Ablaze: Told Twice Book 2

The Girl Stuck in the Middle

Sakura heard Batman trying to reason with Hal and it wasn't easygoing. Sakura looked down at the woman, no she wasn't a woman, a robot on the ground. At a glance, Sakura could tell that Hal thought he had killed this woman. He looked broken and Sakura's heart ached for him.

"You were dosed with a synthesized dose of the Scarecrow's fear gas because will is the source of your strength."

"And fear is an enemy of will." Hal murmured looking down. Sakura saw him look her way and stepped forward.

"I'm going to rid the poison from your body, Hal." Sakura saw Batman turn slightly in her direction and frown but she ignored it. "Batman has an antidote and I want you to take it, but I want to rid as much of that stuff from your body as possible first."

Sakura beckoned Hal to come closer, and slowly, cautiously he did as Sakura bid.

When he was healed Sakura and Batman informed Hal of everything that happened while he was incapacitated. When they were done, he simply shook his head and said, "There's no way that Star Sapphire did this all on her own."

Sakura bit her bottom lip and glanced at Batman as he admitted. "I did this to all of you."

Sakura saw the horror cross GL's face and had to force herself to remain silent. They could talk about this later.

:::

They all returned to the cave where the others were waiting to have the first discussion of many that they'd have to have. The first priority was who was attacking them and why.

"It was a coordinated attack designed to kill us or put us out of commission for an extended period." Sakura looked down at the table, unable to see the anger and horror on the face of her companions. "Something that under normal circumstances we would stop."

Wonder Woman with a gesture of her hand said, "The attacks were strategically brilliant." Sakura wisely didn't say that of course, it was. Batman planned it all.

Flash interjected, "More than that they were targeted at our physical and psychological weaknesses. Kaiyo, the Chaos Bringer, from the attack by Darkseid she knows who I am. I suspect she knows who we all are. She...saved me."

Sakura swung her head around to look at the Flash, "She did what?"

"You heard me. She didn't want me dead. From her actions, I could tell she knew all about the plan to get rid of us, but she specifically didn't want me to die. She came for me."

Sakura frowned. "Are you trying to tell us that she's a good person?" Because Sakura didn't believe that for a second. There was something about Kaiyo that made her flesh crawl to that very day. The creature was insane.

"I don't know what I'm saying, not really. I just think maybe we should talk to her. She might be willing to help."

The whole room went silent as everyone stared incredulously at the Flash. Finally, Sakura decided she had to be the one to break the silence. "Flash, I adore you, but hell no."

He looked like a kicked puppy and Sakura knew that if her romantic life wasn't already in shambles she'd love the man up. "Still, if she knows who I am it stands to reason that she knows all our strengths and weaknesses."

"No," Batman said, cutting off that line of thought. "The plans were mine."

"Yours!" Sakura heard several incredulous voices shout one of which being Clark's. She felt the heat of his gaze on her and she could tell he was wondering whether or not she knew about this. She spent so much time with Bruce she could understand why he'd want to know.

"I've carefully studied every Justice League member and created contingency plans to neutralize should that ever become necessary."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sakura heard Flash say.

"Neutralize, not kill." Batman reiterated and Sakura understood why Batman felt the need to stress the word neutralize. The Batman didn't kill. It was against his code of honor. Sakura didn't get the point of it all the time, but that didn't mean she didn't understand what honor was.

Batman wouldn't have used the weapons he had formed against them to kill them. He could, but she believed him when he said that wasn't his intention. Except for, perhaps, her. If Clark died...

Sakura ran a hand over her face. If she didn't take her own life, she'd be the biggest problem the world ever faced. She could see that clearly.

"Whoever implemented my plans altered them."

"It's still a completely unacceptable breach of our trust!"

Sakura looked at Diana after her statement. "Maybe, Diana, but if any of us went rogue and knew there were plans out there to stop us, what would be the first thing that we would do? No, he didn't tell us. But should he have?"

Sakura saw Diana's face color with rage because she was right. Everyone in the room would kill Batman first if they knew he had plans to stop them. "Of course you'd take his side," Diana spat. "You always do."

"It's not about taking sides!" Sakura shot back. "It's about strategy. We are all dangerous people. There needs to be a system of checks and balances." Sakura gestured at Batman. "And there he is."

Batman held up a hand effectively silencing Sakura. "It wasn't just about someone going rogue. It is possible that one of us could become subject to mind control. I thought it best to develop plans to contain any or all of us should such a thing occur."

"None of us would ever do that to you." Superman countered and Sakura couldn't disagree with him. She couldn't sit and plan ways to harm or kill them any of them in advance. They were her friends, her comrades. However, that didn't mean she didn't understand Batman's reasons why.

Batman slowly turned his head and met Clark's eyes. Sakura could swear the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. She closed her eyes and realized why Clark refused to commit to her. He had to know just as Batman had that she was torn between the two of them. Especially, when her thoughts echoed Batman's words.

"Then you're damned fools."