Chapter Text
“You want to force the universe to feel what you feel. But life is... subjective, Krona. The Guardians' greatest flaw is not realizing that.” Green Lantern #67 (2005)
Hal helps move a few more unconscious assassins into the GCPD Headquarters holding cell. He’d enjoyed transporting them all in a giant green hamster ball but if he was right that was the last of them. When he looks around outside he can’t see a single bat or bird. That’s not a great sign. Roy rushes over to him, bow still in hand, and Hal braces himself for another assassin to come flying at them both.
“The bats have Starling’s location, they’re heading for him now.” Roy pants out the words as he catches his breath. “You gotta go, now. They should be just outside Gotham Cemetery.”
Crap. Ok, Hal can do this, he just has to be faster than the weirdos who know this city better than anyone else. Yeah. He can do that. He taps Barry on the shoulder, interrupting a conversation about burden of proof. He’s a little flattered when Barry cuts himself off and turns around immediately. Sue him, it’s not every day someone prioritises Hal over anything that interests them.
“What’s up?” Barry asks.
“I need a lift to the cemetery.” Hal tells him
“Why holyshitareyouok? Whatdoyoumeancemetery? Doyoumeanhospital? Icangetyoutohospital.” Bary’s hands are on him, checking for injuries. Hal has to clear his throat before he can grab Barry’s hands to calm him down.
“I’m fine. Starling and Robin just revealed their location and I need to beat Spooky over there. You in?”
“’Course.” Barry snorts. “I’ll need my hands back though.” Hal drops them like they’re suddenly burning. Maybe they are? That’d be totally normal thing to happen, and it would explain why Hal feels warm all over like some stupid teenager with his first crush. He doesn’t have time for this, he can be embarrassed later.
Barry races them away from the docks and towards some part of Gotham’s gloomy landscape that somehow manages to be even more gothic than the rest of it with two churches and a synagogue all nearby. Probably other buildings of worship, too but Hal only names the ones he recognises. Just outside a wrought iron gate with fancy filigree metalwork Tim and Damian are being lectured by Batman.
“-ompletely irresponsible! You-“ Batman is cut off by Tim.
“And how exactly is that your problem, B? You didn’t care about my safety when you showed up to Gateway City to tell me off. You just have to yell at me so everyone sees how you condemn any of us who screw up. Yeah, everyone look at the poor Bat and how his awful former protegé wandered too far from his teachings.”
“To-Re- Starling! That isn’t what this is about! You planned to kill Ra’s, however you justify it to yourself, you set in motion the events that led to his death and did not stop them.”
“Oh and when exactly did I do that? Was it when he blew me up to get my attention? Or maybe it was all those times he tried to convince me to join him. Oh, I know! It was probably when he sent his sister to rape me, yeah that was probably it. Or when he threw me off Wayne Tower for daring to believe he’d listen when I told him ‘no’. One of those?” Tim glares. “It’s fine. I’m not your problem anymore, you can wipe your hands clean of responsibility. Lucky you, you can finally get rid of little brat who forced his way into your life. You’re free now!”
“Tim!” Nightwing calls out.
“No names in the field!” Tim sing-songs back.
“OK, OK break it up!” Hal says as he moves himself to stand between them. “What in the high school catfight was that supposed to be?” Hal doesn’t actually expect an answer, but having worked with Batman for as many years as he has, he knows that dramatic pauses after rhetorical questions just don’t work on him. “I am only going to do this once so both of you better pay attention and freaking appreciate it.” He pointedly stares at Batman as he says this, in the vain hope that Bruce will somehow understand the enormity of the favor he’s trying to do for him.
“Right, Spooky, tell me if I’m translating your lecture wrong, or don’t since I’ll do it better anyway: Starling, I was so very worried about you and Robin. I understand why you did what you did, even if I disagree with it and that scares me since I have the worst case of thanatophobia this sector has ever seen. How am I doing so far?” Batman grunts and Hal continues. “I feel responsible for you because you are my son, not because I trained you, and I’m being a grumpy asshole about it because I want you to come home. And I am terrible at expressing this to the point where I’ve driven most of my children away with my constant criticism.”
“Hm.” Batman grunts again. “You aren’t wrong.” Tim’s jaw hits the floor. The shadow-y Batgirl – or was it Black Bat? – laughs.
“What?” Tim says.
“Sorry Starling, you aren’t getting out of this either. Oh Batdad, I’m scared that every time I make a mistake you’ll throw me out on my ass because those are the vibes you give off, just ask Nightwing. I don’t think anyone in Gotham actually wants me around beyond how useful I can be, so staying here felt like being controlled and leaving felt like getting out before you forced me to. I’m scared that you hate me now for breaking your big fancy rule even though we just fought alongside Red Hood not ten minutes ago. And all of this is really messing with my abandonment issues.”
“Hey!” Tim says. “Just because you’re right doesn’t mean you should say it.”
Nightwing makes a wounded noise. Tim’s team pull up behind them, Eclipse carrying Mercury about seven feet off the ground, with Pandora hovering beside them.
“Wonder!” Eclipse calls. “You ready to haul ass or did you wanna be yelled at some more?”
Starling bites his lip. “Gimme five minutes.”
