Dick rubbed his temples, lines of worry and frustration written over his face. The side of the hospital chair dug into his side, only making the hero's woes increase.

"Stay whelmed." Madison told him, looking over from her bed. Dozens of bandages were wrapped around her hands and wrist, making the girl look like a boxer.

Dick looked up at her. "I'm not overwhelmed, just... tired. It's harder to deal with all this now that Kaldur is gone. And Batman."

"We'll get through it." Madison assured him. "We always do."

"Yeah, well we always have the League to back us up when we don't. We've always had Kaldur too. And Artemis. Not to mention the looming alien invasion." Dick leaned back. "Face it, Madison, we screwed up. Bad."

"We'll be fine."

"How can you be so positive?" He demanded. "You're-"

Dick cut himself off before he could say anything he'd regret.

Madison smiled. "Useless? Broken? I'm used to it. But we've got something the bad guys will never have. With it, I know we'll always make it through."

"Don't say something stupid, like friendship." Dick glared.

"Nope. I was going to say... Okay, yeah, I was going to say that we have each other." Madison huffed. "But if you're so bent on pessimism, go... I don't know. I'm stressed too, Dick, but I've got to hope that things will get better."

"Then you're one step ahead of me." He muttered bitterly.

Madison shifted slightly. "I'm in a hospital for crushed hands, Dick. My career is over, two psycho supervillians are after me, my engagement is ruined, my fiancé is evil, and my best friend is dead. I'm staying whelmed, so you if you want to give up, then get in line."

Dick sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right."

Madison bit her lip. "Look, I'll help you organize missions and everything now that Kaldur is... busy. Just don't give up on me, okay?"

Dick smiled and nodded.

There was a moment of silence as the two heroes sat there. Dick stood up and headed to the door, but he paused on the doorhandle.

"I never thought being a hero would be this hard." He said.

"Neither did I." She told him softly.

"I don't feel like a hero anymore." He breathed. "How do the Leaguers do it?"

Madison didn't know.

Dick waited a moment before opening the door and leaving the room. Immediately, the door opened again and Connor rushed in, looking panicked.

"Did Nightwing finish interrogating you? Are you okay?" He asked rapidly. "Do your hands hurt? Should I go get the doctor? Do we need guards around your doors in case-"

"Connor." Madison raised an eyebrow. "Man up."

He sighed before sitting down. "Okay. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Before you jump to conclusions, which I'm sure are well underway, I want you to know that I'm not in trouble. I just wanted to get in some field work without Nightwing on my back. I found the Reach aliens, so you can't tell me I was being stupid."

Connor frowned. "You're stupid."

She leaned back. "Oh, here it comes. The Kent family traditon of chastising Madison."

"Because you're always doing stupid and dangerous things, Madison! You just won't stay down!" Connor exploded, before falling back into his chair in frustration. "Now you've messed up so bad, there's no turning back."

"I didn't mess up! I got results. The Team and the League have been looking for the Light's partner for months. I found them." Madison glared.

"You also got yourself caught and crippled. Are you completely blind to the effects that your careless lifestyle is having on you?" Connor demanded.

"Careless? Careless, Connor? Really?" Madison growled. "You're a kryptonian! Clark is a kryptonian! Everything I do probably looks dangerous to you, but I'm taking just as many risks as all the other humans!"

"Pulling the kryptonian card on me, again?" Connor glared. "I see the others doing what they do and then I see you, getting kidnapped, going undercover, playing with chaos lords."

Madison scowled.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you're trying to get the bad guys taken down, or yourself." Connor told her.

"Well I didn't ask you to worry about me." Madison huffed. "You have your own problems to deal with. I can takr care of myself."

"Can you?" He asked, standing up. "I know we're both alone in this world, Madison. I thought I could rely on you, of all people, but you're more unsteady than anyone else. You doing dangerous things and you don't even see it."

Madison watched him walk to the door and he opened it, before pausing. "I thought maybe you were just acting like this because Kaldur left you, but I can see now that you've always been this way."

Madison stared at the door after it shut. There was a moment of silence as she waited for Connor to get out of earshot before Madison flung off the thin sheets and swung her legs over the side.

Hospital beds. Lame. Everyone always acted like she was made of glass. Madison hated it.

Why did she need to lay down? Madison's hands were damaged, not her feet! Madison stood up, swaying for a moment before struggling to pull out her iv with her teeth.

Madison looked around and stared at her cloak.

"How am I supposed to put that on!?" She whisper yelled to herself.

▪️◾◼⬛◼◾▪️

Madison found herself walking through the streets, the cloak wrapped around her shoulders and her usual suit on. It took some time, but Madison didn't give up.

Some of the passersby gave her small frowns, clearly confused about the girl's strange white outfit and the uuge bandages on her hands. Others gave her looks of amazement and said small thank yous as they recognized who she was.

On a normal day, Madison would have made herself appear to be wearing jeans and a jacket, but today was no ordinary day. She couldn't snap.

Magic use wasn't impossible, but it would certainly be harder now that she couldn't even bend her own wrists.

Madison reached her destination and huffed, following a couple into the elevator of Clark's apartment.

"Would you press three, please?" She asked politely.

The man glanced at her hands before nodding and pressing the button. "Something go wrong at comicon?"

"Yeah." She huffed. "Turns out I don't look like a ghost."

The woman smiled awkwardly. "Well, your white make-up is convincingly pale."

The doors opened and Madison stepped out, but not before giving the woman a dry thank you.

Madison found her way to the apartment and elbowed the door a few times, her best attempt at knocking. There was a few moments before the door swung open.

Lois's eyes widened before she rushed forward and enveloped Madison in a hug.

"Come in, come in." She said softly, gently pulling Madison into the apartment.

Madison sat at the counter and Lois smiled. "Would you like a glass of water?"

Madison nodded. Her throat was so dry that it was itching. Probably because she hadn't drank anything in forever, but also because Madison was trying to hold in her emotions.

Lois sat down across from the hero and smiled, setting the drink down. "It's been some time. Clark will be relieved to know that you're alive."

"He'll be relieved to know I'm alive, but he'll kick my butt for not telling him." Madison huffed.

She glanced at the water and frowned, before trying to pick it up with her forearms.

"Do you need some help?" Lois asked quietly.

"No, I got it." Madison replied.

There was a small moment of silence. "So what did Connor say?"

"The usual Kent scolding." Madison sighed. "I don't know how you deal with it so well."

Lois smiled. "Well, usual when I'm doing dangerous reporter stuff, I use work as an excuse."

"Does it work?"

"Eh." Lois shrugged. "But Clark can't outwit me in an argue-"

The glass slipped from Madison's lips and out of her reach. Lois lunged forward to catch it, but the glass fell, shattering against the tile floor.

Madison stood up quickly. "I'm so sorry."

Lois waved her off. "No worries, Clark breaks them all the time anyway. I'll get a broom."

Madison stepped to the side, intending to grab a washcloth and soak up the spilled water, but she paused.

She couldn't even wipe up water with these hands.

"I really should start getting plastic cups." Lois said humorously as she walked back into the room. "Considering this family's reputation of breaking things."

Madison watched uselessly as Lois started to sweep up the mess. What was she even good for anymore?

All Madison ever did was hurt people. She hurt Connor, she hurt Lois and Clark, she hurt the team, she hurt herself, she got her family killed.

But worst of all, Madison hurt Kaldur.

Before she knew it, Madison's knees were buckling and Lois was leading the sobbing girl to the couch. Lois hugged Madison and brushed her hair back.

"It's okay." Lois said softly. "Everything is going to be okay."

But nothing was ever going to be okay again.