It felt a bit blurry at the edges.
They've all had missions before, even Ra's before he was the demon head and was just 'the son of' or 'the heir to'. They've all been through this thousands of times.
They walk through the halls, brisk, no fuss. They are fixing cuffs on shirts, righting collars. They are strapping on grieves, pulling on armouring, tossing on hoods. There is an old juke box in one of the rooms they walk past and they almost feel as if they could turn it on and sweep through room to room while Run Boy Run plays in the background. As it is, they flick to and from, loading themselves with weapons, sharpening daggers, coiling bolas, strapping on gear. It is a bit like a ceremony, one that is repeated every time.
It is a bit like a blessing, almost. All that's missing is the muttering of words. a word of faith as a sword is sheathed, the whine of metal against metal a different kind of choir. The smell of leather sheaths and oiled blades. The faint tinge of Lazarus on Ra's skin as he drapes himself in his green and gold robes.
The floors of the weapons rooms are well cleaned but also well worn. Like the wooden floors of a grandparents house, varnished and polished and taken pride in, but also dented and rubbed away at with the years of family gatherings. There aren't fingerprints on weapons or traces of natural oils from skin, these weapons are cared for, perfectly cleaned and maintained. But there are filled scratches in wooden handles, blades sharpened so many times they are growing thinner. There are perfectly moulded calluses that fit the blades into practiced hands, there are clasps on pommels bent slightly out of shape from the many times they've been struck across people's heads.
There are gold candle sticks on the mantle below a mirror, used to ensure everything is in its place. It takes effort to become bristling with weapons, it takes time. One does not simply wake up and walk out the door comfortably carrying a small armoury on their person.
But once they are done preparing they meet together in the halls, walking through their palace as if they were messengers from a death god. They stalk through the shadows, silent.
There is only calm in their heads, there must be if they are to succeed.
Dick did not like Santa Prisca. Although, he was very biased.
But, it did not come down to what he preferred when picking the location of the summit meeting, so he just had to suck it up.
The lighting was dim, white bulbs on steel stands that ran along the pathways. The whole tunnel system seemed to once have been mines, but that must have been a long time ago. Bane must have kept the place up to scratch for escapes and hiding because it was only as dark, dusty and dank as one would expect a cave to be. At least there were no dead bodies, Dick might have actually thrown in the towel and left if it was gross.
Deathstroke went ahead, seeing as he was the Light's enforcer. He would meet Black Beetle, ensure the area was safe and then they would join. Ra's had at first been against bringing anyone other than Dick and Alex, but when they realised the amount of security the Reach was bringing he stopped arguing. Thalia had come and Jason as well. If the Reach wanted to bring a small army they'd meet them in arms.
They crept out, filing into lines of defence, Savage face to face with the Ambassador.
"please," said ambassador smiled, "we are meeting as comrades, are we not? Let us do away with the masks."
The light looked between themselves. Ra's gave Dick and Alex a discreet nod and they dropped their hoods, Jason removed his mask. Before Savage said anything Slade followed suit, and Savage seemed annoyed for a moment at the small sign of his true loyalties.
Manta grunted, clearly frustrated, but he removed his helmet. As did Kaldur, then Artemis clipped her mask to her belt. Dick saw her lips move as she muttered something. Likely the sentence 'we're in over our heads', Dick wasn't great at reading lips from long distances but he shared a similar sentiment.
"excellent," Ambassador said, smiling, "then with the technicalities out of the way..."
Savage smiled, "let us begin."
Dick shared a look with Alex, she gave him the smallest of nods. He took a deep breath. They could do this.
"now," the ambassador began, "I know you called this Summit, but the Reach comes with grievances against the Light."
"do not hesitate to air them," Savage said, if only to feel the power of having suggested the Ambassador needed his permission to do so. Dick didn't like Savage much and his small little parlour tricks of power were a large reason why.
"please explain," the Ambassador began, clearly holding back annoyance, "why the young Earth champions were allowed access to the Bialyan Scarab Temple under your control."
Dick fought the urge not to roll his eyes.
"If I may respond?" Kaldur said, stepping forward.
