I sloppily parked my bike and sprinted up the stairs of the apartment complex. Tim hadn't answered his phone, making me worry even more. I skid to a stop in front of my door and force it open so fast and with so much pressure that I think I heard wood split a little. "Tim! Damian!" I call. I hear a crash coming from the guest room as Tim and Damian come rolling down the hall. When they hit the back of my couch Damian's on top, choking Tim. "What's going on?!" I shout. "He cheated!" Damian cried. Tim pushes Damian up and over the couch. "It's not my fault I can remember the cheat codes!" Tim said, pointing to the TV. I look to see Call Of Duty Black Ops on the screen. My eyebrow twitched. I could feel my urge to rip the two boys apart growing. I clenched my hands into fists so hard that I left half moon nail imprints on my palms, and possibly drew blood.
"You're telling me," I stalked over to the boys. "that you took me away from a great date," I grabbed their collars and split them apart. "with a great guy who didn't just like me for my bra size," I sent both flying back down the hall. "FOR YOUR STUPID VIDEO GAME?!" I scream. Both boys had landed on my bed so their landings had been soft, but they weren't safe, not by a long shot. "You boys are in for a world of pain unless you can find a way to save yourselves." I hissed, storming towards them. Tim opens his mouth to say something but I grab him in a headlock. "Run, Damian!" He chokes out. Damian starts to move but I catch him too. I sigh. "I think it's time for the duck tape." I say, walking back to the front room. "I'm so glad you kept the couch pulled out, that makes this so much easier." I say placing them down and taking out the duck tape from the side table.
After about half an hour of taping, I finally get them both down. "You know, this always makes me feel better. Seeing you to bonding like this. You look like unhatched butterflies." I tease as I stretch. "Now for the nagging rant about how you two should have stayed calm." I look at Damian. "First, Damian, most of the blame for you current predicament falls to you. I know I let you let loose a little here, that's why you have so many stuffed animals," I muttered the last part. "But that does not mean you can act like you're three. You were taught better than that." I then turned to Tim. "And you mister, you are almost seventeen years old. Have some better manners. I told you no cheat codes when you play with Damian. You know he hates it." I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. "I swear, both of you are so infuriating sometimes." I stand and move towards the kitchen. "I love you both, but sometime the thought of killing you crosses my mind, I will not lie." I say, filling a pot with water, then setting it down on the front burner on high. Then there was a knock on the door.
I open it with the chain lock still in place. "Hello?" I ask, but no one's there. I roll my eyes and fully open the door. Looking down, there sat a slightly smaller than medium sized box. Taking it inside quickly I sit at the bar to open it. "What's that?" Damian asks from the couch. I open it and laugh. Inside was the red dress, shoes, and jewelry mom had gotten me for my birthday at Star Labs. Also there was a picture frame with a picture of dad, mom, and I when we went to the aquarium. On the back was a post it that said, 'Thought you'd want these ~Jason' I smiled. "What's in the box?" Damian calls again. "Just memories from a friend, nothing really important." I say, going back to the pot in the kitchen. Pouring noodles into the pot I slowly stir. After a while I strain the pasta and separated into two bowls.
"No! You didn't!" Tim cries. I smirk. "Sorry boys, but you should know by now that if you act poorly you get bland, mushy Orzo noodles. It builds the knowledge that you could get knocked off your little pedestals at anytime." I say, shoving a spoon full in both their mouths. "Now eat fast. Because of you little stunt I get to go out for the recognisance mission I was going to do tomorrow but am doing now while you're stuck thinking about how stupid fighting is." They nodded silently and continued to eat the mush, soon turning it into a race, Tim won by a spoon full. "Good, have fun." I said quickly changing and racing to the roof.
Feeling the breeze in my hair I check my tracker and smile. "I knew he couldn't resist keeping my knife." I said to myself. "Probably trying to find prints." I scan over the city to see where the tracer would lead me. "And yet he didn't even consider a tracker, silly boy." I say before diving off the roof and onto another. "Maybe he'll be there and I can get some good information out of him. Or maybe he did know about the tracker and is waiting for me, but then why not back track it to Travis or my apartment to find the others? Is he just waiting for me because he's got a crush?" I shook my head. "No, that'd be stupid. Even if his intention was to seduce it'd fail. I have Richard after all." Then something hit me and I skidded to a halt. "Dammit! I totally called Richard Dick! What if he takes it the wrong way and thinks I actually called him a dick?!" I shook my head again and started to move again. "No, I can't think of that now. I have to focus on the task at hand." I pick up speed as I saw that I was real close.
