Jerra looked like a cornered animal again. Why did she refuse to act normal?
Robin had convinced her to come to The Hall of Justice with him, and things had gotten out of hand. Such as: the Justice League trying to ask her questions, her lack of cooperation, and the locked, white room she was now standing in, with Robin looking through the one-way mirror.
"She's gonna kill me," he muttered.
"Probably," Wally nodded. Batman and Wonder Woman scowled at them. "What? We've got her locked up. She's not going to be happy."
"Let me out!" She called, banding on the door. "I swear to God if this isn't kidnapping, I don't know what is—"
"That's enough," Wonder woman said on the comm. to her room. "We're sorry to do this to you, but you did leave us with no humane option."
"Is this even legal?!" The girl shrieked, still trying to break the door.
"Why is she acting like that?" Robin wondered. Jerra was now screaming her head off, slamming her body into the door with a large amount of force. He cringed. That was going to bruise.
"I think she might be claustrophobic." Batman said in a growl. "Robin? Go in there and calm her down."
Robin really didn't want to put his life at risk like that, but glancing at the panicking girl, he knew he had no choice. He'd use the other door, though.
She was nowhere near happy to see him. "Tempus?" He asked, closing the door silently. She whirled on him, pressing herself to the other door.
"Stay right where you are!" She ordered. "Don't you dare come any closer, or I might just kill you."
"Jerra, we're not hurting you," he reasoned.
"You tricked me into liking you and your team, just so you could drag me back here and interrogate me when I've done nothing wrong! Let me ou—STAY AWAY!"
She disappeared, and ended up on the other side of the room when he reached the first door.
"How do you do that?" Robin wondered.
"Meta gene mixed with some experimental drugs," she shot. "Since you asked." She looked hurt, betrayed. Robin was never going to earn her trust again, he knew it. Better at least get some good info from this mess.
"Why? How'd that happen?" He took a step towards her. She disappeared. "Why do you turn invisible?"
"I move too quickly for your eyes to pick it up," she replied, behind him. He stood in the center of the room, facing her. Well, if she let him come half way, he must be making progress. Robin sat down, criss-crossed, and stared at her intently, removing his mask. On the other side of the glass, Batman hissed.
"That's a remarkable talent." He said earnestly.
She blushed, still standing, pressed against the wall. "I really don't like white rooms, can we talk someplace else?"
"Sadly, no," Robin interrupted. "So you might was well sit down and make yourself comfortable." She slid down the wall and curled into herself.
"I used to work at Star Labs. Something spilled on me."
"And it caused that?"
"It triggered it, yes."
"So you're saying you had the power before that?"
"I know for a fact it wasn't the cause of that particular power."
"Do you have more powers?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"I'm the one asking questions," he informed her.
"Oh, yeah? Well, you better get to answering them if you want anything from me." She glared. Apparently, she had mood swings like this frequently. Robin made a mental note.
"Okay, well, we keep tabs on all active heroes. It's only protocol to get some facts down for you."
"I'm not part of your little team, or your mentors!"
"But are you going to stop fighting crime?"
"Of course not!"
"Then we need information."
She crossed her arms, scowling. If looks could kill. He looked at his hands, folded in his lap.
"We're just trying to help." She looked away, staring at the mirror. He wondered if she could see through it. It wouldn't surprise him.
"You're being real helpful to my sanity, that's for sure," she muttered, pouting. Dick felt even guiltier. He was never going to regain her trust.
"Could you tell us your last name?" Dick asked, not really meaning any of the questions anymore. Jerra took off her boot and threw it at him. He ducked. She scowled.
"You stupid, pathetic, BRAT!" She had gotten over her possible claustrophobia, apparently. And her fear of getting close to any of them. She shot to her feet in one fluid motion, unable to bear it any longer.
"Now, Jerra, let's see the, uh, aster here," Dick laughed nervously, scooting back.
"I. Am. Going. To. KILL YOU!" She lunged, and Robin wasn't fast enough for her. She tackled his retreating form, going to scratch his eyes out at least. She was going to give him a proper black eye.
