-Dick's POV-

I rushed into the hospital. I approached the front desk. On the ride over, my mind started going over every possible situation. Unfortunately, most of them weren't very nice.

"I-I'm Dick Grayson. I'm here for..."

"Victoria Smith?" The desk lady pointed down the hall. I nodded a 'thank you' and ran down the hallway.

I stopped before the door. I took a deep breath as if preparing myself. I didn't know who was behind that door, but I knew for sure it wasn't Athena Thomas. Athena Thomas wasn't a real person. It was always just Nightingale: The Master Assassin. It was never Athena.

I turned the doorknob.

Tears filled my eyes and I cried out. I gasped, covering my mouth as fat, wet tears rolled down my cheeks and onto the hospital floors.

She was there. In front of my eyes. The girl I gave up on was laying on a hospital bed, beaten beyond belief. I never noticed how lonely I had truly been until I was inches from the girl who broke my heart almost two years ago. As I listened to her steady heartbeat over the monitor and her even breaths, I felt at peace. Her even breathing pattern made it feel like she didn't have third degree burns on her abdomen; Like she didn't have whipping scars on her back; Like her arm and leg weren't broken; Like those rope rashes weren't all over her neck. Everything seemed so calm, as if the League of Assassins' brand was printed on her left hand. I sat there all night, just watching her and remembering the girl I used to know. The girl I knew was never this beaten. No, this girl was broken. Damaged. Smashed. Destroyed.

I sat in that hospital chair for three days straight. Bruce was out of town on business and hadn't shown up yet. Doctors came in and out, but I just stared at her. I refused to take my eyes off of her. I feared that if I did, she would be gone again. I didn't even call Barbara to tell her where I was. I completely turned off my phone.

Suddenly, her breaths weren't soft and controlled anymore. They were short and desperate gasps, trying to get air into her collapsed lung. She thrashed and reached for the tube on her vein. Her pants echoed in the room. I ran over and held her arm.

Her eyes were both the same blue color, but they were both bloodshot, making her look like she was bleeding tears. Bruises littered her face as scars crisscrossed all over her skin like tattoos. I knew she wouldn't want to talk, but I didn't care. I couldn't help but stare at that brand on her hand and think about what she must've been through those long twenty months.

She glanced down at my hand and I flashed back to reality. I tore my hand off and stalked back to where I was sitting. I tried to avoid her eyes, but it was of no use. I stared into her bruised face. All I could muster was "Hey."

Doctors suddenly filled the room. They began checking all her charts and monitors and all that doctory-stuff. I just hovered behind them, listening.

The main doctor started to ask her things. "Can you speak, Victoria?" The kind, soft-spoken female doctor asked.

Athena coughed and choked. "I..." She wheezed, her voice coming out quiet and raspy. The doctors handed her a glass of water and she downed it in one sip. She sat up in her bed and cleared her throat. "I...I haven't t-talked in a while," her voice was so raspy and deep, it didn't even sound like her.

"Take it easy, Victoria," one of the other doctors said.

The main doctor smiled. "Do you know how you got here?"

"No," Victoria answered.

"You don't know who brought you here?"

She shook her head.

I looked between all the confused faces, being confused myself. How did she end up in the hospital. I assumed the Police found her, but apparently not.

The doctor shrugged it off. "Okay...how did you get all these injuries? Where are all these scars from?"

Athena looked over at me, knowing that she couldn't tell the truth. I pushed through the doctors. "She should rest, don't you think?"

The doctors all glared at me, except the main one. "You're right. She was in a coma for three days, we shouldn't be asking her these questions," The doctor turned toward Athena, "I'm glad you're okay, Ms. Smith. Get some rest. I'll be back to perform some check ups."

All the doctors filed out of the room, leaving me alone with Athena. "Thanks," she managed to cough out. I sat on the edge of her bed.

There was a knock at the door. Bruce, Tim, and Alfred hustled in. I saw Tim quickly hack the cameras in her room.

"Athena, you're..." Tim glanced down at her. I knew what he was thinking. She was so beaten. And so skinny. Athena used to be one of the most muscular girls I knew. Now, she was all skin and bones. She was so weak.

"Athena, how did you get here? Are you alright?" Bruce was quickly serious, stepping forward. He brought flowers, even though we all knew she didn't care about them.

