*Krios "James", Madison Bridge Apartments, Gotham City
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ.... BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ... BUZZ BU
James slapped his phone muting it with a groan.
After waking up a few hours ago he had tried to go back to sleep but found himself still feeling uncomfortable. He could not describe the feeling but something beyond his regular senses was keeping his mind worried.
A few hours of lying in his bed brought him to about 4 am. The thought of going through an entire day of medical rounds with very little sleep gave him dread. Studying medicine was not easy, and the few times you could get sleep were essential.
BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ
Someone really wanted to talk with him, the ringing brought a momentary flash of irritation and a hint of a headache. He felt himself squint as he looked at the screen, and its light blinding him temporarily.
It was Jim Gordon.
Frowning, his mind ran through the possible scenarios as he sat up and answered with a groggy, "Hello?"
The grizzled voice on the other end wasn't commanding or cold—it was trembling. That alone made James freeze, adrenaline kicking in as he felt something was wrong.
"James," Gordon's voice cracked slightly. "It's Barbara. She's been shot."
Time slowed. The words didn't make sense at first. Barbara? She had only been gone for a few hours. Was she hurt while running about as Batgirl? No, Gordon wouldn't have called if that were the case. Plus, her Bat family would have just taken her to their medical facilities, or if really bad, the Justice League.
No, something else was up, and right now he needed to get to the hospital fast!
"James?" Gordon's voice was gentle, "We are at Gotham General, she is going into surgery, I can fill you in..."
"I will be there in 5 minutes."
Jumping out of bed, he waved his arm and saw his pajamas ripped from his body. Clothes floated towards him, he grabbed some jeans, a t-shirt, and socks before slipping on his shoes.
His mind was racing, but with barely a thought, he opened a portal to an alleyway behind Gotham General and ran through it. He spent no time checking to make sure it was safe for him to do that as he ran full sprint around the hospital to the lobby.
The hospital was packed with patients and their families from the attack on City Hall and the Water Treatment Plant. Not that James knew or cared, right now he pushed through the crowd and reached the reception desk where several stressed nurses were trying to control the situation.
"Sir, please wait your turn," the closest nurse said as he pushed people out of his way.
James ignored that, "I need to know where Barbara Gordon's surgery is right now!"
"Sir you need to wait..."
"Tell me where she is!"
"You need to calm down, or we will have security escort you from the building!"
At that moment, he was ready to snap the woman's neck when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"James?"
Professor Läufer stood with a disheveled doctor's coat, holding a few bags of saline.
The man looked tired and confused when he said, "What are you doing here?"
"Barbara," James spoke quickly, seeing an opportunity, "Right now, she is going into surgery and I need to find her..."
"Say no more," Professor Läufer said as he motioned him to an employee-only elevator.
The man swiped a card, and the doors opened. Hopping in, the Professor hit the 5th floor button and they began to rise.
"I didn't know she was here, but with everything happening, and if she is going into surgery, then she has to be on this floor."
The two reached the floor, which, while busy, was a little less crowded than the main floor. Probably the medical staff were keeping all non-essentials away so they had room to work. Professor Läufer immediately went behind the nurse station, putting down his saline drips. There he began typing away on a free computer.
"What happened, James?" the Professor asked while typing.
"I don't know," James spoke clearly, but his voice trembled, "I got a call from her dad that she had been shot and then ran here."
Professor Läufer nodded, "She is in the op room 4 with Doctor Bell, he should have started working on her..."
James barely heard the Professor's last words as he rushed over following the signage where the observation room was for the operation.
Passing the halls, he saw a myriad of injured people, a wide swath of human suffering, all caused by the deranged Joker. But all of that was unimportant to him as his mind flashed to red hair, green eyes, and a beautiful smile.
Finally, he found the doors to the observation room and burst through them to find Jim Gordon, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and a few others sitting. A large pane of glass separated the viewers from the operating table, which was below them.
The surgeon seemed to be working fast with his aides. James' experience, though observing other operations and what he had learned in school, gave him concern. Watching them work showed a good team that was determined, but their actions and pace only emphasized the danger Barbara was in.
The look on Gordon's face when he entered also said everything—hollow eyes, blood-stained cuffs, and a silence that was more terrifying than any scream.
The Commissioner, seeing him come through the door, stood up in surprise. "You got here quick?"
His tone made it sound like a question, which he ignored. He stood close to the glass, watching the operation closely, his eyes not leaving Barbara.
