Chapter 36: Behind Conviction (2)

(Monday-June 2, 2014)

Colossus didn't sleep well like he usually did. The reason for his lack of peaceful sleep was a direct result of the end result of the Blackest Night. While he did manage to get one of the greatest fights of his life, he lost a lot in the process. His time left in the physical realm had drastically shrunk. That was fine. The giant had known that he was closer to death than to life even before the fight in space.

What really made Colossus turn in his sleep was what happened to his greatest rival. Danny Phantom had lost his powers. That was even worse than death. If Phantom died, then that meant that Colossus would have been closer to knowing that his final fight would never happen. With this result, though, there was a mocking temptation in the air that kept Colossus from giving up hope.

So, he held onto his life, knowing that his greatest fight might never happen. Sleeping would extend his life, but it was for only false hope and dreams of forcing the power back into Phantom.

(Saturday-June 7, 2014)

Tim Drake sat in a large study in Wayne Manor. His seat was very soft and comfortable, but the gaze on him made him want to fidget. No matter what, though, he had already decided that he would not back down no matter what.

"Master Drake," The aging butler…Alfred…Yeah, that's what he was called…poured some tea into his cup.

"Thank you, sir," Tim stated politely and brought his cup up to his lips for a sip.

"So…" Bruce Wayne glared at him, "Alfred tells me that you knocked on my door claiming that you know I'm Batman."

"Yes, sir," Tim nodded, "I figured it out a few years ago by comparing some footage of you and the original Robin with footage from the Flying Graysons."

Despite the situation, Bruce gained a bit of an impressed look, "I see…And why haven't you said anything about it for such a long time?"

"I never had a reason to say anything. I always believed that you are best for Gotham," Tim unnoticedly impressed Alfred as well with his manners and wordplay, "But recently, I noticed that you have become far too brutal with the populace."

"I see…" Bruce shared a look with Alfred. The butler had been saying the same thing for weeks.

"It has to do with the death of Robin and Joker, doesn't it?" Tim placed his cup down, "Their deaths affected you a lot."

"Perhaps…But there's nothing we can do about that…" Bruce stated bitterly.

"You're right. What's done is done," Tim nodded, "But Gotham still needs the Batman you used to be. And the Batman needs a Robin. Without a Robin, Batman begins to stray from the path of justice."

"Your point is?"

"I'm the only one that knows your secret. I'm the only one that can help you…help Batman," Tim took a deep breath, "So please, train me to be Robin."

Alfred's eyes widened, "Master Drake, you do realize what you're asking."

"I do."

Bruce did not seemed amused, "So you want to be a hero?"

"Not at all," Tim answered honestly, "I always wanted to grow up to be a detective. It's fun for me. Being a hero…that doesn't seem fun at all. But I feel like I'm the only one that can do this. If there were anyone else to help you, I wouldn't have shown up at all. But with your other protégés missing, and Nightwing working more in Bludhaven…You need someone to help you out in the field, and I'm the only person that could do it right now. So despite what I want, I'm stepping up because the world needs me to do it."

Bruce gave Tim a hard look before nodding, "I see…We'll start your training immediately."

(Sunday-June 8, 2014)

"Where are we?" Deadshot questioned while looking around the white dome room. He had been on his way to death row when dragged here. Realistically, this was better than being dead. That didn't mean he wasn't suspicious of what was going on right now.

"Like I would know?" Harley Quinn sat on the ground with a pouting look on her face

Killer Frost had a cold look on her face, "I got dragged out of my cell for this? Being around you clowns has to be classified as inhumane torture."

Harm ignored the other criminals and continued to mediate on the ground. Their words were just buzzing distracting him from his quest of purity and inner peace.

Captain Boomerang gave her a frown, "Really, love, tell us how you really feel."

"I feel like turning you into an icicle!" Killer Frost snapped, even though she knew that her inhibitor collar wouldn't allow such a thing.

"Enough!"

All four criminals turned to see a door slide open. Amanda Waller walked through the door. She have them a judging look before stepping to the side to let three more figures enter the room. Despite the danger the four criminals held, they couldn't help but be intimidated by the savage looking Silver Banshee, Cinderblock, and Amorpho.

"What's going on?" Deadshot demanded.

Waller smirked at them, "You've been chosen to do some actual good in your lives instead of living as degenerates for the rest of your miserable existences."

"Huh?" Harley Quinn tilted her head in confusion.

"A friend of mine has come up with a wonderful idea," Waller explained, "Take a bunch of criminals with unparalleled skills and make them do some real good. All of you have been chosen. Feel grateful."

"Grateful doesn't really explain it, warden," Captain Boomerang began to pick at his teeth, "What's in it for us, yeah?"

"You get to live."

Kill Frost raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Your last meal was laced with explosive nanobots," Waller basked in their shocked looks, "If you ever step out of line, then boom. No more head."

"Harm sees…" Harm's eyes snapped open, "This is a sign. Harm's redemption is at hand. Count him in."

Deadshot rolled his eyes, "Not like I have a choice."

"Ditto," Killer Frost sighed.

"Wait, wait," Captain Boomerang gave Waller a hard look, "How do we know you ain't lying?"

Waller smiled cruelly, "Please, feel free to test that theory. I don't care. After all, I won't be the one cleaning up the brain matter."

Seeing Waller's look, Boomerang backed down.

"Well, count me out," Harley Quinn noted, "It don't matter if I die anyway. Without Mista J, life has no meaning."

"My friend thought you'd say that," Waller noted, "Unfortunately, you're a special case. He doesn't want you dead. He wants you…cured for some reason. So, you'll cooperate no matter what."

"Oh yeah? And who's gonna make me?"

"I will," Red X stepped into the room making the criminal all move back in surprise, "You four along with these three volunteers will all work under me. Welcome to Task Force X. But just for clarity's sake, I prefer to call us the Suicide Squad."

(Tuesday-June 10, 2014)

Ace leant back into her medical bed and looked across the room to the mirror. Her reflection looked back unhappily at her bald head, "I liked my hair…It was one of the few things that I kept real…"

"Sorry, Ann," Gizmo noted as he worked at the dozens of different equipment that surrounded her bedside, "But if you want me to work to find a miracle cure, then the hair had to go. The chemo, scans, and laser operations require it."

Lydia leaned over Ace's bedside and gently took her hand, "Don't worry, Ace. We're all here for you. The others are doing more research as we speak."

"Thank you," Ace gave them both a rare small smile, "But…realistically…What are my chances?"

"About 0.01%," Gizmo answered honestly.

Ace's face fell, "I see…How much time do we have then?"

I'd give it…a year. Two at most," Gizmo responded.

Ace nodded. That wasn't a lot of time. Plus, it would be extremely painful. At the very least, though, she would be surrounded by people who cared about her. People actually…loved her. So even if she did die, she would go happy.

(Tuesday-July 1, 2014)

Donna Troy sat on a simple stone bench. Simple white robes replaced her normal battle attire. She looked out to the ocean. It was calm and peaceful. The retired hero felt calmed by the sound of the gentle waves. Still, the memories of what…who was lost still haunted her mind.

"Donna…" Diana sat down next to the girl, "Are you alright? Mother has stated that you still remain distant and cold."

"I am fine, sister," Donna noted calmly, "I just never expected Man's World to grip me so. Both its horrors and its wonders fill my mind."

"Have you thought about going back?" Wonder Woman questioned, "I know you would be welcomed."

"Maybe someday," Donna stated, "But not any time soon. Jason…I never thought a man could hold such a place in my heart. With him gone, it's too painful for me to be out there. Everything reminds me of him. When the mourning has passed, then maybe I will return."

Diana nodded, "I understand. I remember my first love. Steve Trevor. He was actually a lot like Jason, so I suppose we have similar taste in men. I outlived him of course, but his death was…far more expected than Jason's."

"Does…Does it ever get any easier?"

"It does, but I never forget about him," Diana let out a sigh, "I would give anything to get him back."

"Yeah," Donna suddenly realized something, "I…I'm going to outlive everyone, aren't I? I never thought about that. All my friends will die long before I do."

"Yes. They will."

Donna looked down, "So I will probably go through this again."

"Yes. You will."

"I…I'm starting to think that immortality is a curse."

"Yes. It is."

(Thursday-July 10, 2014)

Cissie King-Jones let out an angry hiss. She took the bow in her hands and angrily threw it to the ground where it landed with a clatter. Blood both old and new stained the once green bow a permanent red. Looking down at her hands, Cissie scowled as she saw the new cuts in her hands brought about by the constant use of her bow. The new wounds would eventually blend in with the old scars.

"What are you doing, Suzzane?" Bonnie King questioned her daughter.

"I'm giving up, and stop calling me Suzzane. You know I prefer to go by Cissie," Suzzane glared at her mother.

"You're not giving up. You still have another hour of practice left," Bonnie noted.

"Oh, like hell," Cissie snapped.

"Language!"

"I'll talk however I damn well please!" The thirteen year-old gained a hateful look, "I'm sick of training, and I'm sick of you. Dad never would have let you run me to the ground like this."

"Well, your father's not here anymore."

"Oh trust me," Cissie held up her bloodied palms, "I noticed."

