A Child's Reality (BBRae AU)

XXII

XXII
A Fissure
~~~

"Gar! Dick! Kori!" Arella calls as she runs through the hospital doors with Kai and Vic in tow. "What happened? How did she break her arm?"

"It was—"

Dick cuts Gar off, knowing that he won't tell the full story, "This idiot over here through it would be a good idea to provoke Ike and he retaliated by breaking Raven's arm."

"Hey!!"

"Don't even try to lie about it, Gar! We heard the tape in the car!"

Gar scowls in frustration.

"Gar, I swear to God, if you don't stop picking fights I'm gonna personally decide how Rita and Steve should ground you." Arella threatens.

"Gar! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Vic chides.

"I was just trying to give him a taste of his own medicine. I didn't think he'd react like that. He was behind the bars..."

"Well, now Raven's arm is broken because of you. You really think it was worth it just to piss him off?"

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to go that far..." Gar solemnly apologizes. Everyone looks at him in utter disgust. They stand in silence for a bit, and Kai then steps out from behind Vic and stomps towards Gar. He can see the ferocious anger in Kai's eyes and it almost frightens him. Kai grabs his collar and twists his fist. The two now a mere inch or two apart, Kai begins to talk.

"You are the dumbest fucking person I've ever met. Why did it take getting your girlfriend's arm broken to realize that you might be in the wrong here?!"

"Kai—"

"Let go of me!" Gar pushes Kai off. "Why the hell are you even here?" He's trying not to sink into himself and give into his guilt. Kai is a living embodiment of all that. Reminding him of his mistakes every time he sees him.

And now Kai's about to do it again.

"I'm here because I seem to care about Raven so much more than you do. You picked a fight with a guy you know is dangerous for what reason?! Shouldn't you have a little more common sense than that?!"

"Shut up, Kai! You haven't had to deal with him like we all have! Especially me and Raven! If you were in my position you would've done the same thing!"

"Dick, was Raven provoking Ike on the tape too?"

"Nope. She was trying to get this loud mouth to shut it." Dick replies promptly with crossed arms.

"So, if you and Raven went through similar situations with him, then why wasn't Raven provoking him like you were? Oh, I know! She knows better than to poke a fucking tiger even if it's in a cage! What the hell did you think was gonna happen?! He was just gonna sit there and take that verbal beating?!"

"Yes..."

Kai throws his hands up in the air in ultimate frustration. Dick and Vic pinch their noses and Arella and Kori can't even look at him.