Today wasn't going the way Carson and Carla thought it would be at all. Today was the day Carla's Café would finally reopen. Carla kept it closed after a series of events that kept her preoccupied. The first event was that her shop was ransacked by Black Mask's men. They caused a lot of damage and even killed an innocent woman; that devastated Carla. She and her soon to be former husband decided that it was best for her to delay reopening the shop and keep a low profile at her home until Black Mask was finally caught. Carla did so because she loved and trusted her husband Phillip, so imagine her surprise when she saw him being arrested by Commissioner Gordon and charged with colluding with Black Mask. They said he helped that murderer try to kill Carson and her brother James.

She broke down in tears having seen that. He begged her to forgive him, but he disgusted her. She told the police to take him away and she hasn't seen him since. The fact that he claimed to do all of it for her made her feel even worse. How many people suffered because of her? She stayed up a lot of lonely nights thinking about that. But that was in the past, she felt that today she was ready to move on finally.

She reopened her Café with Carson by her side. It didn't take long for the customers to pile in either. They first paid their respect to Maria, the woman who tragically lost her life that day. Carla dedicated a table in her name as a monument to her and all of the profits from that table would go to her son Robert.

The Café was livelier than ever before and for once it seemed like an eternity, both Carson and Carla were happy. James attended the opening too so that he could support his sister and their friend of the family. He was at a table looking at his sister taking orders and smiled, 'My family finally feels whole. I'll never let it be broken again.'

"It's good to see you again child."

"It's good to see you again too. Do you want the usual?" Carson asked.

"Yep," The elderly customer said eagerly.

"One strawberry parfait with a side of extra fruit and a cheese omelet with basil coming right up then," Carson then went into the back to give Carla the order. She found the redhead looking over the Café with a smile on her face. She walked up to her friend and smiled too.

"A while ago I never would have thought that this shop would be opened again. After what happened with Maria and Phillip, I lost any will to keep doing this. But here I am now in this café, my mother's café."

"What made you finally decide to reopen it?" Carson asked.

"It's a part of me. I love this café like it was my own child. I've already lost so much in my life…I don't want to lose this too. I don't want to lose you either Carson." Carla answered.

"You won't lose me. What happened with Maria hurts, and I'm sure what happened with Phil hurt even worse. You loved him and even after knowing what he did you still love him. Love makes every pain feel worse." Carson said sadly.

"You sound like you're talking from experience." Carla said teasingly.

"Oh shut up. All I'm trying to say is that when something bad happens to something or someone you love, you can't just give up. I hate Phil for what he did, but I wasn't married to the guy; you were. You didn't give up on this café, so don't give up on him." Carson then grabbed Carla's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you. I'll try to forgive Phil someday, but I need time first," Carla then went back to smiling at her younger companion, "I hope you take your own advice too someday."

Carson busted out laughing, "Oh don't get me started on him. It'll take a lifetime for him just to tell me how he really feels. I don't know why the concept of happiness scares him so much…" she replied sadly.

"Itachi doesn't seem like the type to be scared of anything. He must have his reasons." Carla said coming to Itachi's defense.

"You sound like Artemis. Some part of me thinks that he's found another woman and that's why he won't tell me anything. It's not like he'd have a hard time; he's beautiful…in a dude kind of way." She spoke while starting to blush.

"You're jealous…and blushing. You're so in love with him it's ridiculous." Carla squealed but was shushed by Carson.

"Shush. James might hear you. I still haven't gotten to telling James about Itachi. He'd flip for sure. He's not used to the concept of his sister dating yet." She whispered embarrassingly.

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me," Carla looked at Carson seriously, "Itachi isn't interested in another girl and I'm sure he's not scared of dating you."

"Then why is he so set on being alone." Carson said while being confused on the concept of men in general.

"My best guess; he was in love with another girl once and it didn't end well." Carla said sadly.

"He never mentioned any ex to me. So what if he did have one? They broke up. Everyone does at some point, but that doesn't mean you just give up on happiness and-" She was stopped but Carla who still had sadness in her eyes.

"What if they didn't break up though?" Carla responded.

"W-What do you mean by that?" Carson asked now confused.

