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It never should have happened. Then again, Bart shouldn’t have left his stupid one-way-trip time machine on Mount Justice.
Honestly, it was a crazy series of coincidences, and nothing would ever make it clear how close they’d come to everything not happening the way it did…
And yet.
But let’s rewind.
The day after Artemis was stabbed through her chest by the man who used to be Young Justice’s first beloved leader, the man who was a founding member, and a man who the original members of the League just couldn’t–
The day after Artemis’s death, Connor’s anger found an outlet it should never have come across - Bart Allen’s time travel machine. Bart Allen’s supposedly busted time travel machine.
It was true, of course, because the machine was genuinely not working anymore. However, there was more to radiation and trace tachyons than anyone there was aware of…
Connor, who was part human, part-Kryptonian, most certainly born not too long ago, who was angry beyond belief, who saw M’gann breaking as she curled up on the couch, Garfield hugging her without a word, who saw Nightwing standing uselessly to the side, looking down his team wept before him, who saw Nightwing’s Robin draw into himself, so hesitant where the second Robin had been too brash (no, they didn’t talk about the second Robin), who saw the ghosts of their past selves crowded around Kaldur’Ahm, relishing in the friendship of the traitor–
Connor’s rage raced hot as acid through his veins, and he punched out the only thing in his path - Bart Allen’s time machine, which they hadn’t had the chance to move away because of– because of–
Connor punched it again, and lightning raced through the broken circuits toward him.
He could hear a startled, terrified ‘No!’ and a cry that was a mix of Nightwing, M’gann, and Bart, though most likely for very different reasons, and then the lightning spread out, covering the entire room where they were sequestered.
The lights flashed.
Connor fell on his back, his hand smarting.
Then the lights flashed on again, and they weren’t alone anymore.
“What the…?”
Connor leaped up, fighting stance ready, as was the case for every other YJ member in the room, which amounted to him, M’gann, Nightwing, Robin, Garfield, Impulse, and Jaime.
And then he almost stumbled out of his fighting stance because in front of them stood the literal ghosts of the past.
“Holy shoot,” Wally said, looking too young. Too naive. (Too happy, Connor would reckon, because Artemis…)
Connor swallowed, forcing his eyes to turn to Wally’s right where– where–
“... Artemis?” M’gann, Connor’s M’gann, whispered, tears flooding her eyes. And then, before any one of them could attempt to check what it even was, whether it was a fake or not, she flew forward and engulfed the younger version of their friend into a hug.
“Woah, woah, woah–” Artemis tried.
“Hey, let her go!” Wally shouted.
“Who are you guys?” Younger Connor - Connor was just going to call him Superboy, just as he was going to call his old Robin Rob, and younger M’gann Megan - growled, stepping closer to them, fists raised.
“Please, let’s not–” Kaldur began.
And Connor saw red. “YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” He roared, hate and fury and loathing mingling with guilt and concern and sadness, and he just wanted revenge. “HOW DARE YOU–”
Kaldur, younger Kaldur, with his too-wide eyes and too-kind face, with his stance always protecting his team, with his words not a lie–
Kaldur, the bastard who had betrayed them.
Kaldur, who Connor would have never seen coming.
“What-” The younger Atlantean tried, jumping back and extending his swords. “Connor, please–”
“Don’t touch him!” Superboy shouted, leaping forward to intercept Connor.
“You don’t know what he is!” Connor railed, sidestepping the wide stance and throwing his younger self to the side, making him crash into the side of the wall. “He’s–”
“No!” Megan shouted, raising her hands, her eyes glowing.
But Megan wasn’t the only Martian in the room because M’gann rose to mid-air herself, outmatching herself.
“Oh, man,” Connor heard Bart whisper.
“Shit,” Nightwing swore.
“What the hell?” Wally demanded, then zoomed off at a full start, reaching out to push Connor away, to protect the traitor.
They had their own speedster. Connor decided he did like the little monster, just a little bit because he slammed into Wally with an “Oh no you don’t!”
Kaldur jumped back again, slipping past Connor’s punch, reminding the clone why, exactly, he’d always been a superior fighter. “Superboy!” He shouted.
Superboy jumped off the floor, rushing yet again at Connor—
“STOP!” Nightwing roared, mirrored at the exact same moment by Rob.
