Why Heroes Can't Sip Champagne and Apples are a Girl's Best Friend

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Chapter 11: Spring Fling!

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Here, he'd believed it possible to love and lose in the same moment.

How had Kori and he…come to this?

Dick looked over onto his side.

Heck, she was why.

The pup at his right was the catalyst, the ultimate weapon and Dick was torn for that one reason.

She and he…Dick and Kori, were friends again!

It had happened only then in the dog café. Dick was so upset that he'd not said more but she was just warming up to an apology – they had even skipped the snow ice…for another date!

He leaped up and swatted for he phone. The weather was going to be sunny.

Cause, guess what?

It was already April.

She and the Titans had sent cards for Dick's twenty – third on March 21st of course. He was more than glad to set them up in the kitchen on his table even when the cake had already been cut, along with a gift each from his fam back in Gotham…that was still in need of a sweep to the closet in the hallway.

Well, it was…nice. The first of spring and he'd done what he'd set out to do without much effort…odd.

And Wally had even backed off. Well, he and Raven later had told Dick that they'd confronted Kori about the trip to Blud. He had his suspicions that they were colluding. A detective quirk.

Well, either way it was going to be a beautiful day!

/

Dick's grin was as bright as the sky.

Martinez in the office had to raise a brow to this new Grayson "alternate."

"Is he going through another break up?" Asked Liu.

Martinez shook her head. "Dunno, but Richie is always a man with something to hide, whether it be broken hearts or his own being crushed."

"It's none of the above."

(Catalina Florez is undercover too! And she's still going to go after Dick's heart.)

"Catalina??" What are you doing at this precinct?" Liu looked up as his eyes flickered.

"I'm here to talk to your chief. What's up with our officer in there? Dick here, he hit his head?"

"No!" Liu stumbled over an explanation. This woman truly made life difficult each time she visited.

"Martinez rolled her shoulders and knocked on the door to Grayson's office. "I'm here to deliver a few papers. You can wait. Liu? Make small talk."

" Me??" Liu spat with a whine. "I'm terrible at that!"

"Am I supposed to sit here and be served coffee? I'm looking for the person in charge. I have a time - sensitive case file report to deliver and I have to get back to the office before two for another briefing."

" Fine…Let me show you in…" Liu gave a dirty side glance to Martinez as she just waved him off to his sentence. Besides, Catalina was warned to stay away from Dick. The two had a gritty past and neither officer of the law wanted to dig their compadre out of a hole in the ground like before with the vigilante known as "Tarantula."

(Also, Dick is more so traumatized by Flores so he is being helped by his team since they can't get rid of her for political reasons. It's much more compelling to me!)

/

Cy had sent an interesting bit of news Dick's way and he jumped to see it with his own eyes. A "hero – day" in Jump? And they wanted him there as a veteran to do a speech? Well, Cali was all things open to the idea of equal rights to all. He checked his calendar and marked it. As soon as Dick had let his hair down, marker to the table top, the face of danger stared right back at him.

Catalina. Tarantula, as the memory encased him in a bubble of his own shock.

"What are you doing here?" The vigilante was perched on the fire escape outside, her crouching body as strong as Dick greatly…

He shook his head, seeing Hales growling up at the intruder.

Good dog!

"I was pretty cold to you, and I know we don't have any sparks to shoot off."

"You did something unforgivable." Dick gripped the table top and thought of how he; in his boxers and tank, could have a way to push her back. Haley was not going to be enough and the puppy was not a guard dog.

"And I apologized for it."

"Then turn yourself in."

"Why then, won't you?"

The two stood, neither speaking. Dick scratched his chin and realized his error. He was too nice to damn manipulative…

"I'm not staying. Just warning you about some intel; you need to stay away from the Hero Memorial Day this month. You'll become a prime target."

"Expected of much. Being a walking dead – man is part of the job, Catalina."

"Would you rather just stay? Not go warn them to cancel?"

"I could." Dick huffed. "I'll phone Cy, but…why are you doing this? I thought –

"I don't hate you, Dick…" She sighed. "I hate myself more for doing what I did and expecting you to understand why –

"You had non – consensual sex with me, as if I needed a reminder that I'd killed someone. I can't live it down, and I want you to leave."

"Right…" Tarantula swung her hair over her shoulder, expecting no good bye kisses. "You never changed."

"And you still think murder and rape is justified." Dick sneered at his opponent, as she slunk off down the fire escape, regretting nothing.

Dick slumped to his knees. He felt weak, powerless. She'd just come to warn him, but…it was still…

A lot to manage.

Haley whimpered and came to her dad's aid. His hand now wet with her cute, pink tongue's help.

"At least dogs don't do what she did." Dick's eyes were wet and puffy. As if she wasn't his Talia…some villains didn't need a reason. They simply existed.

/

Dick told Cy and Raven about his message and the Titans did what they could to keep the peace by moving the memorial to May. Dick wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. It was ten pm by the next night after Nightwing had grown to restless to sit back. He took a stroll among the many rooftops, the city looking cold even when April was here. No, the sun was in Cali right now. Dick had to wait until morning –

"Fancy – feet!"

Dick whipped around. "Who's there?"

Around from behind, the shadow of a dark clad vigilante made Dick's teeth rattle with anticipation.

"Midnighter."

"You got back up into the ring, bad boy. Nice. But, ehem. You're in my way."

"The killer is going to stand trial."

"Not according to my boss, he ain't." The anti – hero shook his head. "We don't have much in common, do we Wing?"

"Why would we?" Dick snorted. His stance cautious as he recalled getting beaten hard by this punk. Babs had given him the ok a month later…

"You kill for an organization for your track record, I try to save the people you have under your scope."

Dick took out his batons, a crackle resounded in the cool night air. "What's to compare?"

"About how you killed a crime boss in this city?" Midnighter jabbed at the bat prodigy. "I'd say we're birds of a feather, maybe."

"He was a mistake…" Dick gripped his anger in the form of those two sticks. "I won't let happen again!!"

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