Word Count: 1682

Chapter Two

October 1. The visions that flashed came true. Ivy's giant plants sprouted everywhere and wreaked havoc on every city.

I was struggling through another panic attack. Every now and then during major destructions Dahlei would get warnings and panic like this. It was crushing, bringing me to tears. She was fighting I could feel it. Trying to forget, that desperate attempt to latch onto any thought than the one that kept popping back up.

Destruction. Death. Those names, kept repeating painfully. Each time their silhouette getting clearer and clearer. But before I could see their face, before Dahlei's worse nightmares flashed before me a body flopped down the couch beside me.

Harleen pulled me into a hug, petting my short hair. I tried to fight the feeling, clutching onto Harleen and sobbing.

"Don't fight it, kiddo." Harleen said instead, "You have to feel sometimes."

"This isn't Leah's problem," We said, but Doll's voice came out stronger. Her whimper came out of my lips. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"It'll pass and we'll still be here." Harleen muttered. She kissed our forehead and started humming. Rocking back and forth. I felt something… Dahlei did something, or just focused harder. No more flashes, no more chaotic magic sparking against my skin. Death and Destruction's silhouettes were gone. Just a chaotic void filling my vision.

That sudden zen was hard to maintain but I tried to follow Dahlei's lead. Eventually we were okay enough for Harleen to leave us and come back with some chocolate ice cream.

"I'm sorry." Doll said between a bite. I was still on auto pilot.

"It's okay…" I muttered back with a shaky breath. "We'll be okay." I looked at Harleen who gave me a million-dollar smile. She scooped us into her lap, stealing a bite of ice cream for herself.

Doll whined like a spoiled pet having it's treat stolen but I laughed at her. It was odd, two different sounds coming from my mouth. We sat on the couch, listening an explosion every now and then, feeling the building rumble. But the destruction was distant. Ivy keeping the plants far from home.

The day after school continued. Just another day in this super powered world. I felt extremely foolish. The destruction wasn't that bad, the death toll pretty minimum. Still I slacked off during that week and I was now playing catch up with my classes. But with Dahlei studying while I'm asleep and tutoring me I was able to catch up and get ahead by the time Halloween came.

We loved Halloween. It was Dahlei's favorite holiday. It's easier to share my body when we're on the same wavelength. Sometimes I forget she's there, and it feels like we're the same person, causing chaos, throwing magic. Abel let's me close up the shop early so I could run around and have fun. My shift was already over and I just finished getting ready for the night.

"It's always the same costume," Greta sighed with a roll of her eyes. We were jarred back to reality as the kid impatiently tapped her foot. "All those costumes and you didn't snag one for yourself?"

Care to take me for a spin? Doll asked a little wickedly. No. Maybe.

"Fine," I sighed to both Greta and Dahlei. I wandered into the back of the shop as if I actually had cloths there. Whenever Dahlei takes complete control my body ages up to mid or late 20s. I also get taller, I grumbled at the thought.

"I know better," Dahlei said with a rolled our eyes. Red flames licked our body, magic turning my pirate costume into a slick black suit- Oh! A corset suit. With… belts. It is so Harleen's style, "I was here first. Harleen is so my style." And to finish Dahlei manifested her ram horns. At my request she kept my short hair.

She twirled, smoothed her slacks while I took a deep breath, testing the corset. The fabric easily expanded, barely any resistance. "So… You're a corset kinda girl huh?"

"There's a reason why I don't combine our taste." Dahlei muttered back with a soft laugh. Short skirts and corset. Ooh La La. We laughed and walked out. Greta nearly choked on her drink and she laughed.

"Are you sure you not trying to get into my brother's pants?"

"Ugh, men," We muttered with a roll of our mismatched eyes. Greta didn't say anything. The air between us getting heavier and heavier as I locked the shop. "How is Billy? He's… not around as much."

"He's been obsessing with that Beowulf book," Greta huffed and crossed her arms. I looked across the street at their home while Greta smoothed out her white poncho, a flimsy distraction.

"Hey Greta!" Billy called out as he swung open the front door. He was paler than the last time we saw him, Dahlei noted.

"I'll… catch up." Greta said. She glanced down the street and trotted over before I could stop her. Dahlei followed though, catching Greta's wrist as they stood in the middle of the street. Greta gently pulled free, "I'll call you."

