The Insanity of Mary Grayson

Poison Ivy often found that the people of Gotham City cared little for the environment around them. They had lives in the urban jungle, and cared not for the actual one. Their lives revolved around money, sex, and power. They hardly even cared about their fellow man, and Ivy knew that she couldn't expect them to actually care about plants. So, when Nightwing and Starling had caught her when she decided to to destroy the company planning to cut down the trees just sitting outside of Gotham she knew they were just the same as everyone else, until Starling left her handcuffs unlocked.

Ivy at first thought that this was a mistake till she made eye contact with the girl. It was brief, but it was there the same passion for nature that Ivy herself had. She almost couldn't believe it, that one of the sainted bats had not only set her free, but did it under the nose of Nightwing. Of course, when he had noticed, Ivy saw, that he immediately knew what what his young sidekick had done, but by then it was too late. Poison Ivy had gotten away. She owed that kid one.


"Mary, I can't believe that you did that!" Her father shouted at her. They were currently in the bat-bunker. Nightwing was thankful Bruce was in town tonight, but didn't need them.

Mary turned her head away from him, "I don't think she should be sent to Arkham." She said indignantly.

"Poison Ivy is insane!" Nightwing reminded his daughter. "She needs to be kept in Arkham before she hurts innocent people. Do you really want her to hurt innocent civilians?" He talked down to her.

"No," Mary said with guilt.

"So why did you let Ivy go, Mary? Help me to understand, why you did it."

Mary looked to her father finally, "I don't think that she should be sent to jail for doing the right thing."

"What?"

"I think she was doing the right thing." Mary said again.

"Mary, she was hurting people."

"We hurt people all the time." Mary argued.

"That's different."

"How? How is it possibly different?"

"Those are bad people, Mary." Nightwing said. "You know this. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden."

"I'm not acting like this all of a sudden always thought this."

"That what poison Ivy does is okay."

"No. I don't agree with her hurting civilians, but some people only understand with a-" Mary paused.

"A what, Mar'i" Her father gave her a look that she knew meant she may have gone a little too far this time.

"A little incentive. Isn't it like what we do?" Mary asked.

"No, it is nothing like what we do. I had thought you understood that."


The conversation had ended with that. Dick, of course, was a little upset at the altercation and had yet to talk about it again with Mary. After telling Barbara the situation, Babs had said that Dick needed time to think about how he was going to explain it to Mary. When Mary had ask for an explanation from Barbara, she politely declined saying that Dick needed to do this. Mary voiced her confusion, but Barbara laughed it off telling her that was completely normally. That she would understand when she was older. No matter on Earth or on Tamaran that seemed to be every adult's favorite phrase.

The next night, as usual Nightwing & Starling went out on patrol. It was around 2 in the morning when Oracle rang a call to NIghtwing's and Starling's earpieces.

"Nightwing? Starling?" She called. Her breath seemed to be heavier, and her voice quick, almost in fright.

Nightwing was on immediate alert, "Oracle? What is it?" Something was wrong, seriously wrong.

"The Joker is in your area. " Starling heard through her earpiece, and honestly she never thought she ever seen her father so pale.

"Dad?" She asked him worriedly. Nightwing quickly shook off whatever thoughts were in his mind and turned to his daughter.

"Mary, go home." Nightwing ordered.

"What!" Starling answered in shock and outrage. "But I can help you! The Joker is dangerous, and-"

"And exactly. The Joker is dangerous, and I don't want to put you in harm's way." Nightwing sighed, and paused. "Don't argue about this with me, Mar'i, please." Starling was about to blow up at her dad but the use of her Tamaranian name made her think. Her dad was sincerely worried about her. Scared even.

"Fine." Starling said finally, "I'll go. Just be careful."

"Go straight home. Not to the bunker, not to cave, or the mansion. Go Home, Mar'i." Starling nodded and fired her grapple into the air looking back at her father as she shoot into the air, and away from him. Wishing she could be older, so she could help out.

"So, what is going on with the joker?" Starling heard Nightwing ask in here ear. She had accidentally left her ear piece on. No harm really, she wanted to be at least able to know what was going on.

"Harley just got back from her time with Waller. Joker's not too happy that she's been gone for so long. He tried to kill her, but she caught on to his plan. He's ripping through Gotham trying to find her now." Oracle answered. Starling wasn't surprised. Oracle had her own ghost about the joker. All of them did. From Bruce down to Damian. All of them had felt The Joker's atrocities first hand. Starling had heard stories from Jason, and frankly the thought of meeting The Joker in the field scared her half to death. Starling was normally a brave girl. She would jump off of skyscrapers with nothing on her but her wit and knowledge on acrobatics. She fantasized about fighting Gotham A-list criminals, and sending them to Arkham. All except The Joker. The Joker who paralyzed Barbara. The Joker who tried to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. The Joker who killed Jason Todd all those years ago. Starling hated to admit it, but The Joker she feared, and rightfully so.

"Bruce, is trying to find her before Joker does, but right now. Gotham is in such an upheaval, thanks to Joker, it's almost impossible." Oracle finished.

Starling turned off her comm. Bruce told her fear was a good thing, it kept a person alert. And alert was something that Starling wasn't at the moment because she didn't even see the person running towards her from the roof adjacent to her till it was too late. Starling and the person landed with a thump in the alley below.

Starling rubbed her head where she had been hit. Who would jump off of a roof to hit her like that? When Starling opened her eyes she found a a groaning Harley Quinn laying next to her. Oh no... Starling thought to herself. If Harley Quinn was here that meant The Joker wasn't too far off. She had to get out of here. Starling quickly stood up reached for her grapple, but Harley gripped her hand.

"I was hopin' for the Bats, but you'll do." She said in her thick Brooklyn accent. "Ya gotta help me. He's tryin'ta kill me!" Harley got up in Starling's face, "Please ya just gotta help me." Starling was torn. She had read Harley's file. Normally a sweet person, Stephanie mentioned this, Harley could turn rabid at the drop of a pin, even still it was because of The Joker she was this way. It was no secret that The Joker abused Harley for years, and this fact was in her file. Starling couldn't help, but pity the woman. Helping people was her job, but her father's orders rang in her ear. She had to go home tonight. Joker was running free and here she was lying on an alley ground with Harley Quinn the woman he was trying to kill. Luck wasn't on Starling's side today. Starling needed to get home, but could she really abandon Harley for The Joker to find.

She knew she couldn't. Nightwing would forgive her later. Starling pressed her ear piece, "Starling to Batman." She called out.

"Batman." The gruff voice answered.

"I've found Harley Quinn." Starling said quickly. She couldn't hear the surprise in Batman's voice but she knew he was.

"I thought Nightwing ordered you to get off the streets." Was all the Dark knight said. Starling could hear gunfire behind her. It was coming closer.

"Long Story, and not one we have time for. I can't leave Harley with The Joker after her, you need to come and get her."

"Give me your location." Batman ordered. More gunfire and explosions resounded behind Starling. Next there was a loud chaotic laugh.

"It's him!" Harley said in a panicked whispered. "He's coming!"

"Then we're getting out of here." Starling grabbed Harley's by the waste and fired her grapple into the air taking Harley with her. "Batman, Joker's close. Staying where we are is not really going to work out. What's your location? I'll have to bring Harley to you."

"On 43rd close to the Iceberg." He answered, and Starling cursed.

"Sorry," She apologised for her language to her grandfather, "I'm on the complete other side of Gotham."

"I'll meet you half way. I need you away from Quinn as soon as possible." Batman said. "Stay out of sight, but move quickly." Starling didn't need to be told twice.

"Come on, Harley, we're getting you out of here." Starling said as they landed on the roof of the building.

"You're really going to help me?" Harley asked.

"The Joker is trying to kill you, right?" Starling asked. Of course, Harley nodded. "Then I'm going to help you. "

"And The Joker?" Harley asked.

