Just Breathe: A batsis story

13 - Tick Tock Part 2

Chapter 13: Tick Tock - Part 2

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"MAGGIE!" Alyna shouted. She jumped out of the car as the world started to slow down around her. She couldn't hear Alfred's shouts, nor the sirens of the firetrucks and ambulances as they arrived. Alyna felt like she was glitching, the world around her buffering to catch up. Her home was up in flames. She didn't know where Maggie was, or their cat. She was so trapped in her mind she didn't even notice someone had walked over to her, till they gripped her shoulder with their hand.

She spun around with wide eyes, her breathing heavy. She hoped it was Maggie, safe and sound, holding Poki. But instead she was met with none other than Bruce Wayne himself. He tried talking to her but the words never reached her ears. His mouth was moving but the only thing Alyna could hear was her own heart beat. She felt like the inside of her head was being squished between two mountains, it made her want to puke.

Bruce tried to pull her towards his car, but she just shook her head and slipped out of his grip. Her brows furrowed before dashing off towards the café, towards her home, her family. This time when Bruce tried to grab Alyna his hand passed right through her, stopping him dead in his tracks. Alyna only made it a few more steps before the second floor gave out, it sent a wave of smoke, dust, and rubble in every direction. Alyna braced herself expecting to be hit by shards of glass or burning pieces of wood but realized she had subconsciously activated her power. As the debris settled so did Alyna's mind only for a moment. She slowly looked back at Bruce, who was watching her. Studying her every move in precaution, unaware of her next motive. He flinched slightly when she fell to her knees and collapsed in a heap of tears.

She had royally fucked up. He knew who she was now. She wasn't safe here. And Maggie...

"Over here!" One of the firefighters shouted as he pulled someone's body out of the rubble and onto a stretcher. Alyna knew the sight of Maggie's mangled and charred body would haunt her for the rest of her life, but she had to know.

"Oh god, Maggie," Bruce whispered, Alyna looked up at him. His face paled and his eyes widened, mirroring her own reaction. He stopped breathing as the paramedics started cpr. Time stood still a second time that day as they heard one of the paramedics start to call it.

"Wait! I've got her pulse back. It's weak but it's there," The paramedic informed her partner. They quickly began to load her into the ambulance. Alyna whipped her head towards them but couldn't bring herself to stand. Her legs were jelly beneath her, and she was about to start crawling over if that's what it took when Alfred helped her up. In a flash Bruce jumped into the ambulance with Maggie, he quickly grabbed her hand and whispered something into her ear before the doors shut.

Alfred didn't speak as he led her back to the car and opened the door for her. The tears running down her cheeks hurt his heart and he wished nothing more than to be able to take away all the negative emotions she was feeling. But all he could do was drive her to the hospital and sit with her till they knew how Maggie was doing. Alfred witnessed Bruce phase right through Alyna but he didn't care. He had given the girl countless rides to school, she had served him his morning coffee every day for almost two straight months. The boys always had good things to say about her, and Alfred couldn't care less if she was a vigilante like Bruce and the boys.

The ride to the hospital was over in a blink, and Alyna was completely out of it. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, not that she could have been able to see what with the amount of tears in them. She didn't notice when Bruce sat down next to her or when Alfred went and got them a private room to wait. She barely registered getting up and walking to said private room but roughly thirty-six hours later when the surgeon came in and said Maggie was out of surgery and in the ICU she did remember to at least thank the man.

"Thank you," Alyna croaked, her voice hoarse from both crying and not speaking in almost two days.

"Yes, thank you," Bruce got up and followed the surgeon out to the main desk, prepared to pay the bill in full until he remembered Maggie owned the hospital and technically already paid for everything. Alyna felt a weight lift off her shoulders, she was so relieved that Maggie was okay. There was still a heavy burden to bear and it was only growing heavier...