Clara's POV

I woke up, reaching across the bed and expecting to feel Dick's chest, but the bed was cold. Alarmed, I sat up and my eyes darted around the room. Dick was pacing in front of the bed, murmuring to himself and wearing ruts into the carpet.

"Dick?" His head shot up. When he noticed me, his muscles relaxed. "Oh. You're awake."

My mind went back to the time when I'd woken up in the Cave, when he'd said the exact same words. I shook the memory away. "What are you doing?"

"I was… I don't know anymore," he said quietly, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. "Are you feeling up to going to school today?"

I nodded. Despite my broken ribs, fractured wrist and torn hamstring, I had an exam today that I couldn't miss. And the teachers were starting to suspect something. I'd already missed weeks of school, and November had only just started.

I kissed Dick's temple before heading back to my room and getting dressed. My closet seemed bare without all the clothes that I had stolen from Dick, but they were ashes now. I dressed quickly and went back to the mission briefing area where Artemis was waiting for Dick and me by the zeta tubes.

"Is he coming today?" she asked quietly. I nodded. "I think so."

Dick emerged from the hallway, talking to Zatanna about something. They were both laughing. My fists curled, and Artemis put her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. He only has eyes for you."

I still wasn't convinced, especially since I knew how Zatanna felt about him. "Later, Zee," he called over his shoulder to her. He had a nickname for her? Artemis' hand tightened, then let go when Dick approached us.

"Ready to go?" he asked. We both nodded, then stepped into the blue zeta rays. Dick had to override it for me to use it, and we were transported to a telephone booth in downtown Gotham. I laced my fingers with Dick's as we walked to Gotham Academy. We were dangerously close to were Dick had been tortured.

When we arrived at the schoolyard, Artemis separated from us to go and talk to the seniors, promising to see us at lunch. We made our way to where Tim and Barbara were. When she saw Dick's hand in mine, she shot me a disgusted look. I glared at her. I had never liked her, and she had never liked me.

Night Wing's POV

"Hey Dick," Tim said. I nodded back at him. I felt bad for spending so much time at the Cave lately. Tim probably missed his fellow Robin. Barbara, Tim and I launched into a conversation about how we were handling our classes and if we were nervous about any upcoming tests. Surprisingly, neither of them asked me about my time with the Shadows. Probably Batman's orders.

The bell rang, and we all headed towards our classes. I was nervous to leave Clara alone with all her injuries because she couldn't fend for herself. She was vulnerable. At least it would stop her from punching everybody. It was barely November, and she had already started many fights.

At lunch, Clara, Artemis, Tim, Barbara and I all sat at a table together. We made small talk, but it was clear that there was only one question on their minds. What did the Shadows do to me?

"So, Clara," Barbara said in a tone that I didn't like. "What are all your casts and crutches for?" Clara glared at her. "Fractured wrist and torn hamstring."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She didn't sound sorry. "How did that happen?" she continued. Clara glanced at me, and that's when it hit me. She didn't know they were Batgirl and Robin. Based off her look, I could tell that she at least suspected it and I nodded slowly.

She leaned closer to the middle of the table. "I wasn't supposed to rescue Dick that night," she said in a low tone. "But I couldn't let the Shadows hurt him any longer.

"My plan was going fine until I ran into Cheshire," she continued. Artemis stiffened, and her eyes narrowed. "We fought for a little while, but I knew I would never be able to beat her. I never had been."

"She had me at dagger point, but she let me go," Clara said. "Apparently I'd saved her baby sister 'more times than she could count.'" Artemis rolled her eyes and grinned.

"So then what are those bruises on your neck?" asked Barbara. She tucked her chin, trying to hide the fact that I had tried to kill her. Artemis grinned slyly at me, but I just shook my head. "No they're not… he didn't…" Clara glanced at me, and I nodded sadly.

Clara sighed. "Art, you know what the Shadows do to people, right?" She nodded slowly. "They did… something. To him. Last night, I went to his room, and he got… confused. He thought I was Cheshire."

"So he choked you?!" Barbara exclaimed. People from neighbouring tables gave us strange looks. Clara glared at her. "It wasn't his fault," she said through gritted teeth. Artemis nodded slowly again, then put her hand on my shoulder, as I looked at my hands. The bell rang, and our little group split up once again.

I wrapped my arm around Clara and she leaned into me, letting me lead her to my locker so I could grab my stuff. My grip tightened around her waist when a guy looked her up and down and bit his lip. I glared at him. Couldn't he see that she was taken?

Clara's POV

After he grabbed his stuff, we walked to my locker. When I struggled to open it, Dick wrenched it open for me. We shared a smile. He kissed my forehead before heading to his next class. I shouldered my locker shut and left for my class when I noticed Sportsmaster. Making his way towards Dick with a dagger in his hand.

"Dick, look out!" I shouted down the hall. He ducked just in time for the dagger to nick his ear and speed through the air, embedding itself in the wall at the opposite end of the corridor. Students screamed and ran out the door. Someone pulled the fire alarm.

I advanced to Sportsmaster while Dick recovered. "Clara, no!" he yelled. "You're in no condition to fight right now."

Sportsmaster chuckled. "Right you are."

He attacked, throwing fist after fist at my face. I could barely duck in time, could barely block the blows in time. Dick came behind him and couldn't dodge the kick that Sportsmaster delivered in time. He flew across the hallway and slammed into the wall at the other end.

"No!" I slammed my crutch into his face, but he caught it and threw me across the corridor. My vision blurred as I tried to push myself up, and my ribs screamed in pain. I saw Sportsmaster advancing on Dick, and I knew that we would never be able to defeat him in hand-to-hand combat.

Once my vision cleared, my eyes flickered once and then turned yellow. "Clara stop!" Dick shouted, blocking punch after punch. I tried to focus all my energy on just Sportsmaster, thinking about the anger I'd felt when I saw what he did to Dick. I could feel power coursing out in a wave towards him.

Black swallowed the world, and I crumpled to the ground.


Sorry bout all the POV switches.