Justice Lords Limitless Act 2: EndWar

Curtis stood in the BatCave alone. Bruce was off with Diana at some convention for the filthy rich where he was sure to win some other award… Along with some tabloid publicity speculating further on his and the former Wonder Woman's relationship. And Kimber was out with Mawk.

"I'm not the one who will be alone tonight." Kimber's final words seemed to echo through the dark BatCave and Curtis couldn't help but look around in sour remorse and wonder: was this really all he had? Through a series of circumstances that in no way could be called "mere coincidence," Curtis Reginald Orson Walker was now on the path that the first Robin must have been on years before. If he continued on this path, this would no doubt be his inheritance. The Bat.

"Ugh." His unveiled disgust echoed in the cave and disturbed a small colony of bats. Their distant screeching answered him as they fluttered deeper into the cave system.

He was alone tonight. Almost every night. Holed up in this cave working. When was the last time he had been on a date? Over the summer he had a few, but as he became more engrossed in his duty as a Gotham Knight, his social life declined. Now that the summer was winding down and classes were starting up, his already shallow love life had all but vanished. He stared into the lenses of his cowl and sighed in resignation.

I'm not alone tonight, he tried to convince himself. I have the entire city out there, just waiting for me.

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"Be safe! That's what Papa said before we left! Be safe!" Kimber slammed her purse into her lap repeatedly with restrained fury, letting out pent-up frustration. It was the only thing that kept her from tearing the young man across the table from her a new one.

Mawk reached across the table for her hand. "Well, I had to do something! Did you want them to hurt you? I didn't!" He paused as he waited for Kimber to respond; but when she only continued to fume under her breath, he let his hand go slack and drop on the table with a thud. Where did things go wrong? His mind replayed what led up to the argument.

The night had started with so much promise. He'd arrived to pick her up from the Lee residence early. He wasn't often late – most times he would arrive on time or a few minutes before, but this time he'd made it a point to be there well before the scheduled time. Their date was scheduled for nine. He was at her front door by seven-thirty. He stayed for a while – probably ten to fifteen minutes – sharing what he had been up to in the recent weeks with her father. He hadn't really seen much of Mr. Lee over the summer months, that didn't surprise him, though. Gotham was continuing to unravel and Chief Lee was one of the few threads holding the patchwork of a city together. He shared a few of his corny jokes and managed to eek a few laughs out of the elder Lee as Kimber finished getting ready.

The drive to Star City took just under an hour and in that time, the two danced and sang to crappy pop tunes, played a game of 'I Spy', and otherwise caught up on life. He felt like he'd not spoken with her in weeks. She'd gotten more and more illusive after graduation, and after he got his intern position in Star City, their conversations only got thinner. As he drove, they also exchanged a bit of ribbing, like him pestering her over how she was able to get a night off from her demanding night job, and her laughing off his question silly.

The restaurant was expensive and most of the money he had partitioned for the date went to the reservation and their meals, so this made parking a hassle. With valet parking out of the question, they had to park a block and a half away from the eatery at a public parking lot, meaning they would have a little walk to get to the restaurant. It was embarrassing, Mawk had to admit, but Kimber didn't seem to mind. Money was tight and she understood that. So, he did what every gentleman should: as soon as he parked, he opened her car door for her. Hand in hand, the two walked to the restaurant.

It was during their walk that it happened. Right as they finished crossing the street, a gang of five wearing painted face masks approached them. The one in front rudely bumped Mawk's shoulder as he walked between Mawk and his date, forcing the couple's hands apart. The next two passed on either side of the couple and the final two stopped in front of them. In mere moments, Mawk and Kimber were surrounded on the sidewalk.

"Where you two lovebirds goin'?" the first one asked from behind Kimber.

"None of your business!" Mawk shot back. He then put his hand on Kimber's lower back to prompt her to resume walking. Jokerz. Always a bane.

"Nah, hang on a minute." Another gangster grabbed Mawk's arm to hinder him. "My man asked you a question. Ain't you gonna answer?"

Mawk grimaced back. "Why'd you leave Gotham, Jokerz? Too much of a challenge now that the big bad Bat is back?"

"Mawk, calm down," Kimber whispered under her breath to him. He could tell she wasn't eager to get into a fight with him again. She probably didn't think he could handle it, that he couldn't keep her safe. She was choosing flight – for his sake. But he wasn't about to make that same choice. Never again. Besides, the goon gripping his arm had a vice-like grip. He'd rip his jacket if he tried to get away.

Behind them, Mawk heard a snap of something like a switchblade opening and did the only thing he could think to do: He broke them. Or rather, he and his date broke them.

Back in the present, Mawk smiled. "Oh, Kimmie, you're as much to blame as I am!" His eyebrows shot up approvingly at the pouting young woman across from him. "I'm surprised you could fight so well, much less in such a gorgeous dress."

"Cop's daughter and black belts, remember?" She quickly dismissed his compliments and returned the focus to him. "But that's not the point. Dammit, Mawk!" Her head dropped down to hide her face. She was angry, but the girl couldn't help but smile at his compliments. "I get that you wanted to keep me safe and fight back, as unwise as that was, but you didn't need to go so hard. It's one thing to defend yourself, it's completely another to shatter a person's shoulder when they are no longer threatening you!"

"He was going to get up!"

