Title: Dragons, Demons, and Other Wonders of the Heart (21/??)
Author: Allaine

Disclaimers: DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Bruce Timm, the JLA animated series, etc, etc. No profit intended from my infringement.
Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Up to the episode "Starcrossed.
Feedback: Please, please, please!
Summary: With five of the seven members of the Justice League in relationships, the Flash is determined to meet someone now. But what will it do to the rep of the self-proclaimed "ladies' man" if he's the last to find love? The sequel you demanded to "Always a Bridesmaid.

Chapter 21

The silence on the other end of the phone was long enough for Talia to take in her father's pleased expression. "The things I do for you," she thought without a trace of irony.

"It's not like you to show your true colors so quickly," Batman finally said. "Usually you hold the ruse just long enough for it to become - annoying."

The best part was, thanks to the memories J'onn had permanently grafted into her brain, she felt his hurt as well as her own. Talia wasn't sure why Bruce was so upset with J'onn. Receiving a double dose of negative emotions every time she spoke with Bruce made her want to stay away from him. "You say the sweetest things," she murmured.

"I shouldn't have been surprised, Talia. Your father hurts hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis. What's playing with J'onn's life compared to that?"

Talia was so focused on behaving as if she was enjoying this call that she didn't even notice her father's approach until he took the phone from her hand. "Father?" she asked disbelievingly.

The sight of Ra's clutching a cellular phone was almost humorous, if the situation wasn't so dire. "I haven't had an opportunity to commend the detective on finally realizing that you were meant to be together. Allow your father a moment with his son-to-be."

She just stared at him, aghast. This could only end in disaster.

But Ra's sedately moved aside and raised the phone to his ear, leaving her alone with the latest Ubu.

"I surprise you."

Talia whirled around and looked at the man towering over her. "I'm sorry?" she asked, willing to have an actual conversation with her father's personal bodyguard if it distracted her from wondering what in God's name was being said over her phone.

"I am not what you are used to," Ubu said. His voice was soft, but he looked over her head, rather than into her eyes. He was watching her father, of course.

"No," she admitted. "My father does not often select men who obviously lack the strength in one arm to even carry my father's cape."

"I can at least move my fingers. Not much, but it suffices. I assure you, Daughter of the Revered One, that I defeated the other contenders with my one good arm. My father always said that I was put together wrong in my mother's womb, that the strength which belonged in my other arm was somehow spread through the rest of my body, making me the giant you see before you." He frowned distantly. "I did not exactly please my father, and when he spoke so, it was usually said to my mother so he might voice his displeasure with her."

Talia blinked. The last Ubu had largely been limited to one-word answers like "yes" and "infidel". "I'm not questioning your strength, Ubu. It's just that - "

"You doubt I can effectively lead the Kasnian mission? Even with your help?"

"Yes, I do."

He smiled now. "I entered His employ because I knew he could bring life to my designs."

"Designs?"

"You'll see when we go to Kasnia." He stiffened and lowered his head. Because, of course, her father was approaching them. Ubu's eyes must always be on the Demon's Head when possible. Much as all eyes were expected to be on Ra's al-Ghul.

Talia realized the talk with Ubu had at least succeeded in taking her mind off of the phone call. There could be no distraction now, however, and the smile on her face felt ghastly, as if it had been put there by the grotesque clown who corrupted Bruce's city.

Ra's was frowning. Not a good sign. "Father, I must explain - "

"No need." He sighed theatrically. "Men have needs. When a man calls, the woman must obey. I forgot that once you became involved with the detective, he would naturally assume he had a greater right to your time."

She felt like she'd been in a nonstop daze for the past ten minutes, and this was no different. "What?"

"He told me that he wished for you to be at his side as soon as humanly possible," Ra's told her. Then he chuckled. "You have truly won his heart if he is so impatient for your presence."

There was no earthly way Bruce would have played along with Ra's' misperception about their relationship. It was beneath his integrity and he would never say they were involved, even as a lie. Whatever Bruce had said, however, had allowed Ra's to hear what he wanted to hear.

Batman wanted to speak to her now. Undoubtedly he wished to have the one-on-one discussion with her that he'd wanted on the Watchtower.

With the information he had, Ra's naturally assumed it was a lover's tryst.