"I thought you wanted this? You always went on and on about how you wanted to be like that Artemis girl working with Green Arrow," Bonnie ignored her own outrage at the girl.

"Yeah, four years ago," Cissie shook her head, "For the love of God, Mother, I don't want to be an Olympian level archer. I just want to be a teenager."

"Well, too bad. We've come too far to go back now," Bonnie argued, "Pick up your bow. I'm adding another hour to your training regime."

Cissie's gritted her teeth, "No."

"Don't you say—"

"No! I'm sick of this!" Cissie began to back away, "No more."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to the police. I can't stand any more of your abuse."

(Friday-August 8, 2014)

Virgil watched as the tiny robot followed Richard's commands without any devise to control it, "Rich, that is totally sick."

"I know, right?" Richard pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it to the robot, "Now watch this."

The robot absorbed the phone. Once again, the robot began to walk around the table. Then, it shifted into the phone except with a few upgrades.

"Woah…" Virgil shook his head in awe, "So you control, like, all technology?"

"Basically," Richard nodded, "I don't have the full extent of it or anything, but if it runs on electricity…I have at least a little control over it."

"So cool," Virgil gained a sly look, "So…any of that gas left?"

"Naw, Hotep Ra used all the bit he modified on me and those other two," Richard adjusted his shades, "And he toasted any memory of the ingredients to make the stuff. It could take years, decades even, before they get close to make anything like that again."

"Dang. Having powers would be sweet," Virgil shrugged, "Oh well. So…You gonna be a hero?"

"Naw," Richard shook his head, "I think that thing with Nekron kind of turned me off to the whole thing. I just wanna be a normal guy, you know?"

"I get it, but…" Virgil smiled, "That doesn't mean you can't use your powers. You think you could hack into the school systems and change some things?"

"Dude, you read my mind."

(Wednesday- August 27, 2014)

Stephanie Brown hummed as she stepped into her apartment and closed the door behind her, "Dad! I'm home!"

Cluemaster looked up from his desk to smile at his daughter, "Stephanie, how was school?"

The ten-year-old blonde girl stepped up to her father's desk, "Boring as usual. And how are…your things?"

"Excellent. I think that I've finally come up with a plan to best Batman!" Cluemaster pointed to his desk, "I will leave a clue at the museum to the next clue at the park where—"

"Okay," Stephanie let out a sigh, "So same old same old?"

"No, no! This time it will work," Cluemaster argued, "I have everything planned out. You see…"

Stephanie zoned out as her father went on and explained his plans. It was stupid really. He was a joke to the criminals of Gotham. Cluemaster didn't really do anything bad by Gotham standards. Sure, he broke into places to leave clues, but he didn't destroy anything or steal anything. He just broke in, left a clue for Batman, and then left.

Hell, most of the time, Batman didn't even bother to arrest him. When he did, Cluemaster was out of jail in the blink of an eye. Gotham police had a lot worse to deal with than the light version of Riddler. For the most part, Stephanie really didn't care about what her dad did. If he was going to be a villain, though, would it kill him to at least be good at it?

"Alright. Enough. Batman's going to figure out all your clues, beat you up, and forget about you. Again," Stephanie shook her head. She loved her father but could hardly stand the embarrassment, "That's a spoiler for you, Dad. So you can quit now because you know how it's going to end."

"Steph…" Cluemaster gained a hurt expression.

Stephanie shook her head and turned, "I just came home to grab my gear. If you need me, I'm going to my self-defense class."

(Monday-September 1, 2014)

"Shazam!" Box Lunch cried out while flying out around the room, "Beware!"

Box Ghost gave his daughter a fond look before looking to his wife, "It seems like those kids really influenced her."

Lunch Lady nodded, "It's good for her to have some positive role models."

"Daddy! Mommy!" Box Lunch floated over to them excitedly, "I want to be a hero when I grow up!"

Box Ghost looked back to Lunch, "Positive role models, eh?"

Lunch Lady gained a sheepish look, "Maybe she'll grow out of it?"

(Sunday- September 7, 2014)

Poindexter sat in a comfortable chair reading a thick book. He was surprised that he made it so far with how he used his powers. Perhaps he gained a bit of mercy for his manipulations because he helped save the universe? Or maybe his punishment was just postponed. Either way, though, he was still alive.

That was good. He really wanted to see this story to the very end. There were so many cogs turning to make it work, "And I'm one of them now, aren't I?"

The ghost of black and white let out a chuckle. To think that he'd become such a prominent player in this game called life. Things had changed a lot since his days as a bullied school nerd.

Poindexter looked away from his book, "And things are going to change even more now…Huh, I've been talking to myself a lot. Perhaps I should I go out and socialize more. Or…"

All of the original members of the Council of the Elite were now gone or sleeping in Colossus's case. Perhaps it was time for some new leadership to help guide the Ghost Zone to a better tomorrow? Yes, Poindexter quite liked that idea.

(Saturday-September 14, 2014)

Asami Koizumi stood in her kendo armor in front of the massive applauding crowd. The ref held her hand up and announced her as the winner of the national tournament. Pride filled her chest at her skill with a sword. She had worked her entire life to get this point. Now the entire country of Japan would recognize her as the best.

But…That wasn't what she really wanted.

Her eyes drifted to the section dedicated for coaching staff and family. Her sensei looked on with pride, but her parents were nowhere to be seen. Just like always, they were too busy for her. Even when she accomplished greatness, they thought more about work than their daughter.

As her hand was lowered, Asami clenched her fists. Why? Why couldn't she earn their attention and love? Why wasn't she good enough for them?

(Thursday-October 2, 2014)

Garth floated off to the side watching King Kaldur and Frostbite discussing new plans for the city. The two of them worked well together, and Garth was proud of his friend. Kaldur had accomplished a lot since they were kids. It was hard to imagine the time when the two of them first teamed up to save Aquaman from Ocean Master.

Salacia have mercy…So much had changed since then. Those old days hardly seemed real now. Looking at the second Aquaman, Tempest couldn't help but miss those old days. There had never been a time where he envied his friend, and now wasn't any different. He did not envy Kaldur's position. To take over for the dead king without a moment of real training to do so…The stress must be unreal.

Still, Garth would willingly take any stress or pain to undo what had been done.

Looking down to the picture in his hand, Garth felt his heart twist. He had been certain that he and Tula would get married and live the rest of their days together. Now, though, that was gone forever. What was he to do now?

(Thursday-October 2, 2014)

"Neptune's Beard!" La'gaan gave his tutor and friend a wide eyed look, "You're quitting the team?! Why?"

"It mostly has to do with Tula," Tempest explained to his friend, "I cannot bring myself to concentrate on anything, and I would just drag everyone down."

"No one would think that," La'gaan argued, "They are your friends, Garth. They would want to be there for you."

"And I appreciate that, but it does not change where I am right now," Garth noted, "Donna and Joel had the right of idea of taking some time off. I never really wanted to have this lifestyle in the first place. I only really started to help Tula. Now, though…I lack the motivation I need, and to fight on, I have to find something new to keep myself going."

"I…I understand," La'gaan lowered his head.

Smiling, Garth placed a gentle hand on the other Atlantian's shoulder, "Do not worry. I will come back one day, and if the Team really needs help, I will answer the call. Until then, though, you will be Atlantis's representative on Young Justice."

"Do you really think I can do that?" La'gaan questioned, "I mean…I can be a bit…standoffish."

"La'gaan," Garth smiled, "I cannot think of a better person for the job."

(Monday-October 6, 2014)

Johnny 13 stepped into a nearly completely destroyed apartment. All the furniture was turned over or destroyed. Deep gashes covered the walls and ceiling. It looked like there had been a great struggle, but Johnny knew better. There was no fight here. There was only slaughter.

"Shadow," Johnny's voice boomed out.

His Bad Luck Shadow jumped up from the ground and began to sniff the walls. It then turned to Johnny and nodded.

Reaching up to stroke the gruff beard that was growing on his face, Johnny nodded, "What was she after?"

Shadow pointed to a spot on the wooden floor.

With narrowed eyed, Johnny walked over to the spot on the floor. After a few seconds of looking, he found a loose board. Pulling it up, Johnny found a bunch of paper clippings and pictures. They were all about the villain Thorn. Most of the clippings were rather old, but there was one thing in the hidden space.

A picture sat a strange angle revealing that it might have been accidentally dropped instead of placed back inside like the other newspaper clippings. The picture showed Rose Forrest holding her child. So the person who owned this apartment had deduced Thorn's identity, but who…

Johnny's eyes snapped to a name on one of the articles, "Lois Lane…The lady Superman always saves. That explains the lack of blood. Shit, now the League's gonna be after her."

(Wednesday-October 15, 2014)

Raven floated in the middle of a circle of candles. Light shined in through the windows of the temple room to reveal the pure white marble and intricate design of the room. Giving a soft hum, Raven meditated and focused on her inner core.

A soft smile adorned the young woman's face. Her entire being was filled with joy and peace. For the first time in her life, there was no suffocating weight on her shoulders. There was no threat of impending doom hanging over her. For the first time ever, she was at peace.

