Misplaced

Disclaimer- Don't own anything other than OC's and plot changes.

Italics- telepathic communication

Dawn's POV

I was standing beside Robin in the cave's vehicle garage when Megan and Superboy returned from running errands for Batman. The team was dressed in civvies while the adults were in uniform. I was in a pair of black mid-thigh shorts, a dark blue tank top with a dark purple long-sleeved jacket over it, and a pair of blue and black sneakers.

Once Megan landed the bioship in its designated spot she started to unload. Superboy walked down the ramp with a large crate on his back while Megan walked out with two boxes floating in the air behind her.

"Did you get everything?" Batman asked Megan as she walked off the ships ramp.

She lowered her left hand and slowly placed one of the boxes on the ground as she answered him "Everything on your list Batman, plus groceries."

Just milliseconds after the box touched the ground Wally was already on top of it.

"Cookie fixins?" he asked giddily while his eyes scanned over every item in the box picking out what he liked the most.

"Snicker doodles" Megan replied cheerfully.

Wally stuck his hand into the box and started searching for food as he said "Babe you rock my world."

I flew over and slapped the back of his head.

"Hey what was that for!" he yelled.

I rolled my eyes and swatted his hand away from the box.

"The food hasn't even been here a full minute Wally and you're already attacking it. At least wait until some of its been put away so we know what we have before you start devouring it" I scolded before moving to help Megan unload the rest of the boxes.

Robin walked over to Aqualad and Superboy as they worked on unclasping the rope around some of the larger boxes.

I lifted three boxes into the air and levitated them over to a stack in the corner of the room.

I looked up from the boxes when I heard the elevator ding. I watched as the elevator doors opened to reveal Artemis and Zatanna entering the room. I smiled and flew over to them before enveloping Zatanna in a hug.

"Hey Z, how've you been? I feel like we haven't seen you in forever," I said using her new nickname as she returned my hug.

"Hi Shade, nice to see you too" she greeted politely before I pulled back and smiled at her.

"Dawn" I corrected.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion "What?"

"The names Dawn, you only have to call me Shade when we're in the field" I said and her expression of confusion quickly transformed into one of immense joy as she realized this meant that I finally trusted her enough to tell her my real name.

"I'm glad you're back too Zatanna, does this mean you're officially joining the team?" Artemis asked.

The three of us turned to Zatara and watched as he floated a pair of boxes off the ground.

Zatanna folder her arms across her chest while Artemis placed his hands on her hips.

Zatanna sighed, "I don't know, Zatara's so overprotective. I mean just getting him to let me visit takes a full day of wheedling. I wish he'd just give me a little space!" she huffed exasperated.

You know the saying "Be careful what you wish for?" Well that phrase has never been more true.

Just as the words left her mouth all the adults in the room flickered a few times before vanishing into thin air.

"Dad!" Zatanna yelled as her father disappeared.

My eyes widened in shock and I froze as I stared at the spot where Bruce was standing not two seconds ago.

"What the hell just happened?" I gapped as everyone ran towards the middle of the room.

Kaldur quickly took command and ordered for everyone to meet in the main hangar by the zeta tubes.

We ran/ flew towards the main hanger and once we reached our destination Robin and I quickly started to pull up large holographic screens of data.

As we searched through the data and news sites my phone buzzed in my short's pocket. I flicked open another screen as I dug into my pocket and pulled put my phone typing in the password without having to look at it.

I looked down from the screens and read the message before quirking an eyebrow as I did so.

"Hey guys, I think this is a lot bigger than we originally thought," I said as I looked up from my phone.

"What makes you say that?" Aqualad asked.

"Sasha just sent me a text saying she was cooking dinner with her parents when they suddenly disappeared. She's kinda freaking out and wanted to know if we knew anything about it," I explained and the team remained silent as they let this new information sink in.

"Does Sasha have access to the zeta tubes?" Kaldur asked after a long pause and Robin nodded.

"Batman made sure she had access just in case there was ever an emergency and she needed us. He'll never admit it if you ask him, but he's basically taken her in as one of his own. He made sure she could contact us at any time" Rob explained as he continued to type on the holographic keyboard.

"If all the adults have disappeared I don't want her in Gotham. Without any sort of supervision the kids in Gotham will go crazy" I realized.

"Agreed, tell her to zeta to the cave as quickly as possible. She can help us from here where we can keep her safe," Aqualad ordered and I nodded before moving to send Sasha a quick reply.

When she found out about our extra curricular activities we established a set of codes, protocols, and precautions that were to be used only during emergencies. I told her this was a code red, which basically meant don't talk to anyone, don't look at anyone, and get your butt to the cave immediately.

She responded telling me she was on her way just seconds after I pushed the send button.

"Wait can we back up a sec and explain slowly from the beginning for the newbie please? Who is Sasha" Zatanna asked with her hands on her hips. I could tell she's been trying to keep up for the past five minutes, but still didn't understand anything we were talking about.

"Sasha is a friend," Robin explained before Wally added his own comment.

"She's a part of the family" he clarified and Zatanna nodded in understanding.

Everyone's heads shot up when we heard the familiar sound of zeta tubes whirring to life.

My raven-haired purple highlighted friend walked through the zeta tube and ranted as she stomped over to the team "ok someone better start explaining what the hell is going in the next five seconds or I swear all hell is gonna break loose!"

"Yeah Skittles nice to see you too and we're great thanks for asking" Wally muttered sarcastically while Sasha sent him a death glare.

"To answer your question Sasha we don't know wants going on, but we're about to find out," Aqualad announced before issuing out orders.

"Wally, Conner, Megan, and I will go out to Happy Harbor and start patrolling the area making sure the kids are alright and not in any danger. With all the adults gone the teens and kids in the area are probably frantic and scared, our job is damage control and keeping people safe. Robin, Zatanna, and Shade will stay here and gather as much intel as you can from the cave."

The team nodded while Sasha raised her hand high above her head and waved it in the air.

"I'm coming with," she said firmly once she had everyone's attention.

"I don't think that's the best idea" Kaldur started to protest, but Sasha just glared at him.

"That wasn't up for debate Kaldur. I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing while everyone else is working to fix things. It's not like I'm asking to go into battle, I'm asking to help you guys round-up some little kids, not much danger involved. Plus I've been training with Canary so I'm not entirely defenseless" she argued while cocking her hip to the side.

Wally ran to Kaldur's side and slung an arm around his shoulder "trust me Kaldur you might as well just give in, she's not going to back down, and even if you don't allow her to go she'll just find a way to go anyways."

"It's true," I stated while folding my arms across my chest.

Kaldur sighed before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I swear you and Shade are like twins," he muttered under his breath causing both Sasha and I to grin.

"Why do you think we get along so well" I said as we looped arms.

"Let her go Kaldur, I'll watch out for her" Conner assured everyone as he stepped forward.

"Fine you may help, but you must stay with Conner at all times" Kaldur said finally giving in.

Sasha cheered and nodded vigorously "understood boss man" she said before leaning an arm on Conner's shoulder.

"Looks like it's you and me against the world Muscles" she grinned up at him causing Conner to crack a small smile.

"Is that name seriously going to stick?" he asked as the rest of the team walked off towards the zeta tubes.

"Yep, so you might as well get used to it" she asserted before they disappeared in a flash of light. The rest of the team quickly followed after them leaving Zatanna, Robin, and I the only ones left in the cave.

"I like her" Zatanna declared as we started to work on gathering information.

"It's kinda hard not to" I mentioned as I furiously typed on the holographic keyboard.

We worked diligently pulling up multiple holographic screens with different data, news feeds, and social networking sites.

The cave's speakers crackled to life as Wally's voice projected through the room by linking up to his ear com.

"We've set up a refugee center at the high school gym. Any luck with-"

"No" Robin cut him off since he already knew what he was going to ask.

"Can't reach the Batcave, the Hall of Justice, or the Watch…" he trailed off as he realized Zatanna didn't know about the watchtower and quickly tried to cover his almost slip up.

"Or any adult hero, even Red Arrow" he finished and Wally sighed on the other end.

"Guess we're on our own. Kid Flash out" he blurted before the line went dead.

"Traditional media is offline, but kids worldwide are all posting the same thing. Every adult 18 or older has disappeared. The sorcery necessary to pull this off…scary big" Zatanna proclaimed while turning away from her screen to face us.

"And we need you to find its source" I said.

Zatanna quickly moved to argue when she finally realized what I'd just said "How am I-"

"I pulled this footage" Robin cut in as he pulled up a video feed from a few weeks ago.

"It's your dad helping us locate Wotan and the Injustice League last month" he explained as we watched Zatara recite a spell to locate the Injustice League's base of operations.

"But the words, I mean its only part of it, and the rest takes training and Robin, I-I'm just not on Zatara's level" she stuttered while rubbing her arm nervously.

"I know its hard, but try to stay whelmed. We'll find your dad, Batman, all of them" Robin reassured her while I walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's what we do," I added while giving her a confident smile.

Zatanna turned back to the video and studied it trying to memorize every word and movement her father made.

Sasha's POV

I walked beside Conner as we walked down the streets of Happy Harbor looking for any kids who needed help.

