A/N : Ok so we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. Lemme tell ya this story has been a blast to write and I'm glad that so many of you are enjoying it. I've gotten quite a few reviews from peeps, but a number of them are unsigned reviewers…like my buddy Midnight. So if you get a chance drop me a line via email cause I'd love to EM some of ya back but I don't' have and addy for ya.

I hate not being able to type in hyperlinks. So my email is at my addy is: redladyreba.

Enjoy the next chapter.

Wayne Manor

New Gotham

2:55am

The first thing she became aware of, was the soft bed she was in and the familiar scents surrounding her. No matter how much pain she was in, that was definitely a good sign. What was even better was the familiar brooding presence in the room.

"Hel?" she croaked out, wincing in pain at even that tiny movement.

The younger woman crawled off the windowsill where she was perched and was at her bedside in an instant. "Shhhh, I'm here," Helena soothed. "It's okay."

But even in her half conscious state, Barbara didn't miss the conflicting emotions running rampant behind those blue eyes. "Dinah?"

A pale face ducked away from hers, and she watched with rising fear as tears began to sparkle in Helena's eyes. "She's alive…but…I don't know what happened. Leslie said she might have burned herself out or something. She's got the kid down in the cave, but…she hasn't woken up since the fight."

A sick feeling settled in Barbara's stomach, and she swallowed around the tightness in her throat. "I want to see her."

It wasn't a request, but the brunette shook her head. Barbara was about to restate her demand when she saw something else in the young woman's eyes…..pain and fear. And it had nothing to do with Dinah. Realization hit her like a lightening bolt.

"Your father…" she whispered, her good arm stretching to find the young woman's hand. There was a sniffle of acknowledgment, and Barbara understood just how precious this moment was. Helena rarely opened herself up…even to Barbara. She put on the angry, badass act to cover up for the deep emotions that were always swirling just below the surface. Barbara had finally given up trying to force the young woman to open up and settled with constantly reminding Helena that she was there for her.

Even at times like this, when she was barely conscious after being toyed and tortured by Harley for nearly an hour. Helena had been coping with some serious life altering decisions these past couple of weeks and had been trying to come to grips with her emotional issues after all these years. Bruce probably couldn't have come back at a worse time for her.

The redhead watched sadly as the tears began to spill down those delicate features, and reached up with an unsteady hand to pull the young woman down to where she could hold and comfort her. Helena curled up in a ball on her side next to Barbara, as the older woman stroked her hair gently. "I'm sorry sweetie," she whispered. "I can't imagine how difficult all this must be for you right now."

"I…I don't know whether to continue hating him, or let go of it," she cried. "I've been mad at him for so long…and then he shows up now…like this…."

"Shhhh….it'll be okay Hel," Barbara whispered. "Everything will work out, and we'll all move on with our lives."

"I don't want to loose you to Him," Helena admitted.

Barbara blinked in the darkness as this new revelation hit her. My God was that why Helena hadn't wanted him to come back all these years? Was she afraid that if Batman returned to take his city back, that Barbara would turn her back on everything they had built together? That she would trade Helena as a partner for Bruce?

Her arm tightened almost convulsively around Helena's shoulders as tears of her own stung her eyes. "Helena I will never, ever abandon you. Not for him, not for Dick, not for anyone. Remember Hel, your father ran…not me. And even when I was at my worst, you never let me run. You are the reason I was able to start over after the shooting Helena Kyle," Barbara told her fervently.

"You pushed me when I started feeling sorry for myself, you knew how to cheer me up when I got depressed, and you always seemed to know when I really needed for you to behave because life was getting a little overwhelming at the time."

That earned a sniffle and a tiny smile. "My own father didn't really know how to help me, but you were always there for me. And I tried to always be there for you – even when you were pushing me away. We're family Helena. You. Me. Dinah." Her voice cracked a little, and she tried to clear it. "I won't ever leave you."

The younger woman said nothing, just burrowed her head deeper into Barbara's side as her friend and mentor continued to soothe her trembling frame with soft words of reassurance.

The Tunnels

Manhattan

2:59 am

"Jesus its cold!" Bosco complained quietly for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

His partner was still silent however as she looked upwards to the manhole they were positioned just underneath. They could hear the sounds of activity just above, and Bosco looked up speculatively.

"Hope they don't park a truck or something over that." Still no response. "Look Faith, you don't have to be here," he sighed. "You got Fred and the kids to think of. No one's gonna think any worse of ya if you decide to stay down here."