"The next time you see him you should ask Itachi about it. I bet you'll figure out why he's in no rush to move on," She then looked at Maria's table, "Some things are just too painful to move on from. Some things you have to live with it for the rest of your life."

Carson was about to respond when she heard her brother shout, "Everybody get down!"

Carson dropped as a huge plant vine came crashing through. It destroyed most of Carla's Café and injured a lot of people inside the shop. When she looked back up, Carson saw what everyone else did; chaos. Gotham City was under attack from a gigantic plant that was destroying everything in its path. Only death and destruction could be heard.

Carla got up and silently wept for her café. It was gone. The people inside were severely injured and unless a miracle happens, they will all die.

Itachi watched from above as Gotham City was being attacked by a gigantic plant monster. Thanks to the cobra-venom it was infused with, it destroyed tons of building with little effort at all. He rushed to the streets to save whatever civilians he could. He saw a couple across the street who were about to be crushed and made a move to save them.

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" The fire ball incinerated the vine before it could hit them. They saw that their savior was the Crow and paused. They knew that the vigilante only came out at night so that must mean that the city was in great danger for him to be here now. They gave the vigilante a nod and ran to safety.

As soon as they were gone Itachi surveyed his surroundings. The vines sprouted from underground and the source of them seems to come from the center of Gotham; Midtown Gotham City. He wanted to make sure Carson was safe first so he sped to her apartment over by the Gotham Narrows. He'd be able to get Artemis's mother as well.

Along the way he assisted in any way that he could without causing too much attention on himself. Every time he saw a straggler trying to escape he'd assist them by getting them into a safe zone or by attacking the plant. He had to be careful of how to attack the vines because some of them release spores that are poisonous. He stuck to fire attacks and kept all physical contact to a minimum. He tried to save as many people as possible, but there were already a lot of casualties.

One of the vines of the plant took out an entire five story building. Cars all over the city were either abandoned or completely destroyed. The police and firemen were spread thin and on the verge of losing the city before Itachi arrived. Itachi helped them out considerably when he summoned two clones to assist them. The damage done was decreased drastically thanks to his clones. Using fire attacks to cut off the vines and restrict its freedom in certain parts of the city helped save countless lives. But that didn't change the fact that lives were still lost because of the attack.

Itachi finally made it to Carson's apartment complex and didn't waste any time in barging in. He leapt through the window that led to James's room. He went straight to the living room and saw that no one was home. After cursing his luck Itachi quickly decided to move on; he'd just have to keep looking for her elsewhere. He opened the door to head to Paula's room but stopped as a vine ripped through the entire apartment complex. Almost everything got destroyed. Things went from bad to worse as the vine started to release that poisonous gas to the outside air.

'If I don't move quickly anyone that's still alive is going to wind up dead,' Itachi thought as he covered up to protect himself from the gas's effect. He heard a muffled cry for help on the other side and figured that Paula must still be alive. He needed to get rid of this giant vine before he could get to her though since it was blocking his path. Realizing that he had no choice, he activated his mangekyo sharingan and readied his eyes, "Amaterasu!"

He watched as the vine screeched in pain as it was being incinerated thanks to the black flames. Itachi sprinted to Paula's room as soon as a pathway opened up. When he made it to her room, Paula was on the verge of collapsing from the poison. She was covering her face to protect against the poison. She was attempting to escape but the vine was blocking her pathway too. It was especially hard for her since she was confined to a wheelchair. When Itachi finally reached Paula he lifted her up and leapt out of her window. They landed across the street from the apartment complex. Itachi went to check on her as soon as they were safe.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yes…just tired. It's been…a long time…since I've last had to…fight poison. How is Artemis? Is she safe…is she alright?" She answered while out of breath.

Itachi took his mask off since she already knew about him from when he was staying at her place for a time, "She's with her friends."

"Good. What…what about Carson?" She asked.

Itachi shook his head, "She wasn't in her apartment, nor was her brother."

"She…she must be at work. I-I heard her and my daughter talking about it…last night. The school is closed for today…that must be where she's at." She surmised.

"Thank you." Itachi and Paula turned to see the vine that attack the apartment complex let out one last screech before the black flames completely consumed it until it was no more than ashes. Paula marveled at it since she's never seen black fire before in her life.

