The world was worse than ever, you could hardly grasp let alone look at it. Everything was...destroyed, just destroyed and...gone. It was as though life itself died, not even spirits remained. You couldn't sense any presence of their existence. Charred and broken, skies...the skies where...darken with reds and black so thick it was hard to tell the time of day. Buildings you once knew where now reduced to either broken and half their original size or just broken into chunks. Even crumbled.

Streets cleaved, misshapen, and broken. Split and overlapped. This place was truly hell on earth, and you...couldn't believe first that Conner saw this, second the others lived in it and third...you selfishly refused to do anything about it. Not giving one minor care, only with the world and life you had made. The suffering...seeing the bones of those still here...you could feel its prickled fingers crawling on your exposed skin. You literally got goosebumps.

It was just...just horrid. Would this have happened if you would have...why did you have to be so...the thoughts swiveled around like a top at high speed. You could barely process a thought, other than to flee. An initial reaction, one you had to fight back as you suffocate from the tight strangulation from the multitude of said hands, from the earth's grave. Crushing at your throat it felt like, you quickly realized you hadn't prepared yourself for such an onslaught force when you left.

So focused on the fragile stability of your own determination, compared to the rest, failed to recite the spell John taught or the charm Zatanna gave you. The world began to feel distorted and spin, even as you walked forward towards Raven. Hearing the panic in Clark's voice, saw her with your hazy vision drop to her knees after teleporting everyone here.

You knew she shouldn't have done it, the side effects on her where troublesome, you should have offered instead. But you yourself weren't in the spot to do so. Still, you should have offered. Another selfish thing you did. How much more could you do?

You weren't fully sure, with the world spinning and spinning, you reach out a hand to Raven. Calling to her, like any good sister, all in vain. Try as you could, you couldn't reach her nor touch her. The rush was too much, like a heard of bulls charging it trampled over you. Sent you to heavy darkness.

"How do you know I can do it?"

You remember, softly asking Conner the last night, laying together. Your head rested on his chest where his heart was, spooned and curled up close. Your arms around him. While his left on hooked around you, under the covers, around the

waist. As his fingers gently brushed up and down your skin and his one moved a few strands of your nearly dried hair out from your face.

"Conner."

He stopped and tucked his right arm behind his head. Propping himself up a little. Looked up at the ceiling. Going as quiet as the night, he didn't say anything. For a while, time was nearly up on the hour glass, you saw the light slowly fading and the sand grains almost gone, barely 1/8 left.

You wanted him to say something, anything, these last few moments you both laid and talked. About many things, good times, annoying times, past, present, future, and the bad. All of them in between. Which lead to talking about you, about what he wanted you to do. What he asked.

"Conner."

"—You can do it. I know you can." he affirmed, repeating those same words he said years ago.

Back then when he said it, you believed it. Believed you could. The same feeling resinated through you from John's words, from the words Raven and the others. When your hate for yourself blinded and urged you to run away. It provided you with strength and gave you the courage...to believe it. Believe what they said to be true..it tamed...tamed the fear, your fear, but, those words belonged to them. Not from you, they never came from you. That explained why you could never feel its presence. It required an outside source to work.

You roll over a little, your back to him, stare fearfully at the wall. Bite the bottom of your trembling lip, enough you draw blood, he rolled over holding you close. Lightly rested his chin on the top of your head for a moment, kissed your stiff and ridged shoulder. Squeezing it a bit and you.

"You can you do this. You can do good things. You've always been able to."

Your heart sunk in disagreement, the moment it did...the voices...the voices of those you thought you'd rid yourself of the last few years came screaming and clawing back. Nearly taking you over, if you didn't scream back at them to cease. It took a lot of strength, but, they let you be.

"I have nothing to offer," you said somberly, sitting up, your back still to him now stare out the window loathing. The memories of past sins polluting your mind and wounding any part of you that believe otherwise. "w-what can I really give?" Your voice begins cracking, you silently choke on the words and tears. "I ran away for everything, I left everyone behind. Because, I felt I brought nothing but bad luck. Believe I was just taking up space. Everywhere I stayed...only caused more harm then good. I tried being a hero, I tried so hard..."you seethed tearfully, bury your head in your hands, shut your eyes for a moment. The tear rolls down. "...so hard to be good. To do good. Not to think of what I was...what I was branded with...to find good. Good in anything. With Dick...Mr. Bruce...Damian...Raven," you smile a little from her name. It quick fell, "...the Titans...with Terra," another tear came, cracking your voice more into a sob"...with my dad...Superman..Lois..Metropolis...you and Joanna...I tried..I tried, believed I could. But, it wasn't strong enough. I wasn't strong enough. I saw what I am. A bringer of loss..of catastrophe. I was never meant to have anything joyous. My mother...she was right, she was correct. I am nothing but a sinner of Earth. A spawn of negativity, it courses through my veins...it's my very nature."

You pause, trying to wipe away the tears.

"...I could never be strong like Raven. My sister...she..I let her suffer...I left her. She and everyone else, even you have the will to go. But, I see...nothing but...a wall of fear. With myself..with my powers. And look where it got me. Nothing but a hollow version of myself. All of them...all of them have strength...determination. It's there, while I have nothing." You lift your eyes up, stare at your wet hands with guilt and regret. "Nothing. But constant reminding of what I am."

