Sacrifice.

The wound on his shoulder blade was absolutely, freaking painful. One moment, Wally remembered escorting Robin to the Bioship, discussing the 'wormhole' theory to alleviate the tension, and then falling asleep to the sounds of Robin tinkering in the cockpit. Now here they were, running—well, swimming for their freaking lives in attempt to avoid fishy weirdoes and—as of the long gash that he estimated stemmed from his side to the small of his back, sharks.

He knew Tula and he knew Garth, but the language barrier between them had to be one of the crappiest he'd ever face.

"C'mon," Wally said loudly. Right now, Black Manta was after Rob, and it wasn't shaping up to doing any good. The Boy Wonder lagged behind him a good three feet as they approached denser pressure, and quickly the speedster dragged his best friend by the arm, closer. Far be it from him to actually leave Rob in the dust while they escaped, and to his surprise, Rob didn't protest.

But the paleness was there. Color was lost from Robin's cheeks and the younger teenager staggered as he swam. Tula had made them swim deeper into a crevasse and they approached a cave deep at the bottom. He could feel his ears pop from the pressure and suddenly even the suit felt suffocating.

And Robin looked ill. Completely lifeless, barely breathing and—

He wasn't even conscious.

"TULA, WE'VE GOTTA SWIM FASTER, NOW." Wally yanked Robin by his arm, quick to wrap his own body against the boy and all of a sudden, forgot all of the emergency, what happens if you drown in the freaking water knowledge that was taught to them. He kicked his legs sharply, ignoring the tug his metabolism had on the rest of his body and skyrocketed past Tula deeper into the cave—up.

"Wally!" Which was unfortunately one of the only words she knew in English.

Wally clutched Robin tightly to his chest, showed his best friend by the helmet, and Tula gasped.

"He is drowning!" she vocalized, and thank god she realized the situation. Tula swam far faster than Wally could keep up, and he took it as his sign to follow.

Dammit. Wally gripped the numb body in his arms and followed after her as fast he could—dammit the water, dammit the fact he couldn't swim as fast as he could run without wearing up his metabolism, dammit, Robin was…

There was a tank between them. The strain between their bodies, the tightness and the metal tubing that flexed and scraped against his body suit—was a valve. An oxygen valve that—

"You didn't," Wally realized, and he forced himself to keep going; to not stop. No…nonono, Robin… "You did."

Robin gave him the rest of the oxygen.

"Wally!" Tula stood at the end of the cave, and instead of flying further and deeper, she pointed above them. "Up!"

"Good," Wally seethed, and he boiled with rage, pushing up into the brink of the water. Robin had grown numb that he was turning blue, and the panic boiled in his stomach. Salt water pressed against the hidden nooks and crannies of his body, temping to drag him down back into the water. It was worse trying to pull a near dead—nono, don't say it like that—body alongside with him, and quickly his grip tightened over his best friend as they broke the surface.

Heaviness slammed the redhead from above, the water dense on his muscles. Wally sucked in a breath and pulled his best friend over his shoulder. He dragged Robin (Robin's limp body) across the ground onto hard rock and ripped the helmet off his head. It was a wonder he didn't just vibrate it off.

Beneath the helmet, Robin's alabaster flesh was even paler. Sicker, with a pigment of gray as his head lulled to the side. Wally yanked off the helmet, flung the empty(ing) oxygen tank to the other end of their temporary hideout, and ripped off Robin's chest plate. He pulled the zipper of the Boy Wonder's uniform halfway down his chest and pressed an ear to the other teen's heart.

Right beside him, Tula stood awkward and out of place with a look of concern across her face. She fell to her knees next to the other redhead and brought nimble fingers to his shoulder, squeezing softly to catch his attention. He looked back, pained and feeling his own heart hammering in his chest. Wally's throat swelled and his eyes moistened.

Robin wasn't breathing.

"Ican'thearhim," Wally whispered hurriedly. And everything he was taught in health class immediately came to mind. Tula made a sound as the speedster went from being inactive and still to immediately moving. Wally placed both hands on the center of Robin's chest and pumped. He tilted Robin's head back, running the procedure through his head thoroughly and covered Rob's mouth on his own.

Please live.

He pushed down harder, ignoring trembling fingers and felt his body warm all over in panic.

Pleaselive.

…twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty—chest compressions, more air, and checking for a pathway. Wally choked on his own spit, desperately ignoring the panic that bubbled in his chest. Robin was still pale in the face, open mouth and cold to the touch. Dear god.

Wally's breath hitched on the next attempt, feeling dizziness scrape the inside of his head, and darkness surround the corner of his eyes. He pressed his forehead to Robin's stomach and curled his hands into the gravel ground.

God. Dick.

And still, nothing.

