My apologies to the few, but faithful, who continue to follow this story for the recent hiatus. Ironically enough, not having school or work to deal with (for once) has proved insanely distracting. My imagination's been kicking into overdrive due to the excess free time, hitting me with a plethora of new ideas for all different categories.

In the meantime, to answer a couple questions reviews posed regarding Jinx:

(1) Yes, Jinx is from the original comics, though her character was drastically altered for the animated series. She had not been given a "real" name, to my knowledge, which is why I continue to refer to her solely by her villain/heroine moniker.

(2) Her ensemble in the animated series consisted more of a black and purple dress, which suits her at a younger age but didn't quite fit the mental images I had for an older Jinx. So I decided to just put her in a full bodysuit reminiscent of—though not identical to—her comic appearance.

Chapter IV

The scent of popcorn wafted through the empty halls of Titans' Tower, growing stronger the closer he came to the main common room. A faint, blue-tinged glow spilled into his path from beneath the door. Taking everything into account (including the unusually early time for lights-out), the Boy Wonder could only surmise one possible outcome.

Movie Night.

Not long ago, he would have loved to join his fellow Teens. Many an all-nighter had been spent subjecting themselves to some of the most infamously known Z-movies to have ever been released among the unsuspecting public; a chill still ran up Tim's spine at the mere mentioning of Sextette or Six-String Samurai. But he'd loved every second of the cruel and unusual punishment, if nothing else but for the fact that his teammates had been right beside him, equally torn between laughter and tears.

These days, however, there was an unspoken rift between them. Tensions were high, thanks to the ongoing feud between himself and Conner, and he didn't want to drag the others into it. All the buttery popcorn, sugary soda, and candy in the Tower couldn't get him into that room that evening.

Just as he turned to head in the opposite direction, an innocent voice called out to him:

"Señor Robin!"

Tim visibly winced at Miguel's overly-cheerful tone. He slowly turned back around to find the younger of the twin siblings eagerly waving at him, a wide smile on his face. The remaining occupants of the room were also looking to him expectantly.

"Come! You must join us!" Miguel insisted.

"Yes, yes! You must!" his brother agreed with equal enthusiasm. "We are watching the movies about a man and his robot friends make jokes of the bad movies. It is most amusing."

Glancing over at the unreadable expression on Conner's face, Tim forced a half-hearted smile and shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, boys, but I'm not really up for a Mystery Science marathon this evening. Some other time?"

The mirroring looks of sadness on their faces were almost enough to weaken his resolve, but he knew they would understand.

"Running out on us again, huh?"

Tim let out a low groan at Conner's snide comment. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means." Folding his arms over his chest, the team leader sat up a little straighter in his seat. "You don't even have the decency to join us or Movie Night?"

"Listen, Kent." Tim knew his tone wasn't helping things any, but he was getting tired of having to constantly explain himself. "I've had a rough night and am in no mood to listen to you rag on me right now. What's it to you if I don't feel like watching movies, anyway?"

"Oh, you've had a rough night?" Conner's voice was dripping with sarcasm. He made a show of rolling his eyes. "My mistake. Because, clearly, what you do is so much more important than fighting crime and protecting this City alongside the rest of us."

Donna sent him a wary glance. "Oh, lay off, Conner. Just leave him be."

"No. This needs to be said, and apparently I'm the one to do it." Conner uncrossed his legs and stood up. "Though I can't understand why you're defending someone who's trying to ditch his own team. Again"

"Nobody's ditching anybody, man," Virgil insisted from his spot on the floor.

"Sure seems that way from my point of view. Doesn't it bother you that he'd rather go off sulking in his room than spend any time with us?"

"That's not—" Tim began.

"What if I made it an order?" Conner interrupted, walked over to where Tim still stood just inside the doorway. "What if I ordered you to come join us?"

"Order?"

"That's right." He lifted his nose in an attempt to look more imposing. "Would you disobey a direct order from your team leader?"

"You're full of it, Kent. I think the power's finally gone to your head." Tim snapped. He could feel his own fists clenching tightly at his sides.

"He's right, Conner," Virgil commented lightly, trying to diffuse the situation before things got out of hand. "You can't order somebody to watch a movie."

"It's not about the movie, Virgil." Conner called back over his shoulder. "It's about the fact that Tim, here, doesn't seem to get what it means to be on a team." He shot Tim a disapproving look. "He never comes to fight with us, never tells us what he's up to...hell, sometimes, I get the feeling he doesn't even want to be a Titan."

