Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a normal day at the FBI White Collar offices in New York. No-one was absent, no big enough case was open to cause a disturbance, the coffee machine was broken, or almost broken. Yes it was a normal day indeed.

Peter was taking a break from his office to chat with Jones about yesterday's game while he overlooked Neal working through the mortgage fraud he promised Peter would be done until Wednesday.

Yes it was break time for most of the agents when the day became anything but normal as the known hero Red Robin broke through their window. 

A masked vigilante breaking to an FBI office was strange enough itself but the state of said vigilante was what made the few agents in the bullpen freeze.

Because it was obvious Red Robin just came out of a fight. A fight he probably lost given his disheveled suit and blood already pooling at his feet.

The New York people had immense respect for Red Robin since he was the leader of the Titans for almost a decade now and had saved the city countless times. That's why no agent made a move towards him, everyone waiting for him to make the first move, to state what he needed from them.

He just stood there hunched over and bleeding on the tiles. He was struggling to breathe and Peter didn't know if it was because of his injuries or due to running on rooftops and grabling up their floor. 

He seemed to hold something in his hands but didn't hold it like a weapon. It looked black or maybe blue, maybe two sticks or a broken staff. Probably that since Peter was pretty sure that was his weapon of choice. But he didn't hold it like a weapon as he scanned the room and started moving between the desks.

Peter realized with dread to which desk he was heading to. What had he done again?

Neal frozen on his seat watched Red Robin stumble through the bullpen straight for his desk. When he reached it he slammed the sticks he was holding on it and bowed slightly forward using the desk to support his weight. His eyes never left Neal even though it was pretty clear he was struggling through the pain.

"We nee... B is... Parasites... Contact Sup..."

Every syllable came out with pained gasps and that seemed to snap Neal out of his state of shock. He was out of his chair while Red Robin was still talking but he bearly reached him as he collapsed on the floor.

Every remaining agent got up to their feet immediately and some exclamations were heard. It wasn't very often you saw a superhero this beat up, especially in person.

"Red Robin!" Neal shook him by the shoulders then checked for his pulse when he bearly reacted.

"Do we need to call someone!?" Peter murmured under his breath. Hughes wasn't in his office right now but he's probably still in the building and he's the only one in white collar with a direct line to the Justice League. Peter pulled out his phone to call him, but he was distracted by Jones picking up one of the black-blue sticks off Neal's desk.

"That looks like the escimas Nightwing used to use..." Jones, ever the superhero nerd remarked.

Peter's gaze snapped back to Neal, he was pushing around the hero's suit trying to take a better look at the biggest wounds while calling out his name.

Diana took a step closer to them. "Neal maybe its not a good idea to mess with his suit, we should call the justice..."

Neal completely ignored her and she stopped talking the moment he pulled something at the side of the vigilante's mask retracting the white lenses to reveal half closed blue eyes. The way he did it, not searching, not guessing, he knew exactly how to do it, as if by muscle memory. It was obvious he had done it before. More than once.

"Come on Red stay with me buddy." He tried to get a response from the hero but his gaze was dazed, Peter doubted he was registering what was in front of him.

He pressed the call button on Hughes' contact and raised the phone to his ear. Neal started fidling with a small screen at Red Robin's forearm. He tapped aggressively at it and from peter angle he could see, to his surprise, that Neal wasn't trying to get access, he was already in.

"Yes Peter." Hudges voice came from the phone.

"Sir we have a situation here. Red Robin is in the bullpen clearly injured and unresponsive."

"Shit... I'll be right there." The call disconnected.

"Fuck!" Neal exclaimed. Clearly whatever he was trying to do didn't work. Two agents had fetched the first aid kit and where trying to stop the bleeding on some of the biggest wounds Neal had indicated. Diana was on the phone with the ambulance.

"Robin report!" Peter had never heard Neal use that tone before, it was stern and direct, commanding. Red Robin flinched and it was the biggest reaction he gave since he fell but he didn't respond in any other way. "Fuck... Robin!" Neal reached for the hero's ear and took out a comm device.

