This is based a little on what I know about the Forever Evil arch in the New 52. Actually, a lot on that. At least on the Batman clan side.

Also, I have not read the continued E-reads of Young Justice. But, I don't know if this happens or not, but Wally is returned in this story.

Finally, I um, yeah I'm a little stuck on the story Holidays. I know where I want to go, but not how to get there. I promise I'll find a way to update that soon.

Thank you to all who are reading this! This is unrelated to all my other pieces. Please enjoy and review!

Linelinelineline

Like most morning in Mnt. Justice, shouts and echoes woke Conner from a restful slumber at an ungodly hour in the morning. Throwing his light gray sheet off his body, he barely waited for his door to open before charging out into the meeting room to yell at the offenders of such a fine morning. He was joined by Jaime, Virgil and Bart.

"It isn't you guys today?" Conner asked. The boys growled and shook their head. They followed the ruckus, now revealed to be yelling into the lounge area.

"What the hell are you doing here!" Wally shouted at Nightwing, who was blocking the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Nightwing shot back. Wally huffed in irritation.

"I'm here to pick up Bart for a family gathering." Wally snapped. Conner could only gues what had happened.

Just a year ago, Wally had willingly sacrificed himself to help Bart and Flash destroy the last of the generators from REACH. One month and three weeks ago, Nightwing removed himself from leadership and the team completely, saying he needed time off. No one had been fooled. The League had been pissed about Nightwing's plans, saying he was calculating, and probably the worst, too much like Batman. Batman hadn't made it better by being proud of Nightwing, saying it was a good plan that limited the loss of civilian life. The hours that the Young Justice team waited outside the meeting room for Nightwing were long and stressful. After Nightwing had come out from there, the League had coldly stormed to their homes, another meeting was planned for the next day. Rumors were that this meeting was about Nightwing's ability to be trusted. I seemed that Nightwing was forgiven, the League couldn't ignore how successful the plan was, and rebuilding the Mountain was relatively easy with two Martians, Kryptonians, and Magicians. But even if the League and the YJ team forgave Nightwing, they couldn't forget what had happened. Conner had thought Nightwing was smart, leaving before someone snapped and asked him 'How could you?' Conner knew; Nightwing could because he had to. Richard might have been able to because it wasn't really him. Dick was probably crying alone questioning himself.

But then, last month, Wally had returned. The year before, Flash, Tigress and Bart, along with Jaime, had found a blimp in some sort of electrical/energy current about where Wally had 'died'. They worked some math figures that made Conner's head spin just hearing about them, and started building. Conner remembered how last week everyone gathered at the North Pole, and waited as the mini team fired up a reverse generator. Flash and Bart ran as fast as they could, once again, though this time with the flow of the energy. When the air cracked and it sounded like the very world was tearing, the speedsters had turned around and reversed their running. The air was hard to breath, full of ozone and lightning. When a shout of pain pierced through the air, the generator exploded. Some of the people standing closest to the area got a couple scratches, Nightwing included, from the blast. The speedsters collapsed from exhaustion. This time there were three bodies though.

"Wally!" Artemis's cry of joy had made everything slide into place. It had worked. Dick ran out to his friend, following Artemis. The two crouched around Wally, who was blinking into the hard light.

"We did it!" Wally had gasped. Then, "I'm alive?"

Conner would spend the next week being the peace keeper in the Mountain. For Wally, no time had passed. So for Wally, he had no time to get over his anger at Nightwing, since he had gone from reuniting with Artemis to the mission that had made him disappear. Needless to say, Wally had some things to get off his chest.

Nightwing never defended himself. Wally spent almost two hours his first night back screaming at Dick. Wally yelled about his frustrations, his feeling of betrayal, the feelings that Dick was too reckless, and that Nightwing didn't care about anyone. Nightwing sat there and took it all, like he had a month earlier from everyone else. That made Wally madder.

"Say something! Defend yourself! Tell me your reasons! Why you had to! Please!" Wally had eventually begged. But Nightwing couldn't say anything but one reason.

"I thought it was the best course of action while the League was away." Wally had been heartbroken at how his old friend just seemed to give up against anything that could make the plan sound great and the best option. Conner remembered Wally's next questions like they were a white dots on a black painting.

"You had other plans?"

"Most involved a good majority of the team dying."

"What about Talia?"

"…"

"Dick?

"No names while working, remember Wally?"

