Chapter 11: Valentine

Disclaimer: I own nothing

*Important AN at the bottom*

"Love is when the desire to be desired takes you so badly that you feel you could die of it."

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Chapter 11: "Valentine"

(Friday-February 14, 2014)

"H-happy Valentine's Day, Joel."

Joel gave a gentle smile as he politely took the card given to him by a girl. She was admittedly pretty, but her features blended in just like everyone else in this school. Her brown hair and brown eyes were shared by everyone it seemed. He strained himself to remember her name. There were so many he had to remember, after all.

"Thank you, Ashley," Joel stated in a kind voice, "I'm sorry, but I don't have a card for you."

It was understandable. The days of handing out Valentine's Day cards to everyone had passed when he entered middle school. Part of him missed those days, though. Having little cards ready for everyone always made this less awkward.

"It's fine…" The girl gained a brilliant blush across her face. Some of her friends stood behind her as support, motivating her to continue, "But…if you want to repay me…not that you have to, of course! I mean…if you want to, maybe we can go see a movie tonight or something…"

Joel admired her courage. Several girls had given him cards and gifts. Most of them looked at him expectantly, like he was supposed to immediately request a date. He had danced around this all day and was trying to rush out the door when he was stopped one last time. This girl, however, was the only one that had the initiative to ask him out herself. It must have been difficult and embarrassing. In that moment, Ashley was elevated in his mind.

But that didn't mean he had to say yes.

"I'm sorry, Ashley," Joel was sincere with his words, but as soon as he said them, Ashley's face fell in despair, "But I—"

"He already has a date tonight."

Joel blinked as his right arm was grabbed. A body somewhat smaller and definitely more feminine than his own hugged against him. A quick glance to side revealed who it was.

Cassandra Cain gave the girl a cold smile, "So you can walk away now,"

Ashley's friends looked like they wanted to protest, even as the girl deflated. They obviously wanted to ask who Cassandra even was. She obviously didn't go to their school. One look was all it took for them to back down. Cassandra's glare instantly warned them that none of them stood a chance against her. She could and would snap them like twigs.

"Come on, Joel," Cassandra began to lead Joel out the doors of the school, "Let's go."

Joel glanced over his shoulder to the saddened Ashley. He gave her an apologetic smile even as he was dragged away. Once out the doors, Cassandra began to move away from the school. Joel did nothing to fight against her until they were several blocks away from the eyes of his schoolmates. Once they were far enough away, Joel tugged his arm away from her.

"You didn't have to do that, Carolina," Joel glared at her, "You hurt her feelings a lot more than I would have."

"Oh really? You would have made a dumb excuse and gave her some false hope? I think that's crueler than what I did. It's better to have the truth shoved in your face so you can move on, in my opinion at least," Cassandra then glared at Joel, "And would you use my real name. I know you know it, or do you only use it when you're asking me to help you fulfill the wishes of a different girl…"

Joel ignored the jab to Greta, "You still didn't need to act like you were going to kill them…"

"Oh, please, don't act like you actually care," Cassadra gained an amused look, "In the grand scheme of things, they really don't matter in your story. Their fate is vastly different than ours. They will live normal, happy, and unaware lives. People like us, though, don't have the luxuary of such things. We're the people destined to change this world for better or worse. It's a burden that will weigh on our shoulders for the rest of our, possibly short, lives."

"Everyone matters, even if it's just a little bit," Joel argued, "Don't look down on them."

"I don't. In fact, I envy them is some ways. But that doesn't change that their fate is vastly different," Cassandra noted, "They were not born as one of the elite. The gap between us is too great for them to even conceive."

Joel's words died in his throat. Despite his hatred of the fact, they were in fact born differently. It was a cruel fact, but people didn't get to choose what place their born into. But… "Still, people can make choices to decide who they want to be. Just look at us. We chose to be something different than what our parents wanted."

"…That is true," Cassandra conceded, "We have tried to fight against fate. I wonder if we'll actually succeed."

They were silent for a few seconds, before Joel spoke up again, "By the way, why are you even here? Do you have more info for us?"

"Not really," Cassandra shrugged, "There's little word on the Sorcerer Initiative. I can tell you that it's going to happen soon, but Phantom already knows that."

"Then why are you here?"

"Boredom," Cassandra admitted, "Not a lot goes on during Valentine's Day for the Shadows. Almost everyone gets the day off. Would you believe that Ra's Al Ghul is a hopeless romantic?"

Joel stopped his walk and gained a combination between a sneer and look of disgust, "I cannot picture that at all."

"Well, apparently he is. Weird, I know, but I guess everyone has a hidden side to them," Cassandra laughed a little at Joel's look, "So everyone pretty much had plans for today. Even my parents met up today for…stuff. I even heard that Jinx had plans. Hell, the only one to be around was Ravager, and I had no desire to go out flirting and dancing with her. She's such a huge tease."

"Now that I can picture," Joel admitted.

"So, I decided to come here, annoy you a bit, and get you to pay me back for my favor," Cassandra gained a sly look.

"I would just love to, but…" Joel gained a small grin, "As I was going to Ashley, I have plans. Operation Romance the Amazon."

"What?"

"I promised Robin to help him with his date. It took forever to get Troia to agree to go out with him, and he wants everything to go right," Joel stated, "That's where I come in. Time to use my special skills to make sure she's swept off her feet. It's the perfect use of years of harsh training."

"I see…" Cassadra paused in thought for a second, "You need any help?"

"…Sure, why not?" Joel nodded slowly, "Besides, I could use some help from someone that actually knows something about romance."

"When exactly did we become A-listers?" Dani questioned her friends as they sat on some benches in the center of their city's park. None of them were bothered by the cold winter weather because of their coats and high level endurance. She had a rather awkward day of avoiding people she didn't want to talk with her and being avoided by people she actually wanted to talk to. According to her friends, it was because she was the 'Queen Bee' of the school now.

