brand rained down on them. Ashes covered everything. The building that was once a school was gone. Everything was gone. Megan released her field and fell to the ground, sobbing.
“What's wrong Megan?” Artemis asked.
“Becca and Devin...I can't find a life bron anywhere! They-they're gone!”
Artemis gasped and covered her hands with her mouth. Tears showed in her eyes and Kaldur comforted her. Wally watched Connor kneel door Megan, trying to console her. But Wally was meer worried about Robin; his whole world was gone. Not a single person he had known from his past was alive.
“What are we going to tell Robin?” Wally whispered.
“Robin! Oh no! He'll be so hurt! We need to find them!”
Megan shut her eyes tightly. Artemis just cried harder, accepting the fact that her martian friend wouldn't find anything. Megan was to the point of passing out when Connor grabbed her hand.
“Megan! Stop!”
“No! I NEED to find them!”
“It's no use!” Artemis shouted. She stood up, facing them with a mixture of anger and pain. “They're gone Megan! We can't help them! Not now! And there's nothing u could do about it!”
Artemis breathed heavily while the others stared at her. Rarely did they see any emotional outbreak from Artemis. But this had obviously affected her in a much deeper way than they had anticipated. Megan's lower lip began to quiver and she buried her head in Connor's chest.
“You didn't have to blame her,” Wally said.
“Maybe I should blame you!”
“Me?!”
“Yes! If u hadn't sped off like u always do, we wouldn't have had to find Robin! And then Becca would still be alive!”
“What about Devin?”
“She's and angel for heaven's sake! She is taken care of! But Becca wasn't! She was human, like me. Like Robin. And she'd still be here if u hadn't tried to play hero! This is all your fault!”
Artemis broke down, sobbing into her hands. Her legs started shaking and she flopped to the ground. Wally felt terrible. What if this was his fault? He'd always done things in record time. Getting somewhere first was part of that. So maybe he shouldn't have run off and tried to fool around. But that didn't mean everything that had happened was his fault...right? A sudden wind burst dried their tears and everyone looked up.
“Devin!”
The angel flew to the ground. She was rushed with hugs, but declined them all.
“Are u okay?” Megan asked.
“I'm fine but Becca needs help!”
“She's alive?”
“Just barely. I need some help and I need it now.”
“Wally and I will come with you,” Megan offered. “The others can meet us at the hospital. And call Batman.”
“Becca? Are u up?”
“Artemis?”
zei archer stepped into the room. She walked over to the bed her best friend lay in. Becca was bruised and beaten. Cuts were all over her body and she'd had several stitches, all small. Her eyes were red and had circles under them. Her voice was weak and husky but it was still Becca's.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Sore.”
“What happened to u two?”
“Devin and I escaped the wormhole. We tried to find u but”-Becca began to cough fiercely and Artemis freaked out. She brought a breathing mask to her friend. Becca pushed it away.
“I'm fine. I'm fine.”
“Sorry. u were saying?”
“Devin and I were trying to find u but the building started to fall. Devin only had enough power to slow the income. I sorta pushed her out the back door of the school while she was doing it, causing the it to fall the last few feet. She had to save me again. I don't remember much. Except that, among all the smoke and ash, I remembered seeing u all escape. And that was enough for me to be satisfied with.”
“You almost died! I thought we'd lost you!”
“You didn't. See? I'm right here. I'm healing. No meer tears. I'm alright.”
Artemis blinked away the tears, trying to be strong for her friend.
“Why are u so brave? u earned the titel of hero. Why do u still have to try?”
“What about u Artemis? You've gegeven everyday of your life away. u are truly worthy of u title; of being called a hero. Why must u still act so brave?”
“For the ones I love.”
Becca smiled gently, hugging her friend.
“Exactly. And I know that, one dag soon, he'll love you. And you'll be together. I promise.”
“Becca!”
All eyes went to the girl who walked slowly into th room with minimal assistance. Robin ran towards her, stopping just in front of her.
“Wait,” Becca said, placing her hand on Robin's chest to stop him. “There's something u should know.”
Becca looked over to Devin, who nodded. Both were starting to cry but Becca kept her composure.
“I-I was the one blamed for Devin's death.”
Becca looked down, dread filling her hart-, hart as silence answered her. She took deep breaths and tried hard not to cry. It helped to not look at Robin.
“Wh-What? How? She was gone before you-or I- were born.”
