A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting the next chapter out. It's been a rough few months.

Chapter 12

Over the last few days, Nightwing could sense something was amiss between his fellow teammates but he had not been able to really pry into it. As Halloween was getting closer, Nightwing found that Doctor Light's activities were not only becoming more frequent but much more bold.

Already a few nice homes in Traverse City had been robbed, curio shops, and even the local museum. The items that were taken were also random to the point that neither he nor Zatanna could make heads over tails of it.

The Titans were not holding back. They were moving quickly to intercept the attacks when they got word and also back up the police when any encounter they found involved a meta. Nightwing had found himself almost in daily contact with Captain Eagle trying to decide the next moves.

It was one of those nights that he found himself staring at the notes on the screen trying to figure out what the criminals were up to. His head pounded from too much caffeine and the weather shifting towards being colder.

Starfire and Beast Boy were out on patrol while Cyborg and Pink Phantom were investigating a report around Sunset Park of unusual activity. He could hear Raquelle behind him humming what could only be some sort of funeral dirge while she ripped a pillowcase into strips for no apparent reason. It was the fifth pillow case she had destroyed so he had gotten used to the sound of the rending fabric.

"Add chicken guts and gristle to the list of stolen items," Zatanna said striding into the large hotel room that had become their apartment. Zatanna tossed her jacket and top hat on to the bed. Raquelle hissed at her, barring her sharp teeth like an unhappy cat. The magician just stuck her tongue out in return.

Richard was not surprised the two did not get along with Zatanna being an expert in stopping and entrapping demons with Constantine. Suffice to say, Nightwing had a few choice words with the JLA and Constatine about Raquelle.

"Are we looking at some sort of magical curse?" Dick asked with a resigned shrug. "Halloween is coming and that's usually a big day for a lot of magic users."

"Yeah," Zatanna nodded, flopping down in the chair across from him. "I've already talked to the wiccan coven that's here and they haven't heard anything. I mean, they're only loose affiliations but I don't think anything is happening with them."

Nightwing nodded and scratched under his mask.

"You know you can take that off," Zatanna said amused. "I know who you are. I work with your mutual night stalker."

Nightwing grinned. Of course the Justice League knew who he was and it had only been last year that he had let the Titans know too.

"More habit than paranoia...this time," the young man said with a chuckle.

"How are you doing with...her?" Zatanna asked quietly nodding to Raquelle who had grabbed a few small shot bottles of whiskey and was drinking them happily. The amount of liquor she put down, he would have expected her to not be able to stand upright but he had never once seen the demoness drunk. Constantine had explained that they sometimes like strong flavors and alcohol had almost no effect on their internals and were different than humans. They were not much different on the outside though. The first few weeks he had seen Raquelle naked enough times with the refusal to wear clothes to know that she was definitely a woman.

"She seems to be as calm as you can expect, especially with...Raven being in town." Nightwing said in response. "It's been difficult but I don't know what else to do. I just can't send her away."

"Yeah," Zatanna said, waving her wand lazily causing a bottle of water to materialize from the sparkling magic. "I remember that conversation with Constatine. I thought you were going to come to blows."

"It would have if calmer heads didn't prevail."

"I wouldn't have called myself calm but someone had to be the mediator," Zatanna murmured with a smirk.

"Do you think she'll adapt enough to life here that she can-"

Zatanna was not able to finish the sentence when they both heard retching from behind them. Nightwing leapt up from his chair knocking it over while Zatanna rushed around the table. They both had turned to see Raquelle doubled over and throwing up black ichor on to the bed.

"Raquelle!" Nightwing said holding on to her shoulders trying to comfort her.

"Make sure not to touch whatever she's throwing up until we know it's safe," Zatanna warned, grabbing towels from the bathroom. "Nothing harmless comes out of a monster."

Raquelle gulped air like a fish out of water, her eyes wide with what could only be an expression of terror.

"Shhhh," Nightwing tried to calm her and she rested her head on his shoulder after wiping her mouth with her arm leaving a dark streak.

"Too much whiskey?" Raquelle whispered.

"Get her off the bed and towards the bathroom," Zatanna said. "It'll be easier if she has another episode."

Helping the woman off the bed, Nightwing could not help but notice how frail she felt under his arm. He knew it was an illusion as she was strong enough to rip his heart out of his chest. A pang of fear shot through him as her eyes seemed dazed just from moving. They made it to the bathroom where she immediately shed her crimson leotard and stood there bare, her red flesh glistening in the fluorescent light.

Nightwing diverted his eyes from her naked form and reached for the bathrobe when he heard her slide down onto the cool, linoleum floor.

"No," she struggled to say. "No touching my skin. So hot."

A demon complaining about the heat? Something was wrong.

"Nightwing," Zatanna called and he stepped out of the bathroom but still close enough to keep an eye on Raquelle.

Nightwing met the concerned eyes of his comrade.

"It's blood."

"Blood?"

"Yeah, She's throwing up blood which is never a good sign."

"Do you know what's wrong with her? She's saying things are too hot."

Zatanna's delicate eyebrow shot up catching on to the strangeness of that too.

"No, I don't know enough and I doubt Constatine is gonna help."

"I wouldn't trust him anyway. I mean...I could call Tobias and see if he has anyone in Traverse City."

