Waking Up to a Brand New Day

Gotham City, Connecticut

7:12 A.M. EDT

"Work with me, will you?" Dick Grayson growled in frustration as he continued to run a comb through his wet yet unruly ebony locks.

The fogged up mirror vaguely reflected his image, informing him that his hair style still looked so close to Robin's that he had to force it into submission so that it looked tame.

"Almost have it …. There!" he muttered triumphantly, finally getting the cow lick to stay in line with the other hair follicles. He nodded at his reflection finally satisfied with it.

Dick set his comb on the counter of his private bathroom and entered his bedroom. He sauntered over to his desk where he'd left his knapsack Friday afternoon before the mission.

Hoisting it onto his shoulder, he cringed.

Guess that's still gonna hurt, he thought as he gingerly adjusted his knapsack. Good thing the mission went well or I'd have more bruises than this.

He smiled slightly at the memory of the weekend's successful mission. It'd gone nearly perfect and except for a slight altercation, the team came out unscathed. Plus, it had boosted his confidence tenfold.

He gave his desk a quick scan to make sure he hadn't left any wayward sheets of homework behind before leaving the room when he was assured that there was nothing he needed on it.

Dick hummed contentedly as he trotted down a few gentle slopped flights of stairs heading towards the regular dining hall and was greeted by …

"Ah, Master Richard," Alfred Pennyworth said in his thick British accented voice. "I was just about to come up and inform you that breakfast is served."

"Great," Dick responded enthusiastically. "I'm starved."

"I should hope so, a growing young man needs all the nutrients he can get," the sagely butler agreed approvingly.

Set on the mahogany wood table was a plentiful breakfast that was made specifically for him. Beacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, a bowl of fruit, a glass of orange juice, and a mug of hot cocoa waited for him at his place.

Setting his knapsack down beside the leg of the table, Dick sat down as his place and began eating as soon as he was seated. He doubted that Bruce would be joining him for breakfast in the next fifteen minutes, so he wasn't going to wait for very long.

However, he did chew his meal slowly. As soon as he was finished with his breakfast Alfred would insist that he go to school.

Dick sighed while chewing his cereal. Gotham Academy wasn't a bad school; it however was probably the most boring though. The only thing interesting about it was the recent enrollment of Artemis.

Her presence at the posh school off set all the exclusiveness of it. Unfortunately, he only had a few classes with her, but one thing was for sure, those classes were never boring, at least when they were allowed to have classroom discussion.

A smirk curled upon Dick's face as he recalled how debate class had been last week, what with Artemis's 'unrefined' vocabulary. Everyone in the classroom was laughing with tears at Mrs. Roger's reaction to the female archer's argument.

Dick stared at his cereal as he stirred it, only looking up when the kitchen door opened and a heavier footfall then Alfred's accompanied it. Of course it was Bruce finally back from his patrol of Gotham City and finally joining Dick for breakfast with the Monday's paper under his arm.

"Morning Bruce," Dick greeted before taking a swig of his hot cocoa.

Bruce reciprocated the greeting with a curt nod before unfolding the paper and drink in his coffee.

So much for conversation, he thought drinking down the milk left in his cereal bowl before moving on to his bowl of fruit. Let's try something else.

After a few minutes Dick asked, "If mischievous means troublesome, then would chievous mean to be obedient?"

Dick didn't really expect an answer but he could hope that his mentor was paying attention. Much to his surprise, he didn't hope in vain.

"'Chievous' isn't a word," corrected the Dark Knight almost absentmindedly as his mentor read the paper.

"Yeah, but if it were, wouldn't it be the opposite of mischievous?" Dick persisted. He'd gotten one answer out of Bruce already; another might not be so hard.

"I suppose." This time, Bruce definitely sounded absentminded.

Okay, that's weird, and unlike Bruce. Dick paused in his consumption of his breakfast to study his mentor. He noticed quickly that whatever was in the paper held Bruce's full attention.

Whatever held his mentor's attention might be important to him as well, so he asked, "What'cha reading?"

"Have you ever heard of Daleville's vigilante, the Nightingale?" Bruce asked, finally setting the paper down.

Dick thought for a moment. He couldn't recall having heard of a vigilante known as Nightingale before, and he only vaguely recalled Daleville being mentioned before. He wasn't happy with it, the name meant nothing to him and Daleville was mostly a small town of little consequence to him.

"No … should I have?" He hoped hadn't missed something important.

"Until recently, no. The Nightingale has kept a low profile, and stayed her limitations, though she's always pushing them further and further," his mentor replied, handing the Gotham Gazette to Dick. "Now, however, she may have pushed her limits further than she's ready for without knowing it, and accomplished something more notable."

"She?" Dick questioned, his inquisitive nature getting the better of him as he glanced over the article. An astonished look spread itself across his face. "She did what?"

