Chapter 13: Facing Fears part 5

Pieces of training droids scattered across the training floor deep inside Slade Wilson's, also known as Deathstroke the Terminator, fortress. A girl around the age of nineteen back flipped away from the last droid before throwing a dagger spinning toward it, taking the robot's head clear off its shoulder. She was dressed in a skin- tight, blue and yellow outfit outfitted with several different types of bladed weapons of various lengths and a large bandana with only one eye hole cut allowing her vision.

"Very good, Rose," Slade said from his desk near the training area, not glancing up from his monitor. "You are improving but you must work on your left guard. Come here for a moment, there's something I'd like you to see."

"Yes, Daddy?" the girl known as the Ravager nodded, beaming at her father before bouncing toward his desk.

Slade turned his good eye to his daughter and gave her a small smile as he moved away from the desk giving her room.

Ravager removed her mask, allowing her long silver hair to tumble down her shoulders and pulled an eye patch from her belt. She placed it over the eye she cut out herself to prove to her father she was worthy of him. "Tell me what you think of her." Slade said to his daughter as he pressed replay on the footage he downloaded.

Rose watched the screen as a redhead in a black mission shirt and cargo pants fought a Metahuman in green and black with flaming hands. Then it showed a scene of the same girl fighting a half monkey-ninja and a group of monkeys dressed as ninjas.

"She has natural talent, Daddy," Rose furrowed her brow, "But she seems green, not thoroughly trained … such wasted potential."

"What if I were to tell you she's Bruce Wayne's daughter?" Slade nodded, smirking as his daughter turned to him in shock.

"A lot of wasted potential then," Rose breathed before glancing back to the screen.

"Unused potential," Slade said, rubbing his gray goatee, "not wasted … unused."

"Shall we remedy that, Daddy?" Rose asked, excited at being trained alongside another girl.

"Not yet, let's see what Wayne is up to first," Slade nodded, turning back to the screen. "Perhaps we can let Wayne start her training for us. We must be patient and see."

---

"NOOOO!" Wonder Woman screamed in terror at the sight she walked in on. The Joker couching in the floor laughing maniacally and the Batman, the proud Dark Knight, and Wonder Woman's lover, laid on the floor beneath the insane clown. Blood poured from deep cuts and gunshot wounds, from the large hold in the side of his face where his right eye used to be, and the five large jagged pieces of glass pushed into his chest, through his symbol.

"Don't pass out yet, Brucey-boy!" Joker giggled, "The night is still young and I have a brand-new ballpeen hammer and an acupuncture chart with your name on it."

Ignoring the clown over him, Batman turned his face toward Diana in the doorway, "D-Don't, Diana … don't …. let him … push y-you … don't … cross the line …" he muttered weakly, just barely loud enough for Diana to hear him.

Joker then turned his horrific smile toward the Amazon Princess, "Oh, hey, sweetums. I hear you just became available. What you say we give that lasso a workout, my little baklava?"

'I cannot hear him,' Diana thought as she trembled in rage and grief. 'The Drums of Ares pound my skull. Charon's silent laugh chills my lungs.' She took to the air flying toward him, her gold lasso twirling around her as she rocketed toward the clown. 'I do not feel. I am not Woman. I am not Goddess.'

"Good, I like it rough!" Joker laughed, drawing a gun from his breast pocket and firing it at the raging Amazon.

'I am fury." Diana deflected the shot and grabbed Joker by the face, pushing him back off his feet on into the wall, the force of the collision causing pieces of the wall to break and fall to the ground. But the princess was not finished. She continued to push until she felt the clown's skull collapse in her hand but she continued to push, dragging the Joker's now limp body along the wall, leaving a deep groove along the wall and on down the floor before she finally stopped.

"D-Diana …" she heard Bruce's weak voice and in a flash was at her lover's side.

"I'm here," She said, carefully taking his hand. "Don't you dare leave me, Bruce," Diana whispered, tears flowing from her aqua blue eyes.

"Sorry …" Bruce breathed, "so sorry … I love …" he wheezed before he released one final sigh.

"Bruce … BRUCE?"

