We Don't Mix lives.

[22] Patrol

Quick Question:

Should I leave the pre-rewrite Post-War writing published or should I remove it? I feel like it's just a bit confusing to read and then discover it's been removed from the story line, but if you all like it then should I leave it in?

---

I may have been recently returned from war, but that didn't mean I was giving up the hero business.

Nightwing hadn't really been established before I went missing, so nobody went looking into where he had gotten off to, which meant it was just like I was becoming a new hero now.

I had chosen Bludhaven as a city to patrol. Plenty of Zeta ports, a crim rate almost as high as Gotham and no territorial heroes claiming the city. It was a wonder more heroes didn't patrol here.

It was my second night patrolling in Bludhaven and thing were calm. When a new hero presents themself, the first few nights are calm, people are hearing about a hero who stops crime, they spend the first month or so, working out the hero's deal, and how to work around it.

So I was simply leaping from roof to roof, practising some easy tricks. I almost fell flat on my face when I heard the scream.

---

When I arrived at the area the scream had sounded from, I saw a little girl of about 7 being chased by a hellhound.

Uncapping Riptide, I leapt from the roof of the building and onto the creature's back dragging the blade though it and trying not to imagine Mrs O'Leary.

"You're Nightwing!" The girl shouted, grinning even though she was cut up and covered in sparkly golden monster dust. I capped Riptide and knelt down to her level, grinning,

"That's me! May I ask where your parents are?" I asked, already guessing the answer,

"Mom's gone, and I never met my dad." My eyes softened, golden hair, blue eyes. I could guess who her dad was.

"Where are you staying?" I asked softly, the little girl mumbled something incoherent, "pardon?"

"Over there," she said quietly, pointing to a dirty carboard box. I sucked in a breath, no wonder the monsters found her so easily.

"I have somewhere for you to stay." The girl's eyes widened in panic,

"No! I don't want to stay at an orphanage!" She shouted, going to run away, I grabbed her shoulder, being careful not to be too rough, and said,

"It's not an orphanage, I promise." The girl looked at me,

"Pinky promise?" She asked. I grinned at her,

"Pinky Promise." The girl sighed in relief,

"What is it then?" she asked, eyes shining,

"It's a summer camp." 

"But it's fall." I rolled my eyes inwardly,

"Some people stay all year round."

"So it's an All-Year Camp?"

"Yeah, I guess." I conceded, "I went there too, but you can't tell anyone that, it's my secret identity." The girl grinned and nodded vigorously, I smiled, "Alright, you wanna see something cool?"

I was going to call Mrs O'Leary, but I figured the girl wouldn't like that considering she just almost died to a Hellhound, so I called Blackjack instead,

Yo Boss! What's up?

"Hi Blackjack, could you take this girl to camp?" I asked,

Of course Boss! What's her name?

Ah, I knew I forgot something, I turned to the girl again,

"What's your name?" I asked,

"Maisy!" she was still grinning, staring in wonder at the Pegasus,

"Well Maisy, could Blackjack here fly you to the Camp I told you about?" Maisy's eyes widened in excitement, 

"Yes!" I grinned at her response,

"See you soon Maisy" 

"See you soon, Nightwing!"

---

Aww this chapter was really fun to write.

It would have been longer but I just cut my hand open on a shard of glass from a smashed jar that I never bothered to clean up.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next chapter is one I have been planning for a LONG time, hopefully it's as good on paper as it is in my head.

ANYWAY, Thanks for all the amazing support! The votes and comments are what makes this worth it!

(I say I'm doing it for my own enjoyment but that's not really true. I like the validation.)

Luv Ya,

Hestia.