Redemption
It was a dark night and the Dark Knight, who'd risen so often, had finally fallen. His gaze lingered on the stars against their blue background, knowing that he had finally met his match.
All of his life he'd been training his body to the peak of physical perfection, but it just hadn't been enough for the demands this night had placed on it. Now his muscles were weak, his breathing was ragged, and his stamina was all gone. The other warrior, not even breathing hard, laughed and smiled at him, and then he heard their footsteps going away, leaving him lying there alone in the dark, unable to move, still stiff, still aching, still throbbing.
Alfred opened the front door of Wayne Manor to see Dick Grayson standing there, a smile on his face.
"Hi, Alfred, I'm here to see Bruce. Sorry I couldn't be here last night for his birthday party, but there was business to attend to in Bludhaven."
"Ah, Master Dick, I was going to call you..."
"No need, I'm here now," Dick said, as he walked in, looking at the gifts lying around. "Bruce told me on the phone last night about the presents he'd got." He picked up the Batman Hello Kitty. "Cute, Selina knows how to pick a gift. So does Clark," he added, seeing the gigantic piggy bank that reached almost to the ceiling, somewhere for Bruce to put his giant penny. "What about Diana though? Talk about impersonal."
"I beg to differ, young sir," said Alfred. "It was very personal and I'm sure Master Bruce appreciated it enormously."
Dick shook his head, Alfred was always the gentleman. "Where is the birthday boy anyway?"
"I'm afraid he's indisposed. That's why I was going to call you. You'll need to do his nightly patrol for the foreseeable future, young sir."
Dick's face suddenly turned serious. "Why, Alfred? What is it? Tell me."
"It's his back, sir. The human body isn't designed to take such pounding."
"Not Bane?" gasped Dick. "Not again?"
"No, it was redeeming Wonder Woman's gift," explained Alfred.
"Huh? He broke his back ordering books online?"
The butler looked at Dick as he waited for the penny to finally drop.
"Ohhh," said Dick, "that kind of Amazon Giftcard."
The End