"Bosco are you scared?" she asked him suddenly.

He stared at her in the dim light, surprise quieting him for a moment. Then he looked away, knowing he couldn't lie to her. Maybe to anyone else, but not his partner. "Yeah I'm scared. I mean this whole thing sounds more like a suicide mission than a take-down. But you know me…this is what I live for."

"I'm scared too," she admitted. "But it's all or nothin' tonight right? I mean, we're the only cops out here. We have all these…civilians," she said finally for a lack of a better word, "relying on us to be their back-up. How screwed up is that anyway? We should be the ones out there on the front lines and we're the back-up."

Bosco was silent for a moment and a low rumble slowly began to fill the tunnel. "These things….the gargoyles and all that. I used ta think they were the freaks. After tonight…they're the most noble creatures I've ever met. Doesn't mean I hafta like the mob now though."

There. That finally managed to get a smile out of her. "So you sure you wanna do this?" he asked as the rumble grew louder.

Faith took a deep breath and pulled her weapon out of its holster. "Every man is gonna count tonight Bosco. Besides, someone has to watch your back and make sure you don't get into trouble. Now get up there and get that cover off."

Elsewhere….

Brooklyn watched as the train rolled in and everyone seemed to spring to life, preparing to unload the shipment. He ginned to himself, seeing just how inattentive they were becoming to the rest of their surrounding. As the train slowed to a crawl, he reached up and tapped his comm alive. "All teams….let the games begin."

Amidst all the commotion, manholes were removed and people began scrambling out of the tunnels below, quickly searching for cover as the battle began. Lex reached down and flipped a switch on a remote that he was carrying and several blocks away a series of emergency strobe lights came to life along with the sounds of sirens causing everyone around the yard to freeze momentarily.

The light and sound show was quickly followed by several commands shouted over bullhorns by the strategically placed officers. All hell began to break loose then, and with a nod, Brooklyn and Lex leapt out of their hiding spot into the fray with a terrifying battle roar.

Pier 21

Manhattan

3:00 am

"Damnit Jason he's not here," Robyn hissed from where she was trying to keep warm on the seat of her flitter.

"Aye, but where did he go? Somethin' must ha' tipped him off, but we need to know where he went."

The sound of gunfire in the distance drew the attention of both siblings, and Jason swung his binoculars in the direction of the noise. "The Clan has their hands full tonight," he remarked sadly, being able to make out just a small portion of the intense battle raging several miles away.

"Jon isn't here, an' we owe it to the Clan to help them. We're wasting our time up here."

Jason shook his head however. "Nae sister. Those men are waiting for us down there. Jon wouldn't waste men on us unless he wanted tae keep us distracted. His fight isn't with us. Tha' shipment is still on it's way and I'll bet all o' our inheritance tha' it's on the ship that's gettin' ready tae dock at the pier two miles up river."

"How do you know it's not the one that just pulled up across the way?"

"I don't see any men with guns."

"And you see them at the other one?"

"Too far to make out that much detail. So we'll wait until they start to unload and then head over."

Pier 15

Manhattan

3:00 am

Canmore smiled to himself when the Captain flashed him the all-clear sign as he slowly nudged the large yacht sideways against the dock. Soon he would have his guns, and the monsters wouldn't have a chance against his army. Deckhands ran back and forth along the yacht, tossing bumpers over the side and mooring lines to the men waiting below. They were all dressed in camo, and Canmore had to hand it Quinn, because they all carried weapons either on their sides, or slung over their backs. Maybe a few of his troops could learn a thing or two from Quinn's. After all the man had been a mercenary soldier for the last decade or so, fighting and leading his troops in some of the ugliest private wars around the globe.

The ramp was lowered, and a dozen or so men exited the ship, seeming intent on either tying the yacht up properly, or heading towards some of the unloading gear. Canmore began to make his way towards the ship, his pace slow and relaxed as one of his other officers ran ahead of him to check things out. Several more of his men were heading up the ramp, to help with the crates that were being brought up from within the ship's hold.

That was when a gun was pressed to his back and Her voice cut through the noise like a thunderclap.

"NYPD! EVERYONE FREEZE WHERE THEY ARE AND NO ONE WILL GET HURT!"

There was a pause, and then pandemonium broke out. Despite the danger in such a move, Canmore shoved himself backwards and to the side, knocking Elisa's weapon off aim as he ducked behind a maze of crates.