"Did you do that," Itachi nodded at her. She then noticed how his eye was bleeding and shrieked, "Itachi?! Why is your eye bleeding?"

"It took a lot of fire to take that vine out since it was so big. Bleeding is a way for my eyes to tell me that I'm overdoing it."

"You should listen to your eyes then." She said sternly. Itachi shook his head and put his mask back on. He lifted her up and leapt into the air. To say that Paula was terrified was an understatement. They began travelling via rooftops.

"Where are we going?" She asked while clinging to Itachi for dear life.

"To Carla's Café in the Gotham Narrows. Once I get her and any other survivors there, I'll take you all to the nearest safe-zone. Then I'll destroy this plant and leave to help Artemis on her front."

Not wanting to say it, Paula opened her mouth to ask him a serious question, "And what if Carson's isn't among those survivors…"

Itachi stayed headstrong despite the fear of Carson being dead creeping up on him, "Nothing changes. She wouldn't want me to mourn her. She'd want me to save as many people as possible. Once you all are safe and the threat in Gotham is taken care of, I'll still go to help your daughter."

"You'd be able to move on just like that." She asked not confused by him.

"The mission comes first; it always comes first." He said resolutely. But inside he didn't know what he'd do if he saw her dead. It would probably break what little humanity he had left in his life. He silently hoped that that scenario would never come to pass.

"What is your mission?" She asked.

"To save you, Carson, and all of Gotham City. You're my home now and I swear I'll protect you all," Paula smiled at him as he increased his speed. They were only a few miles away from the café. She thought back to how much her daughter raved about him to her. At first she thought it was just some teenage crush, but now she understands why, 'Itachi isn't a vigilante. He's a hero. Artemis is right to put her faith in him…I think I'll put my faith in him too.'

No one had any idea why all of the mayhem was occurring right now. What started as such a beautiful day has now turning into a fight for survival. James now finds himself in the position of having to take charge and get everyone left in the café to safety. A rescue unit came earlier and got most of the patrons out first, so all that was left was himself, Carla, and Carson. They had to wait for another rescue unit to swing by and take them to a safe zone. He reached out to his contacts over at ARGUS but he still hasn't gotten word back yet.

Another part of the roof started falling down and made the three survivors huddle up to avoid being hit. Carson and Carla were terrified right now because that giant vine was still right outside the shop causing damage to the surrounding area. It was probably what was holding up the rescue unit from picking them up. They couldn't wait in the café because of how unstable things had become, but if they went outside they'd undoubtedly be crushed by the vine which left them in no man's land.

Having thought about for long enough, James decided to go on the offensive, "We have to leave this shop. If we stay any longer we'll be crushed by the roof. And if we aren't then our only exit will be blocked and then we'll really be screwed."

"But that giant vine thing will crush us the moment we step outside. It's suicide." Carla countered.

"Not necessarily. If we can make it to the roof of that building across the street from us and hop across the roof, we'll be out of that vines range of attack and be able to be reached by a rescue team." James said hurriedly. They didn't have much time before the roof above them would completely cave in.

"I don't know. If that vine catches us, we're dead James," Carson said having doubts in her brother's plan. James didn't falter though and spoke like the soldier that he was, "If we stay here, we'll die little sister. I know it's not the best plan, but it's the only one we got. Between you and me, I don't like the idea of us just waiting to die like cattle. We need to move now Carson. I promised mom and dad that I'd protect you Carson, so cowgirl up and let's go."

After a moment of trepidation, Carson and Carla wound up going with James's plan. The three of them made it to the door and readied themselves. James went out first to see if the coast was clear. He saw that the giant vine was attacking some buildings not too from them and made the call for the girls to head out.

"Go! Don't slow down for anything. Get across the street and into the building!" They all then sprinted for their lives. There were cars, rubble, and bodies all around them. The rest of the roof over Carla's Café caved in just as they left. James was the first one to make it across the street with Carla not too far behind him. Carson, though, was still making her way.

