AN:/ Sorry about the lateness of this chapter have been hanging on to this chapter for a few days, but haven't been able to upload, do to my computer refusing to upload to dock manager (so I had to be alternative) hope the wait hasn't been too long, and that the chapter will be okay.

I will try and upload as soon as I can again.

Thanks to everyone who is reading/ reviewing/ following & favoriting, you are all the best! :D

-LimitlessDarkness

The Watchtower

"I'm telling you J'onn I don't trust her, her attitude, everything… there is just something about that girl that makes my blood boil."

"You sure you are not in love with the girl?" J'onn said with a bit of humor in his voice.

Superman's eyes widened in chock, his face looking like every fuse in his brain just blew.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Superman snared.

"Yes. But it might have been the wrong time for it." J'onn said calmly.

"Look I understand your concern, especially after last time, and it is impressive, that she was able to singlehandedly take care of Doomsday, which says a lot about how powerful she is, but that still doesn't excuse your behavior, she saved your life, and still you are mad at her? I don't understand where your continuous enragement comes from, your doubt in the good in man." J'onn continued.

"What I don't understand is you! Didn't you hear what Zatanna said? You of all people should know what she is talking about, you with your mental powers and character reading abilities, why do you continue to defend her?" Superman asked, his tone aggravated and slightly confused.

"Could you imagine if people started treating me like that, just because I am from Mars? I judge people by their actions, not by the gossip that is spread about them. And as it is now, she hasn't done anything, that has given me a reason to believe, that she has any reason to do anything other then, what is in the peoples best interest. And along with the other Titans, she has saved their city, among other places, multiple times, so why do you keep doubting her?" J'onn explained.

"I'm telling you J'onn I have a bad feeling about her, she is hiding something, and with those powers, I don't want her on the loose."

"You are beginning to sound like Batman when he is paranoid; the only difference is that Batman usually turns out to be right."

"And how do you know that I'm not?" Superman flew closer to J'onn.

"Superman, you are still young, and at times very naïve, you have a tendency not to look outside the box and see the bigger picture… what I'm saying is that you tend to be stubborn, and in some cases that is a good thing, but in others, it tends to block your vision of the larger image, and that causes you to make mistakes, mistakes that you later regret, mistakes that could turn friends in to enemies. Please heed my warning, be careful… and really think about your actions, before you head straight in to a fight, things aren't always, as they seem."

"It sounds like you know something? What aren't you telling me?" Superman said.

"I don't know anything more then you do, I just remember some of the missions I've been on, when the person I was fighting wasn't the real enemy and just a puppet, a decoy symbolizing the real threat that hid behind.

In today's world, people are phenomenal at hiding their real end goal, their real intentions… they pray on the naïve, and make them follow along like sheep, manipulating them like pawns, to do what suits them, and make them seem like royalty to make them believe the illusion. I remember reading about an incident on Axos, a planet on the other side of the galaxy that was a hot topic among the intergalactic court, when applying for intergalactic rights and citizen ship, they had to discuss whether it would be safe to, accept their application due to their never ending speculative and conspiratorial manner. The universal society was afraid that if they became citizens the intellectual crime would drastically increase, and hinder the fair-trade, positive, and peaceful communion, between the majority of the galaxies.

Even today they are discussing the human development and if it's a case that has the same potential, among other things.

… But in the end, you are of cause entitled to your own opinion, and if you feel like you must fulfill this… witch hunt of yours, go ahead, but just know that I do not agree with you, and that you can not solely decide the outcome of whatever your end goal is by yourself, you like the rest of us, are a part of the decision takers, and I don't think all will share your view."

Superman gritted his teeth. 'lets see about that.'

With Blackmask: A house in the middle of nowhere.

"We got them, and we are about to transport them now, they seem pretty still for some of the more spunky Titans." Phobia reported,

"Just make sure that you don't loose them, we had major trouble finding them and placing them in the state they are in now, as long as they get to their final destination in relatively good condition then I couldn't give a shit." Blackmask ordered, he had worked with Phobia before, and usually trusted her, but he couldn't take any chances, not even with Phobia, there was more on the line for him, then he had ever anticipated there would be, in his criminal career, and he wasn't about to gamble with it.

"We've got it under control, if anything we have a few more incoming people who might be able to help us." Phobia said over the com.

"Sure, I'll be on my way there, so I'll meet you half way, just make sure that you don't loose the goods, because believe me, what we all want, he has, and he might look like he has a sense of humor, but Joker is not a person you laugh at or with, not once he gets close enough."

"Understood, we are headed to the underground facility, there is still some work to do there before we can put the grand capture in the works. Looks like these two will be the first lab rats to enter the system."

There was a short pause as phobia looked at Blackmask's desperate and slightly drained eyes, she could tell that this was effecting him more then he let on, and as his friend it pained her too.

"I hate seeing you like this." Phobia said, a sad expression creating a shadow over her face.

"How is she?" Blackmask asked, a dark shadow fell over his face, as sadness could be felt in the thick atmosphere surrounding him.

"Tiffany? She seems stable, for now… can't say for how much longer, she is really fighting a brave battle here, but…"

"I'll make it in time, I HAVE to."

Blackmask felt a bit of cool air in the back of his neck, and eyes suddenly turned very deadly.

He turned on a whim only to see a smile behind him.

"I've got to go" Blackmask said in an irritated voice before he turned of the com, and turned to Cheshire who was standing right beside him.

"So you have been standing there all along?" he rose to face her, his stance as he placed himself in front of her, challenging her.

"So scull face has a weakness after all." Cheshire said in an almost mocking voice, that had a hint of a wide smile in it.

Blackmask took his gun and pointed it right at her temple.

"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't blast your scull of right now."

Cheshire didn't give an inch, as the cool metal of the gun touched the side of her temple, instead a small smirk formed under her mask.

"That's easy, because you still need me, that is also the reason you haven't already shot at me, and I haven't cut you in half." She said, her voice slightly dark and raspy.

"What do you mean?"

He looked down, and saw the hidden shuriken in Cheshire's hand, pressed up against him, ready to cut him open like a can of tuna.

"I couldn't help myself, you have never been this invested in anything, EVER, unless things have turned personal for you, and from what I gathered, this just became very personal."

"I didn't hire you to play detective."

"True, having a weakness… that would really hurt the pride of the famous Gotham crime lord." She mocked.

Blackmask sensing her mockery responded with him adding slightly more wavering pressure on the trigger.

"You are testing my patience." Blackmasks eyes narrowed.

"Your patience? You owe me, remember?" she almost laughed, finding his remark utter most ridicules.

"I owe you nothing." Blackmask hissed.

"I don't know about that… I did secure you the targets… so essentially you owe me." Her voice became creamy almost flirtatious, as she tested him.

Blackmask lowered the gun from her temple, and she removed the shuriken.

He turned his back to her and began walking over to his desk.

"I don't appreciate you snooping in to my life, do you hear?" Blackmask said in half defeat.

"Are you implying I might find something?" her voice harbored a little smirk, with a sense of victory in it.

"…" Blackmask didn't answer.

Cheshire reached up and slid her mask up so that he could see her cunning expression.

"You know it's bad to peak the curiosity of the cat, we always stumble in to the most interesting of places… hear the most interesting, bits of information… Tiffany… Tiffany Ambrose was it?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

'Bingo!' Cheshire thought, as she could almost hear him grind his teeth under the mask.

"Cats have nine lives." Cheshire answered as she bit her under lip, while letting a small teasing smile fall over her lips.

"And I promise I'll take every single one of yours, if you as much as breathe her name out once more."

