A/N: I'm not going to bore you with a long a/n so thanks for your feedback and enjoy….

Somewhere there was a tremendous crashing of glass breaking. A body slamming full force into hers shattered Elisa Maza's peace, as an inhuman scream was ripped from the throat of her unwanted savior.

"No," Elisa sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut even as she recognized that howl and could feel Demona's body shudder as she underwent the last of her transformation.

Up above, the Clan watched in shock and then relief as Demona made a timely and dramatic exit from the castle library window, just a second after Elisa had hurtled past. She slammed into Elisa and their bodies tumbled in the air for a few more breathless seconds before her transformation was complete enough for her to spread her newly sprouted wings.

There was another howl from the indigo warrior, a mix of agony and anguish as she slowed their decent scant moments before they both became imbedded in the frozen concrete below. People were staring up at them in fear and surprise, screaming at first and then cheering as they realized they were witnessing a rescue.

It took all of her will to angle her wings to arch them upwards where the currents would lift them both. Elisa was trembling and sobbing in Demona's arms. "Just let me go," she was repeating over and over.

Demona's grip tightened on her, and Elisa felt herself slipping into oblivion. Just before she slipped under however, she caught one final glance of her savior's face and would have gasped if she'd had the strength. Demona's eyes went from blood red to brilliant white, and as their gaze lock, Demona emitted seven small words that followed her into unconsciousness.

"I'll always be here to catch you."

Demona felt Elisa go slack, turned her gaze upwards to see the anxious faces of the others looking down at them. A violent shiver ran through her body, and when she looked back down at her precious cargo, her eyes were scarlet once more. A tear streaked down her cheek and was carried away by the frigid night air that swirled around her. "I can't always keep you from falling, but I'll always be here to catch you," the immortal swore before she swerved away from the castle and headed home with Elisa safely cradled in her arms.

In a different plane of existence……

He gasped, weak and shaking like a newborn hatchling, as he collapsed to the ground. He wasn't allowed much rest as his mentor hauled him back to his feet.

"What the hell did you think you were doing!" he shouted angrily.

"I…I could not let her die…like that…not like that…." Goliath panted.

"Damnit Goliath, that is not up to us! Do you realize the ramifications for this?" Boston asked gravely. Then he moaned. "Man, I am so dead. Sue is going to have a fit."

"I'm sorry…but I couldn't let it happen. I'll accept whatever fate is in store for me… but I had to do it."

"It is not just your fate we are talking about now Goliath. Yes you could have damned yourself for all eternity by pulling a stunt like that. But your actions now will now jeopardize the lives of others- including hers. Pull yourself together," Boston told him shortly. "We've got to get the team together and deal with this situation before it spirals out of control."

Castle Wyvern

Manhattan

"Wh- What the hell is she doing?" Brooklyn shouted as he watched Demona take off with Elisa's limp body. He moved to leap off the parapets, when Angela's arm settled on his shoulder.

"Let them go Brooklyn," she said softly her eyes glued on her mother's retreating form.

"Angela…Elisa just tried…she just…she.." he sputtered, unable to bring himself to say it.

"Lass she may be in need of medical attention," Hudson suggested gently.

"There's nothing that can be done for her right now that my mother can't heal. She is the only one who can reach Elisa now," Angela answered distantly. She had seen her mother's eyes for that brief moment that she had glanced upwards. She knew there could only be one explanation for the brilliant white glow that had filled them for those few intense seconds.

A breathless Xanatos had joined them on the castle ledge, staring silently off into the distance. Angela finally turned to him, noticing his somewhat pale features. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

He looked at her, and for the first time ever, the Clan watched the normally calm and reserved billionaire loose it. "Are you kidding me! Damnit Angela I watched your father die. I wake up every night seeing him struggling for his last breaths, asking myself why I couldn't have been there just ten seconds earlier to save someone that I actually gave a damn about! The woman he loved has been self-destructing since his death, and we've been powerless to stop it. And now, tonight, I watch her throw herself off my home and nearly witnessed her death as well. So no…I am not okay!" he ranted.

He paused, his breath coming in harsh pants before he looked around. "And where the hell is Owen!"

"I'm right here sir," came the aide's strained voice.

All eyes snapped over to where Owen was standing, leaning heavily against the door that Xanatos had exited earlier. "What happened to you?" Xanatos demanded.

