The Darkest of Knights

Dick stood atop Titan's Tower, looking upon the city that was once his; mainly to get out of the common room, there was too much craziness going on. He often wondered what had changed about it, and he also pondered what was happening in Gotham. He had one foot on the ledge of the Tower, his hands in his pockets. "Lovely night huh?" Alice asked coming up. "I can't say." Dick admitted. "I want to explore the city again. See my old hang outs. I doubt Cyborg would let me though." He sighed. "We could just give the hero thing a rest. If not for one night." Alice suggested.
"Or how about we do a patrol on this city for the last time before we have a vacation?" Dick asked.
"Sounds good to me." Alice shrugged.
"Just you Babs and I?" Dick asked.
"What about Robin?"
"Could be good having her around, but I don't want to bring Damian along."
"Why not?"
"Just don't want to deal with him if he gets in trouble. How's Karmy?"
"I think she still hates you."
"Hmm. Why's that?"
"I dunno. Just cause she's my best friend doesn't mean I know everything about her."
"Well you're supposed to."
"What?"
"Yeah, didn't you pay attention to the movie? You trust each other with your secrets, with each other, with your lives, with everything."
"And that's how they found Nemo."
"That's how they found Nemo."
"Dick.. I don't know the color of Karmy's eyes."
"What?"
"And I don't know why that bag is so important to her."
"You never asked?"
"And I don't know if she was born with those powers or if she got into some freak accident. I don't know at her favorite food is, or if she had pets or what her favorite animals are, or her favorite music or song, I don't know her favorite movie.."
"Uhh."
"I don't know where she's from."
"Really?"
"And there's something about her hair too... I don't know if she dyed it or if its just... Like that. I don't know her past at all. All I know is that there's some boy named Casey. And I dunno, I think he was close to her. Like a boyfriend.. Or something."
"Harsh."
"And.. And I don't know the first thing about her. I don't know why she's vegan, and I don't know how she learned to fight."

Alice stopped talking and looked out into the distance, the bustling city lights danced across the sky line. "I don't even know her last name." Alice sighed. "Maybe we should patrol the city another time." Dick suggested. "Yeah... Another time." Alice thought.

Karmy had managed to keep down half a bean burger before she started to feel sick again. She was alone in the common room and didn't know where everyone had gone. Having laid around too much today, she decided to head down to the rocky shores of the tower. The moon was dim tonight but Karmy didn't mind, she liked the dark. Plopping down on the damp rocks, she gazed out at the vast ocean, a part of her hoped to see Marlin and Dory waving at her.

"Hey... there she is now." Dick pointed out. "Wanna go talk to her?" He asked. "Yeah... I'll do that." Alice said looking down at the rocky shore. In a couple of minutes Alice sat next to Karmy. "Hi." She said after a brief silence.

"Hey.. Good movie huh?" Damian asked Nicole leaning on her. Barbara knocked him across the head. "Don't do that..." She scolded at him.

"Geez okay fine." Damian said walking away from Nicole to pick up a bean burger. "You okay kiddo?" Barbara asked

"Hey.." Karmy greeted tiredly. It was late and she was still pretty weak but, she didn't want to sleep. She had been thinking about Richard before Alice had come, seeing as they had just watched a movie about fathers. "I liked that movie."

Crimson couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. All sorts of thoughts were going through his head most of them not positive. He could only hope the riders allowed him to join. "Sooo....am i good?" Crimson said.

"Yeah.. I thought that it'll cheer you up more.." Alice thought aloud. "You know.. Merlin and Dory are kinda like us..." She said nonchalantly.

"Huh? Hugging you? I guess he's new around girls." Barbara laughed. "Yeah, I mean he's been with his mother, brought up as a human weapon basically. He doesn't know how to act in front of you."

"Heh.." Karmy gave a small laugh. "So that's where I've seen that face before." she looked at Alice. "You give me the Marlin look all the time." she was referring to the odd look Marlin always gave Dory. "I can so speak whale."

Alice was already giving Karmy the Merlin look. "What are you talking about?" She asked. "I don't think the real Dory could speak whale." Alice smiled. "Anyway, we stick together."

"Hey... You're in love with him aren't you." Barbara smiled.

"Well, in the end we always do." Karmy said. "We've had our.. Rough times before."

"Mainly rough times. We never have times like these to kick back and relax. We never have time to just relax. I just wanted you to be happy for once around me." Alice said curling up in a ball. "Wanna go get your bag now?"

"Heh heh, denial is the first sign." Barbara smiled. "Everyone knows it." Raven said walking by with piping hot cup of tea.

"Like who?" Damian asked popping up behind Nicole.

"I'm trying Al.. I really am." Karmy sighed and bowed her head. "andas much as I wish I could.. I can't." she covered her head with her hands. "Guh... I need a haircut."

"Uh about your hair. Do you dye it? Or is it like that because of your powers?" Alice asked. She could cut her hair if Karmy wanted, she wasn't the best, but Alice had some practice cutting Barbara's hair over the years. Barbara cut Dick and Nicole's hair when needed. "I could.. Cut your hair y'know."

