie didn’t do anything wrong in this lifetime. He can remember the one where they fell apart so terribly due to mutual mistakes made, awful mistakes that left scars both emotional and physical. But that was in a life that no longer existed, a history that was no more to this world. Tim tried so hard not to compare this life to the others, but it was so hard when so much of himself from the past was now pouring into his current self. Everything in his brain felt so chaotic and he needed to leave and get away from Steph before he did or said something to hurt her for things that never even happened in this timeline.

“Tim?” Steph’s voice sounded so small as she called out to him. Her confusion and hurt was written all over her face, even with half of it covered by her mask. He knew he was acting weird, and she was just concerned for him, but he couldn’t take another second in her presence. So, he did the only thing he could think to do in this situation.

Reaching for his grapple, he quickly lined up a shot to the nearest building and zipped off, ignoring her surprised cry of his name. Tim knew that it was a dick move to just leave like that, but he was still reeling from the earlier realization, and he was on a timer for the next bombs while the others searched for Nygma and Crane. When he finally made it, he saw that the newest addition to their team, Signal, had already disabled it and even managed to bring down Riddler at the same time. Edward Nygma was tied up and unconscious at the hero’s feet, sporting a black eye and disheveled outfit. Tim sighed in relief and caught Signal’s eyes.

“Crane?” He asked, knowing that the yellow clad vigilante would probably know more than him. Tim still hadn’t turned his comms back on and was probably not going to for the rest of the night. He can listen to Bruce bitch about it later.

“Red Hood and Nightwing have him cornered over by the Narrows, currently through his Fear Gas and minions. Batman and Robin are on their way to provide support.” His demeanor was stiff, nervous. He was obviously trying to impress the older vigilante or at least, was trying not to step on Tim’s toes by accident. He remembers what that was like, three times over too. He nodded his head and gave Signal a wobbly smile.

“Cool, any leads on where the next bombs are?” He tries to be more casual, hoping Signal would catch on and relax on his own.

“Yeah, I think we’re looking at the mural over by Croyden Ave. You know, the pride one? The riddle mentions a road of rainbows and a proud baby born.” Good on him. Though, that sounds a little too on the nose for Nygma. Maybe he’s losing his edge? Tim shakes his head; it doesn’t matter. It’s not really at the top of Tim’s priority list if a rogue was getting sloppy in their schemes.

“Great, let’s head out then.” Taking out the remaining bombs was easier with Signal at his side. The kid seemed really great, if a little unused to the late hour. Pretty understandable since his primary role so far has been patrolling during the daytime hours that the rest of the Bats and Birds of Gotham tend to avoid. With a bit more time, one day Duke should be well adjusted to a spotty enough sleep schedule to work around it all.

After the two managed to disable the last of the hidden explosives, Tim went off on his own. He gave a small wave to Signal and told him to keep up the good work, something that seemed to lift an invisible burden from the vigilante’s shoulders, if only a little bit. Tim should heckle Bruce into giving the kid more training, maybe he’d feel less insecure if he got enough approving grunts from B.

He set course for the only pizza place in Gotham still stubborn enough to stay open even at such dangerous hours. He needed something to eat and drink and to finally have enough alone time to course correct his brain enough to figure out how the hell he’s going to balance all the memories sloshing around in his skull.

But before he could even get halfway to his destination, he was cut off again.

Steph looked really angry this time. Tim inwardly flinched at the way she glared at him with slightly teary eyes. She must be upset about him brushing her off when she was just concerned for him and then basically avoiding her by using Signal and his deactivated comms as a shield. 

He had been grateful that Signal hadn’t asked why he turned his comms off despite the clear hazard, but Tim figured he just didn’t want to get involved in any drama brewing. Smart of the kid.

Anyways, it was obvious that Steph was mad and mostly likely wanted an explanation. He can’t run from this, he won’t. Even though his mind was a warzone of memories clashing violently with one another, he couldn’t put this off any further. Tim knew that no matter what happened next, this relationship with Steph that was really only skin-deep in this lifetime, had to come to an end. It wasn’t fair to her, and it wasn’t fair to him that the only reason they ended up together was because the universe was messed up from two time-line breakages that lead to certain people and events being erased from their lives.

Events like Tim deliberately trying to manipulate Steph into what he thought a vigilante should be. Events like Steph stalking him out of jealousy and nearly getting his friend Star killed. Events like Tim’s refusal to help her after he was forced into quitting Robin, and she took the role only to find she clashed with Bruce too much to properly be Robin. Events like Steph being driven into enacting a plan that ended up going haywire due to her not realizing that Bruce had to be the catalyst. Events like Steph’s torture after failing to contain the haywire plan and Tim’s school being shot up due to the haywire plan, Steph’s faked death and Tim’s grieving of her loss, Steph’s return and her stalking of Tim at Bruce’s orders while Tim thought he was slowly going mad from seeing her ghost everywhere, and so many other things that left their trust in each other in tatters.

It didn’t matter that none of that happened here, in this timeline. It was all wrapped up in Tim’s head now and he can’t bear to look at her like this. He can’t bear to touch her like this. Even with all the bad blood that had accumulated between the two of them for years back in the old timeline, and the tepidness of their relationship from the one that came after, Steph was still someone Tim cared for. He may never be able to be as close to her as he once was, but he still thinks of her with care. A friend that became distant because of circumstances and bad decisions but a friend, nonetheless.

