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"Batman? Batman, can you hear me?"
There's static from the other end and Robin curses under his breath.
""L-language", Bat-Girl breathes out shakily. "You know Agent A'd kill you for that."
"Right now, I think Agent A's the least of our worries."
She gives her best attempt at a laugh, fighting back against her drooping eyelids, and he shuffles closer to her. His hands are sticky with her blood and he feels like he can't breathe, like this might be the end of everything.
"You gotta stay awake", he whispers.
She mumbles something incomprehensible, shivers running through her body. He can't see anyone from the League of Shadows, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.
Betty grabs onto his hand tightly and squeezes it, almost crushing it in her grip. She's pale, so very very pale, and it's beyond the way all the Kanes are. He used to joke that she was a vampire, from how white her skin was.
He wishes they could go back to that.
"Hurts", she mumbles against his cape and he pulls her in closer.
"Just a little longer", he says. "Batman'll be here soon."
The 'he has to be' part goes unsaid.
He's fifteen. He's seen his parents fall to his death, watched civilians die on his watch. He's no stranger to death, not at this point in his life, but still...
He can't have Betty die in his arms, not over a hit that was meant for him. She should be awake and alive and sticking her tongue out at him, berating him for getting hurt, and coming up with some brilliant and ridiculous plan to get them out of this awful situation.
She's good at that, Bat-Girl. Ridiculous plans and awful situations, they stand no chance against her.
She shouldn't be bleeding out in his arms.
Well, unless she's lost a lot of blood like she has right now.
"I started a team", he says suddenly. He's supposed to keep her away, keep her talking. "With KF, Speedy, Aqualad and Wonder Girl."
"What's it like?"
"It's good", he tells her. "Really, really good. You should ━━ you should join us sometime."
She lets out a little huff against him. "Don't wanna ruin your cool guy rep..."
He scoffs. "You couldn't if you tried."
She makes a little noise in protest of that. She's still bleeding, his hands still red, but it doesn't feel as heavy as before.
He's not sure if that's a good thing or not.
But they're gonna get out of this, both of them. They have to. One day, months from now, he'll have to deal with Betty teases him about it, somehow convincing them both that there was never anything to be worried about.
"Betty?" He whispers and he knows that they're not supposed to use their names in the field, but she's being quiet, far, far too quiet. "Betty, can you hear me?"
"Always, Boy Blunder", she murmurs back. It's barely there, the words hardly making a sound, but it's something.
"Yeah. Did I tell you about the time with Roy and the crocodile?" He asks and there's a small shake against his side. It's enough to get him talking, his voice trembling throughout the story, her blood soaking through his fingers despite his best efforts.
It's enough, to keep them both awake, in time for a cape to be wrapped around Betty, for her to be brought somewhere safe and given medical attention.
It's enough, for that short period that feels like an eternity.