My life outside the Mythical World

Complications

Run bulletproof, run yeah you gotta run! Run Beautiful, run yeah you gotta run!

I've been obsessed with this song ever since it came out. Total banger! Anyway, just want to say, this is a short chapter (if you have seen the episode you'll know why). Percy's POV is not in this because of what happened in the last chapter, but don't worry, it will return in the next.

Dick's POV

Furious was not the word to describe his mood when he heard what had happened just mere minutes after he had told the Team to rendezvous and come home.

The Team vanished without a trace, and Percy lost again without a warning.

Dick was worried out of his mind, his already stressed mind now full-on overload. He could barely hold in his anger and anguish as he and Doctor Fate emerged out of the portal.

"Alright, what happened? What the hell happened to Tidal-Wing and the rest of my Team?!" He yelled, his voice echoing around the vast empty chamber. Nightwing glared at the blue-clad boy in front of him, who coward a little at his fury.

"It's all my fault," Blue Beetle admitted in a small voice, head lower, staring at the floor. Green Beetle was beside him, a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"That assessment is inaccurate," Green said in his usual calm voice.

"Just tell him what you told us." Captain Atom added from the side.

Nightwing crossed his arms, waiting. He looked calm on the outside, but his heart was raging, panicked, and worried about what might have happened to Percy and the Team.

Jaime took a deep breath and began. "We'd won...We were all here in this bay, Wondergirl had Mongul hogtied. Then suddenly a Boom Tube opened up right beneath our feet. I-I flew up and out. It was an instinct, you know! But before I could do anything else, the Boom Tube closed...and the others were gone..."

Dick gritted his teeth, mustering all his strengths not to let his heartbreak show. He pulled out his wrist computer and began typing, his hands were shaking but that didn't bother him. "I'm definitely reading traces of Boom Tube activity." He confirmed, eyes peering at Jaime from time to time underneath his mask. He still doesn't fully buy the boy's story.

"We think Mongul may have opened the Boom Tube as a means of escape, gaining the Team as captives in the bargain." Captain Atom said, then his face darkened. "The Team...and worse..."

"Impulse had the crystal key," Jaime told them.

CA nodded grimly. "The priority right now is to make sure no one uses it to reactivate the War World. Captain Marvel and Rocket are already guarding the Key Chamber. And the Justice League will continue guarding it in shifts until the key is found and the threat is ended."

"This is all my fault," said Jaime guiltily. A part of Dick wanted to scream at the boy that yes, this is in fact his fault! He should have grabbed them when he had the chance. But another more sensible part of him knew better than to say that. Until all clues have been found, Dick can't say anything. Besides, Percy would never forgive him if he laid the blame on an innocent boy.

In the end, Nightwing sighed, all emotions cleared from his face. "Stop...you didn't do anything wrong. We'll figure this out. For now-"

"I will ensure he gets home safely," Green Beetle offered. His eagerness raised a hint of suspicion in Dick's heart but he said nothing. Behind the two Beetles, Dr. Fate opened a portal for them that lead straight back to Earth. Nightwing's gaze lingered on the Martian for a moment longer, Green and Blue had gotten a lot closer recently, ever since Impulse informed him that Green had somehow fixed Blue's scarab.