stranger things | dick grayson

forty-six

word count: 1.7k

~

Listening to Dick and Dawn work together to attempt to figure out the message behind the code of bird names, Eleanor took more interest in Kory's dress, which she looked perfect wearing. She ran her finger along the side of it, pulling a face at the feeling of leather under her calloused touch but a new voice caused her to look at the person in shock.

'I pedalled as fast as I could,' Hank said and put his hands on his hips.

Eleanor awed in delight, happy to see her old friend as Kory laughed and threw her arms around him in a hug, one in which he returned.

'How are you doing, Kory?' He asked and stepped around her to pull Eleanor in for a tight hug. 'Lookin' good, El.'

'Oh!' She muttered bashfully and waved him off, causing Kory to laugh even harder. 'It's about time you got here,' she said to him, her way of saying how happy she was to have him there.

'Hey, buddy,' Dick said and smiled up at him.

'So, are we suiting up?' Hank asked through laughter, looking at Dawn who averted her gaze. Eleanor completely forgot about their breakup if she was being honest. It was just strange to her that they weren't Hank and Dawn, they were just Hank, and Dawn.

+

Eleanor adjusted her hood and fixed her mask as she kept her head down and followed behind the line of heroes as they marched over to the barricade to where Barbara and Nightwing were talking.

'They have hostages, but they won't talk to us. Issued no demands. It's not a bank robbery.' Barbara sighed and shook her head from side to side.

'Tell your men to pull back,' Nightwing said, glancing over his shoulder at the bank.

'Pull back?' She asked incredulously.

'It's a setup, just like with Ann Williams. They've been forced into this. I think it's the same person behind it.'

'So what? We just pull back, wait for the mayhem to start?'

Nightwing shook his head. 

'No, I can go in there and talk to them. They're not criminals, they're parents. They think their children are in danger. Gar and Conner are searching for the kids right now. That's the leverage... We find them, this all goes away. Call your men off and let us handle it,' he said. His tone of voice proved he wasn't asking for permission, rather he was telling.

'If you're wrong, this is gonna be a bloodbath,' she warned him sternly.

He looked at Eleanor and the others before reassuring her by saying, 'We got this.'

'Stand down!' Barbra shouted over the clamour of policemen relaying the message.

As they all moved towards the bank, they fell in sync.

'All right. Each of us has a gunman to contain. But remember, they're not professionals. They're scared, maybe on drugs, so don't be surprised if they're irrational,' Nightwing said and glanced at the two pairs on both his sides. 'No sudden moves. No loud voices. The calmer the better.'

'Hey, she's out then man,' Hawk said as they all stopped. He gestured to Eleanor who shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, deeply offended. 'You're a little intense. You will set them off.'

'Oh!' She scoffed but her mouth fell open when Starfire and Dove winced. 'You're kidding me?'

Nightwing placed his hand on her shoulder, 'Keep watch from out here, we'll be out as quickly as we can.'