Author's Notes: So here is the final chapter of the Outsiders Arc and final chapter for Arkham Rising until October. I won't get into the long message until after the chapter, so enjoy.

Arkham Rising

Outsiders Arc

Ch. 12: Monsters

[Watchtower]
[July 6, 07:11:48 UTC]

They say that all good things must come to an end. He would love to find whoever said that and applaud them for pointing out a fact that will remain until the end of time. And then beat the hell out of them.

His capture-free record had been shattered at the hands of the Justice League and he had not even battled all of them. Worse, they had kept him and Ben separated which meant that he was actually required to eat and sleep the previous day.

Jake took in a quiet breath as he meditated on the hard bed. The cell had one glass wall that faced the corridor and three white walls that kept him blind to his neighbors and whatever behind him. The ceiling and floor were also white like the walls. The cell was small, yet large enough to house a bed, stool, and sink. Not the worst cell Jake has seen but easily the worst he has ever been confined to.

The thief thought about his escape routes. He was on the Watchtower. His only two logical escape plans included hijacking an aircraft of some sort or making it to the Zeta beams. In order to do that, he needed his suit. That and a plan.

The door to his cell opened and in stepped the Dark Knight himself. Jake eyed the man with a smirk.

"I take it that you're having trouble breathing." said Jake, his brown eyes glimmering with mischief.

Batman glared. "What did you do to me?"

"A trick from Shiva, just watered down." explained the Spider dressed in a white prison jumpsuit. "Shiva's version kills you in ten seconds. Mine, five days. Both can be reversed, in time, but… Well the price…"

"Undo it."

Jake snorted. "Or what?"

Not in any mood for jokes, Batman crossed the room quickly. Jake remained motionless as the last Wayne grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him into the air.

"Undo it now." Batman growled.

There was no way he was going to wager his way out. Not with Batman at least. Jake, however, did know that the Bat was desperate and that he could get something out of this.

"My suit," Jake bargained. "I won't leave. I can't leave. The suit doesn't give me a lot of choices in space. But, it needs to be attached to someone to live. It needs me."

"You'll escape and…" Batman's words were interrupted by a fit of coughs from the man.

"You're running out of time as is Ben. He can't live without me." Jake said.

He waited and felt the grip tightened. This could have easily gone south the moment the Cape Crusader stepped into his cell but oddly enough, things were working in his favor at the moment.

"Besides," Jake continued. "The suit allows me to hit precise points, better than how you or I have been trained. If I were off by an inch, you'd die."

"How do I know you won't kill me anyway?" returned Bruce. "You'd have your strength. Your speed…"

"Because the suit stops me from killing. It's one of the reasons I didn't drive one of those blades through Superman's chest and kill him then and there." Jake answered. "Again Wayne, I'm not going to leave. I want your council to give me a fair trial and answer, not only why I was arrested without stealing a damn thing, but how I was put on a Priority-1 list. I doubt I can count as an alien invasion planning on blowing up Earth."

It was no surprise to Jake when Batman actually released him. The maneuver he had used on Batman the previous day was quite deadly but not to the extent of Lady Shiva's technique. Her move stopped the heart almost instantly. Jake's version was slower and a little less inhumane. It caused the heart to slowly swell until eventual death.

Sure, Jake assumed that anyone with the knowledge of what Jake did and how Jake did it could counter it. The problem was, Jake was willing to bet that outside of himself and Batman, there were probably two or three members of the Justice League to actually undo the damage or else the Batman would be elsewhere.

"If you try anything-"

"I know the law. I didn't do anything yesterday and I damn sure didn't deserve to go through what I did." Bruce was not pleased about being cut off but a technique that advanced could not be undone by an amateur. He needed Jake. "I will make sure that the world knows that the Justice League took me in without cause. Worse, you were ordered to come at me with the intentions to kill."

It was not odd for Batman to be silent. It was not strange for Batman to just leave an area without so much as a "bye". But there was an unfamiliar feeling in the air that Jake did not know just quite yet. It was almost like a bad omen mixed with bad karma coming back around to bite him in the ass. Maybe it was Batman leaving without a fight? Maybe it was years of having Ben strapped to him that every tingle in his body felt like his spider-senses going off. Either way, something bad was going to happen and he was both unprepared and not in the mood for a fight.

The door opened to reveal Batman with Ben in hand. The machine shot out of the Dark Knight's grasp and instantly latched onto Jake's back. The young man released a sharp breath of pain.

"Easy there Ben. Still sore." he said before stepping towards Batman. "Alright. A deal's a deal. Stay perfectly still and hold your arms out. Shoulder level."

The suit took over Jake's body, a sigh coming out of him. He then stared at the man in front of him. With his right hand arched behind, Jake took aim at the necessary spot. His focused his entire mind on said spot before jabbing his hand forward, two finger poking Batman in the chest. The Dark Knight took a weakened step backwards, gasping harder.

"You'll be fine," Jake said as his suit receded. "Now can you tell me how the hell I was put on a Priority-1 call?"

Batman steadied his breaths. "I don't know."

"Stop lying. We both know that you do." Batman crossed his arms. "Come on Old Man. You were the last on scene in Gotham City. Where else could you have been?" Still the Dark Knight remained silent. "You do know that with me here, Strange and his Protocol 10 moves further along. One of us needs to be out there to hear what he's planning."

"…" Once more, the Knight's silence was nothing new. It only proved to Jake that Talia was right about one thing; Batman lacked Bruce Wayne' social skills. "We're holding a hearing in six hours. If you try to escape, you can forgot about any of it."

"A trial, huh?" mocked Jake. "Seems as if you still have some of the League's traditions, eh Wayne?"

"As for whoever put you on that Priority-1 call," Batman said as he headed for the door. "When we find them, they may just get a promotion."

Despite himself, Jake laughed as Batman exited his cell. The man activated his suit again before firing webs from his wrists seemingly at random. In a manner of seconds, he had created a web hammock, hopping into it instead of sitting on the hard bed. The suit retreated again, leaving the dark haired male to stare at the ceiling with plotting brown eyes.

"Six hours…" he mumbled. "You can make up a plan in six hours Jake… Just think…" The man closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos… Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…"

[Artemis and Wally's Apartment: Star City, California]
[July 6, 09:01:16 PST]

Lian knew that she was different from normal kids. Her parents and grandmother had forced her into school where she was able to see it full force. Kids, the so-called "normal kids" that is, did not all share her need for excitement. Then again, playing Tag or Hide-n-Go-Seek did not register as "exciting" to Lian.

Who could blame her though?

She had seen Gotham City from the highest buildings. She had flown through the streets on the back of her father as he swung across town. Her mind had been filled with tales of the feats that Cheshire had accumulated.

Those were the things that excited Lian and those were the things that she wanted to continue doing in her life. Of course, Lian realized that Jade was to never know that Jake had taken their daughter for a few swings around town, just like Jake was to never hear Sophie giving Lian more grueling details on Cheshire's murders.

"Lian," The young black-haired girl looked away from the outdoors to see her aunt behind her. "Your dad will be here soon. Trust me."

Lian gave Artemis a leveled stare before turning back out the door. Unlike her list of contrasting characteristics to the normal kids in her former class, the one thing that all children hated was waiting. This is why Lian found herself standing in front of the front door at her aunt's apartment, waiting for Jake or Jade or Sophie or someone to take her back to Gotham City.

"Lian, please sit down." Lian huffed quietly at Artemis's insistence. Her aunt had been nothing more but generous during the past few days but their patience for one another was thinning. "Jake probably got stuck in traffic… Or he and your mom just ran off."

"Mother left with her team." Lian pointedly said. "Dad hates her team. Something about Roy…"

"Of course," muttered Artemis with an eye roll as Lian closed the door. "Lian, your parents are on their way to get you. They-" Artemis was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "See? Here he is."

Lian ignored her aunt as she opened the door. The girl's frown returned when she stared up at the face of someone else she had met recently; Oliver Queen.

"Um, hey there," began Oliver. "Mind letting me in?"

Silently, Lian stepped aside, casting another glare Artemis's way. The child was not stupid. Her dad was someone who woke early in the morning, so early that Lian has often times gotten up with him and somehow fallen back to asleep before the sun even rose. Jake was awake and late, two things that Lian knew without being with him. The fact that Artemis continued to insist that everything was fine was annoying Lian more and more.

"What's going on? Does this have something to do with whatever's going on the Watchtower?" Artemis asked.

"It does but," Oliver looked at Lian before turning his attention back to Artemis. "Maybe it's best if we spoke alone?"

"Where is my father?" Lian questioned angrily.

