When Dick got there with some of the team, Danna was sitting on the floor, blinking back tears. Dick quickly turned the team away for a second and reached for her glasses. Handing them to her, he mouthed, What happened?
Danna grasped the glasses and placed them on her blue eyes. Then she choked back on her answer and looked up to Dick.
“She lost, Robin. She finally lost.”
Dick shook his head as the team assumed it was safe to come in. “What’s going on? Where’s Fin?” Mercy asked Nathan, who was biting his lip so hard there was blood. “She’s gone. Gone, I saw. But she promised, she wouldn’t leave, she said she’d win, she’d always win...” Nathan finally broke down and curled into a ball, beginning to sob quietly. Blade looked at him with wide eyes. “What... who? Fin?”
Danna nodded. “That-- that’s not possible! It’s not!” Aisling replied, hastening to fix the hole that she felt opening metaphorically in her.
“It’s true,” Danna said, standing up and brushing off her costume. There was ash scattered on the fabric, and she didn’t want any of it on her when she left. She helped Nathan to his feet, and looked up to see a faint orange mark in the sky. Everyone else saw it too.
“What is that?” Becca looked to Dick, whose eyes were trained on the object. He lifted a hand, as did Danna and Nathan, and the object was suddenly dimmed. It began to fall to the earth, but landing perfectly in Dick’s hands. He turned and handed it to Danna, who let it hang on her finger.
It was a gold locket, one that Fin had used to wear to help control her powers. Danna lifted it back into her hand and stuffed it in her pocket. Then she called her hoverboard and jumped on it, leaving everyone else behind in confusion. Dick turned to the mass, took a deep breath and explained as quickly as possible.
“Every time after becoming the phoenix, Fin passed out, right?”
“Yeah. Why?” Lucas answered, looking doubtfully at where Danna had disappeared.
“Well, when she passed out, she fought with the phoenix force itself over control of her body. Usually, when she woke up as Fin, she would have won.”
Understanding dawned on Fang. “She lost this time?”
Dick nodded. “And she’s probably not coming back.”
Everyone looked at the ground. When they’d find her, they didn’t know, but they knew it had to be soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the distance, Phoenix watched. Her hand reached to brush away the hair from her face, but something stopped her, and she let it drop. Inside her, something screamed to be free. Something about the teens was familiar. No matter... She let her glow die down and she jumped off the building, looking for a place to stay until she was told what to do by her summoner. It had taken long enough to control the body she was in. Now she needed to solve this.
Danna grasped the glasses and placed them on her blue eyes. Then she choked back on her answer and looked up to Dick.
“She lost, Robin. She finally lost.”
Dick shook his head as the team assumed it was safe to come in. “What’s going on? Where’s Fin?” Mercy asked Nathan, who was biting his lip so hard there was blood. “She’s gone. Gone, I saw. But she promised, she wouldn’t leave, she said she’d win, she’d always win...” Nathan finally broke down and curled into a ball, beginning to sob quietly. Blade looked at him with wide eyes. “What... who? Fin?”
Danna nodded. “That-- that’s not possible! It’s not!” Aisling replied, hastening to fix the hole that she felt opening metaphorically in her.
“It’s true,” Danna said, standing up and brushing off her costume. There was ash scattered on the fabric, and she didn’t want any of it on her when she left. She helped Nathan to his feet, and looked up to see a faint orange mark in the sky. Everyone else saw it too.
“What is that?” Becca looked to Dick, whose eyes were trained on the object. He lifted a hand, as did Danna and Nathan, and the object was suddenly dimmed. It began to fall to the earth, but landing perfectly in Dick’s hands. He turned and handed it to Danna, who let it hang on her finger.
It was a gold locket, one that Fin had used to wear to help control her powers. Danna lifted it back into her hand and stuffed it in her pocket. Then she called her hoverboard and jumped on it, leaving everyone else behind in confusion. Dick turned to the mass, took a deep breath and explained as quickly as possible.
“Every time after becoming the phoenix, Fin passed out, right?”
“Yeah. Why?” Lucas answered, looking doubtfully at where Danna had disappeared.
“Well, when she passed out, she fought with the phoenix force itself over control of her body. Usually, when she woke up as Fin, she would have won.”
Understanding dawned on Fang. “She lost this time?”
Dick nodded. “And she’s probably not coming back.”
Everyone looked at the ground. When they’d find her, they didn’t know, but they knew it had to be soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the distance, Phoenix watched. Her hand reached to brush away the hair from her face, but something stopped her, and she let it drop. Inside her, something screamed to be free. Something about the teens was familiar. No matter... She let her glow die down and she jumped off the building, looking for a place to stay until she was told what to do by her summoner. It had taken long enough to control the body she was in. Now she needed to solve this.
