Chapter 4 The Encounter

"The Blackest Night holds a different meaning than so many famous tragedies of our age. For years we've been asked questions like, 'Where were you when JFK was shot?' or 'What were you doing when the Two Towers fell?' But that can't be asked here, not without coming off as insensitive or looking like you're prying into someone's private affairs.

And it's for one simple reason. Someone living in Coast City couldn't feel the same way as someone who lived in Dallas the day President Kennedy was shot. Someone living in Metropolis couldn't feel the same rush of panic, anger, disbelief, and sorrow the people of New York felt that fateful morning on September 11th. And that was the key factor, distance. These tragedies were certainly terrible, but they were all concentrated in a single spot and that meant that the majority of us could empathize, we could sympathize, we could send well-wishes and we could grieve alongside those affected by that tragedy. But at the same time, we could quietly breathe easy, knowing that the tragedy happened 'over there' and didn't happen 'right here.'

But that wasn't the case for the Blackest Night.

It hit the farthest reaches of the globe: here in the metropolitan areas of the city, in the deepest backwoods of the country, to the very depths of Atlantis itself. Indeed, if the Green Lanterns are to be believed, even the unseen planets in our galaxy were at risk. No place was spared, and no country was left unaffected. There was no 'over there' or 'safe right here', for one awful night everyone had the potential to be a victim. There was no brushing this aside, no downplaying it (though some people tried), no politicizing it (some politicians certainly tried to after North Korea's breakdown), and no way to just forget about it.

We were all hurt by this. Everyone was either affected by the attack or knew someone who was. And after that awful night, we were all wondering the same thing. How did this happen and what comes next?

If there was any good to come out of this it was for at least one brief moment the whole world realized how precious life is. Race, religion, creed, status, it didn't matter. We all held our families a little tighter, we took stock of what we had and what we lost. And we were thankful for our heroes, big or small, for standing up to the literal face of death. Not just the members of the League or the Lanterns, but the emergency responders from all over the world, none of them trained for this situation yet still risking their lives, the everyday people who bravely faced off against this unforeseeable threat. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.

On the Blackest Night, everyone had the potential to be a victim, and everyone had the equal potential to be a hero.

So where was I on the Blackest Night? I'm not ready to answer that yet. But I can tell you how I felt after, it's the same as everyone else. Shocked, confused, angry, sad, hurt, lost, and relieved.

And I know we're going to keep feeling like that for a long, long time."

-Lois Lane, Remembering the Blackest Night

5 Days Until the Sale

The Iceberg Lounge in Gotham had the distinct look of luxury to it without a doubt, but like any other nightclub, its glamour was lost in the midday sun, looking like any other two-story building. Day or night, Barbara Gordon wouldn't be impressed; she had too much experience with what went on there behind the scenes. Drug and weapons sales, fencing illegal goods, you name it.

The sooner Penguin chokes on a sardine and this place is demolished, the better, the detective thought to herself as she was helped out of the patrol car and into her wheelchair by the accompanying sergeant. Who decided to keep his sunglasses on even when they entered.

Inside, things were unsurprisingly quiet. While the casino ran all day, the majority of gamblers, drinkers, and other patrons didn't show up until near sundown. Which suited Barbara as she didn't want to deal with crowds and the daytime visit is something Cobblepot wouldn't expect. Making their way around the building until the two of them came to an elevator and rode it to the second floor. From there one had an excellent view of the surroundings, the gaming tables and bars, the stage where live music was played, and the large pool with an actual iceberg in the middle.

What interested the two was the office at the end of the hall, which couldn't be missed as the magnificent wrought iron double doors had "Cobblepot" printed on them and a large guard stationed next to it.

"I think you might be lost," he said to them as they approached.

"Oh no, we're definitely in the right spot," Barbara replied. "We just want a quick word with your boss."

"He's busy."

"I doubt it. In any case, I still need to talk with him."

"You have an appointment?"

"No."

"Then he's busy."

"Look, I don't see what the fuss is," Barbara wheeled around him and moved to the door. "Just a quick knock and then we'll be on our way."

Before she could move her hand toward the door, the guard grasped her hand and smacked it down on the arm of her wheelchair.

"You're leaving. Now." He growled.

The detective looked down at his hand, back to the accompanying sergeant who dropped his sunglasses on the ground, and back up at the guard's face.

"This could qualify as assault," she said coolly.

"Assault is what's going to happen in a few if you don't leave. So get or your legs won't be the only things that don't work ri-AAAH!"

In the blink of an eye, the sergeant had kicked the leg out from under him, knocked him to the floor, and grabbed his other arm in a painful wrist lock.

As the unfortunate security guard continued to protest and yelp in pain, the doors flung open, and flanked by two female assistants was the man himself. Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin. Oswald was never an attractive man (his short, dumpy physique and beak-like nose had earned him his nickname) but age was making things worse. What was left of his hair was obviously dyed, the touchup work to hide his facial lines just gave him a more awkward appearance, and his choice of cologne (generously applied) gave off a pungent scent that could be smelled from across the room.

"If you wanted to get my attention, you've succeeded," Cobblepot said, lighting a cigarette on his holder. "In the meantime, perhaps you could let poor Derrick up? Good help is hard to find these days."

"That's what you call good help?" Barbara asked as the accompanying sergeant let go of the guard and helped him up.

"Hmm, perhaps I misspoke. Loyal help is hard to find these days," Cobblepot corrected himself. "Now that you've thoroughly embarrassed my staff, how may I help you?"

"We'd like to speak to in regards to a colleague of yours. In private if you please," Barbra said gesturing to the others.

Penguin got the hint and turned to his assistants, "Would you excuse us my dears?" he asked cordially. The two of them nodded and returned to the office. "Take a hike, Derrick," he squawked to the guard, who shuffled off, nursing his wrist.

"Now, before we begin, let me reiterate that Mr. Crane is a former colleague. And we have not had any contact ever since my return to the free world."

