Zeela- now out of her bartender uniform, having finished her shift- took the stool next to the half-elf and called the attention of the group he sat with. Tyrone, Lahra and Jackson swivelled to face her (with the half-Norse warrior downing her fourth pint of the night) listening eagerly as the sea-dweller ushered them.

"Listen, I've just heard from Jason,", Jackson grinned at the mention of his best bro's name and Zeela continued, "and he's just told me that Damian and Raven told everyone today,", there was an audible collective intake of breath, "they're officially together!"

True to their rambunctious natures, the other three caused quite the scene- well, Jackson and Lahra did, being infinitely louder than the studious Tyrone. Jackson's hollering and whooping was drowned out only by Lahra announcing a round of drinks on her tab for the whole club, cheers ensuing with vigour.

Lahra plonked back down on to her bar stool, "Its about time, Aphrodite hasn't given us any decent entertainment for the last three hundred years!"

"You can say that again."

***

After confirming to Damian that she was indeed alive and hadn't been glared to death by his father, Raven rejoined the cake-eating-and-conversation going on in the Hall. She was congratulated on surviving Bruce Wayne by most members present until the man himself entered the room: he had stayed a few minutes longer outside, collecting thoughts as they drifted along like papers stress about, carried by the chilling breeze.

A few minutes along the line, Clark and Lois were announcing their leave, only to be met with Alfred's insistence that they stay. "We have room enough.", he stressed. "Though I reckon Master Bruce won't be needing the company tonight.", he chuckled, glancing at the billionaire, who appeared to be subtler flirting with Selina Kyle, insinuating where this Valentine's night would lead.

Deliberating it among themselves, the Kents came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be a terrible idea to spend the night in the luxurious manor in a spacious suite with a king-size bed and insulated walls...if you get what I mean... Besides, it would give them the chance to see Jonathan off for school the next day, something they didn't often get to do. Yeah, Jonathan, that's what it was all about.

Bruce's watch bleeped and the room was alert.

The Batcomputer had picked up on something. Superman was at the ready, his ears searching for any trouble from the Manor to Gotham's slums. Unsurprisingly, he found a LOT that was wrong. But nothing to trigger the response the watch had given- the shrill bleeping saved only for dire situations.

A League Emergency.

***

"It's a new threat, no one we've ever faced before.", Cyborg said to the half-full table. On a good day they'd get three-quarters if the main JLA members...this wasn't a good day. Aquaman had turned up grumpy as an old goat that his romantic night with Mera was ruined- despite the fact that his wife had come with him to the emergency meeting. It seemed there were many disgruntled faces in the JLA meeting room (this Valentine's wouldn't apparently feature 'getting lucky').

Hal groaned, "What've we got then- because if you've called me away from that tall glass of-", Batman glowered at him from the head of the table and he huffed, "Just get down to it already!"

Vic raised his metal arm and it projected footage in to the space over the table. The scene of a woman levelling a four-storey building to the ground with a single clenching if her fist played before them; then came several videos, only a few seconds long, of other scenes of destruction with the woman at the centre, her hands radiating a strange red energy; and finally a series of close-ups of the woman's face and hands.

None at the table recognised her. She was definitely alien.

Skin a fiery, scorched red and pulled taut across haunting cheekbones, the woman's face was drawn in to a sneering scowl. Eyes consumed entirely by white and lips the same luxurious gold as her lips that lifted to bear painfully bright razors that could slice a man's neck clean off. She was like a human woman in shape, and that was where the similarity ended. Metallic gold hair fell in strict sheets to her shoulders. The only thing over her flaming red skin, shifting over her naked form was a thick, onyx black serpent. Its body seemed the width of a man's thigh and its length- as it wound loosely around her breasts and from her waist down to the end of her leg- was well over two metres. It's ugly head reared itself and flicked its tongue out over her shoulder blades.

Hal gulped.

Maybe this wasn't such a disappointment after all.

The projection disappeared and Hal almost sighed in disappointment.

"What do we know about her?", Diana asked, setting both elbows on the table and clasping her hands.

