Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THERE WAS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT HOW DOVE'S BRAIN SHUTDOWN EVERY TIME SHE SAW DICK. Of course, well into her story, it would be a little redundant to mention her feelings for him. She loves him, yadda yadda yadda. It will destroy the world. That's a new feat, at least.
Still, as he lays in front of him, covered in sweat and twitching from a less than restful sleep, she gulps. He looks sick. Deathly so, which only makes it worse for the world, as it becomes nothing but background noise to her.
Not to mention Bruce Wayne casually on the side. Imaginary or not, she's had enough of him for the next decade.
"You're fucking relentless, you know that?" she says, a bit too aggressive. She may have forgotten that he's only a projection, as of now. That may be because she wants the actual Bruce Wayne to get sticks shoved up his ass.
"So are you," he tells her.
Before she can think of answering, he gets a flashlight out and shines it in Dick's eyes to wake him up. She's seconds away from biting his hand off, but it's all too late as Dick's eyes flutter open.
"He needs to rest," she grumbles.
Bruce shakes his head. "He needs to think." He leans forward, over Dick. "Somebody's caught a bug."
The sick son catches a glimpse of an equally, if not differently, sick father. "Oh, fuck."
"Bad news," Bruce starts, before stopping and gesturing to Dove, her arms crossed over her chest. "Well, I have two actually. First, your girlfriend's here."
Dick sits up so fast his head spins. Dove forces him back down. "Easy there, champ."
His eyes shine. Maybe it's because of the fever. "Hey," he mutters at her, risking a lopsided smile.
She grins back at him. "Hey yourself." Her smile quickly dims when she notices the bruises on his face. It's almost tumefied. "Who do I have to kill?"
He frowns, before sighing. "It's my own fault. Busted some guys out of jail. Apparently, guards don't like that."
She scoffs. "Dick Grayson. Next time, try busting yourself out of jail, right? I swear, I can't leave you for more than thirty seconds."
He shakes his head, slowly. Bruce retches, bringing both of them back to reality.
Dick closes his eyes, shivering under the covers. "I'm alone now. I'm all alone."
"Yeah. I see that."
"Of course not!"
Bruce and Dove stare at each other, daring the other to look away first.
The former does, but not without saying, "Blessed isolation. You have arrived. The penance palace." Her stare turns venomous, and he holds out his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me like that. I'm only saying it because he's thinking it."
