Why Heroes Can't Sip Champagne and Apples Are a Girl's Best Friend
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Chapter 8: Praying for Rain but Finding a Friend, Instead
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Dick came back to his own apartment a few week - nights later, a wave FAREWELL from his nemesis had been the last thing he'd needed, after he'd been played for a fool by the anti – heroic, "Midnighter."
~ I'd love to spar with ya again some time, Wing. Say…. new place by the wharf? No strings? You can pick the place? Well, bye birdy! ~
Dick had slept on the sofa in the living room, he had a day off so it was ok to push down his emotions and sleep for once.
But then, the morning did arrive and his hunger was not to be abated.
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Fruit loop.
He sure felt like one as his hands grabbed onto the rainbow-colored kiddie kibble, until his cell phone rang.
Dick groaned and swiped up the cell while the Fruity – Fun Rings box was still in his grip.
"Y'ello?"
~ Um, you almost never answer like that, dude. What's up? How did your late night go last night?? Give me the whole scoop – cherry on top, style? ~
"No, Wally." Dick snuffed and turned the box sideways to look at a precariously drawn, brightly colored maze activity on the back. Snatch the loops. Wow, Brost. (Post.)
Dick scratched his chin with his shoulder, not able to put the box down until he'd gone through the blocky maze of swirls and cartoon characters of famous pirate figures.
Select Figures sold separately.
~ Did you meet anyone at all?? Why didn't you reach out –
"I'm not ready, Wall." He sighed, Dick…was still climbing out of the rut Catalina had left him to rot in. She'd been controlling, ruthless, sly….and all – encompassing. And…. The hit on Blockbuster was also painful.
He'd almost been exposed by that balooka. And she had seen him crying on those rooftops…. With Midnighter spying on them only a few feet away….(Making it so, sorry DC!)
He was afraid to be hurt again. Kori wasn't the only reason, not while Babs still cared. While Kori was a good ally, but…
His reversed pain from her, from Tarantula….?
She'd left her bite marks around his throat, and she and he were through. Well, it had to happen sometime before she cut his -
~ You…need to talk to someone, Dick. ~ Wally felt an unnatural calm come settle the room. ~ If you're holding back, you can always reach out, bud. We've all been there…Even Timmy. He and Spoiler were….um… Then he's Bi now so…~ Wally rubbed the back of his neck, seething. ~ Forget I said it like that –
"Midnighter." Dick put down the box. The maze, now won.
"He keeps trying to flirt with me every chance he gets; I'm still hiding from one aggressive Tarantula and star bolts and batarangs coming for me…. but a gun??" He shouted, exclaiming in a high voice. "I've had it up to here with being such a…. a…."
~ Don't you say it, Dick! If you say that one word and swear it for the rest of your life, you're never going to –
"I'm done with being a damn bachelor in love! Ok??" He let the box fall over with a whap against the kitchen's island counter. "I'm done, Wall. No more blind dates. No more setting suns, and no more –
~ I, don't accept you being a dick to tell me that on the phone. ~ Wally said firmly, sticking to his guns without a pout. ~ We'll talk about it, but you care, Richie! Stop closing yourself up and heal or you never…~
The silence was back as Wallace shut his lip. Dick ended it with his. "Goodbye, Wally." With a click, the cop hung up and groaned into the kitchen counter, the box still sitting helplessly on its side.
There were days he wished he'd bought a Tumba floor cleaning robot.
Or adopted…. a dog…
In the end, one of those things came true, that day later in the rain on the streets of sad lil' Bludhaven.
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It was just after he'd had a slice of pizza and had gotten some kids to stop robbing him blind down an alley that Nightwing's old habits took full control of the situation.
There, this was what he'd not wanted to see on a relaxing day off like it had been – only in the morning. It had, but…
He'd not expected for things to get so…hairy….
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A mini pup; a pit bull pup to be precise, as it had also found mostly misfortune on this one, rainy day.
Some immature punks thought it would be soo cool to catch animals off the street; strays, and make them fight each other for some extra scratch on the side.
Only their eyes had met one; a grey, white bellied, pit bull puppy with a face so frightened of the men that her body shook like a Chihuahua's.
"Get the stick out; she can't get away from us…."
Sniveling….
Dick stayed cautious. Yet, he wasn't Nightwing, in costume. Maybe…
His mouse brain had just hatched an ingenious plan.
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Sneaking around had never not been the "Bat" way of doing things in Gotham. However…Nightwing, wasn't one to poke fun at the cat's way of stealth. He owed it to Selina for the extra lessons.
He'd even mastered her craft like a champ by his eighteenth birthday.
Now, it was time to put the cat's claws to use.
To save a pup from a life of fighting; gladiator style.
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She barked, but was quieted by the snap of a leash as one fool brought out a dog catching tool.
That was the signal, so Dick dove in and then all eyes were on him.
Or maybe not.
"You wanna send me to the pound, instead?" He snarkily shot at the men atop a bunch of lop-sided wooden crates.
"Get him!"
Oh, yeah. Real damsel in distress. Red Hood better not be holding a camera phone up top those rooftops.
This was about to get fierce, more than that puppy princess in the corner –
It actually shocked Dick and ran over to him, as the men stood wobbling; its fangs almost took out the gutless oaf's leg, but Dick knew the law here in Blud.
"Hold it, were - wolfie, no shins for dinner! You are not gonna like the way he tastes." Dick coaxed the pup over as it yapped around his ankles, begging to be spoken to in a nicer manner.
"Hey! Ok, ok! Wait…" Richard got to his knee and the puppy cocked its head curiously, then looked at the men behind it who were starting to come to.
"Wanna' watch?" Dick asked the puppy, who seemed to loll out its tongue as it yipped a "go ahead!"
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It followed him, the rain having stopped so they could see the pavement better. Dick carried the cutie to his place right after he'd gotten around to getting some supplies at a local pet stop. A shop that could report that classless band of muggers any day of the dang week, but Dick didn't worry about that. They'd already been tied up for questioning at the precinct.
"It's a good thing we found out your gender, but honestly? I think any blues would suit you…. a bandana though? Well?" He had her try it on in the store and the staff had fallen in love at first "yip."
"You sure do draw in a crowd, almost…like…"
He nodded at the puppy as she smiled back, tongue out and happy to be in a warm house with more chow than your average stray.
"How bout, Haley. After an old family friend. You like that? Haley?"
She jumped around and was more than delighted as that tiny tush bounded up and down with her paws to the floor, arched in full "play" mode. Dick chuckled as she jumped onto him, turning heads - took her nose to nose as she licked his nose in thanks.
"Now, you're officially home, girl. I'm not letting you worry about that anytime soon…" He smiled and then, the gray clouds must have just…been dusted off. It was going to be a nice day, tomorrow. For he and his new bunk mate. Dick was smiling, but…at least Haley could help keep the doldrums at bay while he healed some more.
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Dick found his security blanket! Omg…not the end!