Zatanna's eyes turned hard at the mention of Tobias Finton, better known by the Justice League as Lord Frixon, The Four Eyed Terror, Leader of Clan Haraxan.

"I don't have any other options," Nightwing said, reaching for his cell phone. Zatanna opened her mouth but Nightwing shook his head. "I know those options and I still refuse."

Nightwing had to leave a voicemail but he was concerned. In a matter of minutes, Raquelle had gone from a vibrant being to panting and exhausted from every move she made. Even her skin had become paler than it once was.

The Blue Wonder was worried he might be losing her too.

Rachel swore to herself when she threw the garbage bag towards the open can but it just bounced and fell out. A week had gone by and her old friends had kept their word. They had not reached out to her nor had she seen them. Her mind had been struggling with the turmoil of wanting to go back even though she would be walking back into the pain and anguish she had caused. Was going back to Jump City really an option?

Bending down, she grabbed the bag but heard a low whistle behind her.

"Mmm, mmm. What a view."

Rachel sighed and threw the bag successfully into the trash can.

"Hello, Jinx."

Rachel turned around with arms folded to see the girl perched one level up on the fire escape looking down at her with that smile. It always seemed to be cat-like, a mix of happy and planning like she had Rachel right where she wanted. The smile flattered those pink eyes.

"How's my favorite human doing?"

"Trying to be human."

"Boring."

"What do you want, Jinx?"

She swung her legs over the railing and sat on it kicking her legs like a little girl on a bridge. Rachel had always been impressed with her balance.

"Just wanted to check on you, see if you're ready to dump that dude and come run away with me."

"Hah," Raven laughed sardonically. "Like what could you offer me to run away?"

"Drink wine and eat chocolate all day. Fuck all night."

A blush exploded on Raven's face before she could react and Jinx's grin got bigger.

"You're thinking about it."

"Shut up."

Jinx stood and began to walk like a balance board across it and then hop effortlessly to a window sill and to another fire escape with an ease that did not alay the panic that hit Rachel seeing her flying through the air like that.

"Things are heating up," Jinx said. "The Titans are worried because we haven't been able to find out what Doctor Light has been planning. Everything he does seems to be random."

"Oh?" Rachel said sitting down on the back step and pulling out her phone to look like she was bored and not at all interested in what the pinkette was saying.

"Yeah," the hex witch said. "Things like animal carcasses, a meteorite fragment from a museum, old brass bell, just random shit."

Rachel stopped texting her boyfriend for a second as a memory hit her.

"Did you say a brass bell and a meteorite fragment?"

"Yeah."

"Any chance they also got their hands on platinum, a gem that has a blue hue, and iron rods?"

Jinx stopped her swinging and froze. "He hit a bank and stole many things from the vault. Platinum coins were on the insurance list. They also vandalized a cemetery by tearing down their rote iron fence."

Rachel gritted her teeth. Why did she have to get involved?

"They're working on a portal, Jinx."

"What? I don't recognize the ingredients."

"It's not a magic portal. It's a cosmic portal. Those ingredients are the basics to create a dimension field between our reality and one of the nearby realities close to ours. Remember the elder gods or valhalla, the realities near ours?"

"Shit," Jinx said with a low whistle. "We've been thinking it was voodoo and didn't even look at it, maybe it wasn't magical at all."

"Red herring."

"Oooh. That's a good fish. You inviting me out to dinner?"

"Jinx."

"Okay, okay. So, if I remember correctly, it's cosmic energy that he's bending to his will which means the portal he's trying to generate is gonna be small, because the amounts needed are quite a lot. He's not bringing an elder god in."

"Thank goodness," Rachel said. "Not to mention the ritual to do it is extremely difficult even for practitioners and cultists who have been studying the process for years. That's why we don't have an elder god attack once a year….but I'm not interested."

Rachel quickly went back to her phone. She refused to allow herself to be dragged back into the world of super heroes. She was just a human girl.

"Don't you go ignoring me," Jinx said, finally hopping down and kneeling in front of Rachel on the stoop. She gently lifted Rachel's chin to make eye contact. "I saw that spark of excitement. It's still in your blood to play hero. "

"You are trying to convince me to be a hero?" the dark haired girl asked with a raised eyebrow in sarcastic disbelief. "How the mighty have fallen."

"Pfft," Jinx said with a laugh. "I don't give a crap about hero work. I only play hero when it pays well enough. Now, I do care about the girl who wants to be a superhero and doesn't know it."

"And what's your goal if you get me back at being a hero?"

Jinx's grin grew even larger as she ran a finger down Rachel's arm leaving goosebumps in their place. "Maybe said heroine would be so grateful she might let me in her pants."

"By Azar, Jinx," Raven said flustered. "Is sex all you can think about?"

"Why not?" Jinx said with a shrug. "It's fun with the right partner or partners and I like it. Don't go trying to kink shame me. You were a demon once. Who knows what twisted, kinky things you did to poor ol' Robin."

Rachel stood and turned back to the door trying to hide the furious red that burned her face. Jinx was so good at pushing her buttons. She did not know if she wanted to punch her in the mouth or kiss those lips.

"I've got to go get ready for work. Go away and find someone else to harass," Rachel said.

All Jinx gave in answer was the tinkling, mischievous laugh of a sprite.