1:20 A.M.

Arkham Asylum: Arkham North

Intensive Treatment

Nightwing was tracking Commissioner Gordon through the halls. The whiskey vapors were still strong, leading him right to Boles. He came to patient processing, it was the first stop for every inmate coming into Arkham. Nightwing entered from the far side, through the security tunnel. Hours earlier Batman had brought Joker through here. Nightwing came out of the tunnel and looked up, he saw the offices of the security guards who worked in this section. He looked through his filters again, he found more whiskey vapors that led to the platform that would lower inmates to this level. Nightwing rode the lift to the top and stepped off and looked around. To his right was a massive painting of Quincy hanging on the wall, he shook his head at the sight of the man. Nightwing walked forward and found what he was looking for. He saw Frank Boles in front of him, except he was no longer alive. In front of Nightwing was Frank Boles tied with chains to a restraint table. His mouth was open in a look of sheer terror and a pained expression on his face. There was spray paint around his mouth, bright green that was in the shape of a smile from ear to ear. And laying on his chest was a message, also spray painted in green. It read "Dead End".

"Oracle?"

"I'm here Nightwing."

"I found Boles."

"Why do I have the feeling things just got more complicated?"

"It's a dead end… Literally. Joker must have discovered how I was tracking him and killed him. Tying up loose ends I guess."

"Great… What now?"

"Search the body for clues I guess… Joker wants me to find Gordon but he's slowing me down, so hopefully they left something behind."

Nightwing started searching the body, he started at the feet and started moving his way up.

"Frisking a dead man… Oh how far the mighty have fallen…"

Nightwing got higher up on the body near the chest, that's when he heard Oracle in his ear.

"Find anything?"

"Not yet… Wait… I think I found…"

Nightwing found something that didn't quite feel right. He started taking the Kevlar vest off the body, once the vest came off he realized the body was booby trapped. A small canister with a string tied to it, the trigger on the canister released and Nightwing backed up.

"Shit!"

He braced himself. The canister began leaking a bronze colored gas into the area, Nightwing recognized the gas immediately; Fear Gas. Nightwing took a breath and held it, he knew it wouldn't prevent the gas from affecting him, but at least he could limit how much he ingested. That way he could at least try to resist the effects of the little bit he ingested. The gas washed over him, Nightwing holding his breath and fighting off the effects of the gas with as much willpower as he could. Then he grabbed the canister and threw it into the room that was below him. After the bronze colored gas was gone around him he exhaled, Oracle was in his ear. Her voice was sheer concern.

"Dick are okay? Your vitals are climbing again. They're nearly off the charts."

Nightwing didn't respond, he was preoccupied fighting off the effects of the gas.

"Talk to me Dick."

He responded, but his voice seemed to be distracted.

"Here Oracle… Just… Give me a minute…"

Nightwing closed his eyes, he was trying to stave off the effects of the gas. He began doing the exercise he told the GCPD officer to do, he took a breath held it for five seconds then exhaled. He repeated this several times. He stood up straight.

"Oracle. I'm here."

"Thank god… What happened to you?"

"I was careless. Bole's body was booby trapped with a gas grenade filled with Scarecrows gas. It went off while I was searching the body."

"How bad?"

"Enough to feel the effects. I'm resisting it for now."

"Well… Your vitals are going back into their normal range so you should be fine. What's the plan?"

"Go deeper into Intensive Treatment. I bet they're heading for the old holding cells. Which means that's where I'm going."

"Just… Watch yourself. Who knows how much gas you've been exposed to. Another exposure and you could begin feeling its effects."

"I'll be fine. Heading out."

Nightwing walked around the table to the next door. It scanned him to make sure he had access, then it opened. There was a long hallway that Nightwing began heading down. As he walked down the hallway he spotted something out of the corner of his eye, a pipe. He kneeled down to it.

"Oracle? I found a pipe. Gordon's initials are on it."

"It was a birthday gift last year… He'd never leave it behind."

"Exactly! He's leaving me a trail. He's alive Barbara!"

Nightwing cycled through filters in his mask. His mask detected the tobacco from the pipe.

"Wild Country! Gordon's favorite tobacco. He left me a trail leading right to him."

He put a finger to his ear.

"Oracle. My mask detected a trail of Wild Country. Your dad is still as sharp as ever. I've got a trail straight to him."

"I knew he would find some way to leave a trail! Go get him so he can organize GCPD again. But be careful."

"Hey, it's me remember?"

"Yeah. That's why I said be careful."

He smirked.

"Yes mom."

Nightwing stood up and began the rest of the walk down the hall. He followed the trail of tobacco to the end of the hall. The end of the hall had an elevator that went to the lower levels that housed holding cells and a morgue. Nightwing's mask showed the trail of tobacco led down the shaft. Nightwing climbed into the elevator and hit the down button. As the elevator lurched into motion, a flat screen T.V. hanging in the corner of the elevator came on. Joker's visage appeared on screen.

"Too easy! Think about it. I've got you trapped in a little metal box. Hanging precariously over a deadly drop. What say I just blow the emergency brakes and drop you like a sack of puppies?"

Nightwing glared at him.

"Say goodnight brat…"

Nightwing felt the elevator shift. And then, nothing happened.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Only kidding."

Nightwing felt his anger rise. Joker once again filled the silence.

