Halloween Special #1

Prologue: London By Gaslight

The London fog had settled in shortly after nightfall and had only grown thicker as the night wore on and the chill in the air dipped down lower and lower. Shivering in her heavy velvet dress, Donna Troy looked around suspiciously looking for any sign of someone lurking in the darkness.

The long sleeves of her dress barely concealed the silver bracelets on her wrists, but it was no matter. In this dark night, with weak gas light barely able to penetrate the thick fog, no one would notice the bracelets until they were too close for it to make any difference.

It was late December 1888, and it had been nearly a month since the last murder. So far the Ripper's pattern was that he killed toward the end of the month and on or around a weekend. This was the third night she'd been out here, putting herself out as bait. She frequently the right bars, been seen with prostitutes, and submerged herself as best as she could in such a short time to stop the madman.

Looking to the sky, Donna was surprised to see the fog had lightened enough above to reveal a solid silvery full moon. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to Diana, the Goddess of the Moon her older sister had been named after, asking for strength and agility and the skill of the hunt this evening. Someone was killing women, and she had to stop them.

No sooner had her silent completely that Donna heard the sound of shoes against the cobblestones.

"Thank you enhanced Amazon hearing," Donna whispered, turning toward the direction the sound had come from. Shuffling through the night, was a dark figure in a heavy dark cloak and wearing a bowler hat. From here she could see the macabre grin splitting his lips and his wide bright eyes that were vacant and empty. A chill shivered down her spine. Without further thought, Donna knew this was the man… the one who had referred to himself as Jack the Ripper in the newspapers.

Donna kept her mood casual as the man approached her.

"Fancy a date?" She asked, hoping her English accent was adequate. Having grown up on a hidden island in the Mediterranean she had grown up speaking ancient Greek with English as a second language. Hopefully he did not notice, or did not care-perhaps he would think nothing of a foreigner and in no way relate her to the Wonder Girl the newspapers spoke of assisting Wonder Woman.

"Definitely." The man's smile grew wider. As he drew closer, Donna gasped, realizing she knew this man. And if he got too close he might even recognize her. She had met him albeit briefly at the reception at the royal palace for her and Diana after they'd saved the King and Queen from an assassination attempt by the Duke of Deception. He had even flirted with her briefly afterward and asked her to dance.

As he reached her, the smile on the face of Prince Albert Victor, the Duke of Clarence and Avondale faltered.

"Princess Donna?" He whispered.

"Prince Albert." Donna replied, her expression stony and grim, as all pretense at an English accent was forgotten.

In an instant, a flash of brilliant blade streaked from beneath his overcoat, heading straight toward her neck. It was only lightning fast reflexes and a flash of her own bracelets, made of unbreakable Feminium, that saved her. The blade shattered against her bracelets, now crossed in front of her neck.

"That wasn't very royal." Donna replied, "I take it you enjoy cutting into women as though they were sides of beef."

"Women are evil creatures. Whores and sluts. And you must all be punished," The Prince said, his eerie smile returning as spittle began to pool in the corners of his mouth. He pulled another blade from his overcoat, this one a scalpel that glittered in the pale moonlight falling through the fog. "You are from an entire island of evil harlots that do not know your places."

"And you are about to get the tar beaten out of you." Donna replied, her hand flashing forward so quickly the Prince did not realize it until he heard the bones in his hand snap and terrific pain shot through his body. As she unwrapped her fingers, unclenching the fist, Prince Albert's hand fell to the side limp and twisted as an old angle. The scalpel clanged against the cobblestones loudly.

The Prince screamed out once the shock of the moment wore off and the terrific pain tore through him. He turned and ran. Donna stood there for a moment, surprised that he'd found the strength to run after she'd crushed his wrist. But, it only further supported that the Prince was mad-for it was well-known, especially on Amazon Island, that one wrapped in the throes of madness was capable of seemingly impossible physical feats. Donna flew after him, surprised at how quickly he was moving.

"Going somewhere your highness?" Donna asked pleasantly as they rounded a corner and the prince ran out into a main street.

He looked behind him, seeing her there and screamed out in shock. He turned and ran in a different direction, looking behind him at Donna flying only inches away. He continued to move faster and faster, keeping a distance between himself and Donna, which made her wonder if perhaps the Prince had superhuman powers himself. Of course, she saw the River Thames looming before them-even though the Prince did not, so it was no surprise when he plunged over the side and into the river.

Landing at the railing, Donna looked over to see the Prince flailing around, splashing madly and attempting to swim. It was difficult with a broken hand.

"He'll survive you know." The voice from behind her startled her.

Donna spun around to find a woman standing there wearing shining black armor and a helmet that obscured her face. On her chest was engraved an eagle of the purest silver. The armored woman held a sword and shield.

"He will not actually kill again. So, in the end you did succeed in your endeavor tonight." The black-armored woman said. From the helmet blazing eyes peered out, boring into Donna.

"Who are you?" Donna asked, feeling a quiet fear building within.

"And, you are not the one I'm looking for." The woman said, "You are not a Key."

"What do you mean?" Donna asked.

The woman did not answer. Before Donna could react, the woman lifted her sword, neatly decapitating her. Donna's headless body crumpled to the ground, as her head bounced down the cobblestone street. The armored woman knelt, pressing her hand against the still warm body. A blinding flash of dark energy radiated from her hand, pulling bright white light from Donna's body-absorbing the white light. Then looking down at the lifeless body, the armored woman sighed. "Next stop Manhattan."

Titans Tower, New York City, Halloween

From the windows of Titan's Tower, Donna Troy sipped warm tea and stared out at New York City beyond. It glowed against the horizon, bright and vibrant, the dark night sky behind it black and uniform. Outside harsh howling winds shook the trees on the island, and it looked as though heavy storm clouds were rolling in. Around her, the Tower was still and silent.

Donna sighed, walking from the windows to the monitor, taking a seat. In some ways she wished she hadn't taken duty tonight, but in most ways she was glad to be mostly distracted. While part of her would have rather been on Paradise Island, far away from Halloween and children trick or treating, she had taken duty so the others could go out and enjoy themselves tonight.

Tapping several keys on the console, Donna watched images flicker by on the monitor screen. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that necessitated calling the Titans from their Halloween night plans. Everything was quiet.

On night's like these, Donna wondered if the pain would ever lessen. Each year since her son's death, starting with the weeks before Halloween Donna found herself still deeply mourning her lost one. The horrible feelings and dark depression usually began to dissipate shortly after Christmas, but still it was a good two to three month stretch of struggling through the day. Her therapist told her it was normal, but it didn't feel normal. It didn't seem right that her grief could still cripple her after a passage of time.

On the monitor, she keyed up Gateway City, watching as Diana and Cassie Sandsmark handed out Halloween candy from the Themiscyrian Embassy there, both dressed in their costumes. They both smiled and laughed, complimenting the trick-or-treaters on their costumes. Donna sighed, feeling wistful. She should be there with the rest of her Wonder Family tonight. She just couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Not tonight.

"Failure… that's what you are."

"What?" Donna spun, turning around in her chair. The monitor room was empty.

"But, it sounded like…" Donna let the thought trail off, shrugging it off. "Don't give yourself the creeps." She told herself.

She changed the view screen, going back to the streets of New York, hoping that something would pop up that demanded her attention. Even a mugging or carjacking. Just something to give her reason to leave this console, something to concentrate on and push the thoughts of Bobby from her mind.

"Nothing. A non-entity. Who is Donna Troy? She's nobody. That's who."

Donna spun around, the voice having been far more distinctive.

She stood slowly, clenching her fists tightly. Her silver bracelets shined in the bright lights of the monitor room.

"Is someone there?" She called, her voice far more brave than she felt. She reminded herself she was an Amazon and had the powers of the Titans of Myth. She should be able to defend herself.

But no one answered.

Donna turned her attention to the console once more flipping through more scenes, taking only a few moments to observe various areas in Manhattan as they flickered by.

"A thousand miserable worthless lives. And, they all ended in misery. And you'll die a thousand more."

She spun around again-toward the voice. But no one was there. Shivering, Donna Troy remembered the old saying, "It feels like a goose just walked over my grave."