Dick fought back a smile, Kaldur just couldn't help ruffling feathers, could he? If he was honest it was probably one of the qualities Dick liked most. He shut that thought down quickly.
"no you may not," Black Beetle scowled, "Manta, keep your whelp meat silent."
"beetle," Manta began, incapable of feigning a polite attitude, "your insolence grows progressively less... charming."
Dick almost snorted, almost. He stopped himself from catching Alex's eye because then he would definitely smile.
"I told you I wanted to study how blue beetle's scarab had faltered during the crash prior to putting it back on mode, if you had followed my advice we would have known about the temple and-" the scientist stuttered near the end, catching the glare the Ambassador was giving her, "apologies, ambassador, I spoke out of turn."
"no, my dear," Manta said, "you are quite correct to call your master's tactics into question." His voice was calm, controlled, like a politician, "the Light has provided everything the reach required, and you aliens have let it all slip away."
It seemed almost as if Manta was going to push the reach into conflict without any help at all.
"I don't believe this is a productive direction for our discussion," Ambassador said, voice taught, as if he were physically biting down on the order to shoot Manta on the spot.
"your public approval ratings are at a record low," Ra's said, a hint of charm in his tone, "as are your sales of the reach drink."
"remember," the ambassador said, and Dick could hear his temper running thin, "the earth is now the property of the reach, and per our original agreement, the light is merely our favoured allies amongst the humans."
"show the proper respect or suffer the consequences," beetle drawled.
"no agreement exists that makes a slave of Black Manta!"
Dick's eyebrows shot up, staring as Manta marched forward, scowling.
"no agreement exists that guarantees the life of Black manta," Beetle scowled.
"Manta guarantees that himself!"
Manta's turret rose from his shoulder, whining as it readied to fire. Beetle's plasma canon emerged from his chest. They stared, daring each other to make the first move.
"it seems we have a stand-off," Ra's said, and Alex and Dick recognised the warning. Their hands drifted to their blades. Slade followed suit.
"no, we don't."
Beetle backhanded Manta across the floor. Where he'd stood, Artemis and Deathstroke fell into place, weapons drawn and ready. They attacked, twisting around beetle and making hits before he could attack them, moving out of the way before he could grab them. Dick glanced at a particular soldier across the room.
Alex looked to Ra's, one eyebrow raised. Ra's nodded. Alex drew her sword and joined the fight.
In the empty place she'd stood, Artemis drew closer. The reach's back up began firing and she blocked a bolt with her blade that was on its way to Ra's, she stumbled into him.
"apologies, great one," she said, with a glance down at her necklace.
"none necessary, child," he assured, also looking at the necklace, "you have my thanks."
As Artemis re-joined the fight Ra's gave Dick a look, as if to ask, 'is that the charm?' Dick nodded, everything was settling into place.
"join them," Ra's said, gesturing to the fighting, Dick drew his sword and leapt in. Thalia took out a blade and stood in front of her father in case he needed assistance.
Tigress danced between the bolts fired by the reach soldiers, firing her crossbow into heir ranks. The bolt exploded into a foam that solidified, trapping them. Deathstroke weaved between Beatle's attacks, Dick joining him in the dance of evading the blows. Every time Beetle moved to attack one he was left open to the other. Beetle turned his arm into a blade to use against the two and they danced around, eventually vaulting away from Beetle's wide arcs and frenzied movements.
Manta raced forward to attack, but before he could get into the thick of it Kaldur rushed in, breaking the two apart.
"enough!" he stood between them, knowing Manta wouldn't hurt him and Beetle wouldn't run the risk of infuriating Manta more and pushing this battle into chaos... just yet, "we are allies, not enemies. Any conflict between us only benefits our true allies, the Justice League and their side kicks."
Dick had to hand it to Kaldur, whatever side he was on (whether he truly was on it) he was always the best at being the voice of reason.
"Kaldur'Ahm is correct," Savage said, stepping forward and attempting to bring the meeting back under his control.
"agreed," the ambassador said, ever ready to rise to the occasion of pretending to be a level headed leader, "we must not allow these petty disagreements to drive a wedge between us."
