So heads up, this chapter will mainly be about Chiara ripping the League a new one.
Warnings: Justice League and Young Justice bashing up ahead. Don't like it, feel free to not read it.
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"Ughh...what happened?" Impulse groggingly asked when he came to. But weirdly enough, he felt refreshed. Not the light headedness and sore he expected everytime he woke up in the medbay.
Speaking of the medbay, he could see extra gurneys that were pulled out to accommodate those who were injured by that ghoul thing. And, like him, they were also slowly coming to.
"Well," Kid Flash started.
"That ghoul thing or whatever it was showed up. It even gave Dr. Fate a panic attack. The Team and some the Justice Leaguers came down to deal with before it reached the city. Things went south real fast. It took down most of our forces and would've gone after all of us if Chiara hadn't shown up and-"
"Wait what?! Who showed up?!" Impulse sprung up from his bed, nearly headbutting Kid Flash.
"Yeah well...Surprise surprise, she's alive. Took that ghoul out in one shot." Came Tigress.
"Bu-but how? She-because of us she-"
"Woah, calm down Bart. Even we don't know how yet since she was busy healing all of you."
"Heal us?"
"That thing had venom. Venom that poisoned you guys when it attacked. And it wasn't just regular venom either. It was some sort of magic venom." Just then, they heard groaning and looked to see Wonder Girl getting up. So did the other heroes.
"Where is she now?" Robin asked.
"She's having a stare down with the remaining Leaguers and the Team. Dick looks like he's about to wet himself. And she brought company too."
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"While everyone else is fine. I can't say the same for Zatanna. That thing damaged her magic core. Good news is that the damage was minor and I was able to get the venom out before it finished its work. Unlike the rest, she'll be out for a while and her magic needs time to gather itself before she goes casting anymore spells." Chiara explained.
"You helped Zatanna?" Nightwing's question made her cross her arms and glare at him, clearly offended that he would even ask that. The audacity.
"Just because she almost got me killed since she couldn't get over herself doesn't mean I'd just let her die a slow amd torturous death." She spat making the vigilante immediately realise his mistake.
"No, that's not what I-"
"Zip it."
"But if you'd listen-"
Now that struck a cord.
"Hah! Listen? That's rich coming from you. The lot of of you. Considering it took me 'dying' for you to put your ears back on."
That instantly made them shut up. They knew how much, how far they wronged her. Although they deeply regretted it, they knew regret alone wasn't enough to atone for what they did.
"I don't want to be here anymore than you. Once the crisis on our hands is over you'll never see me again."
The crisis she was talking about was Armadus and the Shadow Spark. While they were on their way to the Watchtower Chiara and her friends filled them in on their purpose for being their.
Although she didn't say it, her silent icy demeanour when the Winx and Ultras introduced themselves sent a message to the the League and the Team that if they tried anything, she won't take it lying down like she did im the past.
As reluctant and bitter as she was with them, Chiara knew their help would be essential. She tried to keep her cool. She really did. But there was like a ticking time bomb inside her.
Flora came up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. No matter how many times she told herself to be calm, even when her friends were with her, Chiara just couldn't help it.
Suddenly, Superman stepped forward. Instinctively, Chiara gently pushed Flora behind her. Her hands were tense as a sign that she was anticipating the worst. Normally, the heroes would respond in the same manner and draw out their weapons or go into a fighting stance.
However, to her surprise, they didn't this time. This time, they actually looked ashamed and disappointed. But not at her. More like at themselves.
"Chiara, I, on behalf of the Justice League and the Team...we would like to apologise." Said Superman.
"What?" Chiara almost did a double take.
Then Black Canary came up.
"We are deeply sorry for how we treated you, Chiara. We listened to Zatanna and trusted her word without trying to understand you."
Their sudden apology left her stupefied. Truthfully, all she wanted was to hear them say they were sorry and accept her for her. And actually listen to her.
But, that's what she thought she wanted. She believed it would finally quell the burn she felt in her heart whenever she thought of them.
