A/N: CATgrl, thanks for the review. Yes, Synthroid means some definite businesses, and the romance is slightly going to be in this chapter. I'm not real, real good with really heated scenes, even if I include some in nearly all of my stories.

Chapter 8

Terry was laying against Corinna's body and softly kissing her neck. He'd experienced more emotions within the time with her than he ever had in his life. He felt good at the time being and wasn't really concerned with the troubles in the world, or even the troubles that were stirring in Gotham. Terry had no idea that Corinna's mentor was out terrorizing the city to prove the point that he was stronger than the rest of them.

Corinna had her stare fixed on the wall as she let Terry kiss her neck. Her mind was dazed, and she was struggling to get a grip on what was going on. But all she seemed to notice was the soft touch of Terry's lips on the tender skin of her neck.

Corinna moved her glance to face Terry. His hair was a midnight black, just like hers, and she reached up and ran her fingers through the thick tresses. Terry stopped kissing her and nuzzled her neck; it made Corinna gasp. The feelings she was experiencing were foreign to her, and she felt extremely uncertain about how she felt. 'It's business,' she kept saying over in her mind, but her body didn't believe it. She knew there was something deeper beneath those words, something that was not suppose to happen.

'God, what would Synthroid say if I told him about this? All I was suppose to do was drug Terry to keep him from going after him. He'll kill me if he learns that I seduced Terry and got him in my bed.' Corinna thought. 'What's the matter with me? I've been a ninja for a while now. My training is still painfully fresh in my mind, and it tells me this is wrong. These feelings are wrong, but I'm liking them.'

Terry was still as he laid with his head against Corinna's collarbone. She could feel his breath softly on her skin, and she shut her eyes. Her sense of touch zoned in on each of his breaths that glided past her skin. Corinna knew by the way she was focusing on everything Terry did, like his breath against her skin, that she was in too deep for denial to be a cover up.

Terry was listening to the rhythmic beating of Corinna's heart when his pager went off. Its jingle was a high pitched series of beeps that made Terry jump. He slid over and picked his beeper up off of the floor. Bruce was contacting him. "Damn," he muttered.

Corinna leaned up on her elbows. "What's wrong?"
Terry looked back at her. "I'm in serious trouble," he told her as he gathered up his clothes.

Corinna leaned back and stretched as Terry redressed himself. She knew Bruce Wayne was paging him, and her mindset was in not in ninja/assassin mode. She was simply going to let him walk out and know exactly how to get back, if he needed to. That simply mattered nothing to her because she liked knowing he could come back and visit her. Her hormones had kicked in and clouded all rational thought, and she could do little to fight it off.

Terry saw Corinna laying on her stomach watching him as he pulled on his jacket. She pointed to the door. "If you press the red button, it will let you out. Then, turn left and head down the hallway until you reach the elevator. The elevator will bring you to the bottom floor. Go right, and you'll be at the back exit." Corinna explained.

Terry nodded and raced for the door. Reality was settling back into his brain, much to Terry's dismay. He would have preferred staying in there with Corinna and feeling wanted again than go and be punished for failing to make a vital appearance in the city.

As soon as Terry left, Corinna got up and locked herself in her bathroom. She sat on the cold tile floor as she tried to get a grip on what was going on. Her body and mind were sending mixed signals, and Corinna got up off of the floor. She stepped into her shower and turned it on. The blast of cold water threw her back into reality right before the hot water cascaded down and comforted her.

Terry sped away from the building on his motorcycle, and he passed a vehicle that was slowly landing. He didn't worry with it since he had Bruce Wayne's fury to worry about. He didn't even notice that the vehicle landed at the front of the building he'd just been at.

Synthroid led his men, as well as the group of runaway junkies he'd taken with him, into the building. "Runaways, this will now be your home, and I will be your boss." He glanced back and saw the fear in all of the runaways' eyes. "Do not fear, I will not bring you harm as Spellbinder did."

The eighteen-year-old spoke up. "What about our addictions? Spells has us pretty wired."

Synthroid turned to him. "I have an injection that will clear your heads."

Synthroid walked into the building and found it perfectly dark, as he'd left it. He pushed a button, and lights along the top of a corridor lit up. "All runaways, follow me. We will deal with your addictions first. Then, you shall meet my good friend and ninja. She will be your teacher from here on out. But all of the things she fails to point out, I will show you. My ninja is limited where as I am not. I am a cyborg and have few limitations."

The runaways exchanged glances and began chattering amongst themselves. The eighteen-year-old said, "It must be nice to never have to give in to anyone."

Synthroid glanced back at the young man. "I answer to my ninja and my men. I employ a give and take system. I should not be giving all orders; I should be able to take orders as well."

"I believe there will be a very good professional relationship here," the young man replied.

Synthroid opened up his lab and ushered the junkies inside. "I assure you it will be. Soon, you will join my league of men and serve as my defense and friends." He picked up a syringe off of a pan of two dozen syringes. "Now, let me help you kick those addictions." None of the runaways had to be asked twice, and they all ran over to Synthroid in hopes to be cured of their haunting addiction.