WARNINGS: I HAVEN'T READ THE COMICS! I ONLY WATCHED SOME EPISODES OF THE CARTOON/ANIMATED VERSION OF THE TEEN TITANS AND THE JUSTICE LEAGUE. FOR A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE SUPER HEROES AND VILLAINS, I WILL USE THEIR ALIAS(S). I ALSO MADE SOME SLIGHT CHANGES IN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN CHARACTERS. PROFANITY.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, HARRY POTTER, BATMAN, ETC. THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PURE AMUSEMENT.

Richard breathed in and out calmly, subtly looking at Harriet to gather information. Trusting his instincts, Richard decided to tell the truth.

"I do have a persona that fights crime, although Batman protects Gotham more than anyone I know," said Richard.

Harriet grinned. "That's reassuring."

"Who are you?" Richard asked curiously and politely. "I've seen Mr. Malfoy in some of the functions in Europe that Bruce didn't have to go but needed a representative. I know Hawkgirl. You claim that Bruce is your cousin, but I am a bit skeptical and would like you to clarify your statement ma'am."

"She is my cousin," said Bruce flatly.

"Now, now, cousin," Harriet said amusedly. "It's perfectly normal for your wards to be curious."

Bruce stared at her, but Harriet grinned back at him. When she turned her head back to her plate, she frowned. Catching a movement, she glanced to the side and caught Draco moving his spoon away from his mouth. Giving him a glare, Harriet didn't notice Alfred's approach.

"Mistress Potter, is the dish unsuitable to your tastes?"

Unconsciously Harriet's fingers twitch as she replied, "No. It's terrific Alfred; I'm afraid that I don't have a large appetite so I don't think I can eat as much as I hoped."

Alfred kept his silence, but he and Master Bruce exchanged a look. Bruce took a sip of his water, and he casted his eyes around the table. The Wayne Family dining room had never looked more full, yet awkwardness was creeping in as the tension between Harriet and Draco seemed to grow more pronounce.

"What do you do for a living, Harriet?" asked Shayera, feeling a bit stifled by the atmosphere.

Harriet made a noncommittal sound as she fed Lily some peas. Finally she said, "I write."

Draco snorted, bringing everyone's attention to him. Bruce quirked an eyebrow at the blonde as he felt vaguely amused by the expression on his cousin's face.

"She's dabbled in many things." Draco listed, "Teaching, gardening, painting, sports, and even catching crooks."

Richard visibly perked up at the word 'crooks.' He looked at Harriet with renewed interest. "You were a cop?"

Harriet curved her lips. "In a way; I was in training, but I never finished."

"Why?" asked Shayera.

Harriet put down her fork and took a sip of her water as she contemplated the Statue of Secrecy. The Magical Congress of the United States of America was refreshingly modern compared to the Ministry of Magic, but the President warned her to not give away all of their secrets to the muggles and most of the superhero community.

Before Harriet could answer, Lily started kicking her high chair with glee. Sensing danger, Harriet got up and reached for her daughter. To her surprise, Alfred slipped Lily a cookie as though he knew her daughter's weak spot for the treat. She eagerly seized it and took a big bite.

Harriet said pointedly. "Lily, what do we say?"

Lily said through a mouthful of cookie, "'hank yuu, Alwred."

Alfred chuckled and his eyes bright. "Master Bruce once shared that same fondness with cookies."

Shayera couldn't help but snort into her drink at the look of Batman's face. On the other hand, Harriet and Draco didn't. Despite the mocked affronted expression on his face, there was a type of emptiness in his eyes. Harriet saw it every time she looked in the mirror after she looked at her parent's photo album. Draco had it each time that he visited his father at the summer villa and his father was drunk.

The good times were gone, and there was no chance of getting it back.

James and Albus quickly asked for their own cookie. In a heartbeat, Scorpious demanded one too. Teddy thought he was above demanding cookies, but Harriet knew that her little godson was plotting a way into the cookie jar. From his whispers to Tim and the grins on their faces, it looked like a new partnership had bloomed. They even put up the pretense of refusal, but Alfred led them and the younger kids away from the table after he slipped a piece of paper to Bruce. The master of the house discretely opened the note. Soon, he wiped his mouth and stood up.

