3

The next morning, Triquetra Headquarters was awake a lot earlier than usual. Of course this was mainly due to the fact that noone had been able to sleep anyway, and actually had very little to do with Blue Moon rousing the troops with single foghorn reveille courtesy of her own lungs. The large circular table in the heart of the building became the nerve centre of their planning, littered with the sheets Raven had been able to steal. "They're plans of the city," Venom stated, slightly confused. "The sewer system, street and development maps. Most of this is available legally. Why go to all that trouble?"

"I don't think this is legal, Ven. Stonegate Prison and Arkham Asylum schematics aren't handed out to tourists on the first flight in, y'know?" Speedy muttered, pointing out two large sheets at the centre of the table.

"What would they want there?" Raven said quietly, thinking out loud.

"People, Havoc, Items that are kept there as evidence, any combination of the above. Take your pick," Blue Moon supplied helpfully. "It's been done before."

"Should this be here?" Terra enquired, pulling a sheet out from the bottom of the pile after spotting its title. "GCPD headquarters... This keeps getting better and better."

"But, why? Don't these people always have a grand master plan? World domination, City Domination, destruction of the local super-group, something like that?" BB added, leaning back in his chair and swinging his feet up on the table

"That's what we have to figure out. And so far, this is all we have. Use it," Venom told him, flicking through the rest of the papers in case they'd missed something.

"Hold the phone!" Blue yelled, making them all jump and sending Beast Boy backwards. "Mates, we are in serious Barney!"

"What?" they asked in confused unison.

"Barney Rubble. It means trouble if you're a Cockney! That's not the point! Look at this. This is the shit we're knee deep it right now!" She threw a stapled sheaf of sheets down onto the table in front of them. Trying to get the five remaining members around it was quite a squeeze, until finally Venom and Raven gave up, moving back and allowing the others to fill them in.

"What does it say?" Raven asked, a little more interested than was usual for her as she craned her neck to see around the edge of the paper.

"It's like... Blackmail material," Terra informed her, "But none of it's really what you'd call decent Blackmail material."

"Keep reading Tez, it gets bloody decent when you hit the last couple of pages," Blue cried despairingly, dropping her head into her hands.

"Wow, you're right... Is this one true?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Hey Speedy, what about this one?" BB snickered, looking like he was ready to collapse laughing.

"You ever bring that up, and I will think of so many, so painful ways to kill you you'll wish you'd cut your own tongue out. Wait, wait! This one about Telly can't be true. The second-last one here, can it?" An uncomfortable, stony silence fell over all of them. Even those who hadn't seen the short sentence could guess what it said. "I'll take that as, 'Sorry, but it's true,' shall I?"

"We all make mistakes. Telly's were just... hard to fix." Venom supplied.

"But she's good now. She may not always be nice but she's always good." Blue Moon was solemnly defensive of her lost friend, but at the same time snatched the paper back from them in case they should find out what the very last one was. "Which is precisely why we have to stop talking and-"

"Blue, what's this?" Raven asked cautiously, holding a thin slice of red plastic between her fingers.

"That's Teleka's communicator chip... That's weird. Neither of them should have been able to get this out without seriously damaging the com, and that sets off and alarm and a tracker here at HQ." She reached for her own communicator and replaced her chip with Teleka's. She fumbled for a second. "Venom, what's her bloody password? I can't remember it."

"Why do you ask me these things, when you know I never know because I'm not the nosy one in this building?"

"I am not nosy, merely curious. And thank you, you just subliminally reminded me! It's 'getoutblue'," she muttered as she typed. "Remind her to change it when she gets back, because you all know now." She began to check through the contents of the chip. "I don't know... Everything looks normal. Oh hold on a sec, what's this?" She pressed only one more key before a holographic image appeared over the screen and she jumped backward, falling off her chair with a shout. "Bloody – Oh... it's only them two."

The image of Nocturne and Daimen was evidently pre-recorded on the chip, playing back a message. "Well done. You're slimier little pickpockets than I gave you credit for," Nocturne began, dripping with sarcasm as usual.

"Anyway, we're sure you've found the maps by now..." Daimen continued.

"Or else you're not slimier little pickpockets than I gave you credit for."

"Which means you either worked out our plan, or you've got some idea of what it involves..."

"Anything else would mark you as utterly dense."

"And we just thought it would be only fair to warn you that if we see so much as a trace of any of you within about a mile of any of those buildings, Nocturne here stops Teleka's heart, there and then."

"And to add insult to injury, you'll never find her body!"

"So the bottom line is, if you value her life, and you want Teleka returned to your little landmark alive and well, you won't stop us. It's your choice, you can lose a friend, or you can lose this city. I hope you make the right decision."

"Do you think our little stunt'll work, hon?" Nocturne asked playfully, twining her fingers through Daimen's.

"We just ensured their cooperation on the night, Noc. Don't worry about it," he assured her, pulling his hand away.

"Leather on Skin doesn't absorb."

"Just in case."

"What's wrong? Something's bothering you, I can sense it," she said concernedly, turning him to face her and meeting his eyes. "Tell me."

"What if this doesn't work out?"

"Then we'll make them regret it and start over. Look at it this way. Would it be half as much fun if it were easy? Why? Are you bottling out on me already?"

"Not a chance, Noc. But you've had all the fun so far. When all this is over, I'm taking the Triquetra and their little helpers down, one by one."

"When all this is over honey, they're all yours."