"Stupid," Wally hissed beneath his breath, digging gloved hands into moist minerals, "Stupid, stupid, stupid Dick. God—just—" Why? What the fuck is wrong with this kid? "—Why did you give me your tank, you dumbass?! W-Which one of us doesn't have superpowers, you f-freaking i-idiot…"

The hand reappeared on his shoulder again, and he couldn't take comfort in the fact that it was Robin's. Tula leaned over to pull him off the younger hero, with the realization settling in. Tears formed across her face and she clasped a hand over her lips to hide a sad cry.

As a last effort, Wally palmed the boy's chest one more time, his face flushing surreally. "H…He's not waking up, Tul."

Yeah. Tell that to the girl who had no idea how to speak English. They were stranded in a dead end, a-and…he c-couldn't think straight—and there wasn't anyone here to at least speak the s-same language and him, and pretty soon, all three of them were going to be dead.

All because Robin thought it was dutiful to give his life.

"Dammit!' he hissed into the air again, this time pounding a fist into Robin's chest, maybe to leave a bruise. Because beneath the shock and depression was anger. "Why?! Why do you think it was a good idea to give me that tank?! I-I'm supposed to bail you out of trouble, n-not the other way around! Why do I even need that dumb t-tank?"

"I," Tula broke his rampant, clutching his arm between both her hands with a saddened look on her face, "I-I am sorry."

She reached over, arms extended. Staring at them numbly, Wally buried himself into the Atlantean teen, his heart trembling in his chest. Just…n-no. They couldn't go through the mission if…i-if—

Dick was dead. R…Rob was dead.

Suddenly there was a cough—a sharp sound that came from neither redhead. They turned their heads, looking back down to the youngest teenager lying haphazardly in front of them. His chest heaved, stomach collapsing as the Boy Wonder reanimated, and the opaque lenses of the mask wiggled.

Silence.

Throwing himself back onto the boy, Wally pressed fingers to the side of Rob's neck. "R…Richard?" There was a pulse beneath his hand. A soft one—b-but a pulse. Again, he asked, "Richard?"

A hand reached up, long fingers extending around his wrist. Wally's heart skipped a beat, eyes watching Robin's head fall faintly to the side and press his cheek against the speedster's knuckles. All he wanted to do right now was rip that dumb mask off his face and see those bright blue eyes. Robin didn't smile, but he was definitely moving. "I'm okay."

"You're a fucking idiot." Wally threw his arms around the boy and brought Robin into his grip. Had Rob always been this tiny? So…m-movable? Clawing at the teen's shoulder blades, he breathed in the scent of sea water and pressed a warm cheek to the Boy Wonder's cold one. He was still loose, reminding Wally of a lifeless doll, but this time he could feel the gentle tremor in Dick's chest against his own. "Don't you ever do that again, you got it?"

"You're still bleeding," Dick whispered faintly in his ear. Fingers curled against the long slit at the redhead's side, and suddenly Wally shivered.

"All of that stress—must've opened it back up," Wally murmured beneath his breath, but god, he didn't care. And then, he was angry again. Dick was no better than a sack of potatoes in his arms, still recovering. He pulled away and glared at the younger teen. "You could have died."

"And who's the idiot that forgot to refuel his tank?" Rob let out a cruel laugh, though even to the speedster's ears it sounded like it hurt. Kid Flash looked around the cave, searching for his discarded helmet. Without a care for Rob's opinion, he slid the Boy Wonder over his back, cringed as the fresh wound beneath his fallen friend ached, and stood to his feet.

For a heartbeat he waited, feeling Robin's effortful conscious as the smaller teen looped arms around Wally's neck. KF leaned over until he could feel Robin's icy cheek against his own. He was sure he wasn't in better shape—Wally was even stumbling, feeling the heat in his ears and lightheadedness in his mind. But—so long as Dick was breathing against him, Wally didn't care.

"Don't scare me again," he said above a whisper. Wally's voice spiked an octave, sounding like a child and unfamiliar to himself. "I don't want you dead, dude."

His chest ached at the thought of what he would do without Rob. If…there were any question, of whether or not his feelings were genuine for Dick Grayson, then this would be it. Thinking about how the day had gone between them made Wally feel like a jerk. He wanted to go back to the surface world and bury himself in a hole for getting into useless arguments with his best friend. Things were better, when it was just Wally and Richard and none of the superhero stuff got in the way.

Wally was willing to do whatever it took for his best friend, regardless of being turned down.

"Now you know how I feel," Robin murmured groggily at his neck. But, no—Wally wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"Stay awake," Wally snapped, and he clutched both of the teen's thighs cautiously. "You're going to freak me out if you go nappy-time again."

"Will do." Dick's voice trailed off—which, at this point, wasn't much of a comfort.

Meeting eyes with Tula, he realized she witnessed the entire thing with a curious look upon her face. The Atlantean pressed a hand to her lips, thoughtful, with both beautiful eyebrows raised wondrously in the air. Vision funny, the speedster couldn't read the look on her face.