She had been enjoying life in Azaroth. People no longer looked at her in fear. Now, she was looked at as the defeater of Trigon, even if she wasn't the only one who fought and defeated Trigon. With the populace at least tolerable, Raven finally found herself enjoying her homeland. She spent her days studying, reading, and meditating. Life was perfect.

…Maybe a little too perfect if she was being completely honest.

A big part of her did miss the chaos and wildness that came from being with her friends. When she was with her friends, there was never a day of dullness or peace. Even if she did miss her friends, though, Raven did not regret her choice. This was what she needed in order to grow to her full potential. That was her ultimate goal. She strife every day to learn and grow. Then, when the time was right and the dimensional rifts were opened once more, she would return to the chaotic life around her friends.

Raven looked forward to that day.

(Saturday-October 18, 2014)

Nyx hated paperwork. It was the bane of her existence. She couldn't even fathom how her mother put up with it while leading the police force in the Ghost Zone. Of course, Pandora didn't have to deal with the ghosts getting antsy from being stuck in the Ghost Zone. That was a pain in the ass.

Pausing in her work, Nyx looked to the picture on her desk. It was of her and her mother. They looked so happy. Damn, she missed her Mom…and she missed being a kid. It was a lot of work taking her mother's spot in the Ghost Zone. Nyx was determined to it, though.

Of course, she could never replace Pandora. Nyx would always do things differently than her mother. That was fine, though. Pandora wouldn't want her to even try that. Nyx would do things the Nyx way and still live up to her mother's memory. She would make Pandora proud.

…If only that didn't involve so much paperwork…

(Monday-October 20, 2014)

"People of Tamaran!" Blackfire stood on a large balcony overlooking a crowd of people, "I know many of you have been concerned about the recent conflicts we have been in. I just wanted to assure you all that everything is fine."

Starfire stood on the crowd of Tamaranians looking up to her sister and ruler of the planet. She, like many people, had been concerned by the queen's habit of cornering and capturing other planets. It didn't seem right, but Starfire trusted her sister.

"Or rather, I should say that everything will be fine!" Blackfire gained a large grin, "Right now, though, Tamaran is still considered a joke! For too long the universe has looked down on us as savages, barbarians, and…worst of all…troqs!"

Angry mutters spread through the crowd.

"Well, I say that enough is enough!" Blackfire waved her hand. A massive hologram popped up above her castle showing everyone a large map with several large red X's stamped on it, "The only thing this universe acknowledges is power, cunning, and ruthlessness. So, let's show them just that! This map above me shows you the twelve planets under my control!"

A feeling of awe spread over the crowd. How in the world could Blackfire do that so quickly and without getting the Green Lanterns riled up? Starfire could only look on in horror at the thought of actually conquering so many people. How could her sister do that to people?

"Not just that…look at that planet!" Blackfire pointed to the spots on the map, "The world of Mongul!"

Gasps of horror spread through the crowd.

"Do not worry! He shall not be using his War World against us any time soon!" Blackfire laughed, "For I have obtained an even more powerful weapon…"

A giant in black and gold armor appeared beside Blackfire.

"Behold! Imeriex!" Blackfire shouted, "With his power, we are nearly untouchable! What's even better, we are not alone! I have allied us with some of the most powerful people in the universe! With them, Imperiex, and the natural Tamaranian strength that has allowed us to fight off invaders for so long, we shall grow into a force to be feared! Today is the beginning! The beginning of the Tamaranian Empire!"

In the crowd, Starfire could only look up in horror at her sister's declaration, "Sister…What have you done?"

(Saturday-November 1, 2014)

Ember hummed happily as she strummed her guitar and readied herself for the concert that was only a few minutes away. While her music was once filled with rage and calls for anarchy, it was now filled with a passion for life…afterlife…and hope for the future. Strangely enough, it seemed that her fans had changed as well. She could only assume that the days of teenage angst ended for everyone and morphed into the hope of young adulthood.

She could understand that. Her life was great right now. Everything was going up for her. Trever was now back in her life. Even if they couldn't see each other due to the separation between the Ghost Zone and human world, they could still find ways to communicate. That along with her dream becoming reality filled her with joy. At another time in her life, Ember would have ascended from the completeness she felt.

Not now, though. Ember was more ambitious now. Her obsession had grown. She wanted something else, and she was going to get back what she sacrificed to start her career. Danny had been calling her a lot lately. That was exactly what she wanted.

Ember never intended to try and move in after Danny and Jinx broke up. Normally, she would make the first move, but not this time. No, instead she just made herself available to him. She let Danny come to her so that he could move on from his previous girlfriend. The siren ghost knew that he would. While not a hero, Ember had always been there to support him, just as he supported her.

With how things have changed, that probably seemed pretty tempting for him. It was only a matter of time now. All she had to do was wait a bit longer, and she would get what she wanted. This time, Ember planned to stick by Danny no matter what. She would get everything she wanted.

(Friday-November 7, 2014)

Herald sighed as Bumblebee glared at him, "I can explain. I had this premonition—"

"Mal, really?" Bumblebee face palmed, "You missed date night again."

"But I saved five people from a rockslide," Mal suggested.

"I know," Bumblebee conceded, "But I wish you told me."

"You didn't last time you had to work late with the Atom," Herald noted, "I know that it was to cure that disease, but I was waiting for a while…"

Bumblebee frowned and looked away, but she didn't argue that, "Okay. So we're both airheads. God, this used to be easy when we were in high school."

"Things change. We changed. A lot," Herald mentioned, "Such is life. As we grow older, we find out true selves. You found your inner scientist, and I found my spiritual side."

"And that's compatible as oil and water," Bumblebee's face fell.

"We're not that bad."

"No, not yet, but we're getting there. Changes in two elements are gradual, but eventually they can become incompatible," Bumblebee gained a determined look, "Mal…I don't want to break up. I love you, but we're drifting apart more each week. If we want to stay together, then we both have to work to make more time for each other."

"Agreed," Herald nodded and pulled Bumblebee into a hug, "It might be hard, but I know we can do it. I love you, Karin."

"I love you too, Mal," Karin hugged him tight but gained a worried look.

(Tuesday-November 18, 2014)

She slept. For years, she remained in an artificial slumber without stirring. Despite this, she dreamed. They were very simple dreams really. She ran through beautiful fields of grain that shined from the blazing sun above. Familiar voices called out to her. It was her family.

The blonde girl ran out of the fields to see her parents. She ran into their arms and laughed in joy. This was just right. Life was great like this. If only it wasn't a dream. She was so tired of sleeping. All she wanted was to wake up. Her father kept whispering in her ear that it was time to go.

"But Dad, you say that all the time, and we haven't gone yet."

"I'm sorry, sweet. But it's not yet time. Just wait a little longer."

"All I do is wait."

"I know…I know…but you must be patient. Promise me that you'll wait?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"That's my good girl."

In her tiny spaceship, the blonde girl continued to sleep. All around her spacecraft that was only designed for one person was a concentrated space storm that slowed her trek. So, she remained asleep in her force suspended animation and dreamed. One day, she would awake. On that day, she would finally reach her destination and see him.

Kara Zor-El would finally get to see her baby cousin.

(Thursday-November 20, 2014)

"Hey, morons!" A heavy boot slammed into the bars containing a pre-teen with gray skin, "You really think that this cage can hold the Main Man?! Ha! I laugh in your stupid faces! When the Main Man breaks out of here, I'm going to woop all your weak asses!"

"Hmm…" Granny Goodness tilted her head at the caged child, "From the real Lobo, Granny might consider that a threat. But you, Slobo, don't have a single chance of escaping."

"Just watch me!" Slobo began to bite at the bars holding him.

"Well, it seems like the Earthling's cloning process works pretty well," Granny Goodness noted and turned away, "But Granny doesn't like your attitude, so you get to sit in there for a week without food."

"Ha! The Main Man doesn't need food!" A roar from Slobo's stomach said otherwise.

Granny smirked and walked away, "When you're ready to behave, then Granny will give you some food. Until then, think about what's best, child."

Slobo glared at the woman as she walked away. The fool! He was the Main Man! Even if he was a clone, he was still just that damn good! He would get out of here! Then he would prove that he was better than the original! He'd kick Lobo's ass and then get rid of that terrible name they called him! He was not a weaker version of Lobo!

But…there was another goal he had…The old lady mentioned it before…

"What the hell is Earth?"

(Saturday-November 22, 2014)

Roy Harper groaned as he returned back to the land of consciousness. He shifted his head slowly across the soft pillow to wake himself up. This action immediately resulted in regret as pain flared through his skull. The archer immediately recognized the pain as a hangover. It was a feeling he had long since gotten used to on his search for the original Roy Harper.

"Gah...damn," Roy forced himself into a sitting position, causing the bed sheets to pool down into his naked lap. He brought a hand up to clutch at his aching head, "I thought I told Jade to keep me away from the whiskey..."

"You did, but I'm not your keeper. Well..." Jade's voice slammed into his ear like a jackhammer, "I wasn't last night at least."

Roy looked over across the hotel room to see his ally stepping out of the bathroom while brushing her hair. She didn't seem to care that she stood naked before him, "God...don't yell..."

