Prologue:

The air was charged with a thick, static coated tension. The moon was a beacon, the only light that shone onto the small clump of trees where an odd assortment of characters was gathered. They were all united though, a common fact that bound the unusual teenagers together. They were the sidekicks and partners to Earth's Greatest Heroes, the Young Justice Team. But on this night the air was laced with restless energy and bounding adrenaline.

A pale boy in a domino mask with black tousled hair surveyed the scene quietly. His trained eyes picked apart the landscape, the surroundings with the ease of a well-trained hero. Next to him, a dark skinned girl in red was on her haunches, her long hair brushing the ground. She was deep in thought, brow furrowed and lips moving, reciting ancient curses in her slight Jamaican accent. Her legs and stomach were lean and muscled, the product of rigorous training.

"Empress," Robin shifted his weight so that only the voodoo witch could hear him. "Is everything okay?"

She looked up slowly as if he had pulled her from a trance. "Okay might not be the next word." She replied shakily. "The other side is presenting me with only bad omens."

Robin gritted his teeth but didn't say anything; his time as Batman's sidekick had steeled his nerves to high intensity situations such as this one. This mission surpassed everything that they had ever done, it was the mission that would make or break the team and they were all taking it quite seriously. Well, everyone except Impulse was.

The red headed speedster practically buzzed over, vibrating with the contagious nervous energy. Robin glared at him, but Impulse only shrugged his red and white clad shoulders before dropping to the ground beside a blonde girl. She raised her nose in the air in an arrogant fashion and continued tuning her bow. Impulse picked up a red arrow and toyed with it. The girl snatched it from him quickly.

"Can you ever be serious?" She snapped. "Some of us understand that this mission is too important for jokes."

She shoved the arrow back with the other ones and stood, her white skirt covering her legs, swinging her bow and arrows over her back. Had they not been in such a dire situation, he would have eyed her red sports bra clad chest or teased her about the thigh high boots, but the seriousness was so heavy that even tonight he somewhat held his tongue.

"Sweetie, don't worry. Impulse will protect you."

She just adjusted her mask and glared. However, Robin did notice the way that their hands intertwined, hidden in the shadows. A deathly pale boy with bulging muscles and black spiked hair cracked his knuckles and neck.

"Well hotshot, you got a plan?" He asked Robin.

Robin eyed the temperamental and muscled boy uneasily. Lobo set him on edge; there was something off about the guy in black leather and fingerless gloves. He was however part of the team and Robin had no choice but to trust him with his life.

"Yes, the League and I have been working on it since the mission was presented." Robin assured him.

There was a sound as if an ethereal being had shushed the team and a girl flickered into existence. She was semi-transparent, when you caught her from the corner of your eye she appeared solid, but when looking at her dead on your eyes went right through her. She hovered a few feet in the air, short blonde hair floating around her hair in an invisible breeze.

"Something big is going down; the other side is buzzing with activity." She said in her whispery voice.

Empress stopped chanting long enough to look up at the ghost. "I am getting bad omens as well." She affirmed.

Secret shuddered at whatever she had seen while being an ethereal ghost on the 'other side'. A reptilian shaped boy moved to stand next to her, as if his presence could calm her. He was green and scaled, with gills and fins, but Secret didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, the other side is already dead, remember?" Lagoon Boy prompted her. "They can't change their fates, but we can control ours. This mission will be a success." He dropped his voice. "And then we can put you to rest."

Robin's ears perked up. "You're going to put Secret to rest?" He asked, eliciting painful looking nods.

"I want to be a normal girl," She said shakily. "But we all know that won't happen because I'm not alive anymore." She faltered, but Lagoon Boy nodded at her to continue. "I love Lagoon Boy, but I can't give him what he deserves. I'm dead, and he needs someone living."

Lagoon Boy rapidly shook his head in disagreement. "You know that's not true. Greta, we can make it work, dead or alive."

Secret frowned. "I've made up my mind. We have to complete this mission and when it's over I want you to find my body. I don't know where Billy, I can't call him Harm, put my body."

Impulse awkwardly shifted weight from one foot to another. "Secret, this is important. Maybe we can discuss this after the mission?"

She vehemently shook her head. "No. We don't know how the mission will turn out, and I need you all to know how I feel. It's been an honor serving with you, but I shouldn't be here anymore. My brother ended my life when he murdered me, and now I need to move on. The value of this mission if we do it right should sever my tie to this tie, so I'll need you to find my bones and put me to peace, fully. It's a lot, but can you do it?"

Arrowette, who looked unusually humble, was the first to nod. "We'll do it, for you Secret."

