Nightwing: Heartless

Part 50: Attacked

Willa closed her door behind her and shivered from the cold outside. The top of her hair was wet from a light falling of snow and her hands were practically frozen. She would have to start carrying gloves. She took her shoes and jacket off, throwing them into her bedroom and heading to the kitchen to make some lunch. This whole living on your own thing was inconvenient. Her mom thought it would be good for her to live off campus for a year before she moved out of Gotham but she missed the meal plan and the weekly cleanings by someone else. She also missed living with Abby, who had a house with Kate and Lia. They didn't mean to make her feel excluded but she was a little lonely on her own. It seemed everyone had taken a step back when Adam died. And if they didn't she pushed them away.

Speaking of... she pulled her phone out while her food warmed up. A missed call from Dick. She had let it go to voicemail when she heard it ring before class, and she still didn't know what to do. Should she call him? Last night played through her head again:

"So how are you doing? Since..." Dick trailed off and looked away, still guilty.

Willa gently touched his chin so he would look at her with those blue eyes, extra blue tonight due to the crying. "I never truly blamed you. It was just an outlet. Irrational, but still."

Dick kissed her fingers, "and how are you?"

Willa sighed and shifted to lay on her back. "Honestly? Better. I don't cry whenever I think about him, and my friends have been great, but they have lives too. I isolated myself a little, and now there's this rift that I don't know how to heal."

Dick brushed a strand of hair from her face, "just talk to them. They probably don't know what to do either."

"I just want things to go back to the way they were," Willa said, eyes still trained on the ceiling. It was pathetic to wish, but it was what she wanted, more than anything. For Adam to be alive, living with Abby, days with Dick.

"Me too," Dick breathed. Willa turned to look at him. His eyes were puffy and hair dishevelled. She wanted it to go back so much her heart hurt. Dick saw the shift and pulled her close to hug her to his chest, "but it can't, can it?" He whispered it against her cheek. Willa shook her head, unable to say the word. "I knew it couldn't last," Dick admitted.

Willa squeezed her eyes shut, hating to hear the pain in his voice. "You need to grieve Wally," she felt him wince, "and you can't do that by using me as a distraction."

"I know, Will." She loved when he called her that.

She turned her head up to meet his gaze, "I think I still love you, though."

He raised an eyebrow, a little of the old teasing she loved entering his face, "think?"

She laughed, "that's what you picked out from the sentiment?" She laughed again as he hugged her tighter. The good mood simmered, and melted into a peace, just holding each other. She traced his arm with her finger, an old habit, following the hard lines and muscles until she intertwined their fingers. At least they had tonight.

What could she say after that? She was afraid if she talked to him she would crumble, let them love each other again, but the past month had taught her had made the right decision breaking up with him after Adam. She couldn't be the girlfriend he deserved when she was going through that. Focusing on keeping herself together was hard enough. And as much as she loved him, it was healthy for him to take time to himself. In a year, who knows what could happen when they both had time to grieve their brothers, grow separately. She sighed and decided to text him instead: I'm glad I could be there for you last night, but everything still stands. We need time apart. Maybe in a few months or a year we can talk. Good luck. She scoffed and turned her phone off, disgusted how awkward this was.

She pulled her plate out of the microwave and stood at the kitchen counter eating. The end of the semester would be here before she knew it, so she should start getting ready. She was also organizing the dance marathon for the spring and had a test next week. Not to mention her final interview for the nonprofit program in two weeks. At least she could keep busy.

She turned and put her plate in the sink, washing and drying it right there so she didn't have to do it later. She shivered, looking around and seeing her window open. Odd, it was too cold for her to leave her windows open. Maybe Dick didn't close it all the way last night? She crossed the room and closed it, making sure to lock it. She rubbed her hands together, suddenly cold. She walked to her room to get a sweatshirt.

She stopped just inside her doorway. Her shoes were gone. She had just thrown them in here. Her jacket was where she had left it. An uneasy feeling made her stomach turn. This wasn't right; she should call Dick. She stepped back to return to the kitchen, where her phone was, when she walked right into something. Or someone. An arm wrapped around her waist while a gloved hand covered her mouth as she started screaming and thrashing.

"Hey, sweetheart," a deep voice whispered in her ear. It sent chills down her spine.

He started dragging her back but she caught her hands on the doorway and wrenched her face away from the hand covering her mouth. She screamed with everything she had, hoping one of her neighbors were home. The gloved hand returned over her mouth in a second and ripped her from the doorway. She continued to thrash and finally found the balance to send a leg back, kicking the man in the groin as hard as she could and biting the hand at the same time. Dick had taught her that move.

The man let go with a grunt of pain. Willa didn't waste the opportunity. She sprinted towards the door and almost had it open when a hand slammed it closed and pulled her back so hard he sent her to the ground. She gasped when she finally saw the man assaulting her. It wasn't a burglar, she realized with a gulp. He was dressed head to toe in black and orange armor, with a helmet covering his face and swords crossed behind his back, knives and pistols littering his belt and thigh holsters. She was in trouble.

He watched her process all this and cocked his head in amusement. Willa scrambled back, looking for her phone and pushing herself to her feet. The window, she thought, but the man was faster. He caught her, wrapping one strong arm around her shoulders. She didn't have time to fight this time because he jammed a syringe into her neck. She cried out but her vision was fading fast. She felt herself fall to the floor. She tried to crawl towards the window and heard the man laugh before she lost consciousness.