Matter of Family.

Jester wasn't speaking, she didn't want to or need to. She was angry.

Edward cautiously glanced at the girl before he looked back to the road ahead. Both of them were our of their game, Edward was still trying to get over his latest fear toxin while Jester was trying to cope with the prospect of meeting her father for the very first time as her father.

"How'd you get away from Jonny?"

Edward blinked before he turned to the girl, she was still looking ahead but she had asked a question.

"Come now, Jester. We both know him well enough to know you can't get away from him. He let me go. I woke up near the docks and then I headed back to my hideout."

"Why'd he come back?"

"He wants revenge."

"Against tall dark and batty? Ha, like he'll get it!"

Edward smirked at the comment but it quickly fell as they rounded a corner to the Sionis slaughter house.

It looked abandoned to the untrained eye, but Edward could see a few glimmers of light in-between the slats and boards that protected the windows.

"Why is he here?"

"It's the only thing left that actually belongs to the Sionis family, that and the Steel Mill. But that's all that's left," Jester explained.

"But… when I worked at the GCPD, he had everything, the bank, the steel mill, even the my alibi the club near the docks and he had the hotel in the diamond district."

Jester sighed and turned back to Edward. "That. I hate to say, was a long time ago, Eddie. You said it yourself you worked at the GCPD, I was six then, I'm 15 now. It's been a while since Sionis had that kind of power."

"He lost it after the event on Christmas Eve didn't he?" Edward murmured.

"Yeah. It's one of the reasons I joined up with Joker, boss J man destroyed Sionis's empire. I had the mind to do the same thing."

He nodded before they continued towards the slaughter house and Jester smirked a little before she giggled.

"I'm surprised Boss J man didn't take this place instead of that old steel mill. Guess he preferred the furnaces."

"What are you going on about?"

"Well Eddie, didn't ya know? Laughter is only one letter away from slaughter."

Edward frowned at the girls comment before he shrugged it off and followed her towards the door.

"I really don't want to be here."

"I'm not exactly happy about it either, but in order to survive I'm willing to come."

Jester laughed. "Ya really think this is going to work?"

Edward was silent before he muttered. "It has to."

"Yeah, whatever you say Eddie," she giggled before hammering her first down on the door.

It was unlocked and opened by Sorrow, the girl stood staring out at them and she tilted her head to the side slightly when she saw Jester.

"Sister dearest," she whispered. "How nice of you to come. Daddy's been so worried."

"He is not my father," Jester snarled back in reply.

"Come now, Jessica. We're all family here, most of us any way," she growled the last bit glaring at Edward who raised and eyebrow at her.

"I would not take that tone with me young lady," he snapped back in reply.

"Then do not treat myself like a child," Sasha snapped back in reply before she pulled out her i-pad and began to skim through it before she looked back at them. "Now, what is it you wish to see my father about… well our father about?"

"Call it a family reunion sis'," Jester bit out before she pushed past and wrapped her arm around Sorrow's shoulder. "A little… family get together to talk about the business and how's life and is that a new hair cut… wow, I preferred your old one."

Sorrow narrowed her eyes at sister before she glared at her black and white hair. "Yes and your hairdresser needs sacking."

Jester burst out laughing. "Oh, you always were ready for a laugh were't you?"

Edward carefully pulled the sisters apart before he turned to Sorrow. "Where is Black Mask, we need to speak with him. It's urgent."

Sorrow slipped back into her professional stature. "He's in the office. Follow me."

They walked through the corridors and passageways, coming to halt as Sorrow unlocked the door to the office before she wondered inside, Jester and Edward following.

Black Mask was staring across the office floor from the view point window at his men as they unloaded a fresh batch of guns and hid it around the slaughter house.

"Father, my sister is here to see you."

Roman turned towards the Sorrow and walked over to her, before he looked at Jester standing with Edward.

The girl seemed to be battling her own demons inside her head.

"Sorrow, tell the men to get that shipment cleared by tonight, I do not want another disaster like last time!"

Sorrow nodded and fiddled with her i-pad as she left, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Roman turned to Jester and looked her over before he looked at Edward and gave a small nod in hello, to which Edward replied with one of his own.

"Now, what is it… you came to talk to me about?" asked Roman as he kept his eyes trained on Jester.

For a while neither Jester or Edward spoke, until Edward lost his patience and stepped forward.

"It's come to my knowledge that Strange is out to destroy us all, including yourself. That is why he made yourself and your daughters aware of… family ties should we say?"

