Ode to Nightwing

Chapter 25: Girl Time

        "Callie?" I blinked and flinched as a warm hand touched my exposed knee. "Callie, what are you doing out here? It's 4 in the morning." My eyes shot up and were captured by Dick's. He was kneeling down in front of me. He moved his other hand, pressing it to my forehead as I didn't answer. "You're burning up." He picked me up in his arms, and I flinched slightly at the contact. 

        It still felt like the hand was around my throat, suffocating me. "Dick." I whisper and he glances down at me as he leads me back into the bedroom. "Something is going to happen. In Gotham." 

        He lays me down, sitting beside me. "What do you mean?"

        "Last night, on the rooftop, there was this... this man. Clad in very advanced armor. He said that we had to stay out of Gotham or we'd die." 

        Dick furrowed his brows. "Common threats. I'll inform Bruce." 

        "There's something else. I was in my suit, but he said that it doesn't concern 'Grayson or you'." I inform and he rubs at his face, laying down beside me with his phone out, immediately dialing Bruce. I curled against him, half-listening to the conversation and half-thinking about what occurred this morning. Was I just being delusional? 

        My hand moved over his chest, my fingers splayed across his abdomen. It was so sturdy, and it made me feel safe. He made me feel safe. I threw my leg over on of his, cuddling closer as my head got heavy. I should probably catch up on the sleep. 

Later that Day

        "Come on." Dick held out his hand, being a gentleman as I got out of the car. I took it and we walked into the precinct, Dick wearing his police uniform. "I don't feel like letting you out of my sight. Especially not today." He whispers into my ear and I smile, swinging our hands slightly before I went to sit in his seat before he got there. I smiled up at him as he walked over, shaking his head with a smile. 

        "Hey, Callie, what's up with your leg?" Amy questioned and I glanced down at the hem of my shorts, which had gone up slightly. 

        I blushed slightly. "I was racing Dick down stairs at the apartments and I tripped, fell on some glass." I lie.

        "She's very clumsy sometimes." Dick chuckles and I stick my tongue out at him. 

        "I still won though." I mumble as I hacked into his computer, not caring that Amy saw me do it. "Why don't you have your files organized?" I chastise Dick as he comes around and watches me. "Penguin?" I click on the file and see the insides of it. "Like the one from-" I cut off as Dick pinches my side lightly to stop me. "Who's the penguin?" I ask instead. 

        "Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. He is usually set up in Gotham in his Iceberg Lounge. However, there's been reports coming in of him being seen in town." 

        "We're trying to solve it before the vigilante does." Someone from behind them says as he walks by. 

        I raise an eyebrow, my eyes and Dick's catching in the reflection on the computer screen. "Vigilante? What vigilante?"

        "There's a man going around calling himself the Nightwing. He says he wants to help the city, and he does bring in criminals and villains, but I don't trust him." The man continues, taking a place beside the desk. "What's his motive for coming here?"

        "There seems to be a lot of crime and corruption." I grumble, scanning through the other files, but I went back to the Penguin. 

        I heard whispering and noticed that both Amy and Dick had moved away slightly to talk, both of them glancing at me occasionally. I tried to listen to them, but they had their voices too low. That and everyone else in the precinct was loud. I took the time that I wasn't being watched and read into the files of the Penguin. 

        He seemed to be transporting weapons and ammunition under the guise of an air-conditioning company. But it was all rumors based upon what bystanders saw. The file claimed that those bystanders were killed shortly after giving their testimonies. I memorized the information before getting off of the file, looking at Dick's background. It wasn't anything special, but similar to the badge he was wearing. 

        "Snooping?" Dick whispered in my ear as he came back to the desk. "Amy wants to take you shopping." 

        I stiffen. "What? Why?"

        "To show you around. She says you need some girl time. I think she's right. When was the last time you hung out with a girl?" 

        

A Few Minutes Later

        I shuffled about in the passenger seat of Amy's cruiser, her driving us down to the mall, I believed. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital if you fell on glass?" Amy broke the silence and I glanced over at her. 

        "I was. Dick came to the hospital after his late-night shift. We left from there this morning."

        "I'm surprised he came last night now. Shouldn't he have stayed with you?"

        "No. I was out most of the night anyway."

        "Callie. Do you know what today is?" Amy suddenly questions and my brows furrow. 

        "Tuesday?" I whisper, confused. 

        Amy laughs. "Usually it's the boys that forget." 

        I glance at my lap before at the road before us. "Boys... forget? Oh! I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I figured he might be busy."

        "Why do you think he gave me all this money to take you out to get something pretty? And covered my shift while planning something?"

        "What?"

        Amy held up a wad of money, handing it over. "This is from Dick to you. To buy yourself whatever you want for tonight."

        "He shouldn't have-"

        "He knows. That's why he's making me take you out to buy the stuff. And for some girl time. Personally, I don't like girl time. It seems to waste time. But I do want to get to know you." Amy turned the corner.

        She slammed down on the brakes. A long vine was growing out of the street. I leaned forward to look up at it. It was tall. And thick. I got out of the car before Amy could lock me in the car. "What is this?" I reached forward and touched one of the leaves that was protruding from it. "Where did this come from?"

        "You look familiar." A velvety voice says from in front of me, and a very pretty woman with fiery red hair and skin that had a greenish-tint to it walked around the vine to where I was standing, gripping my chin between her manicured nails. "Very familiar."

        "Back away! I'm taking you into custody!" Amy yells, her gun pointed at the woman.        

        She shakes her head, smiling. "Callie, isn't it?" How did she know my name? "Oh, yes. I remember. I made you forget who I am." 

        "Move away from the girl. Put your hands up and turn around." Amy ordered and the woman clicked her tongue at Amy. 

        "You've grown into a fine young lady." She whispers before blowing some dust into my face. I cough and she drops me, letting go of my chin. My head begins to pound as the many sounds of tires screeching and police sirens coming from the opposite directions. They were outside an apartment building that was basically destroyed with plants and vines twisting throughout the bricks and mortar.

        "You're under-arrest for destruction of city property!" Amy yells and begins to come forward. The woman tries to get away but I grab her leg to keep her still, even though my head was pounding. She knees me right as Amy gets to us, throwing her in the back of a cop van that had come. It began to drive away as the earth trembled, a vine almost impaling me if I hadn't rolled to the side.

        "Who was that?" I grit my teeth as I say it. 

        "Poison Ivy. She's usually in Gotham though." 

        "Poison Ivy?"