"Jerralin, I'm not going to fight you!" He reasoned. "Why don't we use words instead of—Oh my GOD, will you stop punching me?!"
"Sure!" She shrieked shrilly, and began strangling him. Robin clawed at her hands as she hit his head on the floor, growling and crying at the same time. Her form flickered. "Let. Me. Out!"
"Jerra, get off!"
"Leave me alone!"
"I'm not the one STRANGLING someone to the point of suffocation!"
"Shut up and maybe I'll believe you!"
"Jerra! Jerra, please!" He coughed. She looked at his pleading expression, and sad blue eyes, and her mind clicked. She froze herself, then let go, falling back and pushing away. She stared at him in horror.
"What was I doing?" She gasped. "Oh my God, Dick, I'm so—" The doors opened, and Batman appeared with a glare and sleep dart. Jerra shrieked.
Robin yelled a jumbled "NonoJerrawait!" But it was too late. The girl had disappeared.
Robin moaned and sprawled on the floor. "Can I borrow that dart?" He asked. Batman glared at him. "We just ruined any chance we had of gaining another ally." Dick closed his eyes, and felt around for his mask. He soon bolted up, furious. "She took my mask!" He yelled. "Jerra!" He pushed past Batman and ran out the hall, finding his spare sunglasses. "When I get my hands on her, I'm gonna—JERRA!"
"Jerra!" He called again. Robin kicked some stones on the gravelly rooftop. "That blasted girl." He looked around again, still no sign of her. "You know, you can hide all you want! I'll see you in school. How's that?" A pebble hit him in the back of the head. "Are we doing this again, or do you just take pleasure in physically abusing people, most of all me?"
"Shut up, you jerk!"
"Oh, now you're talking! I don't suppose you'll stop throwing things?" Five pebbles bounced off him. "It's on, Tempus."
"Bring it, bird brain!"
Robin crouched down and scooped up as many small stones as possible. He threw them in her general direction. Some bounced off an unseen object. "Got you!" He lunged. "Why don't you fight me like a hero, huh?" Robin demanded when he caught empty air. "Instead of running away and yelling?"
"Yelling? What, you mean like this? Get off, you stupid jerk! Let go! Go jump off the side of the roof!"
"You first!"
"I hate you!"
"You didn't hate me last week, when you kissed me!"
"Well, you can forget any of that ever happened!" She appeared, wrangling with him. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red. He'd struck another nerve, apparently.
"Can't you go bother another city? I'm sure Kid Flash would love to beat you at your own game again!"
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, why don't you just 'fight crime' where you're wanted!" She scowled, then looked hurt, then roared, punching him hard in the nose.
"Am I weak now, Richard?" He punched him again, slamming him into the ground. He rolled, but she soon got on top again and beat him with all her might. "How bout NOW?"
"Jerra, stop acting like a child!"
"I am a child!" She retorted. "A hurt, scared, betrayed child!" She started sobbing, hitting him with little to no force behind blows. "I hate you all for doing this to me! As if I didn't have enough problems."
"Jerralin, what's wrong?" Robin grabbed her wrists. She struggled out of his grasp, hitting his chest for good measure. That one stung a bit.
"Leave me alone," she muttered, smacking his chest with her palm.
"I can't," he rolled his eyes. "You're pinning me to the ground." She looked at him, scoffed, and looked away, curling her arms around herself. The tears didn't stop. He prodded her in the stomach until she slid off.
She kicked him, harder than he thought she would, and he gave her a satisfying, "Oof!" He rubbed his kidney. "Are you happy yet?"
"No."
"Well, gee, if hurting a poor, innocent boy doesn't make you feel better, you'll just have to kick a few puppies."
"I'm going to strangle you."
"Again? Now I know not to take your threats lightly." At that, Jerra scowled, pushing off him and walking a few steps away, kicking the gravel forcefully.
"Want one? They've got plenty of iron in 'em."
"You're ridiculous." She rolled her eyes, turning her back to him.
"And you're moody. But you've got some powers, and a very stubborn-I mean, determined personality. So I'm trying to be your friend."
"Well, I don't want you to be my friend."
"Why not?" Robin demanded. "I make a spectacular friend!"