"BRUUUUCE!" Diana screamed sitting up in her bed in her apartment in New York City. Diana gripped her chest as she tried to steady her breathing, not even worried about the tears that were still streaming down her cheeks.

Diana glanced at her night table to her secure communicator with to Wayne Manor. "Is anything the matter, Ms. Diana?" Alfred's voice came over the line almost as soon as she pressed the send button.

"Bruce, is he … I need to speak with Bruce … nothing's really wrong … really, I just … need to … talk to him," She said unsurely.

"Ms … Diana, Master Bruce is …" Alfred said carefully, "Something has happened, madam."

"W-W-What?" Diana stumbled over the word, almost dropping the com device.

"Oh, heavens, no! My apologizes, Master Bruce is quite alright and fit as the stubborn mule he usually is," Alfred said quickly, causing Diana to sigh in relief.

"Then what has happened, Alfred?" Diana asked, laying back on the bed.

"I'm afraid the Joker has resurfaced in Middleton, madam," Alfred said, causing Diana to bypass sitting up to go to a standing position.

"What's he done?" Diana asked, already pulling out a clean Wonder Woman uniform from her dresser.

"I'm afraid he has murdered Ms. Kimberly's friend, Wade Load, her boyfriend, Master Joshua, and her younger brother, James, and also has placed her other brother, Timothy, in intensive care." Alfred explained, "Master Bruce, Mistress Cassandra, Master Dick, and Master Ronald are all there now investigating the murders and trying to locate the fiend as we speak. I can patch you through to the Batmobile if you like, but there is no guarantee that he is in it at the moment. Ms. Diana? Mistress Diana?"

"Oh, dear …" Alfred's voice was muffled by the discarded nightgown covering the communicator.

---

Titans Tower, San Francisco

"Wish that psycho would just leave us alone," Beast Boy sighed as the Teen Titans dragged themselves into the Tower's living room.

"Deathstroke enjoys making us crazy," Kid Flash complained as he dropped down in a lounge chair.

"You ok, Wondergirl?" Starfire asked the quiet pouting Wondergirl.

"She's mad because her boyfriend didn't come running at her beck 'n' call." Superboy said as he stretched his arms over his head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wondergirl growled at the Boy of Steel.

"Just like it sounded, Cass," Superboy smirked, "He's loyal to his friends, funny, you used to know what that meant."

"If he was 'loyal', why didn't he come and help us when we needed him?" Wondergirl snorted.

"Oh, maybe because he knew we could handle it AND his friends back in his home town needed him more." Superboy shrugged, "Ever think that maybe we're not all he's got?" Wondergirl flushed and looked away. "That's what I thought, Cassie. Or is there a certain redheaded friend that has you worried?"

Thundering silence from Wondergirl.

"And you wonder why we didn't work out …" Superboy sighed.

"I DUMPED YOU BECAUSE I CAN'T BE TINA!" Wondergirl shouted, startling everyone in the room. And without another word shot out of the room.

Superboy watched her go before looking down sadly, "That was Tana, Cass," he sighed, "And I wasn't the one who wouldn't forget her." He then left the tower himself, leaving the other Titans in awkward silence.

"Well then …" Kid Flash blinked, pulling back his mask, "Anybody wanna watch a movie?"

"I have to repair the damage Slade's androids did to me," Cyborg said, moving toward the elevator.

"I haven't watered my garden today, perhaps later, Kid Flash," Starfire smiled apologetically before going toward her room to change.

"What about you two?" Kid Flash asked, looking toward Beast Boy and Raven.

"It's poetry reading night at the coffee house," Raven stated, "Garfield and I are not that late yet."

"So it's a date?" Kid Flash smirked at his green-skinned teammate.

"Dream on, Bart," Beast Boy flushed slightly, "We're just friends, right, Rae?"

"Best," Raven nodded before the two disappeared in a black shadow.

Kid Flash stood there alone, his smile and features dropped as he looked around the empty living room. "Guess … I'll figure something to do … maybe I'll call Cissie."

---

On a golf course between Upperton and Middleton, the out-on-probation Duff Killagan enjoyed the cool evening air with a game of golf.

"Aye, glew in tha dark balls tis the best invention eva'." The red-beard Scotsman laughed as he sent another ball into the green. "FORE!"

