“I - yeah,” Nathan breathed, voice low, “It was…weird.”

His mind replayed the scene as Tracy recalled it, Kraken slamming the already downed Monster Maker with an ink-blast with enough force that he wouldn’t have been shocked if the villain's face had been shattered.

He suddenly felt sick, sicker than he had in weeks, the sensation in his stomach like nausea was gnawing at him from within. The Sovereign, they’d existed with Darkstar in his mind for so long as more than just people - but living myths, men and women of such power and heroism that it seemed to be the stuff of legends.

And now, someone he trusted was bringing up their name in possible connection with the death of the closest thing he had to a father. It seemed the universe was intent on breaking down every paradigm Nathan had held dear, every goal and aspect of life he’d upheld, and forcing him to look upon its broken remains. 

“Of course it was. And what he was saying, yeah MM is fucking nuts, but he sounded…aggrieved, talking about lies and ‘his work’, it’s like he thought we did something to him like he was in danger…”

“And you think he’s right?” Evelyn asked, no judgment in the question, only genuine curiousity as her mind raced.

“I think… there’s something there. Something we need to know. I don’t know what or why, but there are secrets regarding Darkstar’s passing. I think whatever they are, Monster Maker was involved and possibly even The Sovereign, Kraken at the bare minimum.”

The silence that followed felt heavy, as though all four of the people present were trying to digest what had been said.

“So then, now what?” Eclipse asked, his tone shifting, and there was something hard in his voice.

“Say you’re right, we have to do something. So what?”

Now was Catspaw's turn to respond.

“We do what you were all trained for,” she began, rising from her seat and approaching the center of the small gathering.

“We get to the bottom of it, and we stop the bad guys,” she shook her head, and in her expression, Nathan saw something that made his heart catch a beat, an eerie mix of her familiar rage-filled conviction and…fear. 

“No matter who they are.”

“Sounds good lady,” Clay began, running a hand along the top of his mask as though his hair were still there, his exasperation pronounced in each movement.

“But two questions. One, where the fuck do we start? That tells me nothing about what I’m supposed to do now unless you want me to head down to the Embassy and start blasting at the world's most powerful people. And two, when did you get voted to be some sort of team leader here just because you’re some former criminal the old man started fucking?”

“That’s enough, Clay,” Nathan started, and he found himself taken aback by just how furious he felt. 

“Why do you always have to do this?” he was practically yelling as he stepped forward, placing himself between the older boy and Catspaw as the woman drew herself to her full height.

“Fuck, even now, you’re always such a dickhead man. What is your problem? Is it because of your face?” Nathan jammed an accusatory finger into Clay’s chest, rage he’d suppressed over the past few days all finding an outlet.

“Well, fuck that. You may not have a nose and yet still, your attitude is the ugliest thing about you always!”

It was Tracy’s turn to step in, Nathan noticed. Clay had drawn himself to his full height, and the two stood so close that Nathan was glaring straight up at the older man, jaw aching from the gritting of his teeth.

“Well fuck you too you little shit, she’s not your fuckin mommy no matter how -

“Clay, fuck man, just stop.” It was Tracy this time. She reached a hand out for Clay’s shoulder, which was rebuffed with a slap of her wrist as he stepped back.

“No, fuck you. I was the second person to ever wear the costume, kid. I was Kid Rocket when you were still at that orphanage, and don’t ever forget that. There’s a chain of command in life, just as well as the military, and the way I see it, the only one above me on that chain is dead since you quit.”

“Is that what you think?” Catspaw sounded almost taken aback. 

“You think you’re…second in this chain of yours?” her voice was low, and in it, each word almost seemed a threat on its own. 

She smiled, and there was no humor in the expression.

“There is no chain of command, boy. But if there had been, understand this; you are nowhere near the top. Darkstar loved you all, Eclipse, but you in particular disappointed him.”

He could see how Clay stiffened at that, the black of his goggles rotating slowly with the Eclipse effect giving his mask an almost grimace-like expression.

“Yes, I was a criminal. I was a bad person. But I’ve changed. Why? Because I listened to Darkstar, despite myself, I learned from him because he was the greatest man I’ve ever known. I took his example and transformed myself into something better for it. You? You’ve become, spiteful and your failures - and lost yourself because of it.”

She stepped closer.

“I see that you use the military service as a framework for life, if that’s how you cope I won’t blame you, though I’ll note you only were allowed to serve due to Anthony’s pulling a few strings, but I digress.”

“You aren’t the second in command, Eclipse, you never were. You were a dishonorable discharge.”

Nathan could hear the huffing breaths of Clay from beneath his mask, and from the peripheral of his vision, he could see the man’s hands curl into tight fists, a faint tremor visible. He was furious, and yet Nathan couldn’t help but feel satisfied at the sight. It felt better than he wanted to admit seeing the man getting a taste of his own medicine, though he knew it was a counterproductive feeling.

If Tracy was right, there was a conspiracy at hand that had the potential of being massive, with only the four of them at the center of it all. 

It was the worst possible time for any of them to fall out when Nathan could feel that there was something…something big lurking just around the corner that he had a feeling would require each of them.

“Don’t tell me the infamous Eclipse can’t take it as well as he dishes,” she cooed, her voice almost a laugh,

“It would make you so much less fun. Besides, there is work to be done, and I believe Tracy was going to fill us all in on what she needs. Shall we continue?”

Nathan half expected a fight to break out in that moment, his eyes moving between Catspaw and Eclipse, and the man's various sidearms as the moments seemed to roll by in tense silence.

