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

Chapter 43: Everybody knows

Aubrey had always found solace in the clinic. The steady hum of activity, the rhythm of helping those in need, had a way of grounding her. Today, though, there was something unsettling in the air. As she worked through her shift, checking in on patients and helping with minor injuries, a strange sense of dread hung in the back of her mind. She couldn't quite place it, but it lingered, heavy and ominous.

Her intuition proved right when a stretcher was rushed into the emergency room, carrying a man barely conscious, his skin pale and clammy, his breathing labored. Aubrey's eyes widened as she recognized the symptoms instantly—Waterkindle.

She rushed to his side, her heart pounding. "Get him into the treatment room!" she ordered the nurses. They worked quickly, moving the man to the back as Aubrey's mind raced. Waterkindle wasn't just a drug—it was an invasive force that attacked a fire-wielders natural abilities, dampening their powers and threatening their lives. Whoever this man was, he didn't have much time.

Once they were in the treatment room, Aubrey sent everyone out before she placed her hand on the man's forehead, feeling the cold sweat that covered his skin. His breathing was shallow, his chest rising and falling with difficulty. She had seen this before—knew what needed to be done. Without hesitation, she focused her energy, summoning her fire abilities and channeling them into the man's system, burning the Waterkindle out.

The man's body trembled as the fire surged through him, but slowly, his color began to return. His breathing stabilized, and after several tense minutes, the crisis passed. Aubrey let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, her hands trembling from the effort.

The man stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he looked up at her in confusion. "W-What happened?" he rasped.

"You were hit with Waterkindle," Aubrey explained, wiping the sweat from her brow. "But I burned it out of your system. You should be okay now."

He coughed, his voice hoarse. "I... I didn't think I'd make it. Thank you."

Aubrey gave him a small, reassuring smile. "You're safe now. But I need to ask—how did you come in contact with Waterkindle?"

The man blinked, his gaze still hazy, but he managed to sit up slightly. "I... I'm from the Fire Territory. I was sent here to investigate rumors that someone from the central territory was dealing Waterkindle. I was getting close to finding out who was behind it when... I think they shot me."

Aubrey's blood ran cold. Someone from the central territories, a royal, she thought. Her homeland's involvement with the drug trade was already dangerous enough, but this was confirmation of something much larger. She leaned in, her voice steady but urgent. "Who shot you? Did you see who it was?"

The man shook his head weakly. "Not the one behind it. Just some hired goon. But the one responsible... they call themselves The Black Fog."

Aubrey's entire body tensed at the name. The Black Fog. That was her mother's alias. The world around her seemed to tilt for a moment, her breath catching in her throat. Her mother was behind this? The Waterkindle, the gang activity, the attacks—all of it?

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. It made sense now. Her mother wasn't just dealing the drug—she was orchestrating everything. The gang increases, she was drawing her out. Was she trying to finally finish the job? Or did she want to take her back and make her a puppet again?

"I... I need to make a call," Aubrey said quickly, standing up and heading toward the back of the clinic where she could have some privacy. Her hands trembled as she fumbled for her phone, dialing Jason's number. She needed to tell him—needed him to know that this was personal now.