"How's everything look." Nightwing asked, leaning over his girlfriend's shoulder. Oracle had been busy micro-managing the aftermath of the invasion for the better part of two weeks. She was good and she'd done everything humanly possible but it was still like herding cats. She leaned her head back and groaned when he started to rub her shoulders.

"It's a mess, all of it. Your friend in LA is now pitching himself as the man with a million faces. Gear upload the full battle yesterday, not just the bit after the dome came down. I have no idea where he got it but it's already got over six million views. Everyone's trying to get their hand's on Thanarian tech, legally or otherwise. Lois Lane dumped a whole paper's worth of articles onto the internet. Apparently she'd been writing them in secret this whole time. I wouldn't mind except that half of them contain Lord secrets that frankly, were secret for a reason. Everyone's ecstatic that we're not dead of course but half the people who saved us were members of the resistance and therefore terrorists.

"And in the meantime the resistance is fighting among itself. Admittedly Red Arrow has kept it to a minimum, but there were some nasty people in that group. Crime is up about a thousand percent. the police don't know how to handle people like that; and that's not even counting the monsters that got out when you Zatanna and Red Arrow destroyed Cadmus. Thank god the magical community has settled down like nothing ever happened.

"Of course, Everyone who ever had anything bad to say about the Lords is up in arms now that there's no one going to come after them. People are calling for elections which would be fine except that no one has prepared for them. So instead people are saying the current administration is stalling.

"The heroes that are active are being ridiculed, especially if they had any connection to the Lords. Of course the ones who weren't trained by the Lords have basically no experience. There have been more fatalities in that area then in the past ten years; which only makes people more eager to stop it."

Nightwing leaned down and kissed Oracle's forehead. "That is a mess."

Oracle sighed. "People are angry and frightened. The Lords were supposed to protect us from things like this and when we needed them they weren't there. No one wants a new group of Lords but we still need protectors. Experienced heroes who can be better than their predecessors."

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. "Why do I have a sudden sense of foreboding?"

Oracle laughed and squeezed his hand. "Have you seen what Max Lord has proposed to the UN?"

Nighting slumped into a chair and groaned halfheartedly. "Not you too. Flash already tracked me down and babbled at me in superspeed for ten minutes befor making me promise not to abandon him in his hour of need."

"Well can you blame him? A month ago no one knew he existed and now he's an idol for the whole world. Wally's a nice guy and he cares about people, can you imagin him trying to be a politician?"

Nightwing winced in sympathy. "I did promise to help, it's just…"

"I know, Dick. We were both trained to work from the shadows, but he'll need us. They all will. We won, now comes the real hard part."

Nightwing laughed again.

"So, what do you think?" Flash tried to catch Red Arrow's eye. The other hero was leaning over the edge of his rooftop perch scrutinizing the building across the street.

Red Arrow grunted.

Flash looked down at the Luthorcorp building. He knew it was one of the most likely targets in the city for an attack. That didn't mean he found the stakeout any less boring. Stakeouts were boring even at normal speed and Flash had been going twice that fast for a while now. it was like he had to make up for the two years of not using his powers.

"It's not like you can just go back to like it was before. None of us can after that fight."

"I was only there by chance." Red Arrow growled.

Flash shrugged. "I don't think so. You're better then that."

Red Arrow rolled his eyes and looked away from the Luthorcorp building long enough to give Flash an unimpressed look. "I'm a terrorist."

"You know the president has pardoned the past crimes of everyone who helped defend the Earth?"

Red Arrow rubbed at his temples. "That's not the point. I'm not someone people should be looking up to."

Flash considered that. "If that's the way you feel, I'll respect your decision. I think you should reconsider though, We need someone like you. You'd keep us honest." Then Flash was gone in a blur of red.

Red Arrow let out a slow breath. He hadn't worked with anyone for longer than a single job since Green Arrow. But that team, Stargirl, Flash…. He may not like Nightwing on principal but the man was smart.

He looked down at the building again, drawing his bow as the thieves he'd been watching for, finally appeared.

"Hello Dick." Batman said from his seat in front of the computer, or maybe it was just Bruce since he wasn't in costume. His greeting at least informed Nightwing that none of the strays he had picked up were around. Dick had thought Bruce would never train anyone else but then he'd never factored in Barbara being the one to make introductions.

"Bruce."

Bruce waited. He was a master at that game so Nightwing didn't even try to challenge him.