"He was begging for mercy, Mawk!" Kimber glared at her boyfriend. "Besides, Green Archer showed up! I highly doubt the perp could have gone anywhere."

"It's 'Green Arrow', Kimmie…" Mawk relented with a strained exhale. Arguing would serve no purpose; this wasn't a fight he would, or could, win. Nor was it a fight he wanted. He just wanted a nice date. A simple reminder that he did, in fact, have a girlfriend.

"Mawk." She put her hand on his, recalling what Curtis' had shared with her about Mawk and his insecurities. "You don't have to prove anything to me, you know."

"Yeah… I know." He smiled back but the smile was only skin deep. I have to prove it to myself. "How about we just... drop the topic and get on with the evening, huh?" He made a slightly pouty expression which brought a smile to his date's face. "I'm here, you're here, food's on the way, an' the in-house music is making me want to melt. Isn't that what matters? That you're with me?" He managed the grab ahold of her hands this time and clasped them, tenderly massaging her hands with his thumbs.

"Fine... Fine! Just stop with the puppy-dog eyes. It's weird on you." Kimber giggled back. I guess for a short time I should act my age.

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Bruce Wayne pulled out the chair for his date and then sat down himself. "I have to say, Daggett, this is quite the party you've cobbled together."

Roland Daggett chuckled as he sat opposite Bruce. "Thanks, old chum, but this is nothing. Next week, the real party begins."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Next week my company will begin the process of absorbing another asset."

Bruce smirked as he leaned toward his friend. "Care to share some more information?"

"Well, nothing is official yet, Bruce. Preliminary paperwork still has wet ink," Daggett teased.

"All the better." Bruce laughed. "Nothing like insider secrets to get the blood pumping, right?"

The two laughed over the investment 'joke' as their dates both looked at each other in exasperation.

"Is he always like this?" Diana asked the woman across from her.

Daggett's date huffed. "Only if I'm lucky."

"Here's the scoop, Wayne." Daggett scooted closer to Bruce and put a cupped hand from his mouth to Bruce's ear. "Mercy Graves is selling LexCorp. Mark my words: by this time next year it will be under the Daggett Industries umbrella, It's been a hard battle, but I've won out."

"No way!" Bruce recoiled back in legitimate shock. "I didn't think after the last presidency that company would ever go down to someone else! I didn't even know Mercy was looking for buyers."

Daggett nodded. "Lex built that company from the ground up for sure, but everything's for sale... For the right price. And I can't wait for my guys in white suits to get their hands on Luthor's R&D department! It'll be like candy land!"

"Well, Roland, I can't say I'm not jealous. I'm sure he's got more than enough toys for your tinkerers to play with." Bruce put his hand around Diana's chair and she instinctively leaned her head on his shoulder, partly out of boredom.

"By the by, Bruce," Daggett came again, "what is the deal with you and the former Justice Lord, anyhow?" He gave her a suspicious look.

Diana's face reddened and Bruce could feel the tension emanating from her as she stiffened in her chair.

Seeing the apprehension in the Amazon's features, Daggett made a swift apology to which Diana threw up her fakest, most condescending smile.

"I am the one who vouched to get her out and sponsored her rehabilitation. And with her last few housing arrangements turning out less than hospitable, she's living with me for now."

"Breaking all the rules now, are we?"

"Well, he is Gotham's Prince," Daggett's date joked, finally perking up now that social gossip was the discussion. "Who's to tell him otherwise?" She coyly played with her glass as she gave Bruce a smokey look.

Bruce shrugged and avoided the woman's eye. "Maybe Daggett himself?" He looked at his friend. "Pretty soon we'll be twin princes if things keep rolling his way."

Daggett laughed. "Right, right, and we'll just have to pretend that your company doesn't own twenty-six percent of my company's stock?"

Again Bruce shrugged and Diana had to smile at her man's calm and relaxed nature. Companion. Not your man; your companion. Diana reminded herself. Don't forget that. Hera help me...

"Besides," Daggett continued. "If anyone's going to tell you what to do, it'll be Lucius. That man is wilier than a… Well, you know." He took a swig from his wine glass, a bit more than the cultured sip most others in attendance were taking. "How's the old tinkerer holding up?"

"He's fine." Bruce took a fake sip of his glass. "Working himself to death in the Basement, but he sure loves those toys. Speaking of which, when you acquire LexCorp and crack open those R&D files, do you think Lucius and I..."

Daggett put up a hand and nodded. "Way ahead of you, friend. I'll need a chaperone through it all, anyway."

Diana rolled her eyes. "Bruce, is it not possible to speak on something more... interesting?" She pushed her elbow into Bruce's chest and he smiled.

"Alright, since corporate talk doesn't seem to do it, what does?"

"Oh!" Daggett's date spoke up. "Do you still have your powers?" she squeed.

Diana's face reddened again. "Well, erm, I'm not too sure. I haven't needed to, well, try, you see—" She found herself stumbling over her words at a loss of what to say.

"Nonsense!" Daggett interrupted boisterously. "Surely you must still be able to do something neat?"

So, now I'm a sort of entertainment fixture? Diana looked at Bruce and saw a tinge of anger at the question. Or was it worry? Well, at least we're on the same page about this. How about a rescue, Bruce?