"Since the beginning of the school year," Rachel noted as she peered down into her dark covered book, "The old A-listers graduated, and moved on. It had to fall on someone's shoulders, and considering that we have one of the richest girls in the world and a football star in our group, it would inevitably be us…Well, mostly you. Apparently, I'm just your satellite."

"The mildly attractive girl that orbits of the popular girl?" Victor questioned, "I wouldn't exactly call you that. I mean, you do hide your features behind black makeup and hoods, but you're still an attractive…not that I mean it that way!"

"I know what you mean," Rachel idly glanced over to Dani, "But I think satellite perfectly describes me. Caught in something else's orbit. Always trying to escape, but the pull it too strong. Never able to fall completely and end the suffering in a blaze of fire I can't think of a better way to describe my relationship with Dani."

"Oh, ha ha," Dani smiled at Rachel, "I know you love me, Rae Rae."

Rachel just mumbled incoherently.

"That reminds me," Youngblood, who looked like a normal child under his disguise belt, glanced at Victor for a moment before looking away towards a scene outside the park, "How do you even still play football? I never bothered to ask because…you know, but since the topic was brought up…"

"Disguise belt. A lot of padding. Limiters to my strength and speed to give others a real chance," Victor shrugged, "Not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal? I remember you complaining about it before…" Rachel mentioned.

"Yeah…I guess, I just got used to it all," Victor briefly gained a displeased look, but quickly let it drop, "Let's…just change the topic."

"Alright," Rachel looked in between Victor and Dani, "Any plans for today?"

"Nope," Dani was busy looking at her phone. A dull look covered her face.

"Er…" Victor rubbed his chin.

Dani looked over to him in surprise, "Oh? Who's the lucky girl? Is she from our school, or is she part of the Team?"

"It's, um…I don't really…" Victor glanced to Youngblood, "Hey, Charlie what have you been looking at for the past ten minutes."

"Nice change of topic, Vic. Really smooth," Youngblood mentioned.

"And you're avoiding the question," Rachel looked up from her book, "What would make you want to do that?"

"Nothing much," Youngblood noted. He absentmindedly petted Polly as the bird sat on his shoulder, "Just saw Johnny 13 and Kitty at that coffee shop. Just wondering if they were getting into trouble."

The three other members of the group followed Youngblood's line of sight. The ghost couple was, in fact, in a coffee shop. They seemed to be flirting and enjoying their day together.

"And if you could join in on it?" Dani questioned with a michevous grin.

Youngblood grinned back, "I would if they were going to do anything. I've heard that they've calmed down a lot since Morgaine's attack. No longer getting into anything fun…Like a bunch of people I know…"

"Is that a shot at us?" Victor questioned.

"Of course it is," Youngblood shrugged, "None of you play anymore. No hide-and-seek. No tag. No random basketball games. It's all school, hero stuff, and…teenage stuff. You're growing up. It's just like I thought would happen."

"Is that why you really left?" Dani suddenly asked.

Youngblood paused and glanced to Polly, "Yes and no."

"So it was a reason?"

"Yeah…It was. But I'm here now. Might as well enjoy being around you before you all grow up and become boring."

"So? You have any plans?" Conner Kent questioned as he helped Danny with setting up the table in an empty dining hall, "Going to spend any time with Torch?"

"Oh, hardy freaking har," Danny frowned as he folded a napkin into a swan, "It's not like I get that joke every damn year."

Kaldur smiled as he placed candles on the table, "It is a tradition. We cannot let it just drop after all. It is one of the few things that we have that gets under your skin."

"Besides the Inviso-Bill thing," Conner snorted.

"Oh just yuck it up," Danny smiled lightly despite the comfort, "The perfect way to repay the guy that got this whole room booked for you and your 'normal' friends."

"And I do thank you for that," Conner looked across the room to see Mal Duncan looking over a list of things. Somehow, he and Mal got stuck with the heavy work of setting this all up. Luckily, Conner had connections that he could call to help him, "But it's not like this was my plan. M'gann thought it would be a good idea to have a group Valentine's Day event, or whatever. I think she got it off a TV show."

"Like everything, right?" Kaldur shook head.

"Hmm…" Danny looked over to Mal, "That guy…His girlfriend is working with the Atom, right?"

"Kind of," Conner shrugged, "She's studying at the university he teaches at. Apparently, she's his favorite student."

"I heard that Atom was thinking of taking on a protégé of his own," Kaldur mentioned.

"Which means more work for me," Danny mentioned.

"Don't act like you're not a workaholic," Conner snorted, "Even today, you're rushing around helping other people with their plans, right?"

"Not like I got anything else to do today…" Danny mumbled.

That was all it took for an awkward silence to spread throughout the group of three. Even now, Valerie's death still hung over their heads. She was the first…only member of Young Justice to die so far. The blow was something that always hurt them. None more so than Danny, especially on a holiday where he was used to spending almost the entire day with his now deceased girlfriend.

"Um…Perhaps a change of subject is in order…" Kaldur finally spoke up for a minute, "Queen Mera has set me up a date for tonight. You may proceed with the jokes."

Danny brushed off his darker thoughts and instead focused on the moment, "Really? It's about time you got back out in the game…Oh wait, you've never been in the game."

"Right? Did you and Raquel even go out on a date back when she was into you?" Conner grinned wildly.

"No, we did not," Kaldur shook his head.

"Then that explains a lot," Danny looked to Conner, "Right?"

"Yep. It totally explains why you're so stiff most of the time," Conner agreed.

"I think that he needs something," Danny suggested.

"Right," Conner looked to Kaldur, "What do you need, Kaldur?"

Both Danny and Conner then spoke at the same time, "WHAT DO YOU NEED?"