"So Muscles how are you and Megan?" I asked out of the blue catching Conner completely off guard.

"What?" he asked startled by my question.

I rolled my eyes and asked again "And to think you're the one with super hearing, don't tell me you're loosing your touch Muscles. But as for my question I asked how are you and Megan."

"We're…good, but how did you know about that? Did Dawn tell you" he asked as we turned down another street corner.

I scoffed and looked him in the eye "Seriously? I didn't need Dawn's help to know you two had a thing for each other, anyone with eyes could see it. I saw it the moment I met you two at the game a few weeks ago, but to answer your question yes I asked Dawn if you two had finally realized your attraction and made it official. All she did was confirm it for me."

Conner nodded before quickly changing the subject "Well what about you?"

And now it was my turn to be caught off guard.

"Come again" I asked quirking an eyebrow.

Conner grinned, "Not so fun when you're on the receiving end now is it, but my question still stands 'cause I know you heard it."

I shrugged and turned away from Conner to look down the road "unfortunately no, unlike you I don't have a significant other."

Conner studied my face intently before raising an eyebrow "but there's someone you're interested in" he inferred reading me like a book.

"No there's not" I objected quickly, but Conner just scoffed.

"Sasha don't lie to me its written all over your face. I might not be good with emotions generally, but in this case I can tell."

I sighed before unconsciously pulling out the pack of skittles from my pocket and popping a few in my mouth.

"Alright fine you win, I do like someone, but it doesn't matter 'cause it'll never happen" I responded quietly.

Even though I've only known him for a short amount of time Conner is like my older brother. I don't have siblings or a lot of cousins so the team's basically become my surrogate family.

"It's that kid from the football game isn't it," he asked before pausing as he tried to recall what the boy's name was "Alex was it?"

"For a boy whose supposedly not good with emotions you sure do know how to read people" I joked and he smiled before slinging an arm around my shoulder.

"Only for the people I truly care about" he stated and I smiled before giving him a playful punch on the arm.

"You aren't going soft on me now are you Muscles" I joked and he scoffed before ruffling my hair.

"Not at all squirt," he teased before I swatted his hand away.

"I wouldn't mind if you got with Alex. I saw the way he protected you against those creeps at the game and I admire that. However, Dawn's told me about his flirtatious streak and that I don't admire. I like his spirit and I can tell he has a good heart, but if he ends up hurting you I'll have to hurt him" he growled suddenly turning serious so I knew he wasn't kidding.

"Wow, Dawn wasn't kidding when she said you were overprotective," I whispered softly.

"I'm not the only one. I guarantee you the rest of the team, especially the guys and Dawn, would react the same way."

I was about to respond when Conner suddenly froze and perked his head up. He titled his head to the side and squinted his eyes, like he was straining to hear something.

My body stiffened and I was suddenly very attentive as I felt Conner's arm around me bristle.

"What is it?" I asked looking around the area for anything suspicious.

"Do you hear that?" he asked as he slid his arm from my shoulder and stepped further into the middle of the street.

I placed my left hand on my hip and used my right hand to point to my ears "Uh no I don't hear whatever you're talking about because, in case you don't remember, I don't have super hearing."

"Its coming from this direction" Conner said as he ran down the street.

"Conner wait" I yelled as I ran after him.

I had to run faster than I've ever run before just to catch up to him. After a while I finally caught up and we ran side by side in silence until I heard the faint sound of a baby crying.

"Oh now I hear it" I said as we stopped in front of a crashed car.

The car was small and the front half was completely crushed from ramming into a pole head on. The back half of the car, which is where the sound was coming from, was intact and didn't seem to have received any damage from the wreck. I bent down and peered through the window to see inside. Securely buckled in his car seat was a young baby boy. He was crying loudly, but thankfully seemed unharmed.

"Step back" Conner ordered and I quickly complied as he wrapped his hand around the car's door frame and pulled the door off its hinges before tossing it to the ground.

He leaned into the car and unbuckled the child before pulling him out of the car. As Conner brought the baby out it stopped crying.

The baby was a small male probably no more than a year old. Covering his body was blue Superman onesie. The baby smiled brightly when he saw the same Superman symbol on Superboy's t-shirt. He leaned forward and placed his small delicate hand over the symbol before smiling up at Conner who couldn't help but smile back.

"Aww, that's so cute. Who would've guessed you of all people would be good with kids," I cooed as Conner wrapped the boy up in his arms.

"Oh shut up Sasha" Conner barked as we started walking towards the local high school where most of the kids were taking refugee.

We made it to the gym relatively fast and dropped the boy off in a group of smaller kids who were being watched by a local high school student. The girl was in the process of reading to the group to keep them occupied.

Once we made sure the boy was taken care of we walked over to the rest of the team who was talking in the corner of the room so no one would hear their conversation.

As we made our way over to them my phone buzzed in my pocket and I paused to check it. I read the message and quickly flicked my finger across the screen looking through the multiple texts, messages, emails, and snapchats I'd received in the past hour.

Conner noticed my absence since he'd continued walking and looked back to ask why I stopped when I ran past him and headed for the team.

"Hey guys this rounding up kids in the area is nice and all, but I think you need to get a bigger message out. I've gotten a bunch of texts in the past hour from my friends in and outside of Gotham and everyone's saying the same thing. With no parents around to regulate the rules kids are going crazy. Most are scared and don't know what to do with themselves while the ones that aren't scared are taking advantage of the situation and running ramped in the streets. If you don't get a message out soon people are going to get seriously hurt," I blurted as Wally grabbed the phone from my hand.

He read through the messages before looking up.

"She's right we need to get a message out," Wally agreed before I snatched the phone out of his hand while giving him a glare.

"Next time ask before taking people's things," I scolded before slapping his arm.

Wally rolled his eyes and I was about to smack him again, but he zipped away and hid behind Conner.

"Coward" I muttered and Conner chuckled before pushing Wally away from him and out into the open.

I was about to pounce when I heard Kaldur's voice in my ear.

After we left the cave Kaldur gave me an extra com so I could communicate with the team since we were all to spread out for telepathic communication.

"Everyone meet back at the cave immediately" he ordered before disconnecting.

"Well you heard the boss man, let's get going" I ushered before we all ran out of the gym and back to the cave.

Dawn's POV

I looked up from the screens when I saw the zeta tubes lighting up. Aqualad walked through first but was quickly trailed by the rest of the team who arrived just minutes after.

"How did it go?" I asked as they entered the room.

"Good, but it's still not enough. We need to get a message out to the rest of the world and make sure people don't panic" Kaldur said and I nodded in agreement.

"Everyone suit up," Kaldur ordered and everyone ran off to suit up except for Conner, Sasha, Zatanna, and me.

Zatanna didn't need to leave since she just recited a spell and magically transformed into her uniform.

"That's so cool" Sasha gapped as I grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Come on you can come with me while I change" I implored as we ran towards my room. I pushed in the passcode that opened my door and it swung open. Once the door closed behind us I quickly grabbed my uniform and started to change.

"This place is amazing" Sasha admired as she looked around the room.

"Yeah it is; now you know why I like the cave so much" I said as I pulled on my boots.

"Yeah, that and the fact that a certain bird is always here" she said nonchalantly while fighting to suppress her smirk.

I stumbled and almost fell flat on my face as her statement caught me off guard.

"What?" I asked regaining my composure as I slipped on my mask.

"You heard me" she grinned as she leaned against the wall and placed a foot on it before folding her arms across her chest.

"You like him don't you?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about" I denied as I folded my arms across my chest and stared her down.

Sasha squealed and jumped up and down as she stared at my face "Dawn I can't believe you just tried to lie to me. After this crazy mess is over you and I are having a mandatory sister pizza and ice cream night and you're going to tell me everything. No if, ands, or buts about it."

I sighed and threw my hands in the air "fine, fine ok you win geez."

Sasha smiled and did her own little happy dance as we walked out of the room and ventured into the hallway.

I felt a rush of wind behind me and glanced over my shoulder as Wally ran up and squeezed his way in-between us before slinging an arm around both of our shoulders.

"What's up Skittles? Haven't seen you since the game, how've you been" he asked as we walked down the hall.

Sasha shrugged "eh same old same old, but I started training with Canary a few weeks ago. My fighting skills have improved and I've learned a lot of self-defense," she boasted beaming with pride.

"Cool, now you can beep up all the creeps by yourself" Wally said as we walked into the room.

I rolled my eyes and gave Sasha a small smile before slipping out from under Wally's arm.

They continued walking towards the middle of the room while I walked over to Robin. His arms were folded across his chest and his cape hung over his body more than usual covering about 85% of it from view.

"Penny for your thoughts" I whispered in his ear and he jumped about a foot in the air. He must have been completely out of it if he didn't hear my footsteps or sense my presence directly behind him.

"Oh Dawn it's you" he breathed before turning back to face the front of the room "I was just thinking about what happened to Bruce, Alfred, and Aunt Sue" he admitted softly.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze "we'll find them Rob."

He nodded, but didn't speak anymore until Aqualad walked into the room.

Wally, Robin, and I walked over to our leader while the rest of the team set up the video feed. The four of us stood in front of the camera and waited for it to activate.

