"Sweet Seventeen"

Dick Grayson stifled a yawn as he trotted toward the classroom door. This was the hardest part of being a junior super-hero. While his classmates were slumbering heavily in their beds last night, Dick stalked the night as the Batman's junior partner. The Bat roams the night, meanwhile I have to be awake and alert at 8 am for trigonometry, Dick thought. He planted himself heavily in his seat as the bell rang, combing fingers through his hair and thinking about last night...his birthday, such as it was, beginning at 12:01 am...

It was a particularly busy night. Why did it always end up this way, Dick wondered. The baddies are on the prowl on my special night. Dick wondered about Egghead and his thugs, as he sat ruminating at his home-room desk. He could still see Batman in action, sinews and bones twisting perfectly into that sweet punch that knocked Egghead out on his ass. And with the ring-leader unconscious, that left me to round up his obligatory goons and thugs, Dick thought.

But that wasn't all. Oh no. It wouldnt be my birthday without a little added bonus, Dick grimaced to himself. He thought back to the sudden bulletin over the scanner. Scarecrow with hostages. That's just what you want to hear when you're turning seventeen and sorting out Egghead's thugs...Scarecrow in the college tower, a great scenario. Egghead's goons are barely trussed up for the Gotham PD before I move on...

Flash-forward to the tower and it's about 2:30 am. Does he even realize in the midst of his obsession that I'm just a kid? He's a great teacher but his supervision is leaving me with bags under my eyes.

We bust in on the Scarecrow and everything goes per our plan until Batman catches a snootful of the gas. He insisted on taking the lead. How did this happen? Were we careless? Did Crane just get lucky? Who knows. But now Batman is collapsed in a corner, fending off imaginary bugaboos. Terrified hostages scatter; I lose track of them. Reacting more from instinct than anything else, I execute a picture perfect savate kick, catching the 'Crow under the chin. Its a KO for me, the Boy Wonder.

For the next 2 hours I cradle the boss and try to nursemaid him through the fear juice. Feverishly he cries out to his parents. His upper lip is sweating. Around 4:45 am he is steady enough to function. All in all, its been a victory for me. Rarely do I get to put the kibosh on the baddie and take care of Bruce...usually its the other way around. I have this feeling that in the morning he will not acknowledge all this. And naturally I'm not disappointed since at 7:45 his only comment is, " Arent you late for school?" He's not cold, really, just naturally aloof.

I linger in the shower, trying to awaken my fuzzy brain. A stiff cup of coffee may be what I need but Bruce can be a commisar when it comes to caffeine enforcement for young people.

Deep in my meditations during the first moments of home-room, I dont even notice Sarah Belling approaching my desk silently. "Hey Dick," she offers furtively. I nod in response. She hesitates at my desk. "You wanna come along with some of us to the game tonight, Dick?" she asks, staring at the floor. Wanting with all my heart to say Yes, I say, "Sorry, Sarah, but I've got plans tonight."

Yeah, big plans. Catch up on some sleep. Rest up for tomorrow's patrol with the Bat himself. A thankless job, an unsung hero. A sidekick. A hero in training.

Happy birthday to me.