So, haha. Ha. Exams kicked my ass. I underestimated them, I was unprepared. I spent a solid three weeks of my life with my head in varying textbooks stopping only to eat, use the bathroom and shower. And then I got a really amazing opportunity to attend a youth leadership conference that was a few weeks long, (basically social justice summer camp), and now I've been home for a bit and I finally have chapters for you guys! I'm doing another double-upload, mostly because not a whole lot actually really happens in these, but they're still really important to the story overall, and because I suck. (Seriously if you're reading this I'm sorry and you're amazing for actually bothering to click on this.) Anywho, stay tuned for more of my rambling at the bottom!


GOTHAM

September 6, 10:34


I sighed softly, nuzzling back into my pillow as the sun pouring through the window warmed my face. French jazz was echoing from the next room over, so Selina must be home. There was a weird persistent buzzing waking me up, and I cracked my eye open to see that my phone was shaking like a maraca. Groaning, I flipped onto my back and hit my home button, the screen notifying me that I had twenty texts from M'gann.

I sighed, pulling up the thread to find that she was deliberating on what to wear. I ignored her rambling and pulled up my keyboard, 'how about I just come over and help you?'

I peeled myself off my bed and stumbled to the door, trudging down the hall to find Selina humming as she reorganized the living room, dressed in a red silk kimono. I raised an eyebrow as she placed a vase I had never seen before on an end table. Grinning, she pulled me into a ballroom hold, dancing us across the floor in time to the music coming from the gramophone. I narrowed my eyes, "I see we've miraculously obtained new and expensive looking furniture."

She rolled her eyes, "does it soften the blow if I tell you the man who owned it was an ass and they were sitting in his attic collecting dust?"

"Not particularly, what did we say about you stealing?"

"Who's the parent here?"

"Speaking of, parental permission to probably take M'gann shopping?"

She tightened the sash of her kimono, "I suppose. Though for god's sake please take her to a boutique here instead of a mall."

I wrinkled my nose, "she wants to blend in, Sel, I doubt everyone at Happy Harbour High is rolling up to school in designer clothing."

She huffed, hanging an elaborate oil painting of a field of forget-me-nots on the wall, "just promise me you won't come back in a crop top from Forever 21."

I rolled my eyes, turning back towards my bedroom, "you're such a snoot."

"I refuse to clothe my child in polyester!" She called as I closed the door. I checked my phone to find M'gann's cheerful reply; 'as soon as you can please!'

Going through my usual daily hygiene practices, I pulled my still-wet hair into a ponytail where it'd stay wet for another three hours and dressed in my usual fare. Snatching my messenger bag and phone, I walked towards the front door.

I forewent breakfast, knowing M'gann had probably started making a brunch of epic proportions as soon as she got my text. Just as I was about to leave Selina poked her head around the doorframe of the living area, "make sure you're home by four, I have to get you ready."

I froze, turning slowly, "ready for what?"

Her eyes narrowed, "surely you haven't forgotten the charity gala Bruce does every year?"

I inwardly groaned, "I thought it was March yesterday, don't I get a pass? Let my mind recover before it's picked apart by snotty socialites?"

"Uh uh," she said as she wagged a finger, "no conniving your way out of this, I have your outfit planned. You will be home by four so we can swing by Paolo's."

"Yes mother," I groaned, swinging the door open and closing it behind me. Today was going to be a long, long day.


One Zeta port and a quick shopping trip later, I was in M'gann's bedroom warming waxing strips between my palms. As I peeled them apart, she grabbed my wrist, "will it hurt?"

I tried not to look exasperated, "one, no not really, two, if you're scared you could literally just shift the hair away like you do acne, three, I assure you that you have been through pain far, far worse."

She pouted but then straightened her face and allowed me to rip out her facial hair. I was quick about it, and immediately handed her the wipe that came with the pack. She held it up to her face, "why does it burn?"

"You just murdered your hair follicles what did you think was going to happen?"

She waved her hand at her closet, "what am I going to wear? I've tried on five million outfits but none of them feel right."

I slid the door open, revealing an array of clothing that would have made season one Rachel Berry proud, all a-line skirts, blouses and cardigans. It oddly suited her though, and I took everything out and dumped it on the bed. This lead to a two-hour long fashion montage, wherein we mixed and matched literally every article of clothing she owned.

