Filler chapter, needed to happen, so hence the short length. Small chapters plant the basis of stories, either that, or there was a terrible case of writers block. In any case, please review! Enjoy the chapters guys and gals. x

Lips that need no introduction, now whos the greater sin? Your drab eyes seem to invite... tell me darling, where do we begin? - Anberlin, The Feel Good Drag.

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"Kori?"

"Yes, my dearest?"

Kori tightened her hands around her little brothers head, pulling him close to her chest. She refused to let her little brother witness his childhood best friends' body being scavenged. Many of the prisoners haven't eaten in what seemed like weeks. When one falls in the cells, the others circle the weak like vultures until their dying breath, they then pounce and salvage any bit of flesh that would fill their empty stomachs.

Kori held her breath as she too closed her eyes. She couldn't let her little brother witness the death and cannibalism of his best friend.

"Leave him alone!"

Ryan fought to free himself from his older sisters grip, but she further buried his face deep in her bosoms, feeling his hot tears trail in between her small breasts. He punched, he slapped, at one point he even kicked, but Kori stood her ground for the greater wellbeing of her brother.

"Please, my dearest. Please do not look! Do not fight it." Stroking his ruby looks, she attempted to soothe him whilst blocking out the chewing and fighting over the food.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." She watched them scavenge the remains, her people were truly hungry. Not even pools of blood splashed, for the people too were dehydrated. Kori couldn't believe it, fighting back the urge to throw up the lining in one of her nine stomachs. Tears flowed deep within the roots of her little brothers' hair.

"You make me happy, when skies are grey." Both siblings could hear suckling for marrow. In a sickly way, she could feel Ryan too weak to fight his urge. She loosened her embrace to allow him to breathe.

"You never know dear, how much I love you." Kori continued to whisper in a timid, broken voice. She could see the guards laughing, throwing stones to further aggravate the broken nation. They were nothing but savages trying to live in this definition of a hell hole. Kori pulled Ryan's head up, trying to turn face to face, but she had realised all she saw was his ear. Gasping, she turned his head.

Deathly pale. Eyes dull and lifeless. Kori gasped, before collapsing in tears. Why couldn't he realise that she was trying her hardest to protect him? Why did he fight to see this deathly sight? But there was nothing she could do about it anymore. Ryan at a young age, had witnessed what people do in desperate times to survive. He was about to learn a harsh lesson.

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

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They may not have been related by blood, but by all good things gracious… like father, like son.

After hearing of his father's recent escapade, he had decided to sort this mess out once and for all. Bruce had learnt of her name, her intention to seek refuge in this broken city and even picked up on her ring. Dick donned a clever smile of his own.

His father had definitely taught him well.

"She's still in Gotham, I can sense her."

If she wasn't Azarathean, he could enlist one to help progress his search. With the strongest of them all – not to mention the daughter of the devil, he was sure that there would be some such luck. Rachel Roth, recent honours graduate in health sciences, with future plans to obtain her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Whilst in troubled times, Rachel turns into her hero alias – Raven. A powerful human-demon hybrid with powers beyond imagination.

With her legs crossed, she floated in the middle of her small apartment, hands resting at the respected knee. Her facials did not flinch even once, showing a great amount of concentration. What seemed like forever, Rachel opened her eyes with a small puff of breath. That was never a good sign.

"Her soul is corrupted."

"Like many of the aliens that come to Earth. Majority of them are runaways, captives, slaves or refugees. No one comes to Earth for a holiday."

Yes, that was the cold harsh truth of Earth. It was a place where many sought out for redemption; somehow, living in garbage dumpsters salvaging scraps seemed better than being held captive. Richard had only heard stories from those in the league about being held captive and tortured. He had seen scars on the mightiest of warriors, the ones who were damaged the most were the ones who smiled.

Rachel bowed her head, she knew what it was like trying to find a safe haven amongst the Earthlings – she was half human herself. A few people did not accept her because her father was literally the devil, but she knew there were better ones who accepted her for who she was.

She knew they accepted her devil heritage because they too knew the pain of being an outcast. No one truly deserved to be isolated.

"But you can still sense her in Gotham?"

"Yes, but she is a different case." Richard cocked a brow, definitely something he had never heard Rachel say before.

"How so?"

He could see the tension in her eyes, almost like she had attempted to feel the pain the broken alien was feeling, but being an empath must have taken a large toll on her ability to control her emotions. As if on cue, the pot plant decorating the front door shattered into tiny shards, soil scattered all over the tiled floors. Richard could tell immediately that is Rachel couldn't handle her pain, then is alien definitely was another case.

Assisting his sister-like friend over to the couch, he handed her the now cold lemon green tea. He could never figure out why she liked to drink her hot beverages cold.

"When I looked into her head, I was in a rusty dark dungeon, it smelt of death." Rachel took a deep breath, drinking her tea as she continued.

"I was chained, wearing a rag as attire, and these hoards of lizard-men were trying to hold me down. I blacked for a second…" Selective memory suppression? It seemed the likely option, as if she was trying to remove what would come after lizard-men holding her down, wearing something that left little to the imagination.

"… then a girl walked out, carrying a head of someone on a stick. Before I could figure anything else out, it was almost like I got kicked out her memory."

"Do you know if this head on the stick is a person she was close with?"

"I didn't have time to piece it together. Possibilities are endless."

Indeed they are.

