Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
The sun was heating the asphalt on Chicago’s streets. The city was noisy and crowded, and I watched it from above.

If the city was usually chaotic and crime-ridden, that day it was a real circle of hell.
A gang of criminals armed with high-tech weapons was robbing a bank and had several hostages.

“What should I do? I’m the only one on patrol. Should I call for help? Raven’s been having trouble controlling her powers lately; she should rest. I don’t want to call Cyborg—if they’re using advanced weapons, they could have something with magnetic pulses that might hurt him. Beast Boy? He wouldn’t make it in time. Dick? No... now’s not the time to call my ex, I’m not sure I can count on him right now. Kory, deep breath—you’re Starfire, former princess of Tamaran, leader of the Titans... five minutes will be enough, no one will get hurt.”

I put my earbuds in. Maybe it made me a little slower to react, but it helped me stay calm.

https://youtu.be/YOR2wqisJqQ

I'm the strong one, I'm not nervous
I'm as tough as the crust of the Earth is
I flew at high speed, breaking through a wall; before they even realized it, I had already lifted five hostages out.
I move mountains, I move churches
And I glow, 'cause I know what my worth is

The surprise didn’t last long. One of the robbers started firing at me with a machine gun, but I took the bullets, shielding the civilians I was rescuing.

I don't ask how hard the work is
Got a rough indestructible surface

The civilians were safe; I brushed the bullet casings off my armor.

Diamonds and platinum, I find 'em, I flatten 'em
I take what I'm handed, I break what's demanded
But under the surface, I feel berserk as a tightrope walker in a three-ring circus

On my second entrance, I had to pull off several aerial maneuvers to dodge bullets—they kept firing more and more.

Under the surface, was Superman ever like, "Yo, I don't wanna fight Doomsday?"
One of the criminals was Bane, a man who became massive and powerful thanks to a chemical compound.

Under the surface, I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service
I flew straight at Bane, grabbing him and lifting him high into the sky.
A flaw or a crack, the straw in the stack
That breaks the camel's back, what breaks the camel's back?
I carried him up to the edge of the atmosphere. I couldn’t defeat him by strength alone, but he needed oxygen more than I did.
It's pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa
Pressure that'll tip, tip, tip 'til you just go pop, whoa, oh, oh
I let him fall, knowing he’d survive the landing, and dove back toward the others.
Give it to your sister, your sister's older
Give her all the heavy things we can't shoulder
Those idiots were shooting so wildly they were making the building collapse. I had to hold up an entire wall on my shoulders.
Who am I if I can't run with the ball?
If I fall to
They hit me with an energy weapon. The blast made my legs give out, and the wall came crashing down on me—but luckily, the civilians had escaped.
Pressure like a grip, grip, grip, and it won't let go, whoa
Pressure like a tick, tick, tick 'til it's ready to blow, whoa, oh, oh
Give it to your sister, your sister's stronger
See if she can hang on a little longer
Who am I if I can't carry it all?
If I falter
I stood up, rescued a little girl who was too close to the danger, and went back to face the criminals.
Under the surface, I hide my nerves and it worsens, I worry something is gonna hurt us
Under the surface, the ship doesn't swerve as it heard how big the iceberg is
Under the surface, I think about my purpose, can I somehow preserve this?
I counterattacked, destroying their machine gun and energy weapon, and tied them up with steel bars.
Line up the dominoes, a light wind blows
You try to stop it tumbling, but on and on, it goes
Bane got back up from his fall, and I flew straight at him.
But wait, if I could shake the crushing weight of expectations
Would that free some room up for joy or relaxation, or simple pleasure?
Instead, we measure this growing pressure
He was weakened; I started punching him hard.
Keeps growing, keep going
'Cause all we know is
One last punch under his chin knocked him out cold. I saved the city.
Pressure like a drip, drip, drip that'll never stop, whoa
Pressure that'll tip, tip, tip 'til you just go pop, whoa, oh, oh
Give it to your sister, it doesn't hurt, and
See if she can handle every family burden
The crowd cheered for me—but my phone rang. Another emergency.
Watch as she buckles and bends but never breaks, no mistakes
I flew off at full speed toward the new location.
Just pressure like a grip, grip, grip, and it won't let go, whoa
Pressure like a tick, tick, tick 'til it's ready to blow, whoa, oh, oh
Give it to your sister and never wonder
I could feel my body aching from the hits and exhaustion, but I couldn’t stop.
If the same pressure would've pulled you under
Who am I if I don't have what it takes?
No cracks, no breaks
No mistakes, no pressure
I took a deep breath. The song had ended, but I had to start all over again—this one was a tough opponent.

What I saw was a man who looked like a Green Lantern—but he was furious, and his suit was red. He was shooting energy blasts destroying some buildings.

For those who don’t know, the Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic police force. Members are identified by a green ring that turns their willpower into green energy, capable of materializing any weapon or object they can imagine.
Usually, Green Lanterns are reliable heroes—but this one was red and tearing through the city like he was searching for something.
The Lantern created a massive hammer of energy and was about to crush a boy. I saved him just in time.
He was a bit younger than me, dark-haired with curly hair—I remember thinking he was cute. He looked scared, but mostly confused.
“It’s okay, you’re safe now.”
“Uh… thanks.”
I turned back to the Red Lantern.
“Hey you! What do you want from us? Normally, you guys work in space—the Lanterns don’t interfere with single planets unless they’re protecting them. And you don’t look like you’re here to protect anyone.”
He answered with alien growls.
“Oh, Practolyan, I know that language too, don’t worry.”

The Red Lantern fired energy blasts.
I dodged, but before I realized it, a red energy hand grabbed mine and slammed me to the ground.
I’d made a mistake—it was extremely rare to meet a Green Lantern, and I didn’t even know evil ones existed. I’d let my guard down.
The being came closer and spewed a corrosive vomit. I shut my eyes, wondering if I’d survive such acid—but I didn’t feel anything.
When I opened them again, a green shield was protecting me. It was the boy I’d saved. The ring and the suit left no doubt—he was a Green Lantern.

I freed myself by smashing the red energy hand, while the Green Lantern created a sword with his ring’s power. It wasn’t a katana or a medieval sword—it looked much older.
His whole body was now covered in strange energy armor.
He charged at the Red Lantern, and I gave him cover fire with energy blasts. Feeling outmatched, the alien fled.
I was faster than the fugitive, ready to chase him, but when I saw the boy stumbling, I rushed to help instead.
“Are you okay?”
I looked at him. He had a handsome face and was very muscular, which didn’t match what I’d studied about Green Lanterns—they were supposed to fight with willpower and ranged attacks, not muscle and swords.
He looked human, but his skin was slightly grayish, like Raven’s, and his eyes were narrow as if unaccustomed to light.
“Th… thank you,” he stammered as I helped him stand. He was tired, and maybe a little embarrassed.
“No need to thank me,” I smiled. To be honest, I was a bit drawn to him, though I hadn’t realized it yet. “Helping a citizen is our job—but helping a Lantern is an honor.”
“A… what?” he asked, confused.
“A Green Lantern,” I said, taking his hand and showing him the ring he was wearing.
“Oh, so that’s what it’s called? Does the ring have a name? Is that what gave me these powers?”
“You really don’t know anything?” I asked. “They’re supposed to explain everything to new Lanterns. Didn’t you get the welcome speech? Even we Titans get an introductory speech.”
“I…” The boy lowered his gaze sadly. “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.”
“What?” I asked, shocked. “You lost your memory?”
“Yeah…”
“This ring is something special,” I tried to comfort him. “If you have it, you must be special too. Can I help you somehow?”

“I… don’t know where I am, or even what my name is,” he said, terrified. “Do you have somewhere I could stay? Just to clear my head?”
“I’ll take you to the Titans Tower,” I nodded. “It’s where we Titans live—we’re a team of heroes who live and train together. Want to come?” I took his hand.
“Okay,” he blushed at the touch.

That was the first time he entered Titans Tower.

/**Starfire’s Corner*\

Maybe you don’t know the Titans very well, so let me introduce them.

I admit, this is an old picture—it was taken when we had just founded the team. We’ve grown a lot since then.

From left to right:
Name: Garfield (like the cat) Logan.
Nickname: Gar or BB.
Hero name: Beast Boy.
Ability: animal transformation.

Name: Victor Stone.
Nickname: Vic.
Hero name: Cyborg.
Ability: well, he’s a Cyborg.

Name: Richard Grayson (my ex).
Nickname: Dick.
Hero name: he used to be Robin, then became Nightwing, and for reasons I won’t explain now, he’s Robin again.
Ability: agile, strong, and armed to the teeth.

Name: Koriand’r (me).
Earth name: Kory Anders
Nickname: Star or Kory.
Hero name: Starfire.
Abilities: flight, energy blasts, super strength, super speed, and much more.

Name: Rachel Roth.
Nickname: Rae or Raven.
Hero name: Raven.
Ability: as a half-demon, she controls dark magic.

I've heard that before my arrive on Earth there were also more Titans like Wonder Woman's, Aquaman's and Arrow's sidekicks but now they are somewhere else living their life.

/*End of Starfire’s Corner*\

We entered the Tower, where Raven was on guard and meditating.

“I don’t even know my name…” the boy repeated, sitting on our couch.
“Don’t worry,” I hugged him. “We’ll find out. We’ll do everything we can to help you. For now, you can just be our new friend. We’ll find you a place to stay.”
“What should we call him, if he doesn’t have a name?” asked Raven, who had welcomed us in.
“Well, we could give him a temporary name… what do you think?”
The boy nodded, and Raven showed him a list of superhero names from a database.
“I like the name ‘Owl,’” he said.
“But Owl isn’t really a name—it’s an animal,” Raven laughed. “Though it’s my second-favorite animal after the raven.”
“You want to be called Owl?” I asked, puzzled.
“No… no, well, I like Leo. Is that okay? It’s just temporary.”
“It’s your name—it only has to be okay with you,” I laughed. “But for what it’s worth, I think it’s a perfect temporary name. Nice to meet you,” I said, shaking his hand.

We sat in the common area of Titans Tower until Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy arrived.

“Guys, I have news,” I announced. “We found a boy who’s lost his memory. He’s a Green Lantern. His temporary name is Leo, and he needs our help. Join us for some hot chocolate.”
“Wow, usually Batman’s the one who adopts orphans,” commented Robin.
“It’s good, but it burns!” Leo burned his tongue while drinking. “So that’s why you call it ‘hot.’”
I laughed. Even though he was basically an adult, his memory loss made him seem like a child.
“Be careful—it’s like lava! You do it like this,” I showed him how to blow on it to cool it down. “I think it’s best if you don’t live alone yet. You need to get used to Earth. You know, I understand—it was like that for me too, when I first came here from my planet.”
“THERE ARE OTHER PLANETS? YOU’RE AN ALIEN?”
“Yes,” I laughed. “So, what do you think, guys? Can he stay with us for a while?”
“We can’t take care of him too,” said Robin coldly. “Our priority is the city’s safety.”
“We will,” Raven interrupted, smiling at me.
“I’ll take care of him, I promise. At least this way, he’ll be safe.”
“Fine, Star…” Robin gave in. “I’ll let Batman know. But where do you plan to put him? We don’t have any free rooms right now. We can start preparing guest rooms, but it’ll take time.”
“He could stay with me,” I said instinctively. On Tamaran, there’s no concept of modesty—they’re much more open sexually there—so I didn’t realize right away that it might sound awkward. “Of course, only if you’re okay with it.”
“You really want me in your room?” asked Leo. “I mean, I’m a guy and you’re a girl…”
“Well, it’s fine with me, but I hope it’s not too much for you,” I blushed. “I’m sure we can find another place if you prefer…”
“NO, NO, IT’S FINE WITH ME!”
“Good,” I smiled. “Then we’ll be roommates.”

~Dick~
"What do you think about him, Bruce? Is it him?"
"Keep an eye on him, it could be."
"Should I call...?"
"No. Don't tell anyone, especially don’t tell her."

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
I was happy to finally have a roommate again after so many years — and as a “roommate,” he definitely wasn’t bad at all.
He didn’t have any documents or spare clothes, so BeastBoy, who was about his size, lent him a few things.
Dick and Vic were definitely too tall, he was only about 5'4".
Gar's clothes were long enough but too tight, Leo was way more muscular than him.
He turned his face toward the wall to let me change, and then I did the same for him.

While he was undressing, I heard a little yelp and instinctively turned around.
He was facing away, broad shoulders, muscular back — but what caught my attention were the scars.
“Are you okay?” I asked, worried. “You’re covered in scars.”
“Scars?” he laughed, then glanced at the mirror and noticed them. “Didn’t know about those. Guess I’ve had a wild past... or too many cats.”
I laughed at the joke, but when he realized he was shirtless in front of me, he blushed.
“Well... nice pajamas,” he smiled looking at my starry t-shirt. “They’re adorable. I think all pajamas should be cozy — and pink looks really good on you.”
I smiled back and thanked him.

We spent the evening talking and joking around. Leo played Mario Kart, and somehow, he already knew how — it made no sense, but it was the only clue we had about his past.
We were all together except for Robin — not a surprise, since he was always focused on Batman and rarely had time for us.
“Hey Kory,” Raven stopped me as I was going to make some tea.
“What is it, Rachel?”
“It’s nice to see you smiling again.”

We didn’t go to bed too late. I noticed Leo was exhausted but tried to hide it so he wouldn’t look bad, so I took the initiative.
“So, sleeping...” he mumbled as he came into the room. “Do you have a couch or somewhere I can—”
“My bed’s big enough for two,” I answered, confused.

“You can sleep with me — Raven does sometimes. I thought it wasn’t a problem sharing a bed on planet Earth. We always do that on Tamaran.”
“Okay, okay...” he smiled and flopped down on the bed.
“I’ll brush my teeth and then—” but I noticed he was already asleep.

He looked peaceful while sleeping, though he murmured something, maybe having a restless dream. “Di...na. Ha... D...na”
I lay down next to him, trying not to bother him. I’ve never been good at understanding Earth’s sense of modesty, and even though I liked him, I didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable.
While I was overthinking everything, he shifted in his sleep — his arm wrapped around my waist and his head rested on my shoulder.
I didn’t want to wake him, so I stayed still until I fell asleep too.

The next morning, I woke up while he was still asleep.
“Hey Leo, the day’s long — you don’t want to miss breakfast, do you?” I whispered. I couldn’t get up without waking him, so I figured I’d do it gently.
He opened his eyes and realized his head was still on my shoulder and his arm around me. He jumped up, flustered.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s fine, really. Let’s go eat.”

Leo rushed to the kitchen and started making pancakes for everyone.
“You can play Mario Kart and cook,” said BeastBoy. “We don’t know much about you, but what we do know, I like.”
“Man, these are great” added Cyborg.
“I could get used to this,” said Raven.
“Maybe you were a chef,” I said, tasting the pancakes — they were amazing. “Or maybe your mom was just good in the kitchen.”
“Good job, kid,” said Robin, standing after finishing his plate. “But that’s not enough to make you part of the team. How about some training? You and me. We need to make sure you can actually fight.”

The thought of seeing Robin — trained by Batman for years — fighting Leo, who’d only had his memory for one day, didn’t exactly thrill me, but Leoagreed.
“Can I have a few minutes to come up with a plan, or do we just go at it, like a real fight?”
“Kid,” Robin chuckled, “you think a few minutes are enough to beat me? I was trained by the best—”
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“What?”
“Let’s fight.”

They went to the training room.
“Can I set some conditions?” Leo asked.
“Let’s hear it... want me to fight without my gadgets?”
“No, go ahead and use them. Personal gear is fine. But you’ve got a huge advantage — you know this place, I don’t. So, no changing the environment or using what’s in the room as a weapon.”
“Fair enough.”

Leo slipped on the ring, and Cyborg started the match.
Robin attacked fast — precise punches and kicks. Leo stayed on the defensive, blocking as best he could, but soon ended up on the ground.
“That all you got? Just gonna take hits?”
Robin threw a batarang, and Leo deflected it, creating an energy shield — not a large barrier like most Lanterns, but a compact one on his left arm.

Robin leapt forward to strike with his metal staff, but some energy snakes blocked it and a giant green hand slammed him into the wall.
“You okay, Robin?”
“Don’t worry about me.”
Robin charged again, but this time Leo shaped a sword and countered.
“His swordsmanship’s impressive,” said Cyborg. “Even if fighting with a sword is kinda old-school, maybe it was a samurai”
Leo almost landed a hit, but Robin dodged and retaliated with another flurry of batarangs — blocked again by Leo’s shield.
Leo fired energy blasts; Robin tossed a smoke bomb that exploded mid-air, hiding them both.
For a moment, we couldn’t see anything.
“It’s over,” Raven murmured.

When the smoke cleared, Leo was on the ground — smiling — and Robin had him pinned.
“You’ll make a good addition to the team,” Robin said.

We all congratulated Leo; he’d held his own against our best fighter.
“Didn’t think you’d last that long,” laughed BeastBoy.
“I could’ve done better... I fought on instinct since I don’t remember my skills, but it felt like something was missing.”
“Great job, champ,” I hugged him. “It’s interesting seeing a Green Lantern fight up close, you know?”
“Thanks... maybe it’s just my style,” he smiled shyly.
“Do you want a prize? Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you.”
“STAR!” shouted Raven, BeastBoy, and Cyborg all at once.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“Remember what we said about your lack of malice?” Raven whispered.
I blushed, and Leostill looked puzzled.
“I don’t get it...” he scratched his head. “I just wanted to ask if you’d take me shopping. Can’t I?”
“Wow, this guy’s got even less malice than Starfire,” whispered BeastBoy to Raven.
“Either he’s an alien too, or they’re made for each other,” she replied.
“Of course!” I smiled. “Let’s go — you don’t have a wardrobe yet, right? We’ll leave in an hour; I’ll go get ready. Anyone else coming?”
“We’re gonna play video games,” said BB and Cyborg.
“I’ll contact Batman about our new member — maybe he can tell us more about Leo.”
“I’m free... but no thanks,” Raven said, heading back to her room.

After a few minutes I recived a text from Raven "Be careful, there's something wrong with him, I feel like he wasn't even trying during the fight"

Chapter Text

~Raven~
Once the fight between Leo and Robin was over, I went back to my room. I definitely didn’t feel like going to a crowded mall with those two lovebirds.
A few minutes later, someone knocked. I used my powers to see who it was — Leo.
“Leo, I know you’re new, but usually no one comes into my—”
“WOW, THIS ROOM IS AMAZING, I LOVE GOTHIC STYLE.”
“Oh… you really like it? Okay, you can come in, but don’t touch anything.”
Leo peeked around everywhere, careful not to touch anything as I’d asked.
“So, what brings you here?”
“Nothing really, I just wanted to be friends.”
“Ah… okay, we’re friends now. Mission accomplished, you can go.”
“Come on… why don’t you like me? Did I do something wrong? If you tell me, I can make sure not to do it again.”
“That’s very sweet of you, but I’m just… like this.”
“Got it. So you don’t hate me?”
“No.”
“And if I ever do something that bothers you, will you tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Can I hug you?”
“No.”
“It’s like this room was calling me — your style and aesthetic are fascinating. It’s all so esoteric. Books on magic, monsterology… WOW, A BOOK ABOUT DEMONS!”
“Uh… thanks?”
“I hope we’ll become friends. We’re teammates now, so we need to get along, right?”
“I suppose that’s correct.”
“If something ever bothers you, just tell me, okay?”
“There’s something that bothers me.”
“What?” he asked, alarmed.
“You’re still in my room. I don’t like people being here. If the talk’s going to be long, we can go outside.”
Leo laughed.
“Alright, this is your personal space and you don’t want to share it. Got it. Sorry for bothering you.”
“Wait, Leo…”
“Yeah?”
“I hope I didn’t sound rude. That wasn’t my intention, I’m just blunt. Let’s say things around the tower these last few years have been… never mind. You seem okay, and I don’t have anything against you, but I don’t open up to people as quickly as you do. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Good. But hey, I liked your fight earlier. That green energy sword of yours had style — kind of ancient.”
“Thanks,” he smiled widely.
“Okay, now go.”
“Going.”
I kept feeling weird about him.
I can read people's aura, I always did, but his was... too dark, too complicated like a bunch of things mixed all togethers.
It was warm but cold. Young but ancient. Extremely familiar but different from everything I ever saw.

~Starfire~
I got ready quickly to go out — I was really happy to spend some time alone with Leo, and besides, I’ve always loved shopping.
“We’ll reach the mall by flying. I’ll go first, you follow me.”
“Star… no, you’re wearing a miniskirt. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to fly behind you. You know… before I get distracted and crash into a plane.”
“You idiot,” I laughed. “Then fly next to me, but hold my hand — I fly fast, and you still need practice using your ring.”
“I was thinking of making wings with it”
“Maybe a jetpack would be smarter.”
“Yeah...”

We reached the mall at high speed and landed in a quiet spot where no one could see us. Leo deactivated his ring.
“Alright, let’s hit the clothing section,” I said, pulling his arm.
“Just a reminder — I don’t have a wallet, and I’ve only got a few dollars. I don’t think we’ll get far.”
“Don’t worry, we Titans have the Bat-credit card. Batman pays for everything,”

I said, then turned serious. “But never, ever use it for unnecessary stuff. Legends say Batman tracks everything in real time and can appear anywhere instantly.”
“So, what can we buy?”
“Clothes, food, video games — they help train reflexes — books, sports gear… pretty much everything.”

I dragged Leo through every clothing section. He bought a training suit, an extra pair of shoes, five funny T-shirts (two with Pokémon), five normal shirts, jeans, underwear, a few college-style hoodies, and a jacket.
“You sure Batman’s gonna pay for all this?”
“Yes, he always does,” I smiled. “It’s one of his superpowers. Anything else?”

“Fuzzy slippers and pajamas — let’s get matching ones! We sleep together, it’d be cute.”
In the end, Leo picked Pokémon pajamas for both of us.
“So, who are these Pokémon? I’m a pink ball and you’re a ghost?”
“I’m Gengar and you’re Clefairy. Yours comes from the moon, and mine — according to one theory — is your shadow.”

“Okay, so what we know about your past so far is: you can play Mario Kart, you can cook, and you’re obsessed with Pokémon. Well, as long as it’s pajamas, Batman will pay.”

We also stopped by GameStop — a video game and comic store.
“Since Batman also pays for video games…”
Leo grabbed a Pokémon game, but I noticed him eyeing a plush toy.
“You like it?” I asked.
“It’s Decidueye — a ghostly archer owl that strikes from the shadows. Grass-Ghost type. I was just thinking how I could turn its moves into actual attacks.”

“Well, unfortunately, I don’t think plushies are covered by Batman.”
“Yeah, I figured. Don’t worry.”
“But I think it’s sweet — so I’ll pay for that one myself, okay?”
“Really?”
“Of course. Consider it a welcome gift.”

The same guy who had nearly beaten Batman’s protégé that morning now smiled like a kid, hugging the plush.
He was so sweet — with the bright smile of a child, the sharp mind of a teenager, and the strong body of a seasoned hero.

At the checkout, I held the plush to hand it to the cashier along with the game.
“Welcome to—” the cashier began, scanning the items. Then he looked up at me. “Wow, you don’t see girls this pretty here often. Oh, and of course you’re with a guy… but he’s shorter than you. Is he really your boyfriend?”
“Yes,” Leo lied, giving him a death stare. I just laughed and paid.
“Someone’s jealous, huh?” I teased as we left.
“No, I just… did it to protect you from catcalling. He was getting too friendly.”
“Catcalling?” I asked, confused. “You mean like... meowing? Is that dangerous?”
“No, it’s when— wait, I was taught it’s something bad, but I don’t remember what it means. I just know I have to fight it”

We both laughed like idiots. I still hadn’t learned all Earth’s words and customs, and he maybe knew them but had forgotten.
“Did I embarrass you with the cashier thing? Maybe I went too far.” he asked worried.
“Nah, it was cute. You were totally red when he called you my boyfriend,” I teased, ruffling his hair. “You’re very sweet. Do you want anything else?”
“How about some ice cream?”
“Sure!” We headed to a ice-cream shop. “I’ll get vanilla. You?”
“Peach. I think I like it — it reminds me of you.”
“I know this one!” I said. “In Earth slang, ‘peach’ means butt. Are you trying to compliment my backside?”
“What? NO, I DIDN’T KNOW THAT! I meant it’s sweet and reminds me of your skin tone!”

“Oh, sorry,” I laughed. “Maybe I read too much above the lines.”
“It’s between the lines, not above. Oh, sorry — I corrected you without thinking, like I’m used to doing that. My bad.”
“Don’t apologize, thanks for the correction.”

We sat on a bench, eating our ice cream.
“You’ve got some on your face.”
“Where?” he asked. “My cheek?”
“Here.” I brushed my finger against the corner of his lips to wipe it off.
“Okay… I get what Raven meant about talking to you about malice, Star. This is usually considered flirting.”
“Oh, I know. Does that bother you?”
“N-NO, THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT—”

And I kissed him. It was our first sweet kiss — vanilla and peach flavored.
“So… how do you feel?” I asked, blushing.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t ready. Maybe we should try again,” he laughed.

After a bit of cuddling, Leo went off to grab a few small gifts for the others.
“Ready to go home?” I asked, linking my arm with his.
“Sure, I just need to hit the bathroom first.”
“Okay, I’ll wait here.”

After ten minutes, he still hadn’t come back. I started to worry.
“Maybe there’s a line,” I thought, but I saw people coming out who’d gone in after him.
“Kids these days,” said a man coming out with another. “Can’t handle their liquor. I mean, how can a young guy be passed out in a mall bathroom this early?”
“Excuse me,” I interrupted, alarmed. “Someone got sick? Short guy, black hair, grayish skin?”
“Yeah, that’s him. These kids today, all sorts of skin colors — damn alien colonizers. You too, actually — kind of orange-skinned. Back in my day, people were just white, yellow, or black—”
“IF HE’S SICK, HELP HIM INSTEAD OF WASTING TIME WITH YOUR RACIST BOOMER TALK.”
“Oh, sorry, miss... but look at that, aliens colonize us and then start giving us orders.”

A few seconds later, they brought Leo out of the bathroom. He was having spasms, clutching his head, muttering something — but it was in an ancient language... maybe Greek? Latin?

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
“Leo? Are you okay?” I ran toward him, worried. “How do you feel, sweetheart?”
Since joining the Titans, I’d studied first aid and every way to help someone in distress. I wanted to be able to help anyone — yet this situation was new to me.
“The closest thing I can think of is a panic attack or a meltdown… maybe too much sensory overload. I’ll take you outside.”

I lifted him up and quickly flew out of the mall, landing in a shaded spot on the roof.
After a few seconds, Leo calmed down — and my heart finally stopped racing too.

“Leo, what happened?”
“My name isn’t Leo…”
“Your memory came back?”
“Just one scene.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
“There was a little boy in a museum. He was alone and scared. He’d run inside because it was raining, and he had nowhere else to go. But once he entered, he was fascinated by the tall statues before him. A woman saw him — but she didn’t drive him away. Instead, she gently approached.
A soft female voice told him everything about the statue he was looking at. The boy said something that startled her at first, but then she came closer.
I remember a few lines after that. She asked, ‘Can I know your name, little ******?’ The boy replied, ‘Name? No one calls me, so I don’t have one.’ The woman looked at a statue and read the name of the man who had restored it. ‘Your name now is Mattia, it's italian, it means gift from a God.’ Then the memory ends.”

“Wow… well, that’s actually two big things. We know your real name now, and we know there really was a woman who took care of you.”
“Yeah… I wonder if she was a loving mother who raised me, or just someone passing by… or what if she was the one who erased my memories — what if she was a criminal? I have so many questions…”
“Hey,” I said, taking his hands. “Slow down, Mattia. Yesterday you didn’t even know your own name — that’s progress. Now that we have it, Batman can definitely find out who you are.”
“Let’s hope so…”
“Do you want to go home now?” I lifted the shopping bags. “Can you fly, or do I have to carry you too?”
“I don’t need you to—” He collapsed to the ground. “Okay, maybe I do.”

I slung him over my shoulder, grabbed the bags, and took off toward home. Luckily, I had super strength — and he was pretty light.
“When we get home, you rest, alright?”
“Yeah.”
“What do you want to do once we’re back?”
“Play the new Pokémon game we bought.”
“Why do you like Pokémon so much?” I asked, trying to distract him.

Leo— no, Mattia — started talking about Pokémon for the whole flight. By the end, I had practically become an expert myself.

When we got home, I tucked Mattia into bed and told the others what had happened.
“So, Robin, any news from Batman?” I asked.
“He said there’s nothing we can know for now. He’ll brief us on our next mission soon.”
“What do you mean nothing we can know? He knows something and isn’t telling us?”
“Of course he knows… he’s Batman.”
“He can’t decide what we’re allowed to know — especially when it concerns our own teammate’s life!” I shouted. “That boy is suffering. He deserves to know who he is.”
“I get that you’re emotionally involved with your new boyfriend, but Batman knows what he’s doing. We know nothing about that guy. Maybe he’s dangerous, and it’s better this way.”
“DO YOU EVEN HEAR YOURSELF? Have you seen Mattia? Does he look dangerous to you? Can you, for once, think with your own head instead of acting like Batman’s little lapdog? Dick… I used to like you — back when you were our leader, when you were Nightwing. But ever since Jason died, you’ve changed. Now you’ve gone back to calling yourself Robin — like a kid desperate for daddy’s attention.”
“Batman was right then, and he’s right now. If he doesn’t want to tell us anything yet, he must have a reason. Case closed. This has nothing to do with us. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment.”
“MY FEELINGS? You’re the one bringing them up now! Should we talk about your feelings for a change? The ones for me? For Barbara? For Huntress? For Zatanna? For Donna? You even hit on Harley Quinn while she was with the Joker! And the best part? I’m polyamorous! You could’ve just talked to me and asked for permission! Don’t want to talk about your feelings? Maybe you’d rather talk about the Titans’ feelings — when we stood by you for months after Jason’s death, and you disappeared in the middle of the night without a word, only to come back years later when we thought you were dead? We even threw you a damn funeral!”

Robin stormed out of the room. Beast Boy put a hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me.
Robin had changed, and whatever feelings I once had for him were long gone.

~Raven~
Starfire and Leo’s return — or rather, Mattia’s — was turbulent.
He was asleep, and Starfire had just had one of her worst fights with Dick since their breakup.

“Hey, Star…” I approached her. “How… are you?”
“Raven,” she said, hugging me. “Just stressed. I don’t have feelings for Dick anymore, but it still hurts to see him like that. And it makes me angry, the way he acts.”
“Jason Todd’s death — the second Robin — hit him and Batman hard, you know that.”
“That’s no excuse. Their recklessness could make others suffer, or even die. If they’re heroes, they should care about the team’s well-being too.”
“You’re right, Star. Since the new guy showed up, you’ve been smiling again like you used to. I’m glad he’s here.”
“He’s sweet, strong, makes me feel valued and important — he never takes me for granted. Honestly, I’m scared that when his memory comes back, all of this will end.”
“Star, finding someone who doesn’t appreciate your worth is practically impossible — the odds are infinitesimal. Yet you’ve managed to do it twice — with your sister and with Dick. You probably have better odds of winning the lottery than doing it a third time. Sorry, I’m terrible at comforting people.”
“No, you’re perfect. Now excuse me, I need to rest.”
“Of course.”

A few hours later, someone knocked on my door.
“Come in, Star,” I said.
“No, it’s Mattia.”
“Oh… good morning. You know, it’s the first time I’ve heard of a princess carrying her knight on her shoulders. You’re really breaking gender stereotypes.”
“So it’s not true that you don’t have a sense of humor,” he laughed. “When I woke up, Star had collapsed on the bed, and I think she’d been crying — the pillow was wet. I feel bad for worrying her so much…”
“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault,” I smiled, hiding the fact that Dick was the one to blame. “So, was that all you wanted to tell me? I’m not very good at comforting people.”
“No, I got you this,” he said, handing me a small package.
“Wow, a gift? What’s the occasion?”
“Just trying to make friends.”
“You trying to buy my friendship?”
“No, I mean— JUST OPEN IT.”

Inside were two tiny earrings with miniature books as charms.
“They’re actually cute. I like them. Thanks.”
He smiled.
“Do I get a hug?”
“If I say yes, will you actually give me one?”
“You’re just like Starfire… alright, come here.”

I hugged him, and he hugged me back — a little too tightly.
“Star told me you two kissed. If you ever break her heart, I’ll rip out your soul and hand it to my father, Trigon. You know that, right?”
“Well, I didn’t know the exact punishment, but yeah, I was taught that breaking a girl’s heart is bad. I guess I was raised right, even if I don’t remember it.”
“Are you feeling better now? I can sense your mind’s still unsettled.”
“Yeah… I’m just a little confused about everything that’s happened.”
“Alright…” I sighed. “Sit next to me — I’ll teach you how to meditate. It’ll help you calm your mind. But when we’re done, you’re going back to Starfire — she’s sleeping alone, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good soldier. Now, follow my movements…”

Chapter Text

~Raven~
The moment I woke up and looked at the calendar, I knew the day was already ruined.

People usually look at me and think, “Oh, you must love Halloween, right?”
Wrong. There’s no holiday I hate more than Halloween.
People use it as an excuse to walk around half-naked, dress up as monsters, or go for a “gothic” look.
Yeah, great — associating monsters and vulgarity with the style I wear every day, not offensive at all.
As if I hadn’t already been called a “monster” enough times in my life.
It could have been nice to have a day that celebrated magic — my culture — but instead, they do it in the shallowest way possible, chasing trends and whatever they find sexy.
One year, people even dressed up as Joker. A murdered. Can you believe that?

Of course, that’s not the only issue. I’m not some teenager against the world, and how others choose to have fun isn’t really my concern — it just leaves a bitter taste.
The real problem with Halloween is how dangerous it is.
Demons get stronger, people fill the streets at night, and costumes make it easier for monsters to blend in.
If crime doubles on Halloween night, supernatural incidents multiply by ten.
Which means our workload as heroes multiplies just as much.

I got up, washed my face, got dressed, and went to breakfast.
Thankfully, the atmosphere wasn’t as heavy as yesterday. I’m not exactly a ray of sunshine, but seeing my teammates calm always helps me bear everything else.
I’m good at sensing other people’s emotions — and I hate shouting.
“Morning,” I yawned. Mattia was already at the stove.
“Hey Raven! HAPPY—”
“—BREAKFAST,” interrupted BeastBoy quickly, before he could bring up Halloween.

~Starfire~
The argument from the night before had drained me, and I’d slept deeply all night.
“Morning, Starshine,” Mattia woke me with a kiss on the forehead. “It’s breakfast time.”
That sweet wake-up was definitely a good way to start the day.
“Hi, darling,” I yawned. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah, I feel great — rested and ready for the day. I hope I find out something about my past. Maybe Batman will dig up something useful.”
“Right…” I didn’t have the courage to tell him the truth. “But don’t get your hopes up too much, okay?”
“Okay. By the way, Star, about what happened yesterday…”
“The fainting?”
“No.”
“The visions?”
“No.”
“The argument?”
“What argument? Did we argue?”
“No,” I laughed. “I’m just confused. A lot happened yesterday.”
“I meant the kiss.”
“Oh,” I said, puzzled. “You asked for a second one, so I guess you liked it.”
“Of course. But… what are we now?”
“Oh, right — on Earth you have so many rules about relationships. On Tamaran, it’s just arranged marriages. Do you like me, Mattia?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. That's all I needed to hear. I don’t need rings or dates. I don't understand why earthlings make everything so complicated, affection is just... right”
Mattia laughed. “If I’d known it was that easy, I’d have done it sooner.”

We got ready for breakfast.
“Hey, it’s Halloween today!” Mattia said excitedly. “I don’t think I’ve ever celebrated it. Do you guys do anything special?”
“I wish…” I sighed. “Usually, we’re working all night. I’d actually love to celebrate, just once.”

At breakfast, Mattia was cooking while I chatted with the others.
I greeted Robin coldly, and he answered as if nothing had happened. I joked with BB and Cyborg, and soon Raven joined us.
“So, boss, do we have a mission today?” asked BB.
“Yeah. We’ll get the info at noon. Take the morning off to train.”
“Mattia, any ideas on what we could do?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he thought for a moment. “Yesterday, I sparred hand-to-hand with Robin, but I think an aerial fight with you would be good practice. Up for it? I’ll try not to go too hard.”
“Get ready to taste defeat, Tamaranean-style.”
“Careful, bro,” BeastBoy whispered. “Star’s the strongest of us.”

After breakfast, we headed to the flight training room — basically the same as the normal one, but with platforms, climbing walls for obstacles, and a much higher ceiling.
“So, you want to fight?” I asked.
“Actually, I was thinking more of a ranged combat lesson. Teach me the basics — maybe it’ll give me ideas to improve my energy constructs.”
“As you wish, my student,” I smiled.

First, I explained how it feels to fly. Since I’d been doing it since birth, my movement was much more natural than Mattia’s with his ring. He wrapped himself in energy, imitating me, and after a few tries, got the hang of it.
Then we practiced close combat, charging our punches with energy to make them stronger.
Finally, we worked on ranged attacks — from the ground to a ground target, then ground to flying, and finally midair against a moving target.
Mattia took some time to get his aim and focus right; it didn’t seem like his natural fighting style.
“You don’t have to use energy spheres — with the ring, you can create weapons. Try a pistol, a rifle…”
“A bow?”
“Oh, please. There’s Arrow for that. But hey, go ahead.”
Mattia created an energy bow and fired several arrows — all bullseyes.
“Wow, you’d make Green Arrow jealous. Actually, you’re just like your Pokémon, Decidueye.”
He kept training, making steady progress.

Years of service had made me an experienced fighter and a decent teacher — and he was a great student.
“Ready to spar?” I smiled. “You and me.”
On paper, I should’ve won easily — I was faster, stronger, more agile, and better at ranged attacks — but as a Green Lantern, Mattia had something that even gave Dick trouble: unpredictability.
The only limit a Lantern has is imagination — and Mattia trained his every day, studying our movements, animals, comics, and video games.
What’s more dangerous than a Green Lantern? A nerdy Green Lantern.

“Let’s make it interesting,” he challenged. “Loser gives the winner a prize.”
“Oh, so you’re sure you’ll win?”
“Or maybe I just think I’ll enjoy whatever punishment you give me,” he laughed.

I flew into the air and attacked from afar. He blocked with a shield and fired back with a volley of energy arrows. They weren’t very precise but made up for it in sheer number.
I dodged each shot with quick, sharp movements, but as I closed in, I got trapped in an energy web that wrapped around me like a cocoon.
Before he could take advantage, I broke free with brute strength and lunged at him.
He knew he couldn’t win in a power clash, so he created armored bracers, focusing his energy on blocking my blows.

Once he adjusted to my speed, he began counterattacking with his bare fists.
I dodged, but knowing they wouldn’t hurt much, I started taking the hits intentionally to catch an opening.
But after I blocked the first punch, the second grew huge with Lantern energy and hit me hard, forcing me back.
I gained some distance, but he threw energy Batarangs at me — imitating Robin’s after just one fight.
I knew those weapons well and deflected them easily — until one exploded.
His mental flexibility and quick thinking were unreal; I couldn’t come up with a plan fast enough.
He created an energy jetpack, dashing toward me. I ducked, but he cut the jets midair, using gravity to dive and attack, surrounding himself with a spiked energy ball like a hedgehog.
His reflexes weren’t human — I’d only seen moves like that from Justice League members.
I hesitated, unsure whether to keep my distance — and in that instant, Mattia charged.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

I froze, blushing red as a tomato — and in that distracted moment, an energy tentacle wrapped around me, pulling me close.
He pointed an energy blade at my throat.
“Match over,” he declared.
“You won,” I admitted. “You were amazing — even if that last move was unfair.”
“Seduction wasn’t against the rules. They did it in the final Naruto Shippuden battle, the one against Kaguya.”
Mattia dropped to the floor, exhausted. “Well, I’m done fighting for today. Gotta recharge the ring.”

“So, what prize do you want?” I asked, bracing myself for something indecent.
“Can I know your story? The good moments, the bad, your regrets… I can only imagine mine, so I’d love to hear a real one.”
His words melted my heart. I threw myself into his arms and kissed him deeply.
“You’ve earned it. Alright.”

I opened up completely — told him everything.
My childhood on Tamaran, our customs, how I came to Earth and joined the Titans.
My battles with my criminal sister Blackfire, how I couldn’t redeem her, and how I dethroned her, making my old nanny the new ruler.
And yes, I told him about my past relationship with Robin, and how it ended after Jason Todd’s death — because of Batman and Joker.

He listened silently, without judgment. I’d never felt so heard in my life.
“Well, lovebirds,” Raven appeared through a portal in the wall behind us.
“Whoa!” Mattia jumped up, startled. “Oh, it’s you — I still need to get used to that.”
“Hey Raven,” I smiled.
“It’s almost lunchtime, so wash up and come eat. Let’s see what thrilling job awaits us tonight. Yay,” she said flatly, vanishing again.

