CHAPTER-3
Two days later, Dick was back at the Batcave, slightly red-faced out of exhaustion from sparring with Bruce, who had returned from his trip to South America after the shocking news from Alfred that his ward had undergone a serious transformation after a zeta tube accident.
"What do you mean transformation?" Bruce had asked looking at the screen.
"Perhaps it is best if you got here yourself, Master Wayne?" Alfred had replied quite benignly.
"That may not be possible right now. I just got Intel that Ra's Al Ghul is here as a benefactor."
"I understand but-…"
"Hey Bruce," Dick had said edging himself into the screen besides Alfred.
For what it was worth, Dick thought that his mentor's reaction was genuinely reflective of what he had imagined would happen. In a span of few seconds, Bruce's eyes flickered over his appearance before his expression hardened and he said, "I'll be home in six hours."
Back in the cave, his mentor was turning up the intensity of their fight as Dick felt himself being slowly backed into a corner.
"I need to know your level of performance hasn't dipped," Bruce said over the fighting. "You're not going back into the field before I know what you can do."
In a row of three kicks, Bruce had him literally shielding himself with his elbows.
"Your technique is sloppier," Bruce said. "Duly noted"
"Hey, it's not exactly easy fighting in a new body!"
"Less complaining more fighting," Bruce said throwing a punch at Dick which made him cross his hands in an attempt to block.
It was an hour later that Dick walked away from the training platform with a hurt ego and a completely battered body. With a towel in his hand, he began drying himself as he sat on the steps that led to the Computer. He couldn't help but feel self-conscious as he patted down certain parts of himself.
"Is Master Grayson happy with the training attire I chose for him?" Alfred asked as he came in holding a tray of refreshments.
"It's… satisfactory," Dick replied taking a glass of what looked like orange juice.
"Well, I thought that you might prefer an outfit that showed minimal skin given your current predicament."
"Yup, that I do."
"I must say, Master Grayson, I feel guilty of treating you with such indifference that night you showed up at the manor. I had no idea it was you."
"Hey C'mon Alfie," he smiled rubbing his hair vigorously with the towel, "You were just doing your job and you know I can't hold a grudge against you."
"You are most forgiving sir. That being said, if you use that much force on 'drying' your hair, you risk going bald"
"It's too long. I don't what to do," Dick replied feeling blood rush to his face.
"Then perhaps a haircut?"
"We can do that?"
"In my lifetime, I have known many a girl who has felt long hair was unsuited for them. So they often went for something shorter, trendier and more manageable."
"That might actually work."
"The parlor then sir?"
"We can do it now?"
"As long as you're ready sir."
"Great! But just so we're clear, I'm not a girl Alfred."
"Oh yes Master Grayson, I'm perfectly clear on that." Alfred smiled.
"It's just that you look like one."
"Since I have already established you're not a Cadmus clone," Bruce began as he sat in front of the Batcomputer dressed in his Bat-suit while his cowl hung limp behind his neck, "I have-"
"Wait a minute," Dick asked in his plain trousers and jacket, "How'd you know I'm not a clone?"
"Miss Martian testified that when she read your mind there were no signs of psychological programming she could detect. Unlike Roy Harper and Superboy, your mind is clean."
"But what if I'm the first of a next generation of superior clones with programming no mind reader could detect?"
It was with elaborate slowness that Bruce turned to him with narrowed eyes.
"Sorry," Dick murmured. "Go on."
"A sample of your blood was sent separately to Lucius Fox as well as to a trusted scientist at Star Labs. They will discretely try their best to obtain a cure for your condition."
"How long will that take?"
"I don't know," Bruce said turning to him again but this time with something akin to sympathy in his eyes. "Finding a cure for body transformation might prove to be somewhat… difficult."
"So I could be stuck like this… forever?" he asked trying to keep his voice even.
"There are people working to help you, highly skilled people at the top of their profession."
"Yeah I get it," he sighed.
"I know," Bruce began after a brief silence, "that after what happened with your parents, you didn't want bad things happening to you again."
"Do you?"
"You know I understand better than anyone"
Dick simply lowered himself down the steps as he began walking away.
"I'm sorry Dick. I really am."
"Team," Batman began as he faced the squadron of protégés inside Mount Justice, "a week ago there was an isolated incident that happened with the zeta tube used for teleportation to Mount Justice. And by incident, I mean one of you stole an experimental fluid that Martian Manhunter himself brought back from Mars and spilled it on the inner wiring of the Zeta tube while repairing it,"
Silent as the teenagers were, it was Artemis who elbowed Wally in the stomach which made him dry cough for a full thirty seconds.
"You didn't have to do that," Wally said gasping for air. "Everyone knows it was me"
"Unfortunately, isolated as the incident was, one of your team members – Robin, unaware of the tampering with the tube used it to get back to Gotham only for the tube to stop working afterward and he himself undergoing radical changes to his physique"
"Duh, he turned into a girl," said someone, which led to everyone staring at Superboy.
"What? Did I say that out loud?" he asked.
Batman narrowed his eyebrows as he continued, "Since I am here with your next mission and because he's back to peak condition albeit a little different than before, I welcome back… Designation B01 - Robin to the squad."
With that announcement, Dick stepped into the briefing room dressed in his new Robin costume, which to his disappointment had the same design as his previous one but had been modified to now fit his more feline physique.
He didn't know what to expect from the team, but total silence was not a good indicator of a warm welcome. He started to blush.
"Holy cow…" said Artemis and Zatanna together after looking slack-jawed for an entire minute. "They weren't kidding"
Aqualad looked discomfited for a while but he regained his noble countenance almost immediately. It was he who first stepped towards him confidently and putting a hand on his shoulder, said, "Girl or boy, you have been sorely missed in this team Robin," which was enough to kill some of the awkward tension. Immediately, a hubbub of chatter surrounded him as the entire team began pouring new queries.
"I don't get it," Superboy said somewhat grumpy, "you could have changed your name. Why stick to Robin? I would have changed mine."
"And call yourself what Supergirl?" Dick asked with a chortle.
"No, but that's only because it's taken"
"Yeah, I second that!" Wally raised his hand facing Conner. "You should have gone with something different dude. And for the record, are you like the girl wonder now?"
"Team," Batman interrupted just as Dick was about to retaliate.
"Mission briefing in five, the President's life is in danger"
Author's note: I realized while writing this chapter that Alfred is such a fun character to write for. His relationship with the entire Bat family makes him so unique. Writing his parts have been so enjoyable.
Thank you to all who have followed, favorited and reviewed this story. It really means so much and it seriously helps keep my motivation up.
