I own nothing.

This is for qwardofanima's challenge "Sidekick's Lost"

Warnings: blood, CHARACTER DEATH

It started out as a covert mission-

Then again, all of their missions 'started out' as covert missions.

It wasn't until, in that dusty, dimly lit warehouse, that they realized in the deep pits of their guts that something bad was about to happen.

BANG!

There was a loud gasp, and Robin's hand went to his gut. His eyes widened behind his mask, and he fell to his knees as blood poured over his hand. "Robin!" Miss Martian was the closet to him. She grabbed his torso in her arms, holding his upper body in a cradle hold. "Robin- oh gods... Robin, t-try to stay awake, okay? Can you do that, please?"

Kid Flash was the next over, his face so pale he looked ready to faint. "G-Gosh..." he said, adding on a swear at the end. His hands stood millimeters away from Robin's wound, as if he was trying to see if he should or shouldn't touch his friend.

"Lay him down, M'gann," came Artemis's scratchy voice as she crouched down near the others.

Miss Martian did as she was told, gently letting Robin's head lay on the concrete. The vigilante's mouth was open slightly as he rasped for air. Gurgling, sickening noises came from his throat as his fingers dug at the floor. "Oh, gosh, Rob!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "What have you got yourself into now?"

Robin tried to chuckle, but the only thing that came up was blood. Miss Martian shrieked, and Artemis shoved her out of the way, putting pressure on Robin's wound. "Call the League," she ordered Kid Flash.

Normally, the ginger would fight back, but the sight of his best friend looking so pale, so vulnerable, red blood completely oozing out of him in a puddle on the floor- he bit back the puke that rose in his throat as he pushed him comm link.

"Kid Flash to Justice League, Kid Flash to- to anyone! We need help!"

Aqualad made his way over, dragging a furious-faced Superboy behind him. The clone had blood on his knuckles. No one asked.

Aqualad knelt down next to Artemis, looking over Robin's body. The boy's tunic was already stained through-and-through with his crimson blood, that of which also coated Artemis's hands, even under her nails. Sweat poured down Robin's face, red liquid all over his chin and running down his neck.

Superboy stood back, his face anguished. Miss Martian was weeping by now.

"Kid Flash to Justice League! Kid Flash to Justice League! ANYONE!"

"Kid Flash, this is Green Arrow. Shoot."

The speedster paled at the word. "It- It's R-R-Robin! He- he's been shot- we need help- NOW!"

"On our way."

Green Arrow wasn't able to hide the fear in his voice as he changed up his comm link to call Batman. "What, Arrow?" the Dark Knight growled. The sound of Kevlar against flesh came over the unit. "I'm busy."

Not knowing what to say, the archer bluntly came out with, "Robin got shot."

There was a long silence, then, "Tell the Team I'm on my way."

Arrow nodded. "Right."

When Batman hung up, he swore. "Aqualad? We're on our way."

But, by the time all of the mentors got there, they were too late.

Miss Martian was weeping into Superboy's shirt, her whole body shaking violently. The clone's eyes were filled with tears, his jaw set firmly. Artemis was sitting back on her knees, her face that of disbelief. Her hands and shirt were covered in a sickly red liquid. Aqualad was facing away from the team, his shoulders shaking lightly as he cried. Kid Flash, however, wasn't trying to hide his tears. His whole body was flung over Robin's as he bawled, his fingers tightly latched onto the younger hero's shoulders.

Batman froze at the entrance, his jaw opened slightly. Suddenly, he bolted towards the group, the other mentors following him.

Batman wasn't gentle when he ripped Kid Flash away from his son.

Scratch that.

His son's corpse.

Robin's mask was still in place, but behind it, his eyes were blank and unseeing. His mouth was open, blood still coming out of it slowly. In his curled-up hand was a signaler that led straight from his belt to Batman's.

Slowly, Batman pulled his son into his arms, feeling for a pulse he knew would not be there. "N-No..." he hissed lightly, hugging the boy into his chest. "No..."

Flash paused for a moment- forever for a speedster- in his disbelief. Then, he shook his head and walked over to his nephew, who was practically screaming, "No! No, he can't be- no! No, no, no, no, no! NO! He can't be- He can't... He just c-c-can't..." He sobbed into his uncle's chest as the Flash picked up the teen, as if he was seven again.

J'onn pried his niece off of Superboy, but the Martian girl then latched onto her uncle, completely devastated and feeling terrified of everything in the room at that moment.

Green Arrow gently stood behind Artemis, massaging her neck lightly as she just shook her head, muttering unintelligibly.

Aquaman pulled Aqualad aside, and the two shared hushed words before the older hero pulled his protege into a light hug.

Finally, Black Canary stepped forward. Superman had been 'busy', and surely Robin would be fine.

So, here Dinah was, trying to figure out how the teen would react to her 'maternal' instincts.

Superboy lifted his head to look at her, and his arms fell loosely to his sides. His lower lip quivered as tears gently fell down his cheeks. "He can't..."

Dinah enveloped the teen into a hug, which he readily accepted.

Meanwhile, Batman was crying for the first time since he was eight. He cried for his protege, his partner, but mostly- Bruce Wayne cried for Richard Grayson.

His son.

His son...

Robin was dead.

He would never fly again.

I already have the next few chapters ready: Robin's funeral, and Superboy's reaction, but not the others' reactions.

Sooooooo...

the more people that review, the faster I'll update!

V