"No, no, no, no, no..." Bart just couldn't stop saying the word, it was like a prayer. After Jaime hadn't come back from tracking down the runaways Impulse had decided he'd go out to find them himself.

Now he could only hope Tye had been lied to, Lex couldn't be telling the truth...could he?

He'd been running for the last half hour, scouring the area for the Blue Beetle.

If he'd gone on mode...

Bart shook his head as though trying to vibrate the idea out, but it was stuck. He should have known, he shouldn't have become so lax, shouldn't have trusted Miss M to scan the Green Beetle, should have assumed he was the enemy.

Then he saw it, a flash of blue in the sky to his left, Bart veered off his path towards his target.

"Please," he muttered to himself as he approached, "just don't let it be true."

It didn't take long for Jaime to notice he was following and the Blue Beetle settled to the ground just ahead of Impulse, his eyes utterly cold, uncaring.

"Bart," he smiled, but there was no warmth in it, it was almost predatory.

"Jaime...you...please tell me it's a lie," the speedster moved closer, any worry he should have had for his personal safety disregarded.

Blue tilted his head and laughed, "tell you what's a lie?"

Bart ran a hand over his eyes, he felt like screaming, crying, "it's true isn't it...I – I failed, you're...I failed."

"Well I did assume you'd be the first to notice future boy," the Blue Beetle suddenly laughed harshly, "unfortunately that also means I'll have to take care of you first."

Impulse sank to the ground his eyes wide, he'd failed, he'd lost him, "Jaime, I'm so sorry, if you're in there I'm just so...so sorry, and I love you even though...I'll always love you."

The cruel laughter suddenly cut off and the Blue Beetle screamed, Bart's head jerked up to find the future conqueror of earth collapsed backwards clutching his head, then after a moment of writhing on the ground a metallic hand grasped onto Impulse, "I...Bart...you have to," it was Jaime, his voice was wreathed in pain.

"You, you're still there..." Bart clutched desperately onto the hand.

"Yes," a deep breath, "I can't hold it like this though, you have to run, you have to...find Miss Martian, maybe she can," he screamed again and the hand Bart was holding clenched, "I love you too Bart, and I'm so sorry, now go before I loose control."

Bart stumbled to his feet as Jaime rocked backwards once again clutching his head, "I won't fail you Jaime, I'll find her, I'll save you, I promise."

With that Impulse was running again as fast as he physically could, he knew where Miss M was, he could do this, he wouldn't leave Jaime like that, he couldn't.

Author's Note: Just a little something to make me feel better...someone had better get him off mode again...it's not really edited at all so, my apologies for any errors.