"Wow she really doesn't go too well against direct statements." Barbara muttered. "Uhh okay then, fine. So what do we do now?" Damian wondered. "Do we go out to fight crime?"

"That's a great idea." Dick said coming into the common room, hands in his pockets. "Anyone want to come with and check out the city?" Dick asked. "I'd like to come." Barbara spoke up. "I know the city inside out, you'll need a guide!" Red Robin spoke up. "Has the city really changed that much?" Dick asked. "Six years does damage to a city." Tim said taking off his mask. "You of all people should know that, Batman."

"Sure.. Why not?" Karmy shrugged. "And I'm really not sure. I think it's genetic. My grandpop on my mom's side had green and yellow streaks in his hair. Well, in the pictures of him I saw, I never got the chance to meet him. I guess it skipped a generation with my mom, Leah."

"Ah. I see." Alice thought aloud. That was weird. To have streaks naturally in your hair, to have green hair was just plain weird. Beast Boy was apart of a freak accident, so he had an excuse. "How short do you want it?"

"Okay then c'mon, let's go." Dick said beginning to walk out. "Wait hold on let me change!" Tim cried trying to strip in front of everyone. "Okay, don't wanna hang around for that." Damian murmured.

"Just a trim I guess.." Karmy slouched off after Alice. "I remember my mom saying that grandpop had powers. I don't remember, I was too young. I was 7 when Casey and I were taken and our parents killed." she wrapped her arms around herself, her voice was shaking slightly.

"Not good quite yet." Ivy informed Crimson, before considering what he had said. In the past, people used to claim to want to join the Riders on several occasions. As time wore on, the amount of them that were actual ready heroes dwindled. Needless to say, she wasn't prepared to accept Crimson's offer.

"I don't know, when was the last time we were even offered a recruit?" She whispered to Luna in reply.

"Sure." Damian whispered back to Nicole. "What do you plan to do?" He asked. Dick and the rest of the group walked out, passing Alice and Karmy. "Hey we're going out to the city to tour it, you wanna join?" Dick asked. "Maybe another time. We're having a little talk." Alice replied.

When the group left them alone and took off to the city, Alice invited Karmy inside to get scissors and a laptop so they could go to ancestry.com in an attempt to find more about Karmy's parents and grandparents.

"Alrighty everyone! I have passed out a small communicator in case anyone gets lost. Stay with the group, we have myself, Dick, Barbara, Nicole, Damian, and .. Oh that's it. Okay then, let's start!" Tim Drake said, Dick could have swore the next thing he was going to say was please keep all your hands and feet in the moving vehicle at all times.

"I wasn't aware we were hiring- I mean c'mon, we've known each other for years, it's different then like, the justice leauge. Plues, he was looking for the Riders of GOTHAM in JUMP CITY........." Zero said skeptically. He couldn't even see the guy, and anyone that went looking for the midnight riders on the wrong side of the country had issues in his book..........

Cyrah looked out the window to see Alice and Karmy talking. "I really don't like her...." Cyrah mumbled, pointing at Alice out the window. Rose raised an eyebrow. "Any underlying reason?" Rose asked curiously. "Look at her- she dosen't see her for two years, and all Alice needs to do is bat her eyelashes and ask that one right question and Karmy's back to joking around." Cyrah sighed tiredly. "Like with poision Ivy- I chased them for days to get Karmy back, all the while making it WORSE as I tried. in less then three minuites after Alcie gets there, all is right with the world and Poision Ivy takes off." Cyrah sulked. "I guess that's the reason I can't stand her- she just can't do anything wrong, compared to me, who just makes it worse all the time." Cyrah slumped. Rose got next to Cyrah and put a friendly arm around her. Cyrah tried to hide a bit of suprise that Rose was getting this close, but it wasn't a bad thing. "Now don't beat yourself up- you're really talented in other areas. And don't deny that- I'll have to kick your butt." Rose joked. Cyrah couldn't help but feel her mood lift at this joke. "Heh, thanks I s'pose." She said with a slight shrug.

"Won't find anything, everything was erased. As far as anyone knows," Karmy sighed and plopped down. "I don't exist."she kept the hoodie on.

Alice and Karmy came into the common room, Alice showed Karmy a chair and wrapped a large blanket over her. She smiled and waved at Cyrah and Rose. "Just sit there and relax." She said finding a pair of scissors. "Just a trim right? Wanna tell me about your bag? Why is it so important to you?" Alice inquired trying to use a charming voice so Karmy could loosen up. To Cyrah and Rose, she asked "You guys did want to tour the city?" She smiled.

"If you're thinking about the same fun I'm thinking of, then you don't want to have fun with me." Damian warned Nicole stashing away the communicator as Tim showed everyone around. It had been a while since he had seen Dick or Barbara, so he was naturally chatty.

Karmy felt awkward sitting there with Cyrah and the one eyed chick watching. She had never met Rose so she didn't know who she was related to. Giving them a small wave, she tried her best to relax. No such luck though."Like I said many years ago Al, it was Casey's. Ya know, my brother who died?"