This is Mary Grayson.

She's a world-famous acrobat, wife, and loving mother. Her past isn't perfect, it's sketchy, she has horrible taste in men, the people she surrounds herself with are criminals, her ex-boyfriend Richard, became an assassin. She didn't trust anyone, only cared about her job, and resented authority.

But she had her best friend John, the man she put on a high pedestal, and he also did the same for her. Falling in love is natural and easy. Her wedding was a wonderful day that she cherished.

But the day her son was born, Mary knew that was the best day of her life.

Her son, born on the first day of spring, her little Robin. Her pride and joy. Her son, a talented acrobat prodigy, who for all intents and purposes would carry on the family job of being a circus artist, entertaining people the world over with his stunning acrobatics.

His life would have been that way if she hadn't been murdered. Her birthday had been an eventful one, confronted by Tony Zucco, rescued by Batman, the performance that killed her, she couldn't forget it, and neither could the audience.

Dying, seeing Death the Endless, "I'm here to show you your life review, Mary Grayson."

She's stunningly beautiful, Death the Endless, she puts your mind at ease, reassuring you Dick will be fine, and that Mary can go with her into the mystery.

Heaven is paradise and she was happy there, until the day Death returned to tell her that she was coming back to life. Mary accepted that but didn't know the price she'd pay for it.

Mary discovered the light of her world was overshadowed by something very dark.

"Welcome to the Labyrinth, Mary Grayson!" Samantha Vanaver's voice rang in Mary's ears.

Lost in a labyrinth with the unseen monsters, the Court called them Talons.

The physical torture doesn't start yet, that's later.

They play a video, a private screening just for you. It's not too long after you've died. It's your son's best friend, Raymond McCreary. You watch in horror as your employer, Harrison Haily locks a naked and scared teenager inside an iron maiden. You hear him scream and beg for help but that's all you hear, the video shows you a montage of days and you watch him finally break, and climb up a wire naked and bleeding, whatever's left of your son's best friend isn't there anymore.

She watched as he is trained to fight, to kill, but then when he has to pass his final test to kill his predecessor, he fails and he's thrown out like garbage.

You know that your employer would have done this to your son, a man who treated your son like his own family.

This is the betrayal that breaks all your trust in people, and now she has no one to rely on, no safety net.

After that, they showed her John Grayson, alive and well, so they could kill him again and again to break whatever was left of her spirit.

It's bad enough that Mary could do nothing to stop any of them, she was powerless.

She begged Death the Endless to let him die in peace, so they couldn't bring him back.

Death arrives with a serene and calm expression, The Court left for the evening, and only the three of them are there, no cameras to catch the paranormal encounter.

"Mary, it's time for you to go."

Mary is resigned, she can deal with the mystery, and she's unafraid of death.

Then she heard the one word that shattered whatever was left of her sanity.

"Wait!"

John challenged Death the Endless to the cliche game of Chess, the only rule was she couldn't use her omnipotence during the game. If he won he could choose who left with her, if he lost then Mary would go with her.

"Well, that's interesting," Death smiled broadly, entertained by the idea, she had become quite good at Chess due to that familiar cliche of a game of Chess with Death. "Why not? I'll bite!"

Death takes them outside of time so they can play this game as long as they need to. The game goes on for an hour, and there is a winner.

John Grayson wins and he chooses to go with Death.

"Do whatever you have to, but you have to live to take care of our son."

Mary nodded, making a promise to her husband, she would live for the sake of their son.

But she had no idea what she would sacrifice to do just that.

"All roads lead to darkness".

The Labyrinth, a new form of Hell, torment, and torture until she mentally broke, it was too much, she accepted the new life the Court forced on her.

The new life is so much worse than the old. In her old life, she had the best job, making people happy. Now she had the worst of the worst job, and it wasn't just that she "made people sad" by killing, it was that she knew what it was to die, to see Death the Endless and speak to her, the denial, the life review, being escorted to the afterlife, when you'd been through all that and now you know what you are forced to do to people, it's the worst job you've ever had.