Whatever her father THOUGHT it was, the fact remained that this was an opportunity to get away from her father's watchful eye and tell someone about the Kasnian scheme. Granted, Bruce was virtually the LAST person she wanted to tell - what better way to reinforce his already firm impression that she was the same Talia she'd been for years, than to have her go running to him with information about her father's criminal endeavors?

But realistically, what chance had she ever had to make him believe she was sincere? At least the Justice League would foil the plot, and she would not take the blame for it.

And . . . should Ra's al-Ghul be allowed to abduct an immortal megalomaniac who had briefly led Nazi Germany during World War II? (Her father had smuggled weapons to both sides during the conflict, believing the two sides should be helped to kill off as many humans as possible. He had expressed his dislike for Hitler, however, so Talia dutifully held the same opinion. Had she been more independent then, however, she felt sure she would have supported the Allied cause.) Should her father be allowed to make his experiment and perhaps become immortal himself? Free to spin his webs for centuries? Or in the alternative, allow Savage to roam free once more?

Was it right for her to allow this to come to pass, even though Vandal Savage had almost killed the father of the woman who had greeted her with a smile the other night, solely because he was her father?

"But father, the mission - "

"Can go on without you. I have confidence in Ubu. Besides, we do have the element of surprise. King Gustav believes his plans to move Savage are still a secret, so he is relying on a small body of men to guard the transport. He hopes to be inconspicuous, but instead he leaves himself exposed."

No, of course it wasn't right.

She sighed. "Very well, father. I shall go right away."

Ra's looked at her fondly. "You are a true daughter, Talia."

Talia winced internally. She was not. Of that she was sure.

Who she really was, she wasn't sure at all.

(scene change - FFN is acting screwy today)

"Who's she?" she asked suspiciously.

Lex Luthor looked over his shoulder. "Oh, that's just Hope."

"I don't like her being in the room. Who the hell is she?"

"After a recent 'incident'," Luthor said calmly, "I decided it was high time that I have someone capable with me at all times. Since my previous personal bodyguard was obviously unavailable, I hired Hope on short notice. She comes highly recommended, and I'm pleased so far. Hope, why don't you come into the light so my guest feels better?"

A tall, statuesque African-American woman emerged from the shadows, dark dreadlocks draped over her shoulders. "Of course, Mr. Luthor."

"Are introductions necessary, Volcana?" he asked.

"Please to meet you," Volcana muttered, brushing her flame-red hair back over her shoulder. "Let's just get on with this." She paused. "I thought you tensed a little when you mentioned the 'incident'. I'm guessing you're referring to your meltdown on TV the other day?"

He frowned. "I don't think such unpleasantness needs to be brought up, do you?"

His unfriendly gaze unnerved her. Which didn't take much, admittedly, since her nerves were already close to shot.

"Now then, I have a job for you."

"Good," she said. "I could use the money." First thing - plane ticket. Alaska, maybe. "What's the job?"

Luthor smiled. "I need someone taken care of."

Volcana held up a hand. "Whoa, I think you've got the wrong girl, Lex. I said I could use the money, but I'm a thief, not an assassin."

"You can generate intense flames, Volcana. Why let such a talent go to waste?"

"Because my old boss wanted me to kill people for him," she said, irritated, "and I was on the run from him for years. So I don't like taking orders, and I especially don't like it when the order is a hit. Got it?"

He didn't seem at all perturbed, which bothered her.

"Actually," he finally replied, "I think you'll do this for me. And I think you'll do it for free."

Volcana burst out into surprised laughter. "Why? Are you going to hurt me if I don't?"

"Volcana, please. Threats? Do you really think I'd be so crude? That sounds like something someone else would do. Someone like, oh, Killer Frost, maybe?"

Fortunately she'd been standing near a chair. Because her legs betrayed her and she found herself sitting down. "What?" she asked thickly.

"Come, come, Volcana. Do you have any idea how much information I'm privy to? I know all about your problem. I know you need money because you're running for your life. I must confess, I don't know why exactly Killer Frost is hunting you. Care to share with me?"

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "If you've got so much information, why are you asking me?"

"Didn't you know? To learn, one must ask questions first." He leaned over his desk. "I can guarantee Frost never bothers you again, my dear."

She trembled. "That would be - nice," she acknowledged.

"But I need to know particulars. I can't make her stop chasing you if I don't know why."

"This . . . this doesn't leave the room, got it?" Her stare was directed more at Hope.

"Of course."

"Fine. When I first got out of prison," she explained, "I partnered up with a guy called Firefly."

