𝙶𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚖 𝙰𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚢, 𝙶𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚖 𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝙽𝚈
𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟷𝚝𝚑, 𝟷𝟹:𝟸𝟾 𝙴𝙳𝚃

The lunchroom was filled with the chattering of my peers and fellow students as they conversed and ate their meals. Or pretended to. School lunch wasn't the best, even for a private school like Gotham Academy, so I understood why people wouldn't want to eat it. But that didn't mean they still had to buy it. It was terrible food, but a waste.

I shared a glance with a concerned Barbara as we looked at a depressed Dick who hadn't bothered with food today. He sighed again, gaze trailing off toward the wall. I don't think he was paying attention.

Barbara leaned over, whispering in my ear. "What's up with him?"

I shrugged my shoulders, just as confused as she was. "Don't know. He was fine yesterday."

I struggled to say he was fine since it had been a tough couple of days for everyone on the Team. Wally's birthday was today, so we wanted to plan something special for him. But with the whole Zatarra and Zatanna thing, the happy occasion couldn't have come at a worse time.

Zatanna had been opening up with her feelings slowly, but she was still far from being ready to talk about it. I left that for Black Canary to handle carefully. But she was getting comfortable around me, Megan, and Artemis. And Robin had really been spending all of the time he could with her. Which I suppose is why he was feeling so down. It was hard when you were trying to do everything you could to help a friend, only for nothing to change.

Barbara looked back to Dick, then to me. "I'm going to put up my tray. Talk to him."

She nudged my shoulder and got up, grabbing her blue plastic tray and walking away. I huffed lightly before turning my attention back to my partner in herohood.

"Hey, you okay?" I decided to be direct, lightly pushing his shoulder. He turned his attention to me, not the slightest bit surprised at the touch but not as alert as he always was. It was a strange thing; for that moment, Dick felt like a normal person instead of the genius wonder boy who started beating bad guys at age nine.

"Guess so." He shrugged, centering his body on the bench to face me. My attempt to give him a warm smile backfired, and it only came out a concerned grimace.

"'M gonna need you to elaborate there, buddy."

He sighed, acquiescing. "I don't know, I guess I'm feeling a little chalant, I guess."

I let out a heavy breath, clearing my thoughts. "Is it about Zatanna?"

He nodded. "B wants me to start thinking about what I want to do for my birthday now, and I wanted to invite Zatanna. But after the thing with Zatarra and Doctor Fate, it's just, it's selfish of me to think that."

The way he confessed his feelings made my heart ache. Dick was always so considerate of everyone else. And even now, he thought of Zatanna's emotional well-being over his birthday. And it wasn't just because he had a crush on her or anything. He takes everyone into consideration that way. And I respect him for it.

"I—" What do I even say to comfort him? That it wasn't true. But it was. At the moment, I was scared of even letting Zatanna near Wally's party. The fact that life moves on after such a world-shaking event like she's been through can be harrowing. But on the other hand, she needs to see that life does move on, and there can be happy events, too.

"I don't think so." I finally told him. "It's not selfish. It's the feeling of wanting to spend time with someone you hold dear on a day that's supposed to be special and important to you. Besides, it'll probably be good for her."

Zatanna's strong. And seeing that people love and care for her and want her around will be a good thing for her. Even if it makes her sad in the moment or after the fact. In the long term, she should experience these things.

Dick sighed, and for a moment, I thought he expelled all of the air in his lungs by the way his shoulders sank, and his chest seemed to concave. "I wanted to invite the others too, but they don't know my secret identity, and it'd be hard to explain how I know them to my school friends."

I suppose that would be pretty hard. I mean, Zatanna was one thing. Telling her his secret identity was probably weighing on his mind. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone. I had figured it out independently, but the only other person on the Team to know was Wally. So the only two he could invite were us. And Zatanna if he went through with it.

It made me sad to think he couldn't celebrate with everyone he wanted to because this secret identity was so private and important to him. I bit my cheek, trying to think of a solution or at least something to say.

Why couldn't he have that? Have a party with people from school and then have one at the cave? The only reason Wally wasn't doing that either was because everyone he really wanted to spend it with would already be at the cave. Or so he said.

It's not like we have to disclose Robin's actual birthday. We can just say it's any day in December, really. Or that it's inconvenient to celebrate when it actually is, so we're doing it now. That excuse could work. We already know his age, at least anyway.

Yeah, that could work.

I reached out my hand to Dick, smiling as I took his hand in mine reassuringly. "Leave this to me."

His face morphed in confusion, and he whispered sharply, "What?"

I didn't answer him, mostly because I didn't want to. But mainly because Barbara came back from putting her tray up and sat down on the bench. I smiled at her and waved.

"Hey guys, what's up? Are you feeling better, Dick? Woah." I raised my eyebrow at that last part, watching Barbara's face contort into a pleasant, surprised expression.