"ambassador," Beetle grumbled, his arm still ready to fire.
"stand down, Beetle," Ambassador ordered, teeth gritted.
Beetle scowled but turned away, letting out his frustration by blasting the solid foam holding the reach soldiers captive.
"should we not be more concerned that Superman, Batman, the Lanterns and the rest will soon return to Earth and again sway public opinion to their side," Kaldur suggested.
"those accused will never leave Rimbor," Savage said, slowly going into a monologue explaining how the bribing of the court would make that quite impossible.
"and the green lantern Corp are forbidden from stepping foot on this planet," the ambassador said, seemingly just as adept at monologuing. It was amazing how easy it was to get villains to say what you want, if you put the time into guiding them in the right direction.
However, now that the information was being divulged it was time for the trap to be sprung.
Ra's slowly moved into the role of confused interest, frowning at Artemis from across the room. Dick had to hand it to him, if he didn't know what was going on he'd be completely fooled.
"in order to discredit them... again..." the ambassador trailed off, staring as Ra's walked over to Artemis. Dick tensed.
"great one?" she asked, frowning, confused.
Time seemed to slow as his hand grasped the necklace. It looked as if it wanted to be removed, the charm falling apart at the seams as Ra's pulled it from her neck. Only the smallest piece of ribbon remained hanging from the charm as Artemis gasped and stared. Dick watched, wide eyed, forcing the tension and worry about how this summit would go to flow into his act.
The air around Artemis seemed to flutter or waver, like it was thickening and swirling. And then the features changed, the light seemed to shift, move a bit to the left, the painting was twisted to level. Tigress became Artemis, shocked and gaping, terrified at being found. And Kaldur was just as good at the act.
"Artemis," Savage scowled, glaring at her.
"but..." the ambassador stared, "Kaldur'Ahm killed Artemis."
The air was thick with tension. Alex stepped closer to Thalia, Dick's hand trailed to his sword. All the weapons in the room seemed to gleam, at the ready for use, waiting for the bloodshed.
"which means..." the Ambassador trailed.
"Aqualad duped them all," Beetle grinned, "including his own father."
All eyes moved to Manta, Kaldur still standing between him and Beetle. Manta was... well, he almost looked like Kaldur had while catatonic. Beetle was laughing, Kaldur looked very much like he found nothing amusing.
Ambassador sighed, "kill them both."
Beetle drew forth his blades, Manta raced forward.
"no one touches my son!"
Kaldur seemed genuinely shocked at the statement, blinking at his father in surprise. After all that deceit Manta still refused for anyone to kill him? maybe the truth hadn't sunk in just yet.
Nevertheless, two bullets were fired, the bang echoing through the caves.
Kaldur shuddered and fell, his father catching him. Artemis fell as well, straight onto the floor, Dick almost winced.
"the light takes care of its own," Deathstroke said, holstering his pistol.
There seemed to be an intake of breath, a moment where everyone waited for the next move, the next surprise. The world halted.
"Kaldur," Manta said, staring in shock.
"It's too late father," Kaldur said, smiling, "I have already... won."
His arm dropped, and in it a device beeped. As Kaldur let out his last breath a hologram of him appeared, ready to kick off the true shitstorm of the evening. Dick stalked close to Ra's, ready for the chaos.
"if you are watching this, your summit is truly over," the hologram said, "the light and the reach deserve each other. Both sides play at being partners, But the Reach believes the Light to be their naive tools of conquest, when in fact the Light has manipulated the Reach from day one."
"shut. This. Off." Savage ordered Deathstroke.
"how?" Deathstroke asked, frowning.
"It was the Light that brought Earth to the Reach's attention by sending the Justice League to Rimbor." Dick didn't like the hologram, watching it made him feel a little sick. He had thought he'd be unaffected, but watching Kaldur fake die was a bit more realistic than he had expected it to be, "The Light set their trap, and the Reach snapped at the bait, fulfilling the Light's desire to thrust our world into the galactic spotlight."
Dick let out a deep breath, giving Alex a look. It was almost go time. Almost.
