Lost Hero

Sparring

Stupid mistake, Percy thinks, watching Dick launch at her. Maybe he thought he could get the upper hand on her if he acted fast, but Percy knew better. You couldn't just charge in and hope for the best. Even though she wasn't a fan of fighting with a staff, she knew how to handle herself.

With one fluid movement, she steps out of the strike and brings her staff down, pinning Dicks. She smirks and drops, sweeping her leg under Dicks, attempting to force him to the ground. Dick avoids this by jumping out of the way, landing crouched. He's looking at her differently now, impressed. She just shrugs and makes a come here motion at him, egging him on.

He buys into it, attacking once again. He seemingly brings his staff down in an arch on her head, but switches at the last moment, pulling it back to jab out at her stomach with the butt of the staff. Percy sees this and brings her staff up, redirecting his staff to her left, avoiding it.

They continue like this, Dick attacking while Percy either defends herself or flat out steps out of the way.

Dick was getting frustrated, not being able to land a single hit on Percy. He recognized that it was starting to affect his fighting, but he couldn't help it, she was infuriating. Every time he thought he had her, she slipped out of the way. It was like trying to catch water. And she made it seem effortless, smiling the whole time like it was a game. She was toying with him, and she was having fun.

In a second, something shifted in her, her face growing hard and cold, lips pressed into a thin line. He knew what was happening, but it was like he was frozen. Suddenly, she wasn't defending herself, but going for an attack. He barely got out of the way as her staff went straight for his head. Suddenly she wasn't playing, she was going for the kill.

Within seconds, Dick was scrambling, feeling like prey in front of the mighty force coming at him. He had wasted so much energy attacking her that he was running on empty, barely blocking her or getting out of the way of her strikes. Unexpectedly she drops and sweeps her leg under his, sending him tumbling to the ground. He sluggishly brings the staff up for protection but too slow, Percy's staff stopping an inch before smashing into his forehead. They sat in silence, broken by the harsh panting from Dicks chest and the slight breathlessness from Percy.

Now he knew she wasn't playing with him, but reading his every move. She was analyzing his style and as soon as she had it down, she attacked. He felt like he was a kid again, learning under Bruce. He was so foolish, underestimating her.

"Well, that was exciting,"

Dick whips his head around, Percy moving slower as if she expected the voice. Roy and Bruce were standing on the sidelines, both with astonished expressions. He could guess why they had come. From the security rooms, it might have looked as if Percy was attacking him, or the other way around.

"Dick just asked to spar, I think I pissed him off though," Percy says, reaching a hand down to help Dick stand, which he reluctantly took as if expecting her to attack again.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Bruce asks, still astonished by how she fought.

"Camp, what to do with a bunch of ADHD kids? Give them all sticks and let them go at each other," She says as if remembering better times.

"Well, remind me never to get on your bad side," Roy says, seeming impressed.

Dick watched him and saw the admiration in his eyes. It seemed he was like his clone, attracted to dangerous women. Maybe he would have William talk to him about it. Then again, if he was happy, why interfere? Percy just proved she could handle herself and she, despite her record, showed that she had restraint and was able to stop herself from hurting others. Others may not have noticed, but he had left plenty of holes in his defense and she could have hit him at least a dozen times. But she didn't touch him a single time, only redirecting or blocking his staff. And he had a feeling that her file was bogus, there was no way a typical soldier would have the experience she does.

"Sorry, it looks like we dented them," She says, running her hand over the small dents in the wooden staff in her hand.

Dick notices his and sees matching dents in his. They were made out of hardwood, they shouldn't have dented. Then again, they were really going at it. What he did know is that he didn't want to ever have to actually fight her for real, he had a feeling he would end up soundly beaten and the loser of that fight. He wasn't even sure Bruce could take her on.

"Well, I should probably get back to work," Percy says, starting to get dressed again. She wasn't even sweating, Dick notices.

"Oh, after that, why don't you grab a juice or something? Work can wait," Roy says, looking perplexed at her relaxed appearance, hell, she looked more relaxed than she had when she walked in the doors that day.

"Oh, alright. I'll see you later?" She questions, looking at Roy. He simply nods, distracted while looking at Dick.

The vigilante trio watches as she exits the gym and waits until they know she is out of earshot.

"Are you alright Dick? It looked like she had you on the ropes," Bruce asks, looking down at his former prodigy.

"Yeah, and it didn't look like it, she did. Her files are wrong, she isn't impulsive or quick to anger. Every move she made was carefully calculated and thought out. She knew exactly what she was doing. And another thing, she had multiple opportunities to hit me and she didn't, even when I was trying to hit her. Bruce, I don't think she's a threat, not to the justice league or civilians. I do know that I wouldn't ever want to fight her,"

"I could barely see what she was doing sometimes, and I thought she had to be superhuman to move with that amount of grace and agility," Roy confesses and father and son look to him, confused.

"Seriously Roy? She seemed good, but you seem almost afraid of her," Bruce asks and Roy shrugs.

"She was holding back, I'm sure if she wanted to, she could have beat me within the first minute. But she wanted to study me, see what I had to offer. She isn't just strong, she's smart. But you could have guessed that not everyone can earn the Navy cross," Dick says, thinking back to her file.

"My question is, why would she come here? Judging by her file, she could have gotten almost any security job she could want. Why in the world would she come to Gotham or even Wayne Enterprises?" Bruce asks and the two younger men think.

"She said she wanted peace and quiet, and asked what could be exciting about corporate security? I told her to move if she wanted peace and quiet, but she just said this is one of the only places her family can't follow her," Roy says, thinking back to their lunch.

"Her family?" Bruce asks.

"They aren't listed in her file, and her mother and both stepfathers are dead. She supposedly doesn't have any more family but I get a feeling that someone is chasing her and she flat out told Roy they were connected to her family," Dick chimes in, thinking back to watching Roy and Percy's interaction at lunch.

"Well, I think we can be assured she isn't a danger to us. Roy, Dick, I want you two to keep watching her. If anything, you can help protect her from whatever is chasing her," Bruce says, slipping into thought.

The two young men nod, thinking back to the young woman. Whatever she was running from, whatever her past was, she didn't have to worry, not anymore.