Black Mask narrowed his eyes but nodded for him to continue.

"It appears that… he is hoping that in doing this he would give you strings to trip yourself up with, Roman. He's out to kill is all using a gang war. Then he will kill the rest of us, those that are left after the wreckage of the war before."

Black Mask was silent before he turned to Jester. "Do you… believe him Jessica?"

Jester winced at the usage of her own name. "Don't have a reason not to."

"I see… but you do know that this… man will sell you out the moment he sees it fit."

"Well… he can't do any worse then my father now could he?" Jester snarled. "Not only did my dad walk out of me, but he turned me into this monster parents tell their children to avoid in the streets."

Black Mask sighed and walked over to her. "Do you… believe that Strange wants to do this?"

"You are surprisingly calm," Jester muttered. "Last time you and I were in the same room alone together you attempted to turn me into street pizza."

"Goddamn it Jessica, I am your father!"

"You are not my father! You may have brought me into this world but you are not my father!"

"You are a Sionis!" Black Mask yelled. "And as a Sionis and my daughter I will not have you somewhere with someone who will get you hurt!"

"Oh… we wouldn't want that now would we?" Jester murmured. "It's not like this could get any worse is it?"

Edward sighed and ran a hand down his face.

This was going to take awhile.

Leave, leave, leave… yeah well you know what Whisper I'm not afraid of you, I'm not leaving you to face this on your own ya bandaged up nut case, Conner thought as he followed Whisper through the streets of Wonder City. He seemed to be looking for something, though what Conner wasn't quite sure.

He watched as Whisper went around the corner and he quickly chased after him, slowing at the corner before glancing around it to find him not there.

"What?" he muttered in confusion. "I could of sworn he went this way."

Suddenly he was pushed to the floor and he landed with a hard thump before he turned around to see Whisper glaring down at him.

"You are not very good at being quiet, but I guess I know that don't I?" Whisper snapped at him before he helped Conner to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to help!" Conner protested. "You can't always shut me out ya know! I can help!"

"The best thing you can do to help is leave."

Conner folded his arms and shook his head. "Not going to happen. My standing my ground, showing you why I have this red hair."

"It's scarlet red and dyed."

Conner looked heart broken. "It is not dyed! I have scarlet red hair, so what I'm different, you should of known that by now."

"Oh believe me Conner, I knew you were special," Whisper muttered before he walked into the light studying the ground and walls.

"Umm… what are you looking for?" asked Conner as he watched his friend run his fingers across walls and wooden shutters.

"Do you see that door?" Whisper muttered nodding to it.

Conner looked at the old door which looked like it had been closed for years, turned out he was right.

"Yeah?"

"Well, it's been closed for centuries. So, whoever is getting in out must be using a different way."

"And you're looking for that secret way right?"

"Yes," Whisper comfirmed as he ran his fingers over a wall of a building closest to the door. "There must be a secret compartment somewhere and- there you are!"

He pulled it aside and studied the lock with a raised eyebrow.

Target peeped over his shoulder and studied the lock himself. "It looks like it would fit a sword."

Whisper turned to his friend with an odd expression.

"What?" asked Conner before he frowned. "Did I say something stupid?"

"No…" Whisper hesitated to answer. "That's what's surprising."

Conner glared before he quickly hid as Whisper pulled out one of his swords and slid it into place, turning it and then the entire wall slid to the side.

Conner stood with an open wide mouth. "I feel like Indiana Jones."

"Like who?"

"Indiana Jones," Conner deadpanned staring at his friend in confusion. "Ya know… Raiders of the lost ark, temple of doom, last crusade….. kingdom of the crystal skull…?"

Whisper gave him a confused look and raised and eyebrow.

"You've seriously never seen them?"

"No."

Conner stared at his friend in disbelieve. "Really?"

"Really."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to, it doesn't stop it from being the truth."

Target shook his head before he walked into the passage only to be stopped and pulled back by Whisper.

"You'd love them," Conner muttered. "They'd be right up your alley, sword fights, set in the past, mystical things…. everything you like," he waited for Whisper to reply but he didn't he just carefully walked around the corner making Target roll his eyes. "When we get home," he continued. "We are gonna have an Indiana Jones marathon and you are going to love and watch all of-," he stopped abruptly upon seeing the hanging skeletons at the end of the passage.

Whisper just carried on leaving Conner rubbing the back of his head from nerves. "Yeah… you.. you umm… see a lot of that in Indiana Jones too," he watched as his friend began to climb up the ladder which led out of the passage and Conner quickly came to bottom of it looking up as his friend removed the man hole cover and climbed out.

