Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay
- Stay by Rihanna
Dick's POV
I stared at Asteria's unconscious body. Okay Dick. Pull yourself together. She's not dead, just unconscious. The first round of explosions that went through the hallway set everybody free. I took a guess that Asteria was the reason for it. The second one that occurred right before Asteria passed out on me was backup. Bruce must've called in reinforcements as soon as we were free, and those reinforcements came in the form of Justice League members. It meant I just had to find someone to take Asteria to the nearest hospital. Or better yet, get someone to Boom Tube her to the Watchtower, where she could get the proper medical attention she needed. My only problem was that I didn't want to move her with all her injuries. Think Dick. Think.
That's when I spotted a girl in a familiar top hat, and my spirits immediately lifted. "Zatanna!" I called just a she took out a pair of Shadows by turning them into chickens. They squawked unintelligently before running off.
"Nightwing," she replied as she ran towards me, trying to avoid most of the fight. She ducked just as a Shadow went sailing over her head, and I glanced to see Hal back in his Green Lantern uniform, his ring glowing on his hand where it belonged. With the Justice League members coming in to help us, it seemed the fight was immediately returning to our favor. "Are you-" Zatanna began to ask, dragging my attention back to her.
"I'm fine," I interrupted before she could even finish the question. "But Asteria needs your help." I gestured to the unconscious girl behind me, her complexion getting paler by the second. When Zatanna's eyes landed on her, they widened in shock.
She turned to me with a sad expression. "I don't know if I can do much for her," she admitted. "She has so much injuries."
"I just need you to try," I pleaded, my voice nearly breaking. "I just need you to heal some of her wounds so we can Boom Tube her out of here."
"Of course," Zatanna finally replied, kneeling by Asteria's still form. Her chest rose and fell slowly, her breathing obviously labored. I also remembered the promise I made her though.
Save Damian.
"KF!" I shouted, looking for my best friend. He was the only one I could trust with this. I immediately spotted a blur of red and yellow, knocking down a bunch of Shadows as it hurtled towards me.
When the blur stopped, Wally stood before me, not winded at all by his run. I was still getting used to having him with me on missions again. And I'd be damned if I didn't save the girl who brought him back to me. "You called babe?" he asked, the cheeky smile always on his face. And to think moments ago he was undergoing White Ghost's own version of electroshock therapy.
A few Shadows advanced on us and we immediately moved to stand back to back, our stance ready. We still continued our conversation, of course. "I need you to look after Asteria and Zatanna while I look for Damian. Get Asteria out of here as soon as she's healed enough," I whispered close to Wally's ear, at the same time keeping an eye on the proverbial sharks that surrounded us.
"Awww! You do care!" Wally teased before taking out five of the guys surrounding us. The one left standing was right in front of me, looking completely shell- shocked. I rolled my eyes before punching him in the face and knocking him out.
"Thanks bro. I knew I could count on you," I replied instead and clapped Wally on the shoulder as I passed by him.
I was already by the doors and trying to get them open when Wally decided to shout after me. "You owe me for this!" he joked before running to protect Zatanna and Asteria.
It wasn't long before Bruce was beside me as I finally got the metal doors to slide open. "Let's go find my son," Bruce said as we rushed out of the hallways.
"With pleasure." Words I never thought I'd say. But I wasn't doing this just for me. It wasn't just for Bruce either. It was also for Asteria.
I didn't know where we were headed, I just hoped Bruce knew what he was doing. But he usually did, so I followed close behind him like I used to do when I was a lot younger. Even after all these years, I still had complete trust in him. Finally, we ran into a few Shadows. I was happy to jump into some action, but Bruce was on a rampage. He took all of them down before I could even make a move. He was definitely pissed. He left one conscious, only to scare the poor sucker to death.
"My son! Where did Dusan take my son?" Bruce asked in his scary Batman voice, lifting the poor shaking man by the collar of his shirt. I stood a few paces back, quietly watching. No matter how many years I got to see it, I could never stop being slightly disturbed by the scary side of Bruce .