"Ugh, will you just SHUT UP? I've asked at least forty times in the past five days."
"Jerra-"
"You know what?" She jumped to her feet. "I'm going home. Follow me, and I'll blow you up. That isn't a joke."
She stomped towards the next roof.
"Well, good night," Robin huffed.
"And don't you dare come looking for me tomorrow!" She turned back. "And don't even acknowledge me at school!"
"Well, gee, aren't you a charmer! And I thought Red Arrow could be a brat!" She growled and jumped off the roof, sliding down the ladder and landing gracefully on ground level. She waved, giving him a snarky two finger salute.
Jerra stormed through the front door.
Her grandfather looked up from the paper. "Well, did you have a good ni-?"
"I am going to murder the Justice League, and Wonder Brat, the hero wannabe!" She screamed, slamming the door to her room.
Grandpa sighed. "Goodnight, Jerra." He looked up. "You were joking about killing them, right, kiddo?"
There was no answer. The old man sighed again.
"Today in Biology we are learning about meiosis..."
Jerra stared out the window. She could learn whatever later. She was busy ignoring the boy sitting next to her, staring at her sideways. "You know," Dick said under his breath. "I'm pretty sure we're in geometry together as well."
She scowled at the tree outside, not acknowledging he had spoken. He pushed a paper into her textbook. "At least take notes, Jerra."
Not listening not listening ugh are we learning about reproduction, this is age nine all over again, she thought. She glanced over at him. His blue eyes were still sealed to her. She looked away, scowling harder.
A few moments later, the bell rang. Thank God.
Dick followed her out of the classroom, talking nonchalantly, as if he had forgotten she wanted to murder him.
"-And then Batman said he could use a new team member, since Zatanna is in the JL now, and we were going to ask you, but I think it's best we let you go through your emotional teenage phase before dealing with you every day." Jerra grumbled under her breath. Dick was just glad he was getting a reaction. "And then, KF, he tried to defend you, saying it was our fault. Miss M agreed, but I still say it's you being a brat and not cooperating, even though this is all obviously for your own good and you benefit in every way." He looked at her, she glared, head tilted away. "Benefit how? Oh, that's easy." Robin grinned to himself. "You'd get training time, mentors, friends, and quite a few life skills you're lacking, like humility and common sense."
She smacked him in the head with her bio book.
"Ouch! Jerra, darling, I feel you have some emotional issues we need to get in check before you join the team because, really, we're all really starting to hate you."
"Well, gee, that makes me want to join!" She snapped, whirling around. "Let me guess? I'm also ugly, and short, and useless. But I have powers, so you need to recruit me. You're full of complete-"
"I never said that." He grabbed her fist before it hit his face. "You're not that short." She shrieked in fury and yanked her fist out of his grasp. She started walking away quickly.
"-You're also not completely useless, though if we got your powers and teamwork skills in check, you'd be golden. Oh, no pun intended." He pulled a curl in her hair from behind, giving her a reason to smack his hand. "Also, I noticed you spray your hair some color or another. Which one's real?"
"Gold," she spat.
"Naturally," Dick rolled his eyes. "And, by the way, I find you extremely attractive. Not ugly at all." She scowled at him. "See? Charming," He grinned.
Jerra scoffed. "Go play with your friends, Grayson."
"Not a chance, Jerra." She walked faster.
"You're going to make me miss my bus, Grayson."
"Pity. You can come study with me."
"Why would I do that?" She demanded.
"Because we have a biology test tomorrow, and you completely blew off the lecture." Jerra stopped storming away.
"Which chapter is it on?" She asked.
"It's a midterm," he replied happily.
Jerralin cursed brilliantly.
"I didn't know you had that in you," Richard grinned. "Well, I take that back. I'm sure you had it in you. Wanna study?"
"And give away your secret headquarters, home, and everything?" Jerra scoffed. "You really are trying to kiss up."
"Is it working?" He asked hopefully. She shoved him away. He nearly fell into the street. And nearly got hit by a bus. "Don't worry, I'm okay," he grumbled as Jerra ran over to where he fell. She didn't bend down to help him, though.
"There goes my bus!"