"Don't make promises that you can't keep." Her smile became even wider as she walked up next to him.

"Sounds like you haven't heard enough about me." His tone was serious, but it had changed slightly along with the smile on her face.

But Something in his voice was off, and it made her suspicious.

His hands were sliding ever so delicately over some papers before they came to a sudden halt, almost as if he had found something.

Before he knew it Blackmask was shoved to the wall next to the desk with considerable force.

Shocked he quickly turned, only to find Cheshire pressing him up against the wall with a rough half smile, and her shuriken now closer then what was comfortable to his neck.

"That is a very bad move, I'd rethink it if I were you." She almost whispered to him, her head tilted as she pressed him, if possible, even further up against the wall.

She widened her smile, as she now pressed the shuriken dangerously up against his throat.

The distance between them was, next to nonexistent, both breathing heavily, as they looked in to each other's eyes.

A moment passed, as both almost lost them selves in a strange passion build up between the wild yet gambling stares they gave each other.

"Back to business?" Cheshire managed breathed out, her eyes having a certain spark to them, as she tried to preserve her professionalism.

If Blackmask's mask wasn't almost permanently attached to his face, she swore she would have seen a single eyebrow raise itself.

She awaited his reaction.

With his personality, her proposition was quite the gamble, especially with the info she had gathered on him, but a part of her couldn't help herself, she didn't know what it was, normally she would have been able to keep things strictly professional and business related, but not with him… A part of her just felt like pissing him off, like getting under his skin and figuring him out.

Why? She had no idea.

She felt his body relax.

"Didn't expect your reflexes to be that good." He admitted.

"I can tell when people are keen on killing me… but now I know." She released him from her grasp.

"What?" his expression turned slightly puzzled.

"That this isn't just about you."

His eyes turned curious at that moment, as he looked at her slowly relaxing facial expression.

"You need the cure too huh?" he asked her in a soft raspy voice.

"…"

She turned away from him throwing her shuriken at a target used for dart practice.

Bull's-eye.

"I'll be leaving, see you in the morning." She said in a monotone, pulling her mask down over her face and walking towards the exit of the room.

"What did you use on them?" He asked her before she had a chance to leave.

She stopped.

"You want me to reveal my magic tricks?" she said with a bit of humor.

"Gladly."

She let out a sigh and began explaining.

"It's a voodoo serum, used by the African shamans. It's an ancient magical recipe that is said to be able to paralyze humans and witches alike, it is even rumored to be working on demons, but that is just a rumor… it works though, humans and witches alike. I should know, I just used it on one. The serum is pretty strong, so they should be out for at least a few days if not an entire week."

"And how can you be so sure."

Cheshire turned back towards Blackmask, looking in to his eyes as she answered.

"I shot the girl right before they entered the black portal."

"That was a portal?" Blackmask grimaced

"I assume so, and according to that little call you just made… it seems like my suspicions were correct, with her seemingly weak, probably with an increased heartbeat, and surely a use of magic, the poison is bound to work faster, meaning that where ever she transported them too, can only be within a range that consists of this country only.

"What if they hadn't? Do you know how hard it would have been to track them down again?"

"I leaned something… that girl, Raven, she seems to have this… ability… an enhanced sense… she seems to be able to pick up on intentions planted within items, so I made sure that I threw the darts with an intention to bring her to the lair, also I counted on her being weak enough, that she wouldn't be able to resist the suggested location."

"You could have been wrong?" Blackmasks eyes became wary.

"Perhaps… but I am trained not to doubt myself, I am trained to get results, complete tasks, that, is what I do best, and that is why you hired me."

"Yet you let them escape through a portal."

"That was your fault entirely, you had them right there, all you had to do was shoot the girl, but not even that, could you do." Cheshire snorted "At least, if things had turned bad, I bought us a solid 72 hour window, to find the two with in a fair proximity."

Blackmask mouth frowned, he hated when she was right.

"What do you want? A round of applause? The job isn't done yet, which means, he still has what I need, which means, he can still control me."

"Listen, I'm only helping you with this because I need the antidote as much as you do. You think you are the only one with someone special on the line? Think again." Cheshire said angrily.

Blackmask's communicator began to ring again, and he could feel his blood begin to boil.

"We have to meet him" he said in a dark tone.

"No. You have to meet him, I'll make sure that we get what we came for."

Captured

Phobia looked down at Raven, with a disturbed expression, and with good reason, the faces that Raven was making as she was in a semi coma state was nothing short of sinister.

"I can't even imagine what that child is dreaming, I'm glad I can't really get in to peoples heads, that one seems to be having some severe nightmares." She said, her posh British accent shining through.

"Never mind that, we just need to keep them here for as long as "he" wants us to, do you understand." Captain Cold demanded.

"I still can't believe I'm not being paid to do this." She thought out loud. 'he better repay the favor one day, or I'll make his life a living nightmare.'

"Trust me, with the way the world seems to be transforming, money will be nothing short of valueless."

"That's not what I meant… what urged you do this anyways, I thought you would be the one whom was only in it for the gain?"

"To keep my sanity of course, not to be turned in to them, you know those slightly unsettling things that is currently roaming the streets."

"Oh… right, how could I forget..." she said sarcastically, "At least the illness hasn't spread where we are headed."

"Won't be long now."

"I suppose… I almost feel bad for those people who are about to be exposed to this." Phobia said.

"Look who grew a heart." Captain Cold smiled at her.

Phobia hit his arm in a protesting manner. "I always had one."

"Well it doesn't show that often." He said in a low voice, hoping secretly that she didn't hear him.

But she did.

"That's because you don't know me… let's keep it that way." She said with a frown.

Captain Cold smirked.

"Be careful," she warned, "If you keep smiling like that, I might have to really hurt you."

Plans

On a cold remote island north of Siberia.

Heavy snow was coming down, and a lonely frame was walking with heavy tired steps through the snow towards a cave.

It was the last light of the day, and the howling of the wind, made it near impossible for any small sound to penetrate the noise of the heavy blizzard.

A very low sound was heard, and the figure pressed his watch, opening up a small screen, showing none other then Lex Luthor.

"Why… look what the cat dragged in, tell me, how did you get this number?" Joker asked

"You gave it to me." Lex answered, a hint of annoyance present in his voice, as he "so…" enjoyed working with the Joker, knowing fully well that, though forced to, being associated and working with him, was the same as gambling with all he had ever achieved in a 50/50 bet, a risk he as a businessman, rather had been with out, not that he had a choice.

"Are you sure? I really don't recall… hmmm but you do look oddly similar to everyone else who calls me, all frowns and serious expressions… always missing that smile on their faces, you do have teeth don't you?"

"I'm not smiling for you. Why I'm helping you, is still a mystery to me." Lex snared.

"And here I thought you were the type that loved flexing your mussels." Joker smiled.

"So I take it that you are not really interested in the latest news, about bird boy?" Luthor asked his eyes testing.

A crude smile appeared on Jokers face "It's not like I need to see you smile anyways, but I can't imagine you, calling, just because you wanted to chat?."

Lex took a deep breath, calming himself, knowing, that if he let Joker get to him, Joker had won.

He exhaled, and a serene expression fell upon his face, though a part of him was still mentally grinding his teeth in irritation.

"I got a message from Captain Cold, they think they have them, and they are currently transporting them to the facility."

Jokers smile widened, an air of victory and cruelty stained it.

"Let me see" he said with a child's impatient excitement.

Lex, switched to a feed from a live camera filming the two unconscious titans, while his image remained in a small square in the right corner of the screen.

Joker's eyes filled with an empty form of delight.

He could see Robin, his close to beaten up, yet unconscious state filled him with delight.