The noise came to a halt, and Connor realized Jaime was half in costume (fully, in the next few seconds, but at that very moment, it had been half).
Connor’s mouth twisted in fury, and he turned to Nightwing–
Only to realize Rob had a knife at Robin’s throat.
Robin didn’t look worried, so Connor had a sinking feeling he could get out of it wherever, but Nightwing had his escrima sticks out, and he was glaring at every single one of them, even Artemis, who had an arrow out and was pointing it at Connor.
Fat load it would do.
(She should be pointing that arrow at her murderer!)
“Stop,” Nightwing repeated.
“I am more than happy to,” Kaldur said, raising his hands. “This is the… future?”
Connor gnashed his teeth. “Nightwing–”
“No!” The other hero snapped. “This is not him.”
“He will become him!” M’gann spat. “He will become the monster–”
“We don’t–”
Nightwing swallowed, his eyes flickering.
“What’s going on?” Rob demanded. “How are we in the future, and why the hell did you guys attack us anyway?” He spared a look for the person he was threatening. “Also, why’s there a new me? Where’s me?” He narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Wally?”
“And Artemis?” Wally added.
M’gann flinched.
Garfield turned back into a human from the lion who’d been primed to leap at their enemies. “Wait, what’s going on? Isn’t that Aqualad?”
Kaldur frowned.
“Yeah, why aren’t we getting him?” Jaime asked immediately.
“He’s not–” Nightwing grimaced. “You’re all from the past,” He said. “2010, right?”
Kaldur exchanged a look with his teammates. “That is correct.” He hesitated. “If I may ask–”
Nightwing didn’t let him speak, which Connor relished in. Aqualad was not the leader of this team, and Connor would never accept him as one again! “I am Nightwing, formerly Robin.” He nodded toward Rob. “That’s the newest Robin. All part of Young Justice.” He spared a glance at the heroes from his time. “This is early 2016.”
“More than five years into the future?!” Wally shouted. “Woah, I need a souvenir!”
Garfield perked up. “You collect souvenirs?”
“Hell yeah,” Wally said. “Wait, even if this is the future, why don’t you…?” He frowned. “Where are Artemis and I, by the way? You never said.”
“That’s because HE–” Connor began, only to be cut off by Nightwing again.
“Connor!” He shouted. “No!”
“You’d rather–”
“We can’t change the past!”
“If we do, maybe things would be better!”
“Or maybe it’d be worse!”
“How could it be worse?” M’gann demanded loudly, desperately. “Artemis is dead!”
The team from the past staggered back, horror lining their faces. Rob’s knife slipped, and Robin pushed easily out of the way - the Boy Wonder original didn’t seem to care.
“What?” Artemis whispered.
“You’re lying!” Wally protested. “Artemis can’t–” His eyes widened. “Am I…?”
“Retired,” Nightwing said quickly, face set in a tired frown. “Not dead.”
Artemis relaxed the slightest bit. “Oh,” She said. “At least tell me I went out good,” She said weakly. “Let’s not be lame.”
“No!” Megan protested. “We won’t let you–”
“You assholes better be lying!” Superboy shouted. “How do we even know you are who you say you are?!”
Kaldur nodded shortly. “We cannot trust you unless you prove it to us. You may be attempting to sow discord–”
M’gann burst into bitter, deranged laughter. “Discord?” She spat. “Discord is a kind word for what I intend to sow!”
The younger version of their team brought up their weapons again.
“Don’t!” Nightwing shouted. “M’gann, Conner, this is an order.”
Connor flinched. “You’re letting him go after–”
“Yes,” Nightwing snapped. “Yeah, I am.” He inhaled deeply. “Before we know exactly what is going on…” His shoulder drooped. “Besides, he hasn’t done it. None of them have… done anything.”
Connor bared his teeth.
M’gann’s lips trembled, but she floated down, sniffing.
“Sis…?” Garfield said, then pulled her into a hug.
Megan stared at the two, eyes wide.
“What a banger,” Wally mumbled. “Please tell me this is not the future.” There was a note of hysteria in his voice. “Please.”
Jaime, who’d been muttering to himself, turned to normal again and rubbed the back of his neck. “Should we…?” He pointed to the sofas.
