Chapter Text
Eleven months and thirteen days. It hadn’t even been a whole year before Dick and Donna had decided to add new members to the team. It wasn’t even a full year before they’d forgotten all about Wally.
The Teen Titans, who could hardly be considered ‘teens’ after the three had entered their early twenties, had gathered in the freshly-constructed living room of ‘Titan’s Tower’. Dick Grayson, nominated at formation to lead the team, had positioned himself in front of the room’s projection screen. Donna Troy, who had been the one to suggest the team’s name in the first place, sat plainly on the couch, opposite of Roy Harper.
His presentation began with the data file of an orange-skinned woman, with eyes like emeralds and hair the color of flames, the image taken straight from her recent street interview. “Koriand’r, Code name: Starfire. A young adult Tamaranian- flight, strength, durability, but relies on energy blasts as her weapon of choice. Quick, agile, and in desperate need of heroic direction. Over-zealous, at times, but well meaning. She seems to work best in collaboration, seen helping firefighters and cops.”
Naive, Roy noted. Eager to please.
The next file showed a much lower-quality image, a candid shot taken of a young girl in a bodega, dressed as if she’d walked off the set of the latest Addams Family episode, black and white filter and all. “Raven. No known alias. Possibly of Hellish origin, though it’s difficult to know- estimates put her around thirteen years old. Profoundly gifted in the mystic arts, but extremely reclusive. Koriand’r says that she’s like a ‘little sister’, and she is currently within the care of Doctor Fate.”
Unpredictable, he silently commented. Incredibly dangerous.
Donna feigned thinking over the pitch, even though her decision had already been made. “I, for one, couldn’t object to adding a few more women to the squad. It’d be a nice change of pace.” Nice ‘change of pace’? The hell was that supposed to mean?
Both of his teammates shifted their attention, at last, to Roy, as if they ever cared about his opinion in the first place. “No.” He put simply. “We’re not replacing Wally with some goddamn alien and demon.”
Nightwing let out a sigh of sheer frustration.“We’re not… uh… replacing him, Red. We could just benefit from a few additions-” “No. It’s way too soon.” He could see Donna and Dick’s expressions shift to that horrible look of pity that Roy had grown to loathe. No words came from either of their mouths, but Roy could hear them all the same.
Wally’s dead. You have to move on.
Roy closed his eyes, scrunching a hand over his face and leaning back. It’s not like I can change their minds. Dick’s probably already sent them their first paycheck. “Fine,” he eventually muttered. “Fine?” Donna parroted. “Yeah, fine. Hire them. Maybe I’m still stuck up on Cheshire,” he lied, getting to his feet.
Roy knew that his friends saw him as the weakest link of the team, both in his worth, and his mentality.
They both knew that tragedy followed the ‘Teen Titans’ name.
Working as a guide for the Titans, an eighteen-year-old Garth of Atlantis had been incinerated by Black Manta’s ray.
Just a week after detailing how much he wanted to join his big brother’s team, a 12-year-old Jason Todd was found dead in a pool of his own blood.
But, neither of them were there when a sixteen-year-old Jade Nguyen was stabbed through the stomach by a League Assassin, let in by a too-trusting Speedy.
Neither of them were there when Wally went ‘missing.’ Only Roy had enough of a death wish to help his best friend evacuate Central City, even amidst the Kryptonian fallout. Only Roy watched as his best friend’s superhuman blessing ripped him apart on a molecular level, heard his cries of agony, and pleas of death. Only Roy was there to cradle Wally’s body as his heartbeat finally laid still, knowing there was absolutely nothing that he could’ve done to help him.
If you asked Nightwing or Wonder Girl, they might still believe that the Teen Titans as a whole were cursed.
If you asked Roy Harper, he would tell you the truth.
---
Despite the fact that Roy Harper had long since revealed himself as a traitor amongst the Titans, Donna still felt that his absence was deafening- especially when he, for the first time in nearly two decades, was vacant from Dick’s birthday party. But, she couldn’t let herself dwell on what could’ve been- Roy had made his choice, and abused the trust of his closest friends.
Gathered amongst the living room was every member of the Titans- Donna sat on the far end of the couch, far opposite of Starfire, with Superboy, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven between them, all watching with varied interest as Nightwing opened each of his birthday presents as if he didn’t know exactly what they were.
The gifts from a gaggle of college-aged kids were as to be expected, especially when he said that birthday parties were a bit beneath him.
From Garfield, a jar of tea leaves ‘straight from the jungles of Chile’, where tea was not grown, and where jungles were not present.
From Vic, a self-help book titled ‘How to learn English in 100 days’, derived from the petty argument that the two had over the pronunciation of ‘niche’.
From Conner, a weight set, because Dick had dared to ask the Kryptonian to carry in the groceries a single time.
From Raven, a journal and fountain pen, because she found that Dick needed another coping mechanism that wasn’t parkouring off of the top of the Tower.
From Kori, a stupidly oversized poster of herself, because Dick had made the mistake of saying that all he needed for his birthday was ‘just my incredible girlfriend’.
As for Donna’s gift to her closest friend, the doorbell rang just on time. She’d found two hand-woven plushes online, one depicting a Starling, and one depicting a Grackle- the two birds that their teenage selves had become quite attached to. Maybe if she’d known that shipping would’ve taken so damn long, she would have ordered them just a wee bit sooner.
Donna didn’t think twice before grabbing the package from the main entrance’s doors- not when she didn’t see the drone that had supposedly delivered the thing, nor when she could feel the slightest bit of static electricity in the air. When Dick, who couldn’t care less about the lack of wrapping paper, at last opened the box, she expected the same half-assed ‘Awww, you shouldn’t have!’ that every other present had received.
Instead, Nightwing’s face dropped as he pulled out a particular digital camera that neither of them had seen in well over a decade, alongside a birthday card. She lost the chance to clarify that this was not, in fact, her gift, and watched him scan the writing inside, a rising panic in his eyes. “What the hell?” he muttered. Not in the ‘Haha, you’re so funny!’ sort of way, but a ‘What the fuck is wrong with you?’ sort of way.
“Dick, that’s not from-” Donna tried, again, but Dick abruptly cut her off. “Donna, you have to read this.” His tone was frozen, his face as if he’d seen a ghost.
The rest of the team got the hint immediately, vacating as soon as Donna was handed the card. Written in handwriting that Donna had all but forgotten, was the following note.
‘Rob!
Sorry I couldn’t make it to your B-day bash. I know it was mad asterous!
I would’ve nabbed you a proper gift, but I guess time got away from me! Hope the cam’s alright. Haven’t checked the battery in like forever.
Say hi to Donna and Roy for me!
Love you!
-Wallman’
“Cruel-ass joke,” Nightwing muttered, though his voice gave away his doubt. “Some psycho, right?” He looked to Donna for reassurance, but she’d made the mistake of clicking on Wally’s old camera.
To greet her upon powering up was a brand-new photo dated to the week prior, depicting a young redhead amongst some sort of laboratory, smiling alongside two heroes that had long since been reported missing.
Wally West, plain as day.
Wally West, alive.