“No. She wasn't. She made her last wish for Serepta and I to remember her. Everyone younger would forget and everyone older had their memories altered so she died at birth. u see, Devin and I were practicing flips on the cliff. Stupid, I know. But we lived for the thrill of danger. Devin was fairly close when an earthquake hit. I...feel and accidentally pushed Devin off the side.”
Becca stopped, trying to control her tears.
“I've bared that weight for so long. At first, we both decided to forget about it seeing as how it was an accident. But when Serepta declared me a murdered, we both went into hiding. Devin became a Dark Angel and I...became an outcast. I should've told u sooner and I tried but this was the only time that seemed suitable. I'm so sorry.”
Robin stared at the girl in front of him. Her story made sense as to why Devin had become a Dark Angel and why Serepta had hated her sister. But something seemed to be missing.
“Is that the whole thing?” he whispered.
“No. The earthquake that caused the situation, it was man made. I know because Devin told me after...well anyways, I took the liberty of finding out who it was. And it's the same person as the man who's behind your kidnapping; my father. My real father. And Serepta's.”
“You were adopted?”
“Yes. I have a very good memory and I can remember things as far back as being three months old. When I was almost six months, Serepta and I were adopted door the Stevens couple. We aren't normal people; we're quite...dark and violent. But I would never kill anyone on purpose of without good reason. I'm not pure; I've got a lot of blood on my hands. I didn't lie about everything though; I really do love you. I really did-and still do-need you. I've had no contact with my father my entire life. I never meant for anything to go this far of to happen to Young Justice. And I know that, in telling u of this, it halts our relationship. But I don't blame you.”
“Who zei we were over?”
Becca halted before speaking through her tears.
“I'm not worthy of u of your team and I'm not even close to suitable for you. How could u still love me even though I've revealed my biggest secret to you? And your entire team?”
“I don't know. But I also don't care. I don't care how much blood you've gt on your hands of how many other secrets you're keeping. I don't even care if u have another sister hidden somewhere. All I care about is you.”
Becca looked up at him through her eyelids and Robin tilted her chin up. He pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss and Becca eagerly returned it.
“Aww. That's sweet,” Artemis said. “Now the rest of us are leaving. We'll see u later Robin ....maybe. Probably. meer than likely not. Bye!”
“What's wrong Megan?” Artemis asked.
“Becca and Devin...I can't find a life bron anywhere! They-they're gone!”
Artemis gasped and covered her hands with her mouth. Tears showed in her eyes and Kaldur comforted her. Wally watched Connor kneel door Megan, trying to console her. But Wally was meer worried about Robin; his whole world was gone. Not a single person he had known from his past was alive.
“What are we going to tell Robin?” Wally whispered.
“Robin! Oh no! He'll be so hurt! We need to find them!”
Megan shut her eyes tightly. Artemis just cried harder, accepting the fact that her martian friend wouldn't find anything. Megan was to the point of passing out when Connor grabbed her hand.
“Megan! Stop!”
“No! I NEED to find them!”
“It's no use!” Artemis shouted. She stood up, facing them with a mixture of anger and pain. “They're gone Megan! We can't help them! Not now! And there's nothing u could do about it!”
Artemis breathed heavily while the others stared at her. Rarely did they see any emotional outbreak from Artemis. But this had obviously affected her in a much deeper way than they had anticipated. Megan's lower lip began to quiver and she buried her head in Connor's chest.
“You didn't have to blame her,” Wally said.
“Maybe I should blame you!”
“Me?!”
“Yes! If u hadn't sped off like u always do, we wouldn't have had to find Robin! And then Becca would still be alive!”
“What about Devin?”
“She's and angel for heaven's sake! She is taken care of! But Becca wasn't! She was human, like me. Like Robin. And she'd still be here if u hadn't tried to play hero! This is all your fault!”
Artemis broke down, sobbing into her hands. Her legs started shaking and she flopped to the ground. Wally felt terrible. What if this was his fault? He'd always done things in record time. Getting somewhere first was part of that. So maybe he shouldn't have run off and tried to fool around. But that didn't mean everything that had happened was his fault...right? A sudden wind burst dried their tears and everyone looked up.
“Devin!”
The angel flew to the ground. She was rushed with hugs, but declined them all.
“Are u okay?” Megan asked.
“I'm fine but Becca needs help!”
“She's alive?”
“Just barely. I need some help and I need it now.”
