Numb. That's all I was feeling, yet tears still streamed down my face. My Blade suit was torn from the fight still, I didn't change, I couldn't change. My mask lay on the floor beside me, I couldn't look at it. I had no idea where Alfred was, or Dad for that matter. Part of me wanted to get to my feet, strap my katanas on to my back and find my worm of a little brother and gut him for what he did. But I looked over at my beautiful swords lying discarded on the floor, they were shining in the dark light. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't pick them up, Dick had gotten them for me last year on my birthday. Dick. Once again fresh tears fell down my face and I sank further onto the floor. Dick was gone, gone and never coming back. A noise broke my thoughts, it was the front door. The house was pitch black. Where was Alfred?

"Hello?" A familiar voiced called out, as the heavy front door close behind them, "Alfred? Bruce? Alex?"

It was Selina. I tried to pull myself to my feet but I couldn't, my legs had no power. But I made a noise, and I heard Selina's foot steps come around the corner. "Alex? Why are your swords over there?" She saw me on the floor beside the dresser, "Oh Alex." She dropped to her feet and pulled me to her, "It's going to be ok honey." She soothed and rubbed my back.

"He's gone Selina," I managed to say through my tears. She held me and rocked me from side to side. I never really had a mother, but Selina was there all through my life when I came to Wayne Manor years ago. She was always there, even if we had to stop her robbing things some times she was always there. The closest thing to a mother I had.

"Come on, lets get you on your feet Lexi," She said and began to stand taking me with her.

"You're the only one that calls me that," I said quietly, feeling the weight of my body on my legs again.

We walked hand in hand towards the Grandfather clock, Selina reached forward to open the door to the cave, but I spotted something. I let go of her hand and walked over to one of the arm chairs. A bottle fell from the chair. I looked around, "Alfred?"

"Oh! Miss Alexandra, I'm so sorry, I just," He looked up at me with a tear stained face, a whiskey bottle on the floor.

I put my hand on his arm, "It's ok Alfred. Just go to bed, get some rest." He nodded to me.

I walked over to Selina,she was still waiting for me. She offered her hand to me again and I took it as we walked down into the cave.

I heard a familiar noise, the thud-thud-thud of the punching pole being struck. I rounded the corner and saw Dad, he was just hitting the pole repeatedly. Over and over again. I broke from Selina's hand.

"Dad! Dad stop it!" I ran over to him, "Stop." He fell to his knees, I managed to catch him and I fell with him. "Dad please, just don't be Batman for a day." I took off his cowl and saw fresh tears fall down his face.

"Alex, I'm, I'm just so sorry," He said to me, he took my face in his hands, "You and him, you were meant to be together, and that's been taken away from you."

I didn't have an answer, he was right. I couldn't hold it back, I just cried and wrapped my arms around Dad. He held me to him and cried to. I cried for my future life that was gone, my boyfriend that was taken from me, and my family that was broken. He cried for the loss of his future too, a chance of a family, and he cried for a son. Selina wrapped her arms around us and tried to comfort us, but the hole in my heart was too big.

A few hours later and the tears had gone, my eyes were just dried up. At this moment I was numb. I would look around to see if Dick was going to walk in with that big grin on his face and tell me that everything was going to be ok but my heart would sink again to my feet and the knot in my throat would tighten when I realised that I was wrong. I looked over at Dad, he was sitting at the computer still in his suit like me, Selina was sitting beside him with her hand on his back. I turned away, I just wanted to bury my head in Dick's chest and hug him, hear his heart beat and his baritone voice in my ear, I heard a gust of wind and I turned to see Barry. He looked at me and then over at Bruce, Selina nodded to him and then he looked back at me. "Oh Alex," He sighed, he was at my side in seconds and enveloped me in a hug. I wanted to resist, but I didn't. He held me closely, "I'm so so sorry Alex. Dick adored you, I hope you know that, he loved you with all his heart." Barry rubbed my back.

I nodded, trying to hold back the tears, without looking at him I spoke, "Where is he Barry?"

"After you said your good byes Kara and I didn't really think that you, Bruce or Alfred should have to do anything. Kara and I laid him to rest beside Bruce's parents, Kara even managed to make a headstone with her eyes," Barry said gently.

I sighed, I was silently relieved that they had been so kind, "Thank you Barry." He me go and looked down at me. "I just miss him so much."

"i know you do, when I lost my mom I thought the world was going to end, the only thing I can say Alex is that it gets easier," He put his hand on my shoulder.

We both looked up to see Kara fly in quietly. She alighted on the floor and glanced over at Dad and Selina, a look of empathy passed over her face before she walked over to us. She gave me a hug, "Alex I'm so sorry." I realised that both her and Barry knew exactly how I felt, Barry lost his mom and Kara lost her entire planet and family, she was also coping with pretty much losing Clark as well.

"I'll be ok," I sighed, something caught my eye on the computer. I walked over and saw the Batsignal was up. "Dad, we have to go."

He looked up at me and then stood, towering over me. I suddenly realised that it was just us, no Dick, no Damian, just us. Selina stood too, "Count me in."

Dad looked over at Barry and Kara, "Can you two man things here?" Both of them nodded. Dad reached up and pulled his cowl over his head. And there it was, there was the Batman again. I took a breath and put on my mask letting Blade take over.

I swung out from the building next to Dad and Selina, we were heading towards GCPD. The wind rushed past my face and I looked for a spot to land. I released the cable and flipped in the air, I clipped the cable gun back onto my belt and held my hand out to a flag pole and swung up to the roof. Dad and Selina landed beside me, I looked up to see the Commissioner, but I was totally wrong.

