Everything seemed out of focus as Ana ran as fast as she could through the busy halls of the hospital. All the sounds seemed muffled besides the pounding in her head and heart.

Ana practically skidded to a stop. There lay Selina, and for a split second, the med school dropout thought she was dead. Her skin was pale and clammy as she lay unnaturally still on the cot.

Her lips — which were still painted blue — curled into a cruel snarl. "What happened? Who did this?"

The questions felt like they should've been yelled or barked out, but instead, they came out meticulously cold and steady. If the noises of the busy hospital were any louder, the nurse might have missed Ana's words all together.

"We don't know."

We don't know. That was far worse than a name or a description of the suspect. With information, you could pursue it. You could hunt down who was responsible and make them pay. We don't know. That meant, when all was said and done, Ana only had to blame herself.

She fell deathly silent for a moment. All she had done was let Selina go home to feed her cats, but that had been enough.

"I was in med school. What's the damage? Show me."

The doctor jumped slightly as the clipboard was yanked out of her hand. "Leave us."

Ana's hand slipped into Selina's as her other hand brushed the teen's hair back. "I'll find out who did this to you, and I promise I'll make them pay. But first, I'll heal you. I promise."

≈§≈

In a cage on the other side of Gotham, Edward Nygma has had a lot of time to think. If he squints hard enough, Ed could imagine Ana's form smiling mischievously in the stray patches of light that illuminate the room.

"So, I was right. I suppose you owe me an apology now, my precious Enigma."

Here in the dark, Ed allows himself to relax, even if just a bit. He didn't miss the old Edward Nygma, who was quirky and let people walk all over him, but sometimes, just for a moment, he misses the old Ana.

It felt ironic that the warmest person he knew ended up with ice powers. She adapted to survive. Ed of all people could respect that. That didn't mean he didn't miss the jokes, or how she was never afraid to hug him unprompted before.

Ana still loved him, or at the very least she had before he had stormed off in a fit of rage. Ed could see it in her eyes that seemed to only hold warmth for him and the kids under her care.

Ed had to resist the urge to hit something as his frustration started to build in his chest. If I had just listened to her, I wouldn't be in this mess.

A flicker of recognition crossed over his face as familiar yelling started to echo through the room. No. It can't be. But sure enough, there Oswald was, dry as a bone, furious, and very much not dead.

The Riddler's eyes twinkled in the dark as Ana's velvety voice rang through his mind as clear as day. "Use him to claw your way back to me, my clever man."