"Caffrey, instead of trying to get an unresponsive person to respond to you maybe try to help stop the bleeding until actual help gets here" One of the agends putting pressure on a wound snapped but Neal ignored him too. He put the comm in his ear.

"Oracle, do you copy?" Pause. "Batman, Hood, is anyone on the line? RR is down. I repeat. Red Robin is down! He isn't responding and his vitals system is broken. Does anyone copy? Oracle, Batman, Batgirl, Robin? Anyone?" After two breaths he removed the device throwing it to the floor and stood up reaching for his suit jacket.

At that point the elevator opened and hudges entered the bullpen sparing a quick glance at the fallen hero and then gesturing to Jones to follow him in his office.

Peter snapped from his frozen state and kneeled on the floor with the rest of the agends to try and assist in the first aid, but he was flicking his gaze back to Neal every couple of seconds.

Neal had ripped some of the seams on the inside of his jacket and retrieved a slick black phone. "That's not an FBI approved phone Neal."

"Not the time Peter..." He pressed the phone multiple times frustrated. "Come on, come on... Where the fuck is everyone?" He let out a string of unknown words and returned at Red Robin's side setting the phone beside him. He reached for his head checking his pulse and trying to get his attention once again. "Come on kid, stay with me..."

"The Justice League isn't responding." Hudges returned followed by Jones.

"There's no ambulance available right now. There were multiple emergencies the last few hours all the hospitals are full." Diana announced panic bleeding at the edge of her voice.

Another string of unknown words escaped Neal's lips. He was probably cursing in another language. Peter had never heard him curse this much.

And then Red Robin stopped breathing.

He went from the quick short laboured breaths to three longer ones to one last exhale to nothing.

"Red? RED!" Neal felt for his pulse and panic started to show on his face again. He shouldered an agend on his left and started chest compressions on the uncontious vigilante. "Come on Robin... Stay with me buddy... Please don't die on me... Please don't die on me..." He bowed to give him two breaths, then he continued with his compressions.

He went like this for some time using a perfect technic for CPR but getting visibly more and more frantic. 

The agents exchanged panicked glances while Neal yelled every variation of the hero's name with no response. At some point he started shouting for Superman or Supergirl or Superboy but noone answered.

"... Tim... Come on Timmy stay with me..." His voice was now lower in volume but way more desperate. He never slowed on his CPR. 

Now that the name was out Neal stopped calling for Red Robin. He was calling for Tim.

"Is... Is that Red Robin's real name?" Jones murmured to himself. Did Neal know Red Robin personally?

"Come on Tim... Come on kid... No more dead Robins, remember... No more dead Robins, you promised..." Neal's voice broke. He when on in silence for awhile but everyone in the room knew it was worthless. They couldn't resisite him alone and help wasn't coming soon.

"Neal." Peter tried calmly.

"SHUT UP!" Neal shouted. He grabbed Red Robin's forearm again and pressed something. "STAY CLEAR" He warned before pressing something again. Nothing happened. Neal cursed again and turned his head in every direction scanning the room. Peter saw the moment Neal found his solution, his eyes sparked and then he was on his feet grabbing something from his desk. The escima sticks. The Nightwing-looking escima sticks. The probably-electric-Nightwing-looking escima sticks. Shit.

"Neal I don't think that's a good idea..."

But Neal ignored him once again, he tested the electricity and oh my God this is definitely not a good idea.

"Neal..." He warned. But Neal sat down again turning the escimas in his hands expertly. Was he familiar with those too?

"EVERYBODY STAY CLEAR" And then he brought them down to Red Robin's chest. His body jolted and everyone hold their breaths. 

Nothing happened. Neal tried again. Nothing happened. Neal went to try again but Peter stretched his hand stoping him.

"Neal?" He tried with a gentle voice.

Neal screamed. Tears were now freely flowing from his eyes. The escimas clattered to the floor on either side of him.

Silence enveloped the bullpen.

Hudges recoverd first. He took two steps closer and gestured to the surrounding agents to retreat from the fallen hero's body. "Give him some space." He said.

