Sam Carter didn't have what she would consider a horrible childhood. In the grand scheme of things, it could have been a hell of a lot worse. She had a mom who loved her and did her absolute best to provide for her. They rarely ever fought and her mom took care of her. Sam had a few friends, none that really stuck around when shit hit the fan, but she doesn't blame them. So, she had some friends and that was cool while it lasted. Her dad was ad deadbeat meth addict she only remembers seeing once and the way she sees it, good riddance. She had her mom.
Had.
However, that was then and this is now where she's standing on the street, using a car window breaker to break into a car late at night in the middle of Gotham City. Gotham has a habit of breeding some real fucked up psychos. Sam's almost positive it has got be the water and it's only a matter of time before everyone in the city either turns into Batman and Robin or The Joker and The Riddler. The psycho doesn't care who you are and if you have a family, they take and take and laugh in the face of everyone else's agony. So, here she is breaking into a car as she's done for last few months since the Joker decided to do what he does best. Kill.
Whenever she breaks into a car, which is almost nightly now, she remembers judging those who did before because this is someone else's property. They probably worked hard for it and who is she to take it from them. But, no one ever said surviving was easy. She gets it now, a little guilty about it but not guilty enough to stop.
"Sweet." Sam huffs to herself, smile on her face as she finds a hundred dollars in teh center console. "Idiot." She mumbles as she stuffs it in her pocket.
She rummages around the car some more, hoping to find more. If the person was dumb enough to leave a hundred dollars, maybe there's something she could sell. She pushes around a few unimportant things like papers and a pair of old shoes, not finding much. With the shrug of a shoulder, she considers this car a win and backs out of the car only for the flashing of red and blue tocatch her attention from her peripheral.
"Ah, fuck me." She groans, turning on her heels and sprinting as fast as her legs will let her down a close alleyway.
The sirens sound behind her. There's still a smile plastered across her face with the lights behind her and her feet smacking puddles. The city lights guide her in and out of other alleys and down side streets. It's a bit of a thrill. The air is wet on Sam's skin, thick with moisture from the previous storm. The city streets have that smell of wet pavement and fresh rain, something that lives in her bones. Running through the streets of Gotham is a regular activity but she finds it fun, adrenaline in her blood and city lights guiding the way.
This is not the first time GCPD has found her breaking into a car but they didn't catch her then and she doesn't think they'll catch her now. The only one really competent at catching anyone committing a crime is Gotham is Batman and Robin but they don't normally go after kids robbing cars. It's not exactly hot radar here.
Her chest heaves with every step but she's having a blast. The burning almost doesn't bother her with every stride, lungs feeling like they could collapse at any moment. That's part of the thrill, how far can she run before they catch her or her lungs explode. Well, normally, but tonight the pavement is a little too slick. She goes to run around a corner, shoes slipping on the pavement, sending her right into the pavement.
"Shit!" She screams out, feeling the road rash on her arms and her legs, knowing she ripped her clothes from the fall.
"Hands up." One of the cops says as they catch up, getting out of his car.
She rolls her eyes, racking her brain in hopes she can come up with a big bad escape plan. She does not want to go into the system. "Can't you see I'm little hurt here, asshole?"
"Looks like that's on you." His voice is annoyed. "Get up."
"Again, I'm hurt." Sam pouts up at him. "I should really have an ambulance. It's your fault I fell."
"How do you figure?" The cop questions, making it evident this is not how what he thought he'd be doing tonight.
"You were chasing me." She shrugs a shoulder, looking at her elbow, grimacing at the sight of blood and gravel in her arm. "I wouldn't have fallen had you just let me go."
"You committed a crime. You're not getting off."
"I'm a minor living in Gotham City who just broke into a single car. Our courts can't even keep the fucking Joker behind bars, you think I'll be put away? Please." Sam lets out a scoff followed by a hollowed laugh.
The one thing Sam has never learned how to do is hold her tongue. It's always been a little bit of an issue but ever since her mom died, it's gotten worse. Who does she have to hold her tongue for? She has no one. At least if the cop arrests her, she'll have a warm bed to sleep in and probably a meal. Not a good one, but beggars can't be choosers.
"Get up." The cops sneers, grabbing her arm and yanking her up. "We'll take you to the hospital to get checked out. Where are your parents?"
"Dad's somewhere getting high, mom's in six feet under." Her voice is nonchalant as she shakes her arms free, her knees and arms feeling like they're vibrating from the pain.
The cop looks down at her with a sigh. Unfortunately, this isn't an unusual thing for him or any other cop in Gotham to deal with. Kids with parents who are either dead, nonexistent, or not participating in their lives is a normal thing here. Far more normal than any other city. She has a smart mouth and she robbed a car but she's also alone, parentless, and clearly homeless. He doesn't really want to take her to the station. It's another kid thrown into the prison system.
"You're gonna call CPS, right?" Sam asks from the back of the squad car as the cop drives.
"That is protocol." He says, glancing to her in the rearview mirror.
"I think that's a horrible idea." She scoffs, plopping back in her seat, crossing her arms to the best of her ability with the stinging road rash.
"Can't just let you live on the streets."
"You could." Sam sighs.
"Don't you want a place to live?"
"Yeah, but the system is corrupt. You would know. Why the fuck would I wanna go there? I can take care of myself."
"You're in the back of my car and for what? A few bucks?"
"I've been doing fine. The pavement's wet." Sam pouts. If she would have had shoes with actual grip, she wouldn't have fallen.
"Look, I'm sure you'll be fine, okay?" The cop's voice is quieter this time, trying his best to be reassuring. "Lots of kids turn out fine."
Sam rolls her eyes, ignoring him as she watches the city pass by. There's something in her gut that just knows this is not going to end well for her. Foster care, group homes, it never sounds like it's going to end well, not for her. Maybe others, sure. Not all foster home and group homes are bad, but she can feel it in her bones, the shattering of her world consuming her with every passing building. This is going to get really fucking bad.
1 Year later
Sam's eyes peek open, lids heavy and weighed down as her chest heaves. Her face is in agony with an aching pain her right side. Her head is throbbing, as she blinks her eyes, swearing it feels like she's been hit with a sledgehammer. The pavement is cool beneath her as her eyes move up the walls in front of her, a red and worn-away brick. It's all moving so slowly for her, almost like a YouTube video lagging at 480p. Slow and staggered, taking in one sense at a time as she comes to.
She feels someone beside her, their hand is warm on her arm and he comes into focus from the corner of her eye. Her heart rate spikes, the drowsiness vaporizes and the throbbing of her head suddenly makes everything click. Her eyes widen and she grabs his forearm with her right hand, a burning and stinging sensation makes him yank his hand away.
"Fuck!" He yells, looking at the growing chemical burn on his arm and back to her as Sam tries to scramble to her feet, legs weak and stinging. "Wait!" He yells at her, trying to get you to stay put, processing what's going on.
Sam gets to her feet, the man following her lead and standing up, holding his arm across his stomach. Sam's eyes scan him over and look behind him, trying to ignore the throbbing in her head to come up with a clear plan to escape him. She is not going back to the basement or to the heinous piece of shit who clearly left her here for dead.
"Who are you?" He asks, his voice is stern, jaw squared while he looks to Sam's hands that are outstretched in front of her. Her palms are flowing a florescent green aimed right at him.
Sam shakes her head slowly, matching his stare, teeth grinding. There's a firey anger in her eyes, almost telling him to go ahead and try her. She is in agony, every muscle feels like it's being eaten by fire ants and she's using every bit of strength to square off with him. But she holds that hard stare not willing to move. The pain will have to take a backseat this time.
"Look," He lowers his voice trying to ignore the stinging pain of his arm. "I found you here. I was making sure you were okay."
Sam scoffs. "Sure. You just check on random people passed out in an alley?" Sam's lost a bit of faith in humanity recently.
"You burn everyone who tries to help you?" He quips.
Sam's eyes narrow, not wanting to play the game of getting 'helped' again. "Bold of you to assume people help."