Connor glared. “I am not sitting with him,” He said, pointing at Aqualad.
Nightwing didn’t say anything.
Kaldur flinched, then, as silence descended, turned to Nightwing. “What have I done to deserve such hatred?” He asked. “Why is my older self not here?”
Nightwing kept grimacing. “Beetle, Impulse, Beast Boy,” He said. “Go outside.”
“But–” Garfield tried.
“Now,” Nightwing said. “Robin, go with them. Make sure they stay out.”
Robin hesitated. “Are you sure…?”
Nightwing nodded once. “You can call Zatanna once you’re out. Don’t tell anyone else. Too risky if it gets out.”
Connor laughed without mirth. “You mean if he finds out.”
Nightwing’s mouth was set in a straight line.
Robin nodded hesitantly. “Okay,” He said, and like a good little soldier, he ushered the three newer members out.
Sometimes, Connor missed Robin 2, who would have said no. Who would have leaped on Aqualad as Connor had, raging against the monstrosities committed by a man who was undeserving of the reputation he’d built. A man who did not deserve anyone’s protection - especially not their own. Not even in the past.
Soon, the room only had them - the original Young Justice.
… Or it would be if Wally hadn’t retired. If Artemis hadn’t died. If Kaldur hadn’t betrayed them.
“Please,” The bastard in question said. “What is going on?”
Nightwing nodded. “First, for proof,” He said. “First of all, I know everyone’s secret identities.”
“Not much of a secret,” Superboy scoffed.
Nightwing wasn’t put down. “Including Robin’s.”
Robin nodded once. “If you’re me…”
“Yeah,” Nightwing agreed. “Haly’s Circus and Zucco.”
That made absolutely no sense to anyone except Wally, who squeaked.
Connor frowned. “Wait, didn’t we go on a mission to that place that once?” He asked.
Nightwing, for the first time that day, smirked. “We did,” He said. “Anyway, We rescued Connor from CADMUS, which was being run by Genomorphs…” He twisted his mouth in thought. “Younger me already knows this, Artemis, but in this time, we all know.”
Artemis’s eyes widened in fear. “Is that why…?”
“No,” Nightwing said quickly.
“Of course not!” M’gann protested. “We love you! You’re a sister to me.”
Megan nodded eagerly. “I agree completely!” She said.
Artemis blushed. “... Thanks,” She said. “You’re like a sister to me, too, Meg.”
M’gann pursed her lips. “Why don’t we just allow my younger self to read our minds?” She asked.
“Too risky,” Nightwing shot down instantly, but his heartbeat picked up a little too fast, a little too much. “The timeline may erupt.”
Connor frowned, the rage tuning down to a simmering below. Wait, why was Nightwing acting so weird? He turned to look at their younger selves, then back at Nightwing, and made a decision. “The timeline didn’t erupt with Bart,” He said. “Nor when M’gann mentioned Artermis’s…” He trailed off. “I say we tell them what happened.”
This time, there was no change in heartbeat because Nightwing took a long, calming breath before he began. But Connor was listening closely, and the millisecond of a hitch in Nightwing’s voice? That wasn’t normal. “We can’t,” The hero repeated. “We don’t know how our future will change–”
“It hasn’t yet,” M’gann rejected. “Maybe we’re looking at an alternate timeline.”
Connor nodded. “Maybe.” He took a step toward Batman’s former protege. “But tell me, Nightwing. Why don’t you want to tell them what happened? Like M’gann said, learning of Artemis’s death should make stuff change, so telling them a little more shouldn’t matter. Maybe they’d change stuff for the better. Why don’t you want to show Megan your memories?”
Nightwing’s expression didn’t change.
“You’re hiding something,” Rob breathed. “Something the team doesn’t know. Aren’t you?”
“I’m hiding a lot of things,” Nightwing snapped. “My identity, Robin’s.”
“No,” Kaldur said. “It has something to do with me.”
Connor inhaled sharply to force himself to stay his hand. “If you don’t want a fist through your face, I’d suggest you keep your trap shut,” He snapped.
But Kaldur was nothing if not fearless. “See?” He said. “I do not know what I have done, but Connor and M’gann look at me with a hatred I have rarely seen, even within my enemies. You…” He frowned in confusion. “You, Robin- Nightwing, you do not.”