Diana ended the call, we won't be needing an ambulance anymore. Some of the agents stood up and started slow-pacing at the other side of the room. The rest of them just sat a bit farther, on chairs, on desks, on the floor. Everyone was trying to process what just happened. 

Neal sat on the floor with his back to his desk, legs spread and hands limp at his sides. His gaze was fixed on the dead body.

Peter was still in his place by the vigilante. His attention fully focused on Neal's reaction. Everything about him felt off. Peter though he saw him destressed before but that was a new thing all together. The way he acted since Red Robin's arrival... That's not Neal Caffrey.

"Neal?" He didn't respond to Peter, not even with a glance. He drew his knees up using them to support his arms as he finally averted his eyes from the body to hide his head on his forearms.

Silence enveloped the bullpen as the agents exchanged looks not knowing what they should do next.

Peter locked eyes with hudges and they both seemed to understand eachother. Something is up with Caffrey and they need to figure out exactly what it is before doing anything else. Hudges gestured to the agents sitting closest to them trying to give Peter a semblance of privacy as he moved closer to Neal.

"Neal?" He tried once more. And Neal heard him but didn't answer. He only lifted his head and then reached for Red Robin's forearm again. This time he detached the screen and returned to the place he was sitting against his desk. Hudges studied his every move from across the room.

"Neal, talk to me." 

"Neal Caffrey doesn't exist Peter." He didn't even looked up from the screen as he responded.

Peter gestured to it. "You seem awfully familiar with a vigilante's tech."

Neal snorted silently. He pressed some more buttons and then recited a string of numbers and letters, obviously sending a vocal code through the device.

Peter flicked his gaze across the room before returning it to Neal.

"You need to work with me Neal. Your reaction was the most unexpected part of the evening. I need to know what's going on."

"It doesn't matter Peter." His voice was steady and final. He was putting a mask back on, but one Peter wasn't familiar with.

"Of course it does Neal. A dead vigilante..." Neal flinched. "That's out of my hands. But you. I have to know what that was Neal." Neal grimaced.

"Stop calling me that. Don't you understand? If they pull me out like this. If Red Robin died and no-one answers my emergency calls..." He raised his eyes to look at Peter with a serious expression. "Its bad, Peter. Its really, really bad. Like... End of the world bad."

"What is your affiliations with the Justice League?" The question hang between them as Neal averted his gaze. But then the screen came to life.

"N? Is that really you? Where is Robin?" A young and hopefull voice came through.

"Impulse. Give me the run down. Why can't I reach anyone?"

"Alien invasion. Mind Parasites. I don't know the specifics. They came in quick, we didn't even realize until heroes were getting down with them."

"Who's affected?"

"We don't know for sure but there aren't many confirmed clean."

"The Bats?"

"Besides Red Robin which I'm assuming he's still clean..." He paused "We know Batman, Robin, Batgirl and Signal are infected. Everyone else is MIA."

"And the League?"

"No one."

"Meaning?"

"As far as I know you are the highest ranking to be confirmed clear..." Neal, or N really, knocked his head to the desk behind him looking at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Who can debrief me more extensively?"

"Cyborg has the most info but he's a bit busy right now... Trying to keep the Watchtower in the air and all that. Red Robin knows what's up but I'm assuming he's busy with something else. Starfire is here at the Tower trying to get hold of anyone we can. Zutana is..."

"Send Kory to my coordinates, tell her to grab my gear. Meanwhile gather everyone clear on the Tower and wait for me. Anyone with access to the Watchtower we'll meet them there. Try to contact EVERYONE I don't care if they're undercover or in another country, if you can get hold of them in any way possible I want them at the Watchtower. And reports, on everything you can think of about the incounters."

"Copy." The reply was sharp and quick, clearly used to taking this kind of orders. Peter was stuck at the way N seem used to giving them.

"Um... Wing?"

"Hmm?"

"Where is Red Robin?"

N opened his eyes and lowered them to the vigilante.

"Go find Kory, Bart. I'm out." He ended the connection.

The silence in the bullpen was echoing. The previous silences would be ashamed of their loudness. Jones broke it.

