Ruins of S.T.A.R. Labs Detroit, Michigan
15:43
"You sure about this, Dick?"
Victor Stone, of course, was referring to Richard Greyson, hero alias Nightwing. The latter person had sought out the former in the privacy of the ruins of S.T.A.R. Labs Detroit, where Victor had undergone his transformation into Cyborg. S.T.A.R. had deemed it too much of a liability to rebuild the facility here from the damages of the alien attack and Cyborg's subsequent counterattack, and had simply salvaged what technology could still be useful and migrated to other areas. Silas Stone, in recognition for inadvertently creating a powerful means against the invasion, had the loss of his job rescinded, and now operated at the facility in Coast City.
"I wouldn't have come to see you if I didn't, Vic," Nightwing replied, rolling a glowing ring between his fingers. J'onn's psychic impulse had come out on today, of all days, the anniversary of the day of the invasion... and Superman's fall. The mental link with the heroes the Manhunter had personally visited had activated whatever hidden technology was in the rings, and it seemed to prompt the wearer to use it. Cyborg had already determined that the ring generated a hardlight construct that could efficiently warp the user to a predetermined point. Which meant now, the heroes were assembling.
"You waylaid me out here to tell me you don't want a part in this?" Cyborg thrust his arms aside in determined inquiry.
"That's not what I'm saying, Vicks," Dick swiftly replied, stepping a foot closer. "It just isn't a responsibility I can handle right now. I- we, have the Titans, our own team determined to do what it takes to knock crime down to size. We can't just abandon that."
"Yeah, yeah," Cyborg's outstretched arms went limp. "But still, why me?"
Nightwing stopped his fidgeting dead, and shot a glance nowhere as if to ponder that answer. "Victor, I trust you. I don't want to say that meta-humans are liars, it's just that, well... You're human. You know what it means to be normal, to have limits, to be sane. You haven't been born with power, or otherwise training your whole life to get power. You just, suddenly, one day became Cyborg. A permanent change in body. But besides that, you're still the same person."
Dick paced around a bit in his talk, and finally stopped to lock eyes with Victor and hand him the ring. "It's easier to live one life than two, I suppose is what I'm saying. You're still Victor Stone, just with a different name. You don't need a mask, a different voice, a flashy name; this is who you are. And you are a determined, powerful genius."
Victor took the ring in his mechanical hand, letting his large fingers feel around the shape. "You're just sayin' that to make me feel good, aren't ya?"
"You built a space station, didn't you? Called it your 'summer home'?"
"Ahah... look, Dick, I've been summoned too. I'm not going just because you won't, it's because that's the decision I already made-"
"And that's why I trust you with it, Vic. Also because it's probably easier than using that teleporter of yours," Nightwing smirked, and Cyborg smirked right back.
"Good point. Keep in touch now, y'hear? Might still need ya later." With Nightwing's nod of acknowledgement, Victor slapped a thumb on the surface of the ring, and let the hardlight envelop him. Whatever was coming, Vic was ready to defend his life, old and new, against it.