"Female. Non-human.", Cyborg sighed, "And that's pretty much it. But she has attacked six buildings in the last few hours and doesn't seem to be stopping. Three in Venice. One in New York. Two in Paris and she hasn't left France, meaning she will most likely attack again. Transport seems no issue for her."

"But- I mean- come on!", Barry three up his hands, "What've Venice, New York and Paris git in common?"

chirrrrp chirrrrrp

"Love."

The room stared at Batman as if he'd grown a second head. The Batman..love just wasn't a word expected to leave his mouth...ever. It gave Barry the heebie jeebies. Shazam grimaced, "Is it me or did Batman just say the 'L' word?". To which J'onn replied out of the corner of his mouth, "The former."

Batman's scowl deepened, "Venice, New York, Paris: all places associated with love. The attacks may be emotionally instigated."

Understanding the picture he was beginning to paint, Diana asked, "Is this a situation of a woman scorned by love lashing out?"

Hal corrected, "You mean, the situation of a super-powered, furiously hot, alien woman...scorned by love.", he placed particular emphasis on 'furiously hot' and both Mera and Diana prepared their weapons to FITE the twat. Had Hawkgirl not been off world, she too would've put her mace to use...a missed opportunity.

"So, are we going straight to France then or...?"

Batman's own private monitors had overridden all CCTV outlets in the city of Paris, honing in on the woman's location. He stood up to answer Barry's question, "She's nearing the Trocadero gardens, closing in on the Eiffel Tower- most likely her next target. We need to move, and fast. Any journey by jet, invisible or not, will take too long.", he looked at the half-metal man, "Cyborg, can you-"

Vic shrugged, "Yeah, I'll boom us there."

***

Bruce returned to the Manor a few hours later, with a few cuts and bruises that beading tending- no major problem. Though the hour was an ungodly three-thirty, Selina was waiting for him, and was quick to help him out of his uniform and force him in to letting her help with seeing to his wounds.

"It's nothing I can't handle, Selina.", Bruce grunted as she sterilised a cut with an alcohol wipe.

One hand a hand his chest, Selina smirked at his playfully, "I know, maybe I just like making you uncomfortable."

And she certainly was, in a silky black shift, more lace than anything else and almost entirely translucent, sitting besides him on his bed, hands on his chest and legs overlapping. Very, very uncomfortable. His only solace was that he could see by the dilation of her pupils and the bobbing of her throat that she was just as...uncomfortable.

"You're lucky,", Selina dabbed at a scratch on his arm, "none of these need stitches.", she trailed her fingers along a silvery stretch of skin running in a long line from Bruce's sternum to his waist, "Unlike some."

He shivered as her fingers continued to trace the frail, jagged lines over his chest and arms. "You know, we didn't exactly get to make the most of Valentine's Day.", she said, lolling bat him through her lashes.

Selina stilled and Bruce leaned forwards, "That doesn't mean we can't take advantage of the night after." His lips connected with hers and Selina wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him downwards. Breaking out of the sensual kiss, Selina brought her mouth to his ear and whispered, "You've got a lot to make up for Mr Wayne."

***

After school the next day, Kori had told the Titans that they'd be going to the Hall of Justice to take full advantage of its training equipment: Wayne Manor's training facilities were impeccable, but the Hall's were more suited to group training. Having finished their gruelling session, the Titans lounged about the League's 'common room' of sorts, eating and drinking to replenish their energy. As Jaime drank a smoothie- on the phone to the supervisor at the food kitchen, sorting his hours out- and Raven sat talking with Damian about potential concepts for their art project, the two were approached by Donna and Jonathan. 

Damian scrunched his nose, "What's wrong with you two?"

Both seemed unsure of themselves, as if they had something to say but didn't know how to say it. After judging her boyfriend for being a rude arse, Raven asked, "What is it then?". Damian rolled his eyes. That was hardly nicer than what he'd said.

The Kent scratched the back of his head, "Look, I know your gonna laugh,", Damian was preparing himself to unleash a wicked cackle, "but we need your help."