Rob rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks. Not only did you just try to kill me, again, but you apparently could care less you almost did."
Jerra grinned. "On the nose, Grayson." She held out her hand and yanked him up. "I better get to walking," she sighed, looking around.
Dick smiled dangerously, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Actually, Jerra, I think you're coming with me." A silver Mercedes pulled up, and Dick opened the door, shoving Jerralin in.
"Hello, Master Dick," Alfred said. "Who would this be?"
"My new friend, the time warper." He said smoothly, sliding in. "Mind locking the doors? I don't want to see her attempt jumping out of a moving automobile."
"...If you insist, Master Dick." Jerra scowled at the smug boy.
"Jerra, meet Alfred. He's amazing. Alfred, meet Jerralin. She's emotionally unstable."
"You troll," she scoffed, sulking in her seat.
Dick grinned wider, crossing his legs. "I should win an award for this. Is that the best insult you could think of? You've done better." Jerra growled. He laughed.
"Where are we going?" She asked. "Wayne Manor? You are his adopted kid, right? Weren't you in the circus? 'The Flying Graysons?' Sorry to hear about your parents, you know, I actually think I was there that night. I was really little, though, so I don't remember it to well. Is that why your suit looks like that?"
Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing himself as far into the window as possible. "You know, for a girl who reacts violently to questions, you sure do know how to dish them out."
"I call it payback for kidnapping me," she smiled patronizingly, then paused, "twice, and being generally annoying."
"Yep. That's me. Annoying. Only annoying person in the car. Because you obviously are an angel from heaven, who doesn't take pleasure in beating people senseless and giving innocent heroes whiplash with your emotions." He turned from the window to look at her. She was glaring daggers.
"Master Richard, I do believe you two should, how does young mister Wally put it? 'Play Nice?'"
"We've tried that, sir," Jerra said earnestly. "Sadly, Richard has serious people issues. Maybe even a psychological disorder or two."
"You're full of it," Dick scoffed.
"If by 'it' you mean sarcasm, unimpressment, anger, and unnatural superpowers that I could so use to painfully kick your scrawny butt with right now, then yeah. 'It.'" She grinned triumphantly.
"Odd relationship," Alfred commented. "Are you two considered friends?"
"Friends kidnap each other nicely," Jerra muttered, looking out the window as they passed through the gate. "Jeez. Nice place Mr. Wayne's got here." She paused. "Is Bruce Wayne Batman?"
"Stop asking revealing questions!" Dick scolded, scowling and frantic.
She crossed her arms. "You hypocrite." Suddenly, her ponytail snapped. She hissed as the mane of curly locks fell into her eyes. "Ack."
"Now I know why I didn't recognize you," Dick grinned. "You do look unbelievably different with the hair dyed and pulled back. You missed a spot, by the way." He pointed, noting stands of gold falling to rest above her shoulders.
She flicked her hair back. "Yup. Conserves spray. I'm no billionaire." She glanced at the mansion again. "That must be terrible to clean."
Alfred laughed. "These two usually clean up after themselves, miss."
Jerra blushed at the term "miss." Not many people were that formal in general. Much less were formal to her. "You really don't have to call me 'miss.' Jerra works just fine-"
Dick opened the car door and slid out. Touching her shoulder, he said, "It's no use. He does it to everyone."
Alfred opened Jerra's door and offered her a hand to climb out of the low-seated car.
Taking a good look around, Jerra smiled. "Chrysanthemums," she hummed, noticing the plants in the side gardens. "We have a garden of chrysanthemums, too."
Alfred smiled at Dick. Dick scowled, knowing the old man meant the girl could be pleasant, and he had been taking the wrong approach. He was tempted to say, "Just you wait. Something will trigger her, and she'll punch me in the face, stop time, and run away."
But he didn't.
Because he was being nice.
Jerra followed Alfred inside.
Jerralin was absolutely grinning when she reached the foyer. "Classy." She sent the boy a wry look. "Not you."
He grinned back. "Not you either, stopwatch."
Jerra looked down at her wrists. "I don't wear watches." Dick rolled his eyes.
