On the plane, Serena finally let her emotions surface. Tears were in her eyes as she took the past four years of pictures out of her wallet. The little old lady beside her looked on in understanding.

"Are these your friends?" she asked gently.

"They were." Serena said mournfully, as her eyes fell on the scene in her hand. It was shortly after they'd defeated the Dead Moon Circus. Everyone was so friendly, so free then. Were those times false?

"Tell me more," comforted the old lady, "what happened?"

Serena burst forth in a flow of description, leaving out only the supernatural. Her Inners, the people she had fought side-by-side with. The people she had hung out with to the exclusion of all others. Her kindred spirits. They had betrayed her.

Serena didn't know how long she talked, but the pilot came on the PA to announce they were in Hawaii for an hour while they refueled. The passengers got off to grab something to eat, and when they got on again, the old lady asked Serena for more stories of her ex-friends. The old lady heard details that day of the past six last battles, under the impression they were school fights and gang fights that the group of friends had protected others from.

Serena smiled in spite of herself, and broke down, unable to think badly of them. The old woman saw her companion breaking down again, and decided to impart some words of wisdom she'd learned long ago, the hard way.

"Dearie," she started, "just because relationships end, it doesn't mean your world does. You just need to pick yourself up and learn from the experience. Now that you've seen traitors and phonies, you can recognize them and avoid relationships with them. Soon you'll find truer friends, who love you for you. But you'll only find them if you learn now."

Serena sniffled, taking in the kind woman's words. She had learned, and now she would restart her life. She looked to the last photo in her hand. It was of a pair of teenagers. They were laughing, both male and female, and there was ice cream on the girl's chin. The darker, older male was dripping wet with water and chasing the smaller, bright young lady. She had a glowing, carefree expression on her face, running with her golden hair flying behind her. As Serena read the note on the back, she smiled.

'To Serena, in hopes she will let me repay the favor.'

-Bruce Wayne

When she turned back to the elderly woman, she smiled, and the woman filled her in on Gotham until the pilot came over the P.A. again and said, "We are now landing in Gotham."

Bruce looked up from his magazine as it was announced that the flight from Tokyo had arrived. He looked forward to seeing Serena, to hearing her voice in person again after so many years. He would never admit it to anyone, not even Alfred, but Serena made him happy in a way no one, not even Rachel could. It puzzled him.

He gazed the crowds coming off the plain, searching, until he found the face he was looking for.

"Bruce!" cried Serena, as she wrapped her arms (and luggage) around the frame of her wealthy friend. She remained like that for a full minute, squeezing tightly.

Bruce winced as she made contact with the bruises that came from fighting supervillains and their henchmen at all hours of the night. Alfred saw this and demanded his hug, seeing Bruce's grateful smile over Serena's shoulders. Bruce rubbed his ribs.

"Miss Serena, why don't you get in the car while I get your things?" Alfred asked, taking her two bags in his hands. Bruce helped Serena into the long black stretch limo, slightly puzzled.

"Was that it?" he inquired. He had expected her to bring much, much more.

"Yes," said Serena, in not quite the cheerful tone she'd had earlier. "I wish to start new."

Just then, Serena's cell phone went off. The caller I.D. read 'Amara'. She flipped her phone open, greeting the Scout of Wind.

Bruce watched Serena as the conversation progressed. He became quickly alarmed when she suddenly turned very pale. Her tone of voice became serious as she started ordering the other person to keep everyone in Tokyo, saying that she could handle this. Her eyes widened as a Chaos was mentioned, and her serious voice became brisk then, repeating her order for everyone to stay there. She ended her phone call with a quick 'snap' and she closed her phone.

Bruce raised an eyebrow as she sighed heavily. "What was that all about?" he inquired.

Serena began to massage her temples slowly. "An old enemy's threats, a friend's overprotectiveness. My old life was madness, and somehow, I think my new life will be too."

The limo came to a stop as Alfred drove up the private lane to Wayne Manor. Alfred parked the car and opened the door for his passengers. Bruce smirked as he watched Serena's expression when she saw the Manor for the first time. It was typical of most of his guests, and was very amusing to both him and Alfred.

"Whoa."