"When all this is over, they're mine!" Blue Moon fumed. The rest of the party were scouring the city, hunting down any connections they might have, tracking down any leads. Blue, however, due to her slightly unstable moods, had been nominated to stay behind at HQ in case any information should come that way. "Nobody's listening anymore, are they?" She received still no reply on her earpiece. "I... didn't think so."

"I'm sorry Blue, did you say something?" Terra said, unwittingly jabbing.

"Oh I was just saying, when all this is over, everything's going to be fine. You know me, ever the optimist Tez!" Blue replied sarcastically, crumpling in front of the television. "How's everyone doing anyways?"

"The East Side's clear," Terra supplied, scanning her area from high above the ground.

"West Side's empty. God, does this place always clear out so quickly at night?" Beast Boy's witty observations had constantly been a source of annoyance, but for once, noone had bothered to shut him up.

"Pretty much. Does anything ever happen on the South Side? Why was I sent here?" Venom complained.

"Because Nocturne sounds and acts like an aristocrat. She'd like the quiet side of town. North Side's clear." Speedy sounded almost smug when he spoke, although noone noticed.

"Save it, Speedy-"

"I'm just saying-"

"Will you two give over!? Are you sure?" Blue Moon enquired, utilizing her lie-detector powers to hear something on his voice.

"Yeah, there's no sign of anything out of the ordinary." Blue was about to question him further when Raven interrupted.

"I might have a lead in Central. If I still don't need glasses, I just spotted Nocturne."

"Location," Venom demanded, leaping towards his bike, while the others across the city headed in to meet Raven. She swooped in closer to read the sign, noticing that none of the entrants were exactly dressed for battle. Suits and dresses were more the trend.

"It's called the Iceberg Lounge," she informed them, drawing a collective breath from those familiar with the city. "Was it something I said?"

"The Penguin owns that place, Rae. Almost legitimately. He'd probably end up suing the Triquetra for damages," Venom answered. "That's what we're dealing with here."

"Just be careful," Blue Moon warned them all before asking, overzealously, "Do you need me now?" Only silence answered her. "Fine then. But Speedy's staying behind next time!"

"Natalia, darling!" Oswald Cobblepot, better known as the ruthless crime-lord the Penguin, greeted Nocturne exuberantly as she strolled into the office. "It's been so long. What can I do for you?"

"Ozzy, honey, reverse your query," she spoke softly, dropping into the chair on the other side of his desk. "It's what I can do for you."

And what would that be, Miss Kitka?" he asked her quickly, suddenly very intrigued.

"An associate and I are in need of a third party, and perhaps a place to cover a little operation of ours. We've agreed, Ozzy. We're willing to cut you in if you'll simply allow us to utilize one of your back rooms here at the lounge, or perhaps one of your warehouses elsewhere. Any little space will suffice." She presented her offer with the utmost confidence, reclining sleekly in the chair like the cat who knows which old dear on the street will feed it. "I do owe you so many favours from oh so long ago..." she added, knowing that as she did so she might as well have been sealing the deal.

"And what have you to offer me from this... venture, dare I say, of yours, Natalia?"

"Why Ozzy dear, the entire south side of Gotham City. And no less. Who knows? Perhaps even better fortune than we can expect shall befall us. You could end up with more. Are you interested?"

"Perhaps. Explain to me the details of your plan, Natalia."

Meanwhile, at Triquetra Headquarters, Blue Moon was still muttering in annoyance as she flicked through the channels. "It's true what they say. Twelve hundred stations and nothing to watch..." she murmured. She had skipped past the news channel by the time she recognised the brief flicker of the image and raced backwards. "You've got to be... That's..." she pushed her earpiece back into her ear. "Hey everybody! Smile; you're on bloody TV!"

The party had fanned out across the rooftops surrounding the Iceberg Lounge, watching all entrances and exits visible. Noone had spotted the news crews at the windows of the complex however.

"It says on the news, the birthday celebrations of Selina Kyle have been seemingly besieged by the teenage heroes of both this town and others. Get out of there, it's a trap!" Blue shouted manically.

"No. This is just Nocturne's way of protecting herself. If we leave, we might miss something important," Speedy reasoned, drawing back into the shadows of his rooftop as he spoke.

"And if you don't, God knows what's going to happen! Get out of there, now!"

"Blue, if you were here, you'd be doing exactly the same thing. We can handle it." Venom's tone was final, not allowing her to argue any further. "Just leave it. We'll be fine."

"You better be, because you know how much I hate saying 'I told you so',"

"Blue, you love saying 'I told you so.'"

"So?"

"So? Can I be assured of your cooperation, Ozzy hon?" Nocturne asked sweetly after he had eagerly expressed his interest.

"You certainly can, Natalia my dearest. Such a pleasure to do business with you once again!" He took her hand, always the utter gentleman, and softly kissed it.

"Thank you Ozzy. I knew I could rely on you. But now I must ask you one last favour. Would you mind terribly if I borrowed a few of your girls? Those pesky heroes are outside and I need to fend them off for another... fifteen minutes," she asked pleasantly, glancing at her diamond-encrusted watch.

"Why certainly, my dear!" he chuckled. "I'll send them out right away. In fact, I believe they can handle a few meddlers, why don't you stay for a while and enjoy the party?"

"Well Ozzy, I think I'll take you up on that offer." Nocturne smiled, sleekly shimmying out into the club, just as a dozen of the Penguin's trained beauties walked out into the street, ready to face the five heroes.