Collapsing into the veritable pile of fabric on her floor, I turned my head to look at her. Almost simultaneously, we burst into giggles. I picked myself up and grabbed her typical ensemble of a cranberry skirt and cropped, short-sleeved cardigan with a white tank top underneath it. I held it out to her, "why not just wear this? It's really you, and if you change up too much you're gonna look like you're trying too hard."

Her eyes lit up, "you're right!" She launched herself up off the floor and hugged me fiercely, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Ara!"

My eyes flicked to the clock, "well you're about to find out because I have to go before my mom tracks me down and kills me."

She nodded, practically pushing me out the door, "you don't want to be late!"

I sighed, "tell me how everything goes tomorrow."

"I will!" She called, receding back into her ridiculously pink bedroom. I made for the Zeta Tubes, making it back to our apartment in record time. Selina was already waiting by the car as I walked up towards the apartment block, wearing the expression she used when she was either training me or forcing me into an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There was no way I was getting out of this.

To my chagrin, she gestured to the car and I climbed in the passenger seat, placing my bag at my feet. She turned the key in the ignition and the BMW growled into life beneath us. Trying to make it look absent minded, I curled my hand around the grab handle. Whether due to her six-inch heels or her general lack of patience, Selina drove like a crazy person. Her definition of slow was forty miles an hour, and I wasn't looking to get whiplash by her stomping on the breaks.

I fiddled with the radio until it hit the classic rock station, and Hey Jude poured out of the speakers. I hummed along until we pulled up to a parking meter in front of a nondescript building with a small hanging sign outside the door that read Paolo's in gold, swirling font.

Feeding the meter, we made our way inside where a six-foot blonde in business casual greeted us with a plastic smile. In sharp contrast, a short, tanned, dark-haired man with a wide grin burst from the back, immediately pulling Selina and I into a tight hug. Paolo was the definition of the Italian stereotype, down to his mustache and expressive hand gestures. His speech was dotted with Italian terms of endearment and he gave off the aura of a well-dressed Santa Claus. He turned to address Selina, "what can I do for you today cara?"

She offered him a sweet smile, "we have a charity gala to attend tonight, so I'm looking to get our hair and makeup done, so we of course went to the best."

He laughed, full and rounded, "flattery will get you absolutely everywhere angelo, what are you looking for?"

She went on to describe her vision for the evening, and I half-listened, taking in the new decorations since I had last been here. Paolo's salon had an aura of luxury, but it was still warm and inviting. It reminded me of Wayne manor that way, it's inherent coziness not drowned out by how expensive everything was. The floor was polished hardwood, with thick, dark red rugs every few feet. The walls were painted a deep plum colour and were covered in paintings in gilded frames. Black leather couches dotted the waiting area and each station was pristine and carefully organized. The whole salon gave off the air of being stuck in a bottle of red wine. I was snapped out of my reverie by Paolo patting my cheek, "you will look beautiful piccola!"

I smiled up at him, "with you behind it all, I'm sure I will." Despite my general dislike for getting all dressed up and whatnot, I did greatly enjoy Paolo's work. He was endlessly entertaining, and I did like looking beautiful. I waited on one of the couches as Paolo worked his magic on Selina, and when she came to sit back down her hair was swept up in an elegant french twist, with a flawless smoky eye and crimson lipstick. I whistled lowly, "Bruce is going to lose his mind."

She gave me her best 'what are you talking about?' look as I rose from the leather, making my way to the chair where Paolo was waiting for me. He lead me around back to wash my hair, laying down a pre-warmed towel on the neck rest of the basin. He hummed a familiar italian pop song from the sixties as he did, quickly washing my hair and conditioning it, and then twisted it into a towel-wrap that magically balanced on my head.

As I sat back down in the chair, he pulled the towel loose, allowing my hair to fall. He stared me down in the mirror as he squirted some shine spray onto the ends of my hair, "now, I know what your mother said earlier but what are you looking for today?"

I blinked, "have you seen my dress?"

His face lit up in a way that strangely reminded me of M'gann, "no, do you have pictures?"

I fished my phone out of my pocket, swiping through my camera roll until I got to the dress. It was admittedly beautiful, long and straight with a low, pointed sweetheart neckline. The actual body of it faded from a deep blue at the bust to pale, shimmery white at the hem in a sort of ombré effect. Then, attached under the bust and splitting just beneath it, an additional layer of see-through pale blue fabric fell around the skirt, making the whole of it glisten and swish softly when I walked.