But on the contrary, it did the opposite. Suddenly, a wave of emotions washed over her. Fear. Anger. Sadness. Betrayal. Rejection. Hate.
Then one thing came to mind. Trying to keep her composure, she bitterly forced out:
"Why?"
Silence.
"Why are you apologising now? Why did I have to die for you to start using your heads instead of listening to Zatanna? Don't you know how horrible I felt? Everyday was like walking on a minefield. I couldn't use my magic freely cause then you would start looking at me like I might try to murder you. Even on missions I kept thinking 'Am I gonna make it out alive?' because I knew no one had my back! M'gann wouldn't even let me in on the mind link!"
To their credit, some looked more remorseful and even horrified.
"Wait, M'gann did what?" Superboy asked in disbelief and even horror. The others seem to also share the same sentiment.
Did they really not know about her being shut out from the mind link? Which meant that she was in the dark the whole time.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I did!" She snapped.
"The first time I went to M'gann and asked her about it. She said since I was still new I probably wasn't used to it. Next time I came to her after nearly losing a limb cause I didn't get information like you guys she lashed out at me and said there was no way she's letting a potential threat in. I might try to fry your brains out she said. All because she's butt hurt that she can't go poking around my head for fun."
Hearing this, there were varying degrees of shock, horror and mortified.
M'gann... What has she done?
"And hello! I'm a magic user too! Everytime I try helping it's always 'But Zatanna said this' , 'Zatanna said that', oh and my favourite 'Zatanna says you don't know what your talking about. It's not that we don't trust you but Zatanna's been in the game longer.' Bullfish. Not only did you not trust me, but surprise surprise, I end up in the medbay when Zatanna turned out to be wrong and I had to think quick and stop things from getting worst."
"But noooo, I didn't get any 'hey you did good out there' , 'hey good thinking' , "Thanks a lot, I would've gotten blown up if it wasn't for you' or even just a simple thank you would've been enough! All the lot of you ever had to say to me was 'You need to get over yourself. Zatanna's just trying to help' , 'Whatever problem you have with Zatanna needs to stop' , 'You need to be a team player' , 'Zatanna was right about you' "
Chiara heaved and took a deep breath before turning to her ex boyfriend.
"And you." Her voice suddenly became eerily cold and monotone.
"I trusted you. Even when I was at my lowest I trusted your judgement and believed everything would turn out okay if I just tried harder to be better. But now I see that that was manipulation and gaslighting at its finest. Who would've thought, it was all just a ploy to see me slip up." At the end, Chiara sounded so broken and defeated. She didn't know if it was normal or not, but her heart ached telling them every messed up thing she went through.
"Wait I was never manipulating you. I really like-" Nightwing tried reasoning but she cut him off, clearly she was just about done him. With all of them.
"Give it up already. I heard Batman, Green Lantern and the other Leaguers admit it when they were bringing me to my cell. Apparently, even after all the time you spent with me, you couldn't get anything damning to put me away. It's either I was too good at hiding it or, I know this sounds crazy and beyond the realm of possibility, actually innocent."
Surprisingly, he seemed genuinely taken a back by the information. Then he looked at the Justice League. Superman, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, The Flash, they all wouldn't look him in the eyes. And Batman, he stood there silent and gaze unwavering behind the mask. But he knew better. Years of living with the guy taught him that.
All of a sudden, realization dawned on him. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even when they were alone as father and son, Batman seemed to always stir things onto the topic of his love life. It was so subtle and smooth that Nightwing never knew something was a off.
Even the Team looked baffled by the revelation and stared at him and the senior heroes.
"Dude,that's low man. Really low." Beast Boy said, looking at their leader and the League in disappointment. Suddenly, out of everybody, Superboy seemed to realise something judging by the look on his face.
"Wait, all this time we've been listening to Zatanna. But what did Dr. Fate have to say?" Superboy suddenly spoke up. He was right.
What did Dr. Fate have to say?
"I never said she was a threat nor was she evil." The sorcerer in question stated.