He sighs, dropping his head while his hair falls onto his forehead. "I'm Dick." He picks up his head, stepping forward just one step and Sam takes one back. "You're hurt." He gestures to her side where blood is seeping through the fabric of her shirt.
She looks down and sees the bright red staining the white fabric. Oh, that's not good. A sense of queasiness comes over her and that's when she really starts taking in what's happened. Flashes of the day before haunt her eyes, clouding her view of Dick. Sam slams her eyes shut which just seems to make the memories worse. The throbbing becomes a catastrophic earthquake in her head, begging to crumble everything in its path. Her hands come to her head, trying to get it to stop as the world around her starts to spin.
Dick takes a few steps forward. "Hey, are you okay?" Dick asks, looking down at her but before she can tell Dick to leave her alone, everything falls black, her legs going limp as she passes out, Dick catching her on the way down. "Alright, then."
He looks her over, taking notice in the several cuts, bruises, and scars she has on her exposed skin. He has no idea what happened to her but he does know one thing, he's going to find out and he's gonna find out how she burned him. Dick's always had a thing for saving kids so he picks her up and decides to take her to the tower. She was terrified, at least he knows she'll be safe there.
Back at the tower, the elevator doors open and Dick walks through caring the girl with broken skin and dark hair. Gar and Rachel are in the living room, their attention pulled back as they hear him come in.
"Hey, what are-" Gar pauses from his seat on the ottoman while Rachel stands up from her seat, eyes wide and confused as Dick comes into view.
"Who is that? What happened?" Rachel asks, her words fast as she walks over to Dick, Gar right behind her.
"I found her." Dick states, his voice a bit exasperated. "Gar, can you help me?"
"Uh...sure." Gar nods, knowing it's because of Dr. Caulder that Dick's asking.
"Rachel, go spar with Jason." Dick says and Rachel shakes her head but does as she's told while Dick and Gar head off to the infirmary wing.
Dick places Sam on a bed while Gar stays behind him. This is weird. He knew Dick had a thing for picking up strays, that's how him and Rachel ended up with Dick. But, it's very weird being on the other side of that and actually seeing him bring someone home, especially someone who's as banged up as she is and unconscious no less. It makes Gar pretty uncomfortable.
Dick directs Gar to grab bandages and the saline solution so they can clean some of the blood cuts that are visible to them. Gar does as directed without saying a single word. He just follows Dick's lead and helps him clean a few cuts on her arms while Dick cleans a gash on her cheek. Whatever happened to her was bad, that's something that everyone can see clear as day. But, they don't know how it happened or why and maybe that's the scariest part about it. Whatever happened, was bad and what if this was more than a random person from the streets? Or what if she is and someone is hunting her or something? It's a terrifying thought.
As they finish up, Gar sees Dick start addressing his own wound. He hadn't noticed it before but now he can see a red burn on his arm. But, when Gar asked Dick about it, Dick brushed it off a bit by just saying the girl had done it when she came to for a minute. He didn't seem to be too concerned about it which made Gar more confused by the whole situation. Not only is this girl just some girl off the streets but she also has powers and has already burned someone. That sounds a bit dangerous but Gar isn't one to question authority so he goes with it.
They finish up before leaving Sam alone. Dick and Gar head to the comms lab where Dick gains access to the security cameras where he found Sam. He's mostly showing Gar how to do the same, just in case something happens and Gar ever needs to know. Gar is more of the tech guy in the tower anyway. So, Gar watches closely as Dick brings up the city's security cameras and they find footage of an older car that looks to be in decent condition pulling into the alley. A bald man with a medium build gets out, looking around to see if anyone is around. He walks to the back of the car and opens the door, pulling Sam out who looks completely lifeless. He dumps her up against a wall before getting back into his car, pulling out of the alley and driving away as if nothing happened.
Dick shakes his head, his jaw clenching and he just cannot understand how people do that to kids. Being a detective and Robin, he saw it a lot, grown adults beating on kids or getting verbally horrible with them, taking them to drug deals. It's a mess and he cannot understand why adults do that to kids like it's normal and it's okay. There will never come a day where it doesn't send his blood into a rapid boil.
"Do you think he...did that to her?" Gar asks, looking up to Dick with worry in his eyes.
Dick looks at him, seeing the concern embedded in his face. "I'm not sure." Dick keeps his voice level, looking back at the screen. "But, by the looks of it, yeah or he knows who did."
"Why would someone do that?" There's sadness etched in every word. Gar doesn't like real violence very much. He doesn't know why anyone results to it unless it's a dire situation. Similar to Dick, he just doesn't understand how someone can do that to another person.
"Maybe we'll get some answers as to what happened when she wakes up." Dick nods his head, trying not to worry Gar more. "Why don't you go join the others? I'll watch the cameras until she wakes up." The question was more of a request, rather than an actual offer and Gar knows that.
Gar nods his head and leaves, head swimming with the who, what, when, where, and why of the situation. Maybe Sam's dangerous and that's why it happened. She did burn Dick so she at least, has powers. But, maybe there's more to it. Maybe she tried to defend herself and it didn't end in her favor. Gar knows it'll be picking at the back of his head until they find out more but for now, there's nothing he can do but listen to Dick and join Rachel and Jason.
Sam finally comes to a few hours later. Her eyes open slowly, seeing a wall with a TV mounted to the wall in front of her, similar to a hospital room. But, it's aesthetically warmer as she looks around. The walls aren't white and the lights aren't fluorescent. The bed is definitely more comfortable and so is the blanket. For a split second, she almost forgot about her encounter with Dick and thinks maybe she really could be safe in a hospital but that second fades.
It comes back like a polaroid printing. Slow and fading the images, dulling the colors as it develops. It's blotchy, the alley and Dick standing in front of her. A part of her isn't entirely sure she can picture his face. All she knows for certain is that he's tall with brown hair and then she remembers burning him, which wasn't entirely on purpose. But, that's it, it's like it all just stop developing like maybe someone moved the camera right as they clicked the capture button. It just gets blurry and blank so she looks around a bit more.
She notices gauze bandages wrapped around the cuts on her arms, an IV sticking out of her hand. She touches her face where there's a bandage covering the large gash she had and she sits in a state of foggy confusion. Who is that guy and did he bring her here? If so, why? What's his motive? Everyone has a motive and it's never just to be kind. No one is ever just that nice. And where is here anyway? The room is big but it's not a hospital, there isn't anyone walking the hallway from where she can see. There isn't a window looking into the room on the wall or on the door. It's like a standard room so it's not a hospital.
Dick walks into the room as Sam is looking around, she only notices him when she looks over and the dread fills her bones. It shouldn't be too shocking given the amount times she's been hurt but she didn't hear him come in and that sucks. Surely, with the laminate flooring and him wearing shoes, Sam should have been able to hear his footsteps but she didn't. She can't remember if it was muffled in the alley or it was clear and that's a bit unsettling.
"You're awake." Dick says as he walks to the foot of her bed, her voice sounding a little muffled. Sam just stares at him, not wanting to talk until she knows what's going on. "What's your name?" He asks and Sam gets that look in her eye like she did in the alley, filled of anger and spite, with the slightest touch of terror. She shakes her head slowly, standing her ground on not talking. "Alright," Dick sighs, putting his hands in his front pockets. "Not talking?" Dick asks and Sam gives him the quick raise of her brows, tilting her head slightly to her right.
It's not that Dick thought this would be easy. He remembers being taken home by Bruce, how new and scary everything was. He had just witnessed his parents die and then some strange billionaire picks him up, decides to adopt him. It was weird and this is weird. It's a little different and he doesn't know her story, but he can understand her hesitance in talking.
"Well," Dick lets out a breath. "Do you remember what happened?" Dick asks. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just nod your head. The alley?" Dick clarifies and Sam's eyes narrow but she nods her head twice. "Do you remember how you got there?" Dick asks and he sees Sam's eyes fade as if she isn't with him anymore. The heart monitor starts to steadily go up.
Sam remembers everything, the haunting in her bones running her blood cold. She remembers everything in vivid detail. He asks that question and she's right back where she was, right in that room in that chair, in screaming agony. It's all there, right in the front of her head and she might not be there now but she swears she's never escaped.
