Nightwing: Heartless

Part 63: For the Longest Time

Summers were beautiful in Gotham. Willa spent as much time outside as possible. She was sitting outside at a new downtown restaurant, enjoying the sun on her face and the buzz of conversation around her. She ran her fingers over a flower in a nearby plant, inhaling the scent. She never took anything for granted anymore, just in case she woke up one day back in that basement.

She finished the cheesecake on her plate, every last crumb, and watched the people walk the streets, and listened to the cars on the road. Her eyes stopped, frozen, on a familiar grey t-shirt. He found her a second later, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise then a lazy smile crossing his face. She couldn't look away from those blue eyes if she tried, frozen to her seat as he walked closer.

She blinked and broke the spell, aware he wasn't alone. M'gann broke into a smile and ran ahead of Dick, Artemis, Connor, and another young man she didn't recognize. Willa tucked her wrist with the splint on it under her sweater sleeve

"Willa!" M'gann exclaimed and Willa stood to meet her hug. It was her first hug in a while, and felt so good. M'gann broke away first, "how are you? Have you lost weight?" She inspected Willa with concern, holding her at arms length.

Luckily, the rest of the group caught up before Willa had to answer. Connor gave her a quick hug, never the affectionate type. The young man Willa didn't know extended a hand for her to shake, "Kaldur," he said.

"Nice to meet you," Willa said with a small smile.

Then it was his turn. Willa focused her full attention on him, not believing he was standing in front of her. He looked so good. Tan from the summer sun, hard lines of his muscles showing through his shirt. He took her in too, just as shocked to see her. He went in for a hug after a moment too long and they held each other a beat too long.

"Hi," Willa said when she broke away, a pang of something squeezing her chest.

"Hi."

Willa cleared her throat and crossed her arms, covering her injured wrist from view, turning to face the rest of Dick's friends. "What brings you guys here?"

"Our maps show some boom tube activity near here," Artemis said while she pulled Willa into another hug, "but how are you?"

Boom tube? Willa didn't want to know. "I've been good," she lied. She saw Dick watch her from the corner of her eye. "How are you doing after..." what was his name? Wally! "After Wally?" It seemed like years since Dick had showed up at her door after his best friend died.

Artemis's face darkened a second, "I'm doing better. You know what they say about time." Willa nodded. She barely thought about Adam anymore, she remembered the good times instead of his death. She had also been kind of distracted the past few months. "But I'm back to work," Artemis continued, "we're tracking a League of Shadows big shot, Lady Shiva-"

"-I don't want to know." It came out a little more curt than she intended but Willa covered it with a nonchalant wave of her hand and a smile, "I'm not sure I have that kind of clearance."

She followed Dick's gaze, locked on her wrist tucked under her arm, but the end of the splint visible. She placed her other arm over it, not meeting his eyes. He opened his mouth to ask but a giant black hole opened in the middle of a street, a legion of soldiers, no, Shadows, lifting up before he could. The heroes around her reacted instantly, M'gann shifting into her uniform, Connor already in his, and Artemis and Dick looked for a place to pull off their civilian clothes.

"I'm gonna..." Willa trailed off, eyes locked as the Shadows took off, running in factions, slicing anyone in their path and throwing bombs into populated areas. Kaldur nodded to acknowledge her then the team ran into action, taking down the closest assassins and saving as many lives as possible.