"Dick!" Wally had shouted angrily. Dick had left the med wing. Conner had watched him tighten his fists and swallow loudly.

That had been the biggest surprise. One revealed just five days ago, two days after Wally was recovered.

Conner knew that the morning would be bad. Nightwing hadn't been in the presence of the team, except for being there when Wally was recovered, in almost two months. Nightwing had requested, which was weird in itself, instead of calling everyone to come to a small, isolated island. When everyone had arrived, most via bio ship and League ship, Nightwing had stepped out of the palm branches, gesturing for the group to follow him.

A few minutes of hard hiking lead the group, consisting of : Dinah, Diana, Bruce, Oliver, Clark, Barry, Hal, J'hn, Arthur, Conner, Kaldur, Artemis, Wally, M'gan, Raquel, Zatanna, and Nightwing reached a of a delicate bamboo house stepped out Tempest, aka Garth.

"Garth!" Kaldur cried out in joy, rushing to meet his friend. Garth jumped when the group appeared.

"SO it's over?" he asked, directing his question to Nightwing, who was standing behind everyone who had rushed to meet Garth who had been missing over a year now. The group looked to Nightwing, frowning in confusion. Garth blanched. "You didn't tell them?" He hissed.

"Garth, coral, what's going on?" A soft voice asked, stepping out of the small house.

"Talia?" Kaldur choked. Raquel took a step closer to Kaldur and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're alive?" Arthur asked in shock. The confused faces turned into growls and twisted into scowls, and turned back to Nightwing.

"I needed Kaldur to have a reason for running away." Nightwing began, his voice strangely soft. "She was injured, but Garth and I took care of her." Nightwing said, remembering the mission against the Black Manta on the island that had 'caused' Talia's death. Talia had nodded
It seemed that had been everyone's limit.

"Too far."

"Psycho."

"Practically villainous."

No one had taken Nightwing home. They left him on the Island. Talia and Garth standing by his side, giving him frustrated looks. They thought he should have told someone. Conner knew Nightwing had gotten home, though he wasn't sure how. Talia and Garth had returned to Atlantis with a parade and festival.

Nightwing had disappeared. Until today.

"You're retired!" Nightwing said, almost cowarding away from Wally's vicious face.

"You're an ass!" Wally shot back.

"Not what I usually get, but I won't deny it." Nightwing said, turning away.

"Guys," Conner stepped in. As a peacekeeper in the cave, he had stepped into many fights, most about whether or not Nightwing could be trusted. But this was his time to step into a fight consisting of two original YJ members, if Nightwing was still a member.

"Sorry for waking you." Nightwing apologized, too quickly. Wally scoffed.

"Now you apologize." Nightwing turned back to Wally, his eyebrows drawn together in anger, or frustration. Conner found it increasingly hard to figure Nightwing out since Jason had died. Yes Jason was an annoying vigilante risen from the dead, but it seemed that Nightwing treated the boy as dead, and that the hurt was fresh, which it might be if you saw the kid every now and then, Conner mused.

"I've been apologizing for a year, Wally."

"No names, Nightwing." Wally brushed past Nightwing, and into the meeting room. Conner could practically feel the steady, high rate beating of Wally's heart, a little bit raised because of anger, and Nightwing's pounding heart. Conner remembered the times when these two alone meant trouble because a huge prank was about to happen.

"Why are you here?" Bart asked Nightwing. He seemed to never get mad at Nightwing. Probably because he knew the world where Nightwing hadn't done what he did.

"Batman asked me to come here." Bart nodded.

"Do you know why?" Virgil asked. He was another Nightwing supporter. Nightwing shook his head.

"Let's go to the meeting room." Jaime said, a little short with Nightwing. He had been really impressed with Nightwing plan, until he learned that Nightwing had faked Talia's death as well as Artemis's.

The meeting room was full of all the YJ team members by the time the four made their way. Nightwing stood apart from the group. When the screen never lit up, the team began to grumble.

"Why are we up so early if there is nothing to be done?!" L'gann huffed, his gills fluttering. Conner rolled his eyes at the younger (mentally) heroes' antics.

Just then, the Zeta beams announced Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Flash.

"Hello, young heroes." Diana said, her very voice regal and full of power and confidence.

"Today we have a particular mission that needs everyone." Superman continued.

"Including some people you may not know, or like." Flash said, the last part a little quiet. Everyone glanced at Nightwing.