Kaldur's monologue continued, clear and concise but still emotive. Dick didn't know how but Kaldur always managed to toe that line. He went through all the evidence, leaving no possibility for truce behind.
"So, you see, any agenda either side imagined they shared was nothing but a carefully crafted illusion. I trust I have shattered that illusion, as well as whatever remains of this sorry alliance." The hologram's field of vision changed, looking down at the device that had turned it on, but to the audience it was almost as if Kaldur's ghost was speaking to his father, "Good night."
"Kaldur," Manta whispered, looking back at his not actually dying son, "what have you done?"
"He has in death done more to damage my plans than any living creature has wrought in 50,000 years." Savage scowled, "I'd be impressed if I wasn't so-"
The ambassador cut him off with a rage filled yell, eyes wild.
"You earthlings are a pestilence and a plague! You dare sabotage us?! Dare betray US?!" he was scowling, face contorting on itself as if the sheer amount of anger he was experiencing were enough to shift his own appearance, "Have you forgotten who controls the War World? The Light is fortunate that we do not carve up your planet as we speak!"
Okay, it was go time.
"that would indeed impress," Savage grinned, "as I have the War World's crystal key."
"that was all I needed to know."
The room's inhabitants froze, heads turning on their joints to Kaldur, sitting up from his father's arms and smirking.
"Kaldur... you're-"
"alive, yes."
Dick couldn't fight the smirk anymore, which was good because now was about the time where it no longer mattered.
"if you would, great one?" Artemis asked, smiling. Before Ra's could extend a hand out of practiced courtesy, Dick got in and helped her to her feet.
"impossible," Savage stared, "Deathstroke killed you both."
"only for a little while," Deathstroke drawled, eyes glowing green as a sword floated to Savage's throat, "after all I wouldn't want to do any permanent damage..." the disguise shifted, M'Gann grinned, "to my best friend. Not when a little misdirection and Hollywood special effects will do it instead."
"for we value our true friends, and unlike you," Kaldur said, moving to stand away from his father as M'Gann joined his side, "we are not short on them."
Dick grinned watching as heroes appeared from the shadows, springing up like daisies. Superboy jumped in with his usual weight, Guardian running alongside. Batgirl and Robin sprung in, Wally dressed in silver and Magenta with them.
"hey there, Vendy," he grinned, waving, "miss me?"
Bumblebee flew in, Sphere rolled. Dick drew a sword and twirled it absentmindedly in his hand, Jason and Alex following suit. With the attention away from them it almost seemed as if they were merely readying for an attack, the reveals hadn't quite sunk into the Light just yet.
"well played, but the light always has contingencies."
Assassins piled in, some vague ones the light had brought in, but the majority were members of the league of assassins. Savage expected them to be pawns, he was about to be surprised. The minority drew weapons and turned to the heroes, readying for the fight. but the majority remained at attention, scattered throughout the room.
And, of course, the ambassador waved a hand and more reach troops marched in.
"I've had my fill of your interference. Do not expect to survive." Savage glared, spit splattering on his chin as he threw threats, "Kill them all. Superboy may present a problem, but we'll deal with him when the other children lie bleeding on the ground."
"still you refer to us as children," Kaldur said, expression not wavering. By now Savage should have guessed that not all cards were on the table. "No wonder our successes mount. You consistently underestimate us."
Blue Beetle removed his mask, flying up and readying his weapons, shooting into the crowd of Reach soldiers. Lagoon Boy tore apart the disguise with a yell and began punching at the enemy, Beast Boy taking a very similar approach. Impulse ran in, Wonder Girl tore off her mask and flew above the chaos, lasso at the ready.
And every single member of the league of assassins drew their weapons on the Light.
"Ra's!" Savage roared, stabbing a finger in the man's direction and stalking forward, forgetting the blade pointed at him for a moment, "your men commit mutiny!"
"no!" Ra's said, grinning, "they take orders!"
Alex rushed forward at Savage, past the blade M'Gann held at him, ready for a fight.
Thalia drew her weapons and attacked. Slade revealed himself from his place, disguised as any other assassin, jumping into the battle guns blazing and sword shining.