"Now, now," Bruce interjected. "The last thing you want is a former Justice Lord flying around here. I'm barely washing the bad press off now, trust me. The media would eat this up for sure. And consider the optics, Roland. You and a powered Justice Lord? It may complicate your acquisition..." Bruce's voice trailed off.

"Flying?" Diana and Daggett's date exclaimed in unison.

"Oh don't act so surprised," Bruce nonchalantly continued. "She flies all over the manor, don't think her feet have even touched the marble yet." He laughed a bit.

You're digging the hole deeper, Diana thought. But she didn't know what to say. There was no way she could speak out. After all, social gatherings weren't her forté. It was best to just be silent and trust Wayne to successfully navigate the conversation.

"Makes it a pain to keep her in line, if you know what I mean." Wayne winked at Daggett.

"Oh, I think I understand, Bruce." Daggett returned with a devious smile. "I'd say the Kama Sutra may need a revision, eh?"

The nerve. Diana wondered if she still had the strength to rip out a man's spinal column.

Bruce closed his eyes and brought his drink to his mouth signaling the end of the conversation. "My lips are sealed."

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Kimber stirred the mashed potatoes on her plate, absentmindedly pushing them into elaborate yet nonsensical patterns. The ambiance was calming, the food was rich, and Mawk had been nothing but a dapper gentleman the whole time, but the night still felt so flat. She'd tried to convince herself that it was just her nerves still firing off after the mugging attempt earlier in the night; however, she was now an hour removed from the event but still she felt as if the night was a lie. As she corralled her mashed potatoes back to one side of her plate, she watched Mawk.

The big guy cut a surprisingly slick figure in his suit. It was well-pressed and she could tell he'd spent a lot of time in putting together his outfit. And while she could barely nibble at the edges of her food, he was readily taking healthy bites from his meal with barely restrained abandon. For someone who'd grown up eating at dinners similar to these, he sure seemed like he'd never even heard of a salad fork. She fought a giggle as he paused piling food on his fork to chew.

"What?" he asked innocently as their eyes connected.

"Nothing," she averted her gaze to the window and the dark city outside.

"You feeling alright, Kimmie?" he asked. "You're usually more gung-ho about steak dinners." He frowned slightly as he looked at her partially eaten plate.

Kimber looked down and felt a bit of guilt. He was trying his best. She tenderly cut through what remained of her steak and combined the sliced piece with the portion of mashed potatoes already poised on her fork. After chewing and swallowing the morsel, she cleared her throat and started a new conversation. "So I have to ask, on a law firm apprentice salary, how the heck did you manage to get a reservation here?"

Mawk chuckled and took a sip of the sparkling cider in his glass. "Saved up for a while and asked for an advance on my last paycheck. Also, the firm's parent company has some deal with this place. Employees get discounted rates and they will always make a table for us."

"They must really love you there."

Out the window, a movement caught her sharp eye. A man with a bow and arrow was chasing someone out of view, obviously on the street level. The quick sight of Green Arrow led her thoughts to Curtis. Was it fair that tonight, of all nights, she had left him to patrol the city alone? Bruce didn't know she would be missing tonight. He was at some fancy-schmancy dinner, so no Batman. No backup. I hope Curt's okay. She shook thoughts of him from her head and promised herself she would text him as soon as she got the chance. Just to check. "What firm do you work for, again?"

"Queen Industries." Mawk scratched the back of his head. "I work indirectly for that Oliver Queen guy."

"Didn't he give up his company?"

"Yes and no. He still owns most shares but isn't actually running things. Turned it over to a close advisor. Either way, the firm I work for acts as one of his company's legal teams. We take all his workers' compensation lawsuits and defend his company. Well, the lawyers do... I'm more of a gofer." There was a tinge of sadness in his voice.

She took pity on him. "Hey, Mawk, everyone starts somewhere."

"Yeah? What about Curt? Dude's somehow makin' big moves straight outta high school! Working for Bruce Wayne. The Bruce Wayne." He shoveled a final load of string beans and gravy into his mouth, then continued talking. "Some guys get all the luck."

Kimber smirked knowingly. So you'd think. But you're not the one stuck in a dank cave or running around rooftops alone tonight. You're with me. "Oh and Oliver Queen isn't in the same league as the high and mighty Wayne? Believe me, I'm pretty sure Curtis would gladly trade places with you for a day." She tentatively blew Mawk a kiss. "He has all the luck because he lacks every social skill necessary to function in society." A part of her gut twisted at talking bad about her friend behind his back.

"Well, not all social skills." Mawk blew her a kiss back as the waiter brought the check for their meals. "He's an ace at trivia games. And don't forget how helpful he is with computers."

She doubled down. "Mmhmm, like I said: lacks social skills."

Mawk signed his name on the bill as Kimber packed up her leftovers in to-go boxes. The duo left the eatery soon after. "Had fun?"

Eh. "Yeah." She draped her arms around his neck and the two began their walk to the car.

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"Hey, buddy," Green Arrow called over his new secured line to Robin. "Slow night in my city. Just took down a den of Jokerz. How are things on your end?"

Robin slowly stood from his crouched position. "Wet." It had been raining in Gotham on and off for the past half hour. "Weather can't make up its mind. But nothing remarkable in the way of crimes..."

"You sound like you're thinking," Green Arrow pried. "What's up, kid?"

"Good ears. I'm thinking about Arkham," Robin replied, still a bit distracted. "News outlets didn't let on just how many escaped."

