Veterinarians Meet Vigilante

CHAPTER 9

GOTHAM CITY

Batcave Medical Wing

          Venus groaned as she blinked her eyes back open, she had a massive headache and really wanted some soda. Looking around the area she was in, she very quickly came to the realization that she is in the bat cave medical wing. Turning her head to her left, her lips quirk up into a small smile at the sight of Jason twisted in a small chair fast asleep with his hand in hers. Getting the tell tale fuzzy feeling in her stomach that normally came with falling in love with someone, she paused. Logically, she knew that there was no way Jason would hurt her the way her ex did. She didn't think anyone could love her again after him, she didn't even love herself anymore. How was someone else supposed to love her? Juniper and her moms had tried for so long to get her to realize that the only person capable of ruining her was herself. She still struggles with her self-esteem and worth, her past relationship left so many scars. Sometimes she feels like there are too many, and a lot of them never healed correctly. Hearing someone clearing their throat she turned over to find Bruce in the doorway of the area where her cot is placed. "Hi." She said quietly, not wanting to wake Jason but also scared of how her pseudo Uncle will feel about her actions considering how anti-murder he is. "Hi V, how are you feeling?" His low, somewhat raspy, voice asked her. She paused. How did she feel? Has she really processed what happened? Physically, she's tired and a little sore but overall fine. Mentally? She has no idea, and that shakes her to her core. "Sore. But I'm okay, I think." Finally feeling brave enough to meet Bruce's eyes, she looks up at him and almost sighs in relief at the care, concern, and love in his eyes. He always had the same look in his eyes whenever he looked at her and her sister. "You aren't angry?" She quietly questioned him, hands shaking a little in the feeling of anxiety. "Oh sweetheart. I could never be angry with you, especially not for protecting you and your sister. Being honest, Jason was right. When he came back he told me that someday not doing something more permanent with the Joker would get someone else I love hurt. I didn't believe him at the time, but now I can see he was right." He told her, glancing over at his son who was still asleep in the chair next to Venus. In relief, she began to cry. She had been so worried he would never forgive her for what she had done, she doesn't completely remember how exactly she did it, but she knows she killed the Joker. She broke the rule, which seemed to be happening a lot lately, and she wasn't sure she was going to enjoy the consequences. Regaining her breath and slowly starting to stop crying she lifted her head to look at her pseudo uncle once more. "How's June? Is she okay? She wouldn't wake up. I didn't know what to do." She told Bruce, slightly panicking now that she had come to her senses more and realized she couldn't see her sister. Bruce grabbed her hand and told her, "She's fine V. You saved her. She woke up about 2 hours ago and talked with Dick before going back to sleep. You girls are both fine, nothing happened outside of your meta-gene activation. " She sighed in relief once more. She had been so panicked thinking that maybe she didn't get them out in time and something awful happened before the boys could find them. Nodding to herself she looks over at Jason and smiles slightly, he was there for her, just like he promised. Noticing the look in her eyes Bruce says, "You two have an amazing connection. He knew right away when something was wrong before Selena had called us." She looked over. "Selina called you?" She questioned, she didn't remember being with anyone when she was taken. "She had gone over to your apartment to drop off one of her heat packs she had forgotten to give you when you were here earlier when she noticed your keys in front of the door next to your purse but you weren't there." He explained. Mouthing an "O" she nodded and laid back down onto her back. "I'll let you get some more rest. Once you and June are feeling up to it, we do need to talk about what happened so we can try and figure out the source of the meta trafficking. But for now, just rest." Bruce told her before kissing her forehead slightly and walking back over to the bat computer. Call it a hunch, but something told her she would not be enjoying that conversation at all.

