The Rogues

Shayera tried to stop her shivering from taking over her as the night wore on. Ever since she has decided to try and heal herself mentally, Shayera's control over her emotions and repressed memories had come undone. She suffered through more nightmares and flashbacks than she could handle. She had been sent to solitary confinement twice already over the last three months because she will accidentally lash out against Dr. Leland. She was remorseful when she gained back control and Dr. Leland was always understanding. If she had attacked a mind healer in Thanagar, Shayera's punishment would have been more drastic: almost close to death. For that, Shayera was grateful that this human was very understanding in her predicament and was still willing in helping her overcome her horrors.

Shayera gripped her blankets and rolled to the floor, needing to feel the cool ground on her feverish body. She had relived several battles in which she slaughtered her enemies with no mercy. She is a trained spy and assassin, she was meant to overcome such emotions as regret, pity, and sadness. She couldn't stop the torrent of memories flooding her though. She was forced to endure reliving them every night and she was slowly losing hope that she will ever recover from them. Shayera grunted as another shiver passed through her, this time the cold being the reason. She was tempted to get back on her bed, but another wave of depression hit her, causing her to remain immobile as she thought about all the things that she has done for the sake of her planet. On one hand, she did good because based on the reports and the way the war was shifting, she had made a significant difference for her people. They had been losing originally, losing key battles and alliances in the beginning of the war.

After becoming the Silent Hawk after losing her family, Shayera was able to sneak behind enemy lines and learn, fight, betray, and kill important and key figures. Without leaders, the Gordanians were left to wallow and the war was in the Thanagarians' grasp but it was in no way over. Just because they defeated the Gordanians didn't mean the war was over as they still had to deal with the Gordanians' allies, the delicate peace they had with Raan and the possible threat of the Tamaraneans. Shayera knew that Thanagar was on thin ice due to many war atrocities, most of them her fault. Shayera shivered as she thought about the family friends she had willingly given up without a thought and cried out in anger and sadness. She heard other inmates wailing in their cells and knew that of all the places in the universe that she could have ended up in, this place was definitely fit for a monster like her.

The next morning came with so much hatred that Shayera was honestly tempted to pick a fight with an orderly just so they can place her back into Solitary Confinement. Shayera had gotten used to the cafeteria food they serve in Arkham and didn't mind if she had to eat a whole vat of the goop if they would just leave her alone for today. She didn't have a therapy session with Dr. Leland and she knew that she had to sit in 'recess' with the other psychopaths of Arkham. Some weren't so bad like Drury Walker, who insists to be identified as Killer Moth, or Arnold Wesker, whose only real threat comes from the form of having a puppet near him.

Shayera would often run into Harley Quinn, who was harmless enough but Shayera remained wary around her as she knew just how unhinged the blonde ex-psychiatrist was. The one 'recess' session where Shayera witnessed firsthand how dangerous the blonde is, was actually three weeks ago on a Sunday that happened to be the anniversary between herself and her 'puddin'. A hapless inmate had cruelly mocked Quinn about how Joker was out of Arkham and didn't care about her unless she was usefull. It was rubbing salt to a wound because the Joker had escaped Arkham three months ago after Shayera's first session with Dr. Leland. Shayera though was thankful that she didn't have to deal with him when she already had to deal with Quinn.

When Harley finally snapped after reigning herself in, the poor inmate was left in the hospital and needing the surgeons to stitch his ears back together. Quinn would have done more damage had it not been for Shayera, who had used her strength to pull Quinn back and place her in a sleeper hold until the orderlies arrived. Shayera had actually encountered a new problem for stopping Quinn's attack. The other inmates, The Rogues, viewed her as a spy for the staff and Shayera quickly needed to prove to them that she wasn't. When the orderlies had roughly grabbed her, Shayera didn't hold back and broke their arms and cracked their ribs and skulls. She was placed in Solitary for two whole weeks after that and she had to explain to Dr. Leland why she had to. Although she disapproved of her methods, Dr. Leland did understand that Shayera needed to show the Rogues that she was unhinged as well. In fact, when she had returned to the 'recess' room, many of the Rogues had complimented her on her quick and clean methods, often asking her to teach them or to 'work' for them when they get released from Arkham. Shayera was almost amused by it, seeing as how they were quick to change their tune when they had originally planned to kill for stopping Quinn. After that incident, Shayera was quick to learn the social rules around Arkham.

