I wasn't sure how much more if this 'sitting still' I could take.

Eddie and two other boys I didn't know were huddled behind a dumpster, waiting. Only Eddie seemed as fidgety as I felt, the other two looked overly confident.

I suppressed a sigh as I realized what he was doing.

Eddie Santos was my best friend, and he was always trying to help kids to live life on the streets (which is what he was doing right now). But most kids just didn't have what it took to survive, and that's what usually got them put back in an orphanage.

Either that, or they got killed.

But that didn't stop Eddie. If anything, it motivated him even more. He kept helping whoever came to him for advice, despite my grumbles of complaints, and kept teaching them "our ways", more specifically my ways, since I've been at this stuff since I was nine.

Eddie and I met three years ago, when I was eleven and he was thirteen. He'd been my first real friend, and my first crush, but there was no way I'd ever tell him that. Even though that crush was long gone, he'd never let me hear the end of it.

Eddie caught me staring down at him from my spot on the fire escape and gave a little smirk. I rolled my eyes at him.

He winked and gave a small tilt of his head, and I looked to the exit of the alleyway, where two thugs burst out from the double doors of Gotham's bank.

That was my cue.

I jumped off the railing and landed with a soft thud on the alley floor. I shoved my hands into the pocket of my hoodie and began a quick stride towards the two thieves, who were pretty much about to run right into the little trap.

They glanced back at the cop who burst out from the bank and pursued them like a bird about to snatch its prey.

I abruptly froze in my spot. Well hell. Pulling the red hoodie lower over my face, I bit my lip and prayed to the lucky stars I didn't have that he wouldn't recognize me, or Eddie.

The thugs turned back around and sprinted faster, scowling in irritation when they saw me. "Move out of the way, brat!"

Still petrified, I cast one quick glance at the cop; there was no way I could blow my cover. Forcing my stiff muscles to relax, I let them shove me onto the ground as they stumbled their way into the alley.

I slowly got to my feet, brushing dirt off the knees of my jeans. I hardly breathed as I listened with an ear directed toward the alleyway, and heard a thud and a grunt, immediately followed by some shouting. I knew it wasn't Eddie; Eddie was smart enough to know when to bolt.

I remember during our first few weeks as a duo, it had taken Eddie a good while to be able to ditch me. He never wanted me to take the full blame of something we'd both done, but I'd pretty much bullied him into ditching me no matter what the situation, so that in case it was anything serious, he'd be able to get help.

Fortunately, this wasn't anything serious at all. What had me freaking out was the guilt I knew I would carry for the rest of the night, which I'll explain later.

The cop jogged up to me with a concerned look on his face. "Are you all right?"

I waved my hand dismissively and turned my head away, "Mhm!" I turned to walk away, but he put a hand on my shoulder and held me back. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He turned and ran into the alleyway, and I silently cursed myself. If it were any other cop, I would've disobeyed the order and ran down the block. But since it was him, I stayed rooted in place.

I had no idea what the hell happened in the time span of thirty seconds that the cop was in that alley, but he came out with the two sacks of stolen greens, the two unconscious thugs, and the two dumbstruck newbie street rats. I was right: Eddie had made a run for it, but it looked like the new guys hadn't listened to him.

And I'd made the mistake of listening to the cop. But hey, I knew him, and Eddie knew him. And we both knew following his orders was always the best way to go.

"Wow, you got them!" I disguised my voice and pointed at him, "Good to have someone like you working in the GCPD, sir." I turned around and restrained myself from sprinting away; this was a cop I knew I could not outrun. I speak from experience.

"Hold on there, Alex. Don't you need a ride back to St. Anne's? Or did they already kick you out?"

Trying not to cringe, I slowly turned around to face Dick, who looked at me with a raised eyebrow and an amused grin on his face.

He knew me too well. But I guess that happens when you're friends with someone for six years. And Richard Grayson was definitely that someone.

Grumbling some very unladylike things under my breath, I threw my hoodie back and shoved my hands into my pockets, walking slowly back to him in defeat.

"These friends of yours?" He shook Things 1 and 2 by the collars of their shirts.

I raised a brow, "Since when am I a social butterfly?" I knew he only took my retort as a confirmation.

Dick chuckled anyway, "Can't argue with that logic." He glanced behind him before looking back to me curiously, "Eddie isn't here?"

I couldn't hold back my grin, "You just missed him."

Dick and Eddie were best friends, too, and that was because they met through me. The three of us were close, even though Dick was an adult and a cop, possibly a street kid's worse enemy. But Dick was the greatest guy we knew, which was why Eddie and I respected him and always followed his orders. Well, almost always.

"That's too bad. I still owe him that lesson on how to charm a woman."

One of the many reasons why I was even friends with Dick was because of his light humor. He was probably the only cop in all of Gotham City that hasn't lost his upbeat attitude. Others, well, they can't handle the things they see. But Dick can. And, more impressively, he knew how to deal with me.