I followed her eyes to see what she was looking at, only to see it was our hands. I had forgotten to take mine off of Dick's, and somewhere in between that, he'd placed his other hand on mine. That explains why it had suddenly felt so warm.

She looked back toward me, giving me a suggestive suggestion. I furrowed my eyebrows, refusing to move my hand away in shame. It was a friendly gesture. I had nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Yeah. So?" I said before turning away from her. "I'll hold his hand the entire lunch shift if I want to."

I ignored the funny Cupid look she gave both of us, asking Dick if he wanted me to take my hand away. Tacking on the implication of asking if my comment had been okay or not.

He removed his hand, turning his head away from both of us. I nodded in understanding, trying not to snort at seeing his ears turn light pink like a cartoon character.

_________

"I went to a really strange dimension... it was like, the world but slightly off. Tinted almost. Everything was the same; things were moving as if people were affecting them. But no one was there, not even Klarion's stupid cat. There were trees, though, so life still definitely existed. Time just moved parallel." I explained to Failsafe as I took her hand, my hand. My molecules vibrated and shook.

As we discovered, I can't take others with me when I shift, nothing biological that wasn't me. But Failsafe was still in my body. So she could amplify my powers enough to come with me as I tried to show her.

"It's like... shattered glass. For you, isn't it? That's how you described it." She asked, and I nodded, muttering out a weak, yeah.

"For me, it's like... bubbles. I travel through dimensions whose walls are elastic and touch. But with your glass... It's reflective and flexible. Able to be shattered in a moment. What you saw was a reflection, the Between." She explained as we shifted into it.

The place was just like the world we came from. Our bedroom was exactly the same, but maybe it was the fact we were indoors this time or something else; things seemed to be tinted purple.

"This is my second time here. But for you, you've seen this place before, haven't you? Before even Klarion." I nodded. I remembered being here before. It was fuzzy, and I wasn't here long, but it was familiar.

"Use it. It's safe. You can't manipulate anything here, but it has infinite possibilities." She may have been the one to say it, but I was already turning the cogs in my brain.

A place no one else could go—even the powerful Failsafe who could travel dimensions without even a thought. Time ran here, and no humans could be found. It was more than just useful. It was a lifeline if I continued to use this 'Meta-human' power.

_________
𝙼𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚎,
𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟷𝚝𝚑, 𝟷𝟼:𝟶𝟻 𝙴𝚂𝚃

The Zeta tube announced Wally's arrival and the closing of the beam due to the weather as we all finished putting up the decorations, rushing to stand under the big happy birthday banner in yellow letters and red draping.

I think we'd done a pretty good job, considering the decorations had to be put up after school and before Wally could get here. There were different colored balloons, a cake, and gifts. And a lot of different desserts, courtesy of Megan and her burnt cookies, as well as my sweet tooth and ability to spot a bakery miles away.

"Be a tragedy if I missed my own..." Wally muttered to himself as he walked into the kitchen, still with his winter jacket on.

Megan telepathically turned on the lights as he entered, and we all yelled, "Surprise!" Everyone else seemed to say it in unison with a tune, but I had screamed it—the only one out of tune.

"What?" Wally pretended to be surprised as Robin, dressed in civilian clothes, snickered and elbowed me in the side for my slip-up. "Oh, you guys. You shouldn't have!"

Robin called him out on his bullshit right away. "Right. Not like you've been hinting for days or anything."

I chuckled, "Give him a break. It's his birthday."

That said, I rushed over to Wally and practically jumped into his arms. "Happy birthday, Wall-man. The world's a better place with you in it."

He chuckled, accepting my hug and thanking me. Behind us, someone turned on the radio. It was playing an okay rock song, but the volume was so low it came off more mellow than it was meant to be. Something like that had to be blasted for the intended effect.

We split apart, and everyone took turns giving Wally a happy birthday. The entire Team was here for him, along with Red Tornado and the Flash. Even Failsafe had split us apart to offer her sincere thoughts before becoming one with me again.

She also let it slip that we 'improved' the gift card we got him. Snitch. That was included in the card.

I grabbed a party hat from the table and snapped it over my head. I always liked these dinky things; they broke so easily, but they were certainly worth the serotonin they gave me. It got me thinking about the last time I saw one. It was a while ago, I guess.

Oh, yeah, I remember. My mom had gotten me this massive one with a rim covered in that fake fluffy feather stuff. It had the words birthday girl in glitter on it with my age. 12. She'd surprised me with it that morning...

I laughed and said it was amazing and had worn it the whole day right until my mom said to clean my room. I took it off so it wouldn't fall when I had to bend down. I wonder if it's still on my desk.

I snuck a macaroon while I thought no one was looking, but I would never be sneaky enough for Kaldur. The perceptive soldier stared at me, the thief and my booty, before winking at me, letting me get away with it.

I shoved it into my mouth quickly after that, relishing the feeling of the lemon flavor invading my senses. It was so good.