She was almost there when her brother and Carla screamed out for her to stop. She halted just in time to avoid being crushed by the vine of a giant Venus flytrap. The plant emerged from out of the ground and growled at Carson. She was so scared that she couldn't move. James tried to get its attention by shooting it with his gun, but it ignored him and focused on Carson.

Carla and James had tears in their eyes as the plant went to crush Carson. Carson looked at them with a sad smile and tears in her eyes, 'I guess this is it for me. Crushed by a plant…some life I had. I'm sorry James…Carla…even you Itachi. I wish…I wish I could see you one last time. Take care of yourself…'

She closed her eyes and waited for the end that never came. Just as one of its vines was about to strike her a giant fireball came from out of nowhere and incinerated it. The Venus flytrap screeched in pain. Carson looked up to see the Crow land in front of her with her neighbor Paula on his back. He looked back her for moment but went right back to the plant in front of him.

"Why are you in the middle of the street? You could've been killed." Crow asked aggressively.

"W-We're trying to get to the rooftop of that building right next to us. The rescue team is blocked off from us thanks to all of the destruction around us so we need to go to them. My brother said it's our only way to make it out alive." She answered.

Itachi looked and saw Carla and James across the street staring at them. Itachi shook his head, 'This isn't a well thought out plan. I know they didn't have many options, but to expose themselves like this could have ended badly had I not shown up.'

He took hold of Carson and leapt across the street to where James and Carla were at. Being in the air like that reminded Carson of Itachi but she chucked that up to just wishful thinking. Itachi put Paula on James's back, "Get everybody to the roof. I'll hold the plant off until you all are safe."

Before James could say anything back Itachi sprinted back to the flytrap and started using his fire jutsu to suppress it. This was bigger than the other plants and smarter too. Whenever he went for its head it would use its vines as a shield. And to make matters worse, another of the giant vines from the main plant was heading this way too. He looked back and saw that the others were already inside heading towards the roof. Itachi hoped that he could fight this threat off long enough for them to get to safety because his eyes were staring to tire from overuse.

Carson, Carla, James, and Paula were making their way to the roof. James had Paula on his back but didn't have much trouble getting around. As they traveled up the stairs they could see parts of the raging battle going on outside through windows they passed by. Searing flames and loud screeches could be seen and heard from outside. James shook his head while grunting. He really didn't like the Crow and the fact that the vigilante saved his sister again while he sat and watched grinded on his nerves.

Carson was still stuck on her interaction with Crow. She could hear the concern in his voice for her even though he was rude about it. Something about the vigilante really stuck with her, she just couldn't put a finger on it. Carla was just glad everyone was safe. She's seen enough destruction for one lifetime.

Once everyone made it to the roof they could see Crow doing major damage to the giant flytrap. The flames from his Fireball Jutsu had eradicated most of it, only leaving its head and main stem that connected it to the mother-plant. A vine from another plant came to its defense by using its thick outer layer as a shield just as Itachi unleashed another fireball to kill it. Now Itachi had two of them to deal with.

James saw this and urged the others to hurry. He didn't want to risk being caught by one of the plants. They all got to the edge of the rooftop and prepared themselves for the jump they'd have to make. They just needed to jump across two rooftops and then they would be able to descend again and get to a safe-zone.

"James you should go first since you have Ms. Crock with you. Once you get her to safety you can be our safety net for when me and Carla jump." Carson stated. James nodded at his sister, indicating that he agreed with the plan.

"Hang on tight." He told Paula. She clenched on to him as he leapt across the rooftop. Once he made it to the ground he put her on the ground softly as she thanked him and went to the edge again.

"Alright, one of you needs to get a good running start and jump as far as you can. There isn't that big of a distance so you should be fine. I'll be right on the edge to catch you." James yelled out.

"Carla you should go first. I'll be right behind you." Carson said. Carla disagreed though.

"No. You need to jump first. You're younger than me so you're more of a priority." Carla argued.

"We don't have time for this. You're going and that's final," Carla went to argue but Carson cut her off, "Listen to me. The best choice is you. I hurt my ankle before at the café. It's why I was behind you guys when we crossed the street. I don't know if I can make the jump. If you're there with James to help catch me though, I might have a chance. Please, Carla…just go. I'll be right behind you I swear."