"Hey, do you mind lending me a hand with these?" He tossed the two bags full of money to me, and I easily caught them. "I've kinda got my hands full here."

I would never be able to get over the fact that Dick actually trusted me, had complete faith in me. It was another reason why I liked him, but it also bothered me. I knew it was a way of getting me to trust him, to make me a goody two shoes, or something like that. The thing is, it actually worked. I was a street rat with a conscience, which annoyed the hell out of me sometimes. It made it so much harder to steal, to do wrong. I wasn't a bad person - never was, thanks to Dick - but when you lived on the streets, you either steal or starve. That was the motto.

But thanks to Dick's useful pointers, I learned to never take more than what I needed. Not only did this reduce my guilt by a fraction, it also made it easier to not get caught, to slip away unnoticed.

Which was why I didn't make a run for it while Dick had his back to me. That, and because I knew he would catch me in less than half a second. The guy was probably at the peak of his game. He could be a famous athlete in the Olympics, or in the military, or something else other than a simple cop in Gotham City. Not that I would want him to leave, because I really didn't, but I couldn't help but wonder why a guy like Dick would ever stay on this hellhole of an Island. All Gotham ever had to offer was misery and more misery. Anyone could tell you that.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as Dick slammed the door of the patrol car shut, locking the four goons in the backseat. He turned to smile at me, and I immediately handed him the bags, not trusting myself a moment longer. "Thanks, Alex."

"No problem." Grimacing, I shoved my hands into my pockets and swallowed the regret of not having had snagged a couple bills.

Stupid conscience takes the fun out of everything.

Dick disappeared back inside the bank, and I imagined everyone there clapping and cheering and swooning over the fabulous Officer Grayson. They were probably even gonna throw him a party or something.

I turned back to Things One and Two and watched them shift uneasily under my glare. As easily as I could get them out, I just stood there and continued to stare at them. They deserved getting caught, anyway. No street rat should ever be so confident on the risky task of stealing, especially not on the first try. Besides, it was every man for himself out here. Or girl. Whatever.

Two drops splattered on my face and I looked up at the sky, which was darker and cloudier than usual. Great. Rain. That meant I was going to have to find someplace else to crash. But honestly, any place on the street was better than an Orphanage, even if they did provide warm meals and a bed. I hated being told what to do all the time everyday, every hour, by everyone. It was hell, trust me.

In a matter of minutes my hair was plastered to the sides of my face. I saw the newbies snicker, and I narrowed my eyes into slits menacingly as I pulled my hood over my head.

At that moment, Dick rushed out the double doors and jogged over to where I stood waiting to get inside the car.

"Where's the giant trophy?"

"I didn't think you'd still be waiting here."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Dick smiled and unlocked the doors, "Get in." I hopped into the passenger's seat and slammed the door, shivering from the cold. Dick got into the driver's seat and revved the engine.

I pretended to look around the car, "What, no handcuffs?" I waved my hands in the air.

"You didn't do anything illegal. Not tonight." He added wryly, answering my question as he flipped on the headlights.

"Not tonight." I confirmed, unable to stop the huge grin from stretching across my face.

The rest of the drive was peacefully silent, and I was grateful for that. I was already feeling guilty for what I did - or at least had tried to do - and I liked wallowing.

Dick was the only authority figure in the entire city that had that effect on me; I really hated seeing that disappointed look in his eyes whenever I did something wrong. But that was just because, in a weird way, Dick kind of felt like my older brother, or my guardian.

I remembered at some point in my childhood - when I was already on the streets - I'd accidentally called him "Dad" instead of "Dick". I'd been so embarrassed at the slip-up, but he pretended to not have noticed and bought me a chocolate ice cream cone before taking me back to St. Elizabeth's Orphanage, which was where I'd been put in at the time.

And, although I'd never admit it to him, I sometimes, sometimes, wished Dick actually was my actual dad. I never knew my biological father, didn't even know his name, but I liked to imagine he would've been kind of like Dick.

Except he'd totally ditched me and my mom...so fat chance.

We pulled up in front of the police station, and I cast a quick glance at Dick.

"Would you prefer to wait in here?" He asked, his tone mockingly polite.

I mimicked his tone, "Would you mind leaving the keys in?"

He laughed at my poor imitation of him, "I won't take long." Dick pulled all four guys out from the back and led them toward the entrance. The locks on all four doors clicked, and my grin widened.

I waited until the coast was clear, and then pulled the copy of Dick's key out of my pocket.

Being friends with a cop definitely had its perks.

Dick didn't know about the duplicate key, though. A few weeks ago, when I'd been taken into the police station for a good lecturing on morals, I'd fished it out of his coat pocket and taken the liberty to make a copy of it.

I jammed the key into the little slot and twisted it, revving the engine. I slammed my fist on the little button, and the doors unlocked.