"Duff Killagan …" an eerie voice boomed through the night air.

"Who sed dat?" Duff asked, holding his club up like a bat. "Come out!"

"Duff Killagan, answer my questions and you shall live to see the sunrise," the voice stated again. "Where are Dr. Drakken and the Joker? Where are they hiding?"

"Even if ah knew, ah'd not tell ye!" the Scotsman said defiantly. "We villains gots to stick together!"

"Very well …" the voice stated as dark smoke began to form over the grass where the golfer stood, and a dark figure rose with a gleaming claw. "Your Angel of Death awaits…"

"S-STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Duff backed away as the Phantasm approached him menacingly.

The only sound the demonic vigilante made was the wind whipping from her razor sharp claw.

"Say hello to me five iron!" Duff barked as he swung his titanium golf club at the Phantasm only to have it fly in half from his hands. "Umm … maybe we can talk after all …" Duff gulped back-stepping, "Ah dunno where they're hiding, but I can find out if you let me go, yeah, if you let me go!"

"It is too late," the Phantasm's deep voice boomed, "Far too late. But do not fear. Dr. Drakken and The Joker will soon accompany you to Hell." She finished as she brought her bladed claw down on the golfer.

---

Kim and Ron slowly walked toward her home. Kim had calmed down somewhat, but was still trembling with Ron's arm securely holding around her shoulder. They went around the back of the house, Ron being extra careful to keep the police tape and the crime scene from Kim's line of sight.

The two teenagers stopped at Kim's back porch, and turned to face each other, "You are coming in, right, Ron?" Kim asked, her blood shot gazing up at the blond hopefully.

"I wish I could, Kim," Ron smiled softly, "I have to … go to the police and file my part of the report." He then placed his hands on her shoulders when he saw her face droop, "Hey, looks like your parents are home so you won't be alone if you need anything."

"What if what I need is right here?" Kim asked so softly Ron barely heard her.

Ron, in all the skills in language Bruce and Barbara had taught him, he could come up with only one proper response: "Huh?"

"I know … I know we've had problems the last few weeks …. but … but, Ron, you're one of the only things I have left," Kim said, letting her arms snake up Ron's chest and around his neck.

Ron's eyes widened when he saw Kim stand on her toes and bring her face toward his. "Kim, what are you …" His sentence was cut off as Kim pressed her lips to his and snaked her tongue into his gaping mouth.

Ron stiffened for a moment, but it didn't take long for the feel of Kim's soft lips on his and her tongue pushing against his own to bring his own defenses down. Kim moaned softly in his mouth as he embraced her tightly deepening the kiss.

---

"Maybe I have been a bitch to them both," Wondergirl mused to herself as she soared through the air toward Middleton. "I mean, a guy and a girl can be just best friends. Look at Cissie and Bart."

"God, he's probably so mad at me … I'd want to rip his head off if he tried to make me turn my back on Cissie if she needed me, and … gods, I'm such a bitch!" Wondergirl cursed herself as she adjusted her flight course to take her to Kim's home.

She finally arrived at the house and began to move around behind the house to land, 'Yeah, I'll apologize to them both, try to get off to a better foot with Kim, and first thing in the mornin,g I'll treat Kim and Ron both to Bueno Nacho,' She smiled as she came down behind the house and glanced up to the back door and a sight that caused her heart to shatter. "No …"

Cassie could do nothing but watch as Kim and Ron's hands roamed each other and their mouths crushed against each other in what appears to be release of long pent up feelings. "R-Ron?" Cassie whimpered as tears formed in the corners of her ocean blue eyes.

Kim and Ron broke apart at the sound of the voice as shock and realization struck them both. "Oh, God …" they both muttered at the same time, before Ron turned to the shattered Wondergirl. "Cassie, it's … um … not what it looks like … really!"

"It … it looks like you were just making out with your best friend … your … what was it you said?... platonic best friend?" Cassie asked half growling, half sniffling.

"Cassie … Kim's brothers … the Joker's attacked, Josh was killed, her brother Jim was killed and we're not sure if Tim will make it or not …" Ron explained softly, "I was just trying to comfort her and things … got out of hand …"

"Oh, I see …" Cassie said, bowing her head, letting her blond hair hide her eyes. "… You take me for a complete idiot." She then glanced up, her teary eyes filled with anger and sadness, "I take it your hands on her ass were to make her feel nice about herself, too?"