His team don’t fly away. Good. Though, on closer inspection none of them are looking too good. Kon’s shoulders are slumped in exhaustion, his hair damp with some kind of Gotham sludge. Cassie has one hell of a shiner on her cheek swelling an eye shut, how did they manage to do that? It looks like knuckle duster imprints, some assassin must have had magical ones. Mercury has the classic limp arms of a speedster who’s had to carry too many people, he looks so much like Barry, Hal can’t help but smile.
A few other JL members fly over towards them, Clark, Diana, John, and J’onn. Hal nods at John, trying to project the warning in his eyes, this is not Green Lantern business, stay out of it. John may be someone with too much faith in rules and laws, but he can be a decent partner when it comes down to it. Diana races over to Cassie, making Kon and Bart tense. But Diana ignores them in favour of murmuring to Cassie in Ancient Greek.
Tim watches Diana and Cassie, seeming to come to the same conclusion as Hal: Diana is not a threat to Cassie’s safety. That’s a big call considering everything Hal heard about the incident in Gateway. Tim clears his throat but Bruce speaks first.
“Ti-Starling, I’m not-not any good at this.” Batman flails, weighing each word like it’s worth more than his ridiculous fortune. “But you-I want-there is always a place for you at home. With us. Regardless of anything.” Batman takes a deep breath, Nightwing pats his back encouragingly. “I have never held our family’s pasts against them; you are included in that.”
The part of Starling’s face not concealed by his mask spasms. Hal has to fight the urge to throw up a green shield to let Tim work through this in private, he knows the kid hates being caught by surprise. But Tim pulls himself together and Hal knows he has no right to the pride that rises in his chest.
“B, that means a lot, um, but I’m not moving back here. I’m finally doing better and getting out of Gotham has been a big part of that. I, er, I don’t want to give you guys false hope: We’re not OK, any of us. I’m really only OK with talking to the Batgirls, Robin, and Red Hood, which is kinda freaky TBH. If things are ever going to get better you need to go along with the new JL mentoring rules, get help, proper help not accosting my therapist.” Batman has the good sense to look ashamed. Good. Protects him from a giant green fist to the face. “I’m not Hood, this isn’t some violent declaration or whatever. I have a family with or without you.” Tim looks up at his team. “This is a calm demand. Learn about where you went wrong, figure out how to do better, and wait for me to be ready to talk again outside of a major crisis.”
“It’s not forever, just for while things get better?” Nightwing asks, hope in his voice. Robin elbows him.
“Do you need your hearing checked? That is what he said.”
Staling laughs. “What Robin said. Not forever, just for now. While we heal.”
Kon visibly flags in the air. “OK, this was . . . well, it wasn’t fun but it was something, but I gotta go . . .” Tim says
“Wait!” Nightwing says. “Are you dating Eclipse or Arrowette?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Tim retorts, turning away.
Hal takes that as his cue. “Let me give you guys a lift, I’m not tired and you guys look beat.” The part about not being tired is a bald-faced lie, but Hal will make it work. He manifests a platform for the kids who pile on and slump to the ground.
Barry races over to Bart and they have a conversation too fast for Hal to parse. Superman has a much more reasonable paced conversation with Eclipse, Hal tries not to eavesdrop but he hears ‘farm’, ‘misses you’ and ‘see you later’ because he is apparently equally bad at both eavesdropping and not eavesdropping.
Hal gets ready to fly the kids home when Barry places a hand on his arm.
“Hey, you still staying in that hotel?” Barry asks.
“Yeah, no point taking out a lease when I’ll be back in space before the month is out.”
“Save a night or some, come stay at ours. Iris’ cooking tonight, you look like you could use a homecooked meal.” At this rate, Hal’s spending more time at Barry and Iris’ than he is anywhere else.
“I don’t wanna put you guys out or anything. If you want some time to yourselves . . .”
“Don’t be ridiculous, come by once you’re done with the kids.” Barry pats him on the shoulder and races off. And Hal is not going to think about that because the domesticity and flirtation of it all may actually be the thing that kills him. Sinestro would be furious.
The flight to Happy Harbour doesn’t take long, he leaves a sunroof on his green platform, and Eclipse starts perking up as they go. He’s well enough to TTK the dirt and debris of himself and the others as soon as they arrive. Hal waits for them to change into pyjamas and makes sure they’re all settled in their enormous bed. Kon is spread out in the middle, with Tim and Bart basically on top of each other on one side and Cassie curled up on the other. Hal knows Kon can TTK the covers around them but he adjusts them anyway, leaving water bottles and pain killers on the night stands and a few granola bars since the meds shouldn’t be taken on an empty stomach.
Tim is already asleep and snoring softly, Bart has a hand cradling Tim’s head where it isn’t pillowed against Kon’s chest. Cassie looks moments from falling asleep herself, but Hal grabs her an ice pack and some medical tape and helps her stick it to her cheek.
She gives him a sleepy, swollen smile and lets herself burrow into her pillow and Kon. Hal can’t help but smile back at all of these hurt kids. They’re all looking so much better than they had the first time he’d come here. They’re smiling in their sleep, looking well fed and even a little tan (basically unheard of in the cases of Tim and Bart). Hal doesn’t get all of it, and he knows it; if there is one thing Hal knows it’s how much he doesn’t know about most things. But he knows they’re doing better.
“Good night kids.” He waves at them, switching of the light. They have a whole team of people behind them, more every day as they fix their own issues. They’re going to be OK, all of them.
THE END