Something inside Tim snapped; he lunged forward, only to be restrained by Virgil at the last second. Similarly, Donna stepped in front of Conner to keep him from getting in any strikes of his own. For a moment, the room was filled with indiscernible cries of fury and clashing testosterone.

"Okay, that is enough!" Donna screeched over the din, shoving a perfectly manicured finger into Conner's chest. "You, sir, are completely out of line! We've been listening to you rant and rave at poor Tim's expense for months, and to be perfectly frank, I'm sick of it!"

"He started it," Conner insisted.

"Like hell, he did," Donna spat back. Behind her, the twins gave a simultaneous gasp of surprise at her language. "The poor guy's been trying so hard to avoid any confrontation with you, it's a wonder we ever see him anymore. If I'd been in his shoes, you can bet I'd have hauled ass back to Themescayra long ago."

"So this is all on me now, is it?" Conner was on the defensive now. "Right...seeing as how, unlike me, Tim can do no wrong. Why else would you come running to his defense time and again?"

Tim was seeing red. "When will you get it through your thick skull that I don't want to be leader? I never have, and I never will!"

"No one said you did," Virgil murmured from behind.

"Bullshit," Tim hissed. "Why else would he constantly try to make me look bad in front of everyone? I'm sick of it!"

"If you're that unhappy with my leadership, why don't you just leave, then?" Conner suggested darkly.

"Nobody's going anywhere." Donner stated matter-of-factly. "Now, stop trying to pick a fight, Conner, and sit back down already."

But Conner roughly shrugged her off. "Forget it, Donna. You might be willing to put up with him, but I'm not going to." He stormed out of the room, stopping just long enough as he passed Tim and Virgil to mutter, "Guess you win again, Drake. Maybe you should be leader, since everyone want to listen to you."

Tim struggled a little rough against Virgil's hold, but said nothing as he watched Conner's retreating form. Only when the boy was out of his sight did he make a show of inhaling once deeply, slowly letting the breath out. His shoulders slumped in resignation. Virgil let him go soon after, and he used his newfound freedom to raise a hand to his head as he felt the oncoming of a stress headache.

"Hey, don't let him get to you, man," Virgil offered as a way of apology. "He's been under a lot of stress lately, with Superman's birthday coming up and all. You know how the media tends to go haywire this time of year, and they won't leave him alone about it."

"Whatever," Tim murmured, no longer in any mood to discuss Conner or the reason behind his constant mood swings. A second presence approached, causing him to peek an eye out beneath his heand. He smiled wearily. "Thanks, Donna."

"That's right, you'd better be thanking me." The Amazonian smirked, only half-joking, and grabbed him by the hand. "You can start by joining us tonight."

She dragged him back to the center of the room before he could protest, nearly throwing him into one of the larger piles of sofa cushions scattered about the floor. Tim landed face-first in an ungraceful heap of cape and pillow stuffing, the floor muffling his cries of pain. As he struggled to right himself, however, Tim felt a genuine smile tugging at his lips; he settled into a slightly more comfortable position with his back leaning against the couch legs and glanced around.

Donna had reclaimed her 'throne' in the nearby love-seat, tucking her legs beside her as she clutched one of the softer pillows to her chest. On the opposite side, Virgil kicked back in a recliner, propping up his feet as he reached for the television remote. The twins had taken to pillow-hopping around the floor in a never-ending competition for the highest degree of both comfort and access to the junk food.

With Conner having run off the mope in his own, personal Fortress of Solitude, the idea of relaxing with his fellow Titans—coupled with a much-needed sugar high—suddenly sounded like the perfect distraction from his earlier situation with Rose.

"So, which episode are we up to?" Tim asked, reaching for one of the unopened Milky Way bars.

"Space Mutiny," Virgil answered.

"Sweet."

The opening credits began to roll in a display of nonsensical lyrics and ridiculously bad special effects. Tim settled a little further into his makeshift seat and took an unseemly large bite out of his candy. He resisted the urge to sing along with the video, as the twins were doing. No use further encouraging their absorption of poor English grammar.

"So..." Virgil spoke up once the main characters onscreen began their usual introductions. "Who is she?"

Tim nearly choked on his candy. "H-huh?"

"The girl you've been seeing. Anyone we know?" The look on his face was akin to that of an alley cat that had just captured its prey.

