Karen quietly opened the balcony door to Jack's apartment; she had traveled across the roof tops of Metropolis, having not had enough money to get more than to midtown.

Stepping silently into the apartment, she heard a snuffle as Luna came out of the kid's bedroom.

"Luna" Karen said in relief and knelt down and ran her hands through the great white wolf's fur and Luna licked her face. "Oh I'm missed you, love" Luna snuffled in her face and her tongue lolled out comically in happiness.

"You took forever" Justin's voice said from the corner

"Didn't have money" Karen said "that girl get home okay"

"Yeah" he said

"Kare?" Jack's groggy voice asked from the bedroom door

"I just came to pick up Luna" Karen whispered

"Find out what he's up to, did you" Jack was instantly alert, his one eye gleaming

"Almost" Karen said "Jack, this might be good bye for awhile"

"Oh no, I don't want to hear any of that" Jack growled "you are going to be over for dinner on family night, Thursday. Got it"

"Jack"

"No" Jack said "Helen and the kids are going to make a mess in the kitchen just for you and if you don't show up I'll find you and tan your hide so dark you'll look like an African.

Karen sighed and looked at her old friend and hugged him.

"I'll be there" Karen said "tell Helen I said hi"

"I will, Kare" Jack said "be careful"

"Who me?" Karen asked with a grin and she went over to Justin who put a hand on her shoulder as she knelt down next to Luna "See ya Jack"

And she held tightly to her shields as the world grayed, Justin's form and Luna's faded and became spectral beside her. The rush only lasted a moment as they seemed to pass through the world, but it was not as surprising anymore, it was actually kind of exciting.

Then they were in the motel room again, Luna whined as the scents and sounds reached her, not liking the place one bit. Karen put a reassuring hand on her head and grabbed her bag, throwing it on the bed.

"What now?" Justin said

"I need to get in touch with Batman" Karen said "I think I found a pattern."

"Great" Justin said and Karen felt him grab her arm and turned her around. "Now we need to talk"

"Later, hot shot" Karen said jerking her arm out of his grip. Luna growled and snapped at Justin.

"Oh can it Fido" Justin growled back. Luna snarled deep in her throat and laid her ears back, going down low in an attack stance.

"Luna" Karen said gently and she turned back to Justin "talk to her like that again and I will end you"

"I don't care" Justin said "you drag me all over Metropolis looking for this creep, chew my ass for a stupid reason that I don't even remember, and now you won't even acknowledge what happened in that street, whatever that was that happened"

"I am acknowledging it, Justin" Karen said quietly "but right now, this . . . whatever this is needs to take a back seat. Torments out there, killing people. And I need to talk to Batman . . . and Superman, I've got a real bone to pick with him."

"Damn it woman" Justin said "is this how it's always going to be with you. Putting your obsession before the people that care about you?"

"What . . . what are you talking about?" Karen felt like she was choking on her own heart, she couldn't have heard correctly, he couldn't have meant what he had said.

"you heard me" Justin said stepping closer "Karen . . . damn it, you are one of the most incredible women I have ever met, even if you are an obsessive, hardnosed cynic. And you act as if you are the only one who can save this damned earth. Well I'll let you in on a little secret, not even Superman can save the world by himself, Karen."

"I can try and save some of it" Karen said back "and right now, people like that woman are being hunted, murdered. This can't happen right now, Justin, we are heroes above all else"

Justin turned on his heel running his hands through his hair

"You're right" he said "I know you're right, you . . . you just frustrate me to no end"

"Shh" Karen said as she found her communication ear piece that Jonn J'ons had given her. "I need to talk to Batman"

"Fine talk to the oversized rodent" Justin muttered "I'll be outside" and Justin walked out the door, muttering under his breath.

"Hello?" Jonn J'ons asked

"Jonn?" Karen asked "it's Sorceress, is Batman there"

"No Sorceress" J'ons said slowly "he is currently in Gotham"

"Then patch me through to the Batcave if you don't mind" Karen said "it's important"

"Of course" Jonn said and Karen waited for a few moments

"What is it" Batman's gruff voice said

"Its sorceress" Karen said "I need you to get me the criminal backgrounds of the victims"

"What about your partner?' Batman said

"Jack doesn't have the shortcuts you do" Karen said "everyone of them should have some kind of criminal record, anything from B and E to terrorism."

