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IT’S NIGHTWING WHOSE SOUL SHINES THE BRIGHTEST.
RAISED IN THE SHADOW OF THE BAT,
HE OVERCAME THE DEATH OF HIS PARENTS AND THE DARKNESS OF HIS MENTOR,
BRAVE, UNSELFISH, UTTERLY KIND--
WHO WOULDN’T FALL IN LOVE WITH THAT STRENGTH
AND THAT SMILE?
“Dick! Can you catch it?” Starfire shouted over the chaos.
“I’ll try--” he managed, lifting his black and blue gloved hands in preparation. “It-- it can’t be… This could change everything .”
…
“Donna, Donna! Is it you?” Cassie’s voice echoed in her ears but it sounded like she was far away, or underwater.
Donna forced her eyes open, wincing at the bright green light that was being used to illuminate her in the darkness in the pit of the chasm.
There were soft murmurs and she heard Roy say he couldn’t believe it.
Could it be?
Fingers into the dirt, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to ground herself. It felt like she was being ripped apart in ways she couldn’t explain, between two worlds. Between two lives…
And then she heard him.
His voice was too muffled at first, veering in between what she could hear and what she couldn’t.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open her mouth, or her eyes… she felt like she was being pulled back. Pulled away from this life, from Dick.
Dick . He’s the one who shines the brightest.
“Dick--” Brave, unselfish.
Gloved fingers pried her own out of the rocky soil, sliding up her wrists towards her shoulders to support her up and away from the rough rocky terrain. He didn’t even want to risk her being uncomfortable. Dick Grayson was kind. Completely and utterly kind.
Donna willed her eyes open, needing to see him. See if he was real, if any of this was real.
He held her hand, clasping his other on top of her bruised and cut knuckles. She gently tugged on his hand to signal him forward. Dick understood, leaning closer. With a shaky hand, Donna reached up for his domino mask. Pulling it away,
Those blue eyes were just as she remembered. No matter what poison was poured into her memories, her past, her identity… they couldn’t erase that. Donna could never forget what Dick eyes looked like. They couldn’t erase him from her. No one could.
Her dusty fingers carefully grazed the edge of his cheek.
“Are you… real?” Donna barely managed to speak above a whisper.
He smiled weakly. “Yeah, I’m real,” Dick’s voice was just as soft as her own, tears brimming his soft eyes.
“Oh honey,” she whispered, frowning softly as she gently brushed her finger across his cheek. It hit her. She was dead, gone. They mourned her. He had lost her. And if it had been him instead… there was no telling what darkness Donna would have fallen into. Her heart broke all over again.
“Hey, Girl Wonder,” Dick whispered back, leaning into her touch as his eyes closed for a moment, as if he was relishing in her touch before it would inevitably vanish. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Donna reached forward, half collapsing into Dick’s arms. She clung to him tightly, her face pressed against his shoulder to muffle the sob that rocked out of her suddenly.
Strong arms held her, warm and safe. Donna’s fingers curled into the back of his suit, barely inching the tight fabric. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other while they cried. She didn’t know how long it was before she was finally able to peel herself away from him so she could look at him.
Donna lifted her hands to cup the sides of his cheeks, leaning forward to lean her forehead against his. She closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath before his fingers gently curled around her wrists before he carefully stood, lifting her up into his arms.
“You’re stealing my shtick, Boy Wonder,” Donna spoke, her voice hoarse as she managed a weak grin.
“Let me have it just this once, won’t you?” Dick nearly laughed through lingering tears, glancing down at the woman in his arms.
“Just this once,” she promised tiredly, leaning her head against his shoulder as she resituated herself to wrap her arms around his torso, eyes fluttering shut.
“C’mon, let’s goooooo! Before we don’t get the luxury!” Beast Boy yelled, flailing his arms in the other direction.
“Just this once,” Dick echoed softly, bending his head down to press a delicate kiss to the side of her head, carrying Donna after the rest of the Titans.
For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Dick smiled so wide his cheeks hurt. She was home.
That hole in his chest, in his soul … it was gone.
And she was here.