AN:

Whelp, I think that was officially the most emotional episode ever. My. God. EDIT: I typed that just after watching Darkest. But I think Before the Dawn comes pretty close as being the most emotional ep. Kaldurrrr, babyyyyyy…

I can't stand what they've done to Wally's character. Yes, I know he's very concerned for Artemis, but there were better ways to react. I won't go into that that much.

Here's my version for the ending of Darkest, with some much needed bromance. NOT SLASH. Also, I changed the dialogue a lot.

I can't believe I even found time to write this, so don't expect other updates.

Enjoy!

~Zara

He came round to the sound of beeping, low muttering voices, and the hum of a TV. Letting his senses wander, he took note that he was laying on a rather hard bed with a thin white sheet over his body. He was still in his Nightwing uniform, minus the top. Wearily, he cracked his eyes open.

The room was stark white, full of empty beds and machinery. An open window let cool, early morning wind into the room. A television sitting on a shelf in the corner of the room was playing late-night news. Doctor Thompkins was standing beside his bed, a clipboard in hand. Conner and Mal were leaning in the doorway, talking quietly. A hospital.

With a muffled groan, Dick forced himself into a sitting position. Immediately, the three people in the room were by his side.

"How do you feel?" Conner inquired immediately, brow furrowed.

Dick let out a hoarse chuckle, a mirthless one. "M'fine, Con. You and Wolf good?"

"Wolf sustained a few minor injuries," Leslie said as Conner nodded, laying a hand on the youngest's forehead. "He'll be fine. You got the worst of the blow."

"Yeah," Mal said, deep voice low and almost angry sounding. "Few cracked ribs, lacerations, and you were on the verge of hypothermia." He remembered the young vigilante's condition when he had found him.

If I had been a minute slower, he would've-

The muscular young man's thoughts were cut short as Dick let a breath out of his nose, wincing.

"I gotta go," he muttered, yanking the electrodes off his chest and letting the heart monitor flat line. Swinging his legs off the bed, he sat up, and immediately the room began to sway.

Leslie was standing in front of him a second later, a hand steadying him. "Go where, exactly?" she inquired, blue eyes narrowed behind thick-framed glasses.

"To Wally," Dick said, scooping up the now-dry top of his uniform and yanking it on. "He doesn't know what happened."

"Can't that-?"

"Wait?" Dick cut Conner off as he pressed his mask over his eyes. "He just lost Artemis. He'd freak if he finds out what happened from the news before one of us."

The other two males looked like they wanted to argue, but Leslie sighed, familiar with the mind of Bats.

"Just take it easy," she said sternly as Nightwing walked to the doorway. He nodded, turning to his team members.

"Either of you have cycles here?"

Conner nodded. "Got one stashed behind the café around the corner."

"Got it," Nightwing said, "see you 'round."

He made it to D.C. at around three am, using the zeta tubes that were on the outskirts of Happy Harbor to beam directly into the Hall of Justice.

Before entering the familiar building, he immediately set off disabling the security cameras and all hidden microphones. Once that was done, he called Wally.

"Dick?" The twenty-two-year-old's voice was anxious, but not too anxious. That told him that he hadn't heard about Mount Justice. "What is it?"

"I- I just need to talk to you. Meet me at the Hall."

He hung up, slipping his phone into a compartment on his belt and going inside the Hall of Justice. He seated himself at one of the tables and waited.

It took Wally almost twelve minutes to arrive, by which time Dick had made himself a cup of mint tea that sat untouched in his hands, the warmth providing the tiniest ounce of comfort.

"Recognized: Kid Flash, B-03."

Dick didn't look up as his best friend entered the building, dressed in a black shirt and jeans. Something told him that the redhead had now learned what had happened to the cave.

"What. Happened." Yes, he had definitely figured it out.

His voice came out hoarse. "It was necessary."

"It better have been," Wally spat out, voice so full of anger that Dick finally looked up. "Spill."

The younger boy closed his eyes behind his mask. "Aqualad needed to help us find a way to rescue Lagoon Boy. He'd already injected a microscopic tag into Lag'aan's bloodstream…and he used the raid on the cave to pass essential intel."

He opened his eyes, sitting up straighter and picking up the small blue device sitting beside the mug of tea. "A flash drive," he said, looking up at his comrade. "With, among other things, tracking soft ware that can locate the tag."

"Like that's all he did," Wally seethed, toxic eyes narrowed as he folded his arms.

Dick felt a flame of anger rise in him, licking against the already present flames of exhaustion and pain and anxiety. He stood, still slightly bent at the waist to not aggravate his injuries. "Wally, he had to make it look good. He put inhibitor collars on us but he knew I'd get us out of them."

Wally seemed to have no interest in that. "He took three more hostages. Members of your team!" He must have talked to Mal or Conner before coming here, then.

Dick stood up straighter. "And we'll rescue them when we rescue Lagoon Boy."

Before he knew it, Wally was right in his face, hands that were itching to curl into fists grabbing onto his uniform. "Dick, he blew up the cave!" he yelled, anger and concern mixing in his voice. "You guys almost died!" He took a step back, letting go of Nightwing. "He- you- Mal told me what happened. Dick, if he had gotten there a few seconds later, you would have drowned."