"Look, Lian, your dad-"

"Wally said that there was a Priority-1. Jake is not a…" Artemis paused once Oliver's eyes fell to the floor. The blonde sat up in her seat on the couch quickly. "What happened out there Oliver."

Oliver looked at Lian again before looking at Artemis with a solemn look.

"The Black Spider was taken in yesterday by the Justice League. We're having a trial but…" Oliver paused. "Arty, listen to me. Something wasn't right about the entire thing. We found the diamond he was said to stealing. He didn't take it. And the fact that he had even been a Priority-1 in the first place…"

Artemis frowned. "What are you saying?"

"That he was set up and the person, or at least one of the people, I think did it… Was Wally." said Oliver before sighing. "Artemis, I know this is really fu… I mean messed up, but this thing with Jake. It's got to end. It's-"

Oliver felt a sharp pain in his right calf, turning around to see Lian glaring at him after the well-aimed strike that gained the man's attention. The two archers saw it in the child's eyes then and there that Lian was about to go all out for her father's return, much like they would assume Lian's parents would do for her.

"My father was set up by the Justice League?" Lian said angrily. "You will return him to me before my mother hears about this or else."

"Lian…" Artemis began but stopped. Truth be told, she was just as angry but was not about to assault her mentor over it.

"Look Lian, I want your dad out as much as you do," Oliver began. "Sure, I think he's a grade A-asshole, but who doesn't? We don't frame people. It's not who we are."

Lian gave the man a glare. She knew when people were lying to her. It was something she was born with and her dad just perfected the craft. Oddly enough, she was reading no deceit off of the Green Arrow.

"Fine." Lian's concession caused Artemis's eyes to widen. The child never caved in for, well anyone except for her parents and Artemis's mom.

"Alright," Oliver continued. "Listen, I have to suit up and go up for this trial. I came by to warn you about that… And something else."

Artemis growled. "Something else?"

"Until this is over," Oliver spoke. "You will not be allowed to access any Zeta-beams."

"What? You can't-"

"Arty, I know!" Oliver snapped, causing her to quiet instantly. "I… I don't like the guy, alright? What he did to Roy… To you… I can't forgive him for that. You understand that, right?" Artemis merely nodded while Lian released a growling sound similar to that of a angered wolf. "But, a few nights ago, Dinah told me of the talk that you guys had. If anything should happen, we would take care of Lian. I failed Roy- the real Roy. I can't…"

Lian was now reading heavy guilt off of Oliver. She had seen this face on her dad sometimes, but only briefly. Jake was a master of hiding his feelings from Lian.

"Go." Artemis told Oliver. "We'll be alright, won't we Lian?"

"My father should kill your entire group." Artemis sighed heavily at Lian's words, not really in the mood to deal with the child's defiance. "But… We are not monsters. Assassins, maybe. But not monsters. Not like you."

Oliver sighed. "Lian, I'm not a monster. And despite what you've done, I don't think you're one either." Oliver squatted so that he was close to eye-level with the girl. "Can you trust me to do so?"

Lian stared at the man firmly. Jade had told her time and time again that trust was nothing to just give away on a whim. People had to earn it.

"I trust my father." Lian answered.

"Don't we all?" Oliver returned before standing straight up. "By the way kid, if you'd hit a little bit north, you could've paralyzed me."

"I know." Lian said as she headed for the stairs. "But Father made me promise not to kill unless you are a threat. You are not a threat."

Oliver looked at Artemis, the woman silently shaking her head as her niece walked up the stairs. Neither blond outright said it, but they were both thinking it. The Justice League had made a grave mistake and Lian Nguyen was going to make them rue the day that they did.

"I have to go," Oliver said. "Me and Dinah will be back later. Don't bring this up to Wally."

"What?" shouted Artemis. "If he's the reason that this is happening then-"

"Then we need to know why and how he did it." Oliver interrupted. "We both know that Wally wouldn't hurt anyone without good cause. This could all just be one of his old pranks gone really wrong."

Artemis crossed her arms. "You don't believe that."

"No," Oliver answered while trudging towards the door. "But one of us has to keep a level head. See you later Arty."

"Yeah…"

Lian sat on top of the steps with an angered expression. If Wally was the reason that her dad was locked up, then the speedster would have to pay. Killing him was excessive, she knew that, but she could at least torture him somehow. All she needed was for the League of Assassins to send Sophie over and have them capture Wally in exchange for Jake's imprisonment.

Now, how to get the League of Assassin's attention?

[Watchtower]
[July 6, 11:58:11 UTC]

Despite having his ultimate weapon attached to him, Jake was certain that an all out brawl with these guys were the last thing he wanted. So he allowed some gun-slinging bandana-wearing no one and the blonde girl in a suit that looked like the Star-Spangled Banner carrying her golden staff lead him to an interrogation room. For energy conservation purposes only, his suit was deactivated as he walked down the halls but he would use it if needed.

The group stopped in front of a white door.

"In there." Vigilante told the Spider. "Bastard."

"Sorry," Jake replied as he opened the door. "My parents were married before I was born. So not a bastard, dumbass."

"Why you-"

"You again?" Jake cut the annoyed gunman off as he saw Batman in the room, along with Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman. Stargirl shoved the thief inside before closing the door behind him. "By the way, I'm officially late picking up my daughter. So do you mind speeding this process up?"

"Sit." Batman instructed.

Jake looked around the room. Solid walls, or at least that's what it appeared to be. There were also two cameras located high in the back corners of the room. A small white square table was in the center of the carpeted room, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman on one side with an empty chair across for them. Batman stood against the back wall, as Jake expected, with his arms folded.

Slowly, Jake moved to the empty chair. He observed it carefully before sitting in it.

"My dad knew how to rig chairs up to take people down. You can understand my caution right?" said the Heir.

"This conversation is being recorded." Diana told the young man. "You do know that being here means that your right to counsel has been revoked."

Jake took in a breath. "Ask your questions Princess. I still owe you for yesterday."

"Do you know who we are?" Martian Manhunter questioned.

Jake looked between the three before outright laughing. His laughter caused Batman to step towards the table with the intentions of shutting the thief up, but the young man slowly calmed down.

"What makes you think that? Because the rest of you took forever to learn Wayne's identity?" returned the Spider. "I know who Batman is because it was in a briefcase that Robin once kept his identity in." Jake rested his arms on the table, grin still on his face. "In fact, Robin was the only Titan I knew for a long time. Outside of Cyborg, of course. But that was public knowledge."

"Do you expect us to believe that?" interrogated Batman.

"I learned Roy Harper's identity because the League of Assassins knew that he wasn't the real deal. Wally West and Megan Morse I met at Artemis's apartment. Artemis, of course, I learned through her sister and my mission." Jake continued, his tone now more serious. "Rachel Roth told me her name during a random meet up we had. Garfield Logan's identity was figured out before I beat the hell out of them in Jump City and Starfire's alien-name wasn't learned until after I met Artemis. Tara Markov was my dad's apprentice. So there. Those are all the names that I knew."

Jake sat silently before leaning back in his seat.

"Oh, and Jason Todd. But I learned that after he died." Jake added.

Martian Manhunter sat up straighter. "And the League?"

"Well, I don't know many names here. I know Flash thanks to Wally blabbing about his uncle's experiment on a heist I had years ago." Jake then glanced at Batman. "Bruce, Oliver, and Dinah were all members of the League of Assassins. I think that should be reviewed as well."

"They're not on trial." Wonder Woman said, gaining the dark eyes of the thief on her.

"Of course. Green Arrow made sure that most of the people that were after him are dead. The Black Canary did much, much worse." stated Jake. "So are you happy? I don't know who you are, not most of you. And honestly, unless you're asking me out or someone is paying me top dollar to find out just who you are, I couldn't care less who any of you are."

There was another silent moment, one that made Jake clearly aware that these were the three heroes that he did not just outright beat the previous day. In his current state, he doubted that he would last longer now than he did yesterday. However, something was wrong and it was bothering him greatly.

"You resisted the Lasso of Truth. How?" asked Wonder Woman. Jake ignored the woman's question. "Answer me. How did you resist my lasso?"

"I made a deal with Trigon." The thief lied. "You saw the seal on my back. He gave it to me… For a price of course."

"And that is…?" Batman egged on.

"Turns out that the almighty Trigon hates my dad just a bit more than I do." Jake continued with his tale. "So, when the world is going to hell in the most literal senses, I'll be immune to all of it in exchange for making sure that Deathstroke gets what's coming to him." Jake shrugged his shoulder. "Seemed like a fair trade at the time."