After everyone was done saying happy birthday, we crowded around the food table. We felt it was okay to skip the singing and get to the food.

"We made two cakes." Megan pointed out happily, very proud of herself. It happened to be the one thing on the table she managed to bake without burning it after the first attempt.

"Awesome. What'll you guys eat?" Wally jested, staring deeply at Megan. It was clear to everyone except Wally himself that Megan wasn't interested and was a taken woman.

"We'll split the cupcake," I jabbed back, placing a heavy hand on an amused Connor. "Connor and I called frosting, by the way."

Megan gave me a fake-unimpressed look before turning back to Wally with a smile, "Make a wish!"

"Way ahead of you." Wally took one last look at Megan before blowing. The candles didn't go out. He blew harder. They didn't go out.

I started shaking, trying to keep in my laughter. But on the third attempt, I burst, confessing.

"I—" I wheezed, holding in my stomach as I cackled. "I bought the joke candles that, that never go out!"

I slapped my thigh and heard Robin realize what I had just said, laughing his famous laugh with me. Artemis joined in the infectious laughter, too. Wally pouted, and Megan snuffed out the fire.

"(Y/n)!" She nagged me, hissing, "I told you to pick up regular candles!"

"But they were right there!" I defended myself as Kaldur rolled his eyes and grabbed the knife to cut the cakes. "And they were only ten cents extra. What did you want me to do? Ignore them?!"

"Yes!" She shot back, which shut me up. I didn't have a retort for that.

"But that would've been way less funny..." I said, defeated. Robin leaned in closer with a hand covering his mouth to muffle his voice as he told me he thought it was funny. I appreciated that.

At least someone had a good sense of comedy.

Wally continued making passes at Megan, saying, "You know, if I tell you my wish, it won't come true. But if you guess..."

He trailed off, but Megan was too busy serving cake to notice, care, or recognize the pass being made at her. I caught a brief glance at Artemis, finding a jealous look being ignored in her eyes. Huh.

"Nope, guess again."

I didn't actually expect either of them to pick up on their feelings between the giant wall and small doorway she erected and Wally's enormous personality.

Megan kissed him on the forehead, handing him his cake. I didn't quite agree with that. For someone like Wally, that's more encouragement than friend-zoning them. But it was his birthday and not my relationship, so whatever she thinks is best is fine.

"Happy birthday."

I could hear Wally sigh from across the room. I snickered, grabbing a handful of sweets from the table and ignoring Failsafe's nagging about how eating too much wasn't healthy for me. It was a party, for heaven's sake!

I smushed some macaroons into my mouth and told Failsafe to taste the flavors and relax. She mellowed out a bit and said, 'Just this once!'

I think she likes blueberry flavors. Or strawberry. Or orange. Maybe I shoved too many different flavors in my mouth.

Well, we have all night to rest, which one we like the best. I grabbed some cake and made my way over to Robin and Zatanna. Usually, I'd let him smooth talk his crush, but today? I just want to eat cake with my friends. There are other, more appropriate times for that, like his birthday.

"But I promise you..." Robin was telling Zatanna as I came closer. I raised my eyebrow, letting him finish. "Someday, you'll get used to watching Wally eat."

Artemis walked over a split second before me, "think we should tell him?"

I shook my head, "Nah, let him live in denial for just today. We can tell him tomorrow."

I cut off a piece of cake with my plastic fork and popped it into my mouth. "I didn't think Wally's favorite flavor would be vanilla, though."

I danced back and forth on the balls of my feet, "We should do a cool flavor for my birthday, ooh, like ice cream cake!"

"That's not a flavor. That's a type." Robin argued with a vibrant smile on his face. "But what did you think it was going to be?"

I shrugged my shoulders, cutting off another piece. "I dunno? Chocolate? Carrot cake?"

I ate the bit of cake as Zatanna giggled. "That's not just because he's ginger, is it?"

"Do you really think so low of me, Zatanna?" I asked quizzically.

Artemis responded, "Yes."

I pouted, pretending to be a little hurt. "I asked Zatanna, not you."

I turned my attention back to the warm mage, happy that she seemed to be cheering up even just a little bit.

"Of course not." She told me. I nodded in agreement with her opinion, looking pointedly at Artemis. "Hmm?"

Behind us, Wally made another pass at Megan. This one was just plain bad and physically had my face sour.

"Okay, if this goes on the entire day, someone, please just end it now. Birthday or not." I babbled, eating another piece of cake. Wally's happiness was important to me, but not over Megan's well-being. This wasn't anywhere near harassment, but it clearly wasn't wanted either. "It's ruining my appetite."

Artemis put her hand on my shoulder before walking off, approaching the couch to sit with Wally and tell him the news.

I shared a look with Robin and Zatanna as she did so, hoping it wouldn't crush his feelings. His shoulders slumped, and his face fell as he exclaimed, "Oh, man!"

