Author's Note: Here it is, the last chapter of this installment, as well as what I've informally called the Hugo Strange trilogy. Sure, there were three other stories interrupting it, but that's besides the point! But man, what a journey, so much has changed since it started. I hope the twists were good ones, and especially, I hope there's a lot of rereading value with this one. All that said, I'd like to thank Jackalope89 and the anonymous Guest for their reviews. Read the author's note at the bottom for more news on upcoming stories. Enjoy.

The One You Feed

I've given more

Than what I've got

I've given all

Of what I'm not

I've watched this war consume all that we could become

Facing my fears in the dark

-The One You Feed by Crown The Empire

It was finally over.

Ever since Batman had told them all about the impending Justice League arrival, there had been a weight on their shoulders. Well, at least there had been one on Huntress'. Initially she had been of the same mind as Green Arrow, that they needed all the help that they could get. Yet, after Batman's explanation as to why that was a bad idea, she couldn't help but agree. Then with every minute and every hour that passed, the anxiety of that deadline grew greater and greater.

At long last, that feeling was gone.

However, the dark-haired woman had come to realize that while everything had gone as good as they could have, she had made a mistake. That mistake was in the form of Bluebird and Spoiler. They had been so eager to help out and Huntress had been too distracted with what was going on that she had agreed to put them in a horrible situation. It became abundantly clear that neither of the girls were ready for prime time.

While Bluebird had that arm cannon of a taser gun, she was woefully unprepared for a fist fight. She had a couple moves that had helped during the brawl with the insane mental patients, but that wasn't going to get her very far. At the very least she had those, though; in comparison, Spoiler had no training whatsoever.

The entire time, Spoiler had tripped, crawled, stumbled, and tumbled her way through the fight. She helped out occasionally, but the entire time Huntress had found herself watching over the girl the entire time. She hadn't taken a breath until the fighting was clearly over.

That was what upset her. She should have sent the both of them home, or at the very least left them behind. There was no way they could've kept up with motorcycles. Already, she could feel Batman was going to be asking about them and she was going to have to explain why she didn't vet them further, or just flat out said no.

Unlike the Bat, she didn't see any reason to discourage people from wanting to help. The more hands they had, the better. True, they needed to be trained hands and that's what these girls needed if they were to continue this line of work.

Therein lied the rub. Between being a teacher and a vigilante, Huntress didn't have the time to teach them self-defense, much less street brawling and fighting. No way was Batman going to take on noobs either; he had made his feelings quite clear over the years about the presence of other vigilantes. The only one he had gone out of his way to accept was Batgirl and she was a damn prodigy.

Bluebird and Spoiler were clearly not prodigies.

So who did that leave? The Birds? They might do some teaching. Hell, Katana had time to kill, maybe she could teach them. Then again, Katana never seemed to be looking for a student, so maybe that wasn't the way to go. Canary had a day job, so that was doubtful and there was no telling about Manhunter.

The Batclan was also a no-go. Robin was gone. The same with the old Batgirl. That left Nightwing all by his lonesome…

Actually...that wasn't a bad idea.

Nightwing was a decent fighter. He was definitely patient with kids, Robin being the prime example for that observation. He was all alone without his fellow clan members. Maybe this could change that.

Spotting the man in question, Huntress then looked to the two new girls and gave a sharp whistle. The two jumped where they stood, looking to her as she gestured for them to follow her. Walking towards Nightwing, the girls in tow, she came to a stop in front of him. "So, that was fun," she greeted him.

"Yeah, sure was," he replied sarcastically. "Never had someone try to eat my face before, so that was fun. We should all get together some time and do it again."

Ass. "Well, I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be all on your own," Huntress said, causing the young man to raise his eyebrow.

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well, as you know, the vigilantes are grouping together. Your former Batclan, the Birds of Prey, even Batman is getting in on it. Except now you're all by yourself."

"Don't remind me."