Kalur just placed his face in his palm. That was what he got for trying to cheer up the situation.

"Am, I, uh, interrupting something?" Mal questioned as he approached the group.

"No, we were just finishing," Danny smiled as he stepped away from the table, "Come on, Kal…Let's get you to that first date of yours."

"Now I know what it is like to be Wally," Kaldur sighed as he began to walk away, "It almost makes me want to go easier on him."

"No it doesn't," Danny argued.

"…You are right. It does not." Kaldur admitted.

"Alright, thanks for your help, Aqualad, Mr. Fenton," Mal called after them.

All three of the other people in the room froze.

"Relax, I've known for a while," Mal smiled lightly, "Despite what people think, I'm not a muscle bound idiot. Not that I'm nearly as smart as Karen, but still…I can still figure out that two of my closest friends and their friends from 'out of town' look a lot superhero sidekicks…and a famous inventor. Don't know how you fit in, but it's admittedly pretty damn cool."

"What are you going to do with that information?" Conner questioned his friend from high school.

"Nothing really," Mal admitted, "I just thought that you should know, Superboy. Because, my girlfriend has been very secretive lately about some of her projects. She's always busy, and I think she'll be even busier when she joins a 'special team of people her own age.' And all I want to do is spend more time with her. Even if I have to do some stupid job like…answering phones or something…Please don't make me wash spandex, though."

Conner paused then looked to Danny, "You know…He is a communications major."

"Really?" Danny gained a pensive look, "That's interesting. We've been looking for a communications guy…"

"Is everyone in position?" Joel questioned with a hand over his earpiece.

"You bet!" Marry cheered.

"I guess…" Freddie sighed.

"I have a perfect view of the targets," Cassandra spoke in a serious voice, "I will ensure that everything goes correctly."

"Girl, you can tone it down a bit," Batgirl sounded amused, "It's not a real mission, or anything. We're just helping Rob with his date."

"This is still a mission for me though, and as a professional, I need to complete it with the best of my ability," They could almost picture the serious expression on Cassandra's face.

"Okay, Joel, why'd you invite the super serious chick?" Freddie questioned, "And why is Batgirl here?"

"Freddie! Don't be rude!" Mary sounded scandalized.

"Oh please, I'm just asking the obvious questions," Freddie's voice sounded bored and uncaring, "We've got one of our moles here. That's weird enough. But Batgirl? Come on. We're thirteen so it makes sense that we don't have dates, but there's probably lines of guys waiting to ask her out."

"I didn't know that you were such a flatterer, Fred," Batgirl's voice was laced with amusement, "You're not wrong in a way. But my dad's kind of an intimidating person. Besides…the only person I'm interested in was busy today."

Joel knew what that meant. Nightwing was probably off on one of his conquests. He had seen the man's little black book. It had not been little at all.

"Um…Why not have a girls night? I know a bunch of older girls that do that," Marry sounded weak and embarrassed as she spoke.

"I thought about that, but apparently Zatanna and Raquel both have dates tonight," Batgirl chuckled, "Weird last names too. Constantine and Noble. They seem really into them, though, so I thought might as come help out our cute little Robin."

"You do realize that all this talking is compromising the mission?" Cassandra questioned.

"It's fine," Joel noted. He stood outside a rather crowded café decorated with hearts and cupids. Inside Robin and Donna were sitting across from each other. Like his predecessor, Robin wore dark shades over his eyes and a dark hoody when trying to act as a civilian without revealing his secret identity. Donna, on the other hand, wore a black, silk blouse with dark jeans, "The hard part is already over. Now, we just have to make sure nothing messes this up."

"Meaning 'stop Robin from saying something stupid'?" Freddie questioned.

"Pretty much," Joel admitted with a shrug.

From his spot at the table, Robin smiled at his date. He had an earpiece so he could hear his teammates' conversations. He had to fight not to snap at them, "Um, thanks for agreeing to go out with me today."

"No problem," Donna gave him an amused look, "I couldn't resist after seeing how nervous thou was. Usually thou acts all cocky and boastful. It was a nice change of pace."

"Yeah, well don't expect it a lot," Robin frowned, "After all, I'm the best at—Ow!"

Robin rubbed the back of his head. Freddie had discretely moved across the crowded room and smacked him on the back of the head. Once he was out of hearing shot, Freddie noted, "I love my job right now."

Robin forced himself not to glare at the retreating from of Freddie, "Huh…I guess it's a bit crowded in here."

"Indeed," Donna picked up her menu and looked at it, "I do hope that the crowd does not interfere with their service."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Mary noted as she stood by the table in a water uniform. Robin almost felt his jaw drop at the fake mustache on her face and the fake, masculine voice that jumped from her throat. It was the worst disguise he had ever seen, "Can I take your order?"

"Yes," Donna did not look up from her menu, "I would like one of these Frappuccinos along with a few biscuits please."

"And you, sir?" Mary turned to Robin.

Robin glared at her, "Dark coffee. Make it really, REALLY strong."

"Coming right up~"

"What a nice waiter," Donna noted as she lowered her menu and looked over to her date.

"Y-yeah…"

"I do hope that…" Donna blinked at the vase of flowers that was now in front of her, "Where did that come from?"

"Huh?" Robin blinked at the dozens of flowers that had been placed in front of them. He had only been turned for a brief second. Someone would have to be really skilled at stealth to do that, "I, uh, I guess the café put them out."

"Oh, how nice."

"Nice touch, Cass." Batgirl spoke through the coms system.

"Thank you. It was a challenge to sneak around Robin, but as always, I accomplished my mission," Cassandra sounded satisfied with herself.

"And now it's my turn," Batgirl smiled as the lights dimmed. This caused all the customers to look around in surprise, "It was too easy to hack into the power grid, and even easier to get into the sound system."