"You'd sacrifice your own father?" Diana gasped.

"Oh please. Every one of us in this room has thought about it and only I have a sound reason." Jake offhandedly said. "He had my mom killed. He didn't stop my sister's death either. And he kidnapped my daughter. Honestly, what has he done to any of you personally?" Silence. "What? He didn't wipe Mars off of the map? He didn't destroy Paradise Island? He didn't kill your parents in Crime Alley?"

"Enough…" grunted Batman.

"What am I doing here? Honestly." Jake said.

The three members of the Justice League exchanged looks before Batman stepped back against the wall, leaning on it.

"We're going inside your mind." Martian Manhunter said. "We need to find out what you were doing in the museum before the attack and what you did with the diamond. We will also find out something else… Protocol 10."

Jake inhaled deeply. He knew that the Dark Knight did not trust him, but to dive into another person's mind was an invasion of privacy that even Jake respected. The thief had a lot of things he did not want to be revealed such as Mia's training and his involvement with Raven. However, he had great suspicion that refusal was an option.

"Fine," Jake finally voiced. "But I'm going to warn you. My mind isn't some walk down Crime Alley. It's worse. Far worse than you can imagine." Jake then leaned his chair. "You might want to have Nightwing tag along instead of Batman."

"Why?" asked Diana.

"Because he can navigate through it better than you three could." Black Spider answered. "That, and he's the only one that could separate the truth and what really happened."

The three heroes looked at one another again. Jake looked at Martian Manhunter first, then Wonder Woman, and finally Batman. He found it odd that his demands were being met today of all days. In his mind, there was no real reason for he, a well-known threat, to be handed his demands on a silver platter. The fact that he had his suit on while still being withheld proved that. And now they were really thinking about retrieving Nightwing for an interrogation?

Something was definitely not right.

"Fine," Batman said. "Nightwing and Martian Manhunter will do the interrogation. But you will do something for us as well."

Jake grinned. "There it is. I knew that this wouldn't come without a price." Jake's grin slowly died. "Name them."

"One, you will tell us where your accomplice is." Batman began.

"Can't. I don't contact her, she comes to me." answered Jake. "You want to find Gemini, then good look. She's better at her transformations than her has-been actress mom." Jake shrugged a shoulder. "So sorry. I can't do that. I don't have her number. I don't know her address. She finds me."

"You found her before." growled the Dark Knight.

"I found a girl who was in high school at her high school and I only did that by torturing Madame Rouge with fear toxin." explained Jake. "I have no leads on Gemini other than she left me to deal with you guys and Cy-boring and Kid Ass let her get away. So next."

"You also have information on David Cain. We-"

"No." The atmosphere grew considerably cold. Batman took a step closer to the table after spotting Jake's fist balling up. "David Cain is mine. End of discussion."

"We weren't discussing anything. Tell us what you know." Batman told the younger man.

"Your suit doesn't give you the speed and strength that mine does. You don't want to test me on this one Wayne." threatened the Spider. "David Cain and I have unfinished business and neither the Justice League nor the League of Assassins will stop me from finishing it. So fuck off."

Wonder Woman stood up. "We're not getting anywhere. He's not going to cooperate and we don't have time to ask him a question that he will answer." The woman looked at Batman. "Let's get Nightwing and retrieve our answers Manhunter's way."

Jake watched the two exchange glances, a code the Heir of the Demon could not currently decipher. Though, he had seen the look on Wonder Woman's face before. It was the same look that Raven gave him when she was doing her best to get Jake to see reason. It was a long shot, but Jake was in the mood for a little risk.

"Talia doesn't know about you and Wonder Woman, does she?" Jake was pleased when Wonder Woman actually gave him a bewildered look, one that all but verbally verified his assumption. "Don't worry. She won't hear it from me."

"What are you playing at Cross?" Batman snarled.

"Nothing. It's just that I see that you have a type for brunettes. Well, Talia was a brunette but you get what I'm saying." Jake lightheartedly said before smiling. "Does that mean that you're single Wo-"

"Enough." Batman's voice did not rise and it did not reveal any emotion whatsoever, effectively killing Jake's amusement. "I dated Wonder Woman. We no longer do. You can understand that or do I need to bring Raven here?"

Jake snorted. "Touché. I'll back off."

"Good." Batman responded while nearing the door. "One more thing, Manhunter. Search through his memories for anything related to something known as Protocol 10. I want to know everything he does."

"That I can answer." Jake stopped the former Heir fo the Demon in his tracks. "Apparently Hugo Strange is planning on killing you and me. I don't know the details, just that my dad's helping the creepy little bastard. If you want my honest advice, you should go talk to Talia."

"Why can't you explain it to us?" voiced Wonder Woman.

"The League is split Wayne," Jake said to Batman. "There's Talia's group trying to restore what it is to what Ra's originally wanted and Nyssa's group who will do much worse to the world. Nyssa has an army. Talia has me." Jake turned his attention to Wonder Woman. "And I can't explain anything I don't know. Strange won't tell me his plans on killing me. Even he isn't that stupid."

Jake looked back to see Batman contemplating his words. Tattle-telling was Rose's forte when they were kids. Jake would do something and, if Rose found it fitting, she would tell their parents- their father specifically- in order to get Jake in trouble. When they got older, Rose would withhold information from her parents to gain favor from her older brother. Now, Jake found himself tattling on Hugo to gain favor with Batman.

Without a word, Batman left the room. The thief then looked at the two people he doubted he could mortally wound; Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter. He now regretted respecting M'gann's privacy as he was now in the room with her uncle that he knew very little about.

"You do know that withholding information from him is useless. He will find out eventually." Martian Manhunter voiced. "Just like I will find out eventually."

Jake smirked. "I'll tell you the same thing I told the last doctor who thought he could just journey through my mind. My mind is yours to wander. Good luck."

[Wally and Artemis's Apartment: Star City, California]
[July 6, 12:32:51 PST]

Lian learned Artemis's patterns quickly for several of reasons. The first one was because learning people and their patterns kept the girl busy. The second reason was simply because she had to. Learning what Artemis did at what time allowed Lian the pleasure of either being left alone when she wanted to or being in the presence of some company while her parents were away.

Now Lian was using her knowledge for another reason; escape.

Patiently, the child waited for Artemis to head back upstairs to vent. Her aunt was still angry over Wally's apparent betrayal and, for one reason or another, the blonde would march upstairs to her room to do whatever. Lian did not care what Artemis whilst her aunt was locked away, she just cared that Artemis was out of the living room. And so she waited for Artemis to leave again.

Though Artemis stayed seated on the couch. Lian grumbled quietly at the fact. Artemis should be going upstairs to shout or pout or whatever and instead she was still here!

The young girl calmed herself. Jake had scolded his daughter time and time again about letting her anger, one of the few emotions she clearly showed, get the best of her. Worst, she was growing impatient, something her grandmother had warned her about. So she had to become calm and vigilant.

"Lian," Artemis's voice practically startled Lian, the young girl catching herself before fear or surprise could be seen on her face. "Your dad may be away for a while and you know why. So I'm asking, do you want to stay here with me?" Lian gave a small tilt of her head, trying to understand what emotion her aunt was conveying at the moment. "I don't want to just dump you off on Oliver or my mom. So I'm asking you."

"I want to go home." Lian answered straightforwardly.

"Lian…"

"Father was set up. We have to go get him." Lian raged. "You have to go get him. You have to!"

Artemis sighed. "It's not that simple Lian. Jake is a part of the League of Assassins and he has done some bad things. He's wanted for crimes that he never did time for and-"

"Aunt Artemis," came the grim voice of the child. "I am not stupid. Father, and Mother, have done bad things. But we are not monsters. We are people. Don't treat him like a monster."

It was the first lesson Jake had taught her and to Lian the most important. It had been clear that she was made by experimentation and neither of her parents knew of her existence. She was made to be a weapon, just like the other X-Men. However, Jake had taught his daughter that, despite how she got here, she was here and she was his daughter. He taught her that Lian was more than an assassin; she was a human being. And that lesson made Lian understand that without a shadow of a doubt, she was born into the Cross/Wilson-Nguyen family and not made in a laboratory.

She had a birthday after all.

"Lian, just…" Artemis's words died when a loud knock came on the door. The blonde released an annoyed grunt before getting up to answer it. "We'll talk about this later Lian."

Lian ignored her aunt as she focused on whoever was on the other side of the door. On her list of things she hated about Star City was the lack of League of Assassin personnel. In Gotham, the child could always listen out for the silent ninja that patrolled her grandmother's and father's homes. People who stopped by were people who were cleared by Jake and Paula. Now there could be a perfect stranger behind the door and Lian could not be sure if attacking the knocker would get her into trouble or not.