He held up a hand and glanced at Hope. "Firefly?"

She nodded. "Firefly, aka Garfield Lynns. Pyromaniac. Convicted for arson and stalking."

"Very good," he murmured. "Please, continue."

"Right," Volcana said slowly. Was this Hope a woman or a robot? "Anyway, I figured we were a good match because of our fire-based abilities. Then he started to get possessive. It was annoying. I had to put him in the hospital when he wouldn't back off."

"Stalkers tend to act that way, Volcana."

"Yeah, well I didn't do a whole lot of research, okay? It's a mistake I keep making," she muttered. "So I decided I'd had it with men who wanted to control me, and I'd definitely had it with people who were turned on by my powers," Volcana went on, making a disgusted face. "With the Justice League out there, you need a partner if you want to have any hope of staying out of prison. So I thought I'd go in the complete opposite direction. No men, no fire. Thought I'd try someone ice-based. That way neither of us would have a real advantage over the other, and we'd both think twice about double-crossing the other."

Luthor looked at her for a moment. Then he chuckled. "Is that what you were looking for? I suppose you weren't kidding when you said you keep forgetting to do your homework."

Her cheeks burned as she sat there, seething.

"Hope," he went on, "what can you tell me about Killer Frost?"

"Dr. Louise Lincoln, became obsessed with the first Killer Frost, Crystal Frost. Turned herself into Killer Frost when the first one died. Can generate ice at will. She's vulnerable to cold attacks, and she needs to absorb heat energy from living things in order to stay alive," she said coolly.

"An obsessive woman who feeds off heat," he said. "And this is the woman you wanted to partner up with?"

"I didn't know at first," Volcana grumbled. "She was the only woman I could find with ice powers. I just assumed - ice powers, must be vulnerable to fire. And she wasn't just obsessed with Crystal Frost, she was in love with her."

"Really?" Luthor asked, raising an eyebrow. "That I did not know. How do you know?"

"Louise mentioned her - a lot. I don't know if the other woman felt the same way. Louise certainly thinks she did, but she is out of her mind, so who knows?"

"Who knows?" he repeated. "When did you find out you'd picked the wrong woman?"

"A few days before our first heist," Volcana admitted. "By then it was too late to back out, we'd been planning for days. But I was afraid of what she could do to me if she decided she didn't want to be partners any more. And then she made a pass at me."

"You weren't interested?"

Volcana laughed nervously. "Uh, no, I like the penis very much, thank you. She wasn't too happy when I said no, though, and that's when I got really worried. So I . . ."

He looked at her intently. "You what?"

She shrugged uncomfortably. "I might have led her on, made her think I'd changed my mind. I may have told her I wanted to - pursue a relationship once we'd stolen enough money."

"I'm suddenly getting a clearer picture of why Killer Frost is after you. Does she want to kill you? Or does she just want you?"

Volcana squirmed. "Either or, depending on her mood," she said. "She started taking little liberties with me. We kissed a few times. Then she started taking little tastes of my power. Nothing serious, but it left me feeling drained, and I began to wonder how long before she went too far. So after we pulled off a big score, I waited for her to fall asleep, and then I split. Took half the money and left a note."

"And she's been stalking you ever since."

"Yes," Volcana whispered. "She says we're meant for each other. Or at least I'm meant for her. Says with powers like mine, she can feed off me whenever she wants to and I'll never run dry."

"And you could never feel the same way?"

Volcana shot up from her chair and slammed her hands on his desk. "Look, I don't feel like spending the rest of my life being the sex toy of a lunatic, who I could NEVER be attracted to, until my batteries are dead!" she yelled.

"Hope, put it away. She's not going to hurt me."

For a few seconds, she was so angry that she didn't even realize Hope had been holding a gun on her until she saw the bodyguard putting the gun away. Then she self-consciously stood up, taking her hands off the desk. Two handprints were charred into the surface. "Sorry."

He waved a hand. "Forget it. You're obviously very stressed."

"She's tracked me down three times. Luthor. My powers are worse than useless against her. Every time I was barely able to escape. So yeah, I'm a little stressed."

"So wouldn't it be worth it if I could make all that stress melt away?" he asked persuasively. "For the sake of ending a single person's life?"

Volcana crossed her arms and thought about it. She'd sworn never to kill and never to let herself get under someone else's thumb. But hadn't that oath gotten her into this situation in the first place? Wasn't it better to owe Luthor than the disturbed woman who was even haunting her in her nightmares?