Apparently neither could the bad guys. Bruce had the man, a fully trained assassin, shaking within seconds. He happily pointed out the directions for where the ceremony was taking place. Apparently, Dusan didn't have a problem rushing things when he heard about the explosion. Instead of running away, they were still trying to bring Ra's back to life. Had to give the guy credits for not giving up.
I was running after Bruce again, barely able to keep up. I knew it wasn't because I was slow. It was because Bruce was desperate to get to Damian, and that made a big difference. We stopped at the foot of giant double doors, and this time Bruce did need my help in pushing them open. We both froze when we got inside. It looked like we were really late for the party.
Torches and candles were lit all over the spacious room. Damian was on a funny looking table in the middle of the place, surrounded by creepy people in hooded robes. What was a bit whelming was the number of Shadows in the room. There were probably more than hundreds, perched above us on the beams holding up the ceiling and standing ready by the door. Dusan smiled and stood from where he sat near Damian's unconscious form.
"Welcome Batman. You're just in time for the show," Dusan greeted. "Nothing is going to stop us from bringing my father back."
"I'm going to have to disagree," Bruce replied. "We're here to cancel the show."
Dusan laughed, the sound echoing all around us. It made his soldiers stand taller, getting ready for the signal to attack. "You can try," said their master, and it was enough. They all moved towards me and Bruce.
I got into a fighting stance, much like Bruce. Forwning, I turned towards my mentor. "I hope you have a plan, because we aren't beating all of these guys alone and getting to Damian in time," I finally told him as the Shadows continued to advance menacingly towards us.
"I do," Bruce admitted. "He's called Superman." With those words, he pressed the bat symbol on his utility belt, making it blink in a red color repeatedly.
"Uh-huh," I mumbled. "Great plan," I said and took out the first three Shadows who came at me. So far, there was no sign of the Man of Steel. And then a boom sounded throughout the building, and I thought another explosion took place. Luckily, I regained my balance before a Shadow could cut my head off.
Suddenly, twenty of our attackers were flying back. The double doors that Bruce and I struggled to push open had been ripped off the hinges and sent flying into the room. I glanced behind me to see Superman hovering by the door.
"Took you long enough," Bruce said in way of greeting.
"I was thinking more along the lines of 'Gee, Superman, thanks for showing up and saving our butts," I shouted from below ten Shadows who had dog piled on top of me. Seriously? Did these guys not know that they'd end up hitting each other more than me this way?
I heard lots of painful noises and loud booming noises as I struggled to get out from below the heavy and not-so-nice-smelling bodies of the men above me. When I got my head out, I took in a lungful of fresh air before pressing a button on my right wrist and activating the insulation of my suit. It also sent a 1500 volt charge to the men still on top of me - that sounded so wrong- and successfully electrocuting them. Sighing, I fully crawled out of the suffocating and unconscious mass.
When I did, I saw most of the team had followed Superman here. They must've gotten rid of the ones near the holding cells. A thorough glance at the heroes around me showed me Wally was nowhere to be found. As I rushed towards where Damian was, I fervently hoped that meant he was taking care of Asteria like I asked him to.
Meanwhile...
Wally's POV
As I fought off the Shadows, I couldn't help but glance back at Asteria repeatedly, worried I wouldn't get her out of here in time. Not that I wasn't happy, but I wondered how strong her will was for her to have survived what White Ghost did to her. She looked like a rag doll that had been chewed by a huge Rottweiler. I hoped Dick seriously gave the psycho that did this to her a thorough butt- kicking, if Bruce didn't do it first.
Finally, we got rid of all the Shadows coming into the hallway. I guessed White Ghost was more concerned with protecting himself than stopping us from escaping. Smart man. When the rest of the team left, Artemis stopped by the cell we were in. "Hey babe, aren't you coming?" she asked, her dark eyes meeting mine.
"I can't," I told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I gotta look after Dick's girl."
Upon hearing my words, she peeked over my shoulder and gasped at the sight of Asteria's body. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked, turning back to me. Her voice shook with worry and fear.