"This isn't about me, Wally," Dick retorted, a scowl on his face. "I-"

"This is about you!" Wally roared. "It's all about you! Dick, you're in charge of this whole stupid plan! Not me, not Artemis, not Kaldur, YOU!"

Dick froze at Wally's outburst as the ex-speedster panted, nails digging into his palms.

"We can't lose you, Dick," he growled. "Or we're all lost. Artemis is lost." He stopped for a moment and then shook his head. "For god's sake, Dick, he blew up the cave! Did he really need to do that? He could've done something-"

"No," Dick pressed, taking a step closer to the livid man. "It's all on the flash drive. He knew I'd have to pursue to make it look legit, and that's exactly what happened." He paused, a wave of pain going through his body from speaking so forcefully. He pushed it aside, looking Wally in the eye again.

"He gave us time to get out. We just- we got caught in the debris field from the explosion." He looked down, swallowing.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Wally hissed. "What if even one of you had been left behind, huh?" He went on, even as Dick turned and walked a ways away from him. "Why take that risk?" He stopped, chest heaving with fury.

"Why go to such extremes?"

Dick didn't reply. The room was starting to spin again, blurring around the edges. He wasn't Nightwing anymore; he was thirteen-year-old Robin, young and free, sitting in front of Black Canary, letting his worries pour out.

"But that thing inside of him…T-t-that thing that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission…that's not me…"

"Dick? Dick!"

He realized with an intake of breath that he had at some point fallen to his knees and that Wally was in front of him, hands on his shoulders. There was still anger on his face, but it was mingling closely with concern now.

"D'you see?" Wally hissed, gripping Dick's arm tighter than necessary and helping him stand upright. "This is your condition only after getting caught in the debris field. What would have happened if-?"

"Look, Wally," Dick gritted out, moving away from the older man again. "I really don't know what you want me to do. What happened tonight was necessary. Kaldur needed to cement his position with his father and I guess Tigress isn't cutting-"

"YOU GUESS?" Wally bellowed, shoving Dick backwards. The ebony clenched his teeth, a hand going involuntarily to his ribs.

"Dick, this is messed up. You said you knew what you were doing and now you guess it's not working out? Oh, it's just enough for the mission to get by, of course. It's just that Artemis might not get out alive!" Wally shouted. His eyes were desperate now. "Dick, what is happening to you? You- you're turning into him, Dick." The redhead shook his head slightly.

"You're turning into Batman."

The words of Wally's latter sentence stuck him in the chest one by one, sharpened knives that stabbed into his heart. He clenched his eyes shut, a slight shudder going through his body.

Wally continued. "In one freaking night, we lost our home. The cave. We lost the cave. We lost Gar, Blue, and Bart. You and Conner and Wolf were almost killed. Kaldur's mission might not work. All in one night, all under your leadership."

Dick felt beads of sorrow welling in his eyes and mentally hit himself.

Get a freaking grip, Grayson. You're not thirteen anymore. You're not-

"Are you listening to me?"

Dick looked up. "Yeah, Wally," he managed, voice hoarse with the effort of holding back tears. "I'm listening. I get it. And I'm sorry." He swallowed roughly, breath hitching.

"God, I'm sorry." A few treacherous drops leaked out from under his mask, but he could do little to stop them. And then, weeks and weeks of stress and worry and anxiety broke him.

He fell to his knees again, the impact jarring his ribs. His shoulders shook, head bowed as the same words slipped from his lips.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind as Wally held Dick's back to his chest and Dick remembered how his best friend would do this for him many a night years ago, after a particularly bad nightmare. It all seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I- I'm sorry too," Wally muttered, anger seemingly disintegrating as he squeezed Dick tighter. "I shouldn't have- shouldn't have lashed out on you. I'm just-" He stopped and sighed. "I'm worried for Artemis."

Dick didn't say anything and Wally didn't go on either. The two friends sat on the hard floor of the Hall of Justice until they both had collected themselves.

"I- I gotta go," Dick mumbled, disengaging himself from Wally's hold. Wally stood to help the younger to his feet.

"Where?" he asked, stretching.

"Blüdhaven," Dick said, taking Wally's proffered hand. He stumbled a bit, feeling lightheaded, and Wally steadied him quickly, a crease forming on his forehead.

"You should rest," he said, frowning. "Probably not a good idea for you to patrol in this condition."

"Well," Dick said, wiping leftover tears away and clearing his throat to get rid of any lingering hoarseness. "Maybe Kid Flash should join Nightwing for the night."

The two males looked at each other until the ebony spoke again.

"For old time's sake?"

The ginger grinned, face transforming to freckled-faced, fifteen-year-old Wally for a moment.

"For old time's sake."

Blargh, stupid endings are stupid.

I was freaking out so bad over Before the Dawn, it's inexpressible. Also, I'm really scared that YJ won't get a third season because Cartoon Network doesn't know a good thing when it's shoved under their ugly noses.

I don't like CN, if you can't tell. They show inappropriate junk for kids and cancel all good shows *cough Foster's Home Power Puff Girls Chowder Ben 10 cough*

I'm done.

Review!

~Zara