"you will regret this!" Savage hissed, "we have underestimated these young heroes for too long, but no more." His ring glowed, Klarion emerged, "it is time."
Klarion bewitched the sword to become a snake, which attacked M'Gann without delay. Alex moved in but Klarion waved a hand and she was sent hurtling into a stalagmite. He clicked his fingers and a boom tube opened up, swallowing them on the spot. Dick sprinted for his sister, for a moment forgetting to stay by Ra's side and choosing a priority.
"I'm fine," she groaned, already starting to stand.
"cowardly meat!" Black Beetle roared, and they whipped their heads to him.
He stalked forward, a blade appearing form his hand. Dick went wide eyed, running to intercept, Alex behind him, stumbling a little as she worked off the dizziness.
Beetle stabbed Ra's, the sword protruding from his chest without any issue, sharp and gleaming, dripping in his blood. He pulled the blade out, turning to the ambassador to protect them from attack.
Dick caught Ra's as he fell.
"I have to get to the pits," Ra's grunted, "call the ship."
Dick nodded, looking at the wound. Nanda Parbat was so far away they didn't have time...
Ubu raced over, Dick had almost forgotten he was there at all.
"I will take him," he said, reaching for Ra's, worry clear across his face.
"not yet," Dick said, reaching for something in his belt.
"he will die if we don't-"
"I know!" Dick cut in, pulling out the vial, "this will give you a better chance."
He pulled the cap off, painfully aware that no one was watching his back, he readied it in his hand-
And a bullet tore through his side.
He yelped, curling on himself. Ubu whipped around to the reach soldier who'd fired and launched himself into the attack, he didn't have to say that he would stop it from happening again.
Dick let the electrum in without hesitation, it started working at the wound but he knew it wouldn't be enough. Thre was a clean burn in his side, straight through, maybe an inch thick, his blood was pooling, adrenaline kicking in.
"you need this more than me," Ra's said, wrapping his hands around Dick's.
"no," Dick said, "you have a... whole stab wound in you," Dick grunted past the pain.
"Thalia and Ubu will take me home..." Ra's said, breathing deep, he was probably only capable of being so verbal thanks to his prior experiences of being stabbed, "I'll be fine."
"I-"
"you still can't face it," Ra's said, "a dip wasn't enough?"
Dick laughed, "apologies for being averse." He winced.
"I can't... do it for you... this time."
Alex rushed over, Thalia with her. Before they could get eyes on what was happening Ra's guided the syringe down, hidden in the shadows where they wouldn't immediately see it, then let his hands drop.
Dick took a breath, "get him home," he said, "I need to stay here."
"of course," Thalia said, quickly, "Alex, come on."
"I'm staying," she said.
"you have a concussion, and you're his guard, you're coming," Thalia ordered.
As Thalia took Ra's from Dick he readied himself, hands on the syringe. He plunged it in, pushed down, no wince, it wasn't the pain he was worried about.
There was no hallucination, no mind scape this time. He took a deep breath, seeing images before his eyes of Cobb, the Talons, explosions, the pits.
He glanced up, Alex caught sight of the wound in his side, finally noticing why his eyes were yellow and green.
As Dick met her eye he smiled. He was going to be perfectly fine.
He stood, and as he did so the wound finished healing.
Ubu was done smashing things, Thalia had already called Duvall, who was waiting for extraction, the ceiling opened up, a helicopter waiting. She nodded to Dick, "last chance."
"go!" Dick said, smiling, "call me when he's healed."
Wally had to admit, he kinda missed when the hero thing was a group deal.
Also, Bart was cool. Wally supposed the one benefit of Zoom's attack was that he was now faster, which meant Bart wasn't spending the fight lapping him like Flash used to. The idea that there was a plus side to what Zoom had done to him seemed insane, but Wally supposed all things had a silver lining, eventually, if one was willing to sew it themselves.
"hey, hey, hey, pretty crash, huh? Taking down the big guys," Impulse grinned, running alongside him.
"yeah," Wally said, smiling back, "but I always envisioned you doing it in something a bit more... yellow and red?"