"Which is why I have a job for you." At this, Huntress reached back and grabbed Bluebird and Spoiler by their shoulders, pushing them in front of her. "Meet Bluebird and Spoiler. They're new to the scene and they need to get brought up to speed—and by speed I mean they need to be trained. Seeing as you suddenly have no partners, it seems to me you have some time to train new ones."

"Train?!" Nightwing exclaimed.

"Train?" Bluebird questioned as she looked at Huntress in disbelief.

"Train?" Spoiler squeaked out as her shoulders stiffen and she shrunk in on herself.

"After what's happened tonight, we need more capable fighters. These two have volunteered."

"But why me?" Nightwing demanded. "Why can't you do it?"

"Because you look lonely," Huntress replied, a smirk growing on her face. Then she waved before pulling away. "You three have fun."

With that, she turned around and walked away. Perhaps it was shitty to dump the two girls on Nightwing, but this was for the best. Either they would quit, or they would get better, there was no third option.

A part of her wondered which one it would be, especially after she heard Spoiler greet, "Hey, Sexy Batman."


Gordon stared through the glass and into the small room that was Harvey Dent's new home. The former district attorney sat on his bed, a straitjacket restraining him though for what purpose eluded the commissioner. Dent stared directly ahead of himself, his eyes blank and hollow, noticeable bags under them.

It was as if he was in another world, trapped there and unable to return to the real one.

Despite everything that had happened in the last several months, Gordon couldn't help but feel pity for this man. He still remembered a time when the person in that room had stood by his side, determined to save and improve the city they were both sworn to protect. The life he seemed to have, combined with a natural charisma, could make anyone believe in him, that he could do what he promised to do. It didn't hurt either that he matched action to words.

There was this element of tragedy to all this. He couldn't figure out where it began and where hope ended. This shell of a person was all that was left of Dent, and it angered him. It angered him because this man had had so much promise, so much potential. What demons could have brought him so low?

Several names came to mind immediately.

Gordon glanced at the woman beside him, a person who had requested to visit Dent minutes after his incarceration. For the most part, he had not been aware that Leslie Thompkins had been abducted and held against her will by Dent. There was the missing person's report, and since the scene of her last whereabouts had obvious signs of foul play, she had been treated as a kidnapping. Thanks to Dent, not many resources had been placed to try and find her.

Her story of having to use her medical expertise on Dent's wounded was another side story in this tale of tragedy. Obviously she had no choice but to aid him, coerced by both Dent and her Hippocratic Oath. Thompkins shouldn't be held for any actions she perpetrated, and if she was, he'd be the first to step up for her defense.

As unlikely as that was.

"I can't help but pity him," Thompkins sighed at last, unknowingly voicing his own thoughts.

"Why's that?" the commissioner asked as he glanced at the doctor.

Thompkins turned her head enough to face him. "He's a very troubled man, Commissioner. Help is what he always needed. He didn't deserve what happened to him, what led his inner demons to surface. It's a sad case, no matter how you look at it."

Gordon grunted as he returned his gaze to his former colleague.

"The worst part of this situation," Thompkins continued without any prompting, "was that he did seek out help. Instead of finding someone who could give him the help he needed, he was betrayed by that person and twisted into this. It is a failure of our field, a mark of shame that one of our own could visit such malice on another living being. It brings disgrace onto us all."

That reminded him of that said person. "Will you walk with me, doctor?" he asked. "You've reminded me that there's someone else I need to check up on here."

"Of course, Commissioner," Thompkins agreed.

The pair left what remained of Dent to his isolation, taking as close to a pleasant stroll as anyone could in a place like Arkham.

Speaking of Arkham, they were still dealing with the fallout of the asylum's namesake. The revelations that Jeremiah Arkham was wearing the mask of Roman Sionis had been shocking, to say the least. The man himself couldn't explain how he came to be in that position, or why. Until that mystery could be solved, Arkham was to be held until his culpability was determined.

Gordon, however, had his suspicions about this. When he had the time available, he would share it with a mutual friend, see what he could turn up.