"I'm afraid that business calls."

After Bruce left, Robin followed soon after and Shayera was called up to the watchtower. Teddy helped Alfred pick up the utensils before he ran off with James and Albus to play, while Draco casted a spell to make the stains easier to clean. Draco cocked an eyebrow at Harriet, who had raised her eyebrows at him. In response, she smiled.

"Much more sympathetic to muggles, aren't you?" said Harriet lightly as she took out a thin metal device and pressed it to her ear.

Draco grunted. He waved a hand, and the rest of the dishes floated. To Alfred's credit, he kept his composer as he walked towards the kitchen with the box containing the utensils in his hands and the plates following behind him neatly.

Draco quietly watched Harriet. She looked well, but he noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes widened. With the device held tightly in her hand, Harriet quickly pulled out a pen and began writing on the table cloth. Draco drew closer curiously and had a stray thought that Alfred would be surprised.

D. How much do you remember from your Healer training? As a doctor?

Draco said, "A lot. I was second in our year behind Granger, Potter."

Harriet nodded absently. Brain?

Draco narrowed his eyes. "The brain was the whole point of my research. It's how I restored my mother's sanity but got my license revoked. I don't know why I need to tell you this; you were the one who helped me get on that path."

Harriet lightly slapped his shoulder and pointed to the table cloth.

Tell me about the technique: Intra Mentis. NOW!

"I developed a technique with magic that allowed me to enter the mind of a patient. Once I cast a magical 'armor' around my body to lessen the chances of infection and worsening the situation, I use the spell to enter the mind by projecting an inner optical illusion of myself that serves as a helper agent. While my agent finds the cause and begins doing what he can to delay or fix, my physical body is used to do what it can—"

Harriet hanged up her phone. She seized Draco's hand and apparated.

Alfred walked into the room with the manor's Bruce Wayne-modified phone in his hands. He calmly saw Mistress Potter and Mister Malfoy disappear with a sharp snap in the air. He sighed before raising the phone.

"Apologies Miss Cain; your new Aunt is currently unavailable."A sharp intake of breath was the only reaction to Alfred's comment. Alfred categorized it to be surprised. "Not to worry. They will be here by the time that you return from your trip with the Browns."

A sigh answered him back.

Draco felt nauseous but at least he landed on his feet. The only thing that stopped Harriet from falling face first onto the ground was his hand. He took deep breathes and carefully timed each one. Once he felt ready, he looked up and saw a dark green sky with light green and black swirls. He blinked and turned his head to gaze at his surroundings. Trees were not supposed to be blue and purple.

Before he could voice out his thoughts and demand an explanation from Harriet, a soft hand covered his mouth. Harriet took out an unfamiliar wand engraved with carvings that looked like elderberries. She muttered a spell and the tip of the wand glowed white. Exasperatedly, Harriet caressed the wood in a placating gesture. The light dimmed and Draco had the exact impression that it grumbled like Scorps when he was reprimand for being too excited.

Satisfied with the illumination, Harriet waved the wand and moved in the direction in which it glowed red. Draco had no choice but to follow her.

"What are we doing here for, Harry?" asked Draco lowly, disinclined to draw the attention of any wild creatures in this forest.

Harriet clenched her jaw. "I need you to perform an operation on a little girl. She's dying but the issue is in her head, or more specifically the brain. I want you to save her. I can transfigure any tools that you need."

Draco stopped, causing Harriet to halt with an aggravated expression on her face. He stared at her. "I know you have a hero-complex, but Intra Mentis has only been used on my mother."

Harriet replied. "She's fine. Come on, we're wasting time."

Harriet began walking faster and Draco hissed, "The girl isn't a witch."

"She's not a muggle either," shot back Harriet. "Pick up the pace. She's running out of time."

Harriet began jogging. Draco hesitated but his own damn conscious couldn't let a child die. He was a father now and he had the power to maybe make a change.

Draco broke into a run and he kept his eyes on Harriet's back. To his surprise, she led him to a swing set with Harriet's cousin dressed in that bat costume he had seen before. A little girl with a black bob and no bangs sat on the swing next to the man. She was dressed in a black and white leotard with a black cover just under her left shoulder. A white clover hair clip was attached.