Chapter Text

~Raven~
After we finished eating, the big announcement we’d all been waiting for finally came.
"Alright Titans, Batman has sent us today’s mission," Dick said, then looked at Mattia. "He also said he might have some information about you."
"Ah." Mattia sat down. "I’m all ears."
"Me too!" BeastBoy said, turning his ears into giant elephant ones.
"We need to infiltrate Gotham City High School’s gym. There’ll be a Halloween party. In the last few days, some students have gone missing. Batman wants us to make sure that doesn’t happen tonight and to check for any hidden demons or criminals."

We all froze.
Starfire: Criminals?
Mattia: Demons?
BeastBoy: School? Oh no...
Cyborg: Party? Boo-yah!
Me: Halloween costumes? Ugh.

"WAIT, DO WE HAVE TO WEAR COSTUMES?" Starfire’s eyes lit up at the mention of my worst nightmare.
"YES, THAT’S AWESOME!" Mattia was just as excited as she was "I want to be... Gengar! No... Alexander Hamilton. No wait, Odysseus! Wonder Woman?"
"Yeah..." Robin muttered. "It’s the best way to blend in. Pick something easy to put together."
"NO. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO RUIN THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I GET TO CELEBRATE HUMAN HALLOWEEN. Got it, Grayson?" Starfire’s glare could make anyone shiver.

"Okay... do what you want, but remember—this isn’t a party, it’s a mission."

I watched Cyborg and BeastBoy tinkering with random costume ideas while Mattia and Starfire chatted excitedly. I just went back to my room. I’d buy something online.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on my door.
"Okay Mattia, I already know it’s you. Come in."
"Hey..." Mattia stepped in, notebook in hand and a pencil tucked behind his ear. "Are you in a bad mood or something?"
"What do you think?" I raised an eyebrow. "If you want the honest answer—yes. I hate this holiday. It’s stupid, dangerous... and scary."
"Why does it scare you? You’re stronger than anything you might face."
"That’s not it... any kind of dark power gets stronger on Halloween. Every story—ghosts, zombies, monsters, demons, or any supernatural creature—is connected to this night. It’s their chance to rise again and cause pain."
"I get it... but you’ve got us. Together we can handle any ghost or demon that shows up. If we’re there, we can act fast and limit the damage."
"I know you’re right... but still, I can’t bring myself to celebrate."
"Is there something else?"
"My father... he’s stronger tonight too. It’s harder for me to control my demonic side. My first Halloweens with the Titans weren’t easy. I almost hurt people."
"Well, you said ‘were.’ That’s past tense, right? You don’t have that problem anymore, do you?"
"Right."
"I want to give you the best Halloween ever, so... Starfire and I came up with a few costume ideas we think you’ll like. If you like the costume, maybe you’ll like the party too."
"That’s sweet. I’ll give you a chance. What did you have in mind?"
"I’ll tell you all of them, and you pick your favorite, deal?"
"Fine."
"Alright..." he tried to hold back a laugh. "So... Halloween means witches, magic... what do magicians have? A rabbit in their hat! You could try a bunny suit..."
"Get out of my room before I strangle you."
"IT WAS A JOKE! KORY MADE ME SAY IT, I SWEAR! Sorry—" he burst out laughing. "Okay, now the serious ones."
"It better be."
"To stay on theme with magic, you could wear a Harry Potter outfit. You more Slytherin or Ravenclaw?"
"I’m not wearing a stupid witch hat, a coat, and a plastic wand. You guys really know me so well."
"You like Marvel comics?"
"Yeah, but I’m not dressing as Black Widow."
"HEY, WAIT, HEAR ME OUT! I was thinking Scarlet Witch—you’re both witches, and she’s got a cool outfit."
"Seriously?" I sighed. "You want me to dress like a supervillain while we’re fighting supervillains? Why would I dress as an unstable evil witch while trying not to be... an unstable evil witch?"
"Come on... villains are cool! What about Konan from Naruto?"
"Villains aren’t cool. They’re cruel, they hurt people, and they’re everything we fight against."
"We just wanted to make this day special... I didn’t mean to upset you. We worked hard thinking you’d appreciate it."

That’s when I realized how rude I’d been.
"I’m sorry... that’s part of why I hate this holiday. I can’t manage my emotions. It’s like I focus so much energy on not losing control or getting hurt that I forget I can hurt others too. I’m a terrible friend. I just can’t handle it lately... sorry."
"So what do you want to do? Batman said this mission might give me info about myself. It’s important to me."
"Alright then," I said, ruffling his hair. "We’ll go to the party—but I’ll choose everyone’s costumes."
"EVERYONE’S? EVEN MINE AND STARFIRE’S?"
"Especially yours and Starfire’s."
"Fine, but I want a hug to make up for all the energy I’ve spent."
"Alright..." I hugged him.
"Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, Master Raven, Queen of Halloween Parties—your wish is my command," he laughed.
"You know The Seven Deadly Sins?"
"Yeah, Wrath, Sloth, Lust..."
"No, the manga."
"Oh—yeah. Why? Don’t tell me you’re planning..."
"We had a deal."
"But... it’s not even in my top fifty anime..."

Ten minutes later, we were assigning each character to a team member.
"I see..." Dick said, studying the images. "Well, the outfits aren’t too complicated for an anime. Only problem—we might get cold. This guy’s got a three-section staff, so I’ll have a weapon too. I’ll be him."
"Okay, Robin’s Ban—Greed. So who’s doing Escanor, Pride?"
"Me," said Cyborg. "Big dude, great mustache—I’m perfect."
"I’ll do Meliodas—Wrath," Mattia grinned. "I’m about the same height, and Star can be Diane—Envy, since we don’t have an Elizabeth."
"I’ll do the little flying guy—he seems fun," said BB.
"Alright, BeastBoy is King—Sloth..." Mattia noted. "That just leaves Raven. And I guess it’s obvious who you’ll be—"
"Gowther."
"No! THERE’S A FREAKING WITCH IN THE ANIME! YOU’RE DOING THE WITCH, OKAY?"
"Ugh... fine, I’ll be Merlin—Gluttony."

We spent the afternoon making the costumes. Thanks to Cyborg’s 3D printer and Mattia’s Green Lantern ring, it didn’t take long.

We reached the school where the party was held.
"Remember," Robin said before we went in, "we’ll split up to cover more ground. But if you see anything risky, call the others right away."
"Wow, splitting up... great idea," I muttered sarcastically "I guess you guys are not horror movie fans"

Everyone went their own way, but Mattia seemed to follow me.
"Do you... need something?"
"I asked Robin—I can stick with you."
"With me?"
"Yeah. You’re afraid of losing control or being attacked, right? Well, the job of a Green Lantern is to bring hope to people’s hearts—and I’m a Green Lantern."
"Technically right now you’re Meliodas, but... I appreciate it. Thanks."

We searched the area for hours until—
"Wait," Mattia stopped me.
"What is it? You saw something?"
"Star’s not answering my messages."
"Mattia, we’re working. Stay focused on the threats."
"Exactly! We were texting to make sure nothing went wrong."
"Fine... I can try to sense her presence... wait, why is she on the roof? Something’s off."
"You warn the others—I’m going after her."

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
The team split up. I hated being alone; I would’ve much preferred to spend the night with my friends, but duty came first.
Our mission was to keep watch over the others, and there was no better way to do that than by blending in and socializing.

It wasn’t difficult. Many guys came up to me to talk or flirt. Usually I chatted with them a little, and once I made sure they weren’t a threat, I find an excuse to walk away. Some were a little too persistent, but none seemed dangerous.

I realized that if I was looking for criminals, people in large groups probably weren’t the ones to focus on, so I decided to observe those who were more isolated.

After dealing with a few drunk or overly shy guys, one caught my attention. He was dressed as a character from Alice in Wonderland—the one with the hat.

“Wow, you must be very friendly,” the boy said, sipping punch while sitting near the drink table.

“Hi,” I greeted him. “Nice to meet you. I’m Kory. I came to the party, but I don’t know anyone.”

He was short, eccentric, and strangely cheerful—it lifted my mood.

“I don’t know anyone either,” he said. “Haven’t made any friends yet. You know how it is—everyone’s already drunk or in their own groups.”

A new song started, and the music was so loud I couldn’t hear him anymore. I needed to keep the conversation going for the mission, but it was becoming harder, so I leaned closer. Still, I couldn’t make out his words. He noticed and gestured toward the punch.

I nodded, and he poured me some into the cup he was holding out. It was refreshing and fruity. I gestured for him to follow me out into the hallway so we could talk more easily.

But as I walked, my body grew weaker.
Did he put something in my drink? I thought. But I should be resistant to poisons…
Moments later, as soon as I reached the corridor, I collapsed.

When I woke up, my body felt numb and my powers weren’t working. I opened my eyes—and realized I was tied to a chair on a rooftop.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to use what little strength I had to stall him and buy time to come up with a plan.

“I’m the Mad Hatter, darling,” he said. “I recognized you. You’re one of the Titans, aren’t you? You must have classified information I can sell.”

“I won’t tell you anything, scum. You’ll get nothing from me.”

“Oh, love, that’s not up to you. Once I hypnotize you, I’ll erase your memories and turn you into my soldier. Of course, only after you tell me everything I want to know. I’m looking for someone in particular. You’re strong… but also very pretty. Not blonde, though. A little hair dye and you’d make the perfect Alice.”

“You’re a monster. What about free will? Why ruin people’s lives?”

“Money,” he said coldly. “Recently, I hypnotized two rich men to steal information to sell, but it wasn’t enough. I need more for my Wonderland. After I failed my last job, I’m desperate—and a bodyguard would come in handy.”

“So there’s a way to resist you?” I asked, trying to keep him talking.

“Yes. A Green Lantern once managed to break free halfway through the process. Unusual, Lanterns shouldn’t have that kind of resistance—it was something more... something monstrous. When I used my hypnosis card on him and tried to steal his memories, he… changed. I don’t know how, but he escaped before I could finish. Don’t worry, with you that won’t happen. In a moment, you’ll forget everything, including this conversation, and then you’ll be my lovely bodyguard. Now hush, Alice.”

He gagged me so I couldn’t speak. Then he grabbed a large helmet-like device covered in playing cards. He was about to put it on my head when I saw it—a green light, shining like hope.

It was Mattia.

“You?” the Hatter snarled. “My failed experiment! But wait… if I finish the job, I might still get paid.”

“Don’t worry, Kory” Mattia said to me. “I’ll take care of this, okay?”

He charged his fist, but just before hitting the Hatter’s face, he froze.

“I… can’t hit him.”

“Of course not, you fool,” the Hatter laughed. “When I hypnotize someone, the first thing I do is forbid them from attacking me. You’re powerless against me.”

Things were getting worse. Even my savior was helpless.

“First, I’ll take that ring,” he said, removing Mattia’s Green Lantern ring and deactivating his powers. “Then I’ll deal with the girl, and when I’m done, I’ll come back for you.”

“You won't touch Starfire,” Mattia growled.

“Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?” sneered the hypnotist, barely paying attention. “What can a Lantern without his ring do? You were lucky once—you won’t be again. And if you resist, I’ll use your girl to break you.”

A dark aura began to swirl around Mattia. Despite the hypnosis, his body started to move. The rooftop lights went out, plunging us into darkness.

“I said, don’t touch Starfire.”

“What—? You can move? How?” the Hatter shouted, shining a flashlight at him.

Only Mattia’s eyes were visible in the dark—they were burning red.

“Don’t… touch… my… Starfire.” Mattia’s body began to change. Horns grew from his forehead, his eyes widened, his ears stretched into bat-like wings, and behind him appeared a sword made of shadows darker than the night itself.

“I, Mattia, son of the demon Etrigan, Prince of Hell,” he declared, his voice echoing like thunder. “Condemn you, filthy human who defied me, to eternal torment. Now, suffer.”

Mattia had completely lost control. He grabbed the man by the neck, ready to choke him to death. I wanted to stop him, but I was too weak to even scream.

Then Raven arrived.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” she said. “I was afraid I’d lose control tonight—and instead, I have to calm down another demon.”

She used her powers to restrain Mattia, trying to suppress his rage. But his unrestrained energy was overwhelming her, forcing her to fight against losing control herself.

Thankfully, the others arrived just in time.
Robin caught the criminal as he tried to flee, BeastBoy untied me, and Cyborg hit Mattia with a powerful blast.

The demon—what was once Mattia—stumbled back, retreating, when a bat-shaped dart struck him.

I turned and saw Batman land on the rooftop.

“Good work, team,” he said, grabbing the Hatter. “I’ll take care of this one. Upgraded your toys, Jervis? You weren’t this dangerous before. You guys get Mattia back to base. Once he wakes, he’ll regain control of his mind—and maybe a few memories. Robin, brief me tomorrow.”

“NOOO! MY ALICE! SHE PROMISED ME! I SAW HER! I JUST NEEDED TO CAPTURE HIM AND SHE WOULD’VE TAKEN ME THERE!” the Hatter screamed, babbling nonsense.

Then Batman vanished—he must’ve been watching us the whole time.

We carried Mattia’s unconscious body back home. Batman said the mission was complete…
But to me, it felt like a terrible failure.

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
I laid Mattia down in bed.
“He’ll be fine, right?” I asked Raven, worried.
“I think so,” she replied. “A sedative is usually enough to calm down someone possessed. We’ve been through this with me, remember? The hard part was hitting him in the first place, but luckily Batman was there.”
“Yeah… he was there the whole time. That man was about to erase my memory and turn both me and Mattia into his slaves, and Batman just stood there watching.”
“Star, I hate to sound like Robin, but I have to say it: Batman knows what he’s doing. If you were really in danger, he would’ve acted sooner.”
“Sure. We’re always at the mercy of his plans and predictions… as if he hasn’t made mistakes before.”
“That’s exactly why he won’t make them again. Losing Jason Todd was hard for all of us—but especially for him.”
“I need to focus on Mattia now. What can I do to help him feel better?”
“I think just being the first person he sees in the morning will be enough. Maybe clean up his wounds and make him comfortable.”
“Alright.”

I took off Mattia’s shirt and pants to clean and disinfect his wounds, which were surprisingly less than I thought considering Cyborg had shot him with his cannon.
After washing the blood away with a sponge, I carefully disinfected his cuts, dressed him in pajamas, and tucked him under the covers with a kiss on his forehead.
“Sleep well, sweetheart. I’ll see you tomorrow, I promise.”

Sleeping alone again without him holding me hurt me more than I expected. So, I held him instead.
He mumbled something in his sleep—I could only make out the word “love.”
My heart melted. Even hurt and unconscious, he was trying to make me feel loved. I leaned my head on him, waiting to hear if he’d say my name.
“Pokémon… kittens… Dragon Ball”
I burst out laughing. Clearly, his love letter wasn’t for me.
“…Starfire… protect Starfire.”
I smiled and fell asleep beside him.

The next morning, he woke up. I was so happy that I literally jumped on him, and we cuddled for a while.
“Hey… wasn’t I wearing my Halloween costume? How did I end up in pajamas?”
“Yeah, I cleaned and changed you last night so your wounds wouldn’t get infected.”
“Oh right… WAIT, YOU CHANGED MY CLOTHES?”
That’s when I remembered Earth customs—and their modesty.
“I’M SORRY! I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT IT!” I yelled, mortified. “I always forget how modest Earthlings are. On Tamaran, we’re all pansexual and polyamorous—intimacy isn’t such a big deal. I should’ve asked a guy to do it instead. I’m such an idiot. IDIOT. IDIOT. IDIOT. I always mess things up…”
“Hey, calm down,” he said, taking my hand with a laugh. “You’re my ehm... I like you. Nothing happened. You just surprised me a bit. Stop calling yourself an idiot.”
“Sorry… old habit. Let’s go to breakfast, everyone’s waiting for you.”
“No. I’m not moving.”
“Why not?”
“Because being called an ‘idiot’ shouldn’t be a habit, not even an old one. Who made you think you’re stupid? I’m not leaving this bed until we sort that out.”
“Sweetheart… it’s just a fact that I’m not particularly smart. I wasn’t even back on Tamaran.”
“Was it your sister? Did she make you think that when you were little?”
“Maybe. Probably.”
“You’re not stupid. You’re smart, empathetic, and funny.”
“Thanks, love,” I smiled.
“You’re not stupid. You’re smart, empathetic, and funny.”
“I know, thanks…”
“No, you don’t. Not yet.”
“You’re not stupid. You’re smart, empathetic, and funny.”
“You’re not stupid. You’re smart, empathetic, and funny.”
“Mattia…”
“You’re not stupid. You’re smart, empathetic, and funny.”
“You’re not stupid. You’re smart, empathetic, and funny.”
“Thank you…” I burst into tears in his arms.
“We’re both emotional today, huh? I’m setting a reminder right now—I’ll tell you that every day until it feels normal to hear it. And every time you think something bad about yourself, you come to me and we’ll talk, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, linking my pinky with his.

~Raven~
The next morning, Mattia and Starfire joined us long after breakfast time.
Starfire was helping Mattia walk, and he came in avoiding eye contact.
“Come on, man, eat something,” BeastBoy said.
“I cooked,” added Cyborg. “Not as good as you, but it’s decent.”
“Well, Mattia…” Robin spoke up. “Did you recover your memory?”
The room went silent.
“Part of it.”
“Do you want to tell us?” I asked.
“Last night, we faced the man who stole my memories. My instinct to protect Starfire—and my anger toward him—unlocked a part of me I’d forgotten. Along with it, a few memories returned. There’s no demon inside me—I am the demon, at least half of one. My father is the demon Etrigan. I don’t remember anything about my mother or childhood, but for now, I remember who I am.”
He stood up, wobbling a little, and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry for putting you all in danger. I could’ve hurt you or ruined the mission. If you want me to leave Titans Tower, I’ll go right now. I’m not as good as Raven at controlling myself, and I don’t want to be a burden that slows you down or puts you at risk. I humbly apologize.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Starfire said, hugging him.
“Come on, dummy,” I smiled. “You’re not the first half-demon on the team—we’re not scared of you. I’ll help you control it. At least now we know what we’re dealing with.”
“Brother, you’re one of us now,” said Cyborg and BB with a grin.
“It’s true, you’re dangerous,” Robin added. “But your putting the team’s safety above your own is enough for me. We’ll invest time in helping you, but the team will grow stronger—not just in power, but in teamwork, mood, and quality of life.”
“And…” Starfire pressed.
“…and you’re our friend now—part of the family.”
“Well said, Robin,” Starfire smiled at him—something she hadn’t done in a long time.

Mattia cried.
“Thank you…” he said through tears. “I’ll do my best. Honestly, this whole thing scares me too. But I won’t let anything happen to you. I still have my ring—I don’t need demonic powers. Thank you for being here with me, even now that I know what I am.”
“Hey,” I said, “I’m just like you. Do I look like a monster to you?”
“No, but you—”
“Then neither are you. Case closed, and I don’t want to hear any ‘buts.’”
“Now you two eat,” Cyborg said, handing them some waffles. “We’ll save the tears for after breakfast.”

Chapter Text

~Raven~
Starfire and Mattia ate the last waffles.
“So, Mattia… how are you feeling?” asked Starfire.
“Like a bird that’s spent its whole life walking among humans and suddenly discovers it’s never been one of them—and that it’s always been able to fly, but never tried, just because everyone else thought it was impossible. It’s like I’ve only ever thought in 2D and now I’m suddenly seeing in 3D. My muscle memory whispers things I used to know how to do but had completely forgotten until now.”

Mattia created shadowy hands, then a sword made of shadows too, breathed fire, levitated, and teleported a few meters away.
“It’s a kind of demonic magic,” I said. “More focused and less wide-ranging than mine, but still extremely powerful. Just be careful not to overuse it—take your time learning control.”

“Raven, do you know his father?” asked Dick.
“Oh sure, just because I’m the daughter of a demon I must know his father too, huh? That’s racism,” I joked. “Of course I know him. I’ve studied demons my whole life, and Etrigan is one of the most famous and powerful ones. Wait a second…”
I opened a portal to my room, reached inside, and pulled out a book. I flipped through it and showed the others. “Here, this is Etrigan.”

“Wow…” commented BeastBoy. “He’s… quite a guy, I guess?”
“Alright then…” I cleared my throat before reading.
‘He is a demon from Hell who often fights alongside the forces of good. Etrigan has the appearance of a short, muscular man with yellow—or sometimes orange—skin, horns, red eyes, and bat-shaped ears.
Among his abilities are: super strength, flight, invulnerability to any material except iron (his weakness), extreme regenerative powers, magical abilities, precognition, telepathy, and the power to breathe hellfire.’”
“Well… if I inherit even half of his powers, I’ll be pretty strong.”
“Good thing he only fights for good often,” commented Robin.
“...Ah, here’s something curious: he always speaks in rhyme. When the archduke of Hell, Belial, invaded the lands of Queen Serpent Ran Va Daath, the two enemies ended the war by copulating over the corpses of the dead. Thus was born Belial’s first son, Etrigan, who immediately showed delight in pain and suffering…”
“Gross!” shouted BB. “Summarize and skip to the point.”
“Okay, okay... So, Etrigan was dangerous, and Lucifer told Belial to keep him under control. So Belial exiled his mother. Etrigan got revenge by making Belial fall in love with an animal spirit through an amulet, and that’s how Belial had a goat-demon son… wow, and I thought my family was weird. Oh, okay—then Belial had a third child with a witch, and that was… Merlin. Yeah, that Merlin. Your uncle. Oh wow, it goes on for pages… anyway, to summarize, Etrigan fought Merlin and was bound to a human named Jason Blood. Then there are a bunch of his battles… including one dressed as Santa Claus against Superman? Whatever. The last record says he fought alongside a magician named Constantine, and hasn’t been seen since.”

“Well…” Mattia looked a little lost. “…I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about all that. Mostly confused about why anyone would decide to have a kid with that mess. But if Jason Blood hasn’t shown up in years, I doubt we’ll get answers. For now, this info is enough.”
“Are you sure?” asked Starfire. “Maybe we could dig deeper…”
“Nah, it’s fine. That’s just the story before my birth. I still have my entire childhood and teenage years to rediscover. I’ll focus on those.”

From that day on, Mattia pushed himself three times harder. He trained daily in both combat and control of his powers. We gave him fewer patrol shifts to let him focus on himself.
He studied weapons with Cyborg to refine his Lantern constructs, martial arts with Robin, control of his demonic powers with me, and aiming with BeastBoy and his endless animal forms. As for Starfire… I wasn’t sure if they were really training or just flirting.
Everyday he was better than the previous like he was slowly warming up his muscles and senses.

I could feel his presence moving around the Tower at night. One evening, when I felt him on the roof, I decided to see what he was doing.
“What are you doing?” I asked, teleporting next to him. “It’s 2 a.m.”
“Oh, hey Raven…” he said awkwardly.
“So… what are you up to? I can sense you at the Tower’s computer every night.”
“I found her!”
“Who? Your mother? Someone from your childhood?”
“Oh no, no memories of that yet… I found Starfire’s sister!”
“What? That’s a terrible idea—”
But before I could stop him, he had already teleported away.

Chapter Text

~Blackfire~
I am Komand’r, also known as Blackfire, firstborn of the royal family of Tamaran—the first daughter born in a century—and my life has been nothing but a disappointment.

The day I was born, the Citadel—an interplanetary fascist empire that ruled twenty-one of the twenty-two worlds in the Vega star system—destroyed the Tamaranian city of Kysarr, killing three thousand of my people. From that day on, everyone believed I was nothing more than a bringer of bad luck.

As a child, I was struck by an illness that prevented me from converting ultraviolet rays into energy, preventing me from flying like the rest of my species.
Those two events alone were enough for my family to strip me of my birthright to the throne, hiding behind the excuse of my “bad temperament.”
What did they know about my temperament? They were never there. They were too busy pampering and brushing my sister’s hair.

After that, my life became a string of mistakes, one after another. Out of jealousy, I blamed my sister for the faults of our parents, turning the life of the only person who ever loved me into hell.
It took me years—years and exile—to realize that my parents hated me regardless of her, and that she, in truth, had multiple chances to hand me over to the intergalactic police but never did.

The last time I attacked her, she even risked her life to inject me with something I thought was poison—but it turned out to be the cure for my disease. That’s how I learned to fly.
I spent years in prison, locked in a cage with no powers, reflecting on my parents’ cruelty toward me—and on my own cruelty toward my sister, Koriand’r.

Recently, something unexpected happened.
A prisoner named Atrocitus managed to escape his cell thanks to some help from outside. His cell was next to mine, and with all the guards focused on recapturing him, I took my chance and fled—using the gift of flight my dear sister had given me.
Since then, I had been moving from planet to planet, trying to stay out of reach of the Green Lanterns or the intergalactic police.

That day, I was drinking at a small diner on a poor planet, hiding under a long coat so I wouldn’t be recognized, when a man sat beside me.
He bought me a drink—nothing new, really. It was easy to take advantage of the fools who tried to flirt with their wallets, so I accepted.
Along with the glass, he handed me a small note written in human language. I brushed his hand as I took it.

“Do you assume I know your language?” I asked. “Luckily, I can learn any alien language through physical lips contact.”

The note read: ‘Are you Starfire’s sister?’

I rushed outside, and the man followed me. I rapidly flied away, but due to my illness I wasn't fast enough, he was still behind me.
“Who are you? How do you know my sister?”
He pulled back his hood. He was a young man with slightly gray skin.

“Nice to meet you. My name’s Mattia,” he said with a smile.
“I’m not shaking your hand.”
“So, you’re Starfire’s sister, right?”
“How dare you speak to me with such disrespect? I am Blackfire, her elder and stronger sister. But yes, she is my younger sibling.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m her boyfriend.”
“You must be joking.”
“That’s all you’ve got to say? I came a long way to find you.”
“Mistreat her and I’ll kill you… not that I care, of course.”
“Oh, a protective sister. A tsundere, huh?”
“She’s the only family member I respect. Treat her well or I’ll destroy you.”
“You already said that. And honestly, I doubt you could—but fine, it’s not my intention to hurt her anyway.”
“Who are you to doubt my power? I can smell demon energy on you—I’ve met plenty of your kind in prison.”
“Yeah, I’m half-demon… but also a Green Lantern. See?” He proudly showed me his ring.
“Half monster and half garbage. Disgusting. I highly doubt you’re my sister’s lover.” I grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. “I’ll kill you.”
He vanished before my eyes.

“Where are you?” I hurled black fireballs all around, trying to force him out.
“Here” he said, reappearing in front of me. “Do we really have to fight?”

“Your little Green Lantern shield won’t stop this!” I launched a massive sphere of black energy at him, but he disappeared again.
“Where are you, half-demon? Show yourself!”
“I train with your sister every day,” he reappeared. “I know how to dodge your kind’s attacks—and I know Tamaranean techniques.”

In a fit of rage, I conjured black energy chains from the ground, trapping him.
“Wow, that’s new,” he muttered, puzzled. “Guess I’ll have to get serious… Do you know how I beat your sister the first time?”
“How?” I tightened my grip around his neck.
“You’re really cute when you’re angry,” he said, waiting for my reaction. “...C’mon, it worked with her.”
“You think my anger is cute? I just want to erase you, half-demon.”

He vanished again, then summoned a wave of green energy slime that slammed me to the ground.
“You can surrender now, please?”
“Never. I’m stronger!” I broke free, unleashing my power.
“Why does it matter to you who’s stronger?”
“Because I am of royal blood, and I—”
“So is your sister, and yet she and I love each other.”
“How could she love a filthy half-demon?”
“Hey, that’s kinda racist… though honestly, I wonder the same thing.”

Just then, a team of space police arrived—probably after me. The boy didn’t seem dangerous, so my priority was to escape.
“Friends of yours?” he asked.
“Intergalactic police… did you call them?”
“Nah, but I am a Green Lantern… I should have some authority. I can help you, but on one condition.”
“A blackmailing demon…”
“You’ll come to Earth, apologize to your sister, and help us in one fight—at least once.”
“Tch… I don’t have much of a choice.” I shook his hand.
“Perfect. A deal with a demon can never be broken.”
“You tricked me… fine, help me then.”

“Hello, officers,” he said casually. “I’m a Green Lantern, a colleague. I’ve located the fugitive—I’ll handle her myself.”
“Sorry, sir, but it’s our duty. She’s ours.”
“As a Green Lantern, I outrank you. I’ll take care of it.”
“C’mon, man… she’s a big catch. Let us take her—we’ll get a promotion.”
“Nope, you can't, guys. Sorry.”

Before he could finish speaking, one of the officers shot him in the back.
I rose in fury, ready to kill them, but Mattia stood between us.
“Easy, princess,” he said. “If they’re dumb enough to fire energy bullets at a half-demon, I’ll have no trouble handling them.”

In a second, he created glowing chains that bound them, disarming them with spectral hands.
“Okay… I just sent a signal to the Green Lantern Corps. They’ll be here in minutes, so maybe we should leave, yeah?”

I flew away with him.
“You saved my life, human. You have my thanks.”
“Aww, you’re not so bad after all.”
“So the Lanterns are heading here?”
“Oh, no—I can’t actually call them. I barely remember anything from when I was a Lantern. Truth is a powerful weapon—you just have to know when to use it.”
“You’ve earned my respect. Watch over my sister. Protect her.”

We sat on a small planet, and without me even asking, he told me about all his adventures with my sister. I listened in silence, happy to know she was safe.

“By the way,” he said, “let’s talk business.”
“There it is—the catch. You’re some kind of space monster, aren’t you?”
“Hey, I just wanted to offer you a chance at redemption. Friends, a home, somewhere you don’t have to run from.”
“That life doesn’t suit me.”

“Right here, right now, I put the offer out
I don’t wanna chase you down but I know you see it…”

He started singing.
“Why are you singing?”
“It’s from a musical! It was your turn to sing—don’t you kno… oh, right, aliens. Anyway, it’s about a man who—”
“I don’t care.”
“Ugh, fine. So, wanna try being a hero for once?”
“You have no idea what I’ve been through. You don’t know my life.”
“Well, I don’t really know mine either,” he laughed, eyes warm. “Don’t you wanna change things for the better? Don’t you feel sad about what happened?”
“Why do you do it?”
“It’s the right thing to do. You could help save the world… and I know it would make Kory happy.”
“I’m sorry for what I did to her. After discovering how rotten my family was, I assumed everyone else was too. But apparently, she isn’t.”
“I won’t lie—you hurt her. But you can still make it right. Here.” He handed me a small amulet with a rune carved on it. “Keep this with you. When the time comes, I’ll call for you. Promise you’ll come and help us?”
“Yes” I said quietly.
“Good. Then see you next time.” He vanished.

It was a strange encounter. For the first time since my sister, I’d met someone so pure and radiant—and it was odd that it was a demon, when the rulers of my world, the ones who should have been righteous, were the ones who hurt me most.

I was glad my sister was safe, and every night, as I gazed at the stars, I imagined her and her half-demon living the happy life I could only dream of—while I kept fleeing from planet to planet.

Chapter Text

~Raven~
The next morning, I managed to meet Mattia alone before breakfast, without Starfire around.
“Care to explain why you went to see Blackfire last night?”
“Why I went at night? She’s on another planet — it wasn’t night there.”
“Not that. Why her? You know how much she’s hurt Starfire.”
“Yeah, I know… that’s exactly why I went. To talk to her.”
“You can’t talk to her. She’s a criminal — she attacked you, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, she did… but then we talked and became friends.”
“Friends? With her? You have no idea how many—”
“Hey, Raven, relax. You really think I’d ever do something that could hurt Starfire, even indirectly?”
“Not on purpose, but you might not realize—”
“I know everything. She told me. Look, I’m sorry if it looked impulsive, but Starfire means more to me than anyone else in the world. I don’t have a family, but she does — and I don’t want her to have regrets about it. If Blackfire steps out of line, I’ll take full responsibility and deal with it myself. We made a deal, and deal with demons can’t be broken.”
“You know that's bullshit, right?"
"What?"
"The deal stuff"
"Yeah I know, but she doesn't. Truth is a strong weapon if used properly"
"Oh demons... I just hope we won’t regret this…” I muttered, facepalming.

Life went on peacefully for a couple of days — until one morning, a jet landed on our roof.
“We’ve got visitors,” said Robin.
“Wow… a green jet. No clue who that could belong to,” I said sarcastically. “It’s obviously—”
“Hulk,” Mattia finished.
“Wait— what did you say?” Gar burst out laughing. “Mattia… you do know Hulk isn’t real, right? He’s a comic book character. Not like Superman — he’s real.”
“Ah… riiight, of course I knew that.”
“Is it Sonic?” asked Starfire.
“KORY, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT THE HELL SONIC HAS TO DO WITH THIS. At least Hulk was green — that made some sense — but Sonic?! Why would you think a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog exists?” I shouted hopelessly.
“Well, you’re a demon, and BB turns into green animals, so why can’t Sonic exist?”
“Okay… you got a point. Still, no — it’s clearly a Green Lantern.” I rolled my eyes.
"Wait.." Mattia freezed "Sonic isn't real? I saw him wearing Flash's suit."

"Team, please focus" protested Dick.
"I must have dreamed it

A Green Lantern walked into the tower and spoke briefly with Robin. He looked puzzled but not surprised. Then the Lantern approached us.
“Green Lantern… human… white man but no bowl haircut… you’re Hal Jordan, right?” Mattia had been studying the Green Lantern Corps lately, trying to find clues about his past.

“That’s right… you must be Mattia, the half-demon Green Lantern?”
“Yeah, that’s me,” Mattia smiled. “Do we know each other?”
“I’ve never had the honor — or maybe the misfortune. You’re under arrest for murder.”

~Hal Jordan~
That day, I was summoned by the Guardians of the Universe — founders and overseers of the Green Lantern Corps.
They told me to handle a case involving a Green Lantern who had killed someone using his ring — something that should’ve been impossible.

But when I reached Titans Tower, what I found was not at all what I expected.
Their leader, Robin — Batman’s protégé — greeted me, looking utterly confused.
“You’re a Green Lantern, right?” he asked.
“The one and only Hal Jordan. Listen, kid, I’ve got a message from the Guardians. They say there’s a criminal among you, and I’m here to arrest him. One of your team’s a Lantern?”
“Yeah, Mattia. But he’s one of us — why would you arrest him?”
“Sorry, but I need to speak with him directly.”
“I’m sure he’s innocent. Batman already investigated him.”
“Well, unfortunately, Batman isn’t exactly a legal authority. But I hope you’re right.”

When I entered their dining hall, things were calmer than expected. The kid stood, introduced himself, and shook my hand — seemed clear of conscience.
“...You’re under arrest for murder.”
“What?” the boy spit his tea, utterly shocked.

A dark, cloaked girl instantly took a defensive stance, ready to protect him, but he calmed her by placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Nothing personal, kid. I’ve got orders from the Guardians. My hands are tied — you’ll have to come with me.”
“Come on… I only have memories from the past two weeks. I can’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Doesn’t matter. If you resist, I’ll have to take you by force.”
“Really?” he half-laughed. “I’d love to see how you’d handle a Cyborg, a shapeshifter, Batman’s apprentice, the daughter of Trigon, the Tamaranean princess, and a half-demon Green Lantern all at once. Don’t bluff — I’m not leaving unless I want to. But I’m not here to fight. You’re one of the good guys. Let’s talk this out.”
He was a demon lantern? I had heard about something like that but I have been in outher space most of the time recently.
“Fair enough. I’ll give you a chance to prove your innocence. You’ve got 24 hours.”
“I won’t need that long. Who am I accused of killing?”
“You fought the Mad Hatter, didn’t you?”
“Yeah… I lost control for a moment, but Batman stopped me. He took the guy away unharmed.”
“He died yesterday.”
“And how is that my problem? He was a criminal and died far from me — doesn’t sound connected. I might’ve cursed him, but demonic curses only activate after death — they can’t cause it.”
“You killed him with your ring, not with your demonic powers.”
“Listen, you’ve been a Lantern longer than me — you know the ring can’t kill. It would deactivate before doing mortal harm.”
“I know… that’s the issue.”
“How am I supposed to prove I didn’t do something? I should be innocent until proven guilty.”

I sat next to him — something wasn’t adding up even for me.
“You didn’t kill him, did you?”
“I’ve got five witnesses… and Batman.”
“I don’t know what to say… I’ll buy you 24 hours. We’ll figure something out.”
“Hal…”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful. The day I lost my memory, I was attacked by a Red Lantern.”
“Red Lanterns? Haven’t heard that name in years. Bad business — a bloody war that ended in mass arrests. They caused plenty of pain. I’m surprised they weren’t all executed. Something stinks here.”
“Hal, if something happens… can we count on you?”
“Always.”

I went to the Guardians to report my decision.
“Greetings. I’m sorry for not carrying out your order, but I swore to serve truth and justice — and I don’t believe that boy’s guilty. He has witnesses, and we’ve got no real evidence.”
“You dare disobey a direct order?” asked Arkon, one of the Guardians.
“I believe you’re mistaken. The kid’s innocent. Give me 24 hours to prove it.”
“And if someone dies because of him during that time?”
“I’ll take full responsibility.”
“Very well. Return in 24 Earth hours.”

I decided not to mention the Red Lanterns, just to be safe, and went back to the Titans.

Mattia was waiting for me on the roof.
“Hey Hal, can we talk outside? Starfire and Raven didn’t take it well — I don’t want to scare them.”
“I get it. It’s good that you care about your friends, even now. Listen… I think someone’s framing you, feeding false info to the Guardians. Tell me, have you ever heard of… Krona?”

Chapter Text

~Hal Jordan~

“Ever heard of… Krona?”
“Honestly, no.” He looked at me, confused. “Who’s that?”
“Krona comes from the planet Oa — the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe, headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krona is an extremely powerful being obsessed with witnessing the creation of the universe...

...Because of one of his failed experiments, the multiverse was born, and as punishment, the other inhabitants of Oa turned him into pure energy and cast him adrift in the cosmos. That’s when the Guardians were created...

...It took the cooperation of the entire Green Lantern Corps to defeat him. He hasn’t been seen since, but being bodiless, he acts in mysterious ways. He’ll do anything to gain knowledge about the origin of the universe.”
“And what does he want from me?”
“Well, you’re the son of a demon. Your father’s ancient… Krona’s a scientist, and as one of them, he doesn’t really understand the ‘magic.’ Capturing a young half-blood demon of noble lineage is far easier than capturing your father — and it could yield the same information.”
“So how do we deal with him?”
“Oh, kid… we don’t. Right now, he’s made of pure energy. As long as he doesn’t have a body, he can’t harm us — but if he ever gets one… then we’re in trouble.”
“Still, his actions have consequences. He’s already tried to frame me.”
“Probably one of his supporters infiltrated among the Lanterns. I’ll talk to the Guardians. Even if one of them is corrupted, the others will stop him. Trust me — there’s no one better suited to handle this than they are.”
“And I’m just supposed to sit here and wait? What if someone makes a move and attacks us?”
“Well, I’ve still got the afternoon free before the hearing tomorrow morning. I don’t know how much good it’ll do, but… want to train with me? Better than sitting around doing nothing, right?”
“I’m in, Hal. I couldn’t sit still anyway. Might as well make the time productive.”
“You said you fought a Red Lantern, right? Then you’d better learn how to deal with someone who creates energy constructs.”

He led me to a large training room inside the Tower — clearly funded by Batman, judging by the scale and equipment.
“Rules are street-style,” I explained. “Nothing’s forbidden. You win when the other one gives up — or when they’d be dead if this weren’t training.”

We took a few seconds to size each other up. He was waiting for me to move first, so I obliged.
I formed an energy sphere and hurled it at him. He blocked it with an energy web that bounced the shot back toward me — I barely dodged it, caught off guard.
“Creative,” I smiled. “That’s the most important trait for a Green Lantern — right after willpower and justice.”
I enlarged my fists with energy.
“Yeah, I’m creative… or maybe you’re not creative enough.”

He fired several energy orbs at me — I shielded them with an energy field, but one exploded into a thick fog. I had to blow it away with a giant fan construct.
By the time the mist cleared, Mattia had vanished. I sensed him behind me a split second before he attacked me with a sword.

He wielded a blade of shadows and attacked fiercely at close range, giving me no time to think.
His swordsmanship was clean — clearly well-taught. Yet something about his movements felt familiar, like I’d fought or seen someone fight in his style before.

I needed distance. I created a huge shield between us; his strike crashed against it, and by pushing it forward, I managed to throw him back.
He might have been new, but he wasn’t someone to underestimate.

Then he began firing energy arrows at me. It surprised me that he chose a bow over a gun.
I deflected each shot, but every time I tried to counter, he teleported closer, forcing me to push him back again.

He started slowing down — sweating, breathing unevenly.
“Hey, kid, want to stop?” I asked, worried. “It’s just training.”
“The girls are watching.” He glanced toward a hidden corner of the room. “They’re using a cloaking spell, but when I walked past earlier, I recognized Starfire’s perfume. They’re worried. I need to show them I can handle myself — that I can protect them.”
“Well, don’t disappoint them,” I grinned, charging back in.