Impulses jaw dropped, "seriously? But Kid Flash hasn't been in the game for-"
"a while, I know," Wally did his best at shrugging when running as fast as he was, "but Barry's got twins on the way, according to you, I think he'll want his trusty helper back, and I'd be more than happy to give my blessing."
"dude, that is so, totally, crash!" Bart grinned, laughing, jumping around as he ran, "I'm gonna make you proud, okay, just watch!"
"sure thing, kid, but maybe let's start with taking down the big guys."
"you got it, watch, I'm on it!"
Bart cackled, speeding up, zooming around The Brain and confiscating all his weapons. He laughed like a madman and Wally almost thought of taking the offer back, if only because Bart looked mad with power.
He sped over to Artemis.
"so, hey, I was thinking, when we're no longer worrying about saving the world, you, me," he grinned, back to back with Artemis, talking over his shoulder with the enemy surrounding them from all sides, "dinner?"
"what?" Artemis stared, frowning at him over her shoulder, "I thought you were gay?"
"dude, pansexuality is a thing!" he said, feigning insult, "why do you think I like yellow, magenta and blue so much?"
"it's pink, dummy."
"yeah, whatever." He grinned, laughing, not really caring that much, "so is that a yes, or?"
Artemis sighed, "I don't know, Zatanna had a similar thought."
"oh, I see, you're just trying to get me to be desperate so you can get off on me trying to flirt frantically for you, wow," Wally smiled, "you know what, downgraded, now the offer is merely coffee on the way to a mission debrief."
Artemis fake gasped, "how cruel of you! Perhaps we will have to finish battling these reach soldiers so I may decide if it is worth fighting for your original offer once more!"
"perhaps," Wally laughed, launching back into the fight.
Dick was twisting between the attackers with practiced ease, he had to admit he hadn't had this much fun in a while. It put his life in a strange kind of perspective, but he wasn't entirely surprised.
As he moved from one reach soldier to another he noticed a shadow, he turned to block the attack but before he could someone else did it for him.
Batgirl launched in on his right, Robin his left. Dick grinned and finished taking down the soldier in front of him, then turned to Barbara.
"fancy seeing you here," he grinned.
She smiled back, "what's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?"
Dick shrugged, "hey, you can't say it's not an entertaining event."
He dodged a hit, twisting as Batgirl's attention was taken by another soldier, they fought back to back. Dick blocked a hit and threw one back, sweeping the legs of the reach soldiers. He turned to another, kneeing them in the gut and hitting down with his escrima sticks.
As he turned he came face to face with Robin, holding a Bo staff.
"uh, nice to finally meet you," Robin said, smiling awkwardly.
"feeling's mutual," he smiled back, "I like the new design."
"thanks," he grinned.
Jason came barrelling in, hitting away two reach soldiers that were attempting to sneak up on them.
"oh, and there's the other one," Dick said, nodding over to Jason, "he's got anger issues, don't take things too personally."
"what?" Robin asked, frowning.
"are you two gonna stand around talking all day?" Jay scowled.
"yeah," Barbara turned around, "get to it."
"our pleasure," Dick laughed, turning back to the fight. all four did, unconsciously creating a ring, back to back, side by side, they faced the battle. All the batkids (so far) on the battlefield together, ready to kick some ass.
"Ignorant boy!" Manta roared, staring Kaldur down, "This is not a world, a universe, in which a free man can afford to be soft!"
Kaldur smiled back, unwilling to meet his father's anger with his own.
"you think all emotion other than anger is weakness," Kaldur said, holding back a scoff, "you think the only way to lead is through force. I must apologise father," Kaldur said, "for I have succeeded your example by learning it to be faulty."
"your hero friends cannot win, so long as they allow themselves to be compromised," Manta sneered, "your kindness makes you weak."
"it makes me strong," Kaldur said, chin up as he stared at his father, "in ways you cannot imagine."
"I will teach you to be ruthless, Kaldur'Ahm," Manta said, fists clenched as he readied himself to battle. He would drag Kaldur back to his ship unconscious if he had to, "even if I must beat that lesson into your skull!"
Kaldur jumped out of the way of the laser-beam he had been expecting, gripping his water bearers as his magic thrummed through him, his arms felt warm as his tattoos glowed under the armour.