She’s stomping up to him and her mouth is open, and she seems ready to tear him a new one, but Tim knows he has to stop it here and now. He doesn’t want to drag this out and break her heart any further. Especially when his mind floated to someone else in this moment.

Tim wonders if reality was always so cruel like this. As he stares at the diamond blue eyes in front of him, he can’t help but think about the stormy blue of another girl. Where Steph’s eyes were exquisite and sharp like a perfectly cut gem, her’s were a wild storm building up in the endless skies above. A color no doubt passed down to her from her Godly parent.

“Steph, I think we should break up.” Her hair tumbled out of her hood as the wind blew it out of place. She was stopped in her tracks and looking for all the world like he had told her that he was dying. Maybe he might as well have. But despite how she seemed to be breaking down in front of him, he can’t help but think about how her golden locks differed in shade from hers. Steph had gold for hair, but she had literal sunshine flowing luxuriously from her head. 

It made Tim sick, honestly. He hated how much he was hurting Steph by breaking up with her out of nowhere from her point of view, but he had to. Because of thoughts like these where he was comparing her to someone, he shouldn’t even know that well by all respects in this timeline.

He never found cheating very palatable, with the only time he ever found himself in such a state was when he was desperately trying to appease Spoiler as Robin whilst trying to keep things together with Ariana as Tim. He hated that entire fiasco.

“Wha-what are you talking about?” Steph sounded very choked up and she was obviously crying, and he should- he should reach out and tell her he’s sorry and take back his words, but he can’t. He can’t take back what he said to Steph because he needs to end things here. He has to. His maelstrom of thoughts have coalesced enough for him to figure out that much at least.

“I said, we need to break up. I’m sorry and I know this is unexpected but-” He can’t justify this to her. Not without prematurely exposing her to information that he hasn’t even proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be true. This isn't fair and still, he persists.

“Steph, I can’t say anything to justify this now but just know that this is the best. For both of us.” He was braced for it the moment he first uttered a word about the breakup but the sting of her palm against his cheek still hurt.

“Go fuck yourself!” She was mad, enraged. He watched as she heaved under her rage and glared at him with clenched teeth. She opened her mouth wordlessly once and then twice before stomping away in her fit of anger. She pulled her hood back on and grappled away from him.

That was less explosive than he had expected but he’s sure that this wasn’t the end. She was going to want an explanation and probably only left now because she didn’t want to cry too much in front of him. Steph was always stubborn like that.

He just stood there, watching her back grow smaller and smaller in the distance until she disappeared amongst Gotham’s rooftops. Tim sighed and knew he had his work cut out for him soon. And although his head was whirling with anticipation of a confrontation that could lead to travesty, he had other things to worry about.

As he sat in a small, dingy booth with his back to a solid wall full of questionable stains and his eyes on all the exits, Tim ate his Canadian bacon, artichoke heart, and red onion pizza in silence. He contemplated his next steps and decided that the first order of business was to create a setup that Babs won’t notice. At least not immediately.

He had some research to conduct, and he had a sneaking suspicion that his first target was CADMUS.

Chapter Text

Cassie frowns at her screen as she sips on her smoothie. The pleasant taste of greek yogurt, protein powder, and pomegranates hits her tongue as she looks over the words on the article she managed to find. According to the information in it, an unusual amount of people have lately been having multiple bouts of “paramnesia”; another name for deja vu. Those same people seem to have also recently been in the vicinity of large, frequent bouts of dimensional rift energy, as tracked by the Watch Tower’s computers.

The only thing she can’t figure out is the exact source of these energy rifts. So far, the most she has is that the majority of the rifts are here in Metropolis where she was currently swiping through her Titans-issued tablet and looking over all of her accrued data. Cassie was firmly planted in the chair of an outdoor seating table for the same smoothie cafe she just got her second large cup from. 

There were pedestrians staring at her in amazement as Wonder Girl casually scrolled and sipped a smoothie on a sunny day in a city that was not her usual haunt. She casually ignored the people taking pictures of her in the background and the ones just openly gawking not 3 feet away from her. It was pretty much par for the course as a cape and especially as a cape that didn’t bother to hide her secret identity.

She felt her head throb lightly, as it was wont to do nowadays, and another flash of memory came to her. The black wig and goggles she wore as she actually took measures to hide herself left Cassie cringing internally at the thought. She wanted to be like Diana and Donna so badly, even if it was just surface level. If she wasn’t so damn good at keeping a straight face after years of being a hero, she swore her face would’ve lit up like a Christmas tree. Instead, she simply sipped on her drink and momentarily wallowed in the cringe her past actions brought to her.

After letting her embarrassment wash over her, Cassie focused once again on the mystery in front of her. The problem with trying to pinpoint the origins of these signals was the fact that they seem to be diffused throughout the city. It was hard to tell but major buildings and back alleys seemed to be muddling the energy signatures and dispersing them until origin points were indecipherable. And there were too many disparate spots in the city where this was happening, so even if she went all over the city to look for the diffusion source, there was no guarantee she’d be able to fix it. What a headache.