"Mr. President?" I asked looking shocked.

"Yes Blade," He answered me and turned off the light.

"Why didn't you call, I don't like surprises," Dad said to him, I could hear the growl behind his voice.

"I'm sorry, no one has seen you for a few days, I didn't know how else to reach you," The President answered.

"Then talk," Dad glared at him.

The President looked at me and Selina, "Not in front of them." Dad gave him a questioning look, the President continued, "Catwoman is a criminal and Blade is too young." I crossed my arms, 'too young' really?

"Whatever you want to talk about you can say in front of them or we have nothing to discuss." Dad challenged.

"But Catwoman is a criminal," The President said.

I walked forward, "So you're saying that everything you've done in office has been 100% legal?" I looked him in the eye, too young am I?

I saw him squirm then say, "Follow me." We walked into the GCPD building, "I saw the footage from Arkham the other day, I'm sorry for your loss, especially you Blade."

I swallowed hard, "Thank you Mr. President. But I'd choose another topic." I could see Dad's shoulders tense again, and I wasn't really holding it together either.

We entered a room with nothing but a table and chairs in it. The President asked us to sit down, "Now this room has been fitted so that Superman cannot see into it or hear what we're saying. After Superman and his allies took Arkham, you're efforts were valiant to try and keep the inmates safe, but Flash wasn't strong enough to keep them all safe. The inmates are now around the globe in locations that we do not know. The Justice League have been blundering into every war and battle around the world. On Tuesday, Superman forcibly sat the leaders of Palestine and Israel down in a room, he gave them three hours to negotiate terms, it was either that or he was going to kill both of them. Wonder Woman was in Burma at the same time, Green Lantern and Shazam were in Syria and Raven was there in Sudan literally terrifying them into submission."

"You think stopping the bloodshed is a bad thing?" Selina asked.

"Of course not," The President answered. "But these things aren't that simple, are they Batman?"

Dad shook his head, "No. You can't just stop a war. The reason for fighting is still there. The religion, the land disputes, the ancient feuds. The peace needs to be enforced. And someone need to enforce it."

"You know why I'm here. Why I came to you," The President looked up at Dad.

Dad nodded, "You think Superman will take over the world and you want me to help you stop him."

"Can you do it?" The President asked.

"If it needs to be done. If it comes to that, I think I can take him down," Dad answered slowly.

The President challenged us, "But you have Supergirl on your side, can't she….."

I cut him off, "You're suggesting that we asked Superman's cousin to take him out, are you insane?" I glared at him."But we're here to tell you, you need to do better," I crossed my arms.

"You can here to what? You planned this? But you were surprised to see me on the roof!" The President looked shocked.

I rolled my eyes, "No. We acted surprised to see you on the roof. You'd gone to all that trouble, we didn't want you to feel bad. I voted for you."

"How does that work? You go into a polling station and say what?" He grinned at me.

Dad cut in, "I never had time for men that smiled and avoided the truth." It wiped the smile off the President's face.

"You need to be a better leader. We will fight against this regime but you need to do a better job," Selina leaned across the table.

"How?" The President folded his arms.

I stepped in, "Health, education, gun control, poverty, the environment. Not telling people who they can and can't love."

Selina continued, "The reason so many support Superman's actions is because they're disenfranchised and disheartened and they want the world to be a better place. This country needs to have compassion again, you need to do better."

The President stood up and slammed his hands on the desk, "I'm not accepting your help in exchange for another set of costumed vigilantes telling us what to you."

"We're not telling you," I answered him, "We're asking you to do better."

The President seemed to quieten, "I…. I'll try." He sat back down.

"You know we can't do it alone," Dad said.

"I know, we'll need a team," Selina nodded.

"We have Flash and Supergirl already, and I think Green Arrow too," I counted off the people that had helped us.

The President suddenly handed something over to Dad, "Here, this is intel on all the superheros and other people you should consider for your resistance. Strengthens, weaknesses, psychological profiles. None of them have aligned themselves with Superman yet."

"I have my own profiles on these people," Dad said and handed back the file.

"Of course you do," The President sighed.

Dad turned to walk out of the room, i followed suit, Dad opened the door, "Blade and I will take the east coast, Catwoman you can take the west."

A few days later I stood in the batcave, Dad walked up to me. "Alex?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Yeah?"

"Everyone is assembled, you ready to meet the team?" He asked me. I nodded and began to walk towards the murmuring of voices, "Wait." Dad spoke again, he walked over and before I knew it he enveloped me in a hug, "Alex, I'm so so sorry for what you've had to go through. You are an amazing person, you're my daughter and I love you. It's just you and me now, and there is no one I would rather have at my side."

I looked up at him, I could feel the tears starting to gather in my eyes, "I love you to Dad."

"Let's go," He gave me a small smile.

We walked into the main room of the batcave and was greeted with some sight. There before me was Batwoman, Aquaman, Star Sapphire, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Captain Atom, Black Lightening, Flash and Supergirl.

"Thank you all for coming," Dad offered them all a seat at the table. "You know why we're all here."

"Of course," Captain Atom spoke, "What's the plan of attack."

Just like that the discussion erupted for the best plan. I just sat there and listened, my eye every so often catching Dick's suit in the glass case next to Jason's. I sighed and moved in my seat. And so it begins Dick, I said to myself, we're going to fight the most powerful man in the universe and try and win. Are we in the insane ones now?