He stopped using his demonic powers, relying only on the ring — which tilted the balance heavily in my favor.
Still, he managed to punch through my shield with a massive energy fist, shattering it and forcing me backward.
“Wow… kid, you’re starting to impress me.”
“You’re good at defending, but you barely attack. Scared?”

I swung a giant energy hammer at him, but something grabbed my leg — a shadowy hand pulling me down. Before I could recover, Mattia copied my move and smashed me with his own energy hammer.

From the power behind it, he clearly meant to end the match right there. I fell hard, dazed — if he’d had enough strength left, he could’ve won. But his exhaustion gave me time to get back up.

“You hit me pretty hard, huh…” he panted. “Like I said, I’m not letting you win.”
“You really think you can beat me, huh?”
“The more tired I get, the weaker my Lantern powers become — my mind slows, my reflexes dull… but that’s when the demon part of me tries to take over. And it hates losing.”

He summoned the shadow blade again and attacked relentlessly.
“Not bad, kid. Any more tricks up your sleeve?”
Mattia didn’t answer. He was moving on instinct now. A huge shadow hand slammed into me.
“You’ve got insane power… but it’s not enough.”

By now, Mattia wasn’t behaving human anymore — he was acting like a demon.

He leapt at me, pummeling me with punches, grinning wildly. I managed to knock him back with a giant slap construct.
He teleported in front of me, raised the sword — but at the last second, surprised me with a green energy punch.

“You thought I’d lost control, huh? It was a bluff, I lied. I still had it. When I lose control, I transform. So… do you surrender?”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “You got me. You’re good, kid — caught me off guard.”
“Perfect, I—” he started, but then collapsed right in front of me.

Chapter Text

~Hal Jordan~

As soon as I saw him collapse to the ground, I rushed over.
“Damn it… hey kid, are you okay?” I shook him lightly. “Wake up. Damn, I hope I didn’t hit you too hard.”
Starfire and Raven came running toward me — I could feel their killing intent — but they ignored me and went straight to their friend.
“This is all my fault. We were sparring and I must’ve gone too far… I take full responsibility. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right.”
“Be quiet, please,” Starfire said, annoyed. She placed her head against his chest. “He’s fine… just exhausted. It already happened once”
“What were you thinking?” Raven snapped. “The kid’s lost his memory and fought several emotionally and physically draining battles — you can’t just show up and beat him senseless.”
“And yet he still managed to beat you,” Starfire pointed out.
“I lost focus… it was supposed to be training, but I haven’t had such a fun challenge in ages,” I sighed. “I really messed up…”

Cyborg rushed in, scanning Mattia with his tech, followed by BB and Robin.
“Listen…” Starfire put a hand on my shoulder. “Relax. My boyfriend’s the strongest man on Earth — he’ll be fine. But why were you fighting?”
I explained the whole conversation.

“Well,” Robin cut in, “I saw the whole fight.” He pointed to a security camera. “There were at least three moments where Mattia could’ve killed you.”
“What?”
“Yeah. And yet he didn’t. That’s more proof he’s not a murderer. He could’ve teleported you away and finished you off where none of us would ever know. He has witnesses — and once again, ask Batman — he turned the criminal over to the authorities himself. Can you talk to your boss and clear him?”
“I will…”
“So it’s all good now? Nobody’s mad at you,” Robin said.
“All good,” I nodded, shaking his hand. “It’s been a pleasure working with the Titans. I hope we team up again someday. Can I get a contact?”
“Use this,” Robin handed me a business card with a number.
I apologized once more and left the Tower.

~Starfire~
When Hal left, I placed a hand on Mattia’s forehead to check for fever, then gently stroked his hair.
“Cyborg, can you carry him to bed? I need to take care of something.”
“Sure thing, Star,” he said, hoisting Mattia over his shoulder toward our room.

I flew out of the gym and caught up with Robin a little farther down the hall.
“Robin…”
“You don’t have to thank me, Kory. He’s part of the team — it’s only natural I’d help.”
“Robin… first of all, I’m not calling you Dick, so don’t call me Kory.” My eyes burned with anger — maybe more than ever before. “Mind explaining why I found one of your tranquilizer darts on Mattia’s neck?”
“Right… I knew you’d notice. But hey, everything’s fine now, right? We’re sure Jordan will talk to the Guardians and sort everything out. Mattia was already exhausted — I just helped him along a bit to make the Lantern worry.”
“STOP deciding for everyone else! You don’t always know what’s right. You’re not a leader anymore — you’re just a boss. You’re becoming like Batman, and that’s not a compliment. Now excuse me — I have to go check on my boyfriend, whom you drugged.”

I couldn’t believe he’d done it without asking anyone — not even me. Sure, it worked, but it was selfish and deceitful.
Right now though, I had to focus on Mattia again.

“Hey, Star,” Raven approached. “If you need anything — not just for Mattia, but for yourself too — call me.”
“Thanks, I know I can count on you, sister.”
“How are you? I heard you arguing with Dick. I thought you two made peace.”
“Rachel, I… I don’t know what to do with him anymore.”
“He’s not your boyfriend anymore. You’re not responsible for him.”
“Even as just a friend, I wish he could go back to who he was. I forgave him for cheating — he wanted to measure up to Batman, so he flirted with everyone. I can understand that, even if I can’t forgive it. He should’ve talked to me — I’m polyamorous too. But since Jason died…”
“You’ve done everything you could, Kory. He stopped seeing Dr. Thompkins and refused all our attempts to help.”
“He became Nightwing to work alone, founded Young Justice just to disband it before it began, and now he’s back here acting like nothing happened, wearing his old Robin suit.”
“What else could you have done, Kory? You carried the team while he was gone, and when he came back you handed him leadership again — hoping it’d make him feel useful. We’ve put too much on your shoulders.”
“That’s not our Dick anymore. He’s cold and harsh like Batman, doesn’t share his plans, doesn’t open up… he’s just a shadow of who he was.”
“You know, since Mattia arrived, you’ve started smiling again. You hadn’t smiled in years. Just don’t play nurse paying it with your own health, okay big sis?”
“Thanks. I’ll check on him and rest a little too.”

Watching Mattia sleep calmed me down. He seemed to be searching for something in his dreams, so I held his hand — and he relaxed. Maybe all he wanted was a bit of contact.
Someone knocked softly at the door.
“Who is it?”
“Raven,” she whispered. “I promise I won’t wake him. May I come in?”
“Of course.”
“You two need to eat.” She brought a tray with a sandwich and soup. “The sandwich is for you — let’s try getting him to sip the soup.”
“Thanks,” I smiled.

I lifted Mattia’s head gently and helped him drink the soup bit by bit. I made sure it wasn’t hot, but he still grimaced — probably didn’t like the taste.
“Just remember,” Raven said, “it’s good to take care of him, but take care of yourself too. Eat your sandwich.”
“Alright,” I smiled.
After eating, I lay down beside him, and we both fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up at the usual time, but Mattia was still asleep.
“Sleepyhead,” I whispered, kissing his forehead. “That sedative should’ve worn off by now.”
“Mornin’,” he mumbled, half-asleep.
“Finally back among the living, huh? How do you feel?”
“A bit weak, but fine. My muscles are still half asleep.”
“Well, that’s… probably just fatigue,” I lied.
“I beat that blowhard, didn’t I?”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “Hal Jordan — one of the strongest Green Lanterns — was beaten by you.”
“Hehehe, I’m too good,” he laughed, and I hugged him.
“I want a prize for the victory.”
“Alright, dear,” I kissed him.
“The Titans okay?”
“Of course. You’re the one who fought, not them. They can’t wait to see you. Hungry?”
“A little…”
“Okay, let’s get breakfast.”

Mattia tried to stand but stumbled — still not fully recovered.
“I’ve got an idea,” he chuckled. “Pass me the ring?”
I slipped the Green Lantern ring onto his finger, and he formed an energy crutch to help himself walk.

We reached the dining hall where the others greeted him.
“So, all rested?” Raven asked. “Your demonic powers should help you heal.”
“Oh right… let’s see.”
Mattia focused, summoning a dark aura around himself. I watched his wounds close before my eyes, and soon he was bouncing with renewed energy.
“Wow, that’s a new trick,” I said. “Who taught you that?”
“The woman who raised me. I dreamed about her last night — I need to visit her. And… there’s someone else waiting for me.”
“What? Who?” I asked — but Mattia was already gone.

He flew for a while until he reached a building in Gotham and knocked on the door.
“Welcome to the psychiatric office of Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel. Do you have an appoi— YOU?”

Chapter Text

~Harley Quinn~
I’m a smoking-hot antihero psychiatrist without the limits of “hero” or “villain.” Cool, right?

Weeell, now I’ve got my own expensive room, I don’t live in alone wink, and the job of my dreams — but I wasn’t always like this, so let's go back a few years.

I spent a loooong part of my life in a toxic relationship. Yeah, I’m talking about him... Batman—kidding! Of course I mean that psychotic clown, the Joker.
Me, a psychiatrist, following the orders of a monster like that for an embarrassing number of years because “I can change him, I’m sure.”
One day I finally realized he didn’t want to change, and I saw him for what he was. So while he slept, I slipped a few sleeping pills into his mouth — sorry, a few bottles of them — and turned on the Bat-Signal.
Why did Joker have a Bat-Signal? Seriously? That asshole is obsessed with Batman. He’s basically his number one fangirl. He’s got a locked closet full of gadgets, even a real bloody Robin costume — probably saving it for some kind of prank.
Anyway, I tied him to the bed, trashed his place, and set it on fire. If Batman had shown up late... well, maybe that would’ve been for the best.
The Bat-lover showed up just in time and hauled him back to Arkham.
So much useless bureaucracy. Still doesn’t get it, huh?
And of course, Joker kept harassing me from prison by sending his goons after me.

That’s where our story begins — with me running from five big guys with guns.
Why was I the only woman among Joker’s henchmen? And conveniently, his girlfriend too. I should’ve spotted the misogynist red flags earlier.
Normally I’d have fought them off, but one of them had a bazooka, so yeah... I went with fleeing.
I grabbed my bike — a Harley, of course — and sped off.
They fired the bazooka, but it missed.
“LOSER! YOU MISSED!” I turned back and saw a Green Lantern blocking the shot.
“Thanks, green kid — whoever you are.”
Then I turned again and realized the Lantern was flying beside me.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled.
“Holy moly, didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to appear next to someone driving?”
“You’re not wearing a helmet.”
“SORRY I DIDN’T PUT ONE ON WHILE BEING SHOT AT WITH A BAZOOKA. Can you stop stalking me?”
“You’re a criminal. I could arrest you right now — but first, I want to talk.”
“Fine.” I stopped the bike with him comically breaking too late and flying one mile away.
“So, why were they trying to blow you up?”
“Joker’s goons. I dumped their boss a while ago... and got him arrested. He’s not the type to take ‘no’ for an answer.”
“Why’d you date Joker? You’re a pretty girl, you could’ve found someone less…”
“Crazy? Criminal? Sick? Yeah... I was the ‘I can fix him’ type. Was.”
“Well, better late than never.”
I heard explosions — they were still after me — so I hopped back on the bike. The Lantern jumped on too, hitching a ride.
“Hey, you scold me for no helmet, and now we’re two on the same bike?”
“I have a helmet.” — He’d made one with his ring.
“Don’t ya have, like, alien invasions to stop? A Mars Attack? Planet of apes? Is babysitting me your job now?”
“My mission this weekend is to clean up Gotham’s problems… and you’re one of Gotham’s problems.”
“Aww, you’re making me blush, golden butt. But I’m just a low-level criminal.”
“Low-level? You’re probably the most famous criminal Batman hasn’t caught yet. You’ve beaten him both mentally and physically.”
“True, I am kind of amazing... and hot... and single if you're asking.”
“And yet… I don’t feel like you are dangerous. There’s something different about you — your aura’s more… neutral.”
“So you’ll leave me alone? I’ll be a good girl. Or a bad one, if you prefer.” wink
“You definitely know how to seduce someone, but that’s not how this works. I'm used to women...”
“Want a bribe?”
“You’re making it worse…”
“Okay, sorry—DAMN!” A shot nearly hit me. “Jesus, can’t I have a normal conversation without—oh no.”
Green Lantern was hit and fell to the ground.

“No... JUST WHEN I FIND A CUTIE.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” He stood up — alive.
“What?”
“I got shot.”
“I SAW THAT. WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?”
“Because I don’t die when I get shot.”
“Awesome. Can I shoot you?”
“No. It still hurts. Maybe after the second date”
"Cool, I'm in"

He used his ring to trap the shooter.
“Nice work. But maybe don’t piss off Joker too much.”
“What’s he gonna do, shoot me again?”
“Maybe with a bigger gun,” I laughed, then got serious. “Don’t underestimate him.”
“Joker’s dangerous, but he can’t hurt a half-demon.”
“A half-what now? You’re a—? If I start praying, do you burn up?”
“Never tested it. No one’s ever prayed Jesus around me. And you don't look like a saint, you will probably burn too”
“Well, don’t underestimate the clown. He always finds a way to mess things up, I can totally see him becoming a priest just to piss you off”
“I’m an officer. I can’t fear a criminal. Fear is a Lantern’s greatest enemy.”
“Such a boy scout. Don’t you have anyone waiting at home, snack?”
“No friends or girlfriend. I live with my mom and sometimes my sister too— they're way stronger and scarier than me.”
“Oh, a mama’s boy. I could be your new mommy, if you want.” wink “You’re cute. How come you don’t have a girlfriend?”
“You’re the first who didn’t run when she found out I’m half demon.”
“Nah, no one’s worse than my ex. Doesn’t scare me.”
“Listen, I have an offer.”
“Shoot, Hellboy shiny.”
“I won’t arrest you, but I have to make sure you’re not dangerous. So I’ll spend the rest of the day with you.”
“Oh, you could’ve just asked me out, cutie.”
“So… what do you do in your free time that isn’t illegal?”
“Hey! I don’t only do illegal stuff, that’s offensive. I also… uh…” I paused, couldn’t think of anything. “...I date guys who do illegal stuff.”
“Wow. That’s it?”
“Also girls. I’m equal opportunity. Bad boys or bad girls — either’s fine.”
“Then I’m too good for you.”
“Nah, you’re a very bad boy. You break rules for the greater good — that’s hot.”
“What rules have I broken?”
“Well, two on a bike, flirting on duty... And I bet with that ring and those demon powers you’re wild in bed. I once read a hentai where—”
“What’s a hentai?”
“Oh, you don’t know? It’s basically—”
“I changed my mind, don't want to know it. How do I make you shut up for one second?”
“I dunno, try covering my mouth with your tongue.”
He looked at me, embarrassed.
“NO WAY — YOU’VE NEVER KISSED A GIRL?”
“No, it’s just—”
“You’re hot, got a dark side, superpowers, abs to die for—” I lifted his shirt “See? Told you.”
“I’m afraid my demon half could hurt someone.”
“Hurt?”
“Yeah… I can breathe fire. Wanna see?”
“Hell yeah, I wanna see!”
He breathed fire.
“Okay, +5 points on the hotness scale. Just don’t burn me alive.”
“IT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE!”
“You burned a girl?”
“It was supposed to be my first kiss! I got nervous, hiccupped fire. First and last time I got drunk. SHE WAS FINE, THEY ENDED THE FIRE IN TIME, OKAY?”
“Wow. Must’ve been embarrassing. I mean, I’d have liked it, but normal girls? Yeah, probably awkward. What happened after?”
“I ran away… from Italy.”
“And you never drank or kissed again? Poor baby. But you shouldn’t shut yourself off. Love’s part of life.”
“You’re good. You should be a psychologist.”
“I was! Maybe again someday. Anyway, you’ve got a lot going for you. Stop overthinking. You learned to control it, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then go kiss — and screw — whoever you want.”
“I always warn them first… and they usually leave after that.”
“Well, I like giving people chances. I’d happily prove some girls are into fiery kissers.”
“Are you flirting?”
“Nooo, what makes you think that?” I said ironically.
“We should get to know each other first. For a sore throat after fire-breathing, I usually get ice cream. You in?”
“Sure. You pay this time, I’ll get the next — I’m all for gender equality.”
“That a trick to make me ask you out again?”
“Or just a free ice cream. You’ll find out. When you’re my boyfriend, get used to constant ice cream.”
“Becoming your boyfriend?”
“Oh, are you asking? Fine, yes.”
“I—uh—what—” he stammered until I shoved an ice cream into his hand.

And that’s the story of how I met your father. That night I took him home and we did it allll night long, very wild and kinky.
Just kidding. You’re not my kids. I’m not dealing with brats anytime soon. But yep, we mated hard.

Anyway, life finally gave me a little joy.
Who knows, maybe in another universe I’ve got a life with a plant lady, a shark, a clay actor, a psychic misogynist, and an old guy who turns into vehicles… nah, ridiculous. Even with the multiverse.

Next morning my sexy boyfriend was still there — not that he could’ve gone anywhere after what I did to him that night—ANYWAY moving on.

Weekend ended, he had to go report to his superiors.
“Bet you’ve got a lot to tell them,” I teased. “After everything we did.”
“Come on, silly. I’ll be gone one day. I just need to tell my mom when she’s back home.”
“Stay a bit. Take another ride on your Harley.” wink “Or we could travel, dinner, trashy movies…it's the first time meeting a musical lover fella”
“I have to go…”
“What if Joker’s goons come after me again? I need a sexy bodyguard.”
“While you were sleeping, I arrested them all.”
“I SLEPT THREE HOURS.”
“Yeah, and I made breakfast after that.”
“You’re too perfect. I could get myself in trouble just to make you show up. Like Lois Lane.”
“So I’m not the only one who thinks she does it on purpose. Anyway—here. It’s a charm with a bit of my demonic power. It’ll protect you… and let me come back to you.”
He put a necklace with a rune around my neck.
“I’ll take it as a wedding ring. We’re married now. Cutest gift ever… I mean, Joker used to give me corpses to dispose of.”
“I’ll be back soon,” he kissed me — and vanished.

Apparently “soon” means something different for demons. He never came back.
I waited. My heart broke.
But I knew he wasn’t just another jerk ghosting me. What we had was real. If he wanted to leave, he wouldn’t have given me that pendant. Right? RIGHT?
So I did what every desperate person does in the 21st century: I emailed Batman.

“Dear Batman,
It’s your best friend, Harley Quinn. I got Joker arrested last week, so you owe me one.
My boyfriend—not Joker, the new one, who’s a saint by comparison. Well, actually he’s a demon, but besides in bed, he’s a saint.
Anyway, he’s gone missing. You should know his mommy. Can you help me find him?
I swear I’ll stop telling people you fuck bats. Promise.
Attached are photos of my uncrossed fingers as proof.
Thanks, Batsy.
Say hi to your butler and your army of underage sidekicks.
Love,
Harleen.”

He replied at 3 a.m. with a single “👍”.
HOW THE HELL DO YOU SEND AN EMOJI BY EMAIL? Does he have a giant keyboard with emoji keys? No way that was from the Batphone.

Time passed. I rebuilt my life, met new people, opened a psychiatry practice.
Didn’t get many clients — guess no one trusts an ex-criminal shrink — but one day, Mattia showed up at the door.
“You? Well, yeah, anyone who vanishes that long probably needs therapy.”
He stood there, eyes glossy.
“Okay, okay… don’t cry. You can sit on the couch — but no funny business, it’s new. And we’re not together anymore, got it? I’ve moved on.”
“I’m so sorry…”
“What happened?” I got serious and sat beside him. “Was there an accident? Were you hurt? I was worried, damn it.”
“They took my memories… I didn’t even remember my name. Must’ve wandered for who knows how long.”
“Damn… who did it? Why?”
“Guess they wanted my powers, or to make me a soldier… The Titans found me recently and took me in.”
“The Titans? The ones in the T-shaped tower? Good for you. I’ve seen pics of the team — there’s Starfire... what a babe. If I weren’t dating Batgirl, I’d totally—”

“She’s my girlfriend.”
“WHAT? YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND? AFTER ALL THAT?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t remember you, but I’m in love with her now.” He bowed his head. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“It’s fine… really. You’ve got your girl, I’ve got mine. We moved on. And hey, I can brag that I shared a guy with a cosmic hottie. Nice taste, by the way.”
“Well, if you want, I can set up a double date.”
“Tempting…”
“Harley, I’m so, so sorry. You deserved better. I can’t imagine what you went through. If only I could—”
“It’s okay. I know you’d never hurt me. Never doubted that. I’m just glad you’re alive. Maybe it’s for the best our paths split.”
He cried openly.
“Look at me, having to comfort you.” I smiled, wiping his tears. “You’ve been through hell literally. If you ever need me, I’ll be here. You’re the reason I cut ties with Joker. Every time I thought of going back or pulling another heist, I thought of you — didn’t want to disappoint you. You’re why I’m clean. Now wipe that pretty face, okay? Don’t let that gorgeous girlfriend see you sad. Heroes are like clowns — they gotta smile. The difference is, clowns are psychotic bastards. Heroes… only some of them.”
“Harley... I’m about to do something dangerous. Probably going on a mission soon…”
“Yeah, count me in. You’re the only ex I’m on good terms with.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“Let me guess, it’s dangerous, you might die, blah blah. I’ve been in the Suicide Squad, I know the drill. I’ll help.”
“…Thanks?”
“Oh, right—here.” I opened a drawer. “Here’s your wallet. You left it at my place. Your documents are inside; you might be missing some cash, though.”
“So that’s where it went.”
“But the necklace—I’m keeping that.”
“I’d never ask you to give it back.”
“Now go, before I jump on you. We’ll talk again before the great war for humanity’s fate. Your little girlfriend will be there too, right?”
“Well… yeah, I guess she will.”
“One last thing—have you gone to see your mother? You know, I didn’t introduce myself because I doubt she’d like me much… but I’m sure she’s worried.”
“I’m heading there now.”
“Good.” I smiled, a faint sadness behind it. “See you soon.”

The man I had waited for all those years flew away, taking with him every hope I had of reliving those brilliant days.
I grabbed a tissue.
Clowns and heroes don’t cry—but I belonged to neither, I'm just an Harlequin who act like them, so I wasn’t bound by that rule.

Chapter Text

~???~
Someone knocked on my door.
I ran to open it—it had to be him, he was finally here.
"Is that you... mom?"

~Several years earlier~
That morning, I was walking through a classical art museum when I saw a little boy—he must’ve been three or four years old. He was soaked from the rain and looked lost.
"Hey there, little one. Do you like this statue? Do you know the story of Jason of the Argonauts?"
The boy hid. He was very small, and his skin had a grayish tone.
"Hey, I won’t hurt you. Want to come here? I can get you a towel, you’re all wet."
He hesitated, then came closer. I fetched a towel from the bathroom and began drying him as I told him the myth of Jason, which he listened to with fascination.
"Wow, you really like stories," I smiled "This is Greek mythology—it’s all true, I promise. You see, I’m the princess of an island called Themyscira, where the Amazons learn everything about the gods and how to grow strong and compassionate. Maybe you’ve heard of me—I’m… Wonder Woman."

"The one from comics? I see in windows."
"Yes," I laughed. "They made comics about me—but it’s more likely you’ve seen me on TV."
"I no TV, no home. I hide and eat what I find."
"Oh, sweetie… why are you hiding? Are you, by any chance, not from this world?"
"Half," he said—and a strong demonic aura surrounded him.
Instinctively, I stepped back and drew my sword to defend myself, but the boy burst into tears.
"I’m sorry, that was instinct. Tell me more about yourself."
"Daddy demon Etrigan. Mommy… don’t know."
"Your father’s Etrigan? That’s… quite something. Sorry for frightening you—now I understand your aura."

"It’s okay. I used to it."
"And why are you here? Tell me about yourself—do you have any friends or family?"
"No family, a skeleton lady brought me here but me alone. Kids run away, throw rocks. But once, I friend with owl."
"And what happened to the owl?"
"He flew away."
I couldn’t help but giggle.
"Then I followed a lioness here."
"I lioness? In Gateway City... California? You got some good imagination, baby"
He looked puzzled.
"Well, you deserve friends. I’d be honored to be your first."
"You can’t."
"Why not?"
"First friend is Mister Owl. You second."
"Fair enough," I smiled. "My little friend, what’s your name?"
"Name? What’s that?"
"It’s how people call you. Haven’t you ever talked to anyone?"
"No."
"Then I’ll call you…" I looked around and read the name of an Italian artist who had restored a statue. "Mattia, it's italian, it means ‘a gift from the gods.’ Your father’s a demon, but you’re a gift from the gods. They gave you a second chance, and I’d like to help you. Can I call you my friend?"
"Yes."
I reached out to pat his head, but he flinched, maybe thinking I’d hit him.
"Hey, I won’t hurt you."
"You superhero?"
"Yes, I protect the Earth with the Justice League. I fight for truth and justice—and defend my realm from villains and demons like… your father."
"You no fight me, right? I don’t want fight."
"Of course not. I judge people by their heart, not by their looks or lineage."
"Lineage," he giggled, probably because he didn’t understand the word. "Being hero is fun? People like heroes?"
"Yes, but what matters most is using your powers for good, not evil."
"What’s good and evil?"
"I’ll teach you in time. I’ll stop you if you ever go wrong."
"When do good, people smile?"
"Yes, little one."
"My daddy bad?"
"He’s done some good things too… let’s put it that way."
"How I become hero?"
"Follow me and train to become strong."
"What mean ‘train’?"
"So many questions," I laughed. "I’ll show you someday. First, you must learn to control your emotions. Think of something that makes you angry."
"Kids threw stones… hurt."
"It’s normal to feel angry. They were mean, and that’s not okay. Next time, if it happens, you must control your emotions—walk away or call me, alright?"
"Alright."
"Now, try using your emotions. What would you do with your powers if you were alone and couldn’t run away?"
The little demon formed an object of shadows—not a weapon, but a shield.
"Good job! I’m proud of you! Can you focus your aura on one part of your body?"
He concentrated his aura on his tiny fists, making them grow larger.
"You’re amazing," I said, but noticed he was yawning. I sat beside him on the floor. "That’s enough for today. You can rest."
He took it literally, curling up and falling asleep with his head on my lap.
"Thanks, mom," he murmured as I stroked his hair.
And that’s how I decided to be my son.

I decided to bring him to an apartment I owned in the city and take care of him myself.
I put him to bed and went to shower. About an hour later, I heard him crying and ran to check.
"My little demon, what’s wrong? You’re safe here—no danger, no children to hurt you."
"I thought you leaved me."
"It’s had left me," I corrected, smiling. "And I’d never leave you. You’re a brave little boy with a big heart. I’m the one who’s grateful to have you. I’ve spent so much time in these realms alone, and I’ve never met anyone as special as you. You’re my son now, and your mum will always love you."
He smiled.
"So, my little demon, ready to train?"
He nodded.
"Good. Let me show you something special… do you know what a sword is?"
He shook his head.
"It’s this one," I showed him my amazonium blade.
"Wow…" He reached out curiously, but when he touched it, he yelped and pulled back, crying. "It burns!"
His hand was red.
"I’m so sorry, little one. Right—demons can’t touch iron. Alright… no sword."
"No, I want sword."
"But you can’t—"
"Look!" He created a sword made of darkness and shadow. I reached toward the blade but stopped—it felt dangerous.
"Incredible… I’ve never seen material like that. But use it only when training with me, okay?"
I showed him how to hold and swing the sword, and he copied me, falling a few times.
"Wow, you’re so strong, my little demon. Tell me, is there anything else you’d like to learn besides fighting?"
"Comics… I can’t read, I look at pictures."
"Alright, I’ve got some," I grabbed a few I’d bought out of curiosity. "Want to read some stories about mommy?"
"That one."
"This one? Ah, that’s Green Lantern—a friend of mine. You see, the Green Lanterns are a police force that protects the galaxy using their rings. They can be very powerful because their strength comes from willpower and courage. They can create anything they imagine."
"I can be Green Lantern?"
"Of course—anyone can. But it takes hard work, and they don’t hand out rings easily. You need a strong will and a good heart—and I know you have both. So, are you ready to try your best to become one?"
"Sounds hard… I try."
"Good boy, my little demon. Remember, they’re always honest, so you must be too."
"I must tell truth, mommy?"
"Yes, little one."
"All truth?"
"Yes, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Truth is… I’m sleepy."
I burst out laughing and tucked him back into bed. He had only slept an hour.
"Mommy… you’ll still be here when I wake up?"
"I’ll always be here."

The next morning, when I woke up, Mattia wasn’t in bed.
Panicking, I searched the whole house until I heard a woman screaming outside.
I ran out to see a lady holding her child, yelling at little Mattia, who had two tiny horns showing on his head.
She screamed that he was a monster and ran off. I rushed him inside.
"Did you hurt anyone? I swear I’m not angry."
"Mommy, I did nothing, I promise! I saw a butterfly and another kid, wanted play, showed my powers."
"You did nothing wrong," I sighed in relief. "But don’t show your powers to people, okay? They get scared because they don’t understand. I’m sorry that woman was mean to you. You’re not a monster—you know that, right?"
"What’s monster, mommy?"
"Uh… it’s someone special, a little different from others."
"Then why not monster? Not special?"
"Sorry, you’re right—you are my little monster," I laughed, hugging him.

Eventually, I had to resume my duties as a superhero. There’s no such thing as maternity leave for heroes.
I couldn’t leave him alone—it was a miracle he’d survived this long. Someone might have driven him away or even killed him for being a demon.
With his current abilities, he could only run or summon small shadows, and his sword was too dangerous.
On the other hand, I’d never received a “traditional” education, and I wasn’t exactly an expert in parenting.
My mother, Queen Hippolyta, initially forbade me from bringing a male child to Themyscira, so I had to rely on the only people I could trust.

I asked to a new hero living in the same city as mine, Mr. Terrific, but... Mattia burned his house, I needed someone stronger and more caring.
"Of course, you can count on me—and my parents," smiled Clark Kent. "Have you thought about his education? I’ve got the DNA of a Kryptonian scientist; I could drop by to tutor him sometimes. He needs a father figure, too."
"Thank you so much. Just one thing—introduce yourself as a family friend, no superpowers. I want to keep him away from trouble as long as possible."
"Got it. No problem."

With Bruce, it wasn’t that easy.
"You adopted a demon?"
"He’s just a child, Bruce."
"He’s dangerous. If he loses control—"
"I’ve slain demons ten times his size."
"You didn’t have an emotional bond with them."
"Speaking of emotional bonds with criminals—how’s Catwoman? You did arrest her, right? What about Talia?"
"...I’ll help support him financially—but only if you let me periodically check his vitals. I’ll also try to track down Etrigan. His disappearance worries me, and if the boy’s really his son, he might have answers."
"Thank you. And how’s your new recruit?"
"Richard’s a prodigy, but he needs discipline. I’ll train him."
"I’d rather keep Mattia out of combat. I was raised a warrior, but he… deserves a normal life. When he’s older, if he still wants it, he can become a hero."
"That’s not realistic, Diana. Teach him at least basic self-defense, in case someone comes after him."
"I will."
"Alfred…"
The butler appeared, holding Mattia’s hand.
"A delightful boy, if I may. I took the liberty of teaching him basic reading, and I gave him a book Master Richard no longer reads."
"Thank you, Alfred," I smiled, taking Mattia home.

Balancing my life as a superhero and a mother wasn’t easy. I had to give up my civilian job and stop seeing my friend—and lover—Steve Trevor. There was simply no time.
Mattia soon started staying home alone while I fought crime. Finding someone to watch him was difficult, so I left him with the Kents or Alfred only during long missions.
Every time I went on a mission, I feared I wouldn’t return to him—but that fear gave me even greater strength.

Luckily, he was an angel—well, a little demon angel. He knew about my work—it was impossible to hide—but I’d taught him I was the strongest, so he never felt scared.
When I was home, though, he never left my side. We played, watched cartoons, even cooked together.
Honestly, I should’ve taught him to sleep alone sooner, but he often had nightmares—and I didn’t mind holding my little bundle close.

I used comics and cartoons to teach him about good and evil, and Clark helped with lessons.
"Mommy, mommy, can I watch Pokémon?"
"But we already watched seven episodes yesterday!"
"Let him, Diana," said Clark. "It’s a good way to learn about elements—like how to put out fire."

Mattia was curious and learned quickly. He already had more strength than a grown man—but he was still small and silly.

One day, I saw a strange blanket monster walking around the house.
"Mattia, why are you walking wrapped in a blanket? Are you a ghost?"
"Cold, mommy."
"But you can’t walk with the blanket over your eyes. You can’t see."
"I see," he said, turning the wrong way. "Maybe little bit."
"You’ll bump into something."
"Okay, mommy. I don’t walk," he said, lying on the floor wrapped like a burrito, then rolling around. "I not walking!"

As an Amazon, I’d always been strict, but that child melted my heart and made me experience things I’d never even imagined in all my millennia.
"Alright, Mattia, you win. We can go trick-or-treating. Want to dress as an Amazon or maybe Superman?"
"Pikachu."
"But Pikachu—fine."
"What you dress, mommy?"
"Well… Wonder Woman."
"But that’s not costume, you always her! You Jessie from Team Rocket."
"Fine, little one. We’ll buy the costumes later."
"Yaaaay!" he shouted, hugging me.

Bruce had warned me that demon children age irregularly, so I wanted to enjoy Mattia’s childhood while it lasted. Once he was grown, we’d have eternity together.
As an Amazon, I’d never aged and never would. My friends in the Justice League would one day be gone—but now, I had someone to share forever with.

We went to buy costumes, but Halloween didn’t go as planned.
As the 31st approached, Mattia became more restless. I thought it was excitement—but it got worse.
For the first time, I got angry at him. While preparing his bath before dressing him, I noticed his skin—normally pink—had turned gray again.
I tried hiding it with makeup, but his tiny horns appeared too.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?"
He began speaking in Latin—I caught a few curses—and ran around the house, breaking furniture.
It took time to calm him down; I tied him with the Lasso, and Bruce brought a strong sedative.
We discovered that on Halloween night, demons become stronger and lose control.
I had to forbid him from celebrating Halloween without telling him why. He cried for hours. Watching him broke my heart.
He wasn’t just a child—and I needed guidance, someone wise… my family.

Chapter Text

~Wonder Woman~
A warrior who has fought humans, monsters, and gods shouldn’t be afraid of anything, right?
Well, that didn’t stop me from feeling anxious on occasions like this.
I didn’t feel ready to face an opponent like this, something that can never truly be defeated once and for all: human stupidity and stubbornness.
Fortunately, I had a friend on my side.

-“Hello everyone, I’m Lois Lane from the Daily Planet, and today we have a very special guest, Wonder Woman herself.”

-“Hi Lois, thank you for having me.”
-“You’re welcome. So, what’s it like to be the most famous and strongest woman in the world?”
-“I’m not interested in fame and I don’t share the common idea of ‘strength.’ There are women who fight challenges every day far harder than mine. I just do my duty to make the world a slightly better place every day.”
-“Your words are always very inspiring, but let’s get to the reason you’re here. Is it true that you have a child?”
-“The photos that were taken of me aren’t fake. I have a child I take care of. It's not my first time dealing with children, you all know about my new sidekick Wonder Girl”
-“Is he your son? Who is the father?”
-“Yes, he’s my son, but he wasn’t born from me. I’m not connected in any way to his biological father or mother.”
-“So you adopted him?”
-“You could say yes. He’s still my son. I hadn’t intended to reveal it publicly, but the paparazzi forced the issue.”
-“Many people complained that being a mother makes your figure as a hero less impactful. Until now, you conveyed the message that a woman can be herself even without a child.”
-“I’ve lived for thousands of years, and now that I have a child, I don’t feel any less or more of a woman. It has always been my decision. Being a woman doesn’t mean you must have a child or give up your career, but it doesn’t mean the opposite either. Being a mother is something separate and independent from being a woman. Be free to choose your own life; you shouldn’t have more or less freedom than a man. Lastly, I appreciate being considered a role model, but I’m not just a superhero—I’m also a person, so I might make choices different from yours, and that doesn’t affect my heroic career.”
-“Strong and determined as always. There are some concerns that being a mother could take away your time or make you less responsive to danger.”
-“Batman has been around kids for years, and no one has ever asked him the same question. Similarly, I imagine Superman or Flash won’t be asked either. My son is very intelligent and can take care of himself, but he’s not alone. I have friends and a large family of Amazons helping me.”
-“The last doubt… Ugh… I don’t even want to read this question but… don’t you think your son could be a weakness?”
-“Weakness?”—I sighed, trying not to get angry—“I challenge any criminal to get near him. Even though he’s a child, he’s my son—they won’t have it easy. Before reaching him, they’ll have to go through me and an army of Amazons. Let them try if they value their lives. Make it clear: anyone who tries to threaten my family will end up behind bars before they can even say his name.”

“Understood, I think we’re done here. Cut.”
“Thank you, Lois, for the opportunity.”
“You’re welcome, Diana. It’s personal for me”—she winked—“Say hi to the little one. See you this weekend for dinner.”
I went home, eager to hug my son after such a heavy day.
“Hi Artemis, thanks for taking care of him”—I greeted the Amazon on my couch—“Wait, where’s Mattia?”
“On the chandelier.”

“What? COME DOWN.”
“I’m coming, Mommy!”—he jumped into my arms, and I caught him mid-air—“Mom, can I throw Pokéballs at the Pidgey?”
“No, I’ve told you a thousand times, if you throw that colored stone at the pigeons, you’ll hurt them.”
“But I want to catch them…”
“What did you do with Aunt Artemis?”
“We watched a musical.”
“A musical?”
“Yes, Mommy, Hamilton”—he started mumbling random words extremely fast, imitating a rap—“LAFAYETTE.”
“What was that? You’ll be repeating that all evening now”—I rolled my eyes and laughed.
“Next time call Nubia if you want him to get bored”—Artemis teased me—“With Aunt Artemis he has fun.”
“Auntie, when can I shoot with the slin-”—Mattia was interrupted by Artemis covering his mouth.
“Hi Diana, hi little warrior. Until next time.”

I gave that boy everything he could need: I taught him to fly, trained him, taught him to read, write, and distinguish right from wrong.
Not all experiments succeeded. I tried sending him to school to teach him to socialize with other children, but every time stress and bullying prevented him from controlling his powers.
Once he burned a classmate’s backpack who had belittled me, saying I was “just a woman, not a hero.”
I opted for private lessons from the best teachers I could find. I also bought him comics, books, a TV, and video games to stimulate his imagination and distract him. He went crazy for Super Mario and Pokémon.

“Are you happy, little monster?” I asked the day I bought him the video games.
“When I’m with you, I’m always happy, Mommy”—he smiled melting my heart—“Mom, are you an Amazon? Like the one who delivers packages?”
“Amazon is a website. I’m an Amazon warrior.”
“Can I be an Amazon too even if I’m a demon?”
“Sweetheart, that’s not the point. You’re a boy, and Amazons are only women, but I can take you to Themyscira to make you our ally. Do you like the idea?”
“Yes. Can I train like an Amazon?”
“If you want, you can train with us, but it will be very difficult.”

It was hard for the Amazons to accept him.
“The law prevents us from letting men onto our island”—my mother, Queen Hippolyta, said sternly.
“And who made the laws? You. I believe in laws, but I believe even more that they can be changed and bent to do the right thing.”
“We had this discussion every time you ran off to visit the human world.”
“And you never stopped me.”
“But this is the most important law. Sometimes we have to make difficult choices, Diana, deal with it. We can't  break rules, not for your son, not even for mine if I had one”
“I know it and have studied it: men aren’t allowed to maintain Aphrodite's protection, but I think they’d be more offended if I abandoned a child in need, near death. Also, the law exists because women in maternity are weaker. I am never been pregnant, though. Lastly, romantic or sexual tension cannot be created—it’s just a child. When he reaches sexual maturity, I won’t allow him on the island.”
“Diana, you’d set a precedent…”
"Oh yes, a precedent on romantic relationships? Should we ignore the many Amazons with relationships among themselves? Or should we recall YOUR lovers?”
“I will allow the child on the island until he turns 10. Then we will discuss permission again. He cannot live here with us, and you can’t either, but you will be allowed access to train him, educate him, and teach our values.”

My mother had removed my residence from where I was born, but in my heart, I knew she did it to let me live freely as a human.

That’s how Mattia was allowed onto our island, and he was trained by the Amazons until adolescence. When he started developing crushes on Amazon women, I had to continue training him at home to respect the island’s rules.

One morning Mattia was in a good mood and humming.
“When there's trouble, you know who to call (Teen Titans!)
From their tower, they can see it all (Teen Titans!)”
“What are you singing, little monster? I don’t know this cartoon.”
“It’s the Teen Titans.”
“And what channel are they on?”
“I dreamed them last night. They’re a group of heroes: a sorceress, a green man, a robot, a beautiful girl, and Batman’s son.”

I was confused—how did he know about Dick? He had never seen him, and I didn’t know about this hero group that would form only years later.
I took it as one of his usual quirks.

“Change your clothes, today you start your training.”

On the island, he learned the basics of combat, starting with defense.
It took him two days to learn to block a sword with a shield, then attacking weapons became increasingly complex, and his shields increasingly smaller.
When he learned to block bullets with his shield, we moved on to offensive weapons like staffs, swords, axes, and even oriental weapons like katanas, nunchaku, shuriken, and sai.
After a few years, he could already hold his own against some of the strongest Amazons.