She went back to monitor duty, although first she closed all the doors to the monitor room.

Hypertime: Paradise Island, the Silver Age

Wonder Girl floated on a warm breeze beneath a bright blue sky. Clouds drifted by carelessly and a bright smile crossed her lips. Below her in the warm ocean, Jerro the Mer-Boy floated on the surface watching with barely disguised love the beautiful dark haired girl flying above.

"It is so beautiful today Mer-Boy!" Wonder Girl exclaimed, swooping down so that she hovered only a few feet above the water's surface where Jerro's top-half poked out.

"Jerro. Call me Jerro. It's my real name." The mer-boy said quietly, looking at Wonder Girl so intently that the thirteen year old girl felt a slight flush rise through her cheeks. Her mother had told her stories of her romance with Prince Theno and Hercules before he'd become a heel and this was always how her mother described the moment eyes met and one realized they were in love. Was this how Wonder Woman felt about Steve Trevor? Wonder Girl frowned. Did this mean she was growing up? But, it couldn't. She was a mystically created avatar of Wonder Woman when she was a girl, created through Amazon magic to keep Wonder Queen from feeling lonely when Wonder Woman was gone. It was the same with Wonder Tot.

"What is your real name?" Mer-boy asked.

"I don't really have one." Wonder Girl replied. "I guess Diana. I am just a magical construct." Wonder Girl didn't often think about the strange reality she lived. The fact that she wasn't really real. She wouldn't grow up to be Wonder Woman, because she would always be thirteen. It was just the way the spell was designed. Queen Hippolyta was eternally young and wanted a never-aging version of Diana to spend that eternal youth with. Everyone on Paradise Island knew that one of these days Diana would marry Steve Trevor and renounce Paradise Island and her gift of eternal youth.

"Diana is Wonder Woman's name." Jerro replied. "You need a name all to yourself."

Wonder Girl giggled, "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know." Jerro shrugged. "Dina? Dora? Deva? Dara? Donna? Dena?"

"Wait!" Wonder Girl shouted. "What was the second to last one you said?"

"Donna." Jerro repeated.

"Donna." Wonder Girl whispered repeating the name. It struck a chord deep inside. Somehow it felt right. "Donna."

"Yeah, Donna." Jerro replied. "You can't be Wonder Girl all the time after all. Wonder Woman is sometimes Diana."

"And sometimes she's boring old Diana Prince." Wonder Girl said thoughtfully. "You should see the clothes she wears… and those awful glasses! It's so icky. I like Donna. My new name is Donna!"

Wonder Girl squealed in joy, streaking up from the water's surface doing loop-de-lou's in the sky, laughing ecstatically.

In the distance a bolt of lightning streaked through the sky, striking a distant island. Dark rumbling clouds came rumbling in.

Wonder Girl paused, stopping mid-air and watching the sudden storm that seemed to spill from a fissure in the sky it's self. She watched in curiosity as a form dropped from the fissure and began flying toward her, streaking through the sky. As the figure came closer, Wonder Girl was able to make out that it appeared to be a woman in full body armor, black as midnight with a bright silver eagle on the chest plate. A full helmet obscured the woman's face.

When she reached Wonder Girl, she stopped only several feet away, hovering in the sky looking at Wonder Girl.

"Who are you?" Wonder Girl asked.

From below, Jerro watched, his heart filling with horror although he wasn't sure why. There was something about the woman in black armor that was all wrong. The world they lived in was nice and clean and everything worked out in the end. Something about that woman floating there was the exact opposite of their world. Jerror's heart pounded and he tried to find his voice to warn Wonder Girl that the woman was not of their world-and that Wonder Girl should fly away as fast as she could.

Wonder Girl gazed into the dark eyes peering from the helmet, unable to look away from the deep drowning pools of seething evil within. Nothing she'd ever seen matched that. Not even the Glop had that much evil in his eyes. It went beyond Mars or the Duke of Deception.

"I am your future Donna Troy of the Silver Age. You are the Wonder Girl I'm looking for. You're a Key to my future." The woman said.

"Who is Donna Troy?" Wonder Girl thought to herself, even though she somehow knew she was Donna Troy. Wonder Girl's head felt weird at the mention of the name Donna Troy. Something in her head went off, buzzing softly like bumblebees and crickets singing together in disharmony. At the edge of memory and knowledge there was something just beyond her grasp.

Before she could reply or ask the black-armored stranger what she was talking about, a bolt of dark black energy fired from the woman's hand striking her with an intensity that made Wonder Girl's entire being shiver with pain.

From the water below, Jerro screamed as Wonder Girl and the woman in black armor disappeared from the blue sky. Several hours went by before Jerro was able to get his wits about him and swim toward Paradise Island to tell the Amazons what had happened. But of course, by then, it was far too late.

Titans Tower, New York City, Halloween

Donna Troy was in the kitchen getting something to eat. There wasn't really much here. She was spending more time in a nice penthouse apartment in the Upper West Side than the Tower and rarely brought more than take-out with her to the Tower. Unfortunately she wasn't even finding anything.

"You're going to die. And Dark Angel will bring you back. Again. And this time your life will be even more painful and disastrous. You'll die in pain all over again."

Donna spun around quickly. The voice had been clear and close. But, again there was no one standing there. Donna frowned, knowing she wasn't going crazy. She tried to remember if there were any ghosts that might have a beef with her or one of the other Titans. Suddenly no longer hungry, Donna rushed back to the monitor room and began going through case files, references "ghostly voice".

She thought she saw a flash of lightning on the other side of the windows, but the skies had been cloudless and the weather forecast hadn't mentioned anything of a storm tonight.

Nothing pulled up even as from behind her she heard, "You're nothing but a pale weaker version of Wonder Woman. Diana's knock-off. Derivative. You were unique for about a second when the Titans of Myth gave you powers, but you threw those all away."

"Who's there?" Donna demanded, standing her ground. She crossed her wrists in front of her, the sound of the bracelets clinging together helping her feel slightly secure. Whoever was here would get their ass kicked. "Show yourself and stop hiding like a coward."

From the shadows stepped a scaly gray man-shaped thing blazing yellow red eyes boring into her.

"Gargoyle." She gasped. The demon from Limbo had once been Brom Strikk, a villain that Dick, Wally, and Garth had faced before they even were Titans. They'd all faced him again many times as the Gargoyle, after he'd been transformed by the Antithesis into his demon form.

"I am pleased you remember." The Gargoyle's smile was gruesome and sent chills down Donna's back. "I've come for you Donna Troy. You and I have a score to settle and we'll do it tonight."

"You'll get your butt handed to you again. Like you always do." Donna retorted. Her eyes focused on the ring on his finger. They had destroyed that ring before-a ring that gave the Gargoyle the power to travel between this world and Limbo-as well as send other people to Limbo.

"This time is different Wonder Girl. Or is it Troia? Or Darkstar? Or should I just call you Donna Troy?" The Gargoyle chuckled. It was a harsh sound, like chalk scraping against a blackboard.

The ring on the Gargoyle's finger began to glow lightly.

Hypertime: Titans Tower, The Bronze Age

Wonder Girl stood atop Titans Tower watching as Changeling, Terra, Starfire, and Cyborg went through war games. Standing next to her Raven's dark blue robes swirled in the winds whipping by as the sun set behind them.

Wonder Girl's right hand rested lightly on the glowing lariat on her right hip.

"You think Terra is dangerous." Wonder Girl said to Raven. It was a statement not a question.

"I do. At first I discounted the sensations as perhaps something from within… you know that my struggle to remain free of Trigon is quite brutal every day. But, the more I watch the girl and sift through my own darkness, the more I am convinced that something is deeply wrong in the girl." Raven said.

"I must admit something about her story doesn't quite add up. It never has." Wonder Girl was thoughtful. "I wish Dick was here. He would know what to do."

"Richard selected you as field leader for a reason Donna. You are a natural born leader. You don't need Richard to tell you what your heart most assuredly is already telling you." Raven replied.

Wonder Girl watched as Terra formed an earthen bridge below, sliding along it as it rose and fell.