I hugged her to me, trying to reassure her. "She'll be fine. I'm gonna make sure she is."
"Okay," Aremis finally said. She stepped back from me and gave me a small smile. "You take care of her, and I'll go look after Dick."
"Thanks babe," I replied as she moved towards the door. "I love you!"
"I love you too!" she called back before completely disappearing.
As soon as she left, worry immediately came over me. Sighing, I turned back to Zatanna. "How is she?" I asked, also kneeling by the body of the girl who brought me back to Aremis.
She looked so different from the first time I saw her, that I probably wouldn't have recognized her if I didn't know it was the same person. I remembered the determination in her grey eyes as she asked for me, when she appeared in that holding cell they kept me in. I thought I was hallucinating. Her serious eyes and steely voice combined with her fiery red hair gave her such a commanding presence. And then she fainted, and all I could do was wonder who the hell she was. It was so different from the fragile girl who lay before me now, and I hated it.
"We can move her now," Zatanna told me, snapping me out of my memories. "I'll tell Mal to get you guys to the Watchtower. I'll stay here to help the team. If you need anything else, make them call for my dad."
"Got it," I replied. "Thanks Zatanna."
"No problem, Wally," she said as she stood up. Pressing the comm device in her ear, she contacted Mal for us. "Hey Mal," she greeted into the device. "I need you to Boom Wally and Asteria into the Watchtower. She needs immediate medical attention. Thanks."
I gave her one last smile as I felt the familiar pull of my particles being transported to another place. She returned the smile before rushing off and disappearing like the rest of the team. I glanced back at Asteria, the smile disappearing from my face. I hoped to God there was a good doctor on the Watchtower. When I blinked, we were already on board. I could see the familiar view of space outside the huge windows. Mal was already there, Dinah and Ollie by his side. They had a cot ready for Asteria.
Moving fast like I always did, I gingerly carried Asteria to the bed and wheeled her to the Medical Center of the aircraft we were on. I heard the pounding footsteps rushing after me. When I got to the room, Dr. Palmer- or more commonly known as the Atom was there. Cyborg was also with him and they immediately snapped to attention when I barged in through the doors.
"We need to help her," I said, having no time for greetings. "I don't know how much Zatanna was able to do for her," I explained as I transferred the frail girl to a proper bed. She felt so light and broken in my arms. "She has a lot of broken bones, and she's having difficulty breathing. I also think she was electrocuted. There are burn marks all over her skin, and she's lost a lot of blood."
"Wally, slow down," Dr. Palmer told me. "We can barely understand what you're saying."
I shook my head, trying to slow down enough so they could catch what I was saying. "Sorry, doc. She doesn't have lots of time, she-"
I was interrupted when the heart monitor Cyborg attached to her body started beating eratically. "Uh doc," Vic interrupted. "She's going into Cardiac Arrest."
Dr. Palmer cursed softly before rushing to her side and giving Cybrog lots of orders. My brain, on the other hand, decided to cease working. All I could do was stare at Asteria's convulsing body on the bed, thinking I'd been too late and failed. Was I too slow again? Distantly, I could hear Doc Palmer shouting orders at Vic and telling him to call for some more people to help. At the same time, Ollie and Dinah burst into the room and dragged me out. They tried to ask me what happened to Asteria, but all I could do was stare distractedly at the wall behind them. "Wally, talk to us," Dinah said, snapping her fingers in front of me and bringing me back to the present. "You need to focus."
"What?" I asked, still in a slight daze. Damn it. I should be in there.
Ollie took me by the shoulders, making me turn to him. "What's going on down there?"
I leaned against the wall behind me, a sigh escaping my lips. I removed my goggles and stressfully rubbed my temples before telling them the story. White Ghost had set traps for us, knowing where we would go. He had hired a witch to mess with Asteria's spells and knew exactly where we'd be. We were captured, and Bart and I were placed under high volts of electricity to keep us from running off. It wasn't long before they also got Asteria and Dick, but I'd been in too much pain to really focus on what happened. All I knew was they took Asteria somewhere different. When she came back hours later, she was already in that state. The next thing I knew, an explosion was going about in the hall and setting us free. I could only guess it was Asteria's doing. I only saw how horrible her state was when Dick asked me to look after her and Zatanna.