Paolo made a little noise of excitement, "you will look gorgeous in it stella! I absolutely know what to do, may I?"

I gestured to my reflection, "whatever you think is best, go ahead."

We chatted as he worked, about how I was going to start school soon, about Selina, he asked several questions about Dick and whether he was going tonight. I watched as he twisted my hair up into a slightly messy braided chignon, and allowed him to repeatedly hit my face with a beauty blender. When he was done, I nearly gasped at my reflection.

I almost looked older, silvery blue eye makeup fading into smudged eyeliner all framed by my eyelashes, which held copious coats of mascara. My lips were a nude pink colour, and my cheeks were stained with pink blush making me look like I had just walked in from the cold. I was glowing, highlighter brushed across my cheekbones, nose, chin and forehead. My skin itself looked flawless, and I was taken aback by how beautiful it all looked, tendrils from my updo falling down to frame my face.

I refrained from touching it, instead turning a bright smile on Paolo, "it's stunning, thank you."

He winked, "I had a beautiful canvas to start with, I just added a little something."

Selina clapped as I made my way back over to her, setting the copy of Marie Claire she was flipping through down on the coffee table. Standing, she made for her wallet, "fabulous work as always, Paolo."

He grinned, folding his hands behind his back, "it was my pleasure."

We paid and left with little chocolates as parting favors, and I was actually kind of excited for tonight. Then I remembered the people and the fake smiles and the schmoozing and my mood was dead in the water.

I was surprised when instead of heading home, we turned out towards the outskirts of Gotham. Raising a questioning eyebrow, I turned to Selina, "where are we going?"

She sped up as we reached near abandoned back roads, "we're finishing up at the Manor. Bruce needs me as his date tonight so we have to be there a little earlier than everyone else."

I propped my arm up on the dash and held my face in the palm of my hand, turned to face her with a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth, "his date you say?"

She swatted at me, "oh stop that you, you know I'm always his backup when he's out of women to string along."

"Which he only does to keep up his billionaire playboy façade," I reminded her. "For what it's worth the majority of the time you could cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife. You're worse than Artemis and Wally for god's sake."

"Artemis and Wally, eh?" She asked, abruptly changing the subject.

I slumped back in my seat, casting my gaze heavenward, "god it's annoying. Even when they lost their memories they were flirting with each other. They have that total hate-love thing going on where you can't tell if they're going to rip each other's throats out or clothes off."

Selina laughed lowly, "I'd like to meet Artemis, she seems like quite the formidable woman."

I nodded, "oh for sure." I didn't know how to express just how amazing she was to Selina, how her father had abused her, the environment she grew up in, so much like Selina and I's childhoods on the streets despite having a home. Her backbone was made of steel, pure and simple.

We pulled up to the infamous gates of Wayne Manor, and the swung open with a creak as Selina flashed her keycard. Pulling up to the front door, we exited the BMW and made for the entrance.

The Manor was strangely abandoned, workers bustling around with decorations and plates of food. This was per usual for galas and the like, the boys typically took refuge in the Batcave until absolutely necessary. Following Selina up the grand staircase to the guest room she occupied when she stayed here, I felt a twinge of excitement when she handed me the bag containing my dress.

I dashed behind the folding screen, hanging the bag from the corner of it and pulling the zipper down to reveal the stunning fabric. I gently pried it off the hanger, dressing in the careful manner Selina had ingrained in me when it came to expensive clothing. Thoroughly enjoying the way the skirt hissed as I walked, I came out from behind the screen to find Selina already in her dress.

She looked positively radiant in a strapless, mermaid-style black silk gown complete with long silk gloves. I smiled at her, "you look like if Audrey Hepburn and Jessica Rabbit had an elegant lovechild."

"That's the best compliment I'll receive tonight," she said, handing me my shoes. I both hated and loved these shoes. They were silver ankle strap heels, and thankfully only four inches tall but I could tell just from looking at them that my feet were going to ache by the time the night was over.

I put them on, and while I appreciated the height boost I could already feel the strap digging into my toes. I gave Selina my best weary expression as I shoved the pearl earrings she handed me in my ears, "almost time to go down?"

The grandfather clock sounded from the corner and she smiled, "exactly time to go down. Guests should start arriving in five minutes."