"Harriet," said Batman surprised.

Harriet smiled and pulled Draco forward. "Hi Batman; listen, Ace doesn't have to die."

"What?" croaked the little girl with tears streaming down her face; she looked at Harriet in confusion. Her face softened and Draco couldn't blame her. The girl was a sad sight and she looked to be about the same age as Teddy, maybe a year older. She had wide eyes with dark circles under. Her face was haggard and tears continued to fall.

Draco took a deep breath. "I might be able to help as long as it's the brain. It's my…specialty, but what exactly is the problem?"

"She has a brain aneurysm. She's dying by the second, so if you can help her…" Batman narrowed his eyes as his hand tightened on the little girl's small pale hand. "Out with it."

Draco felt his eye twitch but he focused on the girl. Out of her view, Harriet was discreetly transfiguring materials that he needed. He vaguely recalled giving her a vivid description of his mother's surgery. It surprised him that she had remembered. He crouched down in front of the girl.

"My name's Draco Malfoy. I'm a doctor." Draco smiled. His father would have beaten him for being willing to cast his magic over a muggle girl. Despite what Harriet said, he couldn't see anything different about her.

The girl looked at him with unusual awe. "You're not just a doctor. You have magic. Honest to goodness magic."

It was his turn to stare at her. "How do you know that?"

The girl shrugged. "I couldn't read your mind before, but you were thinking about something and it weakened the 'wall.'"

Draco said. "I can use my magic and my medical skills to try and fix the problem. Unfortunately, I don't know whether you'll still have your mind-reading power."

"I can do lots of other things," said the girl. She gave a bitter smile. "I'll gladly give them all up if I don't die. I don't want to die…I lost my childhood…I want my future."

Draco felt a wave of sympathy. He glanced at Harriet, who was pointedly looking away from him. The girl turned her head and looked at Harriet as well.

"You know what's it like too to grow up and being raised as a weapon." The girl turned her eyes towards Batman. "She grew up in a hard place. More like mine than yours. At least you had Alfred."

"Anyway, do you want me to perform the operation?" asked Draco, hoping to draw their attention. The girl looked at him, while the Bat stared a moment longer at Harriet.

"I have to turn things back to normal otherwise Ms. Waller will try and send in more people to kill," said the girl.

Draco did some mental calculations. Finally he said, "Harriet, I need you to put up an identical illusion to this. I don't know how the girl will react under the operation. "

Harriet hesitated, but she nodded. She waved her wand once more and the purple trees and the green sky appeared to have grown more realistic. She nodded her head at the little girl.

"You can let things go back to normal. The illusion will hold and make people like Waller think that Batman's still talking to you," Over her shoulder, she called. "I'm done with the tools, Draco. Begin the operation."

Draco looked at the transfigured materials. Perfect with not a single flaw, which was unusual compared to Harriet's past history with transfiguration. Usually, no one ever gets perfect consecutive transfigurations done within a short timeframe. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts of anything unrelated to the operation, Draco gestured to the surgical table while he grabbed a smooth thin rock and turned it into a white mask. After he secured the mask and found two long leaves, he noticed that the girl was still on the swing seat.

Draco snapped, "Get on the table, before you die. Batman, help her."

The girl tried to stand up, but her head felt lightheaded and she swayed on her feet. Batman gently picked her up and laid her across the table.

Draco flexed his gloved encased hands as he remarked. "I can't summon nor conjure up any anesthesia. I need to know, are you prepared for this?"

Batman looked down at the ashen face of the young girl. "Do it."

Draco took a deep breath and took out his wand. "Intra Mentis"

Batman narrowed his eyes at the visible glow, but he said nothing. Harriet took out another stick and waved it against the newly created surgical tools. The tools began to float towards Draco, who handled them as though he expected it. Batman held the girl's hand as Draco made the first move in the operation.

Draco tried to tune out the whimper of his youngest patient in a long time. "What's her name?"

Batman squeezed the girl's hand as he answered, "Ace."