"Sometimes Terra lets her mask down during the games and I think she shows how powerful she really is. Look how effortlessly she moves along that earthen bridge. Yesterday while we were fighting the Fearsome Five she had a difficult time moving along a similar earthen structure she created. I don't think twenty-four hours has given her the mastery she is showing now." Wonder Girl wondered… had Terra duped them somehow? Surely now. Her brother Brion was an Outsider and surely Batman would make sure he was on the up and up. If Brion checked out, surely Tara was fine.

"I will deal with it." Wonder Girl said finally. "I have to go to finish some work in my darkroom and then meet Terry for dinner. After that, I'll call Dick and talk it over with him and tomorrow I'll talk to Tara. We'll put her on a temporary suspension until we can check her out a bit more."

Raven nodded.

"Thank you Donna." A puff of billowing smoke exploded around Raven as she shifted between dimensions, presumably to go back to her room to meditate.

Wonder Girl streaked off into the afternoon, heading for her studio. A million things flooded her mind. She had a wedding in a few weeks and there was still a ton of stuff to do there. Not to mention her Titan's workload.

Wonder Girl let herself in through the window, not wanting to have to change into street clothes and come up several flights of stairs. Sometimes she daydreamed of just publicly revealing her identity to the world. However, it wasn't an option. Diana Prince and Donna Troy were sisters. Same mother, different fathers as they told everyone when they introduced each other. Steve Trevor wasn't completely clueless. If Diana Prince's little half-sister suddenly revealed to the world that she was Wonder Girl of the Teen Titans, Wonder Woman's little sister, then it wouldn't take him long to figure out Diana Prince was really Wonder Woman.

Going into the dark room, Wonder Girl closed the door and turned on the red light, beginning to mix the chemicals. When she opened the third bottle, she paused. Something smelled off. Taking a deep breath, Wonder Girl realized that it wasn't the right chemical. Double-checking the label, she smelled again. It was completely wrong.

"That would create a chemical reaction that would knock me out… possibly even kill me." Wonder Girl put the cap back on the bottle, just as she realized that she hadn't switched chemicals. And no one else came into this studio. It was her private sanctuary from the rest of the world. Stepping back, her hand instantly went to her glowing lariat. It wasn't unbreakable or forged from links of Hippolyta's girdle, but it had been forged from the fires of the sun by Hephaestus and given to her as a gift for her thirteenth birthday when she'd decided to leave Paradise Island to pursue her true identity and follow in her sister's heroic footsteps. It didn't break easily. In fact, no one had broken it the entire time she'd had it.

Walking slowly toward the door to the darkroom, she took a deep breath before knocking the door open.

"A pity you didn't fall for my trap." Deathstroke the Terminator said, standing there, sword drawn. "It would have been much easier. Much less painless."

"You and I have never battled one on one Deathstroke." Wonder Girl said, her hands clenching into fists. "I don't know how you got in here or how you knew where this place was, but I will not be holding back. Not even you, with your heightened reflexes and increased brain usage can withstand a good old fashioned Amazon beat-down."

"You are cocky." Deathstroke laughed, "It will be a pleasure beating some of that pride from you, just as Hercules beat the pride from your mother all those years ago. Just as he humiliated her, I will humiliate you. And-"

Before Deathstroke could finish, Donna had neatly ensnared him in a loop of her lariat, tightening it.

"You will find I can resist your lasso's abilities. I will resist your commands." Deathstoke said.

"Well, you obviously haven't studied my lasso. That's Wonder Woman's lasso moron. My lasso is super-strong. It can't command you to obey my orders or tell the truth. But, it obeys my mental commands and I can do this with it."

With a single heave, Wonder Girl yanked Deathstroke from where he stood and began swinging him around and around like a helicopter's propellers. She gave the lasso the command to release Deathstroke. Deathstroke, released from the lariat, went flying, crashing through the window and plummeting to the streets below. It was only his heightened senses that saved him from splattering on the street below.

Wonder Girl chased after him, leaning out the window. A rushed call went out over the Titan's communicator concealed in the W buckle on her belt.

"Wonder Girl to Tower. Deathstroke just attacked me at my studio. All Titans report immediately to my studio-"

"Tsk, tsk."

Wonder Girl spun around to find a woman wearing black armor and a full-helmet standing behind her. The silver eagle encrusted on her chest-plate reminded Wonder Girl of the eagle Wonder Woman had worn on her top when she'd first come to Man's World from Paradise Island.

"Who are you?" Wonder Girl asked, preparing to ensnare the armored woman with her lasso.

"Who am I? Who are you Donna Troy?" The armored woman tilted her head to the side, her eyes locking with Wonder Girl's. "You are one of the Keys. You are one of the ones I'm searching for."

Before Wonder Girl could say anything further, a bolt of dark energy streaked from the woman's gauntlet, consuming Wonder Girl and sending bolts sizzling through the main room of the photo-studio. When the bolts died out, both Wonder Girl and the armored woman were gone as if they'd never been there.

Titan's Tower, Halloween

The Gargoyle's ring was glowing ominously.

Donna Troy stood there watching. The first time they' d faced the Gargoyle they'd smashed his ring and trapped in him Limbo. Later he'd escaped several times to plot revenge. Each time they'd defeated him again and returned him to Limbo.

"I see you have a new ring." Donna said, "Did the Antithesis give you a new one for your anniversary?"

"Make jokes all you want Troy." The Gargoyle laughed, "Deep down you know that I'm telling the truth. You are nothing but a pale shadow of Wonder Woman. Your background and past is murky and muddled, changing with the seasons."

"Obviously you're behind the times." Donna replied, "I met my foster mother Drusilla several years ago and after having Dark Angel tamper with my memories and try to wipe me out of existence, I have them all back in one piece. Thank you very much."

"Oh, maybe this week." The Gargoyle taunted, "By next week, you'll be off searching for a new link to your nonsensical past."

"News flash, Gargy." Donna said, lifting a heavy console, "I know who I am. And, you're not going to get into my head and screw around." She tossed the chair at the Gargoyle. As it hurtled through the air at him, a flash of energy exploded from his ring, enveloping the chair. The chair disappeared completely.

That ring obviously has the power to send things someone… probably Limbo, Donna thought. She didn't want to find out exactly where.

"A pathetic attempt. Did you really think that would stop me? Grayson would be disappointed."

"Not really." Donna replied, before another word could be exchanged, she ran from the room at super-speed. She needed to get out of the Tower. She made her way to the hatch leading to the roof exit, pushing it open she stepped outside.

Donna gasped.

Somehow, Titans Tower was no longer in the Hudson, instead it was in some weird otherworldly dimension with dark orange skies and a black ravaged landscape all around.

From within the Tower, Donna heard the Gargoyle's voice come floating to her.

"There is no escape Donna Troy." He cackled. "You are far far from home and none of your friends can save you. And, you are not strong enough to save yourself."

Donna stood as a harsh winds tore at her from all sides, carrying the smell of death and decay.

Hypertime: Castle Dracula

The air smelled of fire and blood, of rot and steel.

In the sky, Donna Troy swung her sword with every once of strength, it's blade-coated in dried Holy Water sliced through the winged monstrosity with the ease of a hot blade through butter. The demon vampire froze in place, it's massive bat-like wings ceasing their flapping in the moments before it exploded.

Donna snapped her eyes shut against the rotten decaying flesh that splattered her. When she opened them, she ignored the awful smell clinging to her as flesh and blood dripped from her armored breast plate. The gore against the double-W symbol seemed wrong somehow. And as she often did during these increasingly bloody battles, she felt her heart ache as she remembered Diana's legacy-of Queen Hippolyta giving Donna the Wonder Woman armor after the memorial-charging that Donna take upon the mantle of Wonder Woman and defend the world of Man against the monsters that had overtaken it after Ares's mad son Deimos had unleashed all the horrors of his Demon Vault.

Below her, an army swelled. Mainly human, save the New Titans-the only ones who remained after the onslaught of the demons, vampires, ghouls, goblins, and other beasts best left to nightmares had surged, overtaking the world and leaving it a bloody violent nightmare.

