Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: I really wish my vacation hadn’t ended

To most, the end of the world happened fast. Really, really fast. One day, everything was more or less normal. Maybe a super villain was altering a dimension here or Superman was defending Earth from a giant monster there, I don’t really know. The next day, the war began: Our friends, enemies, allies, and lovers turned on us, baring vicious fangs and bloodthirsty red eyes. People tore each other apart with no regard for previous relationships. For our history together. Me? I missed the war. However, I did see the fires.

Ash rose from every possible direction, blotting out the sun, and the flames steadily closed in on us. The Amazon rainforest, I’m told, was one of the vampires’ first targets—the lungs of the Earth. Yara Flor oversaw my training there because I had left Gotham and my friends in the Bat Family behind. We had no idea the battle was already lost. That Batman was dead. The Justice League turned or gone. The JLA turned or gone. The Titans, the Outsiders, the Outlaws. Everyone.

Yara and the Esquecida chose to stay and fight. After all, it was their home. They protected the rainforest, and she would protect them in turn. Me? I missed that fight, too. I’m ashamed to say it, but…I ran. Cowardly. Dishonorable. Shameful. That might be what you’re thinking, and it would be a lie to say my heart didn’t crawl out of my throat and run away when Wonder Woman flew in, grinning and licking her lips. But the escape wasn’t cowardice. No, it was for one thing and one thing only:

Cassandra.

Her name is a prayer on my lips. A light in the dark. On the long, dangerous journey back north to the States, she kept the tank full, the mind sane, and determination flowing. Cassandra Cain was the original hero in the story of my life. She’d saved me, seen my powers activate, and brought me in. Mentored me, at least, as best she could. The Bat Family hadn’t all been so excited, and the tension was mutual, but Cassandra was the world. I’d do anything for her.

“Somehow, the smell hasn’t gotten worse,” I sigh, running a hand through my chocolate curls and pulling off my face mask. The wind from the ocean feels good, like a reward after a long hike. The whole sky of Gotham is painted in a red glow. Once, this place was a den of sin and depravity. Now…well, it’s still the same. The apocalypse hadn’t changed the city much in that regard. All that was left to do was cross the bridge and track down who was left. “I’m coming, Cass. So please, don’t suck my blood.”

Turns out entering Gotham wasn’t as easy anymore. My first hint of that was seeing Power Girl flying up in the sky, her white suit a stark contrast with the ashy red. And yes, I was still an amateur in the superhero community, but my naivety wasn’t so big as to call out to the Kryptonian. Hiding from inside a school bus, there’s a view of her flight path. Heat vision strikes down into a faraway street. Screams follow in the distance.

Fantastic. If vampires didn’t already have super senses, she definitely would. This meant slowing down, waiting large amounts of time whenever she passes overhead, and praying her speed doesn’t bring her back too soon. It also made another thing clear: She was patrolling. The vampires have, or almost have, Gotham secured. There won’t be a future opportunity to sneak in, and certainly no time to scout and play it safe. As Batwoman once said: “It’s at the end of a mission you need to keep your focus. You’ll want to relax, to hope, to believe you’re safe. And then you get killed.”

“Hope you’re alive too, Kate.”

The whisper slips out before I can bite my tongue. A moment later, a flash of white and blonde tears through the bus, two hands grip my shoulders, and my back roars in pain as I’m dragged across dozens of feet of concrete and asphalt, leaving a fresh scar on the bridge.

“Sol?” Power Girl said, grinning from above, licking her fangs with delight. I groan, blinking the pain away and giving her a short wave. “I thought you’d be dead by now. We were told you were in the Amazon when the fires started. Figured your body was ash.”

Smiling, I tilt my head and sigh. “Come on, Starr, I couldn’t die that soon into my career. I’ve barely been a hero.” I’ve never been more grateful for my Lazarus powers than in this moment. Any normal human would be torn to shreds, but besides the pain drifting away, I felt bones and skin piecing themselves together, healing in a panic, green eyes pulsing while the two of us stare at each other.

“Do you even know what’s going on?” Power Girl asks, putting a hand on her hip and picking at a fang. She grabs my throat and lifts me off the ground, watching me choke and kick with sadistic pleasure. “The world has changed a bit.”

“Yeah, I sorta got that by now.” I manage to choke out. Without waiting any longer, I reach for my hip, to Yara’s last gift: Her golden bolas. A magical cord with two heavyweight balls on either end. Power Girl seemed unimpressed, cocky even, until one smashes against her jaw. Her hand opens, and I fall to the ground, immediately spinning and launching them as Yara had taught me.

Power Girl hisses as they wrap around her body, pinning her arms tightly to her torso, but the fight isn’t over yet. My strength wasn’t superhuman. The blow had been a shock only, and she was still flying above the ground. With a glance, my body moves just as Kate and Cass had trained it to do: Assess the situation. Find an advantage. Execute.

I spring onto a car, a bridge column, and climb up several feet. While Power Girl focuses on untangling herself, I leap towards her, hanging onto her form. “I’m really sorry about this, Karen.” One hand in her hair and the other grasping a bola, I slam it into her face. One, two, three, four, five times. Her eyes grew dazed, but there’s no time to rest. A second of hesitation means death against someone like her.

Smash, smash, smash, smash- Until her eyes seemed to glaze over. Until we drop to the ground, and she’s groaning confusedly.

“Obrigado, Rio,” I say, shooting a thankful look to the sky and rolling onto my feet. The magical weapons were one of the few items that could even hurt a Kryptonian. This battle was more luck than skill, and after snatching the bolas, I sprint down the bridge. She won’t stay down for long. The seconds tick away in my head until I hear an angry roar. I’ve made it maybe one hundred feet away? It’d have to do.

Before she can whirl around with her superspeed and turn me into a pile of red goo, I veer to the left and leap over the side of the bridge without hesitation. My feet point downwards; my arms cross over my chest. And then the icy depths of the river below embrace me.

Coughing. Throwing up. Gasping for air. Green eyes pulse dully with the Lazarus power as my arms weakly drag me onto shore. The swim team had never prepared me for that dive or that amount of time underwater. I cover my mouth with a hand, trying to muffle the gagging while scanning the sky. No sign of her.

But at least Batman had to be alive. Why else would the vampires have a heavy hitter like Power Girl here? Why would they be patrolling Gotham’s perimeter? And if he was alive, then there was a better chance the family had made it. Cassandra, Dick, Barbara, Steph, Duke: All of them. For the first time in the three-month journey, I allow a smile. There was hope after all.

Three hours later, the bile began to rise again, the acid reaching my nose, and I feel dizzy. Anxious. The Gotham City Arch, one of the historical entrances, looms over me with no sun to give a shadow. And in the dull light of this ashen world, hanging upside down, with a hole through his chest…is Batman. Jaw hanging open, eyes hidden behind the cowl, utility belt gone.

“Oh, Bruce…” I sigh, looking at him somberly. We’d had our disagreements- Plenty of disagreements. The last time we spoke, I’d left, taking up Yara’s offer to train with her people. “But you didn’t deserve this,” I say out loud, staring at him. “Gods be damned, you didn’t deserve this.”

