Just something random I wrote during my breaks at work today. I haven't posted anything DC before, and I'm honestly not sure how well I kept Dick and Damian in character, but oh well. I don't have much plans to continue this, but let me know if you want me to.
Disclaimer: You know the drill.
Four
-Jin
The first time it happened, Nightwing couldn't stop laughing. Late into the patrol, Robin could still hear the hiccuping giggles coming through his small communicator. When they had finally returned back to the manor, Dick Grayson told anyone with ears about it. Damian went to bed with a headache.
In the end, he couldn't really blame the public for being confused. After all, it wasn't like Batman went out of his way to announce that he had adopted another black haired bright eyed orphan and turned them into Robin. It only made sense that they thought Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin we're all new superhero recruits when Robin still stood alongside the masked crusader.
However, it didn't help Damian's mood at being mistaken as Grayson.
Like any story in Gotham, it started on a dark and foggy night. The unnatural yellow glow of windows and street lamps were not enough to illuminate the passing shadows of Nightwing and Robin as they jumped and flipped across the rooftops looking for trouble. It was a normal patrol between the two heroes. Red Robin was off with the Titans and Red Hood was… well, Robin didn't know where that idiot was. All he knew was that his father was off on some mission with the Justice League for the next week and Nightwing was asked to come to Gotham to help protect it.
It almost felt like how it did when Grayson was Batman, more enjoyable in a way. Damian didn't know that he almost missed the mindless chatter and the stupid puns until they were back to a constant drone in his ear. With his father, it was strictly business. Get out, stop crime, go home. Damian almost preferred Grayson's way of doing vigilante work. Not like he'd ever tell him.
Anyway, everything was normal. Normal squeaks of disturbed birds when they jumped roof to roof, normal eerie shadows cast from clouds over the moon, normal police sirens, annoyed alley cats, loose pavement, normal normal normal. It was almost looking like it would be a rare crime free night. The only kind of excitement they ran into was a couple half-hearted muggings and one or two failed drug deals either directed to and hosted by some snot nosed teen.
Just as the sky was looking a hue closer to the smoggy orange-blue day sky and away from the black of night, all hopes of going back to the manor incident free vanished with a scream echoing through the constantly busy city.
Robin and Nightwing had just met up on a skyscraper roof close to the GCPD and were just about to call it a night, but—unfortunately—it was rude to ignore someone in need despite it technically being morning—1am counted as morning—and Robin should be off the clock. Nightwing practically dragged Robin along, spewing nonsense about it didn't matter what time of day it was, one should always try to help someone in need blah blah blah. It was easy for Grayson to say; he was the one who decided to be a vigilante as well as a cop. Judge at night, jury at day or something like that.
Thankfully, it was a simple and classic "multiple sexually frustrated men corner a young woman who just wanted to walk back from work" case, so Robin didn't even have to break a sweat while beating up those street urchins. Nightwing went all out though. The idiot was flipping around and making snarky remarks while the woman watched him with wide, awe filled eyes.
In a matter of seconds, there were five untrained—probably even extremely unattractive to probably every kind of female—perverts either unconscious or restrained enough they weren't that much of a issue. Robin kicked one lightly on their side while Nightwing did his whole "comfort the victim" gimmick. It could be either a few seconds of: "Oh no problem, ma'am, just doing my job" or a whole long speech about how much Nightwing wanted to make sure she got home safely or whatever. It mostly depended on how much of a flirting mood he was in.
Thankfully, Nightwing wasn't in a flirting mood. He was probably as tired and bored as Robin, most likely wanted to go back to the manor, sneak a few peanut butter cookies and then collapse on a couch. So, as protocol, Nightwing simply walked up to the woman and smiled brightly.
"You alright, miss?" He asked. He stood in a relaxed position, letting himself look loose and no more of a threat than a particularly annoying fly. Or at least that was in Robin's perspective. To the woman he probably looked like a guarding angle that descended from heaven singing some joy-filled song; if the pink blush touching her cheeks were anything to go by.
"Yeah…" the woman replied after a few seconds of staring. Her hand lifted to her hair while her fingers twirled the long strands. Robin rolled his eyes and kicked one of the perverts again. "Yes, I'm okay. Thanks to you."
Robin almost wanted to barf, but Nightwing grinned brightly. "Just doing my job, miss…?"
"Ah, Kristan. My name's Kristan."
Ah, the first name. Robin suspected she, like many others, thought this was her chance to become the lovely damsel to some vigilante.
"Miss Kristan," Nightwing said, still grinning. He gently took one of her hands and kissed her fingers. The pink of her cheeks inflamed to red. "You get home safely, okay? My partner and I will take care of these guys." Nightwing let go of her hand and motioned to the perverts. Robin glared and kicked one of the captives who tried to scoot away.
"Oh- okay," the woman said. A disheartened look flushed on her face, but Robin couldn't really care less.
Nightwing said a polite goodbye and then walked over to Robin to so they could call over Commissioner Gordon to pick up the perverts. So they could go home.
Nightwing hadn't taken one step before the woman called out again, sounding nervous. Robin could just barely restrain is groan of annoyance.
"W-wait, um, I just want to say thank you—again—for-"
"We've already said you're welcome," Robin growled out. Nightwing shot Robin an annoyed glance.
"I… know, it's just, a few years ago I was cornered and- and Batman and Robin saved me then too. I was too scared to say anything then, I must have been a teen then…" she leveled her glance on Robin, "so thank you."
Robin narrowed his gaze at her while Nightwing just looked confused. "Judging on your age…" Robin stated slowly, almost apprehensive of how Nightwing and/or the woman would react to what he was going to say—tt, not like he cared or anything. "I wasn't even born when you were a teenager."
The woman looked shocked. "Then… who…?"
Nightwing suddenly burst out laughing. Red appeared on both the woman's and Robin's cheeks—both wondering if they said anything worth laughing about—before Nightwing took a deep breath and looked at the woman.
"Ma'am, I'm pretty sure I was Robin last time you were saved."
The absolute confusion and shock on her face only served to put Nightwing in a more giddy mood. "But… but…"
"Yeah," Nightwing said, his dumb grin widening by the second. "I was the first Robin, but then I grew up and got a new costume." One of Nightwing's arms wrapped around Robin's shoulder. "Squirt here is number four. My distant successor."
The woman looked like she was about to faint. "F… four…"
Thankfully, the woman after that was too mind blown to really make much more conversation after that. She left rather quickly, a blush on her ears, cheeks, and neck that would probably remain for the rest of the day. Gordon arrived not to long after, and only half listened to Nightwing's retelling of the hilarious—Nightwing's opinion, not Robin's—event. An hour later, Grayson burst into the Batcave and retold the whole thing to Alfred who only hummed halfheartingly, probably as fascinated with the tale as Gordon was.
Two hours later, Damian heard Grayson in his room laughing on the phone with one of his friends.
"They never realized there had been multiple Robins'! Wally, I mean, she thought Dami was me. I just-" Grayson cut himself off to giggle. "You should have seen his face!"
Damian rolled his eyes and continued to his own room.
Hopefully, no incidents like that morning would happen again.
How extremely unfortunate for Damian to find that it was just the beginning to a whole cluster of irritating misunderstandings.
-o-o-o-o-
Should I continue? Should I hide this away and pretend I never wrote it?
?