"You're late." Lian frowned at her aunt's words, unable to see the person outside who Artemis was referring to.

That is, until said person let herself in.

"Get over it." Jade bristled as she stepped inside. "I've had a long day and just thinking about what he did…" Lian saw her mother's angered face, their eyes similar in both shape and the fire that they held. "What did you tell her?"

"She heard when I was told of the news," Artemis answered while closing the door. "She's probably been planning an escape."

"Would you blame her?" responded Jade as she walked towards the couch where Lian sat. "Any word from your jolly green friend or his screaming slut?"

"No. And I'm sure you haven't gotten in touch with your former friends either." returned the only blonde present as she leaned against the door with a sigh. "Lian is pissed Jade."

"I know." Lian shot a doubtful stare at Jade's way, one the woman brushed off. "You're not that complicated Lian. Happy when doing what you want. Angry when something stops you. Simple."

"Reminds me of someone else I know…" mumbled Artemis.

Jade's lips thinned. "I thought the same thing…"

Lian was now confused as to what was happening. Artemis and Jade had a weird bond, one that resulted in the two being in a near constant banter with one another. Those arguments never grew into a physical one, or even a hateful one. It was normally, as Lian saw it, quite jovial and pointless. Yet the two did not appear to be disputing anything. In fact, the sisters seemed to be on the same page for the moment.

"Do you remember," Jade suddenly said, leaning back against the couch and throwing her feet onto the table in front of her. "That night in Gotham? Green Arrow had stopped me from one of my jobs and then you and Jake showed up."

"He held a blade up to my throat. Kind of hard to forget." Artemis answered.

Jade shrugged. "That's one way of looking at it. To me it was the first time that we were all there. You, me, and the guy in-between. Oh, and the Green Arrow"

"You ruined our date." Artemis pointed out. "After I figured out who he was, I started to think you did it intentionally."

"I wish I had. I would've picked an easier opponent to fight against than Green Arrow." joked Jade.

Lian spotted her aunt smiling.

"Then he appeared at my window like someone from those cheesy fairy tales that Mom used to read." Artemis reminisced. "God, I wonder why I couldn't see it then."

"You were in love with him." Jade said as she closed her eyes. "You still are."

"Jade-"

"No need to be defensive. He knows what he's doing." Jade interrupted calmly. "He learns the mark, be it for a personal gain or professional. He learns that what the person likes, hates, and all of that good stuff. Then he becomes the perfect person. The perfect date for you. The perfect partner for me. The perfect villain for Robin to chase till the end of time. And by the time you realize that you've been set up, he's long gone onto the next mark."

Lian sat confused while looking at her aunt for answers. Unfortunately, Artemis appeared to be just as lost by Jade's words as Lian did, if not more.

"Do you know the real sad part about it?" the assassin questioned without opening her eyes. "The sad part is that, at the end of the day, all he wanted to do was revive his sister, get richer, and go home."

"What…?" Artemis began but could not complete her question.

"It's true, you know? Deep down inside, Jake Cross is nothing more but a small boy with small dreams." Lian watched a smirk grew onto her mom's face. "Well, I wouldn't say small is the best word to describe him. I mean-"

"Jade!" Artemis interrupted. "What are you trying to say?"

Lian saw her mother open her eyes, the dark daggers shooting directly for Artemis. It startled Lian honestly, the look that Jade gave Artemis. But Lian knew that her father was miles away. In Lian's eyes, there were very little people left to deal with an angered Cheshire.

"What I'm saying is that I've been killing myself these past months trying to figure out why he went back in with the League and nothing comes up." Jade pointed out. "He's not doing it for Rose. It's not for me and it's not for you're either. So what? Who is he doing this for?"

Artemis shuffled on her feet. "How should I know?"

"Because he tells you these sorts of things. So tell me."

There was a stalemate, one that Lian was used to hearing. Lian could tell that Artemis was lying or, at the very least, nervous about something. It was a rare sight on her aunt but it was clearly seen. On the other hand, Jade was determined to get the truth from Artemis.

"Artemis, I have multiple countries and groups wanting to kill me. Unless Jake is bringing another group into the mix, tell me what-"

Jade never got to finish. Artemis never got to answer. For at that moment, an explosion set off from the front porch, strong enough to send Artemis sprawling onto the floor with the door atop of her. The force knocked out the front two windows and nearly blew Lian over the couch.

And then Lian heard the worst accent she had ever heard in her life.

"Knock, knock!" the shrill said as the blonde stepped into the apartment with several armed men with her. "Auntie Harley's here!"

Jade growled. "Quinn!"

"Oh don't worry green kitty, I'm not here to kill ya! Well, not yet." Harley replied. "Mister J just wants your precious angel for a minute. I promise I'll bring her back in tip-top shape!"

"Over my dead body." Jade snarled.

"Well, you heard the lady," Harley said. "Kill her!"

[Watchtower]
[July 6, 12:47:09 UTC]

With Nightwing busy in Bludhaven, the trial was pushed back until after the "full interrogation." Jake knew what that meant. They wanted to invade his personal thoughts and find out what made him who he was today. That was nothing surprising. For the most part, heroes wanted to understand their foes, get into their mind to see if they could be changed. But Jake lived with the fact that his mother put a bullet through his father's eye for something out of Slade's control. Sometimes there was no real reason. There were just things that made you feel better.

Still within the quite small interrogation room, Jake suspected that something was wrong. Martian Manhunter had come and gone, mostly to see if Jake needed something to eat. Flash had stopped by to address his feelings, feelings Jake ignored completely. Black Canary had appeared to express how Lian would see this.

That got Jake's attention in the worst way possible.

But before he activated his suit and beheaded the woman, she had assured him that their promise stayed in tact. If something were to happen to Jake, Lian would always remain safe. It was only that reason that Jake let her leave the room alive and unharmed.

The door opened and in stepped Martian Manhunter with Nightwing in tow. Jake released a sigh as the two men walked by him to the opposite side of the square table, sitting in the two empty chairs there.

"I'm going to be honest with you," Nightwing immediately said. "I'm not happy that I wasn't the one that brought you in. So don't think for a second that I had anything to do with this."

Jake received the message loud and clear. Dick had nothing to do with his Priority-1 call-up. Unfortunately, none of that mattered as Jake was still there.

"You know," Martian Manhunter spoke. "Most people find it more comfortable to be in a lying position when I do this. This could very well take an hour or two."

Jake glared. "If all you wanted to know is why I was at the museum, you merely have to ask. It shouldn't take you two hours unless there's something else you're looking for."

"Just let him do what he's got to do. I don't want to be inside your head any longer than I have to be." quipped Nightwing. "By the way, do us the favor and keep all fantasies about my exes out of our way."

"Just get this over with. Lian must be giving Artemis hell because I'm not there yet." Jake said.

Nightwing gave the Manhunter a nod.

"Alright then," Manhunter said. "This won't hurt a bit."

[Mindscape]
[July 6, 12:52:02 UTC]

Jake looked around the area. He was back at him in New York- the Kane Manor to be more precise. He was in the master bedroom, but it was not set up like he had recently done it. The light violet curtains told him that. This was not his current bedroom at the place, this was his parents' bedroom. It was in this room that his mom and dad shared intimate moments he chose not to think about as well as the same room his mother was gunned down by David Cain in.

Getting out of bed, Jake looked at a particular spot on the floor, seeing the dark red stains from Adeline's bleeding body still present. He ignored them and left the room thereafter. The man was mildly aware that the Martian Manhunter was here, somewhere, and with him was Dick Grayson.

Jake stopped immediately and closed his eyes. The Martian was trying his best to keep Jake calm but Jake's "tenants" were having different thoughts about the matter.

A door opened to Jake's left allowing the man to step through it and enter the recent memory of himself battling Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl. He glanced to his right to see Martian Manhunter intrigued with the scene while Nightwing was looking around as if the memory itself was fabricated.

"I don't like them, " Jake heard from his left. He did not have to acknowledge the Raven-clone standing next to him as she represented his wisdom and knew when he was aware of anything. "The Martian is here to bring out all of our memories. And Dick is here. He will cause Rage to, well, be angrier."

Jake crossed his arms. "Rage isn't the one I'm worried about. He is."

It was at that moment that Nightwing noticed Jake, the real Jake and not the memory fighting in front of him, standing next to what appeared to be a younger Raven. Confused, the former Boy Wonder gave his Martian partner a tap on his shoulder, getting J'onn's attention, before taking a few steps towards Jake.