James bluntly asked, "What happened?"
There was a shuffle of discomfort from the crowd at his question.
"The Joker," Gordon's voice barely contained the rage.
"Barbara had come home to check on me before I went back to the office. The Joker has launched attacks against City Hall and the Water Treatment Plants. We all thought it was over, but it was merely diversions. His real plan was to kill me... Barbara answered the door... he shot her and I shot back, driving him away."
A hollow feeling entered James as he listened. This was not supposed to happen, watching the surgeons work on her gave him feelings of shame, guilt, anger, and other emotions he not even fathom.
Gordon placed a firm hand on James's shoulder, his voice low. "The bullets... one hit her spine. And another punched through, clipping a lung. They're doing everything they can." The weight of those words pressed into James's chest like iron. In a world where he could lift a mountain with a thought, he couldn't do the one thing that mattered most: protect her.
James did not take his eyes off her still body down below. He started to stretch his senses towards her body to give himself a better idea of what exactly was happening.
"Son," Gordon said hesitantly, "It is going to be alright..."
"Blood loss is far too extreme..." James murmured.
"Sorry... what?" Gordon's confusion showed.
"Blood loss is the first problem they are trying to solve but failing at," he said quietly, "The first bullet punched through, and though it hit the spine, it is quite possible she would survive if impaired for the rest of her life. The second bullet has caused a lot of problems because it clipped a piece of her bone, causing it to splinter and create more internal damage. It would have acted like buckshot and torn holes all around the area. But the bullet didn't stop there, it managed to hit the lung, which is now hanging perilously. If they manage to stop the blood leaks, then they have to figure out how to repair the spinal leak that is now happening. Her chances of survival are growing less with every second."
Gordon watched James with his mouth slightly open. The others, Dick and Jason also stood up hearing his analysis. They all probably knew it was bad, and they also probably got a mixture of reassurances as well as expectations set by the doctors. But at this moment James had all but hinted at his expectation.
Barbara would not survive this.
Following his blunt analysis, the room grew quiet. Jim Gordon sat with a heavy thud back into his chair. His expression was one of shock and denial.
Jason looked confused and annoyed, his head darting around to avoid anyone looking at him.
Dick stood glaring at the back of James head. His senses could feel the man's muscles tighten, indicating his desire to punch him. But he could care less what Dick of all people wanted. Right now, he needed to figure out how to help Barbara.
A slight cough from the doorway had Professor Läufer standing there.
"James, could we talk for a second?"
He stayed exactly where he was thinking through the scenarios the surgeons could do to save Barbara. Each one, however, ended with a very clear flatline.
Professor Läufer walked over to stand next to him. "James, you should sit down and relax. Surgery will take at least a few hours, at minimum."
"I am fine here, sir," James remarked distractedly, "Why are you here of all nights?"
"Gotham General called in all active doctors from the University to help out with the influx of patients. I, unfortunately or fortunately, was still grading papers when the call came in. And despite what you students think, I do still occasionally practice."
A moment of increased excitement came when Barbara's body began jerking around for a brief second before going still.
Dick nearly shouted, "What the hell was that!?!"
"A minor seizure, I suspect," Professor Läufer said, reassuring the room, "It's possible considering how extensive her injuries are."
Turning back to James, the man said, "I know this is difficult, James, you feel powerless, but I want you to know I am here."
That finally broke his gaze from the operation to stare at Professor Läufer.
"What does that mean?"
The professor spoke gently, "You know what I am saying. You know they will try their best, but it's unlikely..."
"She is not going to die!" James hissed.
Professor Läufer stared at him carefully, "Denial is not true to you, James. What can be done to help her? What can anyone do?"
At that, the distinct heart monitor beeping had increased to a sporadic level. Down below in the operating room, everyone was rushing to inject her with stimulants, and a crash cart was brought in.
Everyone in the observation room, still seated, stood up and rushed to the glass to watch carefully.
Seeing her lying on the operating table with the machines indicating a flatline finally snapped something in James.
"James..." the man reached to stop him, but he shrugged it off.
Pushing past Professor Läufer he left the observation room and began to walk with a brisk pace to his destination. He failed to notice the hint of a smile flash across the old man's face before it changed back to one of concern.
Rushing to reach it before it was too late, he found himself spinning around from Dick grabbing his shoulder to face him.