For one, never get between Harvey and Two-Face as she learned quickly after watching the bipolar inmate argued with himself. It was better to just call him Dent and not have to face either side of his personality. The Penguin was another inmate that Shayera kept her distance from. His greedy and beady eyes unnerved her and she knew that he wanted her to work for him after the whole deal with the orderlies. The Penguin was a collector and Shayera had enough run ins with those types of dealers to know that he intends to play for keeps. Shayera was not one to gamble her control away and she intended to stay away from the Penguin. Jonathan Crane was another type all together. Insisting that he shall be called Scarecrow, the man was obsessed with fear. He spouted so much facts about psychological fear that Shayera wondered if she could perhaps earn her own degree if she decided to attend a human university. His ability though allowed him to know that Shayera was claustrophobic and so she stayed away from him after that to ensure that he didn't learn anything else. Killer Croc, Clayface, and Bane were supposed powerhouses that were kept in separate cells away from the other Rogues and Shayera wondered what they looked like.

Her door opened and she turned to see a frightened orderly tell her that recess was in session. Deciding that it will be better for her to be cooperative for today, she got up and followed the man to the recreation room. She glanced around to see Drury and Arnold sitting in their own little corners. Dent was flipping his coin, staring at the blank wall, no doubt his dual personalities arguing with each other. Harley was on the couch, looking at cartoons while Crane was sitting in his chair by the window. The Penguin was by the armchair reading a book, placing the image that he was of high class and sophistication. Shayera looked around again to see that only the table was free from any occupants and moved to sit down.

When she had absorbed information from the Absorbascon, she only took basic human knowledge but not of current events. She had heard from the Rogues about a man called Batman. He seemed to be the main reason why they were all in Arkham in the first place. Deciding that when she was cured, she was going to unearth her Absorbascon and learn all she can about the 'heroes' and 'villains' of this planet. There was more to these humans than meets the eye apparently. Shayera sat down on the chair and just stared out the window, enjoying listening to the rain that just started.

She was most often left to her own devices and left alone to which she was happy, not knowing how much control over herself she has now. Her nightmares and flashbacks were causing her to slowly lose grip on herself and she needed to talk with Dr. Leland. It might not be safe for her to be in the same room with a PTSD alien after all without taking certain precautionary measures. Shayera heard the door open and glanced behind her to see a new inmate walk in. She wore an orange jumpsuit like the rest of them but her peach skin had green ivy vines decorating her body and face like a tattoo. Her vibrant red hair matched Shayera's as did her emerald eyes. Just based on comparison, Shayera knew this must be the Ivy that Harley had mistaken her for.

Looking away, Shayera decided it will be better for her not to attract too much attention to herself and returned her attention back to the rain. Rain lasting this long never happens in Thanagar and Shayera was actually soothed by the noise. Or at least soothed until she heard Harley scream and screech, "IVY!"

Shayera ignored her and tried to listen to the rain again when she heard running footsteps and someone gasp at being hit hard.
"Good to see you too, darling." said the sultry voice of Ivy. Shayera kept her attention focused to the window, trying anything to get her serenity back when she overheard Harley say, "Hey Ivy! I found your clone!"

"Clone, Harley?" asked Ivy, looking at Harley with an amused look. Harley always did say that most strangest things.
"Yeah, look!" said Harley, pointing to where Shiera was. Shiera Hall was a strange person, strange even to Harley, but that's why Harley liked her. One minute she was interfering with Harley's attempts at punishing the naysayer who dares accuse Puddin's dedication to Harley, and the next she is breaking arms and legs everywhere. Ivy though was appraising the woman who indeed look like her, or at least from what she could see from behind. Her red hair was the same shade as Ivy's and she wanted to know what else was similar between herself and this new inmate.

"Who is she?" asked Ivy quietly as she led Harley to the other side of the room to ask about the woman.

"Shiera Hall," whispered Harley, "She volunteered tah be here."

"Did she now? Why?" asked Ivy.
"War Veteran," said Harley, "Classic signs of PTSD and survivor's guilt. Normally any other rehab center coulda helped her, but she's dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" asked Ivy.
"One minute she's all good like right now, but the next she lashes out like she's back in whatevah war she came from. She nearly broke two orderlies in half and she actually almost killed Dr. Leland when she had her flashbacks." said Harley.
"The good Doctor is risking her life for this?" asked Ivy. While Dr. Leland had many precautions taken for the Rogues, she seemed to be risking a lot if this woman had nearly killed her.

