The Jacksons are Friends | DC & PJO

Red Robin

[A/N: Hello readers, how's it going? Updates are going to be slower due to studying for finals exam. I just had my mocks. For the story, though, I have ideas, but I also have to write them down. I hope y'all like the story so far.]

More time has passed. Nina had begun talking to her brother about Gabe. Talking about it made it better, easier to heal, and easier all of it. She had heard it before but outright did not believe it. Nina, as always, found comfort in her brother. She began talking about it to her brother, who crunched his fists, planning on punching the already turned-into-stone – never to be seen again – ex-stepdad. Hypothetically, the effect of Gabe should have been gone or at least lessened so that she wouldn't react the same way.

How Nina hadn't encountered that type of person in Gotham while on her morning runs was a mystery. During the morning, after one of her morning runs, she went to the top of the roof. The previous night's events played like a surreal movie in her mind, and she needed a moment of calm to process it all. Holding onto her hot chocolate and warming her hands, she watched as the sun rose, the cool breeze brushing past her.

As the sun painted the Gotham skyline with hues of orange and pink, heavy breathing could be heard from behind. Startled, she turned around with her fists, expecting to find someone, but only a stray cat damped by the previous night's rain.

From behind her, in the quiet of the night, she looked back and saw no one there, but she went, placing the hot chocolate on the floor. Feeling as if her jumpiness was an overreaction, Nina gently placed her hot chocolate on the rooftop floor, inviting the feline to share the tranquil moment.

As the cat was on its way over to her, it jumped away at a loud sound that occurred not far from them. Nina raised her hands again in front of her. Slowly walking to the source of the sound, she kept looking back to check if her path to the door was clear. She would check it out and run. Why? She didn't have self-preservation skills. Nina would often be proud to say she had more preservation than her brother. It wasn't a high bar to pass.

Behind the air vents, a figure was lying down.

"So, who are you supposed to be?" The girl asks as she looks down at the figure sprawled on the floor of her rooftop.

The man, better yet, the young man, seemed to expect the company, but it wasn't hers. At the sound of her voice, he whipped his head towards her, hands automatically reaching above his staff. She had seen this reaction before, a lot, actually, in camp. It was pretty funny, for the 7-year-old self, to see demi-gods unable to detect her, and so she would scare the shit out of them. Thought as she continued to think, that head whip would have given a backlash.

In another second, he jumped up and ready to fight, only to see a civilian holding a steaming white mug with dark-colored contents inside. "That coffee?" he asked in all seriousness. Using his nose, he sniffed the air. It didn't work; it was too cold.

Nina stared at him and held in a snicker. He looked more haggard and sleep-deprived than the average scholarship program students in Gotham Academy, herself included. "Sorry, no coffee. Hot chocolate, though," she responds, emphasizing her mug. "You want?" she asked, stretching her hand with the mug toward him—someone who most desperately needed it more than her.

A civilian sneaking up on him didn't seem normal. His sleep deprivation was getting to him. At her offer, he greedily took the mug with hot chocolate into his hands.

"Careful, it's hot," she warned. They stayed quiet for a while.

The vigilante held the mug in his hands. He looked at the girl who was watching the sunrise. Black short hair with highlights and blue eyes. She didn't seem striking, as in she wouldn't stand out if accidentally seen in a crowd.

Nina hummed to a song while he tried to analyze her. Looking down at the innocent hot chocolate, he pondered. "So, was there any trouble today?" Nina asked out of nowhere, intending to start small talk.

At her words, the vigilante seemed to feel a strong sense of déjà vu, like it had happened before. This wasn't the time to think about that, so he brushed aside that thought. It was no coffee, but it had to do. His mind was working slower than usual. Fuck it if it's poisoned. Sustances are sustances (not a typo). Taking a gulp, instant regret happened. He had too much training to be shown.

"I just made it, dude. I don't think that was the greatest idea. Are you okay?"

"Perfect," he mutters out. When he lifted his head to observe her and analyze her more, he only found that she wasn't paying attention to him, nor did she seem alert, her focus directed to the city in front and below her. "How did you know?" The vigilante asked, aware that she wasn't watching him, so how did she know about his actions?

"I have ears," the girl deadpanned, now looking at him with a 'are you kidding me?' look before turning back to face the city. "So, was there any trouble?" she asked again.

"Just small fries," he decided to respond as vague as possible; there shouldn't be any harm. When she nodded, he took it as his signal to continue. He didn't know how to continue. "Joker's out. Goons are trying to impress him. They're just causing unnecessary trouble. My advice is to stay away from the Amusement Mile."

Her response wasn't verbal but a simple thumbs up. She then turned to him. "Dude, you have to sleep. Heed my advice. From student to student."

This statement made the vigilante stumble, but he didn't show. He was trained better by Batman. "I have no idea what you are on about," he said, already ready to ditch.

"Sure, whatever floats your boat," Nina replied, standing up like he was ready. In a second, she was at the door and left. Almost immediately before the slow-working brain of the vigilante could work, she pushed the door open and popped up on the side. With a smile, she gave another piece of advice, "Stop slouching like a teenager, and you can pass off as older."

"Well, she's nice," commented another vigilante with a blue line from wrist to shoulder to chest, should and wrist again parkoured to the side of the first vigilante.

"I'm not dead yet," the first vigilante commented, continuing his sip of hot chocolate. "She reminds me of someone, though. I think something like this happened not long ago."

"What? Have a civilian give you coffee? If it did happen, you'd remember it, Little Bird."

The first vigilante pondered before hitting his fist. "Ah! It was a dude in a blue shirt. He had coffee and green eyes, like Damian's, but they were more towards the sea color. And he looks like you?" In the last part, he turned to look at the older vigilante.

"Nobody can have my good looks," the mentioned man spoke arrogantly as a joke.

"Haha, very funny," the vigilante spoke as he sipped on the mug, noticing the hot chocolate finished and the weight on his hand. "Oh, I still have her mug. I could leave it here. She seems to come here often."

"Then let's take it back and deliver it sometime."

With a nod of agreement, the two vigilantes made their way back.