"I-I'm fine," she allowed Tim to hug her as Bruce angerily stared down at her. I had to admit, I felt the same. Although I was still angry at Athena for leaving me, I was even more furious at whoever had put her in that condition. Bruce clenched his fist.

"We checked the security cameras, but they were all put on a loop at the time of your arrival. You just showed up," Bruce said, pacing. Tim looked sadly at Athena.

"Assassins...t-they were waiting for me...in Gotham," Athena mumbled.

"Assassins? In Gotham?" Alfred placed the flowers in a pot and put it on the bedstand. I sat down in my chair, trying to avoid looking at Athena.

"They...beat me. The rest is fuzzy." Athena seemed scared. It made me feel uneasy. I had never seen that fear in her before.

"Please try your best, Theeny," Tim encouraged, holding her hand. When he saw the brand on her hand, he dropped it and gasped. Bruce stepped forward and gingerly studied it.

"They did this to you? The League made you this way?" Bruce's voice deepened to his Batman voice, showing how angry he was.

"Yes. I betrayed them. T-they had to mark...what was theirs."

"Explain how you got here."

"My memories are...flashes. I was...in and out..." She closed her eyes as if trying to remember, "I saw...boots...dead bodies...a car..."

"What do you mean?" Tim asked.

"Someone killed them...the assassins...he carried me...drove really fast...in his car," her voice started to get flatter and quieter until she couldn't talk over a whisper.

The room was getting crowded. I stepped out, not sparing a single peak at Athena. I turned on my phone. I had twenty missed calls from Barbara. I called her back.

"Where the fuck are you!?" Barbara screamed. I sighed loudly.

"I'm at Gotham Hospital. Athena's back," I answered, making Barbara gasp, "she's in bad condition, but I'll probably be home soon."

"Shouldn't you stay there with her?"

I thought about it. I had been with her for three days. It was easier to deal with her when she was in a coma. She was just a body. But now, she was a person. Now, she was the girl who lied to me, left, and took my heart with her. "No, Bruce is here now."

"I hope she's okay. And I hope you're okay," she sounded worried.

"I'll talk to you when I get back. Love you."

"I love you too." I hung up and went back into the room.

"...can come home," I caught the end of Bruce's sentence. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me.

"Is she ready to leave?" I asked, turning towards the guys. I didn't want to see Athena's face and I didn't want to address her.

"Yeah. Alfred trained as a doctor so he can take care of her at the Manor," Tim said, excitement filling his voice as he talked. Bruce nodded.

"Good. Well, I have to go. Feel better." My voice was void of emotion. I gathered my stuff and left without a goodbye.

I took deep breaths as I rode at top speed through Gotham. I rode past the warehouse I was kept in by the Joker. I blinked away memories from two years ago and tried to put Athena Thomas out of my memory. All of her injuries were burned into my mind.

I dodged in and out of traffic with ease. It was almost noon. I rode to Bludhaven and unlocked my apartment.

I collapsed onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. No matter how many positive things I tried to think about, the only thing that came to mind was Athena in the hospital. I didn't know why she was back. She had left to be with the League again and now she was back? I knew they had done all...that to her, but why? She had gone with them. If she would've just stayed with me...

I closed my eyes. I didn't sleep. The entire day and night I just stared at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the city outside. I clicked on the news to try to distract me.

"Victoria Smith -- Bruce Wayne's ward -- has returned two years later since her mysterious leave. Contrary to most conspiracy theories, Bruce and Victoria both have confirmed she was just on a volunteer trip in Ethiopia. Smith was admitted to Gotham Central Hospital, however, it is only because of a small case of Malaria, doctors say. She will be released from the hospital tomorrow," the reporter explained.

"I hope she gets better. On other news..." I clicked the TV off. It didn't help. But, I was glad Bruce was able to cover up Athena's appearance. Her conspiracy had died down since her disappearance, but I'm glad it was addressed nonetheless.

I still couldn't sleep. Athena's death-like state was haunting me all throughout the night.

~~~~~~~~I'm watching V for Vendetta now and JESUS this movie is so good! Definitely my favorite movie of all time...it's so good. V's whole background story with the torture and everything was basically what Athena went through so yeah. Show this story (and V for Vendetta) some love!~~~~~