But then his eyes caught sight of the blue fabric, next to him, and a frown fell upon Jokers former delighted face.

"That is not Batman."

"No… That is Raven." Lex Luthor said plainly.

"Zoom in on it." he ordered

"Yes… yes, just like that, pretty little thing." Joker said, enjoying the pained expression of the pale girl, as she seemed like she was in a state of constant nightmares.

"Tell me, what is she doing here?" Joker asked slightly puzzled through the monitor.

"She was with Robin when he was captured, she is one of the more dangerous Titans." Lex answered bored.

Joker vaguely recalled the girl standing next to a guy that reminded him of Batman's first Robin, at the arch of triumph, in Paris. Had it not been for the makeup the girl was wearing, he would say that, that girl was one and the same, the similarity between them was just so eerily striking.

"She has Superpowers?" Joker's interest grew.

"Yes… according to Cheshire, some magic stuff, I'm not really sure what she can do, I've only heard rumors, not to cross her path, and no one has ever been able to profile her properly, they say her strength varies."

"Really?" Joker asked warming his gloved hands by creating friction between them as he let them glide back and forth.

He entered the cave, and the echo from the stone walls echoed the sounds from the watch.

"Where are you anyway?" Luthor asked noticing the dark background behind The Joker.

"Far, far away in a desert land, finding a solution to our many problems…"

"Which is?" Lex asked.

"Magic!" Joker answered, his voice echoing from the cave walls.

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"Oh… you'll see… you'll see" A dark confident smirk came over Joker's face, indicating that now was a good time for Lex to end the call.

Bad things always happened when he had that expression, and though he knew he had pissed of the Joker countless times, he knew he wouldn't gain anything from doing it purposely.

Both ended the call simultaneously.

Joker placed his hands in his sides and stretched backwards, looking in to the darkness, while taking in a deep breath.

'Looks like coming here was the right decision after all.' Joker thought to himself.

Jump City – With the Titans

"Why is this thing never ending?" Starfire asked in frustration, as the city was yet again attacked by a horde of zombies.

It was the third time this week and it was getting harder and harder to keep up with.

"Just keep at it Star, more and more cities are getting infected… huff… huff… people are loosing hope, we just have to keep going." Beastboy said on the scrambled communicator.

"I'm trying, but I can never catch a break, nor a breath." Starfire answered out of breath.

"Don't worry, help is on the way, I called up some of our old friends" Cyborg said, he too was out of breath, and struggling as he too soon ran out of energy, and was in desperate need of a recharge.

When all hope seemed out for Cyborg a wave of water came in and swooped the zombies away with enormous force.

"Thanks Aqualad I don't know how much more we can take of this." Cyborg thanked.

"I know, things have just been getting worse and worse by the hour." He answered, "There is no place safe anymore, most of the world is in ruins, and they have even begun moving in the the oceans."

"The oceans too? Is there no stopping these things?" Cyborg asked.

"Yup!" Kid Flash entered the battlegrounds punching out a few approaching Zombies.

He placed a hand on his hip as he exhaled before his eyes met the rest of the Titans.

"Just came from Europe, and it didn't look any better there, just imagine my surprise when I ran back in to shore here, and suddenly thousands of hands began reaching up from the ocean to grab my feet as I was running in to Jump City beach, I'm telling you, my eyes grew more then just a little bit, it was like they felt me coming."

"That's what I call one hell of a welcome home committee." Beastboy panted, as he ran up to the other titans.

Cyborg retuned his attention towards Beastboy who was about to be attacked by a swarm of horrifying face ripped beings that could hardly be called human anymore.

"Beastboy, watch out" Cyborg warned.

Beastboy dodged, turned in to a bird and flew upwards to escape, while Aqualad send a flood towards the zombies that were attacking Beastboy.

"Thanks" Beastboy yelled back at Cyborg and Aqualad, whom both nodded at him.

But that was when they began to notice their quickly rising enemies, that seemed to have recovered quicker then they had hoped.

"looks like they recover faster then I anticipated" Aqualad said in a low voice.

"You don't say, but now they are headed towards us." Cyborg shrieked.

"That is why I'm here." Kid Flash winked, as he ran by the too with the biggest smile on his face.

Wally then ran full force towards the zombies, taking them out one by one, at speeds quicker then lightning.

"Easy. Now what?" KF asked, as he looked back at his friends.

"I'd say you have about 20 Seconds before they recover." Starfire answered, as she approached the boys, her voice slightly wavering from the ongoing fight.

"Are you serious?" KF eyes widened at her comment.

"Deadly serious, I do not know if you were updated about our cave visit about a week ago, but those things, they… they do not go down easily." Starfire said in the most serious yet exhausted tone he had ever heard from the Tameranian Princess.

A hand reached for Kid Flash from behind, and before he could react a quick red flash of color flew past him, if it hadn't been for his super speed he wouldn't have realized that it was one of Speedy's Arrows.

He quickly spun around only to be met with a bunch of Zombies trapped in an elastic, bloated, foam like substance.

"Look who's still alive because of me." The sound of Speedy's voice echoed in Wally's ears. Wally felt his eyes narrow. "Seems my reflexes are still faster then yours, huh, Flashy Boy." Speedy said.

If it wasn't because grinding his teeth wasn't a habit of his, Wally's teeth would surly be stumps by now.

"Didn't know you cared." Wally answered, dry sarcasm and bitterness itching in his voice.

Half a laugh escaped Roy.

"What are you saying Wally, I care, I care about all of my friends... though, can't help that they happen to be hanging out with the likes of you." Roy's' voice came from behind, accompanied by the sound of his confident footsteps.

Wally swore he could hear the crude cocky smile forming on Roy's face.

Wally turned his head, a piercing glare directed at the other redheaded boy, now standing opposite him.

"Roy." the name bled from his mouth as Wally practically spat the name out venomously.

"Watch it, my mouth isn't the only weapon I've got," Speedy returned the tone, as he shot him an unimpressed hollow glare.

"The "maturity" of your words makes me laugh." Kid Flash snorted, "Weapons tss… I would have reached you before you even had a chance to touch your bow and arrow." Kid Flash folded his arms confidently.

"I'd like to see you try!" Speedy said with a smirk, while he shot three zombies, that happened to have sneaked up on Wally.

It was the second time Roy had "saved" Wally, but what struck a nerve with Wally was that the arrows Roy had shot, were nothing short of a centimeter from Wally's face.

Wally didn't move en inch, instead he stood perfectly still, his eyes never leaving Roy's, as Wally continued to challenge him.

Though Roy wouldn't admit it, he was slightly impressed that Kid Flash didn't as much as flinch, as the projectiles flew past his face.

He wasn't ignorant to Kid Flash's hatred of him, but he had learned to live with it, heck it wasn't his fault Donna had good taste in men.

Behind Kid Flash, Zombies that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, were hit with foam arrows, encapsulating them, and rendering them completely immobile.

'Bulls Eye.' Roy thought to himself while blinking and celebrating internally.

But before he could open his eyes again, he felt something soft touching his face, accompanied by a sudden blow of air, and slight static electricity.

As Roy's blue eyes fully opened, he saw Starfire standing right in front of him, her back to him, as her rose red hair softly glided off, of his face.

At first he was a bit confused as to how and why this could have happened, but then he looked beyond her lushes long red hair, and saw Wally's tightly clenched, red gloved fist, that presently was less then an inch from his right eye, Roy then knew what had happened.

For a second, Roy's eyes widened in surprise.

Was Wally really still that mad?

With a soft yet firm hand, Starfire kept Kid Flash at a distance.

