9: Save the Queen.

It had only taken Lucy days to escape from Arkham and return to the penthouse, not that there was a warm welcome waiting just Johnny and the other goons but she didn't let it bother her as she quickly changed out of the Arkham issue jumpsuit and into a pair of black jeans, a navy button down and a simple pair of silver flats. Once she was changed she went right to her office sitting behind the desk and looking at the picture on the desk of her and JJ as kids, without her control her hand moved to the locker around her neck and held it as she closed her eyes, she wouldn't admit it out loud to anyone but she had begun really missing JJ around a year after he left but she didn't reach out to him knowing he was probably doing better on his own than with her.

There was a knock on the door making her open her eyes and clear her throat before facing the door.

"What?"

The door opened to reveal Johnny in the doorway holding her phone, she'd left it in the kitchen when she'd went to change, making her raise an eyebrow but get to her feet as he held it out to her.

"Who is it?"

Johnny opened his mouth to say but closed it giving her a look that told her she should take it and find out for herself, that she needed to. Sighing she took the phone and watched him leave closing the door behind himself, Lucy took a deep breath bringing the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

For a moment there was no sound on the other end making her think they'd hung up until a male voice she'd know anywhere responded.

"Hey Luce."

Lucy felt her chest tighten as she sank into her chair not trusting her knees.

"JJ?"

There was a small chuckle from the other end making her smile without knowing.

"Yeah it's me. How have things been?"

Lucy leaned back in her chair running her fingers through her hair.

"Fine I guess, same old stuff ya know, terrorising Batman and the city making money scaring the crap out of the other villains in Gotham."

JJ made a sound making her raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah I saw that thing about Penguin, you're doing right?"

Lucy nodded despite knowing he couldn't see.

"Yeah that was me, expanded our-my territory. Look JJ I know you're not interested in my doings so why did you call?"

There was a long pause from JJ making her uneasy as he took a deep breath.

"Look Luce it's been four years since we went our own ways and I'm tired of the separation, come to Midway and see Amelia and I, come to Midway and meet your nieces."

Lucy blinked, had she heard him right?

"Nieces? You mean?"

JJ chuckled and she could hear the smile in it.

"Yes Lucy, your nieces. They were just born a few days ago, I talked it over with Mia and she thinks you should come see them too. So what do ya say Luce, for old times sake?"

Lucy let his words sink in, Amelia actually agreed to let her see the babies despite knowing about her lifestyle? It seemed odd but Lucy found herself nodding.

"Okay, when and where?"

JJ's voice projected his smile as he spoke.

"Why not today, we brought them home yesterday so you'll be the first person besides Mia and I to meet them in the family."

Lucy felt a smile cross her lips.

"Okay JJ, I'll be there as soon as I can."

JJ let out a small sigh.

"We'll be waiting, and Luce?"

Lucy made a small humming sound her hand holding her locket again.

"Yeah JJ?"

There was a small pause.

"I love you sis."

Lucy smiled softly her eyes dropping to the picture again.

"I love you too little bro, see you soon."

She waited until the line went dead to hang up before setting her phone down and running her fingers through her hair closing her eyes.

"JASON!"

After a few seconds footsteps rushed to her door and it slowly opened as the young man looked in.

"Y-yes miss Quinn?"

Lucy opened her eyes but kept them on the picture.

"Bring the car around, I'm leaving the city."

Jason nodded.

"Yes miss Quinn."

She glanced up watching him go then shifted her eyes to Frost who was entering the room making her smile.

"Think ya can handle the fort for the day?"

Frost raised an eyebrow at her silently asking is she was serious making her chuckle as she stood putting her phone in her pocket.

"I'm just playin', I trust you not to distort everything. I should be back before the day is out."

Frost nodded watching her step out of the room before speaking.

"Tell him congrats for me Lucy."

Lucy smiled nodding.

"Sure thing."

With that she made her way down to the garage sneering at Jason who was standing beside the Lamborghini sweating bullets.

"When I said bring the car around I'm leaving the city what made you think this car was the right choice?!"

Jason jumped and opened and closed his mouth several times trying to answer making her snarl and grab his collar.

"Put it back and bring me something more discreet!"

Jason nodded going white as a sheet as he was released and quickly swapped the Lamborghini for a less stand out black mercedes. Lucy leered at Jason as she got in the driver seat before throwing a knife at him clipping his cheek.

"Use your brain next time otherwise they'll be scraping you off the sidewalk under the tallest building in Gotham."

Jason nodded frantically watching as she closed the door then tore out of the garage and into the streets unaware that in the wings Damian was watching and quickly tailed after her as she sped through the streets. Lucy began to noticed the black cat fallowing her making her narrow her eyes and quickly turn into an alleyway hoping to lose it but snarled when it followed. She was too focused on the car tailing her that she didn't noticed the narrow road ahead of her until it was almost too late to slam on the brakes, the front of the car collided with the brick walls and bent out of shape while the air bag exploded open knocking her already dizzy head and making it worse as she pulled herself from the car.

Damian slammed on the breaks as soon as he seen Lucy crash but let out a breath as she climbed out holding her head. He got out of the car and walked closer to her stopping when she whirled around to face him furious.