"What—" Tim swallowed, trying to keep his voice calm. "What makes you think I've been seeing a girl?"

Virgil's smirk only widened as he motioned upward with his right index finger; realizing exactly what he meant, Tim gave a low groan.

"Babs?"

"Well, I heard it from John." Virgil shrugged. "But you know tracking Watchtower gossip is like playing Six Degrees of Batgirl."

"...who went running to Kara, who ratted to Toni, who snitched to Jinx, who definitely told Wally, who mentioned it to Shayera, who just had to say something to the Lantern," Tim muttered darkly, wondering if it was possible to disown a surrogate older sister. "How much do they know?"

Another shrug. "Not much, from what I've gathered. Only reason anyone's even been talking is because it's been a slow news week."

"Lucky for me." Came the sarcastic reply. Not even the beginning of the actual Space Mutiny sequence, bizarre slow-motion explosions and all, could save him from Donna's piercing, amused gaze. "It's not what you guys think, just so you know."

"Oh, relax." Donna quipped, casually sipping on her bottle of lemonade. "It's not like we're gonna harp on you for having a social life, you know. Though, I take it our Fearless Leader is the main reason for all the secrecy?"

"Not exactly." Tim looked to the ground. "It's kinda...complicated."

"It's always complicated." Virgil waved a dismissive hand in the air, then used the same hand to reach for one of the soda cans at his feet. "Hell, I don't think there's a single Leaguer up there who couldn't say the same thing. Especially the ones dating each other."

"That's...not what I meant.

Donna's eyes softened as she heard the genuine concern in his tone: "This girl...she's not in trouble, is she?"

"I honestly don't know." Tim shook his head. "I mean, I think she might be, but she won't even tell me what's going on."

"Maybe it's just something she wants to handle by herself."

"If I thought that were the case, I'd leave it alone." He slumped against the bottom of the sofa. "It's not like she can't take care of herself or anything. I just...I dunno...I can't help worrying about her. I want to help her."

Virgil nodded seriously. "It's official. You're in love." He tossed the younger boy one of the last soft drinks. "Here, have a soda."

"Anything we can do to help?" Donna offered.

Tim smiled, but shook his head. "Probbaly not. Thanks, though."

"Hey, that's what we're here for," Virgil answered before Donna could get the chance. "After all, we do more than just play peacemaker around these parts."

"Peacemaker?" Tim rose an eyebrow.

"So it's fun to ruffle Donna's feathers a bit now and again." Virgil tried to look as innocent as possible. No one was fooled. "Not my fault those repressed feelings she has for me make her want to fight back."

"In your dreams, little boy." Donna rolled her eyes.

Tim had to stiffen a bout of laughter at the thought. "No offense, Virg, but she'd sooner have 'repressed feelings' for Conner than you."

Donna actually thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I'll go with that."

"Suits me just fine," Virgil smirked, making a show of ignoring the fact that Donna was sitting only a few feet across the room. "I keep saying those two need to get laid; doing it with each other would be like killing two birds with one stone."

Tim's eyes widened in horror; against his better judgement, he turned to Donna. His blood ran cold at the promise of Death radiating from her very aura long before he saw the look on her face. A look that told him said Death would come as slowly and painfully as possible.

"Oh, hell." Face pale, he turned to the twins just in time to hiss, "Run!"

"VIRGIL HAWKINGS, WHEN I GET THROUGH WITH YOU, THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH LEFT TO CHARGE A CREDIT CARD!"

o*0*o

A lingering silence hovered between the two girls as they sat on adjacent swings in the middle of the Jump City park. It was just shy of dawn, and there wasn't a soul to be found. They had found their way over to the playground area sometime in the midst of their lengthy discussion, and while words no longer passed between them, the impact of those that had were still near palpable.

"You okay?" Jinx eventually asked, tilting her head to one side in concern.

"Yeah, I guess." Rose's fingers had wrapped so tightly around the chain links that her knuckles were white. "It's just...a lot to take in."

Jinx nodded in understanding, leaning back in her plastic seat. She could easily relate to what the young villainess was going though, given that she had been in an eerily similar position a few years back.

"There's something I want you to understand, Rose." Her voice was gentle and full of empathy. "Heroes and Villains crossing paths is nothing new, but it isn't often that things work out. Me and Flash...well, we're kinda unique in that sense."

"What usually happens?" Rose asked, looking up.