Nightwing flinched.
“Are you kidding me?!” M’gann demanded. “How can you not hate him?! He KILLED ARTEMIS!”
Wally gasped. “What the hell?”
“No way,” Artemis said.
“You’re lying!” Rob said. “Kal would never–”
Kaldur, though, had paled, and though he was sitting, his legs began to tremble. “I… what? But- Artemis is on our team. My team. I would never–”
“You do,” Connor said. “You asshole– you betrayed us, went off with a supervillain dad, killed Artemis, and you work for the fucking Light!”
“The light?” Rob murmured.
“Guess we never knew you well, did we, Kaldur?” Connor finished, sneering.
M’gann scoffed. “If you had a decent bone in your body, you would have given yourself up,” She said harshly. “But each and every one of you - each and every one of us was too deluded to give up on you until it was far too late.”
Nightwing put his head into his hands.
Kaldur, for what seemed like hours, stared unseeingly into the distance, then he stood up and walked to Connor, hands held out. “Arrest me,” He said simply.
Connor stared, eyes wide.
“Arrest me,” Kaldur said again. “I am not fit to lead this team. I am not fit to exist if I inevitably-” He swallowed. “If I inevitably hurt one of you - all of you beyond repair. I… I do not want to become this monster, Connor. Please.”
For the first time since the time travel fiasco had begun– no, possibly since Kaldur had first betrayed them, Connor got the feeling he had ridiculously miscalculated.
Kaldur hadn’t always been a cold-blooded, unfeeling monster. Once upon a time, he had been a team leader, a good guy, a friend.
Once upon a time, Kaldur’Ahm had been family.
Connor looked down at his arms and burst into tears. “Why?” He said between breaths and sobs he’d never shown another person. “Why did you have to change? You were my best friend once, Kaldur. You were my family.”
Kaldur flinched. “I do not know,” He said, voice laden with guilt and regret he ought not yet bear. “I am so sorry, my friend.”
M’gann whimpered.
Then Superboy roared and jumped forward, pinning Nightwing to the wall with one hand. “YOU!” He shouted. “What do you know?!”
“Connor!” Megan said instantly.
Nightwing winced. “Superboy–”
“No!” Superboy said. “Your heart rate sped up. I– He asked why Kaldur changed, and you know, don’t you?”
“This is part of what you’re hiding!” Rob tacked on.
Wally zipped him into a seat, hands bound with rope. “Yeah, older Robin. What’s going on?”
Connor wiped away his tears. “Wing?” He asked, hoping they were wrong.
But he had also known Nightwing for just around six years, and he wasn’t surprised when he sighed in defeat. “Connor…”
M’gann pulled back. “What?” She whispered.
Nightwing flinched again, still not from how Superboy held him to the wall.
“Robin?” Kaldur asked slowly. Softly. “Please. What is going on?”
Nightwing closed his eyes in defeat. “It’s not… There’s a lot going on that none of you know,” He said. “There too much at stake–”
“Too much at stake for you to mourn your friend?” Connor spat, old anger rising to the surface.
Nightwing’s lips pressed down into a small line. “That is not what I’m saying.”
“It’s how you’re acting.” He told him. “It’s how you’ve acted ever since Robin 2–”
“Don’t bring him into this!” Nightwing shouted in response, his veneer of calm finally shattering.
Connor huffed. “Why not? Don’t want to acknowledge the fact that you keep on failing, keep on keeping secrets from people who are supposed to be–”
“You don’t have any right to–”
“Robin deserved–”
“HE WAS MY BROTHER!”
“AND ARTEMIS WAS OUR SISTER!”
Connor heaved.
Nightwing breathed raggedly.
The younger version of their team stared between them, horrified.
“Guys?” M’gann said simply.
“What?” Nightwing snapped, then turned to look at where she was pointing, and his face fell. “Robin…”
The newest Robin was standing there, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Di– Nightwing,” He said. “Uh, the others are racing out there. Wanted to tell you that.” He looked down, fists clenched. And then, right before he spun on his heels and left the room as quietly as he entered, he looked up at Nightwing and said. “Jay wasn’t only your brother,” He said. “He was also Robin. And he would probably have kicked your ass for keeping everyone out of the loop.”