I walked out behind her as I fastened my pearl necklace, spotting Bruce, Alfred and Dick at the bottom of the stairs. It was just like Selina to orchestrate a grand entrance to knock Bruce's socks off. She grabbed the railing as she walked down, not even bothering to watch her feet as she descended, a feat in six-inch stilettos. Her diamond jewellery gleamed in the low light and she maintained eye contact with Bruce as she walked. I damn near started laughing my ass off as his mouth formed a perfect 'O', eyes roving over her.

Shaking my head a little, I copied Selina's descent, though I went much faster and watched my freaking feet lest I broke my neck on the way down. I only made eye contact with Dick as I hit the second to last step and I was surprised to find a weird expression on his face. I was, however, absolutely delighted to find that I was his exact height with these shoes on, something that hadn't happened since we were eleven.

Alfred seemed to be holding back a smile, "you almost look ladylike, Miss Williams."

I wagged a finger at him, "never a lady, and for the last freaking time call me Arabella."

"You both look lovely," Bruce said, looping Selina's arm through his. I turned to face Dick, flicking my eyebrows up in a silent question, 'you catch his expression when she came down?'

The corner of his mouth twitched in response and I laughed under my breath as I grabbed his arm. His familiar scent washed over me, bringing some level of comfort. This was going to be a long night.


I nearly choked on the sparkling cider I was drinking as I heard a familiar British voice hit my ears. Moving my head as quickly to the side as possible without damaging my hair, I spotted none other than Will-freaking-Sutton chumming it up with a handful of old guys, a none-too-happy Jessi on his arm. She looked beautiful in a pale pink gown with white lace creeping over the Queen Anne collar and bodice. She had a fake smile plastered across her face, laughing as one of the aforementioned old guys said something that was probably offensive and-or pervy. I tugged on Dick's arm, directing him to face the pair. "That's Jessi's brother, the asshole I was telling you about!" I hissed softly, eyes narrowing as I took in his regrettably handsome face.

Jessi caught sight of us and immediately lit up, subtly elbowing Will in the ribs. His eyes drifted towards us and I watched with a small amount of satisfaction as he trailed off, eyes widening as he saw me. He finished up his conversation and I couldn't tell which sibling was more eager to get over to us. I smiled warmly at Jessi, keeping my attention on her. She grinned back, detaching from Will to loop her arms around my neck in a hug, "you're here!"

I pulled away, "I meant it when I said I was a close family friend of the Waynes."

"Clearly," Will drawled, eyes drifting across my face, "has anyone told you that you look stunning tonight?"

I narrowed my eyes, "plenty of people, how much they meant it was debatable but you're not the first and you won't be the last."

He grinned, "I don't come for the exclusivity love, I come for the view."

Jessi turned to glare at him, "could you stop trying to be charming for five minutes while I talk to my friend?"

"Speaking of," I said, "Jessi, Will, this is my best friend, Richard Grayson."

"You can call me Dick though, everyone does," he said, shaking Will's hand.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have an unfortunate nickname?"

I bit down a smile as Dick rolled his eyes, "it's old-fashioned."

Will laughed, gesturing to me, "would you mind switching lovely companions for a dance?"

Dick shrugged, "my lovely companion can speak for herself."

Suddenly Bruce struck a glass, saving me by the bell, "ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my home." Polite clapping, "as you all know, Wayne Enterprises holds a fundraiser each year to fund the Wayne Scholarship, awarded each year to a single lucky recipient that will, given their continued academic success, be given a full ride to one of Gotham's most prestigious schools, Gotham Academy, and any university of their choice should they choose to pursue post-secondary education. All proceeds tonight will go towards funding that scholarship, and the many others the Wayne Foundation provides. Thank you for your time, enjoy your night!"

All at once there was a loud crash, and glass rained down from the ceiling as several figures dropped from the skylight. A tall man with green hair, inhumanly pale skin in a purple suit stood, pistol held precariously in a gloved hand. The Joker.

Harley stood next to him, hands on her red-and-black leather-clad hips. She was staring at him adoringly, mouth twisted in an insane grin. I instantly moved in front of Will and Jessi, eyes tracing a path to the study so I could get to the Batcave. Dick was next to me now, body held tense as Joker drew himself to his full height.

He grinned, "ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid the evening's events have been a tad derailed."

Damn near simultaneously everyone in the room screamed and started running for their lives. I grabbed Dick's hand, tearing off towards the study, trying to kick my shoes off as I ran. I eventually managed it, dropping several inches in height but instantly going faster. As we hit the solid oak doors, the sound of Bruce and Selina panting behind us, I heard three gunshots and the din faded.