"Who do you want me to kill?" she finally asked, resigned now. Luckily she didn't notice how much she sounded like she had years before when Operation Firestorm had recaptured her.

Hope handed her a folder, and she opened it. A demure young woman looked up from a photograph.

"Her name is Raven," Luthor said coldly. "And she was responsible for that press conference. She drugged me, used some form of mind control, I'm not sure. I said I wouldn't hurt her friends, but she never said I couldn't hurt her. And frankly I'd rather hurt her anyway. She works at a hospital in New York City. Be careful, her known powers are listed there." He pushed a cell phone across the desk toward her. "When you have confirmed her death, call me with this. It's an untraceable phone. I want this done as soon as possible. When you do it, I'll make sure Killer Frost never goes near you again. Are we in agreement?"

She looked at them both, folder in one hand and phone in the other. "Hey, I'm a criminal," she finally said. "What's one life?"

When she was gone, Hope looked at her employer. "I realize she's free, so there's no way she can prove you hired her. But she's never killed someone before. Do you want me to follow her, make sure she goes through with it?"

"No," he said. "That phone has a homing device built in. I can pinpoint her exact location wherever she is. And I think I know someone who'd much rather do it. And as you say, she'll do it for free."

(scene change)

"So, do you want to talk about it? Or does Batman speak for the League?"

Superman sighed as he stood in the doorway. Of course J'onn knew he was there, even if his back was to him. "You read my mind?"

"Actually I could see your reflection in the computer screen. It was logical to assume you wished to discuss the party," the Martian Manhunter replied. "Isn't it funny that every time one of us comes with a 'date', it becomes a topic of discussion. Catwoman, Audrey, Talia . . ."

"I think Talia is a special case, J'onn," Superman said as he came over and sat down near the Martian.

"Right. Because of Batman."

"No. Well, yes, partly because of him. You can't expect us to take it lightly when you arrive with a woman who's caused Batman such grief. We all know what she's done to him, even you, J'onn. To be honest, it was a little reckless for you to just drop that bomb into Batman's lap without advance warning."

J'onn nodded. "You are probably right. But would it have made a difference? Or would he have reacted in exactly the same way?"

"Maybe so, but - "

"Did you think I would 'see the error of my ways' if I heard this coming from you instead of from him? Batman is allowed to bring Catwoman to the Watchtower before most of us even know they're involved, but - "

"Look, J'onn, not to break your momentum here, but you're being unfair to both Batman and myself," Superman interrupted.

"Oh?"

"First of all, if it was just a question of Talia breaking Batman's heart once," Superman said, "then I'd be more supportive of you. His own issues with her wouldn't be permitted to interfere with your relationship. But it's not just that, J'onn. Why is Catwoman a criminal?"

J'onn turned to look at Superman. "Because she steals."

"Right. She was, or is, a thief. How many people has she killed?"

"None. But - "

"And how many times has she helped Batman, and other heroes?"

"Believe me, I am not trying to suggest that Catwoman is somehow untrustworthy or a threat to the League. I am only attempting to highlight Batman's hypocrisy when he himself brought a criminal into our midst long before the party."

"J'onn, you keep saying that, but that's predicated on the notion that Catwoman and Talia are somehow equivalent. When only Talia has spent who knows how long as a lieutenant to one of the most dangerous madmen on Earth. Ra's al-Ghul has tried a half-dozen times over to take over the world and murder millions of people, J'onn! And that's just in our lifetime! Meanwhile, Talia was either actively assisting her father, or not trying to stop him."

"Even Batman knows that's not entirely true."

"Okay, so Talia switched sides a few times. She always switched back, J'onn. Even YOU know she acted not out of the goodness of her heart, but because she was obsessed with Batman. And no matter what personal baggage he has with Talia, Batman knows what the rest of us know - since the first encounter, Talia has gone out of her way to show she can't be trusted. Knowing that, whether you choose to have a relationship with her is still up to you. But you can't expect the rest of us to just sit back and allow a security risk to have free access into our lives."

J'onn hesitated. "She intends to leave DEMON. I believe she is sincere. And she's doing it for the right reasons, not because she thinks it will make someone happy. Can't she be given the right to show she's changed?"

Now Superman waited before responding. "She'd have to take some pretty concrete steps to prove it to some of the others, J'onn."