He wobbled once more, unsteady as his ankles cracked beneath him. Luckily, Robby was too out of it to point this out—or freak out. Pass out later, Walls. This isn't a good time. So, Wally seethed and tapped his comm.-link. It was already on, with Kaldur talking urgently on the other end.

"—lad to Kid Flash—state your location. Status report. Aqualad to Kid Flash—"

"Kid Flash to Aqualad. Chill," Wally cut him off without meaning to. God, he wasn't in good condition for this. His head throbbed, voice slurring just slightly, and he pressed one of his hands to his face. "T-Tula's fine. We got ambushed—D—Rob's barely conscious. I…I've got him though." I saved him.

In the background, he could make out the vague sound of Superboy's grunts and underwater gunfire. Yet still, there was a hitch before Kaldur finally spoke again. "Give the comm.-link to Tula. Please."

Blinking, Wally did just as he was told. Tula flashed him a look, clearly confused before nodding steadily. She placed the comm. to her ear with ease—probably after spending so much time around Queen Mera and Aquaman—and spoke tentatively to Young Justice's leader. With another pause, very Kaldur-like, she animated, throwing her arms in the air and demeanor stretching in both concern and panic.

But at least there was someone else to share the game plan with. And finally, Wally could move his legs on open land, even of his feet felt like cinderblocks. He focused his attention on the Boy Wonder in his grasp, whose breathing came steadily.

"Richard?" Wally asked—just to make sure he was okay. "Richard—"

"It's Dick," Robin murmured—tiresomely. Then, "Robin."

"Batman is going to kill you," Wally snapped, voice still fuzzy in his ears.

"Yeah," the other teen responded, with a bit of bite in his tone, "and Flash is going to kill you."

Fair point. Wally let out a sound, feeling his knees buckle beneath him before falling to the ground, calves extended and Robin still perched tightly on his back. The water pressure and resistance was been struggle enough for him to get to 'land.' When the Manta-Lackey slashed him, he assumed the cut went deeper than originally thought. And—from the way Rob wiggled on it, he guessed it hadn't closed yet.

Wally shut his eyes and looked back to Tula. She turned around like a typical girl, hiding her face from two battered teenage boys and continued worriedly over the link. Faintly, the Atlantean teen reminded Wally of some sort of mythical princess. No wonder Kaldur liked her so much.

The ground beneath their feet trembled. It pulsed, nearly knocking KF over once more. He clutched Rob behind him carefully and clutched his teeth.

Another boom caught his attention.

Robin perched, but not as nearly awake as he usually was. "Explosives."

Boom. Another one.

"Explosives," Wally agreed—only, more urgently. He flicked his head in the direction of their third comrade and attempted to stand on his feet. "Tula—"

BOOOM!

"TULA!"

The girl in question shouted in surprise, jumping over a blue rock while Kid Flash twisted his footing (yowling in pain, as he pressed awkward weight to one of his ankles) and shot to the other corner of their arena. More henchmen appeared, all popping from the water like daisies with guns knotted under their arms. The comm.-link in Tula's grasp was now on the ground, stomped on by Henchman Number One.

Shit. Wally's gaze flitted between the super baddies to Tula, who stood at the other end with fear apparent in his eyes. On his back, Robin jerked, moving his legs against Kid's legs for the first time.

"Lemme go," the Boy Wonder grumbled.

"What?" Wally snapped, and he tossed an incredulous look over his shoulder. "You're kidding, right? I gotta protect you, and Tula—"

From that angle, Rob found a way to kick him. "I said, let me go." He dropped to his feet, swaying both left and right before clutching his underwater-adapted utility belt between his fingers. The moment he landed, all the henchmen turned their heads.

Robin laughed. Wally's stomach clenched.

It was sickening and thin, almost making Wally want to puke. Robin snickered breathily. "You ready to get your butts kicked by some gawky teenagers?"

"Rob," Wally hissed, and he bared his teeth. Reaching out, the speedster was met with a diffident shoulder.

"You take the four ugly dudes on the left," Robin said instead, "and I'll take the four ugly dudes on the right. Ready? Set—"

"Rob!" Kid voiced his name again, more vehement.

"Go."

Without another choice, Rob sprinted into the battle scene. His steps were heavy, body skewed, and jumps ragged. Robin leaped over Goon Number One and rammed an elbow into Goon Number Two. Shock registering in Wally's head, he knew better than to trust Rob's precision (or there lack of.) He sprinted through the room and punched down his Ugly Dude Number Four. From the corner of his eye Tula had been backed into a corner with the fear registered on her face. Two of the goons negated from attacking them to her.

"Watch out!"

"Whoa!" Wally dodged as a manta sting was thrown his way. He seethed under his breath and kicked it harshly into the open pool of water as it ticked. There was a high-pitched beep before the cave dwelling trembled again, red embers exploding from the pool. Rob's eyes remained fixated on him, feet toeing the ground tensely and batarang in his hand.