Joker's voice carried through the hall and I scrambled across Bruce's desk looking for the remote to open the fireplace. I hit the appropriate button, the entrance to the Batcave sliding open. We made for our suits, stripping down and throwing them on. Slipping my mask on with one hand, I did up the zipper on the back of my suit with the other. We scrambled around, grabbing weapons and utility belts as time ticked by. I stuck in my contacts and popped a pill, hearing small screams and the high-pitched sound of Harley's voice as my senses expanded. I snapped when I heard a little kid whimper in pain.

Racing from the room without waiting for the others, I slipped out of the study window to scale the wall of the Manor. Crawling over to the previously bashed-in skylight, I dropped into the ballroom. Hitting the gleaming floor with a soft thud, I examined the situation. About a quarter of the previous guests were huddled together on one side, one of Joker's goons walking past with a bag for valuables.

I tore off towards a little kid who was holding his hands over his face while one of the armed men screamed in his face. I jumped into the air, curling one arm under the man's armpit and the other around his neck, using the momentum to propel myself up into a thigh choke that dropped him to the floor. I grabbed his gun, unloaded it and threw it to the ground.

Grabbing the kid, I scanned the room for Will and Jessi, finding them huddled behind a table. I deposited the little boy with them, "take him, and get the hell out of here."

Jessi stared wide-eyed up at me and I remembered I was Catgirl right now, "um, what about his parents?"

I cast a glance at the little boy, who was starting to cry and I offered him my best smile, "I'll find them, and they'll find him. Just get yourselves to safety and we'll take care of the rest."

They nodded, making for a corridor while I covered them and then turned, looking for more of Joker's little henchmen to take care of.

The clown himself turned to me, "aww, is the little kitten all by herself?"

I walked forwards a few feet, taking on a battle stance, "let everyone go, and I won't rip your face to shreds."

I heard the sound of a gun cocking behind me, and something cold and hard pressed itself to the back of my head, "are you threatening my man?"

Cursing myself for not paying better attention, I raised my hands, turning slowly to find Harley with a menacing look on her face. I calmly stared down the barrel of the gun, "shoot me and my mother tears your throat out with her bare teeth."

"Oh definitely," Selina's voice echoed, and I shifted my gaze past Harley to see her standing with Bats and Dick. I took the moment of distraction to duck and sweep my leg out, knocking Harley flat on her ass. She hit the ground with an oomph, immediately raising her hands and firing.

The bullet went past my shoulder, burying itself in the wall as I slugged Harley in the face, standing quickly and delivering another blow to her chest with my foot. Before I could move though, a thin arm circled around my neck and the Joker pressed a gun to my temple. His breath was hot in my ear, "now now, don't you know I'm the only one who gets to knock her around?"

Trying not to look visibly disgusted, I twisted my neck away from his mouth, desperately trying to think my way out of this one. Bruce stepped forward, "let her go, Joker."

"Mmm," he hummed, pretending to think about it, "no thanks. Now, we're going to leave and take her with us, and if you're a good little bat I'll send her body home in one piece."

He gestured to his henchmen and they all packed up, leaving through the skylight again. Suddenly the loud whir of a helicopter filled the air and a sharp pain hit the back of my head. I stumbled, the sensation of being thrown over someone's shoulder more happening to me than me actually experiencing it. The gleam of the floor was the last thing I saw before everything went whoosh and the world faded to black.


The strangest feeling of weightlessness and all my blood rushing to my head was all I felt as I came to. There was something cold and tight wrapped around me, and when I cracked an eye open I found myself suspended upside-down over a giant tank of water. Only the Joker.

Thankfully, the water was empty and it didn't have sharks or some shit in it. So was not in the mood to be eaten alive. Blinking to adjust my eyes to the newfound light, I tried to pitch my body weight in the chains so I could spin to look around the space I was in. My turning revealed a large warehouse, and Harley leaning up against a rail high above me, standing on a catwalk of sorts. As soon as she saw I was awake, her eyes lit up, "wakey-wakey kitty! We have work to do!"

I licked my dry lips, "an abandoned warehouse? Really? Do you and Joker get off on clichés or are you just ridiculously unoriginal?"

She smiled, "you'll stop with the mouth once Mr. J gets to you."