"Okay," Dick gets the hint that she does remember but it's nothing good. "The tower is safe, fully secured if you're worried about someone coming to get you." That brings Sam back and of course she's worried about that. But what does he know? "No one here is gonna hurt you." Dick assures her and he can see the slightest bit of relief come her face. "There's Gar, he came in and helped me clean up your cuts. They're pretty bad." Dick explains, getting no reaction. "Rachel, she's nice, good kid and then there's Jason, he's a bit much sometimes but he's a good kid, too." Sam raises a brow at him, as if to be questioning why there are three other teenagers here. "It's a long story." Dick states and Sam gives him a long singular nod. "What's your name?"
Sam debates it for a minute. If she tells him, he might be able to find who did it and call him to come get her. But, she looks to the badges on her arms and she figures he could also just run a blood test of some sort and figure it out. If this is some type of medical center, that's something he could do. She's a minor so it's not like she has much say in it anyway. There is also the slight chance he actually wants to help and maybe telling him her name is just that. Telling him her name.
"Sam." Sam's voice is graveled.
The corner of Dick's mouth pulls into a small smile. "I'm Dick." He says and Sam nods again, remembering that detail. "How'd you burn my arm?" He asks, this time a little sterner and Sam matches him again, shaking her head slowly.
That's not something she's going to discuss with some random, run-of-the-mill average person. Having powers and talking to a seemingly powerless person doesn't seem to end well for the one with powers. So, she keeps her mouth pressed into a hard line.
"You're not gonna tell me, huh?" Dick asks and he chuckles softly. She sure is stubborn. Sam shakes her head giving him a small but sarcastic grin. "Alright," Dick nods his head. "How's food?"
The idea of food is almost nauseating from lack of food recently. The more Sam thinks about it the more foods come to her head. Burgers, pizza, pasta, even a bag of chips. All of it is making her mouth water. She is fucking hungry.
Sam nods slowly.
"I'll have Gar bring something in for you." Dick says as he starts walking towards the stand next to Sam's bed. Sam moves slightly to get away from him, her right side aching with the movement. "I'm just grabbing the remote for you." Dick assures her, keeping his voice level while he opens the drawer and pulls out a black remote. "Here, there are streaming services connected. You can watch whatever." Sam narrows her eyes as if expecting it to be a trick of some sort. "It's just a remote." Dick tells her and Sam takes it from him slowly, carefully dodging his hands.
Sam gives him a thankful nod as she turns the TV on, a welcome screen lighting up the once black screen. Dick gives her a warm smile before heading for the door, choosing to let Sam be by herself for a few minutes. Sam watches him leave and once he's out of view, she puts her attention to the TV. This whole thing feels weirder by the minute but she is injured and it hurts to even move. So, she scrolls through recommended movies and finds one that she remembers her mom always saying they should watch together. They never got around to it so Sam turns it on now, letting the movie help her forget everything that's happened.
It's half an hour before someone knocks on the open door to her room. Sam looks over to see a cute boy with green and black hair wearing a black shirt with a red logo at the door. He gives her a wide and cheeky smile, holding a plate of pizza.
"Hey, I'm Gar." He greets her, walking in and to the side of her bed.
Sam looks between his eyes and his hair. Green hair. Interesting choice. "Sam."
"Here." Gar offers the plate to her.
Sam eyes it carefully, not sure if she should really take it. What if it's been poisoned? For all she knows, these people are also crazy. But, she looks back to his eyes and they're so warm and welcoming, his smile kind and hopeful. And she is hungry. So, Sam takes it with reluctance, careful not to brush his hands.
"Dick wanted me to bring it to you."
"Thanks." The word is quiet as Sam rests the plate on her lap.
Gar watches as Sam seems disinterested. Dick told him Sam was not too talkative and seemed scared, that's why he asked Gar to bring it in. Rachel is kind of course but Gar tends to be a little warmer and Jason is an unpredictable smartass. Gar seems like the best shot to find out information and he knows that's why he's here. But, he feels a bit bad for it and he kind of just wants her to eat.
"There's, uh, there's different kinds of pizza in the kitchen. If you wanted something else I could-"
"It's okay." Sam offers him a gentle laugh. His words were rambled as if he were nervous and Sam thinks it's kind of sweet. "Cheese is fine." She picks the slice, Gar sticking his hands into his pants pockets.
He watches her for a few seconds, noticing the marks on her wrists, brows furrowing. The marks look like they're ligature marks. They're pinks, the very middle of them bright rub as if to have been rubbed raw. A sting punches Gar's heart and he moves his eyes to the TV, not wanting to look at any more injuries she might have. He's seen enough for today.
"Oh, I love this movie!" Gar gushes, watching as the goonies walk through a cave, trying to escape the Fratellis.
Sam glances over to him, barely turning her head. "Yeah?" Sam asks before taking a bite of her pizza.
"Have you never seen it?" Gar asks, looking back to Sam, ready to start rambling about it.
He loves movies, especially classics. Movies and video games, that's how he killed his time at Caulder House and that's how he kills a lot of his time here when Dick isn't having them train. He likes the adventures the characters get to go and the ones he gets to partake in for video games. Being hidden away like a dirty secret, it was the only way for him to have some type of adventure and the love of movies and video games grew. He could talk for hours on end about them.
"No?" Sam chuckles softly, finding the excitement in his voice amusing. "Looks old."
"1985, Steven Speilberg." Gar beams.
"Oh, okay so you know the movie." Sam chuckles, chewing her lip and it feels so casual with him.
Maybe it's just because he brought her food. Or that he seems the same age as her and he looks non-threatening, especially with the green hair. He also just seems ready to talk about anything which Sam thinks is a little funny. And he's not asking her any questions about who she is are or what she can do. On top of that, he's not looking at her the way Dick was, with some sort of expectation of something. Maybe that's just Dick's face, but it's like he expected her to just talk and talk about what happened. Sam doesn't want people to expect something from her anymore and Gar doesn't. He just likes the movie.
"D-did you w-wanna watch it?" Sam raises the question, eyeing him from the corner of her eye. It's been awhile since she's had contact with other people, let alone someone her own age who just wants to talk about a movie.
"Really? Yeah!" Gar jogs around the bed, going to the chair that's by the windows and pulling it closer to Sam's bed. "Cool." Gar bounces in his seat. There's a reason he has this poster hanging in his room, he will watch it at any given opportunity.
Sam laughs at the boy who's a little too excited to watch a movie but it's kind of nice. "I like your hair." Sam says quietly.
"Oh, uh, thanks." Gar smiles softly at her. "Oh watch this, Data has awesome gadgets." Gar's attention goes back to the screen as they watch Data's shoes up from the back, oil spilling from the heels.
"Well, that's cool."
"Right?!" Gar exclaims. "He even has a winch attached to him!" Gar says. "But, that's later, sorry, don't wanna spoil it." Gar looks down for a second and then back to the screen.
"No, that's really cool." Sam nods at him. "I liked the zipline between their houses." She lets out a laugh. "I actually think my mom would have killed me if I tried that but it was sick."
"Yeah, right? Dick should let us put in a zipline." Gar looks back at her, the excitement etched across his face.
The two of them sit and watch more of the movie while Sam finishes the pizza. Sam looks to him every so often, subconsciously making sure he isn't planning anything or looks like he might be ready to do something fucked up. It's as if she's fully prepared for him being nice to turn out to be some type of act but instead, he just keeps his eyes on the screen and points out fun little facts he has about the movie when the scenes come on. It's a little confusing for Sam. She doesn't really understand why he'd be in here over a movie unless he was told to. It's nice, of course, but Dick was a bit persistent which makes her wonder if that's why Gar came in here in the first place.
Gar looks back at her, catching her look at him. He lets out a sigh, looking back to the movie and the smile falls. "You, uh, you wanna know why I'm here, huh?" He looks back to her.
Sam scrunches her face. "Kind of." Sam shrugs, watching Gar grow defeated. "I-I don't mind...you in here. I-I just don't...d-don't know why you are." Her eyes are slightly narrowed.