Aqualad was in front while I stood slightly behind him on his left. Robin was next to me and Wally was on Aqualad's right.

"Attention children and teenagers of Earth. I am Aqualad. These are my friends Robin, Shade, and Kid Flash" Aqualad stated as the broadcast started.

"We are using Justice League tech to cast and stream to every TV, radio, computer, and smart phone on the planet" Robin explained before I took over.

"We know you must be scared and angry. We know with your parents missing, there's a temptation to run wild, but please stay calm," I said as Aqualad straightened up a little.

"We will find a way to bring the adults back, but for now the oldest among you must step up," he said firmly emphasizing the must part.

"Take care of your younger siblings. Take care of the kids who have no one" Robin continued before Wally finished for him.

"Protect them," he ordered.

"It's up to you, please help in any way you can," I said before the transmission went dead.

Wally and Aqualad walked off while Sasha, Robin, Zatanna, and I stayed in the hangar.

I used my hand to wave Sasha over and led her over to Zatanna.

"Sasha I don't think you two have been properly introduce. Sasha this Zatanna, Zatanna this is Sasha" I introduced and they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you" Zatanna said and Sasha grinned before responding "likewise."

"So how you coming on that spell Z," I asked our resident magician once the introductions were over.

"I think I'm ready" she whispered and I nodded.

"I'll go round-up the rest of the team then" I announced before flying off to gather the rest of the team.

I flew into Wally's trophy room where Wally and Aqualad were talking in hushed tones while staring at the helmet of fate.

I dropped to my feet and stared at them before saying "you two aren't thinking about using that thing are you… because I already almost lost you two to it once and I don't want it to have a second chance."

Wally and Aqualad whipped around startled by my sudden appearance. They took in my worried expression and quickly tried to console me.

"No we're not using the helmet," Aqualad confirmed and I sighed in relief.

"Good, anyways Zatanna's ready to test out the spell so we need to meet in the main hangar" I said as I pointed my finger out the door.

"Wally since you're faster do you mind finding Megan and Conner for me, it'll take me a few minutes to find them while it'll only take you a few seconds" I asked and Wally nodded before running off.

Aqualad and I walked into the main hangar and were quickly followed by Megan, Conner, and Wally.

Robin pulled up a large holographic projection of the earth and we watched it slowly spin on its axis. Everyone stood in silence as Zatanna slowly walked up to the holographic projection.

She lifted her wand and slowly recited the spell. I held my breath and crossed my fingers hoping it worked and smiled when a bright red dot flashed across the globe.

"Coordinates locked, Roanoke Island! You did it" Robin boasted excitedly.

The smile on my face faltered as I saw Zatanna wasn't as excited as the rest of us. I walked over to her as the rest of the team, including Sasha, talked among themselves and celebrated our little victory.

I gently placed a hand on her shoulder snapping her out of her thoughts.

"You ok Z" I asked softly so the rest of the team wouldn't hear.

"Yeah I'm fine just… thinking about my dad" she admitted before I nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, so am I" I whispered as I thought of Bruce and hoped he was ok.

Back in the Adult World

Bruce's POV

I stood off to the side of the room with Zatara and Red Tornado silently watching the team unload the boxes from the ship.

"Cookie fixins?" Wally asked Megan as he ran over to the crate she'd just put down.

"Snicker doodles" Megan chirped and Wally smiled.

"Babe you rock my world" he said before plunging his hand into the box already searching for food.

I grinned internally as I saw Dawn swat Wally's hand away from the box and scold him for trying to eat all the food before it was put away.

"I'm glad you brought Zatanna old friend" I said to Zatara as Zatanna and Artemis walked out of the elevator "does this mean you'll allow her to join the team?"

"I do not know. Zatanna's so…" he sighed before lowering his voice "…my only child. I wish I could get used to the idea that she's growing up."

Just as the words left his mouth the entire team flickered before disappearing in a flash of light.

"Zatanna!" Zatara yelled as he watched his daughter disappear.

I forced my body to remain calm despite my inner panic. Everyone who knows me knows that the only way to truly get under my skin is by going through my kids… yes you heard me correctly my kids.

Dawn might not be mine biologically or legally, but she's still my family. She's like the daughter I never had and Robin is without a doubt the son I never expected. Both are my kids and God help however decides to mess with them, 'cause if there's one thing worse than an angry Bat it's a pissed off DaddyBats.

I ran out of the room and made my way to the main hangar. I quickly pulled up a holographic keyboard and started pulling up news feeds from across the globe. My suspicions were confirmed as I listened to one of the newscast ladies.

All kids around the world younger than 18 have disappeared.

My personal link channel pinged in my ear and I immediately answered it knowing only a few people know about that frequency to my com. The only one's who have access to that frequency are Alfred, Dawn, Dick, Susan, and Sasha, and all of the above people are to be immediately answered.

I brought a finger up to my ear and activated the com before saying in monotone "Batman."

"Bruce!" a shaky voice blared through my com and I immediately stopped typing as I recognized the voice.

"Susan what's wrong?" I asked as Zatara and Tornado ran in the room.

"Sasha's parents just called me in a panic saying that Sasha just disappeared while they were cooking. I told them to calm down when I turned on the news and saw what was happening… is it true? Is the team gone?" she asked rapidly.

I sighed and tensed under my cape.

I knew ever since Dawn brought them over for a family dinner Susan's become attached to the team and practically adopted them as her own children. Sue does that with a lot of kids, but with the team it was different. She bonded with them immediately because of Dawn and Robin and unlike other kids she allowed them all into her family indefinitely like they were her own children. In her mind they were now her kids too and she cared about them all deeply.

"Yes it's true" I whispered and I heard silence on the other end.

"Do you know why?" she finally asked after the shock wore off and her body allowed her to speak again.

"Negative, but I'm already working on it" I assured her as I returned to typing on the keyboard.

"Ok well keep me post—AH!"

"Susan!" I screamed into my com as I heard a loud explosion on the other end.

"Susan!" I screamed again when I didn't get a reply.

"Sue I swear if you don't answer me this instant" I growled though it was more of a way of hiding my extreme worry and fear than an actual growl.

After what felt like years of waiting I finally heard a loud cough on the other end.

"Stop yelling in my ear I'm fine Bruce. I was outside the house walking towards Sasha's when a car crashed into a pole next to me and exploded, thankfully the person made it out in time" Sue coughed as she spoke and I sighed in relief knowing she was ok.

"God Bruce it's a madhouse down here, people are going crazy" Sue gapped and I could hear the faint sound of yelling and screaming in the background. I even think I heard the distinct sound of a gun going off.

I could already imagine the riots and chaos about to be unleashed on the world as parents started to realize their kids were gone. Not only would this cause concerned parents to result to violence, but the criminals on the streets would take this opportunity to run ramped on the streets without consequences using the chaos to their advantage. They'd use it as a cover to get away with their crimes while everyone else was distracted. Until we figured out what happened and fix it this was like a criminals ultimate Christmas.

And Sue was right in the middle of it.

"Sue listen to me, this is a code red. I want you to head straight for the manor and stay with Agent A. I don't want you on the streets when this blows up and everyone realizes what's happened" I ordered and I could just imagine Sue nodding her head while swiftly making her way to the manor.

"Alright Bruce I'm on my way, I'll be there in five minutes. Let me know if I can do anything from the cave and Bruce…" she said before pausing.

"Yes" I said.

"Just promise me you'll get our kids back," she pleaded and my eyes steeled with determination at the sound of her voice.

"You have my word," I promised before Sue sighed.

"Alright and please be safe," she ordered and I nodded even though she couldn't see it.

"Same to you" I said before the communication cut off.

"Family, I presume" Zatara guessed as I returned to furiously typed on the keyboard in front of me.

"Yes" I answered curtly.

"And they're safe?" he asked and I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I noticed how Zatara was genuinely concerned for my family's well-being and I admired that.

"Like you I protect my own at all times" I responded and he nodded before walking off.

I contacted the League and ordered for all members to do damage control. The rest of the world would be in panic and we had to contain it before people got hurt.

I deactivated the keyboard and walked down the hall until I found Zatara staring at the helmet of fate in Wally's trophy room.

"So how desperate are we?" he asked as I walked in.

I stared at the helmet myself before answering.

"I informed the Watchtower you located the focal point at Roanoke, but the rest of the League is deployed to avert the chaos. Tornado, you, and I are on our own."

"I would do anything to get my daughter back," Zatara vowed.

"Yes, but we both know there are many ways to lose her" I stated and Zatara turned away from the helmet.

"So…not that desperate, not yet" he said as we started to walk towards the door.

"The entire League is unavailable?" Zatara asked incredulously.

"Everyone, except perhaps for Captain Marvel. He's missing," I announced as we walked into the main hangar.

We'd just entered the hangar and started researching when the computer announced a new arrival.

Recognized Captain Marvel 1-5

"All right guys I'm here to…" Marvel paused as he saw us standing in front of him and smiled. He flew over and smothered us in a hug. I scowled and resisted the urge to snap his arms until he finally released us.

"You're back! Is it over? Where is the team?" he asked rapidly and Zatara's face grew red with anger.

