Because of Jason Todd

Chapter 2

You turned away from the window and wiped a tear from your cheek, "I'm ready."

Nightwing stepped out the shadows, "Good, we're all glad to have you." Behind him were Barbara, Tim, and a green kid, Beast Boy?

You nodded your head and squeezed the necklace, "Glad to be here."

He put his hand on your shoulder, "Jason would have been proud."

You looked away so he wouldn't see your tears, "Wish he was here." You took a deep breath and looked up, "What would he have said about the costume?"

"Dude! You're like a winter version of Robin!" Beast Boy shouted. You shot him a look and Nightwing glared at him. He smiled sheepishly and blushed.

Nightwing shook his head and sighed, "Jason would love it." He pressed a hand to your necklace, "Just like he loved you."

Barbara walked up to you and gave you a big hug, "I know you will make just as good a hero as Jason was."

You smiled sadly, "Well, I have just as good a team."

Tim put his hand on your shoulder, "It just got better. You'll make an amazing addition to the team." He hugged you, "I'm glad Bru-Batman let you join." You smiled and returned the hug, "This isn't just my team; it's my family. And for you I'd give my life."

Barbara pulled Dick into a group hug, "We all would."

"Eh Hem."

You all turned around and looked at Beast Boy. He waved and smiled, "Yeah, hi. Um-who are you?"

You sighed and held out your hand, "Picture."

He shook it, "And you do....?"

You smiled and pictured him walking around the room. You opened your eyes and sent it out of your mind and into reality.

Beast Boy gasped as he saw himself walk around the room, "Whoa! That is so cool!"

You made it disappear, "Sometimes I can make the illusion bigger, but many times it's just a small thing."

Nightwing smiled, "And you also have some martial art skills that might be helpful."

You rolled your eyes, "Might."

Beast Boy looked you over, "I thought you had ice powers or something."

You smiled slyly, "But I do." You imagined silvery blasts of ice shooting from your hand. You held out your hand and smiled as Beast Boy put his hand over it, "It's actually kind of cold."

You felt your cheeks warm up and quickly pulled your hand away, "Yes, I've noticed that they're getting stronger, and they last longer."

Beast Boy gaped at you, "Noted."

You turned to Nightwing, "What first?"

He smiled and hit a button on his wrist, "Training."

You gasped as a bright light came on above you.

"With Beast Boy."

You sighed, "Can't I do it with Tim?"

Dick raised an eyebrow. You smiled, "You're right, he would let me win. Like Jason did, every time."

Beast Boy stepped into the light, "I'll go easy on you."

You smiled and let him charge at you as a tiger. You easily jumped over him. You just had to tire him out until he changed back to normal and you could take him out. You messed around with your powers too. You quickly made five more of you appear and spread out.

Beast Boy turned into a cheetah and ran around, hitting all of the illusions until he finally jumped on you, "Ha! Caught you!"

You kicked him off and grabbed some rope out of your belt. You lassoed him before he had time to recover. He shape shifted into something smaller, which was just what you had counted on. You kicked him quickly across the room. He lunged at you as a lion, tiger, snake, and millions of rodents.

You dodged him over and over again. Soon he started slowing down. He changed back into his normal self, breathing heavily. You hastily kicked him to the ground and planted your foot on his chest, "Ready to surrender?"

Suddenly he turned into a snake and wrapped around your neck. You tried to pull him off, but he wasn't about to let go.

You started to choke. Your eyes closed and your mind suddenly flashed back to when you were a child.

"No! I won't do it!" a small weak girl shrieked to the man in front of her. The man struck her, but she kept screaming, "No!"

He only got angry, "You insolent child. Get off! You will do as I say!" He grabbed her by the throat and nearly choked her to death, "No. Stop!" she shouted. Something welled up inside her and got ready to burst, and it would if he didn't let her go.

"STOP!!" you yelled. You could feel his fingers choking you. Then suddenly, whatever it was inside of you burst. For a moment everything flowed back to you, pain, heartbreak, sorrow, death. And then in the darkness surrounding you came nightmare after nightmare. They surrounded you and overpowered you.

Suddenly you fell to the ground and hit it hard. You tried to stand, but you could only lift your head a bit, "Beast Boy?"

He was sitting on the ground a bit far from you, staring at you as if you had grown horns. His hair was a mess and his costume was ripped. You gasped and scrambled up, "Who did that!"

Beast Boy scrambled away and Dick stepped in front of you, also in a state of disarray, "You did."

You gasped and stepped back, "No, no, no, no, no. Jason said it would never happen again, he promised-no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

Dick took a step closer, "What would never happen again?"

Tears welled up in your eyes, "It came back. I thought I had buried it, but it came back."

Beast Boy got up slowly, "What was that? You were like-like every nightmare I've ever had, but worse."

You looked at your hands, you had done this. It had gotten worse, nobody was safe. You looked at Beast Boy, "I am a nightmare." Before anyone could react, you rushed toward the Zeta Tube and disappeared.