Remember

Remember

By Karen

(Justice League Dark; Apokolips War - Post Flashpoint)

With a weary sigh, I rested my white cowled head against Damian's shoulder. He placed a comforting arm around me and we both felt a strange, mutual sense of calmness. It was over now. Finally, after two damn years of war, death and destruction, it was over. No more Trigon, no more Apokolips or Darkseid, no more reapers or furies or paradooms. I was freed and cleansed of my father's dark influence that had been slowly draining and killing me from the inside out ever since I imprisoned him in that crystal. Then, I had somehow miraculously brought the only boy I knew I would ever love back from the dead.

But this wouldn't be a victory celebration for anybody. The worn remnants of the Justice League and Teen Titans were gathered together on the island's beach by the ruins of what had once been Titan's Tower. The city of New York by now reminded me of what Azarath had looked like after Trigon got through with it. I didn't need my powers of empathy and telepathy to know what my fellow survivors must all be going through right now.

Victor had made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Clark had just lost Lois and Bruce had lost both Alfred and Selina. Barry had lost Iris, Diana had lost her Steve and John still carried the pain and guilt of Zatanna's death. When Trigon had temporarily killed him, had his lover been waiting for him on the other side and sent him back with her magic, just as I had revived Damian?

Martian Manhunter and Hawkman were each standing alone, staring across the East River at nothing... J'onn had already lost one home and family. For him, this was the alien holocaust all over again... And as for Carter - the only thing worse than losing the one you love was never having their love in return.

Poor Dick in his straight jacket laid contentedly in the grass with his head in Kory's lap. The same spot we had all watched as Darkseid's paradooms destroyed our home and slaughtered so many of our friends and team-mates. Though I had called Damian out for bringing his brother back with the Lazarus Pit, how could I blame him for taking that chance? If I could, I would have resurrected all of them along with Damian.

My brothers and sisters... Roy, Karen, Garfield, Jaime, Wallace, Kory, Donna, Conner... Now the Lazarus Pitt had brought Dick back from the dead with his mind beyond repair while Darkseid had turned Starfire's body into a mechanical abomination, just like he he did to Diana and Hawkman and Martian Manhunter and Mira. Instead of on her throne and being cheered by her people, the rightful Queen of Atlantas now sat grieving her fallen King and husband, with only Titus the dog for comfort.

Damian and I could hear Clark, Bruce and Diana's discussion nearby. This is why I had come to respect and look up to Clark Kent, though both John and Damian had blamed him for everything that had gone wrong. Even now, after all of our failures and losses, after the loss of the love of his life, he still wasn't giving up on the world or on any of us. Thank Azar he'd been there to stop me when I was at my worst.

It wasn't good news. Thirty one percent of Earth's molten core had been drained... The planet's orbit would be disrupted and an estimated one billion more lives would be lost before there was even any hope of a solution... We could overhear John and Barry's conversation too - and I wasn't sure I liked where it was going.

Another Flashpoint... I'd heard of that. No matter where or when Barry stopped the timeline at, everything would change... Who knew just how different things would be...? Damian and I might not even know about each other, let alone remember each other. Would I ever see him again?

Then I reproached myself for that selfish thought. However uncouth and insufferable, John was right. Whatever awaited all of us in the new timeline, it had to be better than this. Nobody made any objections as Barry got himself into position and then took off like lightning across the river.