"Okay enough! What is your problem, ever since day one you have had it out for me."

"You know exactly what my problem is." Wally said, in a dark tone.

"Its because of Donna isn't it? Because I got her and you couldn't." Roy spat.

"FUCK YOU! You piece of trash." Kid Flash yelled at Roy, as he furiously tried to get through Starfire's blocking motions.

"And you were supposed to be the one of us that grew up in a nice normal neighborhood, looks like you got some issues."

"Stop blocking my way, just let me strangle him." KF struggled in Starfire's grip.

"Yup, definitely issues." Roy said mostly to himself.

"Stop it, both of you." Starfire said her own frustration clear in her voice. "You are supposed to be friends, friends do not fight like this."

Wally was far from fully present, as his mind was trapped in his feelings of rage.

Starfire sensing his anger, pushed him to the ground, stopping his immediate trail of thoughts, in an attempt to change his focus.

Wally bewildered landed fairly hard on the ground.

He looked up at Starfire questioningly, before his focus once again returned to Roy.

"Don't get involved Starfire, this has nothing to do with you, this is between me and Roy, only." Wally said as he quickly rose.

"It does when my friends are attacking each other, I do not wish to see you too fight, I find it most disturbing. Just watching the people on this street, attacking and fighting each other, because they have forgotten who they are, I do not like it."

"I'm not going to kill him, it just a "friendly" fight between old teammates, you know, the way boys settle things." Kid Flash said.

"It did not look that way to me, when I looked in to your eyes, friends are not each others rivals, and what ever score you have to settle, I'm sorry friend Wally, but this is not the time." Starfire said sternly, to Wally.

"Wo,wo,wo,wow hold up, don't start fighting on me now boys, we still have a job to do." Jinx said as she spotted their little argument out of the corner of her eye.

Roy immediately pointed an arrow at her, not knowing that she had changed sides.

Starfire quickly turned towards him and placed a hand over the arrow and pressed it slowly downwards, signaling Speedy to lay down his arms.

"Jinx you are here." Wally said surprised.

"What? You thought you could get rid of me that easily? ... Besides there's nothing else to really do around here, besides fight these things off, or join them… if you fancy that kind of thing… so… I thought I'd stop by and see if you needed a little bad luck, for your opponents of course" Jinx winked.

Wally smiled.

"Jinx, you are here too?" Cyborg caught a glimpse of her, as he used some of his remaining energy to shoot his sonic canon, to keep the Zombies at a distance, while moving towards the small group.

"Couldn't let you do all the work by yourself Tin Man, especially not when the boys over here are caught up in their very own drama." Jinx answered as she looked over at the crowd of zombies that was slowly surrounding Cyborg.

Roy frowned.

"Drama you say." Cyborg yelled to her.

After having fought his way through a crowd of zombies, Cyborg finally made it to the small group of heroes "allegedly" taking a break.

"You two, if you have that much energy left in you, I suggest you move your lazy asses, and use them to help the rest of us." Cyborg ordered, as he himself was so tired he could barely move.

Cyborg wiped his forehead.

"Jinx, Donna, well met," Aqualad greeted with a smile, but his clothes were ripped and his body filled with scratches.

"Hi" Donna said, Jinx having been there a while gave a small wave.

"Well, it looks like more of them are coming, so I better get back in to the groove." Jinx said, before she headed back in to battle.

"Donna when did you get here?" Roy asked, as he noticed his girlfriend stand with crossed arms right next to where the pink haired Witch had been standing.

Wonder girl on the other hand, walked straight over to Roy, grabbed his arm, and dragged him with her to a more… remote and safe location, away from the others.

When she finally stopped, and let go of his arm and let out a slightly exhausted sigh, before answering his question.

"The second I learned that you and Wally would be at the same place, at the same time." Wonder girl answered his earlier question, a bit of frustration roaming in her voice.

"Roy, what did I tell you about starting fights with Wally?" she let go of his arm and once again folded them under her chest. "Do you know how frightened I was, when I saw Wally head towards you with lightning speed, I thought you would have died."

"Have some faith in your boyfriend, will you?" He said with a bit of a frown.

Donna's cheeks became a little red from hearing the word "boyfriend" leave Roy's mouth, since that was a rare occurrence, but her eyes quickly narrowed and her former blush vanished and became more of an angry flush as she wanted him to understand that she was serious, and she didn't take his well-being lightly.

Roy noticed her changing expression and immediately placed his hands up in front of him in defense. "Okay, okay, it's not like he was going to kill me or anything, you heard him."

"You don't know that." Donna said seriously, sadness entering her voice, as she buried her face in his chest.

As her flow of emotions transferred to Roy, Roy locked his arms around her, warming her cold body, and holding her closer to his.

There they stood for a few minutes, in all consuming comfortable silence, forgetting both time and space, as the presence of each other was all that mattered.

To break the silence, and remembering the current situation that was still plaguing the city, Roy decided to lighten the mood with a bit of conversation.

"How quickly did you fly here?" he asked "Your body was cold as ice."

Wonder girl blushed "Wouldn't you like to know, but I can tell you I have never flown as fast as I did today."

"Didn't know you cared about me that much." a boyish sly smirk spread from the corners of his lips and made his face beam.

Donna gave him a playful slap on the upper arm, as she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Don't worry babe, it's not like you are going to loose me." Roy assured her in a light tone.

The smile disappeared from her lips and her eyes intensified on his face.

"Just promise me that you will be more careful, and that you won't get yourself killed, I don't want to see you get hurt." She answered with a soft voice hoping deeply to reach him.

"You know I can't promise that." He said in a soothing voice.

"I know… I had to try." she smiled melancholically. "Just promise me you won't get in to any more unnecessary fights with Wally."

She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Mmmm…" Roy looked away from Donna's eyes, he just couldn't face them, as there here was yet another thing he couldn't promise, partly because it was a thing he didn't have much control over, and partly because, though things weren't exactly good with Wally, he rather enjoyed seeing the infuriated face of the often so entitled, happy and loved Kid Flash.

Truth be told, the only thing Wally West didn't have in his life, was the girl who stood right beside him, Wally had everything, loving parents who cared about him, super powers, a house to return to, the love and friendship of pretty much all of the Teen Titans, not to mention, The Flash was his uncle, and if he ever decided to quit, he had a normal stable life to return to, a thing Roy envied him.

But that didn't mean that Roy didn't love Donna, nor that he would switch their situations around if it meant that he had to give up Donna. No. That Roy had Donna, that, Roy didn't want to take for granted. He genuinely loved her, though it at times was hard for him to show it.

In the beginning he couldn't believe his own ears when Donna had told him that she loved him, and not Wally, the perfect little prep boy. Wally whom everybody loved, Wally whom was always happy, who had superpowers, and surely in every way was a better fit for her then himself, yet she has still chosen to be with him.

Why, he still struggled to understand. but it brought a smile to his face every time he thought about it.

He himself wasn't exactly what people would call an angel, most would probably describe him as more of a screwed up kid who did everything wrong, who had broken the hearts of so many girls, it was hard to count, and who was practically a vigilante, no, a criminal, the type no father would allow to let even a foot touch the front porch of their house.

But Donna didn't have a father, or not a father that he knew…

So he was safe, for now.

But he was beginning to grow tired, and now he just wanted to enjoy his time with Donna, and not have Wally breath in the back of his neck, every time they were within a few meters' radius of each other.

Roy was even ready to let it all go, but Wally just simply wasn't willing to let go of the fact that he had lost Donna to him.

And it wasn't as much Donna's choice, as it was him Wally was angry at.