Daleville, Connecticut

7:35 A.M. EDT

She was oblivious to the world as she lay curled up in soft warmth. Only the low dim of the orphanage made her aware that morning had arrived.

"Bree … Briana, Briana Thomas!" A yell amplified the sounds of the dim tenfold, and the sensation that her warmth was quickly leaving rushed over her. Much to her annoyance, she realized that someone was pulling her blanket.

"….What?" she groggily groaned, screwing her eyes shut and reclaiming as much of her blanket as she could.

"Get up now! You're running late for the shower rush as is, but if you don't get moving now all hell's gonna break loose," came the reply along with a tug on her blanket, though to no avail. Briana already had a tighter hold on it than her opponent.

"….Whose trying to destroy the foundations of the universe this time, Amanda?" Briana growled though it came out as more of a yawn, before successfully landing a gentle yet swift kick to Amanda's fisted hand which held her blanket and resulting in the tugging of her covers cease. Once again her sheets were in her possession again, he rolled over.

"Ian and Isaac!"

This time she did yawn before saying: "I thought their forte was nightmares and ghost stories."

"Yeah, well, the terrors are now interested in Daisy's window garden," Amanda answered, calling Briana's attention further into the conscious world, then continued, "Do you know how hard you can kick?"

"Can't Mr. Mathews take care of it?" Briana sifted under the sheets. She still felt reluctant to start the day, even if she did feel slightly obligated.

"No, that lazy cretin is still asleep."

Of course he'd still be asleep. Briana rolled her eyes in annoyance, but the effect was lost since she had her head tucked under her pillow. "Alright, I'll get up. You go hold off the Crane twins while I hop in the shower and then come avert disaster. Sound okay?"

"Okay … wait, what?" her friend questioned when she realized what Briana's suggestion entailed.

"Just go make sure Isaac and Ian don't destroy Daisy's plants," she clarified with a grunt, still refusing to leave her bed or open her eyes any more than she had to as daylight tried to break through her sleepy mind.

"You'd better be as fast as the Flash, if not faster," Amanda ordered as Briana heard the door to their room moan as her roommate shut it. She laughed lightly into her pillow though Amanda wouldn't have heard it anyway since she'd just left the room.

With a stifled yawn, Briana peeked out from under her pillow. Her green eyes began to analyze what little she could see through her window.

Guess the storm's blown over, she thought as she uncurled her legs and stretched. Wish they'd stuck around. A dreary day would nicer, especially on Mondays.

She yawned again still feeling exhausted. The three or four hours she'd gotten to sleep hadn't made up for all that she'd missed.

After a reluctant moment, Briana finally forced her sore muscles to hoist her out of bed.

She frowned as she noted what she'd worn to bed. In her upright position she could only see her pants and she wasn't pleased.

Oh, lovely, Nightingale, she silently reprimanded herself as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Your laziness could've gotten you in serious trouble. I don't need more people knowing that I'm the Nightingale.

With a long suffered sigh, she shed her black sleeveless hoodie and stripped the long sleeved shirt with black sleeves and a silver-grey torso. Inspecting the shirt momentarily, she saw that there was blood on it, no doubt her own.

She could feel bruises forming on her abdomen and along with miscellaneous scrapes all along her arms and even some on her chest.

Guess I'm gonna need to wash these. Thank God it wasn't Scourge, or else I'd have more maintenance to do. Briana traced the dark green Nightingale insignia on the shirt as she wondered if she could get around to it that week or trade chores with the person on laundry duty for a day.

Briana tossed the top portion of her uniform into a pile of clothing that littered the floor of her and Amanda's room.

Get moving, she ordered herself, pulling on an old wrinkled shirt that could pass as a pajama top. She snatched up the clothing she'd set out the evening before and made her way to the showers, deciding to leave her black pair of jeans on for convenience.

"'Scuse me, Bree, gotta get to my room."

"You're excused, Tobey," Briana replied.

Tobey wasn't the only one to be heading back to their room. They were coming from the usual morning destinations like the showers or the dining hall. None were surprised to see her up so late in the morning, Briana rose only when necessary in the mornings and most of the time an early wakeup call wasn't necessary.

She turned the corner and entered the shower room of the orphanage. As she expected, she was the last one to use the showers, but she wasn't the only one in the room.

"Well, look whose finally decided to show her face," a voice as smooth as silk taunted as Briana set her clothing down in the shower stall and prepared to bathe.

"Morning to you too, Silvia," Briana grumbled in reply, turning to the older teen who'd addressed her.

She was never in the mood to deal with Silvia and her clique's torments in the morning, but evidently it was tradition for the older girl's to badger anyone late to the showers while they did their make-up. (Where they even got their cosmetics, Briana wasn't sure since it was a contraband item.)

