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"YOU ALL DESERVE MORE", HE SAYS, BUT AUTUMN DOESN'T GET IT. Perhaps her sense of things is skewed; what's okay to her is probably horrifying to others. The scale of stuff like this had to be dialled back, readjusted in the wake of Coast City and Parallax.
What she's focused on here, as Dick Grayson bares his soul, is this: he's not a killer. He said it himself, that Deathstroke murdered the mysterious former Titan known as Jericho. The assassin is the one at fault here, the one that they should be punishing. He killed his own son and now he has the audacity to come for her friends, to attack the man she loves?
Oh, she is not letting that slide.
Kory, seated next to her as they watch the others from the other side of the room, silently showing their solidarity with Dick, grabs her hand and squeezes, right as Hank gets up. A warning of sorts not to interfere.
And then Hank throws the first punch.
"You lying sack of shit", he spits, barely held back by Dawn.
Kory's hand on her arm is probably all that keeps Autumn at bay, the only thing that tethers her to the here and now. She wants to reach out to Dick, to let him know that it's okay ━━ to tell him that what he's done here? It's forgivable.
Autumn Alita knows about the fine line between redemption and the point where you're too far gone. She's danced across it for years, flirted with each side, and she knows that this, this omission, this desperate plea to keep the shattered remains of his family together, is something that can be fixed.
But maybe the others don't hold that opinion, as Donna asks, "How many other fucking half-truths have you told us?"
Rachel scoffs and Autumn wishes she could miss the way that she meets her gaze. "At least you got a half-truth instead of months of lies.."
"Stay calm", Kory whispers to her, too soft to be heard by anyone else. "Dick needs you calm right now."
So Autumn does. She lets Kory keep a hold of her, the heat that she normally radiates rising to an almost uncomfortable level as they watch the scene play out.
Rose leaves, a maelstrom of rage and grief, silver hair flicking behind her as she storms away with Jason quick on her heels. Autumn doesn't blame her ━━ Rose being mad, she understands perfectly. Jericho was, apparently, her brother, her family, and she, of all people, knows how irrational people can become when their family is involved.
They all start to leave, one by one, Rachel pairing herself up with Donna, and Autumn wishes that she could see Dick's face, that she was able to offer him any sort of comfort.
Kory pulls away to her, drawn to her phone, as Gar pushes himself off the counter. He's still here, though, which Autumn is sure counts for something.