"Elisa," he stated simply, turning his head to reveal the nasty welt and cut to his forehead. He also held out his hands, and Angela gasped.

"She burned you?"

"Ms. Maza wasn't in her right mind, and I believe she forgot that the iron in her cuffs would actually begin to burn my flesh if left on long enough," he answered weakly.

"Ms. Maza?" Broadway asked, instantly picking up on the change of title.

"I came upon Ms. Maza late this afternoon in her guest quarters, wearing her dress uniform. She had just come from a meeting with her Superiors and had resigned from the force. She knocked me out before I realized what her true intention were for this evening."

"Why would Elisa resign from the department?" Broadway asked in disbelief.

"Because they weren't going to let her back on the streets were they?" Brooklyn asked Owen, who nodded gingerly

"You knew?" Angela asked her gaze snapping over towards Brooklyn.

The new Clan leader sighed heavily, shaking his head. "You know I've been in several meetings with the Chief these past few weeks, and she has been the focus of a few of them," the crimson gargoyle admitted.

"Why?"

"Because the Chief isn't stupid and he knew there was something more to Elisa's relationship with us than just the friendship."

"Brooklyn, what exactly did you tell them about Elisa?" Angela asked, looking and sounding very much like her mother as she began to bristle.

Brooklyn didn't back down though. "Nothing the man didn't already know," he answered simply. "And before all of you start trying to pin the blame on someone here," he continued, his voice growing low with restrained anger, "I've been begging him for weeks not to put her behind a desk, because I knew what it would do to her."

"But why would they do something like that? I mean Elisa's aim has been getting a little better," Lex asked confused.

It was Hudson who understood perhaps better than anyone else why such an action would be taken though. "Because the lass may be recovering physically from her injuries, but mentally she would be a greater risk than asset to the police."

"But why can't they just give her more time?"

Hudson just shook his head. "Because it would take far too much time than they can give lad. We've all seen the toll Elisa's ordeals have been takin' on her o'er the years. She was a warrior true an' proud, but this trial….this is the one tha' has broken her.

New Gotham

Wayne Manor

Dinah woke up from where she had dozed off on the couch, with a scream. Alfred and Barbara were by her side in moments. When they reached the teen's side, she was doubled over clutching her head in agony, and sobbing.

"Dinah, what's wrong?" Barbara asked worriedly. When Dinah didn't answered immediately, the redhead looked up at Alfred. "Alfred please call Leslie and ask her to come over immediately."

"No," Dinah finally whispered hoarsely. "It's…I'm…it's not that…..I had a dream…."she told them, her voice hitching in her throat as images and emotions washed through her.

"A dream? You mean like the ones you used to have when you were younger? About Hel and I?"

There was a nod, but the girl was obviously too distressed to reveal what she had seen in her dreams just yet.

"Perhaps some tea would be in order Miss?" Alfred asked quietly. Barbara nodded, and the older man left as Barbara moved as close as she could to the couch and reached out to draw the distressed young woman to her.

"Shhhh….I'm here sweetheart. It's ok….just take your time and let it out….," she soothed, as Dinah sobbed even harder once she was in Barbara's safe embrace.

By the time Alfred returned with a tray of tea and tissues, Dinah's sobs had died down to sniffles and hiccups. "Here you go young Miss," he said gently as he handed her a few tissues.

"Thank you Alfred," she sniffled. She blew her nose, wiped her face and then gratefully accepted the tea, with shaking hands.

After the warm liquid helped to calm her frayed nerves some she set the tea down, and rubbed her head. "We need to call Mr. Xanatos."

"Xanatos? Why? Is there a threat to them or the gargoyles?"

"No…it's Elisa…she…I….in my dream I saw her jump off the castle," she answered, as her composure began to break again.

"Are you sure this wasn't just a nightmare Dinah?" Barbara asked, deeply troubled.

Dinah shook her head adamantly, and then regretted that action with a visible wince. "No," she hissed as her hands went to massaging her head again. "It was too real…like the other dreams I've had. I could feel everything….and the emotions of everyone. It was so intense Barbara….and Goliath…I swear he was there too…"

"Alfred please see if you can reach Mr. Xanatos on his personal line, and inform him of what Dinah just saw."

"Right away."

"Dinah do you know when this was going to happen?"