"You do know that there isn't any hot water, don't you, Bree?" Silvia fixed her flippant gaze on Briana who glowered back.

There were reasons why Briana always thought that Silvia would be the perfect voice actor for a fox if an animated movie ever needed one, and Silvia's teasing and annoying was most of the reason.

"Yeah, I know, Silvia. There never is enough hot water to get everyone through the showers in the morning," she responded coldly, tensing as she gathered shower supplies from the cabinet furthest from the mirrors where Silvia and company were doing their make-up.

"Well," the older teen continued in her same slick tone. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the cold shower anyway, 'cause you've never experienced a warm one."

"If you get out of here, I just might." Briana's tone was cold and emotionless. If Silvia at least thought that she wasn't getting to her, than Briana might have some peace soon.

"As luck would have it, I'm headed to breakfast. Maybe I'll leave you some." Silvia and her posse began to stow their personal items and left in short order.

Briana practically let out a sigh of relief as they left.

Finally, I can get some privacy for at least a few minutes, Briana thought as alarmingly cool water cascaded over her shoulders. Goosebumps started to appear as she worked a lather of shampoo into her ebony hair. Her body wouldn't take long to get used to the temperature, but she made short work of bathing. She didn't want to be under that temperature of water that cold for longer than she had to.

As she'd promised Amanda (and because the water was colder than she'd liked), she was pulling on an ordinary pair of jeans and a crimson shirt emblazoned with a panther outlined in black after she'd scrubbed as much water off her clean body.

A yawn escaped her lips as she tossed her laundry into a pile of clothing as she sauntered into her room. Oh good grief, if a shower can't wake me up nothing short of coffee or an adrenaline rush will.

Briana carded a hand through her shoulder length black hair, she felt more exhausted than she should. This particular Monday was already turning into one of the longest yet, especially if the opened Geometry textbook on the desk she and Amanda shared was anything to go by.

Bree groaned as she shut the textbook and deposited it in her knapsack along with the notebook that accompanied it. She shrugged gloomily. Great, I haven't finished my Geometry homework. At least I'll have something to do in Mrs. Brooks today. Hopefully, Monday isn't a prelude to a bad week, it'd be just my luck that the last week of being thirteen would be my worst and being the youngest sophomore in the city isn't going to help anything. Friday won't come soon enough.

"Hey, Thomas."

Her head jerked up from the contents of her knapsack that she'd been checking for missing necessities to see a friend standing in her doorway.

"Hi, Jack, what's up?" Bree had to force her mouth to form those words, even if she knew she was perfectly capable of forming the sentence any other time.

Mentally, she scrubbed a hand over her face in frustration. Recently, she easily became flustered around Jack and she didn't like it. She was also noticing minute details about him such as how bright and attentive his blue eyes were in the morning light.

"Amanda says to hurry or she'll be having nightmares for weeks," Jack responded as he stepped into her room. "And I'd hurry if I were, 'cause the Crane twins are intent on total destruction of the window garden. I'd help, but those two won't listen to me this morning."

"Will do." She rose from her desk chair and hoisted her knapsack onto her shoulders. Despite herself, Briana felt as if she ought to say more to Jack, so she called over her shoulder, "Oh, and Jack?"

"Hmm?" He'd turned around to face her and she suddenly felt awkward.

Oh, crap, what do I say? I can't just dive into a conversation without an idea of what to say and not come out looking like an idiot.

"Thanks." Of all the things she could have said, that was the only one that she felt was appropriate.

"You're welcome, Thomas." Jack gave her a friendly nod and she would have headed down stairs, but Jack continued, "And one more thing, Ms. Patsy left a plate of grub for you. It should be on the kitchen counter … that is if no one has touched it."

Bree would have vocalized her appreciation of him for informing her, but she decided against it and nodded instead.

"You're welcome, Thomas."

A smile that was usually a prelude to a hearty chuckle spread across Jack's face as he gave her a parting wave before heading back to his own room.

She pivoted on her heels and all but marched down the flights of stairs leading to the kitchen, fuming in frustration. She felt irked and confused and oddly … happy.

If there was one thing that Briana had learned in life, it would be that happy was never a good feeling. Contented, satisfied, pleased, and at ease were fine, they were feelings that were only momentary. Here one day and gone the next.

But happy, that feeling tended to stick around for quite a while and when if left, it went out with a bang and sadness replaced it. She didn't want to be happy because she usually got hurt by that feeling. At least when it came to this degree of happy, anything less and she understood it and felt fine with it.

What is wrong with me? Friends do not feel like this about friends, right? She sighed exasperatedly and began ignoring her emotions altogether like she should've all along. For all she knew, they could just be the result of teenaged hormones.