The short walk ended as they arrived at the asylum's infirmary where its latest guest was held. Glass windows allowed pretty much anyone to gaze through them into the large room, and on one of the beds incapacitated by casts was Hugo Strange. His lower body was pretty much wrapped in bandages, casts over the majority of his right leg, left foot, and his right hand. A nasty bruise was visible on his bearded face.

Again, Gordon had his suspicions where that bruise came from, and was only slightly jealous that he couldn't be the one to place it there. That bastard deserved much worse with what he had done to this city.

"I assume this is him, Hugo Strange," Thompkins commented, a brow furrowed.

"He's lucky to be alive," Gordon grunted. "He set this all into motion, then sat back and relaxed here while everything fell apart. Even locked up, I doubt he's been idle."

"Do you know how he received those injuries?" the doctor asked.

"Mostly from Dent. His was the only gun nearby and we're running the ballistics for confirmation. The theory is that Dent broke in to pay him a visit, and it didn't end too well for him."

"And the bruise?"

"Perhaps Dent slugged him first before he became trigger happy." Gordon shrugged his shoulders, expressing that he was not interested in Strange's well-being.

"Do not be so callous, Commissioner. We should be concerned about the welfare of every person, even the ones we don't like," the elderly woman chastised. "Even if I find him despicable, I would wish no harm on him because how would that solve anything? He may represent the evils of the field of medicine, but he still deserves our aid. Our concern for our fellow man is what separates us from beasts and the like."

"Sometimes I wonder, Dr. Thompkins," Gordon sighed as he turned away from the sight of Strange. "People like him make it very difficult. When people like him destroy people like...Harvey, what do we do? How do we move on? How do we hold him to account for the terror he put us through?"

"If I were you, I would turn to the law," Thompkins remarked as she followed him, matching his pace as she came to walk beside him side by side. "It may not be perfect, but it's better than the alternative. Show him that your way works better than his. Show him that his deeds will not bring us down. I have lived a long time, and let me tell you that no matter where I've been, no matter what atrocities I have witnessed, I have also found good people. People who only want to help, who want to improve not only their lives, but others as well."

Since she brought it up, Gordon thought about the extraordinary individuals that called themselves the Justice League. Already they had cleared away and sealed off what was left of City Hall with a very green yet transparent shield. Clean up, mostly, and organizing relief efforts. Now that Dent and Arkham were no longer threats, the reason for bringing them in had almost vanished.

The League had volunteered to help clean up and neutralize whatever poisons and radiation that was left in the rubble. Then the city would begin rebuilding once more.

In the meantime, the GCPD would take advantage of the power gap left in the city's underworld and hopefully take one step closer to a better and brighter Gotham. The task force he had set up would continue to dismantle Dent's syndicate, and bring charges against its mastermind. Maybe. One day. If Dent could ever be found competent to stand trial.

Maybe it would be for the best if he didn't. Even though the Feds were biting at the bit to go after Dent, a full psychiatric evaluation would be needed first. A bit ironic now, since Dent once scorned it when other criminals tried to use the practice as a means to stay out of Blackgate.

For the time being, though, he would have to look ahead for the upcoming dawn. For now, Gotham's long nightmare had come to an end.


The green construction of Green Lantern's could be seen several blocks away. Standing on the same rooftop as he had following the destruction of City Hall, Batman stared at the scene, faintly aware of the red blur that would dart through his vision every so often.

He felt her presence long before she had set foot on the roof. "You did it," Diana greeted him, her voice coming from behind him.

"You say that like you had any doubt."

The crunching of the gravel told him the Amazonian Princess was walking to him, the sound coming to a stop once she stood next to him. "I'll admit, I did have a doubt or two every so often," she joked. "But I had faith you would pull through."

He grunted in response.

"I suppose you're not too happy to see the League in your city," she ventured.

"It doesn't really matter now that the matter is settled," Batman responded after a few moments. "Two-Face is behind bars, so is Black Mask for the time being. They were still puppets throughout this entire thing though."

