The wind blowing against her face was warm, welcome so unlike the usual chilly weather. The foggy Gotham skies were retreating behind her. Another delightful visit in the books.

"Ready to get some lunch, boy?" she cast a glance at the lab stretched across the floor.

It happened in an instant.

There was the screech of tires, the breaking of glass, her car swinging this way and that, she fought desperately for control only to go careening off the side of the road and into the trees just under it. Until finally her car, crushed and mangled, was upside down

Ears ringing, everything was distant, her seat belt was choking her, vision spotting.

"Ugh...what next?"

the airbag went off.

Aching from head to toe with the possibility of internal injures Melissa did not move for fear of killing herself.

If she didn't die in the next few minutes.

…...

As for Hershey? He pulled moves that could only be seen in movies. Leaping from the car before it flipped. Though he had a pretty good road rash from his less than stellar landing the well-trained dog soldered on to get help.

Carmen found him first. Heading from her latest caper to visit her daughter she'd seen the car crash firsthand. The black SUV that had gunned the gas swerving to hit her daughter. It was a wonder the van didn't blow to pieces. Now, however, was not the time to ponder the impossibility, she had to get her daughter.

Before it was too late.

…...

It was getting hard to breathe, the black spots grew, waltzing across her vision, the car was a death sentence if she stayed here much longer but she knew moving wasn't an option. Her head was pounding, blood was dripping from somewhere, it didn't matter where she could feel it.

Where had Hershey gone?

She couldn't lose another dog. Not so soon.

"Avalon! Avalon, can you hear me?"

she opened her mouth to respond but no sound passed her lips.

"I'm going to get you out of there, okay?"

It all faded to black.

…...

There were many, many voices, overlapping, ringing in her ears, then there was the steady beep of machines followed by the bright light of the hospital.

"It's astounding, a wreck like that her skull should be cracked"

"But it was fractured, Doctor Mae had to repair it"

"Yes yes, five surgeon teams I know"

"She came within an inch"

darkness again.

…...

Carmen hadn't been alone. One by one the flock of robins dropped in followed by her own henchmen then Zack and Ivy who called for an ambulance. Now, Carmen, after two days of surgeries, many comments about miraculous survival, many cups of coffee, and a boatload of worry stood guard in the shadows of Avalon's hospital room. Unseen by all who came and went throughout the day in case the doctors were corrupt, in case The Court attempted to strike again.

Nothing was going to harm her daughter. Nothing. No one. They were about to learn how fierce a mother could be.

…...

the next time Melissa woke up, the lights had been turned down and the ringing in her ears had finally stopped. She didn't need a mirror to guess what she looked like, wrapped in bandages, stuck with IV lines. It was a wonder her brains hadn't splattered on the ground when the car flipped as it had. But, the wonder of her survival came at the price of her freedom. Confined once more to the sterilized hospital setting.

I survived a fall of a building, a medically induced seizure, time in the loony bin, and a wide variety of cartoony death traps. I'm getting so tired of this!

"Avalon?"

"Mom," Melissa managed with some difficulty, "You're here!"

"Of course I am," Carmen smiled down at her, unshed tears shimmering in her eyes, "I wasn't going to leave you alone after what happened"

"Mm"

"I know it hurts to talk right now," Carmen continued, "You don't have to"

"Mm"

"They put you on some very strong medication, you'll be in and out for a while"

Melissa had given up all attempts to make any sound at this point. She was content for her mother-dressed in casual clothes as to avoid arrest-to sit beside her and tell her tales of her globetrotting exploits including her days as an ACME detective. No matter how many times Melissa drifted off to sleep only to wake back up her mother was there to continue the story where she'd left off.

It was well into the night when Carmen finished her latest story.

"That's why you were there so fast," Melissa muttered, fighting sleep.

"I'm very glad I was," Carmen nodded, "We'll talk more tomorrow"

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you aren't a superhero?"

"Only for you, Avalon, only for you"

…...

Once Avalon fell back asleep for what Carmen hoped would be the majority of the night she slid back into the shadowed corner, watching both the narrow hospital window and her sleeping daughter anxiously though it didn't show. To the world, Carmen Sandiego was an emotionless thief whose idea of fun was stealing impossible to steal things like landmarks and heavily guarded pieces of history but that wasn't entirely the case. Carmen was human just as most who walked the earth, as such she had emotions too.

In the dark, the quiet, Carmen wept silently.

"Get some sleep, Carmen, we'll keep an eye on her"

"Bruce-"

"You haven't slept, really slept in days, Carmen"

It took everything in her not to verbally tear Selina apart as she was prone to do. Stifling her pride, Carmen gave the pair a curt nod before sliding down the wall to close her eyes. Sleeping in the same place she'd been keeping watch for countless hours.

If the duo thought she was going to leave they thought wrong.

…...

Melissa opened her eyes in the gray morning light. The only noises to be heard were the beeping of the machines and the ticking of the wall clock. Unable to really move Melissa stared straight ahead, finding her mother resting against the wall, sleeping still.

Jenny was supposed to visit today, discuss things with the doctor who she hadn't met yet

I want to go home.

A soft knock at the door woke her mother who jumped to her feet, double-checking that she was dressed in civilian clothes, unrecognizable as the world's greatest thief. The door opened softly, revealing not a doctor but Dick with a worried expression as he shifted from one foot to the other anxious and terrified of what he'd see. When he saw that Melissa was awake, however, his face broke into a thankful smile.

"Firecracker"

"Hey, Bird Boy, come in, I don't bite"

Dick hurriedly took the invitation, zipping to the side of the bed where he grasped Melissa's hand, afraid to do much else.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," Melissa said, noting the dark circles around his dull eyes.

"I haven't, I was too worried to sleep, I've been begging to visit you"

"And now you're here"

"Now I'm here"

"Ahem"

"Hello, Carmen"

"Richard"

"Can we avoid the stare down please?" Melissa requested tiredly, "I just want to spend time with two of my favorite people"

The two snapped out of it, mumbling agreement

"How about a movie?" Dick suggested, "I brought Wakko's Wish or A Looney Tunes Christmas Carol"

"Surprise me"

"Yes Ma'am"

When Jenny came by later, following behind an older doctor she found Melissa watching a movie through drooping eyelids. Dick held the tablet in front of her while Carmen sat on the edge of the bed, watching the duo.

"Hi, Melissa"

"Hi Jenny" Melissa yawned, "I want to go...home"

"I know you do"

The doctor spoke now, more to Jenny than Melissa who appeared to be hanging by a thread:

"She can't, not any time soon, not with her injuries"

This was the last thing Melissa heard before sleep overtook her.

…..

when she woke up again Melissa couldn't help the angry thoughts swirling madly through her mind. She had to put up with Jenny's crazy mother, her dog died, she was thrown into Arkham, barely survived a crash and now she was held prisoner in a hospital. What sick hand of fate had it out for her? Why was her life falling to pieces? Why was any of this happening to her?

It was wrong.

It was crushing.

It hurt.

No.

her chest hurt.

She couldn't breathe!