They had lost Dick Grayson last month in London, in the final battle with the Weird Sisters. They had enslaved London at Count Dracula's behest. And, the British Isles had been Wonder Woman and the New Titans first stop in the beginning of their battle to liberate Europe from the monster armies that had taken root. The Seven Monster Kings had split the world into territories, each taking a continent. Dracula had taken Europe. After defeating the Prince of Tears in North America, Donna and Dick had decided Europe would be their next stop. Donna fought back the tears as she flew toward Castle Dracula-the monstrous castle a dark shadow against the bloody night sky.

She could hear cries below her, the clash of steel against steel as swords connected. She could hear the howling of the werewolves and the jackals. She could hear the laughter of the shape-shifters and new that the army of mere mortals that had joined them as they'd battled across America and through the journey started in London were facing great losses. Donna tried to push this from her mind. They had made it to Castle Dracula. If they could slay the vampire, then Europe would be free. And, Donna could rest. She would go home to Paradise Island for enough time to mourn the loss. Diana, Dick, Kory, Terry and Bobby… it had been too much. Donna had been there when each had been taken-watching in horror as Deimos had slain Diana.

"Stop thinking about it!" Donna told herself in a harsh angry whispered. "Focus!" The castle loomed closer, and she knew that her battle with Dracula would not be pretty. She might not even make it out. She felt the golden lasso humming warmly at her side, the links forged by Hephaestus himself had been an asset all these months. Many of the horrors Deimos had unleashed merely burst beneath the fires of the lasso-unable to withstand the purity of the lariat comprised of the Girdle of Gaea.

Donna flew ahead, landing on the castle's tower top. Standing there, in all black was Dracula himself.

"Ah… Princess of Paradise." He chuckled lightly. "I have been expecting you."

"Have you?" Donna asked, gripping her lasso in one hand, while clutching her sword tightly with the other. "Then why are you here? Surely you know that I am going to kill you and liberate Europe from your thrall. Just as I liberated London from your fanged girlfriends."

"You are powerful, indeed Princess. I do not doubt you could under normal circumstances defeat any normal opponent. However, you have never faced one such as I. One who can make the blood roar in your ears, make your heart pound faster, and sent your pulse racing. Why fight sweet Princess? Why not rule beside me as my Queen of the Night." Dracula caught Donna in his eyes, drawing her in.

"I will not fall beneath your power." Donna whispered, unable to break her gaze from the dark vampire's hypnotic eyes. She felt herself moving across the stone tower below her, toward Dracula. He was so handsome… so beautiful. She remembered the first time she'd laid eyes upon Hyperion as a girl… how she had fallen for him, almost as hard as she'd fallen for Apollo a year later, and Hermes much longer after that. It was like looking at a god… but so much more… sensual. Donna's eyes flickered as images filled her head and the blood roaring in her body seemed to wash away all of her senses. Her duty here… her fallen friends… the liberation of the world from Deimos's monsters… it all fell away as her heart filled with pure unbridled passion.

The golden lasso in her left hand pulsed brightly, the fires of Hestia that flowed through it's threads surged. Donna felt the pure warmth of it tugging at her, trying to burn through Dracula's hypnosis.

"Dear sweet princess… the world will be ours." Dracula said, his breath upon her neck. Donna felt her head dipping back as Dracula's fangs revealed themselves. The vampire prepared to sink his death into Donna's neck.

"Oh… I don't think so." Donna said, her head clearing. Quickly Donna punched Dracula with the fist clutching the golden lasso.

Dracula screamed in pain as the golden coils burned and seared his flesh.

"HARLOT!" Dracula shrieked, recoiling.

"I could decapitate you." Donna said as Dracula's spell over her faded. "But, I'd rather not further sully my armor." Donna swirled her lasso, ensnaring Dracula within it's loops.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Dracula screamed.

The burning glow of the lasso flashed brightly, lighting up the night sky for one moment like the sun. The glow was so intense, so spectacular as the power of Gaea and Hestia incinerated Dracula and all the other vampires in the immediate vicinity.

Below her, on the ground where her warriors battled, a cheer went up as the vampires crumbled to dust.

"Ashes to ashes… dust to dust." Donna whispered, as the bright light from the lasso faded. Donna hooked the lasso back to her hip.

"The tide in this war has turned in your favor."

The voice from behind her startled her. Donna spun around, only to find a woman standing in black armor with a silver eagle on the chest.

"Who are you?" Donna gasped, unsure why a tremor of fear suddenly sent her entire body trembling.

"I am your future. And perhaps your end." The woman said. Several moments passed as the woman looked at Donna. "And, you are not a Key. You are not one of the ones I'm looking for."

"What?" Donna asked.

Before she could say another word, the woman in black armor had plunged her sword into Donna Troy's heart, splitting it in two and leaving the woman bleeding and dead on the tower.

The woman in black armor bent down, placing her hand against Donna Troy. Donna's essence flared brightly before the woman absorbed it. She then stood and looked out over the dark landscape.

"Soon… it is all drawing to a close." She then stepped through air, disappearing into nothingness.

Titans Tower, Halloween Night

"Oh, this is so bad. So very bad." Donna Troy said, looking all around her. Somehow the Gargoyle had brought the entire Tower, with her in it, into Limbo. She could hear the Gargoyle below her, taunting her. Calling to her.

Donna stood still, trying to think. She could easily fly off the Tower's top, but leaving the Tower might be bad. It would be easier to find her way back to reality if she stayed with the Tower, than if she headed off into the unknown of Limbo. She had only spent a little time here previously when they'd defeated the Gargoyle, and they'd been kids then-only a little more than fourteen, and they hadn't really be given a grand tour of the place.

"Donna Troy."

Donna spun around to see the Gargoyle rising from the hatch to the top floor beneath them.

"What do you want?" Donna asked, crossing her bracelets in front of her. "Why are you here?"

"Why else? Revenge. You and your friends the Titans have defeated me time and again. Sending back to endless torment in this Hell over and over. Each time I go after Grayson first. And, each time I am found and defeated. The cavalry comes in, rescuing him each time. So, this time, I thought I'll go after the cavalry first. Saving Grayson for last. If there is no cavalry left, then no one can save him. And, why not start with Donna Troy? The most expendable of the group. You're Wonder Woman-Lite. A knock-off. Are you a magical fragment of her this week? Or some lost urchin saved from a fire and given a fraction of her powers through the purple ray? No, I know you've been blessed by the powers of the Titans of Myth. No… that's not right. You're a space cop. Darkstar of Earth. Wait… that's not right either. That's right. You're nobody. Dark Angel took you out of the game. Wiped you from reality, fed you lies about your past. And you lapped them up like a hungry puppy. You believed them. Forgot all about your mother Drusilla."

"She tampered with my memories too." Donna retorted, "Wiped them clean of Druscilla and the Titans of Myth and everything. She messed them around and rewrote them for her own amusement to get vengeance on my mom and Hippolyta."

"Potato. Potatoe." The Gargoyle shrugged, pointing his glowing ring at her.

A bolt of energy shot from the ring hurtling toward Donna.

Throwing her wrists up, she easily blocked the blasts, sending the energy ray bouncing harmlessly into the sky.

"That's impossible!" The Gargoyle stammered.

"My bracelets are made of indestructible metal. Forged by the Amazons on Paradise Island. They can withstand just about anything. Including whatever that blast of energy was." Donna threw herself toward the Gargoyle, overtaking him in his shock.

Before he could fight back, Donna had wrenched the ring from his finger, slipping it on her own.

"MY RING!" The Gargoyle shrieked.

"It's my ring now." Donna replied coolly.

"Give it back!" The Gargoyle swiped at Donna with his fearsome claws.

The razor sharp nails barely missed Donna as she stepped out of the way.

"Not unless you send me and the Tower home. Do that, and we can talk about you getting your ring back." Donna said, flying from the top of the Tower. She floated in the air above surveying the scenery all around. It was a wasteland for miles and miles. Nothing to be seen but tall fearsome mountains and plateaus.

"The Tower is back home Troy." The Gargoyle laughed, "It's the anchor to your reality. It's only surrounded by Limbo. Leaving the Tower is you actually leaving your reality."

Donna watched in horror as the Tower began fading from view.

"So, we're going back to New York. The Tower and I. Have fun in Limbo." The Gargoyle laughed. "Maybe you can figure out how to use that ring. Although I doubt it. I'll come back for the ring after you're dead."

