My Super-Story

22: Only The Beginning

Grace P.O.V.
"THREE DAYS, how can you just sit around and wait for him to get his sorry butt out of his room!" I yelled at Bruce and Jason who were just eating at the table as if it was a normal day.
"Grace, let him get over it on his own!" Bruce said annoyed by me screaming at him at 6:00 in the morning when he had to go to work.
"Is Jason going to school?" I asked seeing as I wasn't starting school, in another 3 days. It's Friday it's been three days since the Barbara Gordon incident, I start school on Monday, and I don't want to last my last three days of freedom doing nothing with mopping Richard, it's no fun.
"Yes, Jason is going to school." Bruce said pointedly glaring at Jason because he was about to protest.
"So I'm all alone with Alfred and Dick?" I asked, depressed, yeah I like Alfred but he's old and can't take me out like Dick can.
"Yes, now I'm off to work, Alfred will drop off Jason, then me, then he'll come back, so you have an hour to yourself." Bruce said standing up.
I grinned, Jason looked at me suspiciously but brushed it off. They both said bye to me then I heard the door close then lock. I did a happy dance because I could finally go see Dick, in three days a lot can happen, and I definitely didn't want to leave him grieving on his own, it's difficult. I walked upstairs and turned down the hall way that led to the boys rooms, I walked to the door for down the hall and listened to hear for things, I heard a sharp intake of breath. He clearly didn't know I was here so I walked quietly towards the door on the left, I heard him take in a sharp breath I started to worry so I walked faster. I then heard a thump against the floor, I ran and burst in his room. He lay there on the floor in a crumpled heap, the door of the bathroom was open I walked in, there were bottles of pills, a razor covered in blood, and the counter top was covered in blood. I turned to him, I dragged him to his bed and lay him down, he was still breathing and had a pulse, thank god. I cleaned the bathroom first, washed all the blood down the drain, put the pills away and found a huge first aid kit. I had to take off his shirt because it was long sleeved and he'd cut himself in the stomach. I washed all his cuts, then stitched them, I cleaned everything covered in blood so Alfred wouldn't get worried about Dick. He woke up with a start and sat bolt upright, he starting muttering things like he was a coward that he couldn't finish it, he then reached in his drawer and pulled out a small pocket knife.
I screamed "NO!" And threw myself on top of him.
The knife grazed my shoulder, he jumped and started yelling at me, insulting me, calling me so many horrific names, I then had enough.
"Listen here!" I yelled at him, he looked shocked at first but then listened.
"I wasn't supposed to come into your room, but I'm glad, because you'd probably be dead or Bruce would have your head, they said you need alone time to grieve, but I say it's better with someone else, I almost had a heart attack seeing you lying on the floor with pills spilled over the floor and blood everywhere in the bathroom!" I said calming myself down, he looked at the ground ashamed.
"Why?" I asked as I started to walk towards him.
His shoulders started to shake and I didn't realize until I came closer that he was crying. I sat next to him and hugged him, he leaned into my touch, I knew I was right about him needing someone else.
"Your right," he said I looked at him quizzically, he chuckled lowly, "nobody should be alone to grieve especially for someone close." Oh, I understand.
"Why did you try to kill yourself Dick?" I asked, still hugging him.
He leaned into me more and mumbled some thing into my shoulder that sounded like
"It's my fault."
I instantly realized what he meant, he thought he could've saved Barbara.
"It's not your fault, you couldn't of done anything." I whispered gently in his ear.
Now that I think about it, everything in this house made sense.
"Yes, I could've saved her if I had just tried harder!" He yelled standing up, he paced.
I watched him patiently, he then did something that startled, he punched the wall and created a crater, not literally, where his fist just was. He was fuming, he needed to let off some steam, so I went for it.
"Do you wanna go outside?" I asked, he looked puzzled so I continued, "we could walk in the forest, we still have..." I said looking at my watch, "40 minutes until Alfred comes back, we could go out do something, we could go run..." I trailed off, he nodded, wow that was easier then I thought.
