Jason bolts upright, muscles coiling, body rigid, mind racing. His chest rises and falls as he desperately tries to get air into his lungs, depraved out of shock by his nightmare.

Whilst there is no cold chill in the room, he still feels it in his bones. For a moment his eyes still see the icy walls of an alleyway, hearing his own cruel words echo in his mind.

It all fades, to a very familiar, comforting and homely place.

The crimson blanket tossed against his legs feels too warm. He kicks it off as he slides his hands down his face, trying to fight down the fear and shock.

"Jay?" He hears her whisper, feeling her hand rise up to rest against a tense bicep.

He turns, panic clear in tired eyes. All of it drains away however when he sees her. Sky blue eyes as loving as they had always been, skin soft against his, smile just for him.

Venus tilts her head to the side slightly as she rises up from the bed beside him.

"Are you okay?" She asks, voice just above a whisper. The tone calms his racing heart and makes his lungs feel like they have air again. Slowly, he slides back down, sinking into their plush mattress with his eyes on her.

"It was just a dream," she smiles so softly is makes his skin tingle in a comforting manner and his blood cool down.

"Right," he nods, watching as lean arms reach out to him, "just a stupid dream."

Like coming home, he moves into her embrace as if it were a vital resource of which he had been deprived. She cradles his head to her chest, stroking his hair, kissing him on the forehead.

"It was just a dream," she repeats, making sure he understood. The words make him smile against her top as he shuts his eyes, losing himself in her presence and jasmine scent.

"I know," he admits quietly, feeling like an idiot, "It was...more like a nightmare. I dreamt you killed my mom and that we broke up because of it. I mean, you were dating Kalie and I was with Rose. Knew it had to be a nightmare then."

Perfectly manicured nails gently drag along his scalp as she laughs. Jason pulls back to stare up at her adoringly, taking in those high cheekbones and long lashes.

"It was just a dream," she repeats, winking down at him, "I'm right here, idiot."

The comment makes him laugh, before he leans up and kisses her once, twice, then settles back down into her embrace, drifting off into a place whose gates only she opened for him.

"Ana bahabek, Jay," she whispers, but it sounds far away. Distant. Gone.

Suddenly, Venus' luxurious bedroom becomes a stingy crime alley apartment, the light is coming from the computer monitor and her soft embrace is an empty bed he desperately clutches the blankets on.

He wakes up from the actual dream.

Of course it was all real. The chill of the alleyway, his own words. Nightmares came like waves now without her there to guard him from them, like his own personal saviour.

She was.

His heart lurches at the thought of possibly never having such a light to lead him through the darkness again.

When that grief which settles deeply in his bones begins to tip him, the tears in his eyes, the ache in his chest, the noise in his throat, he fights it. 

She killed my mom, he whispers, falling back down onto the bed, she killed my mom. 

He clutches the blankets tighter, desperately pretending he's not imagining it as something, someone, else.

The nightmares come for him.

◊◊Venus◊◊

Gotham at night isn't much different to Gotham at day. Crime is still blatant during the day, though thinner and confined to certain areas. I fuck the traffic rules as I speed down the main road in my other unmarked car, on my way to Dixon West at the docks.

If I were to take my eyes off the road, lean forward and glance up at the rooftops I'd see shadows there, following, helping. Bruce and Damian if I'm correct.

Sure enough, "Venus." The deep, gruff voice comes through the radio of my car, "Are you sure about this?"

With no other way to answer I flick my lights off and on, twice. If it's my brother, then yay, I get to see him. If it's not...well, lucky I brought Gotham's greatest weapon. And I'm not talking about Batman, or myself.

I park at the edge of the docks. Suspiciously and yet expected, there is a sleek, black limo parked there as well. With a deep breath I get out of the car and shut it behind me, locking it, then taking out both of my guns.

I'm wearing plain pants and a plain top, discreet, with a black leather jacket. Easy to fight in yet still presentable. I should be able to move easy. Should any sort of fight break out I'd imagine Bruce would not want me anywhere near it. Not for my own safety but for his grandchild's.

"Slower," he says, coming to my side. I ignore him and Damian.

None of us make any noise when we walk, all trained not to. At some point Damian disappears leaving Bruce and I to walk out onto the actual creaky wooden boards that pass for a dock.

"What are you expecting?" Batman asks lowly as we stop, just before we can be out in the open.

"There's two options," I say, looking around. There's fresh scuff marks on the dock and concrete, things have been pushed aside, the floodlights have been turned off. "It's been years, but if he's anything like my dad anymore he'll pop out calmly. If he has changed course, as evidence suggests..." 

I reach into my jacket as my eyes catch a figure emerging from the shadows. Then another, then another.

"...he'll have some sort of weird initiation first."

The first woman has long black hair tied up in a ponytail. Her expression is vacant, watching Batman and I, as well as the others behind her. Cold, uncaring, following orders. It's a typical Russian shakedown.

Simon must have expected me to really come alone, because if he knew I was bringing these two, there would be more assailants stepping out of the shadows.

"Once they're down," I continue to Batman, counting fifteen, "he'll make his dramatic appearance. Like father, unlike son."