It was at that time that gentle jazz music rang through the building. The employees were desperately trying to figure out what happened, but luckily the customers seemed to enjoy it, especially Donna. A large smile lit up her face.

"Here's your order," Mary quickly placed their drinks and food down before rushing away.

Looking around at all that happened, Donna let out a rather amused chuckle, "This is nice. I'm glad I agreed to come with you."

"Yeah? See, I told you that I would show—Ow!"

Freddie had once again smacked Robin on the back of the head.

"Yes, this is quite enjoyable," Donna lifted her drink to her lips and took a light sip, "Especially with the added enjoyment of seeing our friends fumble around trying to help you."

The coms system suddenly went silent. This only lasted a second before Cassandra spoke again, "We're compromised. Aborting mission. We should blow the building to cover our tracks."

"Girl, calm down. It's not the end of the world," Batgirl snorted out her response.

"You knew, huh?" Robin deflated a bit.

"Of course I did," Donna shook her head in amusement, "Freddie's been running across the room for ten minutes. Mary's wearing a fake mustache. And I can clearly see Joel outside the restaurant."

Joel waved to them through the window.

"…He told you, didn't he?" Robin sighed.

Donna nodded, "Yep. Why do you think I agreed to this date anyway?"

"Um…Because I'm devilishly handsome and charming to boot?" Robin suggested before he was smacked again by Freddie, "Ow! Damn it, we're done now, Freddie!"

"I know. I just wanted to get in one more free shot before I left," Freddie noted, "Come on, Mary. Let's go get a pizza, or something."

"Oh! Pizza! Yah!" Mary darted out of the café. Freddie was right behind her.

"Sounds good. Count me in," A red-headed customer suddenly stood and exited the building in a more dignified manner.

"So…you're not mad?" Robin questioned.

"Of course not. I actually think that it's nice that we have friends that are willing to help us," Donna noted. She then reached out and gently took on of his hands in hers, "Besides, I thought that thou was too proud to ask for help. Seeing all this, though…It let me see thee in a new light. I like this side of thee. So, I'll give thee one chance. Don't mess it up by doing something stupid, okay?"

Robin glanced over to Joel to see his friend give him a thumbs up. He then looked back to Donna, "I won't. I promise."

"I can't believe it…" Dani stared at her phone in shock, "Everyone is busy. The only person that doesn't have plans is Garfield, and even he was planning to do an old movie marathon with Cujo and Wolf…Apparently they like the action flicks...And I didn't even know that his transformations lets him talk to animals..."

"That sounds fun," Youngblood noted he played with a cup-and-ball, "I could go for watching Die Hard or Field of Dreams."

"That does sound good, but…" Dani frowned as she crossed her arms in frustration, "I feel too restless for that. I need to do something more than sit around."

"Yeah…" Rachel gained a small frown as she hid her face behind her book, "I actually know what you mean. It's been too quiet since my birthday. It makes me worried."

"Why?" Victor questioned, "I think that it's nice to have some cool down time."

"Vic, you haven't been at this as long as us. So I understand why you would think that way," Dani looked to her friend, "But when things go quiet for too long, that means the bad guys are planning something big."

"Don't you know that already?" Youngblood questioned, "I mean, you've been prepping for that thingy you've told me about for weeks."

"Yeah, but not even our spies have any idea what it is," Dani clenched her fists, "Something really, really bad is going to happen soon. And I'm pretty sure that it will involve Nyx big time."

Rachel seemed to agree, "Yeah…The Sorcerer Initiative…With that name and everything that happened during Morgaine's attack, it's easy to see what type of people will be involved in that. With Nyx's lineage and powers, who knows what kind of part she's going to play…"

"I know. I think about that a lot," Dani stood from her bench and looked at her friends, "I don't feel like sitting around anymore. I'm gonna go nuts if I do. Let's go do something. Go find some crime and kick ass."

The three other members of the group shared a look. Rachel looked indifferent. Victor, however, looked nervous and excited. Youngblood quickly took note of that.

"You know what…" Youngblood stood up and smiled at Dani, "A movie night sounds good. Besides, BB is more likely to dress up as fake cupids and freak some people out as a prank…"

"You would do that?" Victor blinked in confusion.

"Duh, don't you know me? Doing stupid things is what I'm best at," Youngblood turned to Raven, "You want to come watch some movies? I promise that if we decide to do something stupid, we'll leave you out of it."

Rachel glanced towards Victor and Dani. She too noticed the look on Victor's face, "Alright. Sounds good to me."

As the two of them stood, Dani just blinked at them, "You sure? I thought you two would be all for a night of kicking ass."

"Yeah, we're good," Youngblood waved as he and Rachel left, "You two have fun."

"Okay…" Dani looked over to Victor, "Looks like it's just you and me."

"Looks like it," Victor nodded towards his friends retreating forms.

Once they were a decent distance away, Rachel spoke up again, "I know you wanted to go with them."

"Yep," Youngblood shoved his hands into his coat pockets, "It's a good thing that Dani only reads intentions instead of motives, huh?"

"Yeah, but knowing the emotions that back the actions can be a bit stressful," Rachel mentioned, "Although, it does help out in situations like that."

"That's what I was counting on," Youngblood's eyes darted up once they reached the edge of the park.

"You did a good thing, you know that?" Rachel mentioned with sincerity lacing her voice.

"I guess…"

"I'm surprised, though. You showed a lot of maturity doing that. Aren't you against growing up?" Rachel questioned.

"I am, but releasing the seal..." Youngblood let out a quick sigh, "It weakens after every time. Time will heal it, but—"

"Hush, Charles," Polly spoke up for the first time all day. The bird glared at the boy and caused instant silence.