"I am introducing you all to the newest Robin," Batman was interrupted by the Zeta Beams.

"You are all rather drab. This cave is a pathetic excuse for a lair. You must be having budget cuts." A short, hooded Robin huffed, standing next to Batman and matching his pose. The kid was probably ten or eleven.

"This is Robin." Batman said.

"What about…our Robin?" Cassie asked, gesturing to Tim.

"Oh yeah, I'm, um, I'm leaving the team." Tim said. The YJ team gave Tim shocked looks.

"Um, over the last year, Nightwing helped start a sister team for us to collaborate with, in Jump City, New York. The Teen Titans."

"We've heard of them. Worked with them too." Arsenal said. He was more often with the Teen Titans than the YJ team, when he wasn't alone.

"Yeah. They're cool, and Starfire is freaking HOT!" Virgil gushed. Tim and Arsenal got slight blushes.

"Yeah, she is. Tim muttered. "Anyway I'm joining them, well, I'm going to lead them" Tim finished, his voice gaining confidence.

"What about Nightwing?" Barbra asked, turning towards him since everyone else had turned their backs to him.

"Solo work seems to be his preference now." Superman said, his voice a bit hard. Nightwing just stared ahead, like he had since entering the meeting hall, almost ignoring everyone.

"OK." The quiet agreement of the team shocked the League members, though they didn't show it. They thought something rude, degrading, maybe defending, anything, not this cold shoulder response.

"It this the only reason you've called us here?" Arsenal asked, crossing his arms, the metal one clacking against his wrist guard.

"Actually, after introductions, we just wanted to talk to Conner, Tigress, and Nightwing, oh, and Wally, if you're willing." Flash said. The named people nodded.

As the people turned to go their separate ways, Barbra stopped Nightwing.

"Could I interest you in dinner next week?" She asked. Nightwing smirked, though it was small.

"I can't, I have a date with my girlfriend next week." Barbra's eyes widened in shock.

"Girlfriend?" she asked, keeping her voice from quivering.

"Yeah, remember Starfire, the 'freaking hot' girl?" Nightwing asked. Barbra nodded. The group had stopped to listen to the conversation after Nightwing had rejected Barbra, something he never did. Virgil's eyes widened, and his dark cheeks burned, little sparks flying off his hair in embarrassment. Nightwing went to lead the way out of the hall to wherever the group was meeting for their mission meeting.

Linelinelinelinelineline

Wally, Artemis, Conner, Diana, Barry, J'hn, Clark, Bruce, and Dick sat in the small silver plane. The tension in the air was heavy. Strangely, Dick looked out the window without a smile. His placid face more tired than expressionless. J'hn, who had joined the group was communicating with the people in the plane telepathically, holding seven individual conversations with the occupants and one single group conversation, minus Dick, about how Dick was acting.

Has he even tried to defend himself? Wally kept asking.

No, he seems determined to not let himself be forgiven. Diana mused

Maybe he feels this is how to best punish himself? Artemis felt that would be something Dick would do to himself.

I hope not. Bruce said. He was driving the plane, and the other heroes had not missed his barely subtle glances towards Dick every couple of minutes.

"We are approaching the destination." Barry said. Dick barely nodded, removing his eyes from the window and pressing his mask against his face.

Linelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline

Batman had described the mission quickly, and with only the most important details, as they were in a slight rush.

"An old, irritating, a quite foolish foe has returned. He calls himself Cronus. He has belt from the far future that he has manipulated to do some petty time traveling crimes. Superman, Wonder Woman and I were able to capture him and place him in a time loop, which has somehow been broken. He is now causing more ruckus. He is mostly harmless, but we should catch him quickly so that he doesn't rewrite World War II again." Batman said in his usual gruff tone.

"Again?" Wally had asked. He got some winces and 'Just, let's catch him' from Superman and Wonder Woman.

Here, on the small island off the coast of Chile, the plane landed without a bump and the group disembarked, ready for action. They prowled through the jungle until they had reached a small hovel.

"Don't be deceived." Batman said, leading the group into the one room building.

"Here." Nightwing said, lifting the ragged carpet on the floor, revealing a trap door. The group followed him through.

"Wait." Nightwing said, slinking ahead to scan the dark tunnel. "Clear." The group hear him breath. They quickly caught up and stopped short at the massive underground factory. People with chains around their necks were being forced to walk into a spinning, misty tunnel by large, metallic, humanoid robots.

