Making Waves

Chapter 7

It was sheer luck that Percy was even patrolling that night.

She'd been staying out late the last few days, familiarizing herself with the parts of Bludhaven that she had never visited as a civilian. During those times, she had encountered many petty criminals, but surprisingly, never Nightwing. She had deduced that he must've been out of the city. A first, she had taken that as a blessing, but if she was being honest, now she was itching to meet him.

Annabeth had convinced her to take a break and visit her for dinner, and Percy had gotten all the way to Brenda's Café for the portal when her best friend informed her that she'd be working late. With her plans cleared up, Percy had just decided to just don her costume for a quick run around the city before calling it a night.

It was cold out, and Percy vaulted herself over buildings for a few blocks to warm up her muscles. She reached the top of a particularly tall one and stopped to admire the skyline. Bludhaven may not have been New York, but with every passing day, it felt more and more like home. She closed her eyes to breathe in the air, and the wind on her face was pleasantly chill.

Her ears picked up on a few soft thuds in the distance, and the sound made her snap her eyes open. The moon was just bright enough for her to see a small dark figure several buildings over. As it flipped impressively in the air to land on the next rooftop, Percy caught a brief flash of blue, and she felt her pulse quicken. It was only a matter of time, she mused, turning around and leaping off the ledge. When she reached the next building over, she quietly settled herself into the fire escape. Looking down, Percy watched her suit darken slowly and she reminded herself to thank Lou.

A much closer thud indicated that Nightwing had reached the building she was just on. She watched him come into view, his eyes peering over the ledge. Percy held her breath, but her suit did its job perfectly, and Nightwing moved on, looking out farther into the city. He brought his body up to stand on the ledge, before letting out a soft sigh and sitting down, feet dangling over the edge.

Unsure what to do next, Percy observed him for a moment. The hero looked focused, but his body language was casual and relaxed. The wind changed directions, gently blowing his hair forward, and Nightwing turned his head to the side to get it out of his mask. When he did, the moonlight cast across his face and Percy couldn't help but stare at his profile.

A flash of movement underneath her grabbed her attention away from him, and she looked down to see a boy in the street, hands deep in his pockets. She glanced up again and saw that Nightwing was watching as well. She turned her gaze back down, and when she had, another older man had joined.

"Are you Bigsby?" the boy asked, in a hushed tone.

The older man snorted. "Yeah, kid. My payment?"

The teen pulled out something from his pocket and the man snatched it, wetting his fingers to ruffle through the stack of bills.

"Are you sure this is safe?" the boy asked, "What if Nightwing shows up? Or that new one?"

Percy widened her eyes. If Nightwing didn't know about her before, he did now. She glanced up at him again and saw that he had tensed, pulling his feet up to crouch on the ledge. He was leaning forward to the conversation.

"Doubt it," Bigsby muttered, "I don't think a couple of g's is worth their attention."

After confirming the amount of cash, Bigsby reached into his jacket and produced a small plastic bag with white powder. He held it out to the boy, but he didn't take it yet.

"Do you think Nightwing got turned into a girl?" the teen asked, still whispering, "I mean, there's been no word on him since Monday and then she showed up."