Love Birds

Chapter Forty Six

-Athena's POV-

I slipped my mask on and stared out on Gotham City. Snowflakes dusted my face and chilled my nose. I shrugged off the cold and dived off the building I was on.

"Nightingale to Aqualad, any missions this morning?" I reported. It was a snow day for most schools and there wasn't a lot of people out. Gotham was boring during winter.

"No," Aqualad said blandly, "all minimal missions are being covered."

"Alright. Nightingale out."

I stopped swinging around. Pulling up my computer, I started to research anything to entertain. Ever since I started to date Dick, I had more time to take out Black Sharks members. It had gotten to the point where he wouldn't bat an eye if I left to go on a personal mission. If I wasn't at a Team meeting or mission assignment, Artemis would cover for me. She had pulled through with keeping my secrets.

My computer decided on helping out a tiny traffic accident. When it snows, cops tend to be in short supply but traffic accidents are very plentiful. As Victoria Smith, I had gotten a little bit of the Gotham spotlight. But, Nightingale was never really seen in Gotham that much. I was mostly on Team missions around the world. Going on patrol was more of an occasion to hang out with the Bat Family. Those unusual events caused me to become a headliner in the Gotham Gazette, but then fade very quickly. Nightwing, Robin, Batman, and Batgirl were the ones who were constantly in the paper. Especially after all the shock of Nightwing and Nightingale together blew over.

I grappled to land right on top of the overturned bus. A car had crashed snuggly to rest against the bus, trapping the people inside. A pile of cars formed a messy circle around the bus, making it clear many people were injured. I squatted down to peek inside one of the windows.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked. Since a lot of people were inside, I was guessing the emergency exit was on the side of the bus that was pressed against the ground. The back of the bus was also impossible to open, since it was pinned closed by several crashed cars.

A man stood up, wearing a business suit. "Most of us are fine, however there are a few people with broken bones from sitting on the side that got overturned," he said.

"Help us, Nightingale!" A woman screamed, her baby clinging onto her neck and bawling.

I got off the bus and walked around to the car that was pinned against it. The driver seemed to have left. Every damaged car was vacant. The only victims were the ones still stuck in the bus. Gliding back over to the bus, I warned the people inside to back away.

"Get to the very back of the bus, this is about to blow," I said. Spraying explosive gel, I detonated it. A small hole -- big enough for two people to get out at a time -- opened up. When the people started to come out, I grappled away.

"Thank you, Nightingale!" I heard someone say.

I stopped briefly by Wayne Manor. It wasn't my whole intention of going there, but I thought maybe I could get a glimpse at Dick. We had been dating for a few months, but he was out of town. He decided to track down a criminal in Bludhaven. Both as an officer and vigilante, he thought it was a good idea.

"Good morning, Miss Smith. And may I say happy birthday," Alfred addressed. I grinned and slapped him on the back. I peeled off my mask and unbuckled my utility belt. Alfred knocked on my door. "Victoria, I actually prepared you breakfast. Also, I bought you a gift." He pushed a wrapped blue box into my hands.

I gently unwrapped the paper. Two very, very, very old copies of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol and Homer's The Odyssey were inside. I turned them over gently in my hands. The feel of the old books was glorious.