❞But Dick and Jason get to drive.❞

*

IT'S WEIRD BEING back here in the manor. It's been five years since I was last in this room, my room. It's not Jason's room, it became mine right before I left. I feel awkward, I definitely should have picked another day to come here, preferably not a day where the usual quiet drab manor has been turned into a hotel for superheroes to use for the rest of the week. 

Thanks to my appearance, Wally is staying for the rest of the week and not leaving, as scheduled earlier, tomorrow. Barry's gonna leave but he's definitely going to be visiting throughout the week. Clark wanted to extend his stay but he decided not to, so he'll be flying out tomorrow morning. 

Wanda is staying, Oliver Queen won't be allowed. Diana is here till the day after tomorrow, Nightwing is staying until further notice apparently, and Jason is as well. 

I didn't know just my appearance had so much pull.

I touch the empty windowsills. There are two photo frames missing from here, those are packed in my bags. I have yet to remove them from the suffocating darkness of the duffel bag.

"You aren't leaving right?"

I spin on my heel, Tim. I grin, "I was thinking of slipping out again once people stop watching me like a criminal ready to run."

"To be fair," Tim starts, venturing deeper into my room, "You did run away, and you kind of fit the criminal description."

"Hey!" I pout, "I just came back, for all you know, you could be the new reason behind me running away!"

Tim rolls his eyes, "If you can't handle my comments, I assure you, you won't be able to handle being back here... ever since Jason's been back the manor's less quiet and calm, even though that man baby is supposed to be living in his own apartment."

I smile, "You don't like having two big bros doting on you?"

"Dick lives in Bludhaven and yet he finds some way to call me every hour," Tim grumbles, "Jason's physically here and it's harder to ignore him, but he doesn't dote on me, probably bullies me more like."

I pat Tim's back, "I can't believe that you're letting that dumbass bully you!"

"Have you seen his arms?" Tim scoffs, "It's like he has fucking anacondas in his arm like some fucked up Popeye."

I snicker, "Ask Wally to mess with him or something."

"Wally tried!" Tim exclaims, "Damned Popeye caught him before he could run away, for being superpowered, Wally's physical power is the equivalent of a stick."

"He'll be delighted to hear that."

"I've informed him of it multiple times."

I smile, Tim shifts from one foot to another. He's awkward, I'm awkward. Fuck sake. I tilt my head, "You have something to say, Timmy?"

He hugs me. Tim isn't one to initiate physical touch, he didn't use to do it before I left, I expect that he continued with his dislike for it ever since. It's surprising to have Timothy Drake hugging me.

But I hug him back with ease, this is Tim. My man, my timbo, and definitely my younger brother, probably not by blood but younger brother is the only pair of words that perfectly defines the both of us. 

Tim's heart is racing, he's shaking. His shoulders are. I realize he's holding back some tears, so I brush his hair, "Timmy?"

Tim's always had thin dark hair, before I left his hair had been cut short, almost like a buzz cut. Now his hair was grown out, like a very soft mullet. The hair suits him, plus it's easy to brush his hair now. Tim sniffs, he's crying. 

He's shaking, I hug him tighter, "Tim..."

"A - Alex," He stutters, "I - I really missed you."

I pat his back, nuzzling my head into his shoulder, "I missed you too Tim."

"Plea — please don't leave me again," Tim mumbles, sniffing louder, shaking more, "Please - please!"

*

Tim is the sweetest kid, it's common knowledge. After Tim cried and told me how much he missed me he left, a little embarrassed and definitely feeling better, I decided to stay in my room for a little bit more.

I hadn't wanted to stop hugging him, he's like a puppy dog or better yet like one of those sweet little kittens.

It's been about 15 minutes since he left, and I've been on my phone ever since. I don't want to go downstairs and watch TV, but neither do I want to stay in my room laying there wholly bored. 

These past 15 minutes have been me having an internal struggle, whether to go downstairs and do something productive or to stay up here bathing in loneliness and Instagram's FYP.

The door opens, and I strain my head to see who it is. Ab workouts like these are the only ones I religiously do. 

Dick Grayson is in my doorway, "Can I come in?"

"It's your house, dude."

He deadpans at me, "It's your room, dude."

I sigh, letting my head flop back onto the bed, "Come in, dude."

"Can we stop with the dude?" Dick sighs, closing the door behind him, "I don't like calling you dude."

"Would you prefer bro?"

"Wally would kill me for giving you his nickname," Dick snorts and I smile, "I think I'll stick to calling you Xandra."

"Whatever you say, Dickie."

He flops down beside me, I switch my phone off, throwing the phone away from me. Dick sighs, his shoulder is against mine. I glance at him, "To what do I owe this visit?"

"I... I thought it'd be good for me to give you an update on things."

I don't know if he means an update on my "sisters" or on the gossip of the league, either way, I want to hear more, so I hum, "Go ahead."

"Well... what do you want to hear first?" He asks, "The good stuff or the bad stuff?"

I'm a little amused, and a little warm and fuzzy. I shrug, "The bad stuff, always the bad stuff first."

"Alright, Tony decided to adopt Isabella and Rue the year after you went missing," Dick says, I feel a little hurt, so soon, "Not after you ran away but after you stopped writing letters and responding, speaking of which...?"

Oh, that makes sense. 

I sniff, "Uhm... it's kind of hard to explain..."

Dick narrows his eyes at me, "Try."

"Dick..."

"We went looking for you, in Saudi Arabia," Dick says, "An entire team was devised, Wanda almost threw a fit after she wasn't included in that team, but she stayed here and sent out an alert for anyone fitting your description... Alex."

They definitely found discrepancies in my perfect little lie. Dick turns toward me, I'm a little intimidated so I don't mirror his position, "The place you worked at... no one even knew your name there, which is shocking since most of the people around Cafe Tundra knew that you were involved with some dangerous people."

Dick's hand reaches for my shoulder, he makes me turn. To face him, and his questions head-on, "For all, we knew, you were dead Alex!"

I don't know what to tell him.

"What were you doing there?" He asks, his eyes focused on mine, "And no lies, not this time."

My mind moves a mile a minute, I know what to say, "I... I was there, fighting criminals... it's just that I wasn't doing it with a mask on, Dick."

I'm not really lying, I didn't wear a mask as a League of Shadows member, we all wore scarves. 

"People on the street would see me with criminals, I'd be tracking them down or taking them on," I say, "I... I left Saudi Arabia because too many people knew me there, so I changed locations, it's just that I got really busy once I got to China and I broke my phone on the way, and due to the aforementioned busy-ness I didn't get a new phone until a month ago."

Dick takes it in. 

It's a mix of half-truths and complete lies. I can't tell Dick I worked with the League of Shadows, I don't know how he'll react. He's my best friend, but I haven't been there for five years, and he only had contact with me for two of them. 

Maybe the way he sees me has changed.

"Are you going to go back?"

I shake my head, "The crime-fighting gig is fun, but I don't like going it alone."

Dick smiles a little, "Oh yeah, you always need a partner."

"Hey," I say, "How about you come with me to China? We could be partners."

He deadpans, "Ha, funny."

"I'm being serious!"

He shakes his head, "How about we go to Bludhaven for starters?"

"Ah yes," I nod, "I've heard about super detective Grayson from Bludhaven ever since I've been in Gotham, among other trending topics on the internet, is Nightwing the cheater, care to elaborate?"

Dick sighs, and I grin. He pinches the bridge of his nose, "Many Nightwing enthusiasts have turned into Nightwing haters, they feel cheated that I moved to Bludhaven."

I shake my head, "How could you, Nightwing?"

He glares at me, "Not you too!"

I narrow my eyes at him, "You betrayed Gotham!"

"I moved to Bludhaven!" He exclaims, "I was assigned by the detective department to work in Bludhaven!"

"It's so far!"

"It's 30 fucking minutes!"

I glare at him, "That's an eternity."

He scoffs, "You're unbelievable."

I grin, "I know."

Dick scoffs once again and we're silent. He let go of my shoulder long ago, I now lay straight, facing the ceiling. But I shuffle closer to him, placing my head on his shoulder, and his head leans against mine. 

"What's going on with you and Barb?"

"We're friends."

I scoff, "Psh, sure."

"We are!" He exclaims indignantly, "We're just friends."

"With benefits?"

He glares at me, and I smirk as I realize it. I've hit the bullseye.

"How long?"

"A year."

I glance at Dick, "And there's no emotion there? Just benefits?"

"We decided it is better to keep the arrangement where it is," Dick sighs, "We both know that our relationship won't go far... we don't want to try again to only have it fail."

"Then why even keep this relation? Remove the benefits, just be friends."

Dick glances at me, "Because it's an easier way to distract ourselves."

I know Dick won't tell me more and I know I shouldn't try to ask. So I nod, "Just as long as the two of you know what you're doing, everything's OK... I don't want you getting hurt; either of you."

Dick nods, "We do."

"Alright then."

*

𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄?!

Alexandra Stark, the eldest daughter of well-known billionaire, and philanthropist, Tony Stark, was declared dead three years ago after it came to be known that she had fallen sick over the course of her humanitarian mission in a little village in Africa. She had been missing from tabloids and other news for two years up to that point, when the matter was discussed Stark Industries revealed that Alexandra had not been in Gotham for two years, she'd been in Africa.

The entire city, maybe even the country, was shocked to hear about her death. #AlexandraWillBeMissed was a trending hashtag over the world for 3 months, and in Gotham for 6. 

However, now, from our exclusive sources, we've heard the news that Alexandra Stark is back!

It's not a joke. Alexandra had been getting experimental treatment in Europe and she was nursed back to health for three years, and our beloved Stark is back in Gotham.

There has been news of her around Gotham, of people seeing her around the city, at cafes, at cinemas and someone even caught a glimpse of her going to Wayne Manor. 

Is she really back? Or is everyone just really missing her?

More on Alexandra Stark on Page 8.