"You had better be." The two ladies hugged before Carla took a few steps back to get a running start. She sprinted as fast as she could and leapt across the rooftop. James was there to catch her just as he said he'd be. She thanked him before joining him on the edge. She told him about Carson's ankle and they prepared to reach out and catch her as she made her jump.

"Alright, just take a few steps back and run as hard as you can. You can do it sis."

Carson said a silent prayer and took a few steps back. She started to run to the edge so she could jump and meet her brother. Out of nowhere a vine came crashing down on the rooftop she was on. The impact of it threw her off and she wound up undershooting the jump. James and Carla both reached out, but neither of them could get to her. They were forced to watch Carson fall to her death.

Carson thought she was going to die. She was falling fast and from the height she was at, she'd die on impact. She closed her eyes and started crying and preparing for the end when she noticed that her fall had stopped. Carson didn't look up at first because she was still in disbelief. She felt a warm presence holding her. She thought that her hero was Itachi until she opened her eyes saw that it was the Crow.

Itachi was able to incinerate most of the plants and was going for the kill when he saw a third plant sprout out and attack the roof Carson was on. He saw that Carson was falling when and stopped what he was doing to go save her. Thankfully he was able to catch her before the worst happened. As they were ascending upwards Itachi could sense that the vine was going to try and strike again. He let his instincts take over and evaded the attacks until they were in the right position Itachi then flung Carson and himself inside where the vines couldn't reach them. Carla and James watched as the pair landed safely inside building, with Paula looking on from a distance.

Crow made sure they were safe before he turned to check on Carson, "You have to be more aware of your surroundings, or you'll get yourself killed. The plants are attacking this building to get it to fall on top of us. Once I get us out of here I'll hold them off until you get across the rooftops safely."

"But there are three of them now. I know you can do amazing things, but spouting out fire isn't getting the job done anymore. Please come with us." Carson retorted.

"No. My place is here fighting these monstrosities and saving this city. I can't come with you. Please, trust me." Itachi knew he was the plant's targets now. They'll just chase him if he ran which would put Carson and the others in more danger than they already are. Carson was adamantly against his idea.

"No, to hell with this city. Gotham wouldn't even mourn you if you died. Think about your loved ones; people who would be hurt if something ever happened to you. What about them? Don't you care how hurt they'll be if you wound up dead." She said angrily.

"I am thinking about them," He retorted. Carson vigorously shook he head, "No! No no no no. Christ, you sound just like Itachi. Always acting like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You don't own this trash city anything. For once just think about yourself. You've already given enough of yourself to this city. Please I just…I just don't want to lose anyone else."

Itachi felt how passionate she was about this. She really didn't want for him to die. Carson continued on as the building around them started to crumble, "I have this friend; his name is Itachi. He's special like you. Ever since I met him he's been helping me feel better about my life. I-I even started to develop feelings for him. On the night of my mother's funeral he decided he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. When I needed him the most…he abandoned me. He called me weak and said that he never wanted to see me again. I don't even know if he's even alive thanks to all of this chaos. I…I shouldn't have let him push me away. I should have fought harder for him, but I was so scared.

I was scared that he might have been right about me. But after all of the mess that I've been through, I know for a fact that he was wrong. I'm strong…strong enough to admit the truth about myself. I may be an ordinary girl, but that doesn't make me weak; it makes me human. I bet Itachi's been through so much that he barely considers himself human anymore. Even though I have no idea where he's at or if he's even thinking about me, I still just want to see him again. I'll never let him push me away again and I will fight to get his humanity back.

There's got to be someone who wants to see you one more time too and save you Crow. That's why I can't let you do something that we both know will get you killed. I want Itachi to be happy…and I want you to be happy to Crow."

Itachi was touched by her words, 'She really does care about me. And all I've done is push her away... I need to stop treating her like Sasuke and start treating her like Carson. But after all this, I don't think I know how. I've never had to deal with anything like this since Izumi. She loved me from the bottom of her heart and how did I repay her; by killing her. I swore on that day that I'd never let another woman take her place in my heart after that.'