Her nights are spent sleeping in a coffin, her days are spent in physical training. Eventually, she becomes proficient enough that they give her a smartphone to enjoy the luxuries of entertainment, but they track everything on the phone, no cryptic messages posted online about needing help for her.

It's her birthday and with no one to celebrate it with, she heads to one of Jump City's popular bars, while she's not in the mood to drink, she needs to be out and away from her "work".

"Want a drink?" a voice asked her.

He was the first person that had spoken to her all evening.

It was merely an impulse that night at the bar that caused her to go with Slade. She wasn't as fiery and reckless as she had been in her youth, a lot of the recklessness had faded with time, but it was the first time she'd interacted with anyone outside of the Court of Owls, while not her first "free" night without sleeping in a coffin, no one had noticed her or paid her any mind.

Slade was handsome, personable, and knew how to ingratiate himself with her.

He was charismatic and charming and good in bed, what had surprised her was that he was sterile, he didn't look much older than her, but then again, who could tell? It was his white hair, he could be much older than her but he certainly didn't look it.

But there was something that troubled her, it was how controlling he was. It was subtle, but it was there, he was trying to hide it from her, but why, she didn't know.

The encounter itself hadn't been unpleasant, but it was merely to slake her lust, just a fling, she didn't need intimacy, she needed a distraction, a distraction to take her mind off all the horrors of the Labyrinth and the torments of the Court of Owls.

A pleasant, meaningless evening, she'd needed that.

She noticed Slade staring at her son's picture, of course, she couldn't admit that, who was going to believe her and why would she give that away?

"You keep staring at his picture, the kid in the costume that's too bright and colorful. He your son?"

"I wish."

That was hilarious, a rich, arrogant guy like him with her, what a joke, outside of this one-night stand they had nothing in common, whatever he was he wasn't a security consultant. A guy with that much ego had a more exciting job than security consultant.

He'd wanted to know about the Court of Owls, that was interesting, that was mostly a Gotham folktale and nursery rhyme, but he'd wanted to know about him, he most certainly didn't believe her, still she'd prodded into his security job, hoping that he'd take payment for being a bodyguard, but no, that wasn't on the table.

Mary hoped this man would help her escape, her hopes were dashed immediately. She'd have to escape on her own, her ex-boyfriend wasn't helping her.

She'd left him to return to work, her assignment by the Court was easy, find the Teen Titans, put on a show for the Court and pass on their message.

Wearing that ugly costume she'd gone and attacked the Titans. Much to her surprise, her one-night stand was there. He was apparently a power player in the city, the Court had given strict orders that any power player that was a metahuman would die.

The irony, still, if the Court wanted him to die, then he would. But he'd gotten away.

The Court had given her the reward she'd asked for her "services": to spend time with her only child.

But she was not free, they never let Mary Grayson leave the Court, even the smallest secret that she might know would be snuffed out once they got her son to do their dirty work.

But Mary would be free of them, one way or another.

She would grasp her freedom with her own hands and leave this world forever. But not just yet.

This is Mary Grayson for now.

Slade stalked about his lair, infuriated. That woman, that woman was Robin's mother. He should have recognized her name, he'd dug up all that boy's secrets including the secret identity that he rarely used.

She was good in bed, he'd admit that, still, he was incensed. Working him like he was a chump, mocking him for getting attached, since when did he get attached to a one-night stand?

"She made a fool of me!" he snarled. "Using everything against me, using her body, pretending to care. Humiliating me!"

Forget Robin, he was too set in his ways, he was going to make her pay, the Court called her their best, treating him like he was insignificant. She was going to pay.

Slade wanted to break her emotionally, to tear her apart so she would never go against him again. He wanted to kill her, he wanted to make her suffer. He wanted—

"Children shouldn't be without their mother," he said to himself, it was something he thought once when he'd shot a mother bear to protect Joey and Grant on a hunting trip, both kids had been annoying, but he'd dealt with it.

Would he break is own code to spite her?

The realization hit Slade, the Court broke her already. He wanted to laugh, what was he going to do? Fix her? What a joke.

