Titan was grimacing in pain as she hurried through the sinister streets, feeling the minutes slip past and the temperature drop until she shivered with cold and her exposed skin was covered in chilly goose bumps. She kept to the quietest areas she knew, not waiting to be seen in her current state. She had been travelling across town for little over fifteen minutes when she ducked down a familiar alleyway and forced open the back door to an abandoned house, its windows and doors boarded up. She tore the wooden board off the door and threw it onto the ground behind her, her entire body aching from the previous night's activities. The lock was already busted from the police raid she had witnessed a week previously, she gave the door a sturdy shove with her shoulder, stumbling and holding onto the door frame as it swung open.

The house was disgusting and Titan gagged as soon as the smell hit her and had to clasp her hand over her mouth, making a mental note to breath through her mouth whilst she was here. Used needles and spoons were still on the dirty wooden table, sitting casually next to a baby's bottle. The sight of it made her sick to the stomach, and she felt her left hand curl angrily into a fist, her right hand still holding onto the box under her arm, knuckles turning white with fury. She remembered the way the child had screamed as it was torn out of its drug addicted mothers frail hands and passed on to a care worker. It was in that second that Titan had decided she would never bring a child into this world, not when there were already so many suffering.

She stepped inside and pushed the door almost closed behind her, making sure she had a quick exit if she needed one. She placed the box down on the rotting table and pulled her shirt off over her head, ripping it into strips. She turned the off-white tap on and watched as it spat water out, sputtering for a moment, then starting to run smoothly. She held a strip of the material under the tap, making sure not to use any that were already stained by her blood, and then pressed it against the gash in her head, hissing at the pain and suppressing a groan, going dizzy again. She mopped the area around the wound, cleaning it and the blood away best she could, before plaiting her hair and draping it over her shoulder unable to lift her bruised arm high enough to tie her usual high pony tail. She knew her fellow Watchmen would notice and know something was wrong, but she couldn't hide it this time.

She changed quickly and quietly into her costume, feeling calmer once she did, placing her mask over her eyes. And then she was strong again, no longer Atlas LaFonte and once again Titan, superhero, masked vigilante, member of the Watchmen and partner to the world's smartest man. She smiled and let out a weak laugh at herself and shook her head, feeling foolish at being so scared earlier. Orion was right, she did incredible things behind this mask, and if their father thought he could change that, to intimidate her, then he was certainly wrong. He had always had a way of making her feel vulnerable and alone, but she wasn't alone, she was with the Watchmen. Her mind wondered back to Orion, her baby sister. She loved no one more than she loved Orion, she would give her life to protect her. She took all the beatings as a child, so her sister wouldn't have to. And she wouldn't let him hurt her now; she'd get her out of there.

She stuffed the blood stained clothes into the box and took them outside with her, dropping them onto the floor and taking the box of matches out that had still been in her jeans pocket, striking one and dropping into the box, her clothes going up in flames in mere seconds, destroying any evidence of her ever being there and turned her back, leaving them to burn.

Adrian was worried. It was already late and still she wasn't here. They had been in their weekly meeting for over an hour; she was never this late, if ever late at all. None of his fellow Watchmen seemed to share his anxious feelings, not even Laurie, who had already assured him several times she would be here soon and everything would be fine. But he couldn't shake the unsettled feeling in stomach and found it hard to concentrate on anything Nite Owl was saying. He could tell the others were getting frustrated with him, but he was too worried about her to care.

He had come to terms with the fact he had feeling for her, trying to deny them was pointless and succeeded only in frustrating him. He couldn't help who he fell for, and really how difficult was it for fall for someone like her? She was beautiful, smart, funny and his favourite, deadly. The press always had a field day when she was around, there had been a more desirable hero since the original Silk Spectre had been active, and now there were two. In truth both she and the Silk Spectre II were beautiful young women, but Titan just drew him in.

But whether he chose to act on those feelings was a different thing entirely. She was just 17, ten years younger than himself, and all of this was new to him. He had never felt close to anyone his entire life, not even his parents. Oh he'd had girlfriends, but that was when he was younger, and none of them had ever meant anything to him. But Titan was different, he really felt for her, a whole kaleidoscope of untouched emotions he was only now discovering. He wanted to act on them, to confess all to her and hope she would reciprocate those feelings, to hold and protect her, to kiss her.

'Ozymandias?' Are you listening?' Adrian blinked and looked up at Nite Owl. The entire group were looking at him, waiting for his input into whatever subject they were discussing.

'Sorry?' he asked quietly. Nite Owl shook his head and went to speak again. He was interrupted as the door open and she finally arrived. Relief flooded him, quickly followed by panic when he saw the state she was in. She was bleeding again, having accidentally reopened the wound in her head on her way over. Her face was pale and weak, she needed help. The others turned to look at her, shocked, no one knowing exactly what to do. She stood in the doorway, her hand on the door knob, saying nothing but looking at Adrian with pleading eyes.

It was the Comedian who broke the silence 'About fucking time' he grunted, stomping his way over there obnoxiously and grabbing her by the arm, dragging her into the room. She cried out in pain and pulled away from him as he let go of her as if she'd burnt him and looked at her confused. She backed away and bent double, clutching her arm and whimpering in pain, the blood from her head now becoming noticeable by the rest of group as it dripped off her shoulder and onto the floor.

'Your father, he knows who are you' Dr Manhattan said, not a question. She looked up at him and nodded, straightening herself out. Adrian crossed the room and pressed his hand to the cut in her head, hearing her groan in pain made his stomach hurt and he used his free hand to stroke her face, soothing her.

'He did this?!' Rorschach asked, his voice menacing. She nodded and held on to Adrian's arm, feeling dizzy for the third and hopefully final time that day. She held onto him whilst he lead her across the room and sat her down in his usual seat. Laurie came to kneel beside her friend, Jon and Nite Owl with her, Rorschach and The Comedian in discussions as to what they were going to do about her situation. Laurie started to slowly remove her jacket, be careful not to brush against the bruises on her arm.

'Did he do those too?' Adrian asked softly, still stemming the blood flow from her head and holding her hand, his gloves having been discarded to the floor, stroking her soft fingers. She looked stunning without her gloved jacket on, her long slender neckline giving way to elegant shoulders and a perfect bust line. It was taking every ounce of his concentration to resist kissing her.

'Yes' she whispered, squeezing his fingers 'My sister!' she cried out, feeling tears gathering under her mask 'She's still there, what if he hurts her?' she was border lining hysterical and Adrian abandoned her head to pull her into a hug, Laurie pressing a flannel to her head.

'I'll go' Rorschach said 'Keep watch' Titan looked up and nodded, whispering her thanks.

'But if my parents notice I'm gone. . ' She started but was unable to finish, she truthfully didn't know what would happen if they knew she was gone all night, he would know for certain she was Titan, and Orion would pay for it.

'Rorschach' Adrian said, standing up and taking charge 'Go to Titans home, speak to her sister, make sure she knows your there, and tell her to tell her parents Titan is staying with Laurie tonight and will be home tomorrow. The rest of you, take patrol over the city, I'm taking Titan home' the others nodded and felt, Laurie giving her a hug on the way out and Titan giving Rorschach her address. Then as the room was emptying, Adrian slipped his arm around her waist, picked up her jacket and lead her out.