As the Tower disappeared from view, the Gargoyle's echoing laughter faded as well.

Donna Troy looked at the dark barren area the Tower had just been in, suddenly filled with an empty hollow fear.

Hypertime: New Chronus

The infinite cosmos stretched out before them. Standing in the ruins of the temple, Donna Troy hugged herself tightly. Her gold armor and starfield tunic did little to ward of the cold permeating New Chronus.

"Troia?" Starfire said quietly. "Are you sure? You've been Wonder Girl for all of these years?"

"Yes. Troia. It's what Rhea called me when she rescued me from that fire. It's what Phoebe and Coeus called me as a child here." Donna replied quietly, placing her right hand over her heart where a star brightly flared out-a star that forever marked the final resting place of the Titans of Myth. "It seems only right. After all, they gave their lives to save us from Sparta. Besides, I've never even met Wonder Woman. Why let people continue to think I'm her sister or something? The Titans of Myth only gave me that identity when I went to Earth to help me be accepted by the heroes of Earth. And to ensure my protection."

"It is just strange to think of you as someone other than Donna Troy: Wonder Girl." Starfire replied.

"I know, but a name change is in order." Donna's voice grew distant. "I'm a goddess now. The last offspring of the Titans of Myth. I house all of their greatness… and all of their flaws. What if I go mad? And absorb a universe?"

"That's silly." Starfire replied. "It's not in your nature."

"Isn't it? I haven't even known who I really am all these years. And, the power of a god… it seems like us plucky girl super-heroes don't last long as gods without going mad and losing it." Donna said, her eyes focused on the endless tapestry of stars stretching out before them.

"That only happens in movies and comic books. Real super-heroines don't go mad with a little power and destroy worlds." Starfire laughed, "And usually it only happens in movies and comic books because most men can't write a powerful woman well."

"Maybe." Donna smiled slyly.

"If you don't mind," Starfire said, "I'm going to go and check on Dick. He's still busted up from the final battle and I want to see if Raven's had any luck with taking his pain."

"It's OK." Donna replied, "I could use a few minutes to myself. I still have to figure out how to tell Terry. How do you tell your husband that he's married to a Greek god?"

"I don't know. But, you'll figure something out." Starfire flew off, leaving Donna to contemplate the stars beyond.

"Troia." She whispered the name. She knew that in Italian it was a derogatory term, but in Greek it meant Troy. And, in English it would just make her sound like a character from Star Trek. There were worse things though. She could still be calling herself Wonder Girl, as though she were the sidekick of a super-heroine who hadn't even been around when she got started. Sometimes Donna had felt horribly annoyed and had wanted to go to Wonder Woman and ask her where she got off? Taking the name that Donna had planned on growing into one day. But, then Donna had watched the interviews with Princess Diana of the Amazons and realized Diana was a good person and that the press had dubbed her Wonder Woman. At the end of the day, it was fine. Let Diana of the Amazons have Wonder Woman. She would be Troia, the Last Titan.

"Troia. Nice name. I like it."

The voice from behind her startled her and Donna spun around to find a woman in dark armor with a silver eagle on her chest.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Donna felt her defenses go up as every nerve in her body began tingling. Something was wrong here. There was something wrong with this woman. Donna crossed her new gold arm guards, digging her heels down into the dusty rock of New Chronus.

"I've come for you Troia." The woman said quietly. "You are a Key."

"I don't know who you are. Or what you think you've come here for, but let me tell you this, you need to back off." Donna Troy picked up a chunk of marble that had fallen from one of the crumbling columns. "And, back off far. Like off my planet."

"It's a planetoid." The woman retorted, "It looks like you're going to fight. Good. None of the others have put up a fight."

The woman raised her sword.

"The others?"

"The other Donna Troys. All through Hypertime and all through the alternate realities. I have searched a thousand worlds and thousands have died. All so I can find the Seven Keys. Your powers are impressive and your determination shines brightly. You are a formidable foe. But, alas, I am better."

"Like Hell Lady." Donna said, hurling the chunk of marble at the armored woman.

"No one else has fought like this. If time was not drawing to a close, then I would take time to relish this battle. It has been too long since I've faced a legitimate challenge." The armored woman put her hand up. A force field of dark energy formed around the marble chunk.

"Nice force field." Donna said. The armored woman responded with a bolt of sizzling dark energy. Donna put up a shimmering golden force field around her. "But, I can do that too."

"Indeed. A gift from the Titans of Myth. Along with other powers." The woman said as her energy bolt dissolved against the force field. "But, you are still new to these powers. You have not mastered them. I have. And, I know how to short circuit your little force field."

The woman blasted Donna's force field with the dark energy, using both hands to unleash power potent volleys of the energy.

Within the force field, Donna gritted her teeth. She could feel the force field beginning to collapse. With every iota of strength, she willed the force field to remain in place. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her blood roared as every muscle in her body cried out in protest. She had not fully recovered from the battle with Sparta over New Chronus. She was not prepared for an onslaught like this.

"Give up." The woman shouted. "It'll be easier for you that way."

"I'll never surrender!" Donna cried out. "I will die fighting!"

"As you wish." The woman increased her energy output.

Donna Troy screamed in anger as she heard her force field globe begin to crack. She was slowly losing her control over it under the intensity of the energy. Soon it would shatter and she'd be consumed by that dark energy.

Where were the others? She wondered. New Chronus wasn't that big of a planetoid. Surely they could hear the battle.

As if in response to her thoughts, Starfire, Changeling, Cyborg, Jericho, Raven, Hawk, and Dove appeared behind the dark armored woman.

Starfire unleashed a devastating solar bolt, slamming into the woman's back. The impact of it caused the woman to loose her footing and stagger, giving Donna a moment of relief from the dark energy just as her force field collapsed.

"Get away from her!" Starfire screamed, throwing bolt after bolt at the woman.

While the first bolt had knocked the woman off her feet, she was ready for the next volley of blasts and very neatly avoided each and every one of them. Those she did not avoid by movement, she blocked with her armlets.

"That looks like bullets and bracelets…" Donna whispered as Raven appeared at her side in a billow of dark smoke clouds and a flowing white cloak.

"Are you OK?" Raven asked, taking one of Donna's hands.

"Just weak and sore." Donna replied. "That woman is powerful. She was about to break through my force field."

Donna watched as the Titans fought the woman in her dark armor.

"I'm going to get you out of here. Away from this battle." Raven said. And they disappeared, leaving only smoke and mist behind.

They reappeared in the small temple that had once been a shrine to Phoebe Goddess of the Moon here on New Chronus. During their battle with Sparta and their recovery after it-the New Titans had used it as a temporary base of operations. On a bed, sleeping uneasily was Dick Grayson. His legs were bandaged and covered in cast and both arms were in slings. Hovering over him, Danny Chase looked concerned.

"I think Dick is getting worse, Raven." The boy said.

"Let me see." Raven crossed the room quickly, leaving Donna standing unsteadily wiping battle sweat from her forehead.

"What's going on out there?" Danny Chase asked Donna.

"Some woman in dark armor attacked me. The others are fighting her." Donna replied.

"Oh. Nice costume." Danny remarked.

"Thanks." Donna said, walking to window. Over in the distance she could see the battle ground and saw the flash of light and explosions that accompanied Starfire's powers. There was also a massive green elephant and she could see Dove flying above the ground tossing boulders at the woman.

Then the battle stopped.

"Your friends are impressive. But, my battle is not with them. And they cannot protect you from me."

Donna spun to find the woman in black armor standing behind her.

"You again!" Raven said, moving away from Dick's side. Before she got too far, the armored woman tossed her sword. The long fearsome blade tumbled through the air end over end so fast that it was a blur of motion. The blade clipped Danny Chase, neatly shearing the boy's arm off.

"DANNY!" Donna screamed.

"You're easily distracted." The woman said. Raven had forgotten about the woman and went right to Danny's side. "All of you. You always said that Titans was a family and that was it's strength. But, it's your weakness. You are too concerned about one another to do what has to be done."

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Donna screamed, throwing herself toward the woman.

"Not likely. But, your impulsiveness makes my job easier." As soon as Donna was near her, the woman reached out and grabbed Donna by the wrist. A bright flash of black energy and they were both gone.