"Haven't you heard? Every child in the world has-"

"Zatara wait!" I cut in, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Zatara stopped mid sentence and looked at me while I turned to Marvel.

"Captain where have you been?" I asked and his eyes widened in realization.

"On a world without grownups! Holly Molly, there are two worlds!" he yelled connecting the dots.

"Two dimensions" I said gruffly "one for adults-"

"and one for kids!" Marvel finished for me.

"and you can travel between them?" Zatara asked in disbelief with a bit of excitement mixed in.

"I think I can" Marvel said softly before gaining more confidence "I-I KNOW I can! Shazam!" he yelled before a bolt of lightning flashed across the room and he disappeared.

Back in Kid world

Dawn's POV

I stiffened as I felt an unfamiliar presence behind me. I whirled around as I heard someone scream, "It worked!" causing the rest of the team to turn as well.

I lifted the person in the air and they yelped in shock as the team stared at them suspiciously. I looked at the person closely and realized it was only a small boy no older than 11 years old.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?" Aqualad questioned while giving the boy a suspicious glare

"Quick read my mind," the boy yelled at Megan and she quickly obliged as her eyes glowed green. Everything was silent for a few seconds until she gasped and her eyes returned to normal.

"He's Captain Marvel!" she gasped in shock.

"What!" I screamed and I was so startled that I lost my concentration on the boy and he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Ow" the boy mumbled as he rubbed his head and picked himself off the floor.

"Oops sorry kid" I apologized.

"This kid thinks he's Captain Marvel?" Sasha asked as she placed a hand on her cocked hip.

"Yeah and I'm Speedy Gonzales" Wally scoffed "look just because he believes he's Cap-"

"Gee Wally do I really have to bring you nachos and pineapple juice to get on your good side" the boy swiftly cut in causing all our eyes to widen in shock.

Well if we didn't believe him before we sure did now.

"Oh and not to seem rude or anything, but who are you? I've never seen you at the cave before" the boy asked while pointing at Sasha.

"I'm Sasha, a friend of the teams," Sasha answered while giving him a two-fingered wave.

"Nice to meet you" he said before I interrupted.

"Ok so I've got a few questions for ya Cap. One what's your name 'cause I seriously don't want to keep calling you kid and calling you Cap just sounds…weird since you don't look like him at the moment. And two how did you appear in the cave without zeta tubing in?"

"The names Billy Batson and I was in the cave in the other dimension with Batman and Zatara when I turned back into a kid and returned to the kid world and TADA here I am" Billy cheered while we all looked at him even more confused then we were a minute ago.

"Ok for the benefit of the newbie can you please explain slowly and from the very beginning because I'm officially lost" Sasha huffed before Wally pointed at her.

"Yeah what she said" he agreed and Billy started to explain again, but clearer this time. He told us that there were now two dimensions, one for adults and on for kids, and that he could travel between them because he was technically both.

Billy became our informant for both sides and switched from one dimension to the other relaying information as he went. He went back and forth so quickly that it seemed like the conversations blended together as one.

"There will be threats in both dimensions and we may not be familiar with our opponents" Batman said.

"But the key to this mission is a coordinated simultaneous attack" Aqualad concluded.

"Agreed. Our best chance against sorcery is to strike fast, disrupt their efforts-"

"And hope the two dimensions merge naturally back into one" Aqualad said.

After we formed a plan Billy returned to the adult world to help them in their fight while the team remained in the kid world and prepared to head out.

We were all about to start heading for the bioship when Sasha coughed and waved her hand in the air.

"Um not to be a nuisance or anything, but am I allowed to come along?"

"Absolutely not" Robin and I yelled at the same time Conner and Wally yelled "NO."

"I don't think that's such a good idea Sasha" Aqualad commented, but Sasha stood her ground.

"I promise to stay in the ship and I won't step outside. No villain will see me and its better than sitting here alone worrying for hours" she stated and everyone's face softened.

"We just don't want you to get hurt Skittles, we don't know what we're up against" Wally said.

"I won't be in any danger if I stay on the ship, plus you guys will be there, how much danger could I be in if 8 members of my superhero family are there with me" she quipped and Artemis folded her arms.

"I say bring her" she proclaimed and everyone rounded on her.

"You can't be serious" Conner glared at the archer.

"No I'm dead serious. The girl's smart and knows how to handle herself, plus she's been training with Canary for weeks. We all know from experience how difficult her training is so she should be able to hold her own in a fight if she needs to" Artemis defended and I thought about it.

Artemis was right; Canary's training was tough. Lord knows how many times Sasha's called me after her training ranting on and on about how her body felt like it was going to collapse, and yet she still gets up everyday and goes back to training. It's not that I don't have faith in Sasha's abilities, 'cause I do, it's just… she's family and I don't want her hurt.

"I believe in her too Artemis, but I doubt the girl can even dodge a punch" Wally said as he lightly threw a punch at Sasha's side trying to prove a point, however everyone was surprised when Sasha grabbed Wally's wrist and twisted it until his arm was pinned behind his back. She did it without even thinking about it; like she was reacting on instinct.

Wally was so shocked he didn't even struggle.

Artemis and I smirked while everyone else gapped in disbelief. Sasha released Wally's arm and he pulled it forward before rubbing his wrist.

"Alright so maybe you can dodge a punch, but I was going easy on you" Wally muttered as he walked away from Sasha.

I folded my arms and spoke up "let her come along."

Everyone turned to Kaldur since it was ultimately his decision on whether or not she could come.

He remained silent and stared at Sasha as he debated the pros and cons in his head before saying "Sasha you can come along, but only if you promise to stay in the bioship unless explicitly told otherwise" he ordered sternly leaving no room for argument.

Sasha grinned from ear to ear and nodded vigorously.

"Got it bossman" she agreed before we all walked towards the bioship.

The team walked inside the ship and Sasha was about to follow when I grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Lets just make one thing clear before we head out. If things start going south I don't care what's happening to us you hightail it out of there and get to safety. Under no circumstances are you to engage the enemy or try to help us if we get captured, injured, or worse. You're good, I'll give you that, but you're not that good…not yet.

In a few weeks, give or take a month or so, you'll be one heck of a fighter, but for now you're still at intern status. You do as we say and if you do go outside it is only when instructed. If you are instructed to go outside then you must be with a member of the team at all times, no exceptions. Do I make myself clear?"

Sasha nodded before slinging an arm around my shoulder.

"Geez Dawn you worry too much, and to think you said Superboy was the most overprotective in the group" she laughed and I rolled my eyes before playfully shoving her with my elbow.

"Whatever Sasha" I muttered before walking over to my seat next to Robin. Megan created a seat next to Wally and Artemis for Sasha to sit in.

Once everyone was seated Megan activated the bioship, put it in camouflage mode, and sped off towards Roanoke island.

Once we reached Roanoke Island Megan landed the bioship in a cluster of trees so it would be hidden from any prying eyes. Even though it was still in camouflage mode you could never be too careful. We all stood from our seats as our buckles disappeared and Megan opened the ramp for us.

The team piled out of the ship and Sasha stood at the base of the ramp. Aqualad ordered us to split into groups so we could attack from different directions.

He assigned us positions and we silently slunk into the trees to get to them. While we moved Sasha hid among a pile of bushes and trees close enough to where she could see the fight, but far enough away that she wasn't in the middle of it.

I watched her hide and made sure she was in a good spot, since I know she wouldn't go back to the ship, before going with Artemis and Robin to our positions.

I growled silently as I saw the one and only Klarion standing in a strange orange circle with magic symbols engraved in it. I still hated the boy for what he did to Nelson and couldn't wait to get my hands wrapped around his neck.

Klarion's back was facing us and he was silently stroking his cat's fur while Artemis and Robin slowly pulled out their weapons.

Klarion's back grew rigid as the cat jumped from his hands. He looked down at the animal before looking around the area suspiciously. Artemis released her arrows at the same time Robin threw his batarangs.

Just before the weapons hit him Klarion turned around and activated a magic shield to protect himself.

"That's the best you can do?" the boy asked in his nails against chalkboard voice.

He lifted his hand and fired a bolt of red magic lightning at us.

We didn't have time to react before the bolt hit the ground in front of us and caused it to explode. The force of the explosion sent us flying through the air in different directions. My back collided with a tree's truck and I fell to the ground face first before regaining my footing and standing again.

Klarion activated a magical barrier around him and the circle as Aqualad, Conner, and Wally ran towards him from opposite sides. They were all pushed back when they made contact with the barrier.

Zatanna started to recite a spell and Klarion just scoffed at her.

"Baby magic" he spat before flicking his wrist and whispering a spell that sent her flying through the air. Conner ran over and slid on the ground catching her just before she made a painful reunion with the ground.

I flew towards the barrier and started pelting it with fireballs. Klarion turned his attention to me and smirked.

"Well if it isn't my fair lady from the tower. Just as beautiful as the last time I saw you" he complimented and I growled at him.

"I thought I told you to never call me that" I snarled and Klarion just cackled.

"You did, but I chose not to listen" he whispered as he took a step closer to my side of the barrier.

"Well you should have listened," I growled as I felt someone step beside me.