"Interesting, I made no mention of Scarecrow," Barbara replied with feigned intrigue. "Why would you think to bring him up?"

"Oh please," Cobblepot rolled his eyes. "I pay well to be well informed. I know that the Caped Crusader and his brats have been squeezing every low-life and rat for information on the fellow."

"And now we've come to you, the king rat."

The Penguin chuckled but Barbara noticed that he tightened his grip on his cigarette holder.

"Why detective, is my position as an occasional informer to the police bothering you? Because if that's the case, I can cease our relationship and I can focus solely on being a legitimate businessman."

This time it was the detective's turn to chuckle. "Legitimate? Oh, certainly. I'm sure that a cursory check won't reveal any illegal goods being sold in the backrooms. And there won't be any records involving doing business with any criminals, suspects, or any person of interest."

"No, you won't find anything like that," Cobblepot sniffed, knocking some ash off his cigarette in front of the detective. "Not without a search warrant anyway."

"So why don't you make this easier for the both of us?" Barbra asked. "You tell me what I want to know, and I don't come back with a warrant and force you to hide all your undesirables."

"Detective," he sighed dramatically. "In my former days working with Crane, I can tell you I didn't enjoy his company, I didn't like talking with him or even about him. And when I turned over a new leaf, I severed all contact with him as well as Gotham's other 'colorful' characters. I haven't the faintest idea of where he might be or what he might be up to. So unless you have some suggestions on how the club can be improved, there's nothing more for us to talk about."

"Well, if that's all there is to talk about, then I will let you get back to work," Barbara smiled as amicably as she could.

"I wish I could help more, but I simply cannot tell you about things I know nothing about," Penguin said with faux sympathy. "By the way, I do hope we can continue our usual, cordial arraignments?"

"But of course," Barbara replied, patting him on the back. "And don't you worry, I'll make sure the whole Gotham City Police Department knows you were nothing but cooperative."

The club owner returned to his office and turned his attention to the security monitors, watching carefully until he saw the two police officers leave. He then snapped his fingers and beckoned his two assistants to help him off with his coat. Then with careful precision, he traced his hand across the back of his coat until he found what he was looking for. A small, wireless bug. He placed it on top of his desk and placed an empty glass over it, chuckling to himself.

"Nice try detective."

Back inside the police car, Barbara smiled to herself and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I think that went pretty well, don't you, Sergeant Drake?"

Tim Drake pulled out an electronic pad and pressed a few keys before smiling back at her.

"Bug's secure on that guard and the glasses probe slipped into Cobblepot's office without him noticing. I think that went perfectly."


Ten years ago, Sam Young couldn't have even imagined farmers wanting to hold market in Gotham City with its seedy reputation, high crime rate, and tendency to attract the criminally insane. And yet for three years now, a farmers market had been held regularly without any major incident. And on that slightly chilly October afternoon, Sam decided it would be the perfect spot for a quick date with his girlfriend Barbara Gordon.

He was a dark-skinned man with a bookish yet distinctly focused look to him. Those who knew what a deputy district attorney was would say he looked the part perfectly.

"Heard you visited the Penguin today," he said as the two of them made their way through the booths and stalls.

"Just a friendly little chat," Barbara replied, taking a moment to consider a pile of gourds and bok choy.

"Uh-huh. You know, I've been hearing about a lot of 'friendly chats' lately. Apparently, the League has been cracking down on every mover and shaker from here to Coast City. A buddy of mine in San Fran said he spent the whole night dealing with that gangster, Brick. Now, any correlation between that and your visit to the Iceberg Lounge?"

"Correlation?" Barbara asked in mock offense. "Why counselor, you almost make me sound guilty."

"A good lawyer can dig up dirt on anyone," Sam grinned.

"Except on themselves," Barbara laughed.

"That's what makes them good!" Sam retorted. The two of them took a moment to laugh before Sam spoke again, keeping his voice low so that no one else around heard them.

"Seriously though, I know you and your dad have this…unspoken partnership with Batman. And I do respect that partnership, but if it gets too dangerous, promise me you'll pull out of it."

"Sam," Barbara gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Nothing's going to happen. And besides, two smart people like us, I'm sure we'd know when things aren't safe.

And if this gets too dangerous, Barbara thought to herself, no one will be safe.

"Hi there!"

Barbra's thoughts were interrupted by a cheery young voice and she looked and saw Dick with his daughter strolling by, Mar'i waving to them.

"Hi, Aunt Barbara! Hi Mr. Young!"

The two of them smiled brightly as Mar'i ran up to give them both a hug. There was something about that girl's optimism that was just amazing. Like she was immune to some of the worst things in life and wanted to spread that immunity to everyone around her. Barbara always chalked it up to her Tamaranean blood.

"Hello, Miss Mary," Sam said, using her Earthen name. "What brings you out here on this fine afternoon?"

"Grocery shopping," Dick replied. "And maybe picking up a few knickknacks and other things."

"Like kettle corn!" Mar'i interjected.

"I don't know about that," Dick turned his attention to his daughter. "I don't know if you deserve kettle corn after what happened today."

"And what exactly happened today?" Barbara asked playfully.

"She got into a fight at school," Dick explained.

"I didn't get into a fight," Mar'i retorted huffily. "I got into an argument."

"Your teacher says otherwise," Dick replied. "She said you called Wesley Howards a 'stupid jerk-face' and threatened to kick him."

"He started it!" his daughter protested. "And he was being a stupid jerk-face. He said that because you rent apartments to poorer people like Maria and her family that you're what's wrong with Gotham!"

"I assume these are the same Howards that filed complaints because you wouldn't let them rent tenements that they'd never use?" Sam amusedly asked.

"The same," Dick sighed. "And I've been trying to explain to Mary that threatening to kick someone because of what their parents have taught them is wrong. Even if what they're saying is wrong."