Jade chuckled, "I wasn't yelling, Roy."

"Just...whisper...please..."

"Well, traditionally, I'm supposed to honor and respect your wishes..." Jade hummed to herself, "But respecting others was never my strong point. Just ask my parents."

"I hate you..." Roy placed his face in his face and groaned.

"Weird," Jade placed the brush down and walked across the room to get some clothes, "I thought it would be at least six months before my first husband said that to me."

It was then that Roy realized what Jade had been implying since he first saw her, "Wait...what?"

"Figures you wouldn't remember. You were pretty hammered last night," Jade held up her hand to show the wedding ring that shined from it, "You proposed last night. I accepted. We got hitched. Isn't Vegas wonderful?"

"Vegas..." Roy's eyes widened, "W-We got married?"

"Yep~"

"Why did you let that happen?!" Roy winced as his hangover came out to bite him in the ass.

"I always wondered what marriage is like," Jade explained, "And life is short in our line of work. You're the most agreeable guy I know. Complete opposite from my old man so...why not?"

"I can think of fifty reasons why not to off the top of my head, and I'm hungover," Roy grumbled.

"Well it's done, and I won't accept an annulment," Jade noted, "So now you need to avoid taking risks like the last mission. No more getting shot."

"Did you plan this?!"

"What? Plan? Me? Psh...Of course not..."

"Damn it! Jade, did you even have a real lead last night like you promised!?"

"I did, but it was a bust. Who would have thought that the homeless man in the tin hat was unreliable?"

(Monday-December 1, 2014)

Oracle's fingers danced over a holographic keyboard. She hummed to herself as she waited for Team Alpha to contact her about their current mission. Barbara was alone in the Cave at the moment. Even the almost always present Nightwing was missing today. He couldn't always be by her side after all.

Pausing in her typing, she quickly muted her communication system. She took a quick look around to double check that no one was around the Cave. Taking a deep breath, Oracle brought her hands to the sides of her wheelchair. She then used her above average strength to lift herself up a bit. Barbara then closed her eyes.

"Move."

Her legs just continued to hang below her.

"Mind over matter. Move."

Despite her best efforts, not even her toes wiggled.

"Damn it! Move!"

Nothing.

Oracle's arms gave out on her. She slammed back down into her chair. As soon as this happened, Barbara instantly lowered her head and began to sob. It hurt so much. She had always been a gymnast. Moving was everything to her. Being contained like this hurt so much. Barbara always tried to hide it, but it never went away.

Unfortunately, time and life did not stop for her feelings. Lying around in despair wouldn't help her. She had to keep moving and be a part of the Team. It wasn't in her nature to quit.

Even if it hurt more than she could ever express with words.

(Saturday-December 6, 2014)

He had been moved a lot. Not that he would know. He hadn't been active in years. There was nothing for him. No dreams. No reality. Roy Harper just floated in his tube as time continued to march on without his notice. This was emphasized by the right arm that had been removed without his notice.

The only upside in this situation was that he wasn't alone. He was stored next to two other high profile projects of the Light. To his left was a similar sized tube that held a distorted version of Superboy. The years had not been kind to the unstable clone. His muscles were bulged in odd places and made him look like a hunchback.

To the original Roy Harper's right was an even more terrifying sight, though. A giant figure with gray, stonish skin. Large spikes covered his form. Overall, he looked like an immovable tank. On the outside of his massive container was a label that read "Project Doomsday."

Together, all three of them floated frozen in their tubes. There they would float for a significant amount of time. Soon, though, all three of them would find their release in a few years times.

(Thursday-January 1, 2015)

"So this is Earth…" A man covered completely in red spandex looked across the open plains in front of him, "I always wondered why the ruler of Apokolips was so interested in it. I can see why now. It's beautiful."

"Are you sure it's safe here, Scott?" A rather large and muscular woman leaned against him and whispered in his ear, "They're likely to invade here in a few years."

"The same could be said anywhere, Barda," Scott Free looked over to his lover, "But this is the place where the First Prophecy points to."

"You know that's a bunch of bologna!" A tiny aging man approached the duo, "And even if it wasn't, the guy it was supposed to be about is dead."

"True, but Earth is full of people that were made stronger because of him, Oberon," Scott noted.

Oberon just scoffed and walked away.

"Do you truly believe that we can be safe here?" Barda questioned.

"For now. We'll see in the future, and if it shows fortitude, then perhaps we can work with the Earthlings to fight Darkseid."

"And if it doesn't?" Big Barda questioned.

Mister Miracle frowned, "Then we escape like we always do."

(Sunday-January 11, 2015)

Talia hummed as she gently rocked her babe to sleep. Part of her hated the fact that she had to trick her beloved into having a child with her. That guilt quickly faded away at the sight of the boy, though. He was handsome just like his father. There was no doubt that he would inherit much from her beloved, including his fighting capabilities and inquisitive mind.

She often wondered just how Damien would end up. His place didn't lie in his own hands. It didn't even lie in her hands. Joel had sole say in how Damien's story would be told. The babe could end up being Ra's Al Ghul's successor or a readily trained man free to travel the world. Not to mention all the in between options.

Truth be told, Talia wasn't sure what she wanted for her child. She just wanted him to be happy. Such a desire made her think about Isabelle. The woman had been one of the many lovers that her father had taken over his life, yet also the last. Perhaps her father really loved Isabella. Talia could see why. There were a lot of things about the woman that even she respected. Motherhood was one of them.

Part of Talia wondered if she had the guts to do what Isabella did. Running from Ra's to the unknown just to give her son a small chance at freedom? At the very least, Talia always had the option of taking Damien to Bruce. Supporting a child while desperately hiding from the Shadows…That took guts.

Coincidentally, it was Isabella's choice that led to Talia's biggest worries as a mother. Joel's decisions would change how Damien got to live. Talia could only hope that Joel had grown wise enough to decide on a good future for her boy.

"Don't let me down, brother."

(Sunday-January 11, 2015)

"Don't let me down, brother."

Nyssa frowned as she watched her sister with Damien. Unlike her half-sister, she didn't believe that their brother would readily choose to be associated with the Shadows. Despite never meeting him, Nyssa had been observing Joel for years. Despite his unrivaled potential, he was too passive to usurp their father.

Many times, Nyssa thought about taking down her father herself. Ra's Al Ghul had ruled the Shadows for too long. His time had come and passed, yet he was still around to make decisions. The only problem was that Nyssa knew that usurping Ra's herself would lead to a civil war that could very well lead to the end of the organization.

There were only three possible candidates based on her father's commands. Batman was barely an option, though, and Nyssa didn't want her precious little nephew to be burdened with such a role at a young age. That only left Joel, but he was unlikely to take the role. Too bad, because he would have been a great leader…

"Maybe he can be," Nyssa mentioned to herself, "Perhaps…yes. It would cause a great change, and a lot of work gaining his trust…"

Perhaps it was time to meet her dear brother.

(Saturday-February 7, 2015)

Cyborg looked up from his repair work on his arm canon. There were many times that he had to do maintenance on his body. It was a boring and tedious process, yet there were many times that Dani asked to hang around when he did so. Of course, Cyborg always agreed. He enjoyed the company, but…

"You okay?"

Dani looked up from her writing, "Yeah. Why did you ask?"

"You just…haven't said anything in a while."

Dani blinked, "Was I supposed to?"

"No, but that's never stopped you before," Cyborg answered.

"Oh…Sorry," Dani bit her lip, "What did you want to talk about?"

Cyborg quickly thought of different questions. Why have you seemed so distant? Why is that even though that you're next to me, it seems you're so far away. Why do you stick by me so closely? Why don't you smile like you used to?

No, he already knew the answers to those questions. Voicing them wouldn't change anything, "What do you think of the new Robin?"

Just like always, they spoke about the topic relevant to the day. Despite spending so much time together, the couple seemed to know each other less and less every day. Cyborg yearned for the days were Dani smiled for the sake of joy itself instead of just to appease him.

(Friday-February 20, 2015)

"Mom!"

Helena Sandsmark rushed into the living as soon as she heard her daughter's shout, "Cassie! What's…Oh my God…"

"Look at this!" Cassie Sandsmark was literally lifting the family couch above her head with absolute ease, "I'm so strong! This is so cool! I'm like a superhero!"

"I didn't think that it was supposed to happen so soon…" Helana noted, "It was supposed to happen when you were adult…Wait…Greek times…Thirteen would be near adulthood back then…"

"Greek?" Cassie blinked and put the couch down, "What are you talking about? Did you know that this was going to happen?"

"Yes," Helana sighed, "It has to do with your father. Please, take a seat. You're going to need it."

Cassie obeyed her mother. This was the first time in a long time that her father had been brought up by her mother. In fact, it may well be the first time ever.

"Tell me, Cassie, what do you know about Greek demi-gods?"

"Like the Percy Jackson books?"

Helana sighed, "Yes…like Percy Jackson…Kids these days."

(Monday-March 16, 2015)

Zatanna jumped when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned from her book to see Constantine standing behind her, "God! You scared me!"

