Clara's POV

I awoke to beeping like I had so many times before. At least I knew I was alive. I felt someone's chapped hands cleaning and wrapping my wounds, and I instantly knew it was Dick. I barely had enough energy to open my eyes and link my fingers with his as he gently wrapped gauze around my hand.

"Hey," he said softly. He placed the back of his hand against my cheek and I leaned into him and sighed. I might as well enjoy every moment I could get with him before I had to leave.

"Can you get Zatanna in here?" I croaked. My throat felt dry and scratchy.

"Of course," he said, and he briskly left the room. I settled into my pillow a little bit.

Moments later, he returned with her. "I'll leave you two to it," he said, and he closed the door quietly behind him.

I glared at her. "What… the hell," I struggled to growl at her. "You were supposed to leave me there!"

She looked at her feet. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "You were too heavy to lift out of the car."

"Was that the only problem?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I sighed and ran a hand over my face. "The deal's off."

She glanced up at me with wide eyes before recognition rolled over her, and she relaxed. She nodded slowly before slowly backing out of the room. When she pulled the door open, Dick stumbled forward. Was he listening to us? He walked into the room, and I moved over a little bit in the bed so he could lay beside me. Once he had, I rolled back over and put my head on his chest as he caressed my hair.

"What were you guys talking about?" he asked quietly.

I tilted my head up to look at him. "Why don't we talk about what the Shadows did to you… up there," I said, tapping his temple.

"How about I tell you when you're awake," he said with a small smile as he noticed my drooping eyelids. I had just enough energy left to brush a kiss to his lips before I passed out.

Batman's POV

I walked in on Dick laying next to Clara on the tiny hospital cot. "Oh. Is now a bad time?" I asked.

"With you, any time is a bad time," Dick snapped in reply.

I let the comment slide. The kid had just been tortured by the Shadows, after all. I sighed. "How are you?"

"Peachy. But not that it matters to you."

I removed my cowl to show him my sincerity, and Dick's eyes widened. I knew it was risky with people around, but he wouldn't take me seriously with it on. "I missed you, Dick."

He seemed to believe me for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "All you missed was the extra team member."

I sighed and put my cowl back on. He would come around eventually. I inclined my head towards the exit, gesturing for him to leave. "I need to speak with Clara when she awakens," I said, changing the subject.

He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. "It doesn't concern you, or your relationship. I will allow that for the time being."

He straightened, then nodded and headed back to his room. I sat in the chair to the left of the hospital bed and waited for Clara to wake up.

Jessie's POV

I barely noticed the sting of the cold water against my skin. Maybe it was because I was numb, or maybe it was a result of Aqualad's blood. I glanced at him as he swam beside me. When he noticed my gaze, he nodded and shot me a polite smile.

To be honest, I was reluctant when he mentioned that we were headed to Atlantis. I just wanted my life to go back to normal, but I now knew that it would never be the same again. I might as well get my tattoos and start training in the mystic arts. Being a semi-Atlantean was a part of me now.

When I finally set sight on Atlantis after exiting the zeta tubes, I knew that this was where I belonged. It was absolutely gorgeous. Sugary sand, gorgeous buildings and beautiful, beautiful people. There was no denying how attractive the people that lived here were, with their perfect bodies and symmetrical faces.

We slowly made our way to the Conservatory, water traffic slowing us down immensely. People shot strange glances at the rebreather that was clutched between my lips, and I scowled. Aqualad had noticed the gills that were beginning on my neck, but he didn't think that I would be able to breathe underwater yet.

Our arrival at the Conservatory shook me out of my thoughts. Queen Mera was in the middle of a class, but she took one look at me and dismissed her pupils early. She led me and Aqualad into a part of the building where there was no water, where I could speak to them.

"Who's this?" she asked Aqualad pointedly. I rolled my eyes. She was acting as if I couldn't speak.

He quietly told her the story of what happened while my eyes wandered around the room. It was mostly bare, with basic furniture and a few paintings. I assumed that this was the room where they dealt with land-lubbers.

Queen Mera directed her attention back to me. "I sense great potential in you," she said promisingly.

I smiled awkwardly. "Thank you?"

