That familiar sight. Many times did he stare at the back of Batman's head with or without the cowl dialing away searching for clues to stop a terrorist, criminal, or a cold case. Ignoring all that was around him, this must be that happy place those head doctors talk about.

"Batman?" he sounded like a child again.

They hadn't spoke since Batman struck his cheek for dating a teammate.

"Bruce," that stopped the finger movements.

"Master Bruce, I believe Master Grayson has something to say."

Good old Alfred. Always the diplomat. Many worlds problems could be resolved with more Alfreds in the world.

"I know. That's why I've been waiting for him to talk."

Calm Dick.

"Starfire and I got married on Tamaran. We're having an Earth wedding. You've been invited." holding the invitations.

Normal standard operating procedure would be handing them to Alfred instead Nightwing placed them beside Bruce's hand.

"Bruce, I know you were under mind control. You didn't mean those words and your action," turning to leave.

"Yes, I did," stopped Nightwing from leaving, "You did something I didn't plan on," standing up, "You find someone to share your life with. I was hoping to pass the mantle of Batman instead," turning around, "What's your new identity?"

"Nightwing."

"She worth it?"

"Yes, Bruce. You can bring a friend. Namely Selina."

"Master Bruce," announced Alfred, "There is a Logan Wayne that would like to talk to you."

Pressing his head against the shower wall allowed the water to roll down his back. Jake's head throbbed. Physically he was alright, but mental fatigue kicked in. Jess didn't help with her childish act.

KITT took them to their reserved hotel room. Problem he was sharing it with Jess. It did have two beds as long she stayed on her bed no problem, but Jess proved she ready to cross any line with Jake when she wanted to.

Stepping out of the shower, he dried himself off. Putting his clothes on, he had to call Raven just to ease her mind or maybe his. Unlocking the bathroom door which he didn't do since he was a child, he saw Jess cross legged in her tank top and boxer shorts watching properly another Johnny Cage movie. Pausing, he noticed the wrist gauntlets she wore. Shaking his head, stop trying to figure out this weird chick.

"The bathroom's yours," said Jake.

No acknowledgment just watching her dumb ass kung fu movie.

Sitting on his bed, he picked the receiver up and dialed 555-207-6709. Two rings and a familiar voice asked, "Hello?"

"Star, you got back. This is Jake. Is Raven there?"

"Friend Jake, isn't she with you?"

"Oh, no," he thought, "Don't panic her."

"Sorry, rough few days. Mind's a little foggy."

"Then why are you calling outside in the fog?"

Forgot, she doesn't understand slang.

"Just explain where Raven is?"

"She left after a message from you that your mission was done and to met you alone. Is there something wrong?"

"No, no. Slipped…forgot about sending the message. Thanks for reminding me. She just hasn't showed up. "

"You're welcome. Hoping you, two return. The wedding plans are going well."

"Don't worry. Wouldn't miss it for all the world?"

Waiting for Kory to hang up, he returned the phone back to its cradle.

"Problem on the home front," came from Jess still glued to her laptop.

Jess's selective hearing at work again.

"Raven wasn't there."

"Oh, Miss Prude didn't wait for her phone call before running off to meet her secret love."

"You got to insult her, don't you."

"Cause her immaturity and insecurity gets the better of her, that's why."

"Fuck you," getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"To find her since you're lack of concern is overwhelming."

"Would it ease your mind if she was in a motel room with a strange man wondering if being in the same room with this strange man equals to cheating on you besides you're not leaving. Hasn't found Rath, yet."

"Fuck you and this Rath," putting his duster on.

"Wouldn't leave if I was you?"

"Thank god, you not."

Turning around, his hand clasped the doorknob before something slammed against the part lower of his back. Getting grabbed, he was thrown onto his bed. Sitting on top of him, Jess removed his duster coat's belt and tied him to the bed post.