"What are you looking for Karen" batman asked

"I found him, hunting in the lower Eastside" Karen said "he's looking for Chaos magic"

"Chaos" Batman muttered "Klarion?"

"Maybe" Karen said "I'm not ruling anyone out, but Klarion might also be a target, instead of an accomplice. He's is Chaos personified, but without enough magic to aid him, Torment wouldn't dare take him on. I expect that if he finds out I'm here he might try and capture and finish what he started two years ago"

"You said he wasn't alone" Batman said "this is right up his alley"

"No, Klarion likes pandemonium, and despite people dying there's nothing to suggest his involvement, no explosions or interdimensional . . ." Karen trailed off as realization struck her

"Karen?" Batman asked

"Chaos magic has a lot of attributes" Karen said "but one of its most notable is the ability to cross dimensions"

"Explain"

"Don't you see, Torments trying to open a portal to a separate dimension" Karen said "he could be running or he's gotten bored of this world, or . . ."

"Or?"

"or he's planning on opening a permanent rift" Karen said, talking fast as her mind looked at the situation "it wouldn't matter what dimension, but it would put the space time continuum into complete turmoil, which would require more Chaos magic than Klarion could sustain, especially if it's meant to be permanent. And that would give Torment what he wants, magic flowing from one dimension to the next, giving him fresh supply."

"Are you sure about this?' Batman asked

"Yes" Karen said "for how many victims he's racked up and how much magic he's drained in the last month alone, which is enough for at least a doggy door into the next dimension. There will be more deaths Batman, now would be the time to stop him"

"You don't know who his accomplice is yet" batman pointed out, I'll get the records and meet you in metropolis tomorrow evening"

"Find Superman too" Karen said

"I'm not sure that's a good idea"

"It's his city Bruce" Karen said in feigned innocence

"Karen you and I both know why you want him" Batman said

"Good, then you won't stop me" Karen said

"From killing him, I'll try' Batman said

"You could take him Batman" Karen said

"No" Batman said

"What? Afraid to break the kryptonite out of the impenetrable bat-vault?" Karen asked and Batman was silent and there was a click as he cut the connection.

Karen sighed and put the communicator back in her bag. She walked over to the door and opened it, turning toward Justin, who was leaning against the hallway wall.

"Have nice chat" Justin growled

"You didn't have to leave" Karen said

"You sure" Justin asked "it seemed like a personal call"

"Oh stop being a jealous idiot" Karen said in exasperation

"Nothing to be jealous about" Justin said surly

"you are right" Karen said "he and I are just friends, he helped me out when I had no one to turn to. . . why am I even bothering it's not as if we mean anything to each other"

Justin suddenly grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, his eye's sparked with anger.

"And why not"

"Justin, let go of me" Karen said

"No" Justin said "before something stupid or insane happens in the next minute, I want you to know"

"Know what?" Karen asked but Justin didn't use words to get his point across. Instead he kissed her.

The kiss earlier couldn't even compare, that had been necessary, but this kiss had passion, passion that Karen had never experienced, maybe even something deeper. And the feelings that Karen had been suppressing suddenly flooded her and it took everything in her power to hold herself in check.

"No" Karen said pushing him away and she looked away as the hurt and pain showed naked in his eyes. "I . . . I can't, Justin"

"Why?" Justin asked following her back inside their room as she retreated.

"I just can't" Karen said

"That's not an answer" Justin said cornering her by the bed.

"It's the only one you're getting" Karen said

"It's not one I'm accepting" Justin said as she rolled across his bed and went around her own to the bathroom "it's a small room, Karen, you aren't getting that far."

"Just leave me alone" Karen said, she couldn't do this not right now. And the stress was catching up to her, her heart was racing and she was starting to breath too hard. She was going to have a panic attack, she knew it, and she knew that if Justin didn't leave her alone soon, she was going to lose total control.

"I'm not doing that, not until you give me a straight answer" Justin said as he blocked the door. Karen felt trapped and that did nothing to improve her condition. Luna snarled and Justin closed the door as the huge wolf stalked towards him.

To Karen it was like the walls were closing in and she began looking around for an escape, there was no window, no skylight and Justin stood between her and the only exit, but she knew that she was going to lose control and she didn't want to hurt him, not over something so stupid.

"Fine" Karen said "I can't be with anyone because my powers can be transmuted to that person, changing them in some way. Now get out" Karen was shaking as he looked at her and she leaned against the wall, her breath coming in gasps now "oh god . . . not . . . now"

"Karen?'Justin's voice sounded far away, echoing toward her.