"How is she here?" Nightwing asked.

"Not important." Jake stated. "You do know that in here, I'm in control, right? You see what I want you to see and nothing more. I don't think you can die in here but just in case, don't piss them off."

"Who?" Nightwing questioned.

"Us." Wisdom answered.

It was then that the memory around them shattered into pieces. The pieces seemed to float in darkness before reshaping and reforming the environment. Martian Manhunter prepared himself, familiar with defensive minds such as Jake's while Nightwing had relatively no idea what to expect from his longtime foe. However, when it was clear that they were all standing on top of Titans Tower with Jake's emotions behind him.

"Well, well," Nightwing was now more on edge as Deathstroke approached him. "While I normally hate intruders, I must say that I'm going to enjoy doing this."

"Hate, back down." Jake calmly commanded. To NIghtwnig's surprise, the man stopped. "Listen Birdbrain, I have some memories to keep away from you. Some of it personal, others are me screwing Starfire." Nightwing growled at Jake's comment. "So here's the deal. Lust here will allow you each one memory and one memory only. Figure out what is it and she'll guide you to what you want to know. Do not wander far from her because she is the only thing that stops you from feeling Depression's powers or become a victim of Rage's fury. And any lock door stays locked, got it?"

Martian Manhunter frowned. "You do know that this is my interrogation. I will respect boundaries but there are other information that I need for the League. Information that will require more than two memories."

"Tough luck green-bean. That's my offer." Jake said as he turned around, a door materializing as he does so. "I'm going to warn you both on something. I don't know how or why, but pain in here is as real as it is in the real world. Don't piss my emotions off. Even Compassion can blow you to bits."

"Oh! I do not wish to do so but I will protect my home." Compassion (young Starfire) announced. "I will try my best not to remove your head from your body."

"It's 'knock your head off of your shoulders' dumbass." Rage (Red X) mumbled."

"You guys go back to your domain. And if they wander there without Lust." Jake paused in the doorway, giving his emoticlones a look. "Do whatever you want to. I couldn't care less."

Nightwing and Martian Manhunter watched their captive walk through the door with the Raven look alike on his heels before the door vanished. It was then that Nightwing carefully observed what- more like who- was in front of him.

Deathstroke. Adeline Kane. Red X. A younger version of himself. A younger Kaldur. Starfire. A younger Terra. Cheshire. Artemis. A younger Wally. A girl who Dick was not familiar with. And Ra's al Ghul.

"I'm getting a strange reading on them," Manhunter said. "Almost as if they each have a mind of their own. But that's impossible. No one has this many minds inside of them."

Nightwing shook his head. "No one except for Raven. This isn't just his mind, J'onn. This is Nevermore."

Hate (Deathstroke) snorted. "I hate it when he's right."

"You hate everything." Will (Robin) casually stated. "He wanted them to see two memories and then we kick them out. We can do that."

"I say we kill them before they learn too much." mumbled Rage.

"I second that! These are my memories! Not theirs!" Greed (Kid Flash) bellowed. "You don't see us invading their minds!"

Compassion briefly saddened. "I am afraid that without Wisdom, we cannot hop into their minds as they have done ours. But we should not throw the stones at them just yet. We should help them and allow them safe passage back into their bodies."

"I doubt that they will live that long," Ra's (Doubt) calmly said as a door opened behind him. "I will wait in my domain. Find me when this is over… I look forward to burying them both."

Nightwing was frozen. He had been inside of Raven's mind more times than he wanted to. He knew how dangerous her other emotions could be and how hazardous it could be to travel without the real version. But something inside of him told him that Jake's mind was a lot more treacherous than Raven's was, and that was saying something.

"I think I was named tour guide," Lust, who was still in the form of Cheshire, purred to the others. "So unless you all want to become my playthings for today, I suggest you leave."

Nightwing and Martian Manhunter felt ill-at-ease as the emoticlone approached them in a sultry manner. Neither could deny that Cheshire, Jade that is, was a physically alluring woman. It was easy to see why men fell for her whenever she approached them in such a manner. However, both men knew full well that this look-alike was not Jade Nguyen and was just a product of Jake's mind.

"So, which one of you wants me to grant their wish first, hmm?" The seductress questioned as she began to circle the pair. "Would it be the last green Martian? Or maybe the Boy Wonder?" She paused, her hands now on Nightwing's shoulder as she stood behind him. "Or you could just ask me to be… Someone else."

Her voice changed and Dick quickly turned to see Zatanna standing behind him, without her hat or coat on. Dick was stunned at how perfectly matched this double was to the real deal, how real she sounded and felt.

"What's the matter Dicky bird? Don't you want me anymore? Or maybe," With a twist, Lust became Starfire. "You've acquired a foreign taste? I can be anything that you desire, Robin."

Nightwing had to shake his head. His heart was beating fast and his palms were starting to sweat. He had not felt this nervous since he accidentally came across a nude Starfire swimming along the coastline in front of Titans Tower. Even through his foggy mind, he could pieced together that each of Jake's emotions carried a specific ability that affected anyone that entered. And Lust was quite powerful.

"That is enough," J'onn said firmly. "I am not here for games. We need to find out…"

"What's the matter?" Lust said, stepping to Martian Manhunter in the form of his deceased wife, M'yri'ah. "Do I repulse you, my love?"

"Show me where Jake and Raven met. The trip in Bialya." Nightwing suddenly said.

Lust stopped in her pursuit before clapping her hands. A doorway appeared behind her as she shifted forms again, this time now in the body of Talia al Ghul.

"This way, Grayson," Lust spoke. "And my the spirits be kind. This memory is closely watched over by Doubt." Lust then turned. "Follow me. And do not touch anything. All memories must stay in tact the way they are. Or else."

Nightwing watched Talia- Lust- walk through the doorway before looking at the visibly shaken Martian Manhunter.

"I don't know about you," Nightwing said. "But this is the last time I let you or anyone else drags me into this mind again."

"Agreed." J'onn said. "Shall we go?"

Nightwing sighed. "Unfortunately."

[Star City, California]
[July 6, 13:02:44 PST]

Lian opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was hanging wrist-bound by chain, her ankles also shackled. The child could not see who was holding her or much around her as there was a spotlight shined directly on her, leaving the rest of the world around her hidden in shadows.

"The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the Gotham spout," a sickening voice sang out through the darkness. "Down came the bullets to shoot the spider out. Out came his secret and now his daughter's going to shout. Help me itsy bitsy spider before my brains get blown out! Ah haha!"

Lian struggled against her chains before the Joker came into view. She stopped immediately, glaring at the man with all her contempt at the moment.

"Oh! Look at what we have here. Dear sweet Lian Nguyen," Joker said before kneeling to eye the girl face-to-face. "You look so much like your mother. I hate your mother!"

Lian growled. "My mother will find me and put a blade through your head."

Joker cackled. "Oh really? Is that before or after I slit your pretty little throat and drain all of your precious blood, hm?"

"What do you want?" hissed Lian.

"What do I want? I don't want anything." Joker said as he stood up. "Well, that's not true. I want immortality, and apparently, there is one teeny tiny ingredient from my current formula." Joker gasped dramatically. "But what's this? The missing ingredient is found in your blood?" The man then grinned sickly. "Well how about that?"

"I take that back," Lian said angrily. "I'm going to get out of here and put a blade through your head."

"Tough talk kiddo, but let's be honest. You are in no position to go through with that threat. And just incase you managed to find a way out of those chains," Lian watched as a red laser used for aiming appear on her chest. "Your granddad's good friend Deadshot will blow your tiny brain all over the wall."

"I hate clowns." Lian muttered.

"Clown? Where?" Joker teased as he looked around.

"You better hope that my father doesn't hear about this." Lian threatened. "He is the Heir of the Demon and will have you brought in by the League of Assassins. Then you will see your itsy bitsy spider."

"Aren't you adorable?" Joker cooed as he pinched Lian's cheek. "But here's the problem kiddo. The League of Assassins are on my side. Or at least, half of them are anyway. I could never tell who though. They all wear those identical get-ups. Except for the sisters. I can recognize those hot pieces of ass anywhere." Joker than gasped. "Oops! Did I say that in front of a child?"

"I am not a child." Lian argued.

"Oh I know. You are the perfect creation from Luthor who carries your dad's adaptable blood inside of you." Joker said in a low tone. "You may not know it now, but your dad's blood can somehow adapt to things better than most people. And with those cells, all the scary side effects of Lazarus becomes nothing but a fairy tale."