"Okay," We muttered softly. Our voice a little out of sync. I felt Dahlei fade a little as I walked down the street. She was muting herself, but my heart was hammering like something bad was about to happen.

I ditched the Halloween party me and Greta was supposed to go to. I played pranks, making decorations dance and scream. I found myself on the rooftops, just sitting at the edge and watching people go by. When I space out Doll pilots for a bit, she must have taken us up here.

"This is what you usually do?" I laughed. "Just people watch?"

"It's why I don't mind staying with you," Dahlei answered easily enough. I felt it, a stringing in my heart and chest, a surprised feeling that Doll tried hard to suppress. It was like I was drugged, not hypnotized. "Don't-" I ignored the spirit and chased that feeling down. I gasped.

The scene burned into my eyes. Greta… Billy- A dagger deep into her chest!

No… I stood up, nearly falling off the edge. Dahlei was saying something but I didn't feel her fight as I ran across the rooftops and to Greta's home. I stumbled, body weak as I realized I couldn't breath- that I wasn't breathing.

"I'm sorry," Dahlei muttered. Tears blocked my vision but I wiped them away. I forced myself to breath, wrestled for control but the world was collapsing. Or at least in Dahlei's mind it was. She kept whispering apologizes until I had enough strength to run again.

By the time I reached the house Dahlei was barely a separate mind, just a chaotic whirl of emotions. I focused on anger instead of the grief she was going through almost drowning me a few times.

"Greta…" I found myself in front of the grave. I knelt down, hands tearing up the soil for a few seconds before I stopped. The grief took over.

"I'm sorry… This is my fault."

"No! This is Billy's fault!" I muttered back. We didn't stab Greta, Billy did. We didn't do anything! … We didn't do anything. We didn't stay with Greta…

"I knew- I should have done something!"

"We can do something now!" I snapped my head up. Her grief swallowed by my rage. I saw red. A red door, slammed open by a red blast of magic. A red kitchen as black lightning sparked from my body and overloaded any electronic.

Billy ran into the kitchen, practically throwing himself at the wall with the sword of Beowulf in his hand, "You!"

"She was your sister!" I screamed, pentagrams of red magic thrown at him like disk. Or supposedly, I was tackled the last second of my throw and the my mystic rings sliced straight through the wall. I headbutt the person, hands tightening around their throat.

"Zatanna…" Doll gasp. My red vision flickered as Dahlei took control, dropping the poor girl to her feet. Did I just- That was me, wasn't it? I tried to strangle her and Dahlei forced me to let go.

"Come on!" Zatanna coughed, one hand rubbing her throat while the other grabbing my wrist.

"No, you don't!" Harm swung a wave of energy from his sword. Dahlei summoned a circle, the magic pentagram quickly filling out and diffusing the energy into a cloud of smoke. Zatanna used it as cover and we were outside in front of Greta's grave again.

"Who's that!? What is she doing here!" Artemis scowled, gesturing wildly to me. Seeing the grave…

I couldn't breathe again. I backed up until I couldn't and when I couldn't I slid to the ground. Deaths flashed before my eyes. An explosion, screams, panic. Destruction, Death. Japan… from years ago.

I gasped trying to shake the images. Trying to will them away, begging Doll but she couldn't stop them either. She was completely lost in it. Reality was muffled even as Billy burst out screaming and yelling. I saw Greta's ghost rise from the grave. I saw Artemis beat Billy into the ground and finally I felt Greta hug me. Maybe? Next thing I knew it was Zatanna wiping my face while trying to get me to my feet.

"We need to get out of here," Artemis repeated but this time I finally heard her over the ringing of my ears. I stood up on shaking legs and we ran across the street. With shaking hands I managed to open the magic shop.

It hit me like that atomic bomb. "I could have done something. She'd still be alive-" I gasped holding onto Zatanna's hand tighter.

"Deliah! Leah! Listen to me," Zatanna shook my shoulders. "You-"

"I knew!" I broke Zatanna's hold stumbling away from the two heroes. Magic pulled together the scene before us, a red glow lighting the shop as Billy stabbed Greta. I choked and cried, collapsing to my knees. "I knew! I could have saved her! I should have done something!"

A/N: Image references for Dahlei's cloths is on my profile. Will reread and correct later

Update 1/10/17: just smoothing some things out.