Well, it’s not like she was working on this on her own. A quick glance at her phone showed that she had only been here for about 20 minutes. Tim should be making his appearance soon and then the two of them can get to cracking this case and hopefully…

She frowned at the way her thoughts trailed off. Like she couldn’t bring herself to think hopefully at all. Her mouth tightened into a thin line and more unbidden memories flashed in her mind. That time was so miserable, an absolute pit of despair that drove her into co-founding a cult with another grieving stranger and Tim into trying to clone new bodies for their fallen loves. Her lips twitched at the thoughts. God, the two of them were absolutely insane for them, weren’t they? Just two lovesick morons who didn’t even realize just how lovesick they were.

It was embarrassing and a little worrying. Maybe she should see if Cissie’s old therapist was still around in this universe. Cassie remembered her being great at keeping super heroic secrets and Cissie seemed to really like her a lot. And, if she was being honest, Cissie was probably the best judge of character out of all of their friends.

As she was lost in her musings, a shadow passed overhead, and heavy boots hit the pavement with a dull thud. A few scattered gasps and whispers had Cassie’s lips twitching up in a smile. She didn’t even bother to look up as Tim took his seat next to her at the small outdoor table and set down his own custom, bat-grade laptop next to hers. 

“Took ya long enough, Wonder Boy.” She teased, her smile stretching her lips until her cheeks hurt. It was so good to see him again. 

“Sorry for the hold up; I had to dodge a sudden wild N encounter.” He frowned but not in that way he does when he’s thinking too deeply about something big or when he’s pretending to be disappointed in their shenanigans even though he was most definitely the catalyst for said shenanigans. No, this was his ‘something personal is majorly bothering me and I’m too emotionally stunted to talk about it properly’ frown. She was gonna have to pry later after they deal with this mess.

“No problem. Wanna order something before we talk shop?” She kept it casual for now. He glances at her through the whites of his lenses, and he stops frowning for long enough to let a little twitch of a smile grace his lips before answering.

“Only if they’re willing to make custom orders. I could really go for a brussels sprout, enoki mushroom, and grapefruit smoothie right now.” She gagged at his words and socked him in the arm for that.

“Oh my Gods, are you serious? How is it that the one universal constant out there is your utterly awful taste in food?” He snorted at her disgust and leaned back like he was proud at his lack of functioning taste buds.

“I was a bored kid with nothing but time, money and way too much food freedom. I got creative with my takeout combos.” Ugh, that is so gross. She side-eyes the hell out of the pedestrians gawking at the two out of place superheroes. They might need to take this somewhere more private. Honestly, if he hadn’t been held up then they would’ve met in a more private spot, but he was, and she wanted a smoothie after waiting for him.

“Let’s not waste any time, though. Meet you at the old hang.” He says, thinking the same thing as her. They still have some real work to do. Catching up is gonna have to wait.

Wonder Girl gathered up her tablet and drained the last of her smoothie before tossing it into the trash. Robin grappled off in the sky, the bright Metropolis sun turning him into a haloed shadow as he got higher up. She flew off after him, following her leader like it was old times again.

As she flew, she kept an eye on the energy readings. If this works then their little publicity stunt will drive whoever was behind this into action and she and Robin can get started on pinpointing their location. Robin had suggested the culprits to be remnants of CADMUS that had experienced a natural unblocking of their own past timeline memories and were probably attempting to find Kon themselves. 

The act on its own was harmless enough but CADMUS wasn’t known for having a very solidly fixed moral compass. And besides that, despite the obvious nature of their possible culprit, there were no CADMUS labs located in Metropolis. That was known to the public or government, at least. If Kon’s old ‘makers’ were really behind this then it was way too hush-hush in nature for it to be any kind of good.

She would tear them all limb from limb before she let them get their hands on their Clone Boy, though. After a minute of flying and grappling, the two of them landed on a semi-secluded rooftop overlooking a good chunk of downtown Metropolis. There were multiple A/C units up here humming away in the summer sun. Wonder Girl sat down on one and checked the readings once more. So far, nothing unusual.

“Alright, we should be good here.” Superboy had once told Robin about this particular building in Metropolis. It was several blocks away from Clark's place and the one time he had been over there, he noticed that he couldn’t hear anything coherent coming from here. Turns out, all the topside A/C units that were almost definitely not up to code ended up acting as makeshift white noise machines that mess with his super hearing. When he asked Clark about it he said it was something he was so used to by now that he hardly notices. Thankfully he hardly ever had any serious problems around here, what with it being such a good neighborhood and all.

And so, whenever Young Just Us wanted to hang with Superboy in Metropolis under Superman’s nose or whenever Kon wanted to smooch on one of his partners without Clark knowing and getting all Midwestern country boy about it, they would all go to the roof of this one, little, isolated spot in Superman’s main city to do just that.

Wonder Girl smiled softly as the sweet memories flooded her mind and she was shown all the wonderful times they spent here. She could practically taste the cheap, greasy Chinese food that was slightly chilled from high-speed winds on her tongue. She could feel arms around her, thick and strong and oh so gentle as they held her lovingly close. The sound of laughter echoed around her, and she had to physically stop herself from getting too lost in her mind. She had to focus, be present.