"I need to be in there," I told them, making a move towards the doors of the operating room.
"Dr. Palmer called in a lot of Leaguers with medical training," Dinah told me, placing a hand on my chest to stop me. "We should let them do their job."
I gritted my teeth in frustration and ran a hand through my hair. "I can't just stand out here and not know what's going on!" I argued, my voice rising.
Ollie gave me a pitiful look. "We know," he replied. "We asked Ray to give us updates on her condition. He'll let us know when we can see her."
"Is she stable now?" I asked hesitantly. If they were still working on her, that meant they were able to stabilize her heart, right?
"She is," Mal said, coming out of Asteria's room. "But the doc says they need to get her lungs fixed and stop most of her wounds from bleeding or else she could go into Cardiac Arrest again. It turns out she also has lots of internal bleedings from the beating she received."
I let out a string of curse words at the news. It was a lot worse than we thought. As if her injuries weren't bad enough, of course she also had to have internal bleeding. I hope they decide to hold Dusan here. I also want a go at kicking his sorry ass.
Back in the palace...
Dick's POV
Dusan was finally trying to run away. And here I thought he wasn't scared.
While the team worked on taking out the Shadows protecting Dusan, Bruce and I took out the creepy robed- figures surrounding Damian. They weren't much of fighters, and they immediately backed off when they saw us coming at them. Dusan screamed at their disloyalty, but Bruce ignored him and unstrapped an unconscious Damian from the ceremonial table he had been placed on. Seeing this as an opportunity, Dusan ran towards a small door leading off to a different hallway. While everybody was fighting off Shadows, they were too busy to stop him.
But there was me.
I felt rage swell in my chest as I ran after him, remembering what he did to Asteria. Luckily, I saw Zatanna in the room and she gave me a small nod to indicate that Asteria was safely away from here. It didn't mean that I didn't remember what she looked like after Dusan tortured her. A part of me wanted Dusan to suffer much worse, but I also knew Asteria would want to do the honors when she was better. My rage made me catch up to him easily enough. I jumped and tackled him to the ground, making him groan and grunt beneath me as he tried to push me off. I struggled to keep my hold on him, and when he turned to face me, I punched him right in the middle of his irritating face.
He laughed as blood poured from his broken nose. "You think you've won?" he asked, his eyes looking crazed. God, I don't know how many more psychos I can deal with.
"Shut up," I growled at him, reaching into my utility belt so I could find something to tie him with.
"As long as I'm alive, you'll never win," he continued to say, ignoring what I said.
I rolled my eyes as I finally got some rope to keep him still. "Look around, Dusan. You already failed. You didn't bring your daddy back to life."
Dusan simply chuckled. "Trust me, child, I will try again. I will try until Damian Wayne is no more and Ra's al Ghul is leading the League once again."
"Goodluck with that bu-" I was interrupted when I was shoved off of Dusan.
Looking up I saw it was Bruce who pushed me. He took Dusan by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall, giving him a death glare so hard I was surprised Dusan was still breathing. Standing up and dusting myself off, I approached the pair. "Are you going to kill me, Batman?" Dusan asked, sounding like he was actually craving it. Everybody wanted to push Batman off the edge and make him forsake his 'no killing rule'. It never worked.
"No," Bruce replied bluntly. "But that doesn't mean I can't hurt you very much. And I will."
"Because of what I did to your son?" Dusan retorted.
Bruce shook his head. "No, not just that. But for what you did to the girl."
Dusan laughed. "You care about that little bitch?"
I couldn't help it. Hearing him call Asteria that made the rage I'd been feeling come back. Though Bruce had taught me how to control my emotions, I forgot all about it now and punched Dusan again. And again. The man simply continued to laugh as I hit him, and it annoyed me so much because it also reminded me of the Joker. "You're going to have to hit a lot harder than that boy," he spat at me when I stopped.
