Alright- firstly, I apologize for the long wait between updates. I've been preoccupied by another fandom, but I refuse to abandon this fic for so long and neglect it like I have before. I didn't do a mailbag this time. because I didn't feel like it, but I will include any thought-provoking reviews from last time in the next mailbag.
Without further ado- the chapter!
The visitors themselves the next day didn't surprise her. Rather, the fact that the team was allowed to see her, with no league member present, was what set off alarm bells in her head.
Tim smiled at her, and though she couldn't see his eyes behind his mask, his posture and stance told her the expression was genuine. "Hey. Glad to see you're alright. I heard you were on a pretty rough mission last week."
Ah. So that was what Batman had elected to tell the Team. That she'd been on a mission, official business, whatever it was that kept the facade she'd been under the League's direction, alive. He was going to try and use her peers against her- have them soften her up, their conversation lure her out from behind the walls she'd built for herself.
She couldn't help but smile slightly. Admirable effort- but it wouldn't work. The only possible way she could see this working would be if Rose slipped up- and she knew it wouldn't happen. As soon as Rose heard Batman's cover-up, she'd acclimate and be sure nt to ask any leading questions. Rose would edit her recollections and verbal conversations to ones that fit the narrative the League had.
Regardless, she forced a smile and nodded to him. "Yeah."
"Damian's missed you. He hasn't said anything, but I see him looking at your motorcycle at night..."
She snickered slightly. "Probably wants to steal it and take it for a joy ride. You know how he is with those things. Wants Bruce to let him get one." she cracked the joke idly, making Tim smile and helping her remove the guilt that Damian was missing her from her mind.
"So... when are you coming home?" Tim asked hesitantly.
The entire room seemed to fall dead silent.
"...I don't know."
"Oh." Tim sighed, before he was nodding, taking the information in. "While, he'll be glad to see you when you get back. We all will, really. Whenever you're ready." he smiled at her warmly- she could tell he was trying to be supportive, but the worry in his eyes made it clear that the lack of answers still gnawed at him.
She nodded feebly. "Yeah. Definitely. Thanks for visiting, Tim..."
"It's no problem. Do you want anything from home? I could pick something up, if you want..."
"I'm good, but thanks." she gave him a strained smile, which Time returned, before he quietly left the room.
"I heard you were on a pretty rough mission." Garfield looked down ag her seriously, before shifting into a cat. "Som I brought myself. I can be pretty theraputic, when I want to be."
He lept up so he was perched on the end table, and she smiled slightly at the green teenager, reaching out to rub his ears. "Thanks, Gar... That was really nice of you."
He was going to break her. She needed him to leave, or she just might let all the secrets she'd damned up inside her spill. He was too genuine- too imploring. The kid always brought out her most hero-like qualities,. Right now, though, she was no a hero. She was a criminal and a liar. And she needed him gone.
"She pulled back her hand. :"But I'm really tired right now. Is it cool if you stop by later?"
Garfield cocked his head, looking surprised. "Oh- sure." he hopped off the night table, tail sticking up in the air. "I'll come by later, then."
"Thanks."
"No problem." With a flick of his tail, he was trotting off, leaving her alone to stare up at the ceiling.
"So- I heard your mission went to shit." Rose spoke bluntly from where she sat in the chair beside her cot. "You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really." she gave a wane smile. Of course Rose would ask that- she had to act as out of the loop as possible so as not to arouse suspicion. Whoever was watching these interactions would think she was being typical Rose- not that she was involved in the raid on STAR Labs.
"Brought you something." Rose handed her a can of chocolate frosting and a spoon, which she excepted with a small smile.
"So- when are they letting you out of this joint?"
She flopped back onto her pillows. "Hell if I know. Whenever Batman says, I guess."
Rose frowned. "Think it'll be soon? He can't keep you here forever..." Hang in there.
She sighed. "Yeah, I guess." she held eye contact with Rose for a split second longer than normal. I think my brother is dead. We've risked it all for nothing.
Rose sighed, leaning forward. "Hang in there. That asshole has to let you out of here sooner or later, right?" Hang in there. We'll talk when you get out. Stay strong for a little while longer.
She nodded. "I hope so." her eyes were dull, and Rose grinned impishly.
"Hey- what would George Washington be doing if he were alive right now?"
Scarlet looked over at her, disinterested. "What?"
"Clawing at the lid of his coffin." Rose nailed the dead-pan delivery, and for a moment, Scarlet simply looked at her, unamused, before she smiled slightly. It was just the type of dark humor she liked. Rose smiled as well, standing.
"I'll bring you some better snacks later. Sound good?"
"Yeah. That sounds... nice."
"Cool. Ravager out." Rose gave her a two-fingered salute before she was backing out the door, having lifted her spirits a little.
Throughout the constant stream of visitors, teammates, mostly, she was happy to realize some hadn't come to see her yet. Mostly those she wasn't exactly close with- like Mal and Bumblebee- had probably elected to wait a day or so to see if she got released before seeing her. And she was fine with that, because it meant less emotion ally exhausting conversations, and less suspicion that a certain mute blond hadn't visited her...
Until he did.
He never entered the room- he knew he didn't have the right to do that anymore.
Instead, he stood outside the observation window, looking in at her with those sad green eyes peering out beneath his blonde curls.
He rested a hand on the glass, looking in at her hopefully. So he still wanted to make amends for all the suffering he'd put her through- after he;d broken her trust, made her loose her brother, shattered their friendship, all her hopes for what could've been...
She turned away so she was facing the wall, pulling the sheets over her head, and waited until Jericho, too, left. It took a long time, and the fact that he stayed so long made her heart beat a little faster- but even then, she didn't give in or look out, not even risking a passing glance at him. And even after a long hour of watching her sadly, Jericho, too, left her alone with her thoughts.
Please review! What do you guys think of Batman's strategy, in allowing the team in in the hopes of getting her to talk? And the current state of her and Jericho's friendship. Please review! :)