"Want to tell me why you're throwing in with Max?"

"Does that mean you've accepted his invitation?"

"Haven't decided." Nightwing waited a beat. "Well?"

"You think I wouldn't make sure I had a hand in anything that potentially dangerous?"

Nightwing crossed his arms. "See, that's something I've been trying to work out. Batman, yes definitely, but Bruce Wayne, no."

Bruce finally turned his chair around to look at Dick. "I was in that video too you may remember, even if no one saw me do anything. Bruce Wayne just had a rude awakening. Besides, Batman is dead."

"Dead?"

"Yes, along with the rest of the Lords."

Nightwing chewed that over. in the early days Bruce had drilled the concepts of masks and legends into his head. But then, that only worked if you stayed in the shadows. Bruce had abandoned that when he and the rest of the Lords had taken control. "That's it then?"

"The world still needs heroes."

"Hence helping Max."

Bruce nodded. "Indeed.

"So you'll play black king to Flash's white knight. Train up your new recruits to take us all down if we cross the line, is that it?" Nightwing threw up his hands glaring at his onetime mentor.

"When I put my own personal feelings above the mission I lost sight of why Batman is needed. Every power needs to be checked, balanced. No one should have the kind of power we had. I don't intend to forget again."

"Fine, yes, you're right." Nightwing rubbed at his mask with one hand. "Just don't think I'm going to let you play puppet master anymore. Your power needs to be checked just as much as anyone elses."

"So you have chosen then. You'll play white king simply to keep an eye on me." Bruce had that kind of not-smile on his face that Nightwing had always seen from Batman.

Nightwing snorted, rolled his eyes and turned to go.

"Dick?"

He paused and looked back over one shoulder.

"You're welcome here. Any time. The new recruits could learn from your experience, and… I wouldn't mind the company."

Nightwing raised a hand in acknowledgment.

Static stared out the windows. Outside Star Labs was a crowd of protesters that were likely to grow violent any second. Static would have been hanging around even if he didn't have a week left in his internship.

"They still out there?" Stargirl asked. Static had learned that her real name was Courtney but since they were both in costume ( For the inevitable moment when things went wrong ) he had gotten in the habit of thinking of her in terms of her hero persona.

Stargirl had stopped by several times in the last few weeks. First there had been getting Gear to look at how she'd integrated the teleporter into her star rod. Then that had sparked of several ideas and he'd asked to overhaul the design. It had led to several late nights with pizza and popcorn where they swapped stories and tested theoretical sciences.

"Yeah. I think they'll mob the next car that tries to get through."

Richie looked up and tried to talk around the screwdriver he was holding between his teeth. "You cood 'ust go talk to 'em" He removed the screwdriver and used it to tighten a few bolts. "There you go, try that." he passed the star rod back to it's owner.

Stargirl looked away from the window to take up her staff. She made sure she wasn't going to hit anything, then spun it from hand to hand, making a few practice strikes. She ended by pressing a switch built into the grip. A beam of gold light hit a wall in front of her and rippled out into a portal showing the New York skyline. She switched the teleportation feature off before some pidgins found the gateway and passed it back to Gear.

"The balance is still off."

Richie assumed his thinking expression. Stargirl went back to the window.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask…. Did Flash talk to you?"

Static glanced at her and grinned. "You too?"

"Yeah. What do you think?"

"As if I'd turn down the Flash."

Stargirl matched his grin. On the street below them someone blew a whistle and was answered by someone with a bullhorn. The noise grew.

Stargirl took back her staff before Gear had the opportunity to take it apart again.

"Shall we?"

"After you."

Kyle had done a bit of experimenting since the battle but overall he'd tried to keep low profile. Gigantic invasion aside, he didn't really know what he was supposed to do now. He was a superhero, but what did that mean exactly? Should he be going on patrol? if so, where was he supposed to patrol? Should he try to build a police scanner so he'd know when things were happening? Did the ring come with any kind of manual?

He'd started sketching to help his mind process. He'd filled four sketchbooks before he'd run out of paper and started doodling with the ring instead. Every time he used it, he marveled at what the ring could do.

Then the Squirrel had turned up.

The squirrel was about four feet tall and wearing a green lantern uniform so Kyle figured he was one of the good guys.

"Umm, hello."

"Yes, hello, you're the new recruit then?" said the squirrel.

"Yes?" Kyle drew out the word.

"Excelent. I'm Green Lantern Ch'p of sector 1014. I've been sent to retrieve you for training and orientation on Oa."