As he grew, his needs increased, so we started traveling the world once a week. His favorite destination was Italy; he loved visiting historic sites, viewing landscapes, and of course, eating.
He never caused me trouble—or at least not intentionally. I still remember when he almost burned a girl who was about to kiss someone because, from excitement, he had triggered his infernal fire breath.

“My little monster, today is your twelfth birthday. Is there something you wish for?”
“Mom… can I come with you next time you fight villains? I want to help and defend you.”
“You want to go on a mission?”—I smiled—“It can be dangerous. I fight bad opponents who kill people. Are you sure you’re brave enough?”
“I will protect you from the bad guys.”
“Alright, you’ll be my apprentice then.”
“Like Robin and Batman?”
“Better”—I smiled.
“But Mom, what will be my hero name?”
“Let’s see…”—I thought—“Athena is the goddess of wisdom but also of military strategy. Her symbol is an owl. Do you like it? We could call you the ‘Little Owl.’”
“Mommm, I’m not little anymore.”
“Then no owl.”
“No, I like the owl… can I be SHADOW OWL because you always say my sword looks made of shadows and I'm sneaky?”
“Perfect.”

I began taking him on patrols and facing minor criminals, but after a few years, something unexpected happened: Ares, god of war, threatened the world with his army, and I had to intervene.
I thought about it for a long time, but Mattia insisted so much that I eventually let him come to battle with me.

“So my little monster…”
“MOM, I’M THE SHADOW OWL.”
“Ok Shadow Owl, are you ready to join forces and fight evil?”
“Ready.”
“Are you ready to fight for truth, justice, and righteousness?”
“Shadow Owl is at your service.”
“Are you ready for…”
“MOM, I’M READY.”
“Sorry, I’m just very proud of you. The enemy is Ares, the God of War. I will deal with him. You need to distract his army, made up of thousands of spirits and undead soldiers. He controls them. You don’t need to fight them—just distract them by flying and teleporting. They must have a target so they won’t interfere with me, but don’t get yourself in trouble. At the first sign of danger, run.”
“Mom, can’t I fight them a little? They’re already dead—I can’t kill them. I just want some training.”
“Alright, but if it becomes dangerous, run.”
“Understood”—Shadow Owl created his shadow sword and wore his new amazonian armor with a cape and dove into the crowd, drawing attention to himself, allowing me to proceed.

While fighting, I glanced at my son multiple times. He was formidable.
I saw him create a hole in the bridge, making hundreds of soldiers fall in one strike. He kept teleporting, becoming an impossible target, and decapitated the undead one by one with a single strike.

Thinking back, I realize how irresponsible I was. I underestimated my enemy: War itself.

“You brought a child to the battlefield? Maybe you are also my servant, even if you don’t admit it.”
“He’s none of your concern. Your opponent is me.”
“You refer to my physical body, but that’s just a tool. War is around us, within us. I can awaken violence in mortals, or more simply…”

As I listened, an arrow hit my calf from behind.
“Or more simply, cause it.”
“That’s all? An arrow?”—I removed it, enduring the pain. Some blood flowed from my leg, but it was nothing serious—“Do you think an arrow can stop an Amazon?”
“Mortals… always think they are the center of everything. The attack wasn’t aimed at you.”

I instinctively turned and saw my son staring at my wound. It was the first time he had seen me bleed, even a little.
“Sweetheart, I’m fi—” I had to stop to dodge a strike from Ares.
“Mom… he hit… MOOOOOMMMM!”

My son’s face darkened, his eyes bled, and he took on a demonic form with two big horns growing on his head.
“Interesting,” Ares commented, “demons are great servants of war. Let’s see what he can do.”

Mattia focused all his demonic power into his hands, creating a sword blacker than the night, and began cutting down every nearby zombie.
His infernal sword could change shape and size at will, and a single strike was enough to kill a mortal or undead if he didn’t hold back.
Zombie archers fired arrows, but he burned them with infernal fire and destroyed them one by one.
Mattia resembled more a beast than a human now, leaping from corpse to corpse, burning or tearing them apart.
Enemies fell one by one.
Stab. Slash. Burned. Split in two with the strength of his arms alone. Again, stab. Tore off a head with bare hands. Burned.
He impaled a zombie with its own gun, ripped tracks off a tank, and made a plane crash by slicing the engine in half.
Of over a thousand enemies, not one remained.

I tried to run to him, but Ares blocked my path.
“You know, little ones must play among themselves without adults disturbing them. Meet my children, Phobos and Deimos, also known as Fear and Terror.”

Two ghost-like beings appeared before my son. He tried to attack, but his strikes passed through them.
The two minor gods surrounded him and began shouting.
Mattia covered his ears and collapsed, terrified.
The demonic form deactivated, returning to a human-like appearance.
“Mattia, you have nothing to fear. I’m here with you!”—I yelled, though I couldn’t reach him.
“Mom… I am an Amazon warrior… I… I am not afraid, I am an Amazon.”

Mattia stood back up under the incredulous gaze of the minor gods.
“You taught me that a warrior isn’t driven by fear or anger, but by… Hope and will.”

From one of the corpses rose a small ring that floated toward my son.
“Thank you, Mother”—Mattia put it on, and his body changed. He had become a… Green Lantern?
""In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"

Ares had apparently managed to control a fallen Green Lantern warrior in battle just in time before the ring left him. I didn’t think it was possible.
A powerful green light shot from his hand, scaring off Phobos and Deimos. He was no longer afraid.
“Congratulations”—Ares laughed as I plunged my sword into his body—“Don’t think you’ve won. As I said, this is just a physical body. You may have stopped my plan today, but now that demon has known war. Perhaps you are balanced enough to control your emotions, but will he?”

Ares disappeared, and I ran to Mattia. His back was covered in wounds, and he was tired, but he admired the green ring floating in the air after leaving his finger.
“Mom, did you see? The ring helped me, and now it flies!”
“You were amazing”—I hugged him—“It must have sensed your courage and will to help me. Its previous owner must have died against Ares.”
“Mom, is the ring looking for a new owner?”
“Yes, little one. It will look for a person with a pure and hopeful heart to wear it.”
“Maybe it will choose you, Mom.”
“Love, I don’t need it.”

The ring descended and slid back onto Mattia’s finger.
“MOM, THE RING WANTS TO MARRY ME.”
“Congratulations”—I bowed before my son—“In this battle, a new Green Lantern was born to bring hope to the universe: you.”

From that day, Mattia became increasingly busy fighting crime.
He often accompanied me, but sometimes he had to work for the Lanterns. I still gradually introduced him to dangers and monitored his actions to keep him safe.
Our routine lasted years, the best years of my life, as a warrior saving the world but also the proudest mother possible.

One day, Mattia was called to patrol Gotham. Nothing dangerous, just another Joker arrest by Batman causing the criminal underworld to react, and Bruce was on a mission with me for the Justice League.
When I returned, Mattia wasn’t home. The mission should have lasted a couple of days, but I waited…
I contacted Bruce, who told me Mattia had completed the task, yet there was no trace of him.

I cried for his disappearance for days, weeks, months, years. My whole world—the son I had dedicated my life to—was gone, and I didn’t even know if he was alive.
I withdrew from public life, acting as a hero only when absolutely necessary, and searched for him endlessly. Then, one day, Bruce reached out to me.
"Hi, Diana."
Hearing his voice made my heart race.
"Bruce… please, tell me you found my son."
"I did. He’s safe."
"Where is he? What happened to him?"
"He’s fine, but he lost his memory—or rather… it was taken from him."

Tears streamed down my face. He was safe. My son was alive.
"Who did this? And where is he? I’m leaving right now."
"I’m investigating. It could be someone interested in his powers. But Diana, I need you to wait."
"Why?"
"He’s safe in Titans Tower. I’ll watch over him. Restoring all his memories at once could be dangerous. Let’s give him time. I’m developing an antidote that Robin will administer. Once he regains his memories, he’ll come back to you. I promise—no one will ever have to lose a child again."
"I trust your judgment, but please, keep me updated with news and photos. Thank you, Bruce. You’re a true friend."
"Alright," he said, ending the call.

For weeks, I waited, scrutinizing every detail in the information and photos I received. Then, one day, the doorbell rang.
A boy stood there, his skin a soft gray, his smile gentle yet uncertain.
"Are you… my mom?"

Chapter Text

~Wonder Woman~
“Is that you… my mom?”
My heart stopped for a moment. I looked at him—he had grown a little, but it was him. Only his gaze was different; he seemed less confident and more frightened.

I hugged him, tears of joy streaming down my face. My son was home.
“Yes, I am your mother, and you are my son. I missed you more than anything, but now you are safe, and you are home.”
“Can I come in?”
“Of course, this is always your home.”

He instinctively sat in the section of the couch where he usually did—it was proof that it was truly him.
“I’m starting to remember some faces, but my mind is still confused. Can you help me remember?”
“Of course, it’s my pleasure to help you recall the old times.”

I told him all about his childhood, and what a wonderful child and warrior he had been.
“I remember I had a name…”
“Shadow Owl, that’s your hero name.”
“No, you used to call me something else.”
“My little monster,” I smiled.
“Exactly.”
"You are my son, Mattia. You are the gift gods sent me. You were the most curious and sweet child I could ever ask for, but you were also easily scared every time Artemis told you horror stories. Your favourite pokemon was the little penguin until you saw the green owl. You always asked me to raise my hands for Goku's big energy ball. We went together to Italy every time to bought some Gormiti and eat 4 cheese flavour pizza. You were always arguing with Donna because you like white chocolate and she says white chocolate isn't real chocolate, but you two loved watching musicals together and acting like the main characters. You played the green dinosaur on Mario Kart and didn't sleep without me telling you stories. You always had nightmares that scared me too so we watched some cartoons until you collapsed. Your favorite movie was Shrek, I knew it was because you felt like the ogre, a monster not accepted by people, but I pretended to believe it was because you liked Donkey."

"Mum..." he mumbled “Do we know anything about how I was born? How I came into the world?”
“No, sweetheart. We know nothing about you before I found you, but we’ll do our best to discover it, I promise.”
"How is my sister?"
"Donna is fine. She spent months with me looking for you, we had no clue where you have been all this time."
"I don't remember either."
"Now Donna is away for some mission, when you disappeard... I stopped being a hero for a while, she and Artemis helped covering my challenges. But now I'm okay, Batman told me you were fine but you needed time to heal."

“I have so much to tell you,” he burst into tears in my arms.
“You can tell me everything.”

“You know, there’s someone important in my life now. My new girlfriend is Starfire from the Titans.”
“The princess of Tamaran? Well, in the end, you’re also kind of a prince of demons and of Themyscira—you deserve nothing less than a princess. I know she’s sweet and strong.”
“Yes, you would love her. I’ll introduce her to you one day. You know, tomorrow is her birthday.”
“Then you should go back to her and celebrate! But first, stay here for another hour; I missed you so much.”
“Of course. You know, at Titans Tower we play the new versions of the first games you bought me as a kid.”
“Let me guess—Pokémon and Mario Kart.”
“Exactly, and I win at all of them, just like I used to against you and Donna.”
“I was never a video game expert—they’re a little too modern for me.”
“Even losing my memory, I upheld the name of Themyscira by continuing to fight with a sword.”
“I’m proud of you. But let’s get back to your girlfriend… do you have plans for the future?”
“MOM, IT’S TOO SOON.”
“Alright, alright, little monster,” I hugged him tightly to make sure I wouldn’t lose him again. “Listen, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“MOM, I’M AN ADULT NOW, STOP CALLING ME ‘LITTLE’.”
“Okay, big monster. During your absence, I spoke a lot with Batman.”
“Is he going to be my new dad? He’s too brooding, I prefer your ex-boyfriend Steve. Or Mala, at least she was an amazon”
“No, sweetheart, it’s not that. The guy who stole your memories is gone now, but he worked for someone. They’re very dangerous people, and I don’t know exactly why they’re after you, but we have to stop them. You’ll get all the details from Batman, but I want to tell you—it’s only a matter of days before we’ll be forced to act to strike first. So, my son, enjoy the time left before the war; go see your girlfriend and settle everything with her. I wish you were here with me more than anything, but my heart tells me that before this dangerous adventure, you should enjoy the remaining time as a normal boy. Okay?”
“Okay, Mom. Will it be that hard?”
“You’ll make it, and I’ll be by your side, alright? Titans and Batman are here; we might need to recruit someone else, but we’ll manage.”
“And the Justice League members?”
“They’re all busy at the moment—Flash, Superman, Aquaman… and Hal Jordan hasn’t answered for days. But we’ve got me and Batman, okay? Everything will be fine.”
“Alright, Mom. Thank you for… well, for everything. I’m going now.”
“Say hi to Starfire for me.”
“Of course.”

~In a corner of the universe~
“Who dares disturb me?” said a large red-skinned man seated in a chair.

“Atrocitus… um… boss,” a Red Lantern knelt before him. “We have news.”
“Speak, or I will unleash my wrath upon you.”
“I… AAAAAA—” the lantern screamed in pain, then fell to the ground. “It’s good to see you again, Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns.”
“You possessed one of my men?”
“Yes, but I don’t have much time. A group of humans will soon come to try to defeat you.”
“Who are they?”
“None you cannot handle. The only ones to watch are Wonder Woman and Batman, but your army will deal with them well. There is, however, one of them you must keep for me; I need his body. He’s a Green Lantern, but he descends from a very ancient race… he’s a half-demon.”
“You’re asking me to kill a group of heroes and set aside this demonic Lantern for you? Why should I do that?”
“Because I am the one who freed you from prison, idiot. And one of your men already failed when the demon was weak.”
“So it’s you…”
“Respect our agreement: I freed you and informed you of these people who will attack. You kill them all except the demon, and save him for me.”
“I am a man of honor, but why do you care about the demon?”
“He is something I do not fully understand, but he is interesting, and perhaps his demonic body with regenerative abilities is strong enough to be possessed without being destroyed like these others. Who knows, he might have some secrets for me… By the way, this body is about to be consumed, wasn't strong enough.”
“May I know your name?”
“Krona.”

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
Mattia was gone the whole afternoon, and when he came back, he stopped to talk to Robin in private.
"So, are you going to tell me what kept you busy all day? Did you go see your mother?"
"Yeah, she can’t wait to meet you."
"Don’t try to make me blush to distract me," I said, hugging him. "You seem quiet. Is something wrong?"

The truth was, I was afraid that getting his memory back might have changed something in him.
"No, it’s just… a lot of memories coming back all at once. It’s loud, exhausting. Anyway, tomorrow’s your birthday, is there something you want?"
"No, love. I already have everything I could ever want."
"I knew you’d say that, so I’ve already planned everything, don’t worry."
"Really?" I laughed. "How did you even know it was my birthday? And what did you plan?"
"One: a little bird told me… let’s say a raven. Two: I’m not ruining the surprise."
"Alright, alright… but don’t act too mysterious or I’ll lose interest. Who knows, maybe I’ll go flirt with Raven instead," I joked.
"Oh, so you like girls too?"
"Does that surprise you?"
"Nah."
"On Tamaran, we’re all pansexual and polyamorous. Let’s just say we’re more open-minded than you humans about that stuff. I’m also pretty picky — I like confident people with strong personalities. And short, just like guys."

We spent the whole evening talking and joking. I had missed our closeness, and I was curious to see what kind of gift he had planned.
After a while of cuddling, I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up and Mattia wasn’t in bed.
"Mattia?"
"Happy birthday!" he said, creating confetti with his ring.
"You scared me!" I jumped. "Thank you, love."
"CUDDLE TRAIN!" he shouted, jumping on me and tickling me.
"Stop, stop, I surrender!" I laughed.
"And here’s your present," he said, handing me a small box.
"Why does it look like a lingerie store box?"
"I swear, it’s better than it looks."
"Oh, how cute, thank you!" Inside was a bikini. "But it’s the 18th, the month after Glagfarp, it’s cold."
"Please, just call it November," he laughed. "And why do you think I gave you a bikini?"
"For naughty stuff?"
"COME ON, NO. You hate that your birthday falls during the cold season on Earth, no beach, no swimming — but… I found a solution. An indoor water park open in winter, with heated pools, slides, a spa… it’ll be like it’s August."
"THANK YOU, THAT’S SUCH A GREAT IDEA!" I hugged him tightly.

We went to have breakfast. Mattia had baked a huge cake, I blew out the candles, and everyone sang the song — their affection overwhelmed me.

We reached the water park quickly, changed, and got into the pools.
"I’ll wait for you in the spa," said Raven. "BB, you’ll come join me later, right?"
"Me? OF COURSE."
"What do you want to do first, Kory?" Mattia asked.
"The slides!" My eyes lit up the moment I saw them.

We went on a bunch of slides together — first one with a big inflatable raft full of twists that tossed us around, then a closed one with romantic lights inside, and finally a super-fast, steep one.

"Now follow me," Mattia said, taking me to a lazy river. We grabbed some floating tubes and let the current carry us — it was so relaxing.
Finally, we went to the wave pool and tried surfing. It was hilarious watching Mattia and Dick compete to see who would last longer, only for both to fall before me.

We had a light lunch so we wouldn’t get sick in the water, then went to the spa area — where Raven had been the whole time.
"Hey, spa queen," Mattia joked. "Is living with us so stressful that you can’t leave the hot tub?"
"Glad you understand," Raven replied.

We spent some time in the sauna, then jumped into the hot tub.
"Now lie down and get ready for a massage."
"You can do massages too? I’d marry you right now."

It was all so relaxing — easily the best birthday I’d ever had. It was so perfect that doubts started to creep in: why so much effort? We had a whole life ahead, yet he was acting like it was our last day together.
"Mattia, are you—"
"No talking during massages," he said, pressing with such intensity that I almost fell asleep.

After a few hours, we left the park and went home.
"Thank you for everything," I smiled.
"Everything? We’re not done yet."
"Wait, seriously? There’s more?"
Mattia just smiled.
"Mattia, it’s okay. You’re already doing so much. I love your romantic side and how much effort you put in, don’t get me wrong, but you don’t have to. I’ll always be right here beside you."
Mattia didn’t answer — he wasn’t looking at me.
"Mattia?" I placed a hand on his shoulder and noticed he was shaking.
"Listen, sweetheart, sit down for a second."
"Did something happen? You’re scaring me."
"The reason I want today to be so special is because tomorrow… we’re going on a mission."
"A mission? Why didn’t I know about this?"
"I asked Robin not to tell you and not to leave before your birthday."
"Why are you so tense about it?"
"It’s a mission against the people who attacked me — the Red Lanterns. I just hope we’re ready. Of course, I won’t let anything happen to you, and if things go wrong, I’ll teleport you all home."
"Why did you say ‘everyone’ and not ‘us’? Why didn’t you include yourself?"
"It’s because I’m the one who has to face them..."

I slapped him on the cheek — though it was more of a caress.
"Mattia, I’m not going home without you, got it? We’re a team. We’ll face this mission and come back home together, understood? Everything will be fine — even if I have to destroy a whole planet myself. Don’t underestimate me."
"I’m sorry."
"It’s okay." I kissed the spot I’d slapped. "Sorry too, but I needed a way to wake you up properly. I didn’t hurt you, right? I think I controlled my strength pretty well."
"Oh no, I’m dying. Someone call the hotline, help!" he teased. "That slap was nothing — I’ve seen you use more strength opening a bottle of water that was already open."
"Good. I don’t want to hear you thinking you have to do everything alone again. Don’t start acting like Batman — you’re not alone, you have me."
"And thank goodness. Without you, I’d probably die from something stupid, like drinking hot chocolate too fast."
"We make a great team."
"Now, shall we continue our evening, my dear?"
"Of course."
"Put on something elegant — we’re going out to dinner."

After a few minutes, I put on the most elegant dress I owned.

"So, where are we going?"
"To Italy, a place I used to go to with my mother when I was a kid."
"You still haven’t told me much about her."
"Trust me, you’ll meet her soon, but not now. It’d be weird to talk about my mother on a romantic date."

We teleported in front of a fancy restaurant where they welcomed me like a princess.
The table was covered with a white cloth, shiny cutlery, and a sparkling candelabrum in the center.
"There’s a problem, Mattia. I don’t speak Italian."
"I speak English, Italian, Ancient Greek, and Latin. Just point at the menu — I’ll handle it."

Mattia ordered a dish called ‘gnocchi’ full of cheese, while I chose ravioli stuffed with scallops. I didn’t really know what they were, but they were delicious.
For the main course, they brought us a big steak called ‘Fiorentina,’ and for dessert, homemade gelato — it was the best food I’d ever eaten.

When we left the restaurant, he lifted me in his arms, created beautiful wings with his ring, and flew us to a small hill where we could see the stars.
"No matter what happens with the mission, I’ll always be by your side, Stella."
I had to admit, I teared up a little — the emotions were too strong to hold back.
After a sweet kiss under the moon, we flew back home, where, after a while, we fell asleep together.

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
When I opened my eyes, I saw Mattia messing around with something on a sheet of paper.
"Good morning, love."
"Good morning, princess."
"What are you writing?"
"I drew something for you! It’s a portrait."
My heart filled with joy as he handed me the paper, all proud of himself—but when I saw it, I barely managed to hold back my laughter.

"It’s beautiful," I said, kissing him. "I especially like the banana in the top right corner."
"That’s a STAR! I just didn’t have time to color it."
"It’s perfect as it is."
"Do you want to take it to breakfast and show everyone?"
"NO. I mean, it’s too precious, I’ll keep it in my drawer before it gets ruined."
"Can’t argue with that."
I laughed—he really couldn’t be good at everything.

"Are you dressed?" Raven came out of a wall with her eyes closed. "Can I open them?"
"RAVEN, JUST IN TIME! LOOK AT MY DRAWING!"
She looked at the paper and froze for a moment. Her face went pale, and she stifled a laugh with a cough.
"It’s very..." she looked at me.

I gave her the deadliest glare I’d ever given anyone and thought intensely, If you tell him it’s awful, I’ll kill you and burn all your cloaks.

"…very contemporary," she continued, "worthy of the finest works of abstract art—overflowing with emotion and open to multiple interpretations. What were you thinking about when you drew it?"
"Starfire, obviously. It’s her portrait."
Raven choked on another laugh.
"How romantic. Starfire, you’re lucky to have such a talented artist as a boyfriend. You should hang it in a gallery. Anyway, Robin has an announcement—move, goodbye."
And she vanished.
"I think Raven doesn’t know much about art," Mattia whispered to me. This time, I couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
"You’re right, love."

At breakfast, Robin only announced that after lunch we’d have a big mission ahead and advised everyone to rest.
I went to ask Mattia if he wanted to do something, but he said he had things to take care of before the mission and disappeared. So, I took a long relaxing bath and then went to chat with Raven.
"Hey Raven, what are you up to?"
"Meditating. I want to clear my mind before today. Are you nervous?"
"Not really, but it’s strange—they’re keeping everything secret until the last minute. Mattia knows something and looks worried, but I think we’ll be fine, like always."
"I agree. We managed fine before as five, now as six—and with Batman’s help, it can’t be that hard."
"Batman? He’s coming too?"
"Beast Boy heard from Cyborg that Robin’s been cleaning and organizing everything. He only does that when the big boss is coming."
"Typical Robin... well, the fact that Batman’s coming should be reassuring, but honestly, it makes me nervous."
"Come on, join me in meditation."

We meditated until lunch—it was relaxing.
While we were eating, no one said much; only BB tried cracking jokes to lighten the mood. Then the doorbell rang, and Robin went to answer it.
"So Batman rings the doorbell?" Mattia asked, surprised. "Doesn’t he usually appear out of nowhere?"
"He doesn’t need to," BB replied. "He knows we’ll open the door, so he’s being polite."

We started to move toward the common room, but Mattia stopped me.
"Sweetheart, you know I love you, right?"
"Of course, but this doesn’t sound like the best time to say it."
"Like... a lot. You know that, right?"
"Mattia, what did you do?"
"Promise you won’t get mad at me for what’s about to happen, okay?"
"I can be very patient," I took a deep breath, "I promise I won’t get mad—or at least I’ll try not to—no matter what happens."
"And no matter who walks into this tower."
"And no matter who walks... MATTIA, WHO’S COMING HERE? WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"I love you, bye!" Mattia ran off to join the others.

We all sat down in the common room. Batman was the only one standing.
"Titans, the time has come for the mission," he said solemnly. "Go ahead, Mattia."
After his brief speech, Batman sat down.
"Alright…" Mattia looked nervous. "So, the plan and the mission—"
"Give us a speech, Mattia!" BB shouted, but Raven shushed him.
"Well, no point repeating myself a hundred times, so I’ll introduce the full team before we begin."
"I’m curious," said Batman.
"What? You don’t know them?" asked Robin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the full team. First, we have the Titans in their current formation: Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, and my beloved Starfire. Then, of course, we have Batman here with us. But we also have some special guests."
"Mattia, get to the point," Raven cut in.
"Our first ally is a smart girl—maybe a little crazy, but tough. She can handle anything and she's hard to kill. My... cough ex cough HARLEY QUINN!"
Mattia opened a portal, and Harley Quinn herself stepped through.
"HIYA LONG FACES!" she shouted. "Now that the Quin’s here, the party can start!"

"Harley Quinn?" Robin asked.
"Interesting," commented Batman.
"YOUR EX?" I yelled.
"Oh no," muttered Raven.
"I know some of you are scared," Mattia continued, "so here’s someone to calm you down. Getting my memories back led me to the woman who made me who I am. Everyone, meet my adoptive mother... WONDER WOMAN."
"YOUR MOTHER?" we Titans yelled together.
"YOUR MOTHER?" echoed Harley later. "Sorry, I already knew, but I didn’t want to feel left out!"

Wonder Woman appeared through another portal—radiant and proud as always, her armor gleaming, her smile warm.

"Great entrance speech, my beloved child" she ruffled his hair.
"Mom, don't embarass me!" he pouted.
"You must be his beloved Koriand'r of Tamran," she said, shaking my hand. "A pleasure to meet you."
I blushed so hard I nearly fainted; Harley grinned at me.
"And what about me? Has he mentioned me?" Harley asked.
"Unfortunately..." Wonder Woman said, clearly unenthusiastic. "Do anything I don’t approve of, and Arkham will look like a playground."
"Well, now that everyone’s feeling positive and hopeful, I can disappoint you again," Mattia said. "No, Harley isn’t the least trustworthy member of the team. We needed help, so I found someone strong... Superman was busy, so I made a binding pact with her—one she can’t break. The first princess of Tamaran: BLACKFIRE!"

"EXCUSE ME, WHO?" I shouted.
"Morning, peasants. The mightiest badass alien is here" she flied in.
"She’s truly sorry and magically bound to help us. Please, trust me as I trust her." Mattia tried to calm me down.
"Only because this mission sounds dangerous..."
"That’s it?" said Batman. "Diana and two criminals?"
"Ex-criminal," corrected Harley Quinn. "I’m a psychologist now—just waiting for my first client."
"And me... no, I’m still a criminal... escaped, but kinda repentant, I swear."
"I told you, if the team wasn’t strong enough, I wouldn’t send the Titans on this mission," Batman said, rising from his chair.
"Give the boy a chance, you owe him one" Wonder Woman intervened. "There’s someone else, isn’t there, Mattia?"
"Maybe. My father’s been sending strange signs. I think he’s sending someone our way... please, Dad, just do one good thing in your life—don’t let me be just someone crazy hearing voices..."
"Don't worry, I hear voices too" whispered Harley.
Mattia closed his eyes, and two people appeared: a blond man in a coat and a woman dressed like a magician.
"Constantine and Zatanna—now we’re talking," Batman sighed in relief.

~Constantine~
The name’s John Constantine, occult detective, dealing with paranormal incidents.

Didn’t have the best childhood, left my hometown early, got into the dark arts—eventually became the best at what I do.
My skills? Endless. Hypnosis, telepathy, astral projection, elemental magic, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, summoning demons and golems, absorbing and channeling mystical energy, illusion magic, even bending reality itself.
I’ve saved whatever there was to save—more than once. I don’t like trouble, so I only step in when absolutely necessary. I’m not a fan of hanging around that bunch of costumed idiots.

That morning, I woke up after a wonderful night with my ex—we were trying to make things work again.

Z: "No, John, let me do my introduction. I don’t want you describing me."

Alright, your turn...

~Zatanna~
My name is Zatanna Zatara, daughter of the famous magician Giovanni John Zatara—the greatest magician of his generation.

I’m currently one of the most powerful magic users in the world, master of cosmic and mystical forces, and capable of manipulating reality itself.
Some call me “the supreme sorceress.” My powers cover practically every field of known magic: weather, space, time, elements, destruction, flight, energy shields, gravity, healing, telekinesis, teleportation… and of course, multiple forms of dark and chaos magic.
There. Now that I’ve introduced myself properly, you can talk again.

~Constantine~
Alright, alright… that morning I woke up, admired what I’d done—or rather, who I’d done—
Z: "Cut it out."
Anyway, I went to the bathroom to wash my face, but the reflection in the mirror wasn’t me—it was a hideous demon.
I jumped, checked my hands—no, it wasn’t me. The demon was in the mirror.
"Etrigan? Haven’t seen you in ages, but a face like yours is hard to forget."
"Constantine, great mage,
The balance needs your gauge."
"Ah right, you speak in rhyme."
"My world needs your aid,
My son’s future’s at stake, I’m afraid.
Half-demon raised among men,
The world’s fate lies within him again.
Titan by name—will he be by deed?
Without your help, he’ll fail indeed.
Join the young heroes, battle the fire,
Save the universe from doom and ire.
Today at two, where the headless cross stands,
Go forth and save the world with your hands."
"What the hell’s going on?" Zatanna said, stepping in after hearing the noise.
"Young Titans? Headless cross? Bloody hell… Etrigan wants us to babysit his son at the bloody hell Titans Tower?"

And that’s how we ended up teleporting to the tower full of losers.
A gray-skinned kid approached us, smiling.
"I’m really glad to see you," he said. "Did my father send you?"
"Yeah… that’s Batman, right? Oh no, with him it’s gonna be boring. But hey, there’s Wonder Woman—nice."
"I’m right next to you," Zatanna said, glaring.
"What? What’d I say?"
"YOU!" Harley Quinn pointed at me.
"Oh no..."
"You’re King Shark’s ex?"
"Not really the time to—"
"Who’s King Shark?" asked Zatanna. "Sounds like a stripper name."
"YOU SLEPT WITH A SHARK AND NOW YOU’RE DATING A TOTAL GODDESS?"
"Aww, thanks… wait, a shark?"

"Old story. He’s a fun guy."
"Sit down, and let’s get back to the mission," Batman growled in his deep voice.

The kid started explaining the plan.
"Thanks to Batman and Hal Jordan, we know Atrocitus has an army of Red Lanterns—unstable warriors with corrosive vomit. Some can even make energy constructs. They’ll attack soon, but we’ll strike first—on their planet. We’ll split into two teams: close combat and stealth.
Close combat: Constantine, Zatanna, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, Blackfire, Wonder Woman, and me.
Stealth team: Batman, Robin, Beast Boy, and Harley Quinn will infiltrate Atrocitus’ fortress. Clear so far?"

No one asked questions.
"The stealth team must reach the Red Lanterns’ Central Battery and plant a Blue Lantern energy bomb—it’ll weaken them. Combining Blue and Green Lantern energy is the best way to defeat them. Once it explodes, you’ll finish off the army more easily, and I’ll teleport to Atrocitus to face him. Harley will alert me when the bomb’s planted through the pendant I gave her—it holds part of my demonic energy. That’s the plan."
"And if we fail?" asked Batman. "What’s Plan B?"
"Don’t be pessimistic," Wonder Woman tried to stop him.
"I do have a Plan B," Mattia said. "Constantine, Zatanna, and Raven will teleport you all back to Earth if things go wrong. I’ll summon my father, sacrifice my body to him, and fight to the death—destroying the entire planet from its core and taking all the Lanterns with it."

Silence. No one dared to speak.
"You’re ready to sacrifice yourself? What drives you?" asked Batman.
"I’ll protect Earth and the people I love at any cost—no matter the enemy, whatever it takes."

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
Hearing those words broke my heart — even the idea that Mattia might sacrifice himself terrified me.
"Star..." Mattia took my hand. "I’ll make sure we never have to go to plan B. I promised you that."
"Good. We leave in one hour," declared Batman.
"Why don’t Zatanna and the shark-fucker just teleport us there?" asked Harley.
"Are you kidding me?" snapped Constantine. "Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to send all of you to some random planet we’ve never even been to? And then fight an entire army once we get there? Forget it."

"Mattia, promise me you won’t act impulsively just to play the hero."
"I promise, Star. I want to come home with you."
"Good."
"Please tell me you’re not mad about the thing with your sister."
"No. I’m sure you didn’t have much choice. I’ll do my best not to cause problems with her and to respect her."
"And you’re not mad that Harley Quinn is my ex?"
"Part of me wants to compliment you on your taste in women..."
"She said the same thing, see? You two are going to get along great."
"...the other part wants to kill you for not telling me sooner."
"Hey, I only remembered two days ago. Didn’t feel right to bring it up on your birthday. And when I did remember, I went to see her and my mom, because I lost my memory while I was with her — so from her point of view, I just vanished..."
"Wait, so technically, you two never broke up?"
"Nah, when we saw each other, she dumped me. Which was, you know, two days ago."
"Whatever, the past is the past — it’s none of my business." I kissed him.
"Love to see young couples getting along," commented Wonder Woman.
I blushed at that and started talking with her. She was really sweet and told me dozens of funny and heartwarming stories from Mattia’s childhood.

"Excuse me... may I speak to you?" The voice of Blackfire hit me like a bolt of lightning.
"Yeah, what—" I stopped as I saw my older sister kneel before me.
"I’ve been nothing but a disgrace. I ask your forgiveness for everything I’ve done to you. I took out on you all the anger I felt toward our late parents. I hurt you, and you always respected and helped me. I hated you because you could fly and I couldn’t — and you’re the one who made me able to."
I was speechless. The mighty and arrogant Blackfire was kneeling before me, apologizing.
"This isn’t a trick, is it?"
"Have I fallen so low that even kneeling before you, you still can’t trust me? I understand. I can only hope to prove my remorse by fighting at your side."
I hugged her tightly.
"I’m sorry," I said through tears. "I left you to your fate and stopped fighting for you. Maybe I could’ve done more..."
"No, you already did too much. I had time to think in prison, and I realized my mistakes. If I ended up there, it’s partly thanks to you."
"How long have you known you were wrong?"
"I don’t know — time doesn’t seem to move in there. It’s been at least a year since I decided to make things right. But even after escaping, I had to travel in the shadows to avoid capture. Mattia saved me and gave me a chance. Honestly, he’s talked so much about how amazing you are that I’m kind of jealous of you two. But once this mission is over, I’ll ask him to arrest me again so I can finish my sentence."

"You’ve grown, and now you’re a very mature person, Black."
"Thank you, Star. I am the older sister, after all. So, will you fight by my side?"
"Of course, sister. Let’s show those killers the style of Tamaran."

We boarded a spaceship, and after hours of travel we finally saw the planet — monstrous, red like the flames of Hell, full of craters and surrounded by several rings that looked sharp enough to slice us to pieces.

"They’re waiting for us..." said Batman, seeing the hundreds of Red Lanterns on the ground staring up at us. "They must’ve been warned."
"Does that affect our plan?" asked Wonder Woman.
"No. We’ll just have to hit harder," said Mattia.
"There are way more of them than we expected..." Dick looked uneasy. "They’ve gathered a lot of Rage lately."
"Don’t worry," said Mattia. "Most of them are mindless berserkers — watch out for their vomit and keep your distance. Only a few of them can actually think and make constructs. Stealth team, put on your safety suits and get ready. Batman, Robin, you’re in charge. Beast Boy, turn into the insect I showed you so you can move unseen and assist them. Harley... I’m counting on you."
"What? No cool pep talk for me? You make it sound like I’m doing nothing."
"You’re the one who has to call me — that’s the most important job."
"Fine then... UGLY RED FACES, GET READY FOR SOME PSYCHOTHERAPY SESSIONS WITH MY HAMMER!"
"You do know what ‘stealth’ means, right?"
"Oh, right..."
"Great Hera, wish us luck."

The four of them reached the ground in a small, silent shuttle, while the rest of us landed ready to face those monsters.
"We’re supposed to make some noise to draw attention, right, Constantine?"
"Bloody hell, now this is my kind of fun."
As soon as we opened the hatch, Constantine snapped his fingers, creating a massive explosion that killed about twenty Lanterns.
"That all you’ve got? Come and get some!"

We split into pairs as planned. I was teamed up with my sister — not the most comfortable choice, but it was the perfect moment for her to prove how much she’d changed.
We darted through the air, dodging the soldiers and blasting them with energy spheres aimed at their rings.
They were easy enough to handle, but soon I came face to face with one of the big ones — Vice. We knew him from studying the files on every known Red Lantern.

His energy constructs were simple, and I had no trouble dodging them, while my sister handled the small fry around us.
Vice was tough, but with one energy-charged punch, I shattered the lower part of his face and knocked him out.
"LOOK OUT, STAR!"
My sister shouted as another Lantern, Antipathy, spewed her acidic blood toward me.

I wouldn’t have dodged in time — it was about to hit me — but my sister flew at full speed, using another Lantern’s body as a shield.
"That’s why we work in pairs," she said with a grin.
The body she used melted away.
"Thank you, sister. You saved my life."
"Let’s call it even."
But I noticed some drops of acid had hit her arm.
"Are you hurt?"
"It stings a bit."
"YOU BITCH, DON’T YOU DARE HURT MY SISTER!" Enraged, I fired a beam of ultraviolet energy that killed the blue-skinned woman instantly.

"Well, I see even among you there are beings filled with great rage," said a voice. It belonged to a creature that looked like a giant brain with jellyfish tentacles — Ratcher.

"What the hell is this hentai reject?" asked Blackfire.
"What’s a hentai?"
"Ask your boyfriend. Sister, ready? It looks smart — let’s take it together."
"Ready, sister. Let’s go."

Chapter Text

~Raven~
I was paired with Cyborg, and honestly, I didn’t mind. He was reliable — and a powerhouse in battle.
"Sis, I gotta admit, between aliens, demons, and wizards, I’m feeling a bit too human right now. But I guess this is my time. If something happens, just know it’s been an honor fighting beside a friend till the end."

"Don’t get all melodramatic on me. Charge up that cannon. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
I conjured a scythe of demonic energy that knocked out several Lanterns, while Cyborg blasted others with energy cannon fire.
"I’d say we should save a little juice before I need a recharge," he said, pulling out two remote-control cars. When they got close enough to the enemies, they exploded with the force of grenades.
I cast a spell that made it rain burning meteors of energy, while Cyborg alternated between small missiles and electric discharges to conserve power.

The mission was going smoothly — but eventually, the big ones had to show up. Their names were...
Skallox...

and Nite-Lik.

I took on the goat-faced one while Cyborg focused on the blue one.
"Ironic," I said. "The daughter of a demon fighting a man with a goat skull for a head."
"Disrespectful," he growled. "It wasn’t always a skull. I used to be an interrogator for the Crime Syndicate. But our boss betrayed us — threw me into a furnace and burned me alive. Can you imagine the pain? The suffering? The only emotion that could surpass it was rage — the rage that gave me new life through the Red Lanterns."
"So, you were a criminal among criminals, and the boss of criminals tried to kill you. Maybe being a decent person would’ve been easier."
"Sometimes you don’t have a choice when you’re born into certain places..."
"I’m the daughter of Trigon. Don’t talk to me about how hard it is to escape where you come from."
"Seems you’re not alone, though."
"True. I have friends who helped me. But I’d never fall as low as you did."
"Who knows..."

Skallox attacked me with a massive hammer of red energy, and I blocked it with demonic hands.
I tried grabbing him with my powers, but he flew away, spitting blood from a distance.

Meanwhile, Cyborg used his thrusters to chase his opponent. Once he got close, he turned his arm into a drill and struck.
From afar, I saw Blackfire using another Lantern’s body as a shield against acidic blood — and that gave me an idea.

I approached Skallox and grabbed him by the horns. He tried vomiting on me, but I opened a small portal, redirecting the acid onto other Red Lanterns. When he tried again, I repeated the trick — and killed him.
"There’s a lot of them, but they’re weak and stupid," said Cyborg. "They’ll keep us busy, but they’re not much of a threat."

"Meow." A small cat approached us.
"Garfield, is that you? Wait—why is there blood on you... oh no. Another one. You must be Dex-Starr."

~Zatanna~
The fight dragged on, but the team was holding strong.
Constantine and I were in the rear, competing over who could rack up more kills.
Even big names from Atrocitus’s army — Veon, Abyssma, Haggor — didn’t last more than a few seconds.

"If this is their level, maybe we should go straight for Atrocitus," boasted Constantine.
"Don’t get cocky, darling."

