I

Todd turned his head away, almost in shame. "I'm gay" he whispered. "I think I'm in love with Albert". Tears started running down his cheeks.

Jennie-Lynn gave out a stifled laugh, which caught Todd off guard. "I'm sorry" she smiled. "That's your big revelation? That you're finally in love?" After all the hell we just went through, I was expecting your revelation to be a bit more...earth-shattering".

Obsidian looked up and saw a smile of genuine happiness on his sister's face. He didn't say anything at first. After a moment of silence, he whispered "I thought you might not accept that I might be gay."

Jade never stopped smiling. "Todd, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say! You're my twin brother. Why would I not accept you for what you are? Why would I question what makes you happy?"

She took her finger underneath his chin and forced him to make eye contact with her. "Does he make you happy?"

"That's not he point" he replied.

Jennie Lynn's smile turned to a look of confusion. "Of course that's the point. What would stop you from following your feelings?"

"I just feel like God's playing a cruel joke on me. Being gay is wrong in His eyes and now I feel as though I'm doubly damned. My powers were bad enough to deal with, making me feel and appear like some kind of demon, thinking I have no place with God because of them, and now this comes up. I must be failing at the tests he's laid out for me."

Jennie-Lynn thought for a second. Todd was brought up Catholic, but he never tried forcing his religion down her throat. He was always supportive of her, despite his beliefs. "Todd, being gay can't be wrong in God's eyes. How could he be against something built out of love?"

"But how do I know if it's love? How do I know that I'm not just acting out of lust here? And how do I know if this kind of love even exists? Why would God make it possible? I don't know what to think right now. I'm so confused." Todd forced his head away, breaking eye contact once again.

Jennie let him go. "Confusion's a natural part of the process, whether you're in a relationship with the same sex or the opposite sex. Believe me, I would know. I've been in both".

This time it was Todd's turn to look confused. "I don't understand..."

Jennie just smiled back. "What's not to understand? I've known I was bisexual for a long time now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Todd's voice was calmer, more in control now.

"A couple of reasons, actually. First of all, I don't think it's so unnatural that I have to make an announcement that I have the ability to fall in love with a woman or a man. Secondly, when I was in relationships with women, either you weren't around to talk to about them or I was asked not to make it known to anyone. The one who asked me not to tell had her own reasons for not wanting anyone to know she was sleeping with another woman. I intend to still comply with her wishes, even though we're not together any more." Jennie's tone became much more somber with this statement.

"Anyone??? That includes your twin brother? Why would you ever accept an ultimatum like that? Are you dating a woman now? I'm around to talk about it now!" Todd started raising his voice.

"And I'm not hiding anything except her name from you! No, I'm not seeing anyone now."

"Thank God" Todd replied. "I don't want you to date anymore women."

Jennie's head snapped up in surprise. "WHAT???, How can you say that with what you just told me?"

"I have a couple of reasons for this" Todd said. "I've accepted the fact that I'm probably damned for my lifestyle right now. I don't want the same thing to happen to you. Also, I don't you to be in any relationships where you feel any reason to hide it from me. Why would you even think of hiding anything like that from me?"

"Todd, that is the most hypocritical thing I've ever heard."

"No it isn't. The only reason I can think of for you to hide this from me is because you think I'd to try to end this relationship like I tried breaking you and Hank up. Why else would you hide it from me?" Todd said angrily.

"I already explained why I hid it from you, there's no other reason." Jennie was starting to get annoyed.

"That's not good enough. Who would you see that you'd feel you'd have to keep it a secret from me? Were you seeing Marcie Cooper behind my back while we were dating? Maybe you were screwing Lyta behind Hector's back too? Maybe you were even doing Jonni Thunder behind Syl's back too!"

Jennie raised her voice, "Todd, this is starting to get ridiculous. Do you really think I'm that much of a backstabber? I'm NOT going to tell you who I was seeing. I made a promise to her, and I intend to keep it. Don't push this any further."

Todd sulked back a little from this. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to see you get hurt over this. I overreacted".

Jennie sighed. "You never learn, do you? I don't need you overprotecting me. Especially with my relationships. I'm going to leave now, and hopefully the two of us will cool down. Call me later. And, Todd? I am so happy you found someone. I can tell, you do love him. Good luck." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out of his apartment. Todd just sank back on the couch and started crying.

II

Albert continued running. As fast as he could. A mask of solid gold was attached to his face. The only thing moving faster than his legs was his mind.

"Oh, God, what's happening to me? This damn mask...why do I have it? What is it doing to me? I have to reach Lyta...or Todd. They can help me. My head hurts so badly...I can't take much more of this...HELP ME!!! Who am I...Who are we? Let us out..."

He ran into a deserted alleyway, never even noticing the shadows following him. Exhausted, he finally collapsed in a pile of trash. The shadows moved in, turning the night even darker, flicking in and out, moving faster and faster, moving so fast they created a strobe-like effect. Nuklon was completely oblivious to this happening. His eyes were clamped shut in an effort to stop the voices he kept hearing in his head.

Out of the shadows stepped a man, dressed only in pajama bottoms and the tattered remains of a straitjacket over his shoulders. He crouched down beside Albert and started whispering to him. "You're resisting, aren't you. Your will is stronger than I expected. No, wait, it's not your will, it's your love. You pathetic fool. You're allowing your own petty emotions disrupt my plans. I should have known you weren't mentally stable enough to hold the Mask. It's time for me to take back what is mine." He grabbed Albert by the throat and effortlessly lifted him off the ground. The man grabbed Albert's face, forcibly ripped the mask off, and casually tossed him aside. He landed with a sickening crack and collapsed, blood oozing from his head. "It's finally time to bring out my agent!" the man yelled. "Come forth!" He placed the mask on his own face and it started to glow brightly. It flashed with a blinding blue brilliance. Beside him a man materialized, unconscious on the street. The man had long white hair and had a stylized yellow lightning bolt on his forehead, going from his hairline pointing down to the bridge of his nose. He was wearing a red and orange costume with golden banded armor covering his arms and legs, and had a yellow cape. "Come Your Majesty" the wearer of the mask said sarcastically, "We have a kingdom to rebuild and much work to do." He picked him up with one hand and hoisted him over his shoulder. He then looked at Albert. "You're interference has caused me to reevaluate my plans for Obsidian. He may be needed sooner than I expected. You can let him know, if you survive the night, that his tortures are just beginning and he will pray for the release of hell before I'm done!" He walked off, never noticing the unconscious woman who also appeared, buried under the alley's trash.

III

Jade took the scenic route flying home. Her conversation with Todd bothered her more than she'd let on to anybody. The memories were too painful. She finally reached her apartment after a long flight around New York. She recently moved out of the Village, after she made enough money to move out of Kyle Rayner's apartment and get her own. She was starting to do very well for herself financially, due to finally giving up photography and returning to modeling. She loved having her independence again. She flew right onto the balcony of her 40th floor apartment and phased through the glass door.

It wasn't until she fully entered that she realized she had a visitor. Lounging on her couch, staring directly at Jade was Marcie Cooper - the Harlequin.

It didn't take long for Jade to react, creating a green cage around Harlequin. It wasn't the fact that she caught her so easily that surprised her; it was Harlequin's reaction to her capture. She just looked around and smiled. "My, my, I didn't know you got into bondage, Jennie-Lynn."

"How did you get out of prison?" Jade questioned.

"And how do you know I was ever captured?" Harlequin replied with a twinkle in her eye.

"Well, I have you captured now, and you're not escaping this time." Jade said, not believing herself for a second.

Harlequin stood up and walked toward the green bars surrounding her. "Now, now, now. Who has whom captured?" she whispered with a slight grin. "Am I an image or am I the real thing?"

Jade then saw Harlequin appear outside the cage for a second, and then reappear back inside. "Which one was me, and which one was the fake?" she smiled. She leaned against the green bars and whispered again "Think about it Jennie-Lynn, why am I here? Why enter the lion's den? I'm here to make you an offer, but in order to hear my offer, you have to comply to one simple request."

"And what is that?" Jade said, starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Release the cage."

"Why would you want that unless I really had you captured?" Jade asked.

"Like I said, you may have me captured, you may not. It doesn't matter at this point. It's a matter of trust. You must implicitly trust me tonight, or you'll never find out what I'm offering."

Jade thought for a long moment and then dissipated the cage. Barely a fraction of a second later, Harlequin disappeared and Jade felt a finger slide along the contour of her rear. She spun quickly around and saw Harlequin standing there, holding a glass of wine in one hand and continuing to slide her finger around Jennie's abdomen with the other. Jade stepped back, away from her touch. "There, you see, you can trust me. Or you just figured out that I wasn't in your little cage"

Harlequin walked over and sat on the couch her image previously occupied. She stared directly into Jade's eyes. "Do you trust me?" she whispered.

"For tonight, yes" Jade said, feigning courage.

"Good" Harlequin replied. She reached over to a small table beside the couch and picked up a magazine. "So, you're back into modeling now?" she said, looking at the cover. "You're a beautiful woman, Jennie Lynn".

"Cut the small talk, Marcie, why are you here?"

"It's not small talk, I speak the truth."

"Continue"

Harlequin ignored her as she started paging through her magazine. "You're thinking about finally posing nude, aren't you? You've walked the line all this time, but never crossed it. What's changing your mind? Was it the woman you photographed when you were at Kyle Rayner's apartment? What's her name? Allison? Or is it something else?"

"What's your point here?"

Harlequin continued paging through the magazine. "What is it with the children of Alan Scott and their aberrant sexuality's? I knew Todd was gay almost the moment we started dating, I only found out about you recently. Surly, you don't get it from your father. Perhaps it's from your mother?"

"You know nothing about me" Jade said firmly.

"Oh, really. That's why I'm able to impersonate you with such ease. You did notice that it's you, out of everyone else on the planet that I choose to impersonate the most."

"That means nothing..."

"Okay then, how much do you think your ex, Hank told me?"

"Not much, since I never told him anything about any of my ex's" Jade said, starting to feel more uneasy again.

"How much do you think you could hide from a telepath? He told me all about the little "relationship" you had when Infinity Inc. just started"

Jade was noticeably shaken by this. "So, what are you getting at here? What's this "offer" you spoke of?"

"I'm willing to give you back what you lost. I'm willing to give you your first true love back."

"That's impossible" Jennie fought to hold back the tears. "She's been gone for 5 years now."

"In our line of work, anything's possible, with a little creativity" Harlequin smiled.

"So, why would you help me?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want to help you because I love you. I always have. Think about it. Why would I continue to date Todd, when I knew he was gay? Why would I constantly impersonate you? I'm willing to give you what you want" She dropped the magazine on the floor, lifted her bare leg up onto the couch, and started rubbing it. "Do you like my legs?" she whispered. "Are they nice enough for you? How do they compare to Allison's? Or Eve's? Or Sandra's?"

Jade swallowed hard with the mention of Sandra's name. She knew. "Marcie, please don't do this..."

"Do what? Don't you like my legs? Did you prefer Allison when you photographed her last spring? Did she turn you on the way you turn me on?"

"What do you want?" Jade was almost crying by this point.

"What do you think I want?" Harlequin then stood up slowly and removed her costume seductively. She walked over to Jade and pressed her body against hers. Marcie pressed their breasts together and looked right in Jade's eyes. "What do you think I want?"

Jade held her breath. "And how can you give me what I want, Marcie?"

"Very easily" Marcie leaned her face in and passionately kissed Jade on the mouth. When she pulled back, Jade saw her former love. "You see, I can be anyone you want me to be. I can be her in every way. But, before we can do this your way, we have to do this my way." She transformed back to herself. Jade pulled away from Marcie's nude body and looked away. She felt Marcie's hands slide over her back and pull down her own costume to her waist, exposing her breasts.

Jade's hands instinctively moved up to cover her bare breasts. She slowly turned to face Harlequin. Her mind was a jumble. She hadn't realized until today how much she missed Sandra. It wouldn't be her, but maybe even a doppelganger would fill the hole in her heart even just a little bit. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Like I said, because I love you." She leaned down and kissed the back of Jade's hands, which were covering her breasts.

"What if I refuse?" Jade asked quietly. "What will you do?"

"Hmpf, I don't know. I may kill you, I may just leave. I never know what mood will strike at any moment." She stepped back away from Jade's body and pressed her back against the wall, raising one leg up slightly to rest her heel against the wall. She was totally nude except for her shoes.

"Do you think I'm attractive?"

There was a long silence as Jade stared at Marcie, her heart pounding. "Answer the question. Do you think I'm attractive?"

"Yes" she whispered quietly.

"I didn't hear you".

"Yes" she said, just loud enough for Marcie to hear.

"Good, I'm not going to start this though, you are. That's the only way you can prove yourself. Remove your hands from your breasts. Let me see them."

Jennie complied with her request.

"Now it's up to you" Marcie stared right at Jade's firm green breasts.

Jade slowly walked up to Marcie and pressed her up tight against the wall with her body and deeply tongue kissed her. She pressed her hand right up between Marcie's legs and started rubbing her gently. Marcie arched her back with this unexpected aggressiveness and proceeded to tear Jade's costume off of the rest of her body. After a very long kiss, Jade moved her way down Marcie's body, finally resting her mouth between her legs.

"That's it. Now you're mine"

IV

Jesse Quick was going for her evening jog around Manhattan Island when she saw Jade's energy trail streak by, It looked like it was brighter than usual, but not quite phosphorescent enough to confuse with Green Lantern's. It came to a rest on the roof of one of WayneTech Industries buildings. "3x2(9yz)4a" and with a burst of speed Jesse was standing behind Jennie-Lynn in less than 5 seconds. Jade was sitting on the protective wall, with her feet hanging over the edge, looking over the darkening Manhattan skyline. "Hi". Jade was so startled she almost fell off of her perch. She didn't turn around. "Hello Jesse".

"Hello Jesse? My, aren't we formal tonight! I saw you flying around and thought you might enjoy some company. Do you mind?"

There was no response.

"Hey, Jen, are you feeling okay?"

Jade turned to face Jesse, tears flowing freely down her face. "Not really"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it..."

Jesse sat down beside and wrapped her arm around her body. "You can try. I'd like to help."

"I lost somebody I was very close to about 5 years ago. I thought I was finally getting over it, but something's just come up that brought my feelings crashing down on me again. I was given an opportunity to get her back in a way, but I think I sold my soul to do it."

"I know what it's like to lose somebody close to you. I'm still grieving my father's death.... Waitaminute..." Jesse suddenly got a very worried look on her face "You said that you think you sold your soul...are you talking about Neron?"

"No, no, It's not that big, at least I don't think it is. This is just someone playing head games with me and succeeding"

"Who is it?"

"Marcie Cooper. She came to me saying she could give me back what I lost, all I had to do was give up my dignity to do so."

Jesse had a shocked look on her face. "How did she get out of prison?"

"I don't know..." Jade whispered.

"What happened? What did she do to you? Jesse asked quickly and somewhat impulsively.

"I gave in. Completely. I miss her so much that I would do anything to get her back."

"So, what did she make you do?" She asked, again without thinking.

"We spent the entire night having sex..." Jennie said, fighting back the tears. "I want so much for her to be back in my life that I just gave in. I wasn't forced. I knew exactly what I was doing."

Jesse sat for a fraction of a second in silence, this time thinking about what she should say. She didn't want to hurt Jennie-Lynn, so she wouldn't say she was raped yet, but she had to tell her she wasn't to blame for this. Also she had to adjust herself to the revelation that Jennie-Lynn was gay, something she didn't have any problem with, but didn't expect nonetheless.

"That's bull. Harlequin psychologically coerced you into doing something that you wouldn't do normally. She found out something that you would give your life to have returned to you, and she blackmailed you into living out her sick fantasies. I don't blame you for what happened. Emotion's are extremely powerful, and can make you do so pretty scary things. We just have to figure out how to not let this happen to you again. C'mon, you've been sulking out here for too long, lets get you inside. You can stay at my place tonight. I've got plenty of room." Jesse smiled. "3x2(9yz)4a" She scooped Jennie-Lynn up in her arms and ran down the side of the building.

In an alleyway beside the building, a figure in purple hid back in the shadows, tears streaming down her mask.

V

Todd flew to the hospital as quickly as his shadow form could take him when he found out what had happened to Albert. Forgoing the door and simply phasing through the wall into the reception area, he materialized in front of the startled receptionist.

"I'm here to see Albert Rothstein. I heard he was brought here a couple nights ago."

"Al...Albert Rothstein?" The receptionist stammered, white with fear. "Let me see...um, here he is. H...he's due to be released any minute now. C...could you please have a seat and I'll let you know when he's finished."