"Well I think standing up against economic and racial discrimination deserves some kettle corn," Barbara said, Mar'i's face lighting up at that and causing Dick to sigh once more.

Just then Sam's phone went off. A few seconds after reading a text he started to grumble in irritation.

"Man, I'm sorry, but I have to head back to the office. Apparently, they just got flooded with cases all at once and they're not sure if this is an error or whether someone's hacked the DA's computer," Sam apologized.

"If you need to go, we can always drop Barbara off," Dick offered.

"Thanks, and sorry about this," Sam leaned down and kissed his girlfriend.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "We can always do a late dinner."

The three of them watched Sam leave and as soon as he got a good distance away Barbara turned to address Dick.

"Well, that seemed awfully convenient. You show up and suddenly Sam has a reason to leave and we can talk more openly."

"I might've asked Tim to set something up," Dick shrugged. "Don't worry, it's just a minor glitch that'll be solved pretty easily. Speaking of which, how's Tim doing?"

"Tim's doing great," Barbara replied. "He's taken to the Tech Division like a duck to water. He keeps this up, he'll make senior inspector before he reaches forty."

"Don't tell him that, that'll just encourage him to try and get there before thirty," Dick smirked.

A few minutes later, all grocery purchases were completed (along with a few scented candles and some sweet-smelling soaps) and the trio made their way to Dick's car. Mar'i munched happily on a bag of kettle corn while the adults filled each other in on the Scarecrow investigation.

"So Bruce and Michael did some digging and found out that the University of Miami lost a research vessel somewhere in the Caribbean Sea six months ago," Barbara explained. "Apparently it was designed for carrying large amounts of seawater for microplastic filtration."

"I'm sure Crane could make use of that," Dick said. "I'll pass that on to Aqualad, he's taking the team out for another patrol. Also heard that John and that other Lantern are trying upgrade Bruce's satellites, see if they can act as extensions to the Watchtower's sensors."

"Okay, does anyone know anything about that guy?" Barbara asked. "Between the mask and the fact that he's insisted on not giving out his name, it makes me wonder."

"Babs, you're starting to sound like Bruce," Dick chided her. "The guy has a right to a secret identity. And if there's a problem, that falls to the Green Lanterns, not us."

"Right, right. Sorry, I'm a little bit on edge," Barbara said wearily. "I've got my surgery in a few days and I've got to fast before then. Sam's making me one last rich dinner before the procedure."

"It's not going to be your 'last meal'; you're getting worked up over nothing."

"Yeah, everything is gonna go great," Mar'i said, joining the conversation. "Before you know it, you'll be running and skipping and jumping again."

Anxious as she was, Barbara couldn't help but smile at that. "I might even try backflipping again," she said.

"You knew how to backflip?" Mar'i asked excitedly. "Could you teach me after you're better?"

Dick gave a hilariously puzzled look at that. "Teach backflips? Mar'i, you know how to fly."

"Yeah, but backflipping is really cool."

"I have to agree with her, backflipping is really cool," Barbara grinned. "Ok, tell you what. After my legs start working again, I'll teach you all my old gymnastic tricks, including backflipping."

"Thanks, Aunt Barbara!" the young girl gave her a massive hug.

"You're welcome, kiddo." Looking up from the hug, Barbara's expression turned worried. "Dick, are you sure parked here?"

"What are you talking abou-" Dick stopped as he looked at his surroundings. Gotham had a distinct look; the art deco of its architecture had a unique eeriness to it. Even more modern buildings favored grays and blacks, in keeping with the gloom that made it unmistakably Gotham.

But the neighborhood they now found themselves in was like nothing else in Gotham. Stores and buildings were painted white or light pastels with colorful trims and accents of pinks, purples, and other cheery colors. Rainbow, trans, bi, and intersex flags waved from the front of homes and shops. There was a bright merriness to it and it felt incredibly out of place.

"Did we take a wrong turn?" Dick asked, looking around. "Or did I miss something and Pride was moved to October?"

Something caught Barbara's attention, it was the theater flanked by an army surplus store and hardware shop. All three of them were decorated with floral print displays in the windows, something about it was familiar…

"I think," she said, working out the puzzle in her head. "I think this might be Danny."

Dick's face dawned in realization at her words. "Yeah, yeah you're right, it is Danny!"

"Wait, who's Danny?" Mar'i asked looking around. "Where is he?"

"Danny is a street, a living, thinking street," her father explained. "Also, Danny's more of a 'they' than a 'he.' But they're very nice and welcoming."

Mar'i's eyes went wide with wonder. She had heard of stories about living houses (those were usually the spooky kind of stories), but a whole street? That was something she couldn't even imagine.

"Hello Danny!" she waved merrily at the ground.

A large turquoise banner seemed to appear from nowhere and unfurled from a power line above them. Written on it in large, friendly letters were the words "Bona to vada!"

Dick pondered for a moment before speaking again, "You know, if Danny's here…I wonder if they're here too."

"Who?" Mar'i asked.

Her father smiled at her, "Let's see if we can run into some old friends."

A minute later the three of them arrived at a two-story house near the end of the street. Differing from the rest of the neighborhood, the house was plain in looks and color. The house was Victorian in design with a light brown paint job and dark tiled roof as a contrast. Barbara knocked on the door and was greeted by the most striking-looking man Mar'i had ever seen. He was dressed in a tacky Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts, and flip-flops, but what caught her attention was how green he was. Hair, skin and eyes, all a vibrant green.

"Barb? Dick? Hey!" Garfield Logan shouted in excitement. "What are you guys going here? Wait a sec, where is here?"

"Gotham," Barbara replied.

"Oh, that explains why it's so nippy. We were just in Lares, taking care of a nest of chupacabras. Hold on. Hey Rae! Angie! C'mon out!" he called to the inside of the house. "We ended up in Gotham!"

