Author's Note: After reading some bullying fics as well as one shots were socialites felt the urge to gossip about Dick and Bruce in regards to their relationship (both are pet peeves of mine, as action is never taken to stop either from happening) over the years, I felt that a one shot was needed to show what would really happen if a bunch of bullies at a school for the elite were to attack the adoptive son of the richest man in the city. In other words, dumb people getting what they deserve.
And it felt good writing this.
Please review at the end of this!
Disclaimer: All Rights to Batman Belong to Bob Kane, Bill Finger and DC Comics. All Rights to Young Justice Belong to Cartoon Network and DC Comics.
It was supposed to be easy. Confront some nerd for not doing their homework like they were "assigned" to, pummel him until compliance, and move on to the next person.
It started out so well too...
"Grayson!"
Grayson looked up from his locker and sighed. Richie smiled to himself, apparently someone told him the status quo around here sooner than expected.
"What is it, Beldore?"
Richie threw his fist at Grayson...who ducked just moments before he was hit. His hand collided with metal and Richie howled in pain.
"Shit!"
"Language!" Grayson had the nerve to wag his finger at him, the prick!
Good thing Richie brought back up with him. Zach and Evan were always Plan B.
Richie sneered in spite of his now bleeding hand. "We noticed you weren't doing your part in the community-"
"You mean about getting a job? Dude, I haven't gotten to college yet." Grayson rolled his eyes.
"In this community-" Richie started calmly.
"No. This is a school." Grayson emphasized the word. "And why don't you quit acting like some tough guy, huh? Not gonna get you brownie points in the future."
"You're supposed to do our homework! Next week's algebra for instance, nerd." Zach snarled, finally getting the message across.
"Um...no I'm not." Grayson frowned. "Even if I did, do you really think the teacher's going to believe that you did the work?"
Evan lunged forward and grabbed Grayson by the collar. Richie felt the universe being restored to its natural order. He grabbed Grayson's chin. "Listen, circus freak. You do the work or we'll crush you. Simple and clear."
Grayson actually glared at them, like it was supposed to be intimidating. Too bad it was actually making Richie piss himself a little. "You'll beat me up anyways for fun."
"Pretend it's Wayne doing it to you, then. It'll make you feel like you never left him at all."
A fist flew out and hit Richie in the face. A moment later, he heard the sound of something snapping, Evan screaming bloody murder. When Richie looked up, Grayson's expression was darker. Zach took a few steps back.
"Now...which idiot wants to lose a limb next?"
Richie charged at Grayson...
"Your son's in the principal's office."
Six words. Six words was all it took for Mister Abele Bedore's day to be ruined.
Now most parents would be understandably vexed at being summoned to the headmaster's office in the middle of the day regarding their kid's behavior. However, Abele's kid was attending Gotham Academy, one of the few schools that not only gave a real education, but also required a healthy flow of cash to keep the administrators happy. The learning establishment that had taught his grandfather's grandfather was now going down in memory as the place where his son did the most idiotic thing in his life.
Because it was the incident that he would learn of later on that lead to those six words being said in the first place.
He quietly excused himself from the office, absently aware of the now crushed coffee cup in his hand, the hot liquid burning his skin and staining the sleeve. If there were any chairs knocked over as he stormed out, Abele would have no recollection. Why did this have to happen? Right in the middle of the presentation of his life. Right in the middle of trying to impress his business partner.
Who had dashed out of the room two seconds before Abele did, phone in hand, tone cracking with fury. The glare he received would have melted a glacier.
Whatever Abele's son had tried to do to Bruce Wayne's kid, it must have ended in a bloodbath. On the offending side.
In other words, his son.
"Let me get this straight, son. I had to get out of work early, drive to your school, and beg Mr. Wayne not to press charges against you and your hoodlum friends because you had the bright idea of attacking his kid all because you wanted him to do your homework?! And then you decided to insult him next?!"
"He's a circus fr-"
"I am not finished!" Abele snapped, taking his eyes off the road to glare at his son, who was donning a black eye and multiple bruises on his face. The hand was another thing altogether. "I never thought that you would be that stupid! It doesn't matter whether or not he came from a circus, he is also Bruce Wayne's kid! Do you know how much of my work is tied up in Wayne Enterprises?! Do you know how many people in our circle rely on Wayne to keep their businesses floating?!"
Abele tightened his grip on the wheel. "You want to know something, Richie? I don't like the kid either, I just can't show it. None of us are allowed to show it. Wayne cares about the boy and looked like he wanted to commit murder in the principal's office. His kid looked like he almost did commit murder. Why do you think people have stopped talking about the kid? About what Wayne might be doing to him? Because the last time someone did, he pressed charges for slandering!"
"-you and mom used to say things too-"
"When the kid started hearing it, we had to shut up!" Abele snapped. "Funny thing about saying nasty gossip within the hearing range of an eight year old. They don't like something, they go tell their parents, who will act accordingly. Everyone had to shut up after the first six months because Wayne kept on suing people for harassing his kid! Tabloids were shut down because of him! Do you know how much a person can get charged with for slandering? In what world did you think it would be an even better idea to beat up the same kid who has the richest man in the city as his benefactor?"
"What's your point, Dad?"
"My point." Abele spoke slowly, his face feeling more like a boiling tea kettle each passing moment. "My point is that you don't. Harass. Or assault. A person with connections!"
"Grayson's a Mathlete, who could he have connections with?"
"What part of most of the businesses in Gotham City are tied up in Wayne Enterprises did you not understand?!" Abele had never until this moment realized how idiotic his son was. "Why would you attack Wayne's kid when he has the power to ruin our lives?!"
Richie's expression didn't change.
When they were getting home, Abele was going to talk to his wife, Jessica, and try to figure out how many times the maid dropped their son on his head as an infant to result in such stupidity.