"Oh, that's great. Of course. Umm just one question. How long will that all take, because I've kind of got something next week that I really can't miss."

Zatanna took a bow to standing ovations. Her new show had sold out in less than a minute. She could perform anywhere she wanted. There were talkshow hosts lining up just to beg for her to come on their shows. It was more fame and success then most people could dream of.

And she was getting bored of it terribly quickly. There were no surprises in a magic show for the magician. Spying and fighting had forced her to think on her feet. Every spell was suddenly vital, even if she'd already done it a million times before.

Flash had shown up with flowers and an opportunity after her first performance. She had let him take her to a late night dinner and explain all his reasons. She had brushed him off. She'd repeated all the reasons that had been perfectly valid before the world had decided to tilt on it's access. He had said he understood and paid the bill and left.

Of course the reasons she'd used before didn't really work any more. It wasn't like she could keep her head down when she was now officially an A-list celebrity. As for the rest of it… well it didn't seem all that important any more.

She'd been hooked when she wasn't looking. Hooked on the thrill of saving lives, the fights and powers and being in the center of it. Really challenging herself. It was like the first time she had performed, except multiplied.

Zatanna considered her options. The sound of the crowd filtering out of her theater filtered through. She still loved it, it just wasn't enough any more. She reached for her phone. It occurred to her that maybe she was being a little selfish, thinking she could have it all.

But why not. That's what magic was for, wasn't it. Making all your dreams come true.

The press conference was held outside the Flash museum. Max Lord had suggested holding it outside the United Nations or on the White House lawn where the damage was still visible. Flash had listened to all these suggestions and nodded in the right places and then said no, it was the Flash museum or he wouldn't be showing up.

Nightwing arrived before anyone else. he quietly staked out a spot behind the stage where no one would really notice him but where anyone could see him if they bothered to look. He calmly watched the sound crews who arrived two hours ahead of time set everything up. Then the various reporters who wanted to stake out good seats. Max Lord and his crew arrived forty five minutes before the press conference was scheduled to begin.

They were the ones who set up the seven chairs behind the podium. They did mike checks all over again. Max himself made sure he could be seen going over note cards and generally being very interested in everything.

Bruce Wayne made an appearance half an hour before things got underway. He was on the phone from the moment he stepped out of his limo onwards. though he did spare a moment to congratulate Max. He also nodded to Nightwing though the hero pretended not to see it.

Fifteen minutes before things were to start, when the reporters who had cameras or were otherwise doing this live had started making opening remarks, Nightwing stepped forward and took a seat on stage. The crowd burst into a quiet babble. The people who knew his reputation started telling everyone who didn't. There was a rush for phones as people tried to dig up more information. If Nightwing hadn't had Oracle on his side he might have been worried.

Ever since Max had pushed through his government sponsored superhero team through the emergency session of congress, people had been wondering who would be filling the roster. Iris West-Allen (who had managed to secure a seat in the front row) leaned forward holding out a tape recorder.

"Nightwing, can you confirm that you are joining this new team?"

Nightwing raised one eyebrow, then smiled. "As Mr. Lord will no doubt tell you: Yes, I will be a member, though not the leader of this team." He held up a hand as Lois Lane, sitting two seats down from Iris, started to ask another question. "I believe there will be a period for questions afterward."

Lois looked put off but everyone else was too busy speculating on what this would mean. Who would lead the team? Who would the other members be, and what did this mean for the team dynamic?

Then a shimmering portal appeared in the air through which a patch of summer sky could be seen. Static floated through the portal, followed a second later by Stargirl.

"Hey. Did we make it in time?" Stargirl tucked some of her hair behind one ear.

Nightwing gestured them to the seats beside him and nodded. "You're right on time."

Again the crowd of reporters started chattering. A lot of people had suggested and argued for and against the heroes of the final battle. Static was a hero in good standing but as a lieutenant for the Lords some people were against him on pure principle, despite his experience. Stargirl was said to be too young, too inexperienced, despite the footage that proved otherwise. They'd both been controversial names that had been tossed around, but they had been thrown around. The confirmation that they were on the team created speculation but not overwhelming levels of surprise. The reporters were mostly speculating about power levels and the balance of the team.

Nightwing spared a moment to wonder how many people had bets placed on who would be on the team.

Out of the blue sky came came a green light. the scene was briefly washed in a single color, than Green Lantern became the next confirmed member. He stepped down onto the stage.

