Dagger

VII

*Richard*

She knew I was there, she remembered me, she remembered that day.

I sat in awe staring at here nearly lifeless body.

"That necklace.." Tim breathes "She had the charm made into a ring. Phoebe was wearing that when she came here."

Meghan quickly reached into the bedside table and pulled out the ring and handed it to me.

My eyes trace the charm, examining every scratch and on the inside of the band was engraved 'Don't forget Richard'

She made sure that she would never lose me...

"Hey M'gann, we're did you put the...." Garfield burst into the room, his cheery attitude replaced by a curious one. "Who's that?"

He stepped closer to Phoebe's bedside in the small room.

"Garfield." Meghan strictly spoke, stopping him in his tracks. "You know you're not supposed to be back here, not unless you're injured."

"I- I was just wondering where you put the sugar in the kitchen, Cassie is making cookies! I didn't think I crossed any lines I'm sor-" He rambles out of nervousness. He's just a kid that wants to make Meghan proud, that's all he's ever wanted to do.

I put my hand gently on his shoulder and offer a calm smile.

"It's okay, don't worry about it... do you remember when you got here last month and noticed the cracks in the living room walls?" I ask and he nods. "That's because of her. Her name is Phoebe, she's an old friend."

"You mean an old crush." Tim smirks and I glare at him but Garfield smiles.

"So this is the girl Impulse keeps talking about, the magic one." Garfield says aloud, trying to connect missing dots.

"No, she was possessed by a magician and based on recent tests the possession triggered her meta-gene, making her capable of the Canary cry." Batman cuts in out of no where.

I stand taller, refusing to show any form of vulnerability to his threatening presence. I mean it's Bruce, the most he'll do is slap me once or twice and tell me to shut up occasionally.

Garfield lowered his eyes from Batman's as did Meghan, I just stared into his gaze for as long as I could until I backed down.

"So you made progress today?" Batman questions to M'gann.

"Yes, more than we have in the past two months. I would have had us stay in her mind longer but I couldn't keep up the link any longer." Meghan tells and Batman acknowledges her with a nod for a 'thank you'.

"What do you mean progress? Progress in what?" Garfield asks and Red Robin smiles at him.

"Progress in fixing her mind, it was shattered, all thanks to that damn magician." Tim tells, mumbling toward the end.

I smack the back of his head earning an 'ouch' from him and mumble 'language' to warn him.

"I'll get Manhunter in here as soon as possible. Miss Martian, Red Robin, Nightwing and I are all going I to her mind. M'gann, your uncle will help with the mental connection, making us able to enter her mind for a longer period, possibly make more progress." He pauses and looks around the room. "I'll be back with Manhunter."

"Awe, why can't I go?" Garfield groans and the three of us smile at him.

"Because, if I remember correctly, you have training in about an hour." Meghan teases and he groans before exiting the room.

I look around the room before focusing my eyes on Phoebe. Her mind is so broken, her body is covered in bruises from our battle, and scars from who knows what. I could have saved her that day, I could have kept her from whatever happened that forced her to have to wear a muzzle and bare a mind of ruins.

"I heard there was progress!" Wally shouts running into the room and looking straight to me for answers.

"Yeah... how did you know?" Tim asks.

"Garfield, kids a chatter box. He kept rambling on and on about a patient in the infirmary with a jacked up head. He kept saying you all made progress and we're going back in. So I want in." KF tells, never faltering his words even once.

"There are already five of us going in." Meghan insists to try and talk him out of it but he doesn't budge.

"Then what's one more, right?" He asks rhetorically and pulls up a chair before we have a chance to object.

"You know Batman's coming, right?" I ask, knowing it could deter him possibly but he smiles.

"My voice in the bats head? Sweeeeet." Then continues to eat his granola bar.

"Ahem." Batman clears his throat and gazes down at Wally. "Why are you here?"

Wally gulps and I stifle a laugh.

"I want to help, I was her family too." KF argues and I swear batman smiles for a nanosecond.

"Then get ready, all of you. We'll be in there in five minutes and out in at most sixteen hours." Batman tells us and KF excuses himself to grab a quick coffee while Tim runs to the restroom.

I pull up a place for everyone and Manhunter walks in, telling us all to be careful and lie down. And just like that, I'm back in her mind.