~.: "How You Remind Me" :.~
~.: Avril Lavigne (Cover) :.~
~.: De's POV :.~
My hands shook as I clutched my phone closer to me, Acacia's text burned in my mind as I tried to steady my breathing. Aria should've skipped school... I told her not to go!! Those photos of Aria being harassed in the hallways by classmates... My son whimpered in my arms as I began typing back to Acacia decisively.
'I'm going up to the academy right now and checking her out right now. I'm not staying in this hospital while my best friend needs me most. I'll keep you updated.' Once I finished typing, I carefully shuffled off of my infirmary bed, slipping into my spare pair of clothes that Aria had brought by when she came to check on me. After changing out of my hospital gown, I slid my cellphone into my jeans pocket and took my son into my arms, Eskimo kissing his nose affectionately.
"We're leaving, sweetie," I murmured softly against his forehead, hugging him close as I slipped on my boots. I need to hurry. Aria might get so upset that she could check herself out of school. If she does that, then I don't know what she'll do next... I don't bother to think of the possibilities as I managed to exit my hospital room. The halls are empty, the other nurses and doctors are busy in the other hospital rooms, and for a heart wrenching moment, I think that I'm going to successfully sneak out of the hospital without any hindering from personnel. That is, until the blonde nurse at the front desk spots me and stands from her seat behind the desk, her green eyes wide and confused.
"You can't leave the hospital, Miss! You haven't been properly discharged and you need to stay in your room-" she hurriedly called out to me, reaching for the pager beside her as I dismissively waved a hand at her.
"Family emergency," I explained briefly, striding past her and out into the pouring rain outside of the hospital. How am I supposed to get to the Academy? I didn't drive here in my own car- Relief floods over me as a taxi approaches the hospital. A godsent miracle.
"Hey!" I waved down the taxi as they pulled up and rolled down their window, "Can you drive me to Gotham Academy?" My son starts whimpering again as the taxi driver warily nods in agreement, allowing me to get in after I pass over a 20 dollar bill for the ride.
"It's almost an hour away from here, but I'll try to get there as soon as I can," the taxi driver assured me, driving out of the hospital's driveway as I settled in for a long car ride to Aria's school and cradled my son closer to my chest.
Please don't do anything stupid, Aria! I'm coming- just hold on.
***
~.: Nightwing's POV :.~
"You're not getting your way this time, Deathstroke," I growled softly, getting into a defensive stance as Tim successfully frees himself from his bindings with Wally not too far behind, "We're leaving and taking my daughter with us," As I spoke, Deathstroke motions to Terra and Yani who instantaneously rush toward me while Red X battles against Tim. Out of the corner of my eye, Wally races toward Jason and Jared, freeing them both while I face off against Terra and Yani.
"You're not going anywhere anytime soon, Nightwing," Terra growled as she aimed a punch at my abdomen which I dodged, "Deathstroke isn't finished with you yet and your pretty little daughter is out cold!" I scowled at her, narrowing my eyes as I fend off another of her frenzied attacks but in my haste to defend myself from her, Yani managed to throw up a wall of electricity that blocked me from getting near Allysa.
"You're staying here one way or another, cutie," Yani sneered, and I hissed in agony as she summoned a chain of charged electricity that encircled my arm and pulled it into an agonizing position, leaving me open for another ambush from Terra. A dark shadow hovers over me and I glanced upward to see that Terra had summoned a good chunk of the ground. Oh, great... I hurriedly tried to scramble out of the way, Yani's electric chains tightening around my arm and pulling my shoulder out of socket with a sickening pop. I gritted my teeth, rolling out of the way of Terra's attack just in time. An enraged snarl tears my attention away from my dislocated shoulder and I glanced past Terra and Yani to see that the others had managed to put Red X out of commission for the moment being. Allysa was hanging from Jared's arms and as I locked eyes with him, Wally hurriedly makes a gesture towards me to get up.
"Nightwing! Hurry up, Deathstroke escaped while we were distracted!" Tim shouted into my earpiece impatiently, "We've gotta get out of here before Terra breaks down the place. Her powers are too unstable and Yani's electrical abilities aren't strong enough to hold up for long-" I nodded in understanding, swiftly tripping Terra up with a kick to the back of her legs that causes her to fall to the side, knocking Yani to her feet as well.
