FINAL INSTALLMENT OF THE "ART OF..." SERIES. This one is from the point of view of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Bruce is when he's not in his cowl and Batman is when he is, in case anyone was curious about the distinction. THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEW.
ALL OF YOU. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. You guys inspired me and keep inspiring me, even though you're only reviewing. It gives me so much motivation, you have no idea. C:
I hope you like this! And now I can get to work on a Wally/Robin that's not quite so sad!
At first, it had been to prove that he could do it. Bruce Wayne had wanted to see if he could put together a human with inhuman parts. But when those blue eyes opened (and, logically, he knew they were just mechanical light receptors, but on that boy they were eyes), Bruce knew he was done for. And when his creation smiled, there was no other way to think of Robin than as his son.
"Hello. You're the Creator, aren't you?"
—
Robin was immensely curious. He looked seventeen (that was so he would fit in with Young Justice, when the time came) but he had the curiosity of perhaps a seven-year-old. It was endearing, but Bruce would never say so aloud.
"Alright, Robin, come at me. Remember," he said, getting into a defensive stance, "human force. You're stronger than us mortals." Which, really, was a contingency plan if he was in mortal danger.
Robin grinned. "Right, right. Human force."
And the boy began his fighting practice, doing better than Batman or Bruce could have hoped. He learned faster than Batman had ever dreamed. Of course, Batman could still tackle him to the mat, but Robin was never deterred.
"Good job, Robin."
"Thank you," and Batman could tell he loved the praise. "I think it's time for ice cream. Alfred says he makes the best sundaes." The boy tilted his head. "Do you want to eat with us?"
The blue eyes blinked, and he shifted his weight from foot to foot.
Neither Bruce nor Batman could have said no to that face.
"Of course."
—
He would never admit to being nervous, but as he introduced Robin to the Young Justice team, Batman couldn't help but feel concerned that perhaps he wouldn't make the friends that all teenagers need.
But the introduction went off without a hitch. J'onn's niece seemed to befriend him almost instantaneously, Wally West only seconds behind. Kaldur managed his aloof leader charade, while Superboy and Artemis brooded together. The fact of the matter was that Batman couldn't have been more content with the way Robin's face lit up when he talked to people his own age (because he was often cooped up with Alfred and himself, which he could concede was not the most interesting thing to be doing as a teenaged boy).
"Alright," Batman said, watching as all the young heroes fell into a line before him. Robin stood between Wally and M'gaan, smiling the whole time. "Time for your first mission as a complete team."
—
Robin's mood had improved, if that were possible, since he joined Young Justice. He would have something to say about the team almost every day, whether or not they had had a mission, spent time together, or had not seen each other at all. It was a good feeling, to see is son so happy.
(That's right. That boy meant everything to him. Perhaps one day he would be able to inherit the cowl of Batman.)
"And Wally did something really dumb, by harassing Superboy..."
Bruce hid a smile behind his napkin.
—
"I think Master Richard is in love." The name Richard Grayson had come about when Robin had enrolled in school. (Bruce had given no other reason except it was a good idea to have an alias. He was actually worried that if Robin had been is name, it would have appeared too feminine.)
"What?"
"I think Master Richard is in love," Alfred repeated.
"With who?" Bruce blanched. Robin – Richard – wasn't ready for a relationship. Was he?
"Why, Master Wallace West, Master Barry's nephew, if you recall."
"Is he Robin's type, do you think?"
"Well, Master Richard obviously seems to think so. He asked me about blushing and butterflies, sir." Bruce massaged his temples. The boy still had so much to learn (not that Bruce could teach him anything about emotions). He'd have to figure out feelings on his own. But that didn't mean he didn't want to help.
"Do you think it will go alright? I mean, underneath his skin..."
"All relationships have a possibility of going one way or another, Master Bruce."
How did Alfred get so wise, the billionaire wondered. Bruce hoped he could pass some of that wisdom onto the Teen Wonder.
—
Wally, apparently, had returned Bruce's son's affections, because the teenager was practically bouncing off the walls. He was wonderfully gleeful and terribly happy.
"Thank you!" Robin said to Bruce over dinner one day.
He blinked. "For what?"
"For letting me join up with Young Justice. Thank you. Thank you, very much."
(If Wally broke his son's heart after this...)
—
Batman pushed away from the computer and stood before he had totally processed the situation. What he had ended up processing was that his son's skin was torn to pieces, metal was glimmering out from underneath it, and M'gaan looked stricken.
"What happened?"
"There was this monster," M'gaan started, "and it had taken out most of us. Robin –" she paused, swallowed, and continued, "Robin took care of it."
"But not before it chewed me up a little," he murmured.
Batman guided him over to a table with repair supplies (also a contingency plan, though Robin had tough skin). And he began to work on repairing or attaching skin to his son's metal skeleton.
Robin and M'gaan talked. Obviously, the team now knew that Robin was not flesh and bone and blood. (He was human, both Batman and M'gaan could testify to that.) And, obviously, the team had not taken it so well.
And, obviously, that meant Wally had not taken it so well either. Because only M'gaan watched Batman worked.
But Batman said nothing. He would wait until the Martian girl left.
She told Robin he could come back to Mount Justice, that everyone would be fine. Batman repressed the urge to snort (the girl was so naïve). But Robin said he would not be returning and M'gaan left it at that, bidding the both of them goodbye.
It was then that tears began to slide down Robin's cheeks (unharmed cheeks, as his face was the only thing that showed no metal).
"You would think that having the Red Tornado as a tutor would help them with this... You would think..."
Batman paused in his attachment of Robin's new skin and pulled the boy close to him in a hug. "I cannot say that it will be alright. But I can tell you that I love you." It was something he had never said, because it had always been understood. But at that moment, Robin needed to hear it. "And I can tell you that that is something that won't ever change." I can also assure you that Wally will regret this, next time I see him.
Robin returned the hug, burying his face in his father's chest. "I love you too."
Bruce realized, that even though Robin's love was also an understood variable, it was another thing entirely to hear it.
—
It was the middle of the night, and Wally had just surreptitiously appeared in the Batcave. Along with Kaldur, and the rest of the team. Though the rest of the team was unconscious.
"...is there something?"
"HQ was attacked," Wally said breathlessly. "But Robin said he had it and that he'd be right back, you see. He told us to run."
Batman wanted to shake the boy for his stupidity. "Robin went to Mount Justice?" How had he missed this? He didn't understand. "What happened? Tell me from the beginning."
The fastest teenager alive told the events from the beginning.
—
How could Kadur and Wally have left him there? Alone? And what of the beeping? What did that –
And then Batman saw the main room, and muttered under his breath, "the beeping."
Wally gulped, walking into the room, taking in the destruction, murmuring under his breath. The others just stared.
M'gaan began to cry.
Batman saw Wally pick up Robin's voice box (which, in theory, shouldn't have survived a self destruction, because that was surely what the beeping Wally spoke of had indicated). M'gaan kept on quietly crying and Batman tried to wrap his head around the mess.
Why...?
Batman walked slowly into the center of the room and began painstakingly picking up all of the metal pieces he could find. Each and every one.
Because his son deserved a funeral. That boy deserved everything. Everything except what had befallen him.
"I can tell you that I love you. And I can tell you that that is something that won't ever change."
"I love you too."
Batman was not ashamed of the tears that flooded his eyes, nor of the fact that he didn't wipe them away.