Dinah looked up, scared. "No….oh god please don't let me be too late. What time is it?"

"It's about 5:30 why?"

"She jumped at sunset….if it was today…..then what I saw…." The teen broke off into tears again.

"Dinah, let's just wait and see what Alfred has to say when he comes back. Whatever the case Dinah, do not blame yourself. Do you understand me? You are still recovering from your injuries, it's amazing that you were able to have this vision at all. It's just like what happened with me and with Hel…there's nothing more you could have done."

"My head hurts," Dinah whimpered, allowing Barbara to draw her close again.

They sat in silence, Barbara rubbing her back soothingly until Alfred came back. He cleared his throat, looking extremely shaken, but trying his best to keep his composure.

"I'm sorry it took me so long, but it took me several tries to get through to Mr. Xanatos. It would seem that Miss. Dinah's vision coincided with the actual event itself."

"Oh god…no…." Dinah sobbed.

"However," he continued a note of hope in his voice. "It would seem that Miss Demona had the same premonitions, and made a timely rescue. She took off with the Detective though, and no one knows anything further of her current condition."

"But she is alive," Barbara said, releasing a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"She is."

"Thank you Alfred. Would you be so kind as to call Bruce and Helena and fill them in on what's going on? I doubt we will be joining them for dinner tonight."

"I think we could use a quiet night in myself Miss Barbara. Does meatloaf sound agreeable to everyone?" he asked, knowing full well it was Dinah's favorite meal.

She managed a weak smile, and Barbara nodded her thanks to her old friend. "I think that sounds wonderful Alfred."

"I'll call you when supper is ready then."

With some help from Dinah, Barbara transferred onto the couch where she could hold Dinah more comfortably. "You want to talk about it?" she asked quietly after awhile.

"This dream….it was like the others, but it was so different. Everything was chaos, and unfocused. It was like watching a movie, but from all these different viewpoints and all at once. Xanatos was scared. Demona was terrified, and….then she was in pain. God it was horrible. And there was this other presence- the one I think is Goliath. It was like he was trying to reach out to her. And Elisa…" Dinah shuddered.

"She was so hollow and cold. Numb. I've never felt anyone so lost and hopeless before…not even you or Helena after last year."

"Elisa didn't just lose some one she loved. I think when Goliath died, she lost a part of her soul that night," Barbara said sadly.

Dinah frowned, as she tried to sort through the jumble of images and sounds and thoughts that were running around in her throbbing head. And then one revelation shocked her to her core. She hadn't even realized she'd gasped out loud until Barbara gripped her shoulder firmly and asked what was wrong.

"Elisa's pregnant."

"What!"

"Demona…she was terrified… not just of losing Elisa, but of losing her baby too," Dinah whispered.

Destine Manor

New York

Soft moonlight spilled in though the massive window, outlining the room's two occupants in its silver illumination. One lay curled in a fetal position, weeping quietly on expensive sheets, trapped within her tormented dreams. The other sat curled in a ball in the far corner, rocking back and forth, her wings trembling, as centuries of pent up emotions broke free.

Demona was oblivious to the fact that tears were streaming down her face, or that she was sobbing almost uncontrollably as images and nightmares played across the back of her own eyes every time she blinked. Across from her she watched Elisa face her own private hell, helpless to aid her right now.

She wasn't really sure what had happened a couple of hours ago. She only remembered a sick feeling of terror in her gut, and flashes of a frantic dash to the castle. It had been like waking up from a nightmare, the details still fresh in your mind even though you are safe in your bed. Only she hadn't woken up at home…or even where she had dozed off at her desk. She had looked down, to see Elisa cradled in her arms, her vow still echoing in her mind even as she repeated it for herself.

The trip back to the Manor had been a desperate flight, as Demona's own ghosts and demons began to surface. Now, huddled in the corner like a scared hatchling, she was at the mercy of centuries of nightmares.

Elisa cried out, finally waking herself and sat up with a gasp. A sob still stuck in her chest, she tried to discern where she was, her mind still incoherent. A low keening wail of pain and suffering caught her attention, and she squinted in the darkness, seeing a familiar shock of red hair.

She lunged at Demona- actually is was a more like lurched ungracefully- and fell to her knees in front of the gargoyle. "Why!" she demanded harshly, tears running down her face, her mind in such turmoil that she wasn't even registering Demona's own tormented condition. "Why didn't you just let me die?"