"Neither of us think she's going to win hearts over in a week, Superman. Whatever she did in the past, it can't be held against her forever. And we should get something straight here. Batman wasn't 'heartbroken' over Talia. I should know, I saw into his mind. He did have feelings for her, but her own actions prevented them from growing into perhaps something more. So let us stop talking of it as if she is Ingrid Bergman and he is Humphrey Bogart."

Superman's mouth fell open slightly. "No offense, J'onn, but that's one of the last things I ever expected to hear from you."

J'onn's cheeks colored. "During last Christmas - your mother found out I never saw Casablanca."

The Man of Steel should have known. His mother and her love affair with Bogart.
J'onn shrugged and grew serious again. "At any rate, we never intended to throw this relationship in everyone's faces. Shayera accidentally dragged it into the open. And I might add that Talia has never shown an interest in using our time together as a means of extracting information from me. Certainly she wasn't looking forward to the party, and if she were untrue, it would have been a golden opportunity for her."

"Have you - read her mind?"

"Once, weeks ago. Never again. I promised her. And I'd like to think I can judge a person's intentions without using my powers, Superman," J'onn said.

"No one's ever questioned your judgment, J'onn," Superman said quickly. Not before, he refrained from saying.

"Doesn't that give me the right to give her a chance, then?"

" . . . I won't say you can't see her during your spare time. And you know everyone has wanted you to find someone who can make you happy the way your family did. But you do realize Diana is going to be a tough nut to crack on this issue, right? That thing with Audrey - she went to Defcon 2 in a matter of moments."

J'onn frowned. "I know. I forgot to consider Diana might see Talia as a threat of exposure. Hopefully she'll see reason once a few months pass and nothing has happened in Kasnia."

(scene change)

Talia snarled as she reached J'onn's voice mail. She left an urgent message for him to call her back and flung the phone onto her bed. If he wasn't answering, it meant he was either on the Watchtower, where naturally his phone wouldn't work, or saving someone. She hoped it was the latter. If he was on monitor duty, it could be hours before he got the message.

Being left alone in her Gotham penthouse suite was her first chance to call J'onn. She'd had two DEMON soldiers by her side on the plane, and then at the airport, and then in the limousine. She didn't want to raise suspicions by talking about the Kasnian problem in front of them.

And now he was unavailable.

Talia sighed. She couldn't contact another League member. She knew about Wally West and John Stewart thanks to DEMON's eavesdropping on League communications in the past, but she didn't want to call them, because announcing she knew their identities didn't sound like a way to win hearts and influence people. So she was stuck with -

Then she froze. Of course, why hadn't she thought of it before?!

She grabbed the phone and, after contacting directory assistance, dialed a new number. "Kasnian Embassy," a voice said.

"Yes, I need to speak with the ambassador. It's quite urgent."

"The ambassador isn't in the embassy right now. Would you care to leave a message?"

Talia bit her lip, aggravated. "No, just - yes, tell her my name is Talia, and that we met briefly at a party the other night. Tell her I was Jon's date. Ask her to call this number. It's a matter of gravest importance."

She hung up once she gave the number. Audrey probably would never receive the message. Why was she always destined to fail?

"Is this where you seduced him?"

She cried out and spun around, dropping the phone. "Bruce!" she gasped. "Must you DO that?"

"It's Bruce now?" Batman asked coldly. He loomed before her, evidently going for a maximum intimidation factor. It was working, too. "Not 'Beloved'?"

The scorn in his voice wounded her. "That was for my father's benefit. You have no idea how little saying that word pleased me."

"I noticed," Batman said. "He seems to think we're a couple now. I can't say I'm exactly surprised. I've wondered once or twice if you've ever described to your father one-night encounters between us that only occurred in your head, just to assure him that the plan could still work."

Talia turned away. "What were you saying earlier? A seduction?"

"J'onn. Is this where he came to you?"

She scoffed. "No. I shall never return to THAT hotel again. And I didn't seduce him. You know what happened that night."

"Something happened to him that night. Did he become aroused? Did you notice? Is that when you decided you could manipulate him to get to me? Well, you succeeded. You got your late-night meeting in your rooms. You only had to use a good man to do it."

"I am NOT using him!" Talia snapped.

Batman scowled at her. "I liked you better over the phone. At least you were being as honest as you can be. Give it up, Talia. What am I supposed to think when you call me beloved? When you've told your father that love has brought us back together? That it was all just a ruse?"