"Can't breathe" she gasped

"Karen" Justin said and he reached out to her

"Don't touch me" Karen suddenly couldn't bear it, the room was too small, and he was too close. She needed to run to get away. Sliding to the floor, Karen backed against the shower. "Go . . . might lose . . . control"

"I'm not going anywhere" Justin said kneeling down in front of her "you're having a panic attack"

"No . . . shit" Karen gasped

"Try to slow your breathing" Justin said

Karen tried but she couldn't do it, every time she tried her heart rate jumped and she nearly choked.

"I – I can't" she said and she looked at him "Get Luna"

"Look at me Karen" Justin said and Karen did and he took her hands "you are safe, Karen"

And as he ran his hands along her arms she did feel safer and the walls stopped closing in.

"Now breathe a little slower" Justin said quietly still running his hands along her arms. She tried and found that she could breathe "Good, now slower."

After a few moments Karen's heart rate returned to normal, and she looked at him.

"Thank you" she whispered

"I used to have panic attacks too" Justin said quietly "after my father died"

"How'd you get rid of them" Karen asked

"I didn't try and fight the panic, I accepted it" Justin said "it took years though"

"I . . . I can't thank you enough" Karen said

"You can run that little thing about your powers by me one more time" Justin said still holding her hands. But she didn't pull them away, she knew she should but it was a comforting feeling her hands in his. She sighed and leaned her head back against the wall, the mildew hitting her nostrils now that she wasn't focusing on her sudden fear.

"That day I met you" Karen said "Zatanna and Batman were curious about my magic, mostly because of Luna. And Zatanna told me that anyone who spends a long period of time with me, who gets too close, a small bit of my magic will integrate with their aura, their souls even, causing physical changes, seeing auras, ley lines, hearing spirits, a longer life span, as in a couple hundred years."

"I see" Justin said

"DO you?' Karen asked "Do you really? Not only would this force on you powers that you don't need, but it would also leave you no choice"

"But there is" Justin said "I could choose not to care about you . . . not to love you"

Karen's breath caught and she stared at him.

"You just got your breath back" Justin said with a grin "why don't you use your lungs properly for a change"

"Why do you have to make everything complicated?"

"why do you?' he retorted "I mean it, Karen, I think I'm in love with you, hopelessly too. Even when you bite off my head, all I can think is how beautiful you look when your eyes flash and how clever your insults are"

"We can't Justin" Karen said "I can't put you in that kind of position"

"You aren't I am" Justin said simply.

"Damn it listen to me" Karen said pulling her hands out of his

"I am" Justin said "and I think I can make a decision for myself and you need to relax and let me."

"You don't know what's good for you" Karen muttered

"You are" Justin said "that I do know"

"How am I good for you?" Karen asked skeptically

"I'll show you" Justin said and he kissed her for the second time, only this time, Karen allowed it, kissing him back as his lips pressed lightly against hers. She couldn't seem to fight it anymore, and as she wrapped her arms around his neck with the kiss growing more intense, she realized that she didn't want to. It was a small epiphany; she hadn't had anything like this for several years, even before Torment, not since her first boyfriend in high school. And what she was feeling, whether it was love or lust or infatuation, was more intense than anything, it equaled that of the burning obsession that she had for Torment and seeing him behind bars. And she realized that she needed this, needed him, just as much as Justin claimed to need her, maybe even more. The lonely nights seemed to fade and as Justin pulled away slowly so did her doubt.

"Wow" he whispered "you're a hell of a kisser when you're trying"

"Not so bad yourself" Karen said "I'd be willing to help you on your technique though"

"Oh really" Justin asked with a grin "what about your guard dog"

"Wolf" Karen corrected out of habit "she'll be alright"

Justin grinned and pulled her up with him as he stood and the pair opened the door.

Luna lunged at Justin and knocked him back; snarling up a storm and Karen put a hand on her neck smoothing down the upset wolf's hackles.

"Easy love" Karen whispered to her.

Luna continued to make a racket but she got off Justin and slowly the growl died then she sat down at Karen's feet and looked at him much in the same way a mother would look at her daughter's boyfriend. Then with a sneeze the wolf went to the window and nosed it open and leapt onto the fire escape and lay down.