"Looking for a tougher challenge?" Two figures approached.
"Well, after all these monsters, it’s nice to see someone actually good-looking," Constantine laughed. "Can’t say the same for your friend, though."

"You must be Bleez and The Judge," I said, studying them. "Nothing to worry about."
The Red Lanterns fired energy beams — faster and stronger than their comrades’.

Bleez charged at Constantine with her skeletal wings and an energy whip. She despised men — her story was tragic and even reached Earth.
Bleez had been the princess of Havania, renowned for her beauty, constantly harassed by rough, persistent suitors. One of them was a Yellow Lantern — a wielder of fear — who didn’t take rejection well. He murdered her mother, captured Bleez, and, along with other Yellow Lanterns, tortured and violated her. She escaped when Ranx, the Yellow Lantern planet, was attacked during the Battle of Mogo. After yet another assault attempt, her soul broke, and she found a Red Ring — using it to avenge herself and kill her tormentor. Since then, her rage never faded.

On the other side, Sheko — known as “The Judge” — had been a magistrate on Primeen. She discovered the deep corruption of her planet’s justice system when she refused to acquit a rich prince guilty of countless crimes. For her defiance, she was shot by her own nanny, who had been bought off by the king.

"Ladies, I know your stories. What happened to you was tragic, but you’re not doing the right thing by killing blindly for Atrocitus."
"Someone like you — powerful, untouched by fear — could never understand us. We’ve lost everything."
"Besides," Bleez sneered, "your blond friend looks like the type who can’t take no for an answer."
"Hey, that’s a stereotype just because I’m sexy. It’s not that I can’t take rejection — it’s that nobody ever says no," Constantine grinned.
"John, please shut up. I’ll handle them. Go take care of someone else."
"Fine, fine..."

The two attacked me together, whip and hammer in hand.
I teleported to gain distance, conjured magical ropes to bind Bleez’s wings, throwing her off balance, then blasted Sheko with a powerful stream of water.
I created several illusionary copies of myself so they couldn’t tell which was the real one.

"Stop this! You can still turn back!"
But their rage deafened them. Hearing my voice, they ignored the copies and came for me.
"I could put you to sleep, but it wouldn’t change anything — your minds can’t be healed. I’m sorry, girls. The best I can offer is a gentle death."
I let them attack, dodged Sheko, whispered in her ear, and placed my hand on her face.
The Judge turned to stone and shattered as she hit the ground.

"See, girl? You act like the good Samaritan, but you’re just a killer like us."
"I erased her memories after the trauma and bound her soul to a parallel dimension where she’ll live forever in a kind illusion. You’re next."
"Damn you, don’t pity us — we are—"
She never finished. I cast the same spell on her, turning her body into hundreds of colorful butterflies.

"Rest in peace. You were victims — and you should’ve stopped before becoming executioners."

"I’m getting bored," complained Constantine. "All I get are small fries."
"You two must be the strong ones of this team. That means you’re the first to go."

The voice was human — Guy Gardner.

He was born on Earth, to a mother and an abusive drunk father who beat him daily, leaving burns, cuts, bruises, and deep psychological scars.
At first, he tried to win his father’s approval through academics, but his older brother always overshadowed him. Eventually, Guy turned delinquent, hating authority — especially his cop brother.
He tried to change, earned a degree, and worked in prisoner rehabilitation, but quit, fearing it would make him violent. Instead, he helped disabled children.
He was rewarded for his efforts, chosen as Hal Jordan’s “backup Green Lantern.” But one day, due to a malfunction with Hal’s lantern, Guy was trapped in the Phantom Zone, where he suffered years of psychological torment — presumed dead in the outside world.
He was eventually rescued, but the brain damage left him arrogant, unstable, violent, and childish. He did his best, but after years — and the death of his friend and fellow Green Lantern Kyle Rayner — Guy lost all hope and gave in to rage, becoming a Red Lantern.

"Well, maybe now we’re having fun," said Constantine, cracking his knuckles.

Chapter Text

~Wonder Woman~
It had been so long since I’d last fought alongside my son that I could barely believe how much he had improved.
“Mother, we fight side by side once again. Wonder Woman and Shadow Owl.”
That was my son — brave and noble, ready to risk his life for others.
I looked at him with admiration, ready for battle, and smiled, proud but also a little worried for him.
“I’m proud to fight by your side, my son. Let’s show these Red Lanterns who we are — the mighty Amazons.”
“Mom, I’m not an Amazon.”
“The mighty Amazon and her son.”

Dozens upon dozens of Lanterns attacked us. They didn’t seem particularly interested in me — they were going after Mattia — which made it easier for me to deal with them.
I lassoed the Lanterns and pierced them with my sword; my heart wept for all those lost souls falling before us.
Mattia defended me, forming energy shields to block attacks aimed at me, while teleporting and killing enemies with quick slashes or bursts of energy.
As the minutes passed, he became more and more unleashed, slaughtering them en masse — mowing them down with a massive shadow sword or shooting green energy arrows.

“They’re getting numerous, son. Seems like they’ve gathered a lot of Rage and resentment over the years.”
“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, Mom?”
“I’ve missed my little sidekick.”
We landed on the ground and began fighting the enemies with our swords.
I struck most of the targets while Mattia protected me with his energy constructs, attacked the remaining ones, and teleported whenever someone tried to hit him from behind — letting my sword pass through him to strike the unsuspecting foe.
Shadowy hands grabbed the remaining Lanterns, tossing them around or holding them still so Mattia could finish them with more energy arrows.

Among the fallen enemies were some familiar names like Fury-6 and Zilious Zox.

“It’ll be a pleasure to wipe out more humans,” a man said, walking toward us, followed by a woman I thought I’d seen among the Green Lanterns.

“A human and a Green Lantern? Why would two like you join the Red Lanterns?”
“Shut your mouth, woman,” the man yelled.
“Don’t you dare talk to my mother like that, or I’ll turn your corpse into a bomb for your boss.”
“Calm down, Mattia, my son. Listening to them is good for your personal growth. Look at what they’ve become — learn from it.”

“Sure, like it’s our fault, huh? It’s the system that’s broken. My name’s Rankorr, but I used to be John Jack Moore. My brother and I were orphans — we lived only with our grandfather. He was murdered by a thief. You know what the police did? You heroes? Nothing. Nobody stopped the killer because ‘there wasn’t enough evidence.’ But I stayed calm. I thought, ‘They’ll catch him eventually, they’ll avenge my grandpa.’ But no. In the end, my brother took justice into his own hands. I still believed in justice — I didn’t let him hide at my place while he ran from the police, and so... bang. An officer shot him. That’s your justice?”

“Mother, how is that possible?” Mattia looked at me. “We’re the good guys, right? Why didn’t any hero solve it? Monsters and demons get killed by supers every day…”
“Little one, you’re strong, but there’s much you don’t know about the world. Things don’t always go as they should, but we must still do our best — as citizens and as heroes.”

“Heroes, sure…” the woman stepped closer. “Big heroes, especially the little Green Lantern boy. Pleasure, I’m Laira Omoto — I used to be one of you. Born on planet Jayd, trained by my father Kentor Omoto, also a Lantern. He taught me martial arts and, above all, honor. My father disappeared and was declared dead, so I inherited his ring. To finish my training, I was sent to the city of X’ol on Jayd to kill the criminal known as ‘Golden Dragon’ — who turned out to be my father. He wasn’t dead — the Lanterns had lied. He became a criminal in their eyes when he tried to heal his corrupted planet using the ring to influence people’s behavior. What’s free will worth if others use it to do harm, right? I trusted the Lanterns and defeated him — killed him to preserve his honor. My martial skills made me a powerful, respected Lantern... but that wasn’t enough. Not enough to protect my family when they were slaughtered by a Yellow Lantern. He begged for mercy, but I killed him. That single act was enough for the Greens to abandon me — so I joined the Reds.”

“You’ve both suffered, but that doesn’t justify dedicating your lives to killing. Revenge won’t bring your loved ones back.”
“At least this way, we make sure they won't kill anyone else and not us.”
“By becoming murderers yourselves?”
“Well, I’m sure not killing myself,” Rankorr laughed.
“Our goal has always been the other Lanterns and those in power, not innocent civilians,” Laira explained. “We’re not monsters — we’re victims. And you, boy, are our prey.”
“I... I didn’t do anything.”
“You’re a Green Lantern — guilty of not doing enough. And if nothing else... you’ll be a small collateral loss for a greater good.”

I could feel that Mattia was shaken. Despite being part demon, he had grown up with me, surrounded by ideals and justice. Maybe I hadn’t prepared him enough for the world’s cruelty.
“Listen, Shadow Owl,” I said, placing my hands on his shoulders. “They’re criminals. It doesn’t matter that they’ve suffered — their choices made them hurt others. You have to be better, okay? Don’t let their words tempt you.”
“Mother…”
“No, it’s important.”
“No, Mother — Harley’s calling me through the pendant. I have to go to her.”
“Very well, son. I’ll handle these two criminals.”
“Need help? I can make it quick.”
“If you’ve got time to spare, go kiss your girlfriend before running off. It’ll give you the right charge and motivation.”
“Alright, Mother. I love you.”
Then he vanished.

~Starfire~
I was fighting the tentacled monster — it was far stronger than the other Lanterns and was pushing both me and my sister to our limits.
One of its tentacles was about to whip me, but something blocked it — a green energy shield.
“Hey, beautiful,” Mattia smiled at me. “Hi to you too, sis-in-law.”
“I’m not your sister-in-law,” protested Blackfire.
“They called me. I have to face Atrocitus. I thought seeing you would improve my mood.”
“Mattia, behind you!”
Without turning, Mattia grabbed a tentacle coming for him and yanked the creature toward himself.
“Stupid hentai reject — don’t touch my girlfriend or I’ll turn you into calamari.”
With a single clean swing of his shadow sword, he killed the monster.
“Well, love, you two handle the small fry. Cthulhu’s gone.”
“Thanks, love. But… what’s a hentai?”
“I gotta go,” he said, kissing me.
“Nothing for me?” my sister teased.
“Ask Raven — maybe she’ll give you a kiss.”
Then Mattia vanished, and I prayed with all my heart that he wouldn’t get hurt too badly.

Chapter Text

~Harley~
We reached the ground in a small emergency spacepod that landed at the bottom of a lake.
Batman gave me and Robin diving suits, while BeastBoy turned into a fish.
We followed him as he became a frog upon reaching the shore.
“All clear,” said BeastBoy, back in human form.
“Well done, Nemo. Smack,” I kissed him on the cheek.
“This is our destination,” Batman said, activating a hologram that projected an image.

“Well, it looks huge, but I don’t see it around. How do we find it?”
“It’s the Red Central Power Battery.”
“What’s a Tery?” I asked, confused—then caught myself. “Sorry, don’t mind me.”
“The closer we get, the more rage we’ll feel. But its new location is unknown. We’ll have to search the area until we find it.”
“What a boring plan,” I complained.
“Got any better ideas?”
“Actually, yeah. You said proximity to the Battery increases anger, right? Technically, the closer we get, the angrier someone becomes, right? So we could track whether someone’s anger rises or falls to figure out the right direction.”
“In theory, that works. But to notice any significant difference, we’d have to walk several kilometers—and it’d be hard to compare anger levels over time... unless you’ve got a machine that scans brainwaves, which I doubt.”
“I don’t think such a thing exists, Bats, but don’t worry—I’m a psychiatrist, and a good one. First, we need the right test subject. Someone not too apathetic but not overly emotional either—it’d mess up the readings. A serious guy with lots of repressed anger, but good enough at hiding it.”
Batman and I turned toward Robin.
“What? Me?”
“Well, the little green gnome’s way too emotional…”
“Hey, I am not too emotional!” BeastBoy pouted, tears welling up. “You hurt my feelings.”
“…and Batman’s unreadable.”
“I’m unreadable too,” Dick protested.
“Nah. You pretend to be, but you’ve got every nonverbal sign of anger and aggression I learned in psych—furrowed brow, tight lips, clenched jaw, fists, change in skin tone… We can ride BeastBoy in horse form to move faster, I’ll tease you from about ten meters away, and by studying your nonverbal reactions, I’ll know which way the Battery is. Once we find the right direction, it’ll get easier.”
“She’s right, Harley’s plan is the best,” Batman backed me up.
“Ugh... fine.”
“So, Robbie-boy... aren’t you worried Mattia’s gonna replace you in the team? I mean, he already won over that hottie of yours, he’s stronger, and he’s leading this whole mission…”
“No, I’m not worried. Starfire and I had already broken up. Strength’s hard to compare—it depends on many factors. And I trust my leadership skills.”
“Good... we’ll see about that after a few hundred meters.”

I admit, the experiment wasn’t short—but it was definitely faster than wandering aimlessly.
We finally found a cave—thanks to Robin, who was about to throttle me while Batman held him back. It was hilarious.
We went deep inside, down a rocky passageway.
Batman handed out night-vision goggles—or Bat-goggles, whatever—and the little green guy turned into a bat to scout ahead.

We reached a torch-lit chamber; the cave walls glowed faintly red—not natural.
Following our green friend through winding tunnels, we arrived at a wider chamber.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, gu—” Batman didn’t finish his sentence before throwing batarangs into a dark corner.
They bounced off an energy shield... a red one.
“Atrocitus?” I asked. “Is that our guy?”
“Worse,” Batman said. “Jordan.”
From the shadows stepped Hal Jordan—the famous Green Lantern, now turned red.

“Wait, wasn’t he one of the good guys?”
“They must’ve scrambled his mind—or made him really mad.”

Hal attacked with a giant energy hammer, but Batman dodged and threw stun grenades.
“What happened to you? What did they do to you?” Batman shouted.
“Corrupted... knew... they attacked...” Jordan muttered incoherently.
“The battlefield works against us. I can’t use explosives—this place would collapse and bury us alive. I’ll lure him out and handle him. BeastBoy, I need your speed and agility. Robin, with your help it’ll be easier. Harley... you have to go on alone. It’s the only way. If you see Atrocitus, call Mattia immediately.”
“You’re leaving me alone?” I nearly got hit by a flying rock hurled by Jordan and realized it was the safest choice. “Fine, I’ll go. I’ll take the blue bomb and save your asses.”

Robin handed me the bag with the bomb, and I ran off. It was heavy—but I had to do it.
Fear gripped me, making every step harder.
Why me? The only one without powers or gadgets... just a broken-down shrink life had kicked too many times.
And for what? For a guy I might still have feelings for, who disappeared for years only to show up again—taken—and ask for my help? What a joke. I didn’t owe anyone anything. No one ever gave me anything. I could just leave and—

The pendant shocked me lightly. The Battery’s aura was warping my mind, but the pendant wanted to snap me out of it.
Finally, I found the Battery—massive, towering. I’d have to climb up to plant the bomb.
“No ladder, huh? Gotta climb with a couple kilos of bomb on my back? Fine, Smurf bomb.”
I used the rocky wall like a climbing wall, making my way up.
“I’m blue da ba dee da ba di, planting the bomb on high...” I hummed.
“What are you doing here?”
A huge red-skinned brute appeared and grabbed me by the throat.

Before I could react, he squeezed tighter.
My vision blurred; my neck felt like it would snap. I tried to struggle, to speak, but nothing worked. My life started flashing before my eyes.
With the last bit of strength I had, I touched the pendant and whispered, “Mattia... save me.”

A massive green energy fist slammed into Atrocitus. It would’ve killed anyone else—but the Red Lantern leader only crashed against a wall and released me.
“Missed me, my little chaotic muffin?”
Mattia gently lifted my head and used his Lantern powers to heal my neck.
“Nice nickname—you gain one point on my respect scale, but lose five for letting him choke me.”
“How many do I get for killing the big bad?”
“Hmm... plenty. Just distract him long enough for me to set the bomb.”
“Harley, can I ask you not to run afterward? If something happens to me, someone has to warn the others. Don’t worry, the pendant will protect you and teleport you back.”
“Y-you can count on me. But try not to die, okay?” my voice trembled with fear. “Or I’ll start dating your grieving girlfriend.”
“I’ll set you two up on a date,” he laughed. “Alright, Gabibbo—your move.”

Chapter Text

~Harley~
I had to reach the Lantern core to plant the bomb, but Atrocitus would’ve stopped me in an instant—or worse, I could’ve been killed as collateral damage from the fight. So I decided to wait for the right moment.

“How dare you?” Atrocitus wiped his face, his eyes turning blood-red. “I will not be humiliated so easily, Demon Lantern. You will die for your foolish choice. And so will the clown.”
“Hey, I’m not a clown, I’m a harlequin. It’s literally in the name.”
“We’ll see which one of us actually dies. No spoilers.”
“You’d better not underestimate me,” he growled. “I am Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns—the strongest, most ruthless warriors in the universe.”
“Oh yeah? You sure you still have an army, and that they weren’t wiped out by my friends?”
“Prepare to face my fury. I am—”
“Yeah, yeah, I did my homework. Evil androids created by the Guardians got hacked and corrupted, lost control, and wiped out Sector 666, leaving only five survivors—you included. You became terrorists, the Greens trapped you here on Ysmault, and then you corrupted a Green Lantern into a Yellow to help you escape. You formed the Red Lantern Corps, fought the Greens years ago, lost, got arrested... I just find it weird none of you actually died in that war.”
“Well,” he smirked, “maybe we had a little help?”

Atrocitus created twin energy blades and lunged at Mattia, who blocked with a small energy shield—an old design, depicting Medusa.
Mattia formed a sword of shadow and kept countering with precise, fast strikes, parrying everything thrown at him.

“I am Mattia, son of the demon prince Etrigan, pupil of Wonder Woman, son of Themyscira, Green Lantern, member of the Titans, and human. You’re the one who shouldn’t underestimate my willpower and strength.”
Atrocitus laughed and vomited corrosive blood that melted Mattia’s shield, then conjured a massive red hand that grabbed him by the throat.
“You stand at a crossroads, son of Etrigan. Serve me, or I’ll crush every bone in your body and deliver you to my master. So, will you join us? Follow me?”
Mattia sliced through the energy arm with his sword in response.

Atrocitus attacked relentlessly, but Mattia kept dodging with teleports and firing energy arrows.
“I was born for this,” Mattia exhaled, creating an energy trampoline to launch himself toward his opponent.
He was fast, blade in hand, but Atrocitus was ready to catch him—until Mattia vanished mid-air, reappeared behind him, and slashed his leg.
“First rule of Amazon combat: reduce your enemy’s mobility.”
Atrocitus swung around, but Mattia teleported above him and crashed down with an energy drill.
Atrocitus fired an energy blast upward, missing Mattia but collapsing the ceiling—debris rained down on the red tyrant.
“Second rule: use the battlefield. Anything can be a weapon—even gravity.”
Atrocitus kept swinging; Mattia dodged and fired dozens of arrows per second.
“Third: if your opponent’s stronger, be faster.”
“DIE!”
The Red Lantern shot bursts of energy, but Mattia flew between them, blocking the rest with glowing energy bracers—just like his mother deflecting bullets.

I had to admit—it was kind of hot.

Mattia ricocheted around the chamber, alternating sword strikes with energy punches.
“SHADOW ATTACK: HYDRA BITE!” Energy serpents burst from his ring—two coiled around Atrocitus while seven more bit into him.
“SHADOW ATTACK: MINOTAURUS CHARGE!” He rammed Atrocitus with glowing bull horns.
“WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SHOUTING YOUR ATTACK NAMES WITH A JAPANESE ACCENT, IDIOT?!” I yelled.
“The ring works with emotions... and no one has more imagination or determination than a kid playing hero,” he grinned, like he’d just said something profound.
“SHADOW ATTACK: HARPY KICK!” He kicked, his leg morphing into a clawed harpy talon.
“SHADOW ATTACK: CYCLOPS HOMERUN!” His arms glowed green, forming a giant bat that slammed into Atrocitus.
“SHADOW ATTACK: SHINKANSEN FIST!” A literal energy bullet train erupted from his punch, crashing into his foe.

“You’re just a buzzing gnat. I’ll make you stay still.”
“Oh yeah? I think it’s the other way around.”
Only then did I notice every one of his movements had left behind a faint green thread. The strands tightened, binding Atrocitus.
“SHADOW ATTACK: ARACHNE LAIR.”
“AAAARGH!”
“Good night, handsome.”
“SHADOW ATTACK: ARES PUNISHMENT.”
Hundreds of energy blades appeared above and impaled him.

Mattia watched the dust settle, panting. I knew the ring’s power wasn’t infinite.
When the haze cleared, Atrocitus still stood—he had broken free.
“Pathetic. I’ve killed more Lanterns than your days alive.”
“Yeah? But how many demons?”
Mattia unleashed a torrent of black fire. Atrocitus blocked it with his hands—but through the flames came my ex, immune to his own hellfire, slashing with his black sword.
Slash to the arm, teleport, stab to the thigh, teleport, upper cut, teleport, stab to the back.

Atrocitus retaliated by forming a massive scythe that cut through everything nearby. Luckily, I ducked behind the battery.
Mattia blocked the blow with both hands gripping a green energy sword—it looked... like a lightsaber?
“Growing up on Earth gives me a huge creative edge,” he laughed.
He kept switching weapons: a machine gun, a cannon like Cyborg’s, Starfire-like energy blasts, Robin’s Batarangs, even the bazooka they’d shot at us with when we first met.
The Red deflected and countered with fists and shields, but Mattia wouldn’t stop—he only got faster.

Spiked mace. Chains. Morning star. Trident. Dagger. Whip. Staff. Guns of every kind. Slingshots.
The weapons seemed endless, and he wielded each perfectly. What kind of training had he gone through on Themyscira?
Atrocitus blocked each strike but couldn’t counter. Mattia teleported behind him and smashed him with a giant energy hammer.
“That’s my hammer!” I squealed in delight.
Atrocitus heard me and charged in my direction, but Mattia stopped him with hands of shadow.
“That all you got, Demon Lantern?” Atrocitus grabbed his wrists and yanked him close, punching him in the face—breaking his nose.
Luckily, Mattia’s regenerative powers healed him instantly.
“So much wasted potential. You’d make a fine servant.”
“The only kingdom I serve is Themyscira, and demons kneel to no one.”
Mattia fired an energy arrow; Atrocitus caught it midair—but it exploded in his face.
“Get ready, Atrocitus. Thanatos, god of death, is waiting to take you to the Underworld. There’s a place in hell for you, and we shouldn’t keep the Greek gods waiting.”
“You think Thanatos scares me? What’s a god of death to a god of rage? The blood of gods and heroes flows in us both. I fear no god. I wield the wrath of the entire Red Corps! Die or join me—and feel power beyond all limits!”
“I already have more power than you think. Remember the name of your last opponent before you die—I am Shadow Owl, and I’ll drag you back to where I was born: Hell.”
“Come, then.”

I took advantage of their dramatic banter to climb and plant the bomb.
Atrocitus fired energy blasts—Mattia dodged or blocked most, but one hit him.
“You’ve lost, boy. My rage is seeping into you. Soon it will control you. I admit—you were a worthy opponent, even if I had to hold back to keep you alive for my master.”
Rage started to consume Mattia’s mind; I saw his green aura fade, his black demonic aura clash with a rising red one.
“Together we’ll conquer reality itself and raise the Red Lanterns’ name across the cosmos!”

I knew Mattia’s mind so well—being his ex and self-proclaimed psychologist, I could almost read his emotions.
He’d grown up alone, hated, even after his mother found him he could never live like others.
When he finally had a happy life, it was torn from him—along with his memories.
“Good demon boy,” Atrocitus taunted. “Fight like someone who knows rage and pain...”
His form began to change.

At that instant, I managed to activate the blue-energy bomb inside the main battery. The explosion was nearly invisible—just a blue shockwave rippling across the planet.

“Shit... Mattia can’t finish him off while using the Lantern’s power—he’s out of control.”
Atrocitus, feeling the burst and his weakening energy, turned toward me.
“Shit, shit... this is bad,” I muttered, noticing a green energy arrow Mattia had fired earlier still stuck in the wall. “Wait... can I even touch Lantern energy?”
I ripped it free, my hands burning from the raw energy, but I forced it into the weakened battery.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” roared Atrocitus. “Mattia, kill her!”
The demon-version of Mattia flew straight at me. I thought, “This is it—but maybe I just saved the universe.”
A tear fell on my pendant—it flared, creating a barrier that shielded me from the very demon who’d forged it.
Mattia, weakened by the Red Battery’s drain—and maybe by his will not to kill me—stopped, regaining clarity.

His mind cleared; he remembered his mother, me, and the Titans.
“What’s happening?” Atrocitus demanded. “No, you should be consumed by rage!”
“As I said...” Mattia’s voice was calm, “I’m not angry. I’ll fight for Earth until one of us dies. An Amazon warrior cannot be corrupted by fury—our minds are unbreakable, our will forged through years of discipline. Fight me.”

He looked half-demon, half-human now.

“FOOL! I’LL BREAK YOUR MI—”
Mattia stabbed Atrocitus with his demonic sword.
“I was taught my existence isn’t a crime. There are people I promised to return to. You won’t have me.”
“But... Green Lanterns don’t kill...”
“I’m an Amazon.”

Atrocitus’s wound wouldn’t heal, but he still stood; Mattia stepped back, catching his breath.
Then he formed an energy lasso, binding Atrocitus the same way he’d seen Wonder Woman do.
“I won’t fall... you won’t rob me of corrupting a young mind,” Atrocitus struggled, too weak to break free.
“ULTIMATE ATTACK: SHADOW FIST OF JUSTICE!” The green energy merged with black demonic fire, forming a massive fist that slammed him into a wall. “Last words?”
“You’ve won, Demon Lantern... Shadow Owl, your fight is far from over. The one who hired me will return. Krona...”
Atrocitus exhaled his final breath. Mattia placed a coin on his chest—it looked ancient.
“Charon, take this drachma and guide his soul.”

Tears of joy streamed down my face as relief washed over me. We were alive.
“You did it!” I leapt on him, hugging him—maybe a bit too tightly, but I didn’t care.
“Your doing too. Listen, I think I broke a few bones. Mind helping me walk?”
“Of course, my hero. Let’s go home. But first, we should call the others.”

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
The number of Red Lanterns was dropping, and I was getting tired, but my mind stayed focused on Mattia—I couldn’t stop worrying about him.
"Mattia, I miss you. In your honor, I’ll do that anime move you taught me."
I spread my arms, charged my hands with energy, then brought them together and unleashed a massive beam. "STARFIRE’S FINAL FLASH!"

"Hey, Star, if you want to go to him, go," my sister said as she came closer. "We can handle things here."
"Go to my son, dear," said Wonder Woman while fighting two Lanterns—one human man and a woman from another planet.
"I don’t know where he is…"
"Take this," my sister threw me a small stone engraved with runes. "It’s the same amulet Mattia used to find me. Ask Raven—maybe she can track his location. I’ll help your mother-in-law, okay?"

I flew across the battlefield toward Raven. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zatanna lift dozens of Red Lanterns at once, while Constantine forced one to his knees—he looked human.
"Raven!"
"What is it, Star? You okay? AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" She blocked a cat firing energy rockets while Cyborg blasted it with his cannon.
"Take this amulet—it’s linked to Mattia. Can you use it to find where he is so I can reach him?"
Raven took the amulet, focused for a moment, then touched my forehead, sending coordinates straight into my mind.
I thanked her, shot down a few Red Lanterns from afar, and sped off toward Mattia at full speed.

As I flew, a massive shockwave of blue energy spread across the planet. It passed through me harmlessly—it must’ve been the bomb.
Using my energy blasts, I dug through the ground until I reached an underground chamber, where I found Harley holding an injured Mattia. Atrocitus lay dead on the floor.
"Are you both okay? Mattia?"
"A shooting star came to show us the way home," he smiled.
"Hey, gorgeous," Harley waved. "We’re good. Mattia’s a little tired and just unlocked a new transformation—like in Dragon Ball—but the big bad’s dead. We won."
"Star, can you fly me up into the sky? I need to tell everyone the war’s over."
"Of course, love."

I carried Harley back to solid ground, then lifted Mattia into the air until he stopped me and formed a massive green energy megaphone.

~Batman~
Hal Jordan’s rage wasn’t calming down—we had to get him out of the cave.
I threw a smoke bomb to buy a few seconds. I knew Red Lanterns instinctively attacked anything green, like the other Lanterns. I could use that to my advantage.
"Beast Boy, get ready to run."
"What?"
"Take this. The moment the smoke clears, run—lead him outside. It’s a fragment of green ring energy. I’ve managed to reproduce a dust that mimics its aura. It’s useless, but you’re already green—add this scent, and the Red Lanterns will be drawn to you."

Beast Boy turned into a rabbit and dashed through the tunnels, with Hal Jordan—and us—chasing after.
Once outside, I hurled a grenade at the Lantern, hitting him and shattering his constructs.
The fight was long. Jordan managed to punch Beast Boy, knocking him out, but Robin distracted him just long enough for me to act.
I crept up behind him and released a gas derived from one of Poison Ivy’s plants—it could slightly affect the mind. Since we were outdoors, the gas hit him but quickly dispersed without harming anyone else.
"You’re weak. Your muscles are stiff, and your mind is exhausted."
The hypnosis convinced him, and his ring did the rest—responding to his thoughts and rendering him helpless.

At that moment, the planet trembled. The blue energy wave spread everywhere, and Hal Jordan fell to his knees, clutching his head.
"Jordan, can you hear me? Are you thinking clearly?"
"My head hurts… they did something to me." His red aura faded.
I injected him with a strong sedative. Once he was unconscious, I used a special clamp to remove the Red Lantern ring and sealed it in a containment capsule.
"Sorry, I’m keeping this one. Hopefully, the Guardians will return your green ring soon."
"We should check if Mattia’s still fighting Atrocitus," Robin said, supporting the unconscious Beast Boy.

Just then, we heard a noise from above. Two figures were flying, one holding a massive green energy megaphone.
"The blue energy bomb has exploded. The Red Lanterns are weakened… Atrocitus is dead," Mattia announced. "I, Shadow Owl—blood of the demon prince Etrigan, pupil of Wonder Woman, warrior of Themyscira, Green Lantern, member of the Titans, and Earthling—declare this war over. The Red Lanterns are defeated, and Earth has won."
"You hear that, kid?" I said. "We’re going home."
"But how?"
"Someone need a ride?" Constantine appeared in front of us, teleporting us back to the ship. A moment later, Zatanna arrived with Harley, Mattia, and Starfire.

~Wonder Woman~
The battle was over. My son had led us to victory—but every warrior had fought bravely.
Mattia and Beast Boy were the only ones injured, thankfully not seriously.
I watched young Raven helping Beast Boy, while Harley and Starfire tended to Mattia, who refused help out of embarrassment.
Batman and Constantine loaded the bodies of Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan onto the ship—two former Green Lanterns who had fought for the Reds. They both seemed to have been mentally controlled and would be judged by the Guardians.
The journey felt long due to exhaustion.
"Batman, how are you?" I asked quietly while he piloted.
"Fine. The next generation gives me hope. We managed without the Justice League."
"Thanks also to those two powerful magicians."
"Thank you," Zatanna smiled. "We’re always happy to help, right, John?"
"Ah, yeah… loads of fun… I mean, we saved the universe. Great."
"Could I have a moment alone with Diana?" Batman asked, sending the two mages—and Robin—away. "I know you’re still there, Robin."

"What is it, Bruce?" I asked once we were alone.
"I know you sent Mattia away when the Lanterns told their story. Don’t you think you’re sheltering him too much? He needs to understand evil, corruption, and human flaws to develop a true sense of justice."
"Did you bug our suits again? Bruce, I respect you, but we have very different ways of being parents. I’ve never judged how you raised Dick or Jason—not even in your worst moments. But I disagree with making them fight so young, putting them in danger so they could become like you…"
"No. I do it so they don’t become like me."
"I’ve tried to keep my son safe for as long as I could. He trained securely on my island. I slowly introduced him to hero work through less dangerous missions. The first time he faced a real battle, he found the ring—and I couldn’t stop his desire to help others. But I’ve always tried to give him a healthy environment to grow. He’s grown up now, moving away from me, facing life’s hardships—and he’ll face more. I won’t add more weight to his shoulders."

I stepped away, uneasy. I knew Bruce wanted to help, but it still bothered me that he thought he was always right—even in matters he’d failed at before.
His words echoed in my mind. I couldn’t stop wondering if I’d made mistakes with Mattia—it had been my fear since the day I took him in.
I sat near the magicians, not wanting to disturb the kids joking around, and soon, we arrived home.

~Blackfire~
The mission was over. We were all safe.
I’d enjoyed fighting beside my sister—and joking with the Titans on the way back was fun. Even Harley was surprisingly likable.
When we reached Titans Tower, we threw a small celebration with human snacks and drinks.
For everyone else, coming home meant joy. For me, it meant the end of my freedom.
I knew Mattia would have to arrest me eventually. I often caught him glancing at me and Harley while talking with the Titans or Batman. He probably didn’t mean anything by it, but it made me anxious.
"Hey, Blackfire, can we talk?" Mattia and Starfire approached.
"Sister Komand’r, don’t worry," said Star.
"So, I spoke with Batman and the Titans. I also called the Guardians for the mission report. We’ve already arranged everything…"
"I’m ready. Arrest me. Just… could you wait until the end of the party? I probably won’t get to celebrate again anytime soon, and I like being here with you. Just give me one last hour of freedom—I promise I’ll go quietly."
"You’ve made many mistakes in the past…"
"I know, and I’ll pay for them."
"But you helped save the universe. That doesn’t erase the times you endangered it, but since Star never officially reported you, your record is lighter."
"So you’re saying…"
"No prison. Just community service and house arrest—here, with us. Do you want to try changing your life and working as a hero? It’ll take time to clear your reputation and criminal record, but we can try."

I burst into tears. Just when I’d accepted my fate, someone was offering me mercy for the first time.
"I—I don’t… thank you. I won’t disappoint you."
"Come with me, sister. Since Mattia arrived, we’ve added more rooms to the Tower. I can give you some clothes, and later we’ll decorate your room together."

~Harley~
The party was nice, though with Batman and Wonder Woman there, it felt more like a kids’ birthday with their parents supervising.
I had to bribe Constantine into turning the nonalcoholic drinks into vodka.
"Wow, you’re like Jesus," I said, eyes lighting up.
"Yeah… except I’m real."

Mattia called me aside, leaning on an energy crutch to walk.
"Harls, are you drunk?"
"Hey, I don’t get drunk that easily."
"Wait… you can drink and not be drunk?"
"I can’t believe it," I laughed. "Let me guess—those saintly lesbian warriors taught you that?"
"The Amazons aren’t all lesbians, that’s offensive. Many are bi or pansexual. I even met one who was straight once."
"Impossible. Anyway, since I’m not drunk, you can’t get me into bed that easily… or maybe you can?"
"I’d never. I’m in a relationship—and I’d never be with someone drunk."
"Good boy. So, what did you want to tell me?"
"First, thank you—for helping and staying till the end. I couldn’t have done it without you."
"I know, I’m amazing. And I’ll always be there when you need me," I hugged him. "After all, I’m your psychologist."
"That’s not true—I never hired you or paid for a session."
"Yeah, but you’ve never had to pay for any of my sessions," I teased.
"You’re impossible… Anyway, Batman says you should be arrested."
"Such a buzzkill."
"But I suggested community service and house arrest—for you and Blackfire—here. Would you like to become a Titan and start over?"
"Seriously?" I was genuinely shocked—it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. "I don’t even know what to say… that’s incredible. I’d be honored."
"Then, Doctor Harleen Frances Quinzel, as a Green Lantern, I declare you cleared of your crimes and sentenced to serve as a probationary superhero—member of the Titans."
"I finally have a chance to rebuild my life. A place to stay without getting arrested—or killed."
"You’re safe now, Harls."
"What you’re doing for me…" I teared up. "I’ll never be able to repay you, but I promise I’ll do everything I can to be better—and I’ll protect you with my life."
"Harley, please—no need for that. I know you’ll do your best."
I hugged him tightly.
"Could you hug a little less tight? I think some of my bones are still broken, and I’m out of battle adrenaline."
"Sorry," I laughed. "Need a hand?"
"Can you help me lie down on the couch?"
I helped him lie down, and he fell asleep mid-sentence.
When I stepped out, Starfire hugged me. I showed her where Mattia was sleeping, and we talked for a while.
Starfire wasn’t just beautiful—she was incredibly kind. I was glad Mattia had someone like her. Honestly, I was a bit jealous of both of them.
The party soon ended—and so did my life as a lonely bad girl.

/** AUTHOR’S NOTES
END OF FIRST SAGA: THE LANTERN
The first part of our story ends, but some questions remain.
What is Krona planning?
Are Diana’s fears about her son’s upbringing justified?
Will Harley and Blackfire adapt to being heroes—or fail?
Will something happen between Harley and Mattia?
And most of all… what happened to Jason, the second Robin, to trouble Dick and Batman so deeply?
Wait... who is Mattia’s biological mother?
We’ll find out in the next saga. */

Chapter Text

~Harley~
While Mattia was doing the Sleeping Beauty act, Starfire showed the Titans Tower to me and Blackfire.
"So, Black... Blacky? Darky? How should I call you?" I approced Blackfire.
"Princess Komand’r," she said still, then looked at Starfire. "Ehm… Blackfire is fine. But no nicknames."
"Okay then, you’ll be Vanilla Donut and Chocolate Muffin." I pointed at the sisters.
"NEVER CALL ME 'MUFFIN' AGAIN OR I’LL BURN YOU ALIVE!" Her eyes lit up menacingly.
"Sister, it’s not an insult, it’s a delicious Earth dessert."
"Fine, I’ll withdraw the threat… temporarily."

They showed me the common room, the two gyms, the library, the “computer room,” the kitchen… that place had more rooms than my entire apartment block.
"This place is amazing. I guess Bruc… Batman pays for all this. So what do you guys do during the day?"
"We have patrol shifts. At first, you won’t be able to go out alone, but you’ll start soon. Mostly we relax, train, and go on missions when we’re called. We also have extra duties: Robin assists Batman, Cyborg is doing a trial period with the Justice League, Raven studies ancient demonology, Mattia works as a Green Lantern, BeastBoy has several animal-related jobs, and I’m an ambassador for Tamaran."
"Wow... I could keep working as a psychologist."
"I’m not sure what I could..." said Komand'r a little disorientated.
"Don’t worry, sister, we’ll find you something. But first, we need to focus on your public rehabilitation."

Starfire brought us to our rooms—they were big but pretty bare.
"We passed by the rooms of the original Titans, but where does Mattia sleep?" I asked, confused, since I hadn’t seen his.
"With me. In my room. In my bed. Does that bother you?" she asked with a death stare, maybe challenging me.
"Naaah, just curious. I could join you if you want," I winked. "Kidding!"
"Good," she smiled again.
That girl was scary—and I couldn’t deny, a bit sexy.

Right then, I saw Mattia walking toward us like a zombie, half-asleep with his eyes barely open.
"Well, good morning, sleepyhead," I said, then turned to Starfire. "Is he always like this when he wakes up? It’s adorable—he’s completely defenseless."
"Yes, isn’t he the cutest thing?" Starfire fangirled.
"You can bet he is."
"Shtop it, I’m a demon who just killed a villain, I’m not adorable."
"Aww, he said ‘villain’. I just wanna pinch his cheek. I could watch him all day."
"Shut up, Harls. Stop calling me adorable," he yawned. "I’m terrifying."
"Nope, not stopping."
"Then I’ll tickle you until you give up."
"Wow, what kind of threat—AHAHAHAHAHA STOP! NOT FAIR!" Mattia had created shadow and green-energy hands to tickle me.
"Do you surrender?"
"YES PLEASE!"
"Good," he stopped. "So I am…?"
"Adorable."
"Pfft, I give up, you’re impossible. Starfire, can we go to bed now? I’m tired."
"Really, love? I never would’ve guessed," she teased. "Alright, we’re going. See you in the morning—alarms are all synced, so when it rings, get ready and meet in the common room for breakfast. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, sexy sisters. Goodnight, cute owl-boy."
"I’ll dream of your downfall," he said, sticking out his tongue before leaving.
As soon as I lay down, I fell asleep instantly.

The next morning, the alarm rang and I jumped out of bed.
"What a ridiculous alarm system, I can’t even set my own time? And having ‘NANANANANANA BATMAN’ as the ringtone is too much, even for Robin."
When I reached the common room, almost everyone was there except the two lovebirds. I sat next to Raven—she seemed cool.
A few minutes later, Starfire and Mattia arrived, and he was still in Pokémon pajamas.
"YOU CAN’T TELL ME YOU’RE NOT ADORABLE AND THEN SHOW UP WEARING THAT!" I burst out laughing. He just threw a blueberry at me.

Mattia started making pancakes for everyone while we discussed the day’s plans.
"So, Cyborg and BeastBoy are on patrol today, and I have to meet Batman," said Robin.
"Of course you do," Starfire muttered under her breath—I was probably the only one who heard her. Guess those two didn’t get along.
"So, the five of you handle things here. Just remember, Harley and Blackfire can’t be alone at home or outside yet—they’re still on probation, basically house arrest."
"Yeah, I thought today could be used for their moving day," Mattia added. "Starfire will help her sister, and I’ll help the pain-in-the-neck. They can get some personal stuff and buy clothes and furniture. Raven, do you mind keeping watch?"
"You’re asking if I mind staying home alone in silence reading? Wow, I thought you knew me better."
"The plan’s approved. Keep me updated on your movements."
"Wow, Robin really acts like the boss," I whispered to Raven, who gave me a look that said, "Shut up."

