Welcome to Earth-0 (Ver. 1.0)

Chapter Four: Explanations

After witnessing the immense display of lights in the sky, Nightwing drags everyone, including Tigris, into the common area. He wants answers. And he wanted them a day ago.

"Now that that's over," the Bat states sternly--refering to the recent laser light show in the sky. "Do you mind telling us what you're doing here, and why you think you're from a different universe?"

"Well," Tigris sighs. "On my world, there is no Titans. Wonder Girl has blonde hair. The resident psychic has green skin. Arsenal doesn't carry a bow. You dissappeared off the face of the Earth for few months. Garth exiled himself to Atlantis out of grief. And Wally--"

She stops mid-sentence; contemplating whether or not to reveal that piece of information.

She quietly says, "And Wally is--"

"And I'm what?!" Flash exclaims, becoming impatient.

"You're dead!" Tigris exclaims furiously in response to Wally's impatience.

There is silence as the Titans take in this new detail about Tigris's world.

"How?" Wally asks quietly. "How did I...he...die?"

Tigris takes a deep breath.

"There was this race of aliens called The Reach," she starts. "To the rest of the world, they appeared to be peaceful and kind. But in reality, they were plotting to subjugate us. The Team and the League revealed their plans to the world, and they were forced to leave. But not without trying to erase all evidence of trying to conquer us.

"There was this treaty the Reach had with the Guardians of the Universe that prohibited them from accessing another world unless that world allowed them access voluntarily. The League knew this, but the public didn't. By the time we found out and tried to warn everyone, it was too late. The Reach made contact and the world let them in.

"They tried to destroy Earth with electromagnetic field disruptors. If one stabilized and went crysalis, the planet would be destroyed. We managed to stop all but one. The last one went crysalis and had to have the energy drained from it.

"That process required a team of speedsters to run counter to its energy flow. At first, we thought Barry and Bart would be enough. But it wasn't, so you...Wally...joined them. But he wasn't fast enough."

She sits down on the couch and takes a breathe before continuing.

"He was vaporized," she says grimly to their shocked faces. "His slower speed enabled him to be an exit valve for the energy. One second he was there, the nex..."

Her voice fails her as she breaks down; unable to keep her grief held in anymore.

Omen and Flash approach her to comfort her. When Omen goes to rap Tigris in a hug, Artemis lunges at Flash; gripping his midsection tightly as she sobs deeply.

Everyone just stares at the two. They don't know what to do. But Wally has one idea.

"Can you guys give us a moment," the speedster states in a low tone of voice. "Please?"

The Titans nod quietly and silently leave the room.

Once they are gone, Tigris calms down a little and apologizes for her behavior.

Wally tells her that she shouldn't feel sorry.

"I'm guessing that you and my alternate were...close?" he says nervously.

"Yes," Artemis sniffles. "We were togther for nearly five years. We lived together for three of them. When he died, a part of me died, too. A really big part. We completed each other. He was hyper and so full of joy, while I was more down to Earth. I grounded him out and he...he made me happy."