Nightwing: Heartache

Part 56: Waiting

March 14, 11:27am
New Orleans

Willa woke up to Jason gently shaking her arm. She blinked a few times to clear her vision and figure out where she was. She sat up from leaning against Jason's shoulder and pretended not to notice him start to rub feeling back into his arm.

Artemis was standing in front of her, talking in a low voice with Barbara. Willa was suddenly wide awake. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Artemis said hurriedly to quell Willa's rising panic. "He's okay, no new news yet."

"Food's here," Tim poked his head through the door to their private waiting room. He saw Willa was awake. "Oh good, you're awake!" He came in carrying a couple pizzas. Alfred followed close behind him with two bags from Raising Canes.

"I also brought some clothes for you," Barbara said from her wheelchair beside Willa. She held out a tote bag.

"Thank you." Willa took the bag and headed to the bathroom. She crinkled her nose at her own reflection. The blood on her had turned brown, her hair was a mess, and she was covered in scrapes and bruises.

The door opened. It was Artemis. She leaned back against the sink, her arms crossed, eyes focused on Willa. "I hope you're not stupid enough to be blaming yourself."

Despite the situation, Willa cracked a smile, "no."

"Good."

"Do you heroes do that a lot? Blame yourselves for the actions of bad people?"

Artemis shrugged, "Dick does."

"He's an idiot."

Artemis laughed. "Yeah. Wally was too."

"Oh god," Willa laughed, "do you think they'll haunt us?"

Artemis covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with laughter, "every time we reach for a candy bar it'll move and we'll be stuck with their stupid laughs over our shoulders."

"They'll make stupid kissy faces at us everytime we go on a date," Willa gasped out.

"You'll suddenly get judo flipped every time you do something dumb!"

"You'll get tripped every time you try to run after Lian!"

The two girls tried to calm their laughter multiple times but failed. It was inappropriate. They tried to stifle their giggles. It was morbid. Finally, when they both were wiping tears from their eyes and taking a deep breath, the humor wore off.

Willa stood next to Artemis, both their backs against the sink. "I tried, you know," Willa said.

Artemis looked over quizzically, "what?"

"To take the bullet. I didn't just let him get shot." Now Willa crossed her arms, feeling the need to defend herself. "I didn't just stand back and let him take a bullet for me."

Artemis turned her body so she was facing Willa. "We don't see you like that, Will. You're not some naive, defenseless little girl. Dick least of all. You're tough as shit and you've saved our hides more times than any non-powered civilian should."

Willa picked at a loose thread, "feels like you all have saved me more."

"That's literally our job. Let us do our jobs and you just keep being the person you are. We do a lot of good that you can't and you do a lot of good that we can't." Artemis turned back around. "There are different ways to be brave."

Willa looked over, "who told you that?"

Artemis smirked. "Dick. I wonder where he got it," she looked at Willa pointedly. Willa blushed a bit. That seemed like a lifetime ago. "You know," Artemis started, "sometimes I think you're a lot like who Dick could have been if his life didn't turn violent so quickly."