But what bothered Roy even more, was the fact that with all that Kid Flash had in life, and even with the knowledge of Roy's story, that he couldn't let him have this one thing, this one happiness in his life, and that Wally had to act like a spoiled brat, who had to act up just because he didn't happen to get what he wanted for once.

To say it frankly, it pissed him off beyond reason, and that was why he liked aggravating Wally to the very core of his being.

"Roy!" Donna said seriously, bringing him back from his trail of thoughts.

Donna noticed how Roy's body went from slightly tense to a more relaxed state.

"Roy, this is important to me."

"Listen, I didn't start it, Speedo over there did." Roy defended. "Seems he's still sore over the fact that I got you and he didn't."

"Wally is sore?" She asked, almost as if she didn't understand.

The puzzled expression on Donnas face resulted in an "are you serious?" frown, spreading all over Speedy's face.

"Never mind." Roy sighed. "Listen we need to get back to the others, I don't dare imagine how bad it has gotten out there."

Roy began walking towards the exit of the run down, concrete apartment building, they were currently standing in one of the living rooms of, when Donna suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Roy stopped, but he didn't turn until Donna jerked a bit at his arm, and he had no choice but too turn.

Donna looked up at him with big doe like eyes, before placing a soft hand on his cheek, drawing him closer to herself, and locking them in a deep passionate kiss.

A few seconds passed by before both slowly pulled away from each other.

"I love you, Roy." Donna said as she looked up at him.

Roy's eyes lit up, as he fathomed the meaning of her words, and there was suddenly this incredible calm surrounding him as a small smile formed on his face.

For a moment Donna didn't understand, and she was just about to worry when Roy simply took her hand in his, kissed her forehead, and lead her out through the doorway.

With Jinx.

After a couple of hours of fighting, Jinx caught up to Kid Flash who was hiding out on the rooftop of a building, just to get away from the Zombie flooded streets and alleyways.

"Finally! Do you know how much it takes out of a normal person to catch up to you? You are like all over the place, yet nowhere at all, it took me like an hour of dedicated fighting to just get close to the building you are hiding out at." Jinx complained, a hand on her purple skirted hip.

"Are you here to lecture me?" KF said out of breath and slightly exhausted, looking out over the havocked city that resonated with sounds of alarms, and scenery's of smoke rising from various buildings located around the city.

Jinx walked over to him, with a plastic bag, and a small frown.

"About disappearing, or about your little fight?" Jinx asked.

"I'm not even sure anymore." KF said, his tone lacking an overwhelming amount of the liveliness it usually harbored.

Jinx dropped the bag next to him, and sat down, capturing a look at the view he was currently observing.

"Are you pitying yourself?" she asked, knowing it would strike a small nerve, but she knew he needed to get out of this depressed mood he had gotten himself in to, it just wasn't Wally… or the Wally West that she knew.

"What? Well no… it's just Donna… and Roy." his voice went from feeble surprise to slight bitterness as Roy's name was uttered from his mouth.

"Well, you do seem to have history…" Was the first thing that came out of her mouth, she dug in to the plastic bag and handed him some food, knowing that without it he most likely wouldn't last much longer.

"That was a long time ago." Wally answered, as he accepted the food she handed him.

"Not long enough, it seems." Jinx added, as she could clearly hear that there were still tensions between Roy and Wally.

Jinx sat down next to Wally, collected her legs, and wrapped her arms around them, as she waited for him to answer.

After Wally was done eating the 3 sandwiches, in speeds that made her eyes widen and question herself, if she at all, had given him 3 sandwiches, he answered.

"Jinx, can we save this conversation for later?"

"Oh No you don't, you don't get to play that card with me, you had me spilling everything, and doing a complete one-eighty, the least you could do is open up to me a little…" Jinx said a little annoyed, her arms folded and her expression stern.

But as she looked at his fatigued expression, her expression grew soft.

She felt a sigh escape her, and her arms loosened slightly from there earlier firmness before she began to speak again. "Wally it's been a while, and I know you had a lot of things happen in your life, and I don't expect that you open up to me immediately, I know I didn't, but at least let me help you, you know, return the favor." Jinx explained with a weak smile.

Jinx removed her gaze from him and looked back out on the close to ruined city.

She didn't expect him to answer, on the contrary, a part of her understood his silence. Things like revealing intimate details about his life, feelings he had, and even sharing it with other people, that was a hard thing to do, especially with something that seemed as personal to him as this.

Jinx were just about to rise when suddenly the silence was broken by Wally's voice.

"We were old teammates… all of us, Robin, Donna Aqualad, Roy and I." Wally began.

Jinx moved in to a more comfortable position and began listening to his story.

"We grew together, learned together, and experienced many of the good and bad sides of life, things were great… until we began growing up, and we, as in Richard, Roy and I were drawn to Donna…" KF continued.

"Sounds like quite the drama…" Jinx replied.

Wally couldn't resist looking back at her, a short snort escaping him as a smile fueled by mixed feelings, found its way to his lips.

"Now that you mention it, it does, doesn't it?" a small cynical laugh escaped him.

"Mmmh." She confirmed, mirroring his mood. "But you said that it was Roy, Richard and you… what abut Garth? Wasn't he drawn to the Amazon Princess?" Jinx asked, finding it strange that Aqualad wasn't attracted at all to the irritatingly stunning girl.

"I don't know… If Garth was, he never really seemed to say much about it, perhaps he was being a good friend, or maybe he was simply just not interested, but fact of the matter was that he always remained fairly quiet about it." KF said.

"Hmm it just seemed strange that it was just the 3 of you, but I guess he had his reasons…"

"I never asked… perhaps I should have?" KF almost asked, thinking back.

"Maybe…" Jinx said not really sure, "And what about Grayson…? He gave up on Donna too?"

"Well, they were so close, closer then both Roy and I were to her. He and Donna, they were like brother and sister, and Richard… he is a special kind of guy, though he might have had an interest in her… and they surely would have made a great couple… something just wasn't right for Richard. Donna is a strong independent woman, but they are so similar, responsible, caring, yet I got the feeling that Richard was looking for something different, something darker, someone with a different kind of depth…" Wally looked in to the distance with a reminiscent look on his face before he continued. "He needs someone who needs him as much as he needs that someone, a person that will have faith in him, someone who can guide him, yet spar with him, and someone whom he can be so close to, that the bond between them goes beyond any bond he could ever have with anyone else, someone he can trust with everything and who knows him to the core. A person who can save him from himself."

"Sounds high maintenance…" Jinx mumbled silently to herself before saying. "You really must have cared a lot about him to know him that well."

"Dick and I were best friends, we used to talk a lot. Whomever the girl is, who he choses to be with, she will surely be someone special." A small blissful smile creped up on Wally's face.

"Sounds to me like he needs the impossible" Jinx commented.

"I don't know… that's just, kind of the vibe I got from him, but that is the reason Donna doesn't fit the bill, because though Donna is trustworthy, she is not what he wants nor needs romantically. She is his friend, his sister, but their bond does not go beyond that. Even today there are still many levels where she can't reach him." Wally said as he leaned back, to lay on the concrete roof, is arms folded over his head, supporting his head, so that it wouldn't touch the cold rough surface.

"But I'm pretty sure that, that wasn't the only reason." He continued.

"Richard is a smart kid, and even if he did want her, he was our leader, and he was quick to see that the interest we all had in Donna, had potential to split up the team, and he as the leader, took responsibility and backed out, for the team, more then for his own sake, Richard is a great guy, I feel like I owe him quite a lot." Kid Flash said.

Jinx nodded.

"And you are sure he didn't do it for you?"