Elisa paused for a second, looking back as an all-out battle broke loose between Tony's men and Canmore's. "How did I know they were gonna say that?" she muttered to herself as she took off after the youngest Canmore.

Castle Wyvern

Manhattan

3:05 am

Xanatos pursed his lips, his eyes narrowed as he watched his wife deposit the last of the intruders into the dungeon. She looked over at him smugly and blew him a kiss. "Sorry sweetie, but I win by two."

"You have a very cunning mind dear. I think I should let you handle ferreting out our moles from now on," he complimented.

"It's about time you gave me something fun to do around here," she grinned. "But I'll allow you the fun of doing as you please with the prisoners dear." Her eyes shifted to the clock and she sobered suddenly however.

"But in the meantime, let's get you suited up. You have an appointment to keep."

The brief respite the contest had provided was gone, and Xanatos stood, tugging his tie off as he and Fox headed towards the armory. "Is the medical staff on alert?"

"They are on stand-by down in the infirmary even as we speak. I appraised them of the situation, and they have prepared for just about anything that might come their way."

Stripping off his business suit, the billionaire handed them over to his wife who meticulously hung them in the locker as he donned a simple jumpsuit before climbing into his battle suit. As Xanatos powered up the machine, Fox pulled the helmet off a nearby shelf and held it in her hands, a sense of dread beginning to fill her. Her face must have shown her emotions because he paused his actions and gave her a compassionate look.

"It's starting isn't it?" he asked. Not really needing to hear the answer as she got a distant look in her eyes.

"It's like having déjà vu. God I hope Puck is keeping Alex busy right now," she whispered as she closed her eyes tightly and tried to shake the images from her mind. They were much clearer now that the chain of events were actually in motion.

He took his helmet from her, and gave her a helpless look. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do Fox. Owen says there is nothing I can do to stop whatever is going to happen, so why did he tell me to be there at that exact minute?"

"You'll know when you get there David. Be safe and return quickly."

Just as he was about to kiss her the alarms sounded, and they both frowned, annoyed. "Don't these people get a clue?" Fox muttered as she grabbed a headset, some body armor and one of Xanatos Enterprise's newest test weapons along with a couple of back-up pistols already loaded and ready to fire in their hip holsters.

Xanatos finished powering up his suit as his wife quickly donned her own protective equipment. "Do you think you can handle this alone?" he asked looking down at the chronometer on his battle suit's arm.

"Don't worry about me, love. If things get out of control, I'm sure Puck and Alex will step in. Besides, I've been looking to flex my magic muscles," she answered as her eyes flashed green. "I'll follow you to the roof and provide cover fire."

The couple jogged through the castle, up several flights of stairs and then paused at one of the exterior doors. Looking at each other, Xanatos nodded and then burst through the door. His wife was right on his heels and they split into two different directions, weapons held ready, waiting for their targets to present themselves.

It was with some amusement that they realized the alarms had sounded because Demona had landed in the courtyard. The immortal jumped back, surprised by their sudden exit, and ducked behind a corner growling.

"Xanatos where is my daughter?!" she demanded loudly.

"I might ask what you are doing here first," he answered lowering his weapon, when the gargess didn't openly attack him right away.

"I was out gliding when I saw and felt the magic being used in the Aerie. What in all nine hells is going on here and where is my daughter?" she asked again as she stepped out cautiously from around the corner.

"We've come under attack by an army of Canmore's men. Fox and I have taken care of the aerial intruders, and Puck is with my son taking care of the ground troops. The Clan is over at the train yards helping to stop a massive shipment of those guns that were being smuggled in. Now I'd really love to stay and chat, but now that we've wrapped up things on our end, I need to get down to Pier 15 to help Elisa catch Canmore."

Demona's eyes glowed bright red. "The Hunter is going to be there?" she growled out.

"Yes, he's the one-," but his statement went unheard as the indigo gargoyle ran from the courtyard and leapt off the castle wall.

Xanatos turned to look at his wife, who merely shrugged. "Puck didn't say anything about stopping her. Let her go."

Xanatos looked back at where Demona had leapt, her form already growing smaller in the night sky as she used her millennia of experience to glide as fast as possible. "I really can't get there any sooner?" he asked looking down at his chronometer once more.