"Look what you did! I wasn't doin' anything wrong and ya chased me down! I was leavening Gotham to go and visit JJ and his family!"

Damian wanted to believe her but given her history he couldn't take the risk.

"Sure you were Lucy, are we going to have to go through all the fighting or are you going to come along quietly?"

Lucy bared her teeth at him before charging managing to dodge his blows but found her own blocked making her growl. Damian focused on blocking her strikes more than hitting her or the fact that she was backing him into a corner until his back collided with the rusty rungs of a fire escape causing one of the pipe like stairs to fall off and clatter to the ground and roll back against the wall, clenching his jaw Damian moved around the ladder but Lucy moved too fast and backed him against the wall cornering him as she stood a few feet away blood from a cut on her forehead bleeding down into her right eye as she panted.

"I'm tired you you always crashing my fun Damian, you're going to pay for making me late to meet my nieces, pay with your life!"

As she spoke she lunged causing Damian to black out and react without his control and grab the pipe on the ground wielding it like a sword and sinking it into her stomach. Realization began to fall over him as the adrenaline faded and he could feel hot blood rolling over his fingers and cooling on his face, he could hear Lucy gasping and making a garbled sound as her shaking hands grabbed his over the pipe and forced him to start pulling it out.

"Wait Lucy don't! If you remove it it'll only bleed more!"

His words didn't stop her as she finally pulled the metal from her torso lifting her eyes to his before collapsing into his arms blood draining at an alarming rate from the wound as her eyes went half hooded looking up at him.

"You idiot I told you not to take it out! I'll get you to a hospital just stay awake!"

Lucy weakly shook her head tears filling her eyes as his did and he shakily fell to his knees holding her ignoring the blood covering him.

"Ya w-wanna know….something funny?"

Damian swallowed thickly but nodded tears spilling over his cheeks, she may have been a villain and she may have been slightly crazy but over the years he'd learned and had it beat into his head by Barbara that the feelings he had towards Lucy were actually love. Lucy took a raspy breath whining as she did and spitting a new trail of blood from the corner of her mouth as it turned up in a weak smile.

"O-outta everything I did….out of it all w-what I regret...more than any of it...was n-not makin' up with JJ s-sooner."

Damian didn't know how to respond so he stayed quiet holding her close as she took another rasping breath looking at him and bringing a shaky bad up to his cheek.

"S-stop cryin'...people look u-ugly when they….c-cry...smile f-for me p-please."

Damian placed his hand over her's and mustered a watery smile that made a faint one appear on her lips again as her eyes fluttered.

"I-I'm sorry…"

Damian shook his head his meek smile falling into a look of sadness as her eyes fluttered again then finally closed seconds before her rasping breaths stopped and her body went limp in his hold.

"N-no, Lucy no you can't die! I didn't mean for this to happen! Lucy!"

He didn't get any response making his heart break as a sob finally left his lips while he placed his forehead to her's ignoring how the sky let loose a freezing cold downpour of rain. Something in the air changed and it seemed the whole city could feel it unnerving most civilians but through the underworld everyone just seemed to know, the queen had fallen. In Midway the day rolled by and JJ began to worry when Lucy didn't show up and her phone went right to voicemail, he was about to leave and go looking for her when the news on tv caught his attention.

"Breaking news from Gotham. Since the deaths of Batman and Joker the city of Gotham was plagued by the deadly criminal known as Lucy Quinn whose crimes grew in varsity and number as the years passed, today however those crimes have been brought to a permanent end as news of Quinn's death was made known. No details have been revealed of the nature of Quinn's death but we will keep you informed as new information becomes available."

JJ felt his body go numb hearing the news, he didn't want to believe it he couldn't, Lucy wouldn't let herself die not when she was at the top of her throne and making amends with him, she couldn't be dead. His hand shook as he took out his phone and tried his sister's number once more but just like all the other times it went right to voicemail making his stomach knot and his heart break. Leaning on the wall he sank to the floor holding his head in his hands as tears escaped his eyes and small sobs rolled off his lips, Amelia came into the room from putting the twins in their cribs for a nap and could JJ on the floor making her brows knit together as she carefully kneeled beside him placing a hand on his shoulder.

"J what's wrong? Did something happen?"

JJ lifted his head enough to meet her concerned eyes before taking a deep breath trying to slow his tears.

"Lucy is...Lucy's dead...the news from Gotham just said she was and her phone is off."

Amelia covered her gasp with her hand before pulling him close so his face was in the crook of her neck and she stroked his hair letting him start crying again holding her close for support as he broke. Tears slid down her cheeks silently as she listened to her husband mourn his last living, now gone, family member he'd been her rock so often now she was returning the favor as she kissed his head but didn't tell him things would be okay or say anything besides a few gentle shushes letting him fall apart.

A/N: Hey babies! Hear me out okay? Stick around for the next chapter, the epilogue, and I PROMISE YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! You have my word you won't regret reading the next chapter in fact many of you that read this stories predecessor may REALLY want to stick around! Okay so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't hate me!