"Gee, I don't know. YES?"

He paused. "So you're saying you haven't been trying to make me jealous? That it has nothing to do with me?" he asked dubiously.

She rubbed her temples. "Bruce, to be perfectly honest, I would prefer never even seeing you again, much less having a conversation with you. It's too painful for me."

Batman curled his lip. "Seeing me with another woman?"

"He TOLD you what he did to me. With your memories. Every time I see you, my own brain shows me a dozen instances where I betrayed you, squandered what feelings you had for me. It makes me nauseous, Bruce. It's not something I enjoy."

"And you expect me to believe you."

Talia glared at him. "You say my father and I never change. Well, when have I ever lied about my feelings for you, Bruce?"

He just looked at her. "This isn't some scheme to get my attention," he finally said. He almost sounded worried, as if that had been the preferable scenario.

"Have I wounded your male pride?" she sneered.

"And this obviously isn't a plot orchestrated by your father," he continued, and she realized he was speaking more to himself than to her. "Because he thinks you're with me."

"My father's desire for an heir notwithstanding, I doubt he would be pleased if I gave birth to a green baby," she muttered.

"So the only remaining possibility is . . ." Batman went on staring at her. "You can't do this."

"Can't do what?"

"Can't do this to him."

"Do what?"

"Make him the newest player in your deluded game, the way you made me. Except what you're doing is worse, because the way he's defended you can only mean he's starting to have real feelings for you."

"I'm not going to do anything like that!" she said hotly.

"I can't allow you to hurt a good man like J'onn," he replied. "I was able to figure out your cycle of endearments and lies before I could begin to care for you. But you're the first woman he's had feelings for since he lost his family, and he's ill-equipped to deal with what's to come - you endlessly leading him on, and then slapping him down again."

Talia clenched her fists. "I know full well about his family. Do you think I'd extend his anguish?"

"Every one of your 'unannounced visits' was an unending source of aggravation for me, but you never seemed to take the hint. I'm sure you'll do the same to him when his affections wane long before yours."

"Wait a second," she retorted. "You never turned down the information I brought you, Bruce! You knew I was your window onto my father's operations, and you USED that!"

"Like you didn't know that," he sneered. "That's the only reason you came to me. It wasn't because you thought your father was wrong. It was because you were trying to buy my time. Which is probably one reason why you never left DEMON - you knew I wouldn't put up with your bullshit any longer."

Talia flinched, because his words weren't entirely untrue. "I'm trying to change!"

"Talia, you've been secretly seeing one man, while allowing your father to believe you're in love with another. That doesn't reassure me that you've suddenly become emotionally stable. Just because I'm willing to believe you no longer want to be with me doesn't mean I have to think you've changed. You've spent your life emotionally fixated on a series of men - Ra's, me, now J'onn? Is he the latest man you've crafted a fantasy life around? I'm not going to sit idly by while you spend the next year convinced J'onn is your new savior."

"Fine, I'm crazy. Perhaps I should engage a therapist. Would that satisfy you?"

"It's a step in the right direction. But I don't think it's drastic enough."

"Look, you're the last person I wanted to say this to, but I have no choice. Tomorrow night - "

"If you won't put an end to this for his sake, then I will."

Talia turned back. His voice was much closer than before, and sure enough, he was standing right in front of her. He grabbed her arm. "What are you - " she began to ask.

Then he pressed a small device to her arm, and she felt a sting.

There was a second or two where her vision swam, but that was her only awareness of what was happening before she passed out.

(scene change)

Talia groaned as light hit her eyes. She squeezed them tighter and lifted a hand to block the light.

Or tried to. She found she couldn't move her hand.

Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself in a long room lined with hospital beds. "What?" she slurred.

Raising her head, she looked at herself. Her clothes were gone, replaced with some kind of antiseptic uniform, almost like the scrubs surgeons wore. Her ankles and wrists were in some form of restraints.

Talia began to realize that, as usual, something had gone horribly wrong.

A doctor came over. "Ah, I see the sedatives have worn off? Right when he said they would."

"Where am I? Why are my hands and feet bound? Who are you?!"

"Well, miss, to answer your first question, this is the infirmary at Arkham Asylum. As for why, we've been asked to hold you for observation. Don't worry, it's only for a couple days and you'll be kept segregated from our more dangerous inmates. I regret we had to - "

She didn't hear the rest. She just screamed.

To be continued . . .