Disclaimer: (the very words of my neighbor, Mr. Jenkins) "I don't own nothing! Now get off my lawn and stop playing with my hose!"
"South Beach Diet, people, what's going on?" – Mr. Lancer, the man who curses with book names instead of real curse words. Gotta admire his sheistiness.
Quick A/N: I LOVE you people! I didn't not expect to get SIX (I'm not sure if I got more while writing this or what) reviews (all of them good, mind you), I've never gotten that many! 596 hits! As the Japanese say, "YETAH!" And the reason I put Robin's guess name El Fonzo is because my sister said she wanted to write a boy's name over and over again on her papers, trying to psych people out, and I told her El Fonzo. To which she replied with a harsh stare and walked away to ask my other sister the same question. BTW, also glad you guys are okay with the fact Robin is scoring with a college girl. I personally think he deserves it :D Anyways, on with the story…
Gotham City
11:30 p.m.
Daphne turned the wheel and the Prius rounded the curve like a dream. The sheets of rain that pounded on to the pavement of Gotham's dark inner square were easily wiped away with the vehicle's automated window-wipers. The rain somehow made her feel good, like being in the warm, coffee-scented interior of the car, compared to the outer downpour made her feel safe and secure, maybe even cozy. Most of the lights hand gone off in the city's bank, cafés and other buildings, including Wayne Industries, but lights for clubs and bars and "The Briny Irish Pub" where still fully intact and their neon pinks, yellows, and blues reflected on her face and shone onto the boy in the passenger seat. Sitting next to the Boy Wonder also made her feel safe and secure, and as his head rested on her shoulder, even cozy.
Their date at the pier had gone swimmingly. Of course, there weren't as many people as the first day, but it was still quite packed to her suiting. She and Richard both loved messing with people. Like, as she had dared him, going up to random people and asking if they were going to finish their jacket and if they could have it if they weren't. But besides that fact, it was also a great evening alone. He, despite of the gesture being archetypal, won her a stuffed animal, around seven times over. She had to admit, he was good at aiming projectiles, such as getting the rings around the bottles, getting a golf ball on a raft in a kiddy pool, knocking over a pyramid of stacked cans with one throw. She wondered a little about that skill, but it didn't eat at her too badly. Then, when the Ferris wheel "accidentally" (he was actually more of a Boy Genius than Boy Wonder) stopped when they were suspended at the top, they shared their first kiss. And it was then, when they both opened their eyes again, that the blonde realized this was the first time he hadn't worn his sunglasses around her.
The thirteen-year-old shifted a little in his seat, but his breathing remained soft and his face remained distant.
He was also cunning, she contemplated. He had rigged Bruce's spyware to make it look like he was still in his room, as if he had been there the whole night. And as far as his guardian was concerned, he was.
He stirred again and snuggled up to her arm that was free from driving. She let out a muted "Aww!" then kept her eyes back on the road. Richard was also the kind of guy that let her put her head on his shoulder and wrap his arm around her, but also let her do the same. Which she admired, considering none of her old, immature (irony) boyfriends would let her do that in public. They thought of it as embarrassing, while he thought of it as getting even. And of course, once they had gotten into the car, he had fallen asleep, meaning she was going to have to sneak him back into his room undetected. Easier said than done. But honestly, she did not want to wake him.
The phosphorescent signs and billboards faded back as she drove closer to the outskirts of town. Completely immersed in shadow, with only the two headlights to guide her, which had the light glow not unlike that of margarine, spilling out into the road ahead, the pressing darkness outside of the car seemed to be lagging behind, maybe even scurrying behind her if she looked hard enough, but it was still pure onyx. Normally the sky was littered with stars and really had an amethyst complexion, but she sacrificed the beauty of the night for the direction and the safety of the journey. Soon, she could faintly make out the outline of the mountain that supported the Wayne Manor on the other side of the overhang. Once the winding road faded off into dust, she turned off the headlights (so no occupants of the mansion would see the intruder), and parked beside the thick patch of bushes that traced the parking lot. She opened her door silently, then opened his with the same easeful, soundless grace. She threw him over her shoulder, then ran to the wall that lined the bushes. Finally, the window to his room loomed in the distance, and she did her best to fit both she and Richard. Miraculously, she found her footing and got him safely inside. After laying him down on the dreary bed, she had one leg swung out the window when she remembered something. She walked back to the bed and gave him one last kiss on the cheek before she dived, head-first, back into the merciless, impenetrable night. But not without the practical carefulness. Because, even she knew, every night in Gotham could be her last.
Mount Justice
7:30 p.m.
"D.P.?"
"Daaang," Wally drew out a long breath, "perfect timing. That's Robin's phone."
"He has to initial names? In his contacts list? What, is he keeping secrets from his phone, too?"
"Daaang," Superboy commented, much like Wally had, "look at this picture!" He held up the silver, cellular phone, so that the screen was pointed outward. On the ID picture was a blonde girl, around nineteen, in a plaid skirt, short, white undershirt, and navy blazer. Even Kaldur couldn't help himself,
"Daaang!"
"Who is that?" M'gann questioned.
"I don't know," replied Wally, "But I want to…"
"Read the text message," Artemis pressed, rolling her eyes at the sexist boys that were sadly part of her team.
"But that is his own private property." Kaldur tried to persuade.
"Oh, sure, now you're Mister Voice of Reason! I'm sure you didn't mind going through his phone when looking at D.P."
"If you won't, I will." Superboy took the phone back from their peering eyes (and dropped jaws) to read the text aloud, "Yo, R! Srry bout wat happened, u think maybe we could see each other still? Missing u already. XOXO – Gotham Girl."
"I think Kaldur's truth or dare actually did have some truth to it." smiled Artemis.
Wayne Manor
11:35 p.m.
