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Nothing was more invigorating than being able to observe Jump City from that height. The smell of the sea, the mild temperature, the sun indicating the end of the afternoon, all left the moment even more perfect to be appreciated.
After all, it wasn't always that Liz could stay there. No one could know about her, even more climbing up on top of a building so she could see the city from her best spot. If they found out, maybe the girl would get into a difficult mess.
She did not know how long she was there, whether she should leave or stay until they finally found out. It was already at its limit. She wanted to scream at the world for who she was, but they warned her about the problems she might cause if they found out. But she could not stand to live hidden either.
"Liz?"
The only voice she knew in the city frightened her. Hearing her by name was something she had not yet become accustomed to.
The owner of the voice was charming, even wearing that usual superhero uniform: his plaid pants, as well as his shirt. What attracted his attention was his black, titanium cape, which ran from the neck to the boy's ankles. His hair was stuck in gel, but he had already taken off his mask.
"Rick!" She ran to him. "What are you doing here so early?"
He watched her. He did not know very well what to expect. He had never told Liz about the place, or how to get into the place. He did not want to go through the same things that had happened once with outsiders entering his building.
"What are you doing here"
"Missing you?" She smiled brightly.
"But .... Normally you expect everything to be all right." He put a hand to his head, itching. "I do not understand…"
"I think it's absurd that you never bring me here." She complained "Not even for a hidden picnic. This place is wonderful."
Richard put an arm over her shoulder, sitting down beside her, at the top of the tower. I agreed with Liz that it was, in fact, a wonderful place. No wonder they chose to build the tower there.
"You know ... It's complicated ..." he grunted.
"I know." She did not let Rick continue to grumble. "Saving the city is complicated, and if the villains find out who I am they can come after me. But I'm not afraid of them."
"But you should." He said, laughing. "They 're terrible."
"Well, if they were not, they would not be villains. By the way, who did what today? I saw from here that there was some explosion."
Rick told the whole story. Always someone from H.I.V.E. who wanted to prove that it was the better-off youth who should have control of the city. Not someone who had no super power and only influence to mask their corruption.Liz loved to hear every detail. Of how Rick gave a mortal to reach Mammoth, and how his colleagues managed to stop the robot that was destroying buildings in the center of the city.
"Why do not you just attack H.IV.E.?"
"Because technically they did not do anything. Jinx, Gizmo, Mamoth ... They are formed and have already left the H.I.V.E. But they call themselves H.I.V.E."
"These villain and super hero stuff are too complicated for me. You only know how to solve everything at hand."
"I wish I did not handle everything, but they're stubborn."
"They. 'Kay." She laughs.
Liz coudn't say anything. It's not like you want to start some discussion there. She just wanted some time with Rick where the two of them could get together and it was not somewhere hidden. Richard was not sure what to say. He was there, still clad in superhero clothes, and only then had he realized that he must have been stinking because he had not only sweated but had fought.
"I know it's complicated." She broke the silence. "Living a double life. And that you started doing it daily. But I knew what I was getting into when I decided to follow you."
"I still do not understand how you got through the best security in the world." He crossed his arms, looking at her. "Do you have any idea that you mocked Batman's technology?"
She laughs, and Rick knows that even if Liz had broken hundreds of rules they had stipulated at the beginning of everything, he felt her heart pound. The pain in her body was no longer bothering her, but her stomach seemed to want something out.
Liz showed the communicator Robin knew so much about. Robin really, because Rick, or rather, Dick Grayson made a point of using a common cell phone near the girl. The round communicator with two yellow T's was something he had never imagined in her hands.
"No wonder I said I knew where I was getting myself when I met you. "She smiles again and Dick does not know what else to say. "You do not show up in a bookstore with the collar of your superhero uniform on display and do not expect that I would not notice. "She felt her cheeks tingle. "Even more when you discover that without mask the hero is so handsome."