During breakfast, Mattia’s phone wouldn’t stop vibrating.
"Sweetheart, should I be jealous?" asked Starfire.
"Who’s the stalker spamming you?" I asked, amused. "Sounds like something I’d do."
"I bought a phone for my mom—Wonder Woman—but she’s not very tech-savvy. She’s like 5000 years old, even if she looks 30... and she’s sending me tons of childhood pictures."
"Awwww," Starfire, Raven, and I said at the same time.
"I feel so watched... no, you’re not seeing the photos."
Starfire, Raven, and I exchanged a look and jumped on him to grab the phone.
Raven held him with magic, Starfire pried open his hands, and I grabbed the phone.
The boys quickly left the room, freaked out, while Blackfire watched curiously.
"Give it back, that’s not fair, three against one! I’m still on probation!"
They were the cutest photos ever—a little demon kid with tiny horns, sometimes pretending to be a hero, sometimes reading comics, flying, or sleeping in weird positions.
I showed the pictures to the other girls, and they reacted just like me—even Blackfire smiled.
"You’re like a little sweet kitten," I teased.
"I hate you. I’m gonna drop you while we fly today."
"Wait, what if we…" I whispered something to Raven, who smirked and cast a spell that turned Mattia into an actual kitten.
After we all cuddled him for a while, she turned him back.
"I feel violated. I’m a great hero and—"
"Meow meow meow," I replied and he looked at me extremely outraged.
"I hate you. I’m using your bed as a litter box."

It was a fun morning, and for my first day waking up with the Titans, I was already fitting in nicely.
I was the oldest in the group, but the kids were alright.

After breakfast, I got changed and met Mattia once I was ready.
"Hey kitty, I’m ready."
"Hey chaos muffin. For the move we’ll need to do some shopping, but I guess you’ll want to grab some clothes from home first?"
"Nah, new life, new wardrobe. But yeah, there’s something I need to pick up."
Mattia teleported us—since he’d already been in my apart… I mean, apartment once, he could do it.
I grabbed my favorite clothes, avoiding anything that reminded me of Joker, a few weapons, cash, jewelry, my psychology degree, and a few items for decoration.
"Ready to go back?"
"Wait, I forgot the most important thing!" I opened the safe and took out a book.
"A book?"
"It’s the diary of all my patients. Notes and results from years of research. Extremely confidential stuff."
"Wow, that’s huge. How many patients?"
"Zsasz, Ivy, Nygma, Bane, Killer Croc, and… Joker."
Mattia nearly choked on the candy he was eating.
"Shouldn’t you give that to Batman?"
"No," I said firmly. "The only positive thing—the only result I got from those years with him—is this diary, and I’m not giving it to anyone. Not everything about criminals belongs to Batman by default."
"Okay, okay... we’ll lock it in your room’s safe."
"I have a safe? Can I put—"
"Think very carefully before you finish that sentence."
"I’ll be quiet," I smiled.

He teleported us back and we dropped off the stuff.
"Alright, what do you want to buy? Don’t worry, we’ve got the Bat-credit card, so money’s not an issue."
"REALLY?" My eyes lit up.
"Yeah, but I can’t give it to you. I’m sure you’d blow it all on nonsense, and then I’d have to endure a Bat-lecture."
"Oh yeah? So I can buy anything?"
"Almost. It has to be something he considers useful, but he’s pretty controll... wait, what’s that look? What are you planning to buy?"
"Toys," I grinned. "Special toys."
"I’M NOT BUYING YOU SEX TOYS WITH THE BAT-CREDIT CARD! Batman checks every purchase, and if you buy something ‘inappropriate,’ he’ll be here in a minute. Only stuff for physical or mental health."
"BUT THAT IS for physical and mental health! Ugh, fine. Let’s go to a kids’ toy store then."
"You win. Toymaker's it is. I know the place—Mom used to take me there when I was little, but I haven’t been in years, so no teleporting."
"I’ll take my bike?"
"Say another word and I’ll drop you."
"What?"
Before I could react, he picked me up and flew off, carrying me in his arms.
"Wow, carrying me like a princess, huh?"
"Can you fly? No. Skipping traffic saves us an hour."
"Just admit you like having me in your arms."
"I’m going so fast you won’t even be able to talk."
"That’s impossible, I’m AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—"

Chapter Text

~Harley~
We got to the store fast—it was huge, two full floors of toys of every kind.
"This is paradise," I said, eyes wide open.
"Hurry up, if you add up the ages of all the customers here, you might reach yours."
"Hey, are you calling me old?"
"NO, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT—"
"I’m kidding, sweetie."
"Need help?" a shop assistant came up to us. "Oh, what a lovely couple! Looking for something for your son?" said the shopping assistant.
Mattia almost choked on his own saliva hearing that.
"Nah, I’m the kid here," I laughed.
"Yeah, we’re not a couple, and she’s definitely the kid. Thanks though."

I wandered through the aisles and picked out a set of dolls with interchangeable clothes.
"Wow, I expected something more tomboyish. You sure you want that? You can pick only one thing."
"Yeah," I said, clutching the doll set. "But are you sure Batman will pay for this?"
"Of course not. I’m buying it for you. Do you think Batman would pay for dolls for superheroes?"
"YOU’RE BUYING IT FOR ME? AWWW!" I hugged him tight.
"They’re just ten bucks..."
He paid for the dolls and handed me the bag. I held it close like it was the most precious treasure in the world.

Mattia teleported us near the mall and we went in—it was big and bright.
"So, little chaos muffin, where to?"
"CLOTHES," I said firmly.
We went into a clothing store, and it even had a superhero-themed section that was pretty cute.
"Let’s do it like in those old movies where the woman keeps coming out of the fitting room showing off outfits, okay?"
"Okay."
"And you have to tell me how beautiful I am every time."
"No... and if this is just an excuse to flash me and make me blush, I’ll sue you for sexual harassment. You’ve been warned."
"Pfft, you wish."

I had so much fun trying on all those outfits. I picked things that fit different occasions and tried to move away from the clothes I used to wear during my ‘Joker period.’

"Harley."
"Harley..."
"What is it, demonic donut?" I giggled, proud of getting back at him for calling me ‘chaotic muffin.’
"Do you really want to buy all that stuff? Seems a bit much, even if Batman’s paying."
"But there are sales."
"Oh well, in that case... how about these? So we can have matching shirts." he said
"OH MY GOD THAT’S SO CU— wait, are you serious?"

"You don’t like it? Obviously, I’d wear the one on the left."
"I LOVE THEM. Throw them in the cart."

As soon as the receipt printed, I got an email:
"Don’t overdo it, I’m watching you. angry emoji
Signed bat emoji"

"What a boomer," I whispered, laughing quietly so Mattia wouldn’t hear.
I bought a few psychology books and comics and promised not to buy anything else with the Bat-card.
"And now... TO THE TOY STORE!"
"Again?"

This time, I decided to get Mattia a little gift. I bought a Batman action figure for myself and a Wonder Woman one for him. He was clearly surprised and touched by the gesture.
"Well... on our first date, I promised I’d buy you ice cream next time, so..."
"Nah, don’t worry about it, and this isn’t a date anyway."
"If you stop a girl from paying for your ice cream, I’ll officially label you a soldier of the patriarchy."
"'Kay you won, Halrs"
"Well... If I remember correctly, you like peach flavor, don’t you? My favorite superhero wants a peach cup?"
"Favorite superhero? Is Batman here?" he asked, confused.
"Idiot." I laughed
"Well, if I’m the superhero, what are you then? My sidekick?"
"Nah, sidekicks are for losers like Robin." I stopped mid-sentence, remembering he was technically Wonder Woman’s sidekick. "I’m the stylish villain, obviously. Ready to fight you anytime, just waiting for a good reason."
"As you wish," Mattia blew a raspberry at me, then snatched my phone and ran off.
I chased him, and he slowed down—clearly on purpose to get caught.
"Come on, give it back—WAIT, IS THAT YOUR LOCK SCREEN?"
"Uh… I can explain."
"I don’t believe this. When you stole my phone at breakfast, you sent yourself the baby photos and set one as your wallpaper!"
"Eheheh," I giggled, grabbing my phone back and changing the subject. "So, two ice creams, right?"

"So..." Mattia said between spoonfuls of ice cream, "...what do you think of Starfire?"
"She’s gorgeous. Honestly, I’m a little jealous."
"Of who?" he laughed. "Me or her?"
"Both, actually. Oh, speaking of, I talked with Blackfire and we somehow got on the topic—and I found out all Tamaraneans are pansexual and polyamorous. Isn’t that awesome? Did you know that?"
"Yeah, Star told me. Why the sudden interest? Planning to bring someone else into you and Batgirl’s relationship?"
"Oh right... me and Batgirl broke up."
"Really? I’m sorry."
"Yeah. Let’s just say I value honesty, and lately I realized what I felt for her wasn’t as strong as I thought. My mind was focused on someone else, and I wanted to be clear with her."

"Listen, Harley," he said seriously. "It’s obvious there’s chemistry between us, and I can’t deny I feel something for you. But I love Starfire, and that won’t change. Sure, if I hadn’t lost my memory and if I’d come back to you, things might’ve been different—but that’s not what happened. I can’t risk hurting her, and I promised her my heart. I just want to be honest before giving you false hope. I love her, and I’ll never leave or betray her."
"You said you love her, but you also have feelings for me, right?"
"Yes, but..."
"Then tell me—why do you think I mentioned Tamaranean polyamory? I never hid my attraction to her either. I just want to know if she feels the same. I’ll talk to her myself—I’m a psychologist, I know how to use my words. If she’s not interested in me, I’ll step aside, I swear. But if she is... why not see if it works?"
"I guess that’s fair. Thanks for respecting what Star and I have. I’m sorry about how things ended between us... even after everything, you still care a lot about me."
"That’s what you do when you care about someone, isn’t it?"

I noticed from his body language that he was tense and anxious.
"Look, if you’re not ready, I’m not going to force you. Let’s just take our time and think it through, okay? You’ve got enough on your plate already."
"I’m just scared of hurting or scaring her. I love her and I’d never cheat."
"Alright, alright—you’ve said that like five times already. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful."

We went home, and I unpacked my things. I kept wondering if what I was doing was right—or if I was just being selfish, getting in between a couple.
Well, guys, I usually make terrible choices in love, but that time I didn’t regret it. That night, I was slightly drunk and made out with Starfire right in front of Mattia.
Starfire could’ve easily avoided me with her alien senses, but she didn’t seem upset—so we shut Mattia out of the room for an hour and had a little “chat” of our own.
By the end of the night, I had a boyfriend and a girlfriend—and this time, neither of them was a psychopathic clown.

Chapter Text

~Harley~
The next morning I woke up between Mattia and Star—it was the best night of my life.
"Star, I had a weird dream last night," Mattia mumbled, then looked at me confused. "Ah, so it really happened."
"Well, thanks for the night," I laughed. "Learning about Tamaranean style was amazing, very exotic, though I have to admit demonic skills are unbeatable. Those tentacles..."

Those were the best days of my life. I had a new big house, many new friends, and two loving partners.
"I think I’ll start training seriously again today," Mattia said over breakfast. "I can’t let my guard down—someone even stronger than Atrocitus could show up."
"I doubt it," said Robin. "It’s extremely rare to find another enemy of his level. I think it’d make more sense to train in other areas."
"Nah, the only thing I can improve is my physical strength. You up for a fight, Robin? No powers."
"No, I’m busy today."
"I can help you," I offered.
There was a moment of silence before Mattia and Robin burst out laughing.
"Sweetheart, no offense, but I could neutralize you with a snap of my fingers."
He snapped, and energy ropes tied me up instantly.
"Nice trick, use that in bed next time."

Mattia ended up training with Raven, and Starfire and I watched the fight. Honestly, I suspected they were making it more dramatic than necessary.

After the match, Mattia changed and came over to me.
"So, getting used to everything?"
"Yeah, it’s all amazing here. I can’t wait to go out as a heroine too."
"About that, Harley—do you feel ready? Being a superhero is something new for you."
"I’ll admit I’m a little nervous. I’m afraid I’ll run into someone too dangerous."
"Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone hurt you or Kory."
"I know, but..."
"Not even Joker, Harley."
"Oh, so you know?"
"Yeah, I read that he escaped from Arkham. Reminds me a bit of Atrocitus’ escape, but I’m not too worried. Batman will take care of it."
"Sure, he’ll handle it. But that won’t stop me from patrolling the city."
"Actually… you can’t do that right now."
"What? Why not?"
"First of all, you and Blackfire are still under house arrest—but I managed to get you work permits, so it’s not because of that. Blackfire could technically go out."
"So why not me?"
"Sweetheart, do you know what the purpose of patrolling the city is?"
"To stop crimes and catch bad guys?"
"Yes, but not only that. When people see heroes around, they feel safe, they live peacefully knowing we’re out there. On the other hand, minor criminals are intimidated and act less often. But if you went out… people would probably be scared. Blackfire has a reputation as an intergalactic criminal, but here on Earth no one knows who she is. They’d see someone flying around doing no harm and think she’s a new heroine. But you—you’re famous for what you did with Joker."
"So it’s all a lie? I’ll never get to be a heroine?"
"No, it’s not a lie. You just need more time. This isn’t the right moment. Joker’s freedom is a risk to your safety, and it would make the public opinion about you even worse if they saw you around now. We need to rebuild your reputation. How about a secret identity?"
"No, I don’t want to hide. I want to get back to my work as a psychologist, so I’ll have to rehabilitate my name anyway."
"Well, you’ve got a new wardrobe—let’s make the look change work for us."
"Hiding behind a costume would mean showing Joker that I’m afraid of him. He’s already taken so much from me—I can’t let him ruin this too."
"Alright, alright… you don’t like the easy way out, huh?" he thought for a second. "The best way not to hide and to rebuild your name is a marketing campaign."
"What do you mean?"
"I know a friend of my mom’s—he’s basically like a dad to me—Clark Kent, a journalist for the Daily Planet. I can set up an interview. We need something that’ll make noise fast, and gossip about superheroes always does. Since your identity and Starfire’s are already public, we could announce that we’re in a polyamorous relationship. I won’t reveal anything personal about myself—I’ll use my hero name and wear the costume—but it could work. I’ll ask Starfire if she’s okay with it and arrange everything. These days, LGBT topics get a lot of attention, so a poly relationship with two pansexual girls will drive people wild."

I was speechless. He was organizing everything for me, opening himself up to the world despite being so private.
That very afternoon, we met the journalist Clark Kent.

"Seriously? Him?" I pulled Mattia aside. "You could’ve told me Superman was coming!"
"Superman?"
"Clark Kent—come on, look at him, it’s obvious!"
"No, that’s Clark, my mom’s friend."
"Meaning Superman, Wonder Woman’s friend."
"Harley, don’t be ridiculous… Superman doesn’t wear glasses and he’s taller."
"Are you stupid? Look, I’ll draw it for you—it’s literally him, just slouching!"

"I don’t see the resemblance… come on, that man just broke a chair sitting down, look how clumsy he is."
"He broke it with his super-steel butt."
"He’s sweating just having to interview us—how could he save the world?"
"He’s sweating because he’s listening with his super hearing. Look—oh no, I’m not even wearing panties, would be a shame if someone used his x-ray vision to peek under my skirt."
Superman coughed and fell, breaking another chair.
"See? And I’m not even wearing a skirt. What an idiot."
"Wow, he broke another one. Pretty strong guy, I wonder how he trains...Maybe rugby"
"BY KILLING ALIENS AND BEATING UP LEX LUTHOR! Come on, readers, you have to admit it’s crazy! Am I the only one noticing this?"
"Harley, who are you talking to?"
"Oh, no one—just breaking the fourth wall."
"Listen, it’s time for the interview. Don’t do anything crazy."
"Sure, sure… I’m the crazy one, not the guy who can’t recognize Superman standing right in front of him."
"WHERE?"
"..."

We sat down in front of Clark—or well, Superman—for the interview.
"So, if I got it right, Mattia, you want to keep your identity secret?"
"Of course, Uncle Clark. I don’t want people to know who I am, so I’ll only go by ‘Shadow Owl,’ with no mention of being a demon."
"A secret identity is important," I cut in. "Clark, if you were a superhero, how would you hide your identity?"
"Uh… we’re not here to talk about me," he said, sweating.

Interview begins.
C: So guys, we’re here to present some heroes—some new, some familiar. Introduce yourselves.
S: I’m Starfire, one of the founding members of the Teen Titans, now simply the Titans. I’m the princess of a planet called Tamaran, though there are new rulers now, and I just act as ambassador.
M: I’m Shadow Owl. I’ve been a superhero for years, though I’ve mostly stayed out of the spotlight. I’m a Green Lantern; I was Wonder Woman’s sidekick for years, but recently I joined the Titans.
H: And I’m Harley...quin.
Mattia nudged me. As ridiculous as the Clark situation was, everyone was here for me, and I had to give my best.
H: I know what you’re thinking: "Harley Quinn? The beautiful, crazy girlfriend of Joker?" Well, it’s been years since we broke up, and I’ve realized my mistakes.
C: Do you think that’s enough for people to forgive you?
Clark didn’t go easy on me, but that was fair—it was the right way to rebuild my image.
H: No, I know it won’t be enough. It never will be. I’ve done horrible things, and not a day goes by that I don’t regret them. I was in a toxic relationship; I thought I could fix him, but he manipulated me instead. I apologize to everyone I hurt—I know it won’t change anything, but it’s all I can do. I suffered and endured every kind of abuse because I chose to stay with him. All I can do now is tell anyone out there in a similar situation to act, take back your life, ask for help, and hold on. If I could free myself from Joker, you can too.

M: I think Harley is fully aware of what she did in the past, and being with her every day, I see how much she suffers. Now she’s learned from her mistakes and changed—her story should be an example for others. I think she’s a symbol of hope, and as a Green Lantern, I know something about that.
S: Harley is truly strong. I have experience as a heroine, but the battles I fight are physical. I don’t know if I’d have her strength or if I could do what she did. You know, I have a family... my parents are gone, but when they were alive, they made many wrong choices. I managed to break away, but my sister didn’t fare as well. I tried to help her, though I wish I could’ve done more—and now, luckily, she’s turned her life around too. You might even see her flying through the sky helping people—she’s a lot like me, just with dark hair. The point is, we can all change. It’s not easy to cut ties with the past—whether it’s escaping someone toxic or overcoming the trauma that left you—but it’s not impossible. And you have to remember, you’re not alone.
H: That’s true. I want to use my experience to help others... I’m going back to being a psychologist—that was my job before Joker. I’ll do it for free for those in need who can’t afford it. If you think you’re in a toxic situation, please reach out for help. You’re not alone.

"Good," said Clark. "That’s the end of the first part of the interview. You know, I came here just because Mattia asked me to, but I think this interview matters—it could help a lot of people. Thanks for the opportunity."

I felt lighter. I’d managed to open up and turn my trauma into something productive, and Star and Mattia’s words of support really warmed my heart.
"If you’re ready, let’s continue," Clark said. "Let’s keep it a bit lighter this time."
We nodded, and the interview resumed.

C: So, it seems like supporting each other is very important to you. Tell us about your relationship.
S: On Tamaran, things like this are more normalized. Most Tamaraneans are pansexual and polyamorous, so when I was asked to join a relationship of three, I had no problem with it.
C: Whose idea was it?
M: It just happened. Harley was my first girlfriend...
H: Mattia helped me when I left Joker. He saved me from his goons and pushed me to move forward.
M: Thanks, dear. We were together, but then… we drifted apart. In the meantime, I joined the Titans, met Starfire, and we fell in love instantly.
S: Mattia even saved my life on Halloween.
C: So the original couple was you two. How did Harley come into the picture?
M: You don’t know this, but we recently fought a huge battle against an army of criminals with powers similar to Green Lanterns. It was a long war, but we won. During that fight, we teamed up with many people—Harley was one of them and helped us achieve victory.
C: Last question: one strength and one flaw about each other.

There was a brief silence. We couldn’t answer too honestly—we had to think of answers that would sound right to the public, like in a job interview.
S: Mattia is very sweet and gives his whole heart to others, maybe too much—he tends to put others before himself. Harley is incredibly fun to be around, but she blames herself too much for her past.
M: Starfire is as kind as they come, but since she’s from another planet, she still hasn’t learned some Earth customs. Harley is very empathetic and an excellent psychologist—maybe just a little mischievous.
H: Well, I... honestly don’t know what to say. Not about their strengths—I could talk for hours about how amazing they are—but the truth is, I’m so wrapped up in their good qualities that I haven’t found any flaws yet. They’re unique, but their uniqueness isn’t a flaw—it’s what makes them special.

"Great, I’m satisfied. Thank you," said Clark. "I think I’ll publish the article tomorrow. As a regular citizen, I truly admire your heroic work."

I collapsed on the chair, exhausted from the effort and tension of the interview.
"Mattia, Star… you were amazing, defending me like that and controlling everything you said so I wouldn’t look bad."
"Controlling?" Mattia asked, confused.
"You weren’t being honest? You don’t really think we’re flawless?" Starfire asked, sounding hurt.
"Of course I do! That part was true… but all the nice things you said about me—weren’t they just for my public image?"
"The only lies I told were about my past," Mattia laughed. "We meant every word about you. And that thing you said about helping people as a free psychologist—that was really beautiful. It shows there’s a hero inside you."

I lay on Mattia and Star’s bed while she showered and he stared blankly at the wall.
"You okay, prince? System crash?"
"Clark Kent is Superman… WHICH MEANS BATMAN IS…"

Chapter Text

~?~
“Miss Wonder Woman,” I called out, a little embarrassed.
“Call me Diana, dear.”
“Where should I take the box of canned food?”
“The counter for the soup kitchen is over there,” she pointed to a corner of the room. “Thank you for helping, Harley.”
“No problem, Diana. Thank you for giving me the chance.”
“You never go wrong by helping others. I’m glad you’re here. You know, when Mattia told me you weren’t a criminal anymore, I hesitated for a second, but I trust him completely.”
“He’s such a good guy.”
“And so is Starfire. He found himself a wonderful girl.”

Just then, Kory entered, gently lifting an old woman in a wheelchair and setting her down in front of a table.
“Enjoy your meal, ma’am.”

“Yeah, Kory is amazing,” I thought, wondering if Diana would ever think the same of me once she found out about our three-way relationship.
I felt a little guilty for that jealous thought—but it must’ve been nice to be seen as a good person.

“You’re a good girl too,” Diana said, almost as if she’d read my mind. “Your past doesn’t matter; redemption does. I’m glad my son learned that too.”
“Excuse me, Miss,” someone tugged at my jacket.
“What the fu—Aww. Hey there, kiddo.” I smiled as a little boy came up to me.
“I made you a drawing. Here.”
“Thanks,” I grinned, holding the drawing close and ruffling his hair as he ran off, proud of himself.
“It’s worth it, isn’t it?” Diana asked. “Seeing them so happy... Mattia was just like that, though as a proper little demon he was a bit too lively. I had to threaten to call Lobo sometimes.”
“Lobo?”
“He’s an intergalactic mercenary. We in the League talk about him the way humans talk about the boogeyman. He wiped out his own race because they were the only ones who could kill him for good.”

“Ah, charming.”
“Of course, I didn’t tell Mattia the full story, I didn’t want to scare him. He always managed to make up for his trouble with his sweetness. He was adorable in his little pajamas.”
“I’ve seen the pictures,” I chuckled. “When I met him, he was a lot more serious but still very sweet. When he disappeared, I…”
“You should have come to me. I didn’t know you knew him. We could’ve supported each other, Harley.”
“I was afraid you’d hate me or blame me.”
“It wasn’t your fault he was gone so long.”
“You talk like you actually know what happened to him during that year.”
“I do. Mattia got his memory back but of course, he didn’t come tell me. I had to find out from the ones responsible.”
“Who?”
“The gods.”

Since he was a child, Mattia has always drawn attention. Halfway between the demonic world and the Greek realm of Themyscira. But there was also something more to him.
He often says strange things, like he could predict the future, always surprising me and always being just a bit off.
He talked about Pokémon before they even existed, about heroes who weren’t born yet, about events that never happened...
For a while, I thought he was making things up. Then I thought he could see the future. But both were wrong. Even now, I can’t explain it.
I lost count of how many times he woke up crying, saying he saw things that weren’t real... worlds in ruin, the Amazons’ deaths, Superman turning evil... too vivid, too detailed to be mere nightmares.
Yet, none of his apocalyptic visions have ever come true.
It goes without saying the gods were always drawn to him. Some in a good way, like Athena, who sent one of her owls to watch over him before I did, or Hephaestus, who blessed him with the talent to forge the Shadowblade. Others were more dangerous, like Ares, whom we fought years ago.

But the other night, while wandering through a forest in Themyscira, I met Clio, the Muse of History, who told me about Mattia’s “year of darkness.”
As you know, the Mad Hatter had tried to control his mind, but his demonic side rebelled and freed him.
The sudden break in mind control caused total amnesia, leaving him stuck in his demon form to survive roaming the city at night.
I prayed for him every day. Maybe that’s why—or maybe out of sheer curiosity—the gods decided to act.

Artemis guided him through the night until the demon reached a timeless glade, a place accessible only to the gods.
Hera, the Mother Goddess, never liked that a man, no matter how young, had been welcomed among the Amazons. So she decided to test him, as she once did Heracles, through twelve labors.
Mattia faced twelve challenges crafted specifically for him, each one restoring a fragment of his humanity—one per month.

Each god tested him in their own way:

1. Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, trapped him in Daedalus’s Labyrinth, where he had to regain his reason to find his way through and face the mighty Minotaur. When the monster charged, Mattia teleported aside, letting it crash into the wall, then decapitated it and escaped by keeping his hand on the left wall all the way out.

2. Apollo, god of the sun and medicine, made him cross a scorching desert under a hail of divine arrows. Each hit blinded him and sent him back to the start.

3. Artemis, goddess of the hunt, locked him in a forest filled with gentle animals and poisonous plants. Each night, he hunted only one creature to survive—never more than he needed, resisting greed and gluttony.

4. Poseidon, god of the seas, forced him to live for a month among the Atlanteans, where he had to defend the ocean and its creatures from human pollution, learning the value of lives far from our own.

5. Hermes, the swift messenger, disguised him and sent him running around the world, completing his journey on Christmas Eve delivering gifts and learning from other cultures. He replaced Santa Claus, who had been killed by Lobo. Don’t worry, Santa regenerated later.

6. Hephaestus, the blacksmith, made him work in the cyclopes’ forges, enduring the volcanoes’ heat and crafting weapons day and night. Tools that had once spilled blood through the ages.

7. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, had him plant one tree for every one destroyed by humans. In a single month, working tirelessly, he restored a forest that had taken a week to destroy.

8. Hestia, goddess of home, tasked him with rescuing orphans caught in wars and disasters.

9. Dionysus, god of wine and celebration, made him rest for an entire month—doing absolutely nothing. The first two weeks taught him the value of self-care and recovery, while the last two, where time moved ten times slower, decayed his body to show the dangers of sloth and apathy.

10. Ares enjoyed watching him fight beasts: griffins, hydras, and other savage monsters.

11. Hera, the one who started it all, passed her role to Hades, king of the underworld, who showed Mattia the final moments of every soul arriving in his realm—their fear of death and the regret of wasted lives. It taught the immortal demon the value of human life.

12. Zeus, king of the gods and skies, made him live as every leader in history, each time feeling the weight of command.

Only one goddess didn’t step forward: Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, accompanied by Eros.
She said she wouldn’t test him—because love itself already would. She knew Mattia had forgotten you, Harley, and likely knew he would meet Starfire.
She said love would be his greatest challenge of all.

So, at the end of the twelfth month, Aphrodite took his hand and brought him to San Francisco—where a Tamaranean princess with a broken heart was stopping a robbery.

When he returned to the human world, the gods restored his amnesia. The Red Lanterns found him quickly, but the gods knew the lessons now lived in his heart—and would guide every choice he’d ever make.

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
A few days had passed. As usual, we all gathered for breakfast in the morning, except for Robin, who hadn’t arrived yet.
Mattia was cooking pastries, and the smell filled the room, while I chatted with Harley and Raven.

"We’ve got a problem, guys. Bad news." Robin rushed into the room.
"What happened?" I asked, worried.
"Hal Jordan... he’s been arrested, and his ring was confiscated. He’s accused of joining the Red Lanterns."
"What kind of bullshit is that?" Mattia slammed down the last plate of pancakes, furious. "He served the Green Lanterns for years, saved the universe countless times, and that’s how they thank him? For one mistake? For losing control once?"
"The strange thing..." Robin said, "is that he didn’t hurt anyone. Batman, BB, and I fought him, but none of us reported him. Yet we were the only ones he fought while he was a Red Lantern."
"He even took my side when the Guardians tried to frame me unfairly..." protested Mattia.
"Wait," BeastBoy jumped in, "Robin, didn’t Hal mumble something about ‘injustice’ and ‘corruption’ when he was a Red Lantern?"
"That must be it! They framed him! It’s happening again!" Mattia got agitated.
"Calm down," Robin said. "Batman’s already on his way to act as his lawyer and witness. He’ll handle it. We can’t do anything now. Our job is to protect the city while he’s gone."

"Come on, Mattia, calm down," I said, walking behind him to give him a shoulder massage. "Batman will sort it out."
"We can’t always rely on him. Look what happened with Joker... he’s still free."
"But he hasn’t made a move yet," Harley said. "He knows that if he does, he’ll have to face Batman, and maybe he’s not ready."
"Yeah, right..."
"Sister, are you okay?" I realized she hadn’t said a word.
"Yes, I just slept badly last night."
"Nightmares? Want to talk about it?"
"No, thanks." She gave a faint smile.
"Are you tense about today?" Robin asked. "If you don’t feel ready, you can postpone it."
"Today?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, today’s the first day I’ll patrol alone," said Blackfire. "Thanks for coming with me these past days, but now I’ve got permission."

I felt a bit sad about not accompanying my sister anymore—we were getting used to it—but I knew it was important for her.
"I’m proud of you, Komand’r! Be careful out there."
"I’m the older sister, remember? Looks like we’ve switched roles," she laughed.
It made me happy to see her smile. Harley had fit in quickly thanks to her outgoing nature and our relationship, but Blackfire took longer—she didn’t have much in common with humans—so seeing her laugh wasn’t that common.

"So let me get this straight? I’m staying home alone?" Harley asked.
"Actually, yeah... Robin has to help Batman, Cyborg’s with the JL, Mattia’s visiting his mom, and I, BB, Raven, and Blackfire are patrolling different areas."
"Fine, I’ll find something to do. Maybe I’ll read some dirty comics. You know there are fanfictions about Batman and Jok..."
"NO, HARLEY," we all shouted in unison.
"Ugh, you’re no fun."

"I think I’ll be the first one back," Mattia said. "I’m just visiting my mom. She’ll probably take me to Themyscira since I haven’t seen the girls yet, but I won’t be gone all day."
"The girls?" I teased, and Harley joined in.
"THEY CAN’T LEGALLY HAVE RELATIONS WITH A GUY, AND THE YOUNGEST IS LIKE 150 YEARS OLD! DON’T BE JEALOUS! I don't see my sister in a while"
"See? They’re lesbians," Harley declared. ."

~Wonder Woman~
Someone knocked. By now, I could recognize the little rhythm he used on the door.
"I wonder who it is? Is there a little demon at my door?"
Mattia ran to hug me.
The joy my son gave me was indescribable. He’d given me a phone to stay in touch and wrote to me every day.
"Listen, I think I pressed something wrong on the phone, could you..."
"Okay, boomer mom, I’ll fix it."
"Thank you, my little hero. So... when were you planning on telling me the news?"
"What news? No, mom, I haven’t gotten Starfire pregnant."
"No, this one." I showed him the latest copy of the Daily Planet. "Did you really think Clark wouldn’t bring it to me? Why didn’t you tell me you’re also dating Harley Quinn now? Remember, we Greeks invented orgies and free love."
"Maybe because I didn’t want to hear my mother talk about orgies... Anyway, why didn’t you tell me Uncle Clark is Superman?"
I burst out laughing.
"My dear, secret identities are... secret."
"Uncle Bruce is Batman, right?"
"Yes. But back to Harley..."
"I promise she’s fine now and not connected to Joker or crime in any way."
"I know. I read the article. She even helped me with volunteer work the other day. I just want you to know you didn’t have to be afraid to tell me. You’ve grown up, and I’m sure you’ve had your experiences with Starfire..."
"Actually, with Harley first, a few years ago."
"Oh," I was surprised but pretended otherwise. "What matters is that you’re happy."
"Mom... have you heard about Hal?"
"Yes, it’s terrible. We had a Justice League conference this morning. Hopefully, Batman can reason with the Guardians."
"But the Guardians are supposed to be good. Why do they keep making the same mistake?"
"Sweetheart, good and evil are complicated concepts. Sometimes you try to do good and don’t realize you’re making a mistake. It’s like in battle: you think you’ve blocked a strike, but it was just a feint."
"But in battle, if you mess up, you suffer the consequences. In this case, it’s others who suffer."
"You see, telling good from evil isn’t always easy."
"Yes, it is! If someone’s in danger, you protect them from the bad guys."
"Harley and Blackfire used to be considered bad guys. They’re not anymore. People change."
My son didn’t seem convinced, so I changed the subject to calm him down.
We chatted for a while and then went to Themyscira to visit my mother and the others.
Donna was enthusiast to see him.
Normally, they wouldn’t allow a boy to enter, but since they’d watched him grow up, they’d all grown fond of him.
The only one against it was my mother, who feared that showing the Amazons a boy, or a man, might tempt them to leave the island and start families.
It was a wonderful day, but after a few hours, it came to an end.

~Harley~
The hours alone at home were boring at first, so I started exploring the tower.
The training rooms were genius, but the lab where Cyborg and Robin did their experiments was the most exciting part.
There were replicas of villains’ weapons, prototypes of strange gadgets, and tons of Robin’s ninja gear.
On one table, there was a little jewel waiting for me: a huge metal hammer that felt light as a feather and repaired itself!
Robin thought I couldn’t fight alone, so to make me more useful to the team, he’d had this beast built for me.
Cyborg made it using the same tech as his body. I just had to press a small keychain button and it would assemble itself into a full-sized hammer. The parts were held together magnetically, so it could be disassembled too, but the best part... IT WAS RED AND BLACK LIKE ME.
"I’ll call you Harley Jr."
So I spent my time trying out my new toy until someone rang the bell. I ran to check my gorgeous boyfriend.
"Password?" I asked.
"There’s no password, open up, idiot."
"Wrong. The password is ‘you’re the most beautiful girl ever, the light of my eyes, and I’m so lucky to have you by my side.’"
"Thanks for the compliments, Harley, but don’t call me the most beautiful girl ever, I’m a guy."
My idiot came in.
"Did you miss me?"
"Nah, I found another big hammer to play with."
"So you replaced me already? Rude. Well, we’ve got an hour before the others get here. What should we do?"
"Only an hour? That’s not even enough time for foreplay... Let’s play Whack-a-Mole! I need to practice with the new hammer. You’ll be the mole."
"Fine, hammer me."

After about half an hour of training, the doorbell rang again.
"Wanna bet who showed up early? I’m guessing Raven, she got bored and arrested a zombie army or something."
"My bet’s on Star. She can fly faster than anyone."
"And the winner is..." he looked through the peephole, "neither! It’s Blackfire. Weird that she’s done so soon on her first day, maybe she overdid it. Wait, she’s with someone!"
"What? Who? Let me see."
"He’s a handsome guy, kinda pale, pointy nose. I’m almost jealous."
"Mattia, I have a bad feeling..."
"Relax, Harley, it’s just a new crush of Blackfire’s. Maybe we’ll see her smile more now."
The doorbell rang again.
"What if it’s Joker?"
"Sweetheart, that’s your trauma talking, and you know it. This is a tower full of heroes. Do you really think he’d walk in through the front door? And even if he did... I beat Atrocitus. Joker’s just a human. I can burp hellfire and he’s dead. You’ve got nothing to fear."
"But..."
"Calm down, everything will be fine. Go make yourself some chamomile tea. You’re shaking."
Mattia opened the door while I went to the kitchen.

The grip Joker still had on me was terrifying. Even the thought of him made me tremble.
I had to get over it. After all, I had one of the strongest men in the galaxy protecting me.
I poured my chamomile tea, but as I heard voices by the door, I went closer.
The moment I saw the scene, the cup slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor.
Mattia was kneeling with his back to me, holding an unconscious Blackfire.
A man stood in the doorway, staring straight at me, his smile terrorized me.

"Did you miss me, Harley?"

Chapter Text

~Blackfire~
Starfire and Mattia had given me so many warnings, they’d made me nervous, and honestly, I couldn’t understand why. The strength of an average Earthling was nothing compared to that of a Tamaranean, and in case of danger, I could always call for help.
I needed to prove I could handle things on my own, I owed it to them, and especially to myself.
I flew around the city for hours at high speed. Just like they’d suggested, I stopped several times to greet people and help elderly folks in trouble, they needed to learn they could count on me.
I easily stopped a robbery; the criminals didn’t even manage to fire before I took them down and handed them over to the police.
I have to admit, it felt strange to deal with the police, usually I was the criminal.

Then I heard noises coming from a jewelry store and approached. Another robbery in progress.
“Surrender or this ends badly. I’m an alien with superpowers.”
They didn’t cooperate, so I quickly and precisely disarmed four of them.
Their weapons were weird, not the usual human guns. They looked more complex, firing energy instead of bullets.
While I was examining one, one of their accomplices hit me from behind.
I fell to the ground, and the man moved closer, ready to shoot again, but someone disarmed him.
“Hey, new heroine, need a hand?” A man helped me up and tied the last criminal.
He was handsome tall, broad-shouldered, clearly skilled in martial arts. He wore a red balaclava, which he pulled off, showing a big smile.

“Thanks for helping me. I don’t think we’ve met... who are you?”
“That’s normal, I’m a new superhero. Name’s Justice Talk, but you can call me JT… or Mr. J if you prefer.” He kissed my hand. “I heard this area’s patrolled by the Titans, so I figured I’d run into one of you. Not that I’m complaining about the view.”
“Yes… I’m a new member of the Titans. It’s my first time patrolling alone.”
“How come? You seem really strong, but I’ve never heard of you.”
“Let’s just say I made some mistakes in the past. I wasn’t exactly a model citizen.”
“Hey, the past is the past. I’m sure you’ve suffered your share of injustice and were just trying to defend yourself.”
“Well, yeah…”
“See? It’s not your fault. I find it hypocritical how people act all saintly, everyone’s got skeletons in their closet, no one’s that pure.”
“I used to think that too, but my sister…”
“Oh, right, I know who your sister is. Same powers, same look... but you’re definitely more charming. I love your style.”
“Thanks, though I don’t really think...”
“You don’t believe it? Don’t live in her shadow. You’re beautiful and powerful; nothing can stop you, and no one gets to tell you what to do.”
That man could read right through me. He knew exactly which buttons to press and seemed to understand all my traumas.
“Thanks… I haven’t slept much lately. It’s a new environment, not easy to fit in. I’m afraid they’ll still see me as a criminal.”
“I read an article about your sister today. She’s with Harley Quinn now, right? That one’s committed plenty of crimes here in Gotham.”
“Nah, she’s good, funny too. She’s already fitting in, and everyone likes her.”
“Yeah, from what I’ve heard, she’s always loved the spotlight. Just got here and already making waves, huh? Not hard when you’re dating two members of the team.”
“Yeah, maybe if I had a boyfriend too, I’d fit in better,” I joked.
“Listen… I’m free today. Want to come over to my place? We could hang out a bit.”
“I don’t know, I should keep patrolling…”
“We caught all the bad guys, didn’t we?”
“All right, where do you live?” I smiled awkwardly at how direct he was. Was that how Earthlings were?
Anyway, he seemed nice and didn’t seem afraid of me.
“I live over there… oh wait, sorry, my place is being cleaned, can’t go there right now.”
“Too bad.” My smile faded.
“Do you know anywhere else we could go? Got a room in the city?”
“I live in the Tower.”
“Oh, right! Sorry, forgot! Didn’t mean to invite myself, I know only top-tier heroes get in there. Compared to them, I’m just a clown.”
“No, they’re really welcoming. I could introduce you. Harley and Mattia should already be home.”
“Harley and Mattia? Wow, big names. It’d be an honor to meet them.”
“Okay, fine. I’m not really supposed to, but I trust you. I’ll give you a tour of the Tower.”