But other than that, he seemed okay. He didn't even look too down about it. I breathed a sigh of relief. Good day.

Batman's voice interjected through the PA as I made it halfway through my slice of cake. Making it my turn to mutter out, "Oh, man!"

"Attention, Team. Suit up. Polar stealth, mission briefing in five." He announced as everyone started looking at each other in confusion.

What could possibly be the matter today? Other than an unusual snowstorm for this time of year, everything was fine. We checked the news an hour ago.

I snuck another cookie as everyone went to get changed into their polar stealth uniforms. I was wondering how ours would look now that we changed the costume.

________

I guess I should probably get used to seeing my face reflected back at me. Or rather, standing right next to me. Failsafe stood in our polar stealth uniform next to me as I stared at her, looking over our uniform and musing how weird it was to have a twin now.

The uniform was slightly different from our new one. Being that our standard uniform was all black with pops of beige and red now, this one stood out as all white.

The half-jacket had been swapped out for a full, insulated, white winter coat that sat heavily on us. I appreciated that it wasn't puffy, making it easier to move. And it wasn't made out of that synthetic material that made awful noises when scraping against each other. I hated those things; they always made me wince. This stuff was much more high quality.

The boots came up to just below the knees now. And the fingerless gloves had been replaced by moveable and workable full ones. The Failsafe symbol that came to represent us was etched into the suit to add depth due to the lack of color and was also included on the coat.

I waited with the rest of the Team as we watched Batman from the virtual link established from his Batplane. Wally came rushing in in his camouflaged suit, and true to the speedster legacy, he was the last to arrive.

"Where's Flash?" He asked, looking around for his mentor.

Batman replied swiftly, and I could hear the engines of his jet through the connection. "Flash and Red Tornado have their assignments."

Batman continued as I straightened out the coat. It felt much different from the stealth wear of the last outfit.

"A massive ice storm has paralyzed North America from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying ice fortresses, source unknown, which seem to be responsible and must be stopped."

"Can't the Watchtower blow them out of the sky or something?" Wally asked, a bit turbed it seemed that his day wasn't going quite how he wanted it.

"What's a Watchtower?" Zatanna asked Robin, who didn't give her an answer.

Batman answered both of their questions at once, emphasizing with a sigh, "The League's orbiting headquarters is not a weapon. And with both Green Lanterns off-world, I need all hands on deck."

"Does that mean what I think it means? The League and the Team fighting side-by-side?" Robin asked joyfully.

"Whoa, really?" Wally exclaimed, practically jumping for joy.

Predictably, Failsafe seemed unimpressed by the news. But me? I shared Robin and Wally's sentiments. It'd be the first time the Team and the League officially fought alongside each other. And I got to participate this time as a recognized hero of my own, too. And beside Failsafe!

"Superboy, use the Super-Cycle to rendezvous with the Batplane at Ice Fortress 1. You'll drop off Robin and Aqualad, then continue on with Wolf to meet up with Black Canary and Red Tornado at Ice Fortress 2." Batman introduced his orders.

Following up quickly with, "Miss Martian, Artemis, Zatanna, take the Bio Ship and rendezvous with Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter at Fortress 3."

"Failsafe," as Batman addressed us both using our shared hero name, I instinctively straightened my back. "You both rendezvous with Superman, Captain Marvel, and Doctor Fate at Fortress 4."

I smiled, clapping my hands and celebrating inside of my mind. We got to fight alongside Billy! Sweet!

"Other leaguers will deal with Fortress 5. Sending all coordinates now."

"Uh, Batman? I think you skipped..." Wally stepped up, nervously trying to ask why he'd been skipped.

Batman interrupted him, giving him a different mission. "Kid Flash, a young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you'll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston and run it 3000 miles across country."

Wally did not look pleased at all at the mention of a different mission. But he had to do it. He was the only one for the job. With Flash already in the field, he was the only speedster available.

"Who is this girl?" He asked, baffled.

Batman's heavy gaze was centered solely on him as he asked, "Does it matter?"

"No, of course not, but can't we Zeta...?" He argued, trying to wiggle out of this without saying it. But he had to. Someone's life was on the line.

"Zeta-Tubes are off-line. Sorry." Robin told him.

"Right. Then how can I say no?" Wally's voice wavered as he hit his chest where the lightning bolt symbol was, turning from winter stealth to the bold yellow and red color palette that was so familiar.

"Guess I won't be needing stealth. Speedy delivery boy, at your service." I felt bad for Wally. He sounded genuinely upset over not being able to come with us. But what could we possibly do? That little girl needs a heart. He has to save her life.

With that, the meeting adjourned as Batman sent us off to our respective vehicles and teams. Or, most of us.

I watched as Failsafe stalled in walking toward the back of the cave where the launch pads were. She inhaled a breath and turned on her heel, going back over to where we had been standing, and grabbed Wally by the arms.

