Barbara left several messages on my machine by the time I made it to my apartment. I erased them all without listening to them.

I'm sure she's tried to get me through my comm link too, but I really could give a shit right now. It's off and it's staying off.

As I toss my coat onto the back of a chair, I go to the fridge and grab a beer. Busting it open, I take a few swigs and then collapse onto my newspaper-littered sofa. I don't think I've even read any of the papers thoroughly, just read a page here and there and tossed them down.

Leaning my head back, I can't help but replay the fight between myself, Barbara and Dinah over and over in my head. I don't know I'm allowing myself to think about it, other than the fact that I'm sick of Barbara acting like she knows everything and everyone else around her is a babbling idiot. I worry about Dinah sometimes, being she hangs around with Barbara so much. I fear that she too will start acting like a snotty know-it-all and then I'd have two people that would soon been eating my fist.

Taking another sip of my beer, I get up and drag myself into my bedroom where I plunk down on the bed. I set my beer on the nightstand and laid down only for a minute, but it was one minute too long because I fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

***

Those eyes. Those red, glowing eyes. They're staring at me. I can almost feel them burning a hole through me.

They blink and disappear into the darkness for a split second and then they're there again. Blood red and glowing with evil.

Just as I'm about to walk towards them, I see them narrow and then I hear the growl. The growl is a dull rumble and then an ear-drum-blowing roar as it crouches and jumps at me.

The adrenaline in my veins is like an out-of-control tidal wave and I soon realize that it's just a dream as I bolt upright in my bed, panting and sweating as my heart thumps widely against my chest wall. "Holy shit," I exclaim as I lick my lips and swallow hard as I continue to breathe heavily.

I look over at the clock and realize it's midmorning, so I drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom to take a shower before heading out to track down this freak who's now invaded my dreams.

***

I spent a good part of the afternoon and early evening asking around about this red-eyed thing that's been sucking organs out of people and not one person has given me any information. I find it really hard to believe that I'm the only one that's seen this thing.

I have a feeling that a few people that I talked to have seen it and are afraid to admit it. One in particular comes to mind because when I asked him about it he nearly pissed his pants. He claimed he didn't know what I was talking about, but his reaction said the opposite. So, I'm keeping an eye on him. Perhaps he's the next target? In a way I hope he is so I can find out who this son-of-a-bitch is and stop him before he kills somebody else.

As I sit on this rooftop, watching the man down at street level, I put my finger to my comm set. I lightly trace it so I'm sure not to activate it because I'm still wondering if I should. Barbara and I have had it out many times before, and this won't be the last time, but it's so damn annoying.

I want to contact her because I could use some more info, but on the other hand I...

"So you're just gonna write us both off and do things your way from now on, huh?"

I was so lost in thought I didn't even hear Dinah sneak up behind me. My bad, that could get me killed.

I don't turn around, I don't want to give her the satisfaction. "What? And you and Barbara don't already do things your own way? But then again, your way is always right. What an idiot I am, I totally forgot."

Dinah approaches and stands next to me. "Look, she's been at this a hell of alot longer than the two of us so I'm going to put more stock in what she's got to say."

That one stung, and I glared at her to let her know it.

"I don't mean that I'm never going to listen to what you have to say, but sometimes Barbara's right. And sometimes...well...Barbara's right when she says you're pig-headed and..."

"I'm not quite sure why you bothered to track me down other than to basically tell me 'fuck you,' in so many words."

Dinah uncrossed her arms and huffed. "I'm being honest with you. I want to work WITH you, not against you, but I think you really need to listen to me and Barbara sometimes."

I stood up and got in her face, pointing finger and all. "Smarten up, she's using you in order to make you into her little Minnie Me. She tried that shit with me and it didn't work. You've proven that you're easily influenced and she's using that to her advantage. She's using your weakness as her personal gain."

Dinah's bottom lip began to quiver and I knew that any minute she was going to bust out into tears, happens every time.

Guess what...I was wrong.

Her fist buried itself in my ribcage before I could blink an eye. I hit the ground gasping for air and grunting in pain. We've sparred before and she's never hit me with such force.

"I'm not weak!" she spat as she kicked me hard in the ribs, doubling my pain. "Take it back!" she yelled as she used her telekinesis to lift me off the ground and then slam me back down.

At least one of my ribs cracked under the force and each breath caused more pain.

"I said TAKE IT BACK!" she screamed as I flew into the air once again, but this time I was thrown towards the ledge of the rooftop.

I crashed into the stone wall, rolled onto the ledge on my back and fell backwards over the ledge. Luckily, I grabbed onto a metal bar on the fire escape on the way down, or else I would have splattered all over the ground.

My ribs screamed at me as I hung at least six stories in the air from a small metal bar.