"Right." There was a slight strain in Green Arrow's sarcastic tone.

"Just caught another guy?"

"Gal, actually." Green Arrow waited for the knock-out gas given off by the trick arrow to dissipate before making his way to the unconscious would-be mugger pinned up against a wall. "You were saying about Arkham?"

"Yeah. The bridges were blown, leaving only one one on and off the island."

"They must have given initial numbers to not alert the populace." Green Arrow surmised. "Why worry everyone if those that escaped left Gotham by boat? Someone else's problem, they're probably thinkin'."

"I don't think that's just it," Robin countered. "Everyone focused on Azra'il, Crane, and Joker as the big names who escaped. Later, they confirmed Clayface and Croc. And that makes sense, you know? High-profile criminals with rap sheets that could rival novels. They are all, aside from the Joker, still whole."

"I'm waiting for the point, Robin." Green Arrow dryly prodded the conversation along.

Robin adjusted his position and watched as one stranger in the high rise opposite him finished propping up another in a lounger. "Arkham guards took for granted that the more docile inmates of the Asylum would remain on the grounds. It makes sense, right? Even when they had a full run of the place, they never actually tried to leave. They had no desire to. Yet here one sits across the street from me."

"Okay, spill it, kid. Who've you found?" Green Arrow asked, his impatience cutting through the static of their radios.

Robin watched the stranger exit the room via a door and, once he was confident they weren't returning immediately, Robin swung to the building before him. "I think I've found Two-Face."

He easily slipped through the apartment's open window. He moved aside and allowed the obscured moonlight to grace the disgraced district attorney. Dent was sprawled out on the couch unconscious and breathing heavily. He still wore his Asylum jumper but it was damp, as was his spot on the couch. The distinct look of the formerly scarred villain clued Robin in that the dampness wasn't just rainwater.

Robin stooped down and examined the more moist spots on his clothing. He touched a green stain with his finger. "Lazarus." He looked back at Harvey's healed face and noticed that the disfiguring scars weren't all that was missing. The two dark scars on his forehead that signaled his lobotomy were all but missing, only light blemishes remained. "Someone took him for a swim. Then why is he here?"

The junior detective made his way silently around the room, taking in as much detail as he could. He took note of a demolished six-pack of beer, a few loose travel magazines, and a map from the Gotham Tourist Board. On a small table were a few unopened bags of chips, some sort of tape recorder, and a rather large bottle of water. There had to be something he was missing. He took a few more moments to look around, hoping a clue would spring out of the ether and push him in the right direction. When nothing did, he sighed in defeat.

"Okay, let's review." He slid out of the window just in case whoever put Mr. Dent in the chair decided to return while he tried to collect his thoughts. "His disfigurement is all but gone, the burn marks from his forehead are also gone, and his outfit is soaked with green liquid. Obviously, he was taken by Ra's al Ghul to a Lazarus Pit to be 'restored.' But why is he unconscious? And why here of all places? Is the a Lazarus pit nearby? Is Ra's?" His head was swimming with questions that he had no way to answer. Even Batman had assumed Ra's al Ghul had booked it out of Gotham and headed for open waters after the breakout, but could that escape all have been a ruse?

A scream and a scuffle came from Harvey's room. Questions for later. Robin was through the window in a flash. On the floor, he found a young woman crawling to her feet and the door to the small apartment wide open. Robin looked at the couch: Dent was gone. "Are you alright?"

The woman half-righted herself and turned her face to Robin. "Oh!" She secured some of her dark locks behind her ear and gave him a doe-eyed look.

He recognized the beautiful woman from Batman's criminal profiles almost immediately: Talia al Ghul. She stood shakily with his help and he feigned a comforting look, pretending not to notice the dagger she quickly slipped into a hidden sheath on her thigh.

"I found that madman drugged out on my couch!" She held horrified hands to her mouth. "That was Two-Face, was it not? I thought he was... dealt with?"

She's an excellent liar, Robin noted mentally. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, thank the stars, but he gave me such a fright!" Talia's accent poked through on some words. "And in my own apartment, too! Shouldn't he be in Arkham with the rest of the crazies?"

Robin nodded and moved to the window but never turned his back on the dangerous woman. "Don't worry, I'll get him back where he belongs. Sorry for the trouble. I'm really glad you're safe, ma'am."

The woman nodded eagerly. "Yes, do so quickly! Who knows what he could do while free? Oh, the havoc! He was stark raving mad and speaking gibberish! He needs to be taken off the streets!"

Robin jumped from the window then fired a line from his bat-claw and swung into the night. "She sure wants him locked up quickly. But didn't they break him out? Why would you break out someone just to throw them back behind bars..." He then remembered the knife. "Or worse... I know he's a criminal, but so is she. And raving madness and gibberish?"

He released the line and transitioned into a glide. The obvious thing to have done was try to capture her on the spot. Take her down then throw her in jail and get her to rat on Ra's al Ghul. But Robin knew that though it was the obvious thing, it wasn't the right thing. Even if he could subdue her, she would never rat out her beloved father. Not even torture would get her talking. It was best to let her believe her farce worked. That would keep her off his case.

"The only reason one criminal would want another criminal taken care of is that they are a threat. Either physically or they just know too much. And for the dear former district attorney... I believe he knows a great deal."