I waited by the door to the hallway with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms as she talked to him. I could barely hear what they were saying from here, but I could make out the gist of it. She was telling him to be wary.

"On the way, there will be an obstacle to distract you. Ignore him. He will stop attacking if you leave. You will save more lives by avoiding him." She grabbed his other arm, staring him in the eye. I gaped in amazement, genuinely believing for a moment I was imagining this.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She'd told me a little bit of the importance of this when we were changing... But I never thought, unprompted, too, that she would go this far on her own. She was warning him of the future. She was trying to change things. My heart panged. This shouldn't have been a surprise; it was exactly what she said she'd set out to do. But still, it was just hard to believe.

"And when you get to the final destination, if someone tells you that the girl is dead, don't believe them. Check for yourself, and by no means do you hand the heart over to them. Do you hear me, Wallace?" Failsafe's facial expression was new to me despite being my own. I'd never seen myself look so serious and determined. A spark flashed in her eyes and ran through her entire being, something I had always felt and never seen.

Is that what it looked like? It might've been self-flattery to say, but it was powerful. And maybe it was because it wasn't my words. They were Failsafe's. But the words themselves were moving. And even though they weren't meant for me, I wanted to listen to her.

I shivered. Okay, that was enough self-admiration for the day. If I continued any further, I might become a self-confident, healthy, and self-loving-adjusted person. A shiver racked my spine again, and I was very grateful to see Failsafe approach me with a confused Wally not far behind.

She smiled at me as I pushed off the wall, walking over to her coyly. "I'm proud of you, Safe."

"Don't be. I didn't do much." She stated, watching as Wally walked past us into the hallway toward the launch docks.

"You helped save that little girl." I pointed out.

"Kid Flash was going to save her regardless of my help. All I did was save a little time." She said, extending her hand out to me. "Ready to go?"

"Do you even need to ask?" I responded, grabbing her hand. The feeling of teleportation came like a jolt through my body.

I wasn't met with a reply, but the cold bite of windchill on my exposed skin and thankfulness for our insulated uniform. I exhaled, watching my breath get harshly taken away by the high winds and cold.

I shared one look with Failsafe, nodding, before we split. She took to the skies as I bounded across the machine's ground.

It was decided that we'd see how we do as a team for this next mission. And I don't intend to let anybody down.

I reached into my belt, pulling out batarangs and throwing them at a turret, shooting at Captain Marvel. They exploded, and so did the gun. I kept up the pace, jumping over the exploded turret.

"Hey, Cap! Bye, Cap!" I yelled over all the noise as I reached out at the vertex of my jump, squealing with delight as Failsafe grabbed my hand and brought me up to throw me at another gun. I shifted into the Between to avoid its fire, feeling the wind rushing past me as I rematerialized. Smashing right through the turret as Failsafe jammed the nozzle.

"Wooo!" I cheered, feeling the impact of my drop and kick being absorbed by my boots. As I did, I caught sight of Failsafe and Doctor Fate shooting at turrets back to back.

I shifted, running around the city-sized machine with batarangs, throwing them at anything in sight to cause some damage. Watching with a sadistic thrill as they detonated, blowing the gun up with them. Superman flew above me just out of sight, wrecking all that he could see.

I took out another turret, not losing momentum as I launched another Batarang at it. The explosion caught me off balance as the Fortress shifted on its axis, and I lost my footing. Captain Marvel swooped down, catching me in his arms like a baby kangaroo. He held me by my waist as we soared higher into the sky.

"Thanks, Billy." I inhaled deeply. The air up here was thin and dry. But after such a scare, it was welcome.

"No problem." He smiled at me, teeth so white they sparkled in the glow of the snow around us.

"Captain Marvel over here!" Failsafe ordered, pointing to the bottom of the Fortress where most of the snow was still being produced. Doctor Fate used his magic to hold back the ice in one of the openings, causing it to stall. While on the other side, Superman was shooting his heat vision from a safe distance.

It seemed like while I was working on the turrets, the others had been taking out the ice-producing machines on the bottom, which caused the Fortress to turn on its axis as one of the engines was hit.

"Right!" Captain Marvel yelled back.

I barely had enough time to say, "Hey, what about m—" before Failsafe telekinetically took me from him. Keeping me afloat beside her as Captain Marvel charged into one of the six openings. I watched as Failsafe held out her hands, looking as if she were putting significant effort into it, as one of the six openings began to fill up with snow and start to break down, exploding.

With that, there was only one opening in the Fortress left. Failsafe brought her attention toward it, but something seemed to be blocking or holding her back. She grunted, and I felt my heart drop as we wavered in the sky, dropping a couple of inches before she collected herself again.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, feeling power rush into me. My partner turned to give me eye contact as I smiled at her, nodding. Air expelled from her open mouth before she nodded too, turning back to the Fortress and trying once more. On the other side, Superman and Captain Marvel flew forward into the machine, using their immense strength and speed to rocket through the metal citadel. Doctor Fate targeted the Fortress with Failsafe, too, and I watched as they worked together to attack it without interfering with each other's attacks. As if they had done it before and knew just what to do.