Looking away, I take a deep breath and make a cross over my chest. “Rest in Power, Batman. Hiciste todo lo que pudiste. Siempre lo has hecho.”

Cassandra. If Batman was dead, then all that hope about the family was now threatened. Had they died together? Were they turned? Had he been betrayed, or killed them? Would the family even kill, or would the apocalypse still not justify it?

Hissssss.

“Fuck me,” I whisper, fists clenching. Something was watching. Very fucking closely too. It wasn’t Power Girl- If she ambushed me, there’d be no warning before it all ended. Gravel crunches under boots, the only indicator of where the vampire is. Anger flows through my veins, energy, a burst that was tempting and powerful. Lazarus, using my fatigue, grief, and hopelessness to infect me with madness. It begs me to lose control and go feral.

But it will not happen. Instead, I contain it, as Cass, Kate, and even Yara had trained me to do. The burst of energy is redirected, covering my entire body like a shield, energizing my cells to make my skin as hard as steel.

“RAH!” The stalker yells, lunging for me. At the same time, a Batarang slips into my hand.

Hold on, Cass. Please, hold on. I’m not dying yet.

Chapter Text

“Damien?!” I yell, his sword and my Batarang clashing, trembling, the blades locked. He hisses, and any sense of relief dissolves. “Putísima madre—”

            The little vampire slices upwards, making sparks fly and sending the Batarang flying away. The fight is suddenly quick and dangerous; Deadly thrusts and arcs meant to decapitate me, to bleed me out, to paralyze me. The killer Batman had always worried about was present, and a bloodsucker.

            Closing the distance, my hands glow as I grip his blade. A year ago, that may have made me scream or choke on fear, but now this pain is nothing. I yank the blade forward and knee him in the face, flinching guiltily as his nose cracks. The fifth Robin hisses at me, baring his fangs, and the guilt subsides. This is a blood sucking, murderous, insane-

            “You broke my nose, Sol,” Damien says, wiping the blood as casually as if he had sneezed. He crosses his arms, watching me. “Your training paid off.”

            I blink twice, confused, and step back once. It was downright childish. Normal. Annoyed. The hilt of his blade is in my hand before I can think, the tip pointed at his chest. “But you’re a vampire, so it should even out.”

            “I—” He hunches his shoulders, arms crossing tighter, and looks away. “I’m not that kind of vampire.”

            “What kind?! There’s one kind! The evil kind!” I half yell. The cuts on my hands are already healed, and the pulsing of my eyes feels fast. Anxious. A damn giveaway I was unable to hide.

            “Yeah, lots of people think that. Can’t say I blame them,” he mutters grumpily. “No, Sol, I’m not evil. I’m still the superior Robin and Batman’s legacy.”

            “The Man doesn’t kill, and you sure seemed ready to.”

            Damien finally looks up at me. The whites of his domino mask hide his eyes, but I don’t get the sense of danger or bloodlust. He seems more concerned and as cautious as I am. Finally, he sighs, lifting his hands in a non-threatening gesture and looking away.

            “When father learned of the threat and vetted all of us, he prepared us to kill. He said half measures weren’t an option anymore.” Damien exhales deeply, his chin falling a bit further. The feeling was obvious: Grief.

            “I saw what happened.” Staring at him cautiously, I allow the sword to fall a few inches. “Bruce, I mean. I’m sorry I wasn’t here, Robin. For both of you.”

            “We don’t need to pretend,” he snaps, snarling warningly. “You left the family because you two disagreed. A lot. I understand. We all did.”

            “I still wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, Damien, and Bruce wasn’t my enemy.”

Damien slowly lowers his arms as I do the same with his sword. After a few awkward moments, I toss it to him. “Don’t stab me in the back. In fact, don’t walk behind me until I’m…sure. No offense.”

            “I can prove I’m in control,” he says, smoothly catching and sheathing the weapon. “The others aren’t vampires. Nightwing hasn’t completely locked down the city yet, but we’re planning for when he inevitably seeks us out.”

            My heart sank as Damien turned around, walking away. My voice was choked. “Nightwing?” He looked over his shoulder and nodded firmly, as professional as he always tried to appear.

            “Come on, we have a lot to brief you on.”

            “Holy shit.” The words slip as soon as we walk through the door—the thirteenth floor of an apartment building in the middle of being renovated. Luxury condo. Importantly, not affiliated with Bruce Wayne. It made sense, I thought, if Nightwing was after the family. But the real shock was the state of the heroes. Huntress, Batwing, Spoiler, Batwoman. All their clothes are bloodied and dirtied, and their eyes held fatigue. True fatigue. Distrust. My hands rise immediately, one pulling off my face mask. “I’m clean.”

            “Catch,” Huntress said, tossing something small and brown. It’s a cross made of wood. Simple. When nothing happens, she nods, and the rest relax a fraction.

            “Nightwing had a way around that,” Batwoman says, stepping forward and aiming a pistol at me. There’s a silencer attached to it.

            “Kate, come on, you know me better than half—”

            A muffled but clearly audible shot rings off, and my knee erupts in pain, falling to the ground with a thunk. Batwing is up immediately, approaching Batwoman, but she stops him with a glare. He’s silent, but it’s obvious he disapproves of this. Huntress looks away, a flicker of guilt on her face, and Stephanie stares at me like the world is pushing on her chest. Not because I got shot: Because she’s scared to know the truth.

            “Damien, test it,” Kate says.

            “Test it? La puta que te parío! Ay, you mother fucker, that hurts!” I yell, clutching my knee and hissing in pain. “Estúpida sin confianza pelotuda de mierda!” While I’m cursing, Damien kneels beside me, two fingers touching the blood on my knee, bringing out another “Tarado!” before he tastes it.

            “She’s human,” he declares, and this time everyone sighs in relief. Finally, Spoiler runs to me, falling on her knees and wrapping her arms around me. Her tears stain my cheek, sending a flutter through my heart.

            “I thought you were dead,” she whispered, trembling, and wrapping her arms tighter.

            Now look, I’ve been through a lot in my life. Woke up in a hospital when I was sixteen with no memories of my life, no clue why I was there, and no connection to any family or friends. Surviving in the Gotham streets meant doing nasty things. It was dirty. It was immoral. Getting out of there was harder. Then, when the Bat Family took me in and it didn’t work out… Well, I still have regrets. But never had I felt guilt the way it appeared now. So much worrying about Cassandra this, Cassandra that, and I’d forgotten my best friend along the way. The one person who knew me before the abilities and heroics. Who’d helped so much. My ride or die.

And yet, these thoughts brought my mind back to the mission: Cassandra.

            “I got lucky and played it smart.” My arms wrap around Stephanie, holding her close and sighing. I choose my next words carefully. “Where is everyone else?”

            “Azrael was turned,” Batwing said, shooting Batwoman a glare before facing me. “Red Robin, Red Hood, and Batman are down.”

            “Dead,” Robin corrected, his voice filled with bitterness.

            “And Nightwing,” Huntress adds, lounging on a sofa and sighing sadly. “He’s the king vampire. That’s how he got the jump on everyone.”