"Yeah, something about having a war veteran and a willing patient has her risking stuff. I wish she did that with us, it's like she doesn't trust us or something." said Harley mystified. Ivy only gave her a deadpan stare before looking at the woman.

"How about you introduce me to her Harley." said Ivy. Harley excitedly led the way and Ivy trailed behind.

Shayera was almost close to her serenity when she heard Harley call out to her from behind, "Hey Hall! I have a friend I want you to meet."
Quickly reigning in her instincts to turn and strike Harley due to her reflexes, Shayera stiffly turned to see Ivy and Harley looking at her. Nodding her head in acknowledgement, Shayera turned back to the window.
"HEY MISS RUDE! I'M TALKING STILL!" yelled Harley, gripping Shayera's shoulder with a grip that triggered a memory.

Shayera gasped as the Jurgon, an alien race that is in alliance with the Gordanians, gripped her shoulder and slammed her against the wall. She was compromised, her contact selling her out for a few thousand credits. Shayera looked up at the purple feline and snarled as he tried to choke her, grabbing onto his hands and using his momentum to flip him to side and breaking his wrists. Shayera removed her distortion ring and her wings emerged, allowing her to fly high in the room to avoid the Jurgon's lethal stinger tail. Shayera quickly grabbed her mace and smashed it upside the Jurgon's jaw, ripping it out altogether. She didn't bother letting him have time to scream when she reached for his sword and impaled him with it.

Shayera grabbed Harley's hands and flipped her onto the table, surprising her and Ivy. The rest of the Rogues looked in surprise and anticipation, wanting for a show to start. Ivy looked at the woman, Shiera, and saw that her eyes were dilated and that she had broken out into a cold sweat. Harley saw the obvious signs of a relapse and quickly relaxed herself to show Shiera that she meant no harm.

Shayera felt her assailant relax and looked down. Instead of a feline face she was met with the face of Harley Quinn. Releasing Quinn, Shayera was about to go sit back down when Hugo, the orderly who had previously verbally harassed Shayera the first week, came into the room flanked by two other large orderlies.

"What the hell is going on?" ordered Hugo. His eyes immediately zeroed in on Shayera and he made his way over to her.
"I should have known it had to do with you." snarled Hugo as he gripped her shoulder, intending to lead her out. He was confident that with the other two new orderlies, he won't have a problem with this patient again. No such luck on Hugo's part when he felt the woman easily break free from his grip and land a hard punch across his face. The force was enough to knock him out and the other two orderlies were left mystified at the strength the small woman had. Not even a full day in Arkham, and the new orderlies were quickly realizing never underestimate the inmates that weren't Rogues. They both looked at Shayera to see her struggling to keep herself in check and one brave orderly walked up and said, "Ma'am?"

Shayera looked up to see another Jurgon and immediately knocked him down. They seemed to be so much easier now to defeat where before she needed her mace or a sword. Shayera looked at the other Jurgon and quickly grabbed it by the neck and threw it across the room before finding the exit. She quickly ran outside, unaware of the chaos she was ensuing. Without the doors properly locked, the Rogues had a way to escape now. As Shayera quickly made her way down the hallways, she heard the sound of rain. Easily barreling through the security Shayera made her way outside and continued to run, deciding that it was better to not tip the Jurgons that she was Thanagarian and not Raanian. Shayera ran until she saw lights, quickly using the rain and dark skies as her cloak as she hid in the woods around the city. She looked down at her clothing to see that the bright orange jumpsuit will give her position away so she opted to remove it, leaving only her black tank top and black shorts, a standard of Arkham for all female patients to wear. Shayera continued to run, needing to find a way to contact her superiors. As she looked up at the night sky, she saw a large moon on the sky, It was unfamiliar and yet…

Flashes of Dr. Leland flew across her mind and Shayera looked around more carefully. She wasn't in Jeri'ho, the Jurgons' homeword. In fact, the the constellations weren't right. Dr. Leland's face flashed across her mind and Shayera remembers that she is on Earth. She abandoned her position as Thanagar's deadliest and dangerous assassin and spy in order to heal her mind, she is disguised as a human in order to get proper treatment, she checked herself inside the most dangerous and renowned psychiatry asylum, Arkham. Shayera leaned against a tree trunk in exhaustion both physically and mentally.