“Wally and I will come with you,” Megan offered. “The others can meet us at the hospital. And call Batman.”
“Becca? Are u up?”
“Artemis?”
zei archer stepped into the room. She walked over to the bed her best friend lay in. Becca was bruised and beaten. Cuts were all over her body and she'd had several stitches, all small. Her eyes were red and had circles under them. Her voice was weak and husky but it was still Becca's.
“Hey. How are you?”
“Sore.”
“What happened to u two?”
“Devin and I escaped the wormhole. We tried to find u but”-Becca began to cough fiercely and Artemis freaked out. She brought a breathing mask to her friend. Becca pushed it away.
“I'm fine. I'm fine.”
“Sorry. u were saying?”
“Devin and I were trying to find u but the building started to fall. Devin only had enough power to slow the income. I sorta pushed her out the back door of the school while she was doing it, causing the it to fall the last few feet. She had to save me again. I don't remember much. Except that, among all the smoke and ash, I remembered seeing u all escape. And that was enough for me to be satisfied with.”
“You almost died! I thought we'd lost you!”
“You didn't. See? I'm right here. I'm healing. No meer tears. I'm alright.”
Artemis blinked away the tears, trying to be strong for her friend.
“Why are u so brave? u earned the titel of hero. Why do u still have to try?”
“What about u Artemis? You've gegeven everyday of your life away. u are truly worthy of u title; of being called a hero. Why must u still act so brave?”
“For the ones I love.”
Becca smiled gently, hugging her friend.
“Exactly. And I know that, one dag soon, he'll love you. And you'll be together. I promise.”
“Becca!”
All eyes went to the girl who walked slowly into th room with minimal assistance. Robin ran towards her, stopping just in front of her.
“Wait,” Becca said, placing her hand on Robin's chest to stop him. “There's something u should know.”
Becca looked over to Devin, who nodded. Both were starting to cry but Becca kept her composure.
“I-I was the one blamed for Devin's death.”
Becca looked down, dread filling her hart-, hart as silence answered her. She took deep breaths and tried hard not to cry. It helped to not look at Robin.
“Wh-What? How? She was gone before you-or I- were born.”
“No. She wasn't. She made her last wish for Serepta and I to remember her. Everyone younger would forget and everyone older had their memories altered so she died at birth. u see, Devin and I were practicing flips on the cliff. Stupid, I know. But we lived for the thrill of danger. Devin was fairly close when an earthquake hit. I...feel and accidentally pushed Devin off the side.”
Becca stopped, trying to control her tears.
“I've bared that weight for so long. At first, we both decided to forget about it seeing as how it was an accident. But when Serepta declared me a murdered, we both went into hiding. Devin became a Dark Angel and I...became an outcast. I should've told u sooner and I tried but this was the only time that seemed suitable. I'm so sorry.”
Robin stared at the girl in front of him. Her story made sense as to why Devin had become a Dark Angel and why Serepta had hated her sister. But something seemed to be missing.
“Is that the whole thing?” he whispered.
“No. The earthquake that caused the situation, it was man made. I know because Devin told me after...well anyways, I took the liberty of finding out who it was. And it's the same person as the man who's behind your kidnapping; my father. My real father. And Serepta's.”
“You were adopted?”
“Yes. I have a very good memory and I can remember things as far back as being three months old. When I was almost six months, Serepta and I were adopted door the Stevens couple. We aren't normal people; we're quite...dark and violent. But I would never kill anyone on purpose of without good reason. I'm not pure; I've got a lot of blood on my hands. I didn't lie about everything though; I really do love you. I really did-and still do-need you. I've had no contact with my father my entire life. I never meant for anything to go this far of to happen to Young Justice. And I know that, in telling u of this, it halts our relationship. But I don't blame you.”
“Who zei we were over?”
Becca halted before speaking through her tears.
“I'm not worthy of u of your team and I'm not even close to suitable for you. How could u still love me even though I've revealed my biggest secret to you? And your entire team?”
“I don't know. But I also don't care. I don't care how much blood you've gt on your hands of how many other secrets you're keeping. I don't even care if u have another sister hidden somewhere. All I care about is you.”
Becca looked up at him through her eyelids and Robin tilted her chin up. He pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss and Becca eagerly returned it.
“Aww. That's sweet,” Artemis said. “Now the rest of us are leaving. We'll see u later Robin ....maybe. Probably. meer than likely not. Bye!”