The ice Fortress fell with the final, combined efforts of the Justice League heroes. The citadel dropped into the ocean, crashing against the waves heavily as its full hundreds of tons of weight brought it closer to the bottom of the sea. What a waste of metal.

I breathed a sigh of relief, laughing giddily and offering a high-five to Failsafe. "We did it! That was great, Failsafe!"

She hesitated a moment before slapping my hand with her own gently, offering a smile of her own. Captain Marvel flew over with Superman, and Doctor Fate regrouped with us as well. I high-fived Billy, too, giggling as I tried to mask the stinging in my hand from his hit. Super strength is no joke.

Superman was the one to call in our victory over the comms. "Superman to League, ice Fortress Four is officially dealt with."

Our victory lasted as long as it took for a reply to come from the comms. With Ice Fortress four down, only five was left. But it looked like the situation was more dire there than we thought.

Wonder Woman was the one to send the distress signal. "Wonder Woman to League, we need reinforcements, now. The Fortress has drifted over Central City and is spiraling out of control. We need all hands on deck to slow its descent."

"Copy. We're on our way. Out." Superman stated quickly, getting ready to break the sound barrier if he needed to, to get there as fast as he could.

Failsafe interjected, "You'll be too slow. We'll go. And handle it ourselves."

Doctor Fate's piercing stare seared into my soul in the plot moment it took for him to look at Failsafe. "You're sealing your own fate. If you do this, there will be no plea that can help you."

"I won't stand by anymore. People will die." She argued, locking her gaze with him. "I sealed my fate the moment I chose this path."

Failsafe's figure straightened out, looking taller than I actually was. There was conviction in her voice. And the words didn't fly past my head. This was the most I'd ever seen or heard from Failsafe regarding taking charge. She was breaking from her comfort. Those memories that had guided her weren't doing so now.

She was changing, forging her own fate. No matter what the cost seemed to be.

"You don't have the power." The Lord of Order stated. Magic-filled eyes focused on Failsafe. His arms remained crossed, and his body was stiff. The only part of his floating form moving was the golden yellow cape flapping in the wind. "Not anymore."

"Not alone." She snapped her attention to me. There was something behind her expression I couldn't place. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen from Failsafe before.

She held out her hand to me. The air around her was different, too. It was trembling just like her hand. And I realized that the air around her was uncertainty. She truly didn't know if I was going to take her hand or not. But she was placing her bets on me regardless.

"Do you even need to ask?" I told her confidently as I took her hand. Unspoken relief was present in the air, but Failsafe didn't show that. Her body conveyed trust, and in her face was total confidence.

That's how it should have been from the start.

I felt Failsafe's hand grip mine tighter as the teleportation took both of us in its hold, sending us across space and time. When I opened my eyes again, I was startled and had to brace myself against the diagonal ice Fortress.

I couldn't see either of the Hawks or Captain Atom. But I caught a glimpse of Wonder Woman strong-arming the ice Fortress, doing her best to pull it up into the air. Failsafe grabbed my hand, breaking out into a full sprint in the opposite direction.

Having no choice but to follow her, I started rushing too. Failsafe brought her hand up to the comm link, giving commands to the heroes over the sounds of creaking metal and the snowstorm.

"Everyone, evacuate the ice Fortress now." Failsafe issued orders so fluidly that it reminded me of Batman. "(Y/n) and I are going to move it from Central City to the Missouri River."

"The displacement of that much mass in such a short time is risky, Failsafe, wait for backup," Batman commanded through the comms. Failsafe shook her head, though I was the only one around to see.

"I need everyone to get a safe distance away." She continued.

"We can't do that," Wonder Woman started from the other side of the comms. "Its altitude is already too low. If we let go now, it will fall on top of Central City."

"We'll be quick," Failsafe argued. I caught sight of the destroyed turrets as we passed and wondered what happened to cause such a desperate situation in the first place. "We're going to molecularize it using (Y/n)'s powers. It'll create a vacuum, but we'll be able to remove the threat from the city completely."

My eyes practically bulged out of my skull. The Missouri River?! That was miles away! I couldn't do that. My power wasn't teleportation but shifting. Even if we used the Between, I couldn't just walk the Fortress over there. What the hell was she thinking?

Even after training for weeks, I could still only teleport items on my body or about as big as a phone. I couldn't even shift a damn notebook yet!

"Whatever you do, it better be," Hawkwoman claimed. "If we stop pushing, you only have about a minute."

"That's more than enough time." Failsafe looked back at me, sensing my unease, and slowed speed. She smiled at me, not reassuringly or mocking, but teasing. As if to say, 'You took my hand. Now you have to live with that decision.'