Constantine blinked. Out of habit, he moved to grab a cigarette from his pocket but stopped himself. Zatara would bust a nut if he found out that someone was smoking in a library filled with thousands of years' worth of magical knowledge, especially if that person was his daughter's boyfriend, "You kidding, Z? I was bloody calling over from the door a minute ago. You didn't seem to hear me."

"Oh…Sorry," Zatanna blushed in embarrassment.

"No problem, love," Constantine leaned over to look at what Zatanna was reading, "What's got you so focused?"

"Just some healing magic stuff."

Constantine blanched, "Gah, I don't know how you can study that stuff. It's as dull as the dust on some of these books."

"It is," Zatanna admitted, "But I want to have some more healing magic ready just in case. You never know in our line of work."

Constantine knew there was more but decided not to press further, "Alright. You want to take a break? Remember those theater tickets you wanted?"

Zatanna's eyes widened, "You didn't?"

"I did," Constantine grinned and held up the tickets, "Got 'em from a job as a gift. You want to go?"

"Of course," Zatanna quickly stood, "Can't spend all day studying."

"True, true, before we go, though, best to get business done with" Constantine held out a card, "The info you wanted on Thorn."

Zatanna took the card and slipped it into the book. She'd look at it when she got back.

"Not that it's any of my business, but my curiosity is getting the better of me," Constantine noted, "Why do you care so much about her? As far as I know, she doesn't have any issue with you."

"It's…It's for a friend."

(Sunday-April 26, 2015)

Wally leaned over the sink to stare at his reflection. His hair was longer than before, and more than a little bit of gruff covered his face. He looked a bit like a bit of an Apocalypse survivor, "Guess I am, though, aren't I, Artemis?"

A ding from his pocket signaled that he received yet another message. Wally just ignored it, though. It was probably Nightwing again…or someone else from the Team. He didn't even want to talk them, right now. They would just go on about the past. No, he needed to focus on the future. If he looked back too often, then he would be tempted to try to change things.

He quickly removed his shirt and activated his greatest speed. Instant, electricity shot off of him. The familiar symbol of Clockwork appeared on his chest. Despite how much happened during the Blackest Night, Kid Flash still remembered the warning that was given to him. He couldn't go back in time to save people. It would only cause more problems.

Even if that person was Artemis.

(Thursday-April 30, 2015)

Freddie was looking down at his notes, "So, I know you're having trouble remembering the dates, so we're going to have to cram most of the night."

Mary gave him no response.

"Mary?" Freddy looked up to see his girlfriend looking at the news on the television, "You okay?"

"Huh?" Mary turned away from the television, "Oh yeah. Just looking at this. A fire while we were at school."

"Mary…" Freddy spoke softly, "There is literally nothing we could have done."

"I know," Mary slowly nodded, "But I wish we could have."

"Just…" Freddy didn't know what to say to that, "Just come study. We got a test tomorrow."

"Yeah. Back to regular life. Just like always."

(Friday-May 1, 2015)

Ra's Al Ghul stood by the bedside of his newest projects. It was one of the few projects that he undertook without any input from any other members of the Light. This was far too personal for him. He wanted to keep this to himself.

With a stern look on his face, Ra's looked down to the unmoving body of Jason Todd. As soon as the boy was buried, Ra's had the body switched with a double. He then began to slowly pump the corpse with liquid from the Lazarus Pit to heal the deadly injuries and bring the body back to life. Ra's hoped that doing it this way instead of just dunking the body into the pit would keep the boy sane when he eventually woke. Ra's knew from experience the effect that the pit could have on the mind, and he never had to come back from such tortuous injuries.

The Joker had been a very sick individual.

All the injuries on Jason's body had been healed. There would always be scars on his form, though. The most prominent one would be the J branded onto his face. That would complicate things. With this new method being used, Ra's had no idea how the boy would change or react to his scar.

This was necessary, though. Jason's death had deeply affected both Joel and Batman. Returning him to life was the best way to bring out more sympathy to the Shadow's cause. It didn't hurt that Jason had all the potential in the world.

"In the end, I think this is a win-win situation," Ra's spoke to the unmoving Jason, "What do you think?"

Ra's didn't expect him to answer. Hell, he didn't even expect Jason to even be able to hear him, but what happened next shook those expectations.

Jason's eyes snapped open, "I think I need to know what the hell is going on."

Then, Jason moved. It was not a good night for Ra's Al Ghul as the revived Jason Todd knocked him back and fled from the room. The once dead Robin quickly disappeared before Ra's could call for his assassins to look for the boy.

(Sunday-May 17, 2015)

Jericho smiled as he ran his fingers down his guitar. Overall things had been calm since the Blackest Night. That was to be expected though things hardly changed in Nirvana, but they were still personal issues with which he had to deal. Despite his decision to return to his peaceful life, his mind often drifted to his sister.

He knew that Rose wouldn't exactly live the best life when he left. It wasn't like he could exactly take her with him, though. The journey to inner peace was never simple, and his sister held an inner darkness that would never allow her to follow the same path as him.

If he did stay, Jericho was sure that he would have died. He was never very good at assassination, stealth, and physical combat skills. Deathstroke was never known known to be merciful to failure even with family...especially with family. A dead Jericho was about as useful to Rose as a missing Jericho.

Still, knowing that this was still the best overall option, guilt still flooded through his chest. Rose had needed him. That much was obvious. He had failed in his duties as an older brother. That was something he had to make up for when he returned to Earth.

Jericho paused. With the paths between dimensions closed…how was he supposed to get out of here? Hmm, perhaps he should meditate on it.

(Tuesday-May 19, 2015)

"Gah! You imbecile!"

Ronnie Raymond flinched as the man in front of him shouted at him. In his rush and distraction of his finals, he bumped into one of the school's professors. In fact, it was a famous one at that. Not because of his teaching skills, though. It was because the professor was Nobel Prize-winning physicist, "Sorry, Dr. Stein. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Obviously," Martin Stein glared down to the coffee that stained his lab coat. He really hated teaching brats, but it was necessary to use the facility's lab, "What's your name, boy."

"Um…R-Ronnie Raymond, sir."

"Well, Mr. Raymond, you just got detention."

"But sir, it was an accident—"

"An accident that could have been avoided if you weren't running in the halls," Martin adjusted his glasses, "Take this as a lesson, Mr. Raymond. Be more careful."

"Yes, sir…"

As Ronnie walked away, Martin shook his head. He decided to put the boy out of his mind. In the grand scheme of things, Ronnie Raymond was irrelevant to Martin Stein's life.

(Saturday-May 30, 2015)

The blonde girl dusted herself off. It didn't help much considering that she was in a desert, but it was mostly force of habit. She was always so dirty that constant dusting and cleaning was necessary. Trying to break that habit would only be counterproductive.

"Okay…" The blonde girl nodded to herself, "Another day, another chance. "I'm totally going to get this dow—AAAN!"

As the girl moved her arms, the sand beneath her feet shifted and caused her to trip. Her face slammed into the sand. She pulled her head up and began to spit out stand.

Terra blanched, "Well…that's a good start to the day…"

(Thursday-June 4, 2015)

Eduardo Dorado Jr. frowned as he held the phone up to his ear, "But, Dad, why can't I move to the US with you?"

"I wouldn't be around, son. I'm constantly busy with work. It will be better if you stay with your grandfather. You'll have more stability with him."

"I don't want stability!" Ed argued, "I want to actually be with you! At the very least, can't I come to visit? Or you could come home for a while…"

"My work is very important, Ed. This is life and death stuff. I can't just take a break whenever I want."

"I get that. I really do, but there are other scientists. I just…" Ed's face scrunched up in sadness, "Life is short, padre. I get that mama's death—"

"Don't. I don't want to talk about that."

"Well, I do!"

"I'm done with this discussion. Call me when you have something reasonable to say."

"Don't run away from this! From me!" Ed shouted, "Please, Dad! I just want my father back—"

Eduardo Dorado Sr. hung up on his son.

"Bastardo!" Ed threw the phone away. It slammed into the wall and shattered, "I'll make you talk to me! Just watch! Even if I have to walk to the US on foot!"

(Monday-June 15, 2015)

Tye Longshadow clutched at his bleeding nose. He glared up to the much larger man in front of him, "That all you got?"

Maurice Bodaway cracked his knuckles, "You really need to know when to stop talking, little boy."

Shelly Longshadow ran in between her son and her boyfriend, "Stop it! Both of you!"

"I didn't do anything!" Tye exclaimed.

"You're antagonizing him!"

"I can't believe you're taking his side!" Tye snapped, "I'm your son! He's just some guy that you're humping!"

Shelly gasped in horror, "Tye!"

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" Maurice pushed past Shelly so hard that she fell to the ground. He then punched Tye again and knocked him into the wall.

Tye rubbed his sore jaw, "I call it as I see it. You're nothing Maurice. Every bit of power you think you have is an illusion."

"It looks like my power is pretty real to me," Maurice sneered.

"Looks are deceiving," Tye pushed past Maurice and helped his mother up, "You'll get yours one day."

"From who? You?"

"Maybe," Tye glared at his mother, "I'm out of here. Going to stay at Jaime's for tonight. I know that it's pointless to try to talk you into leaving too."