He sent waves towards Manta, moving between his father's attempts at attacking. As he dodged another beam he gathered the water into a giant fist that rose up and bore down on his father. Manta dodged at the last second, readying to send another beam, but was met with emptiness. As the fist had rose Kaldur had as well, forming several eels of water that he now sent down at his father. Manta shot several, his laser-beam disintegrating them, but one landed and he stumbled back. Kaldur hit the ground, his water bearers becoming a mace that he gripped with both hands. He gave a war cry as he brought the mace up, hitting his father so hard that his helmet went flying and he stumbled backwards, falling into the water, unconscious.
Kaldur took a deep breath, staring down at him as droplets of glowing water fell from the air, the last remnants of his magical attacks. His tattoos faded and the water slowly began to still.
He looked around at the battle, his friends and allies still standing, the enemy either gone or lying unconscious on the ground. He could see them beginning to regroup amongst themselves, identifying wounds, checking on each other.
It was over.
They had won.
The last time Dick had been on Santa Prisca he had also been fighting the Light, but there were only six team members at the time and the fight had had smaller consequences on it. if they lost it would be less world-damning, more vaguely annoying.
He had found the place that fight had happened. Was staring at the tree line around the small clearing. If he really stretched his memory muscles he could imagine his team mates and the light members, standing around. there was a creek somewhere nearby and he could just faintly hear the sound of water trickling, it must have rained recently.
The moon was high in the sky above, startlingly white. He could see a few stars but the moon was to bright for most to be visible.
Jason was back with he rest of the assassins, waiting on Duvall to return. Dick trusted him to call when they were leaving, he could take the liberty of disappearing for a while.
There was the sound of a twig snapping, branches being moved. Whoever was coming wasn't trying to sneak up on him, likely they were attempting to let him know they were coming so he wasn't startled.
"I thought you might come here," Wally said, standing next to him.
"six years," Dick said, staring at the very tree he had hid behind, "I can't tell if that seems too little or too long."
"too little," Wally said, "way too little." He rubbed at his face, "I was seventeen," he said, as if he didn't believe it.
"we all were at some point," Dick tried to joke, attempting at a smile. It fell flat, "look... I don't know how to... well, fix things-"
Wally sighed, shaking his head, "god you really haven't changed, huh."
"what?" Dick asked, frowning at Wally standing next to him. he could see the scar, peeking out past the mask, that he'd had a chance to view completely at the meeting not long ago. Dick had almost thrown up at the sight of it, almost ran away. He was like a deer in headlights then, he wasn't much better now.
"every time you're presented with some form of issue you spring at the chance to fix it," Wally said, smiling, "has it occurred to you that sometimes it's not your responsibility to clean up everyone else's mess?"
"okay, but this time it is my problem, I'm the one who ran off," Dick snorted, "I remember it, you were trying to talk to me, I dropped a smoke bomb in your face and scurried away."
"you remember it differently from me," Wally said, "looking back through my eyes I was less talking, more accusing."
"I had just shot a man."
"who killed your parents and was about to kill you if he could," Wally said, "it was technically self-defence and I was too emotional to take a step back and look at it from your point of view. I was only thinking about myself, I didn't stop to think about what you were going through and I drove you away." He held a finger in his face, "doesn't give reason for six years, but it puts it into perspective."
Dick stared, confused, "are you... forgiving me?"
"I'm... making the choice to forgive," Wally said, "in a purpose sense. My knee jerk is still kinda mad and I'm a bit petty and spiteful, you know, fun stuff," he said, grinning, "but I will not be glaring and avoiding you if I can help it." he shrugged, "don't get me wrong, I need time-"
"no, yeah, I get it," Dick said, nodding, "just like, if there's anything I can do-"
"quit while you're ahead."
"hey, can't I at least take some responsibility?"
"no, stop it, take a damn break for once in your life," Wally sighed, "god, this is why it's hard to be mad at you, you just make googly eyes and ask how you can help."
"I do not!"
"you do, it's annoying, stop it," Wally pouted, "let me be mad at you damn it."
Dick snorted, "no promises."