A/N) Here's part two.
I don't really dig the way it turned out - but it's definitely less angsty than the last part.
I guess it's humorous towards the end?
I hope you guys like it.
~Motivation is your Superpower~
Dick's been in Gotham for a week.
But he can't do it.
He can't get himself to go and willingly see Bruce or his new kid. He hasn't even told Babs he's here - but he can't turn around either because . . . because than he really would be running away. Now that he was here though - he was hiding.
Which it technically the same thing when you get down to it.
Dick hates when things twist together like this.
But he doesn't go see either of them.
Babs would probably hate him when she found out. And Bruce - Bruce would just look at him in disappointment or whatever. Alfred would probably be the worst to get through, and Dick has no idea how the new kid would deal.
He's been in Gotham for a week.
He's hiding - beating up bad guys here and there, but hiding nonetheless. He's pretty sure someone was going to catch wind that there's a blue and black clad man beating up thugs near the port soon enough. But for now - he was hiding.
These thoughts usually plague him when he's in the middle of a fight. Like right now. Somebody tried to blow up another guys fishing boat, Dick caught sight of the creep and the next thing he knows, several men in fishing coats and hooks are surrounding him.
Apparently the fish game in Gotham was intense and not to be taken lightly.
He ducks an oncoming fist and grabs a guy's thick hood, he slams him down, throws the hooks in the guy's belt at the others with deadly accuracy, some brave idiot gets a wire around the young hero's neck and pulls him back. This stuff was strong enough to cut through. Dick hacks and elbows the guy in the face, the man screams, Dick grabs him and flips him over, the man goes flying into the cold dark water below.
He's choking for air at the moment - he doesn't see the guy behind him raise a freakin' machete until the man lets out a scream. Dick spins around and falls on his ass. A smaller body is moving through the fisherman - fast and . . . brutal.
Dick winces when he hears bones crack, shrieks cut through the air. The body kicks and punishes and literally attacks these guys like he's about to murder them. Dick gets this feeling this person - was fiercely damaged.
He doesn't realize he's gawking until the figure kicks aside one last bulky fisherman vandalizer. Dusts his hands off like nothing happened and notices Dick staring in the corner.
He steps into the light and Dick's ready to hull himself off the docks.
Robin - Robin stands in front of him and the sight is making Dick dizzy with denial and hatred for being so stupid. This was a bad idea - you shouldn't have come back . . . now you have to face Bruce, Robin - this kid inside the Robin suit.
"Hey, the least you could do is thank me, princess."
The tone - it was sarcastic and instantly grated on Dick's nerves. Little - "I had it under control." He snaps and stands, realizing his undignified position. He kind of got a self-ego boost when he sees he's at least a head taller than the kid.
"Didn't look like it. But whatever. Guess you're shy."
Dick swears this kids trying to piss him off on purpose.
But then - the moment at hand. The air is stiff and quit, except for a few groans. I have to do this - I have to confront this.
"So - you're Robin huh?" He tries, pretty sure fails, to be as casual and non-accusing as possible.
The kid turns to look at him, a smirk pulls his lips. "Yup. And you are?"
Damn him.
Dick resist the urge to punch this kids face.
"Nightwing. Former - " His mouth dries when he says that - "Former Robin." He holds out a hand.
The kid looks at his face, then his hand, then his face again. Dick can't help wondering what he's thinking when the kid grabs his hand and gives it a firm shake.
"Oh yah - that explains the mask." Was he being serious? Dick can't tell if he's being serious or just a prick. "Nice to meet ya. Welp, gotta go - I'm following a lead for these guys and since there all unconscious I gotta go find me a new one." He says cheekily and salutes before spinning around, the cape whooshing in the dark and runs off, boots heavy on the ground but somehow the kid flips onto a Warehouse without a hitch.
Dick just stares. Dumbfounded.
That was Robin?
That was the kid that deserves Robin? Dick's disappointed.
No way Batman could just - accept that. There has to be more. Aside from the kid being violent and probably temperamental - Dick needs to see why the hell this kid deserves to be Robin.
He grits his teeth and decides.
He follows after the kid - he's going to see just who this kid was and why he dares put on Robin.
Dick's pretty sure he'll regret this decision though.
Yup. He regrets it.
He regrets it so much.
Dick's been chasing this kid around Gotham ports for two hours and so far - the punk has beaten up anyone he could get his hands on. It's like there's this flame of rage simmering and sizzling under the kid's skin and it comes out in short terrifying bursts when a goon doesn't give him the answer he wants or when a goon tries to hurt him. It's like - this Kid was a hurricane.
With fire.
And an occasional bomb thrown in.
Dick can't believe Bruce puts up with him. He can't believe Babs puts up with him.
"I don't know where 'Shorty' is I swear!" A bulky guy with stringy hair and a pea coat was blubbering as Robin dangles him off of a roof.
