Vigilante Justice - A Young Justice Fanfiction

Chapter 13: An Interrogation Goes Out with a Bang

Contrary to popular belief, Dick Grayson was not blind to the looks he sometimes got.

There were the glares of haters, the ambitious once-overs of ladder climbing businessmen, and the crazed eye-undressing of his fans.

The last were his least favourite. Hate he could handle, but the actual shrines some people had put together? Terrifying.

That all to say, he was used to being stared at. Used to being in the public's eye as both a celebrity and wanted vigilante.

And yet, despite that, the way Artemis just kept staring at him had Dick completely confused.

Seriously, what was her problem? One minute she seemed ready to fill him so full of arrows he'd resemble a porcupine, then the next she's looking all shocked. Like he'd just sprouted a tail, or something.

He couldn't even properly come up with a metaphor because it was so weird.

It was while he was doing his best to ignore her that he knelt in front of Ida, pulling out his phone so he could type out any especially crucial details.

But the back of his neck kept prickling, and he knew the archer was staring, that same oddly surprised expression on her face. He was half-tempted to turn around and catch her in the act, but they had bigger fish to fry.

Like the rampaging murderer that had literally torn apart several people in the room next door.

Ida had, thankfully. stopped trembling now that Addams (oh how his blood pressure rose at the mere thought of that absolute moron) was out of the picture.

Tuning out Artemis and the rest of the heroes, he fixed their witness with what was hopefully a soft smile—he was a little rusty in the 'being friendly' department—and got down to business. "Can you tell me where you were at the time of the attack?"

Dick found it better to start with easier questions; to build up to the ones requiring more difficult answers. The last thing he wanted was to traumatize her further.

"I was just here, at the bar. Most of my usual clients don't come in till later, round dark, but Bill pays me double to hang 'round during the day."

"Bill?" He kept his tone low, conversational. Like they were simply two old friends having brunch. "Is he your boss?"

Ida paled, one of her hands twisting the buttons of her blouse. "Was. He was my boss—" She choked, knuckles white where they were clutching at her shirt. "He was the first to—to go."

"Hey," He extended his hand, letting it hover above her knee. "Do you mind if I touch you?"

Again, he felt Artemis' gaze swivel to the back of his head. She was staring.

Was she suspicious? Was she trying to incinerate him with sheer glare power? Was she getting ready to jump him?

Ida, unaware of his internal crises, nodded, so he gently placed three fingers on the denim covering her knee.

He'd always found person-to-person contact grounding during times like this, a pressure he could focus on outside of the mess in his head. "I understand that this is hard for you, but I also know that, if you're anything like Hennessey, you are more than strong enough to survive this."

She sucked in a shuddery breath, then nodded again, back straightening against the chair. "I was...mixing drinks behind the bar. I'm technically not supposed to, but Bill...he said the patrons think it's hot. Or something. He was the owner, you know, so what he says goes. Went." Another trembling breath, and she continued. "What he said went. Bill was meeting up with some new guys in town. Said they were suppliers."