Cold-Blooded

Wrath

Hello again! I'm trying not to delay posting but I'm a perfectionist at heart and I'm constantly tweaking the story. I do have two complete chapters after this but we're definitely getting to the end. It's been one hell of a ride.

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It was strange, feeling the cold run down her arms and numb her fingers, down her legs and chill her bones to blunt pain. It was pooling out of her, Arcadius pooled out of her, and she could only whimper. It was strange. Unusually quiet in Gotham. She couldn't hear the cars that raced down the streets, couldn't hear the rain patter, couldn't feel Nightwing's signature. Her hand reached out to him but it hurt, everything hurt. Everything: emptied. Alias whimpered.

"Alias!" Max cover-rolled onto the lower outdoor space, holstering his pistols and scooping her up into her arms. She was ice cold, her body shaking uncontrollably and her pained breathing coming out in puffs of vapour. Her battle with Rhys left her face scarred, the fracture on her jaw had deepened and completely sealed over and with her body constantly breaking and repairing itself, Max was worried that the scar might not ever heal. He cupped her face with his metal hand, the contact alone spreading a thin sheet of frost across his palm, "Blake, talk to me!"

"Y-Yuma..." she whispered, struggling to lift her hand to hold his arm. "Can't feel...body..."

"We're gonna get you out of here. Hold on." Tucking his other arm under her legs, he easily stood with her added weight and ran to the railing, clearing it in a single jump and had to twist his body when he landed in the monorail he brought into operation. He set her down on the seats and tore off his cloak, wrapping it around her trembling body. "I'm coming." Max left her side for a moment to retrieve Nightwing, who was in a considerably better condition than she was and he darted over when he saw her deteriorating state. Nightwing took her in his arms and Alias leaned away.

"Blake―"

"Can't control...powers..." She held out a shaking hand and Dick watched as purple frost grew moss up her arm and didn't even bat an eyelid. He pulled her in close and Blake couldn't shake out of the embrace, trying her hardest not to force contact but it couldn't be helped. "No...let go..."

"A little cold won't hurt me, Blake." She hesitated and snuggled up back-to-chest, his arms wrapping around her body underneath the cloak. What's left of his armour blocked quite some heat, but it was enough for now.

"We don't have a lot of time," Max told Nightwing, rolling back his metal shoulder before walking to the middle of the carriage and tearing the panel in the ceiling housing the main transformer. Placing his palm on it, the panels on his prosthetic lit up white and he removed his hand once the carriage rolled along the track out of Founders Island. As the movement of the monorail caused the doors to close, Max stuck his foot between the set closest to Nightwing and Alias; he brought out his guns and combined them into a sniper rifle and sat with one leg hanging out, checking the magazine before scoping the passing environment. "I'm blocking Rhys's thoughts but it won't be long until she catches up. Every time I redirect her, she's finding more ways to redirect me. Right now, we need Blake away from her for as long as possible."

"Blake..." Nightwing held her tighter. He quickly scanned her with his Detective Vision and her core temperature had dropped far below normal ranges; her organs were having trouble keeping up. She'd stopped trembling and Nightwing knew that meant her hypothermia was severe, but Alias being semi-coherent meant she was still fighting. He wasn't sure if it was her godly physiology or sheer willpower. "Conserve your energy, it's gonna be okay."

"You're...an absolute...dream..." He smirked.

"When am I not?"

"I don't...deserve you..."