Dick's been silent this entire time. He's been watching, occasionally helping - but this kid doesn't leave room for anything. Dick watches now though, arms crossed, mouth pulled into a thin line as 'Robin' sneers menacingly at the shaking thug.
"Wrong answer." The kid hisses, voice gravely and young but terrifying as he lets. The man. Go.
Dick panics and curses, jumps, and grabs the man mid fall and swings him to the ground. The guy passes out on the cold asphalt from shock. Body convulsing from fear. Dick throws 'Robin' a nasty glare as the kid jumps down from the height.
"What'd you do that for?" The punk has the audacity to look put off. Like, how dare Dick save the guy from his stupidity.
Dick snaps. He's had it. This kid was crazy, he doesn't deserve Robin, Babs is nuts - why the hell would Bruce keep such an uncontrollable kid around and give him the means to be even more uncontrollable?
"What? The hell is wrong with you kid?" Dick snaps.
The boy's stance goes from casual defiance to tense defiance. "'Scuse me?" He snaps back.
"You heard me! Robin - this isn't Robin. You can't just go around scaring the shit out of people and then actually attempting to kill them - "
"Hey!" The punk explodes. Apparently Dick wasn't the only one hiding growing animosity. "Who are you again?"
"You know damn well who I am you little punk. Get over yourself!" Dick cuts in, meaning to punch him with his words.
The kid's eyes narrow behind his mask. "Yah - I don't think so. Who the hell do you think you are? You ain't Batman - so you don't get to tell me what to do, and even then. And - " He gets right up in Dick's face, shadows crossing his own face. "And you sure as hell ain't Robin. So - who are you?" He taunting, he's vicious, he's -
Dick's ready to punch this kid in the face and toss him into the cold water behind him. Both their fists clench and it looks like, for a taut electrical moment, that there was going to be a superhero brawl. Although if you asked Dick- This kid was no hero.
"You're a real ass, kid. Where does Bruce come off giving you, of all people, Robin."
It's like someone poured water over a fire.
Dick feels the sudden burst of deflating as the kid subconsciously backs away, his fight and anger just - just gone.
Then Dick sees it - even if the kid's wearing a mask - Dick sees the fear the anger and the desperation at the thought of - not being Robin. Dick comes to a startling realization - This Kid has already thought of that. He's already thought of how he probably doesn't deserve Robin, he's thought of Bruce kicking him out, he's thought of not being good enough, he's thought of this and -
"Go to hell." The anger is just a cover up. Robin sneers and turns into a sprint to get as far away from Dick as possible.
For the first time since he saw the kid - Dick feels guilty.
"I said, go to hell." Robin snaps as Nightwing lands carefully behind him on the steak out spot.
Dick shakes his head. "I heard you. But - " He lets a dry smirk on his face. "-you're not Batman, and even if you were - "
It's silent for a breathless moment.
Then the kid snorts. It's small and sort of sarcastic but - but it's also amused. Dick thinks that's an ok thing to start over with.
"How long you been tracking these people?"
"Three weeks." Robin answers flatly, eyes trained on the freighter in the dark docks.
Nightwing settles in, only mildly tense - it's still surreal to see the Robin costume next to you instead of on you. "This the wrap up?"
"Yup. Tracked this myself- " He's tooting his own horn. Dick lets him. Although he's still trying to figure this punk out.
"What are they - "
"Shhhh." Robin shushes him and points.
Two men in thick clothes and black beanies over their faces enter the freighter. Well, that's not suspicious at all. Don't these men know this is Gotham? You can't go around dressed like that and go unnoticed. Seriously.
"I'm moving in." Robin hisses to no one in particular.
Dick moves in after him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Robin snaps at him.
"I'm backup."
This seems to irk the kid. "I don't need back up."
"I bet. But I'm coming anyway. P.S. you sound like Batman."
This seems to irk the kid even more. "Whatever, just stay out of my way." And he deftly flips down.
Dick sighs, his anger and suspicion long since dissolved. Now he just wonders about this little monster. Maybe if he finds out what goes on with the kid - maybe him being Robin wouldn't be so gut punching anymore.
He follows the kid into the giant ship. "Hey, where'd you - "
A scream startles him then a loud bang that echoes through the dark metal corridor rings in his ears. So - the new Robin sucks at stealth.
"Hey!" Dick hisses fiercely as he follows the scuffle sounds. He's pretty sure the guards upstairs heard the noise by now. They should be - Right on cue, several mean with guns come pouring in, catch sight of Nightwing and start shooting.
Dick groans in anger and frustration and uses the small space to his advantage, he does get bullet grazed once but he quickly takes care of the offender by smacking him in the face.
The sounds have stopped from below where Robin undoubtedly was.
Dick gets this weird prickly feeling and rushes down there before anything else can happen. He freezes when he burst into the room.