"Oh, both parties just end up parting ways. If they're lucky, on relatively good terms. If they're not...well..." Jinx visibly winced, as if recalling such an incident. "Mainly because neither side was willing to give in to the other."

Rose's shoulders slumped. "Then...it's impossible for such a pair to ever be happy?"

"Not truly, no." Turning her eyes to the ground, Jinx began to pump back and forth with her legs in an effort to get a light swinging motion going. It had been a while since she had the chance to swing; she made a mental note to come back here with Wally at a later date. "Oh, sure, some have managed to get flings going for a while. Once in a blue moon, you'll even get a kid out of the equation...but, in the end, Light and Dark are forever destined to circle one another, never meeting in the middle."

Rose's cheeks reddened at the mentioning of 'children'. She knew Jinx was referring mostly to adult-aged couples (at least, Rose hoped she was), but the thought still came a wave of embarrassment for the thirteen-year-old. Shifting uncomfortable in her seat, she decided to change the subject.

"How did your hero convince you?"

Jinx smirked as she passed by. "Truthfully? He didn't." Upon her return, she caught the surprised look on Rose's face and gave a light chuckle. "Sure, he was all about trying to talk me into seeing the error of my ways during the fight. But once I'd finally stood up for myself against Rouge and walked away, he stepped back and gave me a chance to make my own decisions."

Rose's brows furrowed together as she tried to follow both the conversation and Jinx's volleying. "So, he...didn't want to convert you?"

"I have no doubt that he wanted to, but he also didn't want to force anything on me that I didn't want for myself." She sighed, momentarily pausing in her pumping. "You know, that's part of the reason why I chose him in the end."

Rose looked away, hair shielding her face from view. She thought about her situation, and the choices she would have to make on her own.

Jinx gave a slight frown, knowing all too well what was going through the younger girl's mind. "Listen, Rose, I'm not gonna lie. I had it pretty easy. There was nothing to tie me to the criminal world. I had no family, no real friends...but you have a father who, morals aside, seems to genuinely care about you."

"I know," Rose murmured softly, still not looking up.

"Then you need to ask yourself this question: would you rather spend the rest of your life at his side, a criminal, or hope for something better?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you shouldn't make a decision like this for anyone but yourself." Jinx sighed, leaning back in the swing so that the ends of her hair were nearly touching the ground. "I didn't leave the H.I.V.E. for Flash. I left because I was tired of subjecting myself to verbal and physical abuse at the hands of someone I used to look up to. That wasn't the kind of life I wanted."

"Father's not like that." Rose insisted, sitting up straighter in her swing. "He's strict, but he's never once hit me, or even said anything bad to me."

"Then you don't want to leave him?"

"I...don't know."

Jinx pulled herself back into a sitting position, shoulders slumping as she felt the genuine helplessness in the girl's tone. She knew Rose wasn't trying to argue or make things more difficult. It was almost too much for someone her age to have to carry on her shoulders—as it was, she was more than two years younger than Jinx had been.

Shifting her weight, Jinx resumed her earlier attempts at pumping herself on the swing. "It wasn't an overnight decision for me, either." She stated simply. "Most people seem to think that Flash swept me off my feet and towards the setting sun, and that was that. But it took a long time and a lot of intimate discussions before I finally made my choice."

Rose's lips pressed formally together as she watched the acrobatic nineteen-year-old rise higher and higher with every swing. She absently wondered if this was her way of blowing off some steam, as she seemed to be really into the act of striking random poses at each apex.

"Why don't you talk to him?" Jinx asked during one of her passes.

Rose's eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. "I-I can't! He doesn't know about Tim, and—"

"I didn't mean Slade," Jinx interrupted. By now, she had achieved a height several feet off the ground. "I meant Tim. Tell him about what's got you so fearful, and see what he says."

"What good will that do?"

"You might be surprised." With a wink and one last push, Jinx gracefully leapt off her swing, summersaulting once in the air before landing in the snow-covered ground a feet feet away. Her arms extended for balance, she abruptly turned around, a knowing smile plastered across her features. "I've known the little bird boy for quite a few years now, and I can say this much about him: he's way too smart to just walk away from a good thing when he sees it."

"But...you said—"

"I know what I said, and I stand by it." Lowing her arms, she folded them over her chest and shifted her weight to one side. "On the other hand, I also happen to be living proof that things can work out...if the couple wants it badly enough."

o*0*o

That night, Rose donned her Ravager costume once more.

