Veil of Shadows ๋࣭⭑⚝ Dick Grayson

12 ๋࣭⭑⚝ Hold on hope

Silence enveloped the car during the entire drive up the now dark, snow-covered forest. The vehicle came to a stop at the base of a hill, where a wooden cottage stood. As the other two adults prepared to exit, she absentmindedly grabbed Dick's arm.

"I'm staying here to call Laura... just keeping tabs for her."

"Yeah, of course. I'll, uh, leave the heater running in the car." He nodded slowly, starting the engine again.

"No, no, it's fine-"

Without a word, he switched it on, giving her a knowing look before exiting the vehicle.

"If anything happens, yell." Kory's voice was firm yet light-hearted as it reached her ears. "Your powers are still a bit unstable after that chemical injection-yes, he told me."

She sighed, then let out a short chuckle. "Same goes for you... Please, make sure he doesn't kill anyone in there."

"Gotcha." Kory shot her a quick wink before hurrying after the man.

She watched the pair knock on the door while her phone beeped repeatedly.

"Hi, Julie," Laura's playful tone greeted her.

"Hey, I'm just checking in. Everything with the house okay? The couple's happy?"

"Mhm, the paperwork's all done, and they're settling in just fine."

"Good, good..."

"By that pause, I'm guessing something else came up. Trouble in paradise?"

She groaned at the sound of Laura's laughter from the other end. "No, God, no. It's something else."

"Does it have anything to do with the little... church explosion earlier today?"

"Holy shit, that's already in the news?" she scoffed, disbelieving.

"No, no... just some private insight." Laura's voice was casual. "I told you, dear, the walls have ears."

"This girl, Rachel Roth... I've been zoning in and out of... her consciousness, or I-I don't even know how to explain it... It's like flashes or glimpses of things from her perspective, and it's really messing with me."

The line went silent for a few seconds. "Well, you did get injected with Moraxine recently. Maybe that awakened some dormant ability that links you to this Rachel girl."

"I don't know, whatever it is... It's really throwing me off. We found some messed-up stuff with this other woman, Kory. She claimed to be an alien." She rubbed her forehead.

"Do you believe her?"

"We found her supposed base of operations... She's been hunting for Rachel for years, lost her memory... She had a ton of stuff-papers, Bible verses, cut-outs on the walls... calling it strange doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Huh... describe her again, use the method I taught you. GROUT. Gender, race, over-"

"Under, task. Yes, I remember." She inhaled deeply. "Female... race... alien? I don't know! Dark skin, silk purple dress with a fur coat, boots... finding Rachel to figure out why she was after Rachel... Oh, and I'm going to assume that her bright pink hair and extremely powerful fire abilities are important details too."

"Interesting-"

"Jules!"

Her head snapped up to see Kory shouting at the top of her lungs from the front door. Dick was nowhere in sight.

"Shit, Laura, I gotta go." She quickly hung up, bolting out of the car.

"He's losing it. And there's a kid in the other room." She exhaled shakily, shaking her head as crashing and loud thuds echoed from the nearby room.

She entered to see Dick smashing a beer bottle into his face before repeatedly throwing punches. Her eyes met those of a little boy standing frozen in the doorway. She rushed forward, grabbing his bloodied fist.

"Dick!" He looked back at her, his eyes wild-manic, like the scene back in DC. She bit her lip and nodded at the sight of the helpless child watching in bewilderment and confusion.

This made him take a step back as the boy ran to hug the battered man on the floor. He glanced down at her hands, which were now stained with blood.

He stormed out, unknowingly dragging her along. She stayed silent in the passenger seat, staring at the crimson stains on her palms.

She froze when he suddenly grasped her hand, gently running a damp cloth over it.

"He wasn't supposed to see that." He muttered, trying to sound indifferent, though it was clear he wasn't succeeding. "I lost it. Again."

She bit her cheek, refusing to meet his eyes. She just felt so overwhelmed-seeing that same madness in his eyes again... having to hold him back again.

"Jules."

"Hm?" she hummed in response, still avoiding eye contact, pulling her now-clean hand away.

"I need you to say something."

She suppressed a scoff, turning her gaze forward, her expression as blank as ever.

"Jules."

"What do you want me to say, Richard?" she let out a bitter laugh.

"I didn't mean for that to happen-"

"You know damn well that little boy will never forget that image."

"Of course, I know that!"

"You seem to have forgotten when you were swinging your fists at his face!" She yelled in disbelief. "He was a father!"

"I'm trying to find Rachel! Our priority is Rachel!"

"That doesn't mean you commit a federal crime and leave a trail of blood and lawsuits along the way! You're a detective! If that man decides to press charges, the DA is going to have a field day with you. Your license could be suspended!"

He fell silent, gripping the wheel tightly as another heavy silence filled the car. Kory slid into the vehicle and began briefing them on the new information from the bloodied man. And just like that, they were off.

The drive was painfully tense-and, of course, silent. Finally, Dick spoke quietly.

"Just because he's a father doesn't mean he's a good person."

"I know..." she tried to respond, but he cut her off.

"This is a cruel world, and at some point, you gotta expect the worst."

"You and I both know that." she sighed. "You not only as a vigilante, but also a cop. And I know damn well that you've seen the most fucked up stuff even coming from people who are meant to protect. Trust me. I know.. Fritzl case, father held his daughter captive for 24 years, assaulted, secually abused, and raped her countless times. A Queensland father who sexually abused his own daughter every second day for 11 years. Father rapes and murders 8-year old before throwing her into a well. I do fucking know that not all fathers deserve to be one, and that people can truly be monters. But you of all people should also know that in our line of work, we need to hold on to whatever hope we have in humanity, that single thread of life. To not become who we swore to destroy. Do not become the ones on the other side of that gun."

"I fucked up. I know. I was dead set on finding Rachel. Alright?" his eyes flashed with guilt for a mere second before it hardened. "That boy will have to live with that image in his mind for the rest of his life and that will be on me."

"No.. Dick. It will be on us."