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Her pulse was rising. Blood was pooling around her, too thick, too fast. He jerkily stroked her hair, smoothing it down and consequently matting it with her own blood. His other hand gripped hers tightly as he put as much pressure through their hands and onto the wound as he could. She whined through the pain, and his stomach churned at the sound. No human should ever make that sound, she should not be making that sound. “She’s stable.”Her blood all over him-“Question.” He looked up sharply, meeting the Watchtower doctor’s eyes. “She’s stable.”Vic’s eyes shot to behind the man, where Helena lay. The heart monitor was beeping at a steady pace—he hadn’t even noticed it was hooked up—far more peaceful than the pulse he felt beneath his fingers. Her face was stripped of her mask, and instead an oxygen mask was strapped to her face. It fogged up in rhythmic pulses, indicating she was breathing. Vic suddenly became distinctly aware that his breathing did not match. He could feel his own face wet from humidity under his mask with every breath he took. For one second he pretended like he was fine, as he murmured a ‘thank you’ to the doctor.He took an uneasy step, then another, until he stood at her bedside. Her hair was a tangled mess and the blood had dried so dark it was difficult to tell where it stopped and her locks began. Her chin was developing an array of scabs, and he fought to keep the image of her eating pavement out of his mind, and failing.The doctors had opted to leave her top on, for decency’s sake. Most of the wound was exposed on her stomach, but they had to cut into the side of her costume to fully treat the area. A large swath of bandages wrapped around her midsection, and he could see an ugly bruise bleeding out from the area.The back of his fingers skirted across her cheek. He decided he wasn’t a fan of her silence, at least not of this kind. It was unlike the peaceful tranquility of her form beside him, blissfully dreaming in the night. This silence was a sign of her spark taken from her, every sharp retort muted so her body could heal. He cocked his head.“Be good to her,” he commanded the doctor, before turning. He paused by the window, activating its cloudy shield, before stepping out the door and closing it behind him. “How is she?” Batman asked. Question didn’t answer him. Instead, he took a swing at the Dark Knight, landing a punch square in the jaw. Batman clearly hadn’t expected the blow, having staggered backwards and was now rubbing at his jaw, eyeing Question carefully. Vic grabbed at the fabric draped around the man’s shoulders and shoved, pinning Batman against the wall with a metallic shudder punctuating the action.Batman’s eyes narrowed. Question gave up on controlling his tone.“You piece of filth,” he spat. “She isn’t League; what were you doing giving her League assignments?”“It wasn’t League business. It was mine,” Batman replied steadily.Question’s hands shook. “She is not one of your errand boys.”“No, but despite her disdain for authority, she is still a useful member of the community.”“You used her need for approval against her to do your dirty work!” He leaned in close. “I see your game, Batman. We’re all just pawns to you, aren’t we? And you don’t care which pieces the enemy captures.”“Huntress is capable of making her own decisions,” Batman said flatly.Question had half a mind to sock him in the face again, before he heard his name being called. There was a flash of green and a hand on his shoulder.He whipped his head around to see Green Arrow, wide-eyed and trying to wedge himself between the two men. “How about we calm down?” Arrow said. He caught Question’s eye. “Fighting like this won’t help anything.”Question stared back at Batman. He found it ironic how, despite the fact that Question was the one with the featureless mask, Batman was the one whose face was completely unreadable. He let him go.Voice sounding miserable, Question said, “I quit.” He was done playing with macho giants who didn’t give a crap about anybody else.“Question,” Batman called, but Q’s back was already turned. “Leave it,” he heard Arrow’s voice from behind, and he was mildly surprised at the cool tone. Vic vanished into the medical room, and he made sure to keep the window fogged over. “She’s going to be out for a while,” the doctor told him. He nodded stiffly and slid a chair to Helena’s bedside and collapsed into it. A moment later the door behind him slid open.“How is she?” came Arrow’s voice.“Stable.” A beat. “Why are you here?” “Canary was worried about her.” Question’s heart wrenched at that. Helena had a friend. Vic placed his hand gently atop hers, softly caressing her fingers. “Look, I don’t blame you for quitting,” Arrow continued. “I’m usually the first in line when it comes to distrusting these guys. But are you sure this is what you want to do?”“I’m sure.” He cast a glance up at Arrow. “Besides, we both know I hardly fit in anyway.”Arrow’s eyes flitted downward, briefly. “Look, Question. I’m not a big fan of yours, but I understand where you’re coming from. If it was Canary…” His voice trailed off as his eyes fixed on Helena.“I know.” Arrow met his eyes again. Question’s eyes darkened under the mask. “Keep them in check,” he said gravely. “Don’t let this happen again.”Arrow held his stare. “I won’t.”Question returned his attention to Helena, who was still dead to the world. He heard Arrow’s footsteps retreat and the door slide shut behind him. Question stayed at Helena’s side, and he wasn’t planning on leaving for a long time.