"Donna?" Raven looked at the empty spot in the room where Donna Troy had just been with that awful woman in the black armor. Her white gown was stained red with Danny Chase's blood. The boy was already dead.

Hypertime: The Pocket Universe

"I don't like this." Nightwing said quietly.

The Titans and the Teen Titans stood in a group. The Titans: Nightwing, Darkstar, Starfire, Cyborg, Pantha, Lilith, Jericho, and Tempest, and the Teen Titans: Superboy, Robin, Wonder Girl, and Impulse had been called in to help stop a rampaging giant robot in the deserts of Arizona. They had arrived to watch Superman smash it to bits, while ignoring their every offer for assistance. Now he had landed half-way across the football stadium length parking lot of the robotics factory the giant robot had been attacking.

"I can't read him. I've always been able to read him before." Lilith said quietly.

"He doesn't smell right." Pantha said, "He doesn't smell human. He smells like… like Cyborg."

"Thanks Fleabag." Cyborg muttered.

"What's he doing here?" Tempest asked.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Darkstar said. "This feels like I bad dream I've had before. Like I've lived this-"

Darkstar stopped in mid-sentence as Lilith left the group, crossing the parking lot toward where Superman stood with his back to them.

"What's wrong?" Starfire asked.

"Superman?" Lilith called, reaching out. The moment her hand touched Superman's back, the man of steel spun around, clutching Lilith's wrist tightly. The sound of her bones snapping was loud and grotesque.

"LILITH!" Nightwing cried out.

"He's gone mad!" Darkstar shouted to Starfire and Jericho, "Get the kids out of here! NOW!"

"Donna?" Wonder Girl whispered, her voice filled with shock.

"Cassie, GO!" Darkstar said, tossing herself toward Lilith and Superman. The anti-gravity unit in her costume going full blast, she rocketed toward Lilith and Superman.

Lilith was screaming out in pain. The shock to Lilith's system was so massive she couldn't teleport away. She vainly tried to jerk her shattered wrist and hand free, but Superman's grip was inescapable.

"SUPERMAN!" Darkstar shouted, "Let her GO!"

Darkstar unleashed a full blast from her phasers, slamming into Superman.

Superman released his grip on Lilith, tossing the empath aside. Lilith hit the pavement with a thud, unaware of it as shock took over her body.

Superman turned his full attention to Darkstar.

Superman's eyes exploded with ruby rays of heat vision, the beams streaking straight toward Darkstar. Darkstar put her shields up, the twin rays bouncing into a wall, punching smoking holes through it.

"Pantha, get Lilith out of there!" Nightwing said.

Pantha bounced over to where Lilith lay in shock, scooping her up and bouncing back toward Nightwing and the rest of the Titans.

Superboy came flying up.

"What are you doing here?" Nightwing demanded, "You were supposed to leave with Starfire and Jericho and the others."

"I just wanted to tell you, I contacted Superman on my communicator. He's in Metropolis fighting Brainiac." Superboy said.

"Then who is that?" Nightwing demanded.

"Superman said one of his Superman Robots were activated and reprogrammed by Brainiac." Superboy said breathlessly.

"Great. All of Superman's powers and abilities, with none of his weaknesses." Nightwing said. "Tempest get in there and let Darkstar know what she's up against."

"Sure thing." Tempest said. His hands flared with magic as he propelled himself toward the battle between Darkstar and the Superman Robot.

"Superman will be here as soon as he can… but Brainiac is destroying Metropolis. Hundreds are dying." Superboy said grimly.

"Great. Hundreds versus a handful of us. There is no contest." Nightwing growled, "Get Lilith to STAR Labs for medical assistance and call in the JLA."

"Don't you think I should be in there fighting that thing rather than Darkstar?" Superboy asked.

"Darkstar has natural Amazon abilities, and her suit augments her strength to Superman-Wonder Woman levels." Nightwing barked back, "She's also been trained by the Amazons and Wonder Woman as well as the Darkstars. She's been doing this for ten years. You're fifteen. And have only been doing this two years. You may be stronger, but she's better."

Superboy scrowled, but did not further disagree. He took Lilith from Pantha and took off into the darkening afternoon.

Across the parking lot, Darkstar Donna Troy slammed the Superman Robot. The Robot was taking his hits and still fighting back, but Darkstar's force shield kept her save from his various blows and vision blasts.

"You are a fool to continue fighting against me." The Superman Robot said, "My master Brainiac demands that all who oppose us die."

"Darkstar," Tempest said, coming up to the battle. "That's not the real Superman. It's a Superman Robot, corrupted by Brainiac."

"Great." Darkstar replied, "That would explain why he called Brainiac his master and why he's gone crazy."

"Need some help?" Tempest asked, blasting the Superman Robot full throttle.

"Sure thing. Although, a Superman Robot isn't naturally weak to magic or Kryptonite." Darkstar replied. She hauled off and slammed the Robot with all of her might.

"How are we going to take it down then?" Tempest asked, hitting the robot with every bit of magic again.

"Like so," Darkstar released a full blast of her phaser's energy. If it was a Superman Robot, there was no reason to hold back. She could and would have to use nova-level blasts. That would be the only way to take down a Superman. She gritted her teeth, wishing she had the "Superman Contingency" to fall back on. All Darkstars had a special blast they could do one time and one time only in case of Superman. But, a Superman Robot would not be taken down by a lethal blast of Kryptonite.

The blast knocked the robot off of it's feet, sending it tumbling end over end away from Darkstar and Tempest. Each time the robot slammed into the pavement, it created a huge crack and crater. The robot bounced to a stop at the very end of the football stadium sized parking lot-just before the flat desert plains.

Nightwing, Pantha, and Cyborg came up to where Darkstar hovered in the air. Tempest's eyes and hands flared with energy and magic as he and Darkstar both kept their eyes on the Superman Robot, which had yet to pull it's self to it's feet.

"I just got a call from Superboy. He's got Lilith to STAR Labs, and they are taking her in for surgery right now. If anyone can save her hand, it'll be them. Also, the JLA is on it's way. Wonder Woman and Batman are on other missions, but we're getting Red Tornado, Captain Atom, Supergirl, Green Lantern, Power Woman, and Martian Manhunter."

"So, the big guns." Darkstar replied. "We should have no problem taking him out with that level of power. Supergirl and Power Woman should both be more than a match for that thing."

"Exactly. They should be here in about five minutes." Nightwing said.

"Good. I don't have much more I can throw at him-" Darkstar was interrupted by the Superman Robot.

Like Superman, it was able to move faster than a speeding bullet and before any of them had even been aware of it moving, it had picked it's self up and was to them-knocking Tempest off of his feet. Darkstar heard the snapping of bone as one single blow sent Tempest reeling. The snapping made her heart sick and without a moment's hesitation, Darkstar threw herself at the Superman Robot.

With all of her might, Darkstar carried the Superman Robot, hurtling away from the other Titans and into the desert wastelands of Arizona. It hadn't always been like this. Once Phoenix had been here, but that was before Parrallax had leveled it while trying to destroy Hal Jordan and the other Green Lanterns of earth. Darkstar fought back tears as she remembered her beloved Kyle Rayner, the newest Green Lantern of Earth, struck down by the merciless space parasite. She hadn't been able to protect him, and it was after that the Darkstars had enlisted her. Making her more than a Amazon with enhanced abilities and putting her in the super-powered category.

She'd been born Donna Troy, to a cancer-stricken mother with her father's identity unknown. Rescued from a fire by Wonder Woman, she'd been taken back to Paradise Island and raised among them-being given a small measure of their abilities through the purple ray. Then on her thirteenth birthday, as part of the Amazon rite of Initiation, she had left the island to search for her own identity and place in the world. She'd joined the Titans as the first Wonder Girl, until the age of twenty-one when she'd been offered her current role of Darkstar. Leaving the mantle of Wonder Girl to Wonder Woman's new protégé, Donna had trained further with the Darkstars, increasing her abilities and powers by ten fold before even putting on the armor.

But, none of that might matter now. Not even her increased abilities or suit would be a match against a Superman Robot. At the end of the day, she was still a mortal woman having been given increased powers and abilities that while taking her up the ladder of evolution, did not remove her to the level Wonder Woman or even the new Wonder Girl possessed.