On any other day, I would have loved to pursue her challenge. But she just said this stunt would rely on me and my powers. Did I have what it took, even with Failsafe's help, to secure the safety of an entire city?

People's lives were on the line. The League was counting on us. And Faislafe was severely weakened from that stunt Klarion pulled not too long ago, so... So even my life could be on the line if something went wrong. Even if it went right... Would she still have enough power, enough stability to save me? Or would she be reduced to formless regeneration like those first few days with the crystal?

What would happen then?

Failsafe let go of my hand, and I realized we made it to the closest we were going to get to the middle. I stalled as soon as she stopped leading me, a lump forming in my throat as she merged back into me.

'Once you bring the Fortress into the Between, they'll merge for a time. Since your body stays in this world because of me, I'll supercharge your power and then teleport to the Missouri River while you're shifting. If I'm fast enough, you should appear over the river. Once that happens, all you have to do is shift back after dropping it.'

'But what if you're not fast enough? What if I don't?' I asked apprehensively, watching as Captain Atom started to lose his grip on the sides.

'I will be.' Failsafe assured. But it sounded like more of a reassurance to herself than me.

I wasn't scared charging headfirst into this battle because Failsafe and the League were with me. If I failed, they could handle it and cover up my failure. Even against Klarion, I hadn't been afraid because there had been the possibility of a way out. But here? Right now? I could die. Others could die. Failsafe might be able to protect me, but she was getting weak.

I admitted it to myself; I was scared now. My bones seemed to stall, and up here, where the air was thin, it was hard to collect my breath in my lungs. Failsafe had even said it herself. People would die. We were fighting against fate here.

But hadn't we been doing that every day? The little voice, unclouded by my raw emotions, suddenly started to run, growing with every word. In this situation, it was hopeless if we didn't act. So, the only choice was to act. To take the one chance at saving people's lives and keep going. Maybe my life was on the line, but everyone here had placed their lives in danger today, fighting for that chance to do right. It was disrespectful to fight by their side and not fully commit the same. This is a choice between doing nothing and taking charge for something.

If I fall here, it's because I tried. Not because I was too scared to take the leap. My inaction will cause greater grief than my action. So, there really was only one option.

Even if something happened, even if I were to die here, I have a chance to save these people. And if that's not what a hero is, I don't know what is.

I raised my hands up shakily, tapping on the comms. I needed to do it now before I backed out. Because for all I feel, for all I thought. Fear was a driving thing. And I was still afraid. "Now."

There was a stall, and the back part of the Fortress lurched before the rest of it followed. It was an immediate drop, like one of those rides at the amusement park. Except this time, there was no safety stall for the descent. This was a free fall.

My legs locked in a crouch almost mechanically as I tried to maintain my equilibrium, and I raised my arms, feeling the power course through my body as my powers were amplified beyond what I could ever possibly hope to achieve on my own. I had to think about this. I had to find a way to do this on my own. Failsafe could amplify, but she couldn't control these powers. This was mine and mine alone to deal with.

I slammed my hands down with as much force as I could muster, crying out at the aftershocks. It didn't hurt, but even with the amplification, it was a lot of effort to move such a thing myself. To do this, I had to disperse it first, then myself. It was the exact same way I did it with my phone or a batarang, but this time, it couldn't be done instantaneously. It was going against all my instincts when it came to my powers. This time, I had to force back my own molecularization to handle this first.

Feedback from the comms made me flinch, but I couldn't hear what was being said, only that it sounded frantic and from someone young. There was too much noise, with the whirling of the failing machines and the electricity crackling in the snowed-out, dry air.

Failsafe's amplification stayed in my system even as she and I separated across space and time. But as the world went silent, with only the extreme winds passing by my ears as the Fortress continued to fall, I couldn't help but notice the way everything seemed to move in slow motion despite the speeds.

For a split second, time stalled as a tinted purple hue overtook the sky. And as I looked around me in wonder and amazement, I saw it. Shattered glass reflecting hardship and pain, joy and happiest moments. They continued to separate, making completely new reflections. This was my power. Something not even Failsafe could do. It swirled together in my mind, and I saw each and every shard down to the finest fragment, and it gave me strength. It gave me a spark of courage through all of my remaining doubts. When I finally caught up to time, the electricity surging through my molecules was unlike anything I'd ever felt. And for the first time, I felt powerful.

And I knew it was time to go. Because I had a job to do. Because this was a job I could do. I was the only one who could.

Shifting back was just as hard, if not harder, than shifting here. The aftershocks overtook my body again, and this time, it rattled through me like the fire of the Reds. A yell of effort and frustration escaped my lips as I put forth everything I could muster into moving this hulking mass. My vision blurred, and all the energy in my body focused on this. On what I wanted more than anything. To save people. To do this. To live.

It's almost whiplash when the overwhelming feeling of free fall is replaced with the stability of flight in the air as the ground disappeared under my feet, continuing to drop into the Missouri River. The disconnect was so apparent that I snapped my own neck back, groaning at the sudden motion. Realizing that Failafe's plan worked, and I had popped back exactly where she, and my body, were. And that the Fortress had followed me, safely away from the city.

