So…Starbucks sure cleared everything up. And I was probably the worst secret-keeper in the world. Okay not probably. I was definitely the worst secret-keeper in the world. In the universe. In all the universes! If there were even that many, but whatever, I made my point.
Nate was pretty surprised. Eddie just couldn't stop grinning. And as for Eddie's little "Nightfall" title, well he said he was partly inspired by Nightwing, who he'd totally figured out was actually Dick. Then he'd said with that annoyingly good-looking charming flashy smile of his, "Besides, what's dawn without night falls?"
I had a lot of trouble restraining myself from repeatedly banging my forehead on the table.
"You're kidding, right?"
He laughed.
"I'm serious, Santos." I practically growled, lifting a warning finger at him, "You better be joking."
"Relax, Alex," Eddie reassured me with a chuckle, "I'm just messing with you." He tapped a finger on his chin in mock thoughtfulness, "But if I were to become a not-so-mysterious but still totally kick-ass vigilante overnight like you did, then I would call myself Nightfall. If. That's all I'm saying." He lifted his hands as if in surrender and smiled, "Honest."
I relaxed a little, but kept the scowl on my face. "Good."
"Sure thing, Red Dawn."
I whacked his shoulder as he laughed. "And that's another thing! Both of you have to swear you won't tell another soul about anything you now know."
Nate set down his frappuccino and raised his right hand in the air with a smile, "Promise. My lips are sealed." He made the motion of sealing his mouth, locking it, and tossed the key at me.
I grinned at him as I faked catching it and shoved it into my pocket. "Thanks, Nate." I turned to Eddie again and raised my brows, "Your turn, Nightfall."
He raised his own brows at me, "Since when have I ever not kept a secret for you? I'm practically your diary!"
"Swear."
He grinned crookedly, "You mean like the F word?" Nate almost spit out his frap in laughter.
"Just promise!" I said, trying and failing miserably at forcing back my own grin.
Eddie chuckled, "Alex, I promise your biggest secret yet is safe with me. And just to prove to you that I am dead serious about keeping it a secret," he held his pinkie up to me, "I pinkie promise."
Pinkie promises were the real deal.
Smiling, I hooked my pinkie around his, "Thank you."
"So you really don't want me to be the Nightfall to your Red Dawn?"
I face-palmed myself.
Ugh. Okay fine, I admit it. It would be the greatest, most awesome and epic thing ever if Eddie got to fight crime with me as a vigilante. I mean come on, who wouldn't want to kick ass alongside your best friend? I sure as hell wanted to!
But…that was also exactly why I didn't want him doing it.
"Eddie," I began calmly, "I've spent the past five years of my life trying to keep your butt alive on the constantly life-threatening streets of Gotham City. No way am I letting you purposely throw yourself into an even more life-threatening lifestyle after all my hard efforts of, and I repeat, keeping your butt alive."
"….so that's a no, then?"
"I think it would be cool," Nate offered.
"Nate! You're siding with him?"
"Bromance trumps Romance." Eddie grinned, and he and Nate draped their arms around each other's shoulders.
"What does romance have to do with any of this?" I demanded. "That doesn't even make sense!"
"Yeah it does! Make love, not war, man," said Eddie. Nate nodded in mock seriousness.
"You're not going to be Nightfall." I said flatly.
Eddie grinned slyly and shrugged, "Okay."
"Pinkie promise."
"Sorry, Alex." Eddie's grin widened, "You know I never break pinkie promises. So…I can't pinkie promise on this."
I glared at both of their smiling faces before finally smirking and sinking back into my chair. "Okay. Yeah. I'm cool with that."
Eddie immediately eyed me suspiciously, "What's with the smug grin?"
"Nothing, nothing."
"Bull."
Grinning, I put my elbow on the table and held my hand out to him in a challenge, "If I win, you don't get to be Nightfall. If I lose, you can be whatever the heck you want. Deal?"
"Really? Okay." He smirked and gripped my hand in his.
Nate darted to sit in the middle, "Okay you two, I want a good clean match. On my mark…go!"
I slammed Eddie's hand into the table and almost fell back laughing as he choked out a swear word and rubbed his sore hand.
"What the fudge, Alex! Are you on steroids or something?!"
"Hey, you know the people I live with!" I snickered. For the past few days, Jason and Roy have been arm wrestling me, usually for the TV remote. In case it wasn't obvious, I lost a lot. But with a few pointers from Jason and some heavy weight lifting, I was slowly getting better.
They're going to be so proud!
Which reminded me…
"I have to get back to the manor." I said, jumping to my feet, "Eddie, you lose!" I called behind me as I rushed to get out of Starbucks.
As the door swung closed behind me, I heard Eddie's final shout.
"There's always Halloween, y'know!"
0o0o0o0o
I slowly opened the large double doors and peeked inside, making sure the coast was clear before tiptoeing inside and silently closing the doors behind me. I turned around again and screeched to a stop.