"Batman and the rest will take care of him once we know you're safe. Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to you on my watch."

"You're a good kid. Batman and Nightwing must be proud." Harley said.

"Yeah, proud." Starling said grimly thinking back to her early conversation with Nightwing that week. "We've got to keep moving. We've got a good mile to go, and we've got to move fast and quietly. We can't have The Joker finding us before we get to Batman." Starling said. "You can free run across the tops of buildings, right?" Starling asked.

"Of course, I'm a high level gymnast, ya know. " Harley said proudly crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air.

"Good. We've got ground to cover. Let's move." And the two took off. Luckily, Harley was wearing on of her darker outfits otherwise they might have been caught if she were wearing one of her louder ones. Also, Harley was competent enough to jump across the buildings. Starling was impressed not a lot of gymnast had talent in free running. This made things easier on Starling. Instead of having to check if Harley could keep up she could now look around for anyone that could catch them. That's when she noticed the chaotic laugh was now everywhere. Starling looked up in time to see a GCPD blimp coming there way. Starling grabbed Harley and threw her into the darkest corner of the roof, and out of sight, hiding there with her till the light passed over them. Then she heard the chilling laugh again. Starling looked up. The Joker had taken the GCPD blimp to look for Harley.

"Batman?" Starling said in her comm.

"What is it? Did something happen?" He asked.

"Meeting you is going to be a lot harder than originally planned." She said a little shocked.

"Why what happened?"

"Joker took a GCPD blimp. He's also right above us. I don't think moving is an option, anymore." Starling said slightly worried.

"Stay hidden. I'm still not close enough. It's going to be a while I'm sending Nightwing your way. I'm too far without the Batmobile." Starling groaned. Nightwing would be upset that she didn't go home, but lives were on the line. He would have to understand.

"Okay, I'm on the roof of the old court house. Hiding there."

"I'll give the message to Nightwing. " Batman said. "Oh and Starling be careful." The comment brought chills to Starling's spine. Batman was really worried. The Joker always liked to hide for months at a time and come out and ruin all of there lives, but not this time. No one was going to die tonight.

"Whatta we gonna do." Harley Quinn asked. "If Mistah Jay got the cops blimp, ya can't hide me for long, can ya?"

"Don't worry. Batman and Nightwing are on there way. We've just got to wait it out, Harley. Joker's not going to kill anyone tonight. If we stay here Joker won't find us. It's just a matter of time. "

"I'll trust ya, I hope the big man gets here soon because time's ticking." Harley said. Starling sighed. Time was ticking, and they didn't have long.


Nightwing should have known that Starling wasn't going to go home. Sitting out of a fight just wasn't in her personality. She always had to help, and be in the center of trouble. As much as Nightwing hated it. She was just like him when he was her age, and he hoped that what made him stop doing it wasn't the same thing that would happen to her. The memory of that night with Two Face still haunted him.

In the distance, Nightwing heard a wicked laugh and the familiar scream of Harley Quinn. Nightwing prayed he wouldn't be too late. On his glider, Nightwing rode the winds until he reached the courthouse, and what he saw wasn't good.

Starling was trying to fend off The Joker's goons when The Joker himself decided to join the fight. It only took one swift movement and Starling's head was trapped in The Joker's pale hands. He sneered something in her face which caused her to spit at him and struggle in his hold. The Joker only laughed, and from there everything moved in slow motion to Nightwing, like a movie, and like a movie no matter how hard he tried he couldn't change the the outcome of what happened next.

The Joker grinned at the girl, as Nightwing dove from his glider. He pulled Starling's face closer to his, Then gassed her with the fake flower sitting on his jacket front. Harley screamed and Nightwing blacked out.

When he came to the fighting was done and Batman was shaking him. "Nightwing! Nightwing!"

"What? huh? Batman?" Nightwing asked. "What's going on?"

Batman regarded Nightwing silently before nodding as if he understood something something.

"Batman?"

"I think I should be the one asking you what happened?" Batman supplied. That's when Nightwing took notice of the area around him. In his lap laid his daughter unconscious, but breathing. Nightwing could feel a wetness on his cheek. He had been crying, not only that his uniform was covered in blood, and it was not his own. Nightwing froze as bits of what happened came back to him.

In his faded memory was a flash of The Joker being thrown into the side wall of the roof next to the courthouse, and falling down till he landed on the fire escape below.

"Joker." Was all Nightwing said as he deposited the sleeping Starling into Batman's arms and ran over to the edge of the roof, and just like his memory there laid The Joker, beaten, bruised, bloody, and seriously injured. Before Nightwing could even speak Batman was down there examining The Joker.

"I did this." Nightwing concluded. "I don't even-" And that's when it all came back to him. The Starling getting gassed. The fighting off The Joker's goons. Easily taking them down almost too easily. Then fighting the Joker. Nightwing could feel the anger coming back. Joker had gotten Starling. The one thing he was trying to avoid seemed to happened. Irony truly hated his guts, but the only thing Nightwing could think about at the moment was the poor gassed Starling laying on the roof where Batman left her.

"He did something to her, didn't he? That's why you went crazy like this." Though it sounded like a question knowing it was coming from Batman's mouth, Nightwing knew it wasn't. The dark knight was right.

"He gassed her, Batman." was all Nightwing said.

"The Joker is going to need immediate medical, and Starling, too. We need to go." A small pat on the shoulder was the only comfort Batman gave the man. Nightwing nodded and lifted his daughter from the roof, and that's when she started to scream, not even scream, but screech so horribly that anyone around must have heard, and then she laughed. She laughed so hard that Starling started to gasp for air. Something was seriously wrong.


"Mary Grayson" A light voice called. "Wake up, Mary."

"Maaaaarryyy!" Another voice whined. "Mary, it's time to wake up."

"Princess Mar'i, you need to get up." At the mention of her formal title Mary's eyes shot open. She was tense as she looked around for the owners of the voices. She then realized she was currently in the Batcave. With a sigh, Mary calmed herself. It must have just been a bad dream only a bad dream.

"This is more than a bad dream, Mary Grayson." A voice had answered her thoughts. Mary quickly turned to find three girls standing before three girls whom she did not know, in the Batcave of all places. They were each different in appearance but had on all white dresses that almost glowed in the dark of the Batcave

"Who are you?" Mary demanded, "And how did you get down here?" The three girls only giggled at Mary despite her giving them her best glare.

"She wants to-"

"Know who-"

"We are." The last one finished the sentence, after it had been broken up by the three of them. "But she-"

"Hasn't met-"

"All of us..." On cue more girls dressed in white appeared out of nowhere. Long white dresses flowing as they danced around Mary sitting on the table. There had to be more than fifty girls in the room now all dancing around Mary. Singing and smiling at her.

"It's Mary!" One shouted happily.

"Mary Grayson-"

"HAS COME TO PLAY!" They all shouted in unison, and echo of their voices resounded through the cave in stereo

"We've been waiting for you."

"For such a long time."

"A very, very long time."

"Mary Grayson."

"Mary Stella Grayson."

"Princess Mar'i Grayson ."

"Starling."

The girls continued to chant her names in some sort of a mantra as they danced around her. Mary stared confused at the girls unsure of what was actually going on.

"You still haven't told me who you are. Who are you?" Mary demanded once again, but as before the dancing girls in white only giggled in response to her words. They did not seem to fear, but enjoy her presence. Yet oddly they stayed away from Mary never getting too close to touch her.

"Who are we?" One repeated Mary's words.

"We are everything." Another answered simply.

"And we are nothing" With a more sinister tone behind her voice.

"We are everywhere."

"But we are nowhere."

"WE ARE YOU, MARY." They all said at once. "WE ARE EVERY PART OF YOU!"

"Me? What do you mean you are every part of me. Tell the truth! I want to leave! Where is my dad? Where is Bruce? Jason? Somebody other than you lot." Mary yelled. "This is crazy. I'm leaving!" Mary jumped off of the table she had been sitting on and began to walk towards the stairs.