"Do you mind going for a run?" He asked, I shook my head and ran out of the room and called behind me.
"Meet me outside in 5 minutes!" I ran to my room.
I pulled out a purple sports-bra and pulled a light grey, semi-see through tank top over top, and pulled on some black running capris. When I walked outside he still wasn't there so I put my hair in a high-ponytail, wrapped the bracelet I'd found in a store, it was a simple black braided cord but it had little dark blue sapphires woven into it. Arms wrapped around my waist, and a nose was pushed into my hair a voice mumbled
"thank you" into my hair.
I turned around to find Dick in a similar outfit, he had a pale grey T-shirt that hung on his body loosely and black basketball shorts.
"We're you trying to match me?" I questioned amused.
He shook his head and laughed a hearty laugh. I was happy to know that he was happy, and I was what was making him happy. We started at a light jog, he was holding back when we went through the forest.
"You know I can keep up with you." I told him.
He looked at me then sped up, we were soon sprinting through the trees, laughing and racing each other. I passed him and he protested, but then he was quiet, I slowed and turned, he wasn't there, I called his name walking around looking at everything that I passed looking for anything suspicious, I bumped into a wall, more a like chest clothed in some weird armour. I looked up to see the man I'd met the night I was kidnapped, Ra's Al Ghul.
"Child, have you made your decision?" He asked, he was talking about me being his apprentice, I wasn't sure, but I knew what I wanted.
"If it protects my friends and family, then yes." I said exasperatedly.
I knew if anyone knew about this, they would have my head, especially Dick. That reminds me I'll have to tell Wally about this. Ra's nodded,
"No one will know of your true identity, but you must wear this necklace at all times, I would like for you to find yourself a uniform in the local mall." He said, wait, what, we start tonight, I looked at him for answers, he chuckled, "You remind me much of Talia, there is a meeting with the other InJustice League members who have apprentices, you will be part of a team, of apprentices. There are three other girls about your age who will be there, you will be close with them, only you three will know eachother said true identities, meet me at the abandoned warehouse you were located at last week, at around midnight and you will meet everyone else." He said then backed up and disappeared into the shadows.
I wandered around aimlessly, and someone jumped on me and we rolled around on the ground laughing.
"Where did you go!" I queried, he laughed as he rolled off of me and onto his back.
"I was going to beat you, but then you didn't show up so, I went looking for you." He said looking at me, a smile in his eyes he was happy.
"What was she like?" I asked, I looked over at him a shadow crossed his face.
"She was wonderful," he started, "she was funny, playful, but was extremely bossy." He said with a chuckle, "the day you went out to the mall, she came over and we had a huge fight, I was going to apologize the day she was kidnapped, but I never got the chance..." He said looking sadly into the distance.
I stood up and reached out my hand he took it and I hauled him up.
"Beat you back to the manor!" I called over my shoulder.
He protested about how I got a head start but I laughed it off, when I got to the manor Dick was sitting on the steps, I stopped astounded.
"How, did you..." I started, he laughed.
"Short-cut, and I believe you have to do something for me since I won!" He said heartily.
"Fine!" I huffed, he pondered for a few moments then his eyes lit up, uh-oh. "If we ever go to a national monument together, and there is a choice between stairs or elevators, you have to take stairs!" He said cheerily.
I slumped next to him. He slung his arm around my shoulder, as I cursed under my breath.
"Let's go inside and eat since Alfred isn't here. Can you cook?" He said then added a question at the end.
I sighed and pushed past him into the manor, I took the first right which leads to the kitchen. I rummaged through the fridge and found bread and cheese, I'm not extravagant when it comes to food, but I at least found some pickles. I took out a frying pan, and started to make the grill cheese, when in came a voice.
"I'm taking a shower!" Dick called downstairs.
  I was done with the grill-cheese in moments. I placed them on plates cut in half with the jar of pickles next to me. In came a muffled voice that sounded like
"Something smells good."
And there in the doorway stood Dick he was shirtless, his floppy black hair tousled because of his recently taken shower, I didn't realize but he was extremely fit, his broad shoulders complemented his form.