"And you know who the mastermind is."

"He's currently receiving medical attention. After what Two-Face did to him, he needs it."

"I understand this man was already in custody for the Man-Bat attacks," Diana said then. "What will happen to him now?"

"Now? Considering they haven't even gone to trial for that, he'll be charged with this latest infraction, assuming Two-Face and Arkham are willing and able to testify against him." He sighed then. "At the very least it'll make his criminal insanity plea much harder for him."

There was a frown on Diana's face. "You sound as if you have doubts."

"It's been a long night, Diana. I'm tired and the night is still young."

"You intend to watch over the city this night?"

"Once I catch my breath." And a big one at that.

"The League can assist you," Diana offered. "We're in the city already, so it wouldn't be too much trouble." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Go home and get some rest. You deserve that much at least."

Did he? Perhaps. Unfortunately, he got a good look at Harvey Dent tonight, saw the darkness that festered inside of him and he didn't like what he saw. Most of that was because that same darkness was inside of him, waiting to be unleashed. Could he say he would have acted differently than Harvey had after everything he went through?

That caused Batman's face to harden. He had been through bad things in his life and instead of becoming destructive to everyone and everything, he strove to protect those things. Perhaps an argument could be made he was self-destructive, but he was the only one to suffer for his choices, unlike Dent's.

"Brooding?" Diana asked, startling him out of his thoughts. "I had heard you do such things. It's rather fascinating to see it in action."

Batman raised an eyebrow as he looked to the Amazon. "You believe everything you hear?"

Diana smiled at him. "Go home, Batman. You've done enough for Gotham this night. We will make sure it still stands when the sun comes up."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then I suppose we'll owe you a new city."


Harleen watched pensively as the man who was to be the next administrative head of the asylum stepped over the threshold. He had the look of man in his late fifties, bald on top with thinning gray hair, and a pair of rimmed glasses that belonged to the fifties.

He may not have been the tallest person in the room, just slightly taller than her, she estimated, but the presence he exuded combined with the suit and tie he wore more than made up for it. Based on appearance alone, you could tell he was one of those strict, no nonsense types who probably had a stick so far up his ass that it was coming out of his mouth.

But Harleen digressed.

The sternness of his face carved out the abundance of wrinkles in his forehead and around his mouth, making his appear as if he was highly unimpressed with what he saw. The way he moved exuded authority and a demand for respect. From what members of the staff who had showed up as an impromptu welcoming committee could make out, their days of having leeway to do with their patients was over.

Cold blue eyes settled on them, freezing them in their places. "You're the staff here, correct?" That was a rough voice there; whether it had been weathered by time or barking orders remained to be seen. "By order of the governor of this great state, I will be taking charge of this facility, its employees, and all individuals who reside here."

Harleen was growing to dislike this man by the second. It was easy to tell that he was not going to be like Jeremiah Arkham to be sure. How perfect. This was not going to be good for her internship.

"If you do not know who I am, or have heard of me, I am Quincy Sharp," the man continued, introducing himself. "There are people who are very concerned about certain trends that are being set in Gotham. I am here to rectify this and put this house in order. There are going to be some changes around here and I expect your full cooperation."

Harleen was beginning to dislike this guy. What was he talking about when he meant "changes?" And why did she have a bad feeling about them.

Maybe it had to do with the fact, that she had heard of this man before. Of course, his name happened to be attached to a prison, specifically the New Jersey State Prison. Maximum security only. Rumored to be in contention with Blackgate as one of the toughest prisons in the state. And Sharp was the warden there.

Was he thinking about…?

So long as Sharp didn't interfere with her own agenda, then he could do what he wanted. Once Harleen got what she needed, she'd be leaving this institution anyway. It was a means to an end, she told herself.

As the new bureaucrat in charge walked past her, not even giving the time of day to look at her, Harleen eyed him with disdain. He better not try anything, or else she might have to take drastic actions.

