ɢʜᴏꜱᴛꜱ | ᴅ. ɢʀᴀʏꜱᴏɴ

chapter 25

25. alliance

•—✽—✽—✽—•

five minutes later

"SO I SEE THE CAVALRY'S ARRIVED," PAIGE said as she greeted Hank, Dawn, and Donna as soon as they got out of the elevator. "But the question is, why?"

"You guys have no idea how much this place misses you," Rachel interrupted as she, Gar, and Jason, walked into the main living space, ready to greet the three former Titans.

"This place, huh?" Dawn asked as she hugged Rachel and Gar.

"So where's Kory?" Rachel asked Donna.

The woman had a blank expression on her face before coming up with something to respond with. In all honesty, she didn't even know where the Tamaranean had gone off to. The last thing she knew, she was on a stakeout with Kory to arrest someone. Donna had gone to meet up with Kory at the taco truck they were planning on getting food from, but when she arrived, the woman was gone. So maybe her explanation wouldn't be that difficult to come up with. "She sort of vanished."

"What do you mean by 'vanished'?"

"I don't know. She's not answering her phone. But you know, she mentioned she wanted to see Florida. So, I figured she made an Irish exit and took a quick little trip," she explained to try and ease the girl's worry.

"I'm sure she's fine, Rachel," Paige added. "It's Kory, she'll be alright."

The sound of footsteps allowed everyone to know of Dick's presence whether they were looking at him or not. And in classic Dick style, the first thing he asked was, "Were you followed?"

"We shell gamed before we knocked. Covered our tracks," Hank said.

"Can you guys give us a minute, please?" Dick asked as Rachel and Gar nodded before Jason unwillingly followed after being told to leave as well. "I wish the circumstances were better, but...Welcome home."

"You okay?" Dawn asked.

"Better now that you're all here." Paige glanced at him through the corner of her eye, but decided not to think too much into the response.

"Two attacks in two days. Did you find out anything?" Hank asked.

"Nothing you guys don't already know. Dr. Light's out of prison. Someone broke him out. There's been a trail of dead bodies ever since."

"We know. He killed a friend."

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Thanks to Robin-two-point-whatever, that little TV announcement put a target on our back."

"Ok, well, you can't outrightly blame Jason. He didn't mean anything by it. How was he supposed to know what would happen?" Paige piped up after Hanks remark.

"Can't I?" he asked, his eyes narrowing challengingly as she returned the same expression.

"Whatever the reason," Dick interrupted before an argument could occur, "Arthur Light's on a payback mission. He was trying to pick us off one by one. So, chances are, he's after us all now. But we're together and we're strong."