"Would you care for some chocolate chip cookies?" Alfred asked curtly.
Jerra didn't know how to answer. "Oh, that's really not necessary, I won't be staying long-"
"We'd love some, Al." Dick shot her a look. "You poor child. You'll learn soon never to refuse Alfred's cooking." Jerra looked at him oddly. She then stood awkwardly in the center of the hall, unsure where to go. "Wanna see the Batcave?" He offered, hoping a move like that would at least soften her up, if not restore the sliver or trust she had for him.
She gave him an unimpressed look. "You call it 'The Batcave?'"
"It wasn't my idea." Jerra held in a laugh and followed him through the mansion. Once they reached the office, Dick told her to cover her ears. With his luck, she could pick out things like notes on a piano, and then she'd break into the cave and blow it up. He smiled inwardly at the faith he had in her. She had strangled him, though. Not. Cool.
"Am I allowed to be down here?" Jerra asked uncertainly.
"Boy, I think so," Dick rolled his eyes. "Of course not. We're making an exception, since nothing you do seems to fit guidelines anyway."
Jerra blushed, scowling. "Would you stop offending me?"
"I wasn't trying that time," Dick replied. "Comes naturally, I suppose." He walked past her and over to the large screen, which was currently on hibernate.
"What are you doing?" She peered over his shoulder as he hunched over the keyboard..
"I am showing you our database," he murmured, trying not to break concentration, as the password was a full two sentences and a pain to repeat. "The one you refuse to get on?"
"Oh. That." She paused. "Why are you showing me that?"
"To prove we're not using this information to stalk you or find your weaknesses," he replied. "Though honestly, you keep giving them away."
"Well, gee, thanks, Captain Spandex. I can feel my self-esteem boosting by the second."
"Sorry," he muttered, pulling up the profile of himself.
She stared at the picture of a little boy, about thirteen or so. Jerralin read aloud. "Richard quote-unquote Dick Grayson, AKA Robin. Former sidekick/ still protégé of Batman. Location: Gotham. Powers: None. Age: Fifteen. Known family members: deceased. Well, gee, isn't that handy?" She looked at him. "Is that really all?"
"Justice brat's honor," he grinned, crossing his heart. "Though if you join the team, they'll want to get to know you more."
Jerra looked away, deep in thought. She soon snapped back to him. "Make me a profile. I'll tell you what to write."
Five minutes later they had the basis down.
"Name?" Dick asked.
"Jerralin 'Jerra' Nightingale." She grinned at him. "Like the bird."
"Hero name?"
"Tempus."
"..."
"T-E-M-P-U-S. Honestly, Grayson."
"Former vigilante/apprentice of unknown retiree hero," Robin murmured. She didn't correct him. Some things were best left unanswered, in her opinion. "Current possible team member of young justice league and partner of Robin." She stared at him. He shrugged. "What? No one reads these, anyway. Have to have special permission by Batman, Black Canary, Superman, and Wonder Woman just to look at someone's page." He went to the next blank. "Location: Gotham City, Powers."
He stared at her expectantly. She sighed. "Time warping which sometimes causes invisibility, ATP transformation."
"ATP whatnow?"
"It means I can sap the energy out of my own body and use it as a weapon, like an acid. It hurts," she laughed bitterly. "Everyone."
"How is that possible, even as a superpower?" He wondered.
"Your body regenerates ATP quickly, and I can just force it out of my cells. Painful. Paralyzing. Can't use that part of my body until the ATP has regenerated." She smiled at him weakly. "Next question?"
"Age?"
"Legally, fourteen, turning fifteen in three weeks. With side effects from my powers, fifteen and a half." She grinned at him. "I think I'm older than you, Bird."
"How?" Robin asked again.
"I can stop time," she grinned. "You stop moving, aging. I don't. I keep growing, getting hurt, getting older." She pushed her hair back again. "Some powers, right? They come with pretty awful side effects."
"No kidding," Robin said, a little hysterical. "Why are you doing this? You'll kill yourself."
"I'll be fine, and I want to. The world needs people like us."
"But with the amount of work you're doing a night, I'd say you've aged a month extra just in the time I've known you!"
