Flaming wings don't fly(Jason Todd x OC)

Chapter 24: relapse

Jason stood on the rooftop, watching the city breathe in the night air as Aubrey joined him. There was a stillness between them, the kind of silence that spoke volumes more than words. They had been working tirelessly to put a stop to the latest outbreak of gang violence in Gotham, and tonight, they were so close to finishing it.

Aubrey pulled her hood tighter around her face as the wind picked up. "This is it," she said quietly. "We've almost dealt with the last of them. After tonight, the city's gonna feel a lot quieter."

Jason nodded, but his mind was somewhere else—stuck on the regret of not kissing her the night before. The memory of her so close, the way her breath hitched when their eyes met. He had wanted to kiss her, but something held him back. He wasn't sure if he'd get another chance, and the thought gnawed at him.

He had to snap out of it. Let himself get stuck in this any longer and he would screw up on the field. He knew better. 

Jason took a deep breath, reminding himself of who he was and what was going on. He could deal with the emotional clusterfuck later, currently he had some ass to kick. And he got to watch his sexy partner do it with him.

Not a better road to go down...

"Let's make this quick," Aubrey said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I want to wrap this up clean."

They dropped down into the alley, the shadows enveloping them as they moved like ghosts through the streets. The gang they were after had holed up in a warehouse at the edge of the Narrows. It was heavily guarded, but nothing they couldn't handle. They had done this a dozen times over the past few weeks—sweep in, take down the thugs, and leave Gotham a little less chaotic. But tonight, something felt off.

As they moved in, Jason covered the perimeter while Aubrey led the charge inside. It was seamless, as always. They worked in perfect sync, taking down gang members left and right. Jason fired precise shots, taking out key players while Aubrey manipulated fire to disarm and overwhelm the rest.

It was almost over.

Jason was about to call it when he saw the flash of a gun from the corner of his eye. "Flare!" he yelled, but it was too late.

The gunshot rang out. Aubrey staggered back, a dark crimson stain spreading across her black suit as the bullet struck her just underneath the plate of her armor. She raised a hand, trying to steady herself, but Jason was already at her side, catching her as she crumpled to the ground.

He ripped off her mask, panic flooding his veins as her eyes fluttered shut. "Stay with me Hotshot," Jason muttered, his voice shaking. She didn't respond. Her body twitched violently, her breathing erratic. He knew the symptoms well enough to realize something was up. 

The bullet had been laced with something.

Jason hoisted her into his arms, his mind racing. There was no time to waste. He had to get her help, and fast. He tore through the streets, heading for the Batcave. Alfred could help. He had to.

By the time Jason burst through the entrance of the Batcave, Alfred was already waiting. The old butler took one look at Aubrey and his calm demeanor faltered. "Put her down here," Alfred said, guiding Jason to a medical table.

Jason laid Aubrey down gently, his heart hammering in his chest as Alfred worked quickly, checking her vitals and inspecting the wound. He took the bullet out, stitching her up, before standing back. After a few minutes, Alfred's expression darkened.

"I'm afraid I've done all I can," Alfred said gravely. "Whatever this is, im afraid it's beyond my expertise. You shall need someone who knows more about her... condition."

Jason cursed under his breath. He knew exactly who to call.

Windy.

Within minutes, Windy arrived, her expression turning grim the moment she saw Aubrey on the table. Dick was with her, his face just as concerned.

"What happened?" Windy asked, her eyes darting between Jason and Aubrey.

"She got shot," Jason said, his voice tight. "The bullet was laced with something. Alfred couldn't figure it out."

Windy stepped closer, examining Aubrey's wound and the way her body was reacting. Her hands hovered over Aubrey's skin, sensing the strange energy coursing through her. "It's waterkindle," she said softly, her voice grim. "A type of poison. It's designed specifically to target fire users in our race, like Aubrey."

Jason's stomach dropped. "What does it do?"

Windy looked at him, her eyes filled with a seriousness he hadn't seen before. "Waterkindle smothers the fire inside of them. It drops their body temperature, snuffs out the heat that sustains them. If we don't keep her warm, it'll kill her. She'll be dead by morning."

Jason clenched his fists, feeling helpless as Windy explained. "So, how do we stop it? Whats the cure? Is there an antidote?"

Windy sighed. "There's no cure. All we can do is try to keep her temperature up and hope her body can burnt it off. We need to keep her as hot as possible."

Without wasting another second, they worked to gather anything they could to keep Aubrey warm. Jason stayed by her side, his hand gripping hers as he felt her temperature dropping. He cursed himself for not protecting her better, for letting her get hurt.

Windy and Dick set up heat lamps around the medical table, and Alfred brought in blankets and heated pads. The air in the Batcaves medical wing grew stifling, but it still wasn't enough to bring Aubrey's temperature back to normal. Windy explained that she naturally ran a little lower than a normal human would, her bodied way of evening out the fire that ran through her veins when she commanded it. To burn off the waterkindle however she would need to be at least at 120 degrees. A struggle considering her body was lowering it's temperature by the hour. 

"Come on, Aubrey," Jason whispered, his voice breaking as he watched her body tremble. "Fight this. Please."

Windy stood across from him, her expression filled with worry but determination. "She's strong, Jason. The strongest our kind has seen. She won't give up over something like this."

Jason nodded, but fear gripped him. He had just found her, and now, she was slipping away. All he could do was hope that this wasn't the end.