"You can't leave!" exclaimed a portly man with frazzled specks of hair. He tried to grab the woman's wrist through his open window. "Please, wait! You have children with you. Surely, it is better to wait in my car than risk their lives in this mess. You don't know what kinds of weirdoes are running amok."

The extremely pale young woman turned to look at him, and the driver couldn't help but notice the very nice pair of legs that was facing him. She had long violet hair that went just over her shoulders, and a gold belt with circular red and black stones was adorned over a dark blue sweater and black skinny jeans that led to knee length black boots. Strangely, there was a red diamond on her forehead.

A little blonde girl with a ponytail glared at him from behind the woman's long dark blue trench coat. The driver blinked but he dismissed the image of a ferocious growling grizzly bear as stress. He opened his mouth to object again, when the woman pulled her wrist free and began walking towards the side walk. Her left hand gripped the hand of an eight years old strawberry blonde haired boy with a blue blanket clutched in his other hand, while a five years old blonde boy held onto the woman's coat. Both boys had identical black backpacks, while the girl had a teddy-bear styled backpack.

As they walked father away from him, the driver humphed but rolled up his window and began counting the wad of dollars that the woman tossed in his lamp before exiting his car. He tried, so it wasn't his fault if something happened to the lady and her kids. He did keep one eye on them until they went around the corner.

"Melvin," said the young woman quietly. "Take Teether's hand. We need to move faster."

The girl didn't raise a question as she took her little brother's hand. She drew closer to her guardian as the shadows in the alley seemed to loom ominously. The woman picked up the other boy and quickened her pace. A movement in the shadow caused her stiffened and quickly drew Melvin behind her. She narrowed her eyes as a pair of young men came into the light emitted by the moon and nearby streetlamps. One of them held a knife.

"Toots, give us all your money and no one gets hurt," said the bigger man. The other man wore a black hat, and he seemed indifferent. He merely leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

The woman glared at them and looked back to see if they could leave the way they came from. To her irritation, another man was standing on the other end of the alley. Cursing under her breath, the woman was forced to back towards the wall with only herself between the crooks and the children.

"Give us your money," growled the first man.

The third man leered, "Or we can spend some fun time without the kiddies."

The woman projected calmness—almost boredom, but she was controlling her frustration and stress by a thin rope.

"Leave us alone, and no one gets hurts," said the woman in a monotonous voice.

The men exchanged glances before they guffawed at each other. The big one cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

"Lady got feist…" said the man as he licked his lips. "Cline likes that in his women."

The third man moved closer to the woman and asked mockingly. "What are you going to do, babe? We got the knife and all you got are three kids."

He took a few more steps closer to the woman, and the blonde boy in her arms glared at him. "What's that look for, brat? You trying to be a big man? Think you can beat Rex? Huh? What you wanna say to me, you fucking brat?"

The young woman covered the boy's eyes with one hand and shifted her body so that he was facing away from the men. She glared at them, but the third man only laughed. A black aura began to appear around her free hand, but the men were unafraid.

"Lady, this is Gotham." The third man laughed. "You're going to have to do something better than a glowing hand."

Out of the corner of her eye, the woman saw something grab the second man. His startled cry and the clank of a heavy metal object drew the attention of his companions. The big man, Cline, scrunched up his face as though he was thinking deeply.

He called out, "Flynnie? What's going over there, man?"

He exchanged glances with Rex, but neither of them moved.

Rex growled, "Go over there and check, Cline."

"Why don't you move your skinny ass?" retorted Cline. "I'll get the money now and you can get the toots later."

The woman discreetly tried to try exit the alley with the children without using her powers and drawing attention, but someone threw a punch from her blind side. Caught off-guard, the woman fell to the floor, hitting her shoulder. Her nose was assaulted by the vile smells, and she felt something wet against her side. Fortunately, Timmy wasn't hurt. He was getting red in the face though. If he activated his powers, then it would be a very bad thing. She was certain that the Church of Blood still had active and retired members in Gotham; after all, they recruited her mother.

Melvin made a cry of rage. Frantically, the woman sat up and witnessed the perverted man trying to take Teether from his sister.

"Let go," shouted Melvin. "He's only five, you pervert!"