"Let me get this straight." Bruce clenched at the wheel of his Porsche. "You broke two arms, gave four black eyes-"
"Five."
Bruce shot Dick a look that made him shut up. He continued.
"Five black eyes and it didn't occur to you that maybe you could have given away your identity?"
"It did." Dick kept the ice pack on his right check, speaking as if they were both discussing the weather. "But then I thought, 'Wait, I'm going to be beaten up by a bunch of punks within an inch of my life so I'd do their homework for them and I'm not going to make a half-assed effort to defend myself?' I could have gotten hurt. I could have gotten killed! Totally not aster."
"So the impending trip to Leslie's clinic isn't a sign that you're hurt?" Bruce responded in a dry tone. "You can't keep doing things like that, Dick, people will figure out you're Robin."
"Bruce, I am living with the richest man in the city. I'm pretty sure you are able to afford putting me in self-defense classes with the money you make. That's what everyone's going to think, at least. Why can't we just go for that angle instead?" Dick sighed with exasperation.
"Dick, it won't be long until someone realizes something is up-"
"No, Bruce. They won't." Dick cut him off. From the expression on his face, Bruce figured that Dick was keeping this in for a long time. "You keep viewing everyone on an equal playing field in terms of brain power. But may I remind you that we live in a world where people have yet to notice that Superman wears no mask, yet is able to fool everyone with a pair of glasses. Not even Luther's got it figured out and we both know he would have bragged about it at this point in time if he did. We live in a city where crime makes stuff from Sodom look like Candyland. No one is going to question why a thirteen year old is able to pull a few punches in a place like this. Especially when they know that you're my foster father and when I was using only the basics you taught me when I started training. Kiddie stuff."
"So breaking two arms is considered 'kiddie stuff'?"
"That was part of your lessons on how to break out of a grapple. Also when I first started off." Dick sighed at the look thrown at him. "Yes, Bruce. I know that fighting in public is bad, but I'm not going to use tricks that will make people connect me with Robin, I'm smarter than that. But not doing anything to prevent injury that could affect my time as Robin is also bad. Not to mention idiotic."
"I don't pull that kind of stuff when threatened."
"You don't have to, you're an adult and only get kidnapping attempts. It's different for me. I have to worry about attempted kidnapping and bullying threats. If I don't make an effort to defend myself, it'll compromise patrol time. What do you expect me to do?"
Bruce paused for a moment, trying to formulate the right answer. "I'd say don't do it, but you already proved me wrong on that."
He sighed. Dick had been doing so well up until this point.
"At least let me show you some moves to use next time this happens so people won't assume too quickly."
"Deal." Dick grinned. "What about Dumbass and his cronies?"
"How do you think I dealt with the other bullies?" Bruce smirked.
"Scared them as Batman?"
"No, if I went out as Batman and threatened them to not go near you, they'll definitely connect Batman to you. Most of the socialites have business ties with Wayne Enterprises. I'm the main reason most of the companies here are staying afloat. I could cut ties with any business and not be affected by them."
"Apparently, no one gave ole Richie the Idiot the memo." Dick felt sadistic glee knowing that asshole and his friends were going to be sore for a few weeks and face potential expulsion for their actions. After Dick explained his side of the story and mentioned this happening to other students, the principal started making phone calls to parents to confirm Dick's testimony. That was the last time those punks messed with him, that's for sure. Not to mention the first. The week's suspension for fighting was so worth it.
"Oh and by the way, Dick. You're grounded for fighting."
"What?!"
"You admitted to using moves that would deliberately set you apart from Robin and also confessed that it was easy. It would have also been easy if you had only used moves to disable and not injure. I remember showing you non-violent techniques when you started training, as I recall."
"But Bruce-"
"I'm not saying you shouldn't have fought back, but you could have done it better. Is this the first time that this happened?"
"No...and I don't think it'll be the last."
At this, Bruce placed a hand on Dick's shoulder. "You're part of the family, Dick. No one's going to mess with my kid and get away with it. Don't ever forget that."
Dick smiled.
"I won't, Dad."
End Notes: In regards to Dick attacking, he didn't go all out. He might have gotten someone into the emergency room by accident. The idea of most of the businesses in Gotham to rely on Wayne Enterprises doesn't feel far off, so I could see a lot of the socialites depending on this to help with their income.
The gossiping would most likely have been stopped sooner or later. Talking about some kid and suggesting that he was adopted for...less than savory reasons...is bound to get a person into trouble. Especially if the kid in question is Bruce Wayne's kid. The grounds for libel and slander follow:
1. Making a statement
2. Said statement was published
3. The statement was harmful.
4. The statement was false
5. The statement was not privileged (meaning that they wouldn't get away with saying it outside of witness testimony)
Since there has already been gossip regarding Dick being Bruce's...toy...*shudders*, tabloids have published this as fact, Dick was hurt and scared by this, it was clearly BS and there was no excuse for saying this, I'd say Bruce must have made a lot out of pressing charges for defamation of character against his own kid.
Also to the idea of Dick turning the other cheek, he can't and won't do it. He's a masked vigilante who fights on a nightly basis, so the idea of letting some jerks physically assault him is going to be suicide. There's keeping some secrets in the closet and then there's self preservation. Most people will go for self preservation at least 99.9% of the time. This was also shown offscreen in a Batman Black and White comic, where it starts with Dick have some bruises but is also mentioned to have broken at least one collarbone as well.
Bruce can't go after the bullies as Batman for the reasons stated above in the story, which pops up as the resolution to most bullying fics. I always got irritated at that since it is OOC for Bruce to do something that reckless and comes off as hypocritical. It would be too risky to let some punks learn his secret ID if they were smart enough to put two and two together (which they would most likely do in the end).
Thanks for reading this! :)