She laughed and took my hand. "Come. We must first provide you with your skin icons." She led me and Aqualad to another room, this one filled with water. I put the rebreather back in my mouth. This was going to be a long day.

We passed sorcerers tapping out ink into people's arms while muttering incantations. It was remarkable. Queen Mera took me to an unused space of the room, drawing a curtain around us. "Please remove your clothes and don these," she said, handing me a blue bikini. Aqualad turned around to give me some privacy, and I changed as quickly as I could, trying to hide my scars from Queen Mera's vision. She saw them but said nothing.

When I was done, Queen Mera told Aqualad to turn back around and instructed me to lay on the mat that was in the middle of our limited space. I did so, laying on my stomach as she had ordered. The bikini stayed mostly off of my back, giving her space to place the tattoos along my arms and shoulders. She knelt down beside me and folded her legs under her, then pulled a device toward her that would puncture my skin and deliver the ink that would turn me into a sorceress.

"Are you ready?" she asked. I nodded since I couldn't speak with the stupid rebreather in my mouth. When would my gills be fully developed?

Aqualad sat next to me and took my hand. "This procedure may be painful," he warned gently. I nodded again. I knew pain better than he ever would.

My time with Black Manta still didn't prepare me for the pain of the skin icons. I whimpered and my eyes watered as Aqualad held my hand and stroked my hair. I'm sure this was ten times more painful than a regular tattoo. Queen Mera murmured words that I couldn't understand, words that I didn't care to understand.

Once she was done, she gave me a few minutes to recover, then fitted me with some water-bearers, similar to the ones Aqualad had. "You don't have water-bearers," I pointed out.

She laughed. "More advanced Atlanteans do not require the water-bearers to control water," she said. I nodded. She turned to Aqualad. "I trust that you can train her to use them?"

He nodded. "When she has outgrown the water-bearers, I shall bring her back to Atlantis, and perhaps you can train her from there." They shared a smile.

"Perhaps."

Aqualad nodded to me, and we left Atlantis and headed back to the Cave, my new home. It seemed like today had dragged on forever.

Aqualad's POV

I gave my report to Batman on Jessie's progress after she returned to her room. "When will we return her to her father?" I asked quietly. Batman merely sighed and looked at something I couldn't see. "I will make arrangements," he said. "All I can do is hope that Wells will cooperate." I nodded, then headed back to Atlantis.

Clara's POV

After Batman spoke to me and I felt strong enough to leave the medical bay, I decided to stop by Dick's room. We never finished the conversation that we'd had earlier.

I stood in the doorway. "Dick?"

"Clara? Is it you?"

"Yes, of course it's me! Who else would it be-" A hand closed around my throat and cut me off. Dick stepped out of the shadows and tightened his fingers around my neck as he threw me against the wall.

"Dick, stop! You're... hurting me," I choked out.

"I don't know that it's really you," he said, narrowing his eyes. His hand tightened again. "You're probably just Cheshire, toying with my mind."

"Dick," I said, struggling to breathe. Black and blue spots plowed holes in my vision. I didn't have much time left. "Dick, do you remember the first time we spoke? The very… first time I met you?" He nodded slowly but didn't unclench his fist.

"Do you remember that I said I was the best trapeze artist you would ever meet?"

He held me there for a moment, deciding if this was enough proof. His eyes softened, and he pulled his hand away. I tumbled to the floor, but he caught me and cradled me in his arms. Tears streamed down his face.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. I stood up in front of him and flicked the lights on. "No, it was my fault. I'm sorry. I should've known…" I took a deep breath. I could feel him begging me to look him in the eyes, and I did.

I embraced him in a hug, and he cried into my hair. I traced circles down his back and he leaned into me. We slowly moved towards the bed, and I laid beside him. But something didn't feel right. "Dick, I still trust you," I said, turning to look at him. "I will always love you."

His eyes were full of remorse. "Do you, though?"

"Of course I do!" I laid back down and sighed. "I shouldn't be here." I got up to leave.

"No!" he yelled. "Please don't leave me here. Don't leave me alone." He pressed his face into the crook of my neck and I held him as he cried himself to sleep.

The Shadows would die for damaging Dick's soul.


Happy easter y'all.