"NO!" They all shouted. "IF YOU LEAVE YOU WILL DESTROY US!"

"You can't leave us, Mary." One started to cry.

"If you leave-"

"We will be-"

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

"Absolute nothing."

"What do you mean?" Mary asked. "Explain." She ordered.

"You have to stay with us."

"Because you are us."

"And we are you."

"We know everything that-"

"You want to know."

"Everything that I want to know?." The girls all nodded in a chilling unison. "Where is my dad? Where is Bruce?" Again they all laughed this time harder than their last giggle.

"Daddy's girl," One scoffed at her

"Little girl wants her daddy.

"What a baby."

"All the things-"

"You could have-"

"asked for and-"

"You want to-"

"see your daddy?" The last one giggled again and danced around Mary tauntingly. "Awww."

"THE BABY MISSES HER DADDY!"

"Stop it! I asked to know where my dad and Bruce are, not for you to mock me!" Mary scowled. "What is with all of you anyway? All this dancing and twirling around me is giving me a headache. Why don't you just quit it." Mary reached for the girl nearest to her, but she jerked away from her grip as if Mary were a leper. The girl looked at Mary with a scared expression.

"YOU MUSTN'T TOUCH US!" They all cried at once.

"If you touch us-"

"We would have-"

"To destroy you." They all said seriously. So deathly seriously there was a deafening silence after the sentence. The weight of their words carried the silence. There was no more insistent chatter that was usually around with the odd spirit like girls. Before they seemed to never take anything serious, but now it was as if they were the most deadly creatures in the world. It was a threatening silence.

"And we can't have that." One of the girls broke the silence.

"No."

"No, we can't."

"Absolutely not." The chatter had returned with a vengeance and soon all of the girls had returned to random comments about how they couldn't destroy Mary for some reason, but then one stood out from the rest.

"We have plans for you, Mary." She said. Like the other girls she had long hair that hung limp down her shoulders and an almost eerily like white dress, that almost glowed in the darkness.

"Plans?" Mary echoed. "What plans? Tell me."

"Now she asks the important questions!" One said with a happy clap.

"Yes!"

"Good job, Mary."

"Awesome job, Mary."

"You've hit the mark, Mary."

"What mark? What are you talking about?" Mary asked.

"You're asking the-"

"Right questions-"

"Now, Mary."

"You have plans for me? Well, what are they? Why are you here?"

"We are here-"

"Because of you-"

"Mary."

"Mary, you-"

"Created us."

"Created you? What do you mean? I created you? I don't even know any of you!" Mary shouted, beyond frustrated with this whole thing.

"You're not-"

"Paying attention-"

"Mary."

"Who did we say-"

"We were, Mary?"

"We said-"

"We were you."

"WE ARE EVERY PART OF YOU!"

"I don't understand!" Mary cried. "How can you be apart of me?! How could I have created you?! I don't even know what's going on tell me, please!" The girls didn't laugh this time at Mary's distress instead they remained quiet only regarding Mary silently for a moment. None of them dance around Mary, or giggled and twirled. They didn't spin nor chatter with each other. They only stared at Mary. They stared at her as they circled around her, like a shark cornering it's prey.

"You-"

"Shattered-"

"Us,-"

"Mary." They spoke again. This time soft and without the crazed life they had before.

"Shattered you?" Mary whispered.

"Yes, Mary."

"You Shattered-"

"US!" The softness of their words were gone and know the words came out in an angry fire. The closed in on Mary

"We were-"

"One, but now-"

"We are many because-"

"of you,-"

"Mary Grayson!"

"Because of me? I haven't shattered anyone! I don't even know how to shatter all of you. I don't know." Mary insisted,

"Mary Grayson." One sneered.

"Mary Stella Grayson."

"Princess Mar'i of Tamaran

"Starling."

They said her names at once making the words ring through Mary's ears harshly.

"You are a very stupid girl."

"A dumb girl."

"A foolish girl."

Mary Grayson is a fool!"

"Why are you taunting me? I told you it wasn't me who shattered you!" Mary cried.

"But you did shatter us."

"Because Mary is a fool."

"You shattered us, Mary."

"Mary should learn to listen to her father."

"Listen to daddy-"

"Little Mary."

"Baby Mary doesn't-"

"Listen to-"

"Her daddy."

"That's why-"

"He always gets hurt."

"Because Mary doesn't-"

"LISTEN!" They all shouted at once. "NOW BECAUSE WE ARE MANY WE HAVE TO KEEP YOU FOREVER!"

"What! NO! Listen to me I didn't shatter you, I swear! I can't stay here I have to go back to my dad and-" but the girl's in white cut her off as they began to speak again.

"We have to-"

"Keep you-"

"Forever now,-"

"Mary."

"You will stay with us forever."

"And ever."

"And ever."

"And ever."

"And ever." The girls continued to chant as the got closer and closer to Mary slowing drawing her in. Mary couldn't only stare wide eyed in panic, too scared to touch them after the earlier threat, and too scared to run for fear of them. She was trapped.

"ENOUGH!" A voice shout out. "Get out all of you! How dare you come here!" The voice was familiar to Mary, and when she turned it was a person Mary was glad to see. Someone who she knew would always be sane, and intellectual when she could not be. It was Damian coming to her rescue like he always did.

It seemed that Damian's presence was enough to force the girls away from Mary. As they backed up they hissed at Damian like angry cats, unwilling to part with their food, but retreated anyway.

"Leave now." He ordered. They slowly began to disappear one by one till only one was left. Unlike the others Mary knew this one. Her Blonde hair and blue eyes had lost the mirth that Mary usually saw in them. They were angry as they glared at Damian.

"She will be undone." Stephanie Brown said as she disappeared just like the rest leaving only Mary and Damian in the Batcave alone.

So happy to see someone making sense Mary hugged Damian who of course did not return the hug but did allow her to hold him with a reluctant sigh.

"Sorry, but I'm just glad to see someone sane." Mary said as she released him. "Damian, what's going on, and who were those girls? Was that really Stephanie?"

Damian looked down at Mary with surprised eyes, "You really have no idea what's going on, do you?"

Mary shook her head, "Of course not. How was I supposed to know what was going on with the babbling of over fifty girls that were all clearly insane?"

" Tt. Grayson, that wasn't actually Stephanie Brown, just like how I'm not Damian Wayne." Mary backed away from the impostor completely shocked. She had hugged this stranger. "Mini Grayson, where do you think we are right now?" It was odd. This impostor sounded and acted just like Damian. From the way he stood in that cocky lean, to his little verbal tics that Mary never actually figured out the meaning of. It could be a shape shifter, but the look in his eyes was all Damian. That was something she knew couldn't be faked.

"The Batcave." She answered sure of herself. "Even you can see that. Why are you asking me simple questions?"

"Because this isn't the Batcave, Mary." Not-Damian said. "We're not in the Batcave. We are in your mind, Grayson."


"What do you mean the antidote for Joker toxin isn't working. You're saying she's going to die, Bruce." Dick said. They has returned to the Batcave. Alfred was currently watching over the sedated Mary.

"She won't die." Bruce said sure of himself, "We'll find an answer, but the antidote was made for someone with a human biology, something that Mary doesn't have completely. We should count ourselves lucky this wasn't instantly fatal and Joker only used the gas that turns people insane."

"So, it's only driving her insane?"

"Sadly no. It seems that the toxin in a whole is deadly to her system. Though it is not necessarily toxic for Tamaranians or human, the mix of biology makes it so that it affects her different than how it would affect her mother or us. Unfortunately, this is also true for the antidote. She seems to be immune to the antidote. We're going to have to form a completely new antidote, one that works with her half human/half Tamaranian biology."

"Can you do it?" Dick asked.

