A/N: GUESS WHO'S BACK? Oh man it's almost been a year so sec the starting of this hiatus...in case you didn't know...I did on fact fix up Hi, I'm New Here, which I am a quite a bit happier with... But yeah it's been too long...I'll try to never do that again cause people got mad at me...
ENJOY LE CHAPTER!
I leave the manor to take a break from the really heavy atmosphere, not only is Barbara an aspiring superhero, I've been retired, everyone says that I'm a traitor, and Dick keeps looking at me weird. Like I get it, I understand what happened, I was kidnapped, and from what Bruce told me, Junior gave me a necklace that can control my mind, meaning I killed Onyx, and had a relationship with Cameron. Sounds like a fun time. I've changed into a new outfit, oddly enough Dick kept a few articles of my clothing, weird, but I'm thankful I have something to wear aside from just the various Sparrow costumes Bruce has stored downstairs.
Now that I think about it, I don't know if I really want to train Barbara, sure she's nice, and she's my friend, but she's essentially taking my place on the team, both with Bruce and Dick, but probably with everyone else too. Like Babs is great, a close friend of mine, and Dick's, but there is a nagging feeling pulling at my brain, when did she even make the costume and get herself known enough to make Bruce actually care? I mean like even if what Bruce says is true then- My thoughts are interrupted by my clumsiness. Apparently when I'm not paying attention to my surroundings, I walk into things.
"Oh," I say, caught by surprise, when I realize that it wasn't a thing I walked into it was a person, my eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." I say, quickly.
"It's fine," A male voice says, and continues to his conversation, his back is to me, and he's about a head taller than me.
"I didn't mean to, I just wasn't paying attention, and well I've got a lot on my mind, sorry." I ramble, I quickly cover my mouth, I wasn't supposed to say that out loud.
"It's fine." He repeats, slightly harsher this time, I sure hope I didn't make this guy angry, it's not like I could use someone to beat up or anything.
"Oh, Okay, well that's good..." I say smirking to myself.
"Look, do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here? This babe won't take herself on a date, even though she totally deserves it."He says, turning he head away from her to talk to me, seeming to be completely annoyed with me. He turns his head back to look at the girl, but she's gone. "Darn it!" He says.
"And another one bites the dust, and another one and another one and another one, and another one bites the dust." I sing quietly, just as the guy starts to walk away. He freezes, and whips in my direction, first of all DANG! Secondly, he looks as though he could punch a puppy and not care, and thirdly DANG! He is pretty tan, especially considering the little amount of sunlight that actually finds it's way to Gotham city. His brown hair is done lazily, short, and gelled up at the front. And lastly his eyes, they are a deep blue, mixed slightly with green.
"Liking what you see?" he says presumptuously, while unclenching his fists, and folding his arms across his chest. I blush when I notice I have probably been staring for way too long. "Cause I sure am." He flirts playfully.
"Hold on a second." I say as I hold up may hand, "Did you just flirt with me?" I ask cluelessly, first he looked like he wanted to fight, and now he wants a date?
"Ooh, pretty, and single? I hit the jackpot." He says smirking, how does he know if I'm single? and honestly why does he care, I probably look like I just got hit by a truck with everything that's going on. "I can tell you're single by your cluelessness, doll." He says, smirking still, gosh does that thing ever leave his face?
"Uh-" I try to say something but Mister Muscles has interrupted me.
"And I leave her speechless, going to have a home run on our hands." He says cockily, running a hand through his brown hair.
"Alright, that's enough out of you, firstly, what's with all the flirting? Second, what makes you so sure I'm single? And thirdly, who are you?!" I ask and in that moment I swear I was Wally. A quick memory flashed before my eyes of when I first joined the team, and Wally's huge spazz at Artemis.
"Simple, I'll even go in order for you, firstly, you're hot, therefore, I flirt. Secondly, that was a guess, but assuming you haven't punched me or called a boyfriend, I'm assuming I'm correct. And thirdly, it's good to know you're interested in me enough to care about my name." He says, still not answering the name question, so Mister Muscles it is.
"Just tell me your name." I say, too tired to argue, which coincidentally rarely happens.
"Name's Lev, and yours is?" He says, holding out a hand. I extend my hand to his and shake it.
"I'm Annika."
"Ooh unique, very Star Wars. Is it cool if I call you Anna?" He asks me, still smirking.
"Sure, everyone else does." I trail off, thinking about the few people that call me Annika, oh right, the entirety of the Light. I make a mental not to chat with Bruce about my secret identity being compromised.
"Oh, everyone? And who does that include? A boy?" Lev asks me, bending down to look me in the eyes, gosh he's tall.
