She scowled at the use of her full name, eyes shooting daggers in Jason’s direction. His next statement elicited a scoff from her, and she was shaking her head before he’d even finished his sentence.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Jason, I wasn’t aware that the only friends I was allowed to have were people who traipsed around the city at night wearing masks,” she shot back, “They’re nice people, good people. That doesn’t make them my family.”
Kori looked away from Jason then, her gaze falling to the floor. No, her work friends weren’t here family. If anything, they were just a distraction from the growing distance between she and Jason, and the loneliness of her empty apartment. She knew Jason was only saying what he was to upset her, but damn it, he knew better than to think she’d ever value the people she hung out with from work over him — even if they had barely spoken in a year.
Her definition of family had always been a bit skewed; Kori had always been a firm believer in the fact that people chose their own families. Sure, she had a mother and a father, but they hadn’t raised her since she was twelve… she hadn’t even seen them since then. To call them her parents would be a stretch at best. At that age, she wasn’t even old enough to truly know them. Even if she’d only known Jason for a few years, he was her family. They shared a bond Kori would share with no one else, a bond that transcended arguments and distance. He knew that.
“Oh, really?”
She heard enough through the grapevine about what he’d been up to, but Kori was still unclear of any details. Of course, she wanted to know. That was the whole point of the conversation, wasn’t it? He could beat around the bush all he wanted, but they both knew she’d get him to talk in the end.
He took a deep breath, making sure the Dragon’s controls were set to autopilot. Then, he swiveled the seat, facing his angry former best friend in full.
"Kory. Look, man. It’s been months since we had a meaningful conversation. Other than that, I’ll send you a text when I need a pickup for a friend in the bus, or you come over and hang with Dick. Let’s not act like there’s love lost between us. If there was, we’d have worked something out. So focus, Princess. We have to rescue the wayward son, and I…"
He blinked, suddenly emotional. Dick was his legacy. His duty. His brother. And he’d let him be lost, let him be hurt and captured.
He swiveled back to the controls, focusing on the Gotham skyline, the small points of light still visible in the darkness.
"They’re more important things than our squabbles. Roy wouldn’t have wanted us to stop working together after his death. I mean, for fuck’s sake. I’ve been working solo. Is that what you wanted?”
It was quiet, barely veiled anger. He already knew the answer.
and all of this will never be the same again 