Snapping out of his stupor, Wally bulleted toward Tula, taking down enemies as he did so. KF pivoted on his feet, blinking the throbbing black spots out of his vision and grabbed her—just as another minion whipped out a dagger. Wally whirled his body, placing himself in front of the Atlant—

"KF!"

—and cried out in pain as it dug hilt-deep into his side, just like the cut on his back. Before the shock could settle in, Wally hooked ankles with the super-baddy and tripped him. Blood oozed from the crescent-shaped cut, cascading down his leg in deep syrup. Out of instinct he grabbed Tula and broke into another run—before falling flat on his face. Pain stung, clawing at his insides, and darkness spliced through his vision as sharply as that sword. Tula went tumbling in the center of their heap.

KF choked, blood surfacing at the end of his mouth and lost the feeling in his legs. Shit. Shit, shit, shit—…it…t….sh…

Robin leaped into the scene, his boots pressing at the end of Wally's side. Ocean water b…burst, echoing faintly in the speedster's ears. His best friend collapsed to his knees, and hands prickled across Wally's back with a roll of curses spewing from Rob's lips. "Your bleeding. It's getting worse—"

"—ly…breathe," the redhead argued under his breath. Robin could barely breathe. He was still blue in the face, head stretched at an awkward angle with half of his mask ripped off. Robin's fingers trembled, soaking his gloves in Kid Flash's wounds.

Wally could barely see what was in front of him. He could make out a faded blue speck on Dick's face, right where his eyes were supposed to be, a…and a frown stretched across his face…

"…n't die, please, don't die…" Robin murmured monotonously under his breath. "Dammit!"

Tendrils of water grabbed the incoming henchmen, and it was the last thing Wally remembered seeing.

xxxxxx

Tula had been urgent on the comm.-link, telling Kaldur hurriedly that both Kid Flash and Robin were injured. They managed to divert Black Manta's attention away from Poseidonis—but the problem now was that every one of Manta's minions heeded word of the technician's whereabouts. Superboy and Miss Martian knocked out a plethora of goons, and now they were back on the Bioship, rushing to the Siren Cavern as Tula instructed them.

No technician meant the zeta-beam portal could not be fixed. Aquaman would not be reunited with his wife. Civilians were in danger. His best friend, Garth, and his first love's lover at the moment ceased to exist, and Tula was outnumbered by other villains. Kid Flash and Robin, two operatives that were experts at their age were down and—

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Snapping out of violent ministrations, Kaldur's gaze was met with Lorena, whose demeanor remained calm, with a small smile. "Everyone is fine. Robin is more tactful than you think."

"I already hold him in high opinion," Kaldur said back pointedly. He paused, bowed his head, and let his expression fidget. "I apologize. I am just…anxious."

"Anxious for you is still polite." Through the stress for their people was light mirth in Queen Mera's new apprentice. Aquagirl's lips etched into a small, focused smile and she tilted her head, reminding Kaldur of the girl they'd saved over a year ago.

Taking in a breath, Kaldur nodded and turned his head toward M'gann. "What is our ETA on Siren Cavern?"

M'gann flashed a look to him, gaze calculating and on the mission. She jerked her head. "One minute, thirty seconds."

Good. Turning to his two teammates again, Kaldur's eyes narrowed to the pair. He activated stealth-mode on his uniform and clutched his waterbearers between his fingers. "Suit up."

The Bioship was put into camo-mode, hovering above the rock formation. It was at least ten miles out from Poseidonis, consisting of a tunnel that led to a small nearby town for some of the students in the academy. It doubled as a hangout place, with a sorcery-made airway if one swam up. There needn't be another guess where their teammates were.

Deploying from the hatch, Aqualad and Aquagirl both sprinted a further distance than both M'gann and Superboy. Kaldur looked over his shoulder, flashing another look in their resident telepath's way. "Keep the mental link up. It is our best weapon against Black Manta."

She nodded. "Right."

Goons were clustered together, all gathered at the small entrance into the Siren Cavern. Nearby was a submarine, parked pertinently. Aqualad scowled, his hands curling immediately to his waterbearers. Again, a hand appeared over his wrist, and Aquagirl flashed him a mischievous look.

"Propel me."

Kaldur's train of thought hitched, confused. "What—?"

"Aquagirl and Aqualad together." Flashing another devilish grin, Lorena twisted expertly, leaving Kaldur no other choice but to follow.

His tattoos glowed and he summoned a whirlpool at the girl's request. The water buzzed at his skin, and Aquagirl leaped into the fire. She matched axels with the whirlpool, hands jutted out and joined the waves. Coming to a sudden halt, Kaldur only watched in surprise as the girl made an audible sound, then collided with three henchmen. Lorena, swift with her footing, kicked another one out of the way. Miss Martian and Superboy halted beside him, matching his look of surprise.

"She would make a good addition to the Team," Superboy pointed out firmly.

