The Darkest of Knights

"Why do these sorta things happen when we're together?" Karmy asked, still in a bit of shock of what she had just seeb. "Now I really need a drink.." she held her head, very confused.

Ivy twisted the core of her apple in her hands, listening to everyone and nodding in agreement with Cyrah. She'd have to go with Zero, there was no question in her mind she would. "Dick, I'm going, right." She asked, but so firmly it almost seemed she was telling him.

"I don't know mate, it just does. I didn't know I'd bump into my cousin. I barely remember him. I had so many. Though Alex... There was Alex.. And Anthony, Ariadne, April.... Astryd, and Adam. Yeah.. Something with the Mau family and A's." Alice muttered. "I think we should steal from Cassius' stash." Alice agreed, only half drunk and walking past Nicole and Damian up the stairs to the common room.

"Well..." Dick said looking at Ivy, "you two are partners. Of course you're coming. But Nicole, Astro, The Titans, Rose, Barb, Alice and Karmy are staying here. We want this mission to be quick and effective." He stated. "Wait...what's going on?" Alice asked walking in.

"Yeah, he's my grandfather. Was supposed to be dead hundreds of years ago. Why do you ask?" Damian shivered.

"Try to steal from Cass' stash, and you will wake up, hanging by your ankles, from a tree, covered in honey and with a single black eye." Karmy stated. "Your left eye. I learned not to even think about it after that happened three times. He will know that it is missing and who-ACK" She was suddenly yanked up by the scruff of her shirt. "What was that about my stash?" Cassius demanded, holding Karmy face to face with him. "Nothing.." she said, feeling very small underneath his gaze.

"Didn't you steal his booze last night when he was drunk?" Alice asked.

Damian's heart raced as Nicole embraced his arm. He never felt the feeling before. "No." He said. "Let's stay here."

"That's right.." Cassius said, holding Karmy closer, an sinister smirk forming on his face. "Well then, let's go sober up then, shall we?" he threw Karmy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and left the room. Cyrah just continued to eat her breakfast. She totally saw that coming.

"Alice come over here. We need to talk for a bit." Dick urged as Alice took a seat in front of him. "What's this all about?" Alice questioned. "Well, the operation we had in mind to help Zero, we're working minimalistically, so you, Nicole, Karmy, Barbara, and several other heroes are staying behind." He said. "Understood." Alice replied.

"You can keep me warm." Damian said hugging Nicole closer. "There's a chance that we might die when we go to Metropolis." Damian informed her. "There's a chance we might not cme back alive."

"Heroes... I'm not a hero Nicole. But I want you to know I don't like you the way you like me." Damian said looking out at the waves. "I'm sorry for-" A wave crashed against the rocks and splashed Damian in the face.

Cassius came back, dragging Karmy who was damp and shivering. "Time out in Antarctica... You suck Cass." she breathed out in shaking breaths. "Just be glad I didn't go with my usual way." Cassius grunted and dropped her on the couch. He grabbed a blanket and threw it over her shoulders. "You were there only for a few minutes, don't touch my stash again without my permission." he scolded her, wagging his finger as if he were telling a child not to touch... Well, booze. He turned and walked out of the room, giving Dick and Alice a side glance as he walked through the sliding doors.

Damian grabbed her hand. "I think I love you."

"Hey Karmy. You look like crap." Alice said getting up to fix Karmy some tea. "You want something?" She asked. Cyborg finished cleaning the dishes, "Yo BB, seeing how you're back I oughta give you some chores here." He said.

"Anything hot.." Karmy replied, pulling the blanket to cover her trembling body. "Dammit, I hate the cold." she sniffled. "I wasn't the one to remind him.. She was the one who said we should go do that.. Send her to Antarctica next time.." she mumbled bitterly.

Earl Grey. The scent filled the air and lifted into Karmy's nose. It was sweet and hung in the air. "Here you go." Alice said pouring a mug and presenting it to Karmy. "Hey look Karmy we gotta talk." Alice said quietly sitting next to Dick. "You can't go to help Zero on the mission." Barbara walked by, clearly upset with Dick' decision in not letting her go. Dick in response, facepalmed.