"Honestly, I don't know what works in her system and what doesn't. It's going to a lot trial and error. Not to mention we're on a time crunch." Bruce answered.

"How long..." Was all Dick asked.

"I don't know, at most 5 hours, at least 1. Like I said I don't know how long, and I don't have the proper equipment here to see. We'll have to work with what we got." Bruce paused and looked Dick in the eye. "We are going to save her."

Dick nodded, "What do I need to do?" He asked determinedly.

"Call Tim, and Jason." Bruce answered as he started to get to work. "Tim's knowledge on chemistry and biology may come in handy, and Jason lived with Starfire for a long time. He might know something you don't about Tamaranian biology that might help us see if he can get a hold of Arsenal, too. Whatever help we can get, because we are going to need it. "

This was the countdown. The Countdown till Mary Grayson goes insane.


"Let me get this straight. This is my mind." Mary said, and Not-Damian nodded. "And you are not actually Damian, but a personification of my conscious that for some reason took the form of Damian" Not-Damian nodded again. "Bull! Why would I believe that!"

Damian rolled his eyes, "Because it's true, and you trust me."

"How do you know I trust you!?" Mary cried in outrage.

"I'm your conscience. I know what you're feeling." He said with raised eyebrows. Mary frowned even in her mind Damian was still a cocky jerk.

"Whatever. I must be really dumb if I made you my conscious. I mean isn't a conscience supposed to tell me what's right and wrong? Why would I pick you for that?"

"Because like you said, you are dumb. Now I'm no mood to explain to you about things happening subconsciously, but I am here to figure out how to save you."

"Save me? Do I look like I need saving. I'm fine." Mary said. Damian snorted.

"If you were fine you wouldn't be trapped in your mind. You remember the last thing that happened to, right?" Damian asked with a sigh.

"Yeah Joker was trying to kill Harley Quinn, but I found her on the streets before he could. He eventually found us, and he..." Mary suddenly remembered the depth of her situation. "He gassed me with Joker Toxin, didn't he?" Mary asked the rhetorical question. "But I'm not dead. At least I don't think I am. Then it must not be the toxin that kills people. So that means it's the one that drives people insane." Mary slowly realized. "I'm going insane." Damian only nodded at her realization. "Those girls... Stephanie..."

"Are the parts of your mind that are broken. Shattered into a million pieces. They are the personification of your madness."

"But I can't be going insane! You're talking to me right now! I'm sane I can form sentences that make sense, and I don't have homicidal tendencies. I can't be going insane."

"The fact that you are even hallucinating this means that you are." Damian said calmly letting Mary freak out before him.

"This is a hallucination?" She asked. "What am I saying? Of course it is, but you said we can save me. How can I save myself in a hallucination? This isn't real."

Damian smirked. "It doesn't have to be. A hallucination can be powerful. Powerful enough to save your sanity. So are you in,or are you going to give up?" Damian asked. Mary shook her head.

"I don't know the meaning of give up. My dad and Bruce probably sedated me and are trying to find a way to save me, so I can't disappoint and just wait to be rescued. I'm not a princess, at least not here on earth. That means I'm going to have to save myself. So how exactly do I save myself, Mind-Damian?"

"Firstly," Damian started. "Don't ever call me that again. It sounds like you're saying My Damian." Damian visibly shuddered. While Mary turned bright red. "We need to find out what exactly is creating the insanity, and put a stop to it. If we defeat whatever it is you might just wake up sane."

"That's all I need." Mary said grinning at Damian. "So how do we find whatever it is causing my insanity?"

"We're going to have to search. Come on." Damian grabbed Mary's arm and began to take her up the stairs and out of the Batcave, but Mary halted at the top of the stairs.

"Wait!" Damian raised an eyebrow at the girl. In that moment she could have sworn he looked exactly like Bruce. "Those girls...Stephanie said I couldn't leave. If I left I would destroy them,and myself." Damian rolled his eyes but still pacified the girl.

"They meant waking up. If you were to wake up you would die. Now come on. It's a big place and we've got a lot to look through." Damian pushed open the door and it was not Bruce's office like Mary had suspected it would be. It stead stood the manor with no ceilings or roofs . Only half gone with rooms in places they shouldn't be. The kitchen was upstairs, and the wine cellar stood in place of the office. Mary looked towards the sky which was a dark red with grey clouds that seemed to be stagnant.

"What happened to this place?" Mary found herself asking.

"Joker venom." Damian said quickly not dwelling on the question or the tarnished manor before them. "We need to move quickly. You don't have time to sightsee. Come on, we'll have to leave through the ceiling. Well, lack of a ceiling to get out of here. There isn't a door anymore." Damian reached into his utility belt and pulled out his grappling hook. For the first time, Mary realized that Damian had on his Robin uniform only without the domino mask. She honestly thought he wasn't wearing it because he hadn't been on patrol that night. Mary cursed herself in her head as she realized she wasn't in that place anymore. She was in her head. It was easy to forget that when Mind-Damian acted so much like her Damian in the outside world.

Mary nodded and pulled out her own grappling hook and shot it off toward the top, letting it pull herself too the top. That's when she remembered she had no roof to land on and grabbed a hold of the edge before falling.

"You should have waited for me to tell you what to do." Damian said with a deep chuckle. Mary looked over to find the boy in the large tree next to the manor.

Mary glared at him, "You know for something my mind conjured, you sure make fun of me a lot. You're so much like the real Damian. I would have thought I would have made you nicer towards me. Heck, I would have made you nicer towards everyone." Mary quickly flipped down to the ground with an intricate flip.

"Yeah, well you didn't." Damian jumped down from the tree. "We'll have to be stealthy and careful from here. Many of the inner workings of your mind aren't acting properly because of The Joker Venom." Unlike in the real world the downtown part of Gotham wasn't far from the manor. In fact it was soo close it was only meters away, but like the manor the City didn't look like the Gotham she knew. The streets were practically empty, and there was an eery silence about that Mary never heard before on the streets. There were cars in the road, but no people driving them. It was like someone had sucked the life out of Gotham.

"So how exactly do we go about finding the one who caused my insanity?" Mary asked as they jumped from roof top to roof top. Damian insisted that just walking down the road was too dangerous.

"The Joker venom infected a key part of your brain first, then from there it infected others through this key player. Most likely it will be personified by someone you know." Damian informed.

"So you're saying that-" Before Mary could finish the part of the roof underneath Damian disappeared with no more than a fading out of existence. "Damian!" Mary ran and grabbed the young vigilante before he could hit the ground and pulled him back up.

"Thanks," Damian muttered. "This isn't good we're running out of time. The area is becoming even more unstable. We need to move quickly." Mary nodded and followed Damian through the city. For the most part they came across nothing, only empty building and and empty streets, but the closer to the center of Gotham they got Mary got an uneasy feeling. The trip had been easy so far, but Mary wondered how long that will last.

Suddenly in the distance, Mary noticed something. Red hair, long red hair that curled. Red hair that Mary hadn't seen since she was 8.

"Damian, is that-"

"Get down!" Damian said in a hushed whisper, as he pulled her down to hide. "Be quiet. You don't what to do that." He insisted

"That is my mother! I haven't seen her in so long. I don't even know if she's alive. I have to go see her! I have to go talk to her!" Mary pleaded. Damian gripped her shoulder harshly.

"Get a grip. Remember none of this is real. That is not actually your mother. Here, she is the personification of your anger, your rage. She was one of the first to be infected. Meeting her would be dangerous. I don't care how much you miss your mother, but we have a job to do right now, and we are going to get it done."

Mary took a deep breath and calmed down, "You're right. I'm sorry." Mar apologized. "That gaps too big to jump, Damian. The real question is how we're going to get past her. With her powers( Which I'm assuming she has) It won't be easy. Her super hearing makes it almost impossible to be stealthy around her."