"I don't know, if he did, that just makes him that much better of a friend, but that still doesn't change the fact that everything ended up Between me and Roy."

"I see… So that is how it ended up just between you and Roy?" Jinx asked

"Yeah…"

"But that still doesn't explain why you and Roy don't like each other."

"Like… Like? Are you kidding me? We HATE each other!"

"Because you were both in love with the same girl?" Jinx asked.

"Because he doesn't deserve her."

"Why?" Jinx tried to understand.

"Because he isn't serious." KF said, the frustration clear in his voice.

"How do you know he isn't serious about Donna?" she questioned trying to understand.

"Have you seen how he treats her? How lightly he takes her, it's just wrong… he doesn't deserve her." Kid Flash said clearly upset.

"You're jealous…" Jinx said in a low soft voice, her eyes wide with the realization.

"I'm not jealous, I'm just looking out for her… as her friend." KF defended.

"A friend that used to love her… Wally… you are not over her." Jinx said sadness creeping in to her voice.

"Even if that was true, it's not like I have a choice, she already picked that guy over me!" he said slightly defeated.

He looked over at Jinx, who gave him a look that told him that she had already seen through him, and that is was no use keeping up the front that he had tried to maintain.

Wally sighed.

"It's stupid, I don't know why I'm still hanging on to the hope that she might still change her mind, that she might see him for what he really is, scum, trash, a playboy that doesn't know how to appreciate her."

Jinx placed a hand on his shoulder as she looked at him.

"Its not stupid, Wally, you loved her, and it's only natural that you'd become upset, but this is taking a bit of a dark turn… Wally, I know this isn't exactly what you want to hear but… she made a choice, and though you don't completely agree with it, you have to respect it, you need to let her have her happiness, Roy too... You can't live in the past like this, you need to move on and find your own happiness… perhaps even the right person for you, whom ever that might be." Jinx said.

Kid Flash turned his head and for the first time really faced her.

"What do you mean the right person for me? She was the right person, she is the person I love." He said slightly flustered.

"Did you ever talk to her about your feelings?" Jinx asked seriously.

"Well… I… I have, but it was complicated… in the end, it was a choice… Donna's choice… how Roy convinced her I have no idea, whether it was his personality, which I by the way, do not, at all, understand how he could have won her over with, or if it is that she just fell for him, over time… that is still a mystery to me.

But they did end up spending a lot of time together, and every time they had, or did, Donna always had the biggest smile on her face, but in the corner of her eyes I could always see that there was a bit of sadness lurking, like he had hurt her in some way.

He was the type that gave other girls a lot of attention, and though he and Donna had a thing going, he didn't at all take it seriously, he kept playing around with other girls which in the beginning I thought it was a good thing, I mean, it gave me an opportunity to spend more time with her, but as I saw what it did to Donna… I mean, the way she kept talking about him, the way she kept on looking in the direction of where he had left the room… it bothered me, but most of all, they way he just seemed to have such a tight grip on her… the way he would smile at her, flirt, spend time together, and then a few days after, he would sleep with another girl… it left me furious, because I could see how heartbroken it left her… and though I always tried to cheer her up, say that Roy wasn't worth it, and tell her that I would always be there for her… in the end, it just didn't seem to be enough."

Kid Flash clenched his fist in frustration.

"She always, some way or another, seems to want to return to him, saying that he deep down was a good person, misunderstood, basically just making up any excuse, to justify him not being bad, for her.

Every time it happened, it made my insides turn, and every time she went back to him, it just felt like a BAD joke, which is why, every time I see them together, it makes me angry, not just because I liked her, but as her friend, that's why every time I see his face, it makes my blood boil and I just want to punch him, removing that smug smile of his…" Jinx could almost hear the sound of his blood boiling as his emotions prevented him from completely finishing the sentence.

He took a deep breath, calming himself down and proceeded to talk.

"I don't know, as I said, it's stupid, I shouldn't still be angry, but I loved her, and he… Roy, he doesn't deserve her, he's scum, a player. And Donna, she is my friend, I love her… even if it isn't me, she deserves better, far better then him."

"I understand why you are upset, and I might not know much about Donna, but do you really think she would waste her time on him if he wasn't treating her alright?"

"I don't know anymore." He almost gave up.

"Well you could find out."

Wally looked over at her puzzled.

"How?" He asked as he tried to understand what she was implying.

"You know, you could get to know him, apologize?" Jinx tried, knowing fully well that it probably wouldn't be the most popular words of advice she had ever given.

"What? Are you kidding me? To that toy?" Wally said roaring as he was still in shock after hearing the words that escaped her mouth.

"I know it's a far stretch, but hear me out."

Kid Flash waited a moment, inspecting her entire face, before he nodded and awaited her answer.

"Okay let me hear it" he said.

"If you apologize, you might get to know him for whom he really is, and perhaps get a glimpse of what it is that Donna sees in him? Because… I mean, do you really know him?"

"I know enough; I was on a team with him for years, the guy is a complete, dick."

"And you base this on?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, as he had clearly just told her everything about this guy.

"I mean, you began hating him over a love interest, over your observation of how you thought he treated Donna, but you were on a team with this guy for years right? I have never actually heard you describe him in another context but something involving Wonder girl, what I'm asking is, did you ever really give him a chance? have you ever truly made an effort to get to know him, understand where he is coming from and how he became the way he is today?" Jinx asked. "I know I probably wouldn't have changed, if you hadn't believed in me, seen the potential that I harbored, taken the time to get to know me.

From what I'm hearing, you are judging him, you might have been former teammates, and spend time together for years, but it sounds to me like you don't know him, Not really, or at least that is the way I'm perceiving it, from what you are telling me… but who am I to say, I haven't been in your shoes, I haven't experienced your relationship with him, so I could be completely wrong… but I want you too think about it a bit more, and perhaps, though it's difficult, try to look at it a bit from an outside perspective, as if you were looking at another person in your position right now."

KF's expression was a mix of feelings, as he took in her words, and tried to process them, mostly he just wanted to yell at her, and tell her how wrong she was, but deep down he knew that there were some truth to her words, and as much as he didn't want to hear them, she cared enough to give it to him straight, she cherished him enough, that she took the time to sit with him, and help him in a time of confusion, and utter chaos, and for that he was very grateful. Jinx really was a better friend then he was giving her credit for.

And he only hoped that one day he could repay the favor.

He was just about to say something when he noticed Jinx were already up and readying herself, swinging her arms and stretching, as she looked in to the horizon.

"I hope you won't take it the wrong way." she said quietly "I'm your friend, and I'm with you all the way, I hope you understand, that thought I say these words that may sound harsh, I want nothing more then to see you happy." Jinx said out in to the horizon.

KF's eyes couldn't move from the tall frame of Jinx's silhouette that was lit by a perfect golden hour sunset.

"Of course. Thanks." He said, not really sure what to respond.

What exactly did he mean to Jinx for her to say something like that?

"Okay this is becoming way to deep for me, so… are you going to sit there and mope all day, ore are we going to go back and help the others kick some Zombie butt?"

"Yeah…" KF said still looking at her, almost as if he had seen her for the first time, but realizing what she had asked him, he hurriedly changed back in to his regular persona, the serious yet fun loving Kid Flash, though her words still resonated with his head and somehow, left a mark somewhere deep with in him.

A smile appeared on his face as he faced her.

"You do know that they aren't actually Zombies right?" he asked her his smile widening.

She looked back at him, with pursed lips, narrow eyes, and a look that told him she was gonna kick his butt, if he didn't stop running his mouth.

Jinx walked over to him, with firm angry steps, and Kid Flash automatically put his arms up to guard himself.