A few seconds later he was joined by a woman, Rachel Logan, better known as Raven joined her husband. She looked almost opposite of him, dressed in a subdued, dark dress. Her complexion was pale and her hair a deep shade of midnight blue. She had a quiet look to her in contrast to Garfield's exuberance; still, she smiled warmly at seeing her two friends and leaned down to hug Barbara before going over to Dick.

"I'd give you a hug, but I've kinda got my arms full," Dick motioned to his arms full of groceries.

Raven simply tapped the bundles in his arms and whispered "Levis" and the groceries glowed in a dark light before lightly hanging in the air, allowing Dick to pull her in for a proper hug. With those out of the way, Dick turned to address his daughter.

"Mar'i, this is Garfield and Rachel, two very good friends of ours. You probably don't remember meeting them or their daughter; the two of you were only toddlers when that happened. They helped found the Teen Titans as Beast Boy and Raven. Or do you go be Changeling now?" he asked Garfield.

"I think I'm back to being Beast Boy, I could never shake that name no matter how old I got." Garfield squatted down so he could speak to her face to face.

"It's good to see you again; it's been far too long. Unfortunately, our work and living on Danny means we move around a lot. Makes socializing a bit difficult."

"Speaking of which," Raven peeked her head back inside the house. "Angela, why don't you come out and meet our friends?"

"You'll have to excuse her," Garfield whispered. "She's a bit shy around new people."

A moment later a young girl no older than Mar'i awkwardly shuffled out, dressed in a modest grayish blue dress and a book held tight to her chest. She looked quite a bit like her mother, pale skin and midnight blue hair. The only notable thing she inherited from her father was her deep green eyes which shone brightly through her glasses.

"Hullo," she said quietly, briefly glancing at the trio before averting her gaze down again.

"Hi, I'm Mar'i or Mary if you prefer," Mar'i smiled brightly at the other girl.

"I'm Angela, Angela Marie Logan," she replied quietly.

"Nice to meet you, Angela. Whatcha reading?" Mar'i asked, pointing at the book in Angela's arms.

"Huh?" Angela looked up in mild surprise like she had forgotten what she was holding. "Oh, it's Anne of Green Gables."

Oh, I love that book!" Mar'i exclaimed. "It's one of my favorites!"

"It really is," Dick joined in. "I think it's because she connects to the main character so well."

"I like Diana," Angela said, giving a little bit of a smile.

"That's so cool. Hey, a bunch of us are going to do a sleepover this weekend, you should come too!"

"Mar'i, we don't know if her family has other plans or whether she has other plans," her father reminded her. "And in any case-"

"It'll mostly be girls but there'll be a couple boys too," Mar'i interrupted him. "And they're all pretty cool. Well, Damian's kinda cool, when he's not being a jerk. But all of our parents are superheroes and we get to talk about that, and crime fighting and other cool stuff."

"Thank you, but that might be a little too much right now," Raven said, placing her hands on Angela's shoulders. "Maybe another time we could-"

"Are they normal?" this time it was Angela's turn to interrupt. "Or are they different like, like I am?"

"Well…everyone's different," Mar'i replied. "Some of us have superpowers and some of us don't. But they're all my friends and I think you'd get along."

"Okay, we'll talk this out and we'll get back to you," Garfield said.

"I'd love to go to your party!" Angela exclaimed rather suddenly. Catching everyone, including herself, off-guard with her outburst. "If-if that's okay," she looked sheepishly up at her parents.

The two of them took a moment before looking at each other as if they were holding a conversation only the two of them could hear before turning their attention back to their daughter.

"Are you certain about this?" her mother asked, her face full of concern. "We don't want to pressure you into situations you're not prepared for."

"Yeah, and you know what happened last time," her father reminded her.

"I know," Angela admitted uncomfortably. "But I want to try and get better about these things. And I can't do that if I just stay here."

Neither Barbara nor Dick knew exactly what was going on, but it didn't take long for Dick's paternal intuition to kick in.

"We're planning a day of quiet fun," he reassured the parents. "You know, little things like a trip to the park, go out for treats, and then fun and games at the manor. It'll just be five kids and I'll be with them the whole time."

The two of them again engaged in what seemed like a quiet conversation before turning their attention back to their daughter.

"If you're certain about this, then I say go for it," Garfield said warmly.

"I'll speak with Danny, make sure we stick around for a while, at least for the weekend," Raven said.

"This is going to be so cool!" Mar'i said with a beaming smile.

Angela gripped her book and nervously combed a hand through her hair, but smiled all the same.

A few minutes later after some more light conversation and some details hammered out, the trio was on their way again, Mar'i practically skipping from the day's little adventure.

"This is so cool, I can't wait for Irey and Lian to meet Angela," Mar'i exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're turning into quite the popularity magnet," Barbara replied.

"Dad! We should see if Marina and Avia want to come too!"

"Marina and Avia? Mar'i, one of them lives in Atlantis, and the other lives on another planet. And besides, I promised Garfield and Raven that it would just be five kids. No need to up her anxiety with unexpected changes," her father reminded her.

"What's wrong with her anyway?" Mar'i asked, drawing looks from the two adults.

"There's nothing wrong with her," Barbara cut in quickly before Dick could start a lecture. "Some people just have struggles they have to work with; I have my chair and she has her anxiety."

And a few other things considering her parents. Barbara thought to herself.

"You're a very open and friendly girl but not everyone else is the same," Dick said in an informing but still firm tone. "Sometimes it's by choice and sometimes it's because they're…wired differently. It's not their fault and even though it can be problematic, the best we can do is accommodate them and help them when they need it. Can you keep that in mind at the get-together? Maybe make sure the other kids help her out too?"

Mar'i gave an attentive nod. She was a sweet, exuberant girl and rarely had a bad thing to say about anyone, but there were times when her lack of filter made her say or do things that came off as a bit insensitive. That was something they were working on.

