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AUTUMN WON'T BE SLEEPING TONIGHT. She pretends that Adamson got the drop on her, that he knocked her out. She feigns surprise at the sight of Angela Azarath and she refuses to let Dick out of her sight until he's at least allowed her to give him some stitches.
"What did they do to you?" She mumbles, thread dipping into his skin. He's banged up pretty badly, but it's the look in his eyes, the way he fades out reality, that really scares her.
"Nothing I can't handle."
"Dick..."
"I'm okay, Grace", he says. "Seriously. Just tired."
She doesn't believe him for a second. "You were tortured."
He shrugs. "Happens a lot in my line of work."
And that, she knows all too well, meaning she also understands the nightmares that come along with it. "If you need to talk..."
"Maybe later", he says. "Right now, I don't want to think about it."
She bites her lip. "Don't bottle this up. Please."
He smiles at her, promising that he won't, and she doesn't believe a word of it. She doesn't know how he deals with stuff like this, doesn't know what his process is.
For her, it was talking it out with Hal on his couch, stuffing cheap take-out in her throat. Hal would listen to her and he'd comfort her and he'd be there when the nightmares came calling and somehow, that would be enough.
She doesn't have that luxury anymore.
"Are you doing okay?" He asks her. "Adamson didn't hurt you?"
"Just knocked me out", she says. "Doubt he saw me as much of a threat."
"I was worried about you", he admits. "When Rachel told me Adamson was at the Asylum... for a second, I thought you were dead."
She puts down the needle, looking him in the eye. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily, Grayson. I'm here 'till the end, remember?"
He grabs her hand, squeezing it softly. "Promise?"
"Promise", she echoes.
She wishes she could wipe away all the hurt he's feeling, erase all the new memories the asylum has given him. All of them came back a little more scarred, a little more bruised, than when they left and her heart twists at the thought of it.
If she'd been there from the start, she might have been able to keep them safe. No, she would've ━━ she would tear through entire armies if it ensured their safety.
The necklace around her neck feels like a noose, hanging her in front of the world. It won't ever falter; the only thing that could get it to malfunction would be a massive surge of magic, the kind that only ever arrives when Eclipso gains a host or Mordru makes an appearance. It will constantly put up the image of Grace Gardner and Autumn Alita will be forced to hide in the shadows.