"She would," Kaldur agreed, and another goon had been knocked out. If they hadn't been discussing his debatable promotion to co-lieutenant of Aquaman's regiment only hours ago. Pushing away the gut-wrenching feeling, he dived into battle himself. No time to worry about that. Not now. "Knock out the minions. We need to block their entrance and get up there to Kid, Robin, and Tula."

"Got it," said his three teammates.

Doing that was easy enough. Kaldur sliced away three goons. They went away from the entrance, finding new bate instead and lunged forward to the four of them. Taking a water bearer, he jabbed it in one goon's jaw and electrocuted another few.

Miss Martian had taken the ship and knocked out ten of them. Even underwater, Superboy was able to take one by the arm and fling the minion into his comrade. Once they were all disarmed and helpless, Miss Martian gathered them all telepathically and pushed them back into the submarine.

A smirk curled against Aquagirl's lips, eyes flickering impishly. She 'dusted' off her hands and nudged her ocean comrade with her trident. "We make a good team."

"Glad to be of service." Though, Kaldur couldn't help but feel his cheeks warm. Superboy's face twisted in a way that reminded the Atlantean of both Wally and Robin.

They broke the surface of the water only seconds later, and were met with the scene of more of Black Manta's regime. Aqualad's eyes scanned the area nervously, noting the fallen goons on the ground—and Tula, who stood over a paling Robin and an unconscious Kid Flash. Black Manta stood in the center, protected by his underlings as they charged toward the girl viciously without a care.

Not good. Expression darkening, Kaldur turned to his three other teammates, who nodded silently. "Take out the underlings. I will handle Manta. Split up."

"Right."

They managed to surf the water with no detection. Aquagirl and he skirted right, while Superboy and Miss Martian swam left. Another brigade of troopers sought after Tula, like well-oiled machines. She summoned tendrils of water, knocking four of them into the water, and pressed fingers to the wet floor to conduct a trail of electricity.

However, Atlantean sorcery could be detrimental, even to the best-conditioned students. Robin was down on his knees, teeth clattering and face turning a sickening shade of blue. Knowing his comrade, Kaldur could only grimace. Robin pushed, and as of this moment, pushed too hard. And—seeing trembling hands soaked in red, they needed to get Kid to an infirmary ASAP. An undetected underling leaped into the battle and hit Tula over the head. She shouted in pain.

No. His eyes widened.

Aquagirl tugging on his arm caught his attention. Her demeanor contorted, and she made a crooked gesture with her hand. Up.

Kaldur nodded jerkily. "Go."

Superboy appeared from the water, leaping onto a solid platform and causing everything to tremble beneath his feet. There were only five left, with Black Manta being a sickening observer. The teen rammed a fist into one trooper's mask, cracking it as he did so, and swung him by the legs to take out another minion. They shouted, turning their attentions to the half-Kryptonian, which was when the other three team members struck.

Miss Martian appeared out of camo-mode, pulling two minions up with her telekinesis and bashed heads together. Kaldur summoned a typhoon, washing out all of the fallen men to the side while Lorena went to Tula, trident ready in hands.

That left Black Manta to Aqualad. The man looked at him, tall with his arms crossed, and helmet glowing. Kaldur narrowed his eyes and felt the chills run up his arms.

"I see you're still foolish enough to serve that worthless king," Black Manta spat.

"My king is a kindhearted man," Kaldur responded curtly, and twin sabers hovered at his water bearers. "Unlike yourself." They stood tensely apart from each other, Aqualad's feet digging into the ground and toes curling tensely.

"Little do you know, how invalid your opinion is, son."

Which was enough for Kaldur to charge forward. He instructed Miss Martian, Superboy, and Aquagirl to remain at Tula, Kid Flash, and Robin's sides—to see what medical care was needed, but realized they were frozen in place. Combining both sabers into a mace, he let out a grunt and struck the man in his torso. Manta slammed a gauntlet into the construct, breaking it with inhuman ease.

He raised his head, an automated chuckle coming from his helmet, and the next thing Kaldur knew, he was being struck with laser beams, hitting his head on the cavern floor.

"Aqualad!" someone shouted.

Superboy joined the line of fire, creating a dent in Black Manta's breastplate with his feet. Coming to, Kaldur's tattoos illuminated an incandescent blue. He pulled water from the pool, knocking Manta off his feet, and jutted his bearers into a puddle. Electricity crackled, lashing across the bridge of water and overtook the criminal. Black Manta shouted, as tongues of lightning struck him.

No matter his powers, Kaldur still consciously made sure the voltage was not enough to kill the man. He was mortal, with a human's endurance, leaving a hole in Kaldur's chest that let him show mercy. Once the electricity died down, Manta fell limp on the ground, defeated.

Then the helmet snapped off. It broke away, tattered from the violent strike of electricity, revealing Manta's face for the first time: an African American man with salt and pepper hair, and a shadow of a beard on his jaw.

