Collision of Worlds: Demonfire

13

Damian's POV

Steph and Drake collect us off of Fathers boat and rush me into an ambulance disguised as a black van, before we go anywhere Steph and Mar'i make sure I'm not bleeding out by compressing my wound with as much gauze as they can find. Mar'i holds my hand on the drive to the hospital, neither her nor I say a word as Steph drives and Drake cracks awful jokes. As soon as we arrive at Gotham General, Dr. Brown greets us and gives Drake and Steph a hand as I'm wheeled into the private part of the hospital on a gurney. I realize not long after we've entered the private sector that none of us are in uniform, therefore this is unnecessary.

"Mar'i, dear, you have to wait here. You too, Tim." Dr. Brown says as her and Stephanie put on surgical gloves, already wearing scrubs.

"Wait why? He doesn't need surgery?" Mar'i questions with concern.

"Yes, but he needs to go through a few exams. Who knows, maybe he does need surgery?" The doctor says again and Mar'i backs down.

"I'll be fine, Love." I say out loud, realizing how badly I'm slurring.

"Damn Damian, I think you really are concussed." Drake laughs and Mar'i looks to the floor.

"Shut your whore mouth, Timothy." I spit at him as Steph and her mother wheel me away, Steph choking on a laugh. I catch one last glimpse of Mar'i and a single tear rolls down her cheek.

"So Damian, why were you being so...lovey to Mar'i?" Steph questions, poking around for a vein and starting an IV and then preparing a needle with numbing solution.

"I really do not know." I respond, staring at the ceiling while the two ladies work around me, Steph presses the needle into my abdomen and I hiss in pain.

"And like, you guys were holding hands!!" Steph exclaims and I grit my teeth, her mother chastising her.

"We do it to calm each other down, mostly. I think." I answer her, still thinking about why I've been acting this way.

"Yeah, ok. I can understand her needing to be calmed down but...you," Steph says, shining a flashlight in both of my eyes, "Do me a favor and follow this." She instructs and I do as I'm told.

"I don't know, Stephanie." I sigh as her mother gathers some surgical tools.

"Maybe you like her." The doctor suggests and I click my tongue.

"Oh c'mon Damian, you can admit it." Stephanie says, grabbing a surgical mask for her, her mother, and I.

"Never." I spit and I feel a slight poke in my abdomen and look down to see Dr. Brown has stripped away my gauze and is poking around in my wound. Cleaning it because she stitches me back together.

"Thank God, they missed all the important things." She sighs in relief, stringing a needle and setting to work.

I watch her as she works and remember when I did this to Mar'i only a few days ago. She must be healed by now, but I think watching her struggle like that was the most painful thing I've ever witnessed in my entire life.

She's got me wrapped around her little finger and she knows it.

•••••

Mar'i's POV

My Dad and Gramps arrive about 15 minutes after we do and Tim and I both jump up.

"Starshine, are you alright?" Dad sighs with relief, holding me close when I reach him.

"Daddy I'm fine, it's Damian that's hurt." I shudder, still full of anxiety.

"How is he? Do you know?" Gramps asks, trying to conceal his worry.

"Dr. Brown says he'll be fine, but she just took him back with Steph. He has a stab wound and maybe a few broken ribs." I say, wringing my hands.

"I still think he's concussed, though." Tim says, popping a few corn nuts into his mouth.

Bruce sighs and goes to sit with his adopted son and my Dad strokes my hair.

"What happened, you know at the gala?" He asks and my heart rate spikes for like the millionth time tonight.

"I'd rather talk about it in a safer place, like in there or back at the cave." I explain, looming over to Bruce who studies my uneasy stance.

"Well whatever happened most have spooked the living hell out of you."

~Later~

At the Batcave

Mar'i's POV

"I had only been in Lex's office for 10 minutes, searching through files, before someone came through the vents. We starting fighting, and he threw explosives at me. Well tried. The small bombs hit the walls around me and then the guy kicked me out the 2nd story window." Damian recalls, slipping a rash gard over his taped abdomen.

We all sit in the Batcave. Dad, Gramps, Steph, Tim, Alfred, Damian, myself, and even my Mom. We've been home for about 10 minutes and Grandpa is making us recall everything. You know, like a good detective.

"Hmm, ok. Mar'i, you're turn." Bruce says and everyone turns slowly to look at me. Damian comes around and sits to my right.

"After Damian left to search for Lex's office, I stayed with Mr. Luthor himself and he told me his partial reasoning to host the gala. To 'buy more time' and to help a friend." I start.

"But more time? He means to live longer." Bruce quarries.

"Yeah, and when I asked him who his friend was well...Talia Al Ghul basically appeared out of thin air." I recall, biting my lip. 

"Mother was there?" Damian whispers, somewhat astounded. But also not surprised.

"Yes, and she said that she wants me because I'm some sort of scientific prize to some people." I finish, shuddering at the recent memory.

"Mar'i, did Talia say what kind of people?" Mom asks tentatively, I can tell her worry is growing because her hair stopped burning.

"Very intelligent people." I shrug, looking around the room and everyone looks slightly confused. Except for my mom.

"X'hal...you're safe no where." My mom exhales, her eyes widening.

"Kory? What do you mean?" Dad says, and we all exchange glances. My heart pounding.

"These...these intelligent people. The Psions. X'hal, this is a greater threat than I first thought." Mom says to all of us.

"Koriand'r, Your Highness, who are the Psions?" Gramps asks, leaning forward in his chair. Damian does the same.

"The Psions are an intelligent, malicious race of people. I was once one of their prisoners along with my sister, we were tortured but from them we gained our starbolts. Not without almost losing our lives though." Mom explains a history about her I never knew. But I don't dwell on that too long.

"It'll be alright though...right? I'll be safe??" I squeak and my friends and family look to me with soft, pitiful looking smiles. Save for Damian who clasps my hand from under the table.

"Miss Mar'i we can assure you of that." Alfred says, coming closer to the table.

"We're not going to let anyone touch you, Little Miss." Steph chimes in.

"You're safe with us." Damian reassures me.

X'hal, I hope so.

••••

Not my best work but I still hope y'all enjoyed, I'm gonna be bringing you some extra emotional and action packed chapters soon so keep on the lookout. And since its winter break expect more updates sporadically. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT!!!! DONT FORGET TO VOTE AND COMMENT!!!