Nightwing: Heartache

Part 57: Recovery

March 22, 9:30pm
Outsiders Tower

The Outsiders Tower became a meeting ground of sorts. Once Dick was stable, he was brought back here, where Violet healed the bullet wound. Unfortunately, she couldn't heal whatever sickness Granny's torture left, and he'd been in the infirmary all week. So Willa had pretty much lived here the past week also.

She tried to stay offline, but between trying to help around here as much as she could, there wasn't a lot to do. Since the photos and videos from New Orleans, of Willa and an unconscious Nightwing, people took it as confirmation that Dick Grayson was Nightwing, and Willa was dating Nightwing.

She knew it should freak her out more, but... she didn't really care. So what if people knew? Dick was alive, that's what was important. She would never confirm, neither would Dick, or Gar, but with how busy he was saving the world and the ease of zeta tubes and superpowered friends, a secret identity wasn't all too life changing.

Willa felt good being here. She liked being included, feeling needed for a change rather than needy, or like a burden. A lot of the heroes seemed to like her presence too. She didn't ask about their missions, unless they wanted to talk about it. She helped Garfield read over his latest Space Trek contract, she helped Cassie with her calculus homework, and she took on the much needed role of movie education to the many young aliens and metas. It truly was a crime that so many kids had no idea how to relax when they weren't busy being heroes.

But yesterday it seemed like they needed her most of all. Tara especially. Willa had spent the night holding the young girl until she fell asleep. Yesterday, the team lost Brion Markov to the dark side on a mission. They went back to Markovia to free it from Baron and deal a major blow to meta-human trafficking. Apparently, Brion gave in to the urge for revenge, he avenged his parents' murder by killing Baron. At the same time, Violet had been kidnapped by Gretchen Goode. It was a lot for everyone.

"I could get used to this," Dick teased as he took the glass of water from Willa. She also handed him some more Tylenol for the fever. Whatever sickness Granny's X-Pit inflicted, it only affected Dick. Batman thinks it's due to Black Lightning having the meta-gene and Dick not.

"This whole nurse thing only lasts until I'm sure you won't die," Willa shot back. She also had another cool towel for him.

Dick took it gratefully, pulling Willa down too, onto the side of his bed. Although Violet had healed his bullet wound before she was taken, he was still weak, with fits of pain and a constant fever. "Thank you," he said, a bit more seriously.

Willa clasped his hand, interlacing their fingers. "It's the least I can do. You took a bullet for me, remember?"

He smirked, "about that. How about from here on out, you just stand back and let me take the bullets."

Willa froze. So he had been conscious enough that night to feel the tiny battle between them when the gun went off. When he went to cover her, and she tried to cover him. She sighed and looked away. "You were hurt, Dick. It felt like you were dying."

"I know," he toyed with a strand of her hair. He didn't say anything else. There was nothing else to say. If anyone understood wanting to protect another person, it was Dick. He couldn't possibly expect Willa to sit back and not help him. He knew that. She knew that. It was a fact they both had to live with. "So how about this," he tried instead, "in any case where I am not actively dying, you let me take the hits."

Willa hesitated.

"If this is going to work," Dick took both of her hands, "we have to have boundaries in place, Will. I've seen good people die in the field, people with years of training and abilities. I can't worry about you throwing yourself into situations you're unprepared for."