The grip on her shoulders could have been painful if she had been in human form, but it was strong enough to snap Demona out of the waking nightmares. Her eyes flared red immediately and she slapped Elisa across the cheek without thinking, her razor talons leaving tiny scratches. She instantly regretted the action, as she watched the human sway backwards in shock and pain. She didn't regret the result however.

Elisa's tears stopped, and the anger came forth. Grief was not something Demona knew how to deal with well. But anger- she knew anger all too well and knew how to deal with that. "How dare you," Demona hissed back at her. "He gave his life for you and you would just throw that sacrifice away?"

"I didn't ask for this!" Elisa shouted. "Don't you think I know he is dead because of me? I can hardly stand to be around the Clan, because their grief is a constant reminder that I'm the reason he's dead. I don't deserve to be alive, and you had no right to stop me!"

"I have every right to make sure you stay alive Elisa Maza. He loved us both," she said, her voice cracking with that statement. "And he said the Clan would need both of us. I cannot and will not do this alone. Besides, I swore on his grave that I would do what it took to protect his child and I am not about to go back on that oath."

Elisa's face twisted in confusion. "But…Angela-,"

"I'm not talking about Angela, Elisa," Demona whispered. Elisa went very, very still and Demona pressed on after licking suddenly dry lips. "I don't know how, but you are carrying his child Elisa. Goliath may have died that night, but you still carry a part of him with you. He can still live on in this," she told the shocked woman as she rested a hand gently on Elisa's still flat stomach.

"I-I'm pregnant?"

Demona simply nodded somberly, carefully watching the other woman's reaction. "B-But how? How come no one said anything before this?" she asked her voice beginning to rise in anger.

"Only two other people besides myself know that you are pregnant. None of your doctors know, simply because they probably never thought to run a test to show if you were pregnant or not. I figure they haven't drawn any blood in the last couple of weeks either, when the elevated hormones would be a clear sign of pregnancy."

"Who else knows?"

"Angela and strangely enough, Helena. We all immediately recognized a change in your scent. I'm surprised Hudson has said nothing about it, but then he may be keeping his knowledge close to his chest as we were."

"Why have you kept this a secret from me?" she demanded again.

Demona sighed wearily. "Because of your emotional state Elisa. We simply didn't think you could handle having this news so soon after his death. I almost told you that day you came to my mansion. Then you had the dream and were so agitated by it, that I felt maybe it wasn't the right time yet."

Elisa stared blankly at the floor. "My god," she finally whispered as her whole body shook violently. She rocked forward, her face going pale, and for a moment Demona thought she was going to be sick. She reached out to steady Elisa as she seemed to curl in on herself, and then pulled the human to her as she broke down again.

They sat that way for most of the night, Demona awkwardly holding Elisa, as she came to grips with the news and her own actions from earlier in the evening. When she had finally calmed down enough, Elisa pulled away self-consciously from her former enemy and went back to a blank stare at nothing.

Both women curled up right there on the floor during the early hours of morning, and slipped into a fitful sleep as exhaustion finally overtook them. This time when their loved one appeared to them in their dreams, neither woman fought it. And when they awoke later that day- Demona shocked that her transformation hadn't woken her at dawn- a sense of peace had finally settled over them both.

Demona had come up to the balcony where Elisa had been standing for a few minutes, and leaned against the railing, silently looking out over her quiet landscape.

"I'm not going to jump, if that's what your worried about," Elisa muttered.

"I know," Demona answered back with a hint of a smile.

"What the hell am I going to do now?" Elisa sighed after several long minutes of silence.

"What you've always done best- improvise," the immortal shrugged as she looked over at Elisa.

Snow began to fall, and Elisa scowled at it. "Damn freezing weather."

"I heard Xanatos and the Wayne's mention that they'd like to take a vacation somewhere warm and tropical. I don't know about you, but the idea is definitely holding appeal."

Elisa snorted. "I said the same thing to Dracon that night." Then she sighed and shook her head. "Maybe the Chief was right. Maybe I am off my rocker and should be kept off the streets."

"Well as to being off your rocker, you're not even close to my level of insanity, so don't go giving yourself any straightjacket awards. Maybe a little off balance, but that probably is just as much due to hormones as it is your grief. And yes, it is a good thing you are off the streets," she smirked at Elisa when the darker woman scowled at her. "At least until junior there has been delivered safely," she added as she pointed to Elisa's torso.