Wonder Girl looked over to an equally determined Robin who was absently running his fingers over the floor next to him where either of their lost boys would sometimes join him. The two of them would figure this out. They would stop whatever nefarious machinations were behind this before things got any worse. And then, only then, would they finally be able to reunite with their lost halves. 

“Here’s what I managed to find through my research.” Robin finally spoke up and Wonder Girl snapped to attention.

“CADMUS doesn’t have any permanent facilities in Metropolis, yet. Turns out, a new lab is being built not too far from the current S.T.A.R. Labs location and the project is being backed by…” Robin’s face scrunched up like he ate something that even his absolutely dead palate couldn’t handle. Wonder Girl gripped her tablet, already dreading the news. There was only one person with the kind of funds needed to back CADMUS and whose very name would have Robin actually emote.

“There’s no way.” She says and Robin just sighs whilst pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Unfortunately, there is. The project is backed by Lex Corp. And it’s definitely being considered an unusual move by every paper and reporter covering it. We may have to consider the possibility that Luthor is like us, in that he has his memories back from the old timelines and is trying to hunt down Kon for who knows what.” Robin swiped through his tablet and set it to project the images of the found files and articles. Wonder Girl groaned as she read through what he compiled.

“Gods dammit. Okay, so, do we have anything that may point to, like, a temporary lab somewhere in Metropolis?” She looked down at her scattered readings as Tim pulled up a map of all Lex Corp. affiliated locations in Metropolis big enough to hold an entire science lab and the ones with either known or rumored lower levels. She held her tablet up to the holomap and tried to compare the two before the world began to shake.

Her hand immediately shoots out to her side to steady Robin on instincts long buried but not forgotten it seems. He held onto her wrist on a similar gut reaction. Looking up, the two of them could see smoke billowing up several blocks to the west, screams echoing faintly from the same direction. Without having to speak, Wonder Girl twisted her hand around to grab Robin by his wrist and pull him off the ground as she took off towards the chaos. Robin tucked in for the ride, gripping onto Wonder Girl’s wrist even harder.

The scene they arrived upon was pure pandemonium. Civilians desperately trying to escape from what seemed to be five individuals with glittering armor in varied colors; they reminded Wonder Girl somewhat of beetles in their composition. One of them was speaking to the others, derisive words of disgust aimed at the dimension they were currently invading. Wonder Girl felt her temper flare at that. Who in the absolute hell were these guys?

Falling into action, side-by-side, was as easy as breathing. They fought like a well-oiled machine despite how long it’s been. Their movements were fluid against each other as though lifetimes had not come and gone between them. A kick from Robin that smoothly flowed into a punch from Wonder Girl. Their back and forth was poetry in motion that spoke of hidden years and forgotten seconds spent honing their craft together. It made something in Wonder Girl’s chest ache in that familiar way it’s been aching since they started remembering.

Despite their best efforts, however, Wonder Girl knows they’re losing ground in the way her ribs start to sting from too many punches not dodged and how Robin is busy reacting to the fight rather than acting. They need help but the last she heard, Superman was nowhere near Earth and Wonder Woman was busy with the Gods and Steel was on the other side of the world and they were alone in this fight just like they used to be only this time they were alone and-

There’s a sharp kick at her side that might have broken a rib, and she gets sent sprawling on the ground, her senses just barely functioning enough after the hit to hear Robin call out to her so desperately. She wants to reach out and tell him that she’s okay and that they need to focus, she has to be the leader here, but her words won’t come out. Wonder Girl opens her mouth to try and say something, anything, when the world is suddenly bathed in a green light, and she hears a gunshot resound in the air around her.

She gets to her knees and looks up to find Robin’s jaw somewhat slack and head turned in the direction of the newly downed invaders. In front of them are two figures, one holding the handles of two smoking pistols and another wrapped in a familiar green light. Both are obviously ready for a fight judging by their postures.

“Thanks for the save.” Robin’s voice sounds next to her as she feels his warm hand gently grip her arm to haul her to her feet. The green-clad figure turns to them with a youthful grin and nods. She’s so young and her grin reminds Wonder Girl of both of her missing halves in the best and worst of ways.

“No prob! What are heroes for?”

Chapter Text

The ceiling in her room has 5 mysterious water stains, 2 aging posters from her middle school years of old boy bands she doesn’t even listen to anymore, a long, single crack running along the corner furthest from her bed, and was painted an uninteresting shade of off-white. She had taken stock of her ceiling’s appearance a million times over in the last 5 years of her life and she’s only just starting to wonder if maybe there might be something deeply broken inside of her.

Greta Hayes watches the ceiling of her childhood bedroom and tries so hard to find the motivation to get off her mattress and at least pretend to start on her term paper that was due in two days. Unfortunately, all the young woman could do was stare miserably up and wonder why.

Recently, her heart has felt so heavy. As if someone has gone and encased the fragile organ in cement and let it crush her bones and organs with its weight. She could never admit it to her ever worried mother and neurotic father, but she had spent nearly three days straight just crying over the hefty burden in her rib cage last week. She had gone and hidden away in the treehouse she once played so innocently and happily in, just letting herself sob silently so as not to alert her parents.

She didn’t want them to think of her as pitiful . God, that would be so mortifying. Greta would never be able to handle that.

