The room fell silent.

"OK, Mr. Luthor, I'm on board."

"Excellent! Your contribution may very well save the world! But I suppose that as retired superheroes that you are more than accustomed to that role."

Raven suddenly felt numb. She knew that he had to do this; the world was counting on him. But it also meant that her husband would be working, in some capacity, with the blond who was sitting opposite from her. Alexa had a pleased look on her face.

"I'll make all the arrangements for your relocation." She announced between sips of her soup.

"Relocation? Are you saying that Gar has to move?"

"Yes." Luthor replied. "In order to study the virus we had to bring some of it here to the USA, under strictly controlled conditions. All work will have to be performed at a special Luthcorp facility near Metropolis that is ready to go online, where there is no risk for the virus to escape. It will be a closed environment, which means that Dr. Logan will effectively be sequestered. Entering and leaving the facility will be a rare event due to safety issues. Of course the facility provides housing and every creature comfort, so there will be no real need to come and go."

"So, in other words, it's a fancy prison." Raven remarked.

"I am afraid so, Raven … you don't mind if I call you by your first name, do you? Of course, you are welcome to stay in the lab to live with your husband, but you could potentially expose yourself and your unborn child to the virus. The risk is minimal though, and you wouldn't be the first family living in the facility. In fact, Dr. Pontone will be bringing her son with her."

"I'm not letting you install one of those chips in my head or in Raven's"

Luthor made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "That won't be necessary; all of our findings are the property of the United Nations and consequently will be in the public domain. You won't be learning any Luthcorp secrets."

"You won't need to pack much beyond your clothes and other personal items. Everything else will be provided." Alexa interjected. "Plan on moving into the lab in four days."

"What about Raven's and Coraline's medical care?"

"We will have a medical team on site with a well staffed clinic. Should your daughter be born before we develop the vaccine, we will have everything required." Alexa replied.

"No expense will be spared, we need you to be able to work and not worry about anything else." Luthor added. "Everything else will be taken care of for you: meals, laundry, housekeeping, entertainment, you name it. We will even help you suspend your businesses, or in your case Raven, we can put someone in Azarathia to help you run your business remotely from the lab. If you have any needs or issues just let Dr. Pontone know and she will make sure that it's taken care of. She will always be there to help."

Raven suppressed a frown that was threatening to appear on her face. She knew that there was some risk in moving into the lab with her husband, but she also knew that if they failed to create a vaccine in time that she might die even if she stayed home in Jump.

"Rave, you could go off world, you could go to Tamaran or Azarath."

Luthor shook his head. "It's too late for that. Earth has been quarantined. The Green Lantern Corp will be enforcing that, and that includes blocking dimensional jumps as well, so Raven can't leave for Azarath either. I'm sorry."

"Then it's settled, we're coming with you, Gar."

The changeling nodded. "OK … so, what happens if we fail, besides the obvious?"

"I believe that the Green Lanterns will throw the Earth into the sun to destroy the virus. And right now there are many other worlds that want that to happen to us immediately, apparently other races besides humans are vulnerable to the virus, so the blockade is two ways. The Lanterns are also protecting us from an alien attack."

"Great, just what we need to add to our mound of problems."

The waiter showed up with their salads.

"Madam, you haven't tasted your soup. Was it not to your liking?"

"I'm not hungry." Raven replied.

-( scene break )-

The limo ride home after the dinner was a quiet one. The Logans didn't feel comfortable discussing the evening's events inside of Luthor's limo and sat in silence during the ride home. Mercy promptly delivered them to their front door and Raven thought she saw a smirk on the woman's face as she opened the limo's door for them. They entered their apartment where the Daytons and Melvin, all with grim looks on their faces, were waiting for them.

"Questor found some information about the vaccine program … it isn't good news." Steve announced in his Doom Patrol voice. "There's a new super virus."

"Yes, we know." Gar announced in a defeated tone.

"You accepted the job, didn't you?" Melvin asked.

"What other choice did I have? Did Questor find out why Luthor is running the program? And how come we didn't know?"

The group sat down in the apartment's small living room.

"According to what Vernon leaned, the UN wanted a single point of management for the project. Dayton Industries was not informed nor invited to bid. There were only three groups considered to run the project. Luthor won over Wayne Enterprises and Sivana Inc." Steve remarked.

"What, they were considering giving the project to Dr. Sivana?" Raven gasped.

