Wild Fire ━━ Gar Logan

𝟭𝟬. blast zone

CHAPTER TEN
the ones who see things differently

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

     𝐃ick came back the next day with no sign of Jason who claimed to be the other Robin. His messy hair and that smug smirk on his face every time they mention something about Robin were quite something to see. It was kind of strange to not see him around the penthouse. They didn't know whether to feel happy or sad that the kid was nowhere to be seen, but one thing they know for sure was that don't ask Dick about him.

     The four stayed behind as Rachel went inside the bathroom to interrogate the old man named Adamson (after having a whole argument with Dick since he didn't want her to go). After a few minutes, she came back and Kory and Dick switched with her to interrogate the man. From what Aurora could hear, they weren't doing a lot of talking━she heard pained grunts and lots of yelling━and that was enough to know what was happening in there.

     Aurora sighed and pulled her knees to her chest before closing her eyes. Beside her, Gar snuck a glance her way and smiled a little at the sight of the expression on her face. Across them, Rachel sat on the single couch as they waited for the two adults to finish interrogating Adamson in the bathroom.

     As soon as Dick and Kory came back, they told Rachel that, Angela Azarath, her mother, was still alive somewhere at some asylum, and keeping her as a prisoner. Then Dick claimed that they could also be lying. Kory explained further about Rachel's family, which was pretty messed up by the way, but not like any of them even has a perfect family.

     "We have to go," Rachel exclaimed, dead-set on finding her real mother. Everyone would be too. But they also couldn't just barge into the asylum and ask for the woman. Then again, Aurora knows how Rachel feels. She just wanted a parent. A real one.

     "No one's going anywhere until we take some time for recon."

     "What if they move her? They know we have him."

     "I'm not risking all of our lives on his word," Dick said firmly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

     Rachel got mad when nobody agreed with Dick being wrong, and she walked out of the living room. Aurora sighed, and without another word, she stood up from the couch hurrying after the younger girl. Gar followed close behind her. They saw Rachel inside a room with glass walls, facing the city with her arms crossed. Aurora nodded at him, and Gar knocked against the glass door rhythmically, making the girl glance at them but turn her attention back at the scenery out of spite.

     "Go away."

     "Can we come in? Please?"

     The girl glanced at them again before sighing in defeat. She turned around to face them as they walked inside the room. There was a moment of silence, and Aurora silently tapped her fingers against her thigh, following Gar's movements like a shadow.

     "So, you can heal people?" Gar asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

     "Maybe. I think so," Rachel answered. Then she scoffed. "Like you care."

     He sighed. "Rachel."

     "I can't believe you're on their side. Of all people, I thought you two would understand. Ever since my mom..." Rachel stopped mid-sentence, feeling the tears about to come out of her eyes. "Ever since Melissa died, I've been alone. I don't have anyone."

     "You've got us," Gar said softly.

     She slightly rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, taking a sit on the couch. "You know what I mean, right?"

     "Yeah, I do." He snuck another glance at the redhead as she gently pulled him next to her on the single chair. He sat on the armrest."If I had even the slightest chance of getting my mom back, there's nothing I wouldn't do."

     Rachel's eyes darted between the two of them in confusion. "But you said..."

     "Yeah, I lied," Gar smirked. "I just said what they wanted to hear. You get pretty good at that when you live with Dr. Caulder. If you agree with people, they tend to leave you alone."

     "So..."

     "We'll go with you," Aurora told her. "If your mom's there, we'll find her."

     Gar cleared his throat and brought something out of his pocket. "And, uh, I'm thinking... We go in style."

     Aurora never wanted to be cramped between Rachel and Gar inside a cab they hailed but there she was, on their way to Rachel's mother's whereabouts. An awkward silence settled between the three of them, and because she was in the middle, she couldn't look anywhere else but the front since Gar was busy looking out the windows, Rachel doing the same thing on her other side.

     The only noise came from the car radio, playing some random old song that none of them knew whilst the rain in the middle of cold winter dropped outside. The constant sound of it hitting the car roof and the windows mixed with the song. Aurora never liked the rain, although she couldn't lie that it felt nice sometimes.

     "You know," Rachel started. "it's, like, a federal offense to use someone else's Uber account."

     "It is?" Aurora asked, a little worried.

     Gar hesitated. Then he shook his head. "No, it's not."

     Rachel glanced at him with a slight roll of her eyes. "Even so, Kory may kick your ass." 

     "Uh... you two will protect me." He shrugged.

     "Is that so?" Rachel raised her brows.

     "Yeah, it is," Gar said confidently, smiling to himself as he looked out the window, which made the two girls roll their eyes at the same time.

     Silence washed over the trio until Rachel muttered rather somberly, "I wonder how long they've had her."

     Gar furrowed his brows in thought. "Could be why she never came looking for you."

     Aurora was listening quietly, a little busy keeping herself warm as she rubbed her hands together to create some warmth. Gar noticed it, and he gently grabbed her hands and blew some air on them, making her scrunch her face up in amusement, although feeling a little warmer now.

     Unknowingly, the two teenagers were grateful that it was dark inside the cab so neither of them could see the blush on their cheeks. 

     "I wonder if she'll even recognize me," Rachel said, a little worried.

     They quickly averted their attention towards her, Gar letting go of her hands (which was kind of a bummer, but Aurora didn't say anything).

     "Mothers always do," Gar said wistfully, only for Rachel to turn her attention toward him with a small frown. "It's like with animals. Mother wolves always know their offspring by their scent."

     "You saying I smell?" Rachel said, offended.

     Aurora pursed her lips in amusement when Gar made a face and put his hand up, making a gesture that said, A little. Rachel refrained from saying something smart and looked back outside the window, sighing under her breath, both from slight embarrassment and amusement. Neither of them knew it would be their last laugh of the day.