            My voice is lower than I would have liked. Full of fear. “So, the others…”

            “Alive,” Stephanie says, sniffling and pulling back, just enough to bring those teary blue eyes into view. Her warm hands cup my face. “Cass, Duke, Barbara, and Alfred are somewhere else. They needed to recover.”

            “Recover?”

            “Alfred and Babs took it a bit too hard,” Huntress cut in again. She shifts onto her side, leaning her head on one hand, staring at me with a pitiful look. We didn’t know each other well, but I get the sense she would have taken my side before I left for the Amazons. “You know, after Bruce and Dick. Batgirl, I mean Cain, got hurt in the fight. Signal is there to help keep everyone safe.”

            “Cass got hurt?” My voice is shrill even to myself, hands squeezing Stephanie tighter. She wipes her eyes, their expression turning confused.

            “Nothing serious, thank God, but she’s been benched since it happened. After Bruce, and with everything going on, it’s driving her a little mad.” Stephanie released me, standing and offering a hand. My knee, completely healed, felt fine, and I stood.

            Then I ask the question everyone seemed to be dreading. “So, what now?”

            “We should be fighting,” Damien says before anyone can react, glaring at the room. Only now do I notice how everyone stands opposite him, with me in the middle. The uncertain glances and silence say more than words ever could.

            “We weren’t trained for this,” Batwing replies gently, scratching the back of his neck. “We’re heroes, not soldiers. Not killers.”

            Kate is next to speak, scoffing in disgust. “Speak for yourself. This is a war, an actual war. Learn, or more people will die. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?” She alone walks over to Damien’s side, facing the others.

            “Even if we put killing aside,” Huntress cut in, her voice sharp and direct. She stands up now, staring down at Kate. “We aren’t trained for vampires! Most of us never faced them until this calamity. They’re faster, they’re stronger—”

            “Excuse me, why the fuck does that matter?!”

            I blurt out the words, angrier than I realized, before processing the thought. Everyone’s eyes turn to me, a mixture of surprise, confusion, and curiosity. And you know what? I’m angry. I’m furious. Months spent travelling across the continent only to discover betrayal, death, and indecision. That last one boils my blood the most.

            “We always fight things stronger than us,” I said, looking around the room, standing taller. “Because that’s the fucking mission. For Gotham and the world. People are dying, our family and friends are dead or hurt. And we’re here? Split up? Arguing?”

            “You’re new, Sol,” Huntress said, her voice growing softer. She steps forward and gently puts her hands on my shoulders. “We know so many threats. Mystical, alien, earthly. This time is different.”

            “Not anymore.” The words come out bitter. Shaky. Huntress seems surprised as I step back, towards Damien and Kate. “I’m not new. I left Gotham and the family to train with a group of Amazons. I took down some of them. I saved them from a demonic spirit! And then getting up here? Do you think that was easy?” With a dark, painful chuckle, I lift my hands. My eyes must be pulsing quicker, getting brighter, the Lazarus green off-putting to the rest, because Batwing, Huntress, and Stephanie all tense. “There’s more blood on these hands than I ever imagined. I know what we’re fighting. Do you?”

            “She’s right,” Kate says, stepping beside me. She puts a hand on my shoulder. It’s firm and full of respect. Considering the first time we met, it was a big change. “Until everyone accepts that we’re at war, it’s our lives, and it’s this planet…you’ll end up like Batman.”

            “And father knew we couldn’t afford indecision,” Damien chimes in, now on my other side. “He was the most scared of killing. And the moment this war started, he changed. He understood.”

            Stephanie is the first to react. She pulls her purple mask down, revealing an unusually cautious and worried expression. She steps forward and nods, then moves beside Kate. Huntress and Batwing share a look of concern but understanding. They nod to each other and turn to me.

            “So, what’s the plan, Sol?” Huntress asked, crossing her arms.

            Me? You’re asking me? That’s what first appears in my head. I almost say it, too, shifting nervously, but Kate squeezed my shoulder. The movement isn’t enough for anyone to see, but it was a reminder: I’m here, kid. After taking a deep breath, I step away, turning around to face everyone.

            “We reunite with the others. We make sure everyone is on the same page. Then we put our heads together to make a real plan. Barbara and Alfred knew Bruce better than most of us and have been in the game longer than we have. Cass’s combat insight, even if she got knocked out early, will help us prepare and rethink how we fight.”

            “So, we re-group, get intel, and plan,” Stephanie summarizes, nodding. “At this point, it’s probably best. We need to get our heads on straight. Especially Cass, Alfred, and Barbara.”

            “Any objections?” I ask.

            When no one answers, giving me respectful and surprised looks, Kate chuckles and pulls me closer to her. She leans in, her red lips parting in an amused smile. “Just one: You need to change that suit. It’s done.” She was right, of course, as it was basically falling apart. “Lucky for you, I have some gifts you can use.”

            “Gifts?”

            “Batman wasn’t the only one who prepared for anything,” she says with a grin.

Chapter Text

“How’s it feel?” Spoiler asks, after we’ve departed. The group decided to split into two: Batwoman, Spoiler, and me taking one route. Robin, Batwing, and Huntress taking another. The six of us would converge on the safe house with the Batgirls, Signal, and Alfred.

“The suit?” My eyes turn to the left, to the wide glass panes of the neighboring building. We were on a rooftop some ten stories high, and the reflection stared right back at me with the eerie, green glow in her eyes.

Batwoman had kept me in mind, which was a sweet gesture. It was certainly more care than I’d given her credit for. The dark green cargo pants hid reinforced knee pads and were themselves burn, cut, and weatherproof. The black combat boots hid blades in the soles, were flexible, and light. The simple cloth face mask is replaced with a gray metal mask, covering from nose to chin and ear to ear, complete with gas filters and a re-breather for aquatic environments. Then there was the armor: a lightweight Kevlar chest piece painted to match the mask, leaving my muscular arms bare, and paired with two steel gauntlets that were as much weapons as they could be shields. The heavier, less flexible material meant to better block or deflect hard blows rather than absorb them. Somehow, she’d rigged them to work with my powers, letting me reinforce them the same way I might a body part. Of course, there’s also a brand new gold utility belt full of fun little toys hooked around my waist, and Yara’s golden bolas hang at the side. For the first time, my curls sway freely around my neck, rather than being tied back. Batwoman’s influence, the soldier she was, clearly showed in the get-up, but I don’t mind looking like a soldier. After all, that’s what we all were now. Soldiers, in a very bloody war.

Spoiler rolls her eyes and walks closer, staring at the reflection alongside me. “No, the weather. Yes, the suit.” She punches my arm softly. The humor is a good attempt, a facade of normalcy. In reality, she’s worried. Anxious.

“It feels a lot safer than the crap I had thrown together,” I chuckle, smiling under the mask. “And I can see what she was going for with the design. The armor. I just wish there was time to train with it. I’ve gotten used to being on the offensive. All this protection…”

"The way I see it, she’s trying to keep you safe,” Spoiler chimes in, turning her blue eyes to the clothes, looking over the outfit. One hand tugs the shoulder strap, adjusting it. “If you fight like you used to, this’ll save you some pain and healing. If you’ve changed and can be a little defensive, it complements you.”