She wasn’t fucking pitiful even as she laid there in her bed, wasting away and being crushed under the weight of her own feelings. Feelings that she still has no idea why she even has. Feelings she can’t even identify with how vague and hazy they were but no less heavy. 

And, as if the crushing weight in her chest were not enough, there was this iciness that permeated her very being. A yawning and deep cold that felt like no chill she had ever encountered. Greta had found herself shivering with clattering teeth more than once over the last few years during days when she should’ve been sweltering. Instead the chill persisted.

Sometimes she finds herself too afraid to look down at her hands, worried that she’d find her fingers nearly black with frostbite. At one point, Greta thought that perhaps she was developing some kind of latent meta ability to control the cold. (A truly daunting idea and one that, oddly enough, didn’t sound right to her. As if she knew deep down that ice was not in her cards were she to ever gain superpowers.)

Greta had no idea why any of this started. Why she suddenly started feeling like her body was slowly freezing over, why her heart always felt so depressingly heavy. One day she was fine and peachy and blissfully content with life and the next she felt like she was either dead or dying. Every breath a struggle to take and every attempt to keep warm thwarted by her ever lowering internal body temperature. 

Something was seriously wrong with her and no matter how much she wished she could, she couldn't bring herself to reach out for help. It was as if her mind knew that the only people that could help her through this weren’t in reach. A truly ridiculous notion when she took even a single moment to think about it. Although she never did quite manage to keep any close friendships with her peers in school, Greta still had her mother and father to turn to. They would do anything to help her if she would just tell them what was happening. But she couldn’t.

There was something in her mind that blocked her from trying to reach out. Whatever it was, it was definitely something more than just her irrational aversion to being pitied. It was so frustrating but even more so just- utterly exhausting.

How desperately she wished there was someone she could turn to. Someone she could hold her hand out to and feel the warmth of their own hand bring her back from the brink. 

Her fingers twitch and her head starts to pound as a flash of different colors streaks through her mind. The most prominent of them? Blue . Blue, blue, blue .

Once upon a time, her favorite color was probably something like purple or pink. But recently she’s been so taken with blue. Especially icy blue that was so clear but so deep, like a deceptively clean lake that was several hundred feet deep but the water was see through enough for the bottom to look no more than inches away. As ironic as her new love for such a color was, given her own predicament with the cold, Greta still cherished it.

She sometimes looked for that color in the eyes of people around her but… No such luck so far. Despite how much a niggling feeling in the back of her head made her think that yes, there was someone she knew with such eyes. Someone she cared for deeply and truly. Again, another ridiculous notion. She was really only close to her parents, all outside relationships nearly entirely superficial if they existed at all.

A grimace graced her lips as the pounding in her head worsened. Despite the way her heart continued to weigh her down, her headache was reaching critical levels of pain. With great effort on her own part, Greta hauled herself off the bed, took one look over to her desk with her untouched laptop, and reached for the bottle of painkillers she kept at her bedside along with a bottle of water that was nearly empty. She carefully shook out two small, round pills onto her palm and quickly tossed them into her mouth before finishing the water off. She grimaced again at the feeling of the pills going down her throat. How unpleasant.

She dropped the bottle into the tiny waste basket by her bed and debated whether or not to go back to laying down in her bed and continuing to rot away into nothing or make somewhat of an attempt at half-assing a paper that she’ll probably get a 60 on at best but a 0 on if she didn’t even bother to do it all.

Before she could let her body fall back under the weight of its own life giving organ, a knock reverberated through her room. She blinked and waited.

“Greta honey? It’s time for lunch. Come down and help set the table.” Her father’s voice floated through the closed door and Greta put all her effort into trying to pull herself together enough to make it through a single family dinner. At least that was her decision made for her.

She slipped on her house slippers and made her way down the short hall and single flight of stairs. Stepping onto the ground floor, Greta’s eyes immediately turn to the spot on the wall by the stairs where a portrait once hung. It was taken down years ago but had been hanging for long enough before that the wall under it was still much cleaner than the rest of it. There were plenty of spaces in the house in a similar state.

The bustling sounds and delicious smells of a kitchen in use had her walking forwards and towards the open archway they came from. She sees her mom finishing up with whatever was on the stove and her father was grabbing plates to help with the serving. Greta quietly opened the drawer with the utensils and place mats, taking what was needed and placing everything down on the table in front of the chairs. She grabbed some glasses as well and placed those down as well before grabbing the pitcher of iced tea her mother made yesterday.

She sat down just as her parents were also sitting down and put the pitcher in the middle of the table. She watched as her parents poured out their drinks and started eating. Her eyes fell down to her own plate, finally registering that lunch was a simple box macaroni with steamed broccoli. Fork in hand, she pushed some of her food around on her plate absently before stabbing at a couple of noodles and a floret. 

Another unfortunate side effect of her recent melancholy seems to be an inability to enjoy eating and sometimes it was a straight up lack of appetite as well. Greta mechanically chewed on her food as she dazedly stared at her parents from across the table. The two of them engrossed in a conversation about their past week. She chewed and chewed and chewed until her food was more mushy than strictly necessary and swallowed with some difficulty. It went down like sandpaper and tasted like dust. Her parents continued to talk more about inconveniences at work, small surprise sales at the store, and other utterly uninteresting things.

