Lost Stars

Chapter Fifty Two

-Athena's POV-

I stared at Dick blankly. As in Dick fashion, he put everything out on the line. I nervously stuffed my face with the sugary desserts I forced Dick to buy me. He talked and talked and talked, apologizing to me and trying to get me to understand how utterly sorry he was.

I felt panicked. Inside, I felt like I swelling up and would blow up any second. I chewed slowly to try to distract myself. Everything he was saying was everything I had been waiting for. But now that I had made the decision to leave with Jason, I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear Dick's words...he was making me rethink my entire decision. I hated being indecisive.

I let my instincts take over, putting on a coy and charming attitude towards Dick. Because we had been disconnected so long, he didn't seem to pick up on it like he used to. Seeing the way his eyes dropped crushed me. I wasn't sure how he felt about me now that he knew the truth. I knew he didn't hate me -- at least -- but it seemed he was only after friendship. Yet, every time I spoke to him, he looked like I had slapped him across the face.

Not being able to take the pressure any longer, I flashed him a smirk and left the cafe. As soon as I was outside, I picked up my feet and basically sprinted down the street. The sun was going to set any minute now. It was already getting dark.

I raced to Jason's main weapon warehouse. I hadn't been to my own safe house in so long. I had moved all my weapons and most of my supplies into Jason's safe houses.

"Jason?" I called, unlocking the door and heading down into the secret basement. The lights were off -- except for the cheesy Robin action-figure nightlight I bought him for his birthday -- and Jason was no where to be found. I flicked on the lights. His bike was gone.

I sighed, tossing a punch at the nearest punching bag. It swung violently, but I didn't engage. Grabbing a Nightingale costume, I quickly changed out of my street clothes. I stroked the handlebars of the new motorcycle Jason bought me. I had told him it was unnecessary, but he refused to let me pay him back. With money, that is.

I rode through Gotham. The sun had now gone down and night fell upon the city. It was cold, dark, and dangerous. I weaved through traffic.

Suddenly, a red object appeared next to me. I turned to look, thinking I had finally found Jason. Instead, I was met with a long, shaggy haired, smiling idiot. "Nightingale!" Nightwing called, catching my attention, "Wanna patrol?"

I bit my lip to try to stifle a smirk, but it arose, and a grin broke out. "Yeah, okay!" I shouted back, trying to be heard above the traffic.

I followed Dick as he fly through the air. In classic Dick fashion, he did flips in the air, impressing the audience around him and trying to impress me. The actual tricks didn't impress me, but his peppy attitude did.

He led me all throughout Gotham until we stopped in front of the train station. I pulled over, sliding off and removing my helmet. My hair fell down my back in a long braid. Just like Dick, I hadn't cut my hair since I had left Gotham. What looked like all of the GCPD was surrounding a man in the middle of the station.

The man was holding his coat open with one hand and a little kid in the other. Pressed into the kid's skull was the barrel of a shotgun. My arms tensed almost immediately. Dick strode up beside me, favoring me with his care free smile. I blushed and looked down at my feet.

"What's happening, Gordon?" Dick asked, surveying the station. The train was being held hostage but otherwise, it looked completely clear. There wouldn't be that many casualties.

"Just let him blow up," I said aloud, "there's like, what? Thirteen people on that train?"

Every single person within my radius turned to look at me, eyes wide and mouths wide open. I shrugged. "What? It's true. The guy's gonna get bored anyway and blow up or demand for something we can't give him. Cut your losses."