"Who are you?" 

N didn't turn to face him. His eyes locked on Red Robin.

Chapter Text

The silence stretched longer and longer, no-one daring to ask another question. Some of the agents started whispering to eachother but with a glare from Hudges they kept it at a low volume.

N took a deep breath and exhaled after 3 seconds. He looked around the room and made a move to stand up but seemed to think better of it and sat down again. He striped his tie with frantic movements and undid the first button on his shirt.

Everyone's eyes were on him and N knew it. He took another deep breath, straighten his back and the unfamiliar mask was back on. Peter though he might as well wore a real mask with how different he looks from his friend.

"Ok. Let's do this." N didn't address the agents but he had their attention anyway. "As you already guessed, I'm not who you thought I am." He was talking loud enough to be heard by the room, and although he wasn't giving a speech, everyone listened, nobody interrupted.

"Neal Caffrey doesn't exist. He was an alias crafted by me and mostly utilized by the Justice League. I'm not an official member but I carry out missions for them under many aliases for over 2 decades. That is why I was here. Anything more than that is classified. Just like everything you saw and will see today. Starfire would be here soon and when she arrives she will confirm my status as a JL operative, and you'll be given official JL NDAs." Some of the agents seemed skeptical at that.

"I will like to remind you we are in a crisis so it would be appreciated if you signed them without a fuss, considering we are trying to save the planet here." We. For a non-member of the Justice League he sure seems comfortable representing them.

"I apologize for the absence of any high ranking JL heroes, but we seem to be in a tight spot so me and Starfire should do for now. I'll make sure to send the official paperwork with a trusted hero as soon as the threat is neutralized." He turned his gaze on every agent in the room ending on Hughes who just nodded his compliance.

"And now we wait." N said and leaned back on the side of his desk.

"Wait! That's it? That's all you're gonna say?"

"There's nothing else to be said Jones" N replied. "You already know more than you should."

"What? Are we to pretend we didn't see anything?"

"Jones leave it be." Hughes warned.

"But that was Impulse on the phone, a member of the Titans and sidekick to The Flash. And he said Neal is the highest ranking! And Starfire..."

"Jones..." Hudges cut him off.

"No he's got a point! Starfire is a founding member of the original Titans. Cyborg too, there's even a rumor he's about to join the Justice League officially. How can Neal be highest ranking than known heroes?" Diana said and turned to N waiting for more answers.

Peter could see how tired N was. He hid it well but Peter was good at reading Caffrey, even this unknown version of him. His eyes, still red from the crying, weren't helping much either.

"You don't need to know anything more Jones. You can have your theories, but you can't talk about them to anyone." N responded.

"Exactly! If we aren't gonna talk about it anyway, why won't you tell us the truth for once?" N flinched slightly and if Peter wasn't so synced with him he wouldn't even notice. 

"Jones that's enough. Today was a tough day for all of us. Give it a rest. I'm sure Neal would tell us everything we want to know if he could." Jones opened his mouth ready to argue with Peter too, but another agent pulled him away by the arm.

The silence came again, and Peter wanted to pull his skin off. Anything would be better than another silence. But he kept quiet as he turned his attention on N again.

After a bit N was the one that broke it, speaking so low Peter could bearly hear him.

"Thank you Peter."

"What for?" N still didn't turn to look at him, keeping his eyes on the floor instead.

"For everything."

"You don't have to thank me for anything. You are my friend."

"I know. I want to." N paused for a second or two and then finally turned to look Peter in the eyes. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I'm sorry I can't be fully honest even now."

"I understand, you didn't have a choice in any of this.."

"You were always to good Peter. I do consider you a friend you know." He took a moment considering his next words. "I've been doing this for a long time and I'm usually a professional, but... You weren't the only one who left his budge at the table sometimes." That was a significant admission from N. It was an cracked door, a sliver of vulnerability. Peter approached causiusly.

"What? You've got one of those fancy JL badges? Does it have alien leather instead of the cheap one the government uses on ours?" N chuckled.

"Something like that..." The door creaked at the hinches. Peter tried to pull it a little more.

