Birds of a Feather

18

"Care to explain what that was all about?" He asked as we sat on the roof. It was nearing June and the weather had cleared up enough to sit out here. I rolled my eyes, if there was thing in this world I despised most it was being interrogated by Nightwing. He was always so condescending when he screamed questions at me as a teenager, I'm sure that this conversation would end the same way.

No I don't. I replied shortly. I could hear him sigh in annoyance but just like before he persisted.

"Raven, I need to know what happened. We fought X for years and weren't able to stop him. Do you expect me to just be okay with the fact that you were able to put him in jail in a matter of minutes? We didn't even fight him! So clearly there's something you're not telling me." He said, his voice raising as the speech went on.

Why do you care so much anyway? I put one of your greatest enemies in jail, isn't that what you've always wanted? I pushed the words into his mind, hoping they came across as agitated as I was. He waited for a moment and I could tell he was thinking about how to answer my question. Normally he wouldn't have put second thought to the situation as long as the villain ended up in custody, however, with X he seemed confused. I could almost see the emotions traveling around his brain as he tried to express something that he knew.

What are you hiding from me? I finally asked hoping to jump start his explanation. He looked at me confused as I just tapped my head, hoping he would understand that his emotions were giving him away.

"I asked you first." He smirked as he finally took a seat next to me on the edge of the roof.

You're not going to like my answer. I tilted my head down in guilt. I knew I would break his trust if I told him what had happened, but I also knew that he wouldn't let the subject go no matter how many times I tried to avoid it.

"You tell your dirty secrets and I'll tell mine. You might not like my answer either who knows." He shrugged and I could feel regret coming from him. I sighed heavily and debated what I should do. I knew he would hate me for my actions, but I also knew that I could get over it. He had already left me once, so what was one more time?

Right after you left, I had been alone for about a month. I started. I could see him cringe at the words that were undoubtedly echoing through his brain. I got a crime alert that Red X had stolen something at the museum. Just like any other time I managed to eventually get back what he stole along with a few cuts and bruises. The next day, I was walking through town to do some basic shopping and a tall man started following me. Turns out it was him. He had openly exposed his identity to me and I couldn't figure out why.

I told myself that I was only going back every day to gain evidence on him. Now I know that's not why I went back. I paused and debated about telling him the truth.

"So why did you go back." He asked softly from beside me. His hand had started to rest over mine and it made my decision even harder.

I was hurt Richard. All of my friends, my family, left me. I was finally able to start expressing and feeling emotions and all I could feel all of the time was lonely. He reminded me so much you that I guess I was just trying to have that kind of friendship again. It's stupid I don't know. I felt his body tense as I mentioned their similarities. What's wrong?

He shook his head. "Nothing, keep going" He said. For some reason I felt like he knew where I was going before I got there. It felt like he already knew and was just trying to get me to admit it.