"Tye…"

"I can't help you if you're not willing to help yourself," Tye stormed to the door, "I love you, Mom. But I'm not willing to put up with this like you."

(Wednesday-June 24, 2015)

Kaldur sat on a throne that he never wanted. It was hard to come to terms with how much things had changed. In a six month timeframe, the entire royal family had been done away with or broken beyond repair, his love had been killed, and he had been crowned king. Truth be told, he had hoped that Mera would recover enough to return to her rightful place on the throne. Each day that passed crushed that hope a little more. Now, over a year later, he knew that there was a good chance that she would never recover.

So he was stuck as not only the new Aquaman but also the ruler of Atlantis. It was overwhelming. If Frostbite didn't stick with him, he was sure that he would have cracked from the pressure. He and the rest of the underwater city would forever be in debt to the yeti ghosts. They provided a stability that wouldn't exist after so much loss. In fact, people had long since accepted the coexistence with the yetis as normal life.

Kaldur had no issue with that. What he did have an issue was how people just accepted him as king now. People praised him as a magnificent ruler and hero. Truth be told, he was just trying to be like the people that used to lead him. He always would view the original Aquaman and Danny Phantom as far better leaders than him, but they were both gone now.

Oh, how he yearned for the days of past. Life was simple even a year ago. Being second-in-command was a role that was far less stressful. He got to spend his days assisting others while enjoying time with his close friends. All that was in the past, though. The days of joy were as dead as his old love. Now there was only his work to make Atlantis and the rest of the world a better place.

(Friday-July 10, 2015)

Jaime shouted out in shock. He spun around rapidly and clawed at the blue armor that now covered his skin. It had started out as a simple shortcut through a parking lot to get home faster. The next thing he knew was an explosion from a building and a strange blue, metal bug was crawling onto his spine.

"Oh! Dios mio! Ten compassion!" Jaime rushed to a window to look at himself, "Soy el diablo! Please tell me that this a dream!"

"This is very much real, Jaime Reyes."

"Dios?" Jaime blinked and looked around wildly when he heard the voice come from nowhere, "Oh no…Mamá was right. Lo siento. I should have prayed more."

"The Earthling urge to connect everything to the supernatural is illogical. I am not your imaginary sky friend, Jaime Reyes. I am the scarab that connected to your spine."

"Scarab?" Jaime turned to see the metal on his back, "Wait! You're alive?!"

"The correct term would be sentient."

"Whatever! If you can communicate with me, then listen to this! Get the hell off my back!"

"I am unable to do that. Once I have bonded with someone, I am programmed to stay connected until the body can no longer function."

"No longer function…Wait! You mean dead!?"

"Correct."

"Oh Dios…How did this happen?"

"I suppose that it would be productive to just tell you. Based on what I scanned from your mind, you are aware of the one called Blue Beatle…"

(Sunday-July 19, 2015)

The Joker was dead. That was the first thing Jason thought to look up after his mind cleared. After waking up to see Ra's Al Ghul, Jason had went into a crazed blur. He fled and moved on instinct for weeks. His years of living on the streets and training under Batman kept him alive as the Shadows tracked him. Once his mind finally cleared, Jason remembered everything. Then, there was only rage.

That rage quickly died when Jason learned that the Joker had been beaten and killed. Someone had avenged him. Using old access codes that it seemed no one deleted upon his death, he learned that Danny had disguised himself as Red X to hunt down and kill the Joker.

Jason's respect for the boss man surged when he learned that. He always knew that Danny Phantom looked after his own. That led to the bigger issue, though. A lot had happened after he died. So many members of the Team died not long after he did, and they didn't have the luxury of the Lazarus Pit to revive them. One of them had been Danny, who sacrificed his powers to stop Nekron.

"That's heavy stuff," Jason muttered to the abandoned apartment building. Luckily, he knew where several of his friends emergency safe houses were and could stay there until he figured out his next move, "So much has changed."

He really didn't know what to do. Going back to Gotham didn't seem right, especially considering how Batman probably disapproved of how Danny handled the Joker. Amity Park was an option. Danny would definitely secretly take him in, but it didn't feel right burdening the boss man like that. Young Justice was a no go, they would keep him locked up for his own safety.

Truth be told, he wanted to find a way to Themyscira and tell Donna. He didn't think that the Amazons would be very accepting of him, though. Not to mention how difficult it would be to get there. There was no way for him to track Cassandra without a lot of resources. And Joel…how was he supposed to find a ghost that had no real pattern of movements?

Right now, he was on his own. That was probably for the best. He couldn't go back to being who he was before the Joker killed him. Especially considering the fact that there was already a new Robin. He had to find out who he was now.

Jason's eyes drifted down to the twin pistols that he had at his hips. They were a comfort that Jason never knew that he needed. There was an itch to use them, and with the Shadows tracking him, he was sure that he'd get a chance to use them. Blood would spill.

"I'll need a persona. Something red. It's a pain to wash out the blood," Jason paused, "Oh wait…that's perfect…"

Back before the Joker became famous, he had an original persona. Not a lot of people would remember it, but Batman crammed all the Joker's history into Jason's skull. Now that he was dead, Joker wouldn't care if Jason took it. From now on, he would be known as a feared killer for justice.

The Red Hood.

(Sunday-August 2, 2015)

Colin Spectra-Wilkes had a secret. It was something that he kept from both his Mommy and Daddy. He knew it wasn't good to lie, but this wasn't technically lying because his parents didn't ask about it. So it had to be okay, right? At least that's what he thought.

It all started during the scary time where the day turned dark and all the adults hid. He and his parents hid in the big lab building. Even when there was a lot of noise, they didn't come out of their hiding spots. Colin did, however, hear voices coming from the vents. Curiosity got the better of him, and he stuck his ear by the vent to hear better.

Then, there was the strange purple gas. He coughed on it for a bit before it disappeared. His mommy quickly came to his aid, but he didn't want to worry her more, so he kept quiet about it. For a while, it wasn't a big deal. He almost forgot about it until one day he grew to the size of a really big adult.

It happened when he scrapped his knee really badly while playing in the park. Colin grew big and strong, strong enough to lift the entire swing set. He quickly panicked when he saw how scary he looked, though. All he wished was to change back…and he did.

That was his secret. Colin hae super powers, but when he used them, he looked like a big monster. So he kept it secret from his parents and everyone else. He didn't want to scare anyone. But there were times when he wanted to use his powers to stop bullies. Colin didn't like when people were mean. Still, he knew that it was best to keep his secret safe right now.

When he got older, then maybe he could stop abuse whenever he saw it.

(Tuesday-September 8, 2015)

Vision was sitting on the couch when Vlad stepped into the manor. She sat in silence reading her book as her husband stepped into the room. The ghost only looked up to share a quick kiss from her husband before he sat beside her.

"So, how was your day?"

"Busy and complicated," Vlad noted, "Daniel suddenly rushed out the door. I don't know why. Haven't heard from him the rest of the day."

"I know why he disappeared."

Vlad raised an eyebrow, "You do?"

"Yes. I called him," Vision explained, "I wasn't feeling well this morning, and human doctors wouldn't be much help."

Vlad looked at her in alarm, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing major. Just a bit of morning sickness."

"That's good…Morning sickness?"

"Indeed," Vision smiled and put her book down, "It seems like we're going to be having a baby—Mmmh!"

Vlad grabbed Vision and pulled her into a passionate kiss. After a full minute of kissing, Vlad pulled back and smiled, "Thank you."

"No, my beloved husband," Vision reached up and gently brushed her finger tips across his cheek, "Thank you."

(Friday-November 13, 2015)

M'gann looked desperately to her boyfriend of over five years, "Please, Conner, you can't do this."

"You're telling me that?" Conner glared at her, "That's a bunch of bull, and you know it!"

"Please…" Miss Martian reached out to him.

Superboy just stepped back, "No. You tried to mess with my mind. You tried to alter me."

"Because you wouldn't stop talking about how I'm using my powers!"

"Use? You're abusing powers! You've been mind-raping people!" Superboy clenched his fists, "You know how I feel about abusing telepathy. I can't be with you if you keep doing this."

"I promise I'll stop."

Superboy shook head, "I know when you're lying."

"Please, Conner…" M'gann began to beg, "I already lost Gar. I can't lose you too."

"You didn't lose me. You drove me away," Superboy turned away, "I can work with you, but I can't love you if you act like this. We're over, M'gann."

(Tuesday-December 1, 2015)

Nightwing rued the day that he ever wanted to be leader of Young Justice. Why did so much have to happen in one day? Two alien invasions in one day. One was a strange crystal being called Kylstar, while the other was an android called the Collector of Worlds. All this on his own birthday while trying to recruit the new Blue Beatle.

He had gained a new respect for Danny. Unlike the halfa, Nightwing didn't have to lead the Team through a bunch of wild events. There had been plenty of incidents, but this was the first time where anything and everything happened on the same day since Danny's retirement.