"Holy – how the hell do you guys always do that?" I exclaimed, throwing my arms up.
"Red Dawn seems to do an okay job of it," Jason said, smirking slightly. He was blocking my way with his arms folded across his chest.
"Yeah well, Red Dawn doesn't seem to be appreciated by the big mean Bat-Jerk, does she?"
"I guess it runs in the family."
We both grinned at each other.
Jason put a hand on my shoulder, "And, concerning that matter, we're gonna have a talk."
"You don't mean all that family therapy crap, do you?" I groaned as he began leading me through the manor.
"Believe me, nobody finds it more annoying than I do. But Alfred's orders are Alfred's orders."
There was a sudden loud bark and, next thing you know, my all too favorite mutt rammed into me with full force, tackling me to the ground with his giant tail wagging.
"At least the dog likes me!" I shouted as I just lied there, letting Titus race in excited circles around me.
"Traitor." Damian said as Titus darted back to him. Titus grunted at him, and if the dog could talk, I was pretty sure he'd be lecturing the little bird brat.
I let Jason pull me to my feet and I fixed my sweater back into place. I looked up and raised a brow at seeing everyone seated comfortably in the chairs front of the empty fireplace.
"Barbara? They dragged you into this, too?" I snorted.
"Tell me about it. But it's always great seeing you, Alex." She greeted with a wry smile. On that first day when we grudgingly went shopping for the gala, Babs and I really kicked off to a great friendship. We both loved chilidogs! Jason did, too.
"Take a seat, Alex." Bruce said, gesturing to one of the comfy sofas.
"I'd rather stand, thanks." No way was I going to sit on the psycho chair while they worked their therapist mojo on me.
Jason folded his arms across his chest and stared at Bruce, "Okay. You can start apologizing."
An apology? Well hell, this just got interesting.
Bruce cast a slightly warning glance at Jason before focusing back on me. Bruce's eyes darkened, and I stared back.
"What I said the other night was wrong." He began, still giving me that unflinching stare of his. "I stepped way out of line, and I regret it."
"Yeah. You're not exactly easy on the whole bearing bad news thing." I muttered under my breath, knowing he'd hear me anyway.
"It wasn't my place to tell you about your mother's death. That was Jason's responsibility, and I knew he was going to tell you given the right moment. But instead I abused that knowledge to use against you, to test you."
"Because you don't trust me." I said smoothly.
"And that was my mistake. I judged you wrong, Alex. I saw you as Red Dawn and…" I thought I saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, but it was only for a second. "And all I could see was Jason."
That…made sense.
"I'm not Jason." I stated obviously. "Sure it'd be the greatest thing in the world if I could be like him," I cracked a grin at Jason and he smirked back, but it faltered for a moment. I looked back at Bruce and everyone else, "But maybe it wouldn't seem so great to you guys." I shrugged, "Point is, I'm not one hundred percent Jason. Just like fifty percent."
"And that's supposed to make us feel better?" Damian scoffed. Tim sighed at him.
"Shut it, Wayne." I warned. "Anyway, I'm not looking for an approval. Not from you," I looked at Bruce, "Not from anyone. I don't even need you to believe in me as Red Dawn." I snorted. "I do what I want, because I know I'm doing it for the right reasons. I know you like to control things, Bruce, but you don't control me. And why am I even explaining any of this?" I demanded to myself. I looked at everyone in the room. "It's simple: Get on board. Or get out of my way."
"That's my girl," Jason muttered with a small, proud smirk.
"And that's why we're here, Alex." Roy said with a smile. "We decided we're on board. All of us. Right, Batsy? And Bratsy?" Damian scowled at him.
"I will kill you."
Roy's grin only broadened.
Okay. That dramatic speech suddenly seemed a bit too dramatic. I raised my brows, "Are you serious?"
Bruce just looked at me seriously.
"Right." I said. I looked at everyone else, "Uhh…thanks. I guess."
"One moment she's totally inspirational and the next she's as flat as a deflated balloon." Barbara observed in amusement.
"That comes from the fifty percent side of Jason." Dick said with a grin. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly.
"Since we're all done here, I'm going to the kitchen. I'm starving."
"Hold it. There's something else you need to know."
I stopped in my tracks and let out a heavy sigh as I lazily swirled around to look at Bruce, "What?"
Damian snickered and Tim smiled and Dick chuckled and Babs stifled a laugh and Roy seemed to brace himself for the apocalypse.
Jason looked at me wryly. "You're starting school tomorrow."
The silence was suspenseful as everyone waited for my reaction. Even I didn't know what was coming next.
Instead of exploding, I found myself frowning at them.
"As long as Alfred makes me his waffles for breakfast."
They all blinked in surprise.
"Seriously?" Dick asked, looking hopeful.
"Pffft. No." I turned around and left, laughing my head off all the way.