A small smirk appeared on Jinx's face before she gave him a little fist blow on the side of his arm and she said. "Of course I know… I was just testing to see if you were awake… and besides, they might as well be, the way they act."

When Wally opened his eyes again, Jinx was once again at the edge looking at the towers of smoke that were spread all over the city.

He walked closer, and heard her release a faintly drained sigh.

"Jinx?" he asked.

"Well looks like it's time, since I can't keep up with you, I guess I'll just try to get a head start on you." she turned he head and winked at him with a smile on her lips before mentally preparing herself to jump of the building and head back in to battle.

As Jinx took a step forward to jump off the building, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked back and was met with Wally's serious and kind ocean blue eyes.

"Thanks Jinx." Kid Flash gave her a grateful small smile.

"Sure thing" she smiled back at him, before she jumped in to the warzone spinning and releasing waves of pink magic and energy hurting and rendering the present zombies immobile, and drained.

"Kid flash, Jinx, where have you been?" Aqualad asked.

"We needed to recharge, Wally was completely exhausted he needed some food, and a few seconds rest." Jinx said before Kid Flash could say anything.

"Fair enough, it's just good to have you back again." Cyborg said offering them both a smile.

"Yes things here just keep getting worse and, WHY can't we just get a break!" Beastboy complained.

"Sounds like you need a break too huh? BB?" Wally said, knowing how exhausted the Boy was just by looking at him.

Though Beastboy seemed to be okay, his eyes had changed in to those of exhaust and he could tell that they were full of fear.

And it wasn't only that, now that he got a better look at him, he noticed that the green changeling was full of bruises and scratches, even his clothes were lightly torn.

"Cyborg I think we need to retreat, at least just for a bit" Aqualads voice came from behind him.

"As much as I would like to, and believe me I do, we can't just leave the people of Jump to fend for them selves." Cyborg argued.

"We aren't letting them down, they understand that we do what we can to help, but we aren't the Justice League, and we aren't gods, we have powers, we help people, but when we ourselves get hurt, we too need help, or at least we need to retreat for a bit to figure out a better game plan." Donna said as she flew to the others.

"She Is right." Jinx said,

"Okay we'll retreat for now." Cyborg finally agreed.

"But before we do, we need to help Starfire over there, with saving those people?" Speedy said, the stress apparent in his voice, while shooting arrows at the Zombies that were approaching Starfire and the frightened group that she was trying to aid.

TALA

Joker walked further in to the cave listening to the the sound of the waves from the nearby ocean, that could be heard as a low roar fading ever so slightly, as he walked further and further in to the cave.

It was dark, and the cold humid air surrounding him, created small drops of water that were falling from the spikes of the caves roof, a sound that had become so familiar to Joker, that he would almost call it nostalgic.

To him it was the sound of freedom and with every step his smile grew.

He came to a halt, as he now was standing before a huge red gate with two carved out dragons spurting fire at each other.

Hanging by the gate were two candlelit lanterns, as the only light source within the cave, providing just enough light that a small circle was lit up where the door would open.

"Knock knock, anybody home?" The Joker asked, anticipation in his voice.

The door made a deep roaring sound and the sound of chains were heard as the large red painted wooden doors opened them selves and revealed a young pale woman, with bare feet, walking out towards him, her face less then impressed.

The cold didn't seem to bother her, and as her long purple hair caught the wind, it only added to her charm.

The Joker couldn't understand why she wasn't freezing as she was only wearing a long black V necked dress, that hugged her every curve to perfection.

As she walked closer towards him, he couldn't help but notice how her hips moved from side to side in a hypnotic rhythm.

And he only regained focus when she stood right in font of him and her words broke the silence.

"Oh it's you." she said disappointed, her Russian accent shining through, as she looked at the pale mesmerized man in front of her.

"Now now, aren't you happy to see me? What about a smile?" Joker tried.

"You are late." She avoided answering his question.

"Details, details, that doesn't mean we can't have a good time."

"You came here for a favor, more then that, I do not have to do." She answered coldly.

The pale man frowned a bit, but let it slide.

"So, are you able to do it?" Joker asked eagerly, a dark smile returning to his face.

"You don't even understand what you are asking of me." She said.

"Tala… darling."

She looked at him with a sharp look, that made the Joker take a simple step backwards while holding his hands up slightly in defense.

He became serious for the first time and his whole aura changed as he answered…

"I do." His cold empty eyes stared in to her soul with such intensity and certainty, that she almost wavered from realizing what kind of a monster that really hid behind those eyes of his.

She couldn't keep eye contact with him, that was how fierce his gaze had been, and she found herself struggling to breathe.

Piecing herself back together, she thanked all of the gods, and the universe that this twisted being didn't have any actual powers or magic.

Tala looked him in the eyes once more.

He claimed to know… which could be true in his own case, but he did not know the consequences of what he asked of her… the sacrifice she would have to make.

What he was asking her, It wasn't an easy task, nor had it been a part of the deal.

The forces she had to mess with… there was no question which, she feared more, and yet the deal the The Joker required her to make, No. Forced her to confront those fears.

She had long been aware that she and the child would cross paths one day, but that it was in this context, she had not foreseen, but there was no avoiding it… the time had come.

"No you don't, this is bigger then both of us, the strings I have to pull... the sacrifices that has to be made… if you had not involved her, this would be entirely different." she snared.

"Her?" Joker asked intrigued yet puzzled.

She let out a deep sigh. "It doesn't matter, you wouldn't be able to understand anyway, do you have what I asked for?" Tala asked.

A smile reappeared on his face.

"He is right in the palm of my hand, and soon in yours, if you can hold up your end of the bargain." Joker smiled a true jester smile.

"Good, that is all I need." She smiled a subtle yet satisfied smile.

She opened a purple portal and both walked in.

Days later… With Robin.

Robin felt a sharp pain, enter his right arm as he was about to wake up.

Robin hissed internally at the pain, but no sound escaped his body.

The pain began to intensify but it soon disappeared, leaving behind a strange sensation that now began to enter Robin's body.

It didn't take long before the strange sensation turned in to drowsiness, and he felt as it began to spreading like wildfire throughout his entire body.

Robin who was still in a state between awake and asleep, felt the sensation pressuring him to become unconsciousness once again.

Robin realizing what was happening to him, refused to let himself slip in to unconsciousness.

He simply couldn't afford to let himself be unguarded again, he needed to know what was happening around him, if he was in danger.

Robin continued to sternly fight what ever was forcing him back to sleep, he felt like hours had passed, when what ever it was that had tried to get him to submit, had stopped and he was now fully awake once again.

Robin tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't.

Next he tried moving his arm, but even that didn't respond, what was happening.

All around him it was darkness and an empty space, and as he couldn't move his body, the only thing that seemed real, were two muffled voices that were unfamiliar, that seemed to discuss something he couldn't quite make out.

Robin tried to concentrate on them, and the more he focused, the more he seemed to be able to make out of their conversation, and what was that? He couldn't be sure but it sounded like a strange almost machine hum, that was almost purring in the background, as the people were talking.

Where was he? And where were these people taking him?

"…Since we have secured the two for now, perhaps it is time to place them in their… "

'Two?' Robin thought to himself. If his eyes could have opened they would have widened "Raven…"

Raven! Where was she? Was she okay? He had to find her.

"You there, take the boy and move him to TWR 59 lvl 103"

Robin heard heavy steps head towards him, before he registered the sound of a door closing, making his heart drop down in to his stomach, in fear.

Robin felt his body being picked up from the ground by large hands, that carried him and placed him over their shoulder.

