catgirl ! crushed (nightwing)

«chapter thirty-six: over and out»

  His fingers wrap around mine, and I feel like I can breath again.

He is alive. He is acting.

  The trick. The slowing your heart down trick. He is playing dead.

I understand.

  I do the same, holding onto his hand as if it is the only thing keeping me alive.

"Mother? Father?" I hear the brat ask.

My blood runs cold. If he had killed Nightwing...

  "We seem to be fine, my son," His father responds, "The explosion could not damage us. Our assailants?" He questions, and I can imagine them all staring at us.

All I can see is Nightwing though. Looking dead.

  I calm my heart, focusing my breathing and doing what I was taught a few years ago.

I take my last breath, my heart stopping with it.

  "Dead." He tells them before adding, "Poetic how it was both of them that died together. I am sure they would have appreciated that." He spits.

  Suddenly his mother throws a tantrum, grunting and breathing heavily as she smashes something.

  I ignore it all, I only focus on Dick's hand in mine.

He is alive. He is alive.

I close my eyes, only focusing on him.

  And when he shifts, when his fingers brush out of mine, I know they are gone.

He moves before lifting the big rock hiding me.

  I open my eyes and his hands go to my face, "Are you okay?" He questions, his tone full of worry as he looks me over.

My eyes can only focus on his temple, "You-"

  "It's fake," He reassures me, brushing his hair back to show me where the cut is that makes it look worse. "I'm okay."

  "I am too," I say and it's only then that I realize my hands are shaking. I look at his face a moment longer, his hands dropping from my face to hold onto of my hands.

  "Are you sure?" He asks, but I can tell what he isn't saying.

  We both could have just died. It's not exactly an abnormal realization for us... but if he had died and I hadn't. Or if I had died and he hadn't...

  Bruce always said we would both become liabilities if that happened. Not because he thought we would lose our drive, but because he couldn't predict what we would end up being like without each other. What we would become.

  "Yes," I say more firmly, getting a grip on my emotions. "Did you hear where-"

  "We've got to move," He cuts me off, letting me know he does have a plan.

  He pulls me up by my hand and we slowly let go of each other.

  We both look around the room one last time before going to the exit.

  "I heard some fighting out here," He fills me in as the cold air bites at my exposed skin. "I was hoping-" He cuts off as we both take in a sharp breath.

  Our friends. They... they crashed. Bioship crashed. Pieces lie scattered in the snow, our friends bodies laying in odd ways all around us.

  "No," I whisper, shaking my head as Nightwing's falls.

  Suddenly, M'gann is in front of us, the scene behind her shifting to show our friends helping each other up.

  "Brooke, Dick," She says almost laughing in relief.