Coming to apartment complex I followed the tracker to the back of the building and to a blacked out window. I giggled a little at the small window. "Good thing that I can fit into tight places." I say before sliding into the opening. Landing on my feet I look around. It looked a lot like the Batcave, with the two staircases at each end of a large computer that lead to where I stood on a thin strip walkway. It was dull and grey, like their was no life to this place. "How drab." I say before jumping down into the large chair in front of the computer. "Let's see what you've got on here." I mutter, typing in some keys I quickly hacked the hard drive. Two folders came up. Work and Not Work. In pure curiosity I clicked the Not Work folder, thinking I'd find some dirty pictures and videos, but I was wrong. There were rows and rows of pictures and videos, yes, but they were of... my time at Star Labs. I randomly clicked on video. "Go on, blow out the candles Ruby!" I could hear mom say. I smiled and did as she said.
"Look at her Dick. She's so happy." I heard Wally whisper. He turned the camera to face himself. "I hope after watching this you'll get that through your thick skull." I stopped the tape and started looking through the pictures. All were of me. From my first day to my last. Every visit from Wally he'd take a video or picture, I thought it was just for fun, I had no idea he'd been given updates on me. "Dick is Nightwing and living in Bludhaven." I muttered to myself. "But what else have you been hiding Wonder Boy?" I ask, about to click the Work folder when I hear footsteps. Jumping to my feet, I quickly hide any trace that I'd been there and hide behind the computer. "Yes I know that, Miss M. You don't need to remind me." Dick said, I couldn't see his face but he sounded tired. "So what? Wait-- no, he'd never-- but she's-- okay okay, calm down, I'll be there soon, I just need to change." He paused. "Please don't say that. I don't need to hear that right now. Just keep things stable. I'll be there in like ten minutes. Right, bye." He hung up and I heard his footsteps grow closer. When he sat down my breath hitched in my throat. "Computer, suit please." He said. "Understood." A lifeless voice said. The computer started to move aside and there were only two options open to me. Get caught or find a new hiding place.
I choose the latter and forced myself out of my hiding place and up to the second story walkway. Making sure I hadn't been seen, I crawl back out the window and sigh. "That. Was horrid." I mutter to myself. Suddenly my phone buzzed. Seeing who it was I rolled my eyes. "Mushi mushi father." I say when I answer, starting back home. "Ruby." He sounded super serious, like Batman serious. "Ruby, I waited like you asked so I'll ask again. Will you join the Team? If you'd just like to meet everyone that's fine too, but I need to know now. No more waiting." He said sternly. I smirked. "I'd love to meet everyone. It'll be fun." I giggle. "Good. Then have the boys take you tomorrow. The sooner the better. And afterwards," he paused. "You should visit your mother." I nodded even if he couldn't see it. "I understand. Goodnight, father." I whisper the last part before slipping back into my room.
Retracting my suit I changed into my previous attire. Tying my hair up in a small ponytail, I finally untape the boys from the couch. "Hold still!" I demand, pulling on Tim's bounds. "It's like a bandaid. You just need to rip it off!" Tears were streaming down his face. "But it hurts!" He cried. I rolled my eyes and ripped off the last several strips. "There. Done." I said. "I think you pulled off some leg hair." Damian said, removing his own bounds with his pocket knife. "Shut it, Damian. You're the one who got us tied up in the first place!" Tim shouted. It slapped the back of Tim's head. "Don't make me tape you again!" I said. "Also, dad said that you two need to take me to see you little club house." I said, throwing out the used tape. "Really?" Damian asked excitedly. "Does that mean you're joining us?!" I laughed. "Maybe. Only if the tour goes well. So," I turn to the two boys. "It's four thirty, and I'm hungry, who wants ice cream and a movie?" I ask. Both boys raise their hands. "Good, find a movie and I'll get get the ice cream. Chop chop." I clap my hands and the boys scramble for the remote and turn on Netflix.
I silently smile at them as I scoop the ice cream into the bowls. "SHAWSHANK IS ON HERE?! NO WAY!" Tim practically scream. I laugh, "You'd like to watch that?" Tim nods and Damian shrugs. "Well, it seems like a good watch, so let's watch." I say, sitting in between the two boys. When the movie ends, both are asleep and are draped over me. Tim on my shoulder and Damian snuggled in my lap. "I love you both." I whisper before falling asleep myself.