Kaldur stared at the man oddly, unable to place the familiarity in Manta's face. Superboy, on the other hand, spared him a look of surprise. "Kaldur, he…looks like—"

"Master!" A lowly subordinate, one that had been previously unconscious reawakened from the far edge of the room. He darted toward his fallen superior, clutching the manta helmet in his hands. His own helmet was cracked, with a fear-filled eye staring at all of them in disbelief.

Kaldur could feel a headache arrive in temples. He summoned another saber, flicking his wrist solemnly. "Your ship is already in ruins. You leave now, away from Poseidonis, and we will not turn you in."

"Is that really a good idea?" Superboy reanimated, hands at his side and shock written across his face.

Turning around, Kaldur gave him a deafening look and shook his head tensely. They needn't interfere with matters now—especially when Wally was losing blood fast and—from the looks of it, Robin finally passed out.

"They're still with us," M'gann reassured, and she collected the Boy Wonder in her arms, as Lorena did with Wally. Her expression darkened and she grimaced. "But Robin needs oxygen and Wally needs stitches. Now."

"You leave, and we won't have you as a prisoner." Kaldur jerked his saber in the direction of the pool of water. The trooper did not flinch. A scowl formed across Kaldur's face, more tense. "Now."

With a sudden splash, the Manta Trooper and Black Manta abandoned the rest of their comrades. Sifting through the heaps of men, Kaldur instructed Superboy to gather one and handcuff him. He met Tula, who had a line of bruises down the side of her face and a bloodied lip, and grimaced.

She looked back to him, eyes glowing, and placed a hand on his arm before speaking softly; more calmly than on the comm. "I am alright."

Kaldur looked to the battered state of both his teammates, and thought himself lucky that Tula did not return to him in the same condition. He swallowed grimly as the Bioship arose from the water, floating awkwardly above in the small cavern so they could board both Robin and Kid Flash.

"You would be better if Garth were here with you," he voiced, when it was just the two of them together.

"Yes," Tula agreed, and she smoothed the bead of water on the other Atlantean's arm. Her gaze twisted quietly and a small smile etched across her lips, tired from the consecutive events. "But to have you return—that is also good news. I only wish it was not temporary."

At that moment, Kaldur's eyes flitted to Lorena, who was last to board the ship. She looked at both of them evenly, a twinkle in her orbs that made sadness pang in his chest. "Perhaps that will not be temporary." But, before Tula could question him further about the ordeal, he continued with, "what happened? With Kid and Robin?"

Tula's demeanor faltered. She explained the events—from after negating Robin from the Manta Troopers, to Kid Flash's arrival and injury. Unbeknownst to the redheaded pair, Robin had swapped out Kid's oxygen tank with his own—just as Wally's was about to run out. The run-in at the cave with the Troopers caused both of them to sustain terrible injuries, just as they tried to protect her—and each other.

Once he heard everything, Kaldur could only shake his head.

It was not a surprise how much Kid and Robin would sacrifice for each other.

xxxxxx

A beeping heart monitor was a sound that he was getting irritatingly used to. Dick's entire body ached with every twitch and throat burned. He half expected to see Robin at his bedside, reminding him of the stresses in the alternative universe, and the uneasy foreshadowing the other teen had given him. He'd yet to tell Batman that Wally figured out his secret identity (out of his own recklessness) and couldn't help the numbing fear of…of abandonment that came with it.

Normal teenagers his age would be worrying about gawky body parts and voice cracking. He had that and the problem of being Batman's ward. Figured. Of the one percent of the population that hit more than just puberty, he had to be the one dealing with the Dark Knight.

His entire body was blazed with heat as he stirred, and Dick realized he'd been wrapped in at least three thermal blankets. An oxygen mask remained pressed to his face, practically melded into skin as blue eyes finally opened. Pain stirred until it struck bone and he shivered despite himself. He pushed into a sitting position and, like many times before, pulled the oxygen mask off his mouth. The pain shot through his body, causing him to clutch his arm, and he swallowed hard against the bile at the edge of his throat.

"So you're finally awake."

"Wally." The name left his mouth before he could even register what just happened. His throat ignited once more, black spots in his vision as he struggled to stay mounted to the bed. The 'bed' was a red cot inside the Bioship, glued to the wall with sheets from the HQ and a pillow for comfort, in case of long travel. The heart monitor and other medical equipment were tools that were stashed away, in case they were in a dire situation away from their mentors. To which, Robin grimaced.

There wasn't a Raven to heal his wounds like there was last time. Even wiggling his toes hurt. And the look Wally gave him—a look of absolute fury —made him want to hide himself beneath his blankets. The redhead had his head propped against the edge of the bed, lips pulled into an upturned frown and brow wrinkled together. His left eye was swollen shut, in a disgusting shade of purple. Wally had been stripped down to his boxers, with bandages wrapped around his torso and at his side.

Dick got off better. Maybe. Bandages were wrapped around his forehead, with various cuts and bruises on his bare back and stomach, with an arm that was now firmly wrapped in a sling. He found himself taking short breaths, with blades digging into his throat and lungs every time he tried to breathe. There was a long cut down his pale leg, but it was not deep as some of the wounds Wally received.

