The rain poured down hard on Bludhaven. The sun hadn't been seen in almost a week and the temperature had turned unusually cold. Most people were at home, cuddling around the fire place with their hot cocoa and coffee. In the whole city, there was only one person deliberately standing in the rain.
He stood on his veranda, grasping the railing. He allowed the rain to fall on him as he looed over the dismal city. His black hair stuck to his forehead and fell over his deep blue eyes. On his cheeks, he could no longer tell what was rain or what was tears.
Today was July 7th. She would've been eighteen.
Dick Grayson heard the phone ring from inside his apartment. He tore himself away from the veranda and went inside. The ringing telephone continued to vibrate on the kitchen counter. Dick picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Dick?" Tim Drake's voice said through the reciever. "How're you doing?"
Dick looked out at the continuous rain. "I'm alright. What's going on?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Since today's...well, you know."
Time became the new Robin within the last year. Since then, he and Dick had become like brothers, telling each other everything on their minds. So although Tim had never officially met her, he knew all about Alyssa Connors.
"Do you need anything?" he asked.
"No," Dick said. "But I'm going to Zeta to Gotham soon. I need to visit her."
"Dick, is that really a good idea? Last time-"
"Tim I'll be fine. I'll see you soon." Dick hung up and slipped on his old tennis shoes. He opened the door and then closed it again behind him.
The NightCave. Dick hadn't bothered to change the name. Why would he? If fit. Which was probably why Alyssa liked it so much.
Her hijacked motorcycle sat in the corner. Dick had driven it a couple times to keep it in shape, smiling each time he thought about how nonchalant she was about stealing it. Shouldn't she have been more chalant? Her old Nightshade costume was displayed in a glass case, much like how Jason's Robin costume was in the Batcave. Dick put his fingertips on the glass. He looked sadly at her mask and imagined her standing there, putting her fingertips to his. He pulled himself out of this trance and walked away.
The rain was coming down even harder in Gotham. Tim sat in his room, watching as it splattered on the pavement. He was still getting used to his new life in Wayne Manor. And still trying to cope with the loss of his parents. Dick had helped him so much during the past year. It had only been a few months ago that Tim discovered the hurt Dick buried deep inside him.
Tim waited a little while longer before he finally saw Dick walking up the driveway. Usually, Dick would come into the house first. But today, he went straight to the cemetary.
In the cemetary, Dick stood in front of Alyssa's grave. He wasn't sure what to say. He missed her so much. He blamed himself for her death. If he hadn't been so slow... That bullet was meant for him and that's where it should have gone.
Alyssa's murderer, the Joker, was still locked up under high security in Arkham Asylum. But Dick was unsure how much longer he'd stay there.
The rain was beginning to lighten up. Dick looked up at the sky then back at the grave. "Happy Birthday," he whispered.
But just before he turned away, he noticed something odd. The grass in front of the headstone was a brighter green than the rest of the grass in the cemetary. Dick knelt down and noticed it was in the shape of rectangle. About the same size of Alyssa's coffin.
Dick pulled up grass just ouside the perimeter of the bright grass. It put up a fight but it eventually released a few blades. Dick then tried the other grass. He pulled up the grass as well as a huge clump of dirt. This wasn't the weather playing trics on him. He know what happened and he was going to find out why.
Dick threw the grass clump back to the ground and headed for the manor.
I'm back! Finally came up with a title for this story. I hope you all enjoy my sequel to Guardians of the Night! Please review! I love hearing from you all!