Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Categories:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2025-04-13
Words:
1,050
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
23
Kudos:
118
Bookmarks:
13
Hits:
1,507

The right thing

Summary:

She is no stranger to nightmares. But this one — This one is new.

Notes:

Spoilers for the Season's final! Please, be careful if you didn't finish the show yet!

Also English isn't my first language and it's showing. Hopefully it isn't too messed up.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

She is no stranger to nightmares. But this one— This one is new.

Experiencing the same sequence all over again, she learned to build a wall around her heart. Deep inside it still hurts like hell, but she doesn't pay attention, rolling her eyes at predictability. A twisted blessing in disguise.

The script remains unchanged. She's walking down the empty corridor. Her feet wouldn't obey, carrying her further into darkness. Till the familiar door appears.

Now it's her turn to peep into the keyhole. She leans down, her current height doesn't make it easier anymore. The whole struggle just to see the same damn picture.

Two mismatched eyes are begging for help. A trembling hand is reaching to her. But she's never allowed to touch it. With a demonic laughter a monster falls down from the ceiling, leaving its victim no chance. Blood splatters all over her face. The ugly creature turns around. It used to be her father.

She got used to it. As much as possible. Got used to dull a rising queasy feeling, to bite her lip till she tastes her own blood. Her neighbors are rather sweet people, so she doesn't intend to wake them up with unnecessary screams.

Even her tears dried over time.

She thinks she is in control. One step away from summoning her gun and shooting right in the head. A boring end to a boring movie.

It seems that her confidence got punished with a twist.

The room is empty. Even when she opens the door, nothing changes. Only the night breeze lazily swayes the curtains, letting the moonlight into the dark space.

Something red catches her eye. Not as red as the blood she remembers.

An ominous chill runs down her spine. Her instincts scream at her to run, now. But her body still moves, as if under a spell.

With trembling fingers she picks up a painfully familiar red coat.

Just in the moment, the door slams shut behind her.

“Shit!”

Stumbling, she races to the exit. Of course the door wouldn't budge. Groaning in frustration, she takes a step back, glaring at the stupid coat still squeezed in her hand.

And then she notices. A dark shadow on the floor right in front of her. Merging with her own silhouette, it's clearly towering over her. Tall build, broad shoulders and messy hair. She doesn't have to turn around to know who they belonged to.

No, turning around is out of the question.

“You could come with me if you want.”

Hot breath reaches her neck. Soft voice, filled with hope, makes her skin crawl.

She isn't prepared for this kind of demon. A demon who watched her with kind, laughing eyes. A goofy grin from ear to ear. Firm muscular hand outstretched for peace. The demon who is too irresistible for her taste.

Serpent tempter.

He was the first to shake her simple world. She fought back fiercely, clinging to old black and white truths, but still, something about his behavior didn't sit right with her. Maybe because he is a half-demon, an anomaly himself, but he behaved too humanly. And it pissed her off.

It would be hypocritical to deny that there was something unspoken in the air. A weird tension everytime they locked their eyes. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't that deep. Just adrenaline kicking in, messing with her head.

Maybe they really were birds of feather. Just two battle junkies who managed to share the same playground. And save the world in the process.

But there was another side. A gentle, vulnerable side he hid behind his unfunny jokes. As much as she would prefer to ignore all the signs, she recognized the indelible imprint. The same look she saw in the mirror. The face of someone who had lost something precious and was never the same again.

Still, she only knew him for a day. He had no right to leave such a confusing impact on her. And yet here she is, feeling like her walls are crumbling.

“I did the right thing.”

She whispers through her teeth.
She had to. For the world's sake.

“Just as expected from the lieutenant Arkham.”

The voice teases her back. The shadow’s hand — in a mocking salute.

“But what about your own feelings, Lady? After all we went through?”

“Shut up!”

She shakes her head violently, stepping back, feeling too overwhelmed to face him.

To fulfill her duty, she burned the last bridge. It wasn't even a choice, she had never asked for any alternatives. She didn't plan on being his Lady, running away to follow him on some bizzare adventure. No matter how good it sounded on paper, it was childish and naive to even bring it on, to tempt her with a freedom they would both never have. And yet—

“I told you, I'm sorry! Stop playing as my voice of conscience, damn it!”

“So you do feel guilty, huh.”

The moon trail shimmers and suddenly turns icy blue, just as her back bumps into a cold glass surface. Struggling to steady her legs, she finally turns around.

“I knew you ain't a lost cause.”

***

Mary wakes up with a scream. Clutching the blanket so tightly, she can barely feel her fingers.Tossing the cover aside, she hugs her pillow, breathing heavily, heart pounding like crazy.

The vision is still fresh, making her shiver.

A giant cryopod, glass covered in ice. Only a small window remains. And through this window he is watching.

Surrounded by tubes, immobilized, deprived of his beloved freedom.

It would be better if he was glaring. It would be better if he was cursing her name under his breath. Calling her a traitor. Waiting for a day of reckoning.

It would be such a demon thing to do.

But he cuts her no slack. Not that she deserves one.

Instead, she is met with pity. An endless sadness in the depths of his ocean eyes.

“This bastard!”

A night table yelps under her fist. Trembling under her fury, an alarm-clock reports 4 in the morning. With a groan she stands up, perfectly aware she won't be able to doze off anymore.

She is no stranger to nightmares. But for the first time in years her eyes aren't dry.

Notes:

Sooo-

The show's cliffhanger was great, right? I know there's a lot of controversy around the Netflix's adaptation and I see where's it coming from, but I ended up liking it as its own separate thing.

Ngl the chemistry between DanteLady won my heart. I'm down for a slow born enemies to lovers and that's the vibe their writing is giving. Lady's "betrayal" makes sense to me, heck, we saw her visible doubts during the whole final. Clearly a set up for future realization and development.

Also Dante got such a big soft spot for her despite not so friendly (more like bitchy lol) attitude she gave him in the beginning. He even saw through her soldier loyalty dilemma, so I don't think he will be that surprised about her inner conflict.

Not like I want him to forgive her immediately though, I'm down for a good old redemption arc. Especially if it will involve Lady fixing her own mistakes by saving her frozen bf.

Lady (or more like Mary) in my fic is deep in denial but she knows she did it wrong. Trying to find all excuses possible, she realizes how weirdly attached she feels towards this man. And it's scary. Scarier than any nightmare.

Hopefully it turned out not too OOC. Even if Mary was denied of her swearing lol.

Anyway, thank you for reading everything till the end! I truly appreciate any feedback if you feel like it 💗