"This looks like a slave trade of some sort." Conner mused aloud. A robot turned around, causing the group to hold their breaths.

"Shh." Wally hissed, a smirk on his face. Artemis lightly smacked his head. She caught a glance of Nightwing's slight smile as he hopped onto the fence, much to everyone else's horror, and shot a line to a stalactite. He was ripped up just before a robot walked turned to look back at the wall. J'hn meshed through the wall, and flew around, apparently going out for reconnaissance. Batman looked up at Nightwing, who was going stalactite to stalactite by wrapping his legs tightly around the large base, hanging upside down, shooting his line to another stalactite and repeating his process.

Everything was going so well. Apparently the robots used heat sensors. The group was waiting by the door for Nightwing and J'hn to return, not noticing small robots climbing the walls towards them. Artemis released a scream as a bug sixed robot took a chunk of her arm off in a large bite. THte bug was broken wires and sparks faster than the life could see.

"Move!" Batman ordered. The group split, just to meet gunfire from the robots and screams for the people.

"Well hello there!" A high pitched voice cried out. The shots stopped, as did the heroes.

"Cronus." Superman growled.

"Glad you FINALLY REMEMBERED YOU OVERSIZED COW!" the unimpressive, short, skinny, old man whined, his flying podium hovering over the portal.

"You bastard. What are you doing?" Wally snarled.

"I'm sending some people from this time to the future, and receiving serious benefits. Money is worth much, much more in this time. I've already bought two islands, a castle, and quite a few wives." He gave a predator smile that made Artemis and Diana snarl.

"I'm hope they've twisted off your balls!" Artemis snapped, drawing two pairs of nun-chucks.

"Why would they go near my balls?" Cronus asked in confusion. His face exaggerated his realization. "You think, you think I sleep with my wives?" He sounded disgusted. "Please, they're just glorified housemaids.

"Scratch that, I hope I to screw off your balls." Artemis said, jumping over another rail and landing on a police bot. The fight started again.

Cronus flew about, shouting weak insults and barely avoiding Wonder Woman and Superman, his flying robots preventing the duo from getting to him. J'hn appeared and jumped into the fight.

Nightwing watch from the ceiling. He wrapped his line tightly around a stalactite and swung down onto a walkway high above the line of people. The people were fighting as well, trying to crush the guards guiding them to the portal.

I've got the prisoners! Nightwing told the group. Various thoughts of acknowledgement went through the mind link.

Nightwing used a tiny laser to cut through the mesh bridge he was on, grabbing a rail, he rode the bridge down, smiling as he felt it crush and block a couple robots. The people were cheering, recognizing Nightwing.

"Salvador!"

"Heroe!" The people cheered. Nightwing, using his now drawn escirma sticks broke part of the chain and freed three prisoner's hands.

"¡Libertad a los otros y correr a la salida! Hay un plan de la plata en la playa. Un barco está adjunta debajo de ella. Escapar, Chile es el este!" (Free the others and run to the exit! There is a silver plane on the beach. There is a boat attached underneath it. Escape, Chile is due east!)

The prisoner nodded and turned to help some of her comrades. Nightwing turned to find a robot with a laser gun of some sort at his chest. It fired, burning through Nightwong's suit, but being stopped enough to just singed Nightwng's skin. Nightwing gasped at the stinging sensation, stumbling back a few feet. He jumped back forward and brought his escirma sticks into the robot's midsection, releasing a high voltage into the robot. The short circuited sizzled and a few sparks jumped out of the ragged hole Nightwing's weapons had left, but it was no longer moving.

"Got-cha!" Nightwing smirked. He looked around and saw a large group of the robots coming down the mesh bridge he had cut, but they weren't quite to the ramp down. Nightwing took a deep breath and sprinted up the 50 degree angle flooring up to the cross section where this section of the bridge met three others. He met the robots at the cross section. A spinning kick jarred Nightwing's knee, but pushed the robots back. Nightwing panted and turned the voltage on his esirma sticks as high as they could.

"Goodnight!" Nightwing called to the robots, stabbing one stick into the fine, metal mesh floor, and one into the handrail on the bridge. Balancing against the two sticks, Nightwing tried not to cringe at the sound of the robots short-circuiting and the hot metal smell assaulting his nose. Feeling his weight moving, Nightwing bent his elbows and pushed the arm against the railing. He twisted his body so he went through a gap in the railing, in a free fall thirty feet to the floor. He already had his knees bent ready to roll away from the impact when he was rammed into from the side, throwing him onto a giant, generator like machinery. A sparking flying robot leveled a laser at Nightwing's chest. Nightwing shook his head lightly to clear it. He heard the sound of a laser hitting metal, and saw the robot that had hit him flying into a hoard of running prisoners.

