A Siren's Forte [Young Justice]

Antisocial Pathologies

Early chapter again because I'm too excited to wait! Enjoy!

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Hollywood

January 22, 02:25 PST

Dick wasn't getting any better. In fact, it seemed like his condition was just getting worse. And Jenna couldn't feel anything but guilt knowing that she had a hand in his suffering. Sure, it was his idea. But Jenna knew she should have vetoed it. After all, she was reluctant to go to Gretchen Goode's home in the first place.

Who am I kidding? How were we supposed to know it would go so wrong so fast? And the proof of that mistake was laying in the medbay, crying out in delirious agony.

Everyone who was able to had already arrived. Dick's family was taking up residence at the foot of his bed while most of his friends were hovering near the doorway. Jeff was there too.

Jenna winced at the sound of Dick's cries when she returned to the group. Before arriving, M'gann had swung by her apartment to grab her a change of clothes since the darkwear was the last thing Jenna wanted on her body. So she snatched the bundle out of her friend's hands before rushing to find somewhere to change. A bit easier than expected since the permanent residents of the Premiere Building had stepped out to give Dick's close friends and family some privacy.

When Jenna rejoined the others, she found herself subconsciously gravitating to Kaldur's side. She still kept her distance since there still hadn't been any free time to speak with him alone, but...his presence was always comforting to her. And she needed it now more than ever.

"I don't understand," Jeff sighed, glancing into the room before turning back to the original team members. "Jenna, you said Granny's X-Pit was pure torture, but you recovered. Why is Dick in such a bad way?"

Jenna shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure," she said. And I hate that there's nothing we can do.

Bruce appeared in the doorway. "His brain is swelling. Doctor Jace says we need ice to bring down his temperature." The urgency in his tone and posture was clear enough.

Jenna's fingernails dug into her bicep as she hugged herself tighter. Fuck.

"We're on it," Jeff said, hurrying to complete the task with Conner.

As Bruce returned to the medbay, that just left the last three.

M'gann looked at her blonde friend. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

Jenna sighed. "Exhausted. I don't expect less from being tortured for over twenty-four hours and then barely getting any rest before everyone else arrived," she said. "But I'm okay physically and mentally. At least it seems that way."

M'gann's eyes flashed green for a split second. "I don't sense any residual brainwashing. It seems like the effect the trigger phrase had is gone too. Violet's aura did the trick."

Jenna's shoulders sagged. "I just wish it had been able to restore Dick," she said weakly.

She must have looked worse for wear than she thought because M'gann's brow furrowed before she reached out to tug the other woman into her embrace. Jenna accepted it, bringing her arms around M'gann's waist in a tight squeeze.

From where she had leaned her head against the Martian's, she looked up at Kaldur who was watching her with a protective type of concern. Thank god he was there. If he hadn't been...

Jenna pulled away when she heard Conner's footsteps approaching. "We got the ice. Hopefully, it'll help," he said.

Jenna's lips thinned. It was going to be enough to bring down his fever and decrease the swelling. But that still left the initial root of the problem. How could it have affected him so much? She tried to think it through. Easier said than done when she felt so tired. But for Dick's sake, she had to.