As she reached the top of the stairs leading to the kitchen where her breakfast and Daisy's window garden were waiting, an almost maniacal disembodied boyish cackle tore through her train of thought shortly followed by …

"Briana, help! S.M.S. Save my sanity!"

Briana recognized Amanda's distinct sense of humor and almost chuckled, but another sound followed her friend's plea, the sound of a plastic plate hitting the linoleum floor of the kitchen.

Please say that's not my breakfast. She shot that prayer up to the powers that be while taking two stairs at a time. Her footfalls were light and accurate enough to have been one of her patrol runs across a rooftop and soon enough, she stood at the bottom. Oh crud, it was my breakfast.

Briana would have found the scene comical if the plastic plate that had had her breakfast on it weren't on the floor. Her stomach let out a gurgle of protest as she looked longingly at the cold ham, runny scrambled eggs, and burnt toast on the floor. She didn't care if she had the last pickings, she was hungry.

With a disgruntled frown, Briana looked at the real problems: Isaac and Ian.

Everyone in the orphanage knew that the mischievous pair would cause trouble for anyone and everyone and this morning they were giving the brunt of the day's mischief making to Amanda and Daisy who was being comforted by Jack's little sister, Hailey.

The nine year old girl was seething and glaring daggers at the twin nearest to her, the one standing haphazardly on the kitchen counter.

Briana watched as he threw the potted plant to his brother who was in the bay window where Daisy's window garden was situated. She was impressed with their antics, but in no mood to give her seal of approval.

Classic monkey in the middle, but with a twist.

The potted plant sailed over Amanda's head, sprinkling her with dirt as she lunged for it but failed to catch it.

"Give me that stupid plant, Isaac!" Amanda growled harshly as she wiped the dirt from her face. Of course, the twins proceeded to deny that they were either twin.

"I'm Isaac," claimed the one on the counter.

"No, he's Ian."

"Will you two cut that out?"

"They're not stupid." Daisy's wail interrupted the twins' taunts.

Briana decided to intervene before the situation could get any further out of hand.

"That one's Isaac," Briana stated, announcing her presence and pointing to the one on the counter. "And the other's Ian."

Amanda gave her a mixed look that consisted of annoyance and relief. The expression also demanded an answer as to why she'd taken so long. Briana would've given her a noncommittal shrug, but she had to deal with the Cranes first.

"How do you know?" they chorused.

"Isaac's got a slight cow lick and Ian's still got scratches from antagonizing that cat last week. You took the band aide off during dinner last night, remember?" she replied confidently and the twins paled. Briana smirked as a stunned look captured their expressions. She was one of the few who could tell them apart.

She stepped forward, her legs muscles tense and ready to lunge forward at a moment's notice. In her best diplomatic tone, she asked, "May I have the plant?"

Her eyes narrowed and her lips formed a fine line in determination as she watched a wry smile spread across Isaac's face a few facial sentences with his brother later. This isn't gonna be very easy, it never is.

"If you insist, Briana," Isaac drawled. He leaned over as if he was going to hand Amanda the plant, but at the last possible second he dropped it.

As soon as he let the potted plant free fall, Bree dove forward. Her momentum propelled her forward, and she landed on the floor, causing her to slide, along with the contents of her knapsack which slammed into the back of her head, towards where the plant would land. Miraculously, however, Briana's hands grasped the plant moments before it shattered on the linoleum floor.

Briana let out a breath of air she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she leaned against the cabinet under the sink.

The twins weren't happy that she'd managed to catch the potted plant, but they weren't around to express their disappointment. Both Amanda and Daisy were relieved, as she could see when Daisy reverently took the plant from her, and Hailey was far from happy.

"Get back here, you booger-eaters!" the nine year old hollered as she chased the twins out of the kitchen and into the dining hall. "You're gonna pay for that, you annoying creeps!"

"You'd think that she was the ginger of the two of them," Amanda muttered as she offered a hand to Briana.

Bree nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know."

"Sorry about your breakfast. Isaac decided to do a cartwheel on the counter."

Briana's eyebrows shot up at Amanda's apology. "In that case, we're lucky it isn't Isaac's head that ended up on the floor. I guess school breakfast isn't so bad."

She and Amanda glanced over at the digital clock on the kitchen's stove.

"If you're gonna have breakfast at school, we need to leave now. I bet Johnny's even waiting for us at Burney's."

Briana nodded and headed for the door as Amanda followed.

1) Special thanks to SkewedPerspective for beta-ing this for me. 2) This chapter has been rewritten, other chapters might how have been rewritten, read at your own risk, but please do read though, it's a good story.

And 3) special announcement right here: Rayner has a Tumbler page for this and my other fanfiction stories, please check it out and feel free to interact with me further there. It's raynerfoxslibrary .tumbler Please removed the spaces first, because you won't get my page unless you do.

~Rayner out