"I see. I guess that puts new perspective on why you left. I thought it was just the obvious reason. Don't worry, though. I kept your other secret for years, so this one won't be…" Rachel paused when she realized Youngblood wasn't by her side anymore. Turning, she saw the boy standing at the entrance of the park. He was in front of metal trash can that was almost completely filled, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Youngblood pulled his right hand out of his pocket. A single crimson rose was in his hand. With a flick of the wrist, he dropped the flower into the bin where if landed silently. Despite this, Rachel thought she could hear a loud thud ring through the area. It must have been her imagination, "I'm fine."

Rachel looked away out of respect for his feelings, "I see."

"It's...it's for the best."

"I know, Chuck. I know."

"Bro, I owe you big time," Wally's gratitude seeped through his voice on Danny's phone, "I totally spaced today."

"Like every year," Danny snorted as he reclined in his chair at a mostly empty Axion Labs. While normally filled with scientists until the dead of night, he allowed most people a chance to take the night off. Only a few of the employees were still around, "You're lucky that I have your back."

"That I am," Wally paused for a brief second, "Do you think Artemis knows?"

"Well, considering that I got a text from her a little while ago saying, 'Thanks for setting all this up for Wally. He's such an airhead,' I would think so…" Danny noted.

"Oh crap…She's smiling to me at my table. I can't tell if it's a good thing or a bad thing…" Wally now sounded stressed out.

"Now that I can't help you with. Just try not to anything else that will make her mad," Danny mentioned with a smirk.

Wally obviously wasn't pleased by that response, "Dude! Have you even met me!?"

"Bye, Bro. Good luck."

"Wai—"

Danny hung up the phone.

"That's harsh," Harriet Chin noted as she approached Danny's work station. Like always, a tired look covered her face, "You didn't need to hang up on him."

"You haven't dealt with a really angry Artemis," Danny spun his chair to look at his long time friend and employee, "Trust me when I say that you don't want to piss her off, and if I kept distracting her boyfriend from her on Valentine's Day, she would have gone off on me regardless if she was actually mad at Wally."

"I see, but it's still not like you to let him deal with it himself," Harriet mentioned while raising an eyebrow filled with curiosity.

"Best case scenario, she finds all this funny," Danny smirked, "Worst case scenario, she's a little annoyed. Wally likes it when she's a little annoyed."

Harriet snorted, "I see. You know them that well, huh?"

"I do. I know all of my family well," Danny stated.

"And that helps you play cupid," Harriet's amused rolled off her in waves, "Don't think that I don't know that you basically ordered Silas and Nicolai to take the day."

"What can I say…" Danny closed his eyes to show his pained eyes, "I have a lot of romantic ideas and no one to use them on myself."

Harriet looked away in embarrassment, "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"I know," Danny gave her a side glance, "But if you want to make it up to me, then you can do me a big favor."

"What's that?" Harriet questioned.

"You see, I had this a table reserved at a big fancy restaurant for a year now," Danny pulled out a business card and handed to Harriet, "I would have given my reservation to Vlad, but he doesn't like the idea of using someone else's plan. And I couldn't give it to anyone else without them getting all sad on me about what happened…"

"Danny…" Harriet's eyes widened, "Wow…This restaurant is…"

"Yeah," Danny noted, "I thought she would like it."

"So…you want me to go with you as friends?" Harriet questioned, "That's fine, but I sure as hell am not paying for those kinds of prices."

"Don't worry, it's on me," Danny smiled at her, "But it's not me that's going with you."

"So…I'm going alone?"

"No. Take Damon."

Harriet blinked, "Damon? Why?"

"Because he's probably feeling alone right now too," Danny rubbed his temples, "And it hurts me knowing that. I don't expect you to fall in love or anything. Just go out and help the guy. That way, there's two less lonely people out there tonight."

"What about you?" Harriet questioned as Danny handed her his credit card with a quick reminder not to use it to go on a shopping spree. He planned to buy her and Damon dinner, not an entire new wardrobe that she didn't even need.

"Well, I've already played cupid for everyone that needed it," Danny noted, "I think it's time to go home and face the fact that no one's waiting for me today."

"Danny," Harriet gave him a look of pity.

"Don't. I don't want that look," Danny stood and began to walk his way through the silent laboratory, "Giving me that pitiful look will only make it worse, and I worked hard to make myself feel at least a little better today."

"You don't have to be alone," Harriet mentioned, "You have friends that would love to help you today."

"They would try, but I would still get those pity looks. I hate those looks," Danny paused in his retreat and sighed, "I would prefer to be alone than that."

"Danny…" Harriet clenched her hands. He didn't deserve this. No one worked harder than him. No one fought as hard or cared as much as he did. Yet it was always him that suffered. The weight of the world seemed to always be on his shoulders.

"Goodnight, Harri," Danny once again returned to silent and cold walk home, "Have some fun for me, okay?"

"Alright, Danny," Harriet didn't even bother to snap at the nickname she despised, "Just…Don't do anything stupid tonight, okay?"

"Something stupid?" Danny let out a hollow chuckle and shook his head, "What in my character makes you think I would do something stupid."

"We all do things we normally wouldn't when we feel alone, Danny," Harriet mentioned with a sad look in her eyes, "Remember that."

"So, she knew from the start," Cassandra noted. She and Joel stood on top one of the rooftops. Night had fallen, and they were covered by the shadows, "What exactly was the point of the operation then?"

"One: I promised Rob that I would help, so I had to put on a show," Joel lifted up one finger and then added another, "Two: It was pretty damn funny."

Cassandra snorted, "That it was. But you could have told Robin."

"No, I couldn't have," Joel shook his head, "Robin's an arrogant, rude son of a bitch. It's a harsh but true fact. I know that Donna was attracted to him, but his rough shell was a big turn off for her. So, I had to show her what was in the center of that rough coating. Telling him might have changed how he acted around her."

Cassadra blinked at Joel, "If that's true, then why would you go out of your way to help him like this?"