I heard the familiar sound of a batarang being unsheathed and immediately knew it was Robin who was standing by my side.

"I think you should listen to the girl Klarion unless you want to experience pain like no other," Robin threatened while gripping two batarangs in his hands ready to throw them at any second.

Klarion scoffed "If you haven't noticed, I'm not really the type to follow orders. I much more prefer the rebellious approach, plus you and your little group of insignificant friends are no match for a Lord of Chaos."

"I seemed to do just fine last time when I kicked your ass and sent you running back to your mother" I interjected causing Klarion to turn his focus back to me.

He looked me in the eye for a few seconds before grinning a smirk that could rival the Joker's… and that's saying something since I didn't think anyone could have a smirk as wild and crazy as the Jokers.

"I will admit your little display of power was…unexpected, but it just made you all the more…intriguing" Klarion whispered and I swear Robin's glare multiplied ten times over.

Klarion turned from us when Megan started pelting the barrier with large boulders. Klarion opened his mouth and released a stream of red energy, but she moved out-of-the-way just in time to avoid it.

While Megan distracted Klarion I formed a large pillar of water before forcing it to start drilling into the barrier's side. The water swirled and sharpened at the end until it resembled a large water drill trying to dig its way through the barrier.

Klarion turned his head and sighed in frustration when the barrier shook slightly from the force of the drill.

"You know for such a pretty thing you can be quite the nuisance," he claimed before waving his hand in my direction.

My eyes widened as he hurled a large red ball of energy in my direction. Just as the energy ball was about to hit me something hard collided with my side and forced me to the ground.

I groaned as my body hit the dirt along with whatever hit me fell on top of me. I looked up to see Robin laying on me with his head on my shoulder.

He looked up and we looked into each other's eyes for a split second before he got up and grabbed my hand to help me off the ground.

"Thanks for the save" I said as I ducked another red ball headed in my direction.

"Anytime" he acknowledged as he reached into his belt and pulled out Blackout. He twirled the staff in his hands before using it to absorb one of the red blasts heading for his face.

Klarion stared at the staff intrigued and studied it closely before laughing.

"Where did you get that staff boy? Only an acquaintance of the crystal's wielder has the ability to…" Klarion trailed off as he turned his head to face me.

He glanced back and forth between Robin and me before his eyes widened in realization.

"Ohhhhhh" he said in a soft yet sinister whisper "well things just got a lot more interesting around here."

Suddenly his eyes became harsh and cold, like a true villain's, as he greedily eyed the staff in Robin's hands.

"Give me the staff and I'll think about letting you live" Klarion barked, but Robin shook his head.

"Never" he hissed at Klarion causing said boy to lower his hand and glare at Robin.

By being denied something he really wanted it was like a switch was flipped in his mind. Klarion suddenly changed from chaotically playful to cold, deadly, and very serious.

"Wrong answer" he glowered before throwing a series of magic balls at Rob. Robin dodged most of them and the ones he couldn't dodge he blocked with his staff.

Klarion ceased his attack on Robin when he felt a disturbance with his familiar. He twirled around and held up his hand turning the sharp green arrow aiming for his cat into a harmless green ball of yarn.

He laughed and I felt a cold chill in the air as he said "Show 'em what a familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do Teekl."

Suddenly his small little orange cat transformed into a large hybrid looking thing that resembled a combination between a large tiger and a wolf. Upgraded Teekl ran over to Superboy and lunged bring him down to the ground.

I rushed over to Conner as he struggled to keep the creature at bay. I threw my hand forward and tossed Teekl into a group of trees by hitting him with a large gust of wind. Conner stood from the ground and cracked his knuckles as Teekl stood and shook its head before growling at us.

It crouched and looked ready to attack again when Conner said "I got this Dawn, go help the others deal with Klarion."

Teekl growled and sprang forward while snapping his jaws at Conner's head. Conner grabbed the animal around its waist and tossed it into the trees before disappearing into the shadows as he chased after it.

I turned back to Klarion as I lifted a group of rocks from the ground and started throwing them at the barrier along with Megan.

I flipped over Klarion's balls of energy and ducked just seconds before one hit me in the face.

Klarion was about to release another ball of magic when the crystal in the middle of his circle started to glow.

He stared at it for a few seconds before scoffing "so you teamed up with the grown-ups. Teamwork is so overrated."

Just as he finished this statement blue lightning shot out of the crystal and aimed for Artemis and Robin who were standing side by side in Klarion's direct line of sight.

"Look out!" I yelled as the lightning crackled its way over to them. Robin and Artemis tried to move, but they weren't fast enough. The lightening hit them in the chest and sent them flying into the trees.

I abandoned my assault on the barrier and zipped over to where they fell. I skidded on my knees as I landed on the ground and bent down so my ear was on Robin's chest. His eyes were closed and his pulse was weak, but I sighed in relief when I heard a faint heart beat. It was weak, but it was there, which meant he was still alive and that's all that matters.

"Artemis! Robin!" Zatanna yelled as she ran over.

"Are they ok?" Sasha asked as she jumped out of the trees and dropped to her knees next to me.

"What are you doing out in the open? You're suppose to be hiding in the bushes," I yelled as Sasha grabbed Robin and started to drag him towards the tree line.

"Well I wasn't just going to sit there while my friends need help so deal with it because you have more pressing issues than making sure I stay out of sight" Sasha snapped as Zatanna helped bring Artemis towards the tree line and out of the open as well.

"I'll stay with them, you guys go" Sasha ordered as she placed Robin's head in her lap. We managed to drag Robin and Artemis to the tree line off to the side of the forest so they were out of the fights range. We could still see them and Sasha while we fought just in case something happened, but they were out of the blast radiance so there was less of a chance of them getting hurt while they were incapacitated.

I was hesitant to leave them, but was forced to look up when I felt an explosion in the distance due to one of Klarion's magic balls hitting the ground.

"Shade I swear I'll keep them safe and out of the fight, but you have to go…like NOW!" Sasha hissed as she ushered me back into the fight.

I looked down at Robin one last time before nodding and flying back towards the barrier.

"You know you seriously don't learn from your mistakes, because you're constantly doing things that piss me off. If you haven't noticed Klarion you don't tend to like me when I'm pissed off!" I yelled before slamming my fists into his magic barrier while they were on fire.

I felt the fire's energy and forced it to spread causing my entire body to erupt in a pillar of flames.

I used the force and energy of the two elements fire and wind to back up my punch's as I slammed my fists against the barriers surface multiple times.

When I realized that wasn't working I stepped back and slammed my hands into the earth sending a ripple effect through the rocks. The earth around the barrier split and cracked causing the foundation under the barrier to tremble.

Klarion shuffled on his feet and growled at me "Why you little…"

He engulfed his hand in red energy before hurling the largest ball of energy I've seen in my direction.

I jumped and tried to deflect it, but it was too big to avoid so it still hit me in the chest. I fell back first into the dirt and clutched my chest as I felt a searing pain over my heart. I bit back a scream as the pain intensified like a hot burning iron searing into my skin. The pain spread until it felt like my blood was on fire and boiling. Wally ran to my side and went down to his knees as I twitched on the ground.

After a while the pain subsided until it was only a dull ache and I groaned as Wally grabbed my arms and helped me up slightly. I fought to lift my head when I heard Aqualad yell Zatanna's name.

I struggled to my knees and Wally kept a firm grip on my arms to make sure I was stable as I looked over at Zatanna. At first I was confused on why Aqualad screamed her name until I realized what she had in her hand.

Wally and I warned her not to do it when we saw the Helmet of Fate moving towards her head, however Zatanna ignored our warnings and placed the helmet over her head. In a flash of light Zatanna transformed into Doctor Fate.

"Klarion this ends now!" Zatanna said in a voice that was a blend between hers and Doctor Fate's.

Klarion growled at his long time nemesis before planting his feet firmly on the ground and shooting a stream of red energy out of his hands. Doctor Fate lifted his hands and blasted a beam of yellow energy in response to Klarion's attack. The two energy beams met in the middle and the two fought to overpower the other.

I floated to my feet and Wally loosened his grip on my arms when he realized I could stand on my own. I glanced at Aqualad out of the corner of my eye as he transformed his water bearers into large hammers.

He turned to Wally and yelled "Go Kid!"

Wally zoomed off and prepared for what I assumed was a plan they'd already discussed.

Aqualad rushed towards the barrier and started beating it with his hammers. I followed his lead and closed my eyes focusing on the various energy signatures around me.

My eyes started to glow as I performed an advanced elemental move that I've only tried a couple of times before. I levitated off the ground and lifted my hands as the elements reacted to my call. Large pieces of the earth split apart and lifted into the air before moving towards the barrier. Some swirled around the barrier waiting to be used while others smashed into the barrier's wall.

My hair whipped around me as the wind picked up speed and started to slash at the barrier from all sides. Water formed out of thin air and swirled around before rushing towards the barrier. While it was in the air the water split into two long streams. The beginning of water streams stayed by me as the air continued to condense and create more water by my side before splitting off into two sections.

One section was plain running water that slammed into the barrier with the force of an ocean. The second section swirled to the other side and solidified close to the end creating a large drill of ice that slammed into the barrier's side repeatedly.