Alfred sighed as he watched the footage from the security tapes. He was sure going to get an earful from Bruce about this matter. Well, disobedient is as disobedient does. And maybe he would have to be disobedient to cover up the fact he just saw his niece sneak Richard back into his room after hours. And if he did conceal this mess, it would be Daphne that would be getting an earful, not him. And he guessed he could live with that. He double clicked on the file and began pressing delete to hours of film that had to be fabricated for Master Bruce by morning. So, in short, long night for our favorite butler.
Wayne Manor
5:30 a.m.
Robin was hopping, unbalanced, on one leg in attempt to get his right boot on. He would, as he swore, have dextrophobia after all of this was over. Putting a hand down on the counter of the walk-in bathroom, his stance seemed to resemble more of a cheating quads stretch. For an acrobat, it was pretty sad. Once his foot finally slipped into the disagreeable boot, the door to his room had cracked open.
"Richard." It was Bruce, in uniform.
"Yes?"
"I've decided that grounding you here was too harsh." A wave of relief washed over his expression. Finally he wouldn't have to let guilt eat him alive, because, as long as Daphne was in town, he was going to see her.
"Really?"
"Yes. I scrutinized your grounding in such high criteria, that I think it must've been a little intimidating. I mean, you couldn't flinch without me knowing it." This is when he became suspicious that maybe his legal guardian had found out about his little outing to the fair. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he scratched the back of his neck.
"Yeah, it was a little intimidating."
"Exactly." Bruce concurred, "That's why you're going to work out the rest of your grounding at Mount Justice."
"What?" Robin was taken aback. He thought he was getting off the hook, not getting off of it only to be put on a sharper one.
"You didn't honestly believe I would lift all of your punishment simply because you mopped in your room all day, did you?"
"No, sir."
"Don't act so glum," he gave what felt like to him a comforting smile (but in actuality scaring Robin even more so), and added, "it's character building. You know, get to know your team. You kids are the future of the Justice League, you should start making tight relations now." He was a little on the edge about that "kids" comment, considering he hadn't been a kid in five months, but he knew, no matter how hard he tried, he would always be a kid in his eyes.
"Yes, sir."
Mount Justice
7:30 a.m.
M'gann was in the kitchen, trying, once again, to master the art of Earthly cooking when she finally noticed the boy sitting on the couch, finagling the minute joy stick that controlled the PSP.
"Robin!" she gasped, dropping a bowl she was about to pour the waffle mix into, "How long have you been sitting there? You didn't spend the night again, did you?" there was a high-pitched note of concern in that last question. She probably thought worse of his enigmatic, at-home life.
Despite her worried tone, he nonchalantly pulled up his dark sleeve and glanced at the time,
"An hour, give or take a few minutes." he answered, then channeled his attention back to the game in his hand, palpably on mute not to wake the other residents of the cave.
"Have you eaten?" the Martian inquired, her words dripping with that same concern.
"Yeah." he replied. If he had acknowledged her worry, he did a great job of hiding it. Robin knew Bats said to have tight relations with the team, but, without Wally or Kaldur, he really didn't feel like trying to make small talk with Miss Manhunter.
"Mhmm…" she murmured in concurrence, heading back to the waffles, knowing conversing with the younger boy was fruitless.
She continued with her cooking as he busied himself with the portable. After half an hour of silence, Superboy walked in. Robin sighed inwardly.
"'Morning, Superboy."
"Nice to see you up before noon, Connor."
"Connor?" Robin looked surprised at the clone being called such an earthly name, while he was anything but.
"Yeah," Connor smiled at M'gann, "you missed a lot after our mission last night. But I'm sure you probably had your hands full with…?"
"Batman." he retorted with brute force, then added, a little softer, what with the first reply acting like a reflex, or maybe even a defense, "He, uh, needed me for something."
"Something…?"
"Security at the base. It's becoming obsolete to new-age hackers, so he sent me to update it." he finalized his excuse.
"Then why are you here so early?" his eyes narrowed to azure slits, "You're never here so early."
"Well…uh, you see," here he tried to mumble some incoherent words that he hoped would pass for a name, "…is out of town, so," more inarticulate words spilled out of his mouth, "told me to stay here."
"So, let me get this straight, neislhhyneouytndhpalrbns is out of town and told you to stay here?"
"Do you have an accent or something? You say his name funny."
"Grr…" Superboy growled before M'gann placed a hand on his shoulder in attempt to calm him.
"So, he doesn't trust you home alone, but he'll put you with a bunch of teenagers he doesn't know?"
"Sorta." They both waited for him to add on to the blunt comment, but he never did.
"Well, how long is he going to be out of town?"
"Maybe a week, I don't know, I don't keep tabs on him."
"Isn't he your father?" M'gann swore she saw Robin flinch, maybe even pause, if she dare say it.
"No." he replied in a small voice.
"Oh. Then who is he?"
"What about you? Isn't J'onn your father?" he questioned harshly.
"No."
"Oh." he mocked, "Then who is he?" She went back into the kitchen and continued with her cooking. Superboy gave him a look that was the equivalency of spitting on him and followed M'gann back into the small kitchen and tried to speak in inaudible voices so the Boy Wonder wouldn't hear them. But despite the attempt, which he found cute, Robin heard them conversing loud and clear.
AN:
Sorry, I know this chapter was short and took so long. It was my brother's birthday on Friday, so the day I started this, we went to celebrate and didn't get back 'till really late, then on Saturday I went to the mall (mostly for Hot Topic) so I could get his present (Adventure Time hoodie that had the hood shaped like Finn's hat) and an 80's costume I needed for chorus. So before church today I finally finished this. I promise, the next chapter will be stupendous. Sorta. Well, for a thirteen-year-old it will be.