Kids.
Hundreds of kids, all different colors and sizes and ethnicities and . . .and none were older than ten. His heart squeezes and he's ready to puke. These kids look horrible, malnourished, starving, dying kids that were all packed into this small prison like animals to be sold off to another country.
Robin was in there. Dick doesn't know what he expects from him but - but what he sees shocks him.
Robin's in there, talking to the kids. Soothingly, kindly - as he picks the locks on their chains. The kids understand him, they reach out, he reaches back. He gets them all freed -Dick helps with half of them after he's done being horrified and shocked. But he watches Robin, he watches the way this kid handles all these sad miserly individuals.
The punk even picks up a small little girl barely four with dark eyes and puts her on his back, she can hardly stand. Dick watches as Robin instructs them to follow him, ensures them the bad men are gone - Dick watches as this Robin turns into something else entirely. The rage is still there, the anger that crackles under his skin - but then there's something else. There's this. . . deep real understanding for these kids. A connection - like . . . Dick swallows. Like this Robin knows what it feels like to be a sad miserly little kid starving for food and affection and -
"You comin' or what?" Robin snaps at the older hero.
Dick nods numbly and grabs a few wobbly kids' hands. "Let's get out of here."
"Finally, something we agree on." Robin says flatly. Dick sees the weak attempt of a smirk and takes it.
This Robin - this Robin was different. So, so different. But . . .
But that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be Robin.
They get the kids out, they hustle them into one spot and call the cops. They can't do anything else with them and Dick has a mini heart attack when Robin calls Batman to tell him what's happened.
"And the kids?" Batman's gruff voice filters through the com.
Robin snorts. "Safe and sound, starving but alive."
Dick waits. The com goes silent. His neck hairs prickle, he's not sure why.
"Good work, Robin."
Dick feels the tension evaporate. He shocks himself with the relief he feels on behalf of this punk. Said punk grins. Big and wide and cheeky and Dick sees what Babs' said - he's a brat but . . . he's a good kid.
"Thanks B."
The coms click off and they go back to waiting for the cops. The kids huddle together in fear but slowly growing relief at having been rescued finally. Robin crouches down and talks to some of the timid ones. They adore him.
Dick's shocked at how quickly these kids trust him, how quickly they attach to him. He feels guilt again. Anger - but not at Bruce or Robin. At himself. He's the one who let Robin go. He's the one who told Bruce he could be his own hero. He was Nightwing now. It wasn't fair - maybe, maybe Robin doesn't deserve to disappear forever. Maybe Bruce did right to give Robin to someone else, to bring Robin back to life.
Maybe Robin would always be needed by more than just Batman.
"Hey, Robin." Dick expects to cringe when he says the words. But he doesn't. He's just sort of fallen into a calm acceptance. Not completely healed at being replaced but - acceptance was a good step.
Robin looks up at him, Dick sees the kid's shoulders raise and tense up. The way he does it looks like a tick he's picked up way before Bruce made him Robin, Dick shakes his head.
Oh yah, this kid was different. "Nice job." He says calmly and holds out a hand. This was the first step. The first step to accepting he's moved on and so has Bruce. The first step to accepting someone else can be Robin. Different or not. This kid had a heart in there and that's what matters.
Robin looks surprised for a second then he smirks and takes Nightwing's hand. "I know."
Dick's eye brow twitches.
Then Robin looks down at his shoes and suddenly looks like an entirely different kid. "He always said you were the best you know." He looks up and meets Dick's eyes with a hint of resentment. "He always says how - how great of a Robin you were and . . . and I'm not you so - " He rubs the back of his head sheepishly but defiant. "So yah. S'why I was an ass the first time. Sorry."
Oh.
Oh. That - that explains a lot actually. Funny . . . Dick almost laughs. Here he was being jealous because he thought Bruce replaced him with this punk and this punk was being a punk because he's jealous because Dick was Bruce's first Robin . . . man, this was all so over dramatic and so not worth the energy.
Dick gives in. He laughs, this surprises Robin.
"Good to know." He snickers again and puts a hand on the kid's shoulder. "We've got more in common than I thought." After a moment he tilts his head and smiles. "Nice to meet you Robin."
Robin grins. "You too, Robin."
"Ex-Robin." Dick doesn't know why that feels good to get out. "But I don't think I have to worry about that anymore. You're good. A lot of rage in you but - but you're good at this. Maybe I'll come around more often, teach you how to properly Robin."
"Psht, I don't need lessons, I'm awesome the way I am."
Dick rolls his eyes. "Yah - maybe tone down the maiming though."
Robin shrugs. "I'll think about it."
"Yah."
Sirens sound off in the distance. Well - time to go. Both of them reach for their grapplers at the same time and smirk at each other.
"See ya around - Robin." Dick says and he mean's it.
