14 ๋࣭⭑⚝ Yes, we.

98 5 0
                                    

"All right, guys. Listen up," Dick announced as he entered the room. Kory was leaning against the wall, while the two teens munched on some pizza she had teleported from who-knows-where. Meanwhile, she sat on the floor, her back against the bed, nose buried in her drawing tablet.

"We're all in one piece-Jules, don't make a pun out of that-more or less," he added.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"We need to figure out where we stand and determine what's mission-critical," he continued, ignoring her.

"Mission-critical?" Rachel raised her eyebrows, her mouth full of cheesy pizza.

"Is that a cop thing? Sounds like a cop thing," remarked Garfield, the green-haired boy whose name she now knew.

"I had combat training when I was younger. So did she," Dick nodded toward the brunette still absorbed in her tablet.

"And he's a cop," Rachel added, smirking.

"Sorry, were you referring to we?" Kory pushed off the wall and spoke up.

"We, as of right now, are a group of people with a common enemy," Dick responded dryly.

"Which makes us what?" the woman retorted.

"Let's call it an alliance-one born of mutual need."

"To stay alive," he said flatly, turning to her. "We have no idea how long we have until they find us."

"You just said 'they.' Who are 'they'?" Gar asked as he wandered over to Rachel, pizza box in hand. "And what do they want?"

"We don't know who they are. But they want me," Rachel replied solemnly.

"It's because of her... abilities."

"They make violence look like an art form," Kory remarked, though her tone wasn't serious.

"The people who attacked us fought in unison," Dick continued.

"Not to mention they had some kind of chemical... against me..." Jules sat up straighter.

"They were perfectly coordinated. We're not," Dick sighed. "We can't fight like that unless we learn each other's moves."

"Inspiring," Kory remarked sarcastically, glancing at him. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

"We stick together. And we train." He and the brunette exchanged a brief, knowing glance.

"I saw an old barn on the way here," Jules said, shrugging as she turned her tablet to show them a drawing of the place.

"Okay, to work together, fight, and defend ourselves like a team, we need to see what everyone can do," Dick began.

"Repetitive much?" Jules chuckled as she wandered around the dingy barn-a large brick structure with broody coloring and a high window that let in beams of light in an aesthetic way. "I'd advise against going full super saiyan, though." She patted one of the wooden beams. "This place hasn't been inspected since the early 2000s."

"How do you know that?" Gar raised an eyebrow.

"Cottonwood," she gestured at the beams. "It was largely phased out in the '30s and '40s-too prone to warping and splitting."

"Cool," he grinned.

"Alright, keeping that in mind..." Dick trailed off, glancing at everyone before focusing on Kory. "Kory, Rachel said you can create light and heat. Is that right?"

"Honestly, I'm still trying to figure it out."

"Okay, so let's figure it out together. How exactly does it work?"

Veil of Shadows ๋࣭⭑⚝ Dick GraysonWhere stories live. Discover now