"I sneak around you all of the time." Damian argued. "Getting past her won't be that hard. Now can you hear heartbeats with your hearing because if she's just going to catch us that way we might have to think of a plan."

Mary thought for a second, "Yes, I can hear heartbeats, but it's like white noise to me at this point. I don't hear it unless I'm focusing on hearing it. It's even worse when I'm distracted. Do you think her being angry will be enough a distraction for us to get by? Different emotions in different quantities does affect her powers."

"It's going to have to work because we're going to have to get past her one way or another."


"Dick!" Tim called out to his sleeping elder brother "Dick!" but to no avail he did not wake up. "Oh, why do I even bother?"

Jason grinned sadistically, "Here let me, Replacement." Jason cleared his throat. "WAKE UP, DICK FACE! YOU'RE GOING TO MISS PATROL!" At that Dick almost leapt out of his seat.

"Wait! Tell Bruce I'm ready! Don't let him leave without me!" Dick cried as he got up from the chair and ran to the batmobile. He stopped a few feet short when he heard laughter coming from behind his back. "Jason, you know you're a complete ass, right?"

"I know." Jason gave Dick a shit eating grin, "And I relish in it." Tim rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, Dick. I shouldn't have let Jason wake you up, but you're phone's been ringing and we think it's important." Tim informed.

"Think it's important?" Dick repeated.

"It's your boss." Jason said tossing Dick his phone. "Be lucky that I didn't answer for you."

"Hahaha." Dick laughed sarcastically, "No." Dick called back the number on his phone. "Hello Commissioner?" Dick said when he heard the ringing stop.

"Ah yes, Grayson. Good you called me back."

"What can I do for you Commish at..." Dick looked at the clock. "Three in the morning." Slightly surprised that Commissioner Gordon called him so late, he wasn't even supposed to be on duty.

"Son, it is important that I see you right this moment we have important things to discuss." Gordon sounded very urgent, but honestly Dick wasn't willing to go anywhere at the moment.

Dick looked towards the med bay where Mary laid still sedated, still with Joker Venom in her. "Commissioner, I don't know..."

"Go." Jason said from behind him. "Tim and I will watch her. You'll be gone for half an hour tops."

Tim nodded beside Jason, "He's right. If you don't go people might piece together that you're Nightwing after you put The Joker in intensive care because your sidekick got hurt."

"We can watch her here for a while. You'll be right back."

Dick mouthed a thank you to his brothers before returning to his phone conversation, "I'll be there soon, Commissioner Gordon." with that Dick hung up.

"If anything changes call me, and I'll turn around." Dick said as he grabbed his jacket.

Jason snorted, "As if you needed to tell us that. Go before you get fired or something." Dick grinned at Jason before running up the stairs out of the Batcave.


This was going to take all of the stealth training Mary had. The two quickly dropped down from the rooftops into the alley below behind an unsuspecting Starfire. It was almost as if she were looking for something- or someone as she searched wildly through the streets. Beside her Damian motioned they had to keep going as the Tamaranian was now distracted. Mary nodded and followed his lead.

The alley wasn't really an alley, as it was larger than the others in the city, it took skills to maneuver across it without alerting anyone let alone an alien with superior hearing, but it seemed as always things never go their way. Just like with Damian earlier on the roof the ground beneath Mary's left foot vanished leaving a gaping hole in its trace, and no matter how naturally graceful the girl was. Mary grayson stumbled, and as she did let a small squeak before catching herself.

Damian's response was instantaneous, "Shit!" He cried out as he grabbed Mary's hand and took off running with the girl in tow. Sadly, it seemed Queen Koriand'r was in the chasing mood.

"Damian we're not going to get very far!" Mary called to the boy who was dragging her.

"Yeah, well I don't want to get caught so..." Damian pulled a batarang out of his pocket and threw it at Starfire which exploded on impact with her face. It only seemed to make her angrier as instead of running after them on foot she finally took to the skies, landing in front of them cutting them off.

"Damian, we won't be able to take her in a fight." Mary whispered in his ear, "At least not for long."

"Then I'll hold her off, and you get away." Damian said under his breath.

"Heck no! I'm not leaving you!"

"Oh yes, you are! You still have to save yourself." Damian pointed out.

"Technically, you are part of myself. So leaving you at the hands of her counts as steps in the opposite direction."

"Really?" Damian hissed. "You're going to argue with me now!"

"It seems to be the only thing we're good at." Mary rolled her eyes. "Get ready. She's coming." On cue with an angry roar Starfire flew at them with Green eyes glowing in rage. When suddenly out of nowhere a smoke bomb was dropped and Mary was picked up and taken from her spot in the alley with Damian.

"Good, we got to you in time." Mary looked up to the person holding her was none other than Cassandra who was giving her a very relieved smile, and next to her was Tim who was setting down Damian

"Drake, Cain." Damian addressed them. "What are you-"

"Not every part of Mary's mind has gone insane yet. Just like you we're still kicking." Tim said pulling out his bow staff.

"And were not giving up without a fight." Cassandra agreed with a nod.

"We'll take care of Starfire." Tim said looking down into the alley where Starfire was having a fit searching for the missing teens. "And you two get out of here."

"You want us to leave you." Damian said sounding completely outraged by that idea. Next to him Mary whispered the word "hypocrite" but it went largely unnoticed. "I'm not leaving you. We'll take her together, and save Mary together."

Tim rolled his eyes, "Be logical, Damian. We're on a time crunch. We only have so long before it's all over and I'd rather not waste the time we have left by staying here. Cass and I have got this. Go." Beside Tim, Cassandra nodded her head.

Damian seemed to be weighing his options in his head, when Starfire let out another angry scream and a star bolt that decimated the building to their right.

"Fine." Damian ground out. "If we save Mary. It will save you, too. So, we'll go, just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt on my conscious"

"Please, it's going to be okay, Little D." Tim said using Damian's old childhood nickname, with a joking grin. Damian said nothing, but Mary could see his jaw clenching indicating that he was not happy with the current situation. It was moments like these that Damian looked so much like Bruce and acted so much like Bruce. Tim must have noticed it too, because he immediately sobered up his expression and turned away from the boy. Damian from there silently jumped down from the building on the other side away from Starfire. Mary moved to follow when Cassandra grasped her hand.

"Trust yourself." Was all she said before she let her niece go. Mary gave Cass a confused look as she followed Damian down the otherside of the building, and the two took off leaving Cassandra and Tim to fend off the rampaging alien on their own.


Dick got to the Commissioner's office and with a slight knock he entered the room. "You wanted to see me, sir."

Gordon who was sitting at his desk motioned Dick inside, "Come in and close the door behind you." Dick did as he was told, and entered the room. "This won't take much of your time, Dick. I know your daughter is sick at home right now." Dick froze. With wide eyes, he stared up at Jim Gordon. He hadn't told him that Mary was sick. Heck, he hadn't even told Babs. "Before you freak yourself out. Please read these first." Gordon handed Dick a manila envelope, who took it and read the inside contents.

"Sir!" Dick cried out shocked. "This is a letter stating my termination!" Dick looked up shocked at the man. "You're firing me! Why?"

"Dick, This is why I wanted to talk to you before I give these to you formally tomorrow." Gordon said gravely. "Dick, I know you're Nightwing." Dick's suspicions had been right. "I've known for a very long time."

"How long?" DIck asked when he found his voice.

"Since that first night Barbra snuck out of her window with you when you were Robin, and the reason I haven't turned you, Bruce or any of the others into the authorities is because I believe in what you do. " Gordon said. He paused waiting to see if Dick would intervene but when he didn't he continued. "And I don't what to destroy what you guys have built so far. Dick, what you did to Joker was what any father would have done if it had been done to their kid, and I don't fault you with that, but it's suspicious that your daughter would be injured and sick the same night as Starling. I don't want any paper trails leading back to your family. So, in order to protect your secret I'm firing you."