"P-pervert?!" exclaimed Rex. "I'm not a pedo, you brat! I just need some…leverage to make the lady behave for old Alpha Rex."

Cline snorted, and he leaned back against the wall as he watched one of his 'friends' play tug-a-war with a little girl. He noticed that the woman was still on the ground, but he decided to wait for the little fight to finish. Even a grown man hit by one of his punches went down for at least a five minutes. That frail and pale toots had no chance…she did have a nice rack he had to admit. She was also struggling to control the blanket carrying boy, so more distraction.

"…Not going to stop him?"

Cline chuckled. "Rex whines like a bitch, but he'll try to not seriously hurt the kids. As for the toots over there, it's not my problem what he does to her. She's a grown ass woman."

It took him a moment to realize that a stranger was talking to him, but by then it was too late. Something wrapped around his legs and he was pulled upwards with a vicious jerk. He yelped in response, but the only thing he saw was darkness. Soon he was dangling and praying to any god that he would not fall to his death.

The woman barely managed to calm down Timmy, when a pair of hands helped her stand up. Timmy clutched her neck as the woman scanned the alley. The third man—Rex?—was tied up and knocked out. His other companions were nowhere to be seen. Melvin was coming her way with a grumpy Teether on her back. Accepting the circumstances, the woman looked up and violet eyes clashed with masked eyes. The man was frowning at her, and Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"What were you thinking, Raven?" asked the masked man. He crossed his arms across his chest and her eyes were drawn to the blue bird on his chest that stood out from the rest of his dark costume. "This is Gotham; you can't just walk into alleys and not be mugged—at least!"

The woman grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand supporting Timmy. She drew his face closer to her as she hissed, "Now is not the time, Nightwing. What the heck is up with the city? Gotham's weird, but last time I checked it didn't have green skies and purple trees!"

The man said bluntly. "It's complicated. I'll explain as we get out of here?"

Raven crouched down and gave a one arm hugged to Melvin. She whispered something that made Melvin blush. Nightwing could tell that the girl didn't hate Raven for not helping them. Apparently, she understood that the threat looming over them was much more horrible than what they had just faced. It didn't make Raven feel better, Nightwing could tell. He sighed; he was still irritated with her recent actions but he couldn't turn her away now.

Nightwing frowned at the sound of police sirens. "We need to go up on the roofs before Waller and Cadmus learn about us."

Raven looked at the children and raised an eyebrow at Nightwing. "I can't levitate, since the Church of Blood specifically recruits psychics or people with dormant spiritual powers. They'll sense me."

Suddenly, the little girl turned to face him. She opened her mouth and it took a moment for Nightwing to process her words.

"Timmy can hang onto your back, while Raven has me on her back and Teether in her arms. If you can use a grappling hook with one hand, then you can wrap your other arm around Raven's waist and pull her close. After that, all you'll have to do is hold on really tight and we'll be up on the roof before you know it." The girl paused and turned her head to the side. She asked doubtfully, "Are you strong enough to do this, Mr. Nightwing?"

Honestly, Nightwing was felt slightly insulted, amazed, and very curious at the sudden blotches of pink that appeared on his old friend's cheeks. He was in a relationship with Kori, and she blushed too. But this was Raven.

Raven frowned harder. "I doubt that it's necessary for us to do that, Melvin."

"What's wrong Rae?" asked Nightwing lightly. "Are you scared of a little one arm hug?"

She narrowed her eyes and carefully took Teether into her arms. Next, she defiantly stepped into Nightwing's personal space, before grabbing one of his arms and placing it around her waist. She raised her chin and felt her lips curl at the confusion she sensed around Richard. Catching on quickly, Melvin swiftly climbed onto her back and Timmy mimicked his older sister by performing the same deed on Nightwing.

Raven stated coolly, "Your turn, bird-boy. Oh, and don't call me Rae."

Rather bewildered by the sudden development, Nightwing pulled Raven closer to him and tightened his hold on her. Raven winced slightly, and Nightwing eased his grip by a tad. He was so use to Kori's super strength that he was just out of practice with hugging someone who didn't have it.

