Shayera Hol was sitting at a table playing chess against Inza. After knocking down Inza's king for fifth time she slowly rose to her feet.

"What's wrong Shayera?"

"I-I just don't want to play anymore."

"No, there's something else. You're still blaming yourself aren't you?

Shayera didn't respond.

"You cannot continue blaming yourself for what happened. It was out of your control and nothing you could have done would have stopped the Thanagarians from invading. You were in a terrible situation!"

Shayera turned her back to Inza and crossed her arms over her stomach, immersing her vision into the floor, just wishing that she could disappear into it. She was about to respond but was stopped when she heard two pairs of footsteps approaching them. Shayera waited in anticipation to see who Dr. Fate had brought with him but despaired when she saw a shirtless man with long yellow hair turn the corner. Once he noticed her presence, Aquaman stopped dead in his tracks and glared at her intensely.

"Arther, I believe you've already made Sh-"

"What is she doing here?"

"I've offered her my tower to stay while she tries finding herself."

"She doesn't deserve your kindness, she doesn't deserve anyone's for that matter! She nearly got Atlantis destroyed."

"Aquaman please."

"No, she needs to pay for what she did."

Aquaman began approaching the red head who didn't even get into a defensive stance. She just stared, brokenly and emptily, at the man who was spitting cruelty at her. Once there was only an inch of distance between the two they glared at each other until Shayera dropped her eyes down to her feet.

"Good you're feeling guilty. I hope it rots you from the inside out. You don't deserve anyone's sympathy or hospitality. We should've sent you off with the Thanagarians so they could subject you to whatever torture you deserve."

Aquaman spat these words with such venom and intensity that it actually hurt the hardened warrior who stood before him. However, masking her pain, Shayera emotionlessly stared back at him and used her snark to her favor.

"You're breath reeks fish-man. I have nothing to say to you. I did my duty as a Thanagarian, but when I saw that it was wrong I turned against them. Don't act so self-righteous, you would have done the same."

Once she finished speaking she walked past Aquaman, making sure to bump his shoulder and proceeded to head to her room. Once she arrived she locked the door and grabbed her mace. She then proceeded to bash a wall, disrupting the magic that protected it, and eventually broke off a chunk large enough to fit through. She then jumped out and spread her wings with no sense of direction or destination. She just wanted to be gone, away from everyone.

Back at the tower*

Dr. Fate blankly stared through the slits in his helmet at Aquaman who stood there chest heaving in anger with hate swelling up in his face. Inza politely said nothing but was seething inside at the cruelty the man had subjected Shayera to. Choosing that it would be problematic if she said anything, and barely being able to contain herself, she walked out of the room to let the great lord of order deal with the king of the seas.

"That was not how I wanted things to go Aquaman."

"I don't care Doctor. She deserved every word I said."

"She's hurting enough as it is, she doesn't needed your judgement added to it."

"Don't lecture me Fate, my job is to protect the oceans and because of Miss. Hawkgirl, that was very difficult to do. I had to fight off hundreds of invading Thanagarians. It's her fault we were in this mess so I'm going to treat her like what she is, an enemy."

"Your judgment is flawed. She is not an enemy. If it wasn't for her, this whole world would have been destroyed. Her selflessness saved us, but your arrogance blinds you to see the truth."

"Save it, we'll do this another time. Take me back to Atlantis, I've been informed of some trouble."

"As you wish."

Just as Dr. Fate began to open the portal, he collapsed to the floor, clutching his side.

"Doctor! What is it?"

"The tower, someone is destroying it. I-it must be Shayera. Her mace is made of Nth metal, it can disrupt magic."

"I'll stop her."

"ARGHH...

...she's left the tower. She must have it a hole in it."

Slowly rising to his feet, Fate and Aquaman walked to Shayera quarters, which were conveniently locked. However, this didn't prove to be much of a challenge for Dr. Fate as he simply waved his hand in front of the door, which unlocked and swung open. The pair entered the room and saw a gaping hole in the wall. Dr. Fate turned his head to look at Shayera's bed, which had a note placed on it. He moved towards it and delicately picked up the the small piece of paper, which read:

Dr. Fate:

I can't stay here anymore. I'm undeserving of your kindness and hospitality. I need to get away from...all of it. I may return but I need some time alone.

Thank you for your kindness,

Shayera

"Are you going to chase her?"

"No Aquaman."

Turning to look back at the hole, Dr Fate walked to it and placed his hand on one of the bricks.

"May fate be in her favor, but and in mine, as I have a difficult call to make..."

AN

Hello! It's me again :)

Hope you liked this chapter. Sorry there was no Batman but I promise he's coming up. This chapter was so I could move to a different part of the plot that's gonna be...interesting. Let's hope it works out!

Pleas let me know if you have any tips!