The room was silent as Aubrey and Addi stood, their breaths heavy in the cold, damp air. Aubrey's golden tan skin was glowing a faint orange color, and her blood colored hair was a brighter, glowing red. Most of all, her eyes looked like live embers, lighting up in oranges, yellows, and reds. Their mother's mocking laughter filled the cavernous chamber, reverberating off the walls as her shadowed form twisted to face her daughters. Jason, still chained, watched the confrontation unfold, his gaze locked on Aubrey's face.

But tonight, she wasn't simply the woman he loved. Tonight, she was something else entirely—a blazing force with the power to tear worlds apart.

"Come now, my dears," the Black Fog's voice cooed, dripping with dark humor. "You didn't think you could really best me, did you?"

Addi's jaw tightened, her fists clenched at her sides. "We're done with your games, Mother," she spat, her tone venomous. "You can't control us anymore."

Flare's hands ignited, flames licking up her arms, her eyes alight with the same fury she had kept buried for so long. She took a step forward, her voice dangerously quiet. "You wanted to make a weapon out of me. Congratulations. I am that weapon, and tonight, I'm aimed at you."

The Black Fog's eyes narrowed, a twisted smile tugging at her lips. "Then show me, girl. Show me the fire that's buried inside of you—the one that destroyed everything. Your NOTHING! You are a monster who is good for nothing but destruction. Your better off dead than alive. You cause less trouble that way."

Flare's gaze sharpened, memories surfacing unbidden: flames rising high into the night sky, buildings crumbling as the city burned, the heat of her own rage consuming her, leaving behind only ashes. Tonight, she would harness that fire—not to destroy herself, but to end her mothers reign.

With a roar, Flare threw her hands forward, unleashing a torrent of flames that roared across the chamber. The fire seemed to pulse and breathe, alive with a will of its own, fueled by Flare's fury. The air shimmered with heat as her power grew, the fire burning brighter, hotter, casting harsh shadows over every surface.

The Black Fog retaliated, raising her hands as tendrils of darkness writhed and thickened, forming a dense wall of shadows to deflect the flames. The impact shook the chamber, the force of the collision sending a shockwave through the air, rattling the walls and floor. The shadows consumed part of Flare's fire, but the rest continued to push forward, an unrelenting blaze that licked at the edges of the darkness, threatening to engulf it.

The Batfamily assembled and watched from the edges of the chamber, their eyes wide as they took in the sheer magnitude of Flare's power. They had finished up the guards, and had coem to help Aubrey and Addi finish off their mother. 

Clearly they hadn't needed it. Bruce understood now why Aubrey had told him not to stop her. Ever the strategist, he could feel the heat even from his distance, and his face set in a grim expression as he saw Flare for what she truly was. Dick exchanged a tense look with Damian, who had never seen anything like this, his usual calm facade cracking as he took a step back.

Jason, chained and injured, managed a small smile as he watched Flare stand her ground. She was fierce, unstoppable—a firestorm wrapped in human form. This was the woman he had come to know, the power she kept hidden. But seeing it now, unleashed, even he could feel the fear creeping in. She was like a force of nature, beautiful and terrifying all at once.

"Is this what you wanted, Mother?" Flare taunted over the roar of the flames. Her voice echoed through the chamber, her fury giving her strength. She took a step forward, her flames pushing the shadows back inch by inch. "Is this what you trained me for?"

The Black Fog's expression twisted into a snarl as she raised her hands, summoning more shadows to push back the flames. The room darkened as her power intensified, her shadow tendrils writhing and expanding, curling around Flare's fire and snuffing out parts of it. But Flare didn't falter; instead, her flames flared brighter, more vibrant, breaking through the darkness.

"Addi!" Flare called, her voice strained as she fought to keep the fire going.

Addi nodded, understanding instantly. She raised her hands, summoning a powerful gust of wind that swirled around her, intensifying with each passing second. The wind whipped through the chamber, feeding Flare's flames, fanning them into an inferno that filled the room with scorching heat. Together, the sisters created a deadly storm of fire and air, a blaze that glowed brighter than the sun.

The Black Fog staggered back, her shadow tendrils struggling to hold back the onslaught. She threw more power into her defenses, her face contorted with rage as she watched her own daughters rise against her.

"This isn't over," she hissed, her voice a low, guttural snarl. "You are nothing without me."

"Then watch me become something," Flare countered, her voice filled with resolve.

The flames surged, twisting and spiraling, forming a blazing vortex that stretched toward the ceiling. The heat was suffocating, the flames almost blinding as Flare poured every ounce of her power into the firestorm. She could feel it consuming her, the rage, the need for revenge, fueling her like an endless reservoir.

The Batfamily watched in awe the battle raged on in front of them however, as Aubrey and her mother let loose in the open space of the warehouse. Bruce watched as his childrens expressions became a mix of shock, awe, and fear. Bruce clenched his fists, his mind racing with calculations, assessing the scale of her power. He had known Flare was strong, but this—this was beyond anything he had ever seen. He could feel the heat even from a distance, sweat trickling down his brow as he kept his gaze fixed on the battle.