I scanned the room for the man of the hour and found it empty, "speaking of, is he out running errands or what?"

She cast her eyes behind her, "he's dealing with an employee, he'll get to you soon."

There was an abrupt, blood-curdling scream that echoed through the walls of the warehouse and I suddenly very much felt the need to get the hell out of there. I had seen crime scene photos of ways that Joker killed people and there really wasn't a method he hadn't tried yet.

The sound of metal scraping across the ground approached and the Joker emerged from the darkness, splattered in blood and dragging a crowbar dripping with red. I rode through the wave of panic, trying to recede back into the icy place Bruce had taught us about. Steady breathing, keep him talking, look for an escape route. If he was looking to beat me to death, he was going to have to let me down at some point.

He was panting, and I was suddenly acutely aware of how fucking unhinged this man was. I started feeling for the padlock on these chains, praying it was within picking distance. If I could wedge a claw in there, I might be able to set myself free. From there, it was a matter of grabbing the chain to avoid the tank below.

Joker looked me over, "now. How should I kill the little kitty? Hanging? Burned alive? Bullet to the brain? No. Too unoriginal."

"I mean," Rob's voice drawled from the shadows, "you could- and this is just a suggestion, let her go?"

Joker immediately drew a pistol, "I want all of you out of the shadows or I'll see just how effective the cat's blood is as food colouring."

Slowly, Robin, Bats and Selina emerged from the dark. I would've cried with relief if there wasn't currently a gun pointed straight at my head. Harley started clapping, letting out a little squeal of excitement, "can I do it now puddin'?"

He ran a bloodstained thumb across her cheek, leaving a crimson streak, "not yet sweetheart, I have to give the speech first." He sauntered forwards, "you see Batsy, I figured we could turn this little hostage situation into a learning experience. In a few seconds, Harley here is going to drop the little kitty into that tank, and you're going to watch her die."

Selina stalked towards him, "let her go or so help me god-"

He cut her off, "what, you'll kill me? Harley dear, if you don't mind?"

She squeaked in enthusiasm, approaching a comically large lever like a Vegas showgirl. I closed my eyes and took a big gulp of air as she pulled it, air whooshing around me as I fell.

I hit the water with a splash, sinking slowly. I tried to stay calm, reviewing everything I could remember about drowning. I flipped myself over so I was lying back to the bottom of the tank. Opening my eyes told me some sort of steel lid had sealed me in, but there was still about six inches of space between the water and the top of the tank.

Righting myself to something akin to a standing position, I bent my knees, propelling myself upwards. The chains created too much drag though, and I just ended up losing air. I instantly turned my efforts to trying to break the glass. I slammed into it, kicked it and tried to scratch at it with my hands tied behind me. No such luck.

Black was curling around the edges of my sight, and suddenly I breathed in uncontrollably, the water burning as it entered my lungs. I lost all fight immediately, panic taking over as all I could think about was the burning in my chest and throat and nose. It was starting to fade though, a serene calm floating over me and suddenly I had the strange sensation of falling into the softest bed I had ever felt. No, not a bed, just dark. Pure black, and the further I fell the less it hurt.

Then there was brightness against the black of my eyelids and I was tumbling forward, sharp pain across my face as I fell out onto something hard. The first thing I really felt though was the burning again as I coughed and coughed and coughed, choking on the water as I attempted to breathe. I tried to crack my eyes open but the light was too bright, so I closed them. There were hands on my face, brushing hairs away, rolling me on my side.

I stayed like that for a while, hacking up a lung. The hands retracted as I rolled onto my knees, throwing up water onto the floor in front of me. They came back then, rubbing little circles onto my back and holding my ponytail back. There was too much sensation, pain and cold and wet.

When I finally regained some sense, I realized it was Dick next to me, swiping water off my face that either came from the tank or the tears as my bronchi tried to eject themselves from my body via my mouth. I sat up on my knees, turning to look at him properly, but before I could he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

I coughed again, "you know if you squeeze me that hard all your hard work on saving my life is going to go to waste when I suffocate."

He immediately let me go, pulling back to look me in the eyes, "I thought you were dead. You looked dead. All pale and floating."

I patted the ground, trying to settle myself, "well I think I got real close. How'd you get me out by the way?"

He shrugged, "Cat and Bats ran after Harley and Joker, so I used some explosives to shatter the glass. No need to thank me."

"Well," I said, rolling my eyes, "shall we join our illustrious mentors?"

