The Winds Continue: Young Justice, Zephyr Book 2

Chapter 6: Intervention

I watched with pain as Roy tumbled onto the roof from the street. It should have been a simple landing, but he didn't stick it. This alone, without even looking at his greasy hair that needed a cut or the 5 o'clock shadow concerned me.

Thankfully, Olli didn't say anything as he reached down and extended his hand to his former protege.

"Hey Roy, need a hand?" The blonde archer asked. But Roy simply snarled and slapped the hand away.

"No!" The ginger growled as he got up on his own.

"We think you do." Dick said and we all walked into view. Me, Dick and Wally on one side, and Dinah and Jim on the other.

His eyes immideatly flew to me. "You ratted me out!?" I went to explain but he cut me off, whirling around and walking to the edge of the roof. "I have nothing to say to any of you. Nothing to explain, nothing to justify."

Before Roy could walk away, Olli grabbed the was of cash sticking out of Roy's belt. "Nothing?"

A look of fear crossed over Roy's face. "It's...Not what it looks like." His features reverted back to anger. "I mean...That store owner won't miss it..And he offered me a reward anyway! Besides, I deserve it: guy wouldn't have any of his cash back without me."

Oh Lord above...It's even worse than I thought...

"Do you even hear yourself?" Wally exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"I need it okay?" Roy yelled, almost scaring me. "I need it to find Speedy-the real Roy Harper."

"Roy-""Don't!" His angry glare made my mouth shut and my body curl into itself. "I don't need this! I am trying to find the real Roy Harper, and it's costly... Especially when the rest of you have given up."

"Roy, I know you feel lost." Dinah said, stepping up.

"I'm not the one who's lost." Roy growled, stepping away from her.

"When was the last time you trained? The last time you slept?" Dinah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't even start." Roy threatened. "I'm in the best shape of my life."

"Oh really?" And with that, Dinah went at Roy. Kicking at him as he backed away until he reached the edge of the roof, almost falling before Dinah grabbed him by the collar.

"Best shape of your life?" Dinah said in disappointment. "That was me holding back, way back." The blonde released her grip on Roy's shirt and he fell to the ground. "You used to treat your body like a temple, but now..."

"My body's no temple!" Roy growled. "It's a cheap knockoff-a fake. A clone."

"You need to take care of yourself Roy." I said, stepping forward and kneeling in front of Roy and extending my hand. "You've been tirelessly searching for Speedy for five years now, maybe it's time to out him to rest. You can go home to Starling City and we can help you get on the right track! It can be just like the old days!"

Roy snarled at me and slapped my hand away, getting up and walking to a ventilation box and sitting down. I stood up but didn't walk back to the others.

"You must have me confused with the real Roy Harper, the one you all stopped looking for!" Roy growled, being as stubborn as ever.

"You are real Roy-""Stop calling me that!" Roy growled and started muttering things about being a fake again.

"We get it!" Jim exclaimed, stepping forward with a look of annoyance in his face. "You're a clone! But you're not the only clone on this rooftop, and I know from personal experience how hard it is coming to terms with being a copy of someone else. That's why I gave up my identity as Guardian: so that I can figure out just who Jim Harper really was and who Jim Harper is supposed to be."

"That's not the only thing you gave up." Roy snarled.

"Roy you know we both spent years looking for the original Speedy, and everyone else here did the same: but nobody found him because the Light didn't keep him alive." Jim said. "It was Cadmus policy to delete the source material. He is dead, Brother; which is all the more reason you have to live. To honor the Roy that was."

Roy looked down and clenched his fists before looking back up, fixing his gaze on Wally.

"What are you even doing here West? I thought you ditched the hero game." Roy asked.

"Ditching the game doesn't mean ditching my friends." Wally explained. "And before you round back to the 'original' Roy again: let's face it, that guy was never our friend."

"We've all done the math, Speedy was abducted before any of us met." Dick stated.

"You're the guy we trained beside, fought beside..." Wally explained. "You're the only you we know."

"You're our friend." I say with a small smile.

"Just because you're a clone with anger management issues doesn't change that." Dick added.

"I mean...Have you met Superboy?" Wally asked, a small smirk playing at his lips.

There was a moment of silence followed our words before Roy spoke again.

"All done?" Roy asked, getting up. "You want to salvage someone's soul? Go get Kaldur to see the light." At the mention of my former fiance I tensed but I pushed down the anxiety and focused on Roy who was walking away. "From what I hear he needs course-correcting, but leave me out!"

"Roy!" I exclaim, stepping forward but Dick grabs my arm.

"Write me off, or don't. Either way: blow." Roy said grumpy before shooting another grappling arrow and zooming to the next building.

The rooftop filled with melancholy and awkward tension before Wally sighed, turning to Dick and I.

"I need to head home, Artemis is waiting up for me." The ginger said and I smiled sadly at the mention of my best female friend. I walked over to Wally and hugged him gently.

"Say hi to her for me alright?" I asked and Wally chuckled lightly, hugging me back before pulling away.

"Will do." He said before turning to address both Dick and I. "You two stay safe, alright?"

"The same to you buddy." Dick said and Wally nodded before zooming off the roof and down the stairs.

Dicm and I shared a look. The intervention didn't go well, we had lost. But we still had a team to manage, let's just hope Mal and Conner were able to hold down the fort while we were gone.