GUARDIAN

07: The Asylum (1/2)

What's the point of being alive?

If all we do is live in fear.

That's not living, it's just surviving.

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The drive back to the safe house was steeped in a heavy silence, broken only by the hum of the engine and the occasional rustling of Y/n's fingers on her phone. Dick Grayson's eyes flickered between the road and the passenger seat where Y/n sat, lost in thought. The atmosphere was dense with unspoken words and unresolved tensions.

Dick had been replaying the night's events in his mind, piecing together the fractured scenes of Jason's abrupt departure and Y/n's strained demeanor. The confrontation had left him with more questions than answers. A silence between them like a wall that neither seemed inclined to breach.

"Where's Jason?" Dick's voice cut through the quiet as Y/n re-entered the building. His eyes, always perceptive, took in her lone figure with concern.

"Gone." Y/n's response was flat, her gaze momentarily shifting to Dick as she approached him. Her hand moved with a practiced gentleness to check the damage on his face. Her fingers brushed over his swollen cheek and busted lip, causing him to flinch. "What happened?" Dick's voice carried a trace of worry, mixed with a hint of frustration.

Y/n's eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze. "We had a disagreement. We need to head back and regroup."

"Regroup?" Dick's tone was laced with disbelief.

"Yes, regroup." Y/n's response was curt, her tone leaving no room for further discussion.

They made their way back to the safe house, where the air was thick with unspoken tension. Dick's mind was racing, piecing together the fragments of the evening. Jason's sudden departure, his protective stance towards Y/n, and the visible conflict between them were all clues that pointed to a deeper issue.

As they drove away from the city, leaving Jason behind, Dick's thoughts churned. He had always been observant, and it was clear to him that Y/n and Jason's relationship was far from simple. The way Jason had looked out for Y/n, the way he had left so abruptly—it all pointed to something more complex than just a simple disagreement.

Sitting beside Dick in the passenger seat, Y/n appeared distant, lost in her own thoughts. Her silence was a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere that had settled in the car. Dick's gaze settled on her, his curiosity and concern blending into a single, focused question.

"Y/n." He said softly, trying to break through her introspection. "Who are you, Y/n Hayes?"

"A person." Y/n's response was almost dismissive, her eyes fixed on the window.

Dick's expression remained serious. "We never met again after my parents. You never bothered to make an appearance. Yet, you're close to Bruce. I had never seen you."

Y/n's gaze lingered on the window, her voice tinged with a trace of sadness. "Because I kept my distance. I don't think your younger self would have liked me very much."

"Who says I like you now?" Dick's voice held a teasing edge, though there was a seriousness beneath it.

Y/n chuckled softly, the amusement in her eyes briefly lighting up her face. For a moment, the playful tone brought a sense of familiarity, a brief glimpse of what could have been different. But that fleeting warmth quickly evaporated as Y/n's smile faded at the shift of pace. "You might not like me here, but you know for a fact that without me, a lot of things would have gone to shit. Besides, it's better that you don't get too attached," Y/n said, her tone hardening as she fixed her attention on her phone.