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"Look at that!" Mawk's finger shot out into the night sky. "There goes Green Arrow, again!"

"Who?"

"The hero from earlier? You called him Green Archer?" Mawk responded, laughing at Kimber's blunder. "Gotham has the Dark Knight, Star City has the Emerald Archer."

Kimber 'hmphed' and her lips curled into a dissatisfied huff. "Thus marks the return of men in tights."

"It's for the better." Mawk shot back, grinning. "Wait, don't tell me you're not at all taken by men running around on rooftops?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Oh please, that just sounds ridiculous."

"Ridiculously terrif, you mean," he corrected. Then he leaned her way and brought her into his side with one arm. "You mean to tell me if one of them swooped in, cape flapping dramatically, and saved you, you wouldn't swoon?" Mawk's teasing grin grew wider but his words seemed earnest. "I think you're lying."

A flicker of movement on the building above caught Kimber's eye and for the briefest of moments she expected to see Robin watching over her. But it wasn't him, a tattered flag flapped in the breeze and she felt her heart resume beating. She allowed a half-laugh to escape and regained her composure before replying. "Yeah, because nothing's more swoon-worthy than a guy who probably smells like sweat and roof tar." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

If Mawk had noticed her falter, he didn't say anything. "You are so lying, Kimmie! I'm calling your bluff. Deep down, you're totally into it."

Kimber blew air from her nose, feigning annoyance. "I think it's stupid."

Mawk threw his free hand up in mock frustration. "Ah, you got me there." He opened the car door with a flourish and gestured for her to enter.

"Oh! Well, look who learned how to be a gentleman!" Kimber scooted into the car. "Thank you."

"Chivalry. It's a dying art." Mawk closed her door, rushed to the other side, and slid into the driver's seat but didn't start the car. Instead, both sat mute for a few moments doing their best to think of what to say.

"Well, this was fun," Kimber said finally.

"Yeah, it was." Mawk adjusted himself in his seat and then checked his mirrors. Once he was satisfied with his setup, he started the car and pulled out of his parking spot. "Really glad we had a night when we both were free, Kimmie. Definitely needed this."

"It'd been a long time coming. Almost forgot what you looked like." Kimber gazed out the window absentmindedly and watched the city pass by her eyes from ten to fifty-five miles per hour. "We should do this again. I just need you to promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Mawk glanced her way with a smirk as he turned at the intersection.

Kimber looked his way and their eyes locked for a moment. She hesitated. Words were on the tip of her tongue but she wasn't even sure what they were, so she pulled them back. Her eyes darted to the dash as she fidgeted with her dress, roughly twisting and rubbing the fabric out of nervousness. Mawk's recklessness was dangerous, but it was also a part of his charm—or so she kept telling herself. Even if she had to shatter his ego, she'd have to rein him in. She couldn't see him hurt, not again.

"You need to stop picking fights."

"Seriously?" Mawk groaned. "This again?"

"Yes! This again, Mawk!"

"We won that fight, Kimmie! I won that fight – both of them!" His grip on the steering wheel tightened and his brow furrowed. "They put you in danger, Kimber. I had to do something! Or did you want us to get robbed? That'd be a banger of a way to start this night off, huh?" He looked at Kimber out of the corner of his eye. "I know how to protect you, Kimber. I have to, or did you forget Mr. Death's attack?"

Kimber's face darkened as her eyes dropped from the dash to her hands. A chill ripped under her skin as her mind spiraled back to that night: Mawk hunched over in the corner, clutching his stomach. Kimberly Nolton bleeding out from gunshot wounds while others frantically tried to keep her conscious. Curtis fighting the madman, barely holding his ground. And Kimber? Frozen in helplessness. She'd since seen and experienced worse acts of crime under Bruce's tutelage, but the images of that night would forever remain seared in her memory. "I remember."

The edge in her voice unsettled Mawk for a moment. He took a breath and tried a softer tone. "Then you know why I'm doing what I'm doing, Kimber. I've got to be strong. For you. For me." The tension in his shoulders seemed to loosen a bit. "Never again, alright?"

Kimber stayed silent for a moment. She replayed the first time she saw Mawk in the hospital. She'd failed him but that's now how he saw it. How could he? "I'm just saying I don't want to have to visit you in the hospital. Again. I know you think it's on you to protect me, but you don't…" Her mind grasped for the words to say but somehow it all eluded her and all she could sort out were traces of a feeling of dissatisfaction. She blew some hair out of her face and unclenched her fists, releasing her dress. "Just be careful, Mawk."

If Kimber had been looking at Mawk in the darkness, she would have seen Mawk's genuine grin. "Now that I can promise." He reached out one hand and lovingly squeezed high on her thigh.

Kimber let herself smile, just faintly. His words felt reassuring but part of her couldn't help wondering if he actually meant it.

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Robin rushed forward and leaped from the rooftop onto the next building. Below on the sidewalk, the villain formerly known as Two-Face rushed through the mill of citizens, garnering gasps and 'oohs' from those nearby as he ran. Robin had spotted him a few minutes after he'd left Talia to her deception. It wasn't hard to find the man: Even if the scars had been quenched, the former White Knight of Gotham still had a face that stood out in a crowd. He was also wearing a dirtied and stained Arkham jumpsuit.