Connor nodded in agreement.
Robin blushed. “Sorry, I…” He inhaled deeply. “No, I have to say this. You and B have been keeping things from the team and from me for too long. You said you didn’t want to be Batman, but at this point, you are being him. And I know sometimes the information is too sensitive, like this case–” His eyes flickered to Kaldur, and Connor had the flashing instinct of a nudge that Robin number three somehow knew. He shouldn’t have been surprised, really, considering it was a Robin. But the fact that he’d guessed something was off and had figured it out before Connor even could think of possible secrets - even when he’d known Nightwing longer than Robin had - was still utterly surprising. “But Con- Connor and M’gann are right. They’re part of the team. The original team. They… well, they deserve to know the truth.”
Nightwing’s eyes were shadowed. “How do you know?” He asked simply.
Robin reddened even more and stepped back.
“Duh,” Rob said. “He’s a Robin.”
Wally snorted. “Ain’t that the truth?”
Robin turned on his heels and disappeared.
Nightwing, who had been released by Superboy, closed his eyes for a hot second, then opened them and stared harshly at every single one of them. “Okay,” He said. “I’ll tell you.”
“Us too?” Artemis asked.
Nightwing gave a short nod.
There was a moment of silence as everyone shuffled into seats, Nightwing seating himself in a place where he was able to look at every one of them. “Around one and a half years ago, Kaldur and I found out his father was Black Manta.”
Kaldur inhaled sharply.
Nightwing grimaced. “We told Wally and Artemis immediately. M’gann and Connor were on a mission, and it was radio silence for a while, at least.”
M’gann frowned. “But… you said he left immediately after he found out?”
Nightwing grimaced. “I’m getting to that,” He said. “After Kal and I went to Wally and Artemis, we figured out that Manta was connected to the Light. He had an in with the bastards, and after five years of dancing to the strings of their plans, we desperately needed an in.”
Connor grit his teeth. “But he still changed–”
Nightwing looked at him with such a pitiful look Connor shut up almost immediately. If there was one thing Nightwing was good at, it was being the youngest, and despite Connor technically being the youngest (and Nightwing being more mature than most people he knew), he still managed to pull it off. He still managed to be the ‘younger brother’.
(Just like Kaldur had always managed to be the older brother.)
“So, when…” Nightwing broke off, finally hesitating as he looked meaningfully at Connor and M’gann before turning to Kaldur. “When the next mission happened–”
When Tula died, Connor translated.
“We faked it, so Kaldur went off the deep end. He ‘betrayed’ Young Justice.”
Kaldur pressed his lips together in a small, unconvinced line.
Connor crossed his arms, looked at M’gann, and waited.
“He spent the previous year building up his reputation. Fighting us, stealing, doing what Manta wants…” Nightwing shrugged helplessly. “He had to do everything he could.
Connor didn’t bother opening his mouth because he knew exactly what was going to come out.
Nightwing knew, too, because he didn’t wait. “The Light still wasn’t letting him in, and, well, Kal couldn’t keep everything to the same extent - not with enemies all around him. So… So we hatched a plan. We decided that one of us would die at Kal’s hands, giving him the final ‘push’ needed to build himself into his father and the Light’s trust. Then he and Artemis would gather every bit of information necessary, and then we’d strike, destroying the Light once and for all.” He looked down. “Artemis chose to be the one. Wally would be too inconspicuous - he wouldn’t be able to hide his speed - and I–” He shook his head. “I volunteered because Artemis and Wally are retired, but Kaldur and Artemis were insistent it would not work.”
Kaldur tilted his head. “It is harder to bring in a strange man without suspicion than a woman,” He pointed out. “It is a sad truth of this world that women are often underestimated.”
Artemis nodded. “Plus, with Kal gone, you’re the default leader, aren’t you? The team would probably take it worse than with me. If things are as bad as you say they are, then you need everyone’s head as much in the game as possible.”
M’gann stared at Nightwing, trembling. “Artemis… Artemis is alive?” She whispered.
Connor knew exactly how she felt, a curious mix of rage and relief and hatred singing in his veins. Before he could think about it, before he could stop himself, he stood up, marched over to Nightwing, and socked him in the face.