And then her mom spoke up again.

“I also stopped by SoPsy. Billy and I managed to talk for a few minutes yesterday.” Greta pauses in her movements. She carefully lowered her fork until it was placed back on her plate silently and felt herself focusing entirely on what her mother was saying. 

“How is he doing? Any signs of improvement? What did the doctors say?” Her father’s grip on his own utensils went nearly knuckle white and his face was etched with that same mix of guilt and worry it had when they made the decision to send Billy away the first time.

Burt and Ellen Hayes were good people and parents who loved their kids, adopted or not. They went to all of Billy’s old sports events, encouraged Greta’s old love of paper mâché, and did everything that one would generally consider the prerequisites for being good parents. And yet, perhaps in spite of their parenting, Billy eventually grew up into a sociopath and Greta herself was obviously having her own issues.

For the former, they did everything they could with sending Billy to regular counseling and trying to be as supportive as possible. Unfortunately, he just wasn’t receptive to their efforts as evidenced by the final straw that had him sent away in the first place. Greta still can’t bring herself to ever take a bath again. She was just lucky that her parents had come home early that night and managed to stop Billy before he could electrocute his sister to death. 

It suddenly became a lot harder to swallow as she remembered that night, recounting how shell shocked she was as her father had to knock Billy unconscious while her mother called the police and wrapped her daughter up tightly in the nearest towel. Greta could only watch blankly as her brother was escorted out of their house. He was never the nicest to her but she couldn’t ever imagine him actually trying to hurt her. 

The whole event ended in Billy being sentenced to time in juvie that turned into an extended stay at Southern Psychiatric In-Patient Care, or SoPsy. It was an asylum for children and adults alike with severe mental health problems whose families could not provide the proper care for them at home. The whole building reminded Greta somewhat of an old boarding school the last time she visited. The dress code it had was certainly adding to the vibes, as she could distinctly remember Billy complaining about how the place didn’t allow for anything metal in nature or dangly.

It was so very faint at the time that she had basically forgotten it but the mention of such a restriction made Greta pause and feel a small bit of amusement. Like she was suddenly thinking about how a certain someone would also chafe at such policy considering all the dangly metal they wore. And then she had shaken that feeling off because she certainly didn’t know anyone who dressed like that. At least, no one except for maybe Billy himself at one point.

Billy… He should be almost 22 years old now. Sometimes she thinks he should’ve never made it to this age but then she realizes what she’s thinking and immediately banishes the thought. She’s never quite sure why she thinks that anyway. She never did wish ill on her brother, despite everything. Greta watched as her mother turned to her father, patting his arm gently and answering his questions.

“He seems to be doing fine, dear. As far as I could tell, at least. The doctors say that his talk of ‘supervillain-dom’ has mostly fallen by the wayside. They do think It would be better to keep him for longer, though.” The words weighed down her parents, their shoulders sagged and eyes down turned. Billy’s extended stay at the facility was a burden on both their consciences and their wallets.

Greta wished there was something she could do to lighten the loads on her parents, but there was nothing. She was but one lone girl who was barely able to help herself. Greta suddenly felt like the handful of bites she’s taken of her food tonight are all she could stomach.

Instead of excusing herself right then and there, though, she stuck around for a little longer. She waited for the topic of Billy to pass and for her parents to move on to something less emotionally draining. Once they had gotten deep enough into a safer topic, Greta cleared her throat and gathered her plate and utensils together.

“Lunch was great, mom. I’m going to put my leftovers away and eat the rest later though. Not as hungry as I thought I was.” She gave her mother a smile she couldn’t feel and, at her approval, she scurried off to put her food and dishes away. Once that was done with, she made a beeline for the living room instead of her own. Something told her that she would just wind up staring at her ceiling again if she went upstairs right now.

She took her place on the couch, a small corner where she curled up into a ball, and just sat there for a moment. She stared at the blank television screen before she got it into her mind to actually turn the T.V. on lest her parents find her in such a fugue. The last thing she wanted today was a bunch of questions from her already on edge parents.

Mindlessly flipping through channels, Greta finally settled on a local news channel that was playing tasteless midday television. She didn’t give it a single thought as she let the remote fall to her lap and she continued to zone out, fingers starting to freeze over as her body refused to move anymore.

She barely registered her parents, continuing to eat in the kitchen/dining area when the program was interrupted by a sudden news bulletin. It was unexpected enough for her to actually jump somewhat and actually refocus onto the screen.

It looked like there was some sort of attack happening in Metropolis. Strange beings in colorful armor were pointlessly wreaking havoc on the streets of the City of Tomorrow. Greta blinked as she watched the chaos, something stirring deep within her chest.

As the news reporters on the scene tried their best to get as much of the action on camera without becoming a casualty, new figures emerged on the scene. Figures that made Greta gasp audibly and sit up straight. 

For the first time in a very long time, Greta could feel the heaviness in her heart lift and the cold in her body flee as she gazed upon the screen.

One of the invaders was immediately caught off guard by a girl in a vibrant blue and red shirt with fluttering blonde hair. She watched as the cameras managed to capture the determined fierceness in her eyes as she sucker-punched the evil doer in the face and knocked him right out of view. Behind her was a boy in streetlight colors brandishing a long silver pole and so very ready for a fight. Greta watched with an almost weightless feeling as the fight commenced.