"Yeah..." Damian said seriously. "I love you. I know it." He said standing up to face her. He was still wet from the water. He closed his eyes and kissed Nicole again as another wave crashed and enveloped the both of them.

It took a moment for Karmy to register what Barbara had said, and, while she had a mouth full of tea, it hit her. She spit the tea out in surprise, choking at the same time on it. Spluttering and coughing, she set the mug down before she spilled anymore of it. "What?" she choked out. "Why not?"

"So... If we get out of this alive." Damian said to Nicole kissing her. "Would you... Go out with me?" He asked pathetically.

"Karmy, when I say you look like crap, I'm being polite." Alice said bluntly. "I don't know if you checked a mirror lately, but you're in really bad shape." Alice said trying not to hurt her feelings and yet reason with her. "You'll hurt yourself even more. Know that I'm only trying to keep you safe until we venture out to Metropolis where we need you in a more fit state. Try to rest as much as possible Karmy." Dick said. "You'll have Alice and Barbara here with you." He explained. "Don't Barbara me Richard J. Grayson." Barbara spewed at Dick.

"Speaking of detective work... I think we should get inside before the World's Greatest Detective figures us out." Damian said guiding Nicole in from the now attacking waves. "It looks like a storm is building up." He noted.

Karmy looked down at her self and she really did look like crap, she needed to change clothes and take a shower. So, she pulled out the lantern bag and crawled in without a word. If she knew Casey, and of course she did, the bag would have at least a shower just like hers. After a bit, Karmy finally crawled out of the bag, clean as a whistle and wearing a set of Nicole's clothes, which were a tad big on her. "can I go now..?" she asked, flopping back down on the couch and setting the lantern bag besides her.

Dick looked at Karmy, rather confused. As if a shower and a change of clothes would change his mind. "No." He said.

Damian and Nicole walked into Titan's Tower, "I'm gonna go clean up." Damian said to Nicole, they were soaking wet and smelled of fish. Cyborg had enough to clean up.

"Why not?!" Karmy pleaded. "I may not have known Zero as long as you, but he's still my friend regardless of what you think. I want to be there for him just as much as any of you, not as much as Ivy of course. But still!" she looked like she was about to cry. "I gotta be there for him, he needs as much support as he can get."

"I'm sorry Karmy. You can't come." Dick said bluntly. "Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Zero plinked his fingers together nervously- a full room of people talking about a big mission toh elp him was awkward enough, but now that Karmy's feelings sounded like they were being hurt by all this, he felt bad AND awkward. Pretty crappy combo. "Ok, what if she came but didn't fight, like an assistant or something? If I hang on dollface too much I'd hold her back if a fight rolled around, but if Karmy came just to help me out and not fight at all, would that be ok?" He suggested. He didn't want feelings hurt, but he didn't want bodies hurt either, so suggesting Karmy come but not fight was the only logical course he saw. Of course he knew there was a better chance of Cassius quitting drinking then Karmy not trying to fight, but he figured he'd try.
[meh, crappy 'getting back in' post.]

"Yeah." Karmy agreed with Zero and stood up. "And besides, you're not the boss of me. I don't take orders from you." she looked Dick straight in the eye. "I am going."

Dick stood over Karmy, he wasn't as tall as Cyborg, but at Karmy's short state, he was looming over her. "One more person who can't fight is one more person to look out after. You're too high maintenance as it is. And as long as you're with me, you are under my command and I am the boss of you. You obviously aren't mature enough to make decisions on your own so I have to do them for you." Dick said frankly. "Dick, isn't that..." Alice muttered. "No Alice, she cost the entire team trouble back at Gotham. There's no way she's coming with us on a high scale operation like this. This is Ra's Al Ghoul we're talking about."

"There is only one leader I will ever listen to, and you're not him. And so what," Karmy smirked. "What's to stop me from going? You gonna tie me up for the time y'all are gone? I've escaped from worse situations. Besides, I can travel across the world faster than any of you. And even if I don't know where the place is, I can just portal out of Cass or Cyssy when y'all get there." she continued to look up at Dick, not at all intimidated.

"That's the type of attitude I'm talking about; reckless, rebellious, and dangerous. You want to sneak aboard? Fine. Try me." Dick said in a threatening tone.