Sitting spread eagle on his hips, "Now Mr. Spiegel, listen up for I'll only say this once. We're continuing our search for Rath," bending close to Jake's face until he saw her brown eyes, "After finding him, we'll search for your little Lolita. If you continue misbehaving," running her tongue from his chin to the tip of his nose, "then I'll have to video tape raping you and make her watch every single frame as her heart cracks," slamming her fist against side of his neck, "Besides it isn't the end of the world if she's missing. Now," sliding off Jake, "Now lay here and sleep on it."

Turning her back to him, he watched as she slipped her remaining clothes off.

Peering over her shoulder, "Good night," she remarked.

Turning the light off, she left the paralyzed Jake wondering how the fuck she manhandled him.

Following a paved road along an embankment, the subjects of their discussion were getting soaked by a down pour. Actuality Raven's borrowed poncho kept her dry just that her soaked shoes didn't stop her feet from freezing. Rubbing her arms didn't improve her mood. Nemo's constant humming, "Durududum durudum dodododdo dodo doodd ooooooo," didn't help.

"Can you quit humming that?"

"Would supercalifragilisticexpialidocious improve that mood of yours? At least it's better then that Azarathian chant of yours."

"Well at least I got a chant. That Super whatever is not even a chant."

"You're right. Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang is a much better chant."

"Says who?"

"The witchdoctor I learned it from."

"At least, he could teach you how to drive."

"We walked away, ok."

"Ok? Ok."

Stopping, she got into Rath's face.

"Since I met you, I've been shot at, almost sacrificed, threatened to be raped, freezing, wet, kidnapped and almost burned at a stake."

"And look how exciting your life's been since meeting me?"

Gritting her teeth, she wanted to tell this jerk how she was the daughter of Trigon, a Teen Titan, and engaged to great guy who happens to be a six star demon hunter general. Boy, it sucks having a secret identity.

"And another th…" she disappeared from his sight.

Tilting his head down, he watched either a screaming or a cussing Raven sliding down the embankment.

"That's a new …" then he followed her.

Raven's trip down the embankment ended with her splashing into a rain fueled raging stream. Her head bobbed up and down causing muddy water to her mouth every time she tried splitting water out of her mouth.

"Oh, Azar," she thought entering an aqueduct.

Roar of water filled her ears as her head whiplashed like she was on corkscrew slide. Dots of light shot passed her head. Then the dots became straight lines. She headed for a dot of light which grew as she slid closer. Passing through the light she exited the aqueduct, did a one eighty and landed in a pool of water.

Gasping, she pulled away her soaked, matted hair from her eyes. Noticing light rain, she looked up to find no clouds in the sky.

"Incoming!" brought her attention to a figure shooting head first from the aqueduct.

Belly flopping into the water, Rath lifted his head up, but water caused his fedora to block his vision.

Trying to remove his fedora, "Huh?" he thought clasping Raven's denim soaked right thigh.

Pulling his fedora from his eyes allowed him to notice a brass button of blue jeans. Shifting his eyes left to right, he noticed his head between a pair of legs. Lifting his head up he stared into Raven's widen shocked eyes.

"Whoa, what a ride? Was it good for you? I know I enjoyed it."

Standing on his knees, he turned around.

Staring at the aqueduct, "Love those time dimensional tunnels," he said getting to his feet.

"Time dimensional tunnels?" accepting Rath's out stretched hand.

"Better then saying time holes," pulling Raven to her feet, "The side effects of the universe getting made in seven days. It was a rush job that Randell and the boys never finished with them busy stealing from the past. What were we talking about in the first place?"

"Where are we?"

"Keystone City?"

"How do you know that?"

Turning Raven around allowed her to the "Welcome to Keystone City," sign.

Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
He kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny - and his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a - stubborn streak

And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule - Swinging on a Star

Trying to shit at eighty was a pain in the ass. When you trying to go and some asshole slamming that damn desk bell yelling, "Innkeeper! Innkeeper!" well doesn't make the process any easier. Pissing on ones self was one thing, shitting on oneself because some asshole won't leave that bell alone was different. Wiping himself with a wash rag, he tried zipping, buttoning, and slipping those suspenders on before stumbling out of the bathroom. Exiting his office, he noticed the asshole slapping that bell.

"What the fuck do you want?" he asked swapping the bell from under the young man's hand in a black coat and a fedora resting on the counter.

"A room, old man," he answered.

"One or two."

"Beds or people."

"Like the fuck I care. Got cash?"

"Yes, but don't know how long we're staying."

"Pay for a week," throwing the key onto the counter.

Bouncing, the key seemed to slide into the young man's open hand. Grasping the key, he put the fedora and left with a young looking like a drowned cat woman clutching a backpack against her chest.

Rubbing his stomach, "Oh," he thought grimacing, "Shouldn't had the crab."

He ran as fast as his arthritic legs could carry him back to the bathroom.

Following Nemo as they went by the numbered motel room doors, "He was a jerk," remarked Raven.

Looking at the permanent marker number on the key chain, "Just an old man with better things on his mind then renting out rooms," noticing the matching number on a door across from them, "At least we don't have to walk upstairs."

"Luckily us."

Reaching the door, "That sarcasm at work," unlocking the door.

Noticing a couch, table, and kitchen, they opened a door beside the TV, they discovered the bedroom.

"The bed's all yours," said Rath, "couch mine."

"I'm so grateful."

"Developing issues, are we?"

She stared at him.

"Noticed a deli. Hunger?"

"Just green tea."

"Turkey on wheat just in case, you change your mind."

Watching him leave, "He didn't even change his clothes," she thought.

Noticing the phone beside the couch, she put the receiver to her ear and dialed.

Listening to the ringing which was followed by, "Hello?"

"Terra, it's me Raven."

"See you made it. Got any interesting girl talk?"

"Excuse me?"

"Jake told Kory you hadn't arrived."

"He left to get something to eat."

"Thought you were enough?"

"Well, he doesn't like to have sex on an empty stomach besides I'm saving the juicy details when I get back. Just checking on things."

"Nothing as exciting as you two lovebirds are doing or going to do."

"You have no idea," thought Raven.

"Bye Terra."

"Bye you, sex devil."

Returning the receiver to the cradle, why didn't she tell Terra the truth of her situation and of Nemo? Truthfully, there's something about him that seemed familiar to her, but couldn't place him.

Keeping her angry, she missed certain slips now with time to think. He knew she said an Azarthain chant. Mentioned beheading demons. Finally, she felt safe with him even with the bizarre situations he dragged her into.

Opening her backpack, she headed towards the bathroom not knowing that her call was traced and her location sent to the Zandian embassy.

Propping his right elbow on top of the bar, his eyes rested on his target. It wasn't hard to miss the only redhead with a batch of white over her left eye being loud and proud at the bar with a crowd gathered her.

Since their return from Nakano, she snuck out every night until her fatigue allowed him to whack her right temple. Now she went once a week like tonight.

The bartender delivered his drink to his little corner of the bar. He took a small folded cardboard from his coat pocket. Unfolding it, revealed a coaster with an illustration of pentagram that he placed his shot on. Placing his palm on top of the glass, his fingers covered the glass. Red light highlighted the edges of his fingers. Lifting his fingers from revealed the whiskey was now white.

Tasting his latest attempt at transmutation, he figured with time and practice. He wouldn't need the coaster, but a thought to change his drinks. Hopefully, the taste improves cause this drink was bitter.

Two hands rested on his shoulders.

"Understand buddy, you've been harassing a woman."

Noticing a certain redhead waving her fingers at him before she got up and left, "Damn," he thought, "it's going to be a long night."

Exiting the bar smirking, not caring if the six guys, according to them hot shot ex-commandos, got hurt, she wanted her chaperon busy. The night was young and she needed some action not a babysitter.