The fight is brutal to watch and Greta hates violence but she can’t look away. She watches with more rapt attention than she’s been able to muster for years now as these two young heroes take on 5 adversaries that were so much bigger than them and could barely contain the excitement in her chest as they firmly held their ground. Seeing these heroes like this, Greta couldn’t help but feel so alive.

And then things started getting dicey. Her heart seized in her ribcage and her eyes widened as the villains got the upper hand and backed the two young heroes into a corner. She physically flinched as the girl was kicked in the side and slammed into the ground. Greta cried out to her, a name so familiar and yet not dying in her throat as a strangled plea for her to get up.

Her parents call to her in worry from the kitchen area but Greta doesn’t answer them. She felt her body rise from the couch as she reached for the television with one shaking hand. The boy did the same on the screen as he called out to his partner. As the invaders closed in and it seemed like all was lost, Greta couldn’t stop her tears from flowing.

“ Tim! Cassie!”  

The room faded into a haze around her, she might’ve heard her mom scream, and the T.V. screen glowed green.

Chapter Text

Fighting alongside Wonder Girl was just another piece of the puzzle slowly sliding into place with a satisfying click for Robin. Another fragment of his personage that was returned to its rightful place after so long apart. As their time together increased, so too did the feeling of rightness that seemed to evade Tim for most of his life, his heart finally shaping itself proper.

Only, his moment is short lived as the tides turn a little too quickly for his liking. One of them manages to knock Wonder Girl away and he immediately shouts after her. Oh, hell no; not his Girl Wonder. Robin made sure to give the jackass in the beetle-like crystal armor a taste of his bō staff before going on the defensive in front of the downed superheroine. He snarled at the advancing invaders, eyes narrowing behind his mask and body tense. He was ready to go down if it meant he kept her safe.

Instead, he gets blinded momentarily by bright, neon green and he has to look away lest his eyes burn out of his skull. When he can open them again without seeing nothing but darkness and spots, he finds himself floored. On the ground in front of them, the invaders were trying to shake off whatever attack had managed to down them in one second flat. In front of them, standing between these hostile forces and the two heroes were another two figures he was very much not familiar with. 

One looked like a cowgirl straight out of a spaghetti western style musical with her tan colored jumpsuit and the black vest thrown over it. Her hat obscured her hair style but he was able to tell that this girl seemed to be a ginger from the bits of it the actual ten-gallon hat she wore didn’t manage to cover up. A closer look also revealed the two smoking pistols she held up, holsters at a belt on her hips. The other figure was much smaller in stature. This one had him vaguely remembering the first time he ever saw Damian, as tiny as he was back then. They were clad in black and green like a Lantern and that detail seemed more relevant as he noticed the very luminous mechanical pack on her back and the comically large green gauntlet she wore. It all glowed that signature Green Light of Willpower all Lanterns seemed to emit and Robin would bet she was at least tangentially related to that particular group.

“Thanks for the save.” Robin managed to find his voice quickly despite the sudden arrival of the calvary. He absently reached back for Wonder Girl, managing to grab her arm in a collapse and haul her back into fighting position. The way the green clad child smiled at him and Cassie made something deep in his heart ache. God, he wished they were here.

“No prob! What are heroes for?” She replies with the kind of jovial and light-hearted tone that nearly brought tears to his eyes. Ah damn, now he kinda wishes he and Damian were closer than they were. He’s getting ridiculously mushy big brother feelings again and his hands are twitching to do something to either shelter, entertain, or help the kiddie Lantern in front of him. He only barely catches the way Wonder Girl throws him a fond, if exasperated, look from the corner of his eye. Robin is pretty damn sure a tinge of pink was starting to spread across his cheeks under his mask due to that look.

“Who are you two?” Wonder Girl manages to sound professional and thoroughly unbothered despite the kind of pain she’s most likely in. Robin grabbed her with both his hands and steadied her further while keeping close. He wasn’t going to let his team leader crumble here. She throws him a quick smile in thanks and that just makes his blush so much worse. Ugh, he was so weak for her.

“Name’s Hex. Jinny Hex.” The jumpsuit-wearing cowgirl introduced herself with a wink and a smirk in Wonder Girl’s direction, a hand held out towards Robin for a shake. He feels Wonder Girl squeeze his arm softly in reassurance and he lets her go reluctantly to shake hands with the newly arrived ally. The girl in front of him had a swagger to her that made Robin’s heart squeeze uncomfortably in his chest. God, she was so much like him.

“I’m Teen Lantern!” The little Lantern girl, who was definitely not a teen, smiled at them over her shoulder, using her constructs to keep the invaders on the ground. Although, it looked like the hard light wall holding them down was straining under the pressure. Robin decided quickly they’d have to keep introductions short for now.

“Robin. This is Wonder Girl. Would either of you happen to know anything about our party crashers?” He glanced back to Wonder Girl as she finally seemed to shake off the last of her disorientation and braced herself for another round. The construct was starting to crack around them. 