"I only informed you that her powers were ancient and extremely powerful. I never said she had bad intentions. That was all simply your assumptions brought by Zatanna's manipulation."
Once again there was silence as everyone processed what he just said. Why didn't he say anything sooner you might ask? Well, back when Chiara was still with them, Dr. Fate was frequently absent since he too sensed the danger that Chiara came to vanquish and went out looking for it.
He was never really informed of the problems regarding the Team and Chiara as well as the League's suspicion whenever he was around, which wasn't much at the time. Nor did he pay much attention to such things.
It was following Chiara's 'death' did he fully became aware of everything after some members openly expressed their deep regret. But since Chiara had already 'died' there was no use in correcting their assumptions. Especially since they were already remorseful for their actions.
The milk had been spilt and there was no turning back. But now, at Zatara's urging, the sorcerer came forward to clear the air.
Dr. Fate came closer to Chiara and looked her in the eyes.
"Zatara would like to give his deepest apologise for his daughter's actions that caused you great mental and physical injuries as well as your demise. He would also like to express his great gratitude for saving Zatanna and her magic when she she was out of even my reach."
"...I saved her because it was the right thing to do. Leaving her like that would've made me no better than a murderer. And Zatanna's a grown woman who knew what she was doing. She's the one that has to admit her wrongs and ask for forgiveness. Not her father." Dr. Fate went quiet for a moment before he added:
"Zatara says he understands." And with that, he retreated back.
Chiara felt drained. All this was really taking an emotional toll on her. Even so, she still kept her composure. They already gotten this far, mind as well get everything out.
"What I can't understand is why she hates me so much. This goes beyond thinking I'm a danger."
Once again they stiffened. Which indicated they knew the truth to her question. Chiara of course caught wind of it.
"You know something don't you." It wasn't a question but a statement.
"...Zatanna admitted what she did after you 'died'. Which is why she's been benched ever since then." Said Superboy.
"So do any of you wanna tell me why she hated me so much she wanted me dead?"
"It was because I was jealous of you." Came a voice. Instantly, everyone drew their gaze towards the entrance and saw Zatanna at the threshold. She looked a bit haggard. Probably because her magic hadn't fully recovered yet. Even so, she still strode into the room.
As for Chiara, the expression on her face was unreadable. Inside, a storm was brewing. How do you react to coming face to face with the person that became the catalyst to all the pain you endured?
"W-what?" The fairy stammered.
"I-I don't know what came over me. We're practically the same age yet you were just so powerful and talented. You could do spells I had a hard time doing. You do a better job at fighting Klarion to the point he's scared of you. And then...and then Dr. Fate gave you praises for being so skilled and talented so... so I just snapped...." Chiara could believe what she was hearing. It couldn't be. All this just because of.. insecurity? Envy?
"I spent years training yet I could never reach your level skill. But everything came so easy to you because you had more power than me. Chiara, I never meant for things to go so far. By the time I realised what I was doing you-"
"I died." She said so with venom. The Winx and Ultras behind her, who kept quiet throughout it all and let Chiara handle it, were stunned. She was always so kind, soft spoken, playful and even shy. Hearing her voice so cold and laced with fury was so...they didn't know what to make of it. But it wasn't good.
"You...you said everything came so easy to me just cause I have more power? Do you- do you even know what I had to go through because of this power?!" Chiara cried sorrowfully.
This was it. Her final breaking point. Memories came flooding back in an instant.
"Chiara, RUN!"
"Chira help!"
"Mom! Dad! Aiden!"
"So the Dragon's Spark has been here all this time. You hear that, Sisters?"
Suddenly, the rush of memories and emotions came to a halt. Everything around her became dark and quiet. She alone. In the darkness. Then, a deep and eerie voice echoed:
"Aaargaaant....Chiiiiaaaaraaaa....."
The silence that accompanied it was unnerving. Chiara stood still, her eyes darting all over the darkness. MAgic sparked from her hands in defense. All of a sudden, the same voice, shrill this time, boomed:
"I'M COMING FOR YOU!"