"I've got a few more surprises in store for you… Prepare to face your fears. ALL OF THEM! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The elevator stopped on the bottom floor and Nightwing stepped out. The hall in front of him forked at the end. The left went to the morgue, while the right went to the holding cells. As Nightwing got close to the fork in the hall he heard a scream, the voice was familiar to him. He jumped into a ready stance and looked to where he had heard the scream. To his left he saw Gordon being dragged around the corner, again he heard the voice but this time it called to him.

"Help me Nightwing!"

Nightwing turned and started running down the hall. Again he heard Gordon, but this time the voice was low and full of fear.

"Nooooo."

Nightwing got to the end and turned left. There was a bloody trail leading down the hall to the morgue. Nightwing followed it until he saw Commissioner Gordon slumped against the wall. He kneeled down.

"Gordon?"

No answer.

"Jim, can you hear me?"

Still no answer. Nightwing put two fingers against his neck, checking for a pulse. Nothing. Gordon was gone… Nightwing's heart dropped. All he could think about was how he failed someone he cared for yet again. Another failure. How many must he face? Nightwing closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Jim. I'll take care of Barbara… I promise."

Nightwing closed Jim's eyes, a sign of respect. He stood up with a heavy sigh and closed his eyes once again. He put a finger to his ear.

"Barbra? I… I'm sorry… I was too late… I failed you…"

Barbara came back in his ear but it was like an echo. Like it was coming from a distance, from inside his own head instead of his earpiece.

"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed isn't available. Please leave a message after the tone."

"Barbara are you there?"

"Please hang up your phone."

Nightwing punched the tile wall. A few tiles on the wall broke at the show of force. He looked up at the door of the morgue.

"Whatever, or whoever is in there killed Gordon…"

He placed a hand on the doors and pushed them open, he walked in ready to strike at anyone he found within. The morgue was empty. Totally and completely empty. Nightwing looked around.

"Nothing? But then who killed Gordon?"

He cycled through the filters on his mask, he wasn't detecting any tobacco.

"No more trace of Gordon's Wild Country. But he's right there… There should be a trail!"

Nightwing turned and pulled open the door to the morgue, he stepped through them. Once he passed through the doors he looked around. Once again, he was inside the morgue.

"What is going on…? I just left the…"

His eye caught something in the middle of the room. On the autopsy tables in the center of the room were three body bags, suddenly he was drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Nightwing walked to the tables and stopped in front of them.

"These weren't here before."

Nightwing began unzipping the body bag on the left. The zipper hit the bottom, a body sprang forth from the bag. It was drained of all color, but the body was unmistakable. It was John Grayson; his father.

"Dad?!"

The body spoke to him.

"Tony Zucco is alive son… WHY?! You should have stood up to him. Like a man!"

The body went limp and fell to the cold table with a thud. Nightwing backed up in shock… Cold sweat began trickling from his forehead. He began breathing heavily. He backed up hitting the opposite table, he spun around in fear. He looked down at the second body bag laying on the table in front of him. Nightwing reached for the zipper, it was like he could no longer control his own body. His hand reached the zipper and brought it down. He could feel the zipper suddenly stop at its destination, the bottom of the bag. Then just as the first, a body without any color, but still in its acrobat suit sprung from the bag. This time it was Mary Grayson.

"You could have and saved us Dick! You let us die!"

Nightwing stumbled back again, horrified. His heart rate was elevated, higher than even one of his workouts. He began controlling his breathing, trying to lower the heart rate. Then he saw movement in the corner of his eye. His attention snapped to where he had seen it. The third and final body bag… Then again he saw it twitch with movement. Nightwing walked towards the bag and he placed his hand on the zipper, his mind began to wander. Suddenly, he became terrified. He had found his parents in the previous bags, both people he had loved. But the third… The third bag he feared. Something told him that when he opened it, he would find HER inside. He also knew that if he did find HER inside, dead, that it would break him. Something told him he had to know. He slowly pulled the zipper down. He braced himself. The zipper stopped. Before Nightwing could look inside a figure sprung forth. Only it wasn't HER. Scarecrow sprung from the bag, his trademark homemade gas mask was like a blur. The noose around his neck swinging as he jumped. Nightwing jumped back but he was slow. Scarecrow had gotten the jump on him. Crane plunged the needles that were attached to his gauntlet into Nightwing's shoulder. The needles contained Scarecrow's toxin. The toxin began to enter Nightwing's bloodstream. Nightwing dropped to a knee fighting the toxin, trying to resist its effects. Scarecrow began pacing back and forth behind him. His voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

"You're fighting back. Good. It can only weaken your resolve…"

Nightwing was barely fighting off the effects. All the years he had fought Scarecrow he had built up a tolerance to his gas. But this felt different.

"How are you liking my new dose little bat? A little something special I've been working on. Toxin 451-A. specifically crafted to bring out the deepest darkest fears. This variant will bring out your greatest fear. Even if you have suppressed it."

Nightwing started feeling the effects of the gas. He had fighting the effects for too long, he began to feel exhausted.

"What is it you fear Nightwing? What demons does the mask hide?"

Nightwing felt the room spin.

"Fight all you want. This strain takes months to build up even the slightest tolerance."

Nightwing's vision blurred, then darkness.

1:25 A.M

Arkham Asylum: Arkham East

Arkham Mansion

"Raven we got a problem."

Cash signaled Raven as she came back onto the ground floor of the library. She was carrying Victor Zsasz on her shoulder.

"What is it?"

