When Worlds Collide

40) Better Late Than Never

A/N: long chapter to make up for ghosting yesterday lol

Nico woke up slowly and instantly knew where he was before he even opened his eyes. He heard the beeping of a heart monitor and immediately began getting annoyed by it. On the rare occasion he was hooked up to one in the cave or at camp, they knew to mute it because the sound pissed him off so much.

"Make it stop," he groaned, not even bothering to open his eyes. He knew the lights were gonna be too bright.

He heard shuffling as someone approached his side. "Are you in pain? Do you want meds? Mr. Wayne insisted not to give you any pain meds, but I can let him know-"

Nico begrudgingly peeled his eyes open and looked at the nurse. "The beeping. Please, for the love of gods, turn it off."

The nurse looked at him in surprise before clicking a button on the machine and silencing it.

"I tried to tell them that you hated the sound, but they didn't listen," a voice said to his left.

Nico turned his head before smirking hazily. "Hey Beauty Queen. Crazy seeing you here."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Shut it Death Breath. You don't get to make jokes after being a dumbass."

The nurse looked at them in confusion. "I'm gonna go let the doctors know that you are awake. The Waynes are in the waiting area if you would like me to get them for you."

"Please," Nico said, giving her a small but genuine smile. "Thank you."

The nurse gave him a nod before walking out of the room, door closing behind her.

"Care to explain why you were an idiot and let yourself get tortured?" Piper said as she crossed her arms, the white bandages contrasting her dark skin.

Nico groaned slightly as he slowly sat up, causing Piper to groan in annoyance and mumble about how he was gonna tear his stitched.

"Perdita is the Queen of Vlativa, I couldn't risk them taking her," he said, completely lying.

"Bullshit."

"Garf is in the middle of filming-"

"Bull. Shit."

"Rachel is the heir to Dare-"

"Don't make me say it again."

Nico groaned. "I hate you. I really do."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? So you just let yourself get tortured by a psycho just so a person you hate wouldn't?"

Nico nodded. "I'm very noble. Chivalry isn't dead," he said seriously.

They both just stared at each other before they began to cackle. Every time they began to calm down, they would make eye contact and then begin again. Each laugh sent a ripple of pain through him, but he couldn't help it. They probably sounded more like they had been taken by the Joker, not Black Skull.

A knock at the door sounded before it cracked open, just as they finally began to calm down.

The nurse popped her head into the room. "I have the Waynes. Is it okay if they come in?"

Piper nodded while Nico gave a thumbs up, only to immediately hiss in pain as it irritated his recently relocated wrists.

The nurse looked at him sympathetically as she opened the door wider, stepping in as she motioned for his family to come in. "If you want any pain meds, just push the call button and I can come set you up with a drip or something," she said before stepping out and closing the door.