"WHERE THE F&(K ARE YOU GOING!" The man yelled, causing the nurses and orderlies to turn to look at them.
"BARBARA IS DYING AND YOU ARE LEAVING! I KNEW I WAS RIGHT ABOUT YOU BEING A..."
Dick would not finish his sentence as he was thrown back down the halls crashing into a wall leaving a sizable indent.
The suddenness made everyone in the hall go silent, but James did not wait for them to get their senses back. He swiftly made his way to the operation prep room and began scrubbing his arms down.
What he was planning to do even he was not sure about. Part of his mind was screaming at him that he was throwing everything away for a stupid girl. But those thoughts were drowned by the incessant need to save Barbara's life.
With a blast of energy, the surgery doors flung open as he marched in. A few of the nurses blocked his path, demanding he leave, but soon were sent flying into the walls.
The operating room came to a standstill as the other aids backed away, seeing James using his powers.
To the credit of the surgeon, the man took a protective stance in front of Barbara.
"You need to leave here now! The patient is flatlining and you are just going to..."
The man was lifted and thrown behind James, crashing through the operating doors, causing them to break.
James paid no attention to the screaming nurses or aids but walked over and stood before Barbara.
Her face was partially obscured by an oxygen mask, but he could still see the same freckles he woke to almost every night for the last few years. The same fiery red hair was tucked neatly behind her; everything about her was perfect except for her open torso.
The heartbeat monitor had slowed to acceptable levels. But James knew that was the warning sign that Barbara was not pulling through.
From the doorway, he heard the sounds of security coming, and with a grimace, he cast a barrier. A faint shimmer of white was the only evidence of the barrier that caused the security guards to crash into. It was a trick he had developed after realizing that if he could shield himself, he could shield other things. He had not practiced this skill often, but against a couple of normal humans, he knew he could keep them out long enough to do what he needed to.
With assurance that no one would bother him, he closed his eyes and spread his senses all over Barbara's body.
The surgeons had been fighting a losing battle. The sheer amount of internal damage was causing bleeds in no less than a dozen places.
He set to work immediately, laying his hands on her body and using his power to suture the wounds to help minimize the bleeding. So many spots with gouges in the veins slowly bent or pinched themselves to allow blood flow but prevent leakage.
From the surgeon's table, suture wire came perfectly, threading the damaged areas.
While he worked, he occasionally heard gasps from the attendees watching in fear and curiosity as scalpels hovered, pliers twisted, and sutures all floated into perfect alignment. James was still a long way off from being a full-fledged surgeon, but he had learned enough from the League of Shadows and GCU to do what he was doing.
With most of the internal bleeding handled, he focused his senses on the lung. It was hanging perilously, and truth be told, it was out of his wheelhouse of experience. The one thing he was certain about was that it was not life-threatening. He would trust the other doctors to handle it once he felt certain she would survive.
It was the spinal leak that truly terrified him.
If fixing the lung was beyond him, then how in the world would he handle one of the most delicate parts of the body? In his mind, he ran through the many scenarios of how he could help her, but each one ended with her dead quicker.
The heartbeat monitor began picking up its pace. Warnings sounded off from machines detecting a lack of oxygen. Barbara's body was simply giving out.
Even using his powers, he found the faintest touch started a spasm and increased heart rate. With his powers, the smallest of actions, even perhaps down to the eye of a needle, could be taken. But even that level of precision was not enough, the spine was too damaged.
He could theoretically save her life, but that would leave her not much better than a lobotomized, crippled patient. Opening his eyes and watching the machines showed a high level of oxygen deprivation to her brain as the body fought to keep itself alive. The mixture of blood loss, damaged lung, and the spinal fluid leak exacerbated dozens of issues.
"James," the intercom spoke, it was Professor Läufer.
"You have done more than anyone in the world could do for her. It's time to let others in and..."
The man's word drifted away as James' entire focus became Barbara. Her laughter at his dumb jokes, their growing appreciation of cheap Indian food down 5th street, the walks in the park followed by a tender kiss, the smile she gave when she thought he couldn't see.
To have such a connection with someone was beyond what he ever expected in his life. And now that it was threatened, he refused to let it go.
A dull pain began to build behind his eyes as he cupped her head in one hand and laid another on her chest.
He said firmly while looking at her face, "No..."
Closing his eyes, he dove deep within himself. He did not know what he was looking for, nor did he fully understand what he was feeling.
