Delirium | Titans

Chapter 2

Dick sat on a couple of steps that led up from the kitchen to the living room area. His eyes followed the girl as she paced back and forth restlessly.

"I'm Dick, Dick Grayson." He introduced himself.

She folded her arms across her chest and glanced around the room. "Why am I here? What even is this place?" She asked, studying Dick carefully.

"I brought you here because you're in trouble. Somebody is after you, and they're angry enough that they would burn an entire building down. Why?" He asked.

This young woman intrigued him. His mind spun with questions. Who was she? What had she done to earn so much anger from whoever was after her? Who was even after her?

"It was a bad idea," she stated, glancing towards the window and watching the city below. "Bringing me here." she continued. "They'll be after you too now. Your best bet is to drop me back where you found me and forget you ever knew me."

"They're still out there you know," Dick replied, "the people after you. You aren't safe out there. In here we could protect you, train you."

"I was perfectly fine on my own." She argued, looking away from the window and back at Dick.

"Were you? You were living in an abandoned building that would have burned down around you if I hadn't gotten you out." He said calmly.

She didn't reply this time. Her mind was deep in thought, her eyes lowered to the ground as she considered what he was offering. She could stay there for a little while. It was a considerably more safe place than the streets.

"Fine. I guess I'll be joining your little band of misfits, at least for a little while." She said decisively.

"Good. Do you have a name?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Katarina" She answered, smiling ever so slightly.

———

Katarina silently walked down the hallway. She spotted a doorway and heard a collection of voices. She walked up to the edge of the doorway, staying just out of sight. Keeping her breathing measured, she made sure not to be heard either.

"Do you guys pick people off the street regularly?" One of the female voices asked sarcastically.

"Dick does what Dick does," another voice answered, also a female voice but different from the first one, calmer.

"He just can't resist a stray." A male voice added.

"Do you think she might be a metahuman or an alien?" A second male voice asked, sounding excited.

Someone sighed and the second, calmer, female voice spoke again, "Why don't you just ask her?" she asked.

There was a long silence and Katarina stepped into the doorway. The four teenagers were watching her. The purple haired one had a kind gaze, the green haired one seemed more curious, the silver haired girl looked bored and the black haired boy seemed like he was sizing her up. It didn't help that he was twirling a wooden staff around.

The purple haired girl gestured for her to come in. Katarina took a step into the room.

"I'm Rachel," she introduced herself.

She then proceeded to introduce the other three. Curious green boy was Gar. Annoyed silver haired girl was Rose. Black haired staff boy was Jason. They all continued to watch her, and she got the feeling they were waiting for her to give them her name.

"Katarina." She introduced herself.

"Can you fight?" Jason asked, still twirling the staff he held.

"Can I fight?" Katarina repeated, caught off guard.

She nearly dropped the staff tossed her way. She fumbled for a moment before gripping it gently, looking a bit confused.

Before she could react Jason's staff connected painfully with her side. Her eyes flickered purple for a moment and she gripped her staff tighter. Jason watched her, smirking. His smirk began to fade slightly as her jaw clenched and she bared her teeth.

She lunged forward with surprising speed. She swung her staff in a smooth motion at the side of Jason's head. He quickly blocked her attack with his own staff. She sent a flurry of attacks his way. He found himself barely blocking them all. She landed a solid hit on his leg and swept his feet out from under him. He landed on the floor mat with a thud, his staff dropping out of his hand and rolling away.

He jumped to his feet and moved into a fighting stance. She twirled her staff tauntingly as they circled each other. The others had moved to the edges of the mat, watching the two fight.

She lunged forward again and in a whirlwind of movement she landed a hit on his side. He kicked her staff out of her hand and she let it go flying. They returned to circling for a short moment before he lunged forward and there was another flurry of punching and kicking before it all came to a screeching halt.

She flipped Jason onto his back on the mat and all the air flew out of his lungs with a whoosh. She looked down at him and her eyes flickered purple for a split second. She held a hand out and he stared at it for a moment before grabbing it, pulling himself to his feet.

"I like her." Rose stated from the edge of the mat, a smile on her face.