April Yang and Dick Grayson share deep-rooted connections to Gotham, even if they prefer not to give them much thought and keep their emotions to themselves. When Dick turns up in Devon City, where April works towards becoming a surgeon, she inevita...
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twelve years before
The forrest was quiet, awaiting the fall that would make its first appearance in two days time. The leaves were still green, although the promise of them turning yellow or orange or red loomed overhead.
April hated the smell of wet leaves, and she knew today was probably the last chance to be outside and not have to endure it. This day, because tomorrow she would be leaving, was important, for reasons unknown to her at that point.
"There you are." Dick swung energetically from the branches, like he usually would. He couldn't stop himself from doing so, going feral as soon as he felt the freedom of escaping Wayne Manor.
He'd gotten better. Taller. He was more agile, for some reason, and stronger.
"There you are," she mimicked him. "you sound like you're the one waiting for me." April rolled her eyes, looking up at him. "Care to come down?"
He sent a boyish grin in her way, instead extending a hand her way. "Why don't you go up? For once in your life."
April looked at his hand hesitantly. Childhood dread washed over her as she thought what would her father say if he saw that she had branch scratches all over her hands.
Then she remembered that she wouldn't bruise anymore. Ever. She could be as careless as Dick was when he was balancing on his one leg.
She jumped up and he caught her wrist, quickly pulling her up and onto the thick branch. April looked at him, puzzled, but knew better than to ask questions about his new skills and strength. After all, he was a year older—this could all be puberty, for all she knew.
"Is it as bad as you imagined?" He teased her, looking around but stopping at her face.
She held his gaze, as she always would, and said, "Utterly horrible." Only her jaunty smile exposed what she was really thinking. "Too cocky for his own good—"
"Ah—Ha ha, what funny creature you are..." Dick caught both her wrists and helped her up so they were both standing now. "Can we go now? The sun is about to go down, and if you keep talking we might just miss it."
She scoffed at him, murmuring something under her breath but following his footsteps.
"What was that?" He asked, jumping from one branch to the other.