"When’d you become a strategist?” Spoiler punches me again, which brings forth laughter.

“I’m not,” she replies. “But I still have more experience than you. And I know them all pretty decently, the others.” Her eyes soften, meeting my green ones. “Do I still know you?”

The question causes a sudden spike of guilt within me. It is a question worth considering, if I’d been thinking more about Steph. About everyone. But here and now it feels like a trick, a blindside. The guilt on my face is clear as day, green eyes turning away and pulsing nervously. Spoiler also looks away, shifting from one foot to the other, upset.

“You...do,” I say hesitantly. “I don’t think I’ve changed much as a person. Maybe I’m more confident or...I’ve learned the value of working with others. In having some trust. But I’m still pretty much me.”

“You don’t think you know me,” Spoiler says quietly. The wind blows gently through us both for a moment of silence. We both know she’s right. It goes beyond my leave of absence. All the way back to discovering she’s Spoiler.

"I’ve tried to come to terms.” The words feel hollow. Unsure. “It hurt me a lot when I realized...not that you hid your identity. That you had more people. A whole family. Friends. All I had was you. Except I didn’t. Not really.”“You were just as important to me as anyone else,” Spoiler said. Her voice turns a bit shrill, cracking with anger and hurt. “Stephanie Brown needed people as much as Spoiler or Batgirl did. I didn’t need you to be in the life.”

“Except Stephanie Brown was barely present. You were a vigilante, and that took priority.” The words are bitter. Spoken with over a year of boiling resentment. “If it were between the mission and the stressed college girl, I’d never make the cut. How could I?”

“That’s not fair!”

“I know!”

The reply comes as a yell, sharp and echoing through the buildings. Both of us pause, looking around, knowing we may have just been caught. When nothing happens, Spoiler turns to me, stepping right up to my face.

"Then why are you still so mad at me? I miss you, Sol. I missed you when you were here. I missed you when you were gone. And now, the world’s done, you’re here, and I don’t- I don’t-”

“I don’t know either,” I whisper, the anger slipping away as fast as it’d come. “Maybe it’s just unresolved issues. Talks we never had when I was here. But you are important to me. And I’m glad you’re alive.”

Her eyes drop disappointingly. “You don’t know ‘cause you weren’t thinking about it. About me.”

“I’m not lying. I am glad.”

“It’s not about being glad,” she replies, turning away. Her blue eyes harden, angry on the surface but sad underneath. A mask of toughness. “I believe you. You don’t want your friends dead. But you didn’t think about me when all this started. I wasn’t a priority.”

“...you asshole.” Despite everything we’d been through, all the changes and time apart, she suddenly reads me like a book. It’s both reassuring, joyful even, and frustrating. Heartbreaking. Because she is right. My mission was Cass. Somehow Stephanie Brown, Kate Kane, and the others didn’t exist. What kind of friend did that make me? Certainly, there was nothing heroic about my actions in this apocalypse.

Before she can pick my thoughts out, or I can answer, the comm devices in our ears blare to life. Batwoman’s voice comes through. “It’s all clear here, for as far as I can see. Come up and we’ll head out.”

As Spoiler turns away, walking towards the ledge, I give my reflection one last look. This new hero with a new look, weapons, skills, and experience. Yet still, the angry girl from college with a best friend that she couldn’t talk to. Sigh.

“We’ll continue this later.” A whisper. A silent promise to myself and my best friend. I’ll fix things with you, Steph.

“So, where are all the vampires?” I ask when we arrive at Batwoman’s location. It’s another rooftop, concrete floor with metal beams around us, and long-abandoned construction equipment. Spoiler stays a few paces behind, sharp eyes scanning the area around us.

Batwoman, with her red wig, pale skin, and completely white eyes, glances at me. Her lips curl into a frown. “You’re asking for trouble when you talk like that.”

“Suddenly you’re superstitious, Colonel?” My old nickname for Batwoman, when she was training me. She hated it, probably on account of it being her father’s rank.

“We’re in a war with vampires,” Batwoman scoffs, turning her eyes back to the city skyline. “Using crosses, stakes, and holy water. A little superstition might be warranted.”

“You won’t catch me-”

The words are ripped from my mouth. Literally. The entire world shifts as the air is stolen from my lungs, and suddenly I’m high in the air, choking, legs dangling, and kicking in surprise. After a moment, my focus returns, feeling fingers around my throat. A white sleeve leading to the suit, a pale woman with jaw-length blonde hair, a bloodied cape, and deadly eyes.

“Hello, Sol,” Powergirl hisses softly. “I’ve been waiting to see you again. You should really try to be a bit quieter. Someone might hear you.”

“Seriously,” I choke out, holding onto her wrist. The Lazarus powers could do a lot, but suffocation or a broken neck would be game over. “It wasn’t personal, Karen. Just needed to get into the city.”

“Only vampires are allowed here, Sol,” she hisses, baring fangs. She pulls me slightly closer, breathing down my neck. “But we’re not unreasonable. Our king tells us to give other heroes a choice.”

“Well-” I’m coughing, finding it harder to stay calm. Her grip isn’t letting up. “Can we talk about this? Is there a benefits package? 401K?” Her hand tightens, causing my eyes to bulge, heart pounding as she completely cuts off my oxygen.

“Think very carefully of your next words,” Powergirl whispers in my ear, before allowing me to breathe once more.

Now, you might think I’m an idiot. And to be fair, the argument could be made. One: This was a Kryptonian. Two: We were at least thirty stories high now. Three: No one else was up here with us. Fighting her would be stupid. Of course, being an idiot, that was exactly the choice made. My steel gauntlets glow green as the Lazarus power reinforces them, and my metal fist slams into her face as hard as possible. To my surprise, she didn’t use her super speed. Her eyes widen, and her head snaps to the side, releasing me.

Alright, problem two: being thirty stories high. Even worse, I didn’t expect to land a blow or be dropped. Or alive. Seconds later, I realize I’m screaming, but all the training Batwoman and Yara gave me kicks in. The building reappears as I fall past it, spinning midair to be right side up, and focusing the Lazarus power into my legs, forearms, and hands. My entire body shakes and rattles as I claw at the wall, armored hands and boots dragging desperately as I slide down the side, tearing through brick and stone, slowing my fall. Until, finally, the force becomes too much, my grip breaking away into a free fall. Before turning into a pancake, power surges throughout my body, like a second skin of pure energy, and I land on my side.

The ground cracks along with a few bones. The green glow around my form disappears, and I breathe raggedly, eyes wide as I try to recover from the shock. Through blurred vision, I see Powergirl floating downwards, seething with rage. Luckily for me, problem three solved itself: Spoiler swings down with a grappling hook, her feet colliding into Powergirl, who goes down with a snarl as the blonde lands on her feet. Not only was backup here, but a plan starts to form because I realize: Karen should be untouchable. Even if my powers could be considered magical and harmful to Kryptonians, she’s too fast. Spoiler certainly shouldn’t be able to hurt or hit her.