"It's safe Conner, you can come up," Whisper called back down to him.

Conner frowned before calling back shakily. "O- okay… I'm coming up…" he looked back at the skeletons and grimaced before he began to climb up the ladder. "Be just like Indiana Jones, just like Indiana Jones, that's all this is, it's like Indiana Jones…" he muttered all the way up the ladder.

Back and forth, back and forth, Edward sighed and watched the argument that had occurred on Sorrow's return from talking to the men and now Edward just sat watching the family argue.

"You are a Sionis and I want to keep you safe, you're my daughter!"

"Yeah well ya certainly did that wrong didn't ya' 'Dad'," Jester snarled back before she pointed at her face. "You looked after me no better then you looked after yourself!"

"I didn't want to leave you Jessica!"

Jester clenched her teeth. "Stop calling me 'Jessica'! That's not my name!"

"You are Jessica Sionis, my daughter and as my daughter it is my job to protect you!"

"Well you did a fine job at that didn't ya?!"

"I left to keep you safe, to keep you all safe!"

"Uh huh and how'd that work out for mum?!"

Edward rubbed his eyes in exasperation as a brand new argument started up.

Why did he think coming here was a good idea, what had possessed him to come? Who cares if Roman's empire collapsed? Not him that was for sure.

"Why did you leave?!"

"To protect you!"

"I want a better answer!"

Roman grabbed his desk and tipped it over glaring down at Jester who glared back.

Using her fathers cold stare against him, Edward mused to himself as he watched the fight, how wonderfully ironic.

He turned back to the fight and rested his chin in his palm with a bored expression as he lazily twirled his staff in his hand, before he rested his head on the back of the chair he was sitting on.

He hoped Mist was having a better time.

"We're gonna find you girly, better come out while you still have the chance."

Mist rolled her eyes at the thugs comment.

Oh if only they knew who they were dealing with.

"Ya can't stay hidden forever! Why don't ya come out, me and my boys only want to have a little bit of fun, it's been months since I've seen a woman.

More accurately it had been months since they'd seen a woman who couldn't land them on their backsides, tonight would be no different.

She climbed up to be resting on top of a gargoyle glaring down at the thug before she pulled out her sickles and jumped down slicing the man's neck.

She landed on her hands feet, before she walked over to the body and glared at it.

There was a shout from the door way and six thugs came running in with guns.

Mist frowned before running off into the darkness to find a new place to hide as bullets shot past her in rapid succession.

When she got out of this she was going to kill Edward.

By the time the argument had finished Edward had almost fallen asleep.

He grabbed Jester by the arm and pushed her towards the door.

"Remember what I said, Sionis," he warned as he left, pushing Jester along towards the door.

Once they were outside and far distance from Sionis's base of operations Jester screamed and kicked a bin over in anger.

"Calm down," Edward ordered.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Eddie!" Jester snarled. "You may have had daddy issues, but you never had them like this!"

"I had them worse girl, do not compare your family issues to mine when you do not fully understand the position you are in!" Edward growled.

"Got some of your bravado back," Jester laughed. "Figures you would!"

"I don't know why you're having a go at me."

"Because it was your idea to come here!"

"You didn't have to come with me."

"Yes I did ya stupid leprachorn!" Jester yelled. "If I didn't come you'd never of been let in!"

Edward sighed and ran his hand down his face. "Considering all the shouting you did, I presume you'd like a drink, yes?"

Jester nodded her head meekly, before she stuffed her hands in her pockets glaring at the floor.

"I thought as much."

"Obviously."

"Come on," Edward sighed wrapping an arm around the girl pulling her away from the industrial district. "We'll go to the Iceberg. Ozzy will give us a drink there, I can assure you of that."

"Right yeah… whatever you say."

Edward smirked and nudged her arm a little. "Come on, what happened to the Jester I met at the Asylum?"

"I grew up."

"Well grow back down again!" Edward cried. "You don't suit being sober Jester, you are a Jester so you should live up to your name like you used to, the life and soul of the party."

"Not all Jesters are happy Eddie."

Edward sighed and shook his head. "No, but this one is. Don't let one little thing get you down Jester, if you do, it means they've won," he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her dead in the eye. "Don't ever let them win."

The girl blinked and watched as Edward walked on ahead before she trotted on next to him, before it turned into a skip and began to laugh.