As the three of them left the street, Mar'i turned back and waved merrily.

"Goodbye, Danny! It was very nice to meet you!"

As she turned, a "Thanks for visiting!" sign seemed to appear from out of nowhere; and Mar'i left satisfied that she had made two new friends that day.


Kaldur'ahm had long since gotten accustomed to life underwater. Despite his worries considering how long he had lived on land, the last three years living in Atlantis had been without any problem. What he hadn'texpected was how odd it felt to be underwater but not actually be in the water.

For the third night in a row, the T-Sub cruised beneath the waves to the area where Kaldur and Aquaman had spotted the elusive Hillenburg Sea Sponge. It took a full night's patrol to find it the first night and there was certainly plenty of evidence of recent activity; coral, earth, and sponges all excavated and displaced. What they didn't find was any sign of Scarecrow. Kaldur was undeterred and made the decision to return, rotating members for each patrol. Tonight he was joined by Batgirl, Miss Martian, and Bunker.

"Anything on sonar?" Aqualad asked Batgirl who had taken sonar duty for the night. She shook her head and turned her attention back to her screen, watching the beam sweep around again and again.

Over in the communications seat, Bunker drummed his fingers absentmindedly against the dash. A young man of Mexican heritage dressed in a dark purple and black costume, he was obviously bored but didn't want to say anything.

"So," he said, breaking the awkward silence pervading the sub. "You really think we're going to find anything out here?"

"We know that they've been here," Miss Martian replied. "And if Scarecrow hopes to make more of his Nightmare gas then he'll have to return to the scene of the crime."

"Agreed," Aqualad said. "While Scarecrow may know he's being hunted after releasing his bid on the dark web, there's nothing to suggest that we know where he's been getting his psychedelic compound. And if Miss Martian's assessment is correct, he'll return sooner or later."

"Maybe so," Bunker conceded. "Let's just hope it's before that gas goes on sale."

The awkward silence returned as the implication of that sank in and everyone returned to the doldrum routine of their station.

After a few more minutes of searching, Aqualad got up and stretched.

"All right, I'm going to step out and scout," he said, rubbing his eyes to fight the weariness from the multiple nights of patrol.

"Actually, it's my turn to scout," Miss Martian reminded him. "Why don't you take it easy for a little bit?"

He wanted to argue against it, but the truth was there was a better chance of him drifting off to sleep while swimming around than there was of him sitting in the captain's seat.

"Alright," he conceded. "We'll be holding our usual pattern, make sure you stay in telepathic range and report back the moment you see anything suspicious."

You got it. She thought back, her voice projected telepathically through the heads of all aboard. Aqualad was used to it at this point but both Bunker and Batgirl noticeably flinched.

And so, with a few breaths to steady herself, Miss Martian shifted her density and slipped through the floor of the sub and into the sea. And a moment later shifted again, transforming her legs into a dolphin-like tail and sprouting gills on her neck. And with that, swam off.

"Two years working with her and I'm still not used to that," Batgirl sighed.

An hour had passed and there was still nothing of note in their patrol, a feeling of despondency had fallen over the occupants of the sub.

"Look, we know that they've been here at least within the last week. But instead of focusing on where we know they've been, maybe we should start looking to where they might've gone?" Batgirl suggested. "I mean, they might've made some secret headquarters on some island."

"Are you suggesting that we search every spit of land in the Caribbean?" Bunker asked. "Do you have any idea how many islands there are around here? I don't, but I know it's a lot!"

"We may not have to," Aqualad said, rubbing his face in an effort to try and wake up properly. "If we can get the majority of the League to concentrate their search around the islands, it might be enough to startle them out of hiding. Then we can-"

Hey! Hey! Sorry, but I need a quick question answered. Miss Martian's telepathic voice suddenly cut in.

Miss Martian? You were supposed to report back twenty minutes ago. Aqualad thought back, hoping his mind captured the scolding tone he was going for.

I know, and I'm sorry. But I thought I go out a bit further on patrol and I only just got back in range. Anyway, what was the name of the ship Batman said went missing?

"Its name is the Atlantic Star," Batgirl said out loud before remembering to think them in her head.

Atlantic Star, yeah. The name is a little faded but I can definitely see traces of that on the ship.

"Ship? What ship?" Bunker asked.

The ship that's headed straight for you!

The three of them jolted at that revelation, none of them prepared for what would happen if they actually did find what they were looking for.

"Alright, everyone to your stations, I'm going to bottom the boat," Aqualad commanded before turning his thoughts to Miss Martian. Miss Martian, we're going to the bottom. After they pass us by, we're going to surface and radio the League. Get back as soon as you can, but don't draw attention to yourself or us.

Taking the helm, Aqualad quickly drove the sub down to the sea bed, hoping whatever sonar the ship had wouldn't be able to distinguish them from the ocean floor. Then a few minutes later the stolen research vessel cruised above them, casting an enormous, dark shadow over them.

"Big sucker," Bunker whispered, looking up through the top window.

"Seven hundred, maybe seven-fifty feet," Batgirl replied, equally quiet.

Unfortunately for them, the ship didn't pass them by; instead it stopped only a few yards away from where they had bottomed the sub.

"Crap," Bunker muttered, watching the anchor drop down onto the floor.

"Don't panic," Aqualad reassured him. "The T-Sub's radio can detach from the sub and float up to the surface. We should be able to send out a signal as long as it remains undetected."

With a flip of a switch, the exterior radio ejected from the sub. Tethered by a thin cable it floated up before surfacing.

"Alright, send them this," Aqualad directed to Bunker. "We have spotted the missing ship, the Atlantic Star, we believe it could be-"

"Uh, boss?" Bunker interrupted. "I'm getting nothing but static here."

The young Atlantean took the headphones and listened for a moment before giving them back to his teammate with an annoyed frown.

Miss Martian, where are you? He thought.