Lian stood quietly. She knew very little about her father's blood or any cells that the Joker was talking about. She did, however, know that Jake's blood was quite important as Amanda had siphon some before Slade took Lian away. Lian originally figured because it was due to the Deathstroke Serum but now… Now she was not so sure.

"Harley! Let's get started!"

Lian's eyes narrowed before the annoying blonde from earlier appeared, handing the green-haired man a crowbar and a bed pan.

"What are you doing?" questioned the child.

"Oh it's easy really!" Joker said. "Think of you as a cute little piñata filled with ooey gooey delicious sweets that I need for my formula. I'm going to beat it out of you and catch it in the pan. And you… Well I can't promise that you will live… But I can promise that you'll scream, aha ha ha!"

Lian never understood why her father always told her that he feared that bad things would happen. To her, he had beaten the worst of the worst. Nothing should scare him. So as she stared at the cackling Joker and the shrilling Harley Quinn, she, Lian Adeline Nguyen, did not fear anything. Her parents would find her and make the clowns pay in blood or more.

And then Lian would kill them for making her miss her cartoons.

[Mindscape]
[July 6, 13:13:58 UTC]

Dick was stunned on so many levels. When Raven said that the truth was hard to explain, she meant it. Though, now Dick had a better understanding as to why Raven and Jake were so close even before the mystic imprinted herself on Jake. The memory also allowed Dick to understand just how hard it was for Jake to even agree to kill Raven if it ever came down to it. The two loved each other, if not the conditional way, then at the very least as siblings who committed incest.

"This way," Lust, who had now taken the form as Black Canary, spoke as she led the trio out of the memory into a hallway of sorts. "One down, one to go."

Martian Manhunter had nothing to say at the moment. He had just witnessed, not only a great crisis averted by a thief and an unstable half-demon, but the uncensored and unbridled intimate moments between Jake Cross and the former Titan known as Raven.

"Well?" Lust's voice caused the two men to momentarily shake their heads in disbelief.

"I can't believe…" Nightwing began. "Are you telling me that that's what really happen? Her brother… Brother Blood… All of that happened without the Justice League picking up on it?"

Lust shrugged her shoulders. "In here, Wisdom is the only person who can change memories. But in my domain, Rachel came to me a little more like this…"

Nightwing saw a shadow form into a nude Raven, sensually crawling towards the group.

"Okay, okay, enough!" Nightwing uncomfortably called out. "Manhunter, please tell me you have a memory."

"I don't have just one." Martian Manhunter said as he watched Nightwing be led away by, not just Raven, but Starfire and Donna Troy as well.

"I… I can't get them off!" Nightwing called out as he attempted to shrug the naked Titans off of him. "Manhunter! Say a memory!"

"Fine!" J'onn called out. "Show me the day of Adeline Kane's death!"

All was still for a moment. Lust had ceased her giggling, the blonde Dinah copy staring at Martian Manhunter as if he had spoken some forbidden language. The three girls that clung to Dick vanished in a thick black swirl, leaving Nightwing to take in deep breaths.

"I need to know how this all began." Martian Manhunter stated to Lust. "That, and a few other things."

Lust changed forms again, now glaring at them in the form of a mask-less Cheshire.

"I will guide you there," Lust said firmly. "But the closet is off limits. Do not look in. Do not ask me to open it. And do not open it yourself."

Nightwing frowned. "Who's in the closet?"

"It resides in the closet for good reasons." Lust said as yet another doorway opened to her left. "And believe me, if it gets out, you're going to have to leave here quickly. Putting that thing away is always a pain in the ass." The Cheshire clone paused and gave them both a wicked grin. "Though, I'd love to watch you two bleed all over the place. It'll be such a turn-on…"

The two men watched as the woman sauntered into the recently unlocked room. Nightwing followed Lust first with the Martian Manhunter behind him. The duo stepped into the room and saw a young Jake Wilson seated on his parents' bed, talking to his mother.

"He doesn't like talking about this," Lust told them. "In fact, no one really touches this memory. So it would help if you never mention this outside of this room, got it?"

"We-"

"Got it." Nightwing interrupted. "Just show us the memory and we'll be out of here."

"Alright. But I again, do not open that closet." Lust said. "Or do… If you desire to…"

[Star City, California]
[July 6, 13:24:13 PST]

Lian panted quietly. Her face was heavily bruised and battered. The child was sniffling quietly as the beating had finally stopped but she was still trying to hold on to some sort of hope. Her father was coming. Her mother was coming. She just had to wait just a little longer.

"I got to be honest kid, I pegged you down for round three. But hey! Look at you! Still standing strong like the weapon you are." Joker taunted her. "Wouldn't your dad be so proud of you?"

Lian made a move against the chain and, as fruitless as her attempt was, a shot was fired from the darkness, the bullet impacting right next to the girl.

"Ah, ah, ah," Joker said. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The sound of a heavy door opening caused Lian to silently pray, an act she had only seen her grandmother do. "And look who's here! Your favorite assassin, Nyssa!"

Lian's eyes snapped open as the brunette came out of the darkness. The girl growled at the sight of the woman while Nyssa gave Lian an apathetic look.

"The blood sample was enough, I presume." Nyssa said.

Joker shrugged. "While it isn't the real thing, I suppose it'll do. I gotta say though. We had a real blast, right shortcake?"

"Why?" Lian asked Nyssa, trying her best not to sob. "Why are you doing this?"

Nyssa snorted. "Spare me the tears kid. You and I both know what this is about. And believe me, I wanted it to be your dad in your position. But it had to be you."

"Why?!" Lian screamed.

"Because you killed Sensei!" Nyssa snapped back as she marched towards Lian. "You took what should have been mine! I should be leading his half of the League, not some failed lab experiment!" Lian spat a glob of blood and mucus that landed on Nyssa's pants. The woman growled before punching the child in the face. "Defiant just like your slutty mother. But the truth is, she won't save you. Jake will not save you. I will take over the League of Assassins and do to it what my father has failed to do. Succeed."

Lian grunted. "Talia is a better warrior than you."

"Talia has grown soft for your father. She is unfit to call herself an al Ghul." Nyssa hissed. "And now that you're here and we have what we want, there's only one thing for me to do."

Lian prepared for the death blow to come. She wasn't as stupid as those kids in her kindergarten class. She knew that for there to be life, there must also be death. She knew that she would have to meet death some day in the future and, no matter how soon that day came, she would have to face it with a brave face.

"You can continue your fun," Lian heard Nyssa say to the Joker. "But we need to move soon. There's no telling when her obnoxious mother and sister will be here. And Deathstroke wants to make sure that we secure the body."

Lian watched Nyssa walk away before her eyes turned back to see the Joker. The man had a thoughtful gaze on his face before he eyed Lian.

"You know something kiddo. I have to be honest with you. I'm not really a team player." Joker stated. "But then I heard three words that changed my mind. Joker the Immortal! What do you think? Pretty good right?"

"I hate it." Lian responded.

"Oh, don't be like that. After all, none of it would be possible if it wasn't for you and your precious blood." Lian watched the man reveal a small ball from apparently his back pocket. "Do you know what your problem is kid? You don't smile enough! What kind of child doesn't smile?"

Lian eyed the green ball in the Joker's hands. It was no bigger than a baseball and yet she could still tell that there was something odd about it.

"Still no smile? Well, how about, now…" Lian watched as the ball dropped from the Joker's hand, splitting in half while releasing a green gas.

The girl closed her eyes as the gas rose into the air. The smoke filled her nostrils until she choked out a dry cough. When the smoke cleared, Lian looked up at the wide grin of the Joker, her dark eyes reddened from the dry smoke.

But the child did not smile.

"What? No! Smile you bitch!" Lian only glared at the Joker, taking in deep breaths. Her mind felt light but she had not lost all of her focus. This caused the Joker to pick up the dropped crowbar and began to beat her with it. "Why! Won't! You! Smile! You! Bitch!"

Each word was followed with a slap of metal against the girl's face, alternating cheeks. Left, then right, then left, then right. Lian accepted it with tears in her eyes. She would not laugh. She would not cry. She would face it like a true Hokage.

The hitting eventually stopped.

Lian looked up at the Joker with a steady and firm gaze. This caused the man to repeatedly beat the girl in her midsection with the iron tool viciously. Lian coughed and wheezed but she still held on to her determination. She did not scream. She did not cry. And she did not laugh.

Again, the Joker paused before digging into his pockets, revealing a switch blade.

"Do you know something? A long time ago, my old woman was pregnant with a child. She said that our little bastard was going to come out and fill us with joy and laughter." Joker then roughly grabbed Lian's face. "But you're not filling me with joy or laughter!" Lian whimpered at the tightening grip, causing the man to grin. "Oh don't worry. No, no, no, don't worry my pretty child. Come on. Let's put a smile on that face!"