“Hey, Powergirl,” Spoiler says, eyes narrowing with that signature grin I knew so well. She lifted her hands, chuckling nervously. “Look, we really don’t want any trouble. I promise to give her a good hit for you.”

“Gee, thanks,” I grunt unhelpfully, shifting onto one arm, the other holding my ribs. “Spoiler, she’s vulnerable.”

“Vulnerable?” Spoiler asked nervously, stepping back as Powergirl clenched her fists. “Her?”

“No...sun.” The pain is still too great. While not completely powerless, it’s clear to me that Powergirl is weakened, and it’s probably getting worse the more energy she expends. The Lazarus powers are, technically, magical in nature, and I have Yara’s bolas. It may be slim, but victory was possible. “Buy me forty seconds.”

“This will be over in three,” Powergirl snarls, baring her fangs. But that just meant she didn’t know the Spoiler. Stephanie wasn’t just a C-list hero: She had a way to beat the odds, despite not being the best. She would compete with top fighters, like Lady Shiva, and surprise them. She’s beaten the League of Assassins, Calculator, and her own father, Cluemaster.

“Isn’t three kind of long for you?” Spoiler asks, lowering her arms, and managing to sound baffled enough, it gives Powergirl pause. That’s another thing working for her: Pride. Vampires seem to develop it in droves. Combined with Stephanie’s signature improvisation and randomness, it worked.

The alien woman clenches her fists. “So what if there’s no sun? I’ve gained other powers! So long as I feed, I will remain strong, and trading my yellow sun powers for immortality is a small price.”

“But what about flying?” Spoiler asked, eyebrows scrunching with concern. “Heat vision? Traveling the world in a second?”

“Luxuries! Now, I will live forever. That is plenty of time to do anything. I will outlive every single one of you insignificant mortals. My power will only grow with the decades- No, the millennia. We will rule this now dark planet and-”

As Powergirl begins to monologue, that is when Spoiler decides to act. She instantly tosses four batarangs from her belt. “Vampires can’t live forever if they can’t avoid these!”

Two of the weapons pass over Powergirl, missing completely, while the other two sail towards her. She hisses again and catches them, fists crunching the metal like an aluminum soda can. “You really thought that would work?”

“Come on, P-Girl,” Spoiler says happily. “You’re making this too easy.”

“Excuse me?!”

Spoiler crosses her arms, standing still and glancing upwards. Powergirl narrows her eyes and looks up where the other two batarangs hit a fire escape, spreading ice across the metal. On cue, the steel groans and cracks where frozen, falling directly onto Powergirl. She goes down with a surprised yelp as dust rises into the air.

“Twenty seconds,” I call out, coughing and pushing myself to my knees, inhaling deeply. Focus. Breathe. Heal.

Metal creaks and lurches as Powergirl lifts it off herself, throwing it towards Spoiler. The blonde heroine launches herself into the air with the grace of a trained acrobat, firing her grappling hook above Powergirl. As the stairs crash into the building behind her, the blonde heroine swings behind the alien, the metal soles on her boots sparking as she spins around, sliding backwards, and tossing three more batarangs.

Powergirl, now much more focused, uses her bare hands to deflect them. They spark off her palms, two flying away, and the third embedding itself in a wall. The Kryptonian launches herself forward, barely missing Spoiler, who twists to the left and flips backwards again.

“Wow, Sol’s right,” Spoiler taunts, pulling a small metal rod from her belt. It extends into a bo staff. “You really aren’t doing good, huh?”

“Stupid little girl!” Powergirl yells, grunting as she lifts a chunk of building. Spoiler chuckles nervously, and one could practically hear her going “oops” in her head. As her enemy throws the wall at her, the vigilante runs forward to meet it, sliding onto her knees and leaning back, barely keeping her head. She stands immediately, closing the distance and slamming her staff across Karen’s face. Once, twice, three times, making her head snap this way and that.

Spoiler was never a good strategist. In our friendship, I planned and prepared. Powergirl might be weakened, but not weak. Distance was clearly our friend. Trying to warn her, my voice is more of a croak than a firm cry. “Back the fuck u-”

Too late. Powergirl grabs the staff with one hand, snapping the sturdy metal like a twig. Spoiler’s blue eyes widen in worry. Before she can retreat, a fist slams into her chest, sending her flying into a wall.

“Stephanie!” In a moment, I place myself in front of her, fists up, staring Powergirl down.

Vulnerable or not, this was still a Kryptonian, and now her strength was made obvious. Stephanie falls to her hands and knees, pulling her mask down to cough up blood. She looks up, blue eyes racked with pain. “Was that long enough?” Then she falls against the ground unconscious.

“It wasn’t,” Powergirl responds, grinning from ear to ear. “I can hear your ribs shifting. Seems like I’m not the only one whose powers are declining.”

She was right, of course. Months of being on the road, lacking the extreme amounts of food and water I needed to stay charged, healing from battle and injury, had taken its toll. Any normal human might have collapsed by now or died. The Lazarus serum was the only reason I was able to move and fight at all at this point, and the healing hadn’t been nearly fast enough. But none of that mattered. Because my best friend was unconscious, on the ground, and all that stood between her and death was me. So, I inhale deeply and crack my neck side to side, glaring at Powergirl and raising my fists.

"I’m sorry this happened to you,” I say softly. “The Karen Starr I knew wouldn’t want this. I know that. And if you die here, I’ll remember the human you were.”

“I was never human,” she hisses back, floating a few feet above the air, eyes glowing red.

The air grows tense. One simple thought appears: This is it. For the first time in a long time my mind isn’t consumed with one person. It isn’t about my mission, my feelings, the person I’d left the Amazons for. In this moment, right here and now, it felt like when I was starting out. I was defending a friend. A city. A people. I had a job to do.

A growl escapes me as she flies into me, her body slamming onto mine like a wrecking ball, hands gripping my shoulders as she drags me across the ground and then up the wall of a building, carving scars into the stone. Eyes pulsing bright green, powers trying their best to absorb the damage done, my free fist slamming into her face. One, two, three, four times. She doesn’t react, passing the building and spinning, throwing me back down. However, this time I’m ready for it, grappling gun in hand and firing before I can become a pavement pancake. Powergirl flies after me as I swing, crashing through glass and rolling into an office building.

“Will you fuck off?!” The new gauntlets flash green, taking my power in as promised. Powergirl crashes into my fist, her body snapping backwards as she slams into the floor, cracking it. “I’m magic, Karen! And you’re weakened. I will kill you!”

She remains unfazed. Her eyes flash red, and a heat ray fires past me. Pain explodes across my shoulder as it nicks me, burning flesh and barely missing the chest plate strap. Stumbling back, I grab a batarang and begin to throw it- But Powergirl is already floating in front of me, hand holding my wrist up. She squeezes it, making the bones crack, and the batarang falls to the ground while I cry out in pain. She says nothing and turns, throwing me back out the window. Focusing the Lazarus energy on my back, I curl up and hit the floor hard.

"You’ve learned to control your powers,” Powergirl finally notes, floating back down to face me. A quick look around confirms I’m close to Spoiler again- She’s not trying to lose sight of either of us. “You’re focusing it on certain body parts. Conserving energy. Being tactical. Smart, Sol.”

