LUMEN ━━ dick grayson

30 - Family Time

"Hank is sorry," Dawn continues. "He can be a real asshole sometimes."

"We gotta go," She says, more so to Dick and Aurelia. "Hank and I have that thing."

Dick immediately stands up. "Dawn, I really think you should reconsider. Okay? We both know it's too dangerous." 

"Can't believe I'm actually agreeing with him, but Dick's right," Aurelia says. "You're taking a major risk. You both are."

Dawn looks determined as she answers them. "You win some, you lose him." She walks to Rachel and whispers in her ear, though everyone can hear it. "Take care of them, okay? They're both gonna need all the help they can get."

Aurelia can agree with that. 

Once Dawn leaves, the door closing behind her, Rachel sits up and looks at the two vigilantes (or former vigilantes in the room. "She needs your help. I can feel it. Isn't that what you do?"

"What?" Dick says in surprise, while Aurelia can only stare at the girl.

"You help people." 

"I used to think so," Dick says, grimly. His stare lingers on Aurelia for a moment, before he continues. "I used to think it was one of the things I was best at. Until I realized, the more help some needed, the worse I had to hurt the others. Do you understand?" 

Rachel tenses up. "When I feel the darkness come out, it feels good."

"I get it," Aurelia says softly. She understands it too well. "Things like that can be..." She waves a hand in the air, uncertain of the word to use. What word even is there for a situation like Rachel's? This is not magic, this is some other kind of dark force, and Aurelia has no idea how to help the young girl. 

"You want to help them," Rachel says. "You're just scared. Both of you. Sometimes there's just no time to be scared." 

*

Aurelia feels uprooted. 

She is currently on the couch, blanket covering half her body. Her face is pressed against the cushions, so that anyone who sees her thinks she is asleep. But she isn't. Instead, she is spiralling down the well of her thoughts. She should be out there, helping Hank and Dawn. But she is a coward. She is terrified of her powers. Terrified of stepping back into a world that has taken everything from her. 

(Terrified of losing Dick Grayson if this situation goes south...again.)

After all, Magic will not allow her to control it when she's in a highly volatile emotional state. Small, minor spells? Yes. But accessing her swords, using the Phoenix? No. 

Aurelia shifts into a more comfortable position when she feels a presence enter the room. It's ominous how she can instantly feel Rachel Roth's aura the second she steps in. The young girl has a lot of darkness surrounding her, even when she is not accidentally unleashing her powers. "Rachel?" Aurelia sits up. "What's going on?"

She has a bad feeling when she spots Rachel in the middle of the living room, holding a piece of paper and a stack of money. 'Dick Grayson, what the hell did you do?'

"Did you know about this?" Rachel sounds distressed.

"No!" Aurelia immediately denies. "I swear I didn't. I had no clue."

But that fails to reassure Rachel and the girl takes off, as fast as storm winds. Aurelia curses loudly and magics her boots on and grabs her coat as she rushes after her. Why the hell is she dealing with the fallout of Dick Grayson's mistakes? This reminds her a little too much of them as young, hotheaded vigilantes. This is them as kids all over again. Except this whole situation is infinitely more worse.