Wally and I, we are best friends, and are going to stick together for now on. As bros.
1 Year Later: So, Bruce has to some pretty high standards. But I always know I can reach them. I do reach them. But gaining overconfidence isn't something I can afford to do. We all know Kid Flash, right?
I still hide, I still stay under. I still read and stay in my own. Its simple, but Bruce doesn't like how I speak, and open my mouth more often then I ever did. He sometimes call me big mouth when he is angry... nnn... that room is someday going to be the room I die in. It's my prison cell when I'm grounded. Grrr... I wonder if he realizes the more time I spend in there, the more time I get to figure out how to get out. He absolutely hates attitude, he hates it when I try to be boss, he hates it when I ask a lot of questions. He hates a lot of things. But lets just make this clear, I'm in that stupid room right now because he is going after scarecrow. Lets just take a back flash real quick...
2 hours earlier: I was fighting the simulator, a training robot in the bat-cave. "Come on! This thing is stupid!" I blurted out trying to get Bruce's attention so he'd spar with me. But with this distraction...
"Focus! If you keep taking you brain out of the game, then your component won't hold back to take the kill. Now get back up!" He stressed.
I got to my feet again, but still out of focus. The bot hit me again, and I hit the ground harshly. *Robin, you were defeated.*
"DA!" I laid there, my hands covering my eyes, a head ache was bothering me all day. The light from the computer was killing me from where I was now. When I removed my hands, I saw that Bruce was standing over me.
"Up."
"Bruce..."
"Stop complaining and get up, now." He stressed the now.
"This has gotta be considered torture to a child in the book." I whispered to myself. "No, why would he care..."
"I heard that."
"You were supposed to..." No... he wasn't
"In the field, you should know by now. They aren't going to have mercy just because your 11."
"I'm 12, Bruce. I've been 12 not for almost 8 months."
"Point is, they aren't going to keep you alive just because your a kid. They don't feel pity just because your small and young. If anything they'd try to convince you to their side."
"You seriously think I don't know that?" I didn't realize how close he was to me when I said that. He had popped me in the back of my head, popped... no, he hit me. "Oww!"
"Shut your big mouth because break time is over. In the field..."
"You don't get a break till the job is done, and in Horror city, the job is never..." He hit me again from the back of my head.
"Watch the attitude!"
"K! got it..." Nope. Not really.
I started walking away... "Richard..." He isn't happy, he used my real name. "Your acting strange."
"So."
"Why? Do I leave you alone to much."
"I'm fine. Just got a head ache. And don't waste your breath... Villains don't take head aches or sick calls as an excuse either."
"I'm serious, Dick. I want you to take this seriously."
"I do!"
"Then stop using attitude towards me."
"Sorry to intrude Master Bruce and Master Richard but I believe the dynamic duo is needed in Gotham... soon." Bruce then turned on the scanners.
"Scarecrow... He's at it again."
"Finally!"
"hilarious."
"What?"
"Your staying here."
"What? Why? You have just as much fear as I do. If not more."
"What, you dwell..."
"I don't dwell."
"No. Your staying here. If he hits both of us as one target, then we are both in trouble. Then there is you and your little acts today. Your not prepared to perform against Scarecrow."
Bruce Wayne: He is acting... unlike himself. I keep wondering if I am putting to much stress on him. I know stress basically eats him alive. I'll give him a break, but for right now, he is being stubborn again, his pearl blues grew devious. The room, the... he stressed the the, The room. Because its where he goes if he is grounded or ban from patrol. Do I like it, no. But I know what he is capable of doing when he is feeling devious.
I'm getting concerned though, about him. He is acting rudely, disobeying. Just a few years ago, he was to shy to even talk a full sentence. Now he isn't afraid to back talk. He is growing up, thats the truth... and like any other parent, I wish he could stay that little kid I first knew him as. I even wish he'd someday call me dad. But... I know how family is to him, I know I can't replace them.
"You still treat me like a kid!"
"News flash, Dick Grayson, you are a kid."
"Thats not how you ever treat me though! I've tried my best for 3 years to grow up to please you! And you still think I'm acting like that 9 year old! I don't get the respect I deserve from anyone but I always wish to come down here and get the right respect. I really do try Bruce, to be the best I can be for you, but your making it to hard. I can't meet your always rising standards. Not to my pleasment anyways. I've been your partner for 3 years, I knew so long ago I was giving up a normal childhood with you. But..."
"I'm making you grow up too fast... The standards are still high, even for the best. I do leave you alone to much, don't I? I'm sorry Dick. I'm really sorry. I'll stop putting so much pressure on you."
"I really do try Bruce..." I love though that he still has real emotion. Along with the acting happy emotion. Dick is full of excitement and energy, and I keep him from expressing it. I kneeled down and embraced the boy.
Over the years, Dick may not know it all the time, but I feel like the proudest person watching him grow up. I don't want him growing up so fast. I want him to stay the energetic kis he is. He grows up, and he'll leave. Fly from the nest and start his own life, own identity, and will probably not want me apart of it...
But there is always something... something there is for Dick to find out next. He is the smartest kid I've ever met. I don't want that to change. I don't want him to grow up so much, but he really is. He has grown 2 inches is not what I mean. I love the boy like my own son. Even though he is Robin, with Batman and Robin the fearless dynamic duo, I still want to protect him. If he finds out that Zucco is walking freely, and has been for over 2 years, Dick will want to go after him. The reason I don't tell him, is because if he goes after Zucco, Dick is going to let his emotions take the better of him, and Zucco with take advantage of that. I don't want Tony Zucco to take my child from me, for good. Just like if someone were going to take him from me, or take him from this world, they'd pay of course. And I'd do whatever to get my boy back. Its why I try to keep him away from maniacs, but he is better now, I can't keep doing this to Robin or Dick.
"I can't fight Scarecrow alone. The difference between you and I, is that I've become who I am to avenge my parents, and dwell in multiple way over it. You don't dwell but move forward. Though its in your thoughts, you can fight past it. You have few fears, making you the stronger one against him... I'm just to afraid to admit it, because I'm scared that if he does get to you, he'll take you from me. But I can't play it by if. Can I?"
"Am