"I'll be right behind you guys, get Allysa out of here now!" I called back to Tim as Yani's hand flashes out and snags my foot, tripping me up slightly. My teammates hesitate for just a second but quickly regain themselves and obediently escape while I easily slipped out of Yani's grasp.
"Coward-" I don't bother to wait for Terra and Yani to protest against my escape, instead I'm already rushing out of the door that Jared had kicked down. Once I'm out, the building collapses and I heaved a sigh of relief, finding my teammates safe and waiting for me not too far away. I jogged toward them, taking Allysa from Jared's arms.
"Let's get back to the hideout," I said softly, glancing at Allysa's unconscious form before holding her close in an attempt to reassure myself that she'd be fine once we got back to HQ. Wally takes out his communicator and pages Superboy, who answered after the first ring.
"Miss Martian will be there ASAP, she's got the bioship, just hang tight,"
~.: De's POV :.~
The ride to the Academy didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would and as I rushed toward the school's doors, I prayed that Aria hadn't already left. My footsteps echoed down the halls as I ran toward the main office. It's been a good few years since I've been here... Surprised I still remember most of this building. My son starts whimpering against my chest as I approach the doors to the office and I quickly hush him with a kiss to the forehead before I open the office doors.
A small woman peers up at me from behind the desk as I entered the office and I approached her carefully, "Hi, I'm here to check out Aria Grayson?" I spoke, swallowing thickly as a wave of anxiety threatens to throw my nerves into overdrive. Please be here, please be here.
"Miss Grayson? She just checked herself out forty five minutes ago. She said she was feeling ill," I felt my heart drop into my stomach and I hurriedly dipped my head to the woman before rushing out the doors and racing back outside to where the taxi was still waiting.
"Thanks," I breathlessly huffed, running a hand through my hair stressfully as the rain began to pour down harder on me, "I'll continue on foot from here!" The taxi driver gives me a concerned look before handing over an umbrella and then driving away. Pursing my lips anxiously, I opened the umbrella and started off toward the hideout.
****
I don't know how much time had passed, but eventually I arrived at the hideout. I impatiently waited for the scanner to process me before teleporting me into the cave and once inside, I rushed towards Aria's bedroom, completely bypassing Octavia, Addison, and Acacia who were in the hallway for some reason. Fear courses through my veins when I didn't see Aria in her bedroom, and turning on my heel, I rushed back out of the room only to slam into someone who evidently was walking toward the room I had just exited. Groaning softly as I hugged my baby closer to me, I stumbled backwards, rubbing my now throbbing nose.
"Deanne!" Strong arms are circling around my waist and I blinked in disbelief as I realized that I had just ran into Nightwing. Momentarily forgetting myself, I hug him tightly, loosing myself in his arms as I kissed him passionately.
"You're okay..." I sobbed quietly, "I knew you'd come back..." Dick rubbed my back reassuringly as the other guys reunite with the others while Wally enters Aria's bedroom, "I told Aria you'd come ba- ARIA! She's missing-" I suddenly slipped out of Dick's embrace and rushed towards the bathroom that all the girls shared, Dick following close behind me with Wally at his side. Water is leaking from beneath the doorway and the doorknob is locked when I tried to twist it.
"Aria?!" Wally shouts against the door, attempting to ram it open, "Aria, are you in here?!" There's no response other than the running water. Dick gently moves me aside before breaking the door down and on the bathroom floor... lays Aria. A strangle sob escaped my throat which my son echoes in his own smaller voice, and Dick turns toward me, holding me close as Wally rushes into the room, gathering her into his arms as he lets out a pained cry. I glance past Dick's shoulder, our son is crying out in confusion in my arms as I twist my head to peer at Aria's limp form.
"We need to get her to the infirmary-" Acacia spoke softly from behind Dick and I as Wally cuddles Aria close. Her wrists are slashed, blood is oozing from the wounds, and a nearby spilled bottle of pills lay in a puddle of scarlet on the tile floor. I can't breathe. My best friend just tried to kill herself and I wasn't there for her... Another strangled sob wracks my body as I hide my face in Dick's chest and he holds me close, careful not to hurt the child I'm caressing into my chest.
"Everything's going to be okay, De, I promise..."
~.: TO BE CONTINUED :.~