Fox rested a hand over his metal clad one and he looked up into her eyes. "David, for once listen to him. Puck would have found a loophole if there was one." Her eyes suddenly grew distant, and a look of immense sadness filled her face.

"Fox?"

His wife stayed locked in her vision and he watched her intently for several more seconds before she seemed to sag a bit as she looked back up at him. "David there is one you will not save, but there is another that you can. That is why you are going. Puck was right David. Do not show up a minute too soon, or a minute too late, or you will condemn that person to a fate worse than death."

David looked at her puzzled, but she merely shook her head. "Go David," was all she said.

And so he did.

Pier 21

Manhattan

3:05 am

The two eldest Canmore's surveyed their handiwork one last time, making sure the bonds on their captives would hold until the police arrived.

"You can't just leave us out here like this!" one man exclaimed. "It's freezing!"

"Aye and ye have done just fine these past three hours. Now quit ye whining, because there's a nice warm cell just waiting for ye to call it home," Robyn snapped at the man as she straightened and nodded to her brother.

He was already waiting on his flitter, having finished checking his own captives. "Let's go Robyn, we don't know how long Elisa can hold them off."

"Did ye see who else was with her?" Robyn asked climbing onto her own flitter.

"I barely recognized her….it was the hair," he answered, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. His sister chuckled, and gave him a knowing glance as they fired up their flitters and lifted off. "I didn't see Goliath there however."

They rose above the buildings, and steered their vehicles towards the battle that was now raging a few miles away. An angry roar suddenly split the night, causing the two siblings to look at each other. "Well either ye need a stronger pair o' binoculars, or he just showed up, but I recognize that battle cry anywhere brother."

"Aye, and it looks like the Demon has come out to play as well. Look," he said in a low, pensive voice as he pointed off to the south where Demona was closing in.

"Do ye think she'll be a friend or a foe?"

"We have ta find Jonny first, or she will kill him," Jason answered as he urged his flitter on faster.

Pier 21

Manhattan

3:05 am

"Give it up Jon!" Elisa shouted as she slowly rounded a corner, gun ahead of her as she scanned the dark allies around her.

"You think because you show up with a handful of cops I'll just turn myself in?" he laughed somewhere nearby.

There was a roar, and Elisa smiled to herself. She figured he would show up as soon as Matt told him about the change in plans. Thankfully, Pier 15 was closer to the train yards than Pier 21. The Clan Leader would have spotted the commotion easily on his way to the original docking site.

"No, but the alternative is a lot less promising," she shouted back at Jon as she began to home in on his location. Why did the perps always have to make it so difficult?

"If I go down tonight traitor, I'm going tae take as many of ye and the monsters as I can!" he shouted defiantly, his brogue starting to come through in his anger.

There. Just around the corner of that next warehouse. By the sound of his voice, Elisa was able to tell which way he was traveling and doubled back around her own building to come up on him from behind. She hid in the shadows of a doorway, and watched as he crept around a corner, just down from her, walked along the length of the wall and slipped around the end of the building closest to her.

Pausing another for a moment longer, she took in a steadying breath, and then silently chased after him. She was almost on top of him, before he realized she was behind him. He spun just in time to receive a nasty pistol whip to the jaw. With a grunt he staggered backwards, raising his own weapon and firing twice at her.

The bullets hit Elisa at point blank, and he managed to smile around his split lip as she fell to the ground clutching her chest and gasping for breath. Staggering to his feet, and approached her, gun raising to put a bullet between her eyes when she rolled to one side, her leg sweeping out to knock him back to the ground. His gun clattered off into the darkness, and he stared at her in surprise as she rolled up to her knees, still struggling for breath, but very much alive.

Eyes narrowed, he spat a mouthful of blood and crawled back to his feet, wary of her own weapon. He could see the anger burning in her eyes, and he grinned at her- mocking her. Holding his hands out he laughed at her. "Now what? Are ye goin' tae shot me? I'd expect nothing less of a woman that would whore herself out to an animal"

She flinched, and her eyes turned deadly cold. The gun in her hand trembled as her rage built and Canmore knew he only had to press her a little further before she snapped. "Ye cannot kill a cause. Even if ye kill me, my followers will Hunt ye down. They will kill your precious Clan and everything associated with them. And I've made sure that it will be done right before your eyes."

"Bastard!" she screamed at him as she leapt at him.

It was the opening he had been waiting for, and he quickly knocked the gun out of her hands as they struggled to kill each other with their bare hands.