"Robin to Batman. Robin to Batman." He tried again to call in his mentor. He didn't wish to disturb either the Bat or Kimber, but for such information as this, he had to do away with discretion. One of them was about to have a ruined night. And he feared uprooting Kimber's date more than Bruce's. "Hello?"

The line was still silent and Robin could only assume that Batman was still at that rich man's function. What was his name? Roland Daggett? Suddenly, Bruce's voice broke his thoughts.

"This is Bruce Wayne, to whom am I speaking?" The elegant voice nearly caught Robin off-guard. It wasn't often he heard Bruce actually sounding like, well, Bruce. Sounds like he's having a hell of a time.

Normally accustomed to hearing the raspy and gripping voice of The Bat, Robin put his surprise behind him and informed his mentor as best he could. "Uh, this is Crow Incorporated. We seem to have a dispute here with one of your past clients."

"Oh really?" Bruce's voice sounded distant, but Robin could tell that his mentor had caught the anagram of his initials. "Do go on." Then in the background, a giggle. "Diana, stop!" The teasing voice of Bruce Wayne laughed to his date.

Robin coughed into the mic to make sure he had his mentor's attention then continued. "The client is currently in my office and making quite the ruckus. His dual roles as head of the legal department and the face of the accounting department make him quite a volatile customer. He's not at all cooperating as expected and this new predicament leads me to wonder what other surprises this customer has in store. Needless to say, I'm having to think twice about this deal and may need some help to save face." Robin threw in as many allusions to Two-Face as he could: duality, twice, faces and heads, and even a hidden hint to the lobotomy Harvey had received having been seemingly repaired. He could only pray that Bruce would get the message.

"Mhmm." This wasn't necessarily in Bruce Wayne's tone, but more of a mix as his mindset shifted to Bat-mode. Suddenly it rubber-banded back and Wayne's characteristic charisma dripped through the receiver. "Well, I'm having a ravishingly good time, I'm afraid I can't be bothered."

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

"In fact, from what I hear, I do think you can handle the situation thoroughly."

No, don't do this… What am I supposed to ask?

"Now if you will excuse me, I have a beautiful woman to attend to." And the line died.

Robin would have stared at his phone if it wasn't embedded in his cowl. He was in mid-glide as he tried to cut off Two-Face, but the man was still unpredictable enough to not be caught. Missed.

There were various exclamations from the crowd as Robin landed on the ground just a few feet short of his target, now running down a dark alley. In a flash, Robin gave chase down the dead end to cut off Harvey Dent's escape. Looks like it would just be him. Robin let his cape envelop him and did his best to stalk the dark alley like the Dark Knight. "Nowhere to run, Dent."

"You're not the Bat," Dent spat back.

"You're right." Robin stood to his full height as he alone faced down the recently restored man of duality. "You got lucky," Robin smirked under his cowl. "But if you're really missing him, I can give him a call. I have him on speed dial."

Dent gave out a warcry and pulled a pistol from the belt of his jumper.

A gun? Robin's mind spun. When the hell did he get a gun?

Robin rushed toward a metal garbage bin near Dent in a zig-zagging pattern as the man opened fire. Most shots zipped harmlessly by Robin, but one grazed his lower side and he thanked Batman that there was armor there to protect him. As he pushed his back up to the garbage bin, he heard two more bullets plink against his impromptu cover before the telltale click of an empty gun echoed in the alley.

Robin pivoted around the trash and closed the distance. With his clip empty, Dent grabbed the closest pole-like object to him and swung for Robin's head. The hero ducked under the wooden plank and then rose, delivering a swift uppercut. Dent's head snapped back and he stumbled against a brick wall. Before Two-Face could reorient himself to attack once more, Robin crashed into him and then slammed him against the wall a second time. Dent lost his footing and slid down, allowing the caped teen to hunch over him, holding him up by his dirty white collar.

"Grimy D.A.! Speak!" Robin snarled into Dent's face. "Where is Ra's?"

"The pointy-haired freak? Hell if I know, boy!" Two-Face snarled back, then, shifting personalities Dent added, "There was a lot of water where we were... And we were rocking... I could see a lighthouse flashing in the distance from my cell. I... I think could see Gotham."

"Anything else?" Robin's voice died to a whisper. Two-Face wasn't the big fish in this and Robin realized he was a test. A pawn. Nothing more than an experiment to see if the lobotomy could be reversed by the Lazarus Pit's unearthly juices.

"Creatures. Many strange creatures and black-clad figures, too. Cultists? Some… thing named Karkull seemed to be in more control than others. It spoke of a feast. And lights… Horrible lights!" Dent winced at a tormenting memory. In that moment of weakness, Two-Face fronted and kicked Harvey to the side. In a way, it was like one personality protecting the other. "Why're you even messing with me, anyway? What good'll it do, ya? It's the Clown you should be worried about!"

"The Joker?"

"And that stupid lanky professor, Crane!" Two-Face struggled against Robin's grip but found himself unable to break free of the iron grasp. "Leggo of me, kid! Who do you think you are?"

"Robin."

Harvey attempted to push Robin off of him, but the hero kneed him in the side. As Two-Face lurched over, Robin slammed his palm into Harvey's belly and Harvey felt something pinch into his flesh. He pushed the feeling aside and growled before shoving Robin roughly, managing to break free. However, as he ran, he felt his legs growing more and more sluggish… like he was wearing shoes made of concrete. He took a few more steps and collapsed as the sedative Robin had administered fully took hold of his nervous system.

