Titans - Rising Robin & Invasion! Crossover Fanfic (Flash x Arrow x LoT)

Chapter VII: Changes

Richard's drive out to Coast City was rather sudden, but he needed it. It was something he needed in order to clear his head. He felt lost, like he had lost control of everything. He felt powerless & helpless. He didn't know what to do. He needed a familiar face.

Richard parked his car outside of the apartment building in Coast City & stepped out of his vehicle.He glanced around the city, feeling somewhat uneasy. The entire city seemed...brighter. It seemed calmer & more at peace. Something about this city radiated comfort, & Richard knew the city was probably safe more the most part. But it didn't feel right. Richard wasn't used to this.

Richard walked up to the front doors of the apartment & glanced at the interior of the apartment's lobby. There was a wall with slots of mailboxes for the tenants living within the building. Richard scanned the wall, reading each one, searching for the name that started with H. He found Habberton, Hader, Hamm, Harper. Richard glanced once more. Harper, Roy. Richard nodded. It was apartment number 73. Richard walked up to the elevator, making his way inside. He pressed the 7th floor button, riding the elevator up the old building. Once he reached the 7th floor, he felt the elevator jolt to a stop, slowly opening its doors. Richard walked out, glancing each end of the hall, searching for where the apartment may be.

Richard tried his luck with the left, walking down the end towards the window revealing the sun's light casting shadows over the hall's carpeted floor. Richard glanced to his right to find room 73. Richard smiled softly. He raised a fist to the door & knocked three times. He waited for a response.

After a few moments, the door opened to a familiar man, somewhat older than Richard, with short brown hair & a chiseled chin. He was clean shaven & his blue eyes stared...blankly at Richard. He didn't notice the odd look that he was being given by the man.

"Roy," he said with a smile.

Roy glanced at Richard, eyeing him up & down. "Uh...yes?"

Richard sighed. "Can...can I come in?"

Roy arched his eyebrow. "What?" he said confusedly. "Who are you?"

Richard eyed Roy back, glancing up & down the man who stood before him. Was this the wrong Roy Harper? Had he found someone else who happened to share his name? No, impossible. He looked just like him. Granted, the last time he saw him was the week before, & he had shaggy hair & a scruffy beard, but...it was him. He must've shaved. But...why didn't he remember Richard.

Richard bit his lip. He thought back to why he had come to see Roy in the first place. "Dammit, Barry," he grunted.

Roy opened his door a little more, stepping closer to Richard. "Barry? You know Barry Allen?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, I...I do. Or, at least I thought I did." He thought back to his encounter with Barry back in Central City. Richard shook his head in embarrassment & guilt. "Man, I need a drink."

...

Richard sat alongside Roy at a nearby bar, not far from Roy's apartment. The two sat in awkward silence as the rest of the bar chattered & murmured. It wasn't too early, but, still awkwardly early for day drinking. Richard needed it, though. He wasn't feeling alright anymore.

"So," Roy started, "we were...partners?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah, man. You with a bow, me with a staff. We fought Russians together & some mercenaries. We broke into Cadmus & rescued your brother & some prisoners together, alongside Rachel." Richard paused, hoping for a response from Roy at Rachel's name. "You hated Rachel. You two never stopped arguing. Then again, she hated just about everyone, but still."

Roy turned to Richard, then glanced down at his shot glass. It was empty. Richard embarrassingly looked down, away from Roy. "I promise, I'm not making this up," he said softly.

Roy nodded. "Okay," he said. "Sure. I...I guess I believe you."

Richard looked up at Roy, who stared back at his own glass of ale & drank it in one slow gulp. Richard shook his head. "You don't remember, though."

Roy shrugged. "I mean, what do you want me to say?" he scoffed. "You say we were best friends, & that you rescued me from a mugging in Gotham. I've never been to Gotham, man. Not ever. I don't remember meeting the Batman, whoever the hell that is, & I don't remember hanging around a kid named Dick. I'd certainly remember a kid named Dick because, I mean, come on."

Richard ran a frustrated hand through his hand & sighed deeply. "Okay. So, Gotham isn't a thing anymore," he muttered. He glanced back at Roy. "Were you...still Arsenal?"

Roy nodded softly. "Yeah, man. I...I was, once upon a time." He turned away from Richard & lifted up his glass to drink. "How do you know about that?" he asked before taking his sip.

"Because I know you, Roy," Richard pleaded. "I remember hearing about your death in Starling City, outing yourself as the Arrow. I remember you having to go into hiding after faking that death, letting Oliver Queen become the Green Arrow."

Roy's eyes opened widely in panic. "What the hell, man?" he hissed. "Keep your mouth shut!" He glanced around the almost empty bar, then turned back to Richard. "Who the hell told you this?"

Richard shook his head. "No one, man. I investigated it on my own. I was in Star City just last week. I confronted Oliver about it." Richard's fingers began to rub against each other nervously. "He...he brought you back into town to see me, man."

Roy arched his eyebrow. "I...what?"

Richard shook his head, feeling more & more frustrated. "Dude, this was just last week. You helped me take down the Red Hood. You helped me track down Jason Todd after he came back."

"Who is Jason Todd?" Roy asked. "I've never met a Jason Todd."

Richard sighed. "You saw Thea Queen last week, Roy."

Roy shook his head. "I haven't seen Thea since last year, kid. I definitely don't even have a brother, so I know I definitely haven't been to Cadmus, & I've never met the Batman, or this Robin kid, or worked with some Titans. I've never met a Red Hood, or a Cobblepot, or a Nolan Drake." He turned to Richard. "I'm sorry dude, but, you're out of your mind."

Richard's fists clenched tightly. This didn't make any sense. He had just met with Roy back in Star City. He wasn't making any of it up, he wasn't crazy. There's no way none of it happened. Nightwing & Arsenal, finding the Red Hood, along with the Green Arrow & Robin. Richard knew that happened. As for Nolan Drake & their encounter with Cadmus & the rest of the Titans, all of that definitely happened. So why the hell did Roy not remember any of it?

Barry said that the creation of Flashpoint altered time, & when he tried to fix what he changed, things were still altered. Did...did that mean that people's memories were completely rewritten? After all, just a few days ago, Roy was still Richard's friend. A few days ago, Cheyenne was still dead. A few days ago, the Flash was a grown man. Now he didn't seem much older than Richard. Did Barry really create another reality after Flashpoint? If so...then why was Richard the only one who could recall the real reality?

Richard let out a shuddered breath. He was actually scared. For the first time in a long time, he was truly terrified.

"Listen, Richard, or whatever, I gotta go," Roy said. He glanced around the bar, then looked back at Richard. He almost didn't hear Roy sit up from his bar stool & walk away, leaving Richard alone.

Richard glanced back at the door, noticing Roy out onto the street. Roy looked at Richard like he was a stranger. What if everyone suddenly forgot who Richard was? Something needed to change. Something needed to change soon. Richard needed to find the Flash again. Not some scrawny doofus working out of an abandoned science lab. He needed to find HIS Flash. He needed to make Barry fix everything.