Oh… it was good to be mad!

"Wake up… Luna… wake up…"

Luna groaned and her eyes fluttered a little before she slumped back on whatever it was she was lying on.

"Wake up Luna… Luna wake up… Wake up!"

Her eyes shot open and she looked around in confusion. Where was she? She didn't recognise this place.

Her head hurt, it felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to it.

Her eyes began to get used to the darkness and she realised she was in an old apartment building that had obviously seen better days. The floorboards were slightly rotten and the window was open.

She got to her feet and on shaky legs she wondered over to the window and stared outside.

The dark skyscrapers of Gotham greeted her sight and she breathed and sigh of relief before smiling as she stared out at the buildings.

"It's a nice view isn't it?"

Her blood ran cold and she span around to see a figure shrouded in darkness sitting on a chair in the far corner. She could just about see the light flash off his pointed teeth as he grinned.

"Where am I?"

"Where are you?" the boy countered. "Why are you asking me?"

"What… what are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything," he answered before smirking. "Where are you? Are you here or are you in your head?"

"What…? I… this is real!"

"But how can you be sure?" he questioned as he got to his feet. Bare feet, Luna noted and he walked silently towards her. "How do you know this is real and not just make believe?"

Luna narrowed her eyes before she snapped her fingers and a shadow came out and flung the boy across the room till he hit the wall and bits of plaster fell down with him.

"That's how I know," Luna answered bluntly, but the boy laughed as he got to his feet.

"You really shouldn't get me angry sis' you know how bad my tantrums can get."

"I am not… wait… Lucifer Fright? Lui is that you?" she questioned staring at him in confusion.

"I'm ashamed that you don't know your own brother when you see him… we are very alike," he smiled showing his pointed teeth and Luna raised her own hand up to gently touch her own pointed teeth.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ah.. well you see mum and dad are dead," he shook his head in fake sadness. "A tragedy really, killed themselves."

"You and I both know they wouldn't do that," Luna hissed. "They were too… religious to do that always confused me why they called you Lucifer."

"I guess they knew from the start I was going to be a little devil," Lucifer hissed before he walked over to his sister.

"What happened?" Luna questioned. "Why did mum and dad kill themselves?"

"Well… you see I err… played my little games with them, you know… to increase my powers," Lucifer shrugged. "In the end it proved too much… they… they actually tried to drill the voices out of their heads," he chuckled slightly before he pulled his hood up over his face. "It left quite a mess."

Luna frowned before shaking her head. "I imagined it would. Heads are rather messy."

"Aren't they just?" Lucifer giggled before he stepped forward and directed Luna's attention to the table that Luna hand't noticed. "I have something for you," he explained before he opened the lid of a box and pulled out another long box with a bow and gave it to Luna.

She took it and pulled the black ribbon off. "What's this for?"

"A little reunion present," Lucifer smirked as she undid the clasps and lifted the lid, her eyes widening in shock. "I thought you might need one of these and it's custom made with a spiderweb pattern on the blade. Foldable too, easy for storage."

Luna pulled the scythe out and clicked a button making the handle flip out to be longer.

"Where did you get this?" she questioned.

"Well.. it wasn't too hard for myself dear sister, a little encouragement from my part and the maker made it with no questions," Lucifer giggled. "It was either that or I drive him completely insane."

"And did you?"

"Of course. Would you expect anything less of me?"

Luna smirked before she folded the scythe and put it away in her inside pocket. "If you're going to be working with me… you'll need a name. I have Midfright, so maybe you should go for something spooky too?"

Her brother grinned. "Oh I already have a name," he chuckled slightly. "It was the last thing mum and dad ever really said… 'we're going to get the nightmares out you little monster!', that's what they shrieked at me before they grabbed the screw driver… therefore I thought… Nightmare. It has a nice ring to it."

"Nightmare," Luna tested the name before grinning. "I like it."

"Midfright and Nightmare," Lucifer cackled. "Gotham awaits you!"

T.B.C:

Note: Err... family is messy. Friendships are too, but my oh my isn't Nightmare the sadistic little one? He's worse then Midfright. I mean no offence to any religion by the way with Luna and Lucifer Fright's back story. This is just a take on an extremist type of believers for the Fright's parents. It does not mean I have anything against religion, this is just to make the back story for two of my characters.

Well, now we got that out of the way: Thank, thank, thank you! For all your reviews faves and follows, seriously it means a lot! :)

Stay tuned for more and most certainly more Nightmare! :P