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She could smell it before she saw her only hope of getting out of this place alive burn away. It was over, she realised. This is where her story ends, poisoned on a secret island, far away from her friends and found family. Alone. No matter what she does, somehow she always ends up alone. The thought of finally seeing her mom again crossed her mind. She misses her so much.
She could feel the chilling cold on her back as she laid against a boulder and stared at the flames. Will they find her body? Or will she be lost like Kate Kane, Ryan wondered. With each breath that she took her lungs hurt more and she could taste blood in her mouth.
Ryan’s eyes felt heavy as she suddenly heard footsteps. "Shit", she thought, not having the energy to fight anymore, but not wanting to die at the hands of Safiya's men. She grabbed one of her blades and waited quietly. The footsteps came closer and closer. Suddenly Sophie’s form appeared in Ryan’s view.
"Oh my god." Sophie said in disbelief, looking at the desert roses.
"It's too late." Ryan whispered, already having accepted her fate.
Sophie turned around and finally spotted Ryan on the floor. She quickly moved towards her and kneeled down right next to her, placing her hand on her knee.
"Are you okay? Did you get a desert rose?" she moved her hands over Ryan to check on her.
"No", Ryan swallowed her blood, “it wasn't meant to be." She struggled to breathe and laid her head down and let her eyes slip shut. She was so goddamn tired.
Sophie held Ryan's arms and gently tried to pull her up. "The commander thinks he can hotwire the plane. We need to go now! Come on."
This time Ryan couldn't swallow the blood filling in her mouth and spit it out. “I am not gonna make it."
Sophie's eyes welled up at the thought of losing another batwoman."You don't know that", she whispered "let’s try."
"I've got maybe a few hours left," Ryan shook her head in defeat "there is nothing left for me."
Sophie felt her throat close up. This couldn't be happening. She held Ryan's hands.
"Will you sit here with me," Ryan almost begged, squeezing the other woman’s hand.
"Please, I don't want to die alone."
Sophie swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded as she moved to sit next to batwoman. She felt batwoman put her head on her shoulder. "I am sorry we got off on the wrong foot." Sophie said as she took batwoman’s hand in her own. She felt powerless watching the other woman suffer and not being able to offer her anything besides a little comfort.
Ryan closed her eyes and moved closer to Sophie. She was getting so cold. "It's because I am not Kate."
She knew many people around her disliked her for something she had no control over. She isn't Kate. She is Ryan and she wanted to go away as Ryan. She wanted Sophie to know that Ryan is more than inmate 4075. That she is more than a file in her desk of a girl who constantly ends up in her interview room. She needs her to know she can do good. Be good.
She needs Sophie to know she is batwoman.
She opened her eyes and looked at Sophie with determination. "I want to die as me", she said and took her hand from Sophie’s hold. Ryan tried to grab her mask and pull it off but her arms were too heavy.
Sophie understood what batwoman was trying to do. She moved her hands over Ryan's and held the mask. "Are you sure?", she whispered.
"Please." Ryan anxiously looked at Sophie as her mask came off. The secret was out.
Sophie was speechless. Batwoman was the same girl she had put in jail. The same girl she had in her interview room a couple weeks ago. And now she was dying in her arms. "Ryan?" she felt her own tears falling on her cheeks.
Ryan felt her consciousness weaken. Was Sophie crying?
"Thank you for not leaving me alone."