"Dick asked me to see if I could get you to talk." Gar confesses. He's gotten her to say more than Dick did so he didn't see a point in hiding it. Maybe honesty will get them a little further.
"Mmm, yeah that tracks from the two minutes I've known him." Sam rolls her eyes.
"Well, uh, in his defense, you did burn him." Gar slows his words down as he looks at her again.
Sam shrugs, looking to the blanket. It's a little bit of shame flowing through her veins. If Dick really was just trying to help and her head told her something different, that's really an issue. She wouldn't want to hurt anyone that was really trying to help her. She's just spent so much time in the defensive mode it's like her mind forgot what it's like to shut it off for a minute.
"How'd you do it?" Gar asks carefully.
"Mm, nice try." Sam shakes her head at him, appreciating the effort but it's still a no for her.
Gar shrugs, looking back to the TV. Having powers can be dangerous and Gar knows that so maybe Sam knowing she's not alone will help. "If can turn into a tiger. I you're worried about sounding like you're a freak or-"
"Sorry, did you say...tiger?" Sam questions, her voice nearly yelling.
"Yeah." Gar laughs. "I guess, it's uh, kind weird."
"What? That's fucking awesome. How do you do it?" Sam's all slur together as she sits up, crossing her legs and leaning forward.
Gar laughs as he watches as she gets excited. The only one who's ever seemed interested in, kind of like this is Rachel. It's making Gar feel incredible and powerful. "I don't know. This doctor cured me from a mysterious disease. This was one of the side effects." Gar gestures to his head. "Turning into a green tiger."
"That's the coolest thing I have ever fucking heard in my life. Can I see?" Sam forgets every ounce of suspicion she should have in this unfamiliar place but how many times does she run into someone who can turn into a tiger? Batman has cool gadgets and a cool car and Superman can fly but neither of them can turn into an animal. Turning into an animal is basically the coolest thing in the entire world.
"Maybe..." Gar pauses, a grin tugging at his lips. He's not so sure Dick would be happy if he decided to transform just because Sam asked. "So, what about you?"
Sam sighs and if he's gonna tell her, maybe she can tell him something. Turning into a tiger is still a power. "I can produce acid with my hands." Sam flips her palms up, gesturing toward Gar but not too close. Her palms glow a fluorescent green. "I can control how much and how strong it is." The green fades as she puts her hand back down in her lap.
"That's awesome." Gar's brows knit together. "Have you been like that your whole life?"
She shakes her head, the mood shifting in the room. "No, something new. But, uh, we're not gonna talk about that."
"Okay." Gar gives her a side smile, accepting that he got an answer.
He doesn't really like to push people for answers anyway. He knows the only reason Dick as him to come here is because Gar is the most likely to get something out of her. Jason is...an asshole and would likely call her a freak. Rachel doesn't really have a lot of control with her powers so if something happened, that probably wouldn't end well. Gar was really Dick's best option in trying to get any answer of Sam and Gar does want to help. He helps people. He'd say it's one of his better qualities.
Sam lets out a sigh, watching Gar get back into the movie. "I'm-I'm gonna have to like...talk to him, aren't I?"
Gar looks back at her, pursing his lips with a shrug. "Yeah, but hey, he's really not a bad guy. He can help. He won't force you to talk, but it's not a bad idea."
Sam scoffs, flashes of the last night she spent on the streets of Gotham. "Yeah, you know the last person who told me that..." Sam pauses, seeing Gar's eyes soften. "Well, I ended up here." Sam gestures a hand over her face, knowing it can't look pretty by the sense of the throbbing. "So."
"I'm sorry." Gar says softly. "For whatever you went through."
"Thanks." Sam says quietly. "Is there anyway I can...borrow a hoodie or something? It's...cold." Sam pauses and she's always been good at deflecting.
He nods. "Uh, yeah, yeah. I can grab you one." He stands up quickly, moving to the doorway. "I'll be right back." He smiles sweetly at her before leaving, jogging down the hallway.
Gar jogs to his room, rummaging through his clothes, looking for a hoodie that he thinks would fit her. He could have asked Rachel because he knows Rachel has to have something, too but he almost worries that Rachel will go bring it herself. It's obvious Sam doesn't really want to talk to anyone and Dick asked him to do it. He wasn't even supposed to actually leave Sam alone until Dick told him to. He's never been very good at staying put when he's told to. Call it a flaw. So, he goes through his clothes quickly and finds a gray zip-up hoodie.
"Gotcha." Gar says triumphantly before quickly turning around.
"What are you doing?" Dick asks with exasperation, arms crossed as he stands in the doorway.
Gar's eyes widen. "Uh, hey, Dick. I was just grabbing Sam a hoodie. She asked."
"Didn't I tell you not to leave her alone?" Dick questions but his tone isn't mad or upset and Gar nods. "It's alright." Dick shakes his head and offers Gar a gentle smile. "Just trying to help?"
"Yeah." Gar nods slowly. "I feel bad for her."
"I'll bring it to her." Dick holds out a hand and Gar hands over the hoodie. "Did you find anything out?"
"She can produce acid from her hands. They turn green so I guess it can be obvious." Gar explains, feeling a little bad about it since Sam obviously doesn't want him to know but Gar isn't going to lie to Dick. "That's really it, though."
"Good work. Thank you." Dick says with a closed, half smile.
"You're welcome." Gar says, not exactly pleased about it.
Dick leaves Gar in his room, heading back to Sam. While Gar was talking with Sam, Dick came up with a plan. He has to find out what's going on. So, he's just going to try and make friends with her. Surely, her seeing that Gar is just another kid and is happy and healthy should help. He'll try to level with her. Not push her or badger her, just level.
Sam catches a glimpse of Dick coming through the doorframe caring a grey hoodie and she just shakes her head. Is it too much to ask that she just doesn't want to do talk to this Dick guy?
"Gar was bringing this to you. I stopped him." Dick says, offering the hoodie to her as she narrows her eyes at him.
Everyone always has an ulterior motive. She's trying to figure out what his could possibly be. Taking in kids who need help? Who have powers? If that's what he's doing, is he building a team of teenage weapons? Is he powered, too? Does he not think it's a little bit weird? But she's cold and takes the hoodie from him.
"Acid, huh?" Dick asks, walking to the front of her bed, Sam's eyes following him still narrowed. "How much control do you have?" Dick asks.
Sam's brows raise, looking side to side. What a weird fucking question. "Uh...I-I don't...I don't know. A lot, I guess?" She pauses, watching him carefully. "Why?"
"I'm just wondering. If you're going to stay here, it's best for me to know." Dick explains and he's so calm despite the fact she burned him.
Stay? She doesn't know these people, why would she stay? Is that something that people do? Just stay with complete strangers in hopes they aren't serial killers or something? What if they're all a group of serial killers?
"Why would I stay?" She challenges.
Dick shrugs. "Do you have anywhere to go?"
Sam chews the inside of her cheek, pulling the sleeves of the hoodie over her hands. "No." Her voice is broken, as she dodges looking at Dick.
That's a fair point. She doesn't have anywhere to go. The only place she's ever known is Gotham and that basement. That's it. She doesn't know anyone in the city or have a phone to call anyone back in Gotham, not that she wants to really. At least in Gotham, living on the streets wasn't easy but it was familiar. She knew the cars to break into, the stores to rob and get away with it. She knew where all the cameras were and the GCPD shift schedule. But, this is San Francisco and she is clueless.
"I know it seems..." Dick pauses for a second as he leans against the wall behind him. "Scary maybe?" He pauses again, Sam looking up to him. "But, really, I just wanna help."
Sam thinks about it for a few seconds. This is the most comfortable she's been in a year. She's on high alert and she doesn't think her brain will ever rest but she's warm, in a bed, watching a movie. She had pizza. She can't remember the last time she had pizza. And she got all this by not robbing anyone or squatting. Maybe a night or two couldn't hurt.
"O-okay." She says quietly.
"Yeah?" Dick offers a side smile, surprised she said okay. "Did you want to stay here?"