"Souvenir," the redhead mused faintly. He winced, burying his face into the flat cot. "Believe it or not, this is the damage after they did some weird hocus pocus healing on us."

"You should be asleep." How in earth did Wally wake up before him?"

"HA-Metabolism," the elder teen replied in a clipped tone. Then, his demeanor stretched, eyebrows pressing down in a vehement (though exhausted) glare and lips stretched with animosity. Dick expected Wally to yell. To scream at him for being an idiot. Instead, Wally pushed into a sitting position (on a chair the Boy Wonder didn't notice before) and asked in a quiet voice, "What the hell, Dick?"

He blanched. "Don't call me—"

"What makes you think you have the right to give me that oxygen tank?"

"I wouldn't have given it to you if you had recharged—"

"Yeah. Okay, that was my goof. I'm a fucking idiot that didn't recharge the tank." Wally raised his voice, but it cracked at a certain pitch, and the strain hurt both their ears. Green eyes glistened with ferocity—then reminded Robin faintly of the day they'd been at Titans Tower. "But you were the one that left, Dick. You left after I finally told you how I felt—how I've felt in the past few years and I went to find you so we could put it past us."

Put it past us?

"Just—Just because you don't love me back doesn't mean I want to lose you as a friend!" The redhead shouted—and once the words reached his own ears, he seemed to freeze.

In an instant, Dick's cheeks blazed, face turning red from the bridge of his nose to the tips of each ear. He knotted the blankets tightly in his hand, face forming a solid wall as Wally seemed to lose his mind. He pushed the 'L' word away, running the rest of the words through his head.

Bringing a hand to his aching head, the Boy Wonder shut his eyes and curled into himself. The incident replayed in his head, along with the anticipation he'd felt. It'd…honestly seemed like a good idea at the time. "You didn't have to take those hits for me, either."

Wally shouldn't even be moving. Flashes of red returned to Dick's mind as it all trickled out of the speedster with no intention of stopping. The blood had soaked his uniform, dried on his flesh, and was now an ugly black beneath…Dick's own fingernails. His stomach clenched.

"You didn't have to give me your oxygen tank. Or, get back into the action when your heart literally stopped beating. Rob." Wally tentatively reached out, stroking the bare skin of the younger teen's calf. "Your mission was to get rid of the wormhole. My mission was to protect you, so you could fix the tube—"

"No."

"—yes. Look, you may put everything on the line when you're with Batman, but you need to expect me—us to do the same."

"It doesn't work that way, Wally—"

"Uh, yeah, it does, and you need to expect—"

"—you should have stayed in line—stayed out of trouble—"

"—we're a team—"

"I can't lose you."

Wally stopped short. Green eyes remained glued to the small boy curled into himself, doubling twice in side, and lips were frozen—open in that dumb way that usually guaranteed an unnecessary answer.

As the words left Dick's mouth, he buried his face in his knees and didn't care that his best friend was looking at him. For the first time in his life since becoming Robin, the Boy Wonder, he felt incredibly small. His heart thrummed faintly behind his ribcage, reminding him he was still alive—and still sane enough to recognize the situation. That humiliating fear of abandonment.

The cot didn't squeak or tremble as Wally crawled onto it, but Dick knew his best friend long enough that it would be the next move. Kicking Wally out of his bed now would have just been petty.

The hand on his calf tugged at his ankle, so caring that his chest wanted to burst. Through the little gaps between his arms, blue eyes looked up and saw green stare at him pleadingly.

"Come again?"

Dick swallowed hard, licking at emotional wounds that pegged him gravely before he rested his chin on a forearm, forcing himself to lock gazes with the redhead parallel to him. "I can't lose you."

"Dick—"

"I can't," he echoed again, and it reverberated throughout the room in agonizing vibrato. Dick clawed at his own flesh and tugged his leg away. He curled his toes awkwardly into the cot and tried best to ignore the confusion and concern in Wally's demeanor. "Dude, I…I-I told you my back story. That's why."

Everything he had at this point in his life was a good thing. Looking forward was the only way he could enjoy himself. And—with every occasional hitch—the craters in his current life that kept him from being at peace with himself—it simply became harder. Kid Flash fending against Joker scared him more than he realized—and with each mission and problem, the thought of his best friend remaining alive had become a bigger, more selfish priority.

He considered counting his blessings that Wally figured it out so quickly. Kid Idiot could be a moron, but Wally by now, after months of talking to Robin and Richard Grayson, should have known him inside and out.

"You're afraid," the redhead translated, "that I'm going to die, and you're going to be lonely again."

The younger teen looked away, unable to meet the speedster's eyes. They remained silent with only the hum of the Bioship keeping them company. He hadn't even thought of what time it was. How long they were in the ship, if they were still even in Atlantis.

"I'm," Wally started again, his voice sounding foreign to the both of them, "afraid that you're not going to stop hating me after how all of this played out."

