Justice League

Water

"Are you okay?"

Autumn sighs and turns around. "I'm fine, stop asking."

"You know I won't." Jason says, placing his hand on her arm. "I worry about you. I know what power depletion looks like and this isn't it."

"Fine! I didn't pass out because of power depletion, there happy now?"

"No. No I'm not. If it wasn't power depletion what was it?"

"Nothing. Stop asking." She turns back around to the fridge. Unknown to her, when she turned the sleeve of her jacket fell down.

"What is—" Jason places his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and hiss loudly at him, gripping his wrist tightly. "It's okay." He whispers, holding up his other arm. "It's okay."

She hisses. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She slowly lets go of his wrist pulling her jacket back up. "I... I didn't mean to, I swear. It just hurt. I am sorry."

"Hey, it's okay. I know what it's like. Not been in control. Been unable to do anything. Tell me what's wrong, please?"

"No." She shakes her head, quickly. "I am okay. I swear, I will be okay."

"Autumn, please? If you don't tell me I can't help you, like you did for me. Tell me please?"

"I... I have been out of the ocean to long." She turns to face the fridge and takes her jacket off, to show the exposed areas of her back, covered in scales. "When out of the ocean for to long, this happens to Mers. You won't see it on Atlantans, but this happens with Mers, when out of the water too long."

"Can I..." his hand hovers over the scales on her back. "Can I touch?"

"Be gentle." She nods. He gently places his hand on her back and she hisses quietly, hand balling into a fist. Slowly, he moves a hand down her back. "Jay, That hurts!"

"Sorry." He pulls his hand away. "Is this everywhere?"

"It spreads, but it's slowly. Currently it's just on my back and arms, but eventually it spreads everywhere."

"EVERYwhere?"

"Yeah." She nods. "Everywhere. It hurts to the touch and sometimes it can burn." She pulls her jacket back on.

"I didn't know, staying out of water could hurt so much."

"There's lots that humans don't know." She shrugs. "No offence."

"None taken. I don't disagree. There is a lot that humans don't know." Jason agrees. "Why don't you go in the water?"

"I try. The water here in Gotham is... polluted, as humans say, I can't get to the ocean anywhere else. And after I almost killed Kal I'm still not aloud near Atlantis. So I stay mostly on land." Autumn explains, pulling something out of the fridge and turning the cooker on.

"You nearly killed Kal?" The two jump at the voice and turn to see Diana, hand on her sword. "You nearly killed Superman?"

"What?" Autumn whispers to Jason.

"No Diana, Kaldur. She almost killed Kaldur, it was an... accident."

"I... I do not understand." Autumn turns to Jason confused.

"She wants to know why you hurt Kal." He explains.

"Oh!" She hums. "It was an accident. We were fighting, but I hit him to hard and he fell... he fell... he fell, what's the word?"

"Unconscious." Jason responds.

"Yes, that! He fell unconscious and I had to take him home. Arthur understood. Mera did... did not. Never did Kaldur's family. They were... very— help?" She turn to Jason.