"Um...if that's...okay." Her words are soft and unsure. "As long as you're not gonna like...kill me, I guess."
Dick chuckles softly, looking to the floor and back to Sam. "We're not gonna kill you."
"Well, that's great then." Sam shrugs, tugging at the sleeves again. "Um...what about the others? Do they have powers?" Sam asks before continuing. "Gar said he can turn into a Tiger so..."
"Yeah, he can." Dick confirms it and catches the smile wanting to split her face. "Rachel, she has powers. We're still trying to figure them out. Then there's Jason, don't mind him." Dick warns with a grin. "You'll get used to him but he doesn't have powers. He's pretty good at combat, though."
Sam nods, as if to be accepting what he's saying. "So, you just...pluck kids off the street or?"
"For someone who doesn't answer a lot of questions, you sure have a lot of them." Dick offers a light-hearted chuckle.
Sam tilts her head with a shrug. "I-I, uh, haven't, uh." She furrows her brows. "Haven't had much contact with anyone really. In a while." Sam sucks in a breath. "I am also just an inquisitive person."
Dick nods. "Rachel found me, actually. She needed help, I didn't want to help but..." He pauses thinking back to the whole mess that unfolded. "I couldn't just leave her on her own."
"Now you want to help?"
Dick nods. "Yeah, she doesn't have anyone else. I lost my parents so I get it. I didn't have anyone either until someone decided to reach out."
Sam nods slowly, grasping it now. It's like a passing of the kindness kind of thing. Someone helped him as a kid, showed him some of the greatest kindness so now he's out here doing the same. Assuming what he's saying is all true, that is.
"What about Gar and Jason?"
"Gar was with Rachel, we got separate and he helped her. Wanted to come with and he didn't have a place that he felt like he belonged. Jason...well, he needs more guidance. He's not really allowed to go back to being who he was yet. I took him in."
Sam's eyes narrow with suspension again. "Is he like a bad person or something?" The way he talks about Jason compared to the others is a little weird. He speaks highly of Rachel and Gar but seems to have a harder time doing that with Jason. There is some sort of history there that Sam is very intrigued about.
"No," Dick answers quickly with a shake of his head. "He's just a little reckless."
"Ahh." Sam says quietly, knowing that being reckless tends to be a little fun but also understanding the consequences. If it weren't for recklessness, she'd still be in Gotham. "So, what now then?"
"I can show you around, show you to a room that'll be yours."
"I'll have a room?" Sam asks with a scoff. "How fucking big is this place?"
Dick laughs. "It's pretty big."
"Sweet." Sam sits up fully, crossing her legs. "Then what?"
"Do you have other powers?" Dick asks, feeling like maybe he'll get an answer.
The other one isn't a big deal, really. It doesn't hurt anyone and will maybe just protect her. To Sam, right now, it doesn't seem like not telling him is really going to be much benefit to her anyway but she also doesn't know exactly how to explain it.
"Uh..." Sam's brows furrow as she searches for words. "If...someone tries to...hit me or attack me," Sam starts. "I get this intense throbbing in the back of my head and I just...know where they'll come from." Sam explains.
"Combat clairvoyance, how long have you had that?" Dick asks, finding it interesting.
Sam shrugs her shoulders. "It's a new thing, like the acid."
"Okay," Dick nods his head. "Anything else?"
"Not that I'm aware of." Sam answers honestly. Maybe she has more, maybe not. She's hoping with everything in her that she doesn't have some hidden power, one is more than enough for her and she's stuck with two.
"Okay then." He seems satisfied with answers, choosing not to push to find out how she got her powers for right now. "Want the tour or did you want to rest some more?"
"Okay." He nods. "Want the tour or did you want to rest some more?"
"Tour." Sam says without even thinking about it. She's been in the same room for months and she's tired of being locked in one room. She wants to see everything.
"Alright." Dick chuckles. He walks to the side of her bed and offers her an arm to help her.
"I'm fine." Sam shrugs him off, pulling the blanket off of her, revealing her black leggings that have a hole at one of the knees and one on the other shin. "Are there like...clothes I can borrow?" She asks as she gets out of the bed carefully, her legs feeling a bit weak as she stands.
"Sure, I'll see if Rachel has anything. Hoodie is Gar's though." Dick explains.
"Cool." Sam flashes him a smile. "He's cool."
"Yeah, he's a good kid." Dick smiles back at her as the two exit the room.
Dick leads her down the hallway and decides to start with the kitchen and living area. It's right in the middle of the tower and figured that might be a good place to start. Sam takes in the open-concept rooms. She's relieved it's not all white. She remembers watching HGTV back in Gotham and everything was always white. It's like these grown adults had a problem with color. Who would want to live in a place that looks like a hospital? But this tower isn't like that. It has a dark color palette. The floors, the walls, all dark but big floor-to-ceiling windows line the back wall of the two rooms giving the place plenty of light. A large fireplace sits in the center of the living room, not against a wall. Sam likes it a lot more than she would ever openly admit.
"Kitchen, living room." Dick gestures a hand out, letting Sam walk in front of him to look at the rooms.
"It's nice." She says, looking back at Dick. "You an interior designer or something?" She quips, looking to the windows, seeing the city.
Dick just looks at her, looking unamused before a smile cracks across his face. "No," He scoffs. "I didn't decorate the place."
"Mmm, a shame. It would give you at least a point in my book." Sam looks back to him and gives a sarcastic grin.
"You're keeping a point system?" Dick's brows raise, unsure if she's joking or not.
"You don't?" Sam scoffs with a chuckle.
It was a sarcastic comment but Sam is not gonna let that go. She'd keep the bit going for as long as she knows Dick now. He's stuck with a point system.
"What's next?" She asks.
"Follow me." Dick walks past her, leading her down a dark hallway.
Sam follows closely, looking at the rooms they pass which all have doors closed. The spacing of the doors indicated they're all large rooms. Sam couldn't tell you what the housing market is like, something she never could even in Gotham but she'd have to bet this is at least a million-dollar house, apartment? Whatever it should be called. It's so fucking big.
Sam is pulled from her thoughts as they reach what seems to be a training room, a boy with black hair hitting a punching bag off to the side. Sam takes in the area and is actually seriously questioning if Dick is turning kids into weapons. What would the point be to have a room like this if not? And there is already a kid working out so it's being used. Maybe it'll be beneficial to her. Learn a few things and escape when the time is right.
"This is the training room. When you're able, you can train here with everyone else." Dick explains, putting his hands in his pockets as they stand at the open sliding doors.
The boy turns around hearing Dick talk. He looks at the girl with bruises and cuts across her face. He grimaces at the sight of her. Gar told him he brought Sam home but he didn't think it was that bad.
"What the fuck happened to your face?" He asks with a scoff.
"What the fuck happened to yours?" Sam strikes back, Dick doing a double take with fire in her words.
"My face is fucking perfect, fuck you." Jason sneers, he was just asking a simple question. He didn't expect for Sam to have a comment back.
"Yeah, who the fuck says? Fuck you."
The immediate question of her face just caught her off guard. It seemed a bit rude, the way he asked and Sam is not gonna let him talk to her like that. But, by the way his nostrils flare, she can tell that challenging him will be fun.
Dick watches the two of them, not even sure exactly what he expected from Jason but this should have been it.
"Hey," Dick shakes his head.
"She started it." Jason pouts his glove-covered hand at Sam.
"You asked what happened to my face!" Sam defends. "And my name is Sam."
"Because you look like someone fucked you up. Maybe get in here and spar a bit, it'll save your face next time if you're that offended." Jason snips.
"Jason, right?" Sam looks to Dick and Dick nods.
"Heard about me, huh?" Jason gains a cocky grin as he walks closer to her.
"That tracks." Sam nods with the roll of her eyes. If he's like this all the time, she gets why Gar and Dick have both said she'd get used to him. But, what they don't know is that people like Jason are always really fun to fuck with.
"What?" Jason asks, the smile still wide, almost expecting everyone to talk highly of him.
"Just heard you're really good at combat." Sam smiles at him, playing into his ego and deciding to have a little bit of fun with him.