Joel paused for a moment before speaking again, "Despite his attitude, Rob is a good guy. He cares in a way a lot of people don't. It may seem like he's just being…himself, but I can see it. He went out of his way to help me a lot when I was in a slump, but he knew when to back down. Not a lot of people could do that with me. They don't really get me like him."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because we're the same. We're both kind of the black sheep…the outcasts of our Team," Joel explained, "Both of us have an attitude that can be kind off-putting, in different ways obviously. Most people think it's because we don't give a damn, but…"

"You're the kind of people that actually care the most," Cassandra noted, "You just don't know how the show it like the others. I get that…"

"Yeah, so we often go in a roundabout way to show it," Joel glanced towards his companion, "Both me and him, we show what we really feel through our actions. Donna understands that, and seeing him get over his pride and ask for help in order to impress her showed her that he cares a lot."

"Hmm…" Cassandra nodded slowly, "I see…And it also showed that you care a lot too."

"I think that they're good for each other. They'll check each other egos," Joel mentioned, "Besides, they should value every bit of time they can get…You never know when it will end."

"I see," Cassandra frowned, "You miss her."

It was more of statement than a question, but Joel could hear some investigation in her voice, "I do. A lot. We were close."

Cassandra paid close attention to Joel's face. Chilling solitude burst in his eyes. Grief showed in the tiniest of twitches on his face. Longing seemed to seep off him in waves, "Alright. I have my answer."

"Huh?" Joel raised an eyebrow at the other trained assassin.

"Nothing. I guess I was just hoping to find something," Cassandra sat at the edge of the roof and looked up to the sky, "Tell me, Joel, if you had the power to control your fate, what would you do?"

"Control my fate? As in everything that happens in my life?" Joel paused in thought, "Well, I guess I would make it so that I wasn't born into this so-called 'elite' bloodline. I would make it so that I wouldn't lose so many people. I would make it so my life was…peaceful."

"Peaceful, huh?" Cassandra pursed her lips, "That sounds boring. I'm not exactly sure what I want in my life anymore, but I want it to be exciting. I thought that I wanted be like Mom. Strong, feared, unconditionally loved by someone…But I don't think that's how I will end up. So, if I could control fate, I would make it so that I could be my own person."

Joel turned his gaze up to the sky as well, "That sounds like a great goal to me."

"Yes, but to do that, I need to stop chasing after others for now. No more looking to others as a way to change my fate. I have to do it myself."

"What do you…" Joel lowed his gaze to see that Cassandra was gone, "Oh, I see…"

Satisfaction surged through her veins as she dropped the last thug into the unconscious heap that had built up during the fight. After a short trip to New York, the two young heroes took to the streets in order to find some action. It didn't take very long to find what they were looking for in the city. Crime seemed to everywhere. Only Gotham could compare.

After a few hours and several beat downs later, both of the heroes had more than their share of fighting. The last fight, if it could really be called that, seemed to be all that was needed to improve Spirit's mood. It was the thugs' bad luck that they decided to rob a warehouse this night.

"One good thing about tonight," Cyborg mentioned as he began to tie the thugs up, "We got to hear some pretty hilarious stories."

"I know, right?" Spirit let out a loud laugh as she remembered some of the complaints, stories, and jokes she heard from the criminals before she ambushed them, "Stealing for a Valentine's Day present, missing a date for 'work,' and some of their complaints! Hahahaha! It's hilarious."

"You know, if they actually want a girlfriend or to have their girl stop complaining about their business, maybe they should stop being thugs and criminals," Cyborg mentioned.

"They probably didn't think about that," Spirit noted. She paused as she heard sirens beginning to approach, "Oh, there's the cops."

Cyborg blinked, "That was fast for them. I only contacted them a minute ago."

"Huh…Maybe we went overboard and lightened their workload a lot tonight," Spirit shrugged, "Come on. I don't want to answer any questions."

"Right," Cyborg's back shifted into a jet pack that allowed him to rocket up after Spirit as she raced towards the heavens. Within seconds, the two heroes were soaring high above the city. Oddly enough, even the polluted and gray city of New York seemed to glow under the moon's brilliant light.

After flying for a few minutes, Cyborg once again spoke, "So, um, you done for tonight?"

"Yeah, I've had my fill," Spirit nodded, "But before we Zeta back, I want to stop by somewhere."

"Alright, lead the way."

It took only a few moments for the duo to reach their destination. They landed in the backyard of a rough and decaying building that seemed be abandoned for years. Cyborg frowned as they landed in a dead and barren backyards. The fence was nearly torn all the way, so the neon lights of the shop across the street covered the area.

"Why would you want to come here?"

Spirit walked down to a simple grave. The body had been moved long ago out of respect, but she made sure to keep the carved wooden place where it was. On the board read the simple message of 'Greta Hayes Beloved Sister,' "I just thought that it would be a shame to come by here without showing some respect."

"Greta's grave," Cyborg's breath came out a pained whispered. He heard stories about this, but it was haunting to see it with his own eyes.

"Yeah," Spirit knelt before the chipped and rotting wood, "This is where we met…or at least where I learned her name. All she kept saying was 'secret' after all."

Cyborg allowed the tiniest of smiles to grace his face, "I remember that."

"Back then, when I first say this, I kept thinking about how disgusting it all was. I thought that there couldn't possibly be a greater evil than that," Spirit then let out a sigh, "I wish I was right back then. What Harm did was despicable, but I never imagined what he would do later…"

"No one did," Cyborg approached Spirit and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "You can't blame yourself for all of it."

"I don't, but…" Spirit frowned, "I still think what would have happened if I took action. If I made sure that he would never be a threat again, if only by making sure he couldn't swing a sword. What if I stopped Freakshow when he first gained full power of the Reality Gauntlet? What would have happened if I was more aggressive when trying to save Wulf? If I did any of that, we wouldn't be missing members of our family."