It was a strange sensation, it felt like the shoulder of a human, yet whom ever it was, was cold, way colder then the average healthy human, but not ice cold, who was this?

Robin tried to resist, attempting once again to move his limbs, but they remained as though they were frozen.

Well if he couldn't move perhaps he could call out to someone, anyone… even if it was in his mind… he had to find a way to save himself and Raven.

Wait! That was it! He and Raven had a bond, perhaps if he focused on contacting her, she could hear him?

"RAVEN" he called out.

"RAVEN CAN YOU HEAR ME?" He tried once again.

He listened intensely for even the smallest of sounds but nothing but silence met him.

'Perhaps this was a bad idea, I mean common Robin you really think Raven would be able to hear you in here? Just because you call out to her? Because what? Because you are supposed to have a bond with her? Get real…' he thought to himself, as he let a small frustrated breath escape him.

After that Robin remained quiet for a while, taking in the empty silence and the sound of the heavy steps, of the person he presumed was currently carrying him.

When he thought all hope was lost a small sound caught his attention, he didn't quite know where it came from, but it was almost as if it was a tinker created by his imagination to annoy his mind.

Robin sighed and tried to ignore it, when he suddenly heard it.

"Robin…" he heard a faint voice.

It was strange, it was as if it was so far away from him, yet he heard it clearly.

"Raven… is that you?" Robin asked, as the sound of that voice filled his entire being with hope.

Hope that it was her, and that he wasn't alone in this strange darkness, that he seemed to be trapped in.

"Robin, you have to stop fighting me."

'What?' Robin thought to himself.

"But I'm not…" he tried to explain as he wasn't sure what she was talking about.

How was he fighting her, his body wasn't moving and he couldn't control it so how?

Like a lightning strike on a clear day, Robin finally understood, the pain in his arm, it must have been a syringe that they used to drug him.

A drug which was trying to leave him in a stage of unconsciousness, a stage which Raven had difficulty reaching him in?

"Raven! I'm right here, keep talking to me."

"Robin I'm almost there."

Her voice got louder, and Robin felt his entire being radiate with happiness.

"Raven… you heard me." Robin said as he suddenly saw her.

But it wasn't quite her, instead it was a large black Raven that flew towards him, and neatly placed itself on his imaginary shoulder.

But it didn't matter, he was just glad that she was with him.

"Robin I have been trying to contact you for some time now, are you okay?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure."

"Why did something happen?" she asked immediately concerned.

"I think I was drugged." Robin said.

"You were, they used the same old voodoo magic on me, if I'm right, it'll have a longer lasting effect on my body, meaning that it should just about wear off on you, around… now. Robin? can you move?"

"I tried, but before I could wake up fully, I felt a sharp pain in my arm, Raven, I think they found out that I was about to wake up again, and used sedatives, to try and prolong my current state of unconsciousness."

"But you aren't unconscious…" Raven thought out loud.

"No I'm not, I refused to become fully unconscious again, I need to know what is happening out there, even if that means I can only hear it… but Raven aren't you supposed to be unconscious?"

"I can't be, not really… it's difficult to explain, but if I'm not consciously controlling to my powers, my powers go's haywire.

Currently my mind and body can't connect, but I can control my powers through my consciousness, that I by default connect to, when ever my body becomes unconscious, and I'm not talking about the standard heal yourself/ and shielding stuff, I'm talking about the more explosive and dangerous parts of my powers, the ones attached to my soul, to me.

If I don't control them, my powers go's haywire, and become destructive, in ways you would never even dream of, so I could never fully be unconscious, I can only lose momentary connection with my body."

"I see; seems we are both trapped." Robin said.

"true. How long was it since you were sedated?"

"I have no sense of time right now, but I would say perhaps a few hours… why?"

"Can you move? I can't leave my body before my emotions have settled, and I am once again in full control of myself, and I don't know if you've noticed, but the last couple of days hasn't really been great for me…" Raven joked.

"You don't say." Robin let out a small humored puff, but became serious hastily again. "Raven, I can't move, and even if I could, I don't know if it would be a good idea right now."

"Why?"

"I don't know what's happening, but I'm currently being carried."

"Carried?" concern entered her voice.

"I don't know where, I can't recognize any of the voices I've heard, and so far none of them are talking about location."

"It's completely quiet in my end too, there is no talking, I even doubt that there are any people in here, but I can feel cuffs around my ankles and wrists, Robin… what is going to happen to me?"

"Raven! I don't know, but don't worry, it'll be okay, we are going to make It out of here, I promise."

"I don't know… something here feels different, dark, Robin I shouldn't be here."

"What's wrong" Robin asked.

"I don't have time to explain, they are beginning to rebel against me, I don't know how long I can keep our connection going, if things continue like this."

"Raven, let me help you."

"Robin you can't, it'll only end badly if they find you, I know you want to help me, but you would have to be here, in my mind, and I can't let you in, not now."

"Why not?" he asked.

"If I let you in and you get trapped here, you might not ever return, I can't risk it."

"Do it anyway." Robin said anxiously.

"Robin I'm loosing the connection, it's getting harder and harder to concentrate, I'll contact you later, just try to keep the connection open from your side, and Robin…"

"Yes?" he asked feeling the connection slip.

"Stay alive…" and with those words she was gone, and he was once again alone with the darkness and the sound of heavy steps.

Something about those words made Robin's body tense, stay alive… that was easier said then done, now that he was trapped and had no control over what was going to happen to his body.

And what was this uncomfortable sensation he was feeling?

Robin had noticed the the sound of the footsteps had come to a halt, and his body was now again being moved.

Within seconds, Robin felt his body fall, and sense of panic started to take over his mind as he had no idea where he was being dumped off, or how long the fall was.

Shit… was this it?

"Raven I'm… .S….y" was the only thing he could think, as he fell through the air, hoping he wasn't headed in to a pool of deep water, that would drown him to death.

A momentary peace of mind reestablished itself after Robin hit something soft yet firm, Robin wasn't sure what it was but at least it seemed to be firm ground for now, perhaps a mattress? He couldn't really be sure.

He heard the heavy steps walk away from him, followed by a strange machine sound and pulses of escaping air. And then nothing.

It was dead silent.

The only thing Robin could do was wait, and while he waited he began to wonder…

What was this place? Were was he? And what did these people want with himself and Raven?

One thing was certain, they wanted them alive… at least for now.

AN/:

Hello Everyone it's been such a long time since I last updated, the intentions has been there but time has not…

Hope the wait hasn't been too horrible and that this chapter will do until I can manage to finish the next :)

Limitless Darkness.

Btw; if you are wondering:

Tiffany Ambrose (drug trafficking person- and probably the closest thing to the only person Blackmask has ever really loved.) or so I assumed do to something I read in an online article somewhere.

;)

And no I do not hate Wally West, he is one of my favorite characters, but that is how I think Roy Harper views him, hope I wasn't too cruel. :) (same the other way around)

Also don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Donna Troy, she is a great character, Jinx on the other hand… she likes her, but she envies her a little for several tings ;)

And NOW!

A BIG! Thanks to Maisie, micolodian77, Jenny-Jay-21 and alnmoon for the reviews, they make my day! :D

Maisie, you are welcome, there will be much more of The Joker after a few chapters, looking forward to hear what you think (hope his twisted behavior as this story develops will live up to your expectations, because trust me, what we have seen so far is nothing compered to what is yet to pass) ;)

Jenny-Jay-21, I'm thrilled that you loved the part where Raven forgot to turn off her phone… twice ;D

And no worries I'm still over the moon about the reviews :)

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Esme7Cullen