She smiled sadly. Secret bowed her head and floated to the back of the crowd, Lagoon Boy following. Lagoon Boy went to grab her hands, but when his own passed through her smoke like form she drifted even farther.

Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, caught Robin's eye, her full lips pulled into a sorrowful frown. She gripped his hand, and Robin was glad for the solidity of her soft skin. She looked to him, deep blue eyes so deep that he couldn't read them.

"Are you ready to do your leader routine? They need it Rob, they need you."

He shrugged. "I know Donna, but I'm not sure. This is so huge... and they don't even know all of it."

The exotic Amazon teen smiled lightly, hand squeezing his. "You can do it, Boy Wonder." With that she released his hand, raising her own into the air. The faint moonlight caught the silver cuffs she wore on her wrist and cast an eerie glow over the clearing. "It's time." She said her voice now abnormally calm.

She stepped back, allowing Robin to take her spot. "Okay, we all know how important this mission is. No matter what happens out there just wanted to say it's been a pleasure working with you and-"

Impulse held up a hand. "Rob, this isn't a death sentence. Get to the point?"

Robin nodded; embarrassed the speedster had stolen some of his leader mojo. "Right well, Empress and Secret are going to teleport to the center of the activity to try and set up the attack plan I've made to achieve the goal. Arrowette and Lagoon Boy are going to survey the perimeter and keep the area clear. Impulse and Lobo are going through the back gates to create an opening for Wonder Girl and me who are going to help Secret and Empress at the heart of the operation."

The tactic took no one by surprise; the Boy Wonder and Wonder Girl were always teamed up. After having mentors like Wonder Woman and Batman they seemed to have more experience than the other team members. There was a second where no one knew what to say, if this was the end.

Finally Empress stood. "Well, I believe it is time." Wordlessly they all divided, scattering into the nights like shadows.

Donna's starry uniform shimmered as if it contained its own galaxies as she turned to Robin. "For a second don't be Robin, don't be team leader, just be you and tell me if you're okay."

Robin swallowed and finally met her gaze. "It's what I was trained to do; I've lived my entire life for this. I am ready; I think I was born ready." He said.

She nodded but didn't look as assured. They started to walk, silent and tense. When they finally approached the building Donna's breath hitched. She stopped and stood stock still for a moment.

"Hey," Robin grabbed her hand. "It's okay."

She shook her head. "My part is crucial, if I mess up…"

Robin clasped her other hand. "You won't mess up." He paused and looked sheepish for a moment. "I know we don't really have time, and this is corny, but," He pulled out a small object from his belt. "Happy first anniversary." He held out his black gloved hand, a small silver chain glittering in it.

Donna smiled, but bit her lip. "That really is cheesy." She teased as she allowed him to slip it over her neck. She fingered the charm, two W's that were linked. "Wonder Woman?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, Wonder Girl and Boy Wonder." He leaned in to kiss her but she pulled away.

"I want to," She said, voice thick. "But we've already spent too much time out here. We have a lot of pressure and doing something, anything romantic right now will only add to it." Though he understood, Robin still looked hurt.

Suddenly, a high pitch whine came screeching out of the communication link in their ears. Donna, who had heightened senses, almost dropped to her knees as she yanked it from her ear. After a second, there was silence before Robin heard the distinct noise of someone breathing.

"Empress to Young Justice, I repeat Empress to Young Justice." A scared voice whispered over the system. "We have been compromised, there is a-" Her voice gave way as an unnatural scream pierced the night.

Donna looked over with steely eyes, her friend panic causing determination that suppressed the fear. "I'm going to check it out. Stay here as backup." She commanded, beginning to hover in the air.

"You're absolutely not." Robin replied. "We've been compromised, and I'm not letting you go in there without help."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You're amazing, but I have abilities that pass yours. I can take care of myself." She started towards the building, but Robin sent a grappling hook rocketing to her leg, causing her to jerk back to him. "Robin!" She whisper yelled.

"I'm not letting you go in there without knowing what you're up against."

"My friends are in trouble, which is all that matters."

"That kind of thinking won't help you."

"Well it will help the team." She retorted. When he made no move to let her go, she shoved her lips against hers, causing Robin's body to go slack. When he loosened she quickly snapped the cord with her super strength and flew off.

"I'm so sorry." He heard her say before she vanished into the shadows.

Robin stood, jaw almost on the ground staring at the space that she had left void. In one second e realized he had never been angrier. After training with Batman he had master control of his emotions, but Donna had played with his emotions to the point that she may have been able to compromise the whole mission. Granted, Donna was a big girl and could take care of herself but it didn't make Robin feel any better as he stood with thick lips and tingling hands.