He wouldn't be the first one.


The bell to the door rang, but Dinah didn't have to think too hard about who was entering her little flower shop.

"You know, I'm gonna miss this place," Oliver Queen remarked as he strolled up to the front desk. "It has a quaint feeling to it."

"Quaint," Dinah repeated, one of her eyebrows raising up.

"I take it I've used a wrong word."

The blonde waved it off. It wasn't that big of a deal really; she just wanted to give the guy a hard time. "I hear that deal with Wayne Enterprises went through."

Ollie's eyes dropped to a nearby newspaper, one of the headlines declaring such. "You know, I would've thought Wayne's people would've kept this secret better. I swear, he spills more secrets than the government."

A smile appeared on her face. "I'm guessing that means it's time for you to go back to Star City. You don't have anymore business here in Gotham."

"Well, that depends really," the blond man replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Do you want to give me a reason to stay?"

"I don't think your Board of Directions would appreciate me appropriating you to Gotham."

"Then why don't you come to Star City with me?"

That gave Dinah pause. The look on Ollie's face told her he was being sincere. If she said yes, he would do everything in his power to get her set up, maybe even offer to have her move in with him. Which was crazy considering they only knew each other for a week or so. Sure they knew each other better than most, what with their night jobs.

Also, she had her business and she doubted it would survive moving to Star City. She had her clientele here that kept her open and that wasn't a guarantee in another city. Perhaps if they knew each other better, spent more time together, then perhaps this would've been harder.

"I'm gonna have to decline," she answered after a moment.

"You sure? I know Star City isn't as exciting as Gotham; we just have the low-level thugs and mob bosses, none of these super-criminals and crocodile men. Pretty tempting, right?"

Dinah tapped one of her fingers against her cheek, a contemplative look on her face. "That is tempting," she admitted. "But I'll have to go with no again. Sorry, this is my home and I'm needed here."

"Duty calls, I get it." Ollie hung his head for a moment before he looked back at her. "I'll miss you, Pretty Bird."

"This is the end?" she questioned. "Just like that?"

"Well, it's not like it's very economical to come here every weekend. Do you realize how much fossil fuel my jet burns every trip? I would personally be responsible for the increase effect of Climate Change. You don't want me to destroy the environment, do you?"

Dinah stared at him. Then after a couple moments, "I have a phone number."

Was it sad that this didn't even occur to the guy? Probably. Ollie's head did perk up though. "You do have a number, don't you? Mind if I get it?"

"I don't know," she responded cheekily. "Considering you didn't even think about that, it makes me wonder just how serious you are. I'm thinking I need to make you work for it?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, you did mention some jet-setting. Maybe you should be visiting every weekend. I could use a nice vacation to the Bahamas."

It was Ollie's turn to raise an eyebrow. "And what about Climate Change?"

"If I were to say I'd introduce Global Warming inside your pants?"

There was a pause. "I suppose the environment is just going to have to take one for the team."


Closing the flaps to the box, Tim took the tape roller and pulled out a strip. From there, he taped up another box, sealing it shut. It was one of many he had closed up and would have to carry downstairs.

It was a bit of a punishment. Mom and Dad had noticed all the bruising he had taken from Two-face's goons and they had wanted an explanation. Doing his best to not give away, well, you know, he came up with a half-truth of sorts. He was out without permission and he got into trouble. Picked a fight with a few guys he shouldn't have.

The teen did feel a bit bad when they bought it. That sense of guilt disappeared when they decided he would have to pack up and move all his stuff on his own. Without help.

Remember, Tim, you feel guilty. Real guilty. You were heartbroken. Truly you were.

Setting aside the tape roller, he bent down to pick up the box and take it downstairs. Okay, this one was a bit heavier than he intended. Probably put too much crap in it. Yeah, he had a better idea of how to swing his way around town on a grappling line, making all the adjustments he needed to handle his own body weight, but he couldn't judge worth a crap how much to put in a measly box.