Raven dropped the unconscious Zsasz to the ground between her and Cash. Cash watched as Zsasz hit the floor.

"Dr. Young here says she needs to get to her research. Says it's a priority."

"Research? Now? Aren't there more important things to worry about? Like maybe Joker controlling Arkham?"

"Normally I'd agree with you. But she seems to think this is important…"

"I'll decide what's important."

Cash Signaled to Dr. Young.

"Hey, Doc! Raven needs a word!"

Doctor Young came walking over to where the two of them were standing. She looked down at Zsasz who was still laying on the ground. Young nodded in Zsasz's direction.

"Is he…?"

Raven looked to Zsasz.

"He's alive. Just unconscious. Should be out for a few hours. He took a bad hit."

Doctor Young looked to Raven.

"Riiiight. Anyway, I assume Cash filled you in?"

"He just said you needed to retrieve your research."

Doctor Young looked to Cash.

"That's it? You didn't say anything else?"

Cash shrugged.

"Your research. Figured it was your job to fill her in."

Doctor Young shook her head and looked back to Raven.

"As Cash said, my research needs to be retrieved."

"Now? In case you haven't noticed we're kind of in the middle of a hostile environment."

"Look, I know this isn't the best time but it's important. It can help."

"How?"

Doctor Young grew nervous. She shifted her weight.

"This is my life's work. The last five years I've been working on it. Plus there's something else in there."

Raven grew impatient.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Doctor Young sighed heavily.

"Okay look… While he was incarcerated here, Scarecrow had unknown to us, been developing a new strand of his Fear Gas. He was caught with it when he exposed a guard to it, then we confiscated it. He calls it T451-A, it's a hundred times more potent than his previous creation. My notes compiled his findings. If Scarecrow gets free and exposes Gotham City to his new strand, the effects would be felt all across the east coast. If I can get my research, we could begin to create an antidote. That could save us weeks."

Before Raven could answer she heard her earpiece beep, then she heard Oracle's voice.

"Raven, update."

Raven looked to Doctor Young, then to Cash.

"Excuse me a minute."

She walked to the far side of the library, away from eavesdroppers. She put a finger to her ear.

"Victor Zsasz has been subdued. I locked Quincy in the lower level of the library. That man makes me feel like I need a shower. Also, a doctor Young wants me to help retrieve her research."

"Penelope Young? She is the head doctor at Arkham. Strange considering how she's just shy of thirty. Did she say why she needed her research?"

"Said that she has notes on Scarecrow's new fear gas. Apparently it's a hundred times worse than the stuff he uses now."

Oracle didn't answer right away. Raven knew that meant she was thinking. Then Oracle answered.

"New plan Raven. I need you to recover that research."

"Seriously? Shouldn't I go after Nightwing or Batman?"

"I appreciate your dedication Raven, but I've been monitoring Nightwing's vitals. They're off the damn charts. He's been exposed to Fear Gas, probably the new stuff. If Doctor Young has notes on his formula then you can send me her notes and I can try and synthesize an antidote and have the Bat-Wing drop it off for him."

"Nightwing's been exposed? Shit… Is he okay?"

There was concern in her voice. Maybe more than concern.

"I don't know. He hasn't responded or tried to make contact."

Raven was thinking about her options.

"Guess I'm risking my ass for pretty boy once again… But once I have those notes, I'm going after Joker."

"I guess I'm not in a position to stop you."

"I'll contact you when I have something."

Raven turned on her heels and walked back to Cash and Dr. Young. She looked to the doctor.

"I'm going after those notes Doctor Young, where am I headed?"

"I'm going with you."

"No. It's dangerous out there. You coming with, is just going to complicate things."

"This is my research. I need to verify that it's all there. You can't just keep me from it."

Raven was considering her options. Doctor Young spoke again.

"Besides, only I know where it's hidden, and only I know the combination to the safe it's in."

Raven knew when she couldn't win an argument.

"I guess I don't have an option here… Fine you win."

Raven took a step closer to Dr. Young and shot a cold stare in her direction.

"As long as you do what I say, when I say it. And if we get into trouble, you stay behind me. Got it?"

Dr. Young nodded.

"Deal."

Raven looked to Cash.

"Are you guys secure here? We can't have a repeat of last time."

Cash looked around the library.

"Yeah. This place is built like a fortress. I can have my men patrol in shifts. Circular room, one way in. And I can position one or two men on the upper floor in a sniper position."

"Put one on the door. Keep it locked."

"Uh yeah. Will do."

Raven looked to Dr. Young.

"Alright where are we headed?"

"My office is opposite of the Archives. In the other wing."

Raven checked her gear and pulled her hood over her head. She adjusted it so her eyes were hidden in shadow. She rolled her shoulders to loosen them and cracked her neck.

"Okay I'm heading out. Penelope, you're on me."

Raven passed between Cash and Dr. Young. Young followed behind Raven, close to her heels. When she got to the door she put her shoulder into it, slowly opening it just enough to peek around it. The doorway was clear so she stepped through. Young followed behind. Raven deftly stepped around the bodies of the inmates she had previously taken out. Penelope stumbled over an ankle of one of the bodies. She looked down at them.

"Did you take these two guys out the same way you did with Riddler? All those illusions?"

Raven looked back at Young.

"Illusions? No. Hand to hand."

Young kneeled down and started checking the bodies.

"No major injuries. Only a few mild fractures. At least you're not as brutal as Nightwing. I saw him break bones and inflict concussions on some other inmates. Totally unnecessary."