Darkstar and the Superman Robot landed roughly, skidding across the hot desert sand-sliding toward a mountain range.

She pounded blow after blow into the robot's face, causing synthetic flesh to peel up and away, revealing a robotic skull beneath. She didn't even think, she just continued raining blow after blow upon him. She felt his arm thrashing as his arms tried to grip her, but her shield kept him from getting a good grip.

She delivered one final blow, and a crunching sound came from the skull as she finally smashed through the jaw. The robot gave her a final glare before the red in it's eyes flared.

Darkstar only had a moment to react and she threw up her shields to full level, a mental command all the Darkstar armor needed to react. But in that instance she wasn't sure that even that would be enough. At such close range the heat vision might pierce her shield. Before that question could be answered, a black shimmering bracelet put it's self between the ray and Darkstar. The twin rays of heat vision bounced harmlessly away into the desert even as the last light left the robot's eyes.

"Thanks for the assist." Darkstar said, taking a step back from the lifeless Superman Robot. "Who are you?"

Darkstar looked at the woman, wearing black armor with it's silver eagle and helmet covering all of her face but her eyes.

"I am your destiny." The woman replied.

"Ah… Amazon? Looks like Amazon armor and bracelets you're wearing." Darkstar said quietly, "Do I have some Amazon destiny to fulfill? Is some god rampaging again? Cause I helped take down Thia last time, I don't know if I can go one on one with her again."

"No. Nothing like that." The woman replied. "You are the second to last Key."

"Key?" Darkstar didn't like the tone of the woman's voice, even though there was something eerily familiar about it. "I think you've got the wrong girl."

"Oh, no. You're the right girl, Donna Troy."

"How do you know my secret identity?" Darkstar said, taking a step back. She threw her shields up again, even as the woman pulled her sword from the sheath at her side.

"I have my ways." The woman purred, "I am from the Anti-Matter Earth. Do you even know of my Earth? Here in the Time Trapper's little Pocket Universe?"

"I don't know how you are… are where you're from… but you need to take a step back." Darkstar replied.

Behind her the Titans came rushing up.

"Who's your friend Darkstar?" Nightwing asked.

"She claims to be from another universe." Darkstar replied. "An evil universe."

"That's all I need to hear!" Pantha said, throwing herself at the armored woman..

"Pantha! NO!" Nightwing shouted.

But his words came too late. The woman had already neatly decapitated the cat woman, leaving her head bouncing off into the desert.

"Who's next?" The woman laughed, her eyes flashing red with rage and hate. "You puny Pocket Universe Titans are no match for me. I have the powers and blood of a thousand Donna Troys pumping through my veins."

"Stay away from her." Darkstar said, "This is my fight."

"How noble. How brave. How perfectly pointless." Dark Troia replied. Dark energy flashed from her hands, enveloping Darkstar and herself. They both disappeared in a flash of it, leaving the other Titans dazed and confused and at least one of them dead.

Limbo

"I could search forever and still never find my way out of here." Donna Troy said, looking across the vast wastelands. Limbo subscribed to no physical or scientific laws that she could discern. It was a dimension the existed between all others, a way station of sorts. One that some people never escaped from.

The Gargoyle had been trying to trap them here for years, all because they'd handed his butt to him a plate many times when they were thirteen.

"Now he's got me." Donna sighed, looking at the ring flashing on her finger. It was this ring that allowed the Gargoyle to travel between Limbo and the real world. Surely there was a way for Donna to use it the same way.

"You are a long way from home."

Donna spun around, to find a woman hovering behind her, wearing black amor with a silver eagle on the chest.

"I am." Donna said.

"I can help you leave this awful place." The woman said, her voice odd. "Just take my hand."

Something about the oddness in her voice made Donna pause.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your salvation Donna Troy." The woman said.

"Not looking for salvation." Donna said levelly, "Just looking for a way home."

"I can take you home." The woman said. "But, again you have to take my hand."

Every part of Donna's being screamed out that it was a trap. How did this woman just happen to be floating around Limbo at the same time she was? This could be a part of the Gargoyle's trap. He had the ability to create realistic believable illusions. Maybe she was still safe back in the Tower, and this was all a Gargoyle illusion.

"This is not one of the Gargoyle's traps." The woman said.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Donna replied, floating several feet away from the armored woman.

"Because Donna Troy-Troia-Darkstar-Wonder Girl, whatever your name is now, you and I are more alike than you might think."

"I somehow doubt that." Donna replied.

"Let me give you the proof you need." The woman said, removing her helmet.

Donna gasped as the woman's dark raven hair tumbled down around her face. Her dark blue eyes were the only thing that made her look different-as though there were something evil in them.

"You may call me Troia." The woman said, "Although the people of my world call me Dark Troia. For some reason. Perhaps because I destroyed and consumed the Dark Angel, gaining all of her abilities and powers and mastery over magic and the occult. Or perhaps because I am evil incarnate."

"How is this possible?" Donna shook her head. This had to be a trick of the Gargoyle.

"Simple. You're familiar the Anti-Matter Earth. There Ultra Man and Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons gave birth to a daughter, who was stolen away by Alexander Luthor, Dark Angel, and the Jokester. They raised her to be a good guy, like them. Then they sent her back to the Amazons, to live among them. A Trojan horse… code name Troia. Civilian identity Donna Troy. But, she was the offspring of the most powerful and evil man alive and an infamously blood-thirsty Amazon Queen exiled by jealous gods to a hidden island in the Bermuda Triangle. Their attempt to turn her into a good guy failed miserably." Dark Troia purred, her voice evil incarnate.

"The Anti-Matter Earth. The home of the Crime Syndicate." Donna remembered Diana explaining about the villains who ruled that world-how they were evil versions of the heroes of their world. And how their heroes were good versions of the villains of their world. "You're my evil twin."

"Not for much longer. You are the last of the Keys. And, the most important of them. You are the first Donna Troy and the tether to all realities. And, without you… all of my plans for complete domination of all realities will fail." Dark Troia said.

"Prepare for failure." Donna Troy replied, slamming her fist into her dark twin's face.

Dark Troia recoiled, unprepared for the sudden attack. She fell from the sky.

Donna used the woman's plummet as an opportunity to flee, although she didn't know where she was going to flee to. Limbo was empty and desolate, and there was nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide.

Behind her back, Dark Troia recovered from the blow quickly. Donna Troy did not see the blast of dark energy explode from her twin's hands. When it struck her behind, stinging every fiber of her being, she had no idea what was hitting her, only that the pain was tremendous.

Donna Troy and Dark Troia both disappeared from Limbo.

The Anti-Matter Universe: New Chronus

Donna Troy's eyes fluttered open even as the dull throbbing pain washed over her. It took her several seconds to focus her sight enough to get her bearing and truly determine her surroundings. When she did, she almost wished she hadn't.

Surrounding her, in gold cages crackling with the dark energy that had claimed them all and brought them to the grand palace on the floating chunk of New Chronus.

"I see you are awake." Dark Troia said. Her black armor glistened in the starlight that bled through the windows of the grand room she had them in.

There were six cages in a circle, with a massive star etched in the floor in it's center. In the center of that star, stood Dark Troia. Each point of the star had a symbol drawn in it. Donna recognized them as ancient Greek characters symbolizing the gods with planets named after them.

In each of the cages, it was like looking in a slightly distorted mirror.

The first cage housed a teenage version of her wearing the original Wonder Girl uniform. Her eyes were wide and afraid, but there was a courage to the way she held herself despite her fear.

The second cage housed her in her red-jumpsuit, looking as she had just before marrying Terry Long. This Wonder Girl was calm, cool, and collected, and her attention was focused on the golden lariat laying in the star corner pointing toward her cage.

The third cage housed her in her first Troia costume. That Troia was busy meditating, calming her mind, drawing upon the lessons the Titans of Myth had taught her in preparation for controlling the mighty powers she was to be given.

The fourth cage housed her in her Darkstar uniform. Darkstar seemed confused and unsure of herself, even though she was beyond powerful.