“Well, your advice for me back then was good.” I sigh, slowly standing up and raising my fists. “About visualizing. Focusing on it. Practicing. Then I got a little Amazonian tutoring to really set me up.”

“Sol,” she says, her voice softer. For a moment, her eyes almost seem affectionate. The Powergirl who’d stopped me from going on a rampage and then given advice to at least control myself. Maybe not quite a friend, but certainly no stranger. No enemy. “I know how this looks, but...it doesn’t have to be this way. Join me. Join us. You’ll be immortal. Have more than enough food to keep your powers charged and sated. You could turn her-” she nods to Spoiler, “-and be alive, together, forever.”

“I’m just gonna pretend you didn’t actually say that.” The new mask doesn’t let me spit. Somewhere, someone had said die comfortable, no? I click the latches off, tossing it aside, and spitting, shaking my hair out, and smiling at Powergirl. “But does this mean part of you still cares? You in there, Karen?”

"Becoming a vampire doesn’t erase you, Sol,” she insists, crossing her arms and straightening her back. “It improves you. You trusted me before as a complete stranger. Can’t you trust me now?”

I left my fists again, taking another deep breath and focusing. Gently, the Lazarus powers spread through my body. Not like hardened armor, which would be ideal, but the sore muscles feel some relief. My vision sharpens. “Your side killed my friends, back in Brazil. You destroyed my country. You hurt my best friend, Karen. I wish it were so easy...but it’s not. So, let’s just do what we gotta do, okay?”

“Very well,” She sighs, her eyes narrowing a bit in disappointment. In a flash, Powergirl is in front of me, hands on my shoulders, lips near my ear. “I’ll make it easy for you.”

Fuck, is the only word that comes to mind as her fangs pierce my neck.

Chapter Text

I had no way of knowing how a vampire bite would affect me. How was I supposed to? You only get one life or, well, one bite. Of course, traveling the Americas meant viewing many transformations, and each of them shared one key feature: Pain. The victim of a vampire transformation usually seemed incredibly weak until they fed for the first time. Death occurred without the first feeding. When the victim did consume blood, as most did, the transformation could last days. Days of excruciating pain. Going from the Amazon through the United States, I’d seen my fair share of those mercy-killed to avoid the virus, and the results of those who embraced the transformation. Overall? Not pretty.

The experience for me is...confusing. Her fangs slip into my neck, and it's hot. Sharp. Then my limbs weaken. I can feel her chest rumble with a deep chuckle, enjoying the sharp gasp and soft whimper that escapes me, taking joy in the way my hands grasp at her own. Powergirl slips an arm around my waist as my knees buckle. With the real Karen, it might have seemed heroic. Romantic. Here, it probably seems hopeless. A damsel swooning into the embrace of her killer.

“Drink,” she whispers sweetly. Her lips tickle. Another strong hand cups my cheek, gently bringing my face to her throat. And gods, it’s so tempting. The strength, the warmth, the need to relieve this otherworldly pain now growing within me. It’s no wonder, I think, that so few people resist the curse and choose to die.

But then my eyes look past Powergirl to Spoiler, collapsed on the floor and beaten. Risking everything to fight a Kryptonian, even a weakened one, trying to protect me. The best friend I’d forgotten about on my way back. She never gave up. How could I?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I dig deep, searching for the feeling of the Lazarus power. Any more usage could burn me out at this point, killing or leaving me vulnerable. After all, how many times have I pushed through? How many times have I summoned my power, over and over again, to fight this person? It won’t work.

Lucky for me, it doesn’t have to. Not the way it usually does, at least.

As expected, the familiar feeling of the pit extends through me, followed by the burn of overexertion. I have to cling to Powergirl just to deal with the pain, digging my fingers into her steel skin, panting desperately, heart racing. For a few moments, both the vampirism and Lazarus sharply collide. I scream, burying my face in her neck, as both come to a head. And then nothing. Relief. Peace. The pain subsides, and I exhale deeply, shivering.

“What the fuck?” Powergirl scoffs, grabbing my chin and turning my head side to side. Her expression is completely shocked. Confused. Two fingers part my lips, examining the inside of my mouth. She scoffs again, in disbelief, eyes wider. “That isn’t possible. What did you do?”

“Bleh.” My head lolls to the side, eyes barely open, as she speaks. Did what? I haven’t a clue. Lips part into a lazy smile, giggling. Yeah, I had no clue what happened, but it felt amazing. More than the alcohol the Esquecida gave me during our victory. Everything felt light and perfect. Some very, very small part of me is aware I’m still in danger. Spoiler is still there, but gods, I love this feeling.

Powergirl’s nose wrinkles in distaste. She drops me without a care in the world, like a toy she’s grown tired of. “I don’t know what you did. You should be dead without drinking. Killing you might be smarter.” She leans down on one knee, slowly grinning, fangs poking into view. A hand grips my curly hair, lifting me to look her in the eyes. “But our king would reward me greatly for such a specimen. He’s already turned and taken several very prominent scientists and lunatics. We could easily figure out exactly what makes you tick.”

“You’re…” The words don’t come. Instead, I flick her nose and laugh. “Dumbass.”

Her eyes widen with surprise, then turn red with sudden anger. But Powergirl doesn’t see what I did. Behind her, on one of the lower windowsills, a perfectly silent figure with blood red hair, incredibly pale skin, and a device in her hands. Batwoman has been waiting on purpose. She probably made a plan the moment I got snatched. While Spoiler and I distracted Powergirl, she was setting up this. A device about six feet wide that looked like a bat robot. Did she call it in? Were satellites still a thing? Maybe she had it stashed nearby? Whatever the case, Batwoman knew Power Girl was weakened. She knew I’d been bitten, too.

The blonde vampire’s angry look turns into a frown. She pauses, as if listening. A moment later, I hear it: The soft whine of an engine. Batwoman throws the large robo-bat forward, and small thrusters come online, racing towards us.

“What makes me tick?” I ask, the defiant tone I wanted being replaced by a tired croak. Still, my hands reach down to the utility belt. “I’m told it’s stubbornness.”

Before the robo-bat hits us both, I grab a batarang and slice at my hair. The machine crashes into Powergirl as I fall to the ground, staring up at the sky. There’s a moment where her panicked eyes meet mine. The robo-bat glows kryptonite green, wings wrapping around her like a restraint, holding her arms against her torso. Powered by her biggest weakness, she has no choice but to yell in frustration as the machine boosts off, flying above the buildings and away into the endless night.

“Pull that...out of your belt?” I murmur to Batwoman, groaning as she lifts me up in her arms and throws me over her shoulder. Moments later, Spoiler is also dangling from her arm, held against Batwoman’s torso.

“We’re all lucky to be alive,” Batwoman murmurs, trudging down the street. Stealth is no longer an option, not while carrying two bodies. The vigilante is grunting as she jogs. I figured she might come back after your first little meeting. Made sure to take us near a stash of mine, with that bot.”

“You’re worse than...Bruce…” I manage to mumble before the world goes black.