"Thank God" he thought. "He's going to be ok."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I startled you." he added to the receptionist. "I was just worried about my friend, that's all"

"Don...Don't worry about it." she gave him a weak smile. "We always have people flying through our walls here."

Todd smiled at her attempted joke and sat down to wait. An hour and a half went by before he saw Albert enter the waiting area on crutches.

"Todd!" Albert's eyes lit up when he saw his friend waiting for him. He hobbled over to him, dropped his crutches and engulfed him in a huge hug.

"Urf! I'm glad to see your injuries haven't affected your strength at all."

"Well, I fared better than we did when we fell out of the Justice League satellite."

'That's not fair Al, we were being attacked by Martian's. We escaped the only way we could. What happened anyway? It takes quite a bit to be able to break your leg"

"I'll explain it later. I want to get out of here. I've seen enough of hospitals in this past year to last a lifetime. Let's go get some lunch."

As they left the hospital, Todd never noticed that the look of fear never left the receptionists face.

They stopped at an outdoor sidewalk cafe for their lunch. It was mid-afternoon, so the crowds were relatively light (by New York City standards). They found a table and began eating. Todd ate light while Albert had his typical 5-course meal.

"I see your appetite wasn't hurt at all either!" Todd smiled.

"Don't laugh!" Albert replied, taking a mock defensive posture. "You'd eat like this too if you had to suffer from hospital food for the past 2 days!"

"So, what did happen? The newspaper made it sound a lot worse than it appears."

"I'm not really sure. I got a package in the mail about a week ago. When I opened it, I saw that it contained the Psycho Pirate's Medusa Mask. Before I could react, it floated up and attached itself to my face. It's hard to describe what happened next. I don't think I even understand it. My perceptions expanded. I could see things I've never even thought of before. Other worlds, other planes of existence, other realities. I saw Heaven and Hell. I saw realms beyond even those. My God, it sounds so blasphemous. I can see how it drew the Psycho Pirate into insanity. There's so much more out there Todd. What we see right now is so...empty, like what I was seeing was just a dream, but I know it wasn't. It felt too real, like history. I don't know what was really happening to me though. I was traveling. There were these...I don't know what you'd call them...alternate timelines, parallel Earth's. I saw an earth that became a monarchy, ruled by the only meta-humans on the planet. I saw an earth that suffered through Hitler winning World War II and having an evil Justice League. I saw one that had just the JSA, the All-Star Squadron and Infinity Inc. No Justice League, no Titan's, we were the only heroes of the late 20th century. Apparently, I was also sleepwalking out here, in some kind of daze. I have absolutely no idea how I turned up in that alleyway."

"Why would the Psycho Pirate do this to you? I thought Roger Hayden was dead anyway."

"He is dead. At least that's what I could see from the mask. Hayden had nothing to do with this, I know that much. What I don't know is who else could have done this. I came so close to the brink of insanity."

"Well Albert, I'm just glad you're ok." Todd paused for a minute with a nervous look in his eyes. "Why don't you stay at my place for awhile. It's probably safer for you there."

Albert looked Todd in the eyes. "Is that the only reason you want me there, Todd?"

Todd broke the stare and looked away blushing. "What are you talking about Al? What other reason would there be?"

"Don't play games with me Todd. I know how you feel about me. We had a talk about this when we were in the League. Tell you what." he paused for a second. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll stay with you tonight if you promise to help me find out what happened to the Medusa Mask and why it was given to me."

"I...I can't" Todd said. "Al, you may know how I feel, and I appreciate the offer, but I can't go through with it if you're going to give me an ultimatum. I can't do it."

Albert looked at Todd and laughed. "Todd, it's not an ultimatum. I wouldn't have offered this if I didn't feel the same way about you as you do for me. I know you're gonna help me find out what I need to know. All this is is a way for you to actually tell me you're going to help me. Now, do we have a deal?"

"Yeah, we have a deal" Todd smiled and took Al's hand in his own. Things were going so well right now and he never felt happier.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Lyta Hall sat at Albert's bedside, holding his hand, waiting for him to wake up.

VI

Dick Grayson hid silently in the shadows of the Slab prison, waiting for the guards to pass by.

"12:03 AM...right on schedule." he thought to himself as he slipped in behind them.

Four cell bays, 7 electronic locks, and 12 unconscious guards later he was in front of his goal. The freezing unit was almost beyond anything he'd ever seen before. "The Slab spared no expense in keeping her incarcerated. Too bad its all going to go to waste" With skill only a few alive could begin to compete with, he snapped the electronic lock off the door, cut off the alarm, snapped the flow tube which fed the cell with a special freon isotope, and pulled the door open. The cold air flooded his body as he looked upon his prize.

"It's not over yet" he thought. "The Slabs nothing if not redundant"

In the chamber was a large glass cylinder with a beautiful woman floating inside, suspended in some kind of liquid. "Here's where these devices better come in handy...there's no way I'm carrying this thing outta here!" He took out a device from his belt and attached to the cylinder. The inside of the tube turned from light blue to dark red and the glass started cracking from the temperature change. The cylinder shattered suddenly, flooding the floor with its contents. Dick caught the woman before she impaled herself on the broken glass.

"Uh uh...we don't want you injuring yourself already. I refuse to have gone this far just to get you killed Frosty. We have a date with destiny!"

"I'm hungry..." the woman whispered quietly in Dick's ear. "I need your heat..."

"Now that wouldn't be such a good idea...you even begin to kiss me and you'll be unconscious faster than you can imagine."

He hoisted her up over his shoulder and carried her out of the prison, unseen by all the guards and surveillance devices. There was a woman waiting for him outside, wearing skintight black pants, a green top that showed off an obscene amount of cleavage, and a green pointed hat.

"Enchantress, get us out of here now. The guards will notice Frost's escape any second now."

"Mmmm....no, I don't think so. That bitch isn't here right now, and I can do whatever I want. You can both die."

Before another word could escape her mouth, Dick's hand was wrapped around her throat. "You don't seem to understand. I'm in charge here. You get us out of here, or you'll be the first to die. It's your choice."

Wordlessly, she opened a portal beneath them and the 3 figures slipped through, just as the Slab's alarms went off.

They appeared on a barren island in New York harbor and Dick released Enchantress's throat form his grip. She worded a spell and levitated a large rock, revealing a hidden metal staircase underneath. The group wordlessly descended the staircase. Waiting at the bottom of the stairs was the Rainbow Raider. "So, my device worked, eh?" Just like I told ya!"

Dick reached out with his free hand and backhanded Rainbow Raider. "Yeah, it worked. Don't get cocky. Where's Harley?" Rainbow Raider wiped the blood from his chin and glared at Dick. "Right this way"

"Well, move your ass and take us to her." Dick snarled, causing the Rainbow Raider to cower back. He turned and led them into a large high-tech chamber. Marcie Cooper was sitting in a chair at the center of the chamber waiting for them.

"Here ya go Harley." Dick said, dropping Killer Frost to the floor in front of Marcie.

"Perfect. Any problems?" Harlequin purred, standing over Killer Frost, not letting her stand.

Dick glanced at Enchantress. "Nothing I couldn't take care of. The Slab has no clue who's responsible."

Harlequin looked down at Killer Frost's prone body. "Dr. Crystal Frost...how nice to finally meet you. I trust that you'll enjoy your stay here."

"No. Not Frost. Lincoln. The doctor's say I'm Louise Lincoln."

"The doctors lied to you, sweetheart. You are Dr. Crystal Frost." Harlequin whispered quietly, gliding a finger over Frost's lips. The doctors and psychiatrists tried so hard to remove the delusion that this Louise Lincoln, this Killer Frost, was really the deceased Dr. Crystal Frost, Lincoln's mentor and lover and the first Killer Frost. They tried, but it was all in vain.

Killer Frost looked up into Harlequins eyes. "Yes...I'm Crystal Frost...I knew I've been lied to all this time. Please...I'm so hungry...I need heat" She twitched back as Dick advanced toward her.

"Hpp...no need Dick, I have everything under control." She smiled mischievously at him and dropped to her knees, straddling Killer Frost. "So, you need heat. I think I can accommodate you."

Killer Frost shivered as Harlequin lowered her head toward her's. Her body stiffened as Harlequin's tongue slid deep into her mouth. She pulled Marcie further down and started draining the heat from her body, passionately returning the kiss.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

Her eyes widened in shock as Harlequin ripped her costume off and clasped her breasts in her hands. She broke the kiss immediately. "You still live? Howwmmmpphh..."

Harlequin silenced her with one more kiss. "Shh. No questions. Enchantress has a spell that will allow her to do the same thing. If you work for us, we will feed you all the heat you can ever desire." She lowered one hand between her legs and inserted a finger. As Killer Frost's body arched in ecstasy she looked at Enchantress. "I'm trusting that you'll be able to feed her appropriately".

Enchantress looked down at Killer Frost's naked body writhing in pleasure and smiled. "No problem." she replied with a glint in her eye.

"Good. I'm gonna be gone for the next week or so. You're responsible for her. Keep her happy." She pulled her wet finger out, stood up, and slid it down Enchantresses bare cleavage. She leaned in close and whispered to her "I'm trusting you."

"Don't worry, she'll be well fed." Enchantress pulled away from Marcie and helped Killer Frost to her feet. "I'll show you to our room." she said quietly to Frost as she took her by the hand and led her away.

"How'd you do that?" Dick looked at Harlequin. "That's never been one of your abilities..."

Marcie pressed her finger against his lips. "Shhh...same goes for you Dickie, no questions."

Dick kissed Marcie's finger gently and she pulled it back. "You're a slut, ya know that? The way you try to get in all these women's pants, you'd think you'd give me some occasionally."

"But it's so much more interesting to tease you!" Harlequin smiled wickedly. "I don't trust Enchantress entirely though. Keep an eye on her while I'm gone, and I'll see about giving you some of my leftovers."

She walked away and Deathwing muttered under his breath "How generous..."

VII

Jesse lay awake, insomnia claiming her yet again. Sleep did not come easy for her since she inherited her father's speed and this night was no exception. Tired of tossing and turning in bed, she decided to get up and fix herself a snack. (Although she'd never admit it, there were times when she put even Wally West's appetite to shame!) She adjusted the oversized T-shirt she was wearing as a nightgown, and trudged toward the kitchen. It wasn't until she entered the living room, where Jennie-Lynn was sleeping, that she noticed the green glow. She inhaled sharply, astonished by what she saw.

Jesse watched as Jennie lay on the couch, wearing only an open flannel shirt and a pair of white socks. She had one foot on the floor and the other propped on the back of her makeshift bed. None of this surprised Jesse as much as the fact that Jennie was being made love to by a beautiful, vaguely familiar woman, created by Jennie-Lynn's power pulse.

Jade moaned quietly as her 'lover' brought her to a climax. "Oh my god! Donna... please... oh god!" Her body trembled in delight as she forced her voice to a whisper. As her orgasm subsided, she collapsed back and the emerald facsimile slid up and deeply tongue-kissed her. The "woman" pulled back from the kiss, a trail of saliva connecting their mouths, and slowly faded away, leaving Jennie to savor the taste of their final kiss. As the final light faded from her power pulse, Jennie noticed her roommate watching from her bedroom door, frozen in astonishment.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jesse. I didn't mean to wake you. Umm..."

"... No, Jen, don't worry about it. I was awake anyway. I was just going to, uh, to fix myself a snack. You hungry?" Jesse answered quietly.

"Sure. Ummm...how much of that did you see?" Jennie asked with a concerned tone to her voice.

"Just the very end. Like I said, don't worry about it. I should've given you more privacy. Now, what are you hungry for?" Jesse asked, changing the subject.

"Whatever you're having is fine." Jennie replied as she stood up and followed Jesse into the kitchen.

Jesse looked back and noticed that Jennie didn't even attempt to cover herself up. She walked into the kitchen with her flannel top completely unbuttoned, seemingly heedless of her nudity.

"So, what're you gonna have?" Jennie asked with a smile lighting up her face, making her nakedness seem completely innocent.

"Oh...I was just going to make a couple sandwiches"

"Sounds good", Jennie smiled as she leaned back against the counter. The next thing she heard was Jesse's speed equation and a split second later her sandwich was sitting on a plate beside her.

"Ah, just what I needed!" Jesse said as she wiped her mouth clean.

"You ate your sandwich already?"

"SandwichES. Yeah, I was really hungry." Jesse smiled back, starting to feel more comfortable with Jennie's exhibitionism. "Listen, Jen, could I ask you a question?"

"Sure, you can ask me anything!"

"Well, this might be a bit personal, but... who was that woman you were with in there? She looked familiar."

To Jesse's surprise, Jennie blushed before she answered. "I'm kind of surprised you didn't recognize her right away, what with all the research you've done on the hero community. That was Wonder Girl. Donna Troy. I've, well, I've had such a crush on her ever since... Oh, it's been such a long time, I don't even remember when it started! I guess that's one of the benefits of my powers, huh? I can fulfill any of my fantasies without ever making the mistake of flirting with the wrong woman!"

"Y'know Jen, I don't think you've ever had to worry about making that mistake! You're the most likable person I know."

"I rarely do worry about it. I've had a pretty active sex life, but something about Wonder Girl always turned me into a babbling idiot! I can't keep a coherent thought around her, let alone flirt with her! And to make things even worse, she was dating Kyle when I moved into his apartment!"

"Is that when you started...?"

"Making love to energy duplicates of women I'm attracted to? No, I started that a long time ago, pretty much right after I learned about my powers. Sometimes I let my imagination get the best of me." With that statement, her hand glowed and suddenly Jennie was surrounded by a number of nude or semi-nude women.

Jesse's thoughts were still moving at super speed as she recognized many of Jade's fantasy women. She recognized Wonder Woman first, even without her trademark W. "Well, I guess she'd be obvious...hmm, Supergirl too." Her eye's continued scanning through the crowd. "Black Canary...doesn't she have longer hair? Donna Troy...at least she has SOME clothing on this time! Kory Anders...I think she was also in the Titan's. Starfire, I think. Hawkwoman...the Thanagarian cop...what was her name? It sounded almost exactly like Aunt Shiera's name...Shayera Thal, that's right. Maxima...the psycho alien who's lusting after Superman. Power Girl...Karen Starr. She was a friend of my dad's. I always thought she'd be into women, but she's probably kill me if I said so!" Jesse smiled quickly to herself and continued. "Fire, that green-haired woman from the Justice League, what was her real name? Something Spanish.... Beatriz DaCosta, that it. Who's the naked girl with the pointy ears? Oh, there's a Green Lantern symbol on her belt, that must be Arisia. There's Sparx, that electric girl that was on that TV show with Jen. Isn't she a little young? Phantom Lady...Wow, she's really going back in time here! Rita Farr...that actress who was in the Doom Patrol. Bette Kane...jeez, she's even fantasizing about my favorite tennis player! But, what's that costume she's almost wearing? There's the female Captain Marvel, Captain Atom's ex-partner, Nightshade, Redwing, that winged girl who was in that new Titans team, Halo from the Outsiders, and Firehawk. Let's see, a couple of famous models… I recognize Mari McCabe and Alleatha. Hmm… magician's top hat and fishnets, must be Zatanna. I'd have recognized her sooner with her top on! Wow, she's gorgeous! That fake vampire-punk singer, Nina Skorzeny. Wow, there are a couple of reporters here. Tana Moon, the one who hangs out with Superboy, and Cat Grant. Oh boy, now this is getting odd. Tomorrow Woman, that android who was in the JLA recently. Not to mention the villainesses that I'm beginning to recognize. Silver Swan, although I heard she wasn't as bad as the papers made her out to be. Golden Glider… LISA SNART? That psycho? I think I'm seeing a little too much of Jen's dark side here! Ten from the Royal Flush Gang, the one with the spray-painted outfit. Penny Dreadful and Tao Jones… they're from Helix if I remember correctly. Who came up with their code names anyway? Ugh!" She scanned through a couple more that she didn't recognize. Allison Chandler, Dolphin, Mera. Her eyes finally caught the final woman in the crowd, as if they'd been intentionally avoiding the nude woman with the long ponytail. She turned bright red when she saw herself. Jennie noticed the blush right away and willed the duplicates away. "I hope you're not offended. Most women have revealing enough costumes that I can do a pretty accurate portrayal. I hope I wasn't too off with you!" she smiled mischievously.