"Allow me to try," Superman said, cracking his knuckles behind me.
For the first time that night, Dusan actually looked scared, and Bruce finally cracked a smiled.
Damian's POV
I woke up to chaos around me. Shadows and colorful figures were waging a battle around me, but all I could really focus on was the man hovering over me. My father was dressed in his famous batsuit, his eyes hidden behind his cowl. Still, I could somehow feel his worry as I tried to fully come to my senses. Then I remembered the events that lead us here, and I groaned.
"Damian, are you alright?" he asked me in that deep voice of his.
"I'm fine, father," I replied, also sitting up. My head still throbbed, and I placed my hand on my temple to rub it. "Where is that mongrel, Dusan? He'll pay for what he did."
My father sighed in relief before answering my question. "Nightwing is in pursuit of him. Stay here. I'll go help him."
I rolled my eyes. It's like he didn't know me at all. "Like hell I will," I mumbled. I tried to stand as my father dashed towards a small door Dusan and Nightwing probably disappeared through. Unfortunately, a wave of dizziness came over me and I was forced to sit back down. It wasn't long before Artemis found me and asked me if I was alright. Tim and Cassie soon joined her, and I wasn't able to go after my father.
I saw Superman fly after them. A few minutes after, they came back with an unconscious Dusan. I frowned at the sight, wishing I'd been there when he was still conscious and able to feel the pain I wanted to inflict on him. Before I could react or say anything else, Superman said something into the comm device in his ear, and we were being beamed up onto the Watchtower.
Once we were on board, I wanted to ask what had happened, but Nightwing's words sent all other thoughts out of my brain. "Where's Asteria?" he asked Wally, who stood between Black Canary and Green Arrow.
"They're still operating on her in the Medical Center," Wally replied solemnly.
"They're what?" I asked incredulously while Dick ran off to where I assumed they were keeping her.
My father finally approached me. "Let's get you to the infirmary, and I'll tell you what happened."
I simply kept quiet and gestured for him to lead the way. Deep down, I also wanted to rush after Dick and see Asteria. But I knew they wouldn't let me in while they were operating on her, and it would be better to know what happened before I barged in there.
Dick's POV
I paced outside of the room angrily. It had been hours since they started working on Asteria, and I was getting impatient. Every time Asteria went into Cardiac Arrest, I could hear them shouting in her room. It took all of my will power not to burst through the doors again, after Cyborg threw me out the first time. He told me my nerves were only making everybody on edge, and that he'd shoot me with his canon the next time I disturbed them.
Damian was a different story.
After he heard the story from Bruce, he also went into Asteria's room, Bruce hot on his tail. I watched and waited as he entered the room, but after a while, Cyborg also threw him out with the same threat. That's how we both ended up pacing in front of the room. It wasn't long before the whole team joined us. Wally and Artemis came first, carrying some coffee for me. I gave them a thankful smile and took a sip of the caffeinated drink, not wanting to rest until I knew Asteria was safe. Bart and Jaime also sat outside to wait for the updates Doc Palmer was giving. So far, he told us they were able to stop all the internal bleeding and that they'd be working on her lungs next. Hopefully, it would prevent her from going into more Cardiac Arrest. We didn't know how much more her heart could take. Jaime consoled Bart, telling him that Asteria would be fine. It was obvious he had a crush on Asteria. And you don't? a voice at the back of my head said.
I ignored it and drank more of the coffee. Tim and Cassie also came and sat in the hall to wait outside her room. Tim was concerned about me and asked if I wanted to get some of my injuries treated. I declined. I wanted to make sure Asteria's injuries had been fully treated before I looked after mine. Still, Tim left and came back with some medical supplies. He bandaged up most of my wounds while we continued to wait. Gar showed up next, with Megan and Connor in tow. I had no idea if the two of them were together again, but I didn't ask. They'd tell us if they were ready. Gar sat beside Bart, who updated him on Asteria's condition. Seriously? How many admirers did Asteria have in this team? Then again, she was pretty amazing. Okay, Grayson. Stop.