"This... this is insane," Damian muttered, his eyes wide as he watched Flare hold her own against her mother.

Dick nodded, his jaw clenched. "I don't think we've even seen her full potential."

Jason's gaze never wavered from Flare, his eyes locked on her as she unleashed her power. His chains had been released by Windy, so he moved over to the rest of his family. He could see the determination in her face, the years of pain and anger finally finding release. This was who she was—unstoppable, unbreakable, a force that could burn the world to ashes if she chose.

"Aubrey!" the Black Fog screeched, her voice a mix of rage and desperation. "Enough!"

But Flare didn't stop. She pressed forward, her flames intensifying, her power growing as she pushed her mother back, step by step. The fire consumed everything in its path, licking at the ground and filling the air with searing heat. Addi dropped in front of the others and put up a wind wall to hopefully block them from some of the dangerous temperatures.

The Black Fog screamed as the flames closed in, her shadowy form twisting and writhing, fighting to hold its shape. She summoned more darkness, trying to engulf the fire, but it was too late. Flare's power was too strong, too relentless. The flames tore through the shadows, breaking them apart, scattering them like ashes in the wind.

"Is this what you wanted?" Flare's voice was a low, dangerous growl as she took another step forward, her flames swirling around her like a living thing. "Is this what you trained me for? To become your weapon? To destroy everything in my path?"

The Black Fog's face twisted in fear, her voice trembling. "You... you were meant for greatness. You were meant to lead. To control."

"Control?" Flare laughed, a hollow sound filled with years of pain. "The only thing I'll control is how I end you."

With a final, furious surge of power, Flare unleashed the full force of her flames, a wave of fire that filled the chamber, consuming everything in its path. Windy winced as her shield struggled to hold back the flames from hitting them. The Black Fog screamed, her shadowy form disintegrating, her screams echoing through the room as the flames swallowed her whole.

The firestorm blazed, a pillar of flame that reached toward the ceiling, illuminating the chamber with a harsh, unforgiving light. The heat was unbearable, the air thick with smoke, but Flare didn't waver. She kept pushing, her flames growing hotter, brighter, until there was nothing left but ashes.

Then, as quickly as it began, the flames flickered out, leaving the open clearing in silence. The Batfamily stood in stunned silence, their faces pale as they took in the scene before them.

Flare stood in the center of the scorched ground, her breathing heavy, her skin slick with sweat, her eyes burning with a fierce, unyielding light. Her whole body was glowing orange, and the ground around where she stood had been turned to ash and molten rock. She looked at the spot where her mother had stood, her gaze hard, unfeeling. The only remnants of the Black Fog were a few scattered ashes, smoldering on the ground. In the center of them was a single purple stone that glimmered in the light.

Jason staggered forward, his eyes fixed on Flare. He could feel the heat still radiating from her, the raw power that lingered in the air. He reached out, his hand trembling as he touched her shoulder, a silent acknowledgment of everything she had just done. She was hot to the touch, and Windy sent a cold wind to help cool her down some. 

Flare's gaze softened as she looked at him, her fierce expression melting into something softer, more vulnerable. For a moment, they stood there, the weight of the battle pressing down on them, the silence a heavy blanket that wrapped around them both.

"Flare..." Jason's voice was a whisper, his eyes filled with a mixture of awe and something deeper, something unspoken.

But before he could say anything more, Flare's mother's voice drifted through the chamber, a faint, echoing whisper that sent chills down their spines.

"You think this is over, my dear?" her voice purred, a ghostly, taunting echo

. "This is just the beginning."

Flare stiffened, her gaze snapping back to the spot where her mother's ashes lay. The purple stone was now black and glowing. A soul stone, all that remained of her mother. Of Anna, the former queen.

The Black Fog's voice grew louder, a sinister whisper that filled the room, pressing against their minds like a heavy weight. "You may have defeated me, but the war is far from over. Our homeland—our legacy—will come for you, Flare. And you will be the anchor that brings it to Gotham. A rebellion is rising, they are angry at being locked away, and after you burned my great city to the ground the no longer saw me fit to be queen. You head was going to be the price to keep them controlled, but now hell will reign."

Flare's fists clenched, her jaw tight as she listened to her mother's final words. She could feel the weight of her mother's warning settling over her, a dark, ominous promise that sent a shiver down her spine.

And then, the voice faded, leaving behind only silence. The feeling cut out, as Addi walked over and stomped down, shattering the stone into pieces.

Flare closed her eyes, the exhaustion finally settling over her. She had won the battle, but the war was far from over. The weight of her mother's words hung over her, a chilling reminder that her fight was only just beginning.

Jason reached for her, his hand slipping into hers, grounding her, a silent promise that he would stand by her, no matter what.

But Flare knew, deep down, that she couldn't stay. Not with the threat looming over her. Not with the danger she now represented.

With a final, quiet look at Jason, she slipped her hand from his, stepping back, a decision already forming in her mind. She wouldn't bring this darkness to Gotham. She wouldn't let it touch him, or the people she cared about.

"Aubrey?"

Without another word, Flare turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows, leaving only silence in her wake and Jason standing alone in the burnt down warehouse.