"But once that's done and over with, I'm sure you'll find other ways to fight crime, foolishly risk your life, and take on psychopaths bent on destroying the world. So don't be too depressed about it," the immortal quipped.

She watched as Elisa tried to keep the scowl on her face, and snickered. This caused Elisa to chuckle wryly, as she shook her head and looked back over the landscape. "I'm scared," she whispered finally.

Demona smiled knowingly. "I know…I was too when I was carrying Angela. There's so much out there that seems bent on destroying everything we hold dear. On the other hand, there are so many others who want to be there for you, to help you protect all of that."

"Will you?" Elisa asked hesitantly, not quite sure if she wanted to look at Demona.

Demona turned to face Elisa fully, and lifted her chin up to regard the human. She was amazed at the changes this one woman had wrought in her life. A year ago, she would have scoffed at the idea of being friends with another human, let alone Elisa Maza. Now the woman she once despise, was asking for her help.

"I do, and I will," she vowed sincerely.

Elisa swallowed thickly as unshed tears shimmered in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, before they both turned to watch the snow blanket the earth in white. White, the universal sign of peace. It was fitting, for at that moment, that was what each woman truly felt. No matter what lay ahead, they had come to terms with each other, and if they could accomplish that, then who knew what the future could hold for them.

Three Weeks Later…….

"So?"

"What?"

"Are you finally going to admit that you're happy I dragged you down here?"

"Don't push your luck Dee."

"Dee? What, you two are on a nickname basis now?"

"I got sick of having to figure out if I should call her Demona or Dominique during the day, so I settled on that."

There was a quiet pause, and Elisa finally looked over at Fox Xanatos, to see her smirk. "Go to hell," Elisa muttered, before she settled back into her lounge chair and sipped on her fruity drink.

"Well it's nice to see that all this sunshine hasn't chased away your cheery disposition Sugar."

Elisa groaned. "Who invited him?" she complained.

"Hey, I froze my butt off that night with all of you too. Besides, David and I wanted to discuss some business in a less formal arena."

"I don't even want to know," Elisa said as she held a hand up. "Oh, and Tony?"

"Yeah Sugar?"

"Stay away from Reese, or I might have to kick your ass if I hear your ruining his vacation."

Tony chuckled. "You're feisty when you're pregnant Maza. Maybe you should have a few more kids."

"Continue that thought, and I'll make sure you never have any Tony," she said sweetly.

Dracon walked past the sunbathing women with a hearty laugh, and headed down towards the surf, where several others were relaxing in the warm, crystal clear waters.

"I don't think I've ever seen Dracon without a suit on. He's pretty hot," Fox noted as she pulled her sunglasses a little lower to check out Tony's surprisingly muscular form.

"Yeah, well I hear prison will help with that, since you've got nothing else to do but rack weights and eat the healthy food they serve you."

Dick came back up from the beach, Barbara in his arms, and he settled her onto a nearby lounge before pulling a second one close to her. Fox smiled over at the recovering woman. "You've got to let me know your secret Barbara," she said nodding towards Dick, who was practically waiting on her hand and foot.

Barbara grinned back, and nodded down towards the water. "I've got one word for you- Helena."

That earned a laugh from Elisa, who immediately understood what Barbara was referring to, and the others shared a look, happy to hear the raven-haired woman laughing again. "So Elisa, have you experienced any of the usual symptoms of pregnancy yet?"

Elisa shook her head. "I talked to my mom, and she said none of her family ever really got morning sickness…which I guess would really be evening sickness for me given my normal schedule. No real food cravings yet either."

Fox and Demona chuckled. "Just wait another month or two Elisa," Demona warned. "If that child is going to be as gargoyle as they think, you'll be craving as much rare protein as you can get your hands on."

"Your food bill is going to double over the coming months," Fox added knowingly.

"Great. I'm out of a job, pregnant, and I'm going to be eating like a horse." Elisa didn't sound to resentful of the fact however.

"Any thoughts yet as to what you want to do now?" Dick asked interested.

"Dee is trying to woo me with promises of high pay and a power trips as VP of Security for Nightstone," Elisa chuckled.