"Maybe, but you did the best you could at the time…with the knowledge you had," Cyborg argued.

"No, I hesitated. I knew what I could have done, but I didn't do it," Spirit admitted, "And because of that, people died. I hate knowing that, especially with Nyx and Raven still needing my help. History repeats itself if you don't learn from it, right? Then I have to learn from it. I can't afford to hesitate in the future."

"What does that mean?" Cyborg questioned.

"I really don't know for sure. It depends on the situation, but I do know that hesitating is a choice in itself. And it's not the choice I want to make anymore. From now on, I'm going to make a decision and not let someone else make it for me," Spirit stood. "Sorry, didn't mean to bring that up. Just…being here brings up old memories."

"It's fine…" Cyborg mentioned, "In fact, I think I needed it."

"Good," Spirit smiled gently, "Come on, I'm tired. Let's go home."

With that, the two heroes soared into the air once more. Wind rushed around them in shiver inducing waves. Neon lights danced below them like a controlled firework show. The mood glowed down encouragingly as they made their way back to the Zeta Tube.

"Dani, wait," Cyborg suddenly stopped in his flight. The gentle hum of his jetpack mixed with the whistling wind to make a rather soothing background.

"Huh?" Spirit instantly stopped. She looked back with concerned features. Her friends rarely called her by her human name when she was in her ghost form, "Something wrong."

"No…Yes…I-I don't know…" Cyborg's robotic form began to fidget.

"You're not running out of energy are you? Because I could help you back if you needed it," Spirit offered.

"No, no," Cyborg suddenly let out a loud groan, "Damn! I thought this would be easier! The guys even went off so I could do this…"

"Huh?" Spirit blinked. Her Premonition tickled at the back of her mind, but it wasn't a threat warning so, out of respect, she ignored it.

"I…I…" Cyborg took a deep breath, "Hesitation is a choice too. Take action."

"Yeah. We just talked about that," Spirit gave an awkward smile. That only made Cyborg want to back out, though. She was always at her most beautiful when she smiled and was happy. Her features jumped out at him. Piercing green eyes bored into his soul in ways that the metal man didn't think possible. His human heart began to do flips in his metal chest.

"Look…I know that you don't really like to date because of your Premonition, but…" The part of Cyborg's face began to flush. His armor shifted and allowed him to pull out a bouquet of flowers, "I've really liked you for a long time. You're so strong, smart, beautiful…So amazing. I just…I don't…Do you want to go out with me?"

Spirit slowly took the flowers and stared at them for what seemed like an eternity to Cyborg.

"I…I know it's kind of lame and old-fashioned. Weird for the robot guy, right? But I thought that this would be the best option. After all, I have heard your rants on guy's intentions, and I…I don't really want to make you feel uncomfortable. So I would understand if you don't want to...take this anywhere, or go back. And…and…" Cyborg seemed be at a loss for words, "Please say something."

"You're wrong. You've never done anything to make me uncomfortable," Spirit took a deep sniff of the flowers and smiled brightly, "I've never complained about you after all. I know you chastise yourself when you have strong intentions."

"Oh…"

"This is pretty lame," Spirit admitted, "I mean, asking me out while in mid-flight with a bouquet of beautiful flowers on Valentine's Day? It's so corny…and so sweet."

"R-really?" Cyborg's eyes lit up.

"Yeah," Spirit clutched the flowers to her chest, "Let's go get something to something to eat. Usually, the boyfriend pays, but I think we'll be progressive and split the bill. What do you think?"

"I…I don't…"

"Don't worry. I can hear your intentions," Spirit reached over and gently cupped his metal cheek. She leaned in and gently pecked him on the lips, "Loud and clear."

Danny released a tired groan as he entered his silent room. The mansion was completely empty at this point. His family was either celebrating the day, helping others with it, or avoiding it all together. The silence of the building raked at his ears. He felt as if his ears were burning as the silence mocked him with the solitude he felt that day.

Wanting only to go straight to bed, Danny pulled his shirt over his head. He slowly walked over to his closet and threw the dirty shirt into his hamper. As soon as he did this, he paused and glanced to his bed, "What are you doing here, Jen?"

Jenifer Savage gave him a small smile. While not in her combat form, her dark hair rolled softly down her shoulders and back. Brilliant green eyes sparkled with mischief. Her heart shaped face glowed from the moonlight that gently drifted into the room. The normal combat clothes she normally was replaced by a more civilian looking attire. Simple blue jeans and a plink blouse hugged her frame quite impressively.

"Your room has changed a lot," Jenifer noted as she looked around the rather cluttered room, "It gives me an all work and no play time of feel."

"I've been busy. I have a lot of work to deal with," Danny stated. He kept a rather large distance between him and the woman.

"Is that why you haven't called me in forever?" Jenifer allowed a tiny frown to cover her features.

"Yeah…" Danny let out a sigh and leaned against his couch, "Something like that…You didn't answer my question."

"Hmm…" Jenifer's eyes trailed his naked torso. Her eyes landed on the five scars that covered his defined stomach, "How'd you get those? I thought that you had a healing power."

"Quit avoiding the question," Danny felt his annoyance bubble against the lining of his skull.

"Fine," Jenifer smirked, "I'll answer, but only if you answer my question first."

"I asked first."

"But I'm the lady. You should be a good gentleman and answer my question first."

"Oh, is that it," Danny couldn't hold back the snort that seemed to wash the annoyance away, "You're using the 'I'm a woman' card? That's low, you know. Especially because I've heard you call that stuff BS plenty of times before."

"I know, but I'm an assassin. I use every card to my advantage when I need to. And if that doesn't work, I can use the fact that I'm freaking adorable."

