Red Hood x Reader x Nightwing

Ch 6: Second Guessing and Starting Over

You woke up with your head swirling. You were in an office, with a green desk among other things. "Good you're awake," an oddly familiar voice said. You looked up, a pulsing pain in your forehead. Lex Luthor sat at that desk, fingers under his chin. "You've been drooling down there for nearly an hour."
     You sat up slowly, holding your head. "Where is he? Where's the prick that brought me here?"
     "Red Hood? Oh he tossed you on the floor and left without a single word." Lex sighed. "Charming fellow," he added as an afterthought, more to himself than to you.
     "I'm gonna kill him," you swore and tried to stand, but the sharp pain that snapped up your leg from your foot reminded you to remain seated. You caught yourself on your hands as your legs gave out.
     Lex laughed lightly, a merry thing. "Not like that, you won't." He whistled and a blonde woman came in. "Do you mind helping out friend to the infirmary?"
     The girl nodded and offered you a hand. Rather than being a stubborn ass and smacking it away, you took it and realized it was his assistant. Now you were more hesitant to follow her anywhere. Though she seemed nice enough, and she didn't seem the type to hurt employees.
     Is that what I am now? An employee? When did I stoop so low? you questioned yourself.
     "Thank you, dear," Lex said from his desk and started writing something down.
     She helped you walk down a hallway and into a nearby elevator. You dropped to the second to last floor and got out. She let you prop against her again as she brought you to a small white cot.
     You sat down and she handed you a glass of water. You sniffed it and took a swig—and drank the whole thing.
     "Thank you," you rasped. "So what am I doing for him, exactly? Do you know?"
     She bent down and gently removed your shoe. Your sock was the least bit white, red blood soaking its entirety. She peeled the fabric off and you nearly vomited. She noticed and reached into a cub board, handing you a bucket. You willed your stomach and puked into it. So long Mr. Muffin, you thought with a disgusted expression.
     "Are you done?" she asked.
     You shook your head and said, "No I think I'll keep it just in case."
     She nodded and took a large kit out of the cupboard. The assistant cleaned the tools and began to freeze your foot.
    After about an hour of agony as she pulled out every piece of bullet in your bones, she stitched your foot up and left before you could say thanks.
    However, she was only gone for about a minute or two before she returned with a brand new pair of shoes identical to the ones Jason had—No, you thought, that wasn't Jason. That was Red Hood that shot me. Jason would never.—Red Hood had shot through.
     "These should fit. If not I'll get you another size," she said, handing them to you. She wrapped your foot in a bandage and added, "Though I wouldn't wear a shoe on that foot for a while yet. Let it heal. I'll take the stitches out when they're ready." She reached over to beside the cupboard and grabbed a pair of crutches. "You need these for a while, as well. Take them, I'll help you stand and adjust them."
     You nodded and did as she asked, not wanting to upset her—knowing what lied beneath her tan skin. You rose on your good foot and took the crutches from her, letting her adjust them to your size.
     Once finished she said, "You're all done. Mr. Luthor said you can wait until tomorrow to be assigned or, in his words, you can suck it up and get your assignment today."
     You frowned. "Thanks for helping me, first off, and second, he can go fuck himself because I'm not doing anything for him until my foot's better."
     She smiled faintly and nodded. "I'll tell him your thoughts," she merely said and left.
     You looked at your phone for the time, late for school. Groaning, you got up and hobbled your way down the hall, to the elevator, through the lobby, and towards the nearest bus stop.
     When you got to school, everyone stared and whispered amongst themselves. You merely ignored them and headed to the cafeteria where you immediately saw Dick and Tim. You wobbled over to them as fast as you could and sat down.
     Panting, you said, "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. Jason shot my Goddamned foot."
     Dick looked at you, wide eyed with fury. "What? He's going to pay for that."
     You put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I'll deal with it." You didn't know how you would but you'd figure it out. "Don't worry. I got it fixed. I'm alright."
     He sighed and relaxed. "Who fixed it?"
     "I went to the hospital," you lied.
     He gave you a curious look, but nodded anyway. "Alright, if you say so." He turned back to Tim. "I think we should tell Bruce," he said.
     You raised a brow. "For what? Jason's reappearance?" you butted in.
     "Yes," Tim asked through his pasta. He swallowed and added, "I think it's important we tell him something. He has the right to know, Dick. Jason was as much a son to him as we are."
     "Technically you're just his ward, considering your parents are still alive." Tim shrugged, but Dick went on, "You're right. I'll tell him tonight, we've got a job anyway. Bruce said Blockbuster's planning another attack on Bloodhaven town hall."
     Tim looked up from his food. "What happened to going solo?"
     Dick sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I was. But Bruce insisted. And when I continued to argue, Alfred came in and convinced me to give in. God I love that old man," he breathed and took a sip of his water.
     You frowned. Maybe you should have asked Lex about your job. But perhaps not, you didn't want to get into Dick's way. You were sneaky, but not sneaky enough for Nightwing—and no where near sneaky enough for Batman. Holy hell.
     Plus, if you got caught, you didn't want him to know about who you were. If you had any chance at a relationship with him, and he found out... You didn't want to think of the result of that dilemma. It was bad enough he nearly caught you on your second day last year.
     Perhaps you'd even go on your own, to observe.
     Turning it over, Dick looked at you and smiled. Just that alone was enough to make your heart melt and you thought, It's too much of a risk. I'll leave him be. I'm sure he'll tell me about it when he gets back.
     You returned it and leaned back in your chair.