He stood, bracing his hands on my shoulders, "it's funny that you think you're in any state to be fighting right now. Stay here, we'll take care of it."

I pushed him off, standing up myself, "it's funny that you think I'm going to let you run headlong into danger by yourself."

"No need," Bruce's voice cut in from behind us, "danger's taken care of."

Selina was on the warpath, positively fuming as she marched over to me. "If you ever run off on your own before us again, I'm going to kill you my damn self and save the bad guys the trouble. What you did was reckless, careless, downright idiotic-"

I cut her off mid-rant, "I heard a little kid in pain."

Her entire expression changed, dropping into something like shock, pity and frustration all at the same time. Bruce spoke up, "that doesn't excuse your actions Catgirl. You acted without thinking and that nearly got you killed."

Part of me wanted to argue that I was doing the right thing, and really, who was I when I wasn't being impulsive? But a larger part of me knew they were right, "it won't happen again."

"Good," Bats said, resting a hand on my shoulder, "now let's go home."


GOTHAM

September 7, 00:04


The gardens at Wayne Manor were eerily quiet at this time of night, the only sound the fountain bubbling, accompanied by crickets and the hiss of the wind passing through the leaves. My throat still burned, and I sat on the edge of the fountain, trying to meditate and come down from the adrenaline high almost dying gives you. I still couldn't believe it, the whole evening felt like a whirlwind.

My head snapped to the side at the sound of a voice, "you doing okay?" It was Dick, standing in normal clothing with his hands stuck in his pockets.

I turned my attention back to the water, "yeah. Just a little amped up still."

He came forward to sit a few hand lengths away from me, "we were really worried."

The guilt came back and started clawing it's way up my throat. I just about lost my shit whenever one of them or a Team member was away by themselves on a mission. I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to have one of them kidnapped and watch them drown in front of me. I let my gaze drift down to the water, "I really am sorry."

"Hey. Hey, listen to me." He tapped my hand when I didn't look over to him and I begrudgingly lifted my eyes to his. He wasn't mad, or disappointed. He just looked concerned, "you didn't do anything wrong. You did what we're supposed to do, you protected people who couldn't protect themselves. And you sure as hell did it for the right reasons. You couldn't control getting hit over the head, or dumped in a tank, and you did everything you were supposed to do in that kind of situation. No one's blaming you."

I suddenly felt like a pressure had been loosened, like I had taped myself together and now I was letting myself fall apart. I dropped my head again, voice shaky, "thank you."

"No problem," he answered, and I realized his was thick too, and when I looked back up there were tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. I was a little surprised, Dick never cried. He barely even voiced his emotions, much less expressed them.

I pulled him into a tight hug, propping my head over his shoulder, "hey, it's okay."

"I was really scared," he said, voice breaking and I tightened my grip, letting him rest his forehead against the crook of my neck.

We must've stayed like that for a half hour, and I pretended not to notice the tears he left down my collarbone, a few of my own dripping onto the back of his shirt. Eventually he pulled back and I seamlessly turned away so he could wipe his eyes, "wanna watch a movie?"

He laughed quietly, "yeah, that sounds good."

I jumped off the edge of the fountain, "first one to the couch gets to pick!"

I tore off, him cursing behind me as we raced through the gardens towards the Manor, and I as I flopped down onto the cool leather of the couch, hands held up in victory, I was never more grateful to be alive.


So the inspiration for this chapter came when I realized we never actually saw Arabella fighting in Gotham for Team-unrelated reasons, and I decided that was unrealistic. Paolo is one of my favourite characters, ever, I love him and he gets a slightly more important role later on, so look forward to that. He uses a lot of Italian terms of endearment, so here's what they mean: Cara- dear/my dear, Angelo- angel, Piccola- little one, Stella- star.

Also! Will's line "I don't come for the exclusivity, I come for the view", is from Your Body is a Weapon by The Wombats, a very Will-esque band and I imagine him and his boys to make music that's very similar. If you don't know them, go listen to that song and the entirety of the Glitterbug album because it's great.

I liked writing that last little moment, mostly because I feel like we always see Arabella worrying about other people and getting her panties in a twist about other people's safety 24/7 (we can't blame her, poor girl's been through some shit), so I thought it would be nice to show she's not the only one.

That's all for now, see you next time! (Which will, and I do promise this someone find me a bible to put my hand on, be uploaded on Sunday. I promise.)