"No, it's a little too accurate actually…" Jesse looked away, suddenly conscious of Jennie's nude body again. Jennie noticed her blush and her mischievous side took over. "Are you thirsty?" she asked, walking to the refrigerator and opening the door. "Sure, I'll have some orange juice. Thannn…" her voice trailed off as she saw Jennie bend over at the waist, giving Jesse a completely unobstructed view of her bare womanhood. Quickly looking away, she asked, "Ummm… nobody else has seen this, right?"

"Well, you're the first person who's discovered me doing this, and you're also the first person I've ever talked to about it. I think your body's safe in my imagination!" Jennie smiled.

"Have you actually been with any of those women?" Jesse asked, immediately regretting her impulsiveness. Her question did nothing to lessen her blushing, or her curiosity. "I'm sorry, that's probably too personal…"

"Don't worry about it Jes, you're my best friend." Jennie's warm smile eased Jesse again. She leaned back against the counter and continued. "My first love was Phantom Lady. She was in Infinity Inc. back when it first started. I'm actually at the point now where I can talk about her without breaking into tears. It was love at first sight for me. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever met, and her costume did nothing to help matters! We became lovers immediately after our first battle with the Ultra-Humanite. She died in a car crash a couple months later. I couldn't show my true grief because she insisted that I keep our relationship a secret. I'm not sure of the full reasons for her insistence, but I think she believed that her civilian identity and career would be put in jeopardy if she was ever discovered with another woman. I started going out with Hank almost immediately after she died. I probably jumped into that relationship way too soon, but I buried my grief so deep inside of me because I felt I had to do everything I could to make sure nobody found out about my relationship with Sandra."

"Oh God Jen, that's terrible! I'm so sorry."

"Thanks Jes, that really means a lot to me." Jennie smiled. "Anyway, I didn't have any lovers who were actually in Infinity Inc. besides for Hank and Sandra. Fury, Wildcat, and Dr. Midnight were all straight, so they really weren't an option. Actually, between Sandra's death and Infinity's breakup, I only had one other woman. After we teamed up with the Titans to stop the Ultra-Humanite from destroying Manhattan, we spent some time at Titan's Tower. Hank didn't come with us, and I ended up having a few really intense nights with Starfire. After Infinity and my breakup with Hank, I've had a few lovers though. They never became anything really serious, but I was with an ex-GL named Arisia, Marla Bloom, who was a producer for one of my movies, and a semi-retired superheroine named Nightshade between then and now. Now though, I'm sure about anything. Marcie seems to know my entire life and is sexually blackmailing me, my promise to keep my relationship with Sandra a secret is ruined, and I'm falling for my best friend…"

With this final comment, neither Jennie nor Jesse could hold in their blushes. Jennie stepped in, pressed her bared breasts against Jesse's T-shirt and gently slid her tongue deep into Jesse's mouth. Jesse lost control of her own body and found her lips and tongue returning the kiss, her hands caressing and rubbing Jennie Lynn's body, her breasts reacting to Jennie Lynn's touch. For fifteen minutes, Jesse was unsure of whether she was in heaven or hell. She finally forced herself to break the kiss. Her T-shirt was lifted up, exposing her breasts, which found a new home in Jennie's hands. Her own hands were almost absentmindedly resting on one of Jennie Lynn's breasts and between her legs. She found herself almost unable to speak.

"Jen, we have to stop this…"

"Why?" Jennie Lynn asked sincerely. "You definitely seem to be enjoying it!"

"Yeah, I am… well, at least I think I am. I just don't want to move too quickly, that's all."

"So, what do you want to do? Go out on a date?" Jennie smiled, teasingly rubbing her hands over Jesse's breasts. "I don't see why. After all, how much further can we go?"

Jesse finally realized that she still had two fingers buried in between Jennie's legs. She pulled them out and blushed. "Yeah, I think a date would be nice. I just don't want to jump blindly into this." She stepped back and pulled her T-shirt back down, covering herself up again. "I'm sure you can finish yourself off tonight" She said with a shy smile. "Just don't make too much of a mess!" She turned and started walking back to her bedroom. "Why don't you also think about where you want to take me tomorrow. If you sweep me off my feet, I may be willing to sleep with you on the first date!"

"Tease!" Jennie smiled at Jesse as she closed the door behind her.

Jesse pulled the door shut and collapsed on her bed. "Oh my God, I canNOT believe I just said that!" she giggled to herself and buried her face in the pillow.

Jennie-Lynn masturbated herself to the orgasm that Jesse denied her. When she was satisfied she got up and phased out the window to get some fresh air. Still virtually nude, she flew to a rooftop several blocks away. She landed hard, her green skin shifting to a normal flesh tone. Sweat plastered long blonde tresses to her face as she moaned in pain. "Damn you! You didn't tell me it would hurt so much!" Harlequin rose unsteadily to her feet, her nude body glistening with sweat. She picked up a duffel bag that she had placed there earlier and pulled out a costume and a cell phone. She dialed a number and waited for an answer. "Dick, tell Lady Savitar that phase one is complete. Have her stand by for phase two." She hung up, not waiting for a reply. Weakly, she flung her costume over her shoulder and walked into the building she had just landed on.

VIII

Part One

Jade stood on the corner of Las Palmas and Hollywood in watching the dawn break and considered what she'd say to the woman she hadn't talked to since Syl was alive. Sure there'd been Christmas cards and a congratulatory note on her last movie gig. But Jonni had put a lot of distance between the old Infinity Inc. crew, emotional and physical, since Star Spangled Kid, nee' the Skyman, had died from a combination of Solomon Grundy's pummeling and the unwilling Mr. Bones cyanide touch. Jade wrapped her arms around herself for warmth in the morning chill, but nothing could help that cold place in her gut that said Syl would be alive today if she'd only kept a closer eye on Grundy... If she'd never brought him into their lives... If she'd only... Did Jonni secretly blame her? She'd find out soon.

************

Jonni Thunder half jogged up the stairs of her office building. The word had come down that the building's new owner was going to fix the old elevator, but Jonni would believe that when she actually saw it. And she wait till someone else had tried out the old rattle trap before trusting her life to the rusted hulk she'd passed every work day since her dad had been alive. As the blonde woman in the white leisure suit reached the door that had the words "Thunder Investigations" blazoned across it large black block letters, she slowed to a halt.

Slight sound and the shadowed movement behind the smoked glass told her someone was already inside. This was a neat trick, since Jonni had taken to locking her office for the night. She eased her gun out of the stomach holster she'd gotten for her birthday, and clicked the safety off the Fiesta, another gift from the same admirer. It was a smaller gun than she liked to use, but after her last case, it was what she had to work with. The door swung open with a bang as she crashed in, gun trained on the intruder.

"JeezusHcrist!" Jade exclaimed with a pale green hand at her throat, "Jonni, you GOT to work on your entrances. You just about gave me a heart attack!"

Jonni sighed and holstered her weapon. She wasn't about to apologize. She'd had one too many uninvited guests show up to not be reasonably paranoid. Living lightening, giant cyber roaches, divorce attorneys, all manner of undesirables.

"Jade, not that it isn't good to see you, but breaking into my office isn't the best way to look up an old acquaintance." Jonni said as she studied her unexpected guest.

Jade was wearing the same costume Jonni had last seen her in during the days of Infinity Inc. Something nagged at the back of her mind. Jonni had actually kept up with the exploits of her old friends in newspaper clippings and the occasional police report her friends on the force had managed to send her way. Hadn't Jade changed costumes during that time? Well, there was no rule against wearing whatever costume suited your fancy. Jonni had to admit that Jade looked good in the body hugging lycra that glistened in the stark office lighting. Jonni herself preferred the no nonsense style of her closet full of white leisure suits, but sometimes in that secret place in her heart, she wanted to dress up in something sexy.

"So what's up?" Jonni asked as she walked to her desk, and gestured Jade to a nearby chair, "Is this Super Hero business? Because despite my hanging with your Infinity group on occasion, the spandex and super power deal was never my gig."

Jade ignored the chair, preferring to stand as she faced Jonni. Oh god, what if she said no? Jade shook the negative thought from her mind. What did she have to lose? If Jonni couldn't help her she just find someone else who could. But it surprised her, the depth of her desire to have Jonni in her corner.

"This is personal, Jonni." Jade said softly, her eyes studying the cup rings on the marred desk surface, "I want to hire you. For me."

Jonni remained standing as well, unwilling to sit while Jade fidgeted on her feet, clearly nervous about something.

"You need a private investigator?" Jonni asked, wanting clarity.

"I need you Jonni. I need you desperately." Jade breathed slowly, as she raised her troubled green eyes to meet the piercing blue ones studying her.

Jonni felt a little something lurch in her stomach, as the emerald gaze dropped from her face. Jade turned away from Jonni, as if she was afraid she'd revealed too much with her eyes. Her confusion, her desperation, her need.

"Jade. I'll try and help you as best I can." Jonni said as she went to the inexplicably shy green girl, "But I'll need more than cryptic remarks if you want me to be of any use."

Jonni placed a hand on Jade's shoulder and waited to see how she'd react. Jade didn't pull away, but a shiver ran through her at the warmth of Jonni's palm against the bare skin of her shoulder.

"I have a problem. Her name is Harlequin." Jade began, forcing herself to look at Jonni once more, "She was a Manhunter once, if you remember. She's the one responsible for Syl's death." Jonni stiffened at the mentioned name. She remembered. She remembered all too clearly. The grief she'd felt at the death of Sylvester Pemberton had been as bad, or in it's own way, worse than that of her father's. He'd been full of so many possibilities, hopes, dreams, goals... As full of life and energy as he had been of himself. While he would never know it, Syl had been the one man who'd gotten close enough to her that she'd even considered a real relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Poor Syl had tried so hard, and unflaggingly... she'd almost given in to his constant romantic plays. Almost.

"Go on." Jonni said, her voice a trifle sharp.

"She's back. She... She raped me." Jade finished in a whisper.

"What!?!" Jonni exclaimed as she enfolded the trembling girl in a steadying embrace, "Jade?"

"Maybe rape is too strong a word." Jade tried to laugh, but the sound was more like a sob, "I consented... I let her... She said she could bring back someone I loved. Someone who'd died... I would have done just about anything to make that happen, Jonni. Anything! But... I didn't think I'd feel so awful afterwards."

Jonni didn't know quite what to say. So she said nothing, just held Jade until the girl relaxed into her embrace. When Jade began to cry on Jonni's shoulder, she made soft sounds of comfort and held her tightly, letting her slender form absorb the trembling of the girl in her arms.

"Oh god, Jonni," Jade sniffled, " I didn't mean to fall to pieces on you. I really didn't. Forget what I just said, it isn't important..."

"Jennie Lynn Hayden! Don't you dare say that." Jonni retorted, surprised by the deep rush of anger she felt, "You've had a terrible, traumatic experience. Don't try and bury it. That never helps. You aren't alone. You have people who care for you too much to let something like that go by."

"Stop!" Jade spoke abruptly, as she tried to pull away, "If you're talking about my brother and father, just stop right there! You won't tell them Jonni. You can't. They'd go ballistic and someone would get hurt. Terribly hurt. Jonni, promise me you won't say anything!"

"Jade. If you don't want them to know, they won't learn about this from me. But you came to me for help. Let me help you Jade. I care about you too." Jonni said as she let go of Jade and waited for the girl to decide how much she could trust.

"Jonni... You really care? You don't blame me? I... didn't try and stop her. God... I participated. And I enjoyed it. It's so sick. I didn't want to have sex with her, but everything she did to me... Everything she made me do to her... It felt good. It felt better than good." Jade confessed, feeling shame wash over her.

"Jade... I can't judge you based on the uncontrollable responses of your body. You aren't to blame for feeling pleasure anymore than you could be blamed for feeling pain. And yes. I do care. Let me help you." Jonni answered her.

*****************

Part 2:

They ended up at Jonni's house. With her home computer, Jonni could do as much here as at her office, and she wanted Jennie in a less stark environment. The girl had been quiet during the drive, only smiling minutely when Jonni reached over to squeeze her hand. Knowing how bubbly and usually talkative Jennie Hayden could be, made Jonni want to find Harlequin in the worst way. Find her, and make her pay for the hollow look in Jade's lambent green eyes.

Though she usually skipped breakfast, Jonni decided to take the opportunity to get something warm and solid into her guest. She might not be the world's finest cook, but she could scramble eggs and make toast with the best of them. Grabbing a couple of mismatched plates, she piled the eggs and toasted bread onto them and set them on the bar counter in the kitchen that doubled as her dining table. Jennie picked at her plate as Jonni got them some fresh OJ... but after a few bites began tucking food away like a starving wolf.

Jonni watched her guest as she sipped at her juice. Some of her old sparkle was beginning to show through. She could see the food was beginning to counter some of the shock Jennie felt from her ordeal. Jade, feeling the detective's eyes on her, looked up. Their gaze locked, and Jonni felt a dryness in her throat. What was the matter with her? This was her friend. Her friend who'd just been through a horrible experience.

"I... I'm going to start a computer search. You finish up. I'll just be in the next room." Jonni said, draining the remainder of her OJ and hurriedly leaving the kitchen.

**************

Ahhhhh! How green it was. Ivy stretched and the sheath of tiny leaves and tendrils that made a living garment for her undulated to outline her every lithe curve. Soon, soon the promise of a new world order would be manifest. Harlequin's offer had been most... enticing. And all Ivy had to do to become the new green mother of Earth was deliver one little detective to her new friends. How difficult could that be?

**************

Shimmer frowned as she gazed into the mirror before her. She didn't recognize herself at all. Her normally curly red hair, often a short halo around her head, was now waist length. The weight of it pulled the usually kinky curl out and left it wavy and relaxed. Her normally brilliant, primary colored costume was replaced with a skintight black cat suit. Emma Peel style, it had a zippered front that she'd left undone to just below her navel. The light from the ladies room's florescent runners caught off the gold ring that winked just above the zipper. Smiling, Shimmer fingered the ornament, glad she was finally able to take off the band-aid that she'd had to wear over it the first month of the piercing.

Rolling the band-aid into a sticky little ball, she transmuted it to water vapor, and laughed as it dissolved in a fine mist. No, she didn't look like her old self, but this wasn't bad. Not bad at all. Baron would...Baron would... Baron would have approved. Will approve, she sharply reprimanded herself. Harlequin would come through on her promise, or there would be hell to pay.

So, little hero do gooder Jade needed to be taken down a peg or two. Well Shimmer was the talent for hire who cold do that, in spades! It was so convenient that the green girl had such an exploitable weakness. Reaching out, Shimmer brushed the polished surface of the mirror lightly with her fingertips... When she felt the slightly rough, grainy wood surface she smiled.

*************

"So many possibilities!" Jade said appalled as Jonni handed her the print out.

"Yeah, it'll take some time running down all the leads." Jonni said absently as she flipped through her own copy. "Which is why I will probably be faster if we split up and each take half the list." Looking up, Jonni's breath caught a moment as her eyes met Jade's stare. Shaking it off she continued.

"This is the glamorous life of a P.I. Jennie. Most of it's leg work and waiting. Hopefully, this compilation of old hangouts for Harlequin and her known cohorts will give us a lead to her present whereabouts. People are creatures of habit. She might even be one of these places. Or we may not find so much as a trace."

"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better." Jade said with a slight sarcastic edge to her voice.

"Don't be snippy." Jonni said with a grin. "And let's have lunch first before tackling this, okay?"

"Sure," Jade said with a shrug.

It had taken all the morning to get the list of possibilities that were contained in the neat printout in their hands. It was going to take awhile. Wouldn't hurt to replenish her energy reserves a bit. Jennie rubbed her stomach as it growled. She'd eaten like a horse earlier, but already she was ravenous again.

***********************************

Part 3:

Jonni decided it would be best for her and Jennie-Lynn to each take half of the list and investigate each location. She felt a little uncomfortable sending Jade off on her own, but with the size of the list, it was the best thing to do so they could hopefully get some information before Harlequin made her next move. She'd gone through most of her part of the list within the day and was beginning to investigate what she considered to be the long shots. Night had fallen by the time she pulled into the parking lot of the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. Jen mentioned it as a possibility because it was where Marcie and Todd went on their first date. A long shot, yes, but worth checking out at least.

The museum was closed, so she slipped into the shadows and looked around for any activity. Moving to the back of the building, she saw a flickering yellow light and shadows coming from the second floor. More to satisfy her curiosity than out of any sense of danger, Jonni found the Museum's receiving doors, cut off the alarm, and picked them open. She eased her way upstairs to where she saw the light coming from. Dinosaur skeletons loomed over her head as she pushed her way through the Mesozoic era plant life that filled the room.