2 hours later

Venus woke again after her short nap, and realized that everyone else was now also awake. Groaning slightly to herself, she got out of bed and headed over to where everyone else was gathered around the bat computer. Standing beside Jason, she looked at everyone trying to gauge a mood for the upcoming conversation. Not seeing anything other than anger or confusion, she sighed. "Where should we start?" She spoke to her family. Jason, not realizing she was right next to him, jumped with a yelp. "Jesus V! Warning would be nice." She rolled her eyes and giggled at his antics before going to take a seat on the big couch. Looking over at Bruce, she took a deep grounding breath and hoped she could help them. "Do you want to go first Venus? Juniper had volunteered when you were still sleeping, but now that you are awake.." His sentence trailed off in question. "Yeah, I'll go. I am not sure what time they took us or even if they were close together. I was walking up the apartment building stairs and had just gotten to my front door when someone grabbed my shoulder and held something up to my face. I think it might have been a cloth of some sort? All I really remember is the sweet cherry smell before I was out. When I woke up, June and I were strapped and connected to these bed machines that had all kinds of wires and colors. June had asked me if I was awake before the Joker had come into the room. We traded sarcastic remarks before he told us his plan." Taking another deep breath before continuing she paused, Juniper crossed the room and sat next to her to hold her hand. She squeezed her sisters' hand in gratitude before starting again. "He told us that people on the black market were looking to pay lots of money for us. That someone had gone through a lot of trouble to hide our documents and knowledge of our birth parents. He told us that he had told the buyers that he would activate our meta-gene free of charge if they doubled his payment. I don't know why, or how, they got our information and wanted us so badly. After he told us his plan, he turned the machines on and I blacked out. When I woke up again, all I could hear or feel was nothing for a few seconds before a small spark started to grow and all I could feel was free. I don't understand my powers, but they knew how to get us out of there. So I let them. I had headed over to Juniper to get her out of her restraints when he started whining about not getting paid. I didn't even have to think about it, I just raised my hand and twisted. Then he was dead, I snapped his neck without even flinching. And then you found us, and brought us here. That's all I remember." Tears were running silently down her face, she had taken someone's life. Granted, it was the Joker and he definitely deserved to hurt, but her soul would forever be tainted now. Juniper squeezed her hand and sighed. "It's the same for me. I had been heading to my car when I was grabbed, but everything else is the same. I didn't wake up until we got here, where I telepathically talked with Dick before actually waking up and then going back to sleep. I can feel and hear everyone's emotions and thoughts. It's very overwhelming if I am being honest." June told them while rubbing soothing circles on my thumb. I hadn't realized at the time, but I had started to shake while telling them what had happened and June was trying to keep me grounded. Everything in the room was silent for a while before Jason slowly got up and walked over to the training room. Leaving everyone else by the computer. Sighing, I also got up. "You don't have to go after him V. He can handle himself." Dick told her, while walking over to where she was standing and joining June on the couch. "I don't want him to hurt Dick. I can feel it, he is hurting and worried. I just need to be with him right now." I told him before walking over to the training room myself. Before I left, Juniper and Dick had shared a look that I couldn't see. Walking into the training room I am met with Jason punching the punching bag and obviously trying to control his anger at the situation. "Jace, there's nothing you could have done. I am safe and okay now, we are okay." I told him quietly while leaning against one of the support beams in the room. "It's not okay Venus. You could have been sold to some meta trafficking ring and we would have never known how to get you back." He snapped back at me, while once again punching the bag. Sighing, I walked over to him and grabbed his hands. Turning him towards me I say, "There is no way you would've known that was going to happen. You are not at fault. I am okay, I am safe and I am here with you, there is nothing else that could've been done." Gazing into his seafoam green eyes, I hoped he would actually hear what I was saying. "Dammit Venus! It's not okay! YOU COULD HAVE DIED!" He yelled back at me before yanking his hands out of mine and turning around to run his hands through his hair. "Jason. There's nothing that could've been done. I need you to realize that nothing could have stopped this from happening. If it didn't happen now it would have happened another time. Either way, now that it is done and over I am here with you and I am safe now. That is what matters." I firmly told him, crossing my arms across my stress in slight anger at how stubborn he was being. Hearing him deeply sigh from in front of me I only had a second to process what he was doing before he was across the small space between us and his lips were on mine in a burning kiss.