She slipped out of the base long before her father had the chance to notice her absence, easily maneuvering her way through the city with threat of detection. Unless she was given a specific assignment beforehand, he generally allowed her to come and go as she pleased. This made it much less suspicious than if she were expected to remain on stand-by.

Evidence from their previous evening's rendezvous were still streaked across the terrain. Had she not been so focused on her mission, she might have smiled at how much 'damage' they had done to the snowy terrain. But her eyes soon fell upon the familiar snow-covered landmark, and the lone figure leaning against its frozen bark. Like he had been waiting for her to show.

"Tim," she murmured softly, removing her mask.

He turned at the sound of his name, breaking into a grin as he spotted her. "Rose!"

The smile quickly faded, however, as he saw the near blank expression on her face. She was staring after him as if for the first time, breathing coming in deep, steady waves of fog. He frowned in concern, but would say nothing until she was ready.

Eventually, she took a step towards him...then another...until there were only a few inches separating them. Her eyes glistened in the bright moonlight, and though Tim didn't fully understand, he allowed her to gently rest her forehead against his shoulder. In turn, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her to him.

"It's okay," he murmured into her hair. "Whatever it is, it's okay."

She tilted her head to one side, pressing her ear against his chest. "I'm sorry I ran off last night."

"Don't worry about it," he insisted. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah...you did."

He tried to meet her gaze, but she had lowered her head so that her hair was in the way. "I don't understand."

At first, she didn't respond. Her eyes closed, and she spent the next few moments listening to the gentle rhythm of his heart beat. It was strong, steady, and lulled her into a greater sense of ease. Somehow, even Tim's mere presence was enough to calm her fears now.

"You...were right, you know. From the beginning," she told him.

"Of course I was right. I'm always right." He lightly joked. "Umm, what exactly was I right about this time?"

"That I was afraid. Of my father. Of you. Of...this." She still refused to look at him as she spoke. "The day we met, I knew we'd become friends. And I was afraid of what would happen if my father found out."

He felt her tense for a moment, but allowed her to continue.

"He's...he's been so good to me for so long, I felt like I was betraying him. That I would disappoint him if he ever found out about...about..."

"Us?" he finished for her. She nodded against his chest, and he had to resist the urge to laugh. A hand found its way to the back of her head, where her hood had fallen back, and began stroking the soft hair beneath his gloved fingers. "So, basically, you've felt guilty for being happy."

Only then did she pull away to look at him, eyes wide. "No! That's not...I never..." but when words failed her, she sighed in defeat. "I know what kind of man he is, the reputation he holds in this city, but he's still my father. He's never been anything else to me."

"What kind of father would subject you to the lifestyle you lead now?" Tim asked softly.

But she shook her head. "You don't understand, Tim. I chose to become Ravager. Father never wanted me out on the field; I had to convince him to let me train."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to be able to repay him for all he's done. I wanted him to love and...trust me."

As she spoke, Tim reached up with one hand and gently brushed back her hair, tucking several pale strands behind her head. His fingers found their way to her chin, gently lifting it so that her gaze would better meet with his.

"You really love your father, don't you." It was neither a question nor an accusation.

She nodded. "I know it seems strange, but I—"

"Not as strange as you think." He grinned. Stepping back, he lifted his arms over his head like he was stretching, eyes staring out into the empty field. "You know, there's a saying that someone once told me. Someone I knew a long time ago, back when I was really too little to even understand what it meant."

Even though he was no longer looking at her, she tilted her head to one side, urging him to continue.

"He told me that, while we might like someone for their qualities, we love them for their defects." He turned back to her with a smile that sent a flush of warmth to her cheeks. "I didn't get it then, but I do now. What he meant was that you should never have to explain yourself for loving somebody because love is supposed to be unconditional. No matter who it is, or what they are."

"Even..." she audibly swallowed, heart fluttering in her chest. "Even if he's somebody you shouldn't?"

Tim gave a light chuckle as he took her hands in his. "Nobody gets to decide that for you but you."

"But, what if—" her breath nearly caught in her throat as their eyes met, and she knew they were talking about more than just her father now. "What if there's a chance that person would never...love you back?"

"I have a feeling that's not going to be a problem."

Something hard was pressed into her palm just then. She glanced downward, gasping when she recognized the familiar shape and design of a Teen Titans' communicator. The bright, yellow device looked almost out of place against her dark gloves, and she had to trail her fingers lightly over the giant "T" several times to verify that it was, indeed, real.