"This is odd" she thought to herself. "There aren't any skylights or sunlamps in here. How are they able to keep these plants alive?" The humidity in the room was almost unbearable, prompting Jonni to also wonder how they keep the moisture from damaging the fossilized dinosaur bones. She eased herself forward, brushing aside a clump of vines blocking her path. She flashed her pistol forward nervously when the path opened. Pulling it to her chest when she saw nothing ahead, she took a cautious step forward, letting go of the vines she pushed aside. The vines didn't let her go though.

Jonni's heart leapt to her throat as she struggled to pull her wrist free to no avail. She aimed her pistol at the vines above where they entangled her wrist and let a shot off, severing them cleanly.

"NO!" Jonni heard a woman's voice cry out from behind her. She twirled around only to find more vines reaching out to entangle her, seemingly with a mind of their own. Before she could let another shot off, both arms were pinned to her waist, forcing her to drop her Fiesta to her feet. She was helpless as the vines continued to wrap themselves around her until she couldn't move at all.

Poison Ivy stepped out of the dense foliage, finally revealing herself to Jonni. "I should kill you for hurting my vines. I should rip you into dozens of little chucks of meat and feed you to my plants for hurting them. I should, but I won't I'm being compensated very nicely to simply capture you and give you this little trinket.

Jonni's eyes widened when she saw the source of the flickering yellow light. Ivy had her Thunderbolt statue. Jonni didn't know how she could've gotten it. It was jettisoned into space when Infinity Inc. found out that the Thunderbolts that occupied the statues were determined to conquer the Earth. She swallowed nervously as Ivy pressed the statue to her chest, allowing the vines to wrap around it and hold it in place. Additional vines slithered forward, wrapped around live electrical wires they pulled from the walls and ceiling. She could only cry out in agony as they pressed the wires against her, sending yellow current through the statue and through her body. Finally, she passed out, unable to bear the pain any longer.

Part 4

Jennie Lynn walked apprehensively up to the large, slovenly doorman. The strip club was nowhere on the list her and Jonni came up with, but she knew she should check it out. She knew Jonni would insist that she should leave it alone, wanting to protect her from anything that might bring back memories of what happened with Marcie as well as memories of Syl's death. Jennie knew she could deal with it though and maybe, she thought, the dancers would help keep her mind off of her problems.

"How much?" she asked. "Chicks get in fer ten bucks. If ya wanna give me a little bitta lovin', I c'n get yoo in fer free" the fat man laughed to himself, obviously amused by his amazing wit. "Sorry pal, I'm here for the chicks, not for you." Jennie smiled, holding a folded $10 bill between her first two fingers. The man took the bill and leered at Jennie's backside as she sauntered into the club. She worked her way up to the empty main stage, had a seat, and waved for a waitress. A topless blonde stumbled up to her, obviously unused to walking in stiletto heels.

"Uh, hi! What can I get for you?" the waitress asked nervously.

Jennie smiled up to the young woman. "I'll have a Rum and Coke please."

"Okay, one Rum and Coke, coming right up!" the waitress beamed energetically. As she turned to walk away, she tripped over her heels and sprawled face down into Jennie's lap, her hair flying forward over her face.

"Whoa, take your time honey! At least get to know me first!" Jen teased as she helped the blonde to her feet.

The waitress blushed deeply. "I'm sorry... I tripped... I didn't do that on purpose... I don't even like women... not that way I mean..." she stammered.

Jennie smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it. I was just teasing! Looks like you're new here."

"Um, yeah. How could you tell?" the waitress pushed her hair back and smiled weakly.

"You look like you can barely walk in those things." Jen pointed down to her stiletto-heeled boots.

"Yeah, it's my second night. My boss said I'd get used to them though. I'm really sorry about that though. You're drink's on me."

"You don't have to do that"

"No, I insist. I feel bad about this, and you've got a pretty smile." the waitress smiled meekly.

Jennie Lynn blushed slightly. "I thought you didn't like women that way." she teased.

"Yeah, well... I'll get you your drink." the waitress blushed and stumbled away. She returned in two minutes with the drink.

Jennie Lynn took the drink from her graciously. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure." she smiled widely and sat at a seat beside Jennie.

"I'm looking for someone. Do you have any dancers here named Harlequin or Marcie?"

The woman looked up in concentration. "You're not a cop, are you?" she asked nervously.

"No, I'm not a cop!" Jennie smiled.

"Okay, I know there used to be a dancer here named Harlequin, but she left about a year ago. She stays in touch with us though. In fact, she even recommended our feature dancer tonight. Goes by the name of Shimmer."

The name didn't ring a bell for Jade. "Thank you! I really appreciate your help."

"Don't worry about it! By the way, my name's Jennifer." she said, holding her hand out.

"I'm Jennie" she replied, taking her hand, lightly shaking it.

"Wow! That's really cool! It's a real pleasure to meet you Jennie. I have to get back to work now, before my boss kills me!" the blonde smiled and stood up. She handed Jennie Lynn a small slip of paper. "If you... uhh... want to go out some time, give me a call!"

Jennie Lynn took the paper and slipped it into her purse. "I don't live in LA anymore. I'm just killing some time here while I'm visiting with friends. I'll hold on to this in case I ever return though! It was really nice meeting you Jennifer!"

Jade sat though a half-dozen dancers before Shimmer came on. She was stunned by the beautiful redhead, dressed in shiny black leather. Shimmer started her dance normally, stripping down to a shiny leather g-string, black boots, and gloves. Once she teased the crowd enough, she turned her attention to Jade, striding purposefully toward her.

Shimmer smiled maliciously as she stood directly over Jade. "This is gonna be so easy, I might as well play with her a little" she thought to herself and started swaying her hips. She started slowly, but quickly picked up her pace, gyrating in a furious frenzy. She hooked her thumbs into her g-string and pushed it down quickly. She fell backwards, catching herself with one hand and slid her crotch within an inch of Jennie Lynn's face. Using her free hand, Shimmer reached down and pushed a finger inside of herself. She danced and masturbated furiously directly in Jade's face, enjoying the fact that this would be the last bit of excitement this little do gooder would ever get.

Jade couldn't help but be confused. This woman obviously knew exactly who she was, and she was obviously a friend of Marcie's. "More head games" she thought. "Marcie knows the other night was a one shot deal, so she's trying to push her friends on me. Well, it's not going to work... no matter how... wow..." she couldn't help but be fascinated by the sight of Shimmer fingering herself less than an inch from her face.

Shimmer brought herself to a climax easily. Once her orgasm subsided, she flipped around and crawled on her hands and knees away from Jade, toward her discarded cat suit. As she motioned to pick it up, her hand glowed. She flipped herself up like lightning and transmuted the air around her hand into a wooden spike. She flipped it in her hand and lunged toward Jade.

Jade wasn't surprised at all. She smoothly shifted her skin to green and activated her power pulse. As Shimmer leapt toward her she casually put up an emerald shield.

Shimmer grinned when she saw the shield. Marcie told her Jade's weakness. The shield would be useless. She thrust the wooden spike forward... and it shattered against the emerald shield.

"Oh, please. That Buffy the Vampire Slayer stuff doesn't work on me anymore" A green fist projected itself from the shield, punching Shimmer directly in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Jade let the shield disappear, hopped up on stage, and grabbed the stunned, nude woman, by the arm. "You made this way too easy." she smiled and punched her squarely across the jaw, knocking her out. She turned to see Jennifer and the rest of the club staring in awe at her. "Could you please call the police, Jennifer?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure..." she stammered as she watched Jade phase through the roof and fly away. "Wow... I think I'm in love..."

Part 5

It was after midnight and Jonni still hadn't returned home. Jade was worried that she may have been ambushed as well, so she grabbed a copy of Jonni's list and flew off, backtracking her way through it. It didn't take long to get to the Museum, where she saw Jonni's distinctive white T-Bird sitting out in the parking lot. She saw the brightly flickering yellow light coming through the second floor and phased through the window. She was shocked to see Jonni unconscious, tied up by vines and glowing with yellow electricity. She rushed over and cut the vines with an emerald saw, catching Jonni before she hit the ground. Jade felt only a slight tingle from the electricity coursing through Jonni's body. She gently lowered her to the ground. She reached into her belt and pulled out some smelling salts. Ever since she decided to become a heroine, Jade had always carried some light first aid materials with her, just in case.

Jonni's eyes shot open, shocked into consciousness by the strong smell. "Whoa, I'm awake..." she said, sitting up slowly, leaning against Jennie Lynn for support. Her electrical aura disappeared immediately upon regaining consciousness. "Poison Ivy... " she said weakly. "She did this... damn, I couldn't stop her... she got away...Oh hell..." she reached over and picked up the golden statuette.

Jade recognized what happened immediately. The thunderbolt Jonni had in the past was back. She remembered how desperate Jonni was to get rid of it in the first place, especially when she realized it's malevolent intentions. Jennie Lynn pulled Jonni in close to her and hugged her firmly to comfort her.

Jonni was in shock. She thought she was through with this. She should've known that agreeing to help Jade would only lead to trouble. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown into the metahuman pool again. "Why did I agree to help? Damnit, I couldn't leave well enough alone." she thought as she felt Jennie Lynn pull her in and hug her. "No, this is NOT happening again. NO! Not after Syl, not with the problems Jennie's going through now, not NOW!" she protested to herself in vain as she felt her friend press her lips against hers.

Jade couldn't help herself. Yes, she knew she was turned on from the strip club, but this was more. Jonni needed her and she needed Jonni. Too many emotions were bubbling up, To many memories were resurfacing and she knew they had to do something to stop them from overwhelming them. She was still hesitant. Jonni wasn't quite returning the kiss, but she wasn't pulling away either. Was she thinking about Syl? Was she angry with Jen for getting her involved in this mess? She couldn't know.

Jonni felt Jade's hesitation. She was hesitating too. She didn't know if she was ready for this. Not after Syl, not after finally convincing herself that she did love him, that she loved him despite the fact that she thought she could never love a man. She lost him before she could tell him. And now, she had this beautiful woman kissing her. She was immensely attracted to her, but she reminded her so much of Syl, young, full of energy, and incredibly sexy. But she was in the same line of work Syl was in... the work that got him killed. She couldn't bear losing someone else like she lost him. But then she realized, she was in that line of work too. She was inextricably linked to the heroes, whether she had powers or not, she was in the same danger Jade was in. Jonni knew then that she should take advantage of what she had going for her, not to push Jennie Lynn away. She pulled the smaller woman in tighter and opened her mouth, passionately returning Jennie's kiss and peeling her costume off.

Jennie Lynn pulled back once her costume was completely removed. She just smiled warmly and reached across to take off Jonni's tie. She tossed it aside and, never losing eye contact, unbuttoned her blouse. The humidity caused the fabric to stick to her skin. Unbuttoning it all the way, Jade reached in and started kissing between her breasts, pushing one side of her shirt aside, then the other. Her hands moved to Jonni's pants and began to quickly undo them. She pushed her hand down Jonni's open pants, inside her panties, and finally inside her. Her lips were clasped to Jonni's breast as she brought her to orgasm almost immediately.

Once she recovered, Jonni pushed Jade onto her back and started kissing her stomach, hips, thighs, always teasing, but never making contact between her legs. Jade went crazy from this, finally just grabbing Jonni's head and pushing it down on her. She screamed as Jonni pushed her tongue inside of her, orgasming almost as quickly as Jonni did. They made love for hours, only leaving the museum just in time before it opened. They returned to Jonni's apartment and made love yet again before finally falling asleep.

After a few days and nights of lovemaking, Jonni woke up to an empty bed. That wasn't the only thing that was empty though. She no longer felt the thunderbolt inside her body.

Flashback - 1 Month ago

It was a warm May afternoon when Jade moved out of Kyle Rayner’s apartment. As good of a friend as he was, she just couldn’t accept his hospitality any more. The loss of her powers when she defeated the Starheart affected her more than she’d care to admit. She desperately needed to strike out on her own, to prove to herself that she could succeed independently. She resumed her modeling career and was looking at movie scripts again. Her photography had to take a back seat, no matter how much she enjoyed being on the other side of the camera.

Kyle was on another mission with the Justice League, so the only person she could get to help her move was Allison Chandler, Kyle’s neighbor and her friend. Allison was the person responsible for talking Jennie-Lynn into returning to modeling. They stood outside of Jennie-Lynn’s new apartment building, preparing to carry Jennie-Lynn’s belongings up to the 40th floor apartment she had just leased. Jennie wore a pair of dark green spandex shorts and a tank top, while Allison wore jeans and a white T-shirt.

"Uh, Jen. You said you were on the 4th floor, right?" Allison asked hopefully, staring up at the tall building in front of her.

"Oh, don’t be such a wimp Allison. You need the exercise anyway. I would never have gotten that Bikini Magazine layout if it wasn’t for the fact that you’re letting your thigh’s turn to jello!" Jade jabbed playfully.

"Hey! You got that layout because I dropped out, remember? If I hadn’t, you’d be the one helping me move in here, not the other way around!" Allison jabbed back with a smile.

Jennie opened the back of the rented truck, looked at all the boxes she had packed, and gave Allison a mock frown. "It’s gonna be worse than you thought."

Allison looked at the pile of boxes that they had to move and groaned. "I thought you only had a single backpack full of stuff when you moved in with Kyle. How’d you end up with so much?"

"It’s the curse of being female I think. Once I got my first check from Bikini Magazine, I had to go shopping. Think I went a little overboard?"

"Seeing that I’m the one stuck moving this stuff, yeah, I think you went way overboard! C’mon, we’ve got a long day ahead of us. I’d like to be done by midnight, so we still get a bite to eat at Radu’s when we’re done." she said, lifting the first box out of the truck.

It turns out midnight was a hopelessly optimistic goal for the two of them. It was well passed 2 AM when they finally collapsed on the couch in Jade’s new living room. "Oh my god, I’m exhausted!" Allison yawned and stretched.

"Me too." Jennie-Lynn replied. "Why don’t you stay here tonight? We’ll go out for breakfast tomorrow. I owe you at least that much for helping me out today!"

"It’s no problem Jen! I was glad to help. I may take you up on that offer though. The last thing I want is to fall asleep on the subway getting home! Anyway, this couch is so comfortable, I don’t think you could force me off of here!"

"You want something to drink? I’ve got a bottle of wine that I bought to celebrate my new apartment."

Just as Jennie-Lynn got up and before Allison could answer, the windows got rocked by an explosion outside the building. Jennie bolted up and ran to the balcony. "Stay inside!" she yelled back at Allison.

Outside, Nightshade was completely confused and fighting for her life. She’d stayed in New Orleans, remaining a part of Task Force X even after the Suicide Squad officially disbanded. She was starting to regain control of her life and of the succubbus she had absorbed from June Moone, The Enchantress. The darkness in her soul was receding. Now it seemed as if she knew why. She was ambushed in her home by the Enchantress. Desperate to get away and gain a moment to clear her head, she opened a teleport disc and blindly jumped through. What she wasn’t expecting was to have her random teleport drop her off in downtown New York City!

Enchantress threw magical blast after magical blast at Nightshade, forcing her on the defensive. Finally, a powerful shot got through, hitting Nightshade square in the chest, sending her plummeting to the streets below.

Jennie-Lynn screamed as she saw Nightshade falling, feeling completely helpless, unable to do anything to help. Tears streamed down her face as she reached out off of the balcony, knowing it was impossible to reach her. Just then, through her despair, she felt a surge. She stood up on the balcony rail and jumped.

"Jennie! Stop!" Allison yelled as she saw Jade leap off of the balcony. She ran over just in time to see Jennie-Lynn surround herself in a green aura and take flight.

Jade darted down and grabbed Nightshade’s limp body just before it hit the street. Cradling Nightshade in one arm she pointed up with the other one and blasted the Enchantress clear across Manhattan. "That should take care of her!" she thought as she steadied her grip on Nightshade, pulling her legs up with her free hand. She rose up slowly, elated that her powers have returned. She noticed that their reappearance also put her back in costume, the same one she fought the Starheart in, white thigh boots, a black half top with a green star symbol, and a black g-string.

Arriving back at her balcony, she saw Allison staring in awe at her. Jade suddenly felt naked in front of her, wondering why she chose such a revealing costume. "She’s hurt. I’m going to fly her to the hospital" Jade said to Allison. As she turned to fly away, she looked over her shoulder. "You can stop staring now!" She said with a quick grin and flew off.

Nightshade slowly regained consciousness in Jade’s arms. As she opened her eyes, she was almost stunned by the beauty she saw carrying her. "An angel" she whispered, touching Jade’s cheek with her hand.