The last thing Two-Face saw was Robin standing over him with a distinct look of smug satisfaction.

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Mawk walked Kimber to her front door. "It was a real treat to see you again."

"Seems like it's been forever." Kimber laughed. "I didn't even realize you'd ditched the motorcycle…"

"Oh! Yeah." Mawk looked back at his car, "I got rid of that bike a while ago, Kimmie. It's just... we've only been meeting up at places, so you've never actually seen my new ride. Hope it isn't too lame, because the gas mileage is a dream." He chuckled and pressed the arming button on his key fob again. The electric hatchback chirped a response. "You never rode on the motorcycle, did you?"

They stopped on the steps of her front door.

"Maybe once or twice when you first got it? I don't remember… That was so long ago." Her eyes traced from Mawk's car to a particular spot against the fence. She caught herself staring wistfully and laughed nervously. "You know how I feel about motorbikes, though. Not a fan."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

There was an uncomfortable pause and the two shuffled their feet awkwardly. They were both expecting a kiss and it wasn't too much to ask. They had kissed dozens if not hundreds of times before. But it had been so long that they both just felt awkward.

"What the heck are we doing?" Mawk finally laughed out his nervousness.

Kimber couldn't help but smile at his small outburst. "Trying to kiss?" she joked.

"Yeah, if you wanna call it that." He smiled. "It's feeling like our first kiss all over, right? Our first real kiss. In the hospital?"

Kimber blushed and looked off to the side. "Never would have thought that after so long it would feel so weird..."

"But so right?"

"Yeah..."

Another pause.

"You know, the anticipation will make it better," Mawk pointed out. He rubbed the back of his neck with a goofy sideways grin and glanced at Kimber, hoping for a reassuring smile. She was facing the road and vacantly staring as if weighing something ethereal in her mind. The corners of his mouth drooped a bit. "You alright, babe?"

"Of course..." She sounded a thousand miles away.

Mawk tried to catch her gaze, but she didn't seem to notice. He followed her eyes to try and see what had caught her attention by the fence, but there was nothing there. He cleared his throat and stuffed one hand in his pocket. "Under normal circumstances, I'd be all over you," he said with a bit more swagger than he'd intended. He hoped it hadn't come across as too forward.

To his delight, Kimber actually laughed and turned his way – the spell of whatever had her enchanted was finally broken. "Oh, I don't doubt it," she said with a slight blush. "You can get quite handsy when sparks start to fly."

"So why don't we start a new chapter and re-light those fireworks?" Mawk cocked a brow and felt his smile returning.

Kimber looked up at him but stayed put as he saddled up to her. His strong and warm hands gently grasped her shoulders and ran down her form until they settled on her hips. They felt foreign. She kept her light smile but felt empty and distracted.

"Unless you're not up for it?" Mawk prodded slyly.

She felt one of his hands slide to her rear, a move he'd done so often before but she stiffened all the same. "Well… we are on the chief of police's porch... so don't get too carried away, Romeo," she playfully warned.

"That's a promise I can't keep, Kimmie." Mawk leaned in and they shared a kiss.

But there were no fireworks. No magic feeling or spark. It felt like their first kiss – not the one in the hospital, but the first one they ever shared, in front of a group of girls so many years ago when Mawk had kissed her not out of love but because it was expected. A kiss of obligation. The kiss felt empty.

Oh God, no... No matter how much she wanted to hold on to whatever spark had been between her and Mawk, she felt it slip away with a single kiss.

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"G'nite, Miss Prince." Bruce planted a peck on Diana's forehead and then slipped out the door.

"You know you could sleep in this room for once," she tempted in the darkness. "The bed is big enough for two."

"I know." Bruce tenderly replied. "But perhaps another night. I have some business to attend to."

Diana 'aww'ed then drifted off to sleep.

As soon as her room door was closed, Batman dropped the Bruce Wayne façade and made his way to the BatCave. Two-Face is loose unless Robin was able to contain him. The eye scanner acknowledged his retina and the bookcase in the second master bedroom slid open revealing a series of poles to the BatCave. Most likely restored courtesy of Ra's. But why? What is his place in Ra's' plan? He pulled on his face and shed the last bit of Bruce Wayne by the final pole. Surely there was a point to all this.

He marched into the first floor of the BatCave with purpose just as the Bat-Trike vroomed in from the waterfall and parked. The cockpit slid forward and Robin squeezed out from beside an unconscious, and unscarred, Two-Face.

"Y'know, the 'Trike could really use another seat or at least a space for a passenger. Like, if I need to transport someone, I have no way of doing it comfortably. Or respectfully."

"You've been busy," Batman remarked.

"Quite. Thanks for the help, by the way."

"I knew you could handle it."

"I'm happy to not disappoint. Though backup would have been appreciated."

"Batgirl should have been out there with you."

Robin dragged Two-Face to a sound-proof holding cell. A sure-fire way that he wouldn't hear or see anything he wasn't supposed to until they could cart him off to One Police Plaza. "I've only been able to get a bit of information from him. The Robin persona doesn't scare as much as the Bat, but I did my best."

"Do better," Batman replied without a second thought. "But good work. What did you learn?"

"Most important tidbit of info: Joker is most probably restored. Seems Two-Face was chosen only to be a test subject. To see if the Lazarus Pit could restore what Superman took from them. Memories, brain tissue, etcetera."

