Eight months later...

Recognized: Domino, B-001

"Can't believe you let me sleep till three in the afternoon. I told you I wanted to join Beta on their mission."

"You haven't slept in a week. I'm fulfilling my boyfriend duties. And they're dealing with a UN threat, you hate politics."

"And do those boyfriend duties require leaving me on our anniversary?" I asked with raised eyebrows. Dick immediately picked me up and spun me around with a laugh.

"I kissed you at midnight... the same hour of our anniversary." He smiled but kissed me nonetheless. "Happy new year... and happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary, hon." I smiled back and kissed him again.

Recognized: Superboy, B-0-4.
Miss Martian, B-0-5.
Bumblebee, B-1-7.
Beast Boy, B-1-9.
Robin, B-2-0.
Blue Beetle, B-2-2.

"Clayface is safely back in his Arkham cell." Tim called out as Dick slowly set me down.

"Good work." We both said in unison.

"I didn't do much. I just-"

"If the mission was a success and everyone came home, that's all that matters, Robin. Hit the showers, you smell like sewer." I smirked.

After killing the Joker and taking a small leave of absence to grieve, I actually grew to tolerate Tim.

I'm not okay with Bruce deciding to train him as Robin, but it still happened.

Which is why I haven't talked to Bruce properly in two months when I saw Tim joining the Team.

But I know it's not Tim's fault in the long run. It's the cost of living with the Batman.

You get trained like a soldier eventually.

Dick and I barely talk about the night I killed Joker. We've decided to move past it and work outside of Gotham to try and make peace with that night.

So far, life's been nice.

Freedom's been nice.

"Domino, M'gann and SB, we're called to the Watchtower." Dick said, pulling me to the Zeta Tube. "Guess we'll have to postpone movie night, hon."

"Duty calls, birdie."

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"That's a Krolotean. And Kroloteans always travel in packs."

"Meaning more of them on Earth."

"I believe my friend may have vital information on that point. Some of you have not met Adam Strange of S.T.A.R. Labs' Erdel Initiative." J'onn introduced. "He is the scientist responsible... for maintaining the Zeta-Beam technology we use for teleportation."

"I was wondering why a stranger was allowed on the top-secret Watchtower." Connor said through the link and I smirked.

"Don't know. All I know is that I tuned out half of the stuff coming from Lantern's mouth... these are the moments where I miss Hal. He used to be fun." I discreetly shrugged, ignoring Bruce's eyes on me.

"Well, I was performing a routine Zeta-Tube upgrade... when something went wrong. And I found myself transported halfway across the galaxy to a planet called Rann. There was a scientist there. Sardath. He was conducting his own experiments in enhanced... Very enhanced Zeta-Beam technology. It took weeks to establish even basic communication... but Sardath eventually made me understand... some of his Zeta tech had been stolen." Adam explained and I glanced at Dick with raised eyebrows.

"Fits the Krolotean M.O." I called out and pointed at the screens. "Apparently their culture revolves around stolen tech."

"Sardath detected transmissions between a single location on Rann... and multiple locations on Earth. He was attempting to trace those when he accidentally transported me to Rann. He gave me this." Adam pulled out a holographic map of Earth. "It detects trace Zeta radiation... and can pinpoint all the locations where Kroloteans have beamed to Earth."

"Then I'm ordering a two-pronged attack." Captain Atom called out. "We'll stage simultaneous raids on every Krolotean target on Earth... while a contingent of leaguers travels to Rann with Strange... to cut the Kroloteans off at the source."

"Uh, we might have a problem with that second prong. Totally unclear on the why... but Earthlings are persona non grata in Rann's corner of the galaxy... and these six leaguers are wanted criminals."

"Batman, the sixteen hours!" Dick and I exclaimed in unison and turned to Bruce who was already looking at us.

"Uhh... are they always in sync like that?"

"You get used to it." Zatanna waved it off with a small smile.

"Five years ago, Vandal Savage took complete mental control... of the entire Justice League. These exact six leaguers went missing for 16 hours. It never even occurred to us that Vandal might have sent us into space." Bruce explained.

"Meanwhile, we have 15 other active leaguers to send to Rann to investigate." Captain Atom decided.

"You're not getting it." Adam said. "There's a planetary watch alert out on Rann for every leaguer."

"Not all of us are Leaguers." Dick pointed out. "I can send a squad to handle the Rann end of things... and to find out more about those missing 16 hours... without causing an intergalactic incident."

"Do it." Captain Atom called out and we all nodded, walking away back to the Zeta.

"You know about you four not being Leaguers, there's still an open invitation." Zatanna offered.

"Count me out, Zee. I like doing things my own way." I smirked and hugged her and Raquel.

"Trust us, she means it." Connor laughed.

"You love me for it, SB. I make your lives less dull!"

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"All hands on deck. The League and the Team will hit 14 Krolotean Zeta locations simultaneously. Your priorities are to destroy all Zeta-Tubes or platforms... and search for any humans the aliens may have abducted."