"You’re awake! Thank god! You’re injuries don’t look too bad, but I’m taking you to the hospital just to make sure." Jade looked down at Nightshade and smiled.

"No. No, I’ll be fine..." Nightshade said weakly, transfixed by Jade’s beauty. She continued staring in Jade’s eyes until she did the only she thought possible. She kissed her.

Jennie-Lynn’s eyes shot open as she felt Nightshade’s tongue enter her mouth. She just noticed how attractive the brunette she was holding in her arms was. Despite the surprise attack, Nightshade was able to get into costume by the time she hit New York. She was in her classic costume, a dark blue miniskirt, with an orange and dark blue mask cut off at the top revealing her shoulder length black hair. The shock of the kiss finally died down and Jade pulled her lips back. "Wow." was all she could say.

She flew them both to a nearby rooftop and lowered Nightshade to her feet. Jennie-Lynn willed her emerald aura to disappear and found herself back in her spandex shorts and tank top. Nightshade was still staring at her.

"I’m sorry about that." she said quietly. "My name’s Eve Eden, Nightshade."

"Oh, uhm... hi! I’m Jennie-Lynn. You have no idea how lucky you were back there."

"Lucky. Lucky to be rescued by the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. Lucky to see an angel firsthand." She reached her gloved hand up and stroked Jennie-Lynn’s cheek.

"Wow. I’m...I’m flattered...really...but you look hurt...we really should get you looked at..." Jennie-Lynn stammered. She looked into Eve’s eyes and saw them burning with passion.

Eve never broke eye contact. "No. I’m fine. She just knocked the wind out of me, that’s all. Look, I know this is strange, but just looking at you...I feel this attraction...god, you’re so beautiful..." She smiled graciously when she saw Jennie-Lynn blush and take her hand.

"Uhmmm...look, this is just so sudden, that’s all. I mean, I just met you." She found herself holding Nightshades free hand and staring up and down her body, her legs, her chest, her eyes... "Ah, screw it" she whispered and engulfed Eve’s lips in her own, lust pouring from her body.

Eve was shocked by Jennie-Lynn’s rush of emotion. Although she had started this, she had no idea what to do next. All she could do was go with it, let instinct do it’s thing.

Eve’s lips and tongue separated from Jennie-Lynn’s and moved down her body, kissing all the down to her spandex shorts. Kneeling before her and kissing between her legs, she brought her hands to Jade’s hips and yanked down her shorts, which Jennie-Lynn stepped right out of. She planted a few more kisses before standing up again. She pressed a deep tongue kiss on her mouth and let her hands rest on Jade’s bare rear. Breaking the kiss she looked around "This really isn’t the most...romantic place to be right now, is it?"

Jennie-Lynn laughed. "No, not really! What do you propose? I have someone at my apartment right now, so that’s not really an option."

"No, that’s not what I was thinking. I’ve got an idea. Close your eyes." Jade complied. Eve concentrated and teleported them away, leaving Jennie-Lynn’s shorts behind.

From the shadows, Enchantress and Harlequin stepped out. Harlequin picked up the shorts Jennie-Lynn left behind and looked at Enchantress. "You’re sure the succubbus will transfer to Jade when they make love?"

"Positive. After all, she is me and I am her. My proximity was able to fan Nightshade’s natural feeling of lust and attraction to Jade. Just like we planned. Why? You jealous?" Enchantress asked wryly.

"Jealous? Ha! When all is said and done, Jennie-Lynn Hayden will be mine! Why should I be jealous of who she screws to get there? In the meantime, I’ve got you, so I’m far from lonely!"

"Yes, of course you have me!" Enchantress smiled wickedly as she leaned in and teleported herself and Harlequin away with a kiss.

IX

Albert laid in a hospital bed dying. His spine was crushed by his impact against the alley wall. He did the only thing possible to block out the pain that crippled him even in unconsciousness. Albert dreamed.

He laid on the floor of a huge hallway. A giant weight was preventing him from standing up. The hallway ended in a bright archway, white light shining from it upon his body. It was both close by and infinitely far away. With tremendous effort he pushed himself forward, toward the light. One foot forward...two feet...three feet...the weight was unbearable.

Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled back. Behind him, a wall of swirling gold appeared. The wall opened a gaping mouth and brightly clad arms stretched out of the grotesque mouth to grab him.

"No! I’m not going back!" He yelled at the unlistening arms. He stretched his arm out, increased his density and clawed his fingers into the marble floor.

"You have no choice. You’re dying...you’re going to limbo, where you belong..." the mouth whispered.

Albert looked up and saw a gleam of emerald in the archway. The gleam grew, blinding him. "This man is in my palace, under my protection. Begone, Mask of Medusa." With that, that wall screamed and the arms withdrew into the mouth.

A man with skin of pure white, dressed in white robes walked up to Albert. "Stand up, Uncle Al."

In the waking world, Albert’s spine began fixing itself. Crushed bone reformed, severed nerves reattached, and pain disappeared. Albert continued dreaming.

Albert stood up, facing the man who just saved his life.

"Come, walk with me. I have much to tell you and little time." the man in white said calmly. They walked toward the archway, but before they entered, the hallway disappeared. Their walk continued along a garden path. The sun was bright and seemed to invigorate Al even more. He remained silent though.

"I need you Uncle Al. My mother has made some very dangerous enemies, and some even more dangerous allies. I can’t protect her. It is forbidden. She was responsible for the death of my predecessor and for my ascension. It gives me great pain that I am unable to be there for her. She put her life and her sanity in jeopardy for me and all I can do is watch her suffer the consequences. Therefore, I want you to protect her and watch over her for me. I’m giving you a portion of my power, of my soul, to aid you. Your body has been mended. I must warn you, trials that would destroy the weak are approaching. The Mask of Medusa has power that even the Furies fear. Please Uncle Al, protect my mother, protect her and love her. I can see into your heart. Share your love with her. Your time is up here. Please, heed what I say. I love you Uncle Al, and I love her. Tell my mother that I love her..."

Before Al could say a word, the man in white disappeared. The garden faded away and his eyes opened. Albert woke up.

X

"I still can’t believe I’m going through with this" Jesse thought to herself as she looked in the mirror one final time, adjusting her short, black cocktail dress yet again. She took a deep breath, slid on her high heels, and stepped out into the living room where Jennie-Lynn was waiting.

"Wow!" was all Jennie could say when she saw Jesse walk out.

Jennie Lynn’s stare didn’t help much in easing Jesse’s nervousness. She blushed and lowered her head to the ground, but couldn’t keep her own eye’s off of Jennie-Lynn. Jennie-Lynn was dressed in a light green, extremely short sun dress. Jesse’s blush quickly diminished when Jennie-Lynn walked up to her and gave her a long, gentle kiss.

"Mmmm" Jesse smiled as Jennie pulled back from the kiss. "Aren’t we supposed to make out later tonight? If you keep this up, I might not want to go out tonight, no matter how much you’re gonna spend on me!"

Jennie lightly rubbed her cheek to Jesse’s and whispered quietly to in her ear "That’s the idea." She pressed one more light kiss against Jesse’s ear and pulled back. "But, since that’s not working, it look’s like I’m gonna have to buy your love tonight!"

"Oh, you make it sound SO romantic Jen!" Jesse smiled, sarcasm melting to warmth as she reached out to take Jennie Lynn’s hand.

Jennie-Lynn grabbed a black leather jacket she had draped over the back of a chair with her free hand and slung it over her shoulder, and the two women walked out of the apartment, hand in hand.

They walked quietly through downtown Manhattan for a half hour before reaching their destination. Jennie-Lynn had made reservations for a balcony seat at a quiet (and very expensive) cafe along the harbor. Their seats gave them an incredible view of the city at sunset. Nobody in the restaurant looked twice at the two beautiful women walking in hand in hand, so obviously in love. Jesse looked around and saw a few other same-sex couples enjoying a romantic evening out.

"Jen, is this a...you know...a gay restaurant?" Jesse asked discretely after they were seated.

Jennie smiled warmly at her. "No, not exclusively. It is very open-minded about it though. Arisia brought me here when we started dating last year. It’s nice for me to be able to go out on a date with another woman and not have everyone staring at me."

Jesse shifted nervously in her seat. This place was putting it all in focus for her. She was very much in love with Jen, she convinced herself of that the night before, but she hadn’t yet put the "L" label on it yet. She just stared quietly in Jennie Lynn’s eyes.

Finally, she got the nerve to speak. "Jen, how did you get over it...the fact that you’re a lesbian?"

Jennie-Lynn laughed at this. "There was never anything for me to get over! So I have a habit of falling in love with women instead of men. I live my life through my heart and through what makes me feel good, not through arbitrary labels people put on me. Once you get to that point, gay, straight, lesbian...those words mean nothing. The only thing that has any meaning is what I feel in my heart and my body."

"So you never had second thoughts about being with women?"

"Never. Why? Are you?"

"I don’t know. To be honest with you, the thought never crossed my mind until we came here. Now it’s like I’m completely exposed. I feel like I’m naked."

Jennie-Lynn smiled at this. "I wish you were!" she joked.

"I’m serious Jen, what are people going to say if they find out about us?"

"I don’t know. And, you know what? I don’t care either." She slid her leg up and rubbed her calf against Jesse’s. "The only thing that matters is that I love you."

Jesse fell silent. "I love you." These three words had never been spoken to her in this way before. It surprised her far more than Jennie’s bare leg rubbing against her’s. Her brain went through dozens of reactions and feelings before she finally said the only obvious thing she could. "I love you too."

It was after midnight before they finally left the restaurant. The entire night seemed to consist of brazen flirtation by Jennie, shy innuendoes by Jesse, and far too much wine. They were walking back to Jesse’s apartment, giggling furiously from the alcohol, when Jennie suddenly calmed herself and stopped in front of a dark alley between two glass skyscrapers. She looked Jesse in the eye’s and said simply "Come on, love."

Jesse was confused. She had seen this look in Jennie’s eye’s the night before. She allowed Jennie to drag her deep into the twisting alleyway.

"What’s going on? Where are we going?"

"Shhh..." Jennie pulled her in deeper, until they were out of sight of the streets that the alley connected.

Jennie-Lynn let go of Jesse’s hand and stepped back. A cool summer breeze blew through her sun dress and hair as she removed her jacket and tossed it aside. The breeze swept her dress aside, revealing to Jesse that Jennie-Lynn wore absolutely nothing underneath.

"God, she’s beautiful" Jesse thought to herself. Before another thought could enter her mind, Jennie-Lynn pushed her gently back against the wall and started deeply tongue kissing her.

Jennie pulled back breathlessly after a couple minutes and stared at Jesse. "God, I want you."

Jesse smiled and firmly but gently pushed Jennie’s back to the wall. She leaned in and kissed her lips, slowly moving down to Jennie’s neck. Jesse felt Jennie move her leg up her body causing her dress to slide up, allowing her to rub her bare crotch against Jesse’s leg.

Jennie-Lynn started whispering breathlessly again. "Oh God, I want you Jesse. I want to make love to you." Jesse replied by pulling the shoulder straps of Jennie’s dress down, exposing her breasts. Jennie continued to moan quietly as Jesse sucked on them. "Please Jes, make love me. Right now."

Jesse immediately crouched down in front of her and lifted Jennie’s dress to her hips. She planted her mouth between her legs and slid her tongue as deep inside of her as possible. Just like the night before, instinct took over as she made love to her.

Jennie-Lynn pulled her dress over her head and threw it aside. She leaned back against the wall, whispering and moaning her love to Jesse before she was finally brought to orgasm. Jesse pulled her face back, licked her lips dry and looked up in Jennie Lynn’s sparkling blue eyes.

"Blue eye’s? Oh, no..." she thought to herself as Jennie Lynn’s skin faded to white and her hair turned blonde. "3X2(9YZz...)" It was too late. Marcie had already sent the signal out.

BOOM...she was halted in the middle of her speed formula by a deafening sonic boom and a painful crack across her face. Her head snapped aside and she collapsed unconscious to the ground.

Harlequin recovered from the blast of Lady Savitar’s sonic boom in time to see Christina standing in front of her in tears.

"What was that all about?" Christina cried.

"What was what? We had this planned perfectly. Good job." Harlequin smiled slyly to the red maned speedster.

"What do you mean? Damn it, you said you loved her!"

"It was all a part of the ruse. I had to say I loved her. I never would have gotten her here otherwise."

"You said you wouldn’t screw her! she cried.

"I didn’t! She started the whole thing! I told you, I was only going to make out with her until you got here." Marcie lied. "She was more aggressive than I expected her to be!"

Christina turned her back to Marcie, trying to wipe away the tears. "Do you love her?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I don’t love her! Haven’t I always said I love you?" She was lying again. There was some feeling there with Jesse. She actually did feel love for her. She pushed that disturbing thought to the back of her mind. Whatever "love" she felt, it was gone now. She took Christina by the shoulder and gently turned her around. Looking in Christina’s eye’s, she took her by the hand and placed it against her sweat covered breast. ‘I love you Christina." She leaned in and kissed one of her tears away. "Come on. You interrupted before Jesse could finish what she was doing." she lied again. "Run us home, stick her in her cell, and then you can finish me off."

Christina grabbed Jesse, flung her over her shoulder and disappeared for a few seconds. She returned, swooped Marcie off her feet before she could grab her clothing, and sped off, leaving her sun dress floating in the breeze.

XI

Todd woke up the next morning, surprised to be alone, but still happier than he could ever remember being. He trudged into his bathroom, still wiping the sleep from his eyes, and allowed his mind to wander back to the night before. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Instead of returning Albert to his own apartment, Albert said it would probably be easier to stay at Todd’s place, if he didn’t mind. Didn’t mind? Todd had to hold himself back, so as to not sound too overeager. With that out of the way, there was really nothing else that could interfere with the romance of the night. Romance. Todd chuckled to himself as he stepped into the shower. Romance was not something he would ever think possible with another man, let alone Albert. Everything he’d heard, everything he’d seen about gay relationships, they all seemed so wrong, so superficial, so much without true love. But last night was the most romantic night of Todd’s life. Every word Albert said, every move he made, every touch he gave, it was all perfect. He let his mind drift back while he washed himself, remembering every moment as is it were happening right now. He stepped out of the shower, wiped the mist off of the mirror, and looked at himself. He was slightly embarrassed at how his recollections were stimulating him right now but forced it from his mind. He’d been as intimate as was humanly possible with Albert last night, what would he say to one simple erection? He flipped his towel over his shoulder and stepped back into the bedroom. He saw Albert’s clothing still strewn all over the floor, so he had to still be there.

"Albert?" Todd called out, into the living room. No answer.

He tossed the towel onto the bed and walked into the living room and kitchen area, but didn’t see Albert anywhere.

"Albert!" he called out again, louder this time.

"He’s not here." Todd heard a voice come from behind him. He spun around to see a strikingly handsome man with long blonde hair, wearing a green business suit. "He never was."

"What are you talking about? How did you get in here?" Todd asked forcefully, shifting into his shadow form as much for defense as to cover nudity and obvious stimulation.

"You invited me Obsidian. I told you it would probably be easier for me to stay here tonight rather than return to my own place of residence. I seem to recall you eagerly agreeing. Now, turn back to your other body"

With that, Obsidian found himself hurled back by an unseen force. He forcibly switched back to his human form in midair, and landed with a painful thud against the wall.

"You’re making a mistake. I was with Albert last night." Todd gasped through the pain.

The man stood up, walked over to Todd’s prone body and stooped over him. "That wasn’t Albert you were with last night, Obsidian." The man reached between Todd’s legs and took his manhood in his hand. "It was me."

Suddenly, images started swirling in Todd’s head, rearranging...no, not rearranging...fixing his memories. The man was telling the truth. Tears started welling up in his eyes as he turned his head. "Oh God..."

The man’s eye’s flamed and he squeezed hard between Todd’s legs, causing him to cry out in agony. "Don’t ever use that name in my presence again!"

Despite the pain, Todd managed to ask one simple question. "Why?"

"Why? Let’s just say it was a ritual. I was inside you and you were inside me. And now, I’m literally inside you. What you’re seeing now is a simple projection." Todd suddenly realized he’d been hearing the man’s voice in his head, not coming from his mouth. "You’re body is mine to do with as I will. Here, I’m going to give you a gift today."

