Veil of Shadows ๋࣭⭑⚝ Dick Grayson

21 ๋࣭⭑⚝ Julissa

"I need to talk to him. Alone."

"Don't think that's a good idea." Dick muttered, pacing infront of the dining table they were all gathered around.

"I need to talk to him. Alone."

"Don't think that's a good idea," Dick muttered, pacing in front of the dining table where everyone was gathered. His steps were restless, like he was trying to shake off the growing tension.

"Why? Because you think I can't take care of myself?" Rachel scoffed, folding her arms defensively.

"That's not the point." His voice was sharp, but his eyes betrayed his frustration.

"I need to find out who he is! Why he's chasing me," she pressed, her words slicing through the uneasy silence like a blade.

Dick sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair before turning to Jules. "Is this really not the best time to bring up the intel Laurine collected?"

Jules exhaled, shaking her head slowly, her expression lined with doubt. "We can't even be sure they aren't feeding us false information on purpose. We don't know what we're dealing with yet."

"Well, regardless, I don't trust him," Dick shot back, crossing his arms firmly, his posture stiff with distrust.

Kory smirked, leaning casually against the counter. "What's not to trust? He's tied up. If he so much as flinches wrong, one word from Rachel, and I'll put my foot through his face." Her voice was light, but there was a deadly promise behind it.

"Jules, please," Rachel begged, her voice trembling slightly as she locked eyes with her. The desperation in her gaze was palpable, her resolve clashing with the uncertainty swirling in the room.

Jules hesitated, biting her cheeks as her glance darted to Dick. "Dick... come on," she urged softly, her tone heavy with quiet pleading.

Dick's jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing as they flicked between Rachel and Jules. After a tense moment, he exhaled sharply. "Five minutes," he relented, the words heavy, like he knew they could cost them more than time.

.˳·˖✶𓆩𓁺𓆪✶˖·˳.

Well, those five minutes ended with Rachel emerging slowly from the bathroom, her hands dripping with crimson liquid. Despite the blood, she wasn't shaking. Her expression was a curious mix of confusion, disdain, and faint realization, as if she was still processing what had just occurred. Without hesitation, she quickly recapped the events for the group before Jules whisked her away, while Dick and Kory charged into the bathroom, determination etched onto their faces.

"So... that went really well," Rachel murmured, sitting stiffly as Jules gently wiped her hands clean with a damp towel, slowly turning it a deep red.

"Hey, new power discovery. I'd say it went pretty decent," Jules replied, forcing a lighthearted tone, though tension weighed heavily in her words.

Once Rachel's hands were clean, Jules discarded the stained towel just as Dick and Kory entered the room. Their expressions were unreadable, their silence heavy. Dick moved immediately to sit beside Rachel, his voice calm but grave. "You were right. Laurine was right."

"She's alive," Jules breathed, the words barely audible.

"Who?" Rachel perked up, her eyes darting to Jules and Dick with sudden, cautious hope.

"Your birth mother," Dick said firmly.

"What...?" Rachel mumbled, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"He claims they've been holding her prisoner," Dick added, his tone laced with skepticism.