What? "Wally—no."

"'No,' what?" The edge of Wally's lips curled bitterly and he made ticks with his fingers, counting out their situation. "I've been friends with Richard Grayson since September, not telling my best friend I suspected it was him. I put him in a position where it compromised his secret identity, and screwed both of us over by getting him kidnapped. I told him how I felt about him, kissed him, and used this dual identity thing as a way to force myself on you—thinking maybe, just maybe, my best pal may like me back."

Well, when he put it that way…no. Dick shut his eyes and made ticks out of his own fingers. "Your suspicion aside, I led my best friend on and went along with this dual identity thing, making him think Dick Grayson and Robin were two separate people." Wally should have hated him.

"Well." The speedster paused, and he clutched his own ankle between his hands. A tired smile spread across his face and his shoulders reached his ears. "Then I guess we're both jerks."

Snort. "Jerks times infinity." Matching the redhead's demeanor, the dark-haired teen tossed his head back and let out a quiet snicker. He looked to the ceiling, lips still stretched from ear-to-ear—and found it hard to keep it. Smiling hurt too much. Looking back at Wally, Dick felt his heart skip a beat. He reached over, grasping a freckled hand between his own and bit the inside of his mouth.

The other teen's hand curled against his own, a pale thumb grazing over his knuckles. Wally's eyebrows knitted together. "Yeah?"

"I don't hate you. I-I could never hate you, dude." Taking it a step further, Dick crawled closer to the elder teen until their knees touched and…tentatively pecked him on the cheek.

Wally's eyes widened, turning as red as the ship, and Dick was getting there himself.

"Th-that doesn't mean I want to date you e-either," he stammered quickly, sanguine blooming in his cheeks. Taking in a ragged breath, Dick gritted his teeth until they ached and bit the inside of his mouth. "But I don't want to lose you. You're my best pal, too. I…I definitely have strong feelings for you. I just…c…can't tell if they're positive or negative yet. Romantic or unromantic." Super un, too.

There was another hard silence without a response, looking as though Wally's brain had suddenly imploded. A red eyebrow twitched, forehead creasing, and Robin turned darker. It was a stupid kiss on the cheek. How bad could that have been?

"Oh." Finally, there was an idiotic, high-pitched response. Returning to a healthy color, Wally's eyes spazzed out. He pressed a hand to his cheek and strengthened his grip over Robin's hand. "So. Friendzoned?"

"For now." Blue orbs narrowed, and he bit the inside of his mouth. "I…I-I'll give you a better response. Eventually. Someday." When he could finally find a way to compartmentalize Wally in the good or bad category.

The goofy, cheesy trademark Wally West grin spread across his lips—looking so happy that it was disturbing. "I can deal with that."

"Good." And—Dick believed him. For the first time since the universe-jump, it felt as though they could stand on common ground. Things could get back to normal, and..they could be friends. Normally. And. Now that Wally knew who Robin really was, this could actually work in their favor. Once…Bats found out.

He shivered. Best not to think about that now.

Instead, his heart beat complacently in his chest, and he leaned his head into the wall. Blue orbs looked up, scrutinizing every bit of Wally and the nervous smile that graced the doofus's lips.

He missed that smile.

Squeezing back just as hard on their intertwined hands, ebony bangs brushed into his vision, and Dick shyly leaned back against his cot. "You…wanna lay with me?"

Wally perked. That stupid smile only got wider, and a pleasant, cute blush fluttered across the teen's face like an excited puppy. "Sure. I mean—yeah."

"Okay."

They laid down side-by-side, with Wally's warmth feeling better than the thermal blankets could ever be. Dick's back pressed against the wall while Wally's forehead was at his own. Red dusted across both their cheeks, and the Boy Wonder breathed in the scent of his best friend.

Axe body spray, potato chips, hydrogen peroxide, and a hoagie. Gross.

(It was awesome.)

Closing his eyes, Dick felt more relaxed than he did in weeks. He sighed, happy.

Really, really happy. Wally's hand moved up his back, making soothing circles that would easily lull him back to sleep. It moved upward, cupping the boy's lithe face between steady fingers, and thumbed the bare flesh where Dick's mask would be.

Wait a minute.

His eyes shot open, wide in surprise. Dick padded his fingers, searching for his domino mask and—it wasn't there.

Wally's expression contorted, clearly not expecting the sudden movement. "Dude—?"

"My mask," Dick snapped back, and he searched around the room in hopes to find the black thing. It wasn't there. Turning back, irritation flared in his stomach and the feeling of betrayal. "What did you do with my mask?" What the hell?

"Dick. Dick—" Wally grabbed him by the arm in attempt to calm the teen down, and his expression twisted. Green eyes narrowed at him in confusion. "Your mask was already off when I woke up. I thought you took it off yourself."

"No, I." Dick's throat dried. "No, I didn't."

xxxxxx

Author's Note:

Hi. :Db