At a loss for words, she looked up to him questioningly.

"I'm not going to pretend I don't want you to choose me," he stated unabashedly. "But, in the end, I can't be the one to make that choice for you. Just...know that the offer is there. It always will be."

She opened her mouth to speak, but when the words wouldn't come out, instead looked back to the communicator to make sure it was still here. Her sight darted between it and Tim several times before settling on him. The way he was smiling at her then...the gentle look in his eyes, easy enough to see even through the mask, neither judging nor expecting anything from her.

Her fingers clasped tightly around the communicator, she lowered her arms and tentatively stepped forward. Tim barely had time to close his eyes before her lips met his in a brief, chaste kiss. Their first.

"Thank you," she breathed as they parted, pressing her forehead to his. "For everything."

o*0*o

When she returned to the base, Rose's head still swam from the overwhelming emotions surging within. The tiny communicator was still clutched in her hands, heart fluttering at the thought of what it meant.

And she had kissed him! Even though she wasn't sure what had possessed her to to so at the time, there wasn't a single part of her that regretted her actions. In fact, she found herself hoping for future repeat occurrences....

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway from where she stood, snapping the girl out of her trance. Stiffening a fresh wave of giggles, she quickly tucked the small communicator in her back pocket so that Slade would not see it.

"Good evening, Father," she called to him, smiling brightly.

"My, my." Slade gave a hearty chuckle. "You look particularly cheerful this evening, my dear. I take it you've already had your evening coffee?"

There was humor behind his tone, and Rose had to resist the urge to laugh; her caffeine addiction had somehow become an ongoing joke between them, to the point where he would often tease that she kept more bags of coffee stashed in her quarters than obligatory teenage junk food. Or that he might as well assign one of his lesser minions as her personal Starbucks liaison, since she visited the shops so often.

"What is it you wish me to do this evening, Father?" Rose asked.

"Actually, dear Rose," Slade began, placing a fatherly arm around her shoulders. "There is something I have been meaning to show you. A surprise, if you will."

She looked up at him curiously, allowing him to lead her down the way he had just come from. Most of the wing was devoted to various research laboratories. The one he guided her in, for instance, was one of the smaller rooms devoted exclusively to chemical experiments. It was brightly lit, with a pleasant warmth radiating from the several Bunsen burners along the walls.

Inhaling deeply, she openly reveled in the numerous aromas that hung in the air: a sweet, floral scene blended with a touch of vanilla and other spices. One, in particular, caught her interest.

"Is that cinnamon?" she questioned.

"Very good." His tone carried evidence of a smile she could not see as he guided her towards one of the vacant tables in the corner. "Part of a complex blend of chemicals and herbs I've been working on for the last several weeks as part of your surprise."

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what this surprise is?"

"Patience, child." He walked over to one of the countless array of beakers and jars, carefully analyzing each of their contents before selecting one of the smaller bottles. "You see, I've had this theory for some time now. It involves the serum that I was injected with back during the war—the one that helped make me who I am today."

Rose thought back to the stories he had told her. "It gave you super-strength, right?"

"Among other things, yes." From the drawer directly below, he retrieved a small hypodermic needle. "The details are far too complex for your young mind to comprehend at this time, but suffice to say you can think of it as a means of enhancing certain...qualities of an individual."

He paused to allow complete focus on the syringe, pulling off the tip cover and throwing it into a nearby trash can. The exposed needle was then carefully inserted into the dark bottle, and the syringe soon filled with several milliliters of a strange, dark-green substance. Once he was certain he had the proper amount, Slade gave it a few light flicks to allow any air bubbles to float to the top.

"You see," he continued, "I have been toiling long and hard these last few weeks to find a way of controlling your growing powers, and I do believe I may have found the solution right here."

Rose's eyes lit up. "You have?"

"Of course, this is only a prototype; the original formula is based off that same serum given to me years ago, with only slight modifications. But I can assure you that I have conducted every test I could possibly think of to ensure its absolute success."

She stared at the tip of the needle, glistening under the florescent lighting, and gave an involuntary shudder at the sight of the few drops of liquid being test-squeezed out. A tiny warning went off in the back of her mind that something wasn't quite right, but she ignored it.

"I understand."

"Excellent." He seemed to visibly brighten at her willingness. "Just lay back and close your eyes. A little prick, and it'll all be over."