I wanted to smile. Despite the exhaustion, we'd done it. My body dropped a couple of inches quickly, falling like the Fortress before Failsafe managed to catch us. And I realized that I wasn't the only one who exhausted all of her energy. I laughed, letting the smile return on my face now that I was sure Failsafe had caught us.

"We did it, Failsafe."

'Just as I said we would.' She corroborated.

"You did say that, yeah." I mused, looking down at our work as it splashed into the river. The water spread out at high velocity, reaching toward the sky and dropping as if it were rain returning to the Earth again.

"I saw them again," I pointed out to her. "You were right, mirrors instead of bubbles. Gotta say, like them a lot better."

'They sound nice.' Failsafe mused. 'It must be something worth seeing. But that's not the thing you've put thought into, is it?'

I huffed dismissively. Of course, she caught on before my big reveal. I was still workshopping it, but telling Failsafe and getting a second opinion didn't sound terrible. Besides, she really should be the first one to know.

"I've been thinking of a name for what I can do since I can't just keep calling it something so... boring. And Between is a boring name. I was thinking, Voidstep." I emphasized, moving my outstretched arm out as I told Failsafe the name as if it would magically spell itself in the air like some kind of cartoon.

'It sounds like a great name.' Failsafe told me, though I got the impression she was more tired than interested, which was fair. I didn't have it in me for theatrics at the moment, either. Despite that, I knew she meant what she said.

If she thought it was bad, I had no doubt in my mind she would have told me.

"Alright then, let's go home now?" I offered, really hoping that she had enough juice in her to teleport us right to the cave. In a fraction of an instant, I was in the main lobby as the rest of the team, still in their polar stealth uniforms, gathered after the battle.

As my feet touched the ground, my legs almost crumbled, and I groaned. The exhaustion had become one with my entire being, and I barely recognized my legs had started moving my slumped-over figure until I flopped on Connor, using his muscles form as a crutch to stay on my feet.

He hesitated for a second before patting my back. An awkward "good job" came from him, and I smiled to myself. I got a compliment from Connor. Sweet.

"My entire body's trying to kill me," I whined, looking up at him. All my muscles were tightened, and every movement was uncomfortable.

"That's called being sore." Artemis snarked from beside Megan. The Martian showed some concern for me, but we were all just tired—nothing to ruminate about.

"Oh boo. Is this what you guys feel every day? This sucks." I snapped back. I knew what being sore was like. I participated in Black Canary's training, sometimes with effort, even.

"Welcome to the party." Artemis's lips curled up in spite of her sarcastic words. Our playful banter was always fun, wasn't it?

I'm glad I was able to make sure we could do this. I doubt it would have been as happy if I had failed, or never tried at all.

If this was what it felt like to do the right thing, be a hero, I can see why everyone here tried their hardest every day. It was an addicting feeling, the validation. Something you could get lost in your whole life.

"I heard you saved a city, (Y/n)!" Robin's voice cut through. Not a moment later, I was ripped away from Connor, and Robin pulled me into his arms in a hug. Or more like a choking grip as his arms locked around my shoulders. I patted my hand on his arm.

I locked eyes with Wally—someone I didn't expect to see so soon based on Failsafe's story. I decided to give the real credit. "Oh yeah? But I heard Wally saved a country."

The ginger chuckled. "What can I say? I'm the man."

Robin let go of me just in time for Wally to place a heavy hand on my shoulder. He waited until everyone had started talking about their own experiences and paid less attention to us before speaking quietly, leaning in near my ear.

"Thanks. You saved that girl today, Failsafe." I placed a hand on his shoulder, even as Failsafe used my mouth to talk to him.

"All I did was give a small warning. It was your quick wit and ingenuity that saved Vlatava." She nodded toward him with respect.

He nodded to himself, a smile returning to his face as the serious moment passed. The speedster joined the group in their conversation, and I just stood there for a moment.

'You did save that girl. Even if you don't think you did.' I told her. It didn't matter if she didn't believe me. Saying the truth was all I wanted. I know she knows the work she does is important, even down to the tiniest part. But sometimes, I feel as though it needs to be said. Recognized. Even when she herself won't.

It had taken less than four hours for everything to resolve... But it felt like an eternity in a moment. I inhaled deeply, feeling my lungs burn and suck up the thicker air. The cold was slowly leaking out of me, making me numb in places. I was so tired I was practically shaking. But overall, I felt the best I'd ever been.

'Let's... never do that again.'

'Agreed.' I chortled. I must not have been the only exhausted one. I guess Fate had been right. On our own, neither of us would have been able to do what we did today. So it's a good thing we're both together.

I joined the rest of my team, conversing about the day we'd all had together. I had a feeling I'd be sleeping well tonight.