She fucking did it again. She succumbed to her memories and her hallucinations and had lashed out again. Looking back, Shayera was relieved that she hadn't killed anyone: she had enough blood in her hands. She sat down and bowed her head, letting the rain wash over her and hide her tears. Shayera can slowly feel herself losing it. Pretty soon, she'll be joining Harley in a straitjacket. So deep in thought in her misery, she didn't hear the footsteps and the sounds of rain hitting had fallen asleep for a few hours when the sounds of footsteps woke her up.

Looking up, Shayera saw a tall man wearing large black Kevlar and a leather cape. His face was masked, much like how her face would be hidden by her mask, but his mask wasn't hawk: it was something darker entirely. Shayera blinked in confusion at him when she saw he had a small companion next to him. He had dark hair and his face was only masked by a simple black rag with white lenses. Compared to the large man in black, the boy wore bright colors as though providing light to the man's dark.

"Shiera Hall?" asked the man, his voice deep and close to a growl. Shayera looked at the man, vision obscured by the rain. She can barely see his face now that the rain began to pour down heavily. She stood up, noting the way the man and boy tensed and quietly scoffed. In her mental state, they can easily overpower her. Shayera remained leaning against the trunk of the tree, uncaring of how weak she might look. She had already spent months on Earth and she can hardly handle a few nightmares: she is weak.

"You caused quite a ruckus in Arkham." said the man.

"What else is new?" muttered Shayera.

"Your escape almost allowed all the Rogues to escape as well. It was lucky that Robin and I were close by to provide backup." said the man. Shayera only shrugged and tried to walk but her exhaustion almost made her collapse. The man quickly grabbed her, lifting her bridal style and began to walk towards Arkham when the light flashed bright and thunder descended upon them. The noise and the flashes brought in another memory full force and Shayera screamed. She began to thrash around, making the man grunt in his effort to keep her still and from falling. She saw that she was in a Lycro's arms, possibly being sent to either slavery or torture. She saw a young Lycro next to him and she knew that she needed to kill them both before she made her escape. She can't leave any witnesses behind.

Shayera almost broke free when another flash brought her back to the present. She stilled and realized that she had relived another painful memory. She may have been the best assassin and spy, but there were missions where she would miscalculate or get caught or be betrayed herself. Shayera saw the man again along with the boy and shivered as she realized she came close to killing them both.

"I can't stop seeing." whispered Shayera.

"Seeing what?" asked the man as he continued walking, jerking his head at the boy to run ahead and prep the vehicle.

"My sins." said Shayera as she leaned her head on the man's shoulder. She wasn't sure if she was well enough not to start relapsing if she had asked him to put her down so it was safer for everybody if she remained where she was.

Bruce had received the alarm from Alfred that an inmate had escaped Arkham and that the Rogues were currently causing mayhem in their attempt at retrieving their things and leaving the asylum. It was sheer luck that he and Jason were nearby to handle the situation quickly. It was luck again on their side that managed to trap all the Rogues in the storage room so they were able to apprehend them using their own weapons against them. When the situation was settled hours later, Batman interrogated everybody as to how the situation was triggered. It was the eyewitness testimony of a new orderly that helped piece everything together.

A new inmate by the name of Shiera Hall had checked herself into Arkham, her PTSD and Survivor's Guilt causing her to relive war memories and assault anyone within range. After questioning Dr. Leland, Batman discovered that the woman is of a Special Force with skills in espionage and assassination. It was all the information Dr. Leland was willing to part with due to Doctor-Patient confidentiality, but he had already informed Barbara to look into the woman more.

"So we're looking for an assassin-spy? Cool!" said Jason as he hopped into the Batmobile with Bruce so they can look for the escaped patient.

"Cool until she begins to starts picking you off when you least expect it." said Bruce.

"Aw, she's got nothing on you though! You're Batman!" said Jason. Bruce looked down at his new adopted son and felt that familiar surge of pride and care that came with being a father all over again. However, as the Batman, he can't afford to feel those right now and keep a clear head.

"Not even I'm perfect Jason," said Bruce as they drove away, "So don't let your guard down for anything."

"Right." said Jason and they both began to investigate where the woman might have gone to. As an hour passed by, Barbara called in to inform them what she had discovered.

"Shiera Hall," she began, "born in Gotham Memorial and an alum at Gotham High. She was in Dr. Leland's year. She also studied Archeology at Gotham University. Where do you think she got the time to get a degree while serving the army?"

"Probably to help her with her spy background. Archeology means going around the world without having people questioning why you are there." observed Jason.

"Indeed," agreed Bruce, "She will also have the education to know how to read maps, to navigate through cities without blending out, and to understand cultures and traditions as the first foremost important skill to have."