[Mindscape]
[July 6, 13:32:09 UTC]

Nightwing watched as a young Jake cried over his murdered mother. The young man knew beforehand that Adeline was shot and Jake had somehow witnessed it without seeing who the man that did it actually was. What Nightwing did not know was the manner of Adeline's execution. The woman did not put up a fight at all, kneeling before her executioner murdered her without batting an eye. And Jake, who was just twelve at the time, was left alone in a home with his mom's corpse in his hands. The scene had kept Nightwing enthralled, so much that Lust had slipped out without his knowledge.

Nightwing, however, did catch his Martian partner moving towards the closed closet door.

"Manhunter! What are you doing?" Dick called out.

"I'm tasked with learning more than his mother's death," J'onn stated calmly. "I don't like it as much as you, but we have our orders." Martian Manhunter reached for the door. "His mind is strong but not strong enough. This shouldn't take long."

Nightwing was unsure why his heart rate was so high as Manhunter began to open the closet door. It was as if all the anxiety in the world had somehow piled into the room at the moment making Dick doubt every move that the pair made. His blue eyes looked around to see if he could find any of Jake's emoticlones were nearby, only to see nothing, not even the memory of Jake and Adeline.

It was then that Nightwing heard whispering. He looked ahead to see that the ceiling of the room was now gone, red-eyed black crows now perched along the top of the walls, whispering. He then looked to see Martian Manhunter opening the door.

"No, don't!"

But it was too late. A dark tendril fired from the door, wrapping around the Martian's body tightly.

"What is this?" Manhunter shouted as he fought against the strange being, more tentacles of darkness reaching for him. "Nightwing! Help me!"

Dick thought quickly, taking a wing-ding and slinging it towards whatever was pulling Martian Manhunter. The weapons met their marks, a shrill resonating throughout the area while releasing the Martian. J'onn immediately backpedaled while a large grotesque creature stepped out from the closet. Its whipping tongue did not catch Nightwing's eye, nor did its size or the tendrils flailing behind it. What caught Nightwing's attention were the four red eyes of the beast.

"Holy shit," Dick gasped quietly as the being stepped towards the pair. "J'onn… We have to get out of here…" Nightwing attempted to take a step back before feeling weight on his legs. Looking down, he saw his legs being pulled into the ground. "What… What is this?"

"It's some sort of defense mechanism." J'onn, who was also being pulled down, stated. "We need to find a way out of it."

"Actually," Wisdom (Raven) said calmly as she watched the scene a few feet away. "You're drowning in guilt. It's Depression's ability as this memory rests close to her domain." Wisdom then glared at the roaring beast that Manhunter had freed. "And that is the manifestation that we said not to free! Even if Lust makes you do it!"

Nightwing groaned. Of course it was Lust that made Martian Manhunter do it. That's why she left before he did so. And now they had to deal with… This thing…

"I'm sorry!" Nightwing said, sinking lower. "Just… Get us out of here! We'll leave!"

The beast charged for the immobile pair with Wisdom doing nothing to stop it. Nightwing was unsure if he could technically die here but he was honestly not trying to figure it out. Raven's mind was bad enough. But Jake's…

Right before the large beast could snap its impressive jaws around Nightwing's neck, several webs stuck the being, catching it in midair.

"I figured you two would open a locked door. Even if technically I opened it for you." Jake's voice was heard before the man appeared behind the large rampaging beast. "I guess the cat is out of the bag, huh?"

"What is that thing?" Dick asked.

"This?" Jake put his hand on the black monster somehow absorbing it until he stood with two red eyes and the creature was no more. "He is us and we are it. That was, as I like to call us, Venom. Our true form."

Nightwing was stunned. If problems are what made couples last long, then Jake and Raven were perfect for each other.

"Depression. Let them out." Nightwing and Martian Manhunter were both relieved when they were lifted out of the quicksand-like material. "Now then…" The two men were stunned when several tentacles wrapped around them, a long slider tongue dripping out of Jake's mouth. "It's feeding time!"

[Watchtower]
[July 6, 13:38:03 UTC]

Batman and Zatanna watched as the three bodies in the room began to move and twitch. The Dark Knight was not sure if Martian Manhunter was getting the information they wanted or if he had encountered some of Jake's undoubted mental blocks. Zatanna stood guard though, waiting for Batman's word to pull them back. With M'gann busy with the Young Justice League, she was one of the few that could do so without harming the mind wanderers or the so-called patient.

"This is taking too long." Batman voiced gruffly.

Zatanna shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he has a lot of information?"

"I doubt it."

The pair stood quietly in the room, waiting for the J'onn and Dick to wake up and reveal what they learned. However, what they got was the Black Spider suit covering Jake's body suddenly. Batman braced himself while Zatanna looked at Batman for a signal.

"Get them out of there!" Batman demanded.

Zatanna's eyes lit up as she walked towards her ex and Martian Manhunter, placing a hand on them both.

"Ekaw pu!" she chanted.

Nightwing released a heavy gasp, sitting up, followed by the Martian Manhunter doing the same thing. Zatanna removed her hand as she palmed Nightwing's face gently.

"Nightwing, are you okay? What happened and…" she paused. "What's that around your neck?"

"He was strangling us. It was strangling us." Nightwing answered before he looked at the Black Spider across the table. "You have to wake him up before it takes control over him completely."

Zatanna went to do exactly that before a black tentacle swatted her away. The magician hit the wall with a whimper before Jake's body ultimately shot up from his chair.

Nightwing eyed the other man in horror as the black tendrils shot from Jake's back, grabbing Martian Manhunter and Batman before either man could do anything. Jake's body was seemingly growing larger too as if he was becoming that thing from the closet… Venom…

"Jake… Calm down…" Nightwing reasoned. "Think about Lian! You need to pick up your daughter!" Venom roared defiantly as Nightwing pulled out his escrima sticks. "Damn it Jake! Remember Lian! Remember Raven! Artemis! Anyone damn it!"

A small bang caught Nightwing's attention as Batman had somehow gotten to one of his many pockets on his utility belt and brought a small freezing pellet to the tentacle that held him. The tendril froze instantly before shattering.

The Dark Knight hit the floor and quickly grabbed three batarangs. The shuriken whizzed through the air, hitting the beast in its shoulder. Seconds later, three small explosions caused the thing known as Venom to stumble backwards before its red eyes glared at Batman.

Nightwing took the brief stand-off as a sign to move. Quickly leaping over the small interrogation table, the last of the Flying Graysons struck forward with his escrima sticks. With a grunt, Nightwing pushed his weapons forward, into the chest of Venom, and released a heavy shock. The creature roared, its tendrils flapping wildly around, one slapping the light overhead.

To Nightwing, it was like a horror movie. The lights flickered on and off with the room going from pitch black to lit in seconds. And then, the lights went out with the roars dying before flickering back on and an annoyed Jake Cross staring at Nightwing with his hands holding Dick's wrists.

"For the record," Jake said. "When I tell you not to open a locked door, I'd suggest that you listen next time. Either that, or turn up the charge in your little toys because next time, I'm not helping you clean up your mess."

To Dick's and Bruce's surprise, the thief stepped by Nightwing and sat back down in the chair he was originally seated in.

"Well," Jake said calmly. "Are we done with this interrogation or are there any more questions that you'd like to steal from my mind?"

Nightwing stared at the coughing Zatanna and Martian Manhunter before turning his gaze to the always stoic Batman. There was nothing Nightwing could say at the moment mostly because there was no way to make sense out of this. Jake… Venom… Raven… Adeline… David… None of it was making much sense.

A loud knock interrupted the three men's' thoughts before Black Canary swung the door open.

"We need Cross, now." she said.

Jake frowned. Batman was doing favors for him. Nightwing had unleashed Venom. And now Black Canary was giving him a way out. If the thief didn't know any better, he would say that his ex's Martian friend had somehow mind wiped Batman and Black Canary so that he could walk. But then Dinah said words that made Jake and Venom one of the same.

"The Joker has kidnapped his daughter. We need to go now." Canary said. Batman made a disagreeing grunt. "This is a family matter, Batman. Green Arrow and I are going to Artemis and Cheshire's location and we're taking the Spider. We can trial him later."

"…" Jake stood up and moved towards the blonde. "For all of your sakes, my daughter better be alive when we get there or I swear to God, I will bring this damn satellite crashing down and personally behead every single member here."

