Summary: Alex is injured. (Year 25)
AN: More Alex was requested by one of my awesome reviewers. And this only needed some editing to put it in Earth-128 so here you go. Kind of.
The winner of the Tim debate is Tam. Apologies to everyone rooting for Cassie; in this universe she will be paired with Conner Kent. Tim/Tam will be mentioned in this chapter. Oh and remember both Helena Wayne and Bertinelli exist in this universe, I hope there won't be any confusion.
FYI: Cassie is Sandsmark and Cass is Cain.
Disclaimer: The AU and OCs are mine; the rest belongs to DC Comics.
If anyone ever doubted the Batman's humanity they need only look in the medical bay of the Watchtower this night. Batman stands ashen face leaning heavily onto the back of the chair Wonder Woman is sitting in at the bedside of their youngest daughter. Robin was currently sitting on the other side of Alex's bed while the rest of the Bat Family were gathered outside the door trying to draw strength from each other.
There were no chairs or waiting room so they carried out their vigil sitting on the corridor floor and leaning against the wall. The discomfort from the cold hard metal was lost in their concern.
"I had almost forgotten how much this sucks." Tim said quietly to the group.
Dick looked at him like he didn't believe him.
"I said almost." Tim replied looking down.
Damian was trying to put on an impassive face but he wasn't the little monster he had been eleven years ago. Alex was only two years younger than him and as much as he had fought it she had wormed her way into his heart a long time ago. She was the first person he had considered family after their father. His girlfriend Nell, aka Batgirl, was sitting beside him squeezing his hand tightly. Not only for his comfort but also her own. They sat in silence, drawing strength from the proximity of the other and their tightly clasped hands.
Barbara and Mar'i had come up as soon as they had heard and were now sitting one on each side of Dick, his arms wrapped around both of them. Annie was too young to come up, only recently even aware of her family's nighttime activities, so she was at the Manor under the watchful eye of a concerned grandfatherly butler.
Jason sat a few feet down from Dick and his family. He was staring up at the ceiling, trying to keep composure, and his right arm was wrapped around Stephanie's shoulders holding her close. She was leaning heavily on her husband but the tears had finally stopped falling under her mask and she had mostly stopped shaking. Their children, were also back at the Manor under Alfred's care, though both of them were too young to know what was going on.
Cass was sitting directly opposite the door to her sister's room flanked by her brothers Terry and Tim. Terry was a wreck, which was most obvious from his hair which was a mess from the teen running his hand through it so many times. Tim calm façade was betrayed by the fact he kept sighing every few minutes but Cass was a rock. Her eyes completely focused on the door in front of her, her body totally still except for imperceptible rise and fall of her chest. Tim had called his wife a little bit ago to let her know what was going on. Tam and Alfred were going to have come up with something good to explain the entire family's disappearance if they were still there come morning but Tim had faith in them.
Helena was sitting near Terry but by herself, her arms wrapped around her knees. The tough as nails smart aleck gone with the adrenaline leaving behind the vulnerable young woman afraid of losing another member of her family to violence. She wasn't mentally absent or even trembling, she was still in control, silently drawn in to herself but aware of everything around her.
"Here come Donna and Cassie." Dick said when he heard approaching running.
Sure enough a moment later the Wonder girls rounded the nearby corner in the hallway.
"What the hell happened?" Donna demanded coming to stand in the middle of the group, her focus on Dick but the question open to everyone.
"She was ambushed." Terry said.
"None of us were close enough." Cass added.
"If Robin hadn't gotten there when he did…" Tim trailed off.
"And the attackers?" Donna asked.
"Gordon has them." Damian said darkly.
"Can we go in?" Cassie asked hopefully.
"The room only holds three and even then one has to leave if the doctor comes by." Tim said.
"If you can convince Robin to trade with you, you can go in one at a time." Dick said. "But he's taking this hardest. The rest of us remember what it was like before Alex got her powers. He's never gone through this before."
Cassie cautiously opened the door. Diana and Matt turned to see who it was; Bruce never took his eyes off of Alex. Cassie nodded to Diana and silently gestured to Matt she just wanted five minutes. He reluctantly nodded, gave his sister's hand one last squeeze and silently left the room.
As Matt was closing the door behind him, Huntress and Question were coming around the same corner Cassie and Donna had earlier. They were both carrying a stack of Styrofoam cups and a pot of coffee.
"We contacted the Teen Titans, they all wanted to come but we told them to stay put. Query refused so she's on their way but everyone else reluctantly agreed to stay at the tower unless she gets worse." Huntress said.
