There were a few traditions in the Bat-clan, but none of them were any fun.
Well, some of them were entertaining. The tradition of Barbara and Dick trying to figure out what the other had done for their birthdays and anniversaries was sweet. Inviting everyone over for a round of Mario Kart was another good one. Jason was forced to join, of course. It was especially fun when they could convince Bruce to join in-watching the Dark Knight get frustrated over being blue-shelled was hilarious. But otherwise, the traditions were all about work and vengeance and all that boring stuff.
So Stephanie wanted to do something fun.
It wasn't entirely her idea, to be fair. She was out on patrol with Damian and Dick, monitoring a hotspot for bad guy activities. A small alleyway by the port that was shaded even on sunny afternoons. The bricks were all crumbling, and rickety trucks filled with oddly shaped boxes were always driving through. And usually it smelled oddly like sulfur, rather than just garbage.
Villains were kind of predictable sometimes.
"You think it's Joker this time?" She asked.
Damian snorted, as if she said something absurd. "It's going to be Mr. Freeze."
"Why not Joker?"
"Because the shipments we're monitoring were all under intense refrigeration. If you knew anything about transportation, maybe you'd understand what we're doing."
"You just love being a smart-ass, don't you?" She responded dryly.
He smirked arrogantly back. Not quite a smile. That wasn't the Wayne style, after all. "It's a perk of always being right."
Dick interrupted the two before they could start bickering. Lord knows they would have. Not with any malice-Steph liked to think that they were close. But after hours of monitoring with no leads was making everyone antsy. "I think we should take a day off sometime."
Both of them dropped their binoculars, looking over at him like he said they should start using machine guns. He shrugged back.
"Just an idea," he said, looking back at the alleyway. Still nothing. Then his eyes flashed over them again, a playful smile on his face. "We've been in a rut."
"Doesn't that mean we should work harder?" Damian asked, genuinely confused.
Oh, that's what was so upsetting about that kid. She was about to respond with something clever and cutting, surely, but then she stopped. He didn't ask with any snark. Nor did he have any reason to pander to them. It may have sounded simple, unimportant, but Steph knew better. She could hear the meaning behind that.
What he really was saying was "I had never taken a break in my twelve years of existence". The very idea of needing a vacation baffled him.
Boy, at some point he was going to burn out. Hard.
"Nah, sometimes we heroes need breaks. Live a little, will ya?" She pulled his hood over his eyes, smiling.
He scowled before pulling away, perfecting the placement of his yellow hood once again. "I don't need breaks! I'm supposed to become Batman, you know!"
"It'd be fun, baby bat." Dick said, grinning over at him.
"Where should we go?" Steph was already starting to get excited. Not just for Damian-she was thrilled to have a break for herself. Maybe they could be out in the sunlight for once. "There's all sorts of fun stuff around the city."
"It's gotta be really special. Otherwise we can't convince the others to go."
The two of them were silent, thinking as they checked the alleyway once again. It was as empty as their minds, unfortunately. Mr. Freeze and his lackeys were more patient than they get credit for. She imagined going to the beach, with Cass and Timmy and even Bruce. Or maybe they'd all go to a museum of some sort. Bruce would definitely spring for that, but then it would just feel like school. Of course, they could also go-
"How about the state fair?"
Dick and Steph turned to Damian. His offer wavered in the air as he stared down at the alley. There was a slight blush in his cheeks, making him look like a kid, for once.
But being childish and wanting to go to the fair was unacceptable to him, apparently. He quickly added, "It's an entertainment source. It only happens for one week, making it necessary to go for emotional satisfaction. It would have enough variety in entertainment to keep everyone happy without any annoying arguments. And it is happening next month. Is there any more convincing I need to do?"
She couldn't stop smiling. Dick glanced at her, a slight grin playing at his lips. They knew what he meant. It would be fun for everyone. Even him.
"Sure thing, Robin." Dick said, coughing to keep down his beaming grin. "Let's do that."
If Dick agreed, that meant it was a go.
She put her arm around him. "Good idea, mister detective."
"Quit it-you guys are acting weird," he answered, squirming away once again.
Before they could laugh and coo over the little maniac, there was noise from down below. A truck with Mr. Freeze's current pseudonym on the side. With, as Damian told her, heavy refrigerating machinery in the back.
Bingo.
"You were right," she said, pulling her grappling hook out. "Let's go kick some frozen ass."