In the fifth cage, a simple plain Donna Troy stood. Non-super, non-meta, not gifted by the gods. She was a mortal woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but there was still power in her-moreso than if she'd had the powers of the gods or a sliver of Wonder Woman's soul.

Then there was her, the Donna Troy of the main Universe. The one known as Troia in a starfield uniform that was patterned after her red-jumpsuit. A silver falcon hung suspended from a chain around her neck.

"I see you are awake my sisters." Dark Troia said, laughing manically. "Do not worry my pretties. You're suffering will end soon. And, I will absorb your essences. And, then I will be the most powerful Donna Troy of them all. I'll be the only Donna Troy. We seven are all that remain. The other Donna Troys are all here…" Dark Troia tapped her chest above her heart. "I house them all. And, soon I will house you six. And I will sweep throughout Hypertime and all corners of reality. And, it will all be mine."

"Not all of them. You weren't as thorough as you should have been."

The voice came from behind Dark Troia. She spun around to find a middle-aged Donna Troy wearing a red toga with a half-cape. A bright gold eagle on her chest shimmered in the pale light of Dark Troia's temple.

"Who are you?!" Dark Troia gaped.

"I'm Donna Troy of course. Former Wonder Girl. Called Troy by my fellow Titans and my son. And, I'm here to kick your butt to Kingdom Come." The middle-aged Donna Troy grabbed the lasso at her side, and had ensnared Dark Troia before the woman could even react.

Holding tight to the lasso, she went around and released the others from the cages.

"You will pay for this OLD WOMAN!" Dark Troia screamed.

"This is so weird." Darkstar said as her cage was unlocked, "It's like looking in a funhouse mirror."

"Release the others." Troy said to Darkstar, "I'm going to keep my eye on her."

Dark Troia continued to struggle against the coils of the lasso, trying to snap the loop.

"This lasso is not magic. It is not unbreakable. It is not Diana's." Dark Troia grunted even as Darkstar released gold-armored Troia.

Gold-armored Troia rushed over to red jumpsuit Wonder Girl, while Darkstar went to the cage housing the mystic twin Wonder Girl. Red jumpsuit Wonder Girl released the mortal Donna Troy.

Donna Troy of the main universe was the last to be released.

The six Donna Troy's came up beside Troy, as Dark Troia continued to struggle against the lasso.

"I won't be able to hold her much longer." Troy gritted her teeth as sweat beaded on her forehead. "She's strong. She had the essence of a thousand Donna Troy's within her."

At that point, Dark Troia snapped the lasso and launched herself at Troy.

The black-armored woman rolled on the floor, deliver blow after blow to the wrinkled and lined face of Troy. The older woman blocked several of the punches, but Dark Troia was too powerful.

From behind her, gold-armored Troia and Darkstar grabbed her arms, pulling her off Troy.

"You will all die! I captured before, I can capture you again." Dark Troia roared, tossing both of her would-be captors off with ease. The woman flew, crashing into walls.

The two Wonder Girls both lassoed Dark Troia; both stretching their gold lariat tightly.

"My lasso was created by several links from Wonder Woman," The teenaged mystic avatar Wonder Girl said.

"As was mine." Red jumpsuit Wonder Girl said.

"Maybe." Dark Troia said, as dark energy flared all around her. The air crackled with it. "But you will all fall tonight. And, I will absorb your essences. Each and every one."

As the Donna Troys of seven different worlds fight against Dark Troia, the Donna Troy of the main Universe lifted Dark Troia's sword from the table where it sat with other weapons and tools. The blade shined with a fearsome light, and Donna could smell blood on the blade-her blood. The blood of a countless Donna Troy's slain throughout reality in this madwoman's quest for power. The blood of her sisters whispered to her, calling from the blade, their voices cool and soothing.

"There is only one way to end this madness." The voices of her murdered sisters whispered from the blade.

Donna looked over at the battle going on in the pentagram, Dark Troia had the mortal powerless Donna Troy by the neck, holding her several feet above the ground while squeezing tightly.

"WATCH as I squash this one like a bug!" She laughed maniacally. "There will still be seven without this weak housewife. Thanks to Grandma showing up."

"Let her go!" Darkstar screamed. The phasers on her Darkstar armor crackled with energy as she prepared to discharge.

Donna Troy stood apart from this, her hand tightly gripping the sword. As the voices called to her, speaking of justice, a thousand lives flashed through her head. A thousand different lives, loves, and deaths. For one brief instant she felt the weight and light of each of those lost lives. Dark Angel had subjected her to a thousand false lives, manufactured and unreal-bloated with tragedy and horror. These that flickered through her head were different. These were lives lived, with just as much beauty and joy as pain and agony.

Donna Troy closed her eyes tightly, trying to relish this moment in time where all of her imaginary timelines and parallel lives converged and overlapped and she was flooded with nothing but possibilities.

The alternate reality Donna Troys parted, just long enough for Donna to get an opening. She flung the sword, watching as it spun, flipping end over end. It seemed to move so slow and sing out a joyous chorus as it did, but in reality it took only seconds to cross the distance.

There was a loud cracking sound as sword pierced Dark Troia's chest through her armor, lancing her heart, and it's velocity burying it to the hilt as the blade came out the other side, tearing through the back of the armor.

Her dark eyes flashed dark red before she released her hold on the neck of the mortal Donna Troy. Dark Troia collapsed to her knees, putting her hands down on the floor to balance herself.

"It's not possible… it's not. I was supposed to be the only Donna Troy. The real Donna Troy. I was going…" She coughed up blood. "I was going to rule the Universes."

Her eyes went wide and the red light illuminating them flashed one last time before going out completely. The woman slid to the floor, a pool of blood collecting beneath her.

Donna Troy walked across the room and she and the other Donna Troy's stood in a circle around the corpse of their mad sister.

From her body bright white light lifted as a thousand small glowing globes of light escaped from the corpse. The little globules floated around, the luminance of them was warm and comforting as they brushed against Donna and her twins.

Below them, the body of Dark Troia began to crumble and mold until it was nothing more than dust and bones in the black armor. Donna reached down and pulled the sword free from the armor.

The other Donna Troys all took one another's hands, gripping tightly as the horror and gravity of what had just happened occurred to them. Donna looked at the sword, it still whispered to her. The glowing dancing lights dancing around them began to spin around and around, covering them all in a circle of light. The globes flashed bright. In the brightness, all the Donna Troys disappeared. They left behind the skeleton and armor alone in the massive chamber alongside the empty cages and the various occult objects Dark Troia had planned on using.

The globes of light broke up from one mass of glowing spinning light and darted from the room, going out into the cosmos beyond. The globes took their places in the heavens, twinkling brightly beside the other stars.

Epilogue: New York, Titans Tower, Halloween

The Gargoyle sat in a chair in front of the monitor screen as he pressed buttons. The systems were pulling up information for him on the current locations of all Titans-active and not active. He would hunt them down, one by one. He had already taken care of Troia, and now he would work his way through the ranks. He would start with the retired Titans, the ones that were out of touch. That way by the time Grayson and the others realized anything was amiss, it would be too late.

"You're sitting in my chair."

The Gargoyle spun around as Donna Troy strolled into the room. In her right hand was a sword that sent shivers of fear through the Gargoyle.

"Impossible! How could you have escaped from Limbo?!"

"I have had a very long night. And honestly, I don't owe you an explanation." Donna replied.

Pointing the Gargoyle's own ring at him, a flash of energy enveloped him and he melted away-being sent back to Limbo.

Donna Troy removed the ring and dropped it on the floor, crushing it with her foot. A puff of red smoke and spark of dark energy accompanied the act. She scooped the debris of the ring up and tossed it into the trash can before taking the sword up to her room.

After the bright light had enveloped her, she'd found herself standing outside Titan's Tower, looking up at it. She only hoped all of the other Donna Troys had found their way home.

An hour later, Starfire came strolling into the monitor room.

"How was your night out?" Donna asked.

"Interrupted. Of all the nights for Trident to try and go on a crime spree…" Starfire groaned. "How was your night?"

"It was all right. Quiet, really. Not much interesting to be honest." Donna shrugged.

"Well, I'm going to go and change out of my costume and into pajamas." Starfire yawned, "Want to split a caramel apple?"

"I'd love to." Donna replied.

THE END