Starling Wing - Arrow & Rising Robin Crossover Fanfic

Chapter XIX: The Message

Richard walked down the hallway leading towards the hotel room where Jaime Reyes was staying at. Richard hoped that the boy was still there, considering that Richard was paying for that room. Richard glanced down at his phone. It was almost noon. He hadn't left Tim alone in the car for long, but still, he didn't want to be gone long.

Richard searched for the room. He saw the 600's & began to make his way down that hall. He saw the room 606 & stopped in front of the door. Richard glanced around the hall. It was eerily quiet in this part of the hotel.

Richard raised a fist to the door & knocked three times. There was no response from inside. Richard knocked three more times. "It's me, Jaime. Nightwing." Richard realized that he wasn't in his suit, but he was more concerned about the boy's well being than his secret identity. Regardless, it wouldn't matter if he couldn't see the boy again.

Richard knocked three more times, only heavier this time. After no response, Richard sighed & reached into his back pocket. He removed his phone from his pocket & opened up an electronic hacking app that Harper had helped Richard design. It was convenient to a certain extent; it took too long to use. But Richard needed to know the boy was alright, after all that had happened.

Richard held the phone near the door's keycard lock & waited for the red light to flash green. After a few moments, the door beeped, granting Richard access. Richard stuffed his phone back in his pocket & pushed the door open. Richard gasped softly at the sight before him.

The inside of the hotel room was a complete mess. It appeared as though a tornado had spun through the halls, wrecking the furniture & the walls. The lights were hardly hanging onto the roof, & the beds & chairs were flipped across the room. There were holes in the walls & electrical sparks pulled out from inside of the insulation. The windows & TV had been smashed, & in the middle of the disaster, was Jaime Reyes.

Reyes was laying on his back, unconscious. Richard ran over & knelt down beside the boy. He noticed Jaime's shirt was ripped off, but there were no signs of any physical damage inflicted on the boy's body. He wasn't hurt, at least, not visibly. But the boy was still knocked out cold. Richard pressed his finger beside the boy's neck. He felt a pulse, but it was faint. He was alive still.

Richard flipped the boy's body around, noticing the blue beetle that Jaime had shown him the other night. The beetle was moving slightly, as it's embedded body shifted its mechanical exoskeleton subtly. The beetle was etched with blue & black markings, & it was glowing a dark blueish hue. If it really was alien tech, then it certainly was being activated.

Suddenly, Jaime gasped, being brought back alive by pure luck & chance. The boy breathed heavily, gasping for air as though he had none. He clung onto Richard's shirt, completely hysterical. He noticed Richard's face as he cooed, calming Jaime down. Jaime's frantic breathing slowed to a steady pace. Richard nodded. "You're okay, kid."

Jaime sighed. He rubbed his temples, then caught sight of his surroundings. He groaned softly. "Dammit," he muttered.

Richard sighed, glancing around. "I'll...I'll pay for this damage," he said quietly.

Jaime took a deep breath & sighed. "N...Nightwing," he said softly. Richard nodded, listening intently to the boy. "I...I don't think the scarab is going to stop anytime soon."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Stop what?"

"Stop taking over," Jaime answered. "It...it keeps fighting me, asking for total control. It has urges to kill, like, all the time. It says it's preparing for something."

"What?" Richard asked. "Preparing for what?"

Jaime shook his head. "I don't know. I saw flashes of things. These...monsters. Lots of monsters, in herds. They came from the sky, man, & they're coming soon."

Richard shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Monsters coming from the sky? Clearly, it was an invasion. Jaime said they were coming soon, but, how could you prepare for an invasion? Kryptonians & Tamarians were different, being peaceful aliens that came for refuge. But...an invasion...

Richard sighed. "What else do you see?" Richard asked.

Jaime took a deep breath. "They're...they're studying something. They..." Jaime's voice trailed off, & suddenly, his eyes fluttered shut. Richard suddenly began to the panic. He felt the boy's pulse again, but he couldn't find one. Richard started to initiate CPR on Jaime, pressing down on his chest. Before he could reach thirty seconds, the boy suddenly woke up again, but his eyes were glowing blue.

Richard moved away from the boy in fright as the boy sat up & stared at Richard. His glowing blue eyes seemed to sear through Richard's soul. The entity within Jaime seemed to want Richard's attention. He wasn't sure if it was the scarab attempting to communicate, or something else entirely. Then it spoke. "Richard Grayson," the entity said, using Jaime's voice while revealing its own unnatural voice that hummed underneath Jaime's.

Richard gulped. "Yeah," he managed to say.

The entity continued to stare at Richard. "The skies will open, & they will come to dominate over us. They've come for the one who controls time & alters realities. Despite each & every variable, it falls upon you, Richard Grayson. You must unite them all."

Richard gasped. "What?" he cried. "What are you talking about? Unite who?"

The entity moved closer to Richard, using Jaime's body to grasp Richard's collar. As he leaned closer to Richard, blue blades extended out from behind Jaime's back. The scarab was evolving, revealing itself to Richard. "It falls upon you, Richard Grayson. You are the constant."

With that, Jaime fell onto Richard's lap. The blue blades retracted back into the blue scarab on the back of Jaime's neck. Jaime began to breathe easily. He stirred, then finally woke again. "Whoa," he gasped.

Richard let out a deep breath. "Yeah, man," he said. "Wow."

The two sat in silence for a while. Richard considered all that the scarab seemed to convey to him. It was a warning, clearly. An invasion was coming. Richard couldn't ignore this. He had to warn someone, ANYONE. It seemed as though Richard had no other options.

Richard sighed. "I know a man," he said. "He runs a secret organization with people like you, with abilities. The League can help you, make sense of this."

Jaime nodded. He rubbed his temples together. "Thank you, Richard."

Richard continued to sit there, with Jaime on his lap, considering all that had happened. What the hell had the world come to?