"Sooo what should I call you now?" 

N averted his eyes again. A cold breeze treatening to shut the door.

"I don't really know how to answer that, Peter. I want to explain, I really do... but... I don't know what the situation is yet. I can't be making decisions. I don't even know if burning Caffrey was the right action to take, but..." His eyes fell to the vigilante again. He sighed. "This wasn't even my mission." 

"Is this going to effect your standing with the Justice League? Is it gonna get you in trouble?"

"No... I think Batman would understand, considering..." He closed his eyes.

"So you work with a JL founder directly. I wouldn't have guessed a long undercover mission as an White Collar CI, was in need of this level of skills."

"It wasn't. It was just something that had to be done, and I really needed a break" 

This was a break for him? Peter didn't want to guess what was a break from. N didn't even address Batman's envolvment, answering as if he was the overqualified one. And maybe he was. Peter didn't know how to start thinking about that, so he addressed the bat of the conversation instead.

"I can't see why Batman would oversee it. Why not a hero closer to New York. Did he even had time to check on you properly, he seems like a busy guy."

"Distance isn't really a factor in those kind of missions. And B is kind of a control freak, even if someone else took the job he would get involved eventually. We... We have a complicated relationship."

He was giving a lot, even through his vague words he was giving Peter a lot more than he would have thought. A little more light passing through the door. A promise. I give you what I can. You are my friend.

So Peter didn't push the door. Just sat patiently by it.

"You think Jones is going to forgive me eventually?" N wondered changing the subject.

"I think he already has, he's just bitter he hasn't gotten a Nightwing autograph out of you." N chuckled but he was noticably stiffer. Could it be? Or did Peter read to much into it? 

"Seriously though. I think he's just hurt you kept something so big from us after how close we all gotten those last few months. But he knows how it is, he understands none of this was your fault. He's just reacting right now."

N was looking at Red Robin again. His eyes glassy, his face blank.

Now that Peter knew for sure N had some connection with the Batman himself, he could recognize more clearly the mourning in N's expressions. He didn't lost a hero today, he didn't lost a acquaintance, he lost a friend, he lost a brother.

After a bit, a light voice came from the window.

"Rob?" Every agent turned to look at Starfire floating outside their broken window with a dufflebag at her shoulder. She just scanned the room quickly and started approaching N as soon as she found him.

"I brought your stuff, is everything o..." She cut the sentence short following N's line of vision to the unmoving body.

She turned her eyes to N momentarily just to gauge his expression and she didn't seem to find what she wanted. She started moving again this time heading for Red Robin. When she passed them she dropped the dufflebag in front of N without slowing her pace.

N didn't reach for the bag. He hadn't even acknowledged Starfire's presence properly. He was still fixated on the body.

Starfire reached for Red Robin's neck, at the lack of pulse she moved her hand over his eyes, bowed slightly and recited some words in a language unknown to Peter. But N seemed to understand her judging by his shattered breaths.

When she was done she rerrenged his limps and unhooked his cape to cover his face and torso.

Everyone was silently watching the heroine pay her respects to her fallen comrade.

Without saying a word she turned her back to Red Robin and fell to her knees in front of N. She caught his eyes and Peter would swear they had a whole conversation in that one glance.

"Dick, I'm... I'm so sorry." Another single tear spiled from N's eye, this time it was mirrored in Starfire's face. She broke the tension by pulling him into a hug.

They holded eachother for a while, N falling apart in her arms, Starfire keeping together all the pieces.

When they separated she cradled his face using her thumbs to swipe away the tears.

"How are you feeling? Stupid question... I'm sorry" she hugs him again.

They stayed like that for a bit, N's face buried in her neck.

"We can push through this, right?" His voice was hesitant, but her response was immediate.

"Of course we can, look at us." It seemed to be an echo of an old discussion.

N was the one who broke this hug. She searched his face for something but he avoided her eyes.

"We need to move." And just like that the professional was back. The mask was steady in place.

He finally reached for the bag opening it to rummage through its contents. Starfire spared him one last concerned glance and then turned to the room to great everyone properly and introduce herself.