And he had already taped it up too…

Oh can it, Drake. You were a man, sort of. You could handle this. Man up and let it do its worst.

With the box held in front of him, almost pressed against his torso, he stepped carefully out of his room, passing the computer system he had set up for both school and, once upon a time, gaming purposes. The sight of it caused him to pause for a moment, momentarily forgetting the strain he was putting into his arms to recall other regrets.

It was almost hard to believe that he was leaving. Like Dick and Barbara, he had wanted to help make Gotham a better place. Even with all the mistakes, the trial and error, and the gradual improvements in their abilities, he had been determined to see this thing all the way through. Even after Barbara had lost her ability to walk. Even after Two-face had removed his mask and recognized him.

It felt like he was leaving behind unfinished business.

And that sucked so hard.

The outfit that had been generously provided by Batman was now retired, its resting place in the shipping container that the Batclan stored its equipment in. There was no doubt in the teen's mind that he would ever wear it again. And to think he had been thinking about making some changes to it, upgrading it and all.

Fuck.

Dick was going to be alone out there, wasn't he? No one to watch his back anymore. Barbara could only do so much as Oracle, and having an extra body watching your back improved your chances out there like nothing else. If only he hadn't been caught off guard or captured like a n00b.

At least with his identity secured, he'd have more reason to try and talk his parents out of the move. Or figure out a way for him to stay. Either way, though, neither was an option and it would be best both for them and him to get out of here.

At least he wouldn't be leaving while Two-face was still on the loose. Barbara had informed him of what went down thanks to the earpiece that he typically wore when dressed as Robin. He still had it too, and he figured he'd keep it. It didn't hurt to have a secure means of communication with his friends, right? Right.

Still, he wished he could have been there. Taking down both Two-face and Black Mask, fighting it out at the old Gotham Cathedral and later Arkham Asylum? An epic showdown for the fate of the city for which they had all bled, sweat, and cried for? Goddamn it all.

Almost losing his grip on his box, Tim was reminded he was in the middle of moving, so get your butt into gear. Grumbling to himself, he made his way downstairs, taking a moment to place the heavy-ass box down near a stack of them so that he could let his arms rest a bit.

There were so many boxes around, another reminder that this was all really happening. You know, now that he thought about it, he had absolutely no idea where they were going. He was sure either his dad or mom told him at some point, but it went over his head at the time.

Hearing movement in the kitchen, he called out, "Hey, where are we moving again?"

Movement stopped. "Can't answer right now!" his mother's voice responded. "The brochure's on the coffee table!"

Real helpful there. Scanning around, he managed to find the coffee table surrounded by more boxes, and hey, what do you know, there was a brochure on it. Some other papers were scattered too, and somebody was going to have to clean that up. Not him, he had to pack up his own room thank you very much.

Making his way over and picking the small pamphlet it, he looked over it, searching for a name and eventually finding it. That's where they were heading? Well, at least it wasn't some small town in the midwest. The teen would handle a move like this with all the grace of a long-suffering adolescent, but he would be damned if he had to go to Nowheresville in, he didn't know, Kansas or wherever.

Who knows, maybe Jump City wouldn't be so bad a place to live.


Author's Note: And with that, Three Sides of Fate is officially over. Now for what you guys have been waiting for: what comes next. Well, ShadowMajin and I are going to try an experiment. What that means is you get not one, but two stories at about the same time. The first one going to a Justice League fic called Fallen Olympus, which you will be able to find on ShadowMajin account. The other is going to a Teen Titans story called Of Earth and Sky, which you'll be able to find on my, Anonymous Void, account. What, thought we were done with Tim Drake? Not by a long shot. We started setting up the Teen Titans story back in Ten Houses of Deceit, and Three Sides of Fate is what is finishing the set up. One other note is that Fallen Olympus will be posted first by about a week or so, so don't get too worried if you don't see Of Earth and Sky immediately. Both are coming out. See you guys later.