"He was the distant third choice; it really came down to Luthor vs. Wayne. Unfortunately, Bruce's fictitious playboy image harmed Wayne's bid, so Luthor won the project. Vernon also found out that Luthor is building a secure facility just outside of Metropolis. It's like something out of the Andromeda Strain; a huge underground complex with all sorts of fail safes and biological security measures. It even has a self destruct in the case of a catastrophic viral breach. A small yield nuclear warhead would vaporize it before anyone or anything gets out. Of course that would be academic. If the research facility is destroyed, there would be no way to stop the pandemic; it would only be a question of time."

Melvin gently pulled Raven aside. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay with Gar at the lab."

"Because of her?"

Raven hesitated before answering. "In part, yes. I don't trust her. Not for a minute. But I also want to be with him. He'll be under a lot of stress, and I'll do everything I can to help him deal with that."

Melvin glanced at Raven's swollen midsection and smirked at her "aunt".

"Yes, I know, I'm in my third trimester … you do know that there are other ways to be intimate besides coitus?"

"Yeah … but they're not as fun."

Raven slowly shook her head. "Whatever, I'm going with him. This could be the end of the world, and if it is, I want the three of us together if it comes to that."

"Will Uncle Gar be able to find a cure?"

"He won't be working alone; hundreds of the world's top scientists will be there. If they can't do it, then it can't be done." Raven narrowed her eyes. "But you, you are going to change your behavior."

"What do you mean?" The blond girl asked.

"Melvin, a condom won't protect you from this virus. If the quarantine in Africa fails the disease will spread quickly. Intimate contact could be dangerous; your partner could transmit the virus to you before he even knows he has it. He doesn't even have to kiss you. He could infect you before anyone knows that the quarantine has failed … for all we know it already has failed."

"So you're saying that I have to barricade myself in the Tower? I'm a superhero … I can't do that."

"Once the epidemic starts there's nothing you or the Titans will be able to do to help, the best thing you can do is quarantine yourselves in the Tower and hope that a cure is found before the Green Lanterns throw the Earth into the sun."

Melvin bit her lower lip, a gesture she learned from her grey aunt. "So, this is serious; as in end of the world serious."

Raven nodded. "Whatever God you believe in, Melvin, pray that Gar and his colleagues are successful."

-( scene break )-

Titans East Tower, the next day …

It was early in the morning and the sun was just rising over Steele City bay, its amber glow casting log shadows. Nightwing was up, while his wife and daughter along with everyone else in the Tower continued to sleep. He was on his way to the gym for his morning workout when his communicator chirped, informing him that there was an unread, confidential message for him in the mission console. He took a detour to the common room, which was still dark and empty at the early morning hour. He stepped up to the mission console and logged in. He clicked on the message in his inbox and it requested a second password to access it. He furrowed his brow as he typed in his root password and read the confidential message he received, which was from Garfield in Jump City. After reading the message he stared off into the void, feeling overwhelmed and powerless. He reread the message, just to be sure there had been no mistake, but the words were there in black and white: "pandemic", "extinction", and "end of the world".

Just as Grayson closed the message there was an incoming call, which was coming from off world. He answered it and Hal Jordan's masked face appeared on the screen.

"Sorry if I woke you up early, Grayson, but this is important."

"I know, I just learned about the planetary quarantine."

"Sorry about that, it just went into effect."

"I understand … so why are you really calling?"

"There is an exemption … I had to go all the way to Oa to get it."

"What kind of exemption?"

"For your wife and daughter. Galfore is threatening to start an interplanetary war unless they are allowed to leave Earth. The Guardians agreed to allowing them to leave as long as Tamaran is quarantined for 60 days after they arrive."

"Thanks, Hal, but I don't think she'll leave."

"Galfore has threatened to attack Earth and retrieve her by force."

"They'll never make it past the blockade."

"They won't, I have over one hundred Green Lanterns surrounding the Earth, but there will be many casualties on both sides. Grayson … you need to convince her to leave, right now."

"She won't leave me behind."

"You are authorized to leave with her."

"I can't do that, Hal. I can't leave during a crisis."

