She has scars on her wrists from were she cut herself to make the Staff of One appear.

(Don't think he doesn't notice them.)

They're not deep enough to be incredibly noticeable, but deep enough to glimmer when the light hits them.

(There's a reason why she almost always wears long sleeve shirts...)


He doesn't see the other until one night, he runs out of the leapfrog before she can brief them on what to do. He gets knocked on his ass and he thinks he's going to die until she is standing over him. Hair flying, tiny frame shaking with rage,protecting his prone body.

One word and a puff of smoke and the monster they were fighting is gone.

She's bending over him, offering him her hand and then he sees the other scar.

Her shirt is torn from fighting and the scar on her abdomen catches the light. The scar she got from the fight with the kingpin, from protecting him.

He loses his control for a second (must be the concussion) and touches the sliver of a scar. She flinches from his touch and with draws her hand.

Her wrist is bleeding..

He questions her about it as he pulls his body to a standing position. Because it's been awhile since she's done it.

Her answer is, "'My gums wouldn't bleed fast enough."

The real answer goes unspoken. The answer of; " If I'd waited any longer, you'd be dead.."

She'd done it for him..

For a second he can't breathe.

(he blames it on the fall)

They enter the leapfrog and Karolina is handing Nico a strand of fabric. She's wrapping it around her bleeding wrist in jagged fashion, joking about how she believes Chase is hellbent on getting himself killed. He fidgets because sometimes he wonders himself.

(One more scar to add to her collection.)


It's a quiet ride back to the hostel, Nico's head resting lightly on his shoulder, dozing lightly.

(must be the blood loss)

An epiphany hits him half way there..Suddenly he realizes that Gert was the first person who showed him he was worth saving

But Nico was the first person who told him others were too.

(Because she couldn't wear all HIS scars forever..)