Batman frowned. "Dangerous game. What possible use could they have for these villains? Ra's and the Joker would never team up. Ra's is too much of a strategist while the Joker is pure anarchy and chaos. They would be at each other's throats more than ours."

"Well, that's the thing. I don't think they are working for Ra's as much as they are all, including Ra's, working for someone else. Or rather something else."

Batman froze in his suit and cast a glance over his shoulder at Robin."What do you mean?"

Robin didn't seem to notice the sudden change in his mentor's tone. "I mean nothing short of a paranormal experience could move Ra's to go to such lengths to team up with other villains in general, much less the psychos he's chosen. I've read up on the man, very spiritual. Harvey Dent mentioned a person or creature named Karkull who seemed to be in control over an army of sorts, but any more than that and he'd just end up screaming and screaming about impossible angles and bright gateways. Then his personality switches in defense."

Karkull: demonic seventh-lord of the Inner Pits. Batman's memory rattled off the information Superman had shared with him years before on the three-armed menace. This is going very deep. If worst comes to worst... I may have to call on Dr. Fate. Then he remembered the unfortunate luck that befell the Egyptian hero. The helmet had been lost to Arthur, King of Atlantis. And now Atlantis was rumored to be in ruins at the bottom of the sea. Reportedly the result of some extraterrestrial attack. Or extradimensional. The more Batman thought about what he had seen through the boomtube, the less skeptical about otherworldly and cosmic entities he became. "Sounds like Two-Face's mind wasn't fully fixed, then," Batman responded.

"No, he seemed pretty lucid," Robin countered. "Though his short-term memory could be damaged… But what about the monster man? Know anything about this Karkull?"

"Probably Ian Karkull," Batman lied smoothly. The last thing he needed his protégés to be worried about was potential interdimensional war. If they learned about that, they'd probably quit on the spot. No, he had to keep them on board and push them to improve. If they could stop Ra's al Ghul before the truth came out, then they'd be saved a world of hurt. He pulled up the file on a less-than-impressive criminal named Ian Karkull on the Batcomputer.

"Reads a lot like the Shadowthief," Robin remarked as his eyes skimmed the dossier on the screen.

"He's a little more... hardcore. Where is Batgirl?"

"She had a previous engagement so I promised to cover for her," Robin explained with a hint of bitterness.

As much as Batman wanted to lecture on covering for another's shirking of duty, he wasn't in the mood. Robin had done good work tonight. Brilliant detective work. He'd question Dent in the later hours of the night. For now, he just wanted to patrol his city. "I'm going out."

"A little late for patrol, don't ya think?" Robin chided.

Batman entered the Batmobile. "Don't wait up."

"I'll be right here. After all, I was just out there! Didn't leave much for you except clean up!" he called over the roar of the Batmobile's turbines.

Eventually, the turbines faded into the distance and Robin was alone again.

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Shayera nuzzled John Stewart's cheek over his shoulder as he and Kent poured over a scattered collection of newspaper clippings. "Hey, there. What are you two doing?"

John heaved a heavy sigh and then turned to the winged female. "Planning, plotting, and scheming." He looked back at the collection before him.

"Planning what, a scrapbook?" She took one of the paper snippets and looked it over. It was an old article recounting the aftermath of the Imperium's attack. And the first article on the formation of the League.

"Just reminiscing."

Shayera kept her eyes on the black-and-white image accompanying the article. "He never did belong. Sure he was always there to save our hides and he helped fund us in ways I still don't understand, but—" She handed it back. "Look here: this picture. He was so distant from us that day and in this other one..." She pointed to a picture on another clipping, "He's not even there!"

Kent shrugged. "Well, that was his thing." He took a sip of his tea as he stared out the window. Star City was quiet this evening. Then again, he could not exactly hear as much as he used to. "Are you suggesting he went in intending to destroy us from the beginning?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'destroy'," Shayera clarified. "But he always did seem...suspicious of us."

"We had and still have magnificent power. Three aliens, an intergalactic officer, and an Amazon warrior princess." He chuckled to himself. "It was easy to forget considering everything we accomplished together, but he was just a man."

"Perhaps it was a pride thing, then? Or jealousy?" Stewart threw one arm over the back of his folding chair.

"No, it couldn't be jealousy." Clark took another sip. "Before the League and the Lords, it was just me and him. We were the World's Finest. We worked together on numerous occasions and though he came across as cold and aloof at first, he never seemed to have it out for me. Why would that change when there were more of us fighting side by side? No, something else got to him."

"You don't think he got angry when there ended up being more heroes like you and less like him?" Stewart glared at Kent. "You don't think he'd have any animosity toward those with unique abilities?"

Clark directed his attention back out the window, his expression was grim but unreadable. He said nothing, instead letting the silence hang in the air.

"Yeah, yeah, the silent treatment. What a load of hooey."

Shayera's eyes narrowed as she glanced from Kent to Stewart. The tension between the two had only grown since they'd busted her out and she wasn't sure how much longer their group could play well without coming to blows themselves – it was a wonder they hadn't already. She closed her eyes and counted the days. It didn't matter. Soon she wouldn't have to deal with the two bickering men anymore and finding the Dark Knight would be the least of their worries. If her math was correct, in two more Thanagarian months, they would be here.