"Consequences aren't usually pretty in my life, Dick." She gave him a sympathetic look. "You'll get used to that sooner or later." She looked around the cave, clearing her throat in the silence. "I feel we should answer the next question."
"Family?" Robin asked softly.
The fake "okay" Jerra was putting on, disappeared. She looked at the floor. "Mother, deceased, father, deceased, stepmother, recently deceased, Grandfather, current guardian."
She didn't look up to see Robin's expression. Honestly, she didn't want to know. Jerra didn't need sympathy. Or a team. She scowled. "I think I've reach my limit of cooperation for today," she announced. "Will you please let me leave?" She was waiting for an answer. No bombs, no strangling. It was a nice change, if a bitter question.
"Not until you've had one of Alfred's cookies," Dick grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the exit. "They should be ready by now, anyway."
When Batman entered the cave, he noticed the computer was up and running on the Justice League's database. Robin must've been doing some research on the new girl, he thought. To his surprise, when he reached the monitor and lit the screen, a new profile appeared. It was the girl's, Jerra's.
Batman smiled, just a bit, at his surrogate son's work. He filled in all the information on the girl. Serious dedication to research and sneaking, that boy. That's when he noticed the third entry. "Team member of young justice league and partner of Robin."
When had that happened?
Batman scrolled down. He stopped when he reached her powers. His expression fell from his scowl to a look of understanding. He read her family. "Didn't lose just your mother, but two," he murmured. "And father." He would talk with Robin on his progress and...partnership with the girl later. Right now, the dark knight was tired, and could smell Alfred's cookies, fresh from the oven. He took off the mask and walked upstairs.
"Hello, Master Bruce," Alfred held out the plate of steaming cookies. Bruce Wayne gently took one from the plate and began chewing on the melty goodness that was Alfred's cooking. "I must warn you now, do not react harshly to what you will find in the other room," Alfred warned. Bruce's eyebrows furrowed, and he walked towards the dining room faster.
When he opened the door, he found Dick in sweats and one of his t-shirts (which was actually starting to fit the lithe boy, he realized), sitting criss-cross in one of the seats, back facing Bruce. Across from Dick was a girl in the female version of Dick's school uniform, munching on a cookie and staring intently at a textbook as Dick talked to her.
"...And I never really understood why they would include that in biology. I mean, fossils. They're dead."
"They are the remains of living creatures," Jerra added. "And we study charts and evolution. Why not what used to be?"
"Good point, Jerra."
Jerra suddenly looked from Dick to the man in the Batman suit behind him. In the Batman suit minus the mask. "Oh, hello, Mr. Wayne. You were working with Flash in Central City, correct? Was the mission a success?"
Bruce was speechless. She knew. She knew before he walked in. Jerra picked up another cookie and began eating it, glancing at her textbook again.
"Bruce," Dick exclaimed carefully, unsure how to handle the situation.
"I'm assuming the reason her profile is completed is not because you did the research, but because you got her to fill it out?" Bruce tilted his head.
"…Yes." Robin confirmed.
Bruce would've cringed if he wasn't so sore.
"Are you hurt, Mr. Wayne?" The girl asked him.
"Nothing Alfred can't fix," Bruce said nonchalantly, walking over to Dick and grabbing his collar. "If you don't mind us, Jerra."
"How did she get here?" Bruce hissed, in civilian clothes, with Alfred wrapping his torso in a heated pad. Dick cringed. "Richard Grayson, how did she get here?"
"I-I-"
"She followed you, right?" Bruce scowled.
"I kind of shoved her in a car and locked the doors, then drove her to the house?"
"You did what?"
"Sir, I recommend staying still and not smacking Mr. Grayson until after I've finished with your bandages, if at all."
"You brought her to our house? To our base?"
"She already knew it all! She knew I was Robin the moment I caught her when you sent me to find out who she was! She's in my class. She knew you were Batman long before I knew her first name."
Bruce sighed. "Why is she here?"
"Because I want her on my team, and I ruined any trust I had with her before. I'm rebuilding the bridge, so to speak."
"Well, the tsunami to break your bridge is sitting in our dining room," Bruce wiped his eye. It would bruise.
