When Worlds Collide

130) THANK YOU FOR 1 MILLION READS!

-Dick POV- 

Nico had come a long way in the last week. He had mostly adjusted to being around lights without being set off and had begun interacting with the family more often, but Duck was still worried about his meeting with Grover. Nico had been okay with interacting with Will and Hazel, but those two had always been special circumstances when it came to most interactions. Grover seemed like a great guy from what they had heard and they trusted that he would be able to keep Nico safe if something went down, but it was still stressful to know that he was out in Gotham on his own.

Gotham was a shit hole— it was their home, but it didn't change that it was a shit hole. It was crime ridden and full out loud noises and bright lights; all things that Nico didn't need while he was recovering. The demigod was fragile at the moment and they didn't need anything else to set him back any further. It had taken them so long to convince him to take a week off, they didn't need to add more trauma to his already overflowing reservoir.

"Is he close?" Tim asked, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. "He said he'd be here at 4 and it's 4:03."

Jason looked at his phone that had Nico's location pulled up. "He's close. It looks like he's leaving the subway system now."

"Subway?!" Damian asked, sounding worried. "That is just asking for trouble. It is as if DiAngelo is asking to be mugged."

Dick swatted Damian. "He'll be fine," he said, hoping that his voice made it sound like he actually believed the statement. "Nico is doing a lot better and I think he's doing really well— all things considered."

"I mean yeah he can handle being in the light now, but he's still underweight. Plus, he is easily spooked— that's just asking for someone to jump him," Jason said, crossing his arms and leaning back in the booth in an attempt to look casual instead of infinitely stressed.

Tim ran a hand down his face. "I just keep telling myself that he survived in Gotham without getting jumped for almost 3 months before living in the manor, so it must have been for a reason. He's gonna be fine."

Dick nodded. "Exactly. Nico, even if he is a bit malnourished, is still Nico. He glares at everyone he comes across and gives off a vibe of death. We've just gotten used to it. He can walk down the street on his own."

Jason just kept staring at the phone as the gps tracker moved closer and closer. "He stopped."

"What?" Dick immediately asked, pulling out his own phone to look at his location. "Why is he in an alley?"

"What if he's being jumped?" Tim said, looking over Jason's shoulder. "We should go. He could be stabbed or shot or-"

"He's moving again," Damian said, having pulled up the tracker as well. "He's almost here."

"Oh thank the gods," Dick muttered, letting out a breath of fear he had been holding.

The door dinged as it opened and all the brothers eyes shot over to it, all surging forward and out of the booth to greet their little brother.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked his eyes unashamedly scanning Nico for any injury.

Tim wasn't even just doing it with his eyes, he was circling the kid and looking for any sign of a wound. "We say you stopped in an ally and thought you were getting jumped or attacked or-"

Nico cut off Tim's rambling by smacking his arm. "I'm fine. There was a hellhound, but I got rid of it quick enough."

Dick stared at him in horror as they all went back to the booth. "Are you okay? I know you can defend yourself, but you haven't really trained-"