Raven grinded her teeth, before she inclined her head as though she had come to a decision after an internal debate. She pressed herself completely against him with only Teether separating them. The young man under a mask felt his back stiffen as he was completely and unnecessarily assured that Raven had grown into a young woman with a body that fit ideal standards. She didn't have the same muscles that Kori had, but her physique was firm and suited for someone whose strongpoint was their magic. He was surprised by how soft her hair.

"…ard? Damn it; Timmy pull on his hair." Nightwing winced as the little blanket carrying boy that he remember, obediently pulled on some of his long hair. "Now that I've gotten your attention, pull us up before the two policemen arrive. They're about ten blocks away."

Cursing in his hand, Nightwing activated his grappling hook and held on tight to his friend and her charges. The Wayne modeled tool most likely only managed to carry all five of them, due to Cyborg's recent updates when he visited Jump City. Once they were on the roof, Raven took a big step back and Timmy practically leaped off his back. He ran towards Raven, who was putting Teether down.

"I could have used my sonic blasts to beat the guys up," whined Timmy.

Raven looked down at him and shook her head once. "No, Timmy. We've talked about this. It's not safe to use our powers yet."

"But-but-but-but-but-but-but—"

Melvin scolded her second youngest brother. "Timmy, Raven's already talked about this twice."

"I know! But-but-but-but—what's Teether doing?"

"Teether?! Don't go near the ledge!"

Watching Melvin and Timmy run over to Teether, Nightwing feel oddly old. They were much bigger compared to the last time that they met. He could still remember when Teether was more used to crawling than walking.

"Richard," said a voice behind him, causing his back to stiffen. Nightwing turned his noticed and waited for his old friend to continue. "It's time for you to explain why I feel this strange energy in the air."

Nightwing looked at her puzzled and slightly embarrassed. "Um…I'm not sure what you're talking about…"

Raven frowned and swatted the back of his head. "Bird-boy, I'm talking about the magic in the air."

Nightwing felt his eyes widen as he nearly gaped at his friend. During their ride up, he had felt tension in the air between them, but he was sure that it was from the coming cops. His friend had grown into a beautiful young woman, but she was just a friend. He could scarcely believe his ears as his friend nonchalantly admitted that she felt something. Raven was never good with talking about her emotions, even after the prophecy affair.

"Rae," said Nightwing awkwardly, "I'm in a relationship with Kori."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "I'm aware."

"And we're happy together…"

"Richard. I'm talking about the magic-induced illusions surrounding us," said Raven exasperatedly. "What are you blabbering on about?"

"Magic-induced illusions," repeated Nightwing. He held up his hands as Raven took an ominous step towards him. "Wait, wait, wait—I have no idea what you're talking about. The only magic user I know well is Zatanna, and she's up at the watchtower. How I about I go back to the beginning?"

"Isn't that why we're here?" commented Raven sarcastically.

Nightwing sighed. "Look it all began earlier today, when—"

Raven held up a hand to signal him to stop, before she whistled sharply into the air. Melvin and Timmy with a struggling Teether between them headed towards her. Nightwing felt his eyes twitch at the impression of a master calling his dogs.

"Don't say something you'll regret, Richard." Raven commented lowly beside him. "The kids and I worked out an alternative style of communication after the dead monk; I am not going to nor want to treat them like animals."

Melvin and Timmy dragged a pouting Teether as they stood next to Raven, looking up at her expectantly. She looked at Nightwing and motioned him to continue.

"Raven, it might not be a good idea to let the kids listen to this…"

Sighing, Raven pointed to each of her children as she said, "Melvin and Timmy are old enough to have a right to know why Gotham is like this, Nightwing. Teether needs to stay with us. You can't leave them in the dark and expect them to obediently follow orders later."

"Fine," said Nightwing. "This all began when a metahuman named Ace with the abilities to alter a person's perception of the world, and recently the power to change reality has created her own criminal group. At this rate, the changes you see may become permanent. Her group has been captured, while Batman is with Ace right now, behind that big mass of vines. The government's lead official in dealing with superheroes and unnatural events, a woman named Amanda Waller, gave Batman a device that will end Ace. Therefore reverting things back to normal. Ace is still a kid."