"Did you do this?" He queried, pointing at the stitches I'd done earlier to his stomach.
"Yeah, why?" I said going back to my pickles.
"Because," he started, "you do just as good a job as Alfred, and that's saying something. Alfred does better then doctors, but the way you did it is different, it's like it was never there." He said coming to sit next to me at the huge table.
We chatted lightly for the next ten minutes and in walked Alfred. He was probably wondering who I was talking to he stopped on the spot when he saw Dick.
"Master Richard, I was unaware that you had come out of your room let alone talk to someone, I will inform Master Bruce, and for you Grace go clean up." He said.
Ordering me around wasn't going to work, but I was going to do it anyway, because Alfred is awesome. After I'd had a shower and done my hair in a long braid, I dressed myself in a simple purple skirt that stopped mid-thigh, with shorts underneath, a pale grey crop-top that ended below my belly-button, but since the skirt had a high waist band it barely showed. I slipped on some white converse, grabbed my purse and headed downstairs. Jason was home but Bruce was staying late at work for a meeting with his staff, it was about 3 in the afternoon, I still had time to go to the mall.
At the mall, I was wandering around and noticed three different girls, but all were shopping similarly, for a black outfit. I already had my costume and name figured out, so I was just looking to see if I could find the other girls Ra's was talking about.
I first went into a sports shop, I saw a girl looking at a track suit that was black, grey, and navy blue. I walked up to her and introduced myself and complemented her choice, I found out her name was Audrey Piper, I told her to meet me in the food court in 20 minutes.
The next store I went into was a weapons store where I found a girl looking at a crossbow. I walked up to her and complemented her choice but told her that she'd be better with a standard bow, I showed her one that was slick and black, she loved it, I found out her name is Sapphire Starr, so I told her to meet me at the food court in 15 minutes.
The next store I walked into was super expensive, it was filled with girls ogling at the dresses but at the back there was one girl looking at a cheetah print sweater and black tights, I walked up to her, and I looked her up and down and found her a beautiful a baby blue and cheetah print tank top with black leggings and flats that shaped her body well, she said thank you and I told her to meet me in 10 minutes at the food court, I found out her name was Valentina Francesca.
I sat at a booth for four, I had a few types of candy with four waters. I looked around it was time, in the south entrance stood Valentina, I waved her over. Next I looked to the east entrance and saw Sapphire, I waved her over. I looked at the north entrance and saw Audrey, I waved her over as I did the others. They all walked towards my booth which was located near the west entrance, Valentina got there first and slid down across from me into the corner, next was Sapphire who looked at Valentina and asked if she could sit next to her, she nodded. Last to arrive was Audrey who looked uneasy with the others there and she sat next to me. Sapphire grabbed the Mars-Bars, Valentina grabbed the Gummy-Worms, and Audrey grabbed the Hershey chocolate. They all starred at each other I was the one to break the ice.
"Valentina this is Sapphire, Sapphire meet Valentina." I said Audrey looked at me I leaned over and whispered in her ear.
   "They have a lot in common, as do you and I." I whispered unnoticed to the others who were engrossed in a talk about jokes and how stupid some are.
"Guys, this is Audrey." I said Audrey waved she was shy so I knew we all had two things in common, being super-villain apprentices and we all loved to run, so I started talking to Audrey loud enough so the others could hear about how quick I am and my accomplishments in running, Sapphire jumped in to say she loved to run then Valentina expressed how it makes her feel free. After that we were all great friends, after an hour of talking I looked at my watch and realized I had to get going.
  "See you guys tonight!" I said as we all went in our own directions they all looked confused but then replaced it with a bye from each of them. They'd all been in training with their mentors longer than I Audrey probably the longest then Sapphire then Valentina but then again if you had been with your mentor for more than 10'minutes you'd be more experienced then I.

Next chapters will be character profiles. So beware you will learn most of what you need to know about this amazing group of friends! Hope to keep you posted. Luv Hollybear12