That put Nightwing on edge more than anything else, though. The Light was still out there, and his attempts at infiltrating them had failed spectacularly. In all, he knew that eventually, the Team's main enemy would return with a vengeance. From what he heard from the whisperings of the underworld, they had long since found one new member and were about to get another two. Soon, they would be complete and ready to take their plans to the next level.

This time, though, Nightwing didn't know how they would defeat them.

(Wednesday-December 2, 2015)

"But, Father!"

"Enough!" The Highfather glared at his adopted son, "We are done discussing this."

"No! They need our help!" Orion shook his head, "These people of Earth are good people. The Forever People have vouched for their warriors. We cannot not just abandon them to the wrath of Apokolips and the rest of the universe."

"They do not seem so noble to me," Highfather argued, "Not after what their 'Justice League' did on Rimbor."

"That must be some sort of mistake," Orion insisted, "I have monitored the Earthlings. None of them would do that for no reason. We must be missing something."

"These mortals are beneath you, Orion," Highfather noted.

"You say that about everyone," Orion mentioned bitterly, "If every species is beneath us and not worthy of help, then we will be alone in the universe before too long. Our pride will kill a lot of good people."

"You're not one to talk about pride, Orion."

Orion had to concede that, "Fine. You're right on that, but at the very least you have to admit that Earth is a place of notice. Apokolips, the Reach, the Kroloteans, and every other significant force in the galaxy has their eyes on Earth."

"Then that means our own will be safe from their wrath."

"But for how long?" Orion questioned, "If we do not have allies, then we will have to fight alone as well."

"Remember this, Orion. I will never ally New Genesis with a barbaric species that exists so far beneath us."

(Thursday-December 4, 2015)

General Zod sat on a rock and stared out into the nothingness that was the Phantom Zone. He had been there for many years, ever since that fool Kal-El abandoned his people for the pathetic people of Earth. For years, he rampaged and searched for a way out of the crazed dimension. Despite this, he knew better. He wasn't willing to accept it.

It was only after the tiny opportunity where some stranger entered the Phantom Zone did he calm himself. He realized something important. In the Phantom Zone, he did not age. He did not require sustenance to survive. In reality, he had all the time in the world. So, he decided to wait patiently.

His Kryptonian crew seemed thankful for that. They all praised his decision and finally rested after long years. Zod was satisfied with that. Let them rest. Very soon, they would need all the energy they could get. Eventually, there would be another tear into the Phantom Zone. It was only a matter of time, and when that happened, Zod would not be as merciful as his first attempts to take over both Krypton and Earth. He would not show them mercy, and then…

Everyone would kneel before Zod.

(Saturday-December 6, 2015)

Atrocitus looked to the small kitten before him, "Did you find out more about this 'Blackest Night,' Dex-Star?"

The sadist kitten covered in a red halo looked up to his master, "Indeed. The foolish humans didn't even bat an eye at me when I acted innocent and dumb. It seems like Earth had its own special Lantern Corp. The Black Lanterns."

Atrocitus slowly nodded, "I see. And what did their power draw on?"

"Death."

"Death?" Atrocitus grinned, "Hahahahahahahaha! The more I hear about this Earth, the more I'm interested in it! Tell me, did you make contact with the Black Lanterns?"

"Unfortunately, the Black Lanterns are no more," Dex-Star explained, "They were defeated despite their great strength. It seems that Earth has formidable warriors."

"That explains why it has THREE of those Green Lantern bastards!" Atrocitus basically spit when he said Green Lanterns, "Now that sounds like a place perfect for war. No wonder it's gaining so much attention."

"What do you want to do, Master?"

"Right now, let's wait and watch," Atrocitus noted, "From what I heard, there are several different groups interested in the world right now. My bet is that there's going to be an all-out war on that ball of dirt between the different groups. And if there is…Well, the Red Lanterns can't be the only ones that don't get in on the fun."

Dex-Star sneered, "And everyone will feel our rage."

(Monday-December 8, 2015)

Blackfire watched as her sister was dragged into her throne room in chains, "Oh, beloved sister, I'm so glad that you could join me."

Starfire was shoved to the ground in front of her sister. Her hands and feet were chained to prevent her from using her abilities, "Sister! What is going on?!"

"It's very simple," Blackfire smiled cruelly at her, "I'm getting rid of you."

Starfire's eyes widened in horror, "Getting rid of me? Why would you get rid of me?!"

"Why would I get rid of my perfect, innocent, and beloved sister? Why would I get rid of the only threat to my throne? Why would get rid of the person that got to live a life of luxury and fun while I slaved every day to make myself a proper ruler, knowing that everyone would always prefer you?" Blackfire grabbed Starfire by the face, "Because I hate you, Koriand'r."

"H-Hate me?" Tears formed in Starfire's eyes, "I don't…We grew up together, Komand'r. We played together. We cried together when father died. How can you say that you hate me?"

"I was very good at hiding it," Blackfire shoved Starfire's face away, "I've always hated you, sister. I've hated everything about you."

"No…This must be a joke…" Starfire was in denial, "I love you, Komand'r! Please!"

Blackfire viciously slapped Starfire across the face, "Shut up! You sicken me!"

"No…" Starfire sobbed, "I always supported you. Even when you went mad with power…I never once betrayed you!"

"And that was your mistake!" Blackfire sneered. She looked to her guards, "Take her away. Our friends from the Citadel shouldn't be kept waiting."

"The Citadel?! No! Please! Don't send me to those sick fascists! You know what they'll do to me!"

"Yes, but this is the perfect way to conquer them," Blackfire giggled, "They think that this is my offer to ally us with them. Fools. As soon as I get the chance, I'll stab them in the back and take everything that's theirs."

"I can't believe this…This isn't you, Koma!"

"It is now. Take her away."

Starfire was dragged from the throne room. She screamed in rage and betrayal. Blackfire just ignored her sister. Instead, she walked to the window to look out at her kingdom. She took a deep breath.

"It is done."

(Friday-December 12, 2015)

Sinestro hummed to himself as he reclined on a throne made from the yellow energy of fear. He and his corps had remained relatively quiet over the past few years. Despite his desire to take advantage over the momentary weakness of the Green Lanterns, he paused as he realized why his sworn enemies were injured by a threat from the world in which Hal Jordan originated.

There was definitely something strange about that planet, and everyone was taking notice of that. Striking out against the Green Lanterns too early would only put him in the spot light in the center of a massive war that was coming. Sinestro wasn't so arrogant as to believe that he would survive that. There were too many different threats that were even more powerful than him that were at work.

While people could call Sinestro many different things, no one would call him dumb. He wasn't about to march to his own end. So, he held back. Fear made him cautious. When the war started, he would be in shadows watching and waiting for his time to act. Then, he would take down the Green Lanterns once and for all and take his rightful place as the head of the universe.

And until then…he would enjoy watching Hal Jordan's home world burn.

(Tuesday-December 16, 2015)

The Collector of Worlds had a lot of work to do. That was something that he was painfully aware of as the tension across the universe increased. War was coming, and it would be bloody and terrifying. Truth be told, he didn't have any real investment on any side. They were all power hungry fools to him, and they were going to destroy everything.

That was where the Collector came in to do his work. Someone had to preserve the knowledge of the universe and the people who created it. This was why he was abducting knowledge and cities from planets that were surely doomed. Sure, the people of the planet cursed him as he did it, but it was for the greater good of the universe.

There was one exception, though. Earth was a strange little planet. It had the attention of so many threats and was surely doomed. Yet at the same time, there was an abundance of strange and powerful beings. Everything about little Earth was a contradiction. It was the exception to the rule. As such, during his abduction of Metropolis, the Collector of Worlds changed his mind for the first time.

He would leave Earth be for now. For the first time, the Collector would go against the statistical analysis and bet on chance. He could only hope that the knowledge that Earth had created would remain intact as he preserved the knowledge of the rest of the doomed planets. Because it would be a shame if Earth was lost forever. They were a strange and creative bunch…

"Brainiac…" The Collector of World remembered the strange nickname that one of the Earthlings gave him, "How interesting…"

(Saturday-December 19, 2015)

Krolotean were not very well respected in the universe. They were small beings with very little physical strength. They also lacked the incredible intelligence that set some races apart. In fact, the only things that they did have was their cooperation and their will to keep struggling. That wasn't near enough to keep them afloat in the structure of the universe, so they did the only thing they could. They cheated.

For centuries, the Crolotains prospered by stealing, lying, and trafficking illegal tech. Races all across the universe looked down and spat on them for their actions, but that didn't matter to the small creatures. All that mattered was that their race survived. It was never about prospering or being respected, because no matter how the power in the universe shifted, they would still be around to struggle even more.

Their line of work did have its risks, though. Kroloteans often had to work on dangerous planets with dangerous people. Nothing showed that more than their work on Earth. After what happened with Earth's "Justice League," they were well aware how dangerous the "heroes" of Earth were. Not to mention their new partners were likely to turn on them in an instant. In all, Earth was a dangerous endeavor for the Kroloteans.

Great risk meant great reward, though. Earth was the center of a lot of attention right now. They could gain a lot from sapping the resources from the planet before the other races decided to take Earth as their own. When that time came, the small aliens would be out of that solar system in an instant. Until, then, they would continue their work and survive no matter the danger.