Raven shrugged.

"Unnecessary? Most of these men are murderers, rapists, and sociopaths. They made their choice."

"That doesn't give you vigilantes the right to inflict lifelong injuries. Not to mention the head trauma."

"If one of those inmates caught you, do you think they would worry about how much damage they did to you? If they would be concerned about breaking your bones, leaving you paralyzed or left for dead? Or forced themselves on you?"

"No, but-"

"I saw the tally marks on Zsasz's skin. Do you think all his victims; the men, women and children he's killed, the families torn apart, do you think they would say he deserves a slap on the wrist and put in a sanitarium? Or if they deserve an easy takedown?"

Dr. Young stood up.

"Victor Zsasz is a deeply troubled man. Clinically insane. He needs treatment and rehabilitation. Not broken bones and concussions."

"People like Zsasz will never be rehabilitated."

"And what do you base that hypothesis on?"

"The fact that he has over a hundred self-inflicted wounds on his skin. Ever wonder what will happen when he runs out of flesh to scar?"

"I'm confident we can cure him before that happens."

"And when he escapes again and picks you as his next target, I'll make sure not to cause him any sort of physical injury. And when he draws his blade across your throat, when your own hot crimson blood flows down your neck, when you feel your life slowly slipping away, and the fear take over, maybe, just maybe, you'll come around."

"You made your point. Can we go now?"

"You're the one who slowed us down."

Raven walked down the hall with Dr. Young in tow.

Time: Unknown

Place: Unknown

Nightwing woke up on the street, he was lying face down. He felt his cheek on the asphalt. He stood up in a daze, he couldn't remember what he was doing or how he go onto the street. He looked around, still dazed from waking up. Nightwing put a finger to his ear.

"Anyone there? Can you hear me?"

No answer. He began to walk forward and examine his surroundings. He recognized the buildings but couldn't place where he was. He continued to walk down the street. This time with purpose, but he didn't know what his purpose was. Another step, another glance, and then he found what he was looking for. A body lying on the ground in front of him. It was fifty yards out. Nightwing sprinted towards it, as he got closer a terror began to set in. He began to recognize the features on the body, he knew who it was.

"NO!"

He got to the body and stood over it. He saw her black suit, the silver boots and silver braces. The silver stars that lined the outside of her thighs and up to her chest, her long black hair supporting her head. Her face and eyes in a look of shock. Nightwing kneeled down.

"Donna…"

He placed his fingers to her pulse. Nothing. He laid his ear to her chest. Nothing. He pulled his head up, that's when he saw it. There was a bullet wound through the middle of her chest, blood was still pouring from the wound and the corners of her mouth and nose.

"NO!"

He began trying to resuscitate her. He brought his lips to hers, breathed into her. Then he put his hands on her chest and began to do chest compressions.

"Three. Four. Five."

Nightwing continued this for what felt like hours.

"One. Two. Three."

Still Donna didn't stir. Nightwing slammed his fist onto her chest.

"Come on dammit!"

He finally collapsed of exhaustion. His forehead dropped onto her chest, tears began falling from behind his mask.

"You were an Amazon! Practically a demi-god! You were stronger than all of us!"

Nightwing cradled her body, her blood smearing onto his suit. He placed a kiss on her cheek.

"I shouldn't have sent the Titans after Terra… Why didn't I follow you…? I should have… I failed… I failed Bruce… Diana… The other Titans… I should never have led this team…"

Nightwing lowered Donna's body to the ground, he closed her eyes as a final sign of respect. That's when something caught his eye, he turned his head and saw it. A shell casing. He picked it up to examine it. It was the same kind of caliber that HE used.

"Slade… I'm coming for you Terra… Then SLADE. This is MY city."

Before he could stand up there was a shadow that appeared behind him. Then a voice rang out, the voice he was expecting. Deathstroke's.

"Terra knew you would come to find Donna. 'Too emotional' she said. 'This team means everything to him' she said. That's why I sent her to hunt them down, one by one. Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg. All gone… All that's left is your precious Raven. You couldn't save them… You can't save her… You failed the Titans."

"Touch her you bastard and I'll…"

Deathstroke pulled one of the katana from his back.

"Temper… Temper… I told you it would always be the end of you… IS the end of you."

He brought the sword down to Nightwing's collarbone. Then darkness…

1:37 A.M

Arkham Asylum: Arkham East

Arkham Mansion

Raven and Dr. Young walked into the wing of Arkham Mansion that held Dr. Young's office. As predicted there were inmates in the hall, they turned to both of them as they entered. Raven rolled her eyes, why couldn't they realize how this would end.

"Hey, hey! Isn't that Doctor Young?"

"Hey, yeah! I think it is! I've always wanted to get my hands on her. Or, ya know… Her hands on me…"

The inmate grinned. Raven kept staring at the inmates.

"Penelope, stay behind me and stay quiet."

The inmates took a step closer.

"Ohhhh you hear that boys? Sounds like she's got a bodyguard…"

Raven smirked.

"A bodyguard…? No. Just think of me as the girl in the hood who's about kick all of your ass'!"

The room fell silent. She could even sense the fear of some of them. One took a step toward her. Raven glared at him with a look that would chill even Nightwing's blood.

"That sounded like a threat to me…"

Another inmate stepped forward. Raven beamed him a look.

"No. It was a promise."