"Her family was killed," said Barbara, "they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"How?" asked Jason quietly.
"The police file says that they were vacationing but they got caught between a minor gang fight when they were leaving Gotham. Her little brother was with them too." said Barbara.

"Where are her family buried?" asked Bruce.

"They were cremated." said Barbara, "They were killed while she was abroad. Dr. Leland wrote that Miss Hall thinks she could have prevented their deaths by being there."

Much of what Barbara was relaying was close to what Bruce was feeling. This woman though must have even darker nightmares than he does if she willingly checks herself into Arkham. The drive continued until Jason pointed out that the woman may have not escaped into the city.

"She could have also ditched the orange clothes," mused Jason, "She's a spy and an assassin right? She could live off the land for a few days right?"
"Or for an infinite amount of time." said Bruce as he turned the wheel and they made their way to the forest close to Arkham. When they arrived, Jason had found the discarded orange jumpsuit and they quickly tried to pinpoint where she could have gone. When Bruce found footprints, they had to quickly follow them before the rain washed them away.
"Leaving footprints behind? That's a Spy-No-No 101." said Jason.
"She's not in the right state of mind, possibly reliving a memory," said Bruce, "if she were in an unfamiliar location, the normal response would be to escape first and gather your bearings before you start planning."

They investigated more and finally found her. She was slumped up against a tree trunk, sleeping. Bruce wondered how the woman hasn't turned blue from the freezing weather and approached. When she had awoken and looked up at him, emerald eyes were piercing at him. After picking her up and walking away, he was surprised at how light she was. It was as though she had hollow bones just by how easy it was to carry her around. When the lightning flashed, he was greeted to her strength. She was strong for a short and light woman. She almost made him lose his grip on her when another lightning flash brought her senses back. Bruce noticed that she had attempted to reach for his neck, possibly trying to snap it. When she had calmed down, her eyes were strained and tired.

"I can't stop seeing." she whispered.

"Seeing what?" he asked.

"My sins." she said, laying her head on his shoulders. Bruce wondered what this woman had to do in the name of their country and knew that she will be better off in Arkham with Dr. Leland than any other place. She had easily blazed her way through military-trained security and any other place will have no chance to contain her. When they arrived at the Batmobile, Jason was already in his seat while Bruce helped the woman, Shiera, settle in the backseat. It was strange to be handling an Arkham patient like this: someone who wasn't fighting back or forced into unconsciousness. She was calm and a bit melancholy. Bruce could relate though. Trauma never leaves a person without leaving behind a few scars. Looking at the woman, she has scars mentally that run deep.

The drive to Arkham was silent. Jason was a little nervous being directly in front of a spy/assassin while the woman had fallen asleep. Bruce knew that he would have to make a social visit as Bruce Wayne in order to properly punish the orderly Hugo for not having the tact to handle the Rogues and the patients with delicacy. When they arrived, Dr. Leland and two orderlies were waiting for them. Bruce carried out the woman and they had her placed on a gurney as they wheeled her back into Arkham to the hospital wing.

Dr. Leland stayed behind and asked Batman, "Where was she?"

"In the woods, not too far from here." informed Bruce.

"She was doing so well too." lamented Dr. Leland. Her nightmares and flashes may have been increasing, but Shayera had normally good control over them.

"She's not safe with the Rogues." said Batman.

"We already tried leaving her with the regular patients, but they immediately attempted to assault her. She proved to be stronger than them though and had made the whole facility believe she had left when she was only hiding in my office." explained Dr. Leland.

"She must have a lot of trust in you then." observed Batman.

"You can say that again," chuckled Dr. Leland, knowing that despite the knowledge of Shayera being an alien, she never once mentioned it in her reports. She replaced a lot of the foreign words with words normally associated with the current war the United States was having with Sylderia in the Middle East.

"I'd like to keep an eye on her progress." said Batman.
"What for?" asked Dr. Leland, surprised that Batman wanted to know about Shayera's progress.

"I know what it's like to lose everything in one night." was all he said before walking away. Dr. Leland was surprised at what was revealed. This was the most human she had seen from the Dark Knight and she wondered what happened in the woods. For Bruce, he knew what it was like to be haunted by memories. When the woman had confessed to reliving her sins, Bruce wanted to know more. For now though, he had other priorities such as Gotham and having to lead the newly formed Justice League.

Hey readers :) Like or Dislike? More updates later on, until then, have a nice day and thank you for reading :)