LUMEN ━━ dick grayson

30 - Family Time

Aurelia doesn't even need to say Dick's name for Hank to understand exactly who she is talking about. She has no clue what happened between them all, but there's no love lost there.

"How have you not..." Hank sounds agitated. "Lost it. He is so fucking full of himself."

"Trust me, I have been trying to ask myself the same question," Aurelia replies. "I know him better than any one and he's not who he used to be. He's hiding a lot of secrets."

She stands up and stretches her arm. "But I am not here for him. Once we figure out what to do with that girl, I am leaving. There's things that I need to do."

"He hurts everyone around him. Don't let him hurt you again," Hank says, squeezing her shoulder. 

And although she wants to defend Dick Grayson, Aurelia can hold grudges for a very long time. "Never." 

Aurelia follows Hank as they walk inside. She has no idea why she feels so utterly jealous at the thought that Dick and Dawn were close. She hadn't felt anything but hate towards the former Boy Wonder for a very long time. (She's just lying to herself)

Inside, Dick and Dawn are sitting around a table and Dawn's grasping his hand. When they see Aurelia and Hank enter, Dick hurriedly pulls back his hand. Hank's face twists into a glare. "Well, isn't this cozy?"

"Hey," Dawn greets softly, though there is a faint hint of worry in her eyes. 

"Just like the old days," Hank says, slowly walking towards the table. 

"We were just talking things through, okay?" Dick interrupts, immediately defending himself. 

"Come and go..." Hank is right at the table and Dawn stands up to meet him. Or stop him. "Or take what you want."

"Hank." Dawn presses a hand against his chest, stopping him. But Hank swipes her hand away and she steps back with a wince.

Dick stands up immediately, angry. And Aurelia cannot lie, the blaze of fury that shoots through her at that protective look is more than she has felt in a long time. She stays quiet though; words spoken in anger when you carry magic can very much become a curse. 

Emotions in vigilantes are like an elastic band though. You pull them far enough and they snap. And so when Dick slams Hank against the closest wall, Aurelia is not all that surprised. She feels Rachel's presence behind her.

"Stop!" Rachel yells as the two grown men engage in a kindergarten brawl. 

Then it happens. Aurelia feels the presence of something dark in the room. And the next second, a demonic voice yells, "STOP!"

Every single piece of glass in the room shatters like nothing. Aurelia barely has time to step out of a broken piece, when she takes a look at Rachel. Lingering threads of darkness surround her body before they disappear completely. Rachel looks at all of them uncertainly and apologetic, before she mutters a quick "I'm sorry" and takes off.

"Jesus," Hank mutters. 

*

Hours later, as the sunset is about to be over and the darkness of night takes over the sky, Aurelia wishes for an explanation. She has a hundred questions about Rachel and the darkness in her soul but no answer she comes up with gives a plausible explanation. She is lost in her thoughts till Dawn presses a hand on her arm, motioning towards the room where Rachel and Dick are currently conversing.

Dawn knocks on the door, asking kindly, "How you doing, sweetheart?"

Rachel doesn't really say anything and stares back, eyes filled with guilt.