Todd found his body rising and assuming shadow form against his will. Once on his feet, the man faded away, and he started feeling a new pain, as though he were being turned inside out. He wanted to scream, but couldn’t control his own vocal cords. For an instant, everything went black. When color invaded his senses once again, he saw that he was elsewhere. Flames sprung up in all directions, and the cries of the damned filled his ears. "Welcome to Hell, Obsidian. Welcome home. You’ve always whined and complained about how damned you felt with your powers. Now, I can tell you, you were right. You’ve always had the ability to force people to see the dark sides of their souls. That’s not exactly what you’re doing. You’re body itself is a gateway to hell. When you show people their dark side’s, all you are doing is showing them their rightful place here. Welcome to my kingdom. Our kingdom now, lover. My name is Neron, and we have much work ahead of us"

A throne rose up out of the ground and Obsidian sat in it, a single tear running down his cheek.

XII

After almost a week in LA, Jennie-Lynn finally decided to return to New York. Despite a very intriguing turn of events in her relationship with Jonni Thunder, this was her home. She first stopped off at Jesse’s apartment. Jennie-Lynn was surprised that Jesse didn’t try to contact her at Jonni’s office. She used the spare key Jesse gave her to enter and called out her name.

"Jesse?"

No answer.

She called out again, with the same results. "Oh well" Jade thought to herself. "She’s probably at work in Philly right now. Heck, with her power’s, she could be anywhere in the world!" Reassured that she was alone, she stripped out of her costume and changed into a short skirt and shirt that she had there. She looked around the apartment for a pen and piece of paper, and wrote her a short note telling her that she’s back from LA. She pinned the note to the refrigerator and left ,looking back once before pulling the door shut and locking it behind her.

Jennie went back outside and started walking. She was glad for this time alone, to try to get her thoughts back in order. Jesse’s been on her thoughts quite a bit recently, even in her dreams. She didn’t tell Jonni about some of the intense dreams she’d been having about Jesse in the past week. Dreams of making out with her in Jesse’s kitchen and making love to her in some alleyway. Normally, she wouldn’t have any second thoughts about it. Jesse’s been dominating her fantasies more and more these days. But these dreams were amazingly intense. So intense that they brought her to a couple of powerful orgasms on those nights. She was just glad that Jonni never noticed any of the additional wetness in her bed when they woke up.

Jade was so lost in these thoughts that she never realized where she was going. Her train of thought was broken though when she found herself at the doorway of the restraunt that she took Jesse to in her dreams. Jennie found herself starting to retrace the steps that her dream self took with Jesse that night. She easily located the alley that they entered and cautiously followed. It looked so much different in the daytime. White concrete walls broken sporadically by the reflective glass of the skyscrapers gave it a sterile look that was surprisingly free of litter and homeless. The skyscrapers that framed the alley were irregularly shaped, making enough twists and turns to create areas that were completely hidden from street view. Not completely hidden from everyone it seems though, Jade noticed as she looked up and saw about a dozen security cameras all focused down on the alley. No wonder it was so clean. The owners of the two buildings spared no expense on security for this area. She continued down the alley until something else caught her eye. In what she guessed was one of the few security blind spots, lying on the ground, was a black leather jacket and a light green sun dress.

She picked the dress up and let her mind float back to her dreams. Her and Jesse kissing furiously... Jesse going down on her, right over here. She walked over to the wall that her dream self was pressed against and leaned back. Her body began to react to the memories and she began writhing unconsciously, sliding her hand up her own skirt and rubbing the material of the sun dress against herself. She let her mind’s eye wander down to see top of Jesse’s head between her legs. She felt herself start to climax when she looked up in her dream to see her reflection in one of the reflective glass windows nearby. It wasn’t her reflection she saw though, it was Harlequin’s. She snapped herself back to reality after seeing this.

"Oh hell. Jesse!" She clenched the sun dress and launched herself into the Manhattan skyline.

She stopped herself just before she put herself into orbit. "Calm down Jen" she thought to herself. "You’re not going to be of any use if you fly off half cocked without any clue about what’s really going on." She flew back down and landed on the roof of the World Trade Center.

Looking over the skyline, she tried to figure out to herself what was happening. Apparently, she was able to somehow experience whatever Harlequin was doing while she was impersonating her. The only time anything even remotely similar to that happened to Jade was through her telepathic link with her brother and to a lesser extent, when she talked telepathically with Hank while they were dating. But, in those cases, she was only able to communicate, she never got anything Todd or Hank didn’t want her to see. But, maybe, the principle of it was the same. She closed her eyes and reached her mind out over the city. Expecting to find only Todd’s mind, she was somewhat shocked when the mind she did contact wasn’t that of her brother. It felt more like she was seeing herself in a mirror, but in a dark room. Barely a shadow right now. She couldn’t talk to it, she couldn’t figure out any way to communicate with it, but she could see through it.

"Bingo! Now it’s time to turn the tables on her." Jade smiled to herself, putting the fact that Todd wasn’t anywhere in her scanning range to the back of her mind.

She waited until sunset to go to the building that she saw in her mind. It was a 20 story, high class apartment complex. Harlequin was on the top floor, according to her vision. She looked around to make sure the area was fairly deserted and took to the air. At the top, she got lucky. The first window she looked through was into the hallway. She phased through quietly and walked down the hall to what she thought was Marcie’s apartment. Jennie took a deep breath and adjusted the sun dress that she was wearing. The same one she found in the alley. She stepped up and knocked on the door.

After a minute, Marcie Cooper answered the door, clad only in a short bath robe, tied loosely at the waist. Jade saw a brief look of surprise on Marcie’s face. "Well, this is certainly unexpected!" Marcie thought to herself, and, being the consummate actress, quickly hid her astonishment under a smile of welcome.

"Why hello Jennie-Lynn! What brings you here? Last I heard, you were in Los Angeles." Marcie asked with a sly smile.

"I just got back today" Jennie answered, inviting herself into Marcie’s apartment.

Marcie turned aside to allow Jennie to pass. "So, can I get you anything to drink?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Yes, please. I’d like a glass of wine." Jennie smiled graciously.

Marcie disappeared from view for a minute, walking into her kitchen. She came out with 2 glasses filled with wine, which she placed on an end table beside her sofa. Jennie hadn’t taken a seat yet. "I have to be honest with you Jennie, I really wasn’t expecting to stop by for a visit tonight. I was just about to take a shower, if you’re wondering why I’m a bit underdressed right now." she said. She took a seat on her couch and crossed her legs, seemingly unconscious of the fact that the lapel of her robe opened further, exposing one of her breasts.

Jennie-Lynn gave her a mischievous grin replying "Don’t worry, I’m not wearing much more than you right now anyway!" She flipped the front of her skirt up, giving Marcie a quick flash, showing that she was wearing the dress exactly as Marcie was a couple nights ago, with nothing on underneath.

Marcie raised an eyebrow upon seeing this, and invited Jade to have a seat. She accepted the offer and sat by her side, casually brushing their legs together.

"So, how was LA? Run into any old friends?" Marcie asked.

"Actually, I ran into a couple friends of your’s. Shimmer sends her regards." Jade answered, a bit too good-naturedly for Marcie’s comfort.

"And how’s Jonni Thunder?" Marcie asked, trying to turn the tables on Jade. "Was she a good lay?"

Jennie smiled mischievously again. "She wasn’t bad actually. But compared to you, sleeping with her was like sleeping with a sixteen year-old virgin!"

Marcie was completely taken aback by this and could do nothing to hide her shock.

"What’s the matter Marcie?" Jennie asked, dipping her finger into her wine glass and tracing the wine over Marcie's bare breast. "Surprised that you’re actually good enough in bed to get me coming back for seconds?" She leaned in and lightly licked the wine off of Marcie’s breast, while untying her robe, opening it, and pulling it down her shoulders.

Marcie swallowed hard before being able to speak again. "Well, I’m not about to turn you away!" She tilted Jade’s head up by her chin and pressed their lips together. Jennie passionately returned the kiss, swinging her body over so she was kneeling over Marcie. Marcie slowly broke the kiss, and slipped her hands down Jennie’s back and up the back of her dress, letting them rest on her bare bottom. "I’m still working on that promise I made to you before. I’m sure you’re looking forward to your reunion with Sandra!"

"I’m looking forward to it, but right now, I want to enjoy YOU. Or, better yet, what you can do. I enjoyed having sex with you the last time, but now I want you to take advantage of your powers with me. I noticed you don’t need your glasses anymore."

Marcie was positively intrigued by the offer. "You’re right, I don’t need the glasses any more. What exactly do you have in mind?" She asked, pressing a short, light kiss on Jennie Lynn’s cheek before she could answer.

"I want to see how kinky you can get." Jade whispered, almost breathlessly in Marcie’s ear, sucking on it briefly before adding "I want you to put on you’re disguise of me."

Marcie’s feeling of intrigue grew even more. This was an option she never considered with Jade. This was definitely going to be an interesting night. "Close your eyes." she whispered back in Jennie’s ear.

She did, and waited until she was instructed to reopen them. When she was, it was almost as though she were staring into a mirror. She was amazed. The disguise was physically perfect, every curve, every strand of hair, even the sparkle in her eyes. Everything. She took a deep breath and slid her tongue inside her duplicates mouth. Her hands moved down, one of them stopping to cup one of her breasts, the other wrapping under Marcie’s arm and resting on the back of her head, sliding her fingers into her hair. Her mind opened up and she started receiving images. They came sporadically, not seeming to make any sense. Brief images. The Psycho Pirate. Nightshade and the Enchantress. An older Nightwing. Lady Savitar. They were coming too quickly and too randomly to make sense. She had to go farther. She broke the kiss with Marcie and slid off the couch, kneeling on the floor in front of her duplicate. She gently kissed the inside of her thighs, moved up and kissed the light patch of hair between her legs, seductively teasing her before finally clamping her mouth over her duplicate’s sex.

Marcie’s body writhed in pleasure. Even after their previous night together, she had no idea Jennie was THIS good.

Jade, on the other hand, was having a hard time working to keep Marcie’s level of ecstasy high, while sorting out all of the new images she was receiving. The closer she came to climax, the more freely the information came. A deal with Neron. A ritual involving herself and Todd. Phantom Lady. The return of... who? She continued on Marcie, using her tongue and her fingers, driving her wild with ecstasy. It wasn’t until her orgasm finally subsided that she got the most interesting piece of information. "So, it IS true." She smiled to herself, climbing back on the couch to kiss Marcie deeply.

"Oh god, that was incredible.?" was all could say when she was finally able to speak again.

"Really?" Jade asked, pressing their lips together again briefly. "I must say, I think I taste pretty good!"

"May I try?" Marcie asked, almost meekly.

The job was done. Jade had all the information that she needed, so there was really no need to continue. "What the hell." she thought to herself. "It’s only one night."

"Be my guest" she smiled, pulling her dress over her head and tossing it aside.

Marcie, still in her Jade form, intensely kissed Jennie-Lynn. She’d end up missing her date with Christina that night, but she didn’t care. She was sleeping with exactly who she wanted to this night.

XIII

Ten thousand miles above the Earth’s surface, a golden satellite floated invisibly in orbit. The satellites sole inhabitant stood silently gazing at the beautiful blue globe below her. She’d been alone for the past 4 years, watching the Earth’s meta-humans and documenting their actions. She’d been keeping extra watch on the twin children of Alan Scott. They had in themselves the ability to unravel everything. Now, after 4 years alone, she had to return to the planet of her birth. She already lost one of the twins. She had to ensure that the other didn’t slip through her fingers as well. She sighed deeply, feeling a wave of fear flow through her body. He was about to return, and her ability to prevent it was slipping fast. She slid her fingers over a computer console and she drew her eyes to the view screen. Fixing the location in her mind, she closed her eyes and teleported off the station for the first time in 4 years.

Jade finally left Marcie’s early the next afternoon. Using her power pulse to dress herself in her Starheart uniform, she took to the air. She was still trying to sort through the information she got the night before. She knew where Jesse was, she knew what Harlequin was up to, but she also knew it was only a small part of something big. Very big. Universally big. She definitely couldn’t just jump into this without thinking. As much as she hated to consider it, Jesse would have to wait. Hopefully she’d get to her before Harlequin or this Lady Savitar did anything to her though.

Jesse sat quietly in her cell. It was the start of the fourth day of her captivity. Her cell was of a primitive design, simply a small room dug into the bedrock with an iron door. No bed or any other facilities, the only thing in the cell besides herself were the wrist manacles her captors bound her in, keeping her wrists together and chained firmly to the back wall. The only thing special about the cell, from what she could tell, was that it somehow blocked off her access to the speed force. On the first day of her captivity, a woman she recognized as the Enchantress brought her a meal. She made the mistake of eating it, and spent the rest of the day retching it back up. Poisoned. She was unable to get any sleep, the sickness and the stench of the vomit keeping her awake the entire time she was there. It didn’t stop her from trying though. It felt like she was finally starting to doze off when a bright light shook her from her tentative slumber. When the light faded, she saw a woman standing in front of her, wearing a blue and silver metallic uniform with a red helm. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a better view of the woman. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but her mind was still weakened from the poison. She couldn’t place it.

"Jesse." The woman whispered quietly. "Jesse Quick. I’m here to free you. I need your help."

"Wha...?" Jesse mumbled, speaking with some difficulty. "No... I have... I have to stay here. I have to find out what Harlequin’s doing. I can’t leave until... I can’t leave until I find out."

The woman stooped in front of Jesse. "You’re not going to find out in this cell. I know a little bit about what Harlequin’s up to. The world is in danger, and I need your help to protect it."

"Well... why didn’t you say so in the first... in the first place." Jesse tried standing up, but thought twice when it felt like the spinning of the world would carry her away. "I’m... I’m sorry. I think... I think I’ve been poisoned."

"I know. Here. Drink this. This will help you." The woman handed Jesse a small vial filled with a fluorescent green liquid, which Jesse quickly drank.

Almost immediately her senses returned to her. Now she recognized the woman. She’d never met her, but she heard about her from her father. Her name was Harbinger. Apparently, they met sometime in the 1940’s. Jesse remembered that she was some kind of time traveller. She rose to her feet. "Thanks. Whatever that stuff was, I really needed it."

"Will you help?" Harbinger asked.

"Of, course I will." Jesse smiled and snapped her manacles off. "People seem to think that super speed is my only power. They did a good job of blocking of my speed, but they seem to have not realized that I inherited some powers from my mother too. But, then again, not many people realize that I’m the daughter of the legendary Liberty Belle! Well, what’re you waiting for? Let’s go!"

Harbinger took her by the hand and the next instant, they were gone.

XIV

Christina Alexandrova paced back and forth across the floor of the small apartment that Marcie had given her, deep in thought, wearing a hole through the carpet. It seemed as though she had found a home, a place where she felt truly loved, perhaps for the first time in her life. She didn’t feel this way with Vandal Savage, not with Wally West, not even with Savitar. It was time for her to show her true devotion to Harlequin. Lady Harlequin? No, not aesthetically pleasing enough. No matter, she convinced herself. She would come up with SOME fitting tribute by the days end. She didn’t have to wait that long though, when she found none other than her lover’s hated enemy, Jade, knocking at her door. Instantly recognizing her when she cracked the door open to answer the knock, Christina threw the door open at super speed, causing it to snap off of it’s hinges before hitting the wall and sending it flying. Jade didn’t have any time to prepare as she was thrown backwards by a mini-cyclone created by Christina. She shot through the next apartment and into the air. Before she could even begin to regain her bearings, she felt herself being buffeted by super strong winds as Christina ran in hypersonic circles underneath her. Jade was beginning to feel the air pressure drop dangerously in the eye of this manic tornado, her ears bursting and blood running freely from her nose. The eventual sonic booms finally blew her into unconsciousness.

When Jade woke up, the world was still a dizzying blur. She closed her eyes and muttered to herself "This is the last time I ever get someone with super-speed angry with me!" She felt rain falling against her face, slowly opened her eyes, and saw that was definitely wasn’t in New York anymore. She was atop a large mountain, one that could be anywhere in the world. The Rockies, the Alps, the Himalayas. She looked to her left and saw the outline of a huge, medieval castle. Lightning flashed nearby, and Jade was able to catch the silhouette of a woman standing nearby, previously unseen due to the night sky and looming storm clouds. Christina.

"So, is this how you always treat guests?" Jade asked loudly, to be heard over the howling winds, slowly rising to her feet.

"Only those that try to ambush me in my own home." Christina bitterly replied. Before Jade could blink, she was shoved back to the ground and Christina was standing over her. "I’m going to give you 5 seconds to tell me what you want from me. Any longer, and I’ll vibrate my hand inside your body and start pulling out your internal organs, one by one."