He could barely remember his own mother. She'd died when he was a child. His father Charles had abandoned him, left the CIA, and joined the League of Assassins.

Shaking his head, he ignored his train of thought and let it drift back to Mary. Physically, she was certainly beautiful. Lithe and yet, surprisingly strong, she'd been able to have the stamina to sate his physical needs.

Slade remembered the softness of her skin as he pressed his mouth to her neck. How everything about her felt so exquisite and warm, how everything felt so complete being with her.

"The benefits were most enjoyable," he clenched his fist. "Should have been mine from the start. Should have noticed her expression when she asked about Robin, should have recognized her."

Mary wasn't a high-status socialite like his ex-wife Adeline. She was just ordinary, nothing that should garner his attention, but Slade couldn't get her out of his head.

He would possess her, and she would be his, whether it was emotionally or physically, he would make her depend on him, it would be humiliating for her, to rely on what you despised the most.

In combat she was agile and fast and lacked her son's rigid morality, she fought dirty and was vicious, dishonorable, and ruthless.

She was perfect. And he would have her, and he wouldn't have to plan anything, she'd come to him. Her orders to kill him would bring her to him.

Yes, all he had to do was wait.

Mary stared at her son, she was once again in the interrogation room.

"You're going to ask if I'm psychotic, I'm not. I don't enjoy what I'm doing. I'm not proud of myself or my actions. My masters in the Court of Owls are proud of their work, they keep the trophies. I have all the remorse in the world, but it does me no good."

"How do I know you're not trying to manipulate me?" Robin asked.

"I'd be insisting on my innocence, wouldn't I? No son, I'm very guilty, but there's no atonement, no second chance, I used that when I gave up thievery and went straight long before you were born."

"I'm not like Richard Kuklinski, murder bothers me plenty, and I don't enjoy killing for others, and I don't kill for money."

"They said it doesn't matter if I join them or not when they have you."

"But they don't want me, they want you, you are the one they chose a long time ago, it'll only be a matter of time before they redlight me," Mary used the circus term for getting rid of garbage.

"But it's not like I'm going to let you get away with it."

"Of course, I expect nothing less of you."

Mary's expression was sad. "One day, I'll have to leave you again. I can never be free in this world."

"Help me stop them," Robin pleaded.

"I can only do so much, the bombs in your friends' heads are plenty of incentive to stay compliant. Even if duress is why I do these things, the law won't give me an exception for murder, I have no way out."

"What do you mean?"

"Jump City's mayor, the Court had me execute him, only a few days ago, he just disappeared while preparing to board the train, I pulled him up into the ceiling and strangled him by hanging him on my shoulder with a rope."

"But why?"

Mary sighed, "The Court decided he was standing in their way so they had me get rid of him."

"Mother, do you keep trophies?" Robin asked.

"No, I don't like reliving my crimes, my masters in the Court keep trophies. They made me skin someone after they died, so they could turn that skin into a lampshade."

"For someone that doesn't revel in being a criminal, you're detached from it all."

"Psychoanalyzing me, how interesting. I have to detach myself, Richard, it's the only way I can live with myself.

Mary pulled something out of her pockets, it was a circus bill, an advertisement for Haly's Circus, "You should go back, and talk to Pops, he knows everything that's going on. He was going to hand you over to the Court himself eventually."

"He's like my uncle," Robin stared at the circus bill. "Would he do something like that?"

"He did it to Raymond McCreary, your best friend."

"Why haven't you killed him yet?"

"He's not worth it, my friendship with him keeps him alive."

"But you do fantasize about killing."

"There you go again, analyzing me, trying to get me to give away any secrets I have, you're a clever boy."

Mary leaned in and said in a low voice.

"But you do too, you want to kill Tony Zucco, and if you could get away with it you would."

"You don't get to bait me," Robin hissed.

"It's not bait when it's the truth."

"I should have someone else do this, we're too close and you know it."

"I have told you everything you want to know. Is this interrogation over?"

"Yes, for now."

Robin got up and left the room.

Mary followed him out.