In the blink of an eye a bolt of black magic hit one of the inmates, he hit the ground cold. The inmates looked around, then rushed at the both of them. Raven turned and grabbed Dr. Young by the shoulders, she threw her to the ground to get her out of the fight. Raven turned just in time to see an inmate grab her cloak, she landed a back elbow to his nose. He fell backwards holding his nose, blood spraying through the air. Another inmate approached, Raven turned and put the heel of her boot directly into the inmate's sternum. It knocked the wind out of him and sent him against the wall. Two inmates came after Raven, she landed a flurry of kicks and punches to the one on the left. Then turned to the right one and landed a palm strike to his throat, causing him to double over. Raven then grabbed the inmate with both hands and brought her knee to his skull. She then turned and delivered a back fist to the next inmate. Raven heard a woman scream and turned to see an inmate take Penelope hostage. Raven took a step towards her.

"Don't move! One more step and I'll kill the bitch!"

Dr. Young tried struggling, the inmate only held her tighter. Raven locked the inmate in her sight.

"Azara-"

Penelope screamed.

"Look out he's got a-"

Raven sensed an inmate who was coming at her from behind, he lunged. She turned and caught his wrist, and put pressure on his arm causing him to bend over. Then she brought one leg over his head, then another, and twirled around his body putting him into a cross armbar. The next thing the inmate knew, he was on his back in a cross armbar and nowhere to go. If he moved, she could break his arm.

"L-Let me go! It hurts!"

"Sure. Once you let Dr. Young go."

The two inmates looked at each other.

"Ya gotta do it man… It hurts…"

"No way man! If I let the bitch go then I'm next. This is my way out."

Raven smirked.

"Wrong answer."

She crossed her legs, tightened her grip on his wrist for more torque. Then she wrenched his body, putting more pressure on his arm. The inmate started screaming.

"Please! Let her go! My arm!"

The inmate holding Dr. Young hostage became nervous. He started sweating. Young tried to fight free but the inmate was overpowering her. Raven smiled wider.

"I can do this alllllllllllll night."

Raven wrenched harder. The inmate could feel his muscles straining, tendons stretching, and then his arm dislocated.

"PLEASE! Just let her go! I can't… My arm… I can't feel…"

Raven glared at the inmate holding Dr. Young. A new look on her face, a cold look that struck fear into his eyes.

"I warned you."

One final wrench and then a snapping sound, the sound of bone snapping. The inmate screamed as loud as he possibly could, then fell unconscious. Raven stood up and made a move to the inmate holding Penelope. He panicked, threw Dr. Young to the ground and charged Raven. She planted a roundhouse kick to his ribs then a left hook. He hit the ground face first. Dr. Young stood up and looked around the room.

"Where did you learn to fight like that? I've never seen anything like it."

"Didn't Cash say Nightwing rescued you? He would have taken these guys down before you could blink."

"Nightwing just took everyone down quietly and punched the last guy so hard a tooth came out."

"Sounds like him. You're not going to lecture me about breaking that guys arm are you?"

"No. I got your point."

Raven turned and began walking down the hall with Penelope at her heels.

"You never answered my question."

"About what?"

"You learning to fight like that."

"We're not friends. Don't try to know me."

Young was speechless. She didn't know how to respond.

"Uh sorry? I didn't think I…"

"You're talking to fill the silence. You don't need to do that."

Dr. Young didn't respond, they both just kept walking. Raven rolled her eyes, she realized how rude she was. She just didn't like telling people about herself. Nobody truly understood her, the way Nightwing did.

"Nightwing."

Dr. Young was confused.

"What? I don't follow."

"Nightwing. He taught me how to fight like that."

"Nightwing? So are you two like…?"

Raven looked back to see Penelope cross her fingers. Raven knew what she meant.

"Too personal. Too soon. Too everything."

Raven looked back in front of her.

"So where am I headed?"

"Next door on the left."

Raven made it to the door and turned to it. There was a name plaque on the door. Raven read it.

"Dr. Penelope Young. Head of Medical Staff."

Raven opened the door. The lights came on blinding her, and a loud siren sounded. Only this wasn't an ordinary siren, this one wormed its way into your head. Dr. Young collapsed almost immediately. Raven dropped to her knees fighting the sensation, fighting for consciousness. Then the siren got louder, and made Raven crumble, the siren was a psionic attack. On her it was amplified. She fought the feeling off, then she heard footsteps and the shadow of a man in a top hat standing over her. Then darkness.

Time: Unknown

Place: Unknown

Terra was walking out of the factory. She had just defeated the second to last Titan; Raven. She heard Deathstroke in her ear.

"Excellent work Terra. I couldn't have done it without you. But… Our conquest is not yet complete."

"I know. One Titan left."

"I haven't been able to locate him. Either he's hiding or-"

Terra heard an engine rev, she turned her head, too late. The rear tire of Nightwing's bike slammed against her cheek. She was knocked to the ground, Deathstroke was in her ear.

"Terra, report."

Nightwing landed on top of her, he pinned an arm across her back.

"Do. Not. Move."

Terra was trying to fight him off.

"What's the matter Dick? Feeling lonely that I killed all your friends…"

She threw him off and stood up. Nightwing hit the ground with a roll and stood.

"They were your friends too!"

"I don't need any friends."

"What did we ever do to you?!"

"You were born."

Terra waved her hands and sent an earthquake to Nightwing. He landed a back hand spring and avoided the attack. He stood up, anger boiling.

