Black Dahlia || Dick Grayson [Titans] ✔️

DARKNESS

"Good, then let's go," I said, grabbing his arm and tugging him with me towards the exit. There were only a few stragglers left in the club, but even they were hurrying to get out ahead of us. Like Dick said, I spotted Jason by the door helping to shoo everyone through it. When his head jerked in our direction and he made eye contact with me, he spread his arms pointedly with a questioning look on his face. It was clear he didn't know yet who was at fault for the sudden end to our fun.

With the music off from the electrical damage, I heard the click of the guns behind us. Dick must've heard it too as we both came to a stop just as a soft yet strong voice spoke to us. "For someone who came crashing in on my evening, you have some audacity to try and slink away now that you're caught," D'amato said. "That is in especially bad taste when you consider the emotional state in which you previously left my colleague. I do believe you owe him an apology, by the way. Wouldn't you agree, Daniel?"

A fog rolled in before us and I felt the muscles tense in Dick's arm as it took Hurricane's shape. Once he was fully visible, his eyes narrowed in on me, never moving away as he verified my existence. His hands twitched at his sides, occasional sparks of electricity encompassing them. I risked a second to glance behind him at Jason and felt something between relieved and betrayed that he was nowhere to be found. I didn't want to draw any extra attention to Dick. If he played along, I could make him look like an innocent bystander long enough for us to get an upperhand.

Though, the longer Hurricane stood there only staring at me it made me think we were screwed either way.

"Anyone ever tell you, it's impolite to stare?"

His jaw tightened as a smirk crossed his face, my words or my voice being a mental slap. The electricity around his hands stopped, but instead of making me feel better, it reminded me a lot of the calm before the storm. "You're supposed to be dead," he said, tone flat.

Again, I felt the twitch of Dick's muscles in his arm and I squeezed it in an attempt to steady him. "Looks like death just doesn't agree with me," I said back.

"Or perhaps you embrace and thrive in it," D'amato said. "The only one who can escape death is death himself."

"I went back to the apartment and you weren't there," Hurricane went on as though neither of us spoke. "The amount of blood on the floor, you shouldn't have survived that. You let me think you were dead again—"

"For the love of God, I don't know you!" I snapped, the adrenaline finding its way up to my brain. I hated small talk; if this was going to turn into a fight, it was better sooner than later. "Stop talking to me like we have some kind of history. I don't. Know. You."

"Yes, you do," he replied, reaching out to grab my arm. "And I'm going to prove it." His fingers curled around my bicep, yanking me towards him and waking something in Dick.

In the same movement that brought me towards Hurricane, Dick shoved him so that he stumbled back a step before punching Hurricane square in the jaw and forcing him to drop his hold on me.

Remembering the armed threat behind us, I spun around to cover Dick's back, surprised by what I saw. D'amato had an amused smile across his face, one hand raised to signal his men to stand down. The two men looked as surprised as I felt but kept their ground, guns raised and fingers close to the triggers for the second they got word.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hurricane straighten, shaking his head hard. "This one's new," Hurricane said bitterly, likely sizing up Dick. "What, did you move on from your boyfriend, Boy Wonder, so soon?"

I spoke before Dick could, wanting to keep his identity in the dark for as long as I could. "I don't know this guy. He's just someone I met here while dancing."