Right now I'm hiding by the ship. Was her reply. I'm camouflaged so no one can see me as long as they don't look too closely.

We're getting radio interference, can you see if there's anything that looks like it could be jamming us.

Well, I'm not very knowledgeable about Earth tech. Hold on, I'll send you a mental image of the ship.

Not long after, the three young heroes' perception changed in an instant. In their minds it seemed like they were floating through a foggy, evening sky, looking down at the massive vessel that in reality was above them instead of below them. There were six large tanks on the ship's bow and scattered around the deck were a number of drums as well. A few crew members were milling around while others were making preparation on the stern. They could see the ship's pilot relaxing in the cockpit and above that a large tower that looked completely out of place with the rest of the ship.

"Crap," Batgirl said, snapping back to reality. "That's not a radio tower, that's a radio jammer. Military brand and customized like hell."

"Radio jammer?" Aqualad asked, shaking his head as he got back to his own point of view. "What's the range of its net?"

"Well, military hardware can reach a couple miles. But customized? Who knows how big it is."

"Great," Bunker groaned. "We can't stay here with that thing jamming our comms."

"And if we try to move out of its range we risk detection or worse, we lose the ship again," Batgirl replied.

Aqualad sat and looked through the glass canopy of the sub, thinking for a minute before he directed his thoughts back to Miss Martian.

Miss Martian, are there any men stationed at the stern of the ship?

Just a couple, why?

Can you take them out quietly? I have a plan.

Done.

"All right, here's the plan," he explained to his teammates in the sub. "Miss Martian is going to clear the back of the ship of any eyes. After we're given the go-ahead, we surface. Batgirl, you disable the jamming tower, I'll be acting as your backup after I place a tracker on the ship. Bunker, you stay onboard. If things go wrong, submerge. We'll go overboard and get back in through the emergency hatch."

Back's clear, Miss Martian's voice echoed through all of their minds.

"Got your rebreather?" Aqualad asked Batgirl who nodded back. "All right, let's do this."

The T-Sub quietly surfaced behind the large research vessel and its glass canopy slid open. The two heroes gave each other a nod before Batgirl rappelled up the side of the ship while Aqualad dove underneath to attach the tracer.

Quietly climbing the loading cranes in the back, Batgirl looked down to see a few unconscious men being telekinetically stashed away by the cloaked Miss Martian. Hoping that there was no one at the aft control station, she ziplined to its roof and waited. Sinking down low at the sound of voices nearby, she waited. Stealth was a game of patience; she accepted that and was quite good at it. But being on a ship loaded with dangerous toxins in the middle of the ocean made her nervous; all she wanted to do was disable the jammer as quickly as possible and get back to the safety of the sub. But for her safety and the safety of her team, she waited.

Down below, Aqualad finished prepping the tracking device to the hull before sending out another mental contact to the team.

Batgirl, status?

Slow going, there's a few guys directly in the way and I can't get to the jammer quickly without alerting them. Hold on, they're moving.

Seeing her chance, Batgirl resumed her journey until finally, she made it to the jamming tower.

All right, made it. It'll take me a few minutes to disable but then we should be in the clear.

Good. Aqualad thought. I want everyone ready to return to the sub the moment she's done. Miss Martian, where are you?

I'm down below deck, Aqualad heard her reply back in his head. I'm looking at what's got to be the scariest-looking lab I've ever seen. Wait, maybe I can find a proper sample of the poison. See if the League can synthesize an antidote from it!

That sounds a little risky, have you checked to see who else might be down there? Aqualad asked.

Radio jammer is disabled. This time it was Batgirl telepathically speaking. I can see the bridge, looks like no one's in there. While Miss Martian scoping out the lab, maybe I should check that out. See if I can find any clues on where their base is or where they're going.

That is too risky! The Atlantean telepathically growled as he surfaced and climbed atop the T-Sub. We've accomplished what we need to, so both of you get-

It'll just take a second. Batgirl interrupted. Don't worry; I'll be in and out before anyone notices.

Batgirl! Wait! Grumbling at the turn of events, Aqualad turned his mind towards the one team member who hadn't wandered off. Bunker, you still there?

Still here, and hearing every little detail of this exchange.

Fine, stay there. I'm going to keep an eye out and make sure someone's watching Batgirl's back.

Taking out two high-tech devices, almost like sword hilts minus the blade, he activated them and they glowed neon blue. The water-bearers manipulated the water beneath him and transformed it into a mobile platform, slowly carrying him up to the ship.

To Batgirl's frustration, this wasn't going to be an easy search. A quick check of the ship's navigation computer offered nothing; it seemed that they purposefully wiped all previous data. The maps weren't of any help either, though they showed the Caribbean Sea and its islands in full detail, there was no indication of a base of operation or other points of interest. Just the spot they were currently located.

But Helena Wayne was nothing if not tenacious, and despite her own concerns over the situation and Aqualad's warning, continued her search through the documents scattered around the bridge. She rummaged through the various logs (which certainly belonged to the previous owners of the vessel, she grimly noted), binders, and documents. Still nothing.

One thing caught her attention though, a small pile of papers that was placed next to the helm. A quick look showed the production rate numbers for the Nightmare Gas.

Could be useful. She thought to herself.

It seemed they were planning on upping production after the sale, though the figures seemed off to Batgirl. 39.309094 - 74.574354? She wondered what that was about. There was also a pamphlet for some company, Carlsen's Gas. These were clues and there was a connection here, she just needed more time to figure things out.

Unfortunately, she was out of time.

Snapping photos from the camera located on one of her gauntlets, she didn't hear the man enter the bridge until he was at the door. And judging by the surprised expression on his face, he wasn't aware of her either until the two of them locked eyes. For the briefest moment, neither of them did anything as if both were wondering how the other got there in the first place.

She managed to get a batarang out and flying towards him as he was drawing his gun, it hit him hard enough on the wrist that he dropped his pistol. Unfortunately, he did the very thing she was hoping he wouldn't and bolted out the door.

