Ode to Nightwing

Chapter 32: Missed

Gotham- 3 A.M.

        The sharp ringing of a phone made Tim shoot up from the couch, him no longer sleepy as he glanced around quickly to see what woke him up. "What...?" He trailed around before glaring at his phone, which was on the charger. "Couldn't call when I wasn't doing anything, but when I'm sleeping..." He rubs his eyes and grabs his phone, the call ending as soon as his fingertips touched it. Tim stared at it for a moment before sighing heavily, hanging his head. He then checked the caller I.D. before paling, swiping the notification to the right to call them back. 

        "Took you long enough." They answered after the first ring, Dick's voice sounding strained somewhat. "Were you sleeping or something?"

        "Actually yes, yes I was. Bruce told me to go back to the manor to sleep for a little before heading back to the studios to work on the cure." Tim replied, sitting down on the arm of the couch, crossing his free arm over his chest. 

        "Cure?" That was not Dick's voice. "Cure for what?" Dick was now whispering curses at Tim through the phone before there was a small amount of muted silence from that end. Tim bit his lip before hearing Callie's voice speaking. "Hi, Tim, how are you doing?" 

        "I'm doing fine, Callie, how about you?" Tim mumbled, unsure of whether or not she was about to explode at him or not. 

        "Ehhhh, been an interesting 24 hours." Callie remarks back and Tim listens to her surroundings in the call. 

        "What do you mean? And are you in a car?" Tim questioned, hearing the engine and how her voice was kind of drowned out by it. 

        Callie laughed slightly. "Well, no I guess I would have to say an interesting 36 hours. Or was it more towards 48?"

        "I'd say 48 hours." Dick's voice swam back into the call. 

        "I was in there that long? Huh. Weird."

        Tim raised an eyebrow, standing up and walking over to the window, looking out at the front yard. "In where?"

        "Jail. Dick's partner arrested me. Or Nightglider. I was locked up next to Poison Ivy." Callie explained, stopping only when she heard Tim choke on the air. 

        "You got arrested?" Tim coughed out, trying to calm his heart. "How did Dick allow that?" 

        "He tried to let me escape, but he was there when Amy caught me tying someone up. He let me escape his grasp, but Amy caught me after that." Callie explained.

        "Wait, Cal, you didn't answer my other question." Tim laughed slightly. "Where are you guys going?" 

        Callie was silent for a few seconds as Tim just heard the radio playing in the car. The line disconnected then, Tim pulling it away to look at the screen, very confused. 

A Few Minutes Later

        Tim sat down on the staircase's steps, slipping on his combat boots for his armor before the front doors opened, Callie and Dick striding through, Dick holding their two bags in his grasp as Callie closed the door softly. "Shhh, I wanna surprise Tim-" She stopped short as she turned around and spotted Tim watching them from the stairs. "Well, crap." Callie grumbled before running over to Tim, him grabbing her in his arms. 

        "Why didn't you tell me you guys were coming back?" Tim questioned as he hugged Callie back. 

        Dick shook his head as he laughed softly at them hugging. "She wanted it to be a surprise." He explained, placing the duffel bags down on the stair's bottom step, pulling Tim into a hug as Callie got squished between them. She coughed, pretending to choke as the men laughed, releasing her. "Where's Bruce?"

        "On a patrol. Haven't you heard?" Tim grumbled, watching the two closely. Both of them stared blankly back at him. "Gotham is being evacuated. Because of the threat." 

        "No wonder there was so much traffic." Callie grumbled, leaning against the railing. "And the police officer looked at us like we were crazy when we we crossed over the bridge into here."

        "Wait, Tim. What threat?" Dick narrowed his brows. 

        "Scarecrow threatened everyone in Gotham that they either leave or face his gas he plans to bomb the city with." Tim explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

        Tim was greeted with silence yet again. He glanced between the couple, Dick having an emotionless face and Callie's jawdropping. He looked over at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, gulping at the time that said it was almost 3:30 A.M. He needed to get back to the Studios. 

        "Why didn't you call us in?" Dick was narrowing his eyes at Tim, who raised his gloved hands in his defense. 

        "It just happened an hour ago. I was heading home to take a small nap when it happened. I got like ten minutes of sleep before you guys called. Why did you guys come back to Gotham anyway?" Tim crossed his arms over his chest. 

        Callie puts a finger up in front of his face. "One, Ivy was broken out of BPD jail by Harley Quinn and taken back here." She adds another finger into the air. "Two, Penguin has been shipping arms to gangs here. Three," Another finger goes up, "we missed you of course."

Later- Callie's P.O.V: 

        "Nuh uh, I am not staying with Tim while you go and find Bruce with all of the lunatics that are running around and robbing places and everything." I let out in a big breath as Dick and I stood on the roof of the movie studios, which Tim was already inside of since he didn't want to get into our talk after Dick told me to stay here out of trouble. 

        "I'll radio in my location as soon as I get in contact with Bruce." Dick murmurs, cupping my cheek in his armored hand. "Promise me that you won't get into trouble and just stay here." He mumbled before I pout up at him, him smirking in return. "Good." He then presses his lips against mine, me leaning into him, my body just wanting him to stay here, where I knew he was safe. 

        He pulled away to quick. He backed away with a small wave to me, before running and front-flipping off of the roof. 

        I stand there for a second, letting him get a good amount of distance away before I moved forward, grabbing the remote control for Tim's bike from my belt that I had hijacked from him. The motorcycle vroomed to life in the alley below, scaring some thugs that were edging closer to it. They glanced around before looking up at me, my body shadowed by the moon shining down from behind me. A couple thugs dashed off quickly, the rest shouting insults and threats up at me, which I shook my head at. I backed up, getting ready to jump off of the roof. 

        I never did say that I promised.