Dick was speechless. He was torn somewhere in between being broken up about being fired, and thankful that Gordon had kept their secret so long, and none of them even knew that he knew. He had hidden it so well, and to hide something from his family was a very impressive feat.

"Officially, you will be fired for your unexplained absences. Seeing as you have a lot of those it's very believeable and after you didn't show up for duty last night. I'll just pretend to have had my last straw with and have fired you. Easy cover story."

"Commissioner, I'm- I" Dick stumbled on his words.

"I know you're disappointed, kid. You've wanted to be a cop since you were in shorts and pixie boots, but you're doing something more. Something that can help more people, and I know that's what really matters to you. You were one of the best cops I've ever had under me, Dick. This isn't about you being a good cop or a bad cop but at the end of the day, you make a better vigilante. It would be wrong of me to be keeping you from what you're really supposed to be doing in life. You'll find something else to occupy your daytime life with, but being a cop is too risky with your nighttime activities. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say here, Dick."

Dick nodded. Gordon was right. In Blüdhaven, trying to juggle being a cop and Nightwing had been a little troublesome, and now that he had Mary to take care of all over that. He had to make some tough choices in life, and Gordon had taken it upon himself to make that choice for Dick. Dick sighed, maybe if Mary weren't waiting for him at home sick he would have been more upset. Maybe, he wouldn't be upset at all. The fact of the matter was that he had to accept the hand fate had thrown to him, and make it work.

"Thank you, Commissioner Gordon. You've been an awesome boss." Dick stood up and shook the man's hand before walking towards the door to leave. "Oh and, sir. I think that you should know. That you have always been apart of our family. Since the beginning, before even me. It seems that you've always been taking care of us, Commish." Flashing a grin towards Gordon. Dick left the police station no longer part of the police force.


They had ran for a while before Damian got tired enough for them to stop.

"I didn't know I could get tired in a freaking hallucination." Mary said in between gasps. Mary thought to what they had just run from and frowned. "I thought we we're in the downtown area?" Mary asked looking around her surroundings.

Damian glared at the girl, "Of course we're downtown. Where else would we- Oh." It seemed that Mary's mind had taken another turn for the worse. Now instead of the area around them disappearing as it did before. It now changed randomly. They were no longer in the city like they just had been. They were in a place Mary knew very well. A place she had gone every summer since coming to live with her dad.

"This is Haly's circus. This is the big top, but why here?" Mary asked herself. Then as if in response the big top came to life. It was no longer empty and absent of life. Now it was filled with people.

"Get down!" Damian hissed as he pulled her down behind some barrels. It seemed he was doing that a lot lately.

"Damian, what is this?"

"Shut up and watch." He shushed her. "We might learn something that could help us." Mary did as Damian told her and began surveying the area around them when she spotted someone familiar sitting in the crowd.

"Oh no." Mary could almost feel the blood draining from her face. "Damian, Bruce is here. He looks so young...too young." Damian looked over into the crowd and found a very young looking Bruce Wayne sitting in the audience. He had to be about 25 the way he was looking, but then again it seemed that Bruce hardly aged, so she could be wrong. That's when she saw a young boy tights and a leotard run into the big top. The black hair and blue eyes gave away to who he actually was, her father. "I think this is the day The Flying Graysons died, but this isn't in my memories. I wasn't born yet. This shouldn't even be in my head."

"Yes, but it's been described to you. You're mind can recreate it in here."

"But..." Mary looked towards the young version of her father. Then towards the couple who would have been her grandparents had they had not died that fateful day, and she saw it happening. She saw the rope snap, and the the blood curdling scream coming from the boy who would be her father if this continued on, and the terrified faces of the Graysons as they began to descend towards the ground. She couldn't let this go on. She wouldn't let this go on. Before Damian could stop Mary stood up and ran towards the center of the ring.

"STOP!" she cried, and to her command everything did. Slowly the people in the crowd began to disappear one by one, even Bruce, even Jonathan and Mary Grayson. Soon the big top returned to how it was when Damian and Mary found themselves suddenly in Haly's circus, except one thing. The nine year old Dick Grayson was still there. "Dad..." Mary whispered. She moved silently towards where he was stood, but he jerked back in fear and took off in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Mary began to run towards the boy version of her father, but Damian retrained her.

"Don't he's not stable. He's been affected by whatever is causing you to go insane." He told her.

"Just like my mom." Mary stated.

Damian nodded, "Just like Starfire."

Mary shivered from what she just saw, from what she just felt. "I've never seen my father so scared before. He's usually so..." Mary drifted off looking towards the direction where the young Dick had run off, "He was scared... Fear..." Then it all seemed to make since to her everything that was happening. "Damian, I know what part of mind is causing me to go mad!" She grabbed him excitedly, "I can't believe I didn't see it before! I must be stupid."

"What is it? What?" He asked her confused.

"Damian, it's fear. Fear is what's causing me to go mad!" Comprehension came to Damian's face.

"So, what's your biggest fear?" Damian asked.

Mary could feel her heart clench, "It's not a what, but a who, and I know exactly where to find her."


Dick Grayson left the police station unsure of really how to feel, but knowing that he had to get home to check on Mary. Bruce hadn't called him, which meant nothing had changed from when he left. He was still trying combinations of chemicals, and they still weren't working that's what Bruce not calling him meant. Dick sighed, as he walked down the street towards the parking garage, when he saw something familiar in the corner of his eye.

He had to give her credit. He almost didn't notice her. She looked so normal, her hair was blonde again, and it was down flowing to her mid chest, the glasses also made her look normal, but Dick would know her anywhere. She was almost too pretty not to notice wherever she went. It was Harley Quinn walking down the street across from him. She was in normal clothes, not even in anything revealing like she normally wore when she wasn't her villain outfits. Civies almost suited her better.

Dick didn't hesitate to find a place to change into his Nightwing persona and less than five minutes later he spirited Harley off of the streets and on to the top of a building where prying eyes couldn't watch them.

"N-N-Nightwing! I haven't done nothing! Please let me go!" She said scared, maybe it was the fact that he had her hanging of the side of the building and not actually on it that was making her scared. Still, Nightwing's patience was long gone for that night, and he needed Harley for answers, and he was getting them now.

"Joker Venom, I need answers to find an antidote. Now." Nightwing growled leaving no room for argument. Harley looked up at Nightwing with a confused expression.

"Ya mean that the old antidote isn't working." Harley's face visibly paled, "Your little girl that was trying to help me...She got gassed, didn't she?" Nightwing didn't say anything only nodded in response to her question. "That's not good. Listen, I'm gonna try and help you." Harley said. Nightwing narrowed his eyes.

"What's the catch?" He asked knowing this game like the back of his hand.

"Nothing, you just let me disappear. I won't cause trouble anywhere ever again. I swear." There was a tone in harley's voice that made Nightwing almost worry about her.

"Harley, what happened during that last Suicide Squad mission?" He asked it wasn't like Harley to just try to up and leave.

Harley chuckled a little, but not in a happy way, "Let's just say I've been scared good. Now ya gonna let me up so we can save that little girl of your's or what?" Nightwing pulled her up from where she was hanging over the edge of the building.

"So how are you going to save Starling?" Nightwing asked. Harley shook her head.

"Not me. The only person who can save her now is Poison Ivy. We're going to have to take her to Ivy. Can someone one bring her over to Toxic Acres?" Harley asked.

"I'll call Batman." At this Harley visibly paled unsure of how the dark knight would react to her presence. "He'll bring her over. Now let's go, and if you double cross me..." NIghtwing let the threat hang there.

"I got it! I'm as good as back with Waller. Don't worry, I used to be a doctor you know. I haven't lost a patient yet."