"Where in Gotham is she?"

"Near Vic's new lab."

"Do you need me to ask Gar to come keep you company and protect you? I don't feel comfortable leaving you if you've seen such a horrific past."

"Gar?" It was now Rachel's turn to cock her eyebrow. She folded her hands, that same grimace Richard was all too familiar with reappeared on her face. "Let's be honest Dick, I'd probably be the one out of us that will protect us."

"Jesus, Rach. You've been in denial for the last 5 years about your guys' relationship."

"There is no relationship, Dick."

"Is that what you say to make yourself feel better?"

"Don't you have a runaway alien to capture?"

Richard winked his eye, putting his mask back on. Looked like this was his cue to leave before she sent him to a portal to hell. He went there once to save Gar after he went through her under-garments draw, was a place he definitely didn't want to go ever again.

Patting her shoulder, Richard went near the window as he prepared to lurk out into the city once more. "Give me an update if you find anything else."

"As always."

Richard gave a smile, before leaping from her apartment window and catching himself in the wind.

Tonight was the night he put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.

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Are you familiar with empaths and Azaratheans?

Is this the Raven girl you previously talked about? Has she already tried to infiltrate my memories?

Silly empaths. She's gone, for now. But that means Nightwing will be coming for you.

Kori sat there in the snow, leaning against a building that looked like it had just finished construction. Peeping through the higher windows, Kori noted that the offices looked vacated, empty of furniture and décor, perhaps that was the look this new company was going for.

Flying up on the rooftops, Kori had let Silkie out of her handbag to stretch his little legs out, but he was too cold. His run around lasted for a good minute before he ran into the heat the Tamaraneans body emitted. Sitting there counting her blessings, Kori was grateful that her body could adjust to extreme temperatures. She can even withstand the vacuum of space, many species would never be able to adjust.

Just one of the advantages of being Tamaranean.

Kori, things are going to happen to you.

Happen to me? What things? Will I be okay?

Kori, you need to understand that everything I say – as asshole they may come off, they will always come true. I need you to listen to me when I say so.

You are scaring me now. What is you-…

Before Kori had time to react, she felt her eyes glow that same neon green. Her head shot up to the sky, snow gracefully sweeping across her sun kissed face. Tears stained as they fell down her cheek, shaking all over, Silkie pounced in her lap as he laid upon his little stomach, giving a low whimper. Even the dog was all too familiar with this situation.

Kori couldn't knock herself back into reality. No, the voices made sure they would see the future of Kori Anders.

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Plunging forward into the future, the out of body Kori attempted to find some sort of detail to signify how forward she was.

She was in a fashion show, she could tell. Donna had once taken her to one before. There were bright lights that shone down on the catwalk, strategically placed so that photographers could capture every flattering shadow and pose. Surrounded around the walk way were famous designers, journalists, celebrities. Kori gave a gasp, beyond her self-esteem issues and the voices in her head, she enjoyed walking down the runway wearing different clothes. Working out was something Kori enjoyed, it complimented her well as she loved to eat clean, healthy and experiment with different foods.

After being withheld from food for so long, she understood the necessity of food, it provided energy when the sun could not.

Wandering for a bit, Kori gave an excited squeal. Tears flowed down her eyes, she never thought it would be possible.

Not only was she modelling as an Angel, but there as moral support and professional photographer stood before her conscious body, in the flesh. It was perfect.

Donna Troy stood with Kori, hugging her and congratulating about how far she had come. Kori couldn't restrain the tears as Donna continued. She praised Kori for being stronger than most beings who exist, Donna expressed how sorry she was that she didn't understand Kori's predicament and if she was only a little more understanding, things would have turned out better a lot more faster.

But that didn't matter to Kori, she didn't expect people to understand her rare situation, she had a true friend back at her side.

All of a sudden, a flock of girls Kori didn't know surrounded her, cuddling her and laughing with her. Raising their smartphones, Kori smiled with Donna and the girls as they took photos, better known in the new world as 'selfies'.

Kori couldn't believe it, she actually had a group of friends that actually wanted to be surrounded around her, smile with her, be seen with her. People that actually liked her.

"He's here as well! Richard Grayson came to see you specifically!"

"See? Told ya Kor. I never lie to ya."

She even had a nickname, something that doesn't resemble a female clad with males or dirt. Name friends gave to others to show affection. Her chest puffed like a proud bird, a large smile peaked on her face. She had to captivate this moment, but then she blocked out her surroundings as she closed her eyes.

One day, this vision will be a reality like all the others.

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Kori?

She smiled. Yes?

When you regain consciousness, you sit there and don't panic.

Don't panic? What do you mean?

Kori, just stay strong. I'll come back to you soon, please, just trust me.

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Kori woke with a jolt.

Feeling Silkie against her leg on his hind legs, she could hear the dog let a low growl beneath his breath. Remember, stay strong. Our lives depend on it.

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Kori felt her vision become clear, only to remember she sat against a newly constructed building on the rooftop. More tears poured down her face as she looked up.

Her eyes met an Eskrima stick held to her head.

"Kori Anders?"

Kori bowed her head, she knew it would be him. The voices said that would be coming tonight, and she heard that, she would have fled. Maybe the visions were used as a diversion, but she knew they would be coming true. So she did the one thing she did when times were at their lowest.

She smiled.

"Greetings, Richard Grayson."