“Not a clue. Thought you would.” Jinny cocked the hammer on her guns, obviously ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. A wise choice, seeing as TL’s attempt to keep the invaders in place had shattered the moment she tried to say something herself. The girl looked startled and Robin immediately pulled her back and out of the range of a punch thrown by their current foes. He pulled her behind him on instinct as Wonder Girl shot forwards and slammed into the one that had kicked her down earlier. 

Jinny immediately unloaded two rounds into the armor of the one that tried to hit Teen Lantern. She narrowed her eyes and delivered a swift pistol whip when they turned their attention to her. Robin used the armored invader’s stunned state to his advantage by smacking them hard enough with his now electrified bō staff to stagger them backwards enough for all three heroes to step back and gain some proper footing.

Robin knew he had to think of something quick, their intruders were regaining their bearings and he was starting to feel the aches of earlier hits weigh him down. Focus, he needed to focus. Teen Lantern throws up a shield as a car almost takes his head off and Robin feels his temper flare as another one of the armored-up enemies managed to get a hit on the girl while she tried to cover him. 

Taking a short and steadying breath, the hero quickly took in the positions of each combatant. Robin discreetly pulled three birdarangs from his belt as he leapt away from an errant punch and threw them, each one embedding themselves at the feet of the one that seemed to be targeting Teen Lantern. Luckily, the girl had good reflexes and managed to get out of the way from the explosions that managed to knock the assailant off their feet.

It seemed like she had better reflexes than he thought. Good, hopefully this could be used in his plan once he actually formed one. He signaled for the Lantern to fall back and while it took her a moment, she moved quickly to his side and readied her constructs for another round.

He caught sight of Wonder Girl fighting her opponent fiercely with grit teeth and immediately barked out an order when he saw the second assailant try to sneak up behind her.

“Hex! Get Wonder Girl’s six!” The cowgirl immediately aimed a pistol at Wonder Girl’s would-be attacker and in a show of split decision making, she ran to cover the blonde demigoddess further. Okay, that helps with the planning a bit but also not really.

Ugh, this fight is pointless. Trying to hold back these invaders without even knowing who they were or what they wanted was starting to mess with Robin’s focus. He knows he could think up plans on the fly way better than this, but it seems like the combination of recent events and this being such a sudden ambush has his mind too addled to truly think. How pathetic of him.

Their opponents are looking worse for wear, but it seems like they still have plenty of fight left. Gearing up for another go, Robin is taken aback by the roar of frustration and anger that came from the violet armored invader.

“This is getting us nowhere! Cease this useless struggle and bring us the one known as Superman!!” Ah, great. Just perfect.

The one person who isn’t anywhere near the planet’s sector right now is the one person these jerks wanted to see. Awesome. Robin could feel the annoyance form into a tension headache as his teeth ground together in their own frustration.

“Superman? You guys aren’t even in his league!” The girl besides him quips and uses her constructs to form a mech around herself. It vaguely reminds him of something out of a popular video game and he watches as it shoots a few green lasers at the feet of their attackers.

“Try picking on someone more your speed!” The taunt makes his lips twitch; not bad for some mid-battle trash talk. He makes a note to maybe offer some advice on that. Or, at least, direct her to someone who can.

He spins his staff in anticipation and jumps back into the fray with Teen Lantern at his side. He faintly registers the fact that Hex and Wonder Girl are a bit further away than he’d like them to be, but they at least seemed to be holding their own.

“-not what that damned human promised!” His ears tuned in to the snippets of a complaint thrown out by the attacker in turquoise armor that sported bullhorns on their face covering helm. Robin immediately zoned in on what he could whilst dodging as many attacks as he could.

“Simple mission my ass! I thought that Kryptonian bastard was supposed to have shown up by now!” Bullhorns continues to gripe to the one in the violet armor, only to be barked back at by what he could only assume to be his superior.

“Enough with the laments! We must press on with the plan. We can deal with that deceitful human another time!” The conversation ends there as the violet armored opponent is thrown back by a punch from Teen Lantern’s mech construct. Robin’s mind races as he thinks on who this ‘deceitful human’ could be.

It proves to be a near fatal mistake as the turquoise armored baddie goes in for an attack, blasting the Boy Wonder into the side of a car with enough force that he just knows at least one of his ribs didn’t come out of it unsnapped.

“Robin!” The almost robotic voice of Teen Lantern reaches his ears as she turns her mech towards him. He can’t even get the words out as she too finds herself lifted up in her construct and bashed about by the invader in the violet armor. The light forms cracks before shattering into nothing as she flies out of her mech and lands next to him.

Robin immediately reaches out to bring her closer, glaring through the pain as the two invaders approach the now vulnerable heroes. As Teen Lantern tries to get her bearings after the thrashing she received, Robin takes his bō staff and tries to steady himself back on his feet. The Boy Wonder tightens his grip on his weapon. Out-gunned and out-manned, he knew what a long shot this was but thankfully he wasn’t a stranger to such odds.

Just as he was rearing back to block an incoming hit, a wild wind whipped past him and obscured his vision. The invaders were knocked back and then lifted off the ground by a mini tornado that tossed them into each other, hard. Robin blinked as he watched this happen, barely catching the stunned words from the girl at his side.

“What the heck was that?” His lips twitched up involuntarily as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks. Teen Lantern throws him a curious glance as their mysterious saviour blurs into focus in front of them.

“Sooo… What’d I miss?”