Chapter 5. Please read and review. Moreover, tell me where you think this should go….I'm not altogether sure myself where it's going! But that's half the fun….

I don't own any of these characters, of course.

Klarion and Greta: On the Darkside: Chapter 5: Reason. And Revelations.

"My name," said the corpse, in a voice Batgirl could only describe as "sepulchural," "was John Williams. In life, I lived…" The sightless eyes turned towards the door, "there. I saw….the winged men in the door. I thought…it was something to do with the circus. I went….to see. I knew….no more."

"Thanagarians. They probably counted on the presence of the circus to cover their activities. That, and a populace so jaded…" Batgirl was pensive. "Okay. Now I know. I'll have to call in the big guns on this one. But first, I've got to get you two to safety."

"Stephanie…Batgirl, there's no time. If indeed 'Uncle Jason' was kidnapped by Thanagarians, we've no time to waste."

Batgirl shook her head. "I can't justify taking you two kids into danger like this. I'm gonna have to call in the League. No, you can stay at my place until this is settled…."

"You don't understand. I have a, well, call it a sixth sense about these things. Jason Blood is in immediate and mortal danger. And…really, not to toot my own horn, but you need me in on this." Klarion was as earnest as Stephanie had ever seen him.

"Need you? I need more than just your say-so to-*"

"Because I'm a Lord of Chaos. I can sense chaos, the lines of probability, of what is likely to be. And what I'm sensing is…very bad. Very bad, indeed."

Batgirl bit a knuckle. "Define 'bad'."

Klarion glanced at Greta. Then, "If what I sense is true, the universe doesn't have long to live. I'd estimate it's lifespan in terms of days. Or less." He paused. "Now, we do have time to get Greta to safety….."

"Exscuse me? I'm right here, Klarion." Greta had her hands on her hips, gazing at him accusingly. "And from what you say, there is no place of safety anyway. So count me in."

He went over to her. "Greta. Things are getting very bad, and are probably going to get worse. I….I could put you in a pocket dimension, or an alternate reality, or…."

"While you and Stephanie go face this ultimate danger all alone? What kind of girl do you think I am? That I just run away at the first sign of trouble? And leave my boyfriend to face it all by himself? Is that all you think of me?"

"Well, no, of course n-*"

"Then it's settled. We're in this together, Klarion Bleak, and don't you forget it." She entwined her fingers in his.

He slumped. "Well, alright. If that's the way you feel about-* Wait." He did a double-take. "What did you just call me?"

She reached up on tip-toe and kissed him, tenderly. "We'll go over that later, 'kay? First things first. How do we find these guys? Batgirl?"

…

"And, you want to create this…horrible…substance?" Jason Blood asked. Just the name alone was enough to send shivers down his spine. And he lived with a demon.

The Thanagarian sighed. "Want to? No. Have to? Yes. You see, the creation of Necronium might well be the only thing that could save our mutual universe."

Jason Blood frowned. "But you're not making sense. You need to create this, this terrible thing in order to save the universe?"

"Indeed." The Thanagarian sighed again. "You see, it turns out the concept of predation isn't limited to planetary or mundane organisms."

"No?"

"No. There is a being-we call it the Taker-who feeds on universes. Whole universes. It assimilates them, just as you and I feed on, and assimilate, food. From what we've gathered, universes are as cells in its being." And here he turned his own set of haunted eyes to look Jason Blood in the eye. "And it's coming here. For our universe. Soon. And the only thing my people could come up with, to deter it, is the antilife properties of Necronium. And that may not work."

Jason Blood shifted uncomfortably, and it had nothing to do with his current posture. Over the centuries, he'd become a pretty good judge of character. He could tell that this Thanagarian warrior was telling him the truth as he himself understood it. "You know, you could've come to me, openly. I might would've worked with you freely."

The warrior shook his head. "We couldn't take the chance. Too much is at stake. For, you see, in order to transform nth metal into pure necronium, certain energies have to be channeled through an organism. Lethal energies, I might add. But not through you; through your demonic alter-ego." He paused, uncomfortably. "The resulting reaction….will not only destroy you both, but probably any otherwise immortal part you may possess. Your soul, if you will." He looked up. "But there seems to be no other way."