Dick smiled and Liz knew that was the time. Robin could be the best ninja-ex-Batman-helper, but he had no initiative to start anything. Except on the damn day he walked into the bookstore looking for a book for one of Rachel's. As much as he was wearing a collared shirt and a gray sweater, the red collar of his uniform was fully exposed with the shirt open. And he did not even notice. Only Liz. And then every Thursday Rick came to buy or exchange a book.
For a great helper promoted to superhero solo, Richard was a little forgotten. Maybe his alter ego that made him look so incredible when viewed as Robin, the faithful helper of Batman. Liz just thought it was cute that he was confident when he was wearing tight pants and a mask.
She approached the boy, who was still staring in amazement at what he had just heard. Dick knew he could be charming, but he never considered himself handsome. Or even considered that one day he could feel what he had once felt for someone else.
"Look, everyone knows Robin is in love with Starfire." He choked when he heard her say the name of Koriand'r. "But that does not mean Rick can not ..."
Dick held Liz's hands for the first time. The feeling of strangeness to feel such a sweet person near him that he was already regretting to have talked to Liz. If H.I.V.E. find out ... Or worse, if Slade found out about Liz, he would have him again as an apprentice. Dick could not stop fighting for Liz, even if he had to work with his arch enemy to keep her alive.
"Star, she ..." He cleared his throat. "Well, the truth is, Robin was in love with Starfire. Not anymore." Liz's eyes widened. "Some things happened too fast and I do not know how to handle it yet. But I know you must leave Liz." He felt her stomach flutter again as she spoke her name. "And never come back here."
Liz felt her face heat up and she could not hold back the tears that began to stream down her face. Dick walked over to dry them, but Liz walked away. I could not accept what was happening.
"Am I not enough?" She tried not to show how her voice had failed. "I was able to circumvent the Batman system, but it's still not enough for you to understand, eh, Rick?"
"You do not understand ... If Slade ..."
" Oh, Slade, Slade, Slade." She moved her arms up. "You only talk about this guy when you're on duty. What did he do so scary?
"He convinced Terra that she would live only if she fought for him." Dick lowered his voice. It was still painful to talk about Terra, no matter how long it had been. "She died, and it was because Slade ordered it. I do not want this to happen to you. Even more so because you do not ..."
"I'm not a super hero." Liz whispered. "Got it."
The girl got up and started walking up the stairs. If she was not wanted there, she did not have to stay. Dick ran after her, calling out his name, making her heart race even faster and her face getting even hotter.
Dick grabbed her arm, making her stop and turn to him. She looked directly at him, noting the hair moving in the wind. He stared at her without saying a word. Liz closed her eyes. She felt Dick's breath close to his face, and then the boy diminished the rest of the distance between them. He released her arm and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her closer to him.
Liz lifted her arms around the boy's neck, kissing him more urgently. She did not even believe that she was kissing Rick and even that Rick was the one who was kissing her. She could not hold the smile on her face.
"Do you know how much danger you're getting into?" He broke the kiss to whisper.
Liz gave him a little kiss as an answer, and started down the emergency stairs of the Titan Tower, making some noise as she moved up the metal ladder, leaving the super hero alone.
Dick sat to watch the scenery. It had been a long time since he'd taken some time to breathe, to get away from the madness of saving Jump City every day from another crazy man who wanted to turn the place into a new Gothan.
He felt the cold wind and realized that it was an evening. He sat on the edge of the tower and looked again at the city, which seemed to make its distinctive noises, until he heard someone opening the door that led into the Tower.
"Hey, man, you got stuck up here again?" Cyborg smiled at him. "Come on, we're celebrating our victory."
Robin stood up, putting on his mask and feeling the warmer air coming from inside the Tower. He noticed that Cyborg was wearing an apron and had cooking utensils in his hand, and some barbecue sauce on his face.
"We decided to make some burgers. Only need to make yours."
Dick Grayson watched his friends happily, sharing the much-desired meal after a long battle. Robin was very pleased with the advances his team was making, but Dick only really thought it was a way to disappear for a while before the storm Slade attacked again.