Gaze still lingering over the needle, she gave a hesitant nod and did as he instructed. As she tried to settle herself into a more comfortable position, however, she felt a sudden weight being pressed against her chest. Gasping, she tried to sit back up...but couldn't.

A large strap was suddenly pinning her down to the table, holding her arms to her sides.

"F-father?" she questioned nervously.

He did not answer right away, his attention on securing a second strap across her stomach and wrists. Within moments, her legs were equally pinned to the cold, metal surface.

"I must apologize for the body restraints," He eventually spoke up, though he didn't sound all that sorry. "You see, I needed to be sure you wouldn't just up and run off on me again."

"W-why would I—"

"You think I haven't known all this time about your regular trysts with young Robin," he interrupted suddenly, and Rose's face went white. "Oh, but I have, child. And I allowed it because you continued to remain loyal to me all this time, following my every command without so much as a wince. After all, the occasional fling with the other side is hardly uncommon."

"I-It's not like that, Father!" She pleaded, voice quivering. "I swear!"

"Do not lie to me, Rose. The evidence is still on your very person." His hand shot out, reaching beneath her pinned form. A moment later, he pulled back with the communicator in his hand. "Well, well, what have we here?"

Her whole body trembled as she watched him give the device a good once-over, then crushed it with his bare hand. Blue sparks emitted from where metal and plastic clashed as it fell to the floor, where it was trampled on and instantly forgotten.

"I suppose I can understand," he sighed wistfully. "It's so easy to be persuaded by such seductive lies and empty promises. They can be quite convincing, and with all those teenage hormones floating around...well," he chuckled darkly, a sound that made Rose's blood run cold. "I was young once, you know. Therefore, I am willing to forgive and forget."

"Then..." she managed to get out, "What is all this?"

"It is as I told you before, my dear, dear Rose." There was more than hint of disgust as he spoke her name now. "I do not wish you to just up and run off on me. After all, who knows how you might react to the serum?"

She was crying now, the hot tears freely flowing down her cheeks. "I thought you said...you were going to help me get my powers under control."

"I am," Slade agreed, pulling the fabric over her shoulders just enough to run a sterile swap over the area. "...my control, that is."

A wave of pain like she had never known shot through her arm just them, like he had set every last artery on fire. She tried to scream, but the sounds choked on themselves as her muscles went into a series of involuntary convulsions. The room began to blur, the bright lights seemingly dimming before her very eyes until—mercifully---she passed out.

o*0*o

"You're looking particularly pleased with yourself this evening," Virgil called out slyly from the main couch as he caught sight of Tim entering the common room.

"And you're looking particularly not-dead," Tim shot back with a grin, taking note of his friend's several bruises and bandages. "Nice cast, by the way. Would you like me to sign it?"

"Ha—frickin'—ha."

"You got off easy this time, Virg." He strolled into the kitchen area, where Donna and Manuel were in the middle of setting up an assembly line of Mexican-themed ingredients. "Either that, or Donna's getting soft."

The girl in question gave a loud 'humph' at the notion.

"He called Señorita Wonder Woman from the hospital after she broke his arm," Manuel explained, looking obviously amused at the memory. "Now, she is not allowed to cause harm until he is fully healed."

"If he lives that long," Donna muttered darkly, shooting Virgil a glare.

"Donna," Conner sighed from his seat on the recliner. "Remember what I told you about committing murder in cold blood?"

"There's not a jury that would convict me!"

"Probably because she's scare them all into rendering an innocent verdict," Tim muttered in Manuel's ear, and together they shared a laugh.

Swiping one of the styrofoam plates from a nearby bag, Tim immediately set to work scooping up approximately two of everything he saw. Only when his plate looked like it would collapse under the weight did he consider it adequate, bringing it over to the steps so he could sit and eat. Much as he knew Conner wouldn't dare start anything that evening, he wasn't going to risk being in any closer proximity to the half-Kryptonian than necessary.

Just as he had gotten settled down, however, his communicator went off. Frowning, Tim gave a quick glance around the room to double-check that all his teammates were still present. Sure enough, he was met with five pairs of questioning eyes. It wasn't any of the Titans calling him.

Then he remembered the one other person he knew possessed a communicator; eyes widening, he scrambled to retrieve it.

"R-robin here," he called into the speaker nervously.

The screen fizzled for a moment, but never turned on.

"Ti...Tim..." A small voice—soft and weak—came through.

The blood drained from his face. Something was wrong. Very wrong. "Rose?"

"Tim...help..."

Then the line went dead.