"Cass …" Ron started, but was cut off when he was hit so hard he went flying backwards literally through the wooden porch.

"RON!" Kim gasped quickly moving to the teen's side.

Ron glanced up at the girl while rubbing the growing bruise on his cheek. "Don't, Ron, just don't even try to talk to me, not unless you HAVE to. We … we could have had something … I guess we both screwed it up." With that, Wondergirl took to the air as fast as her powers would let her.

Ron watched the girl disappear into the sky before pulling himself from the hole he made.

"Ron … I'm … I'm so sorry," Kim whimpered, "I don't know what came over me, I just … Ron, please … talk to me …"

"Kim, just …" Ron stepped away from her for a moment, and she could easily see his tense body trembling, "Just go inside and go to bed." He said coldly.

"Ron … please …" she said softly, "There's got to be something I can do … maybe I can …"

"You've done enough," Ron said emotionlessly, "We're both stressed and right now … I think it's best we just call it a night." He said starting to walking away.

"Ron …" Kim called after him sadly as he started to walk away, "Ron … I'm sorry …"

---

"Joker?" Batgirl asked looking over Batman's shoulder as he examined Duff Killagan's body.

"No, I don't think so," Batman said, looking at the deep stab in the man's chest and the long cut along his neck, "This was a mercy kill. Two swipes, quick and painless. Joker doesn't do 'quick and painless'."

"If not Joker, then who?" Batgirl asked as the Dark Knight reached beside the body and ran his glove along the grass. He brought his finger tips up to his face to see a dark gray residue on his fingers.

Batman closed his eyes tightly as he released a sigh, yet another time he wished he was wrong. "Andy … no …"

"BRUCE!" He heard a familiar voice call from behind him. Batman stood up only to have to take several steps back as Wonder Woman gently collided with him, only hard enough to almost throw him off balance.

"Diana?" Batman asked, looking down at the costumed brunette that was pressing her face into his chest. "What's wrong?"

"Don't fight the Joker alone, Bruce," Diana whispered into his chest, "Promise me you won't fight him alone …"

"Diana, what's going on?" Batman asked as the sound of the police and emergency crew pulling up drew his attention, "Diana. Cover."

Wonder Woman responded instantly, and Batman gasped as he was thrown over the shorter brunette's shoulder and sent sailing through the air.

The Bat's flight was cut short when the right fender of the Batmobile broke his fall, leaving a large dent the shape of the small of his back. "Where do you get off, Batman!" Wonder Woman shouted where the police and emergency crew could hear. "You bitch and complain whenever one of us heroes come into your town, but here you are waltzing in to Kim Possible's territory. If you want us to leave your town alone, stay out of ours!"

Wonder Woman glanced at the crew approaching Killagan's body, "Let's take this someplace private," she snapped, picking up Batman by the collar of the cowl and carried him away.

Diana lowered Batman to the ground on the other side of an above ground tomb. "Are you ok, I didn't mean to throw you that hard …"

"Wonder Woman," Batman growled, causing his alter-ego's girlfriend to flinch at the use of her codename, "You … dented my car."

The Amazon Princess snapped her attention back to the cowl covered face with a look of disbelief crossing her features, "What?"

"You put a dent in the Batmobile's fender? Do you know how hard it's going to be to get that out?" Batman said seriously.

"You … you inconsiderate … cold-hearted … cruel … MAN!" Diana yelled in his face, shaking her head in disbelief. "Here I am worried I hurt your back after it was broken just a few years ago, and here you are -like the jackass you are- worrying about YOUR STUPID CAR!"

"And you love me for that very reason," Batman said in a monotone voice with a completely straight face. "So you going to tell me about the nightmare?"

"I really hate it how you can do that …" Diana scowled before hugging herself and looking away, "It's not important, Bruce, it was just a nightmare, just … reminded me you can't stop bullets and flying sharp objects like Clark and I can, and I …"

"You're not going to lose me," he said softly, his voice drifting back to the familiar, 'true' Bruce Wayne voice he reserved only for her.