"I promised Garfield I'd give you one chance. This is it."

He charged her and closed the gap. Nightwing delivered a left hook to distract her, as predicted she ducked, then he took a knee and planted it to her gut. She crumbled forward, Nightwing grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. Terra landed the throw and charged again, enraged. She began swinging wild punches, all of which Nightwing blocked. Then Terra tried to catch him off guard with a punch from her right, Nightwing caught her fist. Terra's eyes went wide from fear. She knew how dangerous he was. He spun her around and pressed her face against a barbed wire fence. The barbs tore at the flesh on her cheek. He put a knee to her spine.

"Look at yourself Terra, is this really what you want to be?"

Terra looked at herself in a broken window of the factory she had just came from. Terra reached behind and transferred her weight to him, their positions were reversed and Nightwing was now against the fence.

"I'm just never going to be good enough for you, am I?"

Nightwing ran up the fence and landed a backflip, kicking her in the shoulder as he came down. Terra screamed in rage and summoned the earth, a column of rock lifted her into the air. The column of rock rushed forward, Nightwing back flipped and threw an explosive disc at the rock, it crumbled and Terra hit the ground on her back. Before the rubble could fall on her she suspended it in the air, Terra stood up and rubbed her arm, injured from her fall. Nightwing got back into a ready stance.

"You don't belong with Deathstroke. Slade's just using you."

Terra was still enraged.

"You don't know anything about me.

She sent the rubble towards Nightwing. Nightwing did a baseball slide and avoided the rubble, then he popped up into a corkscrew flip and landed a back kick to Terra while still in the air. She was launched back and landed on her hands and knees. She tried to stand up but she was injured. Nightwing smirked.

"No? Your real name is Tara Markov. The illegitimate daughter of Victor Markov. The king of Markovia. Sent away at a young age to avoid a scandal. You turned to mercenary work to feed yourself. Which is where you met a former soldier named Slade Wilson, A.K.A. Deathstroke. Did I miss anything?"

"How did you-? AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She charged him in anger, Nightwing evaded her strikes and swept her legs. Terra hit the ground. Nightwing put a boot to her neck.

"It doesn't have to be this way. I was used by Deathstroke once, I got out. So can you."

He touched a nerve.

"I DON'T NEED SAVING!"

She kicked Nightwing with both boots to his chest, he was launched backwards and landed with a back handspring. Terra stood up.

"I'm not some scared little girl waiting to be rescued like your precious Raven."

Nightwing glared.

"What did you do to her? WHERE IS SHE?"

Terra got a twisted smile on her face.

"Let's just say she can no longer be rescued…"

Terra threw Raven's cloak on the ground between them.

"… By you, or anyone…"

Nightwing's anger peaked, a rage flowed from him that Terra had never seen. He charged her. Terra sent a boulder straight for him, it hit him in the ribs and he crumbled. Terra walked over and kicked him the face sending him to his back.

"And now…"

Terra summoned a sand storm, it swirled around them. Nightwing was fighting for air through crushed ribs.

"I never want to see your face ever again!"

Nightwing started laughing.

"Works for me."

Nightwing stood up, Terra was terrified. He was laughing, he NEVER laughed.

"Why are you laughing? What are you doing?'

He smirked.

"Evening the odds…"

Before Terra could react, Nightwing had popped smoke. It began to surround the entire area, Terra couldn't see. She walked to where Nightwing had been, he was gone.

"Well, that's it… They're gone…"

Before she could make another move she took a shot from an unknown source. Terra stood up, she looked around.

"What was…"

Another shot from behind sent her to the floor.

"Dick… He's in the smoke. Need higher ground."

Terra summoned another column of earth, she began elevating herself above the smoke. Before she could get there her column exploded and she was knocked off. She landed on her back. Slade was in her ear.

"Terra, report! What's happening?"

Terra looked up and saw Nightwing's silhouette in the smoke.

"No! I beat you- I-!"

Slade was in her ear again.

"Terra, attack now!"

She sent a boulder in the direction of Nightwing's silhouette, when the rubble cleared she saw she had only hit Nightwing's bike. She stood up and walked backwards in a guarded stance, constantly swiveling her head, checking her surroundings. Once he entered the smoke he was invisible. There were footsteps behind her, she spun around only to not see anything. Another shot from behind, she fell forward on her face. She tried to get up when she took another shot to her ribs, still unable to find Nightwing. Deathstroke was in her ear again.

"On your feet Terra! FIGHT!"

She stood up, only to take a wing-ding to her arm that sliced through her armor. Then a shot to her legs again, she went to the ground and began crawling away in a panic. That's when she saw Nightwing's silhouette in the smoke.

"Dick stop, please…"

He didn't answer.

"Won't you at least talk to me?"

"There's nothing left to talk about. You killed my team. Mt friends. All of them. Even Raven… MY RAVEN! It's OVER Terra! For both of us…"

He walked forward putting his boot to her throat. He began putting his weight down onto her neck.

"What are you doing…?"

More pressure.

"Slade… Help me…"

"Why? I trained you to fight not lay on your ass like a scared little girl!"

"He's going to kill me…"

"Good. That means I've finally broken him."

"But… You took me in… Said I was like a daughter to you…"

"I already have a daughter."

Terra heard Deathstroke close the communication channel. In that moment Terra was totally, and utterly afraid.

"Dick please… I'm your friend…"

Nightwing smiled.