So there I was pacing, still waiting for the news on Asteria. The surgery on her lungs was almost finished. When the door swung open and Ray stepped out, Damian and I immediately snapped to attention. We approached the doc, and the whole team stood behind us and also waited for the news with bated breaths. Ray cleared his throat before speaking, and I thought it would be bad news. "Her lungs are fine, and she'll recover just fine," he announced with a small smile.
We all released the breaths we were holding and some of them cheered behind me. I was just happy Asteria wouldn't be leaving. "Can we see her now?" Damian asked, beating me to the question, and I frowned.
Dr. Palmer shook his head. "We still have to put her knee in a cast and stitch up her deep cuts. But after that, you'll be free to see her. I don't know when she'll be waking up, though."
"Thanks doc," I replied, and Ray gave me a nod of acknowledgement before disappearing back into the room.
While the team went back to their own little groups and sat down, Wally approached me. "You okay, bro?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
I nodded in reply. "I can breathe easily now, knowing she can, too."
"Dude, when are you going to admit that you like her?" he asked, shaking his head and giving me a small smile.
"You should be asking Bart or Garfield that. I'm just concerned about her, because she's been a valuable member of this team." I replied, also smiling back.
Wally face palmed himself and slowly ran his hand down his face in a frustrated manner. "This is coming from the guy who said, and I quote, 'I don't want you to be a hero. I want you to live.' And who admitted in front of the whole team that he would be worried about her if they weren't on the same squad."
I rolled my eyes at my best friend's tendency to interfere with my love life- or lack of it. "I had completely logical reasons for all of those-"
"Save it, Grayson. We've been best friends for how many years? I know when you like a girl," he interrupted me and went on a rant. "And if you don't kiss her as soon as she wakes up, I am definitely kicking your ass and throwing you out of the Watchtower. Maybe when you've drifted off far into space and have thought about what I'm telling you, you'll come to your senses. Do you remember how long it took me and Artemis to admit our feeling for each other? Don't wait like I did, bro. I mean. that girl is-"
"God, fine! Just shut up, will you?" I replied, laughing at his words. He had a tendency to talk in super speed under duress or stress. Luckily, I still understood most of what he said. "I'm still trying to decide if I want to strangle her or kiss her for what she did," I mumbled as an afterthought.
"Aha! So you do want to kiss her!" Wally exclaimed, making everyone turn their attention towards us.
I slapped Wally at the back of his head, but admitted it. "Yes, I do," I replied quietly.
Wally rubbed the spot where I hit him and glared at me. "Then why wouldn't you admit it? I had to do a whole speech and everything!"
"It was more of a rant than a speech," I pointed out.
"Shut up," he grumbled back at me.
I sighed and explained it to him. "Because, even if I admit I have... feelings for her, it's no use. After she gets better, she has to leave. Damian is safe now and Dusan is confined here in the tower. So Talia will probably call her back to the League and send her on other missions."
Wally gave me an incredulous look. "That's why you wouldn't admit you like her? Dude, Talia is also under recovery in one of our medical rooms. She's not going anywhere soon."
"That doesn't mean she's staying," I mumbled.
"But you want her to?" Wally prompted.
"Of course I do."
Before Wally could ask me anything else, the door to Asteria's room opened again and the people who'd been working on her all filed out. Dr. Palmer was the last to exit the room, and he smiled at me.
"You can see her now."
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And voila!!!
I know I know! I haven't posted in so long :(( I was sick these past few days, and I went to the doctor today. They made me take a blood test because I have these rashes and I was running a fever, and thats a bad thing. So I have to go back tomorrow to see the results and hopefully figure out whats wrong with me. In the mean time, here is a long chapter with different POV's to make it up to you guys!!!!
I hope you enjoy it!!! Muwah!!!
Love always,
Angel
(back from sick leave)