Happy Saturday! :D
Ignoring the lack of YJ episodes this weekend. Ignoring it. I will be happy. See, this is my happy face: :D see? SEE?! Totally not freaking out. Not. At. All.
Short, and boring, AN. I apologize. ENJOY THE CHAPTER AND TRY TO IGNORE THE LACK OF NEW EPISODES BECAUSE CARTOON NETWORK IS AN ASS HOLE! D:
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"Hey, Dick?" Robin asked, causing the eldest teen to jump as he had not seen Tim's arrival into his apartment. Dick was upside down on his couch, his hands burrowing into his eye sockets.
"Tim?" Dick asked, confusion morphing his face as he sat up into a proper sitting position. He looked tired, and supposedly his 'partner in crime' had just left. Dick opened his mouth to speak again, but a high-heeled boot poked into his window behind the newest Robin, a full leg coming after before the entire Batgirl was standing in Dick's living room. "Babs?"
"Yeah, I kind of live here too." She said, yanking the cowl off her face as Tim removed his own mask. She moved to stand in front of him, crossing her arms across the bat symbol across her chest. Tim quickly followed, stepping in beside her and crossing his own arms.
Oh great, I'm in trouble. Dick thought sarcastically. He inwardly rolled his eyes, looking at his best friend and his most recent replacement. He sighed, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands, and his elbows on his knees.
"Something tells me you guys aren't here for a slumber party." He muttered, fully aware of what they both wanted, but just as unwilling to tell them.
In the dark of the room, one could barely make out Barbara's form, the only exceptions being her pale face and vibrantly red hair. It suited her personality, fierce and fiery. The scent of the rain had wafted through the room, blowing in gently through the window Dick always left open, saying it was how Tim got in when he needed a place to stay.
Robin was no exception, blending in insanely well to the dark. They seemed to meld with it, even when they weren't trying to. His pale face surrounded his piercing blue eyes, boring holes into Dick's defenseless face.
"I think you know very well what we're here for, Dick." Barbara hissed, furrowing her bright red eye brows.
Oh great, I'm in a lot of trouble. Dick inwardly moaned, praying his assumptions were wrong. But they very rarely were.
"You want to know what's going on and why I'm working with Jason again." Dick sighed, burying his face in his palms. He didn't have to look at his companions to know both were nodding.
"I want to know now." Barbara stated, relocating her hands to her hips. She narrowed her blue eyes, glaring a hole into Dick's skin.
"I don't see why." Dick countered, standing up from his place. He seemed prepared with a wall of false excuses, small diversions that he'd hoped would keep the two occupied long enough for them to forget about it. He crossed his own arms, glaring back at Barbara.
Barbara furrowed her eye brows at him, taking a small step closer as if daring him to lie to her about this. "Dick, I'm serious." She stated, her tone deadly. And he knew she wasn't going to take any of his pre-prepared bull.
Dick sighed, relaxing and walking around the couch and entering his kitchen. He heard his companions follow him as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a can of beer. He opened the can, listening to the sizzle of the carbonation leaving the can.
He took a swig, sighing after he swallowed the large gulp and turning to look at his followers. Babs leaned over the island, staring at him. Her eyes were hard, clearly holding back anger.
"Dick," Tim started, his voice high pitched. "Why don't you just tell us?"
Dick sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.
"So, Joker just handed you the anti-dote?" Batgirl asked, skeptically as the two drove their motor cycles towards the Gotham Zeta tube.
"Basically." Robin replied shortly, not glancing over at Batgirl. "He said I could have it if I let him get away."
"So, you bargained with him?" Batgirl scolded, glancing across the road at her fellow biker, her eyes narrowed behind the helmet and the cowl.
You have no idea… Dick thought, not looking at her. "Not really." He responded. He could feel puzzlement radiate off his friend, forcing him to sigh and reluctantly elaborate. "He pretty much gave me the option and before I had a chance to say yes or no, he threw me the antidote and left."
"And you didn't chase him, WHY?!" She asked, waving one hand in the air while holding the handle bars firm with the other. Her voice carried over slightly muffled through the comm. installed in the helmets. Barbara snorted slightly at Dick's sigh, a small smile gracing her lips.