The deeper he went, the further the medical machines sounded, and the worried whispers from medical staff soon faded.
Opening his eyes, he found himself in a black void.
Everywhere he looked, there was nothing, it was not only darkness but the absence of all things. His powers that came as naturally as breathing for him were gone; all his senses felt only the empty void that surrounded him. It was both never-ending and never starting, the sensation of which reminded him of the dream he had had a few years ago.
Just as quickly as the emptiness and aloneness came, it vanished as he felt it.
There was no air, yet it felt like his clothes began to billow around as if he were suddenly in a storm. From behind him, he could feel the hints of light, the same trepidation he felt before came to him as he turned around to face the eye.
Flames of black and white streaked across the massive slit of a catlike eye. Its size was immense, almost as if he were looking at a mountain towering over him.
A blackhole of power roared as he looked upon it, the very space and time of the place groaned and roared from the abyss of whatever it was he looked at.
The eye watched him carefully, never blinking, but its entire attention seemed firmly on him.
The silence between the two stretched.
Then the voice came, it was not a sound but more of reality being forced to give shape to its words.
It spoke, and James listened; it was all he could do.
When it finished speaking, James, with only a momentary hesitation, said with great emotion,
"Yes..."
The voice spoke again with an echo as if a great choir spoke it, but it was undoubtedly one voice. Like the ocean's waves crashing into a beach, it was all one energy. Power seemed to surge into James as he felt like screaming, the entity's voice never wavered, as something within James both broke and was fixed. Unmade and remade, created and destroyed.
The voice then began to dim, and James felt himself forcibly pushed out of the void where he opened his eyes to see himself back in the operating room.
His ears and mind still felt the ringing from what the entity had said and what he had agreed to.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he concentrated harder than he had for many years. It felt like the same level of difficulty he had when he first started using his telekinesis. The pain in his head increased, his strength diminished, and soon blood began to leak from his nose.
James' hands began to heat up, sweat came from his forehead as he focused, and his brown eyes soon were dominated by a familiar black aura.
Holding his hand over her, Barbara's body began to twitch, the heart monitor sounded erratic. Beneath his hand muscle began re-knitting itself together, the lung, which was hanging perilously, raised itself slowly back into place with tissue reconnecting firmly to where it needed to be. Her spine he stayed on for a long time as fluids, nerves, and other vital elements slowly healed themselves. Even her brain, which suffered oxygen deprivation, saw an uptick from the medical machines as the damage done swiftly reversed itself.
Soon, any signs of damage to Barbara evaporated with even the opened slit for the surgeons to work closing itself up with not even a scar.
With a shudder, James took a step back and partly collapsed against the table behind him. He quickly grabbed the edges to keep himself standing. This sensation of exhaustion was both similar to when he pushed himself, but also different. What he had done now was manipulate a different energy from the one he normally tapped into. It would take time to get used to this.
Being weakened like this caused the shield he cast to collapse with security, doctors, Jason, Dick and Jim Gordon rushing into the room. Most stood on the other side of the bed as if fearful of getting too close to where James stood.
Gordon had his gun out but just off to his side; his eyes kept darting to Barbara, who lay there silently.
Everyone's eyes were either wide open, shocked, angry, confused, or all of the above.
With a sigh, James took a few shaky steps towards Barbara.
Gordon, seeing that, raised his firearm, and some of the armed security followed suit.
James said sadly, "Those won't work on me, Commissioner."
Looking at Barbara, he saw her squirm on the operating table and her eyes open with a certain degree of difficulty. For a second, he would have sworn she was looking at him, but then her eyes closed to rest. While he may not know exactly how his new power worked, he felt a certain knowledge that she would not be very coherent for the next few days. She would be exhausted and would need bed rest for a few weeks at minimum to regain her strength.
Leaning over her, he ran his hand through her hair and whispered in her ear, "I love you... I love you... I am sorry..."
With that, James looked back at the gathered crowd.
Security looked nervous but ready to arrest him.
The doctors looked scared, with a few glancing at the monitors in disbelief.
Jim Gordon looked a mixture of shocked, confused, and hopeful at Barbara.
Jason had his typical scowl but kept glancing down at Barbara as if he couldn't believe it.
Dick had a frown as he stared directly at James, it was as if he was demanding an explanation.
"She is going to be alright..." James said with certainty to the crowd.
Then, with one last look at her resting face, he smiled and took a step back into a black portal that whisked him away from the hospital.