Working With Red

Done and Dealt With

The ride home was silent. 

Nobody spoke a word, though Green Arrow and Dinah were constantly glancing back at you in the rear view mirror. You never once stopped staring out the window beside you, your unblinking eyes locked absentmindedly onto the blurred scenery just outside the car. Your lips were pressed into a tight thin line to keep them from trembling. The ACP was resting in your lap, your white-knuckled grip refusing to release it.

Once you'd arrived at the mansion and pulled into the garage, you wasted no time leaping out of the car and slamming the door shut behind you before sprinting barefoot into the house. You shoved the door open, tears slipping down your cheeks, and you didn't stop until you were in your room. There, you collapsed on your bed, burying your face into one of the many pillows as your incoherent screams became muffled by the material. 

You couldn't breathe. You couldn't think. You couldn't forgive yourself for what you'd just done. 

I'm just like her. 

* * * 

It was a good while before there was a knock at the door, but by then, you'd resorted to nothing much above sniffling. 

You felt absolutely miserable. Your previously-curled hair was a tangled, knotted mess, your makeup was smeared all over your face and pillows, and your throat was incredibly sore from crying so hard. 

"(Y/N)? Sweetheart, are you okay?" Dinah's voice called softly from the hallway. You just sniffled in reply, and Dinah slowly opened the door, peeking her beautiful blonde head around the corner.

"Oh, honey!" Her face immediately fell when she saw the state you were in, and she quickly shut the door behind her and hurried to the bedside. You let out another cry and threw yourself into Dinah's arms, resting your head against her legs to prevent getting makeup all over her dress.

"Oh, (Y/N)," Dinah whispered, gently working her fingers through your knotted hair. "(Y/N), honey, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay!" You cried, looking up at Dinah with bloodshot eyes. "I didn't know what I was doing! I shot them! I didn't know what to do, and I just. . . shot them! Dinah, I killed someone!" 

Dinah's brow furrowed a bit before her mouth fell open, and she grabbed hold of your shoulders, raising you out of her lap to look you in the eye.

"Oh, (Y/N), no! You didn't kill them!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Sweetie, you didn't kill them!" 

"I-I didn't?" Your eyes widened. "B-But. . . I shot them. I shot the three of them, and they all fell on the floor, and they--"

"Sweetie, no!" Dinah said, pulling you into her chest. "God, I thought you were upset because you were scared!"

"I am!" You muttered, whimpering. Dinah smiled softly, stroking your hair. 

"No, honey, I meant I didn't know that's why you were upset," she explained, shushing you softly. "I replaced the bullets in your magazine with tranquilizers before we arrived at the hall. There's no way I would've given you live ammunition." You froze, staring at the wall beside your bed as Dinah's words rolled around in your head.

"So, they're still alive?"

"Yes, honey," Dinah said softly, placing a kiss on the top of your head, "you hit them with tranquilizers, not real bullets, okay?" You fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding, letting your heavy eyes slip closed.

"Okay," you murmured hesitantly, "but why didn't you and Ollie say anything earlier?"

Dinah chuckled, rubbing your arm.