The day Tim left, he'd been furious. For years, they stuck by one another. Back to back, hand in hand, they were a team: the best team. Then Tim left and Kon was pissed. He could understand a few month's reprieve, but to up and turn in his suit? Tim must have been mad, that's what Kon figured, and that's why he flipped out the day Tim left. The cold stoicism that came with the announcement made his stomach clench because he knew Tim. He knew Tim. Tim wouldn't do that.

Except he had.

He could hardly recall his friend's face now, after so many years. Tim had dropped off all radars, no doubt having forged a new identity for himself. Even, years ago, when Kon approached Bruce, and what a hellish experience that had proven to be, neither could turn up anything. Tim disappeared, ceased to exist, and slowly the immediate rage Kon had felt drained away, leaving him feeling hollowed out and broken.

Cassie couldn't take his melancholy. She'd left years ago to protect L.A. from a whole new breed of Super Villians. He couldn't really be assed to care then and isolated himself in Smallville, flying out to take down this baddie and that as needed. He stayed to himself, withdrawn from the world, and he didn't know why. The frustration and loneliness nearly drove him insane till seven months ago he threw on his coat and walked out of Ma and Pa's door.

Kon disappeared too, then, hoping to reclaim the friend he had lost eight years ago, aided only by the white washed, muddied mental image of Tim's face which he clung to desperately.

A/N: Character use has been fixed! Sorry that took so long, I hadn't noticed till recently and then someone brought it to my attention. My bad. And P.S., after re-reading through this part, I &$%*ing hate it.