A sinner.

A sinner!

A sinner!

The voices scream tormentingly, drowning you to the depths, Conner grabbed and pulled you so close. So tight. Planted his lips on the top of your head, kept them there until you stopped.

He spoke, calm and gentle, "Babe..."he softly, with a hint of sorrow, "remember when you told me, years ago back in Metropolis on your balcony?" you did, "You told me something great: It's not how one starts, but it's how that person ends and decides what they want to do. Remember that?"

You gasp! How could you forget!

He chuckled softly again. Slowly easing his hold around you, "I thought so, those where your own words. That showed me you had strength. You driven to make it better. Doing anything and everything you could. You wanted a new life, better than the one you had. You choose to find happiness. You didn't run away, you just knew what you wanted. You never left the others, you kept watching after them. I know you did spells to help them."

Busted, shake your head laugh a bit.

"You wanted your dad to have no more sin to ensure his soul. Never once did you blame him for what he did. You fought, if not almost destroyed the cyber Supermen. Almost. And you did kick the others out when they came. Because you would have, instead of listening to them and make up your mind to help. Even though you where afraid. That's why I know you can do it. I know you can. You kept yourself together this long, there's no doubt in my mind that you can do this." He took your hand squeezing it.

No doubt...no doubt...slowly you come to, find yourself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling and...a soothing...feeling. One you hadn't felt in so long, in a strange room that wasn't familiar to you either, moving your eyes to the side see a arm extended towards you and a hand on your forehead. Not just any hand, it was John's.

He standing next to you, eyes carefully on you, hand glowing slightly. The same look he had when you fell ill from preforming magic or your headaches became too much. He did just this, resting a hand on your forehead healing and helping whatever he could. Never moving, even if was for hours until he was sure you where alright. Seeing him do it now...your heart softly leaped with joy. Your mouth opens about to say something, someone enters.

"How is she?" Damian asked, noticed you up, a wave of relief washed over his stoned face. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," you grunt a little sitting up with his help. John stopped and stepped back, quickly looked at his hand for a moment before shoving it into his coat pocket. "where am I?"

Damian set you up properly, looked you over quickly. The same way he did when you sprained your ankle that one time, "Currently, Lois has secured assistance from the Suicide Squad and their leader to help us infiltrate Luthor's place. The plan has been made, we'll be leaving soon."

"Oh, okay..."you mutter a little looking away, twiddling with your thumbs. "H-How's Raven?"

"She's alright, the use of her powers weakened her a little. But she's alright. Now," he took hold of your hands, stopping the fiddling, "what happened with you? You've never passed out like that so suddenly," you kept your eyes adverted. "the voices came back didn't they?"

You stiffen a little. "I-It's nothing." Take a deep breath, "I'm fine. I'm okay."

"No, you're not. I know when that happens, you didn't have that issue for quite sometime and now all of sudden you-"

"I'm fine," you cut him off, holding up a hand, use it to message your temples, "yes it was the voices. The voices of Earth's past, but they're quiet now, I promise." Your eyes lift to his and smile softly. Lay your other hand on top of his."It's just been some time, that's all. But, I can handle it."

His eyes, soften a little search yours. There was layers of tiredness, hurt...sadness...and layers of more. He could barely see to your core. But, he did. You knew he did. Smile a little to yourself, squeeze his hand a little, he does the same tighter. Leans in a little...John watching grunts disapproving, raising a brow.

"...I'm sorry, Damian."

He stopped, stunned for a moment, leans back. You reach up and take off his mask, finding those green eyes. "I really am, Damian. For everything." You look at his mask softly, "I know it's not enough..."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered," he admits a bit hurtful for a moment, "if I wasn't hurt. But, you wanted something that made you happy. A sense at something normal and light. No more darkness...thinking about it, I realized I might not have been able to give that to you. But, I would have tried, like you did with me. Even so,"his voice warms with a smile, "I'm glad you found it and I'll do whatever I can to help you keep it."

"Damian."

He holds your hand with the mask, "You know mother really wanted you to be by my side."

You laugh a little, "Yes, I know." Look down at your custom attire. A long dark maroon sleeveless dress, slitted on the both sides to your thighs, with golden outline and a dragon woven in, wrapping around the dress. Dark pants underneath. Dark maroon gloves with golden designs and maroon boots. A dark golden sash around your waist finished the whole thing. Nope, it was the two maroon chopsticks you used to hold your hair in its ponytail. Not an outfit you expected to see or have, but Damian told you his mother had it made and he had re-crafted a little. There was alittle bit of carbon fiber woven in it, to provide protection to most physical attacks. It was light making it easy to move.

It was a wonderful gift.

One you honored to wear.

"Your mother knew me well."

"Yes, that she did." He agreed taking his mask back, quickly putting it on just when Clark, Lois, Raven, Etrigan, and Harley Quinn came in. Drops his smile. "Yes?"

Clark looked at you relieved to see you well, Lois went over to you, you froze for a moment when she hugged you. "Hey, you knucklehead." she said, smirking.

"Lois," you hug her for a little bit more, there was so much you wanted to tell her, but knew now wasn't time.

She knew too and let you go. Took charge. "Alright, everyone's up and ready. Let's do this."