Carson watched as the Crow slowly began to remove his mask off, 'I may not be ready for or even want a relationship with Carson past being friends, but I know that I'm done pushing her away. She's earned a place in my heart separate from Izumi's. Carson's been nothing but good to me; a kindness that I don't deserve. Izumi always wanted me to be happy and find peace in my life. Being Sasuke's brother made me happy, but being Carson's friend gives me peace. I won't ever give that up again… I won't ever stop being her friend again.'

She was shocked to see that it was indeed her friend Itachi under the mask. She sprinted to him and gave him the biggest hug ever. She had so many questions for him. Carson didn't know whether she should be happy to see him or mad that he hid all of this from her.

Itachi felt a new surge of power flow through him. It felt like all of the pain in his eyes vanished. Carson released him from the hug and stepped back. She had a million questions for him.

"I-I don't understand. Itachi…you're the Crow. You've been saving people all this time?" She asked. Itachi nodded back at her. Itachi wished he had time to explain but this building will come down any moment so they had to hurry.

"I'm sorry for the things I said back then… I was wrong. There is nothing weak about you," They both heard the impact of the plant attacking the building and saw debris start to fall, "We have to go now. I'll explain everything when all of this is done. Please, trust me." He pleaded. This time she nodded at him with tears in her eyes.

She hesitated for a while but eventually said, "I'll always trust you Itachi."

He lifted her up bridal style similar to when they first met and leapt out of the building. Itachi was able to slip past the vines since they were focused on the roof still and land where James, Carla, and Paula were at. James and Carla both ran to Carson to check on her.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

"Thank heavens that you're okay. You really worried me."

Carson smiled and assured them that she was indeed fine, "I'm alright, thanks to Itachi."

Carla looked and noticed that the Crow indeed didn't have his mask on. She recognized the young man as the same person who saved her café from that raid. She also recognized his name as the same person Carson has been infatuated with for so long and put it all together. She went and gave him a hug to and whisper thank you to him.

James didn't know how to feel. He hated Crow and everything that he stood for, but the man just saved his sister's life. Plus, to him it seemed like this wasn't Carson's first time meeting Crow without his mask based on how happy she seemed. It made him start to wonder whether or not she was hiding things from him. James, in the end, decided he'd deal with it later. His main priority was getting everyone to safety.

"We have to go. Those plants won't stay inactive for long," He declared. They others agreed with him and got ready to go. Carson ran to Itachi and hugged him one last time, "You better not die. You have to come back to me."

"I will…I promise." She nodded and ran to join her companions. Itachi watched as they crossed the building. He turned back to fight the three plants when the Venus flytrap came down on him. He turned around in time to be eaten by it.

Carson saw the whole thing and froze. She started crying before she shouted in disbelief. The one person she loved the most was dead and she just sat there and watched it. James, Carla, and Paula tried to get her to move but she was such a wreck it was no use. Soon the three plants surrounded them and ready to pounce.

'This is it. This is how we die…as plant food. It can't end this way. Itachi…you can't be gone. You promised me that you'd come back to me so please…COME BACK!' Carson thought.

Just as the three plants pounced on them, the flytrap exploded into a million pieces. The two vines were next as a giant orange sword cut them to pieces. Carson, James, and Paula all looked up to see an orange gigantic, humanoid avatar. It was bigger than any of the plants and most of the buildings in the city. Its face was framed with locks of hair and had an appendage on its chin that is reminiscent of a pharaoh's false beard. As big as it already was, it kept growing as its legs started to form. It let out an animal like shriek once it stopped growing. In the middle of the humanoid was none other than Itachi, who was unharmed.

'No more games. I made a promise and I intend on keeping. My Susanoo will make sure of that.' Itachi thought. This is the first time he's been able to form a full bodied Susanoo. He felt a surge of power flow through him like earlier as his chakra poured out of him. His Susanoo stretched out its hand to the others, signaling for them to get on.

Carson looked on and saw Itachi in the middle of it. Casting out all doubts, she decided to get on. James looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"W-We can't go on that-that thing! What are you doing?!" He shouted. Carson ignored him and motioned for everyone to follow her, "I'm trusting Itachi. I'll always trust him."

That's it for this chapter. Until next time guys and gals!