"See" Karen said

"That was terrifying" Justin said

"She could have ripped out your throat" Karen said with a shrug

"I'll be sure to thank her" Justin said "when is Batman coming"

"Tomorrow night" Karen answered

"Good" Justin said "now I believe there was talk of working on technique"

"Maybe more" Karen said reaching up and pulling him down to her, she initiated a fierce kiss that had Justin inhaling sharply and his hands were at her waist and pulling her close to him. It didn't take more than a few moments for the kiss to become a scorching fever pitch. Admittedly, Karen hadn't had many intimate encounters in nearly two years, her obsession of catching Torment taking precedence. And the way she felt about Justin only made things more intense. And Justin seemed to feel the same as he swung her down onto the bed, his eyes burning with desire as his hands did their work. And Karen for once felt no regret, no hesitation and in two years she let go.

Karen sighed as she opened her eyes, stretching a little as the soreness crept into her muscles. Justin grunted next to her.

"You snore like a freight train, you know that?" Karen said as he looked over at her.

"So? You're a regular Bruce Lee when you're unconsciousness" Justin shot back.

"Always was a restless sleeper" Karen said then she looked out the window, it was noon, and the sun shone through the window and onto Luna who had come inside sometime early morning, although she couldn't be sure when as she had been distracted. The wolf's white fur sparkled and her eyes had a pensive look to them as Luna looked at her.

"Something wrong?" Justin asked as he sat up a little.

"I don't know" Karen said "for most of my life I have always had this iron control, nothing could get me to let go, except maybe when I got my powers and freaked out because I thought I was losing my mind. But . . ."

"Felt good didn't it" Justin grinned pulled her closer and Karen shrugged.

"Yes" Karen said "and no"

"That bad huh" Justin asked

"Oh don't be stupid" Karen said smacking his shoulder "it has nothing to do with you, it's me, I'm afraid that we rushed into this too fast, I've . . . I've never done anything like this. This is like kissing on the first date"

"And?" Justin asked "you regret it?"

"No" Karen said "Justin face it, you don't know a lot about me, and you've been upfront with me from the beginning"

"I know enough" he said "like that you feel responsible for your parent's death, and you became a cop because of it and Torment was one of your biggest and closest cases and you got so close that he got you in retaliation and found out you had what he needed" Justin took her hand and ran his thumb along the jagged scars on her hand. "You know, I've seen torture victims, terrorists looking for enemy spies in the local villages and tribes, warlords with axes to grind and examples to make. Most of them become recluse or crazy, but you didn't"

"No" Karen said "I just became obsessed and that's almost worse, I pushed myself to find him and I became as bitter as a spinster because of it"

"Guarded" Justin corrected "not bitter, and shrewd and a cynic"

"Okay" Karen smiled "I get it"

"So how am I doing so far" Justin asked

"I suppose I let a little too much slip past" Karen said "I never told you about my parents though"

"Not intentionally" Justin said "but when I told you about my dad, it wasn't pity or sympathy, it was empathy that I saw."

"You sound like a sap" Karen said

"I know" Justin said "can I stop now"

"No, you were doing so well" Karen said mockingly and Justin rolled his eyes

"Oh god" Justin said laughing "what have I done, she's become an actual girl"

"Would you rather I was a guy?" Karen asked

Justin actually did a double take and his look of utter bewilderment had Karen doubling up, laughing so hard that she felt as though her ribs were bursting and, chuckling, she climbed out of bed.

"Oh Lord" she gasped as she went to get a fresh shirt "I really needed that, which was hilarious by the way"

"That was not funny at all" Justin complained "and now that image will forever be burned into my mind"

"You'll live" Karen said "I'm hungry, you?"

"And she's lost her mind too" Justin said in mock sadness "shame, I like that as much as I like your body"

"Go take a cold shower, Romeo" Karen said putting her hair up into a ponytail "I'm starving, I want food, the rest will have to wait"

Justin chuckled and Karen heard him get out of bed and she kept her back turned, looking for a decent pair of jeans. She wasn't prudish, she just felt slightly awkward about it. Just last night she was close to ripping his head off, and now a quiet companionship hung between them. And it wasn't the sex, it was how he had helped her through her panic attack, how he had helped her look for Torment, and how straightforward and honest he had been with her even if he was a sarcastic idiot sometimes.

It was a comfortable feeling, to know someone would do that for her. Justin had her back both as a hero and as normal man and Karen felt grateful that she had that.

Maybe Batman wasn't such an idiot after all.