Sucking in a breath, I swung my legs over towards the fire escape and hooked them around some other bars of the structure so I could get inside to the stairway.

I managed to get to the stairs and took a moment to clutch my side as I tried to breathe through the pain. Then, I began walking down towards the street.

I jumped off the stairs and crashed onto the ground. The harsh movement cause the crack in my ribs to expand and break. I've broken ribs before and this time was no different in that it hurt like hell. I think it hurt more knowing who caused the damage.

Leaning against the brick wall of the building, I took a moment to gather myself before attempting to get up.

:: Huntress?!? :: I hear Barbara yell in my ear.

"Oracle?" I gasp in pain-filled yet confused voice. I never turned my comm on so how did she...

:: I overrode your comm in order to contact you. Have you seen Dinah? ::

Had I ever. "Yeah," was all I could manage to say.

:: Where is she? Is she with you right now?:: Barbara's voice reeked of panic and fear.

"No," I grunted as I swallowed hard. "She was just on the rooftop with me." My voice barely spoke the words because it was getting harder to breathe.

:: I need you to keep tabs on her until I get out there, but you need to stay away from her. She's been infected! ::

My sleepy-pain-filled eyes shot open as I heard the word. "What? Infected?"

:: We were out last night and she was attacked by the same monster that you saw. When I got her back to the Clocktower, she started showing signs of heightened aggression. She... ::

Dinah walked out of the darkness and stood in front of me, stealing my attention away from Barbara's voice.

:: Huntress? :: Barbara called out.

I clutched my side as I got to my feet, ready for her attack.

:: Huntress?!? ::

Dinah folded her arms over her chest as she smiled evilly at me. It sent a shiver up my spine because this wasn't the Dinah that I knew.

"You need help, Dinah."

:: Huntress?!? She's there with you? ::

"Yes," I said flatly and softly.

:: I'm on my way! ::

Dinah broke out in a fit of laughter. "You really think Barbara's gonna come out here and save your sorry ass after all the things you said?"

"She's coming out here to help you. You've been infected by that...that freak!"

"He's not a freak!"

I should have kept my big mouth shut because I soon found myself being lifted off the ground and hurled towards a storefront window.

The sharp shards cut through my coat and dug into my flesh as I broke through the glass. The sound of the breaking glass was sharp and deafening.

I lay still for a moment on a bed of broken glass as I tried to get my bearings together.

"Aw. Did that hurt?" Dinah taunted from the sidewalk.

I tried to sit up but immediately felt a sharp, burning pain in my already wounded side. At first I thought I'd broken more ribs, but looking down I could see that I'd been impaled by a large shard of glass.

I didn't have much time to think about it because Dinah climbed through the window and hauled me up into a sitting position as she grabbed onto the lapel of my coat.

"I'm sorry that I had to be so rough with you, but you need to be a little more open-minded and a little more closed-mouthed."

Trying to stay alert, I did my best to keep my eyes from rolling back into my head. The pain was nagging at my brain to shut my body down, but I couldn't pass out because he was behind her.

He growled and snarled as saliva dripped from the huge fangs that protruded from his mouth.

If I had to describe him, he'd definitely be something out of the movie Alien because he didn't look human.

"Let me introduce you," Dinah said as she held onto the leather tighter and dragged me out to the sidewalk.

The pain was excruciating. In fact, it was so bad, I wanted to cry.

She let go of my jacket and I flopped to the ground, immediately rolling onto my right side in order to take the pressure off the other side. I was bleeding everywhere and with the glass poking out of the wound it was hard to put my hands over it to get it to stop.

"This is Helena, oh, I mean Huntress. Sorry, looks like I've given away your little secret. She likes to play superhero so she's got a code name."

"Oracle?" I whispered in a desperate, whimpering cry. But there was no answer.

"My new friend here's had to 'borrow' some organs from unsuspecting donors in order to stay alive. He's quite intelligent. He's even performed the transplants on himself, believe it or not."

The alien-like creature stuck his chest out to display the nasty, scarred skin that looked like it had been cut and sewn back together with rope and a ski pole.

"He needs a heart and I think yours is the strongest one that I know of. So..."

"I don't think so," Barbara said as she wheeled up behind them, gun in-hand.

The creature turned around and lunged towards Barbara. I heard three shots ring out and then heard a loud thud as he fell to the ground. My stomach rolled as I saw thick, green fluid leak from his body and begin pooling around him.

"You bitch!!" Dinah yelled as she turned towards Barbara who was raising a gun at her.

"Dinah, no!!" I tried to yell, but it came out more like a whisper.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth against the pain as I heard two shots ring out. I quickly looked over and saw Dinah fall to the ground.

My body couldn't take it anymore and finally shut down.