Delirium | Titans

Chapter 15

Dick still couldn't believe his eyes as he stood across from Jacob, though there was a thick glass wall between them this time. Jacob was still rapidly signing as Dick studied him, searching for any evidence that Katarina was tricking him. Jacob didn't look like he had aged a day since they had met. His messy brown hair and bright blue eyes were the exact same.

Dick sighed as he realized he still didn't understand sign language. He opened a small slot in the glass wall and slid a notepad and a pen through before closing it. Jacob bent down and picked the two objects up, understanding what he was supposed to do with it.

He quickly scrawled something across it and then showed it to Dick. "It's been a while." it read, and Jacob added to the message with a good-natured smile. 

Dick nodded, still processing the fact that Jacob was here at all. "How are you here?" Dick asked, ignoring Jacob's friendly greeting. He had decided to treat it like this wasn't really Jacob until he was completely sure.

Jacob paused before writing down an answer. "It's a long story." the paper read.

"I've got time," Dick replied.

Jacob sighed slightly and took a few minutes to write on the paper, tearing a few pages out and crumpling them up before settling on an answer he liked. When he finally turned it back around for Dick to read, he watched Dick's face for his reaction. "I live in Kat's body. I know someone who can change what we look like when I take control, make us look more like me."

Dick stood there silently, processing the information that Jacob had just given him. After a few long moments, he spun on his heel and left the room, too overwhelmed by the situation to keep facing Jacob.

Jacob looked down at the cell floor and sat down in the corner, staring at the blank wall across from him.

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Dick walked into the living room, carrying two bags. Gar jogged in after him, looking between Dick and the bags.

"You're leaving too?" He asked.

"I can't stay here." He said. "Call Bruce if Conner wakes up." He said before walking to the elevator. Gar stood where he was and watched as even Dick abandoned the tower.

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Gar woke up and climbed out of bed. He went to the kitchen and made his smoothie. It was his first day alone in the tower, which was emphasized by the tower's complete silence as he walked to the control room to check on everything. He glanced over the computer monitors, and his eyes stopped on Katarina's cell feed. Well, maybe he wasn't completely alone.

He sat down on the other side of the thick glass wall that separated Katarina from everything. "Hey." he started, looking at Katarina.

"Everyone else is gone, aren't they," she asked, looking over at the green-haired teen.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" He asked curiously.

"Wild guess," she answered flatly.

"So..." Gar said, trying to fill the awkward silence. "Other people live in your body?"

She laughed dryly and held up the notepad she had found on the floor and flipped through. "I guess so."

"You didn't know?"

"Deep down, I think I knew something was different about me...wrong," she said and leaned her head back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.

Gar nodded, not saying anything in response. He didn't know what to say anymore. She seemed so hurt and broken, and he wanted to help her but had no idea how to. Maybe he should take Eve's advice and try to talk to her and understand.

"We all have our demons, right?" She added with a bitter smile.

"Some of us literally," He attempted to joke, thinking about Rachel.

She snickered, and Gar smiled at the small success. "So, I'm guessing your stuck here babysitting me?" she asked.

"Something like that, I guess. I'm also waiting for Conner to wake up." He replied.

"Conner?"

"Oh yeah..." He had momentarily forgotten that she had been locked up and out of the loop. "He's the guy that saved Jason and then got shot. Eve, Kory, and Rachel helped heal him, but he's asleep now," he explained.

"Oh," she said and nodded. She had an idea of who he was talking about now.

"So..."He started again, trying to fill the silence. "Any hobbies? I love video games and older movies. It's a weird combo, I know." 

She shrugged. She always hesitated to let people actually know her. After a moment, she answered. "I'd always hang out at libraries. I loved books and poetry," she said, looking away from him and up at the ceiling.

"Did you ever write any of your own?" He asked curiously, overjoyed at the fact that she had opened up about something, anything.

"Oh, I used to write poetry all the time," she said and laughed, the sound almost genuine that time. "But, I always ended up destroying it." 

Gar nodded. The answer seemed to fit her guarded personality though he could tell he was starting to get her to open up. He started talking again, and she didn't seem to mind answering and talking with him as much as before. Maybe they were making progress, but only time would tell.