She loved to frustrate him sometimes.
"Because, Barbara, I had the anti-dote, and Batman doesn't have much time left." Dick said, hoping he sounded convincing, hoping she wouldn't catch on about the other part of his deal with the Devil.
"Really? That's all Joker wanted from you?" Barbara was still skeptical, her voice dripping with the lack of believing she held. "I'd have figured he would make you squirm a little bit more."
Dick had to bite his lip, knowing she couldn't see. He didn't respond for several minutes, his most recent encounter with the Clown Prince of Crime running through his memory as though he was still witnessing it. Only Barbara's shriek brought him back to reality.
"DICK!" She cried through the comm., looking in his direction several times while trying to figure out how to stop his bike from swerving too heavily.
Robin jerked his hands to the side, sending his bike back towards the middle of the road rather than into the tree he'd been heading for.
"Sorry," he mumbled to his companion, still not looking in her direction.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, glancing at him once more before deciding it wasn't going to help her at all. "You don't have a head injury I can't see or anything, do you?"
"I probably do, Babs." He laughed slightly, although it was a fake laugh. "But, I'll manage until we make it back to the Cave."
"Dick?"
Dick shook his head rapidly, shaking himself out of his little flashback. He realized he was still in his kitchen, a half empty can of beer in his hands and the taste fresh on his tongue. His companions were still waiting for an answer, one he really didn't want to give. "Oh, sorry. Spaced out." He offered as an excuse.
"Dick, are you okay?" Barbara asked, her gaze shifting slightly from angered to concerned. "This isn't really like you…"
"What?" he asked, taking another drink of beer. Barbara reached across the counter and grabbed the can out of his hands, emptying it out in the sink and ignoring his complaints.
"Spacing out, keeping secrets, and drinking beer in your apartment with all the lights off." She said matter-of-factly, crushing the can into a small ball and throwing it at Dick, fighting back the smirk when it hit his forehead.
"Seriously, Dick." Tim stated, crossing his own arms. "You've never liked beer. You said it makes your head fog up." He was also fighting back to urge to laugh at Dick's lack of response to the can to the head.
"Well, now I don't care." He said, shrugging. He found himself reaching behind him to open the refrigerator again, but stopped at Barbara's command, huffing slightly, and leaning against the counter.
"I don't believe that at all." Barbara said.
Damn. Dick thought, although he'd known she wouldn't. He'd have been lucky to fool anyone with that excuse. He let a fragment of a sigh escape his lips.
"Look, I just have a lot on my mind. The Team, and the Invasion, and the Joker, and Jason, and-"
"Which we could help you with!" Tim shouted, waving his arms around exasperatedly. "All you have to do is tell us what's going on!"
"I can't just tell you-"
"Why? You told Jason!" Tim, who had begun pacing the living room at this point, shouted. He was still waving his arms, his eyes wide and his eye brows furrowed.
"I didn't tell Jason!" Liar.
"Then how does he know?" Barbara, who was much calmer than Tim, asked firmly.
"He figured it out, I guess." Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, squirming under the Bat's most recent protégés' magnifying glass. He was feeling much like a frog being dissected in a high school biology class.
"Dick! It is so obvious that you know what's going on! And it's even more obvious that you can't handle it this time!" Barbara shouted, exasperation filling her lungs.
There was a slight pounding from the floor, the downstairs neighbor shouting for them to keep it down. The trio shrugged it off, continuing the argument.
"I'm fine Barbara!" Dick yelled back. "And I don't want you guys involved anyway!" Before he knew what he was doing, he stormed up the stairs, listening as Barbara and Tim followed him.
"This isn't over Dick!" Barbara called, her voice carrying up the stairs and pushing into Dick's ears. "Where are you going!?"
He had reached the bedroom he shared with Barbara by this point, and had begun shuffling through his closet. He changed out of the white tank top he'd been wearing and pulled a baby blue v-neck over his ebony hair, wrapping a white jacket around his shoulders and storming out again. He passed Barbara, who seemed to get more pissed as he ignored her and continued walking.
"Dick!" She cried, grabbing his shoulder and attempting to turn his body. "Where the hell are you going?!"