"Yeah, maybe I can show you a thing or two." Jason looks her up and down.
"I can show you." Sam does the same, mimicking his actions.
Dick stands there a bit in shock as to what is happening right now. Sam blatantly refused to talk to him and warmed up a bit to Gar. But, had he known introducing her to Jason would get her talking, he might have just done that first. What is even going on? And why is she humoring him?
"Can we not-" Dick starts but Jason cuts him off.
"Look, babe, it looks like you're the one who needs help." Jason offers and Sam can't tell is this is him being nice or if he's trying to get laid or what but whatever the fuck it is, it is not working. But, either way, you know this is going to be fun.
"Okay, I'll bet you, you can't fucking touch me." Sam challenges him while Dick snaps his attention to her. Did she suddenly forget she was injured?
"You need more rest. Let's continue-"
"What's the bet?" Jason plays along.
Sam smirks at him, looking him up and down again. "Mmm, I don't know. If you can't land a single hit in thirty seconds, you owe me whatever I decide. If you win..."
Dick is standing there, asking the universe "Why him?" what did he do for this? He was just trying to help and now he's here with two of the same people. Of all people she had to be like, it had to be Jason. Can't be another Gar or Rachel. No, she has to be like Jason because Dick can't catch a break.
"I'll let you let off this time." Jason offers, catching Dick by surprise.
"Deal." Sam sticks out her hand, Jason catching a glimpse of the mark on her wrists, pausing. "Don't make it fucking weird."
"Deal." Jason widens his eyes before sticking a hand out.
"Be careful." Dick warns them.
Normally, Dick would step in and stop this. Sam is injured and shouldn't be doing anything really but he is pretty interested to see the combat clairvoyance in action. Jason is reckless and hot headed but he's not violent and Dick doesn't believe Jason will go full out. So, Dick doesn't stop Sam as she walks to the middle of the floor, straight face.
"Come on, babe, let's see what you got." Sam mocks him and Jason wastes not time in moving towards her.
Jason takes a swing, Sam dodging him making him miss. Sam's ability to mess with someone like Jason should also be a superpower. She will do everything in her power to not let any of her injuries interfere with this. Jason stutters for a second before trying again, missing. Sam gives him a side smirk with the raise of her brows, taunting him. Jason huffs before putting more power into it, going faster this time and Sam puts her arm up just in time to block him.
"What the fuck?" Jason mutters, throwing punches and trying to kick her while she keeps dodging and blocking him.
It's fun for her and she knows nothing about combat but she remembers seeing videos of Batman and Robin fighting. He reminds her of them, the way he fights. If those two are any indication, he really must be good at it. But, this is also unfair to him and she thinks it's funny. She likes how he's growing more and more frustrated, nostrils flaring with every miss. Jason takes another swing, right for the center of her face, Sam catches his fist, less than an inch from her nose.
She looks past his fist, not letting him go, deciding to mess with him a little more. "You're kind of cute, ya know?" Jason narrows his eyes but his arm doesn't relax. He knows the tactic and he'd be lying if he didn't find it a bit amusing that she tried it. "Nothing?" Sam raises a brow.
"Nice try." Jason yanks his fist away, going to the floor to trip her but she's just quick enough for him to miss.
"Okay, that's enough." Dick walks to the middle with them, tired of watching and if this goes on any longer, he knows he'll be hearing from Jason about it. It's never something he wants to deal with.
"I won, thanks for that." Sam beams at Jason. "Needed it."
"You're just not playing fucking fair." Jason yells behind Dick.
"So, you thought it was fair to try hitting me, someone who has no combat experience and is injured but it's not fair for me to not tell you that I can avoid being hit?" Sam questions and watches Jason become flustered.
"You started it." Jason groans and Sam can't help but find it funny.
She completely understands why Dick and Gar weren't very vocal about Jason. She gets it now. He's definitely something else. Most people would probably find him annoying and an asshole, which he is, but Sam finds it amusing more than anything. Plus, he looks like he carries damage. Something about the way he moves, the lost and distant look in his eyes. It's interesting.
"Yeah," Sam grins with a shrug. "And what are you gonna do about it?" Sam taunts, a wide challenging smile on display.
Jason's brows furrow as he jerks his head back. He's never had anyone challenge him like this before and he's not a fan of it. He takes the same shit he dishes out but it is kind of fun going back and forth about it. But he really doesn't get it. No one comes out of the gate swinging like that.
"We're gonna continue the tour if that's okay with the two of you." Dick looks between them, his voice more a statement rather than an actual question.
"Okay." Sam offers him an apologetic smile.
"Yeah, I got shit to do." Jason mumbles, walking back to where he was when they first walked in, eyes trailing on Sam a little longer than he really wanted.
Sam smirks to herself, watching Jason walk back to the punching bag. It's weird because he's kind of an asshole but something about him feels like home. Maybe it's because he isn't tip-toeing around her or offering her some weird type of kindness that makes her skin crawl. He doesn't look sympathetic and look at her with pity. Not after she talked away. Dick and Gar do though, it makes her shift and she hates the uneasiness about it.
Sam follows Dick back down another hallway decorated with lights and a few memorabilia-type things. It gives her the impression this isn't some new superhero thing, despite the younger ages of the other kids. It looks like this place was lived in for awhile, haunted by previous heroes.
"This is your room." Dick opens a black door, sitting in between two other rooms and showing Sam inside.
It's plain and simple. A tv sits on an entertainment center against the left-hand wall. Large windows line the first half of the room and a bed sits against the right wall. It's as if the room is literally divided into two parts, a living area and a sleeping area. Two small backless shelving units divide the two areas. A dresser is next to the left-hand side of the door, a turntable and a lamp sitting on top. They're empty and so is a bookshelf next to the left side of the bed. It's so empty.
"We can go tomorrow to get you some clothes and a few things if you want." Dick offers as Sam walks into the room fully taking it in.
"Uh..." She stutters, turning around to face him. "I-I don't have...money?"
Dick smiles gently. "It's okay. I got it."
Her eyes narrow at him and she cannot figure out why he would do this. "Okay...why? Like why are you doing this? Everyone has a motive so what's yours?"
Dick shrugs a shoulder, putting his hands in his pockets. "The people here are special and so are you. It's hard being out there and being special."
"So what makes you special then?"
"Same as Jason."
"Ahh." Sam nods her head once. Interesting. "What if I don't wanna fight?" She asks.
Dick shakes his head. "You don't have to, you just have to learn to control your powers. It's up to you if want to learn more. But you'll be safe here."
Sam feels like this is some type of dream about to turn into a nightmare. She's had a dream before where someone comes to rescue her from the dreadful and dreary basement but then they turn,p. They find out about her powers or they're just as fucked uo as her foster dad and they just use her. An endless string of torture. This doesn't feel like that, not really, because this isn't a dream. She's wide awake but it's hard to believe.
"Okay." Sam says, turning back around and walking to the TV.
"You can stream from it if you want, it's connected to the Wi-Fi already with the accounts, like the TV in the other room." Dick explains.
Sam looks back to him. "Cool." Her voice is quiet and she always just liked to watch TV and movies.
It wasn't a coping mechanism or some type of escape from the hell for Gotham. Some people find fun in sports or art or social media, her thing was tv. She just found it fun to see the stories play out in front of her eyes, not reading, just watching. A part of Sam thinks it might sounds dumb if she said tv was one of the things she missed the most.
"Well," Dick sighs. "I'll leave you be then. If you need anything, I'll be around and so will everyone else. Gar is to the right and Jason left, Rachel is across the hall." Dick explains.
Sam nods, still just looking around unsure how to even feel about being here. Is there a way she can plan an escape if shit hits the fan? Always have some type of escape plan. Anything can happen and she won't be captured again and held captive. But, Dick is really nice and there's a part of Sam that is certain if he were kidnapping kids and holding them here against their will, he would have let Jason go a long time ago.
"Uh...t-t-thank you." Sam stutters catching Dick right before he leaves the room. "For saving me."
"Don't mention it." Dick smiles at her, feeling good about the decision to help her. "Just don't burn me again."