Fire flickered in the air and collided with the top of the barrier like a blowtorch. I kept the fire away from Aqualad and Megan so its heat wouldn't affect them.

My hands moved around my body in different patterns and positions as I commanded the elements to simultaneously attack the barrier.

I heard a loud gasp and looked up briefly to see the Doctor Fate armor around Zatanna flicker and disappear for a second before reappearing, but I couldn't focus on her for more than a second since I had to retain my focus on controlling the elements.

"Ha! There see, when the world's divided the helmet split too. You're not all here Nabu and you're losing your hold on that poor, soon to be dead, girl!" Klarion yelled as Zatanna's armor flickered once again.

He cackled and his hands flickered with red energy "she gave herself for nothing."

"No Witch Boy! Her degree of sacrifice will not be in vain!" Doctor Fate yelled as he lifted his hand and summoned a large blast of energy.

The barrier started to shake under the combined pressure of my attacks, Aqualad's hammers, Megan's rocks, and Doctor Fates' energy beam.

"No, no, no, no, no no, NO!" Klarion yelled before falling to his knees as the barrier finally broke not able to handle anymore attacks.

Fate threw an energy symbol at Klarion causing the boy to be trapped and restrained so he couldn't move.

I lifted my hands out in front of me resulting in the elements freezing their attacks and stopping in mid-air. I pulled my hands back and the elements reacted by coming towards me. The rocks fell to the ground and melded back into the ground while the wind ceased its slashing. The water evaporated into the air and I sucked the fire into my body so I could absorb its energy.

My eyes returned to normal as I floated back down to the ground. I stumbled a bit when my feet hit the dirt, but Aqualad ran over as I floated down knowing I was going to be a little woozy when I landed. He brought his hand up and placed it on my back to keep me upright.

As Aqualad caught me he yelled at Wally "go Kid!"

I looked up as Wally ran forward and snatched the gem that was in the middle of the circle from the ground.

"Doc! Catch!" Wally yelled as he skidded to a stop and hurled the gem to Doctor Fate.

Fate caught the gem in the air and started to recite a spell causing the gem to glow. I shielded my eyes and Aqualad shifted so he was covering me with his body as the gem released a ripple of yellow energy.

Once the light disappeared Aqualad retracted his body from mine so I could see again. I stood up fully and looked up to see a group of unconscious adult magicians appear in the circle along with Captain Marvel, Zatara, RT, and Batman.

"We did it! The worlds are back together," I cheered as Wally ran over to us.

However, my smile faltered when I heard Klarion's voice "They sure don't make evil immortal sorcerers like they used to. Oh well!"

He snapped his fingers and the glowing ankh around his shoulders slowly disappeared.

He stood and brushed the imaginary dirt off his suit "Fun while it lasted. Teekl!"

The large cat looked up from his current position of trying to rip Superboy's head off and scampered over to Klarion when he heard his name. As he ran he slowly transformed back into a small orange cat. He jumped into Klarion's arms and Klarion petted its fur with creepy affection.

"See you later armadillos! Unless I see you first!" Klarion laughed maniacally before disappearing into a swirling red vortex.

"I really hate that kid. Sometimes I think I hate him more than the Joker, and I didn't think that was possible," I muttered to Aqualad and Wally as we watched Klarion disappear.

"Yeah he might even be giving Joker a run for his money with that creepy laugh of his" Wally added, but I shook my head and quickly corrected him.

"No he doesn't. Klarion might have a creepy laugh, but he's nowhere near the Joker. No one can be near the Joker laugh wise… not even a Lord of Chaos," I answered before I heard the familiar swish of a cape.

I turned to my left and saw Batman standing off in the corner waiting for me to finish my conversation.

I smiled and excused myself before flying over to Bruce. I landed in front of him and gave him a bright smile.

"Glad to have you back" I whispered and I could tell Bruce cracked a small smile behind his cowl.

"Glad to be back" he whispered before bringing me in for a quick hug.

We were hidden by the shadows so no one saw us. I quickly returned the gesture and he enveloped me in his cape.

My mind traveled back to when I first started patrol and Bruce used to hide me under his cape when he talked to people and didn't want me to be seen. I vividly remember a time when he and Dick were talking to commissioner Gordon about me while I hid behind his cape.

Gordon had heard from a few sources that Batman had a new sidekick and wanted to know if the rumors were true. Bruce confirmed the suspicions, but I wasn't allowed to reveal myself to Gordon then; Bruce didn't want my presence becoming Gotham wide news just yet.

To most people the cape brought out a sense of danger and fear, but to me it was a safe haven and brought out a sense of comfort.

Once my mind returned to the real world I pulled away from Bruce as a sudden thought crept into my mind.

I stepped back and turned to the patch of trees where I left Artemis, Robin, and Sasha when my two teammates went down.

Sasha still had Dick's head in her lap, but she'd moved closer to Artemis so she was closer to the both of them. At first it looked like their conditions hadn't changed, but when I looked closer it seemed like the two were starting to awaken. I saw their fingers twitch by their sides like they were struggling to make their bodies move.

Bruce looked up and followed my eyes until he saw what I was looking at and his eyes hardened.

"Shade, do you care to explain why Sasha is here?" he asked in a slight growl.

While Dick and I were like Bruce's children Sasha was pretty much like Bruce's niece or god-daughter. Over the years Bruce has grown attached to her since she knows our secret and is like a sister to Dick and I. It took a while for him to trust her completely, but over time he's become just as protective of her as he is of Dick and I.

Bruce was giving me the "you better explain yourself right now" look and I smiled sheepishly before explaining.

"When the adults disappeared everyone went crazy. Kids around the world were scared and confused on why their parents had suddenly disappeared and most of them didn't know how to react. It was bad everywhere, but in Gotham it was especially bad.

You know had bad the kids in Gotham are when there are adults around to keep them in line… now imagine how bad it was without any adults in town. They went wild and it got ten times more dangerous in Gotham than it usually is.

When the team figured out what was happening I told Sasha she needed to get out of Gotham and come to the cave as quickly as possible. I would've sent her to the manor or my place since they were closer, but I knew no one would be there. I didn't want to run the risk of her getting hurt so I knew if I couldn't get her into either one of those safe havens I didn't want her in Gotham at all. The team didn't want her there either since they already see her as an extension of the family.

She came to the cave and helped us with damage control in Happy Harbor until Billy came and told us about the two dimensions. Once we formed a plan and got ready to leave for Roanoke Island she wanted to come along.

We didn't want her to come, but you know Sasha, she's stubborn and wouldn't take no for an answer. We allowed her to come along only after she showed us she could protect herself to some extent because of Canary's training. However, even though I allowed her to come along I made her promise to stay hidden and out of the fight so she wasn't in any danger. I also made her promise to leave us behind if the situation started to go south."

I took a deep breath after my long explanation and stared at Bruce in silence waiting for him to say something.

Bruce just stared at me for a few seconds before sighing in exasperation "I'll let it slide this once since she remained safe and wasn't in danger. I also understand your decision to take her out of Gotham since I did the same with Susan. I sent her to the manor with Alfred since it was the safest place for her."

I nodded and sighed in relief knowing my aunt was safe. The thought had crossed my mind, but I didn't have much time to think about it with everything that was going on. It was comforting to know Bruce handled everything.

"I have to make sure those magicians don't get away, you go check on Robin" Bruce said as he walked off to tie up the remaining magicians. Once he left I immediately flew over to Sasha and Robin.

"How are they doing?" I asked Sasha as I crouched down next to her.

Sasha looked up for a second before turning back to Robin.

"Better. They seem to finally be coming out of unconsciousness," she said just as Robin stirred a little.

I turned and moved to her side when I heard Artemis groan. Her eyes started to flutter and I touched her shoulder as she brought a hand up to her head.

I smiled as her eyes fully opened and she slowly started to sit up. I grabbed her hand and helped her stand as Robin began to stir in Sasha's lap. Sasha helped Robin off the ground as Artemis shook her head to clear her vision.

Megan flew over and helped me with Artemis when she saw they were waking up. She gently placed her hands on Artemis' shoulder to keep her steady. She looked up and stared at me before tilting her head in Robin's direction.

In my head she opened up a private channel and spoke to me "go Dawn. I got Artemis, I know you really want to check on Robin."

I smiled and mouthed a quick "thank you" before floating over to my partner in crime. The rest of the team made their way to our side as Robin and Artemis started to recover.

"Did we win?" Robin asked as the rest of the team walked up.

"At a cost" Aqualad acknowledged and Robin gave him a look of confusion until he looked up at Doctor Fate.

His eyes widened in realization as he noticed that Zatanna wasn't with us. He looked at Doctor Fate closely and gapped when he saw that it was Zatanna who'd put on the helmet.

I gently pulled on Robin's elbow forcing him to step back as I saw Zatara walking forward. The rest of the team followed my lead and we parted so Zatara had a clear path to his daughter.

Zatara stood in front of Doctor Fate who was floating a few feet above the ground. He spread his arms out wide and yelled "FATE! Great Nabu, release my daughter."

Silence consumed the area until Fate said in a chilling voice "No."