Jade winced slightly at the mental image. "I don’t even need one second. I was there to talk to you, not ambush you. Why the hell would I knock on your door if I wanted to ambush you? With your speed, wouldn’t it serve me better to take you by surprise?"

"Maybe you were just trying to startle me, and you would attack me while I was still shocked by seeing you at my door." Christina weakly attempted to rationalize.

"Come on. You can do better than that. I was friends with Jesse Quick, remember? I know how fast you speedsters think and react."

"Ok, perhaps I overreacted. Tell me then, what did you want to talk to me about?" She allowed Jade back to her feet. The rain was starting to plaster their hair to their foreheads.

"About Marcie."

"What about her?" Christina asked, her curiosity suddenly aroused.

"She’s using you. She really doesn’t love you."

Christina laughed defiantly. "How would you get that kind of information Jade? You don’t know what she’s done for me. She TOLD me that she loves me!"

"I know exactly what she’s done for you. She got you a low rent apartment, she has jobs for you, she gives you occasional sex, and she tells you that she loves you. She can give you so much more though, if she really did love you. Her hacker, Carmichael, is getting her millions and she’s giving you a run down one room apartment. Your jobs are doing nothing but getting the wrong people mad at you. She sleeps with you, but she’s also slept with every other woman in her group at one time or another."

"And how do you know this? Do you have proof?" Christina asked, skeptically, but starting to worry.

"Trust me, I know. She missed a date with you last night, didn’t she? You know why? She found someone better to sleep with, that’s why." Jade conveniently left out the fact that it was her that Harlequin was with.

"Damn you." Christina seethed. "You dare approach me with this, with NO proof, other than your so-called word, and you expect me to believe you?"

"No, I don’t. But, I know where you can get proof. Proof that she lied to you. Four nights ago, you helped Harlequin capture Jesse Quick. She told you that Jesse threw herself at her, but they didn’t have sex. Marcie owns the two buildings that surround the alley. Carmichael helped her purchase them, about a year ago. She had her encounter video taped by the security cameras. She already has a copy in her private collection, but they still have it on file. The two buildings share a common basement that houses the security staff. The tape is archived there. Tape number 1-1507/12-04A."

"Wait here. If you’re lying, I’ll find you. There’s no place you’ll be able to hide from me."

"Go, I’ll be waiting." Jade smiled. "I don’t even know where I am."

"Savitar’s palace. I come here occasionally. To think."

"Go."

For ten minutes Jade waited, soaked by the cool rain, until Christina returned. She looked like she had just been crying. "Why?"

"I can’t answer that Christina. Marcie’s a cruel woman, who loves manipulating other people’s lives. I know you can do better than her."

"No I can’t." Jennie couldn’t tell if she was crying, or if it was just the rain soaking her face. "I can’t ever seem to find the right person for me. Vandal Savage, Flash, Savitar, and now Harlequin. They all used me. Am I such a difficult person to love?"

"Not at all. That’s why I told you this. I’ve been doing an equal amount of research into you as I have been on Marcie. I see so much potential in you. You just need to be around the right people." Jade reached out and took Christina by the hand. "Can I admit something to you?"

Christina took her free hand and wiped it across her face, brushing the rain and tears away. "What?"

Jade blushed a bit and looked away. "While I was researching you... I... uhm... I kinda developed a crush on you."

"What? How? I’m nothing special. Look at me!" Christina looked genuinely surprised by Jade’s admission.

"I am looking at you. I see an amazingly beautiful woman. A woman who KNOWS how to love. You just need someone who will love you equally back. I think I can be that person." Jade looked squarely in her eyes when she said this.

"What are you trying to say? You... you won’t hurt me? Like the others?" Christina stammered slightly.

"How could I hurt you? The way I see it, I’m the only one who can get hurt here. I’m the one who poured her heart out to you. If you say no... I’ll be the one who ends up crushed." Jade smiled warmly at Christina, trying to ease her fear.

"No. No, I won’t hurt you." Christina said confidently.

Jade leaned in closer to Christina's face. "Good, because I really think I’m in love with you." she whispered to her before pressing her lips against Christina’s, sliding her tongue out slightly to lick the rain off her lips.

Christina hesitantly returned the kiss, placing her hands on Jade’s rain soaked hips, hooking her thumbs underneath the sides of her g-string, pulling it down slightly. She pressed her lips harder against Jade’s and slid the g-string down further, sliding her hands feverishly over Jade’s smooth, wet skin. Christina eventually broke the kiss to slide her mouth down Jade’s body. Kissing her abdomen, she grinned silently to herself. "Lady Jade. I like the sound of it!" she thought before finally resting her mouth between Jade’s legs.

Early the next morning, the clouds finally opened up, allowing the sun to dry the two drenched nude women lying in each other’s arms on the mountain top. Jade woke first and stared at the beautiful woman beside her. "This is going to be too easy." she thought.

Christina was stirred to consciousness by the feeling of two lips pressing against hers and two fingers inside her. She stretched her arms out and wrapped her lover in a strong, but tender hug.

"Hmmm... G’morning." Jade smiled when she felt Christina’s arms engulf her. "How’d you sleep?"

"Wonderfully." Christina smiled warmly back. "You?"

"With a beautiful woman like you in my arms, how could I sleep?" Jade slid her free hand up and gently caressed Christina’s face. "Tell me something. What kind of chance do you think we have together? Do you think you can fall in love with me?"

Christina answered without hesitation. "Of course. I do love you Jade. With all my heart."

Jade smiled and sighed, her fingertips trailing over Christina’s forehead. "I’m sorry to hear that Christina. Because, I don’t love you."

Christina’s eyes opened wide in surprise as she got blasted back, Jade’s power pulse hitting her square in the face. They fell shut soon enough, after she slammed hard against the rocky mountain side. Before she could regain her senses, she felt another blow, this time in her chest, knocking the wind out of her. "That’s for hurting Jesse." was the last thing she heard before finally falling unconscious.

XV

Two days passed and Jade got a message from Harlequin. Marcie wanted to meet her again. She said that she had a gift for her. That she also wanted her to wear something that she could easily take off. After some searching, Jennie-Lynn decided on the uniform she used for the Blood Pack TV show, just unzipped as far down the front as she could without exposing herself, and minus the bulky belt.

Marcie waited nervously for Jade to show up. Christina disappeared a couple days ago, seriously depleting any protection she could count on if things went badly. How could they though? Apart from Christina’s disappearance, things were going exactly as planned. She had Jennie-Lynn wrapped around her finger.

"Hi Marcie."

Harlequin turned around, startled. Jade phased in though the window behind her. Harlequin regained her composure and greeted Jade with a warm kiss. "Nice outfit!" She smiled.

"I thought so. Now, where’s my gift?" Jade asked, her smile betraying the mercenary tone of her voice.

Marcie sighed as she broke their embrace. "I’ll go get it for you. You might want to get undressed awhile."

Jade did as she was told, slipping easily out of her costume before Marcie disappeared in her bedroom. After a minute or so, Marcie came out. "Close your eye’s."

Jade did so and felt Marcie's lips press against her own. "Keep them closed." she heard Marcie order. A few seconds passed and she felt another kiss. Not Marcie’s lips, but very familiar though. She felt a pair of hands gliding lightly over her back. She slowly opened her eyes and almost immediately broke down in tears, breaking the kiss. It was Sandra. When Harlequin made her deal with Jade, she expected it to only be one of her disguises, like she implied. But, here she was, and Marcie was sitting on the couch behind them, watching.

"Oh my God, Sandra... I... I can’t believe this." Jade whispered, tears pouring from her eyes.

"I know Jen. Neither can I. I don’t know how Marcie brought me back, but I’m glad she did. I missed you so much Jennie-Lynn." Sandra whispered.

"God Sandra. The car accident. Your funeral. That was the worst time of my life. You were gone for good." Jade choked through her tears.

Sandra smiled, tilted the shorter woman’s chin up, and looked deep into her eyes. "Not for good. I’m back, and I’m not going to leave you." She kissed Jade tenderly. Jade never even noticed Harlequin light the green candle she had beside her.

Todd tried so hard to just let his consciousness fade away, but Neron wouldn’t let him. He forced Todd to watch and experience Neron using his body to seduce the Incubus of the Nightshade realm. He cried as he watched the Incubus alter himself the whole time, shaping himself to fit Obsidians fantasies, then Neron’s, never losing his gender in the process. He cried as the Incubus finally merged with them, adding further to the gestalt. And now he cried as he stood naked in a pentagram in Neron’s realm, waiting for Hell to loose itself on Earth.

With a flash of green light Harlequin, Phantom Lady, and Jade were somewhere else. They appeared in a dimly lit cavern, lit only by a nearby lava flow. A dim wailing could be heard in the distance, if you’d stand and listen. Marcie watched as Jade and Sandra were so enwrapped in their kiss that they never noticed the transfer, starting to feel somewhat jealous, starting to regret that she ever made this offer to Jennie-Lynn.

"Ahem..." she cleared her throat, trying to gain their attention.

"What do you want Marcie?" Jade broke from the kiss and let her voice drip with derision, seeming not to notice her new surroundings.

"Oh hell... It’s working." Harlequin thought to herself.

"What do you think, love? Glad to be home?" she looked toward Sandra wickedly.

"Oh yes" Phantom Lady smiled at the young woman in front of her. "It’s your home now as well. You like?"

"I like!" Jade replied almost coldly, sliding to Sandra’s back and pressing her nude body against her. "So, when do I get to meet the man of the house?"

"Right now." she reached back and took Jade by the hand, leading her down a passageway carved into the rock by the lava. They entered what appeared to the inside of a huge gothic cathedral, architecture and nature mixing as vaulting spires and arches gave way to stalactites and stalagmites. It was also lit only by the lava flow, which split into an uncountable number of hairline streams the moment it flowed into the cathedral, causing the whole room glow with a deep red light. In the center of the "church", a few streams gathered together unnaturally, burning a glowing red pentagram in the floor. There were no religious symbols or alters to be seen. The walls contained paintings depicting some of the most unimaginable atrocities mankind has ever committed, all painted in human blood by the souls of the damned. In the pentagram stood two men. Jennie-Lynn’s twin brother at one point and the Psycho Pirate in the center.

"Welcome back, my sister." Todd said, in a voice not his own.

"This IS a surprise!" Jade replied. "I thought you were destroyed, my brother, when the human Deadshot put a bullet in your head."

"It’s my gift to you, Succubbus, for aiding me in this ritual" Todd said, in yet a different voice. "When I’m finished with you here, you and your brother... your lover will be permitted to return to your nightshade realm. The two of you can do what you need to return Azhmodeus to power there. Now, please, take you’re places in the pentagram.

Jade and Phantom Lady each moved to separate points in the pentagram and Obsidian began chanting in a language unrecognized by all there. Crimson energy sparked and connected the bodies of Phantom Lady and Jade. They stepped closer to the center of the pentagram, closer to each other. They leaned in toward each other, feeling the heat of the lava that formed the boundary of their sections of the pentagram, their lips meeting directly over the border. Another spark of crimson energy formed as their tongues met as energy seemed to flow from Phantom Lady to Jade.

Harlequin watched, the only witness to the ritual, and the jealousy began to grow.

Jade and Phantom Lady could feel it. They broke the kiss briefly, the energy still flowing between them.

"She’s jealous of me. She wishes she never brought us together." Sandra whispered.

"I know. She did her job though. She brought us back together, like she promised. She can burn here for eternity now, for all I care." Jade reply, a bit more loudly. She started kissing her again, sliding her hands up and inside of Phantom Lady’s costume, clasping her breast’s in each hand.

"No..." Harlequin fought back the rage and the tears that were building inside of her. She watched Jennie-Lynn’s hands groping Sandra’s breasts, her tongue forcing it’s way deep into her mouth. She remembered Jade doing that to HER. "No... I’m not going to lose her like this..." The rage built up even further and she snapped. "NO!" she reached out, snapped off the tip of the nearest stalagmite, and lunged into the pentagram.

Jade felt something stab into her right hand... and then wetness. She felt Sandra slump and break the kiss. Looking down, she saw a stone spike protruding from Sandra’s chest. The energy connection disappeared and three white forms rose from her lifeless body before fading away.

10,000 Miles over the Earth’s surface, Harbinger watched all this happen, and her body filled with dire panic. She rushed over to her machines and worked desperately, trying to recapture the souls that escaped from Phantom Lady’s body. She breathed a sigh of relief when all three were safely back in their bodies. She may have just saved Jesse Quick, Jonni Thunder, and Nightshade, but how long would they have? Her plan failed. The world was doomed.

Flashback - A day and a half ago. Jade had work that she had to do. If she was going to help Harbinger save the universe, she had to remove one major adversary. From her intimacies with Harlequin, she learned of how exactly she was going to reunite her with Sandra. She flew to Titan’s Island and phased her way through the ground into a sterile metal chamber. The chamber had one occupant. Sleeping in a stasis tube was Sandra Knight. Jade created a crowbar with her power pulse and snapped the tube open with it. Sandra was covered only with a thin white sheet. Jade closed her eyes and fought back the tears. She reached down and caressed Sandra’s face with the back of her hand. She saw Sandra begin to stir and closed her eyes again. This wasn’t her. Jades left hand glowed and a green dagger formed. She opened her eyes and swiped down, across her throat. Sandra was too quick though. She saw the blade coming and vanished briefly.

Sandra reformed behind Jade and wrapped her arms around her tightly, pinning her hands by her sides. She realized the futility of her action when Jade let go of her power pulse created blade, and willed to fly, slashing Sandra deeply across her back. Knowing she was outmatched, she shoved Jade away.

Jade turned back toward Sandra and was genuinely shocked by what she was witnessing. Sandra was splitting her body into three separate women. All three possessed unearthly beauty and were completely devoid of clothing. "Oh no, not again..." she whispered to herself as they approached her and started kissing her and very quickly removing her clothing. She let out a brief smile, somewhat regretting that she couldn’t stay here and enjoy what the women wanted to do to her. Her eyes closed and her power pulse flared. Blades shot out from her body in all directions, pushing the women back and pinning them against the wall, at least twenty blades a piece impaling each of them. She opened her eyes and saw the women’s bodies start to shift, taking forms that were completely alien to earth, but still filled with amazing beauty. Eventually, they faded from existence.

Jade reached down to her costume which was scattered across the floor, dug a miniature microphone out, and casually tossed the costume aside. "Harbinger. Mission’s accomplished. Beam me up!" Almost immediately Jennie-Lynn’s vision shifted from the bland gray of Phantom Lady’s iso-chamber, to the vibrant gold of Harbinger’s satellite.

Harbinger had her back to Jade and was staring intently out into space. She saw her though, through the glasses reflection. "The demonesses are destroyed?" she asked casually.

"Yep. Piece a’ cake." She walked up behind Harbinger. "Beautiful view." she said, not quite talking about the stars.

Harbinger’s body tensed slightly as she felt Jade’s body brush slightly against her.

"Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you." Jade spoke smoothly, raising her hand and gliding it against Harbinger’s bare shoulder.

Harbinger closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She allowed Jade to remove her helm. She felt Jade’s breath against her ear, her breast’s against her back, the hair between her legs against her thigh. She turned her head and felt her kiss her. Harlequin pulled back after a moment. "No..."

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. I’m just... I’m just not ready for this." She turned her face back toward the stars.

"Ready for what?" Jade whispered in her ear, lightly licking her ear lobes. "Haven’t you ever been with a woman?" she let one hand wrap around and rest on one of Harbinger’s breasts.

There was silence for a moment. "No."

"A man?" Her other hand slipped between her legs, trying to remove Harbinger’s bottoms.

Another moment of silence. "No." She lightly pushed Jade’s hand out from between her legs, just before she could completely remove that section of her costume.

"So you’ve had yourself cooped up here for the past four years and avoided all human contact? Why? The whole New Guardians thing may have been a fiasco, but it wasn’t THAT bad!"

Harbinger smiled briefly. "I’m sorry Jade. It’s not you. It’s not because you’re a woman. If this were happening any other time, I’d probably take you up on your offer, but not now, not with you in this condition." She reached her hand out and caressed Jade’s cheek. "Maybe some other time." She turned and walked away.

"Condition?"

Obsidians chanting ceased and he looked over, fire burning in his eyes. Fluorescent green flame shot out from all directions, blasting Marcie backward. Her left leg landed directly in a hair thin stream of lava causing her to scream in agony.

"THE RITUAL WASN’T FINISHED YET! JADE DOESN’T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIERS YET!" Neron was enraged, causing Todd’s body to shift in and out of its shadow form. "YOU’VE JUST EARNED YOURSELF AN ETERNITY OF HELL." He blasted her again with his soul searing flame forcing her, this time on her back, into the lava that so severely burned her leg.