~Harley~
“Did you miss me, Harley? I heard you’ve made new friends. Too bad they’re not immune to Scarecrow’s gas like we are.”
“What do you want from me? They have nothing to do with this, leave them alone.”
“And where’s the fun in that? I can hurt both you and Batman with one strike.” He laughed. “Now I’ll capture you and wait for your little friends. One by one, they’ll fall under the gas.”
“You’re a monster… you don’t realize how disgusting this is.”
“What’s a monster, huh? A criminal? Well, so are you. A murderer? We all are, sweetheart. Who decides who’s a monster and who’s not? They chose to forgive you, but soon they’ll see you for what you really are again.”

At that moment, Mattia stood up and reached for Blackfire.
“Starfire… Harley… what did you do to her?”
“Mattia? I’m right here. That’s Blackfire, not Starfire.”
“You killed them all.” Mattia turned toward me, eyes burning with rage. “Atrocitus, I’ll make you pay.”
“Scarecrow’s gas is working!” Joker laughed manically. “In the end, she’s just killing a criminal just not the one he thinks.”
The gas created hallucinations by exploiting people’s fears.
Mattia’s eyes changed; he lost control and transformed into his demonic form, horns and all.

Even though I was shocked, I tried to focus. I had two priorities: stop Mattia and make sure no one else got affected by the gas.
Blackfire wasn’t going crazy yet, which meant she’d probably lost consciousness—but if she woke up or anyone else came in, they’d be hallucinating too.
Joker and I were immune to the gas thanks to all the experiments he’d done on both of us, but such a high dose for too long could still affect me.
I had less than half an hour, so I had to act fast.
Mattia charged at me. Regretfully, I had to test my new hammer on his face.
He took the hit, his wounds healing instantly. I tried again, but he grabbed the hammer with a shadowy hand and disintegrated it.
“No! Harley Jr.!”
He swung his shadow sword, missing me. He saw me as Atrocitus, so in his vision, I looked much bigger than I really was.
“Mattia, it’s Harley, not Atrocitus! Can you hear me?”
Mattia kept attacking, his hallucinations weren’t just visual, but auditory too.
I tried not to fight back, but it didn’t matter; in his mind, Atrocitus wasn’t stopping.
He grabbed me by the neck and lifted me off the ground. He would’ve strangled me in seconds if the pendant he’d given me hadn’t activated, releasing a force field that threw him back.
I smiled, he’d lost control, but part of him was still trying to protect me.

He attacked again with his sword, clashing against the force field that held for a few seconds before shattering along with the pendant.
My neck burned; he’d probably injured me when he strangled me, but I didn’t have time to check. I had to move while the adrenaline lasted.
Behind me was a big glass window. If I broke it, the gas would escape and, since we were high up, it would disperse, becoming too diluted to hurt anyone.
The problem was that the Tower’s windows were reinforced, and I was unarmed. The only “weapon” strong enough to break it was Mattia himself.
I ran toward the window, and he followed. Luckily, the gas dulled his senses, slowing his reflexes.
When I reached the glass, he swung his sword, and I dodged sideways.
The window shattered, and the gas began to pour out.
One problem solved, but two remaining: my current boyfriend, and my toxic ex.

I had to take advantage of his slower movements and get armed again. I ran to the gym and hit all the buttons on the control panel.
Targets, obstacles, and ball launchers popped out of the walls and floor, it would keep him busy for a few seconds.
While Mattia tore through the “maze,” I ran into the lab. There was a case labeled “Warning: Do Not Break Glass. Dangerous.”
Of course, I broke it.
Inside was a prototype of a copy of Mr. Freeze’s gun, capable of freezing anyone solid.
When Mattia entered, I shot him.
“Sorry, baby. You make one fine popsicle. Just hang in there.”

“Harley…” Joker’s voice called from the hallway. I quickly locked the door. The gun jammed... of course, it was a prototype. “Come on, open up, I’ll sing you a song from your favorite musical. Remember? Meant to be yours from Heathers!”

You chucked me out like I was trash,
For that you should be dead—
But! But! But!

Then it hit me like a flash,
What if Titans Tower went away instead?

That psycho was singing a song from the musical Heathers while coming to kill me?

Those assholes are the key!
They’re keeping you away from me!
They made you blind, messed up your mind,
But I can set you free!

You left me and I fell apart,
I killed a man and cried
Bam! Bam! Bam!

Then I found you changed my heart
and set loose all that truthful shit inside!
And so I made a plan
Tonight the Tower is Vietnam!
Let’s guarantee they’ll never see Batman again!

Batman? I looked at frozen-Mattia—he was starting to thaw. I grabbed his wallet; inside was the Bat-credit card.
Meanwhile, I heard Joker setting an explosive on the door.

I was meant to be yours!
We were meant to be one!
Don’t give up on me now!
Finish what we’ve begun!
I was meant to be yours!

Mattia’s words echoed in my mind—I had one chance.

So when the Titans Tower goes boom with your friends inside
Pchw! Pchw! Pchw!
In the rubble of their tomb,
We’ll plant this note explaining why they died!

We, the sidekicks of Batman, will die.
Our burnt bodies may finally get through to you.
Your society churns out slaves and blanks—
No thanks. Signed, the future heroes of Gotham.
“Goodbye.”

Joker was seconds away from finishing his setup. I didn’t have my phone nearby, but Cyborg’s computer was still on in the lab.

We’ll watch the smoke pour out the doors.
Bring marshmallows, we’ll make s’mores!
We can smile and cuddle while the fire roars!

“Cuddle? Oh, I’ll show you what you can cuddle…” I opened a website, clicked a few buttons, and entered the credit card info.

I was meant to be yours!
We were meant to be one!
I can’t make this alone!
Finish what we’ve begun!

YOU WERE MEANT TO BE MINE!
I AM ALL THAT YOU NEED!
You carved open my heart,
Can’t just leave me to bleed!
HARLEY, open the—open the door, please!

Harley, open the door.
Harley, can we not fight anymore?
Please, can we not fight anymore?
Harley, sure, you’re scared—
I’ve been there. I can set you free!
HARLEY, don’t make me come in there!
I’m gonna count to three!
One! Two! Fuck it!

The explosion blew the door off its hinges. I hit the final click on the computer, then, desperate, ripped half of a bar from the gym’s parallel bars.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Puddin’?” I swung it like a baseball bat and smashed it into him, then jumped over him and ran into another room.
At that moment, the doorbell rang—someone had arrived. But Joker was closer to the door than I was.

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
The city was quiet that day, there wasn’t much crime around; I only had to deal with a few petty thefts and short chases.
I got home a few minutes earlier than expected and noticed, strangely, that the door was slightly open. When I pushed it, I saw my sister lying on the floor.
I let out a small gasp of surprise; I could sense a strange gas in the air, so I blew hard with my super breath to clear as much of it as possible.
"STAR, WATCH OUT—JOKER..."
The voice came from far away. I didn’t have time to react before Joker pointed a strange gun at me, laughing.

~Raven~
When I got home, I noticed there wasn’t the usual noise, was I the first to arrive?
As I climbed the stairs, I heard a scream. It was Starfire.
I used my powers to sense what was happening and saw Joker aiming a gun at Starfire. Meanwhile, Blackfire was unconscious, Harley stood frozen, and I couldn’t sense Mattia’s mind.
I teleported inside to catch Joker from behind. I was just about to emerge through a wall and surprise him when Harley shouted,
"Stop! He’s a walking bomb full of Scarecrow’s gas!"
Joker pulled the trigger, and I had to focus all my power to create bubbles of oxygen around myself, Harley, Blackfire, and Star.
"Well, a bit crowded for my taste," Joker laughed. "Don’t worry, girls, I’m the least of your problems right now, aren’t I, Mattia?"

~Harley~
Mattia arrived, he must have melted through the ice layers that held him with his flames. Joker took the chance to shove Starfire aside and run away.
I was the only one who could chase him since I was immune to the gas, but Mattia needed my help.
For a moment I hesitated, a few seconds to decide whether to chase him or help the others… then I realized I didn’t care about Joker anymore. I had to help my family.

"Atrocitus… so many Atrocitus… I’ll kill you all."
"Mattia, snap out of it!" I shouted. "It’s us!"
Raven focused her powers to hold him still, but he resisted.
Mattia struggled; the entire room trembled under his power, furniture fell, and he screamed in agony.
Starfire tried to approach him but was struck by a shadowy hand.
"How can we stop him… right, he’s a demon."
I got closer and began to chant a prayer—probably got a few words wrong, but it’s not like Starfire the alien or Raven the half-demon could do it better.
Mattia covered his ears, so I grabbed two metal rods, forming a cross, and approached him again.
Mattia raised a hand toward me and threw me back, but Starfire darted forward and caught me in time.
"I don’t think I can hold him much longer…" Raven was struggling to keep him restrained, and even she was suffering from the effects of the prayer.
Then a man burst through the shattered window and landed on Mattia, injecting something into him with a syringe. It was Batman.
"What happened? Why did I detect Scarecrow’s gas in the air? And most of all… HARLEY, WHY THE HELL DID YOU BUY A JOKER×BATMAN FAN FICTION WITH MY CREDIT CARD!?"

We explained everything to Batman, and soon the rest of the team arrived.
Starfire was still shaken, so Raven took her for a walk while Cyborg checked my neck wound.
"It might leave a scar, but it’s nothing serious," said Cyborg.
"Blackfire will recover soon," Batman added. "Harley, can we talk privately?"

I followed the Bat to the rooftop.
"Okay, maybe ordering yaoi of you and Joker wasn’t the best idea, but I needed your attention."
"Harley, that’s not it. I need to talk to you because you’re a psychologist, and we’re the two people who know Joker best. What do you think his goal was?"
"Hmm… he left too easily, and he didn’t seem armed or planning to kill us. He talked about hurting you and me, but not how."
"My theory is that he aimed to kill the team’s morale. The kids are shaken. Robin, their leader, was absent and failed his team; Starfire is traumatized; and we can only imagine how Blackfire and Mattia feel right now. Your help is needed more than ever. Unfortunately, emotional support isn’t one of my strengths. We need to make sure Joker never pulls this again."
"I’ll do everything I can, I promise. This is my family now. I’m worried about Mattia too, but I won’t abandon him, ever! He’s done so much for me."
"Thank you, Harley. I knew I could count on you."

~Blackfire~
When I woke up, I realized what I had caused. It was all my fault.
How could I trust a stranger and bring him to my friends?
And I hadn’t even fought; I’d just fainted. I’d ruined everything. I didn’t deserve to be a Titan.
I staggered around, eyes unfocused, until I found Raven.
"Please tell me this is a nightmare. The tower’s half destroyed. What happened?"
"We’re safe now, don’t worry," she said calmly, though I could sense anger in her voice. "Joker used a toxin to brainwash Mattia, and he… did this. But everyone’s okay."
"Are you hurt?"
"Only Harley, but nothing serious. Mattia hasn’t woken up yet. Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, anything."
"Did you let Joker into the tower? I mean, I know it was you, I saw the security footage, but why?"
"I… I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know… it was a mistake…"

I ran away. I wanted to escape from everything. I didn’t know how to make things right. Then I saw my sister sitting in a corner on the floor.
"Hey, Kory…" I couldn’t look her in the eyes. "How are you?"
"Mattia attacked me. He attacked me and Harley. It was the first time… it’s not like what happened on Halloween. This time he was conscious, even though he couldn’t see ‘me,’ and I… I was afraid of his power. It was something new and terrifying. Even Raven couldn’t restrain him, and I just froze. I didn’t know what to do; I felt like his power was overwhelming me. He wasn’t that strong before…"
"Forgive me, it’s all my fault."
"I just need to know one thing: you didn’t know it was Joker, right?"
Her question froze me. Of course I didn’t know, but after everything I’d done over the years, Starfire still couldn’t fully trust me. I thought I could erase my past, but maybe I’d been too hopeful.
"No, I didn’t know."
I ran away again.

"Where are you going, Blackfire?" Robin asked.
"I did something unforgivable. I have to leave."
"Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes… even me and Batman. When you make one, the only thing to do is try to fix it, not run away. It’s easy to underestimate Joker, but he’s the best at exploiting our mistakes. Right, Harley?"
Harley stepped out from behind the closed door.
"Yeah…" she said softly. "You know, maybe you don’t know Joker well enough. How about we tell her what happened, First Robin?"
"‘First’? What do you mean?"
"There was once another Robin who replaced me for a while," Robin began. "His name was Jason and maybe it’s time you all start calling me by my real name. Dick."

The Story of Jason
D: Jason Todd was always a lively kid. Batman found him one snowy day trying to steal the Batmobile’s tires.
He was the son of a woman who died of an overdose and a man who disappeared while working for the criminal Two-Face.

Jason, unlike me, was rebellious. He constantly clashed with authority, Batman included.
At that time, I had distanced myself from Batman. I wanted to be my own hero, not his shadow, so I became Nightwing and even left the Titans for a while.
Batman noticed Jason’s talent and, maybe to fill his loneliness or to try to straighten him out, took him in as the second Robin.
Jason wasn’t as cold as me or Batman; he couldn’t stay objective or follow justice, he was hot-headed and gave in to vengeance. Once, he nearly killed a rapist.
Batman tried to keep him away from crime-fighting, and for a while, he succeeded. But Jason discovered that his real mother was still alive and being threatened by Joker.
H: I’ve never seen Joker so obsessed with anyone besides Batman. He never cared much about Dick, but Jason… somehow he found out who Jason’s real mother was, threatened her, and chased her until she was forced to call her son for help.
From what I understood, she had abandoned Jason, but to Joker, she was just a toy to lure the boy in.
That day, I witnessed the cruelest massacre of my life.
Joker tied up Jason, who had come without Batman, killed and tortured his mother in front of him, then leaned close and whispered something in Jason’s ear.
I couldn’t hear it, I was too shocked by the violence. Then he began beating Jason with a metal crowbar, laughing, until his body was unrecognizable.
Usually, before committing such acts, Joker would try to manipulate me, explain why it was “right.” That time, he didn’t even bother. He just didn’t care.
He kept Jason alive until Batman and Dick arrived, then blew up the entire building with them, me, Nightwing, and Batman inside.
Batman, Dick, Joker, and I survived, but Jason and his mother didn’t.
D: After that, Batman was never the same. Even Ra’s al Ghul, one of his greatest enemies, regretted helping Joker. He secretly dug up Jason’s body and used the Lazarus Pit to resurrect him. Jason came back, but his mind wasn’t whole. The trauma had broken him.
He didn’t return to us. Instead, he created a new identity, Red Hood, the same name Joker once used and began killing criminals.
Eventually, Jason let Batman find him and captured Joker.
When Batman arrived, Jason pointed a gun at Joker and tossed another to Batman. Then he said, “I don’t care that you couldn’t save me, I don’t blame you for that. But why is he still alive? Why didn’t you avenge me? Now you have a gun, shoot him and kill a criminal, or shoot me to stop me from doing it.”
Batman managed to prevent either from dying, but it wasn’t enough. Joker laughed harder than ever. He knew Batman wouldn’t kill him, and he enjoyed watching Jason’s face twist in despair.
Jason disappeared after that. We never found him, not even Batman.
H: After what happened to Jason, I left Joker. Not only did he feel no remorse, he laughed about it. I realized there wasn’t a single trace of sanity left in him. He couldn’t be saved.

"Wow…" I was speechless. "He really is a monster. But why didn’t Batman kill him?"
"What for?" Harley asked. "Joker doesn’t care about his life. He’s a plague that spreads. If Batman killed him, it would only turn him on."
"But that way he couldn’t hurt anyone else…"
"If a man kills a murderer, the number of killers stays the same. But we’re not talking about just a man, we’re talking about Batman. He’s a symbol of peace and hope for the whole world. If he shed blood, that hope would die."
"Yet we’ve already killed some Red Lanterns. What’s the difference?"
"It’s hypocritical, I know," Harley said, "but they weren’t human, or at least, people don’t know they were. The public thinks we killed monstrous aliens, not beings like you and Stella. To them, we destroyed creatures no different from insects. And no one’s ever publicly confirmed who was killed or by whom."
"I don’t understand your reasoning, but I’ve made mistakes too, and I was forgiven. If they had killed me, I wouldn’t have had that chance. If your will is not to kill him, then I’ll respect it."
"The important thing is that you know it’s not your fault," Harley said, holding my face so I’d look into her eyes.
"I know…"
"No, you need to believe it. It took me years to understand that. I felt guilty and kept trying to ‘fix’ him, thinking, ‘I’m already guilty, but if I cure him, I’ll make up for it.’ But he’s not ‘broken’, he only knows how to create chaos."

After talking with Blackfire, I went to comfort Kory and I prepared her for Mattia’s awakening.
I found her lying in bed, hugging him and crying.
"Hey, sunshine princess."
"Hi, Harley. How are you? I’m sorry—I feel useless. I couldn’t help Mattia, and I don’t know how to help you."
"I’m fine. It’s not the first time Joker’s attacked me. Everything’s going to be okay. It’s not your fault."
"But I froze in fear…"
"Sweetheart, what’s the first thing you did when you got home?"
"I blew away the gas."
"Right, but before that, you opened the door. It was ajar, wasn’t it? Joker sprayed the gas at the entrance. That means the doorway and stairs still had traces of it, and you inhaled it since you were the first one in. That must have amplified your fear, it’s not your fault."

I curled up in bed with her and Mattia. I just wanted that day to end, though I could never have imagined the chain of events it would set in motion in the days to come.

Chapter Text

~Harley~
That night, I didn’t sleep. I sat on the balcony flipping through the pages of my old patients’ diaries.
I stared at the chapter about Joker for hours. I needed to find something useful to understand his intentions, but I kept rereading the same words I had written myself.
I knew very little about him. His childhood was a mystery, and every time a psychiatrist tried to investigate, he lied shamelessly.

There was only one thing I knew about his past: before becoming Joker, he was a thief under the alias “Red Hood,” until he fell into a vat of chemicals that disfigured his face—the same one he later threw me into, years after.
No one knew his identity before that event, and now it was impossible to trace it back.
The number of dead and missing people in Gotham was too high for anyone to notice his absence, and he probably didn’t have a family.
One day, Batman saw him fall into the vat, and months later Joker appeared—a psychopathic clown obsessed with fun and with Batman.
I lived with him for years and never discovered anything about his story. I even started doubting he was really Red Hood until I saw him use that costume again in some of his plans to torment the bat.

He was good with words, and he was strong. I remembered every time he hit me. He kept doing it until he found a new victim: the second Robin.
The cruelties he inflicted on him and on me are my recurring nightmare.
In that moment, I asked myself if I’d done the right thing by confiding everything to Mattia and Starfire a few days before.

Mattia woke up the next morning. It amazed me how one night’s sleep was enough for him to recover from wars and heavy sedatives.
"Good morning, princesses," he said, still a bit dazed.
"Hi, love," Starfire hugged him.
"You’re the princess here," I laughed. "With all the times they’ve sedated you, you’re practically Sleeping Beauty. Is this a sickfic?"
"My memories are confused… JOKER."
"Easy, cowboy, my ex isn’t here anymore."
"How did you stop him?"
"It was Batman," Starfire lied.
"Kory, when you lie you touch your hair. Let’s try again. Harley, what happened to Joker?" he aksed again.
"He ran away because he’d already created enough chaos. Let’s say Batman helped calm you down."
"Shit… did I hurt anyone?"
"We’re all fine. It wasn’t your fault."
"And Batman, how did he find out? Did you call him?"
"If you misuse the bat-credit card, Batman will know," I mimicked his voice jokingly and threw him the credit card.
"And what did you buy?" he asked, laughing.
"‘The Bat Under the Sheets,’ a porn fanfiction between him and Joker," I threw him the comic that had arrived that morning.
"I’m not reading that," he burst out laughing. "Was he mad?"
"You bet he was."
"Good job."

Mattia stopped laughing and looked at me closely.
"Why are you staring at me? Am I that beautiful?" I giggled.
"Harley…"
"Yeah?"
"Take off the scarf you’re wearing."
"Oh, come on, it’s my new style. Don’t you like it?"
"Harley."
"Okay," I took off the scarf, showing the wounds on my neck.
"It wasn’t Joker, was it?"
"No..."
"And Kory, that bruise on your face?"
"You did that," she admitted.
"Mattia, it was Scarecrow’s gas. It wasn’t your fault, you weren’t yourself."
"I hurt you. I put you and the others in danger."
"But we’re fine now."
"I need to think."
Mattia teleported away.

"I’m worried about him," said Starfire. "I know him, he’ll take all the blame."
"I’m a psychologist specialized in trauma caused by Joker. I’ll take care of him, I promise."
"I feel so useless."
"You’re our ray of sunshine. After all, your name is Stella, right? Keep shining and lighting up our lives. I’ll get my hands dirty if I have to, I’ve been a criminal for years, I’m used to it."

~Raven~
I was meditating on the rooftop, needing fresh air after everything that happened. Then Mattia appeared out of nowhere.
"Good morning, are you awake, sleeping-man?"
"Hey Raven, looks like we had the same idea. How’s the team?"
"Not in a great place, but we’ll manage like always. Mattia, we’ve been a team for years before you came. You don’t have to carry all the weight on your shoulders."
"Was it you who fought me yesterday?"
"I doubt anyone else could’ve stood their ground," I laughed. "I had the feeling you were much stronger than before. Your power’s growing beyond normal. Do you know why?"
"No idea. I thought I’d already reached my limit."
"So… have you decided what to do now?"
"I think so. Could you gather the team for me?"
"Alright."

~Starfire~
Later, Raven called the team together because Mattia needed to talk.
The thought made me anxious, but I told myself I could handle anything he came up with and I had Harley with me too.
"Sorry I ran off earlier," Mattia kissed my hand and Harley’s. He looked calmer, but I could tell something inside him still hadn’t returned, it was like his spark was missing.

"Guys, first of all, thank you for being here. I want to talk about what happened yesterday."
"Hey, as the leader, I feel a bit bypassed," said Robin.
"Sorry, Dick, I promise it’ll be the last time. So... yesterday, Blackfire let Joker into the tower."
Everyone looked at my sister, but there was no anger or resentment toward her.
"First of all, it’s not your fault," Mattia said gently. "You’re not from Earth, you couldn’t have known him. Honestly, we probably would’ve fallen for it too. He’s a great manipulator."
Blackfire smiled faintly.

"The only one to blame here is me," he said, and it struck us like thunder on a clear day. "I was the one who said she was ready to patrol alone. I should’ve trained her better. I was the one who opened the door, it should’ve been Harley’s responsibility, and she would’ve recognized him. I was the idiot who inhaled the gas and became a war machine. I was the one who should’ve resisted. And I was the one who didn’t believe Harley when she was worried, lowering my guard and invalidating her words. I was arrogant and too sure of myself. I’m the only one to blame."

There was a moment of silence.
"You know no one in the team blames you. If anything, it’s on all of us," said Dick.
"You’re right, it’s not just my fault. There’s another person responsible: Batman, for not killing Joker after all these years. I humbly ask your forgiveness. Thank you for being my family, but this is the end. I’m going to talk to Batman myself, and then I’ll finish the job by killing that clown. Maybe I won’t be called a hero anymore, but that’s fine. You’ll be the heroes, and I’ll make sure you’re safe."

Silence fell. I saw Harley run off somewhere, tears streaming down her face.
"You can’t do that," said Dick. "You can’t kill him."
"Why? Because daddy said so?"
"I’ve seen that look before. I won’t let it happen again. Titans, as your leader, I order you to stop him."

What was happening? Why were we fighting him again? This time, we were all clear-headed, no villain pulling the strings.
"Grayson, how do you plan to stop me?"
"You’re a demon. As such, you have weaknesses...like iron."
Robin grabbed an iron staff and jumped at Mattia, who blocked the strike with his shadow blade.
"Dick, stop. I’m not the same guy you fought before." I said calmly "You can't compete."
"Don’t call me ‘Dick’ if you’re no longer a Titan."
"Alright, Robin."
With one hand, Mattia lifted the heavy marble table from the common room and hurled it at Dick, who dodged by diving to the side.
"You could’ve killed me. Are you that determined?"
"I knew you’d dodge."
"If I hit you with iron…"
"Do it." Mattia opened his arms, and Dick struck his shoulder, but the rod bent.
"Impossible. You’re a demon…"
"Enough games."

BeastBoy turned into a T-Rex and Cyborg fired an energy blast, but Mattia simply vanished and knocked them both out with a precise hit to the neck.

Robin struck him with a spinning kick, but Mattia blocked it barehanded.
"Don’t make this harder than it is. Boss, consider this my resignation."
"Not again… you don’t know what this will cause."
"I’m just trying to keep you safe."
"We don’t need that. We are the second greatest hero team of Earth"
"If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be in this mess."
Chains of demonic energy bound Robin, and a gag covered his mouth.

~Raven~
This time, Mattia went too far. Blackfire charged at him, and I trapped all three of us in a parallel dimension.
We were alone.
"Mattia, you promised me you wouldn’t hurt Starfire," I said, disappointed. "Do you realize what effects this will have?"
"Yesterday, Starfire almost died… because of me. I can’t let that happen again."
"You need to stop, Mattia," said Blackfire. "Otherwise… it’ll all be my fault. Don’t be selfish. I finally had a family… don’t destroy it."
"Your words break my heart. I’m not ignoring you, I swear. I know no one blames you, and everyone still cares about you. Please, I need you both to stay close to Starfire right now."
Blackfire flew at him, her fists glowing with energy. She wasn’t holding back.
Mattia took the blows silently, like it was self-inflicted penance. His regenerative ability healed every wound.
Soon, the Tamaranean’s strikes grew weaker. With every punch, her anger and determination faded, until her hits were as soft as a child’s tantrum.
Mattia hugged her and stroked her hair like comforting a child.
"I promise everything will be fine. You’re more of a Titan now than I’ll ever be."

He let her go and came to me.
"Rae, you know I care about you too. You’re like a sister. We haven’t known each other that long, but we’ve been through so much—you made us dress as the Seven Deadly Sins for Halloween, we fought together and against each other, we went to the spa… As I got my memories back, my mind grew. It’s like you’ve seen me grow up."
"I care about you too, and I see you as a younger brother. That’s exactly why I can’t let you go."
"You know you can’t stop me. You’d have to call your father, and I’d have to call mine, it would be too dangerous."
"You’re delusional with power."
"I can save thousands, maybe millions, by taking one life."
"Jason said the same thing."
"I’m not Jason. I grew up as a soldier in Themyscira, my mind is..."
"...already been invaded twice."
"It won’t happen again. That’s exactly why."
"If I can’t defeat you, I’ll trap you here until you surrender."
I sent Blackfire back to the tower to save my strength.
Mattia stepped closer and hugged me.
"Thank you. For being there, for teaching me to meditate, and for showing me that the team doesn’t need me to survive. Thank you for everything." I felt his tears wetting my cheek.
"I didn’t mean for you to leave just to become a killer."
"Harley’s strong, and I can predict what she’ll do, but please, take care of Kory. I beg you. Please… it’s so hard to ask this." His sad eyes looked into mine. "Be there for her when I’m gone."
"I won’t, because you’re not leaving..."
But Mattia was already gone. He’d pierced through my dimension and returned to the tower.

~Starfire~
Mattia came toward me. The others had failed to stop him.
"I guess Harley doesn’t want to say goodbye. my Stella, I’m so sorry… I’d give anything to stay here with you, but I need to know you’re safe. Joker could be right outside that door."
"Then we’ll just change the house and the door."
"The Titans are a symbol of hope. You can’t abandon the symbol because of one supervillain."
"You’re more important to me than the Titans. Let’s run away together."
"You’re important to me too and that’s exactly why I’m leaving, to keep you safe. You’re a Titan, and I know this is where you belong. In every universe, this is your place—I can see it. I’d tell you I’ll come back when it’s done, but I don’t think I’ll be worthy of coming back to you."
"Don’t go," tears streamed down my face. "Don’t leave me."
"I’ll always be with you," he said, taking my hand and placing something in it. "It’s only fair you have a pendant too. It’ll protect you when I’m not by your side. It’s magical, if you hold it to your chest and focus, you’ll hear my heartbeat. My heart will always belong to you and Harley, you’re my sun and my moon."
I didn’t know what to say, so I just kissed him—a long, desperate kiss begging him to stay.
"Princess, I’m going to the bat. Say goodbye to my moon. I love you both, and I always will. I’ll watch over you."

Then Mattia disappeared, still holding my hand.

Chapter Text

~Batman~
"Master Bruce."
Alfred, my butler, called me while I was making adjustments to my suit.
"Alfred, what happened? News about Joker?"
"No, but it’s related. We have a guest."
"Dick?"
"No, Mattia, Diana’s son. He woke up after the fight with Joker and came straight here. He seems emotionally shaken and wants to speak with you."
"Diana must have told him my identity... let him in."

Mattia reached me in the Batcave. His eyes were downcast, fists clenched. It was obvious he was fighting to keep his anger in check.
"What happened, Mattia? Are you alright? No one blames you for..."
"I left the Titans."
"Don’t be alone, you need to..."
"Batman, why don’t you kill Joker right now? How many more people have to die? Are you waiting for another Jason Todd?"

His words hit deep, but he didn’t give me time to respond.
"And what if Joker had made me kill Dick yesterday? How can you keep protecting him after all this time? How am I supposed to live knowing he could be behind me at any moment, ready to kill the people I love? AFTER EVERYTHING HE DID TO HARLEY, HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FORGIVE HIM? Every night I tried not to think about what she went through, telling myself you had stopped him, but not anymore. Give me one damn reason why I shouldn’t kill him right now, because if you can’t, you might as well light a candle when his soul gets to Hades."
"You’re right, Joker is a threat to humanity and must be stopped, but killing him won’t solve the problem. He’d become a martyr, and his followers would take his place."
"We both know no one would ever reach his level."
"We have to bring him to justice and end his reign of terror for good. I promise he’ll pay for his crimes, but we must arrest him..."
"How many times? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU ARRESTED HIM? No prison has ever held him, and no asylum has ever reformed him! Do you know what the only consequence was of locking him up in a mental hospital? Harley Quinn! And I love her, but that’s exactly why I wish I had met her as a successful psychologist with no blood on her hands and no tears in her eyes"
"I understand, but killing him would only play into his game. He wants us to lose control, to give in to rage. I know it’s unforgivable, but if we do that, he wins."
"IT’S NOT A DAMN GAME. LET HIM WIN, I DON’T CARE!"
"Mattia, calm down." I said firmly. "Listen to me. Do you think I don’t want to kill him? That my strongest impulse isn’t to crush his skull like he did to Jason… to my son?"
Mattia went silent.
"As I told Jason, killing him wouldn’t be hard. It would be too easy. There isn’t a day when he’s not my first thought when I wake up and my last before I sleep. But if I ever did it...if I were stupid enough to fall that low...I’d never come back."
"I thought you, of all people, had more self-control. If you pulled the trigger once and then stopped being Batman, you’d probably save more lives than by continuing to fight crime."
"Once you kill a criminal, you can’t stop. It’s too easy. It intoxicates you with power and makes you feel like a god. But we’re not gods, Mattia. We’re not even ordinary humans, we’re heroes. One drop of blood stains our symbol forever, and people stop believing in us. Imagine how terrifying it must be to live in cities full of monsters and criminals. The only hope they have is us. If they see us fall so low, stop being a symbol of justice… then it’s over. The people we’re supposed to protect will become criminals themselves."
"Then I’m glad the city has you as a symbol. I’m too unknown to care about my reputation. I’m sorry, Bruce. If I have to fall, I’ll fall alone. Your name will stay clean, I’ll sacrifice mine."
"I won’t let you."
"I know. And I’m ready for the consequences."

"Batcave: containment protocol."
Mattia tried to teleport, but it failed.
"You blocked teleportation, but that won’t help you beat me."
I threw a batarang as a distraction, closing the distance and landing a punch.
"DAMN, brass knuckles… blessed too? Like father, like son. But as long as I have the ring, I can protect myself with a layer of energy to avoid touching iron. Oh, and don’t even think about using gas. One spark and we both blow up."
"Our Father, who art in heaven..." The Batcave speakers blasted a church mass, echoing through the cavern.
"AAAAAH an atheist using God’s power to fight demons, you’re scum! Whatever, I was tired of your bullshit anyway." He tore off his ears, cauterizing them instantly through regeneration.
"Batcave: lights out."
The cave went dark. If he couldn’t rely on his hearing, I’d take away his sight too.
I used the thermal vision in my suit to track him, but he spat fire, lighting up the cave.
He created a small beacon of Lantern energy and attacked me directly.
Despite my mastery of hand-to-hand combat, he was a Themysciran elite swordsman with a blade of shadow that could change shape and would kill me on contact.
"Protocol: Iron Maiden."
Iron plates shot from all sides, forming a sarcophagus that sealed him inside.
"I’ll break out eventually. The ring protects me."
I injected a diluted dose of Scarecrow’s toxin to weaken the ring.
He screamed in pain as the iron burned him, but somehow managed to explode the prison.
"Told you gas and fire don’t mix."
His body was mutilated, covered in wounds that wouldn’t heal because they’d been made with iron.
He advanced with his sword drawn.
"You’ve probably hurt me more right now than Joker has in your entire life."

I didn’t want to risk killing him, but he was dangerous. I started hitting him barehanded.
Dodging his sword wasn’t too difficult, his movements were slow from his injuries. After several blows, I threw him to the ground and knocked him out cold with a strike to the head.

"Miss Prince has arrived. I thought it best to call the boy’s mother."
"Let her in."
"Thank you, Bruce. You prevented a catastrophe." She ran to her unconscious son. "My child, why? Gods, watch over him."
"He’s regenerating despite the iron, Diana. That boy… he’s not just a demon. He’s breaking his own limits. We’re lucky he doesn’t yet know who his real mother is."
"Bruce, we don’t know who his mother is. It’s just a theory."
"Not many people can dissolve the human a demon’s bound to, weaken him enough to trap him in mirrors… by sleeping with him. Not to talk about his dreams."
"Now’s not the time to give him another trauma. Right now he needs only one mother: me."
"First his containment plan was the Titans, then it was Raven at full power, now it’s me… next time I might not be able to stop him."
"I know, Bruce. I’ll try talking to him too. It’s all we can do."
Diana left the Batcave with her son aboard the invisible jet.

"I put some chips on his body, you should have his location," I said into the comm.
"Thanks. As soon as he revealed his intentions, I went to check. As I feared, he took my notebook with Joker’s psychological notes. I’ll track his position and chase him on the bike if needed. The pendant he gave us can’t be traced, we tried."
"Good luck, Harley."

~Starfire~
After about thirty minutes, Mattia’s body had almost fully regenerated, and shortly after, he woke up.
"Mom..."
"Little monster, you’re awake?"
"Yeah… Batman really beat the hell out of me, huh?"
He remembered everything. I had hoped the impact would leave him a bit dazed, maybe forget the whole Joker matter.
"Son, what you did was..."
"Stupid."
"I’m glad you realize that."
"But you heroes still haven’t solved the problem, so… are we sure it was that stupid?"
"Mattia..."
"No, I know, I know. Batman already gave me the lecture."
"I’m worried about you. I never thought you’d have… homicidal impulses."
"Mom, where are you taking me?"
"Italy. Like when you were little. Would a vacation cheer you up?"
"No need, I’m fine. I’m heading back to the Tower, gotta apologize to everyone."
"As you wish, little one." Then I hesitated and took his hand. "You’re going back to Starfire, huh? Tell her I said hi."
"I can’t. Because I’m going to Joker." He pulled his hand away, realizing I had wrapped a thin fragment of the Lasso of Truth around his finger. "You used the Lasso on your son?"
"And you lied to your mother?"
"I don’t have the courage to hurt you, but this is my path."
"I didn’t raise an assassin."
"You raised a hero willing to sacrifice his life for others. And you raised an Amazon, Amazons kill. Mother, you’re the last person I’d ever want to fight."
"Same here. But it’s a mother’s duty to punish her child when he’s wrong."

I attacked my son with quick sword strikes. I knew he’d block them all, but I just needed to push him back. Then I kicked him, knocking him off balance, and bound him with the Lasso.
"I don’t want to break your precious Lasso, but you’re forcing me." He spat infernal flames on it. I couldn’t get close without burning. Once the rope weakened enough, Mattia widened the loop using the power of the ring and broke free.
I pointed my sword at his throat, desperate.
"We both know you won’t kill me. You can’t stop me by force, and you won’t change my mind."
"Please… don’t go." I fell to my knees, not knowing what else to do.
"Stand up, Mom. Heroes never kneel. You have to keep hope alive in this world. If you decide to disown me, I won’t hold it against you. You’ll always be the woman who raised me. Thank you for everything. I’m proud to have you as my mother. I hope one day you can be proud of me again. Protect Themyscira for me, please write to Starfire sometimes, and don’t forget to do your phone updates when it asks. When I’m done, you’ll all be safe, and you won’t have to fight anymore. You’ll travel the world and meet humans like you always dreamed. A few centuries from now, when I hope you’ve forgiven me, we’ll share another pizza together."

I didn’t need to see his eyes; his voice told me he was crying. Then he vanished, leaving me alone once again.

Chapter Text

~Starfire~
It had been several weeks since Mattia disappeared.
BeastBoy and Cyborg tried to keep the team’s spirits up with jokes and distractions, but with little success.
I realized I wasn’t the only one suffering and tried to channel my pain by helping the others.
My sister felt terribly guilty, so I spent a lot of time with her. I noticed that Dick was also staying close to her, and I began to think something might grow between them.
As for my own relationships... I was alone now.
Harley had left the same night as Mattia, constantly repeating that she was the only one who could save him from Joker and that she knew where to find him.
Of course, we all offered to go with her, but she wouldn’t let us. Deep down, we knew she was the only one fit for the task.

One morning, I woke up once again to an empty bed and a message from Wonder Woman: “We still haven’t found him today. Have you heard anything? May the Gods be with us. If you need anything, I’m here.”
I had breakfast, tasteless because Mattia wasn’t the one who made it, and sad because it lacked Harley’s cheerfulness.
Since they had both left, we had started eating with the TV on, partly to drown out our silence and partly because we hoped to hear some news.
That day, the broadcast was suddenly interrupted for a breaking report.
“Viewers, this is Lois Lane from the Daily Planet.
A chilling surprise has shocked the citizens of Gotham City this morning: the body of the criminal known as ‘Bane’ has been found dead in the public square, right in front of City Hall.
The giant corpse shows signs of severe physical assault and burns all over the body. The burns appear to be caused by something chemical or supernatural, as the body continues to burn even now despite the firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the flames.
However, it doesn't look dangerous, the fire does not spread and remains contained to the body itself. The culprit? No mystery there: a laugh and the letter ‘J’ were found marked beside the body, a clear signature from the criminal Joker. A reckoning, perhaps? Is Joker suddenly targeting criminals? We’ll leave that to the authorities to uncover.
That’s all for now. Lois Lane signing off. Back to you.”

“Those flames...” Raven broke the silence. “...they’re demonic, no doubt about it. It can only be Mattia.”
“Or another demon,” BB tried to deflect.
“Wasn’t he supposed to kill Joker? Instead, he killed someone else... in public?” Blackfire was confused. “And why sign it as Joker?”
“It’s a message,” said Dick. “Maybe he’s pretending to be Joker so the heroes’ name doesn’t get tarnished. But an execution in public  and of someone like Bane, beaten to death... that’s a warning to the other criminals.”
“And the flames are a message for us,” I added.
“Well, at least we know he’s alive,” commented Cyborg.
“Mattia... what are you doing? Give me a sign...”

And just then, a sign came — in the form of an email. It wasn’t from Mattia, but from Harley.

“My beloved Little Star,

It’s me, your adorable and responsible neighborhood girlfriend.

How are things at the T-Tower? Okay, dumb question, I can imagine the mood isn’t great. Honestly, I feel more useful here looking after our little devil than with you guys keeping up the superhero reputation.

Mattia found the clown’s location by reading a diary where I used to jot down notes and reflections on Joker’s twisted mind, so I already knew where to go.

When I got there, Mattia already had his sword pointed at Joker’s throat, and the bastard was laughing his head off.

I admit it was really tough, they’re the two people I know best, and both tend to be... stubborn.

But hey, big announcement: *drum roll* Mattia didn’t kill Joker.

Sounds great, right? Yeah, not that simple.

The only way to stop him from killing Joker was to make him strike a deal and so he did.

‘I’ll let you use me for your sick mental games with Batman. I’ll be your bodyguard, and I promise not to kill you as long as you keep the deal,’ Mattia said in that deep voice of his.

‘And I won’t touch your little friends or Wonder Woman. I’ll give you access to all the supercriminals in the city, and you can give methe blame for their deaths,’ Joker replied with that damn hyena laugh, except hyenas are cute and funny, and he’s neither.”