"You ok?" Superman asked. Nightwing nodded, taking a few deep breaths.

"I'm going to head towards the exit and guide the freed prisoners." Nightwing said, standing, and ignoring the obviously broken rib he had. Superman nodded.

"Hurry. And be safe." Superman said. Nightwing just nodded as he jumped into Superman's cupped hands, letting himself be flung into the air toward a not destroyed section of the mesh bridges. He landed and ran down a bridge towards the exit when a shot to the back sent him flying forward.

"Ugg." Nightwing pushed himself to his elbows, coughing.

"You are sooo annoying! Who are you?" A whiny voice called out. Nightwing rolled onto his back and found himself looking at Cronus on his flying podium.

"Wha?" He said, moving into a crouching position.

"Your name? You know, are you a George, Jerry, Conner, Brad?" Cronus asked. Nightwing smirked.

"Definitely not a Brad." He said. Cronus nodded in agreement.

"If I remember my history, Bruce, aka Batman," Cronus smirked at Nightwing's raised eyebrows, "had a couple of kids. Well, only two were biological."

"Two?"

"You haven't met her. But you're probably not Jason, he is too tough and not as prone to wear skin tight suits. Tim would be too young. You must be Richard Grayson; the tragic hero and original Robin. I pity you lad. You had so much potential. But every chance you were given, you threw it away. For what? People who hate you? Friends who abandon you? I mean, even your death is unheroic and pitiful. No flair."

"My, my death?" Nightwing asked, shocked into stillness.

"Yeah. I mean, everyone knew Luthor had it out for you. I mean, he almost killed you once in the Infinite Crisis case. Wait, has that happened? I bet not. Whoops. Anyway, he's had it out for you since he learned who it was that made the plan that would eventually foil his LIGHT groupie club." Cronus shrugged as this was common, boring news. "And you don't even die with a bang. I mean you could have. But Luthor just suffocated you. BOORRIINNGGGGG!" Cronus sighed. "Let me save you! I'll make your death interesting!" The laser shot out, and Nightwing barely dodged.

What the HELL! He thought.

Nightwing? A worried Wally called out to him.

Nothing. Nightwing replied, not wanting to distract his comrades. Nightwing was running on the bridge that was perpendicular to the bridge he had cut down. He found himself blocked on one side by more robots, and on the other side were Cronus and some robots. He could hear his teammates fighting their own battles.

"Trapped!" Cronus squealed with glee. Nightwing swallowed hard. His ribs, at least one was broken, burned, as well as the seared flesh on his back and chest. But Nightwing was nowhere near defeated. Nightwing bent sideways, cartwheeling over the side rail, dropping his hands the grab the floor, as the robots rushed to where he was. He threw his legs towards the other side of the bridge. He let go just before his fingers could be crushed and caught the other side with his feet. Sliding his feet outwards, he caught part of the rail that connected the top to the bridge with his legs. His moment stopped suddenly, with more than a little pain. Nightwing, hanging upside down, was giggling softly as the robots looked for him on the floor. Cronus was the first to realize the mistake.

"Bastard!" He whipped his podium around and glared at Nightwing. Then a truly sadistic smile reached his lips. "Well, why don't I just prove to you me killing you would be the best plan, eh?" He snarled, Nightwing felt a cold tingle run down his back. Cronus messed with something on his podium. Nightwing did a sit up, slipping his fingers the grabbing the floor. Cronus laughed in victory.

"You're such a sad and pathetic hero, Richard." Cronus said, soundly somewhat sympathetic. Nightwing's eyes widened as about five lasers were pointed at him.

I can drop and roll away. Nightwing thought. He felt his teammates focus shift towards him.

Nightwing wait!

"Nightwing don't!" Both vocal and mental shouts startle Nightwing, just as the lasers shot and Nightwing let go, flipping to land on his feet, feeling the heat of the lasers. He looked to the ground, ready to land, just to see silver mist and a swirling vortex beneath his feet.

Done

Well, at least just this first/teaser chapter.

Should I continue?

Please review!

Love,

Burning Bright