By the time Batman got to Toxic Acres, Nightwing with a gas mask on stood holding a Harley Quinn with blonde hair and civies on. Just in case this was a trap Batman brought along the Red Hood and Red Robin with him. Really, he only needed one to help bring Starling over, but you could never be too careful with the criminally insane. With gas masks on, all three got out of the batmobile, Hood holding onto the still sedated Starling. Nightwing was shocked at how much her appearance changed since he last saw her less than an hour ago. She was visibly a lot paler, which worried Nightwing since she didn't not inherit all of his complexion. She was usually a nice mix between his and Kory's. Not too pale, but not orange like Kory's. Mary just looked like she had a permanent tan 24/7. So when that tanned complexion disappeared Nightwing knew it was getting worse. Not only was she pale, but she was sweating as if she had a fever, but when he got close enough to touch her. Her skin was cold almost too cold. It was as if her whole system was breaking down. They didn't have much time.

Harley gulped as she saw the three come towards her with the child but she choose not to show her fear as she knocked the door to Poison Ivy's house.

"Harley is that-" Ivy opened the door was the Batman and tried to close the door in Harley's face, but Herley put her foot out stopping it from completely closing.

"Wait Pamela! I swear it's not what you think!" Harley cried as she tried to force open the door.

"What? So, you're not selling me out to Batman?" Poison Ivy asked sarcastically. "Please, who do you take me for."

"Ivy," Nightwing called out. "We only came for help."

"Why the hell would I help you?" She asked still trying to close the door.

"Please, Pam, She's dying. You wouldn't let a kid die, would'cha?" at Harley's words Ivy finally opened the door all the way.

"Kid?" she asked. Then she say Starling laying in Hood's arms. "Come inside. I'll help." Nightwing let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Really?" He asked.

"Really. Now get inside, set her on the couch. I'm going to help her."

"What's the catch?" Red Robin asked.

"No catch." Ivy answered as she started pulling chemicals from her cabinets. "I owe her one. This is me paying a debt I owe."

"What debt?" Red Hood asked standing over Starling whom he just set on the couch.

"Early this week, she let me go when I was terrorizing some construction workers who were cutting down some trees." Ivy informed. "Right in front of Nightwing, too. I figured she would get in trouble for that, so I owe her one. If I can save her life we'll be even." Batman raised an eyebrow at Nightwing but said nothing. "Now, do you have a list of things you've already tried on her?" Ivy asked. Batman silently handed her some papers to Ivy who studied them carefully. " I was afraid of this."

"What?" Nightwing asked worried.

"You've tried practically everything I have with me here, but I think I have something that just might work." Ivy pulled a syringe from her bag.

"But, Red, That's-"

"I know, but I owe her." Poison Ivy told Harley, "This is what makes Harley and I immune to all toxins and poisons." Ivy told Batman and the others. "If this works she won't have to worry about ever being poisoned again, if not then we should be worried that The Joker has a poison that has no antidote. You did say he changed his formula, right?"

Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin looked towards each other, "Yeah, sure." They all said at the same time. No point in telling Ivy the truth.

Ivy nodded, and administered the compound to Starling. "It's all up to her now. If she's going to survive this, she's on her own for now. We've done all we can."


"I tried to ignore it, but she seems to always put up the hardest fight for my attention." Mary told Damian. They know stood outside a place Mary swore to herself she would never go again. The Royal Manor. She hated the place now, and all good memories she had there were tarnished by the fact that the whole family had used her and controlled her. The only truly innocent person that lived in this house was three year old, Roy Royal, who was poisoned by his sister that fateful day. Mary hated this place, but this place however was not the root to all of her fears. The root of all of her fears was Alicia Royal.

"You never told me that you were still afraid of her." Damian stated staring at the manor, which had been the only thing truly intact in the whole city.

"I never told anyone." Mary shivered as she held herself. "Alicia Royal used me in ways that no one could ever understand. For weeks I was under her complete control. I was under her mercy, and no one knew. No one noticed to save me till it was almost too late. She could have had me kill all of you from the beginning, and I would have been powerless to stop it. Hell, she made me even think that I would have enjoyed it. Alicia made me love her and hate her and fear her all at the same time. Alicia Royal almost destroyed me, but you and Kevin didn't let that happen. I had already caused so much trouble that when it was all done with and over I couldn't tell anyone that I was still shattered inside. So I picked up my own pieces and glued myself back together just like you and Jason and Bruce and Tim and all the others would have done. I fixed myself all on my own, but I guess as you can see, I left some cracks." Mary chuckled a little, "If you were the real Damian there was no way I would have ever told you all of that, X'hal herself could have begged, but I never would have done it."

Damian flashed her a ghost of a smirk, "And the real Damian would have berated you for being weak, but I'm not the real Damian, am I?"

Mary turned to him, "No, but you're so much like him in so many ways, and so different." She told him, "You have his mean streak, and bossy attitude, but you don't have his inflated ego and arrogance, but you do have that weird trait of his to know when I'm not okay. All in all, I think I perfected Damian in my head. It's a pity that you don't actually act this outside if it though."

"I think I'm toning down with age." Damian paused, "This is it. After this, you will wake up and all of this would have just been a nightmare."

"Kind of a fun nightmare, though. Don't wanna do it again, but It was kind of fun." Mary took a deep breath. "I'm ready to do this." Mary walked up to the front door of Royal Manor and opened the door. Sitting inside at the dinner table, bodies of her family members all laying around her was Alicia Royal. And Mary felt her blood run cold. No matter how much she believed she was, nothing could have ever made her ready to face Alicia Royal again. Nothing.

"Mary Stella! You're here! That Brown girl and those furies must have given you my invitation!" She chirped. Alicia looked exactly like Mary remembered her, but of course she would this wasn't the real world, this was only her thing was the same from the length of her pale blonde hair, to the ever present headband holding it back, to the pearl necklace around her neck. Even still the fact that nothing about Alicia Royal changed seemed to unnerve Mary even more. It was as if Alica Royal was a constant red stain in Mary's life, no that would never let her forget it was there.

"Alicia Royal, Release the hold you have over my mind! I want you out of my head!" Mary yelled at the girl, but Alicia only sipped the water in the crystal glass in front of her.

"Now why would I do that?" Alicia asked, "Mary, you should know that you are the eternal obsession in my life. I want nothing more to be your friend, and to have you in my life forever."

"Alicia, I've heard it all before, and only now do I really know what you're saying. You don't want to be friends with me! You want to own me, like one of your prized riding horses. To you, I would have been an attack dog on your leash waiting on your every command. I will never let you control me ever again."

Alicia laughed, "I don't think you understand, Sweet Mary. I've always controlled you, and I always will." With a wave of her dainty hand Mary was pulled forward by some invisible force, making her sit at the table with the remains of Alicia's family.

"Mary!" Damian shouted as he threw a couple of batarangs at Alicia who only held up a hand to stop them. Alicia frowned at him.

"I don't remember ever inviting a Wayne to dinner." Alicia snapped and Damian fell to his knees groaning in pain.

"No! Damian!" Mary ran out of the chair when Alicia was distracted and to Damian's side. He groaned as he looked up at her.

"I'll be fi-" He tried to comfort Mary telling her that he was fine but when he raised his hand he found it transparent, and slowly disappearing from his sight. "It's going to be okay." He told Mary unsure of what really else to say.

"No it's not. We were supposed to save me. The both of us! I can't do this alone."

Damian tried to grip her shoulders but found that his hand passed through, "Yes, you can and you will. You said it yourself. Last time you picked up all of the pieces on your own. You can do it again."

"And what if I can't?" Mary asked unsure of herself.

"I have faith in you, Small Grayson. Have some faith in yourself. You know what's right. You know what to do. This is your mind. Don't let that small blonde sociopath tell you what to do." Damian began to flicker from Mary's sight.

"No!"

"Don't worry about me, and go kick her ass." With those final words Damian, the personification of Mary's conscious disappeared, and Mary had a feeling he wouldn't be coming back to save her. No one was coming to save her this time. She was going to have to save herself. There was no Damian to catch her from falling, No Johnny and Ella to back her up. No Oracle to tell her what to do in her ear piece. It was only Mary. Mary was going to have to save herself.