Robin nods firmly. "Yah. See ya."
And they both swing off into the dark as Gotham PD pulls up to finish their jobs.
"So?" Bab's voice sounds off in his ear through the phone.
Dick shrugs and presses fingers gingerly to a bruise on his side as he peers at his half naked self in the bathroom mirror, phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. "So what?"
"I know for a fact that you met Robin." She snaps, as if how dare he has the audacity to think she wouldn't find out.
"Oh. That."
"Yes that. Don't bullshit me, Dick." She's getting impatient.
Dick smirks and pulls a band aid over the cut on his cheek. "You were right. He is a brat. Definitely a jerk." But he doesn't mean it as harshly as he should have.
Barbara sighs through a laugh. "You didn't try to maim him did you?"
"Very nearly."
"Dick!"
"It's fine. He probably could have taken it. He's - he's tough. A bit reckless and wild but - "
"Yah, he takes some getting used to." There's a smile in her voice and Dick suddenly wonders how long ago did she meet the kid and - how close did she get with this new Robin anyway?
"I guess he does. You tell Bruce I'm in town yet?" He doesn't want to think about that but -
"No. He probably knows though." She says carefully.
It clicks to Dick then. "That why Robin just happened to be at the docs tonight?"
"Probably."
"Ass."
"He certainly is. But - he misses you. I think, that's why Jason was a jerk at first. Because he sees what you don't see and he sees how much Bruce misses you. I don't know why - " Dick can practically hear her eyes roll. "But Jason seems to believe he has a lot to live up to and it frustrates him. Just like getting replaced frustrates you."
"Yah, I got that." He did, it's probably why he wasn't even pissed off at Bruce for sending Jason - Robin - out to the docs.
"Good."
Suddenly a loud bang startles them and Dick hears muffled yelling before, where ever Barbara was, suddenly becomes very loud.
"You're not at home?" Dick raises a brow at the mirror.
"No I - "
"Screw him!"
"Is that - "
"Yah . . . um, Jason could you, maybe, calm down - "
"I'm not calming down! Bruce is being a jerk again and I - who are you talking to?"
Dick feels weird listening to this.
"None of your business. Calm down and go read a book or something." Babs says firmly, like she's a mom or something.
Dick snorts.
"Quiet you." Babs hisses at him through the phone. "I don't need you to - hey! Jason hand that back, I swear, I will kill all of your video games if you - "
"Hello? Are you Barbie's boyfriend, girlfriend, or the pizza delivery guy? Either way, isn't she such a nagging old lady?" The voice is young and brighter, still a bit gravely.
Dick chokes and laughs. He literally bends over and laughs as Babs starts cursing at the kid and the punk's still talking into the phone.
"I swear to god Jason!" Babs shrieks, Dick hears the scuffle, he kind of wishes he could see it, and a loud slap echoes through the phone. Dick winces at the kid groans and something hits the phone with a sharp thud.
"Geez, you aren't any fun, Barbie."
"You're a jack ass."
"Thank you."
"Jason." Her tone is warning, threatening, like she sounds when she's trying to talk Dick out of doing something stupid and Dick knows at that moment - this kid was more than Robin. This kid was family now -
"Hey, lemme talk to him for a sec." He says suddenly.
Babs scoffs and hands the phone to the kid.
"Seriously?" Jason sounds excited. "Is it the pizza delivery dude? Because I have a serious craving for an all meat supreme right now and Alfred won't - "
"Tell them to deliver it to the garage. It's closer to your room and easier to sneak in that way." Dick snickers.
Jason goes silent on the line.
Than. "You? Nightwing - x-robin?"
"Yup. You can call me Dick though."
"What? I thought I did that already?"
A sharp slap sounds off and the kid curses and whines.
Dick snorts. "You are?"
"Jason. Jason Todd. Does that Pizza sneak in strategy work? Have you done it before?" Jason suddenly sounds excited about that.
Dick smiles to himself and pulls on a shirt. "Yah, just watch your back. Alfred can swoop in when you least expect it."
"I know right! He's like a freakin ninja, man, he scares me."
"Yah." Dick laughs, Jason snickers on his end and they hear Barbara groan loudly.
"What have I done." She gasps behind Jason.
Both boys grin at the same time though neither can see each other.
"So - when do I get to meet you without the mask?" Jason says suddenly.
"Saturday?"
"Yah!" The excitement Jason gives off surprises Dick - maybe he is a brat but . . . but Dick didn't expect the kid to actually want to hang out with his predecessor.
"Cool. We'll get pizza."
Dick goes to sleep that night with a semi grin on his face.
Ok, so - this Kid could keep Robin.
For now.
A/N) I Think if they really wanted to, the comic writers could have made Jason's and Dick relationship a little less regretful before the kid died.
One can only dream.
I like kid Jason though. He's such a little Troll ;P