"Just be careful out there," Diana whispered, running her fingers over his uncovered jaw line.

"I won't have to, because I'll have my red, white, blue, and gold angel watching my back." Batman stated with a hint of humor in his voice. "I think I'm going to need your help on this one."

Diana's spirits instantly lifted as she smirked at the Dark Knight, "The great Batman asking for help?"

"I trust you won't let that get out," Batman stated mock-seriously.

Diana stepped forward and got on her toes so that her nose was touching his pointed nose-piece, "And give up the great blackmail material? Hera forbid. Now what do you need me to do?"

---

Tears streamed down Wondergirl's eyes as she flew toward her best friend's home. Cissie Jones-King had been Cassie's best friend since their days on the hero group Young Justice. Cissie was once the heroic archer known as Arrowette, but before Young Justice's disbandment, the archer retired from being a hero to concentrate on school and attempting to have a normal life, though she never gave up on the bonds of friendship she gained in the team.

That bond was what Cassie was counting on as she approached her friend's home. She landed outside her house and looked up to see Cissie's bedroom window still had a soft bit of light coming from it. "Thank Zeus you're still awake, Ciss," Cassie gave a small smile before pulling the spare key from under Cissie's mat and opening the door as she had done countless times before. She ran up toward Cissie's room and threw open the door.

"Cissie, the worse thing in the world has … oh shit!" Cassie cried out, covering her eyes and looking away, shocked to see her best friend with a muscular boy over her. "I should have knocked, I'm sorry, I'll go and I'll … I'll … I'll …" she drifted off when she recognized one of the bits of discarded clothing on the floor. She reached down to pick it up. She stared in a daze at the black tee-shirt with a red Superman-symbol on the chest. "Conner?"

She glanced up at the shocked and nude teens covering themselves with Cissie's archery-themed bed sheets. "Conner … Cissie … what … where … when …"

"Cassie, we'll talk about that later, what's wrong? You were upset coming in …" Conner said, getting up and using his super speed to dress without either of the girls seeing. "What's happened? What's wrong?" Conner said, going to his ex-girlfriend's side, knowing it took A LOT to make the girl who earned the name Wondergirl cry.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Cassie snapped, her shock and sadness melted into blind fury, "You, you're no different than Robin, you're both a bunch of pigs, I was with him, I dated him, I kissed him, I had SEX with him, and he did that to me, and now you … you're sleeping around with my best friend? How long, Cissie?" She asked turning her anger to her still stunned friend.

"Cassie, what's happened? What's Ron done?" Cissie choked out, trying to change the subject.

"Answer the question," Cassie growled, giving a glare that would make the Batman proud.

"Around … around eight months I guess …" Cissie said, her and Conner avoided making eye contact with each other or Cassie.

"We're you even going to tell me you were shacking up with my ex?" Cassie asked, "You're all jerks…" Cassie meant to scream, but it came out more as a whimper, before shooting out the door at full speed.

"I'm going after her." Conner said reaching for his shirt.

"No, Conner," Cissie said, reaching out and grabbing the Boy of Steel's arm. "Let her go, she needs to cool off. You go to Titans Tower for rest of the weekend. It's Cassie, remember? She'll be there, and be more than willing to very vocally explain what's happened and what she thinks about … us."

"I … I guess …" Superboy turned back to the door, "I didn't want her to find out like this …"

"Me neither, guess we just have to play the cards as they're dealt. I'll come with you tomorrow, besides, I've wanted to see the new Tower for a while now." She gave a weak smile and let out a sigh when she realized Conner hadn't heard a word she said, instead was staring intently at the door using his X-Ray vision to watch Cassie fly away alone.

To Be Continued …

C. Cowboy: I know, not a lot of Kim and Ron this chapter, but Kim will have a MUCH bigger role shortly. And speaking of shortly, expect around the first of this next week updates in Power Rangers, Knights of the New Republic, Matrix Shutdown, and also the much anticipated sequel to Metal Gear Shadow Snake!

Also for the next chapter of Knights, fights out the wazzo with Batman Vs Phantasm, and Robin Vs Superboy Vs Kid Flash! Enjoy and don't forget to review!