Danny couldn't hold in the chuckle that danced up his throat, "Fine, I got these a few years ago against Freakshow. His Reality Gauntlet cut me, and…by the time I could use my regeneration, it scared over. Had some chances to get rid of them, but I thought they were a good reminder that I'm not invincible."

"Smart, but…" Jenifer paused for a second, "I thought you beat Freakshow no problem. He tried to unlock the real power of the Gauntlet. You and your friends stopped him. In a last effort attempt, he tried something stupid and blew up both himself and the Gauntlet."

"Yeah…" Danny let out a smile, "That's what most people remember."

"I see…" Jenifer smiled back, "Now that's a story I'd like to hear with more detail.

"Uh huh…" Danny then remembered the situation. He dropped the smile and gave her a deadpanned look, "But first…"

"Right, right," Jenifer waved off his concerns, "I was bored. All my friends are into their Valentine crap. No missions either. So I had nothing to do, and we haven't really hung out in a long time, so…"

"Yeah," Danny's eyes darted to the side. Out of respect for Valerie, he did limit his time with Jinx. They were never completely unsupervised, and he made sure that everything was one hundred present in the friend zone territory. After Val had died, though, he basically eliminated Jinx from his life. His friends seemed happy about his decision to ditch the 'frenemy,' but Danny still felt guilt trickle at his heart. Jen and him had been friends for a long time now, "I'm sorry. I've just been dealing with a lot of stuff."

"I know. That's why I gave you your space," Jenifer noted, "But today. I was lonely…I just couldn't stay away. I wanted…I needed to see you."

"Oh," Danny nodded slowly.

"I…" Jenifer paused for a brief second before continuing, "I don't want to pressure you into anything. I've already caused you enough trouble in the past. But…I needed to be here tonight."

The woman stood from her position on the bed. She then took a few steps away from mattress. Her walk was not in the least bit seductive. There was no strut, no sway of hip, or even a sideways glance. She merely left her position and placed herself at the crossroads of his door, the bed, and him.

"If you want me to leave, then I will," Jenifer's eyes calmly met his, "I will walk out that door, and I won't come back tonight. I won't blame you if you do. This…is a step over the line. I know that it's only been three months, but…I don't want to wait any longer. Knowing that this is possible, but refusing to act on it…" She brought her arms around herself and squeezed tightly, "It hurts me. So, I need an answer now, because…I don't want to be alone tonight. Not if I don't have to be."

The answer 'no' immediately burned against the inside of his mouth. It was too damn soon. It would be disrespectful to Val. He wasn't ready. They were on the opposite sides of justice. This couldn't possibly work out. And she…and she…

"Damn, you look beautiful in the moonlight," Danny blurted out his inner thoughts. The moonlight continued to pour in from the window that Jenifer probably entered from. Her already stunning features become outright radiant from the lunar light.

Danny's words seemed to please Jenifer more than he expected them to. She smiled, but it wasn't her normal confident smile. This one was a shy, more vulnerable smile. Her cheeks gently lit up with a crimson tint. Her hands folded in front of her in a rather open manner.

"Thank you," Jenifer looked to the moon that glowed outside his room, "I've always had an affinity with the moon. It reminds me of my mom. I never got to know her, but Dad said that she and everyone in her family had been blessed by the moon. It makes us stronger…better…"

"More radiant," Danny whispered.

Jenifer looked back to Danny, "Yeah."

Danny took a deep breath unsure what to do. His mind, heart, and body were all conflicted against themselves. There were as many wrongs as there were rights. There were as many cons as pros. There were as many wants as distastes. He couldn't make a straight decision.

As he interally debated, Jenifer stood patiently waiting. Her eyes never wavered, and her stance never faulted. The trembling of her fingertips and the biting of her lip gave away the great nervousness that boiled beneath her skin.

"I…" Danny's voice shook. With no real decision in mind, he voiced the thoughts that he too had been thinking this very night, "I don't want to be alone tonight either."

Jenifer's face instantly lit up with joy and relief. Her smile made his hear to a flip in his chest. A gentle sigh of relief escaped her lips, "Yes."

Desire burst out in Danny's chest. Three months without a woman to warm his bed instantly made him want to act. He refused to do that, though. Jenifer had been fair enough to place the ball in his side of the court first. Now, it was her turn, "And what do you want, Jen?"

"What…do I want?"

"Yes," Danny took a step towards her, "What exactly do you want from tonight? A date? A one-night stand? A relationship?"

Jenifer's eyes danced in thought. She hadn't exactly thought that part through, "I…I don't know. I just…I just came here and hoped you would say yes. But, if you need an answer, then I want you."

"Me?"

"Yes," Jenifer nodded, "You. I don't care the shape or form. I don't care about what people call our relationship. I just want to be with you."

Danny took a few more steps forward until he was right in front of her, "Then you can have me."

Jenifer's face lit up. Her eyes instantly darted to his hardened body. The years of training and fighting made it so his body looked almost carved out of marble. Years of waiting and wanting burst through her body, but inexperience made her hesitant. She slowly reached out a hand and slowed slid her fingers down his chest towards his hardened stomach, "Danny, I, um, I don't…"

Danny instantly understood. While Jenifer was probably sought after by many of men, she had always said no. She didn't want them. She only wanted one person, and that left her lacking in knowledge that Danny had gained over the past three years.

Gently grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her to his frame. He was shocked by how submissive she was to this. His interactions with woman in this sort of situation had always been more of a battle for dominance. Both of his previous partners liked to be the one to set the pace. Right now, though, Jen seemed to want him to lead the way.

So, he did. Danny brought his lips down and firmly pressed them to hers. He tasted her. He felt her. He pleased her. Sparks seemed to burst out from ever little contact that they made. It was those sparks that led to an inevitable blaze between the two of them. Neither of them tried to stop it. Instead, they did the exact opposite. They let the fires surge in a mutual understanding of one fact.

Everything burns.