JLA Watchtower (Archive)

The fingers close over it once more, and he rubs roughly at his face, wincing at the pain it elicits. Another moment, and he's getting back to his feet.

Okay. Okay.

He heads over to Jesse, kneeling - or more accurately, sinking - down beside her to check on her condition. He rests a hand on her gently.

I'll get Jesse back to the jet. Donna, arrange for Mammoth and Shimmer to be transferred to a secure holding facility.

From:

middle-amazon.livejournal.com

It's a cosmetic order. They both know it, but orders are action. Action is movement. Movement means going forward and doing something about the insanity rather than giving into it. She holds his eyes just a moment more than she has to.

She picks up Shimmer and turns to the other Titans. "You heard him. Gather up the prisoners and get them to cells now." She calls out on her com... "Arsenal...riot's over, you can come in from door watch and help with the clean up."

From:

damage-granted.livejournal.com

Damage hears Donna, but his eyes remain focused on Nightwing as the elder Titan moves away from him, staggering over to Jesse, slumping down to the ground beside her. He doesn't comprehend the magnitude of what he's just witnessed, does not understand what powered that tremendous rage. He just knows that Donna was able to rein Nightwing in, to bring him back, just like she's done for him on more than one occassion. It's like Grant told her on the flight home from New Jersey - Donna Troy is the heart of the Titans.

Picking himself up off the ground, Damage takes several steps forward, dropping down on one knee beside the unmasked Nightwing, his eyes turned away from the other man out of respect. This might be a bad idea, but Nightwing looks like he's barely holding it together - Damage can always deal with a reprimand later.

Placing glowing fingers on Nightwing's shoulder, Damage nods once. "I've got her, alright?" he asks quietly, keeping his attention fixed on Jesse. With that, the younger Titan slides his arms under Jesse's limp form, then stands, lifting her up, cradling the speedster against his chest grimacing at the pressure on his injured shoulder.

From:

"'m okay," Jesse mumbles as she's lifted. "Pummedown."

From:

"Excuse me, but screw that." Flamebird has been preparing the medical facilities in the jet for the possible wounded for a little bit. "Bring her over here please?"

Because being in proffessional mode means she's less likely to freak out.

From:

damage-granted.livejournal.com

Maybe she really is fine, but Grant's isn't going to take that chance. He saw the beating she took from Superman, just watched her inhale a lungful of poisonous gas, vomit, and collapse. Damage can't do anything for Nightwing at the moment - that appears to be a job for Troia. But, considering how much suffering he's seen his own teammates endure today, he can't stand there and not help.

Adjusting his arms underneath her back, Damage pulls Jesse a little more tightly to him and heads for the jet. "I will, just as soon as I get you inside," he says, glancing down at her briefly.

Moving into the craft, ducking his head low, Damage turns and gives Bette a tired smile. "She's all yours," he says, laying Jesse down. He stands there for a moment, looking between the two women, then turning his attention to Bette. "I'm going to go back down and help the others," he says quietly.

From:

Not that she's trying to be stubborn...it's just that Jesse doesn't much care for fussing, and really, other than the glassy look in her eyes and the huge bruising lump on her jawline, she looks fine. Really. "Don' lehimgo wi'out check...shoulder," she instructs Bette as she grasps at Grant.

From:

"Damage. If anyone else needs help bring them back here and then come back yourself. I need to make sure you didn't do anything else to your shoulder." Flamebird looks down at Jesse and smiles at her softly.

"Shush and lemme look at you." She quickly begins to look her over for anything she can fix other than administering painkillers.

From:

damage-granted.livejournal.com

He was just about to leave when he felt Jesse's fingers graze across his arm, trying to keep him from leaving. She mumbles something incoherent, something about his shoulder, prompting Grant to look over at Bette. She'd seen his arm in a sling when they were aboard the Watchtower, so she knows he's nursing an injury, one that'll probably take longer to heal thanks to all the punching and throwing and being thrown.

He turns his hand, catching Jesse's hand in his, then looks down at her. "I'll come back, alright? Bette'll check me out then," Damage says quietly, showing the speedster a tired smile. He glances over at Bette, then looks back at Jesse. "You'll be fine. You're in good hands."

Releasing Jesse's hand, Damage nods once to Bette and then makes his way out of the jet. It's going to take more than an ice pack and some pain killes to ease the hurts of this long day.

From:

No new injuries are truly evidenced: the concussion and cheek contusion from the Superman fight remain, and in her system are traces of the toxic gas she inhaled so deeply before becoming aware of a need to dissipate it. So she peers up at Flamebird for a moment and reaches for the other blonde's hand. "'s 'kay. Get Ni'wing."

From:

Flamebird takes a moment to slip and oxygen mask around Jesse's face, before kissing her on the forehead. "If he lets me. I think Donna's bringing him in." She squeezes her hand and for a few moments, Jesse might be able to detect a faint tremor in her arm.

It's been a hell of a day. A few days.

From:

Oxygen. Ahhhhhhhh, what a good idea. Nothing will help more, other than more aspirin and about ten hours of sleep. Jesse's eyes close, but after a few deep gulps of clean air she murmurs, "Y'okay?"

From:

"No."

She squeezes Jesse's hand again. "I will be, though."

From:

Jesse's fingers lightly grip Bette's hand, a comfortable and hopefully comforting gesture. "Wanna talk about it?"

From:

"Yes, but not now."

She smiles down at Jesse, using her free hand to slide hair out of her face. "There will be time for it after you've rested and I've tried to get Nightwing to sit down and let me look at him."

From:

"Don't forget to take care of yourself." She's exhausted. And hungry. And she sounds it. "Titans Together...'member?"

From:

"I know." Bette looks down at her and smiles, "You should sleep."

From:

"Go find Nightwing," she repeats softly, more lucidly, before following Bette's direction.

From:

In truth, he hadn't had the strength left to object to the younger Titan. He watches them head back to the jet, feeling resoundingly numb, before he turns and reaches for the melted remainder of his mask in the dirt. He turns it over in his fingers before discarding it once more. It's useless now; his skin too raw and damaged to take it back even if it were still useable.

He's never felt so torn between his duty and his family before. He knows he can't leave the Titans now; but if his daughter is to die, he'll never forgive himself for not being with her in her final moments.

He rocks forward, and sets his feet under him. He's on autopilot as he heads back to the jet, eyes cast downward.

From:

Flamebird is waiting for him there and there is, to her at least, a weird sense of irony about that. She doesn't think she'd ever be able to explain ti to anyone else. She's not even sure she gets it entirely.

Reaching out as he reaches the jet, she takes his arm and guides him toward a place to sit down so she can work on his injuries.

From:

He doesn't bother to protest and sits down heavily, leaning his head back against the cold bulkhead of the ship, closing his eyes against the harsh interior light.

From:

Carefully, silently, Flamebird begins to work, treating his face to begin with. It seems the worst of the damage.

After a moment, she grabs a blanket and lays it across his lap, before she continues to work.

From:

He doesn't say a word; though the occasional tension in his facial expression tells her how much pain he's in. Eventually, he pulls his gloves from his hands, revealing the bloodied mess underneath.

From:

starfire-kory.livejournal.com

Starfire enters the jet. "Alcatraz," she starts to say, then hisses at the sight of Nightwing. "Will he be all right?" she asks Flamebird.

From: