Invisible (Jason Todd; Titans)

fifteen

This was the part of the job Ambrose liked. The sneaking around in the dark where no one could see her and no one knew who she was. She supposed there was some psychological reason for that, but she wasn't quite eloquent enough to figure it out, nor did she want to.

Ambrose crept on the scaffolding above a large vat, now dressed in her Ghost uniform. She could see the dangling body of Dick's friend on the other side. The Melting Man, also known as Nick Zucco stood on the platform just below where she was. Jason was walking in from the other side, his footsteps completely silent. They had the best seats in the show, watching as Dick walked up in full Robin uniform to confront the man that had kidnapped his friend and killed the others.

Ambrose leaned her arms on the railing as she settled next to Jason, her invisibility fading away. Jason didn't even look surprised by her sudden appearance. He had gotten used to her powers by now and had generally begun to work out when she was nearby. He always told her it was just a feeling, but she was sure there was some smarter explanation for it.

"You're gonna be ok, Clay," Dick reassured the man.

"No, he isn't. He's going to die. So are you. You should thank me. Death is better," Nick said almost nonchalantly.

Ambrose rolled her eyes and had to fight the urge to make a remark right then and there. Which was hard considering Ambrose had a very loose filter.

"What happened to you?" Dick asked.

"You did. The feds told me what happened. Robin hijacked my father's transport and offered him up to the Maronis. After your little meltdown in the fed's office, it wasn't hard to link you to Robin."

"I didn't know the Maronis would be there."

"No, you wanted to do the honors. Either way, it seems I have you to thank for what followed. Seems your little act of revenge had consequences. After my father was killed, the deal was off. No more federal protection. So, the Maronis came after my mother...And my sister...And my fiance. They all melted. They tried to melt me, too," he sounded like he was going to cry.

Ambrose almost felt bad for him. Almost. But things like this often left a trail of death behind it. Ambrose craved revenge as much as she feared it. The butterfly effect that came from revenge was unpredictable and bleak.

"So, you thought you'd even the score by killing my family. That make you feel better? Did your fucking plan work?" Dick asked venomously.

Ambrose could see the side of Nick's face as he took off his mask. This skin was scarred and disfigured, just as Dick's family had been.

"Beyond my wildest dreams. When the acid strikes your skin, it doesn't burn. It's much worse. It's like insects eating away at your flesh...burrowing inside of you. I can still feel them crawling all over me."

Ambrose stiffened when she saw the acid bubbling at the end of a tube, readying to drop on Clay. But she knew she couldn't make a move when it was teetering so precariously. It could end up making things much worse.

Dick lowered his tone, hoping to deescalate the situation, "I didn't want this to happen to you, Nick."

"I'm not Nick anymore," his voice shook with years of anger and sadness, "That's what the acid did for me. It changed me."

Nick pulled the lever by his side, allowing a drop of acid to fall onto Clay's shoulder. Clay's skin sizzled and boiled, melting away as the man screamed in agony.

"You revealed your true self on that bridge. Just like the acid peeled away the surface to reveal my true self underneath."

"He's an innocent man. Let him go," Dick pleaded.