"What happened to 'I don't need any friends…?"

Terra was gasping for air.

"Please… What about your one rule…? What about your oath…?"

"My oath died with HER…"

Nightwing put most of his weight onto the foot that was to Terra's throat. Terra's face was turning blue, her eyes bulging from her head. Terra was barely able to get her words out.

"I'm sorry…"

Nightwing almost growled when he spoke.

"No more chances. No more trust. NO. MORE. MERCY."

Terra felt herself slipping away.

"You let Deathstroke get to you… You failed HIM… You've failed HER…"

Terra and Nightwing collapsed into darkness…

1:45 A.M

Arkham Asylum: Arkham East

Arkham Mansion

Raven began waking up, her vision was blurry and the room was spinning. She could hear Dr. Young trying to get her attention. She was whispering to her.

"Raven. Hey Raven! Wake up!"

Raven shrugged off the dizziness.

"Wha-? What's going on?"

As the room came in to focus she realized the situation she was in. She was sitting in a chair at the end of a long dining table, inmates were on each side. They had rabbit masks on their faces. Raven saw a man sitting on the other end of a table with a top hat on. The man spoke with a high pitched nails on chalkboard voice.

"More tea my dear?"

Raven had a mug of tea in front of her.

"Where am I? What's going on?"

The man answered.

"What a question. Shall I tell her? Oh, she looks confused, maybe I should. Well, it's simple really. I planted a teeny tiny little idea in your head. A sort of hypnotic suggestion. Very complicated stuff. I'm sure you wouldn't understand but as you can see, it worked."

Raven tried to free herself. No luck.

"You're mine now. You're mine and there's nothing you or anybody else can do about it. Are you not going to drink your tea? It's special tea. My special tea. My specialty…"

"Go to hell…"

"Ah, ah, ah Alice. Watch that nasty language."

"Alice? What?"

Raven looked down, she suddenly realized she was no longer wearing her suit. She had on a blue and white dress, high white stockings and shoes with buckles on the top. She could also feel a silk bow on top of her head. Raven was suddenly creeped out.

"Uh, what the fuck am I wearing?"

"Oh your other clothes were so unfashionable… So I put you in something a little more… Appealing."

Now she was officially appalled.

"Wait. You undressed me?!"

She looked over to Penelope, who was still dressed in her white coat. Dr. Young shyly nodded. In an instant, there was fire in her eyes.

"Oh Alice… There's no reason to worry, I was gentle…"

"Okay creep. When I get out of here…"

"Haven't I told you Alice? There is no way out of here."

"Alice? I'm not Alice."

"Oh but of course you are."

Raven rolled her eyes and looked over to Penelope.

"Care to fill me in? Who is this whack job and why does he think my name is Alice?"

Penelope started filling Raven in.

"His name is Jervis Tetch. He goes by the Mad Hatter. He has an obsession with Alice in Wonderland and believes himself to be the Hatter himself."

Raven screamed in frustration. She looked at Jervis.

"Look Jervis. My name isn't Alice, it's Raven."

"Raven?"

A smile appeared on the Hatter's face.

"Do you know how a Raven is like a writing desk?"

Raven was trying to figure out if she was in a dream or not.

"Have you guessed the riddle yet?"

The Hatter said, turning to Raven. Raven decided the safest thing to do until she could find a way out of this was to play along.

"No. I give up. What's the answer?"

The Hatter smiled.

"I haven't the slightest idea."

Raven was trying to figure out how to get out of this. Jervis spoke again.

"What's a matter my dear, don't you care for tea?"

"My mother warned me about taking tea from strange men."

"If you don't care for tea, you could at least make polite conversation!"

Raven couldn't believe what was happening. The man in front of her, thought that she was Alice, and he continually kept quoting the book she had read more than a dozen times.

"Look, could we just hurry this up? Tell me what you want so I can get the hell out of here."

"Oh, my dear. If you knew time as well as I do."

Said the Hatter.

"You wouldn't talk about wasting it."

Raven was unimpressed. She looked to the Mad Hatter with an unimpressed look.

"Okay, I'm getting out of here one way or another."

Mad Hatter sat up.

"Why would you want to leave such a wonderful place?"

"This place isn't wonderful."

Mad Hatter perked up.

"But of course it is! This place, like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery and danger! Some say to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter. Which luckily I am."

"I don't belong here."

The Hatter smiled.

"Of course you do! We're all mad here, I'm mad, you're mad."

Raven kept her glare.

"How do you know I'm mad?"

"You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here."

Raven was tired of playing his game.

"I came here for Nightwing. And Batman."

Suddenly Jervis looked nervous.

"Batman? He's here?"

Jervis started singing.

"Twinkle twinkle little bat, how I wonder where you're at. Above the world you fly, like a tea tray in the sky."

Raven tried to move but couldn't, she was bound to the chair. She looked to Dr. Young who also trying to free herself. Raven closed her eyes. She began trying to read Tetch's mind. She could overload his senses and cause him to either pass out or influence his mind. She focused harder, something was keeping her from reading his mind, and Jervis began laughing.

"Nice try my dear Alice."

Raven snapped her eyes open and glared. Jervis pointed to his hat.

"My wonderful hat you see before you sends out electrical impulses that can hypnotize and even allow me to influence the mind of those around me. It also blocks any psychic attacks against me as long as it remains on the top of my head."

Jervis continued to laugh.

"You are well and truly mine… Alice."