Mary walked into the Titans training room, noticing all five teenagers training. She sat on the floor and watched them.

Robin was executing martial arts moves, hitting training equipment with ease. Starfire blasts her flying drones, blowing them to bits. Beast Boy is running on a treadmill, changing into various animals.

Raven levitates huge cylinders of steel into the air.

Cyborg is lifting a ridiculous amount of weights.

Raven looked over and noticed Mary watching them. She was polite, but always closed herself off from them, she'd speak to them if they started a conversation with her, but the only one she talked to was her son, and not just in the interrogation room.

Mary left the room and returned with a target, it was handmade, nothing fancy, she set it up across the room.

She pulled out a dozen throwing knives from a bag and threw them at the target, nailing the bull's eyes. But it wasn't like them, they were training to defend, she was training to kill.

She puts the equipment up and heads up to the trapeze bar high above their heads.

Mary watched her son move towards her automatically.

"Head's up Dick, time to fly!" she called to him. She caught him up easily, without any effort at all.

They begin their routine, it's one the Titans have seen on video when their leader feels like seeing his parents alive.

But Mary knows that videos are never the same as seeing a performance for yourself, so they begin the routine, they know it so well, Dick had been performing with the Flying Graysons since he was five years old.

She tells him to do the Quadrupole Aerial Somersault and so he does, it is perfect and he makes one of the most difficult aerialist stunts look as easy as breathing. She catches him as the routine finishes.

It's almost the same, but John's not here, and she missed that, but she is still proud, her son hasn't forgotten where he came from, not that he can show his true skill to civilians.

"Well done," she smiled at him. "You have made me very proud."

She kissed his forehead and left the room, "I'll be back before dinner, I have something important to do, and no, it's not my "work" so you can breathe a sigh of relief."

Mary got down and left the room.

Spike was working in his workshop when a gorgeous woman walked through his door.

"Can I help you?" he asked, eager for a customer, he'd been a mechanic, but became an engineer, he hadn't had a job in some time.

"Yes, can you build anything I could ask for?" Mary asked him.

"Sure, it shouldn't be too difficult, depending on my resources," Spike told her.

"If money is no object, can you build me what I want?" Mary placed a blueprint on the table.

"This could take years lady, a decade," Spike stared in awe at the blueprint.

"How did you know I work in aeronautics?" Spike was surprised.

"I have my ways, but can you build it?" Mary prodded him.

"I can, but it could take years," Spike looked at her, "You're serious."

"It won't take years with the S.T.A.R. Labs tech I've brought you here," she gestured to the robots. "How long will it take with these?"

"I'd like this to be off the books, and here's your payment, just to start," she gave him a suitcase with one million dollars.

"Six months at least! But I can do it!" he looked at her. "And what should I call this project?"

"Death Shadow," Mary replied.

"Is that the name you'd like on the ship?"

"No," Mary leaned in and whispered to him, "The name of the ship is…"

He heard her answer and nodded. "Okay. I'll get started right away."

"The funds will be placed in your account every other week, and I'll be back to check on your progress."

Unbeknown to Ted Kord the Blue Beetle, an order arrived at Kord Industries, an order for a unique-looking weapon, with unique specifications and a unique design. It had the appearance of a sword but could be fired like a gun, It was something that would gain attention if it were to be used in combat. The order was fulfilled and sent to a "Tochiro Oyama". The owner hid it away in a secluded location, waiting until the time was right for it to be used, but it wouldn't be for awhile, not until everything was ready.

"Arcadia," Beast Boy piped up, "That's the song from Fate/Stay Night, the one you've been singing.

"I enjoy it yes, why are you surprised?"

"Didn't think you liked that kind of stuff," Beast Boy admitted.

"Fate/Stay Night is a romance story, between all the world-building and the fights it's about a young man falling in love with someone."

Mary continued cleaning the dishes, "Shirou's a wannabe superhero searching for an origin story."

"Didn't think you paid attention to that kind of stuff."

"Always liked it back when it was niche."

"Favorite route?"

"The Fate route."

"Is it because Saber's a blonde?"' Beast Boy joked.

