"Jaime... Jaime!"

"Mom..." Jaime muttered, "five more minutes..."

"What? Jaime! Wake up!"

"What?!" Jaime immediately got up, but when he woke up, he wasn't in his bed. He was on the couch in the cave's living room.

"You know, you've been losing sleep lately." Supergirl grinned as she hovered over him, "you've been sleeping here for hours. You're lucky Beast Boy didn't do anything to you."

"Heh." Jaime yawned as he got up from the couch, "listen, Kara, I need to talk to you."

"Well, you can tell me anything." Supergirl said as she followed him to the kitchen.

"Yeah, uh, so you have to swear not to tell anyone. I've been going after Bart on my own. I found some leads that I just couldn't tell anyone about." Jaime explained.

"What? Jaime, you need to tell Nightwing!"

"No, I can't..." Jaime sighed as he put his hands on her shoulders, "I can't. This is only between you and me. Got it?"

Supergirl bit her lip and nodded, "why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I'm heading out on a mission today, and if anything happens, I'm relying on you." Jaime nodded, "I'll also be taking Tim and Damian."

Supergirl rose a brow, "where exactly are you three going?"

Jaime smirked, "we're going to the future."

_________________________

"That's so cool!" Olivine laughed as she watched Terra and Lightning training in the training room.

"Hm. It's okay." Alex shrugged.

"Show some appreciation." Mia rolled her eyes, "you'll be working with these two from here on out."

"Yeah, she's got a point." Wally cleared his throat, then turned back to the two girls, "okay, you two are done!"

They ran over, waiting for what Wally had to say next.

"You guys have really cool powers!" Mia grinned.

"Thanks, I guess." Lightning shrugged.

"It's really nothing much." Terra shrugged.

"So, you two have some pretty strong abilities there." Wally crossed his arms, "how long have you two had them."

"Maybe a few years."

"Me too."

"Pretty experienced, too." Alex nodded, "they should be good."

"Mhm." Wally nodded, "I'll get the data collected to Nightwing right away. Thanks guys."

"No problem." Terra nodded as she grabbed a water bottle.

"So, you're Tara Markov?" Alex approached her.

"Uh-huh." Terra looked at him, "why?"

"Oh, just wondering." Alex shrugged casually, then peered at her, "I know a man that I need you to tell me if you know him."

"'Need'?" Terra rose an eyebrow.

Alex silently nodded, "Slade Wilson."

Terra's face went pale, "no."

"Really? You're being honest."

"Yes."

They were silent for some time before Terra cracked the water bottle open and quickly gulped down half the bottle, "later."

__________________________________

"This is it, fellas. Stay out here." Jaime, Tim, and Damian approached an old run-down diner not too long after arriving in the future, about forty years later.

"What do you expect us to do out here?" Damian crossed his arms.

"Just go, Jaime." Tim blew off Damian's remark, "we've got this."

"Thanks." Jaime smiled as he took a breath, then walked in.

Everything around him was a buzz of activity, despite the building being old and run-down. There were business partners having a late dinner, single men having early drinks, and a figure about his own age sitting at the bar.

"Hey, kid. Get out of here. You're way underage. Beat it." The bartender shooed Jaime away.

"No." The boy sitting in front of him stopped him, glaring implications at him, "he's with me."

The bartender scoffed, then walked off to serve another couple sitting at the opposite side of the two boys.

The 'stranger' turned to Jaime, "Didn't expect to see you here."

"What the heck do you think you're doing?"

"I'm doing what I have to, just leave it at that."

Jaime shifted uncomfortably in his barstool, "listen to me, Hermano. I came all this way with Batman's kid and the kid's least-favorite partner, making it the worst trip in my life, just to come out here and get help from you."

The gentleman seated next to Jaime only smiled an unreadable smile, then tapped his fingers impatiently on the countertop, "must've been rough for you."

"You have no idea."

"Then how about I make you a bargain." The sly man turned to face Jaime, "you come join me, and all threats are off."

"That's out of my power."

"Then I guess I can't help you."

"Don't you remember? Before all this crap ever really happened, you agreed! And don't you dare deny it! I made my way here. So I could and I will travel back in time just to prove you wrong."

The boy only smirked, "your enthusiasm never gets old. Amusing."

Jaime shook his head in disbelief, "what happened to you?"

The boy pulled his dark hood further over his face as if hiding himself from all else around him, "you wish you could understand. I can tell. But you just can't, because you weren't born in a generation in which you are destined to die. So no one can say anything about me anymore."

Jaime looked at him pitifully, "you've changed way too much, Hermano." Your act really got its hooks in.

"This isn't all just for show, you know."

"I know. But don't do anything too reckless." Jaime eyes the hooded figure, then smiled, "hey, how are you feeling?"

The boy sighed, "confused. I really don't know who I am anymore."

"I know who you are. And as long as you haven't been completely forgotten, there's no way your legacy could vanish that fast."

"I couldn't save him, Jaime. I tried everything, and even coming back here, he isn't..."

Jaime bit his lip and shook his head, "it's the Justice League. He knew the risks in joining and fighting. We may not know when that day comes, though."

"But when that day comes, I'll die in his place! It was meant to be me in the first place!" The boy stood up, startling Jaime, "even after what I've done... I couldn't go back. I may as well--"

"Do you know what you're saying, Hermano? You've still got a family! You've even got a girl who loves you, and you're just going to throw it all out, just like that?" Jaime countered, leaving the boy in a state of confusion and regret, "think about it..."

He took a deep breath as he sat back down, recollecting his thoughts, then turned back to look at Jaime, "so how is she?"

"She was devastated and is still looking for you... You've broken a lot of hearts, you know... Hers, Wall--"

"I know." The brunette sniffed, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets, "I know. I knew the risks."

Jaime stopped and gazed out the window at the dead streets of what Happy Harbor had become, "it's sad."

"We couldn't do anything about it."

Jaime looked back at his best friend, "you know, I didn't come to see what has become of the city."

"I know, Jaime. There's still so much you need to know."

"Then tell me." Jaime leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "what did he tell you, Bart?"

- To be continued -