"Alicia Royal, You've made a very big mistake." Mary told the girl standing from her spot on the ground.

"What?" Alicia rolled her eyes, "I made you mad?"

"No. You made me fight for myself once!" Before Alicia could react Mary was on her and gave her nice uppercut without warning. Alicia not really a fighter was no match for Mary in hand to hand combat. "You're not actually real!" Mary said as she punched Alicia in the nose, "So, I don't have to hold back on you in my own mind. Because the real Alicia Royal is somewhere preparing for our rematch, and let me tell you I can't wait to take down the real thing." Mary kicked Alicia in the stomach sending her flying into the wall behind her, "Because you are a sad imitation." Alicia Royal no longer looked like the classic rich girl she was. Her head band was broken her eye swollen and blood poured from her nose. She stood there against the wall wheezing, clutching her chest, Mary must a have broken a rib or two. "I will never ever fear you again, Alicia Royal."

Alicia turned to Mary so quick Mary almost jumped in a startled fright. Next thing Mary knew she was sent flying, crashing into the large dining room table landing on top of the corpse of the young Roy Royal. "I AM FEAR!" Alicia Roared at Mary, "You can not kill fear!. I will always be here in your mind! I will always be in the very pit of your soul! And this is my mind now Mary Grayson! In here I am a goddess! I control everything!" The bodies of the dead Royal family around Mary suddenly became animated, and they all tried to latch themselves onto to Mary. "In this mind. I control everything, I control you! You can't defeat me.

"I will!" Mary cried as she fought off the deceased Royal family. "This is my mind, and I will get it back! I will save myself, and I will never be a victim ever again! I know that this is my mind, and it will never be your's Royal! Never." Mary swore. She suddenly remembered Damian's last words to her. This was her mind, and she was in her control of it. She had always been in control of it. She just let fear take over when she got too scared.

"This is my world! And you belong to me!" The invisible force that had flew Mary into the table was currently holding her up in the hair where a very angry Alicia Royal looked up at her from the ground.

"I don't belong to anyone, and this is my mind and I'm taking it back!" Suddenly, the invisible force holding Mary released her dropping her to the ground below.

"What is this!?" Alicia shoted confused. Alicia Royal suddenly began to shrink in size, becoming the size of a small doll.

"Bruce always tells me that fear is a good thing." Mary said standing up. "It keeps you sharp, but you should never let it control you. So I want you to know, Alicia Royal or should I call you Fear, that you don't control me anymore. I could destroy you, and conquer my fears, but then I think I would miss it for all the good you do. Fear is only bad when you let it consume you. I won't let it happen again. Goodbye, Fear, and don't forget to stay in your place." A little cage appeared, and Mary walked over and picked up the doll sized Alicia Royal and threw her inside the tiny cage.

"You should have destroyed me! I guess you're just that stupid! How do you know that I won't rise again and take over. How do you know fear won't control you again."

Mary rolled her eyes, "And you're calling me the stupid one. I know because I won't let this one happen again. I've learned a lot of lessons today, not just this one. Goodbye, Insanity. Hello, Peace of mind!" The Royal Manor around them dissipated and the run down Gotham City was returned to how it looked normally. It was bright, like on one of those rare sunny days. Mary Grayson was sane once more. And with that she woke up from this very long nightmare.


When Mary had woken up, she was greeted with the sight of Damian who she pulled into a hug on sight. Of course, when he forced his way out of her hold. He yelled at her the question of why she felt the need to hug him all of a sudden. Mary paused, then replied she honestly couldn't remember, but felt she just had to hug him for some reason.

When Damian woke Dick up to tell him that Mary was awake. Damian doesn't know of another instant when Dick looked so relieved it was as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulder. He was the first on Mary asking "how she felt" and if she was really, "okay". Bruce ordered Mary to take bed rest for the next couple of days and boy did for those day did Dick hover. Mary didn't know her dad was such a worrier, but when she asked about. Jason just laughed and responded that Dick had always been the mother hen in group, right after Alfred.

During these days that Mary was confined to bed rest, Dick finally told the family that he had been fired from his police job stating the "official" reason for his termination then the actual one. He figured that maybe the whole family didn't need to know that Commissioner Gordon actually knew their secret just yet. He wanted to see Barbara's face when her dad finally reveals that he's known the whole time. Also during this time, Dick not liking his current state of unemployment bought a gymnastics gym that the owner was selling and didn't care too much for. Mary loved the idea, and that day the Grayson Gym was born. The coaches already there teaching, we're happy that they were at least staying open, but were originally wary of Dick... Till a Mary who was not supposed to leave the manor came out of no where and began working the uneven bars better one of the coaches. Mary got yelled at of course, but the small act of disobedience helped the coaches realize that the person who was now their boss, wasn't just some rich boy who had made gymnastics his latest interest, but that he was an aerialist himself. Dick now teaches the most advanced classes at the Grayson Gym, while his daughter Mary worked with the 3-5 year olds. Apparently being a kid helped made the little kids more comfortable to learn a lot of the things Mary had to teach to them.

Nightwing never had a problem with Starling not listening to orders again. It seemed the whole incident with the Joker helped her realize that her dad told her to do things it was for a reason. It wasn't like she made a habit of a habit of disobeying him... Who was Dick kidding him, anything Major he had told Mary to do she would always go around him ad do it anyway, but she had no problem with Bruce or Jason. According to Alfred both Jason and Dick had issues listening to Bruce when they were younger, but listened to Alfred fine. Alfred said it something about being the parent that made their child not want to listen to them. Still after the Mary had woken up she had listened to his orders more then she did before. She also never pulled anything like she did with poison Ivy again.

Finally Nightwing and Starling had achieved something that not many partners get in their life time. That's why when that late Wednesday night in the gym when Dick had heard the squeal of police sirens and the shooting of a gun he didn't have to look to know that Starling was right behind him, as they flew through the City on wires. This was their time.

It was the age of Nightwing and Starling.

The End.


Final word count: 13, 584(I'm actually pleased with the length for once)

Hello, hello, hello my favorite lovlies. Miyu k. has returned! I'll admit last chapter sucked, but I liked this one a lot better. I actually had so many more scenes I wanted to add. Mary was actually supposed to see her dead uncle Ryand'r, and talk to him. Selena was supposed to make an appearance, and Insane tiny Dick Grayson was going to fight his daughter Mind-Damian was supposed to go insane and many more. I ended up nixing all of these ideas during the writing process, some for times sake other because they were just bad ideas. All in all, this has been my favorite chapter to date. This one definitely became the easiest to write. I actually wrote most of it today. what takes me so long in between chapters is that it's hard finding a good time to write. I do need my sleep, but I write whenever I can. Also this chapter was based of the play, The Insanity of Mary Girard, if you've ever seen the beginning of the chapter is a little homage to it.

Now onto info you actually care about.

Don't freak out. This is not my last chapter the arc is just ending. This is the last chapter for the Nightwing & Starling title. Mary's is now 11 years old, and I have other plans for her. Nightwing is still her mentor, and will be on some missions with her, but it's time for Mar'i to spread her wings a little.

Thanks always to my awesome reviewers, Victory Goddess, you are the wind beneath my wings and the light onto my path.

MASSHERO-95: Thanks for the tip. You helped me fix some of the stuff I was working, I'm working on trying to get Mary to sound like a kid. In my head she does, because this is how the ten and eleven year olds around me act and talk, but that may not be the norm.

And thank you 21 is awesome, You are awesome!

I will see you guys in the next arc, and chapter.

Gotham's Best: An Eye for an Eye.

Any questions/comments/concerns? Feel free to review! I adore constructive criticism! please leave me some tips!

Love,

~Miyu K. Nov 30, 2014