"You're not thinking-"

"Fuck you! That's my daughter!" Jake shouted, ending Bruce's statement. "You may drag your kids into this fucking war, but I'll be damned if they take Lian too." Jake glared at Black Canary. "Let's go."

"This way."

There was no other words exchanged as Jake followed the Black Canary out of the room, his Black Spider suit covering his angered face and body immediately. Jake had played along with the Justice League's rules but now he was focused, more focused than any other time in his life. He would not fail Lian like he failed his mother and sister. He would not fail her…

She was the only good thing he had at the moment…

[Star City, California]
[July 6, 13:50:16 PST]

Sophie groaned as she lied on the ground. She should be dead now but for unknown reasons, her attacker just would not get it over with. The teen slowly picked herself off of the burnt rubble, the smolders burning her skin.

Sophie was currently at a recent burn site. The building itself once housed operations for the League of Assassins. Now it was the recent victim of the Joker's doings.

"Jade," Sophie took in a breath as Artemis called to her sister. The archer in green still had tears visible in her eyes as she spoke. "This wasn't her fault. She didn't do this."

"It was the fucking League of Assassins!" cried the irate woman before punching Sophie again. The girl dropped to her knees, struggling to stand up again. "They… They took Lian away from me!"

"Jade…" Roy, who had been called by Artemis for help an hour ago, honestly did not know how to deal with this situation. Then again, it was another situation involving Jade and the daughter he had very limited knowledge about.

Artemis could not bear the scene. The area had been completely torched. The first responders to the fire were instantly slain by an irate Cheshire and there was no telling when backup would arrive. There were charred bodies near the entrance, bodies that once belonged to assassins within Jade's former place of employment.

But that was not the worst of it.

No, the worst came from when Artemis, her sister, and Red Arrow made their way into a large room and found the chained up body of Lian. The girl's body was not as heavily burnt as the others, easily recognizable by Artemis and Jade. Upon arrival, Sophie was knelt next to Lian's body, sobbing quietly.

It was then that Artemis approached her niece and lifted the girl's face up. The carved grin on her face came noticeably from the Joker. The canisters around the child's feet clued Artemis in that gas was used, most likely Joker Gas. Lian's face was puffed and bruised, her wounds still bleeding by the time Artemis arrived. Yet, what was the most sickening thing, were the deep puncture wounds- most likely from a sword of some sort- that probably killed the girl. There were three.

One through her chest…

One through her forehead…

And another one that went through the child's private parts.

Artemis had immediately thrown up in her mouth at the thought that the Joker had defiled Lian with a sword before he murdered her. Jade, on the other hand, chose to take her initial shock and anger out on Sophie.

"Jade," Roy said as he took a timid step towards the distraught woman in green. He held her Cheshire mask in his hand, offering it to her. "We need to get the body out of here. Cops will be here soon. They will want to put this on someone."

Jade glowered at the redhead. "Do you think I give a damn about them? She was my daughter Roy! And they killed her!"

"The Joker-"

"It was the fucking League!" Jade screamed at Roy before sinking to her knees. "They wanted to get back at me… They knew I was leaking information and…"

The sound of approaching footsteps caused Artemis to immediately draw her bow with an arrow. However, her hands dropped when she saw the Black Spider approaching them with Green Arrow and Black Canary behind him.

"No…" Dinah gasped.

Jake's suit receded as he approached Jade. Artemis had never seen the man's face so void of life. He seemed to not even recognize that they were there- that she was there- as he walked towards Jade, though he did pause when he saw the lifeless body of his daughter hanging by her wrists. The man looked around the area, seemingly taking everything in, before he settled in on his daughter's body.

"Sophie… How did this happen?" his voice was hoarse in a tone foreign to Artemis.

"They jumped us- betrayed us." Sophie explained. "Mistress Nyssa had two guards with us. They attacked before I could warn Miss Lian or Artemis. I arrived in time to rescue Cheshire but… They had escaped."

Jake nodded. "Who escaped?"

"The Joker, Master Jake." Sophie answered. "Please forgive my failures. I… This…"

"A guard who loses her ward doesn't need her sword. This is the League's way. Hand me your sword, Sophia." Jake spoke.

"Jake don't…" Artemis began though the man did not even acknowledge her.

Sophie begrudgingly handed Jake her sword before kneeling in front of him.

"And an assassin who no longer holds her weapon, no longer needs her life." Jake continued. "But…" Sophie looked up at the man's stone face. "You are no assassin and you didn't do anything wrong."

"She was hired to protect Lian!" Jade called as she rose to her feet. "And she failed! Failure isn't tolerated within the- ungh!"

"Shut up Jade!" Jake snapped, gripping Jade's throat. "She…" His grip loosened. "Damn it… We failed her. We failed Lian."

Artemis watched her sister and her ex embrace one another. Under any other circumstances, there would be a tinge of jealousy at the sight. But on this day, there was no envy, only understanding and grief.

"We will get them." Artemis heard Jake mumble. "I promise."

"You'd better." came Jade's reply.

Artemis took in a deep breath and glanced back at Oliver and Dinah. She did not know when and she did not know where or how but she knew that Jake Cross was about to unleash hell on Earth. And whether he admitted it or not, Artemis knew that there was one person- outside of Roy who was currently present- that Jake would find and brutalize before killing Joker.

Wally.

[Gotham City, New Jersey]
[July 6, 20:32:41 EST]

Talia spat blood as she fell to her knees. In front of her, Deathstroke stood with the five men that survived their surprise attack on the eldest al Ghul sister. The mercenary then removed his mask, a blank look on his face.

"You know, the contract says that you have to be alive by the time Nyssa takes you to wherever. But if I can find a slow enough poison, you won't die until Strange has this Arkham City thing going." Deathstroke said.

Talia glared at the man. "You have made the worst mistake of your life, Wilson. I swear on my sword, I will have your head!"

"No. I don't think you ever will." The mercenary said before sighing. "It's a shame, really. All of this because you foolishly thought that my son was really going to fight for you. Jake doesn't care about you or the League. In fact, one might say that if Jake returns, he will most likely attempt to wipe you and your organization off of the face of the planet."

"What did you do?" Talia asked.

Slade's visible eye narrowed. "Killed his daughter." The man saw Talia's reaction and raised his brows. "You don't approve of our methods? You of all people should. It was the only way to reunite the League of Assassins."

Talia stared at Deathstroke before she dropped her head.

"When he finds out," Talia said quietly. "May the spirits be kind to you, Slade Wilson. You don't know what you're unleashing."

"I think I do." Deathstroke said as he motioned the masked men with him to pick the handcuffed Talia off of the floor. "I'm going to get him to kill. And then I'm going to finally have my seat at the table. Two birds with one stone." Deathstroke put his mask back on. "Your sister will be here to take you out of the way. I suggest you play nicely or there will be two deaths in the family today."

Talia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She was not worried about whatever plans of vengeance Jake may or may not have at the moment. She cared only about putting Nyssa in her place. Beating Slade would be an extra, but finally putting an end to this war with her sister was a must. Of course, to get this vengeance, she would most likely have to employ the Heir of the Demon which meant that she would have to pay a price.

Thankfully, Talia knew one price Jake could not refuse.

Author's Notes: So here we are. The last chapter of the Outsiders Arc which reveals just who was the Joker's victim; Lian. Originally I had planned to reveal Joker's more gruesome torture, but choice against it for obvious reasons- such as that was a child of just 5. Believe me, it was kind of hard to type. Unfortunately though, Lian's death was necessary to have the League split among the sisters. Her death was also reminiscent of Sensei's as the Joker did not deliver the killing blow, yet it looked like it. This matches Jade stabbing Sensei so that it appeared that she killed the man, not Lian. As I mentioned months ago, all things here are written for a reason even if it appears to divert from the main plot.

On to Venom. While Mia is in no danger of becoming a red-Venom incarnate (Carnage for Marvel fans), Jake's transformation has more to do with his seal added with the side-effects of his suit than anything. It has been hinted throughout the story and shown time and time again that he has to keep his anger in check. As to why he locks it up in the closet in his parents' bedroom within his mind, it is a symbol to where his actual desire to kill actually began- witnessing Adeline's death. Sometime in the future, Venom will return.

The next arc will also be different as there will not be a specific time-stamp, just a giant countdown. It will wind down to the start of the final arc, the Arkham City Arc, and not reveal specific times as the previous arcs and story has done.

Finally, as I said earlier, this is the last chapter until October which means that Eli and Sora gets all the shine until then. So I'd like to say thank you for your patience and reading this long message and as always, leave a review or PM for any thoughts, questions, or comments that you have and I'll respond sometime in October (or earlier if PM). Till then, peace.