"Well, it includes my foster father, brother, a few male friends, so yeah, a few boys." I mentally count off everyone that has ever called me 'Anna', and there are a lot of people on that list.
"Hm, I better not break your heart, or you'll probably send them after me. Oh and two things, one, I didn't hear a boyfriend in that answer, so that's fantastic, and secondly, You're Annika North right?" Lev asks me, suddenly getting eerily serious, oh great, he's gonna kidnap me, and everything is going to go full circle,I should've brought Dick with me, or called up Roy, I haven't spoken to him for a while.
"Why is that important?" I ask slowly, I really don't want to be kidnapped again.
"Cause," He scratches the back of his neck, "The news says you just got out of a kidnapping, and you really shouldn't be wandering around alone, especially in Gotham City." Lev says, almost uncharacteristically, it sorta makes me wary of him, but at the same time, it's kinda sweet.
"Yeah, heh," I laugh lightly towards my earlier thoughts, "That's me."
"Well there's a few shady looking guys over there," Lev says pointing to the opposite side of the street, "So I think I'll walk you home."
My eyes widen, walk me home? I mean I can't be that far from Wayne Manor, I don't need someone to walk me home, much less someone I just met, "No, really it's fine." I try to wave him off.
"Really? Cause I'm pretty sure Bruce Wayne's foster daughter shouldn't take an hour long walk alone, also me being a fairly big guy, I'm sure I can scare away some thugs." Lev says, flexing lightly, while raising an eyebrow to silently ask my thoughts on his biceps.
"I can handle myself." I mutter quietly as I walk past him.
"I don't doubt it, I'm just saying since you've been kidnapped, I doubt you have been working out as much as Wayne probably makes you, so instead of fighting a gang, and then getting tired, how about I walk you home?" He asks, and I can tell that he's going to be persistent.
"Wait, how do you know that Bruce has us exercise?" I ask stubbornly.
"The man has his own gym, muscles to spare, Grayson is scrawny as it gets, and you're wearing a shirt that allows me to see your abs. Which is another reason I should walk you home, most guys are stupid and will stare at you. Shall I continue?" Lev asks, he almost sounds exasperated with me, well good now we're even.
"Alright, fine, lets go." I say as I pull sunglasses out of my pocket and push them onto my face.
"We should probably hold hands." Lev says as he walk behind me.
I freeze. "What?"
"We should Probably hold hands," he repeats. "It isn't such a difficult concept, that way I'll look less like a bodyguard, and more like someone who is actually supposed to walk you home." Lev says factually, unfortunately he's right.
I sigh, "Fine." I say and grab his hand.
"See isn't this much better?" Lev asks, trying to lighten the mood, unfortunately he'll have to try much harder than that.
"No."
"Aw, come on, the sunset, my hand, walking you home, it's almost like we were on a date."
"No."
"Fine." Lev says, sounding slightly defeated.
I sigh, I have to strike up the conversation or this is going to be a very long walk. "Oh it looks like Batman is gonna be around soon..." I trail off, hoping to have him pick up the conversation, I mean what guy doesn't like Batman?
This time, it's Lev who sighs, "Yeah, great." He says, great, he is basically the one guy who hates superheroes, of course that is who I end up walking home with. I pause for a moment, it's been a while since I've had a conversation with someone who doesn't have a similar life to mine, even the Light has to go out and buy groceries via a second life.
"Oh, sorry, if you want to change the subject, I can." I say awkwardly.
"Nah, it's fine, just not as big of a fanboy as most people in today's society." He says, this guy is really confusing, not only is he a cocky jerk, but he's also sweet, and intellectual. Like does that even happen?
"Oh? And why not?" I ask, slightly intrigued, typically, from what I know about school is that people love the superheroes, they're all basically like royalty.
"Because society can get along without them, if they hadn't decided to become super in the first place, none of the villains would even exist, and in today's day in age, people can't just assume that some guy in tights is gonna save you're butt, it's up to the people to help each other out, through empathy, and compassion." Lev says, basically ranting to me, but he does have a good point, in a perfect world that would be great, unfortunately that is not gonna happen.
"Oh, makes sense." I say quietly, even being a superhero, I can't defent that point, and well I'm mad at them myself, why not have a friend who will complain about them anyway?
"It sure does." Lev says.
Another awkward silence, and I look down at my hand and remember that he's still holding it, oh.
"Wow." Lev says.
I raise an eyebrow, "What?" I ask.
"Don't I make you look great?" he asks, a huge grin plastered on his face.
I smirk in response, "Scratch that, reverse it." I say as we continue walking.
A/N: well? Did ya like Lev? Did ya hate Lev? Tell me your thoughts in a review,perhaps even with a follow or a favourite on the story...they really get me motivated to procrastinate on my homework and write instead...(: Ta ta for now!