"Donna." He whispered with strained vocal cords, though there was no one to hear.

The Boy Wonder snapped out of it, leaping forwards towards where Donna had went. Robin knew he had let something as weak and insignificant as love compromise a mission, and maybe a team member's life.

But then he heard a whisper in his ear. It made him freeze, turn every fiber of his body to pure voice. It was singing, words that he couldn't understand but didn't need to. It was haunting, beautiful and melodic, and when it told him what to do he knew that he had to obey. As he slumped to the ground, Donna Troy and the Young Justice team was the last thing on his mind.

When he would wake up in Times Square a week later the kiss would be erased from his mind, but the nagging guilt wouldn't.

XXX

It had been half a year and there had been no progress. Robin couldn't understand the fact that the one thing that was preventing him from finding his friends was his own mind. The day of the Haven mission and the week after were gone, a blank white space on the board of his mind. Various psychics had tried to crack his mind, but none had lasted more than five minutes.

Batman had been supportive, as supportive as someone so cold and removed could be, but the other members of the Justice League had been harsh. In some cases, like Wonder Woman's, it was because they had lost a sidekick or even family member while Robin had made it out. He felt he deserved it, even though some told him he didn't. Why did he deserve to be here healing when Donna could be dead or worse?

Then there was the guilt. It ate him, drove him up a wall and down another. What had happened, and why did he feel guilty? He didn't know. So he just flipped the TV on and sat back to watch the press conference.

XXX

It was raining, almost as if the world itself was mourning a great tragedy. It was a pompous assumption, but it almost brought Clark Kent some peace as he surveyed the black clad crowd of reporters in front of him. He took a deep breath, praying his voice wouldn't shake or crack. He needed to be strong, composed. The superhero community frequently suffered great loss, but the demise of those so young and hopeful in such a great number held a significant sting.

The other heroes with him held their heads high, trying to not show how weak they were inside. Diana, Wonder Woman, was composed as always though Clark's super senses detected the slightest bit of a red tint to the Amazons eye. Superman had no children; no family to call his own in the superhero community and he could only assume and guess what his colleagues were feeling. They had lost partners, sidekicks. Diana hadn't been the same since Donna had vanished with the rest. Donna was her younger sister and even though it wasn't, Diana saw it as her own fault. She had hardened, changed, and Clark feared for her. Batman stiffly nodded at the Man of Steel to begin and he took a deep breath, turning on the television face.

"And I am afraid to inform all that Young Justice Team has been compromised," He paused, hearing the crowd gasp. "Arrowette, Empress, Impulse, Secret, Lobo, Secret, Wonder Girl and Lagoon Boy have all vanished, believed to be dead." Superman announced to the crowd.

There were horrified looks everywhere. "What about Robin?" A young reporter, Lois Lane, called.

Superman pursed his lips. "Robin was recovered with no memories of the event or of his team's disappearance. He will be working with Batman to recover those memories. In the mean time we will do everything we can to find our missing heroes. Thank you!" Superman raised a hand, signally the end of the conference as he sent a pained look to Martian Manhunter.

The green alien nodded. "It is a tragedy to be sure."

The Kryptonian sighed. "Diana is not reacting well to Donna's fate." He said, relying what he saw in the Amazon Princess. "Well, no one is really accepting it well."

Martian Manhunter silently surveyed the line of heroes who were conversing in grief together. "I am sure there will be many different forms of coping over time." J'onn agreed. "Do you remember what we talked about? If in one year they are not found then…" The Martian looked to his fellow alien to finish.

"…. A new team will be created." Clark ended reluctantly.

Manhunter nodded stoically. "Yes, we need to show the public that the Justice League does not train weak young heroes."

Rage boiled inside of Clark. "Weak?" He spat with silent unbridled fury. "Those kids were damn good fighters in my book Manhunter and their sacrifice does not mean that they were weak in any way, shape or form." He spat through clenched teeth.

The other alien remained impassive. "That was not what I was trying to say, Kent. I was simply stating that the world needs to know we do not let adversary's defeat us and that we will take these heroes sacrifice in stride."

Clark looked away. "We can't replace them if we aren't even sure that they died." He protested.

Martian Manhunter held up a hand as a peace sign. "Yes, I know. We will wait one year and if they are not recovered in twelve months from today we will take action. We will choose the best young heroes out there, with abilities similar to that of the original team. We will show those that seek evil that we are still here, and stronger than ever. Young Justice will be reborn."