Raven smirked.

"So your hat protects you from my mind. But what protects you from me?"

Raven's hands began glowing, then the table in front of her began to levitate. Hatter's eyes went wide, he suddenly had fear of her. The table launched backwards, sending everything on it flying. Some of the tea splashed all over Ravens face. The table crashed into Jervis who fell to the ground. He began crawling backwards. The ropes that held Raven began glowing, then suddenly snapped. Raven stood up, she walked towards Jervis who was still crawling. She closed the gap and grabbed Jervis by the throat, slammed him against the wall and lifted him clear off his feet. After all, he wasn't even five foot and he barely weighed a hundred and fifty pounds. She growled at him.

"Listen little man, NOBODY touches me, and absolutely NOBODY even thinks about undressing me."

Jervis was whimpering.

"But Alice…"

Raven raised him higher.

"My name is Raven. Now I tried to play nice, and ask you politely to let me go. But you insisted on pursuing your madness. Your psychotic sexual fantasy! So what happens next is all on you…"

Raven nodded towards the inmates who were still sitting in their chairs. They hadn't moved since Raven woke up.

"How do I free them from your control? And if you even think about lying or tricking me…"

"My… My hat controls their impulses…"

Raven grabbed Jervis' hat and threw it to the ground and crushed it under her heel. She could hear the electronics inside being smashed and disabled. The inmates began to stir. She heard one of them as he took off the mask.

"What the hell? Where are we? The last thing I remember was Nightwing crashing in and then…"

Another inmate spoke up.

"Then you rushed him and got your ass kicked. But yeah, me too. Where are we?"

They spotted Penelope.

"Hey, hey it's Dr. Young. What you doin' here pretty lady?"

Raven turned her head and looked at the inmates.

"Hey! All of you are free to go. I don't care where you go or what you do but I don't want to see you in my way again. Are we clear?"

One of the inmates got confident, like he had power over her.

"And why would we go anywhere?"

Raven smirked.

"Hardball it is then."

Raven, while still holding Jervis to the wall closed her eyes. Suddenly behind Raven, the shadows began to grow. Light became scarce. Then a giant raven made of shadows appeared behind her, its wings opened with so much force it sent all the inmates including Dr. Young through the air and into the walls. The inmates were knocked unconscious. Raven opened her eyes and stared at the Hatter. Jervis tried freeing himself but Raven's grip was like a vice. She smirked.

"Be sure to tell the Queen of Hearts I said hi."

Raven brought her left elbow to the Mad Hatter's temple dazing him. She released her grip and Jervis slumped to the ground. Before he fully lost consciousness he muttered something.

"In the garden of memory… In the place of dreams… That is where you and I shall meet."

He lost consciousness. Raven looked at his unconscious body as he slumped against the wall.

"Now Jervis, if you're going to tie a lady up, at least buy her dinner first."

Raven turned and walked over to Dr. Young. She untied her and helped her stand back up on her feet. Penelope nodded.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Raven looked around. She found her suit and cloak laying on the ground nearby. She looked to Penelope.

"Excuse me a minute."

Raven walked over and picked up her suit. She tore the bow off of her head and ran her hands through her hair fixing it. She started unzipping the back of her dress then stopped. She remembered that she had an audience, Dr. Young. Raven glanced at her, then Raven's right hand was encased with magic. She waved her hand and a black dome of shadow encased her, giving her the privacy she needed to change. After a minute the dome vanished and Dr. Young saw Raven had changed back into her suit. She threw the dress onto the ground with more force than she needed.

"Hate dresses."

She walked back towards Doctor Young.

"I still can't believe that crazy bastard undressed me. Why did he pick me over you? I'm not even blonde."

Young shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe he liked you better."

Raven rolled her eyes.

"Wonderful. Are we going?"

"What about the inmates?"

"Leave them. If they get any illusions of glory I'll knock them back down."

Raven and Penelope left the room, heading for Dr. Young's notes.

1:40 A.M

Arkham Asylum: Arkham East

Arkham Mansion

Nightwing awoke on the floor of the morgue, his body was stiff. He stood up.

"It was a dream? It seemed so real… Donna. Terra. I failed both of you."

He swallowed hard.

"Okay. Scarecrow's gas is strong. Need to be more careful. Can't take much more."

Nightwing checked the time.

"Damn. I was out too long. Need to find… Gordon!"

He panicked. He had remember seeing Gordon slumped dead against the wall outside the morgue. Nightwing ran to the door of the morgue and threw it open, and stepped out. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for what he was expecting to see. He opened his eyes. Instead of Gordon on the ground he saw an Arkham guard. He sighed in relief.

"It's not Gordon. Crane's gas affected me more than I thought. Need to find-"

He heard Oracle in his ear.

"Dick! Dick, can you hear me!?"

"I'm- I'm here Oracle…"

"Finally! I was getting worried."

"I'm fine. Just a little turned around right now."

"What happened? Your vitals are-?"

"Scarecrow. I'm fine now."

"Oh, okay. Any word on my dad?"

Nightwing shrugged off his dizziness. He walked back to the hallway he had come from. He cycled through the filters on his mask. The tobacco trail lead to the other end.

"I've still got his trail. Scarecrow slowed me down a little. I'll find him Barbara. I promise."

"I know. You never let me down."

He smiled.

"Well, not in this case anyhow. I'll contact you when I've found him."

Nightwing ran down the hall towards Gordon.