"No, it's the most optimistic of the three routes and it has a happy ending in the distant future."

"Considering what you are now, I thought you'd be more of a pessimist."

"Suffering builds character, Beast Boy, and I've suffered quite a bit."

"Mom what is that, on the small of your back?" Robin asked. He spotted the scar he'd never seen. It was the claw of a Talon.

"Just a reminder of our family legacy, courtesy of the Court of Owls…and my ex-boyfriend."

"What?" Robin asked, seething. "But why?"

"He couldn't turn down the money the Court offered him, even though he loved me, he loved money more."

Mary lowered her shirt, "Don't worry about Richard, I'll deal with him soon enough."

"You named me after him?!"

"He wasn't always a bad person, he was a lonely man who had no one to help him. He was a leper, I stole the medicine to cure his leprosy. We were involved for a while but I broke it off with him when we grew apart. I thought at least I could rely on him as my friend, but he betrayed me too."

Mary put down the last of the dishes and glanced at him. "I need to spend some time by myself."

She left the kitchen and made her way up to the roof.

Mary gazed up at the night sky, The Court hadn't called on her to work today, but perhaps they would tomorrow or the day after.

"If there are some things that can't be seen from the audience, well then, I shall rise onto the stage myself."

All of this, everything she does, is nothing more than a performance for the Court of Owls.

She gazed at the stars, it'd been so long since she'd seen the night sky, her nights were spent stealing and killing and until very recently, inside a coffin under the Jump City Penitentiary.

Her son came up and told her they were heading to bed, the day had been quiet besides their brush with the Court of Owls.

Mary knew it was time for her to "work".

It was time that she dealt with the Court's business. It was time to pay Slade a visit.

Mary removed a high-tech glider from her bag and glided to the far shore to Jump City. She made her way to a place she had secretly discovered long before she'd met Slade, one of his many hideouts.

She approached him quietly, waiting for his response.

Slade turned around, "Mary, welcome, I've been expecting you for some time. I was beginning to think that you were too afraid to come and finish me off."

"I've always been fearless, Slade."

"Then why are you here?"

"To kill you, of course, the Court wants you dead and so you will be."

"So this isn't a personal vendetta over my jaunt with your son as my apprentice."

"Oh no, this is merely business. Funny how you're suddenly interested in me now that you know who I am. I offered you a chance to help me and you didn't want to."

"You're just easy," Slade mocked.

"You didn't seem to mind," she retorted, "You did get what you wanted and you didn't complain."

Mary began to circle him.

"You're the perfect mix of the sort of man I'd be drawn to and the sort of man I hate. You flaunt authority, you do whatever you want, but you're also a rich scumbag that plays with people's lives for money. But orders are orders and you have to die."

"You should consider yourself lucky, I've taken a liking to you, so your life will be intact, just how intact you'll be physically and emotionally is up to me."

Mary brandished a pair of circus throwing knives, "You want a show, I'll give you a show. And so, let the curtain rise on tonight's dream."

Samantha Vanaver was livid, another emergency meeting and more money was missing. Who was stealing it and where did it go? And where was it being spent?

Millions of dollars, vanishing from their banks all across the country. They couldn't trace any of it.

She looked at one of the members, Sebastian Clark, "Look into it."

The old man nodded, departing to carry out his orders.

"What about Slade the Deathstroke and Mary Grayson?" William Cobb asked from below. "The man is troublesome and my granddaughter-in-law is not completely dedicated to our cause."

"Don't worry about him William, let Slade the Deathstroke run around. Your granddaughter-in-law does put on quite a show. She's certainly not faking trying to kill him".

"I still have my concerns," William Cobb spoke, "She's still too soft."

"She's killed for us, she'll keep killing and stealing for us, until she brings us her son or he comes to us. Then we'll give her the reward she deserves."

William Cobb sighed. "I'll win her over to our cause. She is like me, she will understand one day."

He turned and walked away, heading back to his coffin.

The lights turn off and the Labyrinth is plunged into darkness once more, the curtain draws shut for now.