"Yeah..." Sam scrunches her face. "Sorry."
"It's alright, get some rest." Dick says kindly before leaving Sam to herself, shutting the door behind him.
Meanwhile, in the training room, Gar and Rachel have joined Jason. Rachel, thus far, is the only one who hasn't met Sam and she's curious. And if Dick is gonna bring another person so soon, all three of them feel like they need to talk about it. They should get a say if someone gets to join their little found family.
"What is she like?" Rachel asks.
"She's nice, seems scared though." Gar shrugs while Jason scoffs.
"She's a bitch." Jason walks over to the two of them. "And she's a freak."
Rachel rolls her eyes. "You think everyone is a freak." Jason has also called her a freak on more than one occasion.
"She was nice to me." Gar shrugs, casually knowing it's not exactly easy to be nice to Jason even on a good day. He's his best friend, of course, but he's not easy to get along with. It's kind of up to Jason and what kind of day he's had. Gar, on the other hand, is the easiest one in the tower to get along with. He's just nice to everyone even if they aren't nice to him.
"Did she tell you how and why she burned Dick?" Rachel asks, ignoring Jason as he takes a seat beside Gar.
"She can produce acid with her hands." Gar states, ignoring the groan leaving Jason. "She didn't say why."
"Maybe that's why Dick brought her, to help control her powers." Rachel offers.
"Maybe." Gar tilts his head with the raise of his brows, not really thinking that's what it is. "I think he just has a thing for picking up strays."
"I wasn't a stray." Jason scoffs in his own defense, the idea of Bruce sending him here still sour in his mouth.
Rachel glares at him, unamused while Gar just shakes his head and ignores him. "You could talk to her." Gar says. "She's only talked to us, maybe a girl will make her feel better about being here."
"Yeah," Rachel laughs softly. "There's too much testosterone here." Rachel looks to Jason. "Is that okay with you?" She asks mockingly, not actually asking for his opinion.
Jason shrugs, seemingly to have not gotten the sarcastic tone. "She is hot, ya know, besides the cuts and shit so yeah. Need something pretty to look at it."
"Gross." Gar grimaces.
"You're such a fuckboy." Rachel shakes her head, looking back to Gar.
"Hey, fuck you." Jason retorts. "All you do is stare at Gar, I want someone to look at."
"I do not!" Rachel fires back, cheeks tinting red.
Gar watches the two of them, shifting in his seat having never noticed if she did stare at him or not. He's hoping she knows they're just friends. He is not very good at letting people down softly, mostly because he trips over his words and makes everything worse by trying to spare their feelings.
"Right." Jason scoffs, getting back to his feet. "You're with me, right?" Jason looks to Gar. "About Sam?"
"Uh..." Gar tilts his head, forehead wrinkling not even wanting to get into this.
He thinks it's a little insensitive. Of course, it's exactly what he expects from Jason but he's not gonna get dragged into it. Sam just got here and she's very clearly traumatized. He's not looking at her in any type of way besides with sympathy and empathy. Though he does think she's pretty, even with the cuts and bruises Jason wants to so rudely dismiss but Gar won't say it. It's not his place or the time. Surely, they can let Sam settle in and let her just do her own thing. They don't need to be talking about her.
Jason shakes his head. "We gotta find out more about her though, right? Like who the fuck is she?"
"Does it matter?" Rachel counters.
"Yeah, man, I don't think it's up to us." Gar adds in.
Jason puts his weight to one leg. "What if she's like...here to kill us or some shit? Shouldn't we know?"
"Pretty sure Dick would have looked into that already." Gar states, eyes slightly narrowed at him.
Jason is paranoid and dramatic and over-enthusiastic about being a hero. Gar thinks it's the coolest thing that's ever happened to him, becoming a Titan. There are so few people who get to say they're a Titan and Gar is one of them. He's so excited to get out there and fight these big bad guys but not until Dick says they're ready. Jason, on the other hand, has the experience and doesn't think he even needs to be here. Gar can tell Jason is just hoping this girl will be part of a big bad plot.
"Did he tell you that?" Jason counters.
"He doesn't need to, Jason." Rachel grows more annoyed with Jason with every passing second.
"Come on, you wanna know, right? How she got her powers? Ended up here? Think it's some coincidence or some shit with Dick finding her?" Jason argues, looking directly at Gar knowing Gar won't be to resist. "We can find out."
"Gar." Rachel says.
It's the way she said his name that he knows it's threatening but...Jason has a point. If Dick and Sam don't find out, no one else will know. He doesn't think Rachel will rat them out or anything. Jason is always just very persistent and he'll probably do it himself, if Gar is there and he gets caught, maybe Dick will go easier on him and they won't have to listen to it.
Gar sighs. "Fine but just to make sure."
"Unbelievable." Rachel stands up. "You two are terrible. We shouldn't pry into someone else's privacy."
"What if there is someone though? Jason kind of has a point." Gar counters, still sitting on the ground. "I mean, you were being chased by people who wanted to kill you. Maybe it's better if we find out just to be safe."
"You don't have to come." Jason shrugs a shoulder, looking at Rachel.
"I wasn't going to. You two do whatever you want." She waves her hands in annoyance before heading to leave the training room. "I'm going to be normal and just talk to her." Rachel leaves the boys to themselves, knowing they won't be far behind to go to the computer.
Gar and Jason stay in the training room a little longer before making tier way to the infirmary. They saw the cuts and Gar helped Dick clean them up so Gar knows they can get blood from the garbage to run her DNA. It's definitely an invasion of privacy that doesn't quite sit well with him but what if Jason is right? He's paranoid, sure, but what if Dick didn't look into this girl? What are they supposed to do? It can't hurt. Dick sometimes seems too trusting, he didn't really ask Gar any questions before letting him join the little group. If Dick is just waiting for Sam to start talking and she's a part of something bigger, that would be very not good for any of them. That's the reasons he lists as to why this isn't some horrible thing they're doing.
"Samantha Carter." Jason crosses his arms as they see her picture show up on the screen.
"Born in Gotham City." Gar says, sitting at the computer, matching the stare on the large screen before looking at Jason, then back to the screen. "Uh...let's see. Her mom was killed...by the Joker." Gar's voice grows sad and quiet, looking over to Jason knowing his dad was killed by Two-Face.
"Shit." Jason huffs, a sense of what one might describe as guilt comes over him knowing what it's like.
"Dad has a rap sheet for drugs." Gar looks back to Jason and then back to the computer, growing more uncomfortable with the similarities of the two of them. "She was arrested for breaking into cars, put into foster care. That's all there is." Gar reads it off before looking back to Jason.
Jason squints his eyes at the screen, knowing how close he was to being her and something in the pit of his stomach feels horrible for how he treated her. It makes him feel uneasy, knowing he could have been Sam had he just robbed the wrong car of the hubcaps, had she robbed the right one. It's a reality check.
"Look up the guy." Jason says, hiding the uneasiness in his voice.
"Jerry Johnson, what a name." Gar mocks. "Uh...former scientist from Gotham."
Gar lets the words sit in his mouth. The thing about Gotham is that it really does breed special kind of people. The fucked up kind of special. Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, Penguin, the Joker, the Riddler, what is happening in that city? It doesn't take much for Gar to figure that her powers didn't come from anything accidental, that she was some type of test subject her foster dad used. That explains a lot, her attitude toward Dick. The defensiveness. Gar wonders how he came out the other end not like that. He wasn't really an experiment but...it was some crazy scientists who thought Gar changing into a tiger was better than dying. It is but it's not always easy and he's not always a fan of it. It's hard to imagine how she might feel.
"Fuck, dude." Jason huffs, looking down to Gar. "Think that guy did that to her?"
Gar shrugs, not wanting to think of a teenager, his own age being victimized like that. Beat, tortured, chained up. It makes his stomach twist. "Maybe." Gar clears his throat. "We should...get out of here." He looks away from the computer.
"Yeah," Jason says quietly while Gar exits out of everything.