It was picked up by Wondergirl, "Because we've seen that you know about it.", she was being to vague for Raven to follow her meaning. Donna finally spat out, "We take dance and our teacher has put us in partners and we have to do dance together sohelpuspleeeeease!"

Damian burst in to vicious bouts of laughter/manic cackling. Jaime, who had overheard, joined in, taking the mic out of their misfortune and rouged faces. Even the demoness couldn't hold back giggles for all the emotional conditioning and pith in the world.

Sobering, Raven said, "Sure, I'll help.", she glared at her boyfriend, "And Damian will too, won't you?"

He cleared imaginary tears, "Oh I wouldn't miss this for the world.", and snickered.

Knowing he was a hopeless case, Raven queried, "What style have you been studying?"

Then came the bombshell.

"Salsa."

Jaime's smoothie spat out of his mouth in a stream of nutritional green-ness as laughter issued from the other two. Jonathan and Donna were double-fucked with that one. Giving the teens a pleased glance, Kori decided to pay their laughter no mind- glad to see them getting along like a real, good family.

Through the 'common room' doorway peeked the metal head of Vic Stone, curious and grinning. "Hey, hey, hey what's going on up in here?". He took a seat on the arm of one of the sofas as Kori greeted him cheerily -snacking on grapes and pickled onion.

Jaime began, "Jon and Donna have landed themselves in-"

"Oh my God, I'd completely forgotten! Dick texted me last night!", Vic interrupted leaning forwards and grinning from ear to metal ear. "I would never have guessed it, but at the same time I kinda felt that vibe, you know." Several pairs of eyes blinked. Cyborg's grin softened, "Robin. Raven.", he sighed, "Y'all are just a bit too cute for me to deal with. All loved up and feeling real emotion and all that." He chuckled at their reactions (caught between dumbstruck and indignant), "I was really rooting for you two."

Vic cast a sly eye on them, "So, how did you survive the big bad Bat?"

Raven huffed, looking for a place to start.

***

Having finished their break in the 'common room', Raven and Damian summoned the two potential dancers to the training room to assess their skill set. Suffice to say, the near-impenetrable wall would have a massive dent in it from Damian's head in a minute. By his expert reckoning...they were helpless! It would've been easier to teach a bull to tap dance in a china shop without breaking any cutlery!

Kori and Jaime had tagged along purely for the entertainment of it all, sitting and observing while sipping on warm drinks. The youngest two had been instructed to perform what basis choreography they'd learnt in lessons. It was enough to make Raven cringe so hard she thought she might combust and tear a hole in the fabric of this Earth.

"Stop stop stop stop STOP!", Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "First of all, you aren't standing at a close enough proximity- she's not infected Superboy... as far as we know.", the blue-eyed Kent blushed scarlet as Donna glared at Damian. "Secondly, your hands are in the wrong positions. And lastly, your postures and footwork make me want to die pathetically by the hands of Timothy Dork Drake than bear the sight of such atrocities. I am physically in pain."

Jaime took a looooong, slurping sip of his tea and considered filming it to share with Stephanie.

Pulling a face at the withering glare his girlfriend gave, Damian listened to Raven's words to Jon and Donna. He marvelled at the way she was truly nice enough to give them false hope at ever succeeding.

Raven knew she had to get Damian aboard the plan, even if only just to see the younger two grow closer. And she knew the exact angle to attack it from. "Damian, Jonathan and Donna are our students. Are we failures?"

He scoffed, "Tt. Of course no. What preposterous question is that?"

Her lips twisted in to a smirk and she let Pride shine, "Then our students won't be failures.", she looked to the jittery adolescents. "You have a lot to live up to, but we will pull you up to scratch, you won't disgrace us."

Damian casually filed his nail with the blade of his katana and smirked, "You two have trainers who survived Hell and the League of Assassins, the harshest trainers this side of anywhere.

You will be perfect."

A.N:

Hello my darlings! It's finally the last week of term. One more day and I am OUT! This summer's going to be so chill I'm actually so gassed for it.

Any of you guys have plans? Any trips abroad perhaps?

Either way, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter (Jonna's in real shit, eh?) and will enjoy this summer

Thank you!

-Bats :3