Garth followed Roy back into the kitchen. The man stopped, hovering in the middle of the room with the dirty plates in hand. Garth placed the pot, his and Wally's dishes already tucked inside, in the sink. He flicked on the water to let the pot fill and hosted himself on the adjoining counter. It was reminiscent of his talk with Jason. Roy added his plates to the pot, cocking a questioning eyebrow in the process. Typically Garth wasn't to leave dirty dishes, especially if he made them at someone else's place.
The Atlantian waved him off instead of speaking.
Roy let it go; not like anything over the last few days could be classified as typical. "Are you here to yell at me too?" He asked, leaning heavily against the counter.
Garth doesn't answer. He tilted his head slightly more to the right, silence egging Roy along.
"I knew you'd come by eventually," Roy continued, "Wally had a go, and Donna was just by. Now it's your turn to yell at me, right?" He sneered, trying to press Garth's buttons, "I'll admit, though, I had more time from what Donna wasn't saying and all. Figured Dickie would need all the support."
Garth gave a half shrug ignoring the prompt for information. "I'm not going to yell at you, Roy," he said, gaze reassuring and voice calm. It caused the ache in Roy's chest, the one he has been ignoring since his talk with Wally, to grow just a little more. "If anything I should apologize for -"
"Getting me to pull my head out of my ass?" Roy interrupted, smiling sharp and self-destructive.
"I was not going to put it that way." Garth offered, still neutral and gentle.
Roy licked his lips; they were rough and dry against his tongue. "Doesn't make it any less true." He couldn't avoid Garth's gaze; the man saw past all his walls. Roy wished he would yell, would try to throw a punch; Instead, he felt stripped and exposed.
A cry of "What the fuck does that supposed to mean?" interrupted their silence and sent them running to the living room. Jason was flushed red and wild, but Wally didn't seem concerned. He was calm, the same calm he wore whenever he goaded Dick into a fight. Wally, at that moment, had things under control. The redhead waved them back after a single glance.
Roy trudged back to his spot against the counter. "Garth, he signed, slumped, head knocking against the cabinet. "Why are you here?"
Garth let out a long breath, and unlike Roy's sigh, it was more meditative in an attempt to center himself. "Donna is currently taking care of Dick, and Wally and I cannot join them. We are unable to stay at Wally's or my place for logistical reasons. We are not allowed unsupervised at Donna's place after the incident with the duck."
"Doctor Quackers," Roy whispered in understanding.
Garth nodded, "Dick's apartment is currently under lockdown as part of the investigation with the Bludhaven Police Department-"
"-It's what?" Roy jerked, the wariness in his bones gone, a new sense of urgency taking its place.
"A formality according to Officer Amy, now that he has been located and she is in custody." Garth continued as if he wasn't previously interrupted, "The Wonder Twins will be unavailable, at least for a few days."
"A few-"
"Just until that Pterois ," Garth spat the word out with venom and disgust; it sent Roy physically jerking back in surprise. "-can be dealt with, and we are able to find Dick a new apartment."
"Slow down, new apartment?" Roy waved a hand, "Garth, what the fuck did I miss?"
Garth sighed, deep and mournful, gaze falling to the floor. "It's hard to explain. Wally and I do not know much of the details."
The answer kicked up the fire in Roy's chest, "Don't bullshit me," he growled.
Purple eyes darted back up, bright and wild, with a smile that was a little too wide and sharp to be human, reminding Roy just how dangerous his friend could be. "We found him in an apartment on the other side of Bludhaven, half-naked, covered in scratches, freezing and dissociating. He didn't even register when she held a gun to his head."
Roy held his breath. He was refusing to give Garth a reason to stop.
"I do not know who that woman was or how she was able to take Dick, and I do not need to. If the police were not there, we would have killed her." Garth stared at a spot just over Roy's left shoulder, transfixed. "We would have done it happily."
Roy's lungs were starting to burn, but he ignored it.
"Donna and the former police partner knew who she was. Dick had issues in the past and has an active restraining order against her. She will be going back to prison for a long time." Garth blinked a few times, pulling himself back to the moment, and Roy let out a long shuddering breath.
"Dick and Donna are on Themyscira for the time being." Garth picked up, refusing to let the moment settle, and for that, Roy was thankful. "Until that woman is put behind bars, potentially longer if Donna can convince him to take a break. But, before she left, Donna told us what you were looking into."
Roy flinched, hand instinctively going to the drive-in his pocket, fingers curling around the drive protectively. "What, you two want in or something?"
Garth's gaze trailed to the clenched fist and back to Roy's face. Eyes hard and determined, but his smile was almost apologetic, "No, we want you to stop."
Something hot and angry burst in Roy's chest. It crawled through his veins and burned into his brain. He had enough consciousness to release the drive before turning to Garth. The other hero shrunk back in regret, fear, or caution; Roy wasn't paying enough attention to know. "Get the fuck out," he spat like sparks, the kind that started wildfires.
"Roy, "Garth started, reaching out a hand.
He wouldn't allow it. Roy twisted in a move that was all Dick Grayson. He spun, latching onto the front of Garth's shirt and using the momentum to somersault and throw Garth through the doorway and into the living room. " Isaid get out."