"Out!" he yelled at her, roughly shoving her hand off his shoulder and shoving his way past the weak blockade Tim had turned himself into at the base of the stairs.
She continued to follow him until he walked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. He knew she wouldn't follow; she was dressed as Batgirl, and Tim as Robin. Both seemed to have forgotten the essential tools hidden within their utility belts that could have easily stopped Dick from leaving.
"Excuse me, Richard?" Dick turned, wiping the scowl from his face when he realized it was only Mrs. Brown in apartment B-27. "I heard a ruckus, is everything alright?" She was standing in her door way, a pink night gown handing loosely on her old, frail frame. Her long grey hair was handing in front of her shoulders, and her wrinkled skin set in a concerned frown.
"Yes, Mrs. Brown." Dick smiled politely at her, turning the rest of his body so he didn't look so rude. "Me and Babs just got into an argument again."
"Oh, I hope it wasn't too serious." She said, frowning even more. She glanced down the hall, as though expecting Barbara to come storming out the apartment door searching for Dick. She probably will, soon. She's got to change first… "I love Barbara, and I'd hate for something to happen to you two."
Dick chuckled slightly, turning to leave again. "No, Mrs. Brown. It'll be alright. I'm just going for a walk, that's all."
"Well, don't be out too late." She warned, turning to go back into her apartment. "You know how dangerous it is in Bludhaven at night."
"Only worse in Gotham, ma'am." Dick called as he walked away, a smile still on his lips. "Good night, Mrs. Brown."
"Good night, Mr. Grayson."
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Okay, so sorry I didn't update yesterday, but I had things going on, I lost a bet. Long story short, I was up until three in the morning convincing my boyfriend I needed to finish this, to which he replied 'it can wait'.
So… oops. Anyway, I had a good review question, but I can't remember it. So I'll answer reviews instead.
Mockingjay013: thanks! I'm sorry, I've been kind of off my game lately. :( but thanks for commenting! :D
READINGhearts17: As previously stated, not on my game. So, please ignore the slight blehhh-ness of my writing as of late, but I still appreciate the review. :D
Masqueraded Angel: I found the episode on the internet, but I couldn't find THIS weeks. :(
Persistence: Ha! I have something amazing planned for this. *evil grin and laugh* but yeah, I swore a lot too. My parents were like 'Why are you up so early? Shouldn't you be watching cartoons?" and I was like #$& #$%%&# %%^# ! Haha.
Yuna Kimitachi: Oh my god. I know! They can't do this to us! It's not fair! It has, you generally tell me your opinions during out PM conversations XD but I still appreciate the review. Haha, giddy? Good. That's what I was going for… a little. XP
undecidable: I know! I'm sorry! D: I've just…. I have no excuse. It's just not coming to me like it used to. I sound old right? XD anyway, I appreciate the review and your opinion. Keep it up. :D I AGREE COMPLETELY ABOUT YOUR DEMANDS!
Lakeshine: It's okay, you reviewed this chapter! :D ha! I didn't tell you what happened to Jay in this chapter! XD fooled you…
GwenuitHolland: Oh that sounds absolutely horrid. I understand though, when I get stressed I generally get sick. D: thanks, by the way. I like to keep variety in my chapters between slow and fast. And don't worry, I call everyone Dude. My parents say I talk like I'm a 'surfer', but you know… whatever. It's not because I think you're a boy, it's just how I talk. XD no worries.
BY THE WAY! There is a petition going on to get CN to put DC Nation back on air before January (which is when it'll come back (if it comes back at all, which rumor has it, it won't)). I don't know how many of you have signed it, but I signed it. I don't have a link, but if you have a tumblr or a deviantART you should have heard of it by now…
OH I REMEMBER MY QUESTION! Uhm, anyone who is a good artist, could you perhaps think about creating a cover image for me? I would make it myself, but I have the drawing abilities of a blind moose. So, any way that you can get it to me (if you draw it at all WHICH I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DO AND IT WOULD MAKE YOU THE BEST READER EVER) please do. AND I may let the person who draws the cover get a say in what happens in the story, for the small part I don't have planned out yet. So, think about it, try, I will LOVE YOU FOREVER.
REVIEW KINDLY!
~Charlie~