My eyes, along with everyone else's, widened in shock when we heard this. I felt Sasha move closer to Robin and I as a cold threatening chill came from Fate.

"Witness the havoc wrought in these last few hours. The world needs Doctor Fate; and the girls natural affinities for the mystic arts make her the perfect candidate" Fate said.

"You can't do that!" Artemis yelled.

"She has her own life to live" Robin argued defensively.

Wally nodded in agreement "Kent would never allow you-"

"Kent Nelson did object strenuously" Fate interrupted "so I released his spirit to the afterlife… he is gone."

Wally stared at Fate in silence while I clenched my hands in anger and sadness.

I felt Priscilla's presence growing stronger as I saw a faint blue light glowing beside me. I tilted my head to the source of light and my heart leaped for joy when I saw Priscilla herself standing beside Robin and I.

"You can't take the girl's soul Nabu" Priscilla said making her presence known to everyone.

The team tensed when they saw a stranger suddenly standing among them and were about to pull out their weapons until I assured them through the link that Priscilla was a friend. The team relaxed when I told them this was the spirit of the crystal I'd told them about.

Nabu turned to Priscilla and his body language changed when he saw her. He went from tensed and defensive to slightly more relaxed and calm.

"Priscilla, it has been a while," Nabu said and Priscilla nodded.

"Yes Nabu it has. Too long in fact because the Nabu I know wouldn't have taken an unwilling young girl's soul hostage," Priscilla said with a slight growl in her voice.

"You and I both know the world needs Doctor Fate" Nabu defended and Priscilla nodded reluctantly.

"Agreed; with the new evils arising in the world you would be a valuable asset to have, but keeping the girl is not the answer. If you keep the girl against her will she will fight against you and you'll never be able to perform to your best ability."

"And to think I believed that you of all people would understand; or at least your hostess here" Nabu said as his eyes shifted to me.

Priscilla glared at him and stepped forward "that is the biggest difference between us old friend. You take over your host's body in order to function while I merge with mine. Dawn retains full control over her own thoughts and actions while I just provide guidance and help when needed."

"Regardless of your opinion Priscilla, Fate needs a host and I refuse to give up a body that is perfect for the job" Nabu declared despite Priscilla's reasoning.

Priscilla was about to respond when Zatara cut her off "Take me instead."

I turned to Zatara shocked while Priscilla turned to Zatara thoughtfully as he tried to plead his case.

"My skills are already at their peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strength of your power."

"All true" Nabu agreed "but if I remove the helmet what guarantee have I that you will don it?"

"My word" Zatara said honestly.

"He speaks the truth my friend, I can tell and you know I would know if he was lying" Priscilla said after staring at Zatara intently. Zatara turned to Priscilla and nodded to her in respect.

"Thank you great spirit" he said before turning back to Fate.

Fate looked into Zatara's eyes before floating down to the ground. He lifted his hands to his head and lifted the helmet relinquishing control over Zatanna.

"Dad!" Zatanna yelled as she pulled her dad into a hug.

"Zatanna!" Zatara yelled as he crushed her in his arms. He held her tightly and tried to remember every second of this moment knowing it would be the last time he ever held her.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "remember I love you" before taking the helmet from her hands.

He turned to Batman and gave him a sad, but serious expression.

"Take care of my girl" Zatara almost pleaded and Bruce nodded.

"You have my word" Bruce answered immediately with a curt nod. I looked into his eyes and I knew he meant it. As of now Zatanna had officially become one of his responsibilities; he knew if the roles were reversed Zatara would do the same for both of his partners.

Zatara nodded and started to lift the helmet to his head. Zatanna suddenly realized what her father was doing and tried to move forward to stop him, but Robin grabbed her arm and held her back.

"No please! This was my fault! Dad don't, DAD!" she yelled trying to hold back the tears, but Zatara didn't listen to her. He placed the helmet over his head and transformed into Doctor Fate.

Priscilla shook her head and stared at Nabu with great sadness and disappointment.

"Leave these to Fate" Nabu/Zatara said before lifting into the air with the tied up magicians. They all glowed before disappearing.

Zatanna stared at the spot where her father disappeared and fell to her knees before bursting into tears. I quickly ran over and enveloped her in a hug. I wrapped my arms around her and allowed her to cry into my chest. I patted her hair in a soothing motion as she was consumed by grief.

Wally, Artemis, and Robin ran over as well to try and comfort the girl even though I know nothing we did would ease her pain. Losing a parent was not something you got over easily or that others could completely understand unless they went through it themselves.

Priscilla stared at the girl with sadness in her eyes and a deep frown marred her face. She was frozen in place and it seemed like she was reliving a memory…like she'd seen something like this before and was transported back to that time. She was broken out of her thoughts, however, when Bruce walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

She turned her head away from the crying girl before her and looked into the cowl of her friend.

Bruce tilted his head to the side telling her they needed to talk. She nodded and looked at Zatanna one last time before following Batman into the trees.

"It is nice to see you again Batman, though I wish it were under better circumstances" Priscilla said to her friend once they were out of earshot.

"Same to you Priscilla" Bruce responded.

"I will talk to Nabu and try to make him see reason. I don't agree with him taking your friend from his family, but he does have a point. Nabu is needed now more than ever before, but there are many other ways for him to find a suitable and willing host. I will see if I can get him to release your friend, but Nabu is very stubborn so I don't know how much success I will have" she said and Bruce nodded.

"How do you know Nabu anyway?" Bruce asked and Priscilla gave him a small smile.

"We magic spirits know a lot about one another. I know most magic spirits, but Nabu was one of the first I met. Back then he was less brash and harsh then he was today, but I guess being unused and perceived as unwanted for years on end can do that to a person. I understand why he's grown slightly bitter as a result of his neglect, but I hope I can bring out the old and nicer Nabu from the earlier days of our friendship" she said as she looked back at Zatanna.

Bruce noticed the ways her eyes softened when she saw the girl, almost like she knew how it felt to lose someone close to you.

"From the look on your face it seems like you know what that feels like from personal experience" Bruce said as he noticed his friends body language.

Priscilla continued to stare at the scene, but managed to give a weak smile "we all know what it's like to lose someone close and dear to us, but lets just say I know about this type of loss more than anyone. Loosing a child for the greater good is not a pleasant experience I would wish upon anyone," she said softly.

"So you do know from experience?" Bruce asked making his voice slightly softer than it was before.

Priscilla frowned and the air around the two grew icy as it reacted to her unhappiness.

"Yes, but that is all in the past now, no sense in dwelling on the things I can't change no matter how much I wish I could."

"Anything I can do to help?" Bruce asked and Priscilla shook her head before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You have done enough my friend. The decision was mine to make and the results of that decision are mine to bear."

Bruce nodded in understanding and was about to walk back to the team when Priscilla grabbed his arm and stopped him from moving.

"Before you go I must warn you. I do not wish to alarm Dawn since she already has enough on her mind, but someone must be aware. The BlackKnights are moving fast. Over the past few days I've felt a shift in the air and I can tell they're almost ready. Jake is growing closer to the enemy so he'll have more information for you soon, but in the mean time Dawn needs to learn to control her powers.

Due to the rising presence of evil in the atmosphere I'm able to create a physical body more often so I can help Dawn with her training, but she will need you and Robin now more than ever. I did not say this before, but now that you are going to begin training it is important to know.

Whenever Dawn is training with her crystal powers the staff and board I gave to Robin along with Zaphira must be in the room at all times. They will help keep her powers at bay when you first begin training so she doesn't lose control."

"Do you know how long we have until the BlackKnight's take action?" Bruce asked.

Priscilla shook her head and released Bruce's arm "unfortunately I do not, but I know it's soon… very soon. I fear you only have a few months left… if that."

"We'll start training tomorrow" Bruce assured her.

Priscilla smiled and nodded before pulling Bruce into an unexpected hug.

"I know you don't like hugs, but I'm going to give you one anyway. Stay safe my friend, if there was ever a time to be vigilant it would now."

Bruce didn't have time to process what was happening before Priscilla released him and took a step back.

She glanced over at Dawn and smiled as her body started to flicker in and out.

"Tell Dawn and Robin that I approve the names they gave the staff and board... they're fitting" she said gently before dissolving into the wind.

"I will" Bruce whispered before walking out of the trees and over to the team.

It's been a day since the Roanoke mission and I was currently at the cave using my telekinesis to transport boxes into Zatanna's room. After Zatara became Doctor Fate Bruce carried out his promise and immediately got a room together for Zatanna at the cave. Megan and I helped her pack up all her stuff before piling it into the bioship this morning. We flew back to the cave and were now helping her move in.

"And my room is right next door if you need anything" Megan said to Zatanna as she placed a large box on the floor.

Robin, Megan, Artemis, and I were carrying boxes to help her move in.

"Thanks…I could use a little alone time, ok?" Zatanna said softly.

"Of course" Artemis said as she left the room.

Megan quickly followed her lead and Robin moved to leave as well. He stood in the doorway and looked back at Zatanna debating on whether to leave her alone or not, but ultimately decided to leave.

I walked up to Zatanna and placed a hand on her shoulder "I just want you to know that I know how it feels. I lost both of my parents when I was young so I know how hard it is. Just know you're not alone and I'm here if you ever need to talk."

I gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before walking out of the room and closing it behind me, however the door didn't close fast enough to where I didn't hear the sound of faint crying coming from a certain dark-haired magician.

Unknown Location

"Happy?" Klarion asked the Brain from his computer screen.

The Light was having an online meeting conference to discuss the results of their plan.

"Oui mon ami. Your distraction, though "peut etre" extreme, was tres effective" the Brain said in his heavily French accent.

"Amid your trademarked Chaos no one will notice the absence of our prize" he said just as Sportsmaster and the Riddler walked into the room with a large metal briefcase.

The Riddler placed the case on the table and opened it so everyone could see it contained a piece of the large starfish from Atlantis.

"And in time we will bring it into the Light" The Brain said before the video chat ended and the screens went dark.

Shadow Strike's POV

Once The Light's videoconference ended I shut off my computer and leaned back in my large black plush office chair.

I sat there thinking for a total of five seconds before bringing my hand to the communicator on my desk that allowed me to communicate with my assistant outside. I pushed the large red button in the middle activating the speakers.

"Danielle, send him in," I said before pulling my finger away from the button.

"Of course sir" was Danielle's immediate reply before the room went silent once again.

I interlocked my hands and waited for the person standing outside my office to come in. I watched as my two large hand-carved oak office doors swung open without a sound. I kept my face emotionless and steeled as an expensive black shoe came into view.

I looked up from the person's shoes, up the expensive hand tailored black business suit and red tie until I came face to face with Ra's al Ghul himself.

The doors closed behind Ra's al Ghul as he walked up to my desk and sat in the empty chair across from me.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before Ra's gave a small smirk.

"It's good to see you again Shadow Strike, or should I call you Jacob since you're out of uniform" the man asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"It's nice to see you too old friend, and you can call me Jacob while we're in the office. It's just us and we've known each other for years so there's no need for the formalities, but I do know you didn't just stop by to catch up or for personal reasons" I said smoothly.

"You would be correct. I didn't stop by for a casual visit; I came to see how our plans are coming along" he said and I smiled behind my hands.

"And we finally we get to the point" I thought before unlocking my hands and leaning back in my chair.

"Things are going according to plan. My BlackKnights are working 24/7 to make sure we stay on schedule. The device is almost functional so we should be able to commence phase 2 sooner than expected. My workers should have it up and running in less than a month."

Ra's nodded in satisfaction "good, I'm extremely pleased with your report. Out of all the members of the Light you are by far my favorite. Everyone else has failed me at some point in time, but you…you've never failed to exceed my expectations."

"That's probably because we've known each other the longest and are both prepared to do whatever's necessary to make sure our mission is a success," I stated as I stood from my chair.

"All true, and that is precisely the reason I made you my second in command" Ra's said as he stood from his seat. I casually walked around my desk and made my way to Ra's side.

"And here I was thinking it was only because you wanted my resources, connections, and faithful members" I replied smoothly.

Ra's just shrugged, but didn't deny it.

"Same difference" he said as we walked towards the door.

I gave a low laugh before shaking his hand as we walked through the door. My assistant Danielle immediately stood from her chair as we exited the office and moved so she was standing in front of her desk.

"Your car is already waiting for you outside sir" she said to Ra's as she grabbed his coat from the closet and draped it over his shoulders.

"Thank you Danielle" Ra's said as he straightened his coat and turned to my assistant.

At first glance most people saw a young attractive raven-haired women with a few strands of faint red highlights mixed in.

Danielle's 21 and has worked for me for the past two years. She's not the curviest of women, but she has just enough to keep men interested. Her hair is shoulder length and pitch black with a few strands of dark red highlights mixed in.

Since she's working she's wearing a pair of tight black business pants with a blood-red v neck blouse that didn't show off a lot of cleavage, but just enough to keep you guessing. Her tall black heels made her legs look longer and despite the fact that she was wearing heels, she barely made a sound as she walked across the hard marble floor.

That's what people saw at first, but if you look closer you'll see that's there much more to this young women then you originally thought.

If you had the privilege of knowing the true Danielle then you'd know that she's not just an assistant, but one of my greatest recruits.

As the leader of the BlackKnights I've trained lots of talented people who needed just a bit of discipline to become great, but Danielle is by far one of my best field agents. I brought her into the organization at a young age after finding her on the streets. She'd tried to pickpocket me on my way to work one day and she was so good that I almost didn't notice it, but emphasis on the word almost. I caught her trying to steal my money, but was impressed by the amount of skill she possessed at such a young age. She couldn't have been more than 12 years old at the time. Back then I'd been the leader of the BlackKnights for a few years even though I was only about 28 years old. I took her in, gave her a roof over her head, and trained her.

Now 9 years later she's one of my best assassins/ spies. She's good in hand-to-hand combat and great with multiple different types of weapons, but give her a gun and she can hit any target you give her.

I trust her more than anyone else in my organization which is why she's working directly under me. I couldn't have someone I didn't trust close to me every day and helping me run my business.

Her cover is that she's my assistant; while in actuality she's much more than that.

Ra's knows this, of course, since he's known her for years as well. Ra's and I met just a few years after I started the BlackKnights and I'd been training Danielle for a while when we first met. He even taught her a few things and respects her abilities.

"Until next time Ra's" I said as my colleague started to walk for the door.

"I'll be looking forward to it," the man responded before disappearing through the office's sliding doors.

After he left Danielle glided over to my side and tapped me on the shoulder. I tilted my head and lifted an eyebrow letting her know she had my attention.

"I told him he couldn't come in when he first arrived because you had company and an online meeting, but your son's been waiting for you for the past thirty minutes" she said as she pointed to a waiting room directly beside my office. The blinds were closed so no one could see out or more importantly into the room.

"Do you know what he wants?" I asked Danielle, but she shook her head.

"Nope" she answered curtly before returning to her desk.

I sighed and turned towards the door. I glanced down at the gold watch wrapped around my wrist checking the time as I walked across the room and opened the door before walking in.

I closed the door behind me with a soft click before facing the only other person in the room.

His back was facing me so I had time to take in his appearance. Same blond curls as his mother while his rich amber brown eye he inherited from me. He was tall, handsome, and muscular due to his intensive sports training.

The boy's head swiveled around as he heard the door click behind me.

He smiled and slid his phone back into his pocket as he gave me his undivided attention.

Sitting before me was my one and only son, David Cage; star quarterback and soccer forward of Gotham Academy.

"Hey Dad" David greeted as he stood from his chair and walked closer until he was leaning against the table in front of me.

"Hello David, what do you need?" I asked as I folded my arms behind my back military style.

"I was just wondering if we could hang out tonight. You've been out for business all week and you even missed my big game, which was awesome by the way. We haven't seen much of each other lately and the weird adult disappearance thing that happened today made me realize that. I know it sounds unmanly, but I kind of miss my dad," he said while looking up at me expectantly.

I remained silent as I thought about it.

I had a lot of work for the company I still had to finish tonight on top of having to check in with the status of the BlackKnights… but he was right. We haven't been together in a while and I need to keep him happy so he doesn't become suspicious.

It's not time for him to know the truth yet. The time will come for when I need him for my plans, but that's not now. David's time to help the BlackKnights will come, but for now I have to bide my time and keep him occupied until then.

I gave him a fake smile, though he couldn't tell the difference between my fake smile and my real smile, and slung an arm around his shoulder.

"You're right kid, we haven't spent a lot of time together recently. Why don't we go to the bowling alley down the street so I can teach you how a real bowler plays" I said jokingly causing David to scoff incredulously.

"Oh whatever Dad you know I'm going to kick your ass," he said as we walked out of the room. Danielle looked up from her computer screen and raised an eyebrow as she saw us walking towards her.

"Hey Danielle, you wanna come with us to the bowling alley and watch me teach my old man how real bowlers play" David asked as he leaned over Danielle's desk.

Danielle playfully rolled her eyes and ruffled the kid's hair. Danielle is like David's cousin of sorts. She likes David like family and is ready for the time when he can finally join the ranks so she doesn't have to keep hiding things from him.

"Sure David, but forewarning if I'm going then I'm playing which means I'm kick both of your asses" she laughed as she grabbed her purse and a pair of black slippers from her top right desk drawer. She slung the bag over her shoulder and stood from her chair as she turned her computer off.

I locked my office door and walked behind the two as we made our way out of the building.

Danielle and I made eye contact as we walked towards the bowling alley and by looking into her eyes I could tell what she was trying to say.

The BlackKnights would be coming out of hiding soon and it was about time for David to take his rightful place among its leaders.

For like all things hidden in shadow they eventually have to come into the light.

Ok so I know what you're thinking right now...OMG WHAT!

Yes that's right everyone Shadow Strike, leader of the BlackKnights; aka evil person who's after Dawn is in fact the AMAZING David Cage's father. Did I surprise anyone with that or did you see it coming?

The end of this chapter was so fun to write since I've waited to finally introduce that plot twister for a while. Plus this chapter took FOREVER to write so I'm happy its done. I think it's the longest chapter I've ever written.

Anyways please R&R and let me know what you think of Shadow Strike and his role in the story.