Helena began distributing cups of coffee to everyone, taking her husband's pot when hers ran out, allowing Vic to pull a bag of sugar packets and a container of non-dairy creamer out of one of the pockets in his blue trench coat. Donna and Dick made up cups for Diana and Bruce and Donna took them in to them when she traded places with Cassie a few minutes later.
Ten minutes later the group heard more footsteps headed their way.
"Three?" Damian said puzzled by the number of people approaching.
"What do you wanna bet one is Supes?" Tim said.
Sure enough less than a minute later Superman and two others rounded the corner. As expected, one was Alex's best friend, Isabella Bertinelli-Sage aka Query. The last one wasn't really a surprise either. It was Alex's godmother, Zatanna.
"What happened?" Supes demanded.
"She was ambushed." Dick replied this time.
"Who?" Query demanded darkly.
"Black Mask." Stephanie said hoarsely. She knew the man behind the mask was not the same one that had nearly beaten her to death years before but it had still shaken her badly.
"A group of his thugs to be more specific." Jason clarified pulling his wife tighter.
"I take it, by the fact that you're all sitting here, he's been dealt with?" Superman theorized.
"Both Black Mask and his crew are in police custody." Barbara confirmed.
The new comers took turns going in to see Alex and then poured themselves cups of coffee, finishing off the second pot, before joining the vigil in the corridor. Clark and Zatanna took up sentry positions at the far end of the group and Query found solace between her parents, Huntress and Question. Robin returned to his older sister's bedside. Silence fell on the group for a while, only interrupted by and occasional communication from one group or another asking for an update on Alex's condition.
As time silently passed, dawn arrived in Gotham and with it a reprieve for the vigilantes still patrolling there in the absence of the entire BatFam. Relieved of their responsibilities for the day, the remaining Birds of Prey arrived to join the vigil. By then Mar'i had fallen asleep on her father's shoulder and Huntress had covered Query in her cape after she had succumb to exhaustion. The stillness was unnatural and alarming.
Superman's head suddenly snapped to the door of Alex's room, his super-hearing picked up a change in the sounds from the room. Numerous heads rose to expectantly stare at the Man of Steel but he remained still, staring at the door. Tension began to ease out of the Clark but no one seemed to notice because there were suddenly muffled noises coming from inside the room.
Suddenly there was a high-pitched beep and everyone instantaneously moved to make a path in the corridor for the doctor and nurse that were hurrying their way. The doctor quickly kicked Matt out of Alex's room and moved next to his patient. The door was left slightly ajar by the nurse allowing the large group in the hall to see the flurry of movement in the room but not what was going on.
After several tense moments the nurse came back out. Her eyes flicked around the group and settled on Dick. "She's conscience and actively fighting the tube so were going to remove it. She won't be kicking butt anytime soon but she's out of the woods." She could feel the tension dissipate throughout the group.
"Can we see her?" Superman asked.
The nurse really didn't want to tell him no but she didn't want to over tax her patient either. She was saved from answering by the doctor arriving behind her.
"Normally we'd say no after such a traumatic incident, especially given the number of you, but she wants to put all your minds to ease. So, one or two at a time, no more than a couple of minutes each."
"Thanks, Doc." Superman said.
They started with Matt and Terry and slowly moved through the group until they ended with Damian and Nell. After Alex had assured the last of her brothers that she would be okay and they had all seen the amazing progress she had made in the night they all disbursed, promising to visit her again when she was safely settled at the Manor in a few days. Alone with her parents again Alex spoke.
"It was Apollo." She said. "He said the ability to heal myself hadn't been triggered before now because I had never been severely enough injured."
Diana nodded in understanding but Bruce just scowled.
"Once the gift was active I had to figure out how to work it. Sorry it took so long." Alex said.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Diana said. "We're just happy you are going to be okay."
"I'll be fine." Alex says. "Why don't you guys go home and get some sleep."
Diana kissed her forehead and stood so Bruce could say goodbye too.
"I'm going to stay awhile." Bruce said.
Diana and Alex took one look at his face and didn't even bother to argue.
Diana solidly kissed her husband and waved to them both as she left the room.
Bruce took Diana's seat and settled in for the long haul.
"I'm going to be okay, Daddy." Alex told him.
"I know, Sweetheart." Bruce said softly. "Get some rest."
Four hours later Flash peaked into the room to see how Alex was doing and found her awake scribbling on a pad of paper, Bruce fast asleep in the chair.
Okay peeps, I know over 100 people read last chapter. Did you not like it? PLEASE review! Virtual candy for reviewers!
Also, based on popular demand, this story will remain Oliver/Dinah.