"Wait!" Jade cried out to Neron. "Don’t kill her yet. I’m almost completely charged up. Harlequin can finish the job. I don’t think we need a triad of souls just to top me off."

"Very well then. Enter the pentagram and take Phantom Lady’s place. But remember, this only delays your punishment.

Harlequin stood shakily and stumbled into the pentagram. Her leg and back were badly injured. Jade reached out and held her up, careful not to step across her boundary. Neron began the chanting one more time as the crimson energy formed this time between Jade and Harlequin.

Harbinger watched in shock. What was Jade doing? Her plan was a ruined, why was she continuing the ritual? She should be trying to escape. Force Neron to try something else to complete his mad plan. At least give the universe some more time. Damn. What the hell is she doing?

Jade pressed her forehead against Marcie’s, her breath flowing into her mouth. Marcie was in tears. The pain was more than she’d ever endured in her life. "C’mon Marcie. I need you to kiss me."

Marcie leaned in and weakly touched lips with Jade. Nothing. No connection.

"Marcie, please. If you value your life, kiss me!"

Again, the same result.

Jade adjusted herself so she could hold Marcie’s weight with one arm and brought her other hand up to her face. She lightly brushed her tears aside. "C’mon... if you have any feelings for me, kiss me! Please! I won’t let Neron hurt you!"

Marcie felt something grow inside her. A surge of energy, a feeling she hadn’t felt since she entered this hell. She lunged up and planted the most passionate kiss she’d ever made on Jade’s lips. The connection was made, and it held. Jade held the kiss until she was sure that she was filled beyond capacity with the energy she needed. She lowered Marcie gently to the ground and turned towards her brother.

"Todd... Todd, can you hear me?" Jade tried communicating with her brother, praying that Neron wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop.

Jade stepped up to her brother and gently rubbed her hand between his legs.

"Todd, please answer me. I need your help!" Jade continued trying to fight her way past her brother’s blocks. Finally, she got to him. She got an image of him, curled in a corner crying. "Todd..."

Crimson energy sprung up between Todd and Jennie-Lynn. Jade pressed her body against his and started kissing.

"Jen! What are you doing!?" Todd bolted in surprise in their mindscape.

"It’s not what you think... don’t panic! Just close your mind to what’s happening in the physical world."

"You’re kissing me!"

Jade sighed impatiently. The more he panicked, the longer this kiss would have to last. "Calm down Todd, that’s not me kissing you. That’s the T-bolt and Succubbus that are inhabiting my body. They’re controlling me right now. I need your help in here, more than anything."

Todd tried hard to block out what was happening, and was only partially successful. He was able to keep himself in check though. "What do you need me to do."

"While I’m kissing you, not much. Just think of the people you love. Think of Albert, think of Dad, think of me. Don’t let us out of your thoughts. When we separate, Neron’s going to try something. I don’t know exactly what, but I NEED you to stay conscious through the whole thing. You hear me? Do NOT let your thoughts stray from him, no matter what you see. you need to be strong for this Todd. Stronger than you’ve ever been in your life."

Jade opened her mind and suddenly Todd realized. She was right. He saw what she knew. He knew what was at stake. He also knew how dangerous this was. Chances are, he wasn’t coming back. "Ok. Ok, I can do it." he swallowed hard and looked toward the mental image of his sister one last time. "I love you..."

The kiss ended and suddenly Neron turned Todd inside out. Todd felt like he was fighting a black hole to hold on to Neron. Still, he did. He had no choice. He slipped into his shadow form and flew into the Medusa Mask of James Highwater, the Psycho Pirate, who’d been standing, almost mindlessly in the middle of the pentagram since the ritual started. Highwater screamed and tore the mask off his face. The trance his master put him in did nothing to lessen the pain of tearing through THESE afterlife realms. Neron forced his deeper into the mask, deeper than any being could ever hope to reach. That is where Jade and Obsidian were needed. Both the mask and the twins had the ability to reach into the afterlife. The mask alone wasn’t enough, Jade and Obsidian alone weren’t enough. Together though, Neron found the power to get where he needed to go, and grab the one soul he needed.

On the single moon of Qward, life began to stir. A hand broke it’s way out of the ground and felt the grand textures of antimatter once again. In this dark and evil universe, he was reborn. The Anti-Monitor.

Todd refused to let go. He tried in vain to shut his mind to the hell that was reserved for the gods. For those who could destroy gods. His mind couldn’t even comprehend the extreme darkness of this realm. He shut it out and started fighting back. He pushed Neron further in. Deeper. He pushed though the curtain and saw God. He reached out and God gave him what he needed. His job done, Todd Rice closed his eyes and began to drift away.

And then, as if in protest to some cosmic imbalance, it’s doppelganger was reborn on the lifeless moon that used to orbit Oa. The Monitor was reborn. The war begins again.

Todd felt himself being tugged back. Lightly at first, but getting more and more insistent, never forceful though. He felt fear. Desperation. Love. Whatever was pulling him back, he knew it loved him. He saw a doorway open up in front of him, and a hand reached out. Todd grabbed the hand and found himself back where this maddening journey started. Back in Hell. Highwater and the mask disappeared immediately after the door closed.

"Todd? Todd? Are you ok? Todd, please, answer me!" Obsidian was finally able to open his eyes. He was in Hell, but this was different. Albert was there, Jen, Lyta. Harlequin was unconscious on the floor where the pentagram was. The lava cooled itself and the chamber lit by Jen’s power pulse. When Albert saw his eyes open, he wrapped his friend in a massive hug. It felt... safe.

"What’s going on?" he asked, warmly hugging Albert back. He looked down and saw that Jen had covered both him and herself in blankets made from her power pulse.

Jade went up and took his hand in her. He involuntarily flinched, remember what she was doing to him earlier, but calmed himself and warmly held her. "How did Al and Lyta get here?"

"They’ve been here for a few days. After I learned what Neron was trying to do from Marcie, I tried to find someone to help me put a stop to it. I got lucky when help sought me out. Harbinger teleported to me and explained to me exactly what you are and what we are capable of doing. She told me of her plan. Apparently, there was no way we could stop Neron from completing his plan. He was too powerful, and he’d eventually find a way to accomplish it. So, she found a way to pervert it. Neron required three beings, each containing three souls to perform his ritual. He had Nightshade’s Succubbus and Jonni Thunder’s T-bolt possess me, trying to corrupt me. My will was way too strong for them though. They affected me a bit, but couldn’t come close to taking over."

Todd pulled his hand away from Jennie. "You lied to me then It was YOU that was kissing me, not them."

Jade took his hand back. "I’m sorry. It HAD to be done. Anyway, he had Harlequin make me think that she was going to reintroduce me to Sandra. Yes, now you know Todd, she was my first love." she tightened her grip on his hand, tears starting to form in her eyes. "This Sandra was really a gestalt of three demonic temptresses. And then Neron possessed you, and forced you to take the Incubus inside you as well. The overwhelming evil inside us was supposed to have diluted our own sense of righteousness. It didn’t work. Neron had to keep you bottled up, fearing that if he gave you to much leeway, you could hurt things. I was still pretty much in control of myself. I hunted down the Phantom Lady doppelganger and destroyed it. Harbinger used the technology that allowed her to split into multiple beings to actually merge our own Phantom Lady. Jesse Quick, Jonni Thunder, and Nightshade were chosen, because of the varying degree of feeling that share for me. I went to Albert and Lyta at the hospital and got them to help out as well. Apparently, they’ve gone through some pretty major changes power wise and were each able to stay here, completely hidden from Neron. They helped us make yet another trinity, linking up with the Psycho Pirate. Anyway, to make a long story short, we switched our people with Neron’s and began the ritual. Marcie was a wild card though. We’re in Neron’s home, and it has the ability to bring out the worst in everybody. Marcie saw me acting like I was in love with the Sandra clone and snapped. That may have ended everything, if not for a bit of information I got from her earlier. She once told me that she loved me, and she was telling the truth. Underneath all of her darkness, she has the one feeling that can redeem anyone. I prodded the love to the surface, and she was able to just as good a job at perverting the ritual as our Phantom Lady. If there’s one thing Neron doesn’t do, it’s learn from his mistakes. He was defeated by love before by the Flash, and he was defeated by love today. That love was able to push you to get the soul that we needed. That love , combined with a touch of wherever it was that you went, has completely banished Neron and any kind of evil from this part of Hell. Marcie’s love for me. My love for you. Your love for Albert. Albert and Lyta’s love for each other..."

Todd looked at his sister after she said this and then noticed Albert and Lyta sitting hand in hand, listening to what just happened. Todd just lowered his head, held tightly to Jade’s hand, and did his best to hold the tears back.

Epilogue

They all returned to Harbinger’s satellite, in hope of a celebration. Jade was relieved to find out that Jesse, Jonni, and Eve were Ok. Todd couldn’t bear to stay, watching Al and Lyta finally professing their love for each other. He also wasn’t sure he approved of his sister’s actions before and during this whole ordeal. All these lovers she had. It would take some getting used to, but he’d learn.

First thing Jade did when she got back was take Harbinger aside, in private.

She took a deep breath and began. "Listen, I’m sorry I came on to you yesterday. I had no idea the Succubbus and T-bolt were affecting me that way. If I made you at all uncomfortable, I’m sorry."

"Jade, you have nothing to apologize for. I was telling the truth when I said that, if circumstances weren’t the way they were, I would have let you do whatever you wanted to me right there. It was hard for me to hold back, even knowing that you weren’t completely yourself."

"Oh, I was completely myself, just no inhibitions at all." she smiled lightly, trying to find humor in the situation.

"I know. Even so, I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you. I couldn’t live with that."

"Y’know Harbinger... "

"Lyla" she corrected.

"Lyla. Y’know Lyla. The man or woman who ends up being your first is going to be the luckiest person alive!"

Harbinger smiled and blushed at the compliment.

Jade gave her a quick peck on the cheek and turned to walk away. She took two steps and turned back to Harbinger. "Uhm... Lyla. Can I ask a favor of you?

"Anything."

"I feel bad about the way I treated Christina. I know it was important to get her away from Marcie, but it was cruel how I did it. Is there anything you can do to help her?

"It’s already being done. Don’t worry about it Jade. I anticipated your reaction. She’s in good hands."

Jade smiled again. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it" Lyla replied as Jade walked away.

Next, she went to the holding cell where Marcie was being kept. Her wounds were healed by the machines on the satellite and she was almost back to full strength. Well, physically.

Jade opened the cell and walked in. "Looks like I owe you. Thank you for helping."

Marcie remained silent, barely acknowledging Jade’s presence.

"Look, Neron’s not going to come after you. Lyta’s gonna be able to keep you hidden. Something with her new abilities. She says she got ‘em from the furies of myth. Doesn’t matter where she got ‘em, as long as she can help keep us safe."

Marcie barely blinked.

"Listen, I know you’re there somewhere. I know you can hear me. I’ll always appreciate what you did today." She reached in and slid her tongue into Marcie’s mouth. After a long kiss, she pulled back. Marcie barely blinked. "Well, I hope you enjoyed that, because I don’t think you’re ever going to be able to kiss me again."

Jade walked out and never noticed the tear forming in Marcie’s eye.

Final order on Jade’s agenda was to rid herself of the Succubbus and T-bolt. The Incubus was completely destroyed when Obsidian entered the Realm of Light, so the Succubbus was quiet. Eve was more than willing to take her back, knowing that now she’d be able to control even more easily. Apart from Jade, there was no one else she’d trust to house her, and she couldn’t put Jade through that hell.

"Well." Jade stepped in front of her. "You comfortable with this?"

"Jen, I dated you, I slept with you. No matter what’s happened between us, I think I can handle a simple kiss. I think I’d even like one." Eve smiled warmly. It was times like this that Jennie-Lynn wished Eve hadn’t decided to forgo their relationship for her job with Task Force X.

"What if the transfer takes more than a kiss, like last time?" Jade smiled mischievously.

"We’ll tackle that if it comes up!" Eve replied, taking Jade’s mouth in her own, allowing the Succubbus to flow back into her body. She broke the kiss, but only after a few extra minutes. To make sure the transfer was complete, she convinced herself with a smile. "There. See? No problem at all."

"Darn." Jade whispered and kissed her lightly one final time. "I guess you have to go now, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I’ll stay in touch though. I promise." She held Jennie-Lynn’s hand as long as she could reach it, turning away when they broke contact. "Whew. I hope Jonni’s not as difficult."

She saw Jonni in an observation area of the satellite.

"It’s beautiful Jen, isn’t it? I’ve never been in space before, believe it or not. I always get stuck in the middle of some stupid costumed conflict or another, but this is the first time I’m feeling any benefit from it."

Jade stepped up behind her, wrapped her arms around Jonni’s waist and kissed her lightly on her neck.

Jonni turned around and took Jennie’s hands, holding them lightly in front of her. "Listen, about last week. I was so glad you came to me for help. You opened something inside of me that I hadn’t felt since Syl’s death. I’ll never forget making love to you Jen, but I think we both need to realize that what we did was a release.

Jade couldn’t believe this. Two women breaking up with her in five minutes. She smiled weakly to Jonni. "I think you’re right, as much as I hate to admit it. What are you planning to do?"

"I don’t know. I have to admit to myself that I’m a part of the costumed world and stop trying to push it away. I’ll find some way to deal with the T-bolt this time, instead of running away from it. I’ll even try to start dating again. I’m sure there a woman somewhere out there for me. But for now, I guess we have one last kiss to share." She smiled, took Jennie into her arms and took back what was hers.

Jade looked away after the kiss ended "I’m glad you’re so confident in yourself. I’m not sure if I’ll ever find the right man or woman..." she tucked her arms up, and tightened the energy blanket around her body.

"Oh, I think there’s a woman out there for you. A lot closer than you think." Jonni glanced quickly to her side. Jennie followed the glance and saw Jesse Quick also looking out into the stars. "I shared a body with her for two days. I think I have a good idea how she thinks. She really loves you Jen. A love brighter than many I’ve seen."

Jennie-Lynn smiled graciously. "Thanks." She gave Jonni one final brief kiss and turned to walk away.

Jonni took her arm and stopped her. "Hey, if I’m wrong, and you happen to be in L.A., look me up. I’m sure I won’t mind another release!"

"I’ll keep that in mind!" she pulled her arm back, blew her a kiss, and turned back toward Jesse.

She took a deep breath and looked down at herself. "This’ll be good. Asking Jesse if she loves me while dressed in a blanket." She concentrated briefly and her power pulse changed the blanket into a sun dress. One more deep breath. "Hi Jes."

Jesse looked over and smiled. "Hey Jen. How are you feeling?"

"Kinda empty actually. By brain feels so much lighter with the Succubbus and T-bolt gone."

"Y’know, you just walked into about 100 potential airhead jokes here." Jesse smiled. "I’ll be nice though and keep quiet!"

"My, that’s a shock! I’d expect you to jump all over it! I deserve at least that much for all the blonde jokes I do at your expense!"

"Just goes to show who the mature one here is!" Jesse jabbed playfully at Jade.

Jennie laughed and moved to Jesse’s side. "Sure is beautiful out there, isn’t it?

"Yeah. I can’t get enough of it." Jesse replied, more serious this time.

Jade took her hand and looked toward her. "I heard about what happened with you. With Harlequin. I’m sorry."

"Don’t apologize Jen. You really had nothing to do with it. I should’ve known better. you’re my best friend. I should’ve known you better. But, that’s the thing, isn’t it? She WAS you. Neron made sure of that, didn’t he? So, there was really nothing anybody could do."

"How do you feel now?"

"I’m not sure. Angry. At myself. Confused. Nervous."

"Nervous? Why?"
"Because I’m trying to figure out a way to tell you that I love you without sounding like an idiot."

Jennie-Lynn smiled. "Well, you just failed that! But, there was no way for you to really succeed, was there?"

Jesse smacked her lightly on the arm. "I can always count on you to ruin a serious moment! I’m trying to actually be romantic here, so give me a break!" Jesse smiled warmly back at Jennie.

"Romantic. I can do romantic." Jennie said with mock seriousness, causing Jesse to laugh.

"There, see. What’s romance without laughter? Y’know, I’m getting tired of concentrating on keeping this dress in existence." In an instant, the dress was gone and Jennie-Lynn was in Jesse’s arms. She looked up in her deep blue eye’s and said the only thing that she could say. "I love you too."
With that, they kissed deeply for the first time. Jesse knew this time for certain. She was in Heaven.

-End Part 1-