~Harley~
The truth is, I wasn’t the one who convinced Mattia not to kill him.
I rode my motorcycle as fast as I could. Going with the Titans would’ve been faster, but I didn’t want anyone near Joker.
Joker is a disease. He infects everything he touches, and once he gets inside you, he injects his madness until you become just like him.
I jumped off the bike before it even stopped and ran with everything I had.
I kicked the door open, ignored the goons shouting or greeting me like nothing had happened, my only thought was getting there in time.
When I opened the last door, Mattia was standing in front of Joker. He didn’t have a sword to his throat, they were shaking hands.
“What the hell have you done?” My voice was full of anger, though I wasn’t sure which of them it was aimed at.
“Harley, it’s okay. See? I didn’t kill him.”
“Stay away from him... he’s dangerous. I don’t know what he made you do...”
“Come on, Harley. I’m just making friends with your new...” Joker stopped when Mattia’s shadow sword appeared just inches from his face.
“Remember the rules: you’re not allowed to speak or act against Wonder Woman or any member of the Titans, especially Harley.”
“Okay okay, boss,” he laughed. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

Mattia followed me somewhere more isolated.
“What the hell are you doing, you idiot?”
“I didn’t kill Joker... shouldn’t you be happy?”
“Yes, but why? What kind of deal did you make with him?”
“Harley, as long as I’m here, Joker is powerless. He can’t do anything because I could kill him at any time. So we made an agreement.”
“No deal with Joker is ever safe. Talk.”
“He can lead me to all the biggest criminals in the city, Harley... the Injustice League. Once I get to them, I’ll have them all within reach and...”
He stopped when I slapped him across the face.
“What are you planning? A genocide? Power’s going to your head, Mattia, snap out of it.”
“Harley... I can get to Krona. Maybe you don’t know who he is, but he’s the one who’s been after me for years. The one who made me lose my memory, who hired Atrocitus... Joker knows how to reach him.”
“Why the hell would Joker know an intergalactic supervillain?”
“Because he hired him too.”
“Okay, I know I can’t stop you... but two conditions: no mass murder, and I’m staying here with you.”
“Harley, I love you, but you shouldn’t be here. This place is traumatic for you, you deserve the cozy, warm Titans Tower, not this dump full of freaks.”
“No way. I’m the only person who can stop you from screwing up. Yeah, it’ll be hell for me here, but if you want me to go home, you’ll have to come with me.”

And so began my days in the one place I least wanted to be.
Since I’d “recovered,” everything related to Joker felt humiliating, and I was filled with disgust.
Luckily, Joker wasn’t allowed to talk to me, so that was one major problem solved.
“Hey you, blondie,” a girl called out one day. “You came here to take Joker back? Forget it.”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” I burst out laughing. “There’s no one on Earth who disgusts me more. I’m here because of my boyfriend, the one who could kill Joker in an instant. But who are you? My replacement?”
“I’m Punchline, and for your information, Joker’s mine now.”
I was about to laugh again, but when I looked at her closely, she seemed like a younger version of me. It almost made me feel sorry for her.
I wanted to talk to her for hours, to convince her to run away, but I knew from experience she wouldn’t listen, so I did the most natural thing: turned around and walked away.

Mattia was very sweet to me, trying his best to make my stay more bearable.
“I got you a notebook and a pen. Thought they might help you pass the time in this walking asylum. I can get you some books too...”
“Mattia, don’t. I appreciate it, but the problem isn’t boredom, it’s this place and the people in it. If you want me to feel better, drop all this and come home.”
“It won’t take long. It’ll all be over soon...”
“I wish I could believe that.”

I could see Mattia’s heart breaking every time he saw me sad, but there was nothing I could do, it was the only way to remind him of the consequences of his actions.

He spent almost all his time with me while keeping an eye on Joker. As long as he was by my side, staying in that place wasn’t unbearable, and I could try talking him into changing his mind.
But the real problem was the reason we were there in the first place.
Sometimes during the day, but mostly at night when he thought I was asleep, Mattia would sneak away to talk to Joker in private.
And so, one morning when I woke up, I saw a bloodstain on Mattia’s shirt. Turning on the TV, I learned about Bane’s death.
“You... you promised me,” I said, shaking him awake. “You promised you wouldn’t kill them.”
“Calm down, Harley... trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
“You killed a man and displayed his body in public!”
“It’s a warning to the others and it wasn’t me, it was Joker.”
“Joker couldn’t kill Bane with his bare hands. I’m not stupid.”
“No, you’re not, but the citizens don’t know that.”
There was a strange light in his eyes, and for a brief moment, when I looked into them, I thought I was staring at Joker himself.

Chapter Text

~Harley~
Honestly, I didn’t know what to do with Mattia. He’d made me angry, so I wanted to avoid him, but I had no one else to spend time with, and Mattia needed help.
Exposing someone to an environment of constant stress and violence can erase their sense of compassion, and the purer the person is, the worse the effect becomes. That had been the subject of my college master’s thesis, the same one that got me hired at Arkham.
Mattia needed guidance, but he barely listened to me, even though I talked to him for hours every day.
I kept wondering if it made sense to stay there, but after all, he was the person I loved, and I knew he wasn’t as cruel as Joker... right?
My certainties began to crumble. I told myself that if that day he really killed the members of the Injustice League, I’d have to leave him. But something unexpected happened that day.

Mattia was training, doing push-ups. Not that it mattered much when you had a Lantern ring and could spit demonic fire from your mouth, but maybe it helped him vent.
Suddenly, someone broke through the roof. I hoped it was Superman or some other hero, but it was just a very pissed-off Kiss fan.

"I’m Lobo, the Main Man."
"Ok, hi Lobo," Joker greeted him, surprised. "What are you looking for? How can I help you? WHY DID YOU BREAK MY ROOF?"
"Not you, crap with crappy hair. The Main Man wants him." He pointed at Mattia.
"Lobo... I remember my mother telling me that if I ever turned bad, you’d come for me," Mattia said, confused. "Is that why? I didn’t think you were real."
"I can’t find your father, Etrigan. I wanted to beat him up."

"Well, that makes two of us. He wasn’t exactly present in my life. Are you two, like, a couple?"
"Etrigan is a great warrior. I want to kill him. If he’s not around, I’ll settle for you."
"Ok Mattia, you have my permission to kill him, he scares me," I said, hiding behind him.
"I can’t. He’s immortal because neither Heaven nor Hell wants him."
"What? Then break his bones!"
"Regenerative ability."
"THEN WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO?"
"I didn’t say I don’t want to fight him. I’ll do it now. I have to do it for Santa Claus."
"What the hell does Santa have to do with this?" I asked confused
"He killed Santa Claus."

"He was a trippy mobster piece of crap!" Lobo shouted from across the room.
"HE BROUGHT PRESENTS TO CHILDREN!"
"No one wants toys anymore, everyone wants videogames."
"I WANTED THEM! I NEVER GOT MY MCFARLANE TOYS DC MULTIVERSE WONDER WOMAN: 80 YEARS OF THE AMAZON WARRIOR WONDER WOMAN 1:6 STATUE"
Mattia stared into Lobo’s eyes and motioned for him to wait.
"As the wise Goku once said: not here. Better to fight where there’s nothing around."

Mattia teleported us away.
We ended up in the desert. I was inside some kind of protective cage, and I could see Joker and Punchline in another one farther away. I guessed it was to keep me safe and to control them.
In front of us, Mattia and the creature known as Lobo stared each other down.
"So, half-Etrigan, can you entertain me?"
"If I win, what do I get?"
"Information. About your birth."
"Now that’s interesting. I promise I won’t use the Lantern ring; that would be too selfish and impure a reason to use it."
"Sure you’re worth anything without it?"
"Let me show you."

Their movements were so fast I could barely see them. Luckily, the medallion that linked me to him seemed to send me telepathic images.
Lobo struck first, shooting Mattia in the face with a massive gun, blowing half his head off.
"Well, that was quick. Are we done already?" Joker asked.
But in an instant, Mattia regenerated his entire face.
"Wow, you really are a worthy son of your father... and your mother."
In response, Mattia charged his leg with demonic energy and, with a spinning kick, shattered Lobo’s jaw. Lobo laughed, amused, and regenerated.
Lobo tried firing multiple weapons, but Mattia teleported, dodging most bullets, and the rest simply phased through him.
The boy closed the distance with a burst of speed, slashing and thrusting with his shadow blade, his sword technique was immaculate, but Lobo defended himself well with a massive hooked chain.

Mattia used the proximity of the melee to breathe hellfire directly into his opponent’s face, burning him alive.
"YES YES YOU’RE A WORTHY SON OF YOUR FATHER, YOU’RE FUN!"
Lobo stepped back, but Mattia struck him with dozens of shadow punches emerging from the ground or the air itself.
After taking more than twenty hits in seconds, Lobo adapted and began slicing the attacks apart with his hook before they reached him.
Lobo charged forward, but Mattia danced through the air with fencing-like moves.
"Clank."
"Clank?" Mattia asked.
"Clank." Lobo had caught his sword with his chains. "I don’t like that crappy sword. Etrigan didn’t fight with a sword."
"My mom did."
"Not true, your mother doesn’t use a sword."
"I don’t mean my ‘mother,’ I mean my ‘mom.’"
A second sword appeared in Mattia’s left hand, and with one swing, he cut through the chains.
"NOOO MY HOOK CHAINS! Without chains It's just... a hook."
At that point, they both dropped their weapons and went at it with their fists. When one hit the other, the struck part disintegrated and regenerated instantly, while when their punches clashed, the ground beneath them shook violently.
"Ok, the odds of me winning a fight against him just dropped to... 70 percent," Joker commented.
"You wish," I muttered.
With one sword strike, Mattia sliced Lobo’s torso in half, but from the mercenary’s blood more clones of him emerged.

"You know what you demons have that I, Lobo, don’t? Weak points. Like iron."
One of the Lobos grabbed Mattia from behind while the other impaled him with an iron bar almost five inches thick.
"Sorry, I quit iron," Mattia said, seemingly unfazed by the blow.
"Ah, so you inherited something from your mother too."
"The only mom I know is the Amazon who taught me how to fight."

The fight went on for hours, long enough that I almost passed out from hunger.
Eventually, both fell to the ground side by side, laughing. Then Mattia teleported us back to Joker’s place.
"You, son of Etrigan, I like you. You’re strong. You’re my new rival. Let’s call it a draw."
"And I didn’t even use the ring."
"And I couldn’t kill you, by contract."
"What?" We all froze for a moment. "Was it Krona?"
"Krona? No, I’m a mercenary, but I’ve got a damn code. Your father sent me."
"My father? Then you know where he is."
"Yes and no. His human shell was destroyed, but he’s hard to kill. So he’s in another dimension and can only communicate with extremely powerful beings like me."
"Or Constantine, I see."
"Your mother..."
"Wait, I’m not sure I want to know. Is she alive? Is she a good person?"
"Well, that’s hard to answer."
"Who is she?"
"Oh, I can’t say. I don’t think it’s safe to even mention her name, not for me either. But I found a document with her name and a photo." Lobo handed him an envelope. "It’s... dangerous. Open it only if you’re sure."
"Thank you."
"Thank you. Your father said you’d be interesting to fight, but I didn’t think this much. Your power keeps growing at an incredible rate. One day the Main Man will come back to kill you, but until then, don’t die."
"I’ve got other priorities."

And so, Lobo left us, leaving behind an envelope that could change the fate of the world.
"What do you want to do with that envelope? Should we open it? I admit I’m curious to meet my mother-in-law," I asked him.
"Not for now. Would you mind keeping it for me? It’s valuable, and I don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands."
"Of course," I smiled. His gentle look reminded me of the same old Mattia, but the most important news was that the fight with the Injustice League, the greatest criminal gang, had been called off—and he didn’t seem to care.

Chapter Text

~Harley~
That night I couldn’t sleep, what a surprise, right?
The letter in the drawer seemed to magically draw me in, but I had to resist because Mattia had decided not to open it yet.
I held Mattia close while he slept, hoping it would calm me, but my mind was still fixed on the letter.

“Princess, are you okay?” Mattia asked the next morning, seeing me walking like a zombie.
“Uh… yeah, I just slept badly.”
“Do you want to stay in bed today?”
“NO” I definitely didn’t want to spend the whole day near that strange envelope, and I needed to keep an eye on Mattia.

I went to have breakfast in the common room with the henchmen. I usually avoided them, but that morning I really needed a change of scenery.
After about fifteen minutes, when I had maybe gotten my third cookie to my mouth, Punchline arrived, looking at me with a mischievous smile.
“You look so lovely today, Harley,” she said sarcastically. “Did you sleep badly?”

“Pfft… you don’t even deserve my attention,” I turned away.

Once breakfast was over, Punchline hopped around the room, clearly delighted.
“Looks like you’ve lost your tongue today, huh? I wonder what else you’ve lost…”
“What? YOU.”
I ran to my room. She couldn’t have done it… the door was open, as was the nightstand drawer, and the letter was gone.
It was my fault… obviously, it wasn’t safe to leave it there. I should have kept it on me, but I risked damaging it, and that object had a strange influence on me, like a Horcrux from Harry Potter. I had no safe or anything else to store it… no, it was my responsibility. Mattia had left it to me, and I had to take care of it.

I didn’t know whether to tell him or not. Mattia would have found a way to get it back, but he would no longer trust me, and I needed him to trust and confide in me, those were the only tools I had to try to convince him to return to the Titans.
Did I make the wrong choice? Maybe, but between saving the world and my boyfriend, I chose him.

I wandered through Joker’s hideout but couldn’t find that little brat Punchline anywhere, until by chance I found a room where I could hear Mattia and Joker arguing.
J: You know what? I’m tired of this. I called a meeting with those losers of the Injustice League for you, and then some guy falls from the sky and you fight him, making everything pointless. It’s not fun. I thought having you as a little toy would be interesting, but I’m just bored.
M: We made a demonic pact. You can’t break it, and you have to do as I say. What did you expect? That I’d be stupid enough to get tricked? I know exactly how sneaky you are, and the only way to have you under control is to stick close to you, never letting you breathe.
J: Oh, how romantic, but let me tell you something: you don’t have the balls to be a dark avenger. First, you let me gather all the villains, then you skip the meeting, reorganize it, and ask me again to cancel it? When will I see blood? Maybe you’re not motivated enough, maybe you don’t care enough about Harley and the little alien princess.
M: Don’t you dare mention them.
J: You don’t want me to interfere with them? Maybe it’s a bit late for Harley. I’ve been for years in her... mind,

The whole room shook, and Mattia stopped a punch just a few centimeters from Joker’s face.
J: Did you forget that you can’t hurt me? It’s part of your plan. There’s no point in being protective with Harley. I had her exclusively for a lifetime; if she’s famous, it’s because she was my girlfriend. Do you think she’s here for you? There are two options: either she came because she missed me, or she came because of you, and you’re making her suffer. So go do the massacres you came for, so I can get rid of you and stop her suffering. At least when she was with me, she was happy.

I had to resist the urge to storm in and beat him to death. Mattia was holding his own, and if I intervened, he would be more vulnerable. Plus, I had another problem to deal with.
I saw Punchline next to Joker. Of course, the little brat had surely delivered the loot to her master, but if Mattia couldn’t sense the aura of that letter… Joker must have put it somewhere safe.

Sorry, girl, I was Joker’s girlfriend before you. I know all his tricks.

I took advantage of the fact that they were occupied to rush to the only normally inaccessible place in the hideout: Joker’s room.
Joker’s room was pure chaos. Blood-written laughter on the walls, newspaper clippings scattered around along with Batman gadgets and toys.
The objects and the room itself made no logical sense.
Even the smell of the air in that room brought back traumatic memories.

I moved a chair with some puppets, opened a wardrobe, and then the safe inside.
The password was simple: 56665533777, which was “Joker” typed on an old cellphone keypad.
Inside were money, fake documents, and what I was looking for… a small key.
That safe was actually just a decoy. Behind a newspaper on the wall was a tiny hole, and inserting the key opened a section of the wall with the real safe inside.
I tried the same password on the new safe, but it didn’t open. What could it be?
I tried every combination… joker, clown, joke, punchline, Mr. J, Batman, smile, laugh… nothing.

Maybe it’s something we’d never think of… something he doesn’t care much about… no, come on, it can’t be.
I tried “Harleen,” waited a second, but it didn’t open. I sighed in relief, only to realize the problem wasn’t solved yet.
Realistically, it was something related to Batman. Fortunately, Joker hadn’t set a limit on attempts because he thought it was “not fun.”

What could be related to Batman? His secret identity, perhaps?
But Joker couldn’t know it… I remembered spending years trying to discover it to give him a gift, and I managed even when I learned the identity of the second Robin, but Joker didn’t want to know.
“Secret identities make the game more fun,” he said. “One day I’ll be interested in the person behind Batman, and he’ll be interested in who’s behind Joker, but it’s too early.”

And if that meant he already knew it? But how? And why didn’t he tell me when I was his personal little slave?
A bit unsure, I typed the letters “B,” “r,” “u,” “c,” and “e,” and the safe opened.

“What are you doing here, slut?” Punchline entered the room and attacked me. “Don’t you dare pry into Joker’s secrets.”

Punchline threw me to the ground. The girl was strong, but I was no less. I kicked her knee to unbalance her, and when she fell, I hit her in the face.
I pulled out plastic ties from my pocket, which I always carried just in case, and used them to tie her to the bed even though she was unconscious.

What I saw in the safe amazed me. There weren’t just Batman-related items as I expected, but along with the envelope, there were tons of items related to… Jason Todd, the famous second Robin.
I had seen Robin’s costume before, and now I noticed it was Jason’s. There were also batarangs, shurikens, and a photo.
Wait, when he wore the costume, Jason was still alive. How was this possible?

I stopped to stare at the photo, looking for any clue, and focused on Jason’s face…
The more I looked, the more it convinced me; that smile reminded me of Joker.

“It can’t be, it doesn’t make sense. Joker killed Jason, but he couldn’t have all these things… it doesn’t make sense. I saw them both with my own eyes fight each other…”

Yet the red mask left no room for other interpretations. It was Red Hood’s mask, Jason Todd’s alias after being resurrected. Could Joker have killed Red Hood? Impossible, he would have shown it to Batman to torture him, and those items were dusty, probably there for decades…
There was only one explanation: somehow, Jason Todd is Joker.

I took a photo, grabbed the letter, and ran to Mattia, but it was already too late. I smelled gas coming from the vents—it was the Scarecrow’s gas, once again.

Chapter Text

~Harley~
As soon as I saw the gas, I ran desperately to Mattia. I knew it was the easiest way to neutralize a Green Lantern like him, so I had to act as fast as possible.
When I reached the room, the wall collapsed. Mattia had smashed it with Joker’s head.

“What? You can’t hurt me… the demonic pact,” for the first time I heard fear in the clown’s voice, “It wasn’t me who used the gas, but a henchman of his own will, so I didn’t break it.”
“I’ll tell you a secret, Joker: demonic pacts can only be made with Lucifer. I’ve never been able to make one. If I didn’t kill you before, it’s only because I have self-control. It was all a bluff. You expected the son of Wonder Woman not knowing the strenght of truth and lies ”
“But the gas… why doesn’t it work anymore? You should be scared…”
“Fear is the weakness of the Greens. If I haven’t shown my Green Lantern powers until now, there’s a reason.”
“But the ring you’re wearing…”
“It’s not green.”

The ring activated, but the suit surrounding Mattia was no longer the color of will, and the aura around him was red.
“Mattia,” I screamed, “you’ve become a Red Lantern? You shouldn’t give in to rage.”
“Relax, Harley, I have control,” he smiled at me. “Every second I spend near this monster, I remember everything he’s done… everything he did to YOU. There is no more worthy reason for all my fury. I left my green ring in safe hands, don’t worry. Now, clown, give me the information about Krona, or I admit I’ll have a hard time not killing you.”
“Go ahead and kill me,” he laughed, “I can’t wait. You’ll complete your transformation into a killer, and then Batman will have to fight you too.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so cocky, J,” I challenged him, showing him the letter. “I searched a bit and didn’t just find this, but also some other interesting secrets. I bet you want Batman to learn your identity first, right? You wouldn’t want to miss the show you’ve been planning for years.”
“Damn… and that useless Punchline…”
“I have another condition. Leave Punchline alone. She’s young; she has time to rebuild her life.”
“But who cares about her? Fine… if you insist. Krona, I give you my body, have fun.”

The building shook. I could feel an unstoppable force arriving.

A huge blue man ripped the roof off the house and grabbed Joker, swallowing him in one bite.

“Uh… I didn’t buy a ticket for Avatar 3D. Can you remind me and the readers who this guy is?”
“Krona is a Maltusian, the first race of intelligent life forms in space. He was one of the Guardians of the Universe, the immortal founders of the Green Lantern Corps. He is a scientist, he reprogrammed the old Guardian sentinels, causing the destruction of sector 666 and consequently… the birth of the Green Lanterns and the rise of Atrocitus, who blamed the Guardians and founded the Red Lanterns. His only interest is knowing how the multiverse was born, but since it was taboo, the Guardians banished him. And since he kept returning, they deprived him of a body to prevent further damage.”

“I see someone studied,” all the blue energy poured into Joker’s body, which looked like he was going to explode.
“When the woman raising you is a demigod, you give a lot of importance to myths and deities. Do you really think the body of a simple human can contain your power for long?”
“Well, it can’t be a permanent choice, but it’ll be enough to take yours.”
“Right, right… you need my body, but why? For a resistant body, you could have asked a Kryptonian, and if you wanted a demon, why me? You weren’t interested in Raven, yet her father is the demon Trigon.”
“Mattia,” I interrupted, “his stance, his gaze, the direction he points his feet… he’s aiming at me, or rather at my letter.”

As I spoke, he lunged at me. It was like seeing a lightning bolt shaped like Joker coming to strike me, but something got between us. It was Mattia, inside a huge Greek-style armor he had created with constructs of rage.
“There are many things I don’t understand, Krona. Your interest in me, my powers that grow day by day, they don’t seem like normal demonic powers. Look at what I can do with the Red Lantern ring, the ring you helped create through your actions… yet the Red Lantern battery no longer exists. Why do I still have these powers?”

Joker-Krona disintegrated Mattia’s armor with a punch, hitting him square in the face, but the wounds healed instantly.
“This regenerative ability is too much, even for a demon. Even Lobo was amazed. It’s as if the more time passes, the more aware I become of my powers, and the more they grow, adapting to my expectations. I used to be among the Titans, so I expected to be as strong as them, but things have changed.”
“You have guts to keep speaking like that in front of me.”
“What can you do? Kill me? Oh right, you need my body to discover the secrets of the multiverse.”
“I’ll kill your little friend.”
“Go ahead, but you’ll always have to pass me first, and it’ll be harder after I read this.”

Mattia grabbed the envelope, and as soon as he touched it, it glowed with a bright white light and opened by itself. All that power and magic dissipated.
“Let’s see who my mother is…”

An increasingly strong aura emanated from Mattia. If the amulet hadn’t protected me, I would have been swept away. Meanwhile, Mattia read what seemed like a comic book page.

"From all recorded time, her name was spoken in nothing but a fearful whisper, though it was scarred into the fabric of our being. The first creator, the great mother of Monitor, Anti-Monitor, and the World Forger. The being designated the universe before our own to be a dangerous self-sustaining weapon. She who had been sealed up in the Source Wall and forced to watch her children grow weak and unprotected without her guidance. In the greater Omniverse, among all her brothers and sisters tendING the infinite multiverse whitin, no being was ever more feared. More reviled. She was Perpetua, and she would not beimprisoned again."

“Sorry Harley, the situation is more complicated than I thought. You need to stay safe,” a sphere of energy formed around me, protecting me.

I couldn’t look at Mattia. His power could have killed me with a glance.
“I didn’t understand much, who is my mother-in-law?”
“God. More precisely, the founding Goddess of the Multiverse.”

Space seemed to bend around us. It was like living inside Dalí’s “Melting Clocks.”

“Sorry Harley, I’m afraid your brain can’t handle all this. I’ll move with him now.”
“But you should know that Joker is…”
“I see, I see through the multiverse. I see that Joker’s identity in other universes doesn’t match his. That man is Jason Todd, the second Robin. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it and let you telepathically witness the battle.”

Chapter Text

~Harley~
The images of the battle with Joker-Krona were sent directly into my brain.
Joker attacked with agile karate strikes, and Mattia blocked him by grabbing his arm. It looked like a normal fight, but their bodies emitted light and were wrapped in an ethereal aura.

They were on a deserted, uninhabited planet. I had no idea which one it could be.
“Welcome to this planet. We are at the edge of the universe on a planet with no life,” said Mattia. “Actually, it’s my first time here too. From here, you won’t be able to destroy Earth, and its unique atmosphere should help preserve Joker’s body for as long as possible without destroying it.”
“Do you feel sorry for this human? Do you pity Joker?”
“No, I’m curious… Krona, now I understand why you want my body. Not only because it can withstand you, but mostly to access my mind and my mother’s DNA, where the secrets of the multiverse are stored. You wanted to take it before I unlocked awareness of my abilities and you failed. But Jason, why are you Joker?”
“Still don’t get it?” Krona’s voice trembled; it was Joker speaking. “It’s thanks to you. Come on, you should be omniscient now.”
“All right, then let me examine the variation in this universe.” Mattia sat in a meditative position, his eyes darting wildly. “I am a multiversal being, but my existence created this universe and its peculiarities. When I was conceived, I created the first difference in this universe: Etrigan, upon coming into contact with a powerful being like my mother, despite being weakened by the battle with the Batman Who Laughs from another universe, lost his mortal body and was bound to another dimension, too weak to return. The second peculiarity occurred on the day of my birth. I was already capable of thought and will, but the human genes in Etrigan’s body limited my divine part, making me the equivalent of a young earthly child. This allowed me to meet Wonder Woman, the second difference, and be adopted by her, changing her life and that of many others.

The third variation is you, Krona. My existence gave you hope. You wanted to know the secrets in my mind and over the years first saved, then engaged the Red Lanterns and the Mad Hatter. You even controlled some Green Lanterns, framing Jordan and Gardner, I presume. The Mad Hatter caused the fourth variation: Jason Todd. Normally, when Batman doesn’t kill Joker in front of Red Hood, Jason is shocked but begins a path of redemption. That day, however, the Mad Hatter erased my memory, forcing me to use my divine powers in self-defense. Unknowingly, I created a temporal portal. My powers involve the multiverse, and a temporal portal is the easiest way to change a timeline. Jason went through it into the past, interrupting his redemption process, enchanted by the chance to take revenge on Batman and Joker. Due to brain damage caused by the Lazarus Pit and divine time travel, he didn’t repent. Killing the young Joker exposed him to toxins that drove him insane. He then took Joker’s place to torment Batman, even killing his younger self… his disappearance caused psychological consequences for Batman and Grayson, preventing them from moving forward and blocking the evolution of the Titans and the Batfamily.

I understand… so I’m inadvertently responsible for everything. Then I’ll have to fix it.

Krona attacked him. I could notice Jason’s combat techniques using energy weapons created by Krona, while Mattia combined Amazonian sword techniques with his powers as a deity. Mattia’s sword precisely parried Jason’s dagger strikes; a single blow to the ground could have sliced entire mountains.
“I like this body. It has considerable endurance and agility for a human.”
“You’ll have to return it to the rightful owner.”
“Your problem is that you worry too much about human matters. You aren’t one of them, you’re more like me. In just a hundred years, everyone you know will be dead. What will you do then?”

The thought hit him like a bolt from the blue. He had never considered it. He was used to his mother Diana, who was immortal like him, but Kory, I, and the others were not. One day we would age and die, only his mother and perhaps Raven would remain alive.
“When they’re gone… I’ll protect their legacy and train the next generation of heroes. If I have a gift, I must use it to protect others; that is the meaning of a hero. If you return, I’ll be here to face you.”

Krona fired laser beams from his eyes, but Mattia created a shield with Red Lantern energy, deflecting the shots.
“You may be a god, but you can’t control your powers. You’re nothing more than a stronger Red Lantern.”
“This ring draws energy from rage, and I must say, looking at you and Joker, I have plenty of it.”

A giant punch of red energy hit Krona full force. Mattia then grabbed him and slammed him repeatedly into the ground; each hit caused an earthquake.
“At this rate, I’ll disintegrate Jason’s body. I have other plans for that.” Mattia deactivated the ring, returning to normal. His hand glowed with pure light, and he delivered another punch to the opponent.
Jason/Joker’s body absorbed the hit motionless, while Krona was flung out of it. Jason was unconscious, bound with energy ropes, and returned to our universe beside me.

“You’re a fool. You deprived me of a body, and now I’m pure energy. I can still strike a multidimensional being like you.”
“But now I can stop holding back.”

Krona was tens of meters tall, and Mattia grew to match his height. They were both now pure energy. Mattia seemed to growl, the Red Lantern aura surrounding his body, yet he remained in control, keeping his unicorn form.

“Despite your divine powers, you still rely on the Lantern?”
“That’s because my hatred is stronger than any god.”

For a moment, Mattia vanished, then I saw him with a red punch aimed where Krona, as a human, would have had his stomach. He seemed to reshape the Maltusian’s energy, forming part of an intestine just to pull it and strangle the huge blue man, then used it to fling him into orbit around a nearby planet. That planet had rocks and debris forming a ring like Saturn’s, and Mattia decided to destroy each rock one by one using Krona’s face. Even though he was made of energy, I had no doubt he felt every blow. Krona, however, regenerated with each hit, even when Mattia decapitated him with a spinning kick. The boy created his sword and began slicing him into increasingly smaller pieces with dozens of strikes, then burned them with infernal flames. I noticed he tried to limit his divine powers as much as possible and was starting to tire.

“You’re weak, fake god,” said Krona. “Your hybrid body can’t contain divine power because of your human side. I’ve had millennia to master my abilities and reach the peak of my species, but you’ve had this immense power only for a few minutes.”

“Well, that means it’s time to end this,” Mattia laughed, his devilish, bloodshot eyes glowing.
“As if you could,” a mass of blue energy engulfed Mattia like a gelatinous slime wrapping a candy. Mattia broke free, unleashing his energy, and the gelatin returned to its master.
“Is that all? You barely scratched me.”
“I know I couldn’t possess your body right now, but trying was enough to absorb part of your aura while you’re weakened.”
“What?”
“I’ll give you one last choice: join me, and together we’ll become a being no one can stop. I’ll strengthen your body so it can support us, or witness the destruction of your beloved Earth.”

Krona vanished, but it wasn’t a mystery where he was, since I could see him directly. All the inhabitants of Earth could.

Krona stood in Joker’s hideout, taller than before, creating an energy sphere and hurling it at the ground. Mattia immediately appeared, holding the sphere on his shoulders with all his strength.
“Why won’t you give up? What has Earth done for you? What has humanity done for you?”

Probably due to the amulet’s telepathic link, I managed to see inside his mind. I saw a ceremony; someone was graduating. I looked closely and… it was me, alone, on my graduation day, full of hope and dreams before meeting Joker. Then the scene changed, and I saw Starfire on a throne renounce Tamaran’s crown and absolve her sister of her crimes.
“Humanity gave me them. I want to live alongside them and celebrate their achievements. They are a valid reason to protect humanity.”
“If you’re that crazy, perish with it. Your body is at its limit. When it fails and can’t withstand all this energy, you’ll lose. The only way to survive is to abandon Earth.”

Shadowy hands rose from the ground to help support the massive weight, and the Red Lantern ring converted all his rage into energy, but the outcome was clear: Mattia was about to give in.

I wanted to help him, but I was just a powerless human. If only there had been someone else to help…
“DON’T TOUCH MY FIANCÉS, YOU GIANT FREAKING SMURF!” Kory zipped at maximum speed toward Krona, but passed through him; being made of pure energy, he wasn’t tangible.
“You cannot touch me, miserable humans, no matter how many of you there are.”
“Krona,” Mattia smiled, “I will grant your wish: from now on, you will have a body.”

Chapter Text

~Harley~
Krona, who had previously been semi-transparent, now seemed more “real.” His colors were sharper, and he no longer looked ethereal. Mattia had done what seemed like a true “miracle,” giving him a physical body.
“Fool, by giving me a body you’ve made me stronger.”
“Maybe, but you need time to get used to a new body, right? I couldn’t defeat you alone, so someone joined me. You just met my other girlfriend, but let me introduce you... to her family.”

An army of Tamaraneans appeared in the sky, their glowing hands and eyes lighting up the night like hundreds of stars.
“And I also wanted to introduce you to my friends.”
Cyborg, BeastBoy, Robin, Raven, and Blackfire joined the fight.
“I may not know Perpetua, but let me introduce you to Mom and my aunts.”
A portal opened, and hundreds of Amazons emerged, led by Wonder Woman.

“And with Mom come the uncles.”
Batman landed from the sky, carried there by Superman himself, who stood beside him.

“After Mom’s friends, here come Dad’s friends.”

Constantine and Zatanna teleported in, using their magic to restrain Krona, while Lobo jumped on him, stabbing repeatedly.
“Even a coworker came to visit.”

Hal Jordan arrived, flying in on a green energy plane, hitting Krona with a bullet rain. He looked quite angry.
“But wasn’t his ring taken away?” I asked.
“Well, I did say I left my ring in good hands, didn’t I?”

“And finally, it’s time to release someone who’s really pissed off. Now that I know where he is, I can summon him with my powers. RISE, ETRIGAN, DEMON PRINCE!”
The building’s windows shattered. I felt a rush of fear and anxiety. I had seen Mattia transformed before, but this... this was a true demon.

Everyone stopped to look at Etrigan for a second, either scared or curious to see what he would do.
“MOVE, ETRIGAN, OR I WON’T LEAVE YOU ANYTHING TO PUNCH!” shouted Lobo while gouging out one of Krona’s eyes.
“Guess we meet again,” said Constantine.
“Good to see we’re on the same side again,” responded Batman.
“You’re my father?” asked Mattia, still holding up the massive sphere of energy on his shoulders.
"Sorry I was not around,
Glad to see you broke the bound.
Amazon, for raising him strong, I’m in your debt.
Now it’s my turn to stop your death, don’t forget."
“Don’t thank me, demon. He’s my son, remember that.” my mum stood proud

“I WILL NOT SURRENDER, THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MULTIVERSE WILL BE MINE!”
Etrigan approached Mattia.
“You’re strong for not giving in,
Let me help you bear the weight within.”
“Amazons, warriors, heroes, I ask for one last effort to protect Earth... and my son. CHARGE!”
Everyone attacked, some with weapons, some with energy blasts, others with magic.
The others were all fighting, and honestly, I felt a bit left out, so I picked up a chunk of rubble and threw it at Krona.
“Wow, big help,” laughed Grayson, tossing me a weapon. “Take this. It’s Cyborg’s energy bazooka. Even those of us without powers have to do our part, right?”
“Damn right.”
Krona was powerful, but with heavy hitters like Superman, Constantine, and Lobo on our side, he couldn’t last long.
Mattia and Etrigan together lifted the sphere of energy and threw it back to Krona. I could see Mattia’s sweat and his veins pulsing; his body was at its limit.
“Mattia, stop.”
“Not while there’s breath in my body.” He created his shadow sword, but it looked different this time, as if mixed with divine light. “With the power of a god and a demon, I forge this blade... and with the skill of an Amazon, I wield it. KRONA, IT’S OVER.”
Wonder Woman gave him a boost, launching him into the air, but Krona, seeing him, fired energy projectiles at him.
“THIS TIME I’LL BE THE ONE TO DEFEND HIM!” Hal Jordan created a green shield to block the blasts.
Krona tried to grab him, but magic chains bound his arms.
“Not so fast,” said Constantine and Zatanna with a grin.
“You won’t touch our Earth.” Superman froze one of his legs with his icy breath, and Batman shattered it with explosives.
“You won’t lay a hand on any of us.” Wonder Woman and the Amazons slashed the skin of the other leg.
“Titans, go!” shouted Robin, and Cyborg, he, and I fired our weapons while Blackfire unleashed energy blasts.
“Azarath Metrion Zinthos!” Raven summoned a giant hand that grabbed Krona, letting BB climb up as a goat, then bite him as a T-Rex.
“YOU BASTARD, YOU TORTURED MY BOYFRIEND FOR MONTHS!” The Tamaraneans, led by Starfire, attacked from behind. Not satisfied, Starfire hurled herself forward, channeling all her rage and energy, blasting a hole through Krona’s stomach.
And finally, while Lobo stabbed him and Etrigan burned him with hellfire, Mattia struck with his sword, driving it through Krona’s head. It almost looked like he whispered something to him, as if delivering final words.

It was over. Krona’s body exploded into fragments of energy like glowing confetti.
Everyone cheered. I saw Kory fly at high speed to catch Mattia as he fell, but I felt like I was forgetting something.
Joker, hiding nearby, was crawling away. I walked up to him, gun aimed.
“Come on, Harley, you won’t do it. Not after all the effort you made to keep Mattia from killing me.”
“The truth is, I think you deserve to die too, and this story proves it. But Mattia can’t do it. Even now it’s obvious he’s the hero. Someone like him, Batman, or Superman should never kill you, it would stain their souls. But me... I’m already a killer, thanks to you. It’s time to close the circle.”

My finger moved toward the trigger, but my gun turned into beautiful butterflies that fluttered into the sky.
“Thanks Zee! Harls, you stopped me before, now it’s my turn to return the favor.” Mattia placed a hand on my shoulder.
“The real Joker is already dead. This one is Jason Todd. He can change, I can see it in other universes... and I’ve seen what happens to those who kill Joker. It’s time to erase his memory and make him who he was meant to be. This will stay between me, you, and Batman. Harley, can you leave me alone with him for a moment?”

A little later Mattia joined me again without Jason, and I decided not to ask questions.
“So you planned all this alone from the start?” I asked.
“Oh no, I had help from Batman.”
“When I found the fake corpse...” explained Batman.
“FAKE CORPSE? YOU DIDN’T KILL BANE?”
“Of course not, I told you to trust me.”
“The fake body was a message for us since we were the only ones who could recognize it as his work. Investigating further, I found ancient Greek writing. The Amazons decoded it and found the coordinates where Mattia had hidden an amulet. We’ve been in contact since then.”
“Of course, Bat, I didn’t expect this many people. Jordan owed me, and I figured Superman, Mom, and the team would come, but the others...”
“I didn’t call anyone else.”
“Your father called us again,” said Zatanna. “I assume that goes for Lobo too.”
I glanced at Lobo arm-wrestling Etrigan. Yeah, that made sense.
“You needed all the help you could get, son. So Starfire and I summoned our troops. You should’ve seen her, the princess of Tamaran moved an entire army from another planet, and at one point, we couldn’t hold her back anymore.”
“I missed you guys.” Kory kissed them both.
“There’s our super-tough girlfriend,” I said, smiling and kissing her back.
“Mattia, do that again and I swear...”
“Promise,” he said, then raised his voice. “I’d like to thank you all personally for being here. Unfortunately, I still can’t fully control my divine powers, and I might be out of commission for a while, I can feel it. I guess I'll go back being just a demon-lanter-amazon.”

One by one, everyone left, returning to their lives.
“Batman, Dick, come here a second,” Mattia called, and I followed him. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
Jason Todd, looking down and a little confused, stared at them.
“I used the last multiversal power I had to align his mind with the other versions across the multiverse.”
“My brother...”
“Come on, Dick, don’t get all clingy.”
Batman stood silent, clearly holding back tears. I knew he didn’t want anyone to see him like that, so I left.

I saw Starfire trying to make friends with Etrigan and Lobo, so I quickly pulled her away. Those two terrified me, and I didn’t want them scaring the sugar princess. Together we went to Mattia.
“I’m sorry, girls, for making you suffer.”
“I’ve been through worse with my ex.”
“My family was abusive, and my sister wanted to kill me until... last year.”
“HEY, I SAID I WAS SORRY!” shouted Blackfire from afar.
“I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for my mistakes.”
“By the way, since you didn’t kill any villains, does that mean all the time spent with Joker was pointless?”
“Hey, no, what makes you think that? I got information on the most dangerous criminals and on the Sixth Dimension. Only my mother and her children can access all six dimensions; humans are bound to the fourth. Anyone else would die or... just lose consciousness if transferred through a certain process. I plan to send members of the Injustice League there, the criminals too dangerous to keep around or the ones even the Supers can’t handle. Thanks to the fake Joker, I now have data on all of them and know where to find them.”
“AND WHEN DID YOU DO ALL THAT?”
“While you were sleeping, Harley, as usual.”

A few days later, life at the Tower settled into a new normal.
We had hung a picture of the team on the wall to remember those hard times and how we overcame them.
“Are you ready?” I asked Mattia as Starfire helped him stand; he was slowly regaining his strength and powers.
“I can walk and got enough strenght to do it.”
“Good, whenever you’re ready.”
The journalist Lois Lane prepared to receive his statement.
“People of Earth, you don’t know me because I work in the shadows. My name is Shadow Owl, and I’m a new superhero. Joker can no longer hurt you. No matter how strong the villains are or how far across the universe they hide, I will find them.
So, innocent citizens, those of you who are desperate and think there’s no way out, don’t be afraid. The heroes will be there for you. Look to the sky when life gets hard, and I promise that someday someone will come for you. This world can be frightening, but you are not alone. Don’t lose hope.
And to you, criminals... if darkness lives within you or you vent your frustration on those who can’t defend themselves, repent—or be afraid. I will come for you. It’s only a matter of time. After all, I’ve already entered your minds with this message, haven’t I?
I will keep this world safe.
Even the most evil gods should fear the Titans.”