I flick my safeties off, noting Damian up on the roof ready to pounce. This can be over in thirty seconds. I'll take down five with flesh wounds and knock outs, they get five each as well.

"Forgive us, Lady Salvore," the girl with the black hair says in a thick voice dripping with Russian affectation. "Lord Lusches asks that we first test you. He is curious as to how much you have changed since you were children."

I shake my head, "You do not need to explain," my arms raise with my guns at the ready, "just be prepared."

My head buzzes with the excitement of a fight, my fingers itchy to pull those trigger again. My pulse picks up and perhaps, I've missed such a situation more than I realised.

Right as I move forward, an armoured arm reaches out and stops me. I frown down at Bruce's over-dressed limb, then up at the white slits in the mask. 

My brother's gangsters draw their weapons.

"'The hell do you think you're doing?" I ask, before bringing my own arm up and pushing his out of the way. I start to move forward again and the opponents take stance, ready to begin fighting.

However, I feel gauntlets wrap around my arm and tug.

Every thought of revolt brings itself to the forefront of my mind as I spin around, glock at the ready, and point it at him.

Point it at him, the grandfather of my child and someone I once confided in deeply.

If there were non-silent onlookers, I'd imagine the sight of me holding a gun to Batman's uncovered mouth would bring some serious exasperated gasps.

Even I'm shocked, and so is he, but I don't lower it from its place in front of my chest aimed at him. This isn't an idle threat.

This is the kind of thing I do. 

And, I want to see my brother.

"Let go," I say lowly, eyes falling into that glower I wear in court, "you don't have the right. You're not stopping me from doing this."

He glares, looking at where we are locked, then up at my face, before releasing my arm. I lower the gun, "Are you forgetting your condition?" He snaps gruffly.

 I flick the safety off a second time, the duration of this pointless little chat setting them to safe, "No," I respond, turning back to our assailants, "I'm trusting my skills."

The first shot hits the person a few meters away. Not the closest, because the closest comes at me and Batman gets him first. So, someone else moves towards me. One shot to the shoulder, he screams, I lower to his thigh and fire and he convulses again before hitting the ground.

Immediately from behind him another woman comes running, seemingly more skilled equipped with two knives in her hands. I fire and she dodges, coming far to close.

Abdomen. Protect your abdomen.

Tossing my guns to the air I reach for her wrists and grasp them tightly, hauling her forward and bringing my leg up to slam my foot down on the top of her knee, crushing the bones beneath.

She wails in pain and I release one wrist to connect my fist with her jaw. As she falls backwards I reach up, catch my guns and drag them down through the air. I pull the trigger when one is aimed at her thigh and the other is aimed at the guy coming at me from the left.

The woman falls, but the man keeps coming despite a hit shoulder.

I spin on the spot to fire with the other gun, it was an easy shot, but suddenly a bullet is whizzing through the air and splitting the skin at the back of his neck apart, sending a spray of blood behind him and nearly coating Robin in red.

A bullet. A bullet, fired with that kind of precision. A bullet that whilst didn't save my life, still helped. A bullet only he could have fired, right?

The thought doesn't remain as someone else is attacking. He fires his gun at me once and I spin out of the way, finishing the turn by letting off a bullet that makes him dodge to the left, bumping Batman and distracting the Dark Knight from his own fight.

Bruce turns with a grimace and punches him once. Straight away he's out like a light. Batman then turns back to the last gangster in his grip and performs the same 'stunning' move on him.

That's how Robin, Batman and I defeated fifteen Russian mobsters in less than thirty seconds.

I'm staring at the only window my 'saviour's' shot could have come from, as Robin goes on a tirade of knocking people out. It gets quieter and quieter as the moans and groans of shot people die out with his little punches and bo staff whacks.

For a moment, I meet eyes with him as I place my guns in their holsters. It's an uncomfortable series of seconds and both of us look away almost immediately.

I'm about to go over and question the last person left conscious; the girl whom emerged first with the long black hair. Damian had defeated her first, and she lay bruised with one eye open on the ground.

My lips are parting to ask where my brother is, when I here over-dramatised slow clapping from the ship docked to our left.

Stepping back from her, towards Bruce, I train my eyes up at the shipping containers stacked on deck.

With a frightening jolt I refuse to jump to, the floodlights turn back on, lighting up the entire area to the point of blinding. I have to hold my hand up and block the one on the ship from my eyes, because I'm not wearing a titanium mask.

The slow-clapping figure jumps the vast distance from top shipping container, down to the wooden dock below.

And it is in that moment, after sixteen years of remaining in the dark, I see his ash blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. He's lean and tall, like me, with the same skin and the same nose. 

Black and red are his colour choices. He looks classic, reminding me of my dad, but here and there is evidence of his age. My brother has grown into a handsome young man.

Simon smiles at me as he rounds the corner of the dock, "ya skuchal po tebe, sestra." 

My face shifts from an annoyed frown, to just the slightest mirth, "I missed you too, brother."

◊◊

Updated because I wanted to show you guys the awesome picture xD

Did I get you believing in that first bit?

Very important chapter next!

What do you think of Venus fighting, in her current state? 

Love you all,

Say magical!

Be safe.

-Kaido xx