When I wake up, I’m in a small room. It’s dark, though that doesn’t mean much in this world. My thoughts flow to and ‘fro without much sense, making the confusion that comes with sleep even greater. Next are the sounds. My heart skips a beat as metal clangs next to me- Except there’s no metal falling. I’m lying on a bed in a small, clean room with a night table, a turned off lamp, and two seats. A moment later, the clang is softer. Far away? Yes, it’s outside, but I heard it perfectly from here. The room beyond mine creaks as people walk around on the old wooden floor, making me flinch because at first it sounds close again. Right next to me. After the sounds come the smells, something new and delicious, making my mouth water. No, it doesn’t just make my mouth water. I can feel the way my heart rate increases, hearing sharpens, and I’m standing up, blankets thrown aside, staring at the door.

Hungry. It’s a simple but important thought. All I need, at the moment. Food. I sniff the air, licking my lips, slowly following the scent to the door, where, beyond it, a group of people were speaking, their steps occasionally blocking the light seeping underneath. Then another scent, wrapping around me like an invitation. Right behind me.

“Gnn-” The world spins as someone grabs me by the shoulders. A strong hand pins both my wrists above my head, and sharp metal presses against my throat. The delicious scent is all over my attacker, making me feel lightheaded.

“You turned,” a soft voice said, hidden in the darkness of the room, holding me tightly enough that I can't even look down at the arm holding the blade. “Why?” That voice, though, could not be confused with anything. It focuses the scattered thoughts of the brain, reminding me what’s going on. What had happened?

“Cassandra,” I whisper, blinking the fog from my eyes, cutting through the desire of this hunger.

“Cass? Please, tell me that’s you.”

“Why?!”

“Why what?” My question is followed by a hiss as she presses the blade closer to my throat, making breathing harder. Except...my throat isn’t moving. My chest isn’t moving. I’m not breathing, and I’m perfectly fine. This realization should be terrifying. Except there’s no familiar anxious feeling, no nervous racing. My voice drops, eyes wide. “Oh...fuck.”

“I should kill you before you threaten my family,” Cassandra Cain says quietly, leaning closer, until finally I can see the dark and scarred mask of her Batgirl. No, like the sound and the smell, my new sense of vision kicks in the second I try. Suddenly, I can see the entire room despite the darkness, and Batgirl. She’s fully suited- Platformed boots, tight-skinned latex, and a terrifying mask with pointy ears. The bat sigil is ripped off her chest, giving her an eerier look.

“You once said I was that family,” I grunt back, not daring to move. “You swore you were family.”

“And you left.”

There it was. It wasn’t how I’d expected it to happen, pinned and threatened with death, but this conversation was always going to happen. Stephanie might be able to hold back for a while, especially during all this, to wait to ask. Cassandra was always going to take the most direct path to what she wanted. I swallow hard, forcing myself to stare into the dark circles of her masked eyes.

“There was no place for me here,” I whisper. “After all this time, you must have thought about it. Understood it. Come to terms, Cass.”

“You always had a place,” she snapped, silent and angry as a snake. “I gave you place- a place-” Her speech, when she was flustered or stressed, always began to struggle. “You made me...see. You. Accept you.”

She leans in, mask only a couple of inches from my face. Suddenly, not having a heart to beat wildly and fearfully was a good thing. It made it easier to remain calm while speaking. “The problem wasn’t you. We found our common ground. You were amazing to me by the end, and the training you gave me helped me survive in the Amazon. Before the vampires. But the others...the manor…”

“They accepted you, as well-”

“No, Cass, they didn’t!” My response is louder, sharper, and met with the sting of a cut as she digs the batarang into my neck once again, drawing blood. “Bruce...never wanted...another kid. I...didn’t want...a father.”

“You killed?”

“Excuse me?!”

“Have you killed?!” Her question is accusatory. It could easily be confused for violence, but...it wasn’t. I heard desperation. Anxiety. Cassandra may be able to read bodies perfectly, but I can read people as a whole. Emotions, social cues, and empathy were my domain.

“No,” I whisper, staring into her mask. “Not even a vampire. I’ve fought, and run, and hid, and avoided them. I haven’t even killed one of them.”

“But you’re one of ‘them’ now.”

“No, I’m not.” The words accidentally come out as a hiss, a move so sudden and instinctual it leaves me confused, and the Batgirl is quiet and still. But we both know I’m not lying because I can’t. Because no one can flat-out lie to her. Not with her abilities.

“Satisfied?”

A new voice appeared, hidden in the corner of the room, unnoticed due to the newness of my dark-vision and the focus on Cassandra. It’s Kate, her wig and cowl removed, but her suit still on. She’d been watching us the entire time as Cass sized me up. Now, the former soldier stood up, heavy boots harshly slapping on the wood as she approached.

“Let her go,” Kate said, quietly but seriously. Few people would dare threaten Cass, and in a straight-up fight, Kate would lose, but much like Bruce, Batwoman also had tricks and plans up her sleeve.

“We’re all friends here,” I say. Frowning, I correct myself. “Well, allies, at least. You know I’m not lying, and if I were, I still couldn’t beat you. Let me go, Cass.”

She does, rudely dropping me to the ground with a grunt. As she walks off, Kate approaches me, kneeling down and gripping my shoulder. It’s meant to be reassuring, but the tension is obvious. Batwoman would always be smart. Wary. Especially after everyone they’ve lost.

“How do you feel? And don’t downplay it,” she asked, regular green eyes meeting my glowing ones.

“Someone wrapped me in tinfoil, microwaved me, chewed me up a bit, tossed me through five walls, stomped on me, cut my skin off, sewed it back-”

“Sol.” The firm tone in her voice stops me. After a moment, I glance away, sighing.

“I...I can hear things outside. Far away. Each footstep outside this room and where they are. In this darkness? I can see everything, just sort of...grayish. And I feel uninjured but…”

“Hungry,” Cassandra supplied, from behind Kate, still giving her back to us. Of course, she’d noticed that.

“Hungry,” I agree. “Like, weirdly so. There’s this new...smell…”

The way my chin tilts up, sniffing the air, and I lean into Kate isn’t something that happens on purpose. The weakness in my body doesn’t seem to matter anymore as I reached out, gently, for her arms, salivating-

Thunk! Cassandra’s batarang nicks my ear and embeds itself in the door an inch from me. Kate sighs, head dropping slightly. “That’s what I was worried about.”

“Kate, I-” My voice is unsure, even to myself, startled by the lack of control. I swallow hard. “I swear, whatever this is, I’m not a vampire. Not like that. I don’t want- I wouldn’t- I-”

“Your eyes are green and red now, Sol,” she says softly, cupping the right side of my face tenderly. More tender than the ‘colonel’ had ever been. A lump forms in my throat because for the first time I can see how much she cares, and I can see she’s deciding what to do with me. Preparing for the worst.

“I didn’t feed.” The truth comes out quickly and suddenly. “That means I can’t be a vampire. I need blood.”

“Or you die,” Kate finished, frowning, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. “You’re still here.”

“My powers are anti-death, Kate.” Again, the words are quick and desperate, especially watching as Cassandra finally turns around, her own interest clearly piqued. “You said my eyes are green and red. I’m not a fucking vampire! Kate...Cass, please?”

