Black Dahlia || Dick Grayson [Titans] ✔️

FAMILY FEUD

The empty space seemed thick with static after the words, everything suddenly clicking into place in my mind. I'd come to learn something about my past, see the only blood relative I knew of that was left and maybe pick up where I never knew I left off. Until D'amato had spoken those words, I hadn't realized how much I wanted to have a brother again. How much I wanted to hear stories of us growing up, being carefree children before our parents turned us into lab experiments, bond over things I didn't yet know we had in common. I wanted to feel what it was like to have a sibling that cared for me as much as I cared for them, who was happy to have me in their life like I would undoubtedly feel with them.

In that moment, I realized it was something I'd already begun to have in a way; but it wasn't with Roman. It was with Jason. The need to find him and make sure he was alive drove even harder in my chest as I glared at my supposed family, wondering what Roman would do next.

There was no mistaking the ferocity on my face; I wouldn't sacrifice my life for him. Not willingly and for damn sure not without a fight.

"So that's why you wanted me here so badly," I said to him, closing the distance between us even more. I didn't care about the unknowns anymore. He wanted me dead and now the feeling was mutual. One way or another, only one of us was walking out of here tonight. "You don't actually care that I'm back except that it can save you. You didn't kill all those people out of revenge for me, you killed them because you thought they'd killed you."

The distracted look disappeared from Roman's face, his attention entirely on me now. His features morphed into something darker, his mind clearly working through a plan on how to handle the situations. My own mind was working on it too, wondering now more than before just how he'd killed everyone in CADMUS that night and if it was a way that would give me enough time to strike out at least once. It would take maybe a second for any plant life to answer my call before lashing out at him, but if his attack struck first there was no guarantee mine would land.

"I think you're missing a very key point here," Roman finally said, tone void of emotion. "You can't actually die. Not permanently, anyway. I think you've proved that enough so far, don't you?"

I thought back to Dick sending my blood to Bruce, his uncertainty that it may or may not be something I could do again. It wasn't something he seemed keen on finding out first hand and honestly, neither was I. I'd died more than enough already. "No, I don't actually. And something tells me that, even if I had, whatever is required to save you would be a more permanent end for me."

"Won't know unless we try."

"Guess we'll never have an answer then."

Roman's hands clenched into fists at his side and adrenaline buzzed through me, preparing me for a fight. I could almost feel the energy beneath my feet, beneath the cement, rumbling as the plants prepared to aid me. My nerves tingled under my skin, ready to react to anything.

The loud crash of broken glass echoed through the room and we both looked up in time to see it rain down from the high second floor above, paired with a dark figure hurdling to the ground. It took a few seconds to recognize the outline of the thick boots and sleek suit, but once I had the panic that ran its way through me was hard to ignore. It was lucky I was already prepped for quick reactions because my brain seemed to react before the rest of me could catch up. The ground shook with force as the green broke through the concrete, soaring out without direction and wrapping around Dick in it's own sort of embrace before he could smash to his end. I barely let out a sigh of relief as the foliage brought him to my side before my eyes flew back up to where he'd come from, spotting a barely backlit silhouette of someone looking down at us.

Even before he'd misted away and materialized before us, I knew it was Hurricane.

Feeling the heat of him next to me, I brought my eyes back to Dick, quickly assessing him for damage. There was blood smeared down his right temple to his cheek, a scratch on the opposite side, minor scattered cuts from the glass; but otherwise he seemed unharmed. His suit was still intact, no obvious or life threatening wounds that I could see, though he was breathing a bit more raggedly than I cared for. He stared back at me thankfully, his own eyes scanning over me for injuries. When he found none, I could almost feel the relief radiating from him.