"Hey, that doesn't sound too bad. Security for some rinky dink firm would be a joke, but VP in a company that size could be pretty exciting."

"Is she bribing you to build it up?"

The others laughed. "No, it's just that I know what it's like to run security for a good sized corporation, and it ain't boring, that's for sure."

"Man this place is so cool!" Dinah gushed, as she and Helena came up from the cove where they had been snorkeling for the last two hours. "Thank you guys so much for inviting us here Mrs. Xanatos."

"Please call me Fox, Dinah. And it was our pleasure. David and I have wanted to come down here for months, and we thought it would only be fitting to enjoy this with everyone. We all deserved a break after that, and we felt that it would be a great way of saying thanks to all of your friends from New Gotham that lent a hand."

"I heard the Clan says it's a little warm for them," Helena remarked as she sat down.

"They're hide is thicker than ours. Personally, I was more than happy to thaw out for a week," Elisa answered.

"Aha!" Demona said triumphantly. "You are glad to be here."

"Shut up."

"Hey, have you guys noticed that Ice- I mean Rose, and Hudson have been spending a lot of time together?" Dinah giggled.

"Go Hudson," Fox chuckled.

"He may come across all gruff, but he's always been a charmer. I think it was the thick accent," Demona told them.

"Mommy, look at what I found!"

Fox took off her sunglasses, as her son raced up to her a large starfish in hand. She praised him for his find, and examined it carefully with him for a few minutes. Then he proceeded to bring it to everyone else to share his find with them.

He came to Elisa last, and while she was studying the starfish, he was studying her. "How come your tummy isn't getting bigger yet?" he asked, with the innocence of youth.

Elisa nearly dropped the starfish in surprise, and a few of the others snickered, while his mother said his name reprovingly. "Um, well…the doctors don't know how quickly the baby will develop yet Alex. A gargoyle normally takes ten years to hatch, but my baby is half gargoyle and half human. No one has ever heard of hybrid like this…not even Hudson or Demona."

"Wow. So you could be pregnant for ten years!" he whispered.

"God I hope not!" Elisa groaned as that though occurred to her for the first time. "And if you had anything to do with this young man, you had better go talk with your uncle to make sure that I'm not."

The child scuffed his toe in the sand, a dead give away. "Alexander Xanatos, I cannot believe you would do something like that without Elisa's permission!" Fox gasped, embarrassed.

"It wasn't just me…or Uncle Puck," he said in defense. "It was a gift mommy." Then he looked at Elisa. "You're not mad are you?"

Oh god, how can anyone resist those eyes? Elisa thought to herself. "No Alex. Actually, after talking with Demona and Hudson, I kind of figured that I must have had a little 'help' from someone. There aren't too many people on that list," she chuckled as she ruffled the boy's hair. "But I'm serious about what I said before. I had better not be pregnant for ten years, or your Uncle Puck is going to be in biiiiiiiggggg trouble."

Alex giggled then, and nodded. "Ok 'Lisa. I'll let him know."

"Hey kiddo, Jesse and I are going to go exploring. You wanna come? We could show him that cool trick you did when you changed me into a panther."

"Yes!" he shouted excitedly. "Can I mom? Please?" he begged.

"Have fun sweetie. But stay close to Helena and Jesse and obey them ok?"

"OK!"

"She's pretty good with kids," Fox noted, after Helena had left.

"If her mother ever had a soft spot, it was most definitely for children," Dick told them. "Every time I see Hel with a kid, it reminds me of her mom. She'll make a good mother herself one of these days."

"So what about you guys?"

"Well….unfortunately that really isn't an option for us anymore," Barbara admitted a little sadly.

"Oh," Fox said embarrassed. "From the shooting?"

"Yeah. They had to take out some of the plumbing. But I accepted long ago that I wouldn't ever have kids of my own, and it's ok, because I inherited a few that I can call my own anyway," she told them with a fond look at Dinah, who blushed.

"Never say never, Barbara," Demona said. "With the corporation we're about to form, who knows what we can fix and cure."

"You guys are fixing to take on the entire medical community I hear."

"You better believe it," Fox them. "And they had better watch out, because we plan to be the ones to re-write medical history."

Barbara chuckled, as she lay back in her lounge chair and closed her eyes. "Saving the world wasn't good enough for you guys huh?"

"That was merely the beginning my dear."