For The Reason Of Temporary Insanity: A DC Fanfiction

Death's Secrets

Lucilla

Lucilla watched as Robin and Rhyss left for a cup of crack - caffeine. Smirking at the fact, she turned and looked at Red Hood. He didn’t seem to care about the gruesome scene before him. He just sat there and played with one of his pistols.

“Why didn’t he do anything?” Lucilla found herself asking suddenly. Hood looked up and tilted his head to the side. She couldn’t see his face but she knew he was smirking.

“That was his way of being...stunned? Surprised? Curious? Eh I guess all of the above.”  He said casually, waving his gun around. Lucilla raised an eyebrow,

“Well I guess what Hailey can do is...weird? Unnatural? Something you don’t see everyday?” she mimicked. Hood gave a short laugh, and glanced over at Lucilla’s sister. Who was currently talking to Nightwing about her power.

“I never got your name. Red Hood.” he said introducing himself. Lucilla smirked,

“Lucilla Hawthorne.”

“What else can she do?” a dark stern voice asked from behind her. Lucilla glanced at the Dark Knight and thought carefully about her words.

“Hailey is complex. She can, for a short time, talk to the dead.” she finally replied after a few minutes. She wasn’t lying, but she sure as hell wasn’t gonna give him the whole truth. Lucilla glanced over at her sister with a worried gaze. She could tell Hailey was exhausted. The young woman was leaning against the semi clean alley wall trying to keep up a conversation with the first boy wonder.

“Why did you come to the crime scene?” Batman shot at her. Lucilla chuckled and tilted her head in his direction,

“A healthy dose of curiosity. And a sister who enjoys the police scanner a little too much.” she said crossing her arms.  Batman looked at her in his stern brooding way before heading toward the victim.

Sending a few more worried glances toward her sister, Lucilla closed her eyes. To a normal person it looked as if she were blinking. But in reality she was talking to her familiars. A light tingle rippled across her back.

‘Gideon. Go to Hailey, watch out for her.‘

Lucilla felt the small of her back get warm as the wolf left her body. Guaranteed Gideon was safe on her sister's back.   

Opening her eyes, Lucilla sighed. The night air started to become colder, Lucilla wrapped her arms tighter around herself. Her breath came out in white puffs, and the sound of car made her head snap to the mouth of the alley. The commissioner arrived with the medical examiner.  

Gordon gave Lucilla a look. When he opened his mouth to ask who the hell she was, Batman shook his head. Gordon raised an eyebrow before walking over to the Dark Knight and lighting his pipe.

Lucilla watched as the Medical examiner carted Jamieson away. The poor man didn’t have a chance. Cold to the bone, and neck slit ear to ear. Lucilla took out her cell and quickly typed in Jamieson’s information.

‘Should send his wife some flowers…’ she thought sadly before shoving the device into her jeans.

Out of the corner of her eye Lucilla caught Hailey excuse herself and stumble out of the alley. Frowning Lucilla started to follow but was stopped by Hood as they watched Nightwing walking quickly after her..

‘I hope she’s okay’ she thought. Then an idea coursed through her. Clearing her mind, Lucilla raised her arm a fraction. A pitch black raven morphed out of her skin. With it perched on her arm, she sent it in the air.

‘Keep an eye on things.’

The bird croaked in reply before flying off. Lucilla looked over toward the bat clan, Batman and the Commissioner were at the darker end of alley going over evidence. Red Hood on the other hand was staring at her very intently.

‘Well shit. Didn’t think that one through.’ Lucilla thought bitterly. “So you can do cool shit too. Should have guessed.” He said with a laugh. Lucilla rolled her eyes, and didn’t grace him with a comment.

Lucilla’s mind began to drift. She could remember when things were easier.

Lucilla laughed at Rhyss’s stupid joke as they walked across Central City University.

“Okay next we’re going to the arts building! Guaranteed to be your favorite!”  Rhyss said dramatically. She opened the door to the grand building letting Lucilla in first.

“So is Hails at the cemetery?” Rhyss asked sadly biting her lip. Lucilla lowered her eyes and drew a hand through her hair.

“Yeah. She wanted to be alone for a little while,” she said quietly as they moved through the galleries. Rhyss stopped in one gallery,

“This I know you will love! This is where our graffiti artists run wild!” she said grinning

wildly. Lucilla laughed and looked at the art happily,

“You kno-” she started but was cut off by a flash of light and a boom. The shockwave sliced through the building, it shattered windows and sent both Lucilla and Rhyss flying.

Lucilla landed painfully against the wall into a tower of combustible spray paint. While Rhyss flew through glass into the server room. Which electrified, sending sparks into her body.

It wasn’t until later, when she woke up in the hospital, that Lucilla found out that she and her sister had been stuck simultaneously by lightning. And it was even later that she found out what she could do.

Hailey still refused to talk about what happened to her that day. Neither Lucilla or Rhyss ever knew, or asked, feeling that they may not have wanted to know, especially if it had scared their sister so badly.

Lucilla blinked herself back to present day. She rubbed her hands together to warm them. It was colder than it should be, even for Gotham. The city; even before Hailey had her power, she knew the city had its ghosts and skeletons. And she couldn’t help the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. A storm was coming.