"It doesn't seem like she's the bad guy." Gar's voice is defeated and maybe a part of him was hoping she would be. It would give them something to do but this just got really sad, really fast.
"Guess not." Jason mutters and Gar can't tell if he's disappointed or just lost in his thought about it.
"You okay, dude?"
"Yeah." Jason gives him a grin. "Just fucked up."
Gar curls his lips in with a nod. "Yeah."
While the boys sit and figure out how they're supposed to handle this newfound information without letting Sam or Dick know how they found out, Rachel went to Sam's room.
Sam is in her room, sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and watching Zombieland. The movie's been out for a while but she is so in love with it. There's zombies who don't just walk and eat people. They actually have speed and the characters aren't dumb. There are rules to surviving any type of horror movie and this guy in the movie just gets it. It's by far one of her favorite comfort movies. And she's having a great time, just relaxing for the first time in a year. It's like she can almost breathe clearly again, wrapped in a blanket on a couch and in a warm home. But, then a knock sounds on her door and she's reminded that she's not alone.
She gets up, taking the blanket with her. "Uh...hey?" She asks, seeing the girl with purple hair, dressed head to toe in black with a weird red gem in the center of her forehead.
"Hey," Rachel smiles softly. "I'm Rachel."
"S-sam." Sam offers, hand still on the door.
"I just wanted to come and meet you. I know you met everyone else." Rachel explains nicely.
Sam nods and she almost feels like an animal at a zoo but that's not Rachel's fault. It's like when someone new comes to school halfway through the school year and suddenly everyone wants to talk to them. They're like a new toy.
"Yeah, uh, yeah." She nods, sliding her hand off the door. "Did...you wanna come in?" She asks, not sure if she should or not. It all feels so bizarre.
"Sure." Rachel smiles softly, walking inside while Sam shuts the door. "How do you like your room?" Rachel looks around at the empty place, wondering how Sam would decorate it.
"It's okay." Sam answers with a shrug. "Kind of boring, I guess."
"Dick will get you stuff to make it yours." Rachel explains.
"Right." Sam nods slowly before going back to her spot on the couch.
She doesn't have much else to say. She's not actively trying to be standoffish. Rachel is just being nice but she doesn't even know how she's supposed to talk to people and she's truthfully tired and wants to enjoy her movie. Sam just didn't want to sound like a bitch and tell Rachel to leave.
"What do you think about the guys?" Rachel asks, sitting on the opposite end of the couch, not getting too close to her which Sam really appreciates. Rachel figures talking about the guys might be an easy way to get Sam to warm up to her.
"Uh..." Sam furrows her brows and a smile creeps onto her face. "Gar's really nice." Sam says quietly. "Dick is okay, I guess. Jason's an asshole."
Rachel lets out a laugh. "I know! It's been just us for a month." Rachel leans her head back dramatically making Sam laugh. "You'll get used to him. Gar and Dick make it easier."
Sam shakes her head. "I don't mind, actually." Sam huffs with a smile, earning herself a surprised and confused look from Rachel. Sam shrugs. "He's funny to fuck with. He gets all mad and I think it's funny."
"What'd you do?" Rachel asks, intrigued why someone would find it funny but also kind of want to see someone actually get under Jason's skin and not be bothered by whatever ignorant comment he'll say.
"I asked him what was wrong with his face when he asked about mine then I challenged him to a bet. He lost." Sam holds her up proudly.
"What was the bet? Teach me. He bugs me." Rachel says dramatically, her eyes wide.
"I can do this thing," This time when Sam explains it, her head is held with pride and confidence. "I can sense when someone is gonna attack me, told him he could hit me and he couldn't."
"That's awesome! Can I be there next time, please?" Rachel pleads.
Rachel and Jason haven't gotten along since her dad possessed him. They got along fine when they met in Chicago but then things got a little rocky. Rachel actually doesn't like not getting along with him, especially living under the same roof, but she can't pinpoint exactly what it was that made him not like her. She's tried to be nice but it never really gets her anywhere with him. So, seeing someone put Jason in his place sounds like a good time.
"Sure. I don't think Dick thought it was very funny." Sam lets out a soft chuckle, warming up to Rachel. She is very nice.
"Gar will think it's hilarious. They spar together more than us and Gar puts up a good fight but Jason always wins." Rachel rolls her eyes.
"Gar doesn't seem like a fighter."
Rachel shrugs a shoulder. "He's not."
"Probably a good thing, he's cute." Sam blurts out, shocked she actually said that out loud. "I have said too much."
"No, it's okay. He is." Rachel laughs softly.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Sam backtracks. "Are you a thing?"
"No!" Rachel exclaims. "No, we're just friends. No one here is like a thing or anything."
"Oh, okay. That's a bit surprising. Though, I guess you wouldn't be into Jason." Sam jokes.
"God, no." Rachel grimaces with the thought. "I'd rather die." Rachel says making Sam laugh. "Is that Gar's?" Rachel points towards the hoodie.
"Uh...yeah. He loaned to me. I asked for a hoodie because it's a little cold in here."
"That's really nice of him." Rachel offers a soft side smile.
"Yeah..." Sam tugs the sleeves over her hands.
"Can I ask what happened to you?" Rachel asks carefully.
Sam shifts in her seat. She'd love to go as long as humanly possible without saying anything about it. It's just traumatic. It's not even like it's a secret. It's just hard to talk about and she doesn't know these people at all. It feels like something more personal than to just go around and blasting it to complete strangers. If Dick makes her say something, she will but until then, she'd like to just tell them on her own time. Not when she's asked.
"Uh...it's...a-a long story." Sam looks to the TV and Rachel can see that a part of her just shut down with the question. It's obvious that it's bad but Rachel didn't think it would cause a distant reaction.
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me or anything but if you want to talk about it, you can talk to me." Rachel's voice is quiet.
"T-thank you." Sam glances at her from the corner of her eye. "Uh...it's okay. I, uh, I just don't wanna talk about it yet." Sam shakes her head.
"That's okay." Rachel smiles softly. "No pressure. We all have shit here." Rachel huffs with a laugh.
"I can tell." Sam whispers. "No offense." She says quickly. "You seem fine, actually but everyone else has...a vibe. Even Gar, feels like there's something going on. Jason can't be that big of an asshole without having trauma and Dick seems like he picks up teenagers off the street because of trauma."
Rachel laughs. "Yeah, pretty much." She lets out a sigh. "My dad is a demon who tried to kill me."
Sam furrows her brows, forehead wrinkling as she slowly turns to look at Rachel. "I'm sorry, what?"
Rachel nods. "Gave this as a trophy." Rachel taps the gem that's embedded to her forehead.
"Well..." Sam pauses. "What the fuck?" She laughs. "It's not funny...I just...did not think I'd hear that."
"Yeah," Rachel laughs softly. "I didn't expect to find out my dad was a demon. I guess it explains a lot." Rachel scrunches her nose.
"Yeah, meeting the parental figure that fucked shit up can sometimes have answers even if it's not the ones you want." Sam says quietly, feeling Rachel staring at her. "Long story, dad's an addict. Got the answers I didn't want but needed."
"Jeez." Rachel sighs.
"Yeah," Sam says, realizing she's saying too much and figured this was enough for the night. "Hey, uh, I'm like...really tired." Sam tugs the sleeves of the hoodie over her hands again. "Can I get some sleep?" She asks slowly, trying not to sound harsh.
"Yeah, of course!" Rachel says quickly, getting up from her spot. "I'll see you tomorrow." Rachel smiles at Sam. "You can trust us, just so you know. We're a family here."
"Thanks." Sam answers before Rachel heads for the door and leaves.
Sam almost hates to admit but she thinks maybe she could fit in here. It's a bunch of people with trauma trying to make something work, maybe even work through it. She actually likes everyone that lives here from the small interactions she's had. Everyone seems genuine, even if one of them is an asshole, at least it's genuine. None of them seem to be here being held against their will. Rachel and Gar made her feel comfortable. The door isn't locked and she can leave when she wants. Something about it still feels too good to be true but for this moment, just this moment, Sam lets herself sit in peace with the hope that it's all going to be okay again.