A/N: Another one came to mind, although it's a bit short.
His ribs were a little sore as he shoved his Nightwing suit into a duffle bag and then tossed it under his bed. It wasn't like anyone was going to find it under there, Although he could hear a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Bruce telling him to put it back in its proper case in the wall, he ignored it.
Dick felt his tender ribs with some regret. Another criminal had been able to get a good kick in before he had been able to connect. He refused to look at it in a mirror, refused to see if there was a bruise there or if just felt sore. In fact, he had removed the mirror that used to be in his bedroom leaving the only remaining mirror in the bathroom.
Dick gave a longing glance at his bed. It looked so soft with its Nightwing blue fluffy pillows and warm comforter it was very inviting and all Dick wanted to do was fall into it even if he wouldn't actually be able to sleep for a few hours. But he didn't, instead, he changed into some workout clothes. He didn't shower because he was just going to get sweatier anyway but he did pull on a sweater and flipped the hood up to hide it a little better. He had come up with a productive way to keep himself busy in the early morning hours after patrol and before he slept, since it was time he wasn't sleeping anyway... and the busier he was the less likely he was to put a knife through his skin.
No, it was best not to think about that, he chastised himself as gabbed a duffle and headed back out having just barely come in, briefly lamenting as he opened the door how much less he was seeing his apartment than he used to.
It didn't take him too long to get to his destination. More and more of the 24/7 gyms were popping up around Bludhaven, though usually in the nicer areas of the city. He had joined a few weeks ago. With his neighbors complaining about late-night noises without moving, this was the best option he had. Plus, there weren't many people there early in the morning. Usually at best one or two to brave coming out in the dark in a city like Bludhaven. Sometimes, it was even completely deserted except for one employee which was honestly his preference.
"Hey Dennis," he greeted as he walked through the lobby. He liked Dennis. In terms of being a good employee, he was not. 90% of the time Dick had ever seen him after signing up he was watching something on his phone and not paying the slightest bit of attention to people actually using the gym. Which honestly just increased the draw of this particular gym for Dick.
"Hey, Dick." The guy said without glancing up from his phone. Dick was the one regular for this time in the morning, even though he had learned the name of the few people besides him that occasionally liked to use the gym this early in the morning.
He was slipping. Bad guys, no matter how hard he tried, kept being able to hit him. There was only one guy other than Dick and the employee Dennis, and that guy didn't even look up from the screen of the treadmill he was running on, thankfully. It was preferable to go under the radar. He didn't like it when people looked at him. He should just move to a different place with thicker walls but the very thought just made him feel even more tired than bench-pressing while already fatigued did. But it didn't matter how tired he was, how much his body ached and longed for rest. Because he was failing at being Nightwing and that was unacceptable. He had to do better. He had to be better. He had to be perfect. He couldn't not be wasn't perfect. He wasn't even good, he was a killer who hadn't stopped
- He pushed even harder to bring up the weight in his hands, wincing while also relieved that the pain in his arms was distracting, pushing out the other thoughts. He just had to try harder. Be better. Not a failure.
As time went on, the other machines started to fill up with people who wanted to get a work-out before work. Once the machines were about half-way full, Dick knew it was time to go home, sleep for a few hours and start all over again.