Pulling the key out, I jumped out the car and slammed the door shut behind me. I took off into a full on sprint, feeling the fresh rain and wind hit my face.

Ah, freedom!

After running down three blocks, I decided it was safe enough to stop and take a breather.

Pulling some loose change from my jean pockets, I walked toward an open Liquor store and actually bought something instead of just slipping it in my sleeve.

I was feeling kind of guilty for disappointing Dick for the umpteenth time. I wanted to do a good deed, just to cross out the bad. It was something I've always done. This little habit even rubbed off on Eddie. It was usually because Dick - whether he was aware of it or not - had the strong effect of making us feel guilty for letting him down. We knew he saw us as "good kids", and that just fed our guilty consciences even more.

But stealing was just so much easier. Especially when the corner mirrors were stained with bubblegum, soda spray, and spitballs from yours truly.

Trying not to pout, I paid the nice cashier for the vegetable flavored drink– yes, I needed the nutrition, it's not like broccoli just falls out of the sky – and walked out.

I was just about to take a sip of the weird looking stuff when it was suddenly snatched out of my hands.

Feeling my whole body tense up for a fight, I whipped around in an attempt to jam my elbow against the crook's profile, but he ducked under it in the nick of time.

"Cool it! It's me!" Eddie stepped beneath the flickering street light, a greatly amused look on his face.

"I paid for that, you know." I reached out to snatch the bottle from his hand, but he held it up and away from my reach.

How the hell was he so tall? We hardly ate any real food!

He looked at me in surprise, "You paid for this?" His expression immediately turned understanding, "Ah, so that's who the cop was! It was too dark for me to recognize him." Eddie quickly grinned, "So what did Dick say? I'm still waiting for my next lesson on how to charm a lady."

I laughed, feeling my mood lighten. "Yeah, he mentioned that." I raised a brow at him, "Who is it you're trying to charm, anyway?" I rarely saw Eddie talk to girls. Unless she worked the cash register, that was usually when Eddie put his naturally good looks and Spanish to use.

"Don't worry, Alex, you know you'll always have a special place in mi corazón." He put a hand over his heart and smirked while he gave me his famous smoldering dark eyes.

Famous smoldering eyes that were totally useless on me by now. But boy did it work miracles on anyone else.

Eddie had the superpower of making girls drool, literally drool! We first discovered it when he was chatting it up with the teenage girl who was watching over the Laundromat, which her aunt owned. Eddie had been totally oblivious to her expression, but I saw it and pulled him aside to let him see the obvious. The girl actually got jealous when she saw me talking to Eddie, but he smoothed it out with her in a nanosecond, and that was how we got the little clothes we owned washed for free. Up to this day, I'm pretty sure the girl hates me. But that just makes our trips to the Laundromat that much more fun.

When Dick realized how we got so many discounts and free stuff, he couldn't stop laughing. Afterwards, he told Eddie he'd teach him how to "put those dreamy brown eyes to good use".

I grinned triumphantly, "Nice try, hermano, but your mojo doesn't work on me."

Eddie sighed in mock disappointment, "I guess it only works on the pretty girls."

He dodged away from my fist and burst into laughter. The joyous sound echoed all around the empty parking lot, and I couldn't help but join in.

I lightly punched his arm, "Fine, don't tell me. But a piece of advice?" I reached up and tugged on his soft shaggy hair, "You need a haircut."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "That's just an excuse for you to aim a pair of scissors at my head, isn't it?"

I smiled widely at him.

Eddie tossed me back my drink, "Here you go, chica."

I laughed as I caught it, and we both started walking.

"Eddie?"

"Hmm?"

"Sorry I couldn't catch the thugs. That money could've totally gotten you a nice haircut."

He smiled and gently nudged me, "Hey, don't worry about it. We were only going to snatch one roll of bills and split it between the four of us, so it probably wouldn't have lasted us for too long. Besides, it set a good example for the two new kids. They got caught for not listening to me, and now they're probably back in St. Michael's orphanage." Eddie shrugged, "At least I tried to help them live the life."

Just to clear things up, Eddie and I didn't always steal from the good guys, we steal from stealers, too. Kind of like vigilante work, which was why we'd gone after the two thugs from the bank earlier tonight.

But that's what Batman was for, right?

"Besides," Eddie added, pulling me out of my thoughts, "I like the haircuts you give me."

I barked out a laugh, "Yeah right! Remember the first haircut I ever gave you? That was so bad it wasn't even funny."

"Oh man," Eddie pretended to groan, "Don't even remind me! Dick had to take me to an actual barbershop to fix it. He even paid!"

We both bumped into each other as we were crippled by laughter. The memory of a smaller Eddie with hair sticking out from all sides was too much to handle, and we had to sit down on the sidewalk for a quick break.

Eddie leaned his shoulder against mine, and I did the same. We both sat there for a while, enjoying the moment of blissful silence before getting back up and searching for a place to crash.