Nightwing didn’t retaliate or move out of the way, though it would have been painfully easy for him to do so.
“Connor!” Megan yelped.
“No,” Nightwing admitted. “I deserved it.”
“You deserve so much more,” Connor hissed. “You fucking bastards! You kept this from us? From M’gann and me? Everyone else I can understand - undercover mission or whatever. But M’gann and I have been on the team since the beginning! We were your friends! How fucking dare you keep us in the dark?” His voice, toward the end, was far too choked for it to be anything but on the verge of tears.
M’gann was worse. “I was- I was planning to–” Her eyes flickered to Kaldur, and her hands trembled, and Connor suddenly knew what she wanted to say, if only because he’d had that exact argument with her a while ago. Multiple whiles ago.
Bile burned through his throat.
Nightwing flinched. “... I’m sorry,” He said.
“I spent nearly a year,” Connor said, guilt permeating throughout. “More than that, in fact. I spent all that time hating my best friend, Nightwing. I spent that time trying to kill him.”
Kaldur’s eyes widened.
“What the fuck would you have done if it had really happened?!”
“Did you ever really trust us?” M’gann whispered.
Nightwing looked miserable. “I do,” He said quietly, defeatedly. “I always will.”
“Then why–”
“It wasn’t only him, though, was it?” Wally asked, and Connor was forced to turn and see young Wally look at them all with uncharacteristic seriousness. “It was Artemis, me, and Kaldur, too. We all chose to keep it from you.”
“It was wrong,” Kaldur said. “But… I cannot say anything without being a hypocrite, for I have already done the same.”
Everyone flinched as the India incident came to mind.
“... Me too,” Artemis said slowly. “It was wrong, but– but we all deserve blame. I don’t know why we kept it from you–”
“Wrong time?” Rob asked. “Nightwing said they were off the radio.”
Nightwing sighed. “It wasn’t just that,” He said. “It was more the fact that everything was happening together. You two refused to be in the same room together after that mission–”
“You’re blaming us?!” Connor asked furiously.
“No!” Nightwing protested. “I’m saying by the time I managed to get up the courage and time to tell you guys, the operation was well underway. Kaldur was behind enemy lines and… and we decided that the fewer people who knew, the better. And by the time it escalated to needing Artemis to fake her death, it was already too much to tell.” He swallowed. “I’m not saying it was right, but–”
There was silence.
Connor returned to his seat and sat back down, stuffing his face in his hands.
“I did not betray you, then,” Kaldur confirmed, relief lining his voice.
“No.”
There was another spasm of uncomfortable silence.
“At least we can safely say this is going to be a parallel timeline!” Rob announced with a fake cheer in his tone. “Since nothing’s changing.”
“Maybe we get mindwiped,” Wally pointed out.
Rob made an annoyed face. “Ugh, mind wiping.”
“Why haven’t you called the Justice League, though?” Kaldur asked. “You asked your successor to reach out to Zatanna, not the League. Do they not deal with time travel now?”
Connor looked up in time to see Nightwing’s expression close off behind a detached smile. “Zatanna’s in the justice league now,” He said.
Rob whistled. “Woah, that’s so cool!”
“Very impressive,” Megan agreed, recovering the slightest bit. “Are any of you…?”
M’gann sighed. “We were offered a position,” She said. “We chose to stay with this team.” Her eyes turned just a little warmer. “This is family.”
Artemis huffed. “Don’t I know it,” She muttered under her breath. Connor still heard her, and it made him feel that much better, despite knowing now that even she had kept the truth from him and M’gann.
One thing was for sure, though - Nightwing had kept the Leagues’ heavy hitters’ absence from their past selves, and for all how he had betrayed Connor’s confidence right now, he agreed with that decision. The betrayal and fake death might have been something he and M’gann had also needed to hear, but that had been the extent of it.
Nothing else from the current present was worth explaining - not when they themselves had no explanation. Except…
“If it’s a parallel timeline,” He asked. “Can we…?”
Nightwing’s brow furrowed in thought.
M’gann brightened. “Yes!” She said. “We can. We have to.”
Nightwing nodded. “Fine,” He said, and Connor was taking it, even if it was obviously because the other man felt bad about his deception.
Connor wondered off-handedly how long he could keep milking it.