Instead, the man only nodded, an uncharacteristic silence underlining the response, as he leaned back against the console he’d been using for a seat, arms folded and masked eyes fixed forward. 

 It felt like something had changed, a line had been drawn that had previously been nonexistent, and which now set everything into its place, assigning roles Nathan hadn’t known to exist. He didn’t understand it fully, all of the silent dynamics and powerplays that adults seemed to make, but whatever it was he couldn’t help but think it was for the better.

Eclipse was relenting, a rare sight, and a necessary one if they were going to get to the bottom of…whatever this all was. Nathan’s chest ached at the thought of it all, conspiracies and deaths, all revolving around his literal heroes - the examples he’d sought to follow for as long as he could remember. 

He had so much to prepare for, a legacy that rested on his shoulders and yet with each passing day, he seemed to learn some new secret or be exposed to some previously unknown reality that made that which had once been a dream feel like a waking nightmare. 

“Alllright, well,” Tracy sighed, shaking her head as she continued, returning to her makeshift seat atop the console Darkstar usually sat at near the smattering of buttons beside one of the screens. 

“I guess first, we’re going to have to go about things individually. We’ll cover more ground and gather more answers that way. Catspaw, you’re the most agile and should theoretically be the best at any infiltration efforts. You’ll go to Fox Island and get some answers from…him. ”

The other woman nodded, fingers stretching absentmindedly as though ready to deploy her claws at any moment. Nathan had begun to notice it was something the woman did as almost a nervous tick of hers, something he found her doing whenever the idea of a challenge presented itself as though she found comfort in the reminder of the possible weapons she possessed. 

She nodded, eyes narrowed, expression shifting into something he couldn’t quite recognize.

It took a few moments for the implications of what had been said to strike Nathan, and when they did it was with a force like a physical blow.

“Wait, no…you’re talking about The Dancer, aren’t you?” his heart pounded against his chest as he thought about that most infamous of Darkstar’s rogues, the man apparently responsible for his death.

In a world of such powerful monsters as the sort The Sovereign fought, The Dancer was somehow one of the most feared despite possessing no truly superhuman abilities. He was agile, strong, and capable, but it was the way he thought that truly made him a threat - unpredictable and almost honed for optimal violence. Despite how capable he knew her to be, the thought of Catspaw alone with the man horrified him.

“Hell no,” he started, turning on Tracy with half of the anger he’d directed at Clay moments before, “Fuck no! He - he killed Darkstar and you want her to -” 

A hand on his shoulder silenced him, Catspaw's grip firm but not painful as she tutted.

“I appreciate your concern, Nathan, I do,” she spoke, and the genuineness in the way she spoke made him feel almost silly for the outburst.

“But I can handle myself. If you should fear anything, it's that I lose composure and kill him. Then perhaps worry, because I’ve no intention of staying on the island.”

He knew he should have chastised her, and yet he found it a comforting thought, the realization of which was conflicting in more ways than he could count.

“She’ll be alright, kiddo,” Tracy spoke, “He’ll be restrained, and Catspaw can handle herself in a fight. Besides, you and Clay have roles to play in this too, I need you focused.”

“Oh captain my captain,” Clay called in a mock british accent. “Whatever might I do to serve your grand plan?”

“Simple,” she continued, unaffected by his mocking tone, “You get to be Darkstar.”

“What?” Clay spoke, his words echoing Nathan’s own thoughts as he stared at her, the question written on his face.

Even Catspaw looked confused, though Tracy appeared unaffected by the pushback.

“Trust me,” she said, confidence almost staggering given what she was asking, and who she was asking it from.

“You’ve been at this longer than I have, given my retirement. Catspaw is too recognizable, and you’re the closest to Darkstar’s build.”

“He -” Nathan started, pausing as he tried to consider how best to word his objection. 

“Darkstar can’t kill. It’s not how he does things.”

“Of course,” she responded, “Clay, there will be no guns, knives, stabbing, or any of your usual antics.”

Nathan noted how the request seemed to have rendered Clay momentarily silent, only nodding his response.

“There is the fact that Clay is very notable white, and Darkstar wasn’t,” Evelyn added.

Nathan felt something hopeful in her interjection, as he prayed silently that Tracy would abandon the whole idea. It was insane, almost insulting to the legacy of Darkstar, and surely she saw that. There was a reason he had kicked Clay out, to begin with. Nathan trusted Tracy, but at the moment her actions were beginning to be yet another element amidst the confusion of the days past.

“You’ll have to mask up clay, but the hood should obscure most of your face anyway. They don’t need to think it’s him exactly, but people like Monster Maker should know there’s still someone watching in the meantime.”

“And what about me?” he couldn’t stay silent any longer, a strange sort of unease growing in him at the thought of being overlooked for what he’d assumed to be the role he was set to assume.

“I’m trusting you for maybe the hardest part,” Tracy began, and though he felt reluctant, something in her voice made the unease grow.

“I think something is going on with The Sovereign. We need you to find out. With Darkstar gone, there’s an opening and I have reason to believe they want you to fill it. It’s a good look for everyone, a real feel-good story amidst them losing a member.”

As the weight of her words began to settle in, Nathan’s stomach seemed to drop away into a pit in his gut. 

“You want me to…to spy on The Sovereign?”

He almost hoped she’d laugh, or say something to explain how he’d misunderstood her greatly, but Tracy only nodded.

“Well, kiddo,” Clay finally spoke, clapping a hand over one of Nathan’s shoulders,

“You wanted to be like the big guy. Spying on his friends and allies? What’s more Darkstar than that?”