"Hey, I'm not late, Awesome." he slumped into the chair on the other side of Static and started chatting as if the reporters didn't exist. That was probably a good decision since they had started up again, though for a different reason than before.

Not many people had been in a good position to see John Stuart's death. Moreover, the footage of Kyle in the final showdown had been rather blurry and more green than anything else. The debate over John's death had been raging without pause. Now that people were actually seeing a human Green Lantern who was not John Stuart, it had thrown new fuel on the fire.

At one minute to go. the center of the stage glittered with dazzling sparkles and a puff of purple smoke. Zatanna's entrance was as flashy as any of her Las Vegas shows. Some of the reporter actually cheered. she took a bow before retreating to her seat. There were probably people who had argued against having Zatanna on the team but they hadn't been very loud. She knew how to play a crowd and people willingly volunteered to be wrapped around her was thankful that she had reconsidered for that reason alone.

Max checked his watch and looked at the two empty seats. Nightwing had to laugh at Wally being late. He wondered if he was taking a leaf out of his mentor's book and it would become habitual. Max waited five more minutes before shaking his head and pasting on a smile. He waved as he made his way to the podium.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming. We all know why we're here so I'll get right to the point. The -"

Max's words were cut off by the roar of a motorcycle. The crowd turned to see Red Arrow casually take off his helmet. He walked the bike to the edge of the stage, and propped it against the backdrop. He nodded to Nightwing, glared at Static and Stargirl wave him into the seat next to her. Instead of just sitting down he spun the chair around and sat in it backwards, his bow in easy reach. The crowd had gone silent the whole time, and stayed silent as he glared out at them from behind his mask.

"Ah, yes, hello, welcome." Max tried to pull things back together. He shuffled his note cards. "Where was I, yes, ah… You are all aware of the Checkmate initiative. I hardly need to mention the last two years, or the recent events that have lead to the creation of this team. We are here today not to dwell on the past but to look to the future. This team of heroes will stand as our our primary defenders under the sponsorship and..." he trailed off. The eyes of the crowd had drifted to the last seat on the stage. A seat that was no longer empty.

Everyone had expected the Flash to show up. The whole thing was taking place in front of the Flash museum after all. The news that the world had a Flash again had made everyone go crazy even before the team had been announced. There wasn't a single reporter in the crowd (with the possible exception of Iris) who wouldn't give their left hand for a quote from him.

But this hadn't been what they expected.

Wally had slipped onto the stage using his super speed there was no doubt of that, but he'd done it with zero fanfare. There had been no sudden gust of wind or blur of red, possibly because he wasn't even wearing his costume. He was dressed in a Flash t-shirt, that had probably come from the gift shop behind them all and a completely normal pair of jeans. He didn't even have a mask to conceal his identity.

Max finally turned around and followed everyone's gazes. Wally stood up and stepped forward.

"Mind if I say a few words?"

Max stepped aside because what else could he do?

Flash looked out over the reporters. "Hello everyone. I, um, I don't have a speech or anything. I just want you all to know a few things. First: I am the Flash, but I'm not the guy who wore that costume two years ago. That Flash was my mentor, and I plan to do my best to uphold his legacy.

"Second: this team thing. I'm grateful that the President and the United Nations are trusting me with this responsibility of leading this team. I promise I'll do my best to earn that trust. I believe the world still needs heroes. But as a hero I have to know and trust the people who have my back. That's why I'm the one who chose the members of this team."

He paused and made sure everyone was listening. "Everyone here has proven themselves and I am honored to fight beside them."

Nightwing tried not to laugh at Wally's complete lack of subtlety. Down the line, Red Arrow snorted and Static was grinning ear to ear.

"I know the idea of a hero team like this will make some people nervous." Wally went on. "You have every reason to be. That's why I'm speaking to you now." He gestured at his lack of a costume. "Under the mask I'm just another guy. Just someone doing what he can to help out." He took a last deep breath.

"My name is Wally West. I'm the fastest man alive. And now you all know the truth."

Author's note:

Well, that's it everyone. We have finally reached the end of this story. When I started, I had no idea this would turn into such a monstrosity but I wouldn't change a thing.

Thank you to everyone who's been with me on this crazy journey. And thank you to Windninja1000, Tala White 14, and Microraptor Glider for reviewing the previous chapter.

This story is also up on AO3 under the same title and username.

Again thank you all. Good night.