A Future Sooner than Tomorrow

Fractured Future

At some point, they must have fallen asleep. Shayera isn't surprised. Today, or maybe yesterday, depending on when she fell asleep, had been exhausting, so waking up on the floor wasn't unexpected.

She drags herself off of the cold floor, reaching both arms over her head and leaning back, hearing her sleep-stiff body crack as she does. She's never sleeping on the floor again.

She looks to the beds around her. Kal is tucked into what was once Kid Flash's bed nearest to the door. Next over, Flash, or rather Barry, is still cuddled up with Kid Flash on his bed. Then Nightwing is asleep, sat up in his with Robin passed out against his chest.

Then Shayera turns her head all the way back around because since when was Kal here?

Yet there he is, blanket tossed over his chest with the ends messily jammed under the mattress. He looks paler than usual and now that Shayera has been shocked into wakefulness, she sees the sun lamp beside his bed.

She looks around once more and finds that more beds have been unfolded, taking up what's usually walking space. These beds are parallel with the regular ones and foot to head with each other.

J'onn is in one bed with no blankets. His arm is swollen and slathered in some sort of cream but other than that, he looks as he usually does.

Diana has been put into another and thankfully seems completely unharmed. Her brow is furrowed in her sleep though and her hands are gripping her blanket. Maybe a nightmare.

None of them ever mention it but Shayera is sure they all get their fair share of bad dreams. She does at least.

Batman is over the blankets on the same bed. His cowl has a chunk missing and underneath she can see bandages. Apart from that, he's in what must be the under-layer of his costume. A black, thick bodysuit that probably makes the layers of armour he wears more bearable.

Finally, in the last bed is Green Lantern. There's less of a glow about him than normal but Shayera couldn't care less.

All of the Justice League is accounted for so she's happy despite the bone-deep exhaustion sunken into them and the injuries.

Or, almost happy. Someone seems to be missing.

So, she counts in groups.

Diana, Kal and Batman are three.

Barry, J'ohn and Green Lantern then make six.

And then she makes seven. Yet, looking around the room, she feels that something, someone is missing. She looks around the beds again, six in total, and her eyes stop on Nightwing's.

Nightwing and Robin, just as they were before she fell asleep.

Where's Red Hood?

Shayera feels herself go cold and before she's even aware she's doing it, she's shaking people awake.

"Get up, get up, get up!"

Groggily, they all begin pushing themselves up whining and moaning under their breaths but Shayera doesn't care because where is Red Hood?

Once everyone is sufficiently awake (eyes open and sat up), she loudly announces, "We are missing Red Hood. I fell asleep at some point yesterday and don't recall how or when you all got here after the split, so if someone else has seen him and knows of his whereabouts, speak now."

The tired heroes look around, clearly counting and confirming for themselves.

"I apologise, I do not remember anything after having been knocked out," Diana rubs at her face.