Clara's POV
I woke up in the tunnel, being clutched tightly by Dick. He looked pretty nauseous, as did the rest of the Team. Before I knew it, I could see a light at the bottom of the tunnel, and we all tumbled into the cold ocean. Water instantly filled my lungs, and I hacked and coughed, squeezing my eyes shut. Panic raced through my veins. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get back on land. I started swimming as fast as I could to the surface, but something was holding me down. I kicked and thrashed against it, but soon the weight was on top of me, pinning me to the sandy seafloor. I was going to drown.
Clara! Dick's voice pierced into my mind. Stop it!
I stopped struggling and slowly opened my eyes. Dick was sitting on top of me and holding my wrists above my head, a rebreather in his mouth. Another was in his free hand. He brought it toward my face and gently lodged it between my lips. Now breathe in, he said softly.
I did, and relief flooded through my body. He let my arms go and pushed off of me, helping me onto my feet. He gently smoothed hair off my face. Are you okay?
I nodded. I'm sorry.
We should get going, Aqualad interrupted. He shifted Jesse in his arms. I don't know how much time she has left.
We quickly made our way to the hospital. Everyone on the Team had been accommodated in some way to breathe underwater; Miss Martian and Beast Boy had grown gills, and the others each had their own rebreathers.
I marvelled at the beauty of this place. We passed through towering marble archways and fluorescent corals bloomed freely at our feet. The sand was soft, like sugar, and small creatures scuttled and swam around.
I tried not to stare at the strange-looking people, but they didn't seem to return the favour when they caught sight of Jesse. A few even began to shout in Atlantian, approaching us with outstretched arms.
Aqualad stepped to the front of our line, and almost immediately, the city-goers backed off. They cleared a small path for us to pass through. Aqualad ordered something in his native language, and they went back to what they were doing, murmuring their apologies. We continued to the hospital.
It was a magnificent building, made from crumbling white stone and adorned with pillars and carvings of various ocean plants and animals.
The receptionist at her desk took one look at Aqualad, and lead us to a hospital room, opening the door with a silver key. Amazingly, there was no water in the room. I sighed and removed my rebreather, along with everybody else. The receptionist left, swiftly and silently, and Dick shut the door behind us.
Jesse was hooked up to an IV and gently laid down on the 'hospital cot', which was a four-poster bed with claw feet. The rest of the room was richly decorated as well; a sea glass chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, a miniature water fixture gurgled in the corner and the oak-panelled floor glistened.
Aqualad turned to me. "I am ready."
A wave of fatigue rolled over me, and I stumbled against Dick. I can't do this. I'm not good enough. They're both gonna die.
He gently placed his hands against my waist, steadying me. I rested on him for a moment before he softly pushed me away. It was time to begin.
I turned back to Aqualad. "You will be giving three pints of blood, which is more than most people can take. Just... brace yourself." He nodded.
I took out a small knife and sliced his palm open, then both of mine. He didn't even wince. I placed a hand over his, and my other hand went to one of Jesse's wounds, on her shoulder. I felt yellow drain the green from my eyes, and the life flowing into Jesse. It was working.
Night Wing's POV
I watched in horror as Clara's skin turned paler and paler. Aqualad didn't look too good either. I was almost going to tell her to stop when she gasped and let go of Aqualad's hand. She tumbled to the ground and I ran to her side. She sucked in breath after shuddering breath until... Until she stopped. Stopped breathing. I checked her pulse. Nothing. I checked her breathing. Nothing.
"AED!" I shouted, voice cracking. Superboy yanked it off the wall and threw to me. I attached it to her chest and turned it on. She started shaking from the machine but... No pulse. Nothing. She was...
No. This was not happening. She was alive. She was okay. A hand was placed on my shoulder. Artemis. She had been through this before. She knelt beside me. No one said anything as I brushed her off and stalked out of the room.