After what feels like an eternity, the soldier sighs, dropping her head. She nods slowly. “It’s possible.”

“Oracle.” Cass’s voice. A firm command. Kate nods in agreement.

“Barbara needs to see you. Vet you. If she thinks this is fine, then...you’ll be fine.”

“But you're-”

“-not a full member of this family,” Kate cuts in, her words harsh, eyes snapping back up. “Something you should understand, Sol. Worse, I wasn’t around when Batman- When...Bruce fought. When Tim and Jason died, when Damien turned, and Cassandra was hurt-”

She pauses as Batgirl puts a hand on her shoulder, the tension suddenly much softer in the younger woman’s form. It was as odd a sight as everything else I’d found traveling to Gotham- These two hated each other, last I was here. Kate had killed Cass’s friend, Clayface, and had never been forgiven.

“Alright,” I whisper, leaning against the door. “Babs can question me, or everyone can, if that’s the route you wanna go. But first, I need to see Steph.”

“No,” Cassandra immediately growls, defensive and protective of her best friend. “No.”

“I know she’s hurt bad,” is my reply, shooting a glare right back at Cass. “I can fix her, especially now that the cave is gone, hospitals are gone, and I’m sure electricity is gonna go soon too. It’s a miracle the vampires have made it last this long, with the world in shambles.”

“No.”

“It isn’t your choice,” Kate snaps, standing up and taking my side. She grabs under my armpit, lifting me up. “Everyone gets a say, and Spoiler got hurt defending Sol. She’s gonna die without real help.”

Die. The word brings a rush of worry and adrenaline through me, similar to when my powers jump to heal me. Without thinking or waiting for permission, I yank the door open. The look on my face must be new because everyone present -Huntress, Batwing, Robin, Signal, Alfred, and Gordon’s Batgirl- stares at me with wide eyes. Without taking a step, I scan the room, body still as a corpse without the need to breathe, creepy to the others. Stephanie is there, lying on a sofa tucked against the wall of the apartment, her face tense and her breath ragged. Even worse, with the new vampiric senses, I can hear her throat rasps, her ribs shift slightly, painfully.

“Let me help her,” I beg, voice quiet as a mouse, eyes welling with tears. They pulse in this new green-red color, anxious, but I know anything other than patience will get me killed and Steph following after. “Restrain me, surround me, kill me after. I don’t care. Please, let me help her.”

Barbara’s eyes look behind me, above at Kate, who must be waiting at the door. They flicker barely to Cassandra. After a moment, she nods, crossing her arms and tucking her hands away. The way she does that, pulling back and away, and the tightness in her voice tell me how she feels: I’m not the girl she once knew. At least, that’s what she decided. “Go ahead, Sol. We’re watching.”

Standing up slowly, the other heroes and I watch each other as I begin to walk around them, past the long table they’d been using for meetings, my feet nimble and quiet even on the warped wooden floor, another sign of my new abilities. Reaching Stephanie, I fall to my knees, staring at her for a few moments. There wasn’t time to wallow, to blame myself, or ask why she’d do this for me: I was her best shot. Gently, I take one hand between mine, closing my eyes.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Cassandra is the first to speak, her cold demeanor cracking. “Why aren’t you doing it?”

“Just give me a sec,” I snap back. But she’s right: Something should have happened by now. A transfer, a glow, a surge of my power into her that would fix her right up. Instead, the blonde remains still, breathing the same as she had been. I squeeze my eyes tighter, trying to use my powers like a muscle, something I was used to.

“What…” Someone’s holding me. My vision is swimming and I feel nauseous, incredibly so. Only a second has passed by, Kate is keeping me upright, the others staring at me with confusion, or sharing concerned looks. “Fuck me. I...know that the problem is.”

“Don’t you dare say-” Barbara begins, gritting her teeth.

“Hungry,” I cut in, closing my eyes and turning away. “Depleted after fighting Powergirl, and traveling the way I have to get here. I need to recharge. Sleep, water, food. You guys all know this.”

“But what do you eat?” Signal asked, his voice nervous and uncertain, yet hopeful. Like it wouldn’t be blood, the others shift uncomfortably, while Damien remains seated by the table, arms crossed.

I wish I shared his nervous optimism.

“I’ll try anything.” It sounds uncertain, even to me. My voice is quiet and shaky, head leaning against Kate’s thigh. “Any food you have. I didn’t drink the blood. Maybe- Maybe I don’t need it. I’m not turned yet, not properly. I could have a poptart or something.”

“...it’s worth a shot, right?” Batwing says, sharing the same awkwardness Signal and Sol both had. “We have rations.”

“Here,” Huntress tosses one from a box towards Barbara, who catches it and leans down. She doesn’t say anything, opening it and pulling out a small packet of jerky. I know it’s jerky because I can smell the traces of blood from what used to be a living being.

“Something else,” I say, turning my head away to hide my salivating. Even that little bit was a temptation. “Not meat.” This, of course, doesn’t inspire confidence. Barbara’s eyebrows knit together tensely as she sets the jerky down and offers me something new: An apple. With trembling hands, I take it, staring at the red surface hesitantly. There are a million questions swirling in my head, but before entertaining them, I take a bite, eyes closing tightly, expecting disgust, rejection, for my body to hate real food. Instead, I groan in relief, relaxing against Kate. “It tastes...good. It tastes good.”

“Vampires can still enjoy regular food,” Damien speaks, his voice low and pitying. “It just won’t...satisfy.”

The conjoined feeling of everyone’s hopes being dashed is heavy, and the effect is immediate. Signal glares at Damien, ready to argue. Batwing and Huntress share a sad look. Cassandra clenches her fists. Barbara purses her lips, unsurprised, and Kate protectively puts a gentle hand on the back of my head, watching the room. Me? Denial is the choice, taking another bite of the apple. Another. And another.

“Let’s just see if it’ll charge me,” I beg, eyes welling with tears. “I’m not letting her die for me. Okay? This’ll work. It tastes so good, I swear. Let me eat, okay? Let me eat-”

“We need to think of something else,” Barbara says coldly, not sparing me a second glance. It’s heartbreaking. She’s as much a mentor to us newer heroes as Bruce was. To see her so hateful, it makes tears fall down my cheeks as my head falls, shoulders shaking.

The rest of the room isn’t much better. No one else seems to have Barbara’s hatred. No one but Kate consoles me or even speaks. It’s too much. To have worked so hard, fought so much, been so alone, and be received by this?

“My best friend is dying,” I whisper, causing the others to look at me. “The reason I left the Esquecida, in the Amazons, is scared of me." This is followed by a quick glance at Cassandra. "The people I thought I could trust hate me.” Swallowing hard, I look up, glaring at the group, but Barbara in particular. “But I don’t need y’all.”

Cassandra moves first, fast, but not fast enough. With a grunt, I push Kate away, twisting towards Stephanie and placing my hand on her cheeks. With a cry of pain, my eyes flash brightly. It’s not just defiance: It’s a final light. Death.

No one can ever say I became a monster. It's my last thought, as I pour what little energy I have into Stephanie, and the world goes dark around me once more.