Raven stated. "You think Batman's really going to kill a kid."

Nightwing turned his head and looked at the other buildings. He tensed as Raven placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, but she didn't flinch.

"Batman wouldn't do stuff like that," said Timmy, surprisingly.

Melvin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it doesn't fit the stories that Raven told us about him."

"Stories?" asked Nightwing.

Raven sighed. "Remember that bond between us? I had to speak to you about it, when you came up to me and demanded an explanation about the dreams you were having about my past. What I didn't tell you was that I also received memories from you."

"Those were private." Nightwing felt like he had been sucker punched. "When were you ever going to tell me?"

"Honestly? When you've patched things up with Batman," said Raven. "But that's not the point right now. Let's go back to Ace. Batman's not going to kill her. You know that, deep inside. You just feel guilty that you can even consider your old mentor killing someone."

Nightwing looked at her. "Raven…"

She scoffed at him. "I'm an empath remember? I know more about your feelings than I should. After all, it's Kori's job to handle the emotional side of you right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Nightwing.

Raven stared at him for a moment, but she didn't answer. She cocked her head to the side, and Nightwing had the distinct impression that she wasn't looking at him anymore. He looked at the children, but Melvin gave an unusual glare to him and Timmy stuck his tongue out at him. Teether was the only one looking at him without animosity.

"Oh my," said Raven softly.

"What—"

Nightwing cut himself off as he noticed that everything was going back to normal. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath. Steeling his resolve, he looked at Raven.

"Let's go the manor," said Nightwing. "He'll be going back there soon."

A vaguely familiar voice floated across the roof. "Need a hand?"

"Red-X!" snarled Nightwing as he got into battle position. Raven stepped towards the man with a full face black mask. The white skull and red Xs on his costume led to no doubt about his identity.

"Hey, babe how's it—"

Red-X was cut off as Raven knocked him out by punching his stomach. Nightwing winced in sympathy, despite himself. While the anti-hero tried to regain his breathing, Raven looked at Nightwing and raised an eyebrow.

Returning to the children, Raven turned back to look at the two men in front of them. "Let's go back to the manor, before someone spots the kids."

Nightwing exchanged glances with Red-X, but Raven's glare made them rethink about starting a fight. Melvin, Timmy, and Teether's stares also contributed.

Harriet looked down at the little girl and gently moved her to Batman's arms. Draco had passed out, due to magical exhaustion. The spell, operation, and time restraint had taken their toll on him. The little girl's hair was re-grown, though the Elder Wand warmed in indignation for being used in such a manner.

"Bruce, I need you to carry Ace and meet Waller and the other Justice League members."

"We're faking her death."

"Yup," said Harriet. "But don't let anyone touch or get her body. She deserves a home, not a research facility. As soon as you can, take her back to the manor. Oh and if you let anyone find out about Draco, I might just have to punish you."

"I thought you had a fight with him."

"I like him so much that I had a fight with him to protect him."

"…You are strange."

"That's rich coming from you. I'm not the only one with a strange love life. Does Wonder Woman know about Catwoman's monthly visits?"

Bruce stared at her. Harriet smirked at him as she apparated with Draco to the manor. Batman shook his head and made his way out of the forest. He glanced at Ace in his arms, and he didn't have to fake the sad frown on his face. He ignored Hawkgirl and the other members of the Justice League; his eyes looked on Waller. He continued to walk until he was right in front of one of the government's most ruthless employees.

Amanda Waller nodded at Batman, her eyes only glancing at Ace.

Batman looked at her. "I'm taking her with me."

"You can't do that. She was one of Cadmus. Leave the body to us," replied Amanda.

Batman walked closer to her and said quietly. "Ace deserves a proper burial. Haven't you done enough?"

Amanda looked at him, her eyes searching. Finally, she nodded and stepped to the side. Batman proceeded to walk away from her and the eyes of the superheroes. Once he was a safe distance away, Batman took out a gold coin that Harriet gave him. He tossed it up. When it came back down and his fingers curled around it, he felt a pulling motion around his navel. He clenched his jaw as the object did its magic. Soon, Batman found himself back in his Batcave. For a moment, he breathed in the calm and silence.