A somber expression overcame Jordan's face. "Dick, do you know how many humans there off world right now, not including John, Guy and Kyle and I? I'll tell you how many: seventeen. If the Earth is destroyed there will be twenty one human beings left in the whole universe. Four of them will be Green Lanterns and one will be a Star Sapphire. That's all we'll have left to restart the human race. Dick, you have to go to Tamaran, I know you don't want to do that, but right now it's the only way you can help ensure the survival of the human race."

Nightwing sighed, betraying that he was overwhelmed. "Hal, this goes against everything I believe in …"

"I know, Dick, I know. But there's no time to waste. We've set up a station in orbit as a command post. I want the three of you to teleport there and I'll personally smuggle you from there to Tamaran. But we have to move fast, there are observer fleets approaching, to make sure the blockade is being upheld. They'll be here within a few hours and once they're here I won't be able to smuggle you out … it's now or never, Dick."

"Ok … I'll just need to make arrangements; I need to let Cyborg know that we're leaving …"

"No, it has to be kept a secret. No one can know that the Green Lantern Corp smuggled you off Earth … Grayson, you need to go get you family ready right now."

"But …"

"Now."

"OK, fine; I'll go wake them."

"Five minutes, Dick, that's all you got. I'll call back and you'd better be ready."

Jordan severed the link and as soon as his image disappeared from the screen, Nightwing dropped an F-bomb before running back to his room.

-( scene break )-

Raven groaned as she lowered herself into her bed. "If anyone had told me that this is what being pregnant was like, I would have had my tubes tied."

"I'm sorry, Rave, I know that this wasn't a good day."

"Well, aren't you the master of understatement. Let's see, we learned that there's a virus deadly enough to end all life on Earth and there is no cure for it. And you're going to work for Lex Luthor, who is perhaps the most evasive and slippery criminal in the world and if that wasn't bad enough you're going to be working closely with your old girlfriend, who still looks like Miss Universe even after giving birth to your illegitimate son, while I look like a beached whale."

"She wasn't my …"

"I know, I know, I'm being bitter … so sue me."

"I'm sorry, Rave, I really am. If I could undo that mistake, I would."

"Just the thought of you and her …"

He placed his fingertips over her lips, gently shushing her. "Don't say it; I also hate to think of it."

"We won't have to think of it … Mark is going to be there too and she's going to demand that you spend time with him, and also with her. We're going to be living in close quarters Gar. We're probably going to have our meals with them in the dining hall."

"She isn't my wife, you are. That's all there is to it."

Raven shook her head. "No, it's not. Don't you understand? That boy is yours and Alexa's flesh and blood. Through him you are permanently bonded with her."

"Raven, she isn't my wife or my mate or even my girlfriend."

"She's more than any of those things, she's the mother of your first born … Gar, I'll do my best to not let this affect me, but it's going to be hard."

The changeling sat up in the bed they shared. "Maybe … you shouldn't come."

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you alone in there with her. She'll be all over you and get you back into her bed."

"What!? Do you really think I would do that?"

She shrunk away from him. "No, I don't … I'm sorry."

The changeling lowered himself back into the bed and pulled her close to him. She reclined her head on his shoulder while he caressed her very pregnant belly. As if on cue, Coraline kicked.

"Now that is beautiful."

"Says you, lately she's always active when I want to sleep."

"She'll be born before we know it."

"I know … but will there still be a world for her to live in?"

-( scene break )-

The princess was slumbering peacefully in their bed and Nightwing approached his wife with a heavy heart. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently roused her.

"Star, Kori … wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes, which glowed with a pale phosphorescent light. "What is it, Richard, is there a mission?" She asked in a drowsy voice. "I did not hear the alarms."

"No, there is no mission … Kori, we need to leave, now."

The Tamaranian sat up in the bed, now wide awake. "Leave? For where? And why?"

"For Tamaran."

She got out of her bed. "Is my beloved Tamaran under attack?"

He paused upon hearing her words. If he lied, he could probably get her to safety. But that was something he could never do. Not to her, he could never lie to her.

"No, it's not. Earth is in trouble and Galfore wants us to return to Tamaran."

"I do not understand. If Earth is in trouble, should we not stay to defend her?"

"That's the thing, Kori, we can't defend her, it's beyond our abilities. There is a plague. The planet is about to be quarantined and we have just five minutes to leave otherwise we will be trapped here and might not make it out alive."

"But … we would be abandoning our friends."

"I know, but Kori, there are only a handful of humans off of Earth. This plague might kill everyone. And Galfore has threatened to forcefully remove you if you are still on Earth when the quarantine begins. It could lead to a galactic war between Tamaran and the Green Lantern Corps."