"Mal is monitoring everything from here." Dick continued and I nodded.

"Wondergirl, Nightwing and I are Alpha headed to Philadelphia. Batgirl, Bee and Wolf are Beta headed to Vlatavastok. Beetle, LG and Robin are Gamma headed to New Orleans." I sorted out the Teams and everyone nodded, except for La'gaan who started whining. "Dismissed."

Before Tim could walk away, Dick and I held him back and gestured for Malcolm to walk away.

"Tim, you'll be running Gamma." Dick said and I let out a reluctant sigh.

"Me? I've never led a squad before!"

"Giving this the perfect opportunity to get your feet wet, Tim." I continued and held his shoulder. "I do have some rules, and it's not because I don't trust you, which I still kinda don't, but whatever."

"Because it's Gamma and you're not expecting trouble? Or because we're stretched thin and you have no choice?"

"Dude, I will not hesitate to hurt and bench you if keep that up." I warned and he immediately straightened. "You seem to forget I'm also Team Leader here, not just Dick. And not only that, I signed to be your guardian. I have free rein."

"Just don't die, okay? And no unnecessary risks to the squad." Dick sighed, stepping in between us.

"Break a leg, baby wing." I smirked and pushed him away. "Don't forget to call for help if you can't handle it!"

"Must you torment the boy?"

"It's my job as big sis. He makes my life hell by existing, I torment him and make him scared of me. So far it's working."

"What's it gonna take for you two to get along?"

"Bruce never forcing him to don the cape in the first place." I shrugged and held his hand. "We're taking Sphere and I'm driving."

"God help us."

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"So, you two have been dating since-"

"We were thirteen."

"And you founded the Team at that age!?"

"If you say it like that, it makes me feel old. I'm barely a college freshman, Wondergirl." I smirked, wiping my hands on my suit. "Well... that was easy enough. I expected more of an explosion though."

"Not everything has to end in an explosion or arson, babe." Dick sighed.

"Everything that's fun does, hon."

"Cave to Alpha. We've got problems."

"Talk to me, Mal."

"I think it's better if you hear it, Domino." Malcolm sighed and changed transmissions. "Gamma, you're through."

"CODE MOM!" Tim yelled and I froze. "We hit the motherlode! More Kroloteans than we can count!"

"Breathe." Dick whispered and held my hands which I didn't notice started shaking. "Stay hidden, Gamma. We're on our way."

I can't breathe.

"Domino, you alright?" Cassie asked and I shook my head.

"Wondergirl, help her onto Sphere. I'm driving." Dick ordered and she dragged me over to Sphere. "Unzip her neck and lower her hood so she can breathe."

"What's going-"

"Domino, listen to me. Robin's fine. LG is almost a veteran and-"

"I don't care! He's alone!" I choked out. "He's all alone in there and I'm not-"

"It's not Arkham and this isn't Jason."

"He called a Code Mom..."

"Uh... what's a Code Mom?" Cassie asked, reaching out to hold my hands so I'd stop shaking. "Follow my breathing, Domino... that's it."

"Code Mom is a cry for help Jason used to use when he was in a tight spot. It's a cry for help for Domino." Dick explained.

"But why Mom?"

"He used to say that Domino was his mom. She trained and raised him... and when he was in Arkham, she did everything she could to protect him."

"And I failed." I said and Dick turned around to face me.

"No, I failed for not realizing where you were sooner. That's my burden to carry and I've been dealing with it for nine months now. Your burden is what you did in there."

"I had no choice."

"Then it's not a burden, is it?" He shrugged and turned again. "Remind me to schedule you another session with Canary. I think it's time."

"You go first."

"Mine's next week."

"Wait." Cassie called out. "What exactly did you do in there? Because I heard stories and they all terrify me."

"I killed sixteen people in less than ten minutes and then threatened to kill every villain in Gotham while I could barely stand properly." I shrugged and closed my eyes. "There wasn't a single crime reported in Gotham for three months. Everyone was too scared of what I would do once I was fully healed."

"Remind me to never make you mad... because, between the three of us, you kinda scare me."

"It's because you're still new. Give it a few more months and you'll be fine."

"If you say so..."

｡ﾟ•┈୨🃏୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"There they are!"

"Domino, don't you-" I interrupted Dick by diving into the river near the explosion. "Never mind then!"

Swimming over to Tim, I immediately started checking for injuries but he pulled me into a hug instead. I looked over at Dick in pure shock only to see him with a huge smile.

"Hug him back. He's scared." He signed and I shakily hugged Tim back.

"You actually came." He whispered.

"You called, baby wing. I'll always answer when you call, doesn't matter if I can't stand you at times." I promised and pulled away slightly to see the Team and the League looking down at all of us.

"Dude! Way to get your feet wet!" Dick exclaimed, easing the tension and me and Tim laughed. "Just don't give the den mother a heart attack next time."

"What happened?" I asked and heard Tim sigh.

"It's kind of a long story."

"It's a long way to the Cave. We got time."