(Sunday-December 20, 2015)

L-Ron looked to his master, "Well done, master! That's your ninety-second star system! Bravo! You are truly the ultimate champion!"

Despero just gave L-Ron a bored look.

"Yes, I know, Master," L-Ron nodded, "No one in the star system could provide you a proper challenge. I apologize, Master, but your greatness was just too much for them to take!"

Despero grunted.

"Yes, yes, I will find you a proper challenge!" L-Ran rubbed his robotic hands together eagerly, "There is a solar system that I have been keeping my scanners on, but there are stranger whisperings about that planet. I must spend the proper amount of time gathering data."

Despero gave his robot an intrigued look.

"Oh? What are the rumors? Well, some say that the DEAD of the planet actually come back in an even more powerful form…"

Despero grinned. Now that sounded interesting.

(Monday-December 21, 2015)

Starbreaker was in a peaceful sleep. The Sun-Eater had his fill a few millennia ago and was resting ever since. After all, he needed to take breaks. If he continued to gorge himself on different solar systems, then there would eventually be nothing left. The universe needed time to heal, so he slept.

As he slept, though, his hunger continued to grow. The energy vampire would soon need to eat. When that time came, he would have his pick of all the delicious stars across the universe. In his sleep, though, he sensed a very unusual star system, though. Energy from there was…strange. It was nothing like he felt before. His dreams were filled with the strange energy that seemed to defy death.

In his sleep, Starbreaker smiled. He knew where his first stop would be when he woke up.

(Tuesday-December 22, 2015)

Mongul sat in his War World. Things did not go like he thought that they would. He had long since lost his home world to the Tamaranian Empire. That was a big enough blow to his ego as it was. What made it worse was that there was nothing that he could do about it. Not even his War World would be enough to recapture his world.

The Tamaranian Empire had grown in power far too quickly for Mongul's liking. It had happened out of nowhere really. Even though it hurt his ego, he had to admit that the Tamaran leader was a master strategist. She silently and subtly built up enough power and alliances to become a threat and then acted. The blow she dealt was enough to send the universe reeling.

By the time everything calmed down, the Tamaranian Empire was a real power in the universe…all at the expense of Mongul. What made it worse was that he was the only one affected. The Reach and Apokolips were still growing in power. The different Lantern Corps continued on as if nothing changed. Everyone in the universe just accepted the shift in power like Mongul didn't matter.

He would make them suffer for that.

Mongul was not to be underestimated. He was slowly regaining his power. Each day, he gained more people and planets on his side. Eventually, he would have enough power to go to war and win. Until then, though, he had to make sure the growth of the other great powers of the universe was minimal. If any of them became too powerful, then he would never get his revenge. As such, Mongul knew what he had to do if the power began to shift once more. No race or planet would be underestimated this time.

If any planet popped up on his radar, then there was only two options from there. Conquer or destroy.

(Thursday-December 24, 2015)

Savage's face looked down to the person that stood in front of the five screens of his allies in the Light, "We have already voted, and it's been decided. You have shown your efficiency and power in every mission we provided for you."

Ra's nodded, "You will make an excellent replacement for our fallen comrade Klarion."

Lex Luthor smirked, "Perhaps this is better. Klarion was far too unpredictable at times."

"And at least we can sympathize with your motives," Queen Bee noted, "That's something that we could never say with a creature that only wanted chaos. At least you understand the need to rebuild the order after the chaos has fallen."

Savage sighed, "Yes. While Klarion was a dear friend of mine, he wasn't exactly easy to work with. You have shown that you'll be better in that regard while providing a very similar service to the one that Klarion provided. With you and the Brain's replacement, the Light will be even more powerful than before."

Lex's eyes drifted to the other new member of their group, "And what is the input of our newest partner?"

The Brain's replacement frowned, "This is a good second step, but we still need to replace Ocean Master. Say what you will about his motives, but his inside info about the movements of Atlantis would be useful as the new king continues to rebuild his city."

Queen Bee agreed, "That shall be our next step. We have a perfect candidate in mind for that."

"Until then, let us celebrate," Ra's raised a glass of wine, "To the revival of the Light."

With a wave of a hand, the replacement of Klarion summoned a glass of wine for herself. Her new friends raised their own drinks. She could only smile at this. This was going to be so much fun.

"To the revival of the Light," Thorn giggled.

(Friday-December 25, 2015)

Kylstar watched the warriors he gathered from Earth and other solar systems interact and train. It had been pointed out to him that forcing others to fight for him was the exact same thing as slavery. Kylstar hated slavery. His people had suffered that terrible burden for too long, and he wasn't willing to do the same thing to others.

He couldn't just leave his people to suffer, though. So, he decided to offer everyone he came across the chance to fight with him. Luckily, dozens of powerful people accepted his offer. Slowly, he was gaining allies. Soon, he would have enough power to begin his campaign to save his people from the fascists from the Citadel.

And when that time came….He would stop at nothing to free his people. Even if he had to conquer the entire universe.

(Saturday-December 26, 2015)

Black Beatle looked to the Ambassador of the Reach, "Our time to gain control over the meat of Earth is approaching, correct?"

The Ambassador smiled, "Indeed. The people of Earth have limitless potential. Their addition to the Reach will greatly increase our standing in the universe."

Black Beatle frowned, "True. The meat of Earth will be useful, but what about the other prize from Earth?"

"Ah…the ghosts…" The Ambassador stroked his chin, "From what our allies in the Light have reported, the ghosts have closed passage between their pocket dimension and the physical plane of Earth. Very few ghosts are around the planet anymore, and even fewer are active. I do believe that this will work in our favor, though. We can conquer one plane before moving onto the other without interference from the ghosts."

"And Danny Phantom?" Black Beatle had to ask.

"Oh, yes. I do remember your expressed interest him," The Ambassador sighed, "Unfortunately, it had been confirmed that the strange ghost did in fact die."

"That's a waste," Black Beatle let out a grunt, "His 'Ascended Ectoplasm' would have been a huge asset for our cause. Plus…I would have loved to challenge him myself. That would have been a glorious battle."

"Indeed. He would have been a great asset in many ways. Both as a fighter on our side and as a test subject for our own battle prowess. Unfortunately, there's nothing that we can do about it," The Ambassador let out a smile, "Luckily, there are still bits of Phantom's power available through the forms of his sidekicks and their Legacy research."

(Sunday-December 27, 2015)

Darkseid was not pleased. While nothing bad was happening directly to him or his forces, one of his greatest prospects was now floating out of his reach. Unlike most of the universe, he had been keeping his eyes on Earth for years. This was especially true after discovering the existence of Danny Phantom, who Darkseid was sure would turn about to be the Phantom that he heard about all of his existence.

This theory was crushed when Danny Phantom died. If Nekron hadn't been erased, Darkseid would have tortured the Reaper until he was begging for death. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option anymore, so Darkseid just took his anger out on some of his servants. Even now, he grew angry at the thought of losing all that power.

This was not the reason that Darkseid was displeased. After all, Earth still had plenty to offer. No, what really angered the New God was how much attention Earth was getting. This is what he got when he tried to be subtle in his takeover. From what his main spy told him, readings from both the Crolotains and the Reach were both on Earth.

How dare those lesser beings even think about taking over his future asset? Well, no matter. This would be a test for how powerful and resourceful the Earthlings really were. If they managed to fight off the threats, then they were worthy of working under him. If not, he would just have to destroy them along with those bugs that crawled into what Darkseid considered his unofficial territory. After all, he couldn't just let Earth go, because there was gold there that he was sure everyone else would have overlooked.

"Perhaps that was the true purpose of the Phantom," Darkseid mentioned to himself, "In the end, he did change the universe. He led me to the key to the Anti-Life Formula, and I won't lose that like Phantom himself. Even if I have to kill everything in that galaxy to get it."

(Wednesday-January 1, 2042)

Dani looked down at the babe in the cradle before her, "Of course you get dumped on me."

Innocent blue eyes looked up to the halfa woman. The baby gurgled before her eyes flashed green and then pink. A blast of pink energy burst from the babe's fingers and towards Dani's head. The tiny blast of energy was easily knocked away by the experienced heroine.

"God…I hate you…" Dani glared at the baby, hating how much the little girl reminded her of how much she lost, "I hate your mother…I hate everything that led to your cursed existence."

The baby yawned cutely.

"I wish that it could be undone, but it can't," Dani mentioned, "Maybe I should just dump you on someone else…"

Green energy suddenly surged off the babe as she floated into the air.

Sighing, Dani gently pushed the baby down, "That won't work. You're a halfa. I'm literally the only one capable of keeping you, aren't I?"

The baby's response was to yawn.

Dani closed her eyes and let out a sigh, "Fine then. Luna…Your first name is Luna. Of course Jinx would name you that. I can't change your first name in good conscience, but I'm not letting you take that bitch's last name. You get the name of your…father. Danny would want you to have his name. So you're Luna Fenton."

Luna drifted off to sleep.

Dani opened her eyes and shook her head, "Yeah. Rest now, kid. You're gonna need it. Because you've been born into one hellish life. Trust me. I'm the expert on that."