"Actually, I think I was wrong about her," Dick admitted. "She's been just fine."
"Even though you kidnapped her? Again."
"In my defense, she almost got me run over by a bus."
Batman scowled. "Fine. Now that she knows, we might as well not be impolite. Get out there, Grayson." Dick hopped up gracefully from his perch. "And Dick," the boy turned. "Maybe it's not a bad thing someone else knows." Dick smiled, slightly, enough for Bruce to see. The Boy Wonder ran out of the room.
"She's quite the person," Alfred remarked. "And clever."
"I just wish she wasn't such a loose cannon." Bruce shared a glance with the old man.
"I think I am now officially prepared for the midterm tomorrow, and for my doctor's degree in biology." She pushed her textbook aside. "My guardian is really going to start panicking if I'm not home in the next hour."
"I dare you to run home with all those cookies in your system," Dick smirked wryly. "You did, in fact, eat at least twenty three."
She grinned. "Gotta get my energy from somewhere."
"Quick! Get Bruce! We've found the new alternative to fossil fuels!" He held up a cookie. "It's Alfred's finest. Gives heroes the boost they need, and has plenty of fiber."
Jerra cracked up. "I seriously need to leave. You've kidnapped me long enough." She pushed away from the table, collecting her things and putting on her school flats, which she had abandoned when she and Dick had a game of footsie.
"See you tomorrow?" Dick asked as she shouldered her backpack.
Jerralin gave him a dazzling grin. "I'll see you tonight, Grayson."
Dick blushed at her sudden charisma before shaking himself into the zone. "Actually, I'm off duty tonight," Dick replied. "Going to be one of those dad-son things. I'm finally tall enough to beat him at basketball."
Jerra smiled understandingly. "Okay. Then yeah, see you tomorrow."
"Until then, my sarcastic and ill-tempered Nightingale." He bowed grandly, catching her hand and kissing it.
Jerra blushed and pulled away. "Am I walking home? I don't live too far away."
"Do you?" Robin looked around. "Huh. Then allow me to escort you home." He offered her his arm.
"My grandpa is going to eat you alive," she giggled. "This will be hilarious."
"See? There it is again. You act like a normal person for three straight hours, then, BAM! Bloodthirsty psychopath." Jerra rolled her eyes.
The Nightingales did, evidently, live relatively close. If you considered four point two miles close.
Robin stopped at the back gate as Jerra found her keys. "So, the Robin and the Nightingale. We make a very avian pair," he grinned. "You should change your name to Nightingale, so I'm not the only bird out there."
She rolled her eyes. "I think it would give away my secret identity."
"I think you refusing to keep a mask on your face does that already." He noted. She scowled as he shrugged. "Just saying." The gate creaked open.
"Well, see you tomorrow, Dick." She waved, pushing it open and walking through.
"Wait!" Richard pulled her back outside the gate and hugged her tightly. "Are we friends again?"
"Were we ever?" She scoffed, not hugging him back. He froze. She rolled her eyes and smiled, hugging him tightly. "Yes, bird brain, we are, in fact, good friends." She pushed him off after a moment. "Now I'm telling you to get lost so you can have your daddy-son time, unless you want Gramps to see you and rip your lungs out."
Dick smiled mischievously. "Not before I steal a kiss."
That threw Jerra for a loop. "What?" She demanded. "No you're-mph!"
After a second or two, Dick pulled away, laughing quietly. "Goodbye, Jerra. See you tomorrow." He faded into the surroundings.
"See...you...How do you do that?" She shook her head and went inside the gate, pulling her keys as she went. She locked it back in place.
Moments later, Robin curiously watched her climb up to the second floor, where she grabbed another key and opened a window. She landed gracefully (Must jump through windows often, Robin snickered kindly) on the floor of her room, throwing her bag on her bed. She began peeling off her socks and tie before realizing the Boy Wonder was probably still around, and was probably looking through her window. She threw a few names out just because she could, and scowled out the window.
She snapped the curtains shut violently.
"Until tomorrow, Nightingale." Robin grinned, starting the journey back to Wayne Manor.