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Chapter Four: Training

*Two months ago*

Dick and Vanessa stood on the training mat, both in their gym outfits. Dick had been teaching her some basic moves for fighting. She was leaning over panting as they had just been sparing one another with hand-to-hand combat and she didn't win...

"You good?" Dick asks, his deep sweet voice rang through Vanessa's ears, making her look up at him through her lashes.

"Yeah," she pants out, inhaling deeply as she stands up straight, exhaling once up. "Can we take a break?" She asks her eyes upon him, he just lets loose a boyish grin with a nod of his head. She sighs in relief, as she made her way to the step that lead out of the training room, parking her arse on the top step. Dick came wondering over and took the spot next to her.

"You're progress is coming along," he states, nudging her to boot herself up. "Picking up on things quick," he went on, wondering how far she has come within a month of training with him and the others. 

"Ever since I was little picking up skills like art, music, just came to me so easy," Vanessa spoke the truth, she had no idea why she could learn skills within weeks or mere months. Maybe it's something to do with her real parents...

"I didn't know you like art?" Dick states turning his head to look at Vanessa.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," she joked with him, pulling a smile with her sweet laughter. "Did you think you did the right thing? Putting the Titans back together?" Vanessa spoke a moment after her smile fading as she changed the topic. The air seemed to thicken with unease, Dick's smiley expression faded into a blank one. Remembering the past with the original Titans.

"I reopened the tower because I believe that you, Rachel, Gar, Jason, will be better than the old ones," Dick spoke after a moment of gathering his thoughts. "Make the right decisions, work as a team, be there for each other," Dick trails off, his gaze went out, not looking at Vanessa anymore, but her gaze never left his.

"And we'll be there for you. Hank, Dawn, Donna. We'll be there for all of you because you're apart of the family," Vanessa replied swiftly, her tone serious. "I think you did the right thing in reopening the tower," she offers him a sweet smile. "And I now have a second family," she went on, because she saw them as her family. The experience she was having, the talks she has with Rachel, Gar and even Jason, who just uses them to flirt with her, but she didn't mind that.

"They don't know how lucky they are to have you," Dick spoke softly, making Vanessa raise an eyebrow to him because she was seeing a soft side to him.

"Are you?" She was bold and went for the question. But it took Dick by surprise and she saw it clear as day. She chuckles to herself softly. "Did I catch the famous Dick Grayson off guard?" Vanessa let out a giggle at the start as it died down as she spoke the words.

"I'm never off guard," Dick quickly replied back, making her smile at him.

"That you aren't," she nodded her head at him, agreeing with him. Though they hadn't had the chance of talking about what happened in his mind, I think they both didn't want to bring it up to make things awkward. But at some point they will need to have a chat about what happened. But there was Vanessa's true heritage she was keeping from the team and it was eating her up inside, but she couldn't form the right words to tell them. For now, she will have to keep her true heritage to herself...

"How's the book coming along?" Dick asks out of the blue, moments later, making Vanessa cock her head to him. "The spell book," he went on, making Vanessa's face light up in realisation.

"Oh. I've made some progress. I've studied some minor spells that could work in a fight," she replies softly to him. 

"Can you show me?" Dick asks, raising an eyebrow to her. Without thinking, Vanessa nodded her head to him, standing from the step and moved to the middle of the mat. Dick sat where he was and kept his eyes upon her.

"Errores meos," Vanessa chants aloud. Suddenly, a pinkish light came stretching out of Vanessa and snapped next to her and once the light dimmed another Vanessa stood there. Everything matching, the hair, the clothes. "It's an illusion spell," both of them spoke in unison and they sounded exactly the same. Dick seemed stunned to see this, making him stand to his feet.

"Can you do this to others?" He asks, his eyes flickering between the two Vanessa's. They both turned to look at one another for a moment, before turning back to look at Dick.

"Yep," both of them spoke. Just then, the illusion of Vanessa faded into a pinkish light, and vanished on the spot. "I can't hold it for long. I'm not quite as powerful," she told Dick as blood dripped down from her left nostril, but she quickly wipes the blood away, but Dick had already seen it.

"Are you ok?" He asks worried, coming to stand in front of Vanessa.

"I'm fine. If I push myself too much, I have a nose bleed," she told Dick, she wanted to be honest with him about this side of her. Ever since using her powers more, it's becoming more draining, but it's a process of herself. Because she hasn't had the spell book or known of her true heritage, she's been limited on what she could do. Which was turning invisible and creating force-field, but through the years she taught herself to expand these powers, advance them further than the basics. But because magic was a new thing to her, this will take time to process and get stronger at...

"We're done for today," Dick replied, giving her a thin smile. "Go take a shower," he was very direct with her, but at the time she thought nothing of it. Vanessa smiles at Dick before walking pass him, going up the steps.

"I'll make dinner this time," she spoke coming out of the room, leaving Dick there smiling to himself. However, when they train again, Dick will keep be keeping close eye on her, not wanting her to push herself to the extreme.

Was he being thoughtful? Or did he not want to see her hurt?

........................

A/N

I found this chapter so cute. Of course this is a flash back, and there will be a few throughout this book. Either if it's some sort of training/bonding with the others. I might also do some bonus chapters at the end of the book. I don't know yet. Hope you all enjoy and look forward for some more!

- Josh(Yoshi)