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Did you say that the Green Lanterns are blockading Earth?"

"That's right, is there a problem with that?"

"The Green Lanterns are not considered friends on Tamaran. I welcome a war between my people and the fascist Green Lantern Corps."

"Whoa! Star, I know a few Green Lanterns, trust me, they're the good guys."

"Are they? What will they do if we cannot stop the plague?"

Grayson began to hem and haw. "Well … I think the plan is for them to shove the Earth into the sun."

"So they would destroy a world before saving it? Is that what the noble Hal Jordan told you they would do?"

"Only after everyone has died of the plague."

"Yes, that is the way of the Green Lanterns. They do not help; they are merely the self appointed police of the universe."

A small view screen came to life in their room, and Hal Jordon's anxious face appeared on it.

"Are you ready to teleport? Time is of the essence."

Starfire stomped up to the screen. Her hair looked as if it was on fire and her eyes were so bright that her pupils were no longer visible.

"We are not leaving Earth!"

"But Starfire …."

"Address me as Princess Koriand'r, for only my friends can call me Starfire, and you, Green Lantern, are not my friend!"

"Not your friend? I attended your wedding for Pete's sake! And why won't you leave Earth? Don't you know that time is running out?"

"Be gone, Lantern, I do not wish to speak with you!"

Jordan turned towards Nightwing. "Grayson, talk some sense into your wife. A war could erupt."

"I welcome it."

"But you will lose. With all due respect, while Tamaranians are strong warriors, they are no match for the Green Lantern Corps."

"We do not fear death, Lantern, we are bound by honor. Can you say the same?"

Jordan heaved an exasperated sigh. "I tried to help, Grayson, I really did. But we've run out of time."

The Green Lantern crossed his arms. "You guys are on your own. And remember princess, any blood that will be shed, is on your hands."

-( scene break )-

A short chapter as I am short on time.

I also found something interesting. I was reading "Read Hood And the Outlaws. Vol 2" and a threesome of multicolored aliens are referred to as the "Chromatically Challenged Trio". I have no idea if the writer, Scott Lobdell, got that from one of my fan fics, but its fun to think that maybe he did!

Again thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I am overwhelmed by your responses; I know you hate it when I skip the mail bag, so here is a very brief shout out to everyone who reviewed:

SuperNolon - A lot of people are jumping on the clone bandwagon

ToraHimeSama - I am always touched when someone hurries to catch up ith the story

adventuresstime - And I and also touched by your trust

goldenrod51 - That would be tricky

LSUABW - She knows that the world's needs trump her own

gabylokita41 - Not everything with Mark is as it seems

Anoymous136 - No he's about the right age. The one night stand was just before grad school and that took 4 years.

titanfan45 - So true. I once heard a saying: "Don't sleep with a woman unless you are willing to have a child with her."

krostovikraven1 - I can only imagine how hard it must be to deal with a spouse's ex

Sweetums14 - She is in a bad place now.

Katt In The Boxx - Sometimes I feel that way about Alexa too. It's fun!

Densharr - He's a teddy bear ... with mental powers!

Wolf of IndigoRiver - And it gets even worse.

TW - Oooh, what an evil tought!

WishToBeYouSomeday - Patience grasshopper!

SilentGoddest - Check out my one shot "Why Didn't I?" if you haven't already done so

Thowell3 - He couldn't be a perfect clone, as he can talk when in his animal forms.

Ejammer - Lex is a great villain. So cold and calculating and yet so suave.

JOHNXgambit - All I can say is ... Duck!

Bluedog197 - Alexa must be Terra's long lost sister.

Nohbody - I hope I addressed your objections to your satisfaction.

Hairul The Nightrage Beast - We won't even go anywhere near where Carved went. But I will rewrite Carved and it will be much better.

DeeThom - Evildoers are not above stabbing each other in the back

js12601 - BB is going to be under a lot of stress. That much is sure.

RobStar243 - Thank you for your kind words.

Maddielove95 - Welcome back! Tell your friends to join our party.

TJSC25 - Alexa doesn't know about Rage ... an introduction is in order, don't you think?

elixxxrAngel - What, you want a spoiler? ;-) Of course you don't!

Chayse-man - Thanks for the compliment. They are always appreciated.