"CAPES!" was all he managed to yell before Batgirl caught up to him; kicking him in the back hard enough that his gut smacked against the top railing and knocked the wind out of him, which she followed up by hitting his head against the railing and knocking him out properly.

But the damage had been done, Batgirl noted as a few other men saw what had happened and opened fire in her direction. She dove back into the bridge and kicked the door shut, keeping low to the ground as bullets shattered the windows to the bridge.

Perfect. She thought to herself.

Miss Martian had seen plenty of terrifying laboratories in old movies, but the one located in the hull of the ship unnerved her for reasons beyond the usual horror tropes. All around her were vials and mixers containing the deadliest fear gas ever imagined, and with the number of men gathered around there was little chance of taking even a small sample without being noticed. True invisibility was a technique only the eldest and most experienced Martians knew, and while she could remain unseen while cloaked, many had compared her to the Predator when she moved around (she wasn't fond of those movies, anything that depicted non-humans as brutal monsters tended to make her uncomfortable.)

Just when she saw her chance, the unmistakable pop of gunfire could be heard abovedeck followed by shouts of alarm and even more gunfire. The men in the lab started rushing up to the stairs, some of them grabbing guns as Miss Martian hesitated on what to do.

Batgirl, she called out telepathically. Batgirl, what's going on up there?!

Everything's fine, M'gann. Batgirl thought back, trying to keep her mental tone even. Just ran into a bit of trouble, that's all.

That doesn't sound like a bit of trouble! Hold on. I'm coming to help.

Both of you need to get back to the sub! Aqualad commanded, rushing towards the sounds of the gunfire near the front of the ship. I'll cover your escape.

What should I do? Bunker asked. Should I just…stay here?

Yes! Or…no. I can't deal with this now! Aqualad thought angrily.

Back on the bridge, the young heroine kept her head down the continuous stream of gunfire shattered more windows. She primed a few flash bat-grenades and tossed them out a shattered window which exploded with a few loud bangs followed by some cries of pain outside. After that, the gunfire abruptly stopped. Too abruptly for her tastes.

Crunch.

Looking up, she soon saw why.

Crunch.

Luminous, yellow spikes were piecing the roof of the cabin, one after another until with a groan the entire roof was ripped straight off revealing the Scarecrow floating above, a gigantic claw emitted from his power ring. Batgirl looked up in horror as the claw crunched the piece of the ship like a soda can and tossed it aside.

"Now where did you fly from, little bat?" the villain hissed.

Batgirl was practically frozen; she had faced her fair share of villains in her fifteen years, and as part of the Titans it was expected of her. Under her father's watchful eye, her time in Gotham was mostly directed toward gangs and other ordinary criminals. She had fought against a few of Gotham's more colorful criminals, but nothing had prepared her for the sight of Scarecrow wielding a Sinestro Corps ring. There were only two choices left to her, stay in the cabin and try her luck with the villain floating above her or dive out the window where an unknown number of gunmen would be waiting for her.

Just then there was a sound of groaning metal and snapping wires and cables, Scarecrow turned his attention towards the radio jamming tower that seemed to be lifted straight off the ship like it was held by invisible strings. Everyone could only watch in amazement as the massive tower hung briefly in the air before suddenly swinging at the villain like a baseball bat. Scarecrow snapped out just quick enough to block the tower with his constructed claw but couldn't stop the force behind it and was knocked away.

Seeing her chance, Batgirl dove out the window and gracefully landed on the deck. Right in front of the goons who still had their attention directed at the strange happenings above them. By the time they realized what was happening in front of them, the young vigilante had already taken down two of them but the others quickly recovered and soon had their weapons leveled at her. Luckily, help was nearby. And with the familiar whirring buzz from his water-bearers, Aqualad disarmed and knocked down the remaining gunmen with a pair of water whips.

"Where are you going?!" Aqualad called as Batgirl dashed off toward the front of the ship. "We need to get out of here!"

"We need to destroy those canisters!" Batgirl called back. "We can't afford any of that fear gas getting out!"

Aqualad cursed in Atlantean and ran off after her as the downed thugs began to collect themselves.

Up above, a veritable fencing match was taking place above the ship. Miss Martian telekinetically wielded the radio tower like a sword and Scarecrow matched her with a wicked-looking luminous scimitar. The two clashed again and again until the scimitar suddenly morphed into a pair of scissors that sliced through the tower, Scarecrow not even caring that it crashed atop the ship as he rushed towards her.

Stop! She telepathically commanded and the villain halted midair, grunting as his body fought the involuntary actions his brain was telling him.

Where is that fear gas going? The young heroine glared at Scarecrow who was clutching his head in pain over the psychic assault. Tell me. Now!

Back on the ship, Batgirl and Aqualad had, at last, made their way to the bow where the rows of canisters containing the fear gas were.

"Okay, the only way to safely destroy these is to detonate them underwater," Batgirl instructed as she checked the number of bat-grenades she had on her. Not many but hopefully enough. "If they're anything like Scarecrow's previous mixtures, the gas will be useless once it's dissipated in seawater."

"Is that really the best option?" Aqualad asked.

"That or we destroy them in the upper atmosphere," Batgirl responded. "Can you get these things overboard?"

"Overboard? Sure. Doing it without getting shot? Might be a bit trickier," Aqualad formed another water shield to block some bullets that came flying their way.

The two of them stopped suddenly when they heard the sound of screaming coming from overhead. Miss Martian was clutching her own head and screaming and convulsing and whatever psychic hold she had over Scarecrow was broken.

"Scary in there, isn't it?" the villain gave a hoarse chuckle before manifesting a giant hand from his ring and swatting Miss Martian out of the air.

Summoning up a stream of water, Aqualad created a makeshift slide that caught the falling Martian and slid her to a relatively safe landing. But at that moment the rest of Scarecrow's henchmen arrived and opened fire, Aqualad turned the slide into a protective bubble around the three of them while Batgirl tended to their teammate.

"Miss Martian, M'gann! C'mon, snap out of it!" But the young Martian did nothing but clutch her head and whimper in pain, whatever she tried to do to Scarecrow had backfired on her.

"Aqualad? How are you doing?" she turned her attention to the Atlantean.

"I can…manage!" he grunted. The bubble shield was holding but the strain of keeping the water dense enough to block the sustained fire was causing his arms to quiver.

The gunfire abruptly ended once again to Aqualad's confusion and Batgirl's dread. Looking up she saw a gigantic, yellow cobra floating above them, flicking its tongue out.

"Oh no," was all she managed before the constructed serpent lunged down at them, its fangs trying to pierce the shield. The construct bit and snapped at the shield as Aqualad's grunts turned into strained cries as he tried his hardest to keep the shield up against the assault. The gigantic cobra shimmered and two more heads manifested before continuing their assault against the bubble.

"M'gann, please, we need you," Batgirl pleaded as three sets of fangs began to sink into the protective bubble, which was looking smaller by the second.

"It was-it was horrible!" Miss Martian gasped. "He enjoyed it! He watched them scream, he watched them suffer. And he enjoyed it!"

The three-headed cobra's fangs were dug in deep at this point and despite everything inside of Kaldur telling him to hold on, he collapsed, and the radiant monstrosity ripped away the shield.

Batgirl was alone. With Aqualad down and Miss Martian in no position to stand much less defend herself, there was nothing left to do but hope to fight Scarecrow's hydra that was bearing down on her.

It was just then that a massive column made of brilliant purple bricks appeared from out of nowhere and launched itself at Scarecrow, knocking him into the sea. Before the stunned henchmen could react, two walls of the same bricks manifested. One in front of them, blocking them from the weary heroes, and one behind them which suddenly forced them straight into the front wall squishing them.

"I know I was supposed to stay in the sub, but I figured you could use my help," Bunker quipped as he held the sandwiched lackeys in place.

"I'm glad you…decided to disobey orders," Aqualad said, getting back to his feet with no small amount of effort. "Miss Martian, you alright?"

"I'm okay," she replied as Batgirl helped her back up. "But we have to destroy that gas, now."

But a sudden eruption from the water caught them all off guard as Scarecrow had recovered faster than anticipated and launched another large claw, not at them, but at the fear gas canisters on the bow. He snatched them away and the whole ship heaved from the assault.

"This has been amusing to be sure and as much as I would love to stick around and see what happens next, I'm afraid I must away with myself," Scarecrow dug into the pocket of his ragged long coat and pulled out a small device.

"Qué eso?" Bunker asked Batgirl who was straining to see.

"Looks like a-DETONATOR!" Batgirl yelled as she saw the villain's thumb move toward the switch.

"OVER THE SIDE, NOW!" Aqualad grabbed the confused Bunker and dashed toward the nearest side of the ship as Batgirl and Miss Martian ran for the other.

"Pleasant dreams," Scarecrow hissed and pressed the button.

One explosion after another rocked the ship as the young heroes hit the water and dove beneath the surface. The flames from the ship illuminated everything above them and even Bunker could see the smoke and sickly-orange gas billowing out. There was a splash and Bunker came face to face with one of the men from the ship, his limbs lashing out and his face transfixed in fear. Screaming even as his lungs filled with water as he sank into the depths.

The sight of that caused Bunker to let out a cry of his own and expel almost all the air he had. In a panic, he reflexively started making his way back up to the surface before Aqualad caught him and dragged him back. Bunker tried to fight him before remembering to signal; he hoped whatever gestures he was doing made it clear that he didn't have any air. The Atlantean gave a worried look before sighing and pressed his lips right on Bunker's. Miguel was so surprised by this that it took a moment to realize that his lungs were now filled with air. He wasn't sure how much color Atlanteans could see underwater and in the dark, so he just hoped that his half-mask covered enough of his cheeks that Aqualad couldn't see the blush on his face.

The moment of panic passed, their leader pointed toward the stern of the ship, where the T-Sub was positioned, in all the excitement Bunker forgot that it was there. He could see Batgirl helping Miss Martian swim back to the sub, it looked like she had forgotten, or was unable to shift her legs into tail fins.

By the time they made it back to the sub and through the emergency hatch Bunker was already desperate for air again, or rather the sensation of just breathing again. The four of them stumbled into their positions and Aqualad reversed engines, driving them as far away from the cloud of fear gas that was only increasing in size. Despite what had happened, none of them could look away from the grisly scene and they all flinched as another explosion ripped through the ship as the Atlantic Star began to sink beneath the waters.

"All those men," M'gann said tearfully, breaking the hush.

"We can't do anything for them now," Kaldur replied, hanging his head in shame.

"Aqualad?" Helena prodded their leader. "Kaldur? What do we do now?"

Kaldur didn't answer right away, and when he spoke he didn't even raise his head.

"We contact the League. We tell them we failed."

4 Days Until the Sale


To begin with, I'd like to apologize for the huge delay with this chapter's release. Long story short, I was dealing with a number of problems that each seemed to come right after the other and just piled on until I couldn't get anything done. I hope that the next chapter will come out sooner but I can't make any promises at this time.

But for now I'd like to introduce you to my first original character, Angela Marie Logan. She's named after Raven and Beast Boy's mothers and I just thought it rolled off the tongue quite well. We'll see more of her and what she's about in the coming chapters.

Speaking of what they're all about, Scarecrow makes his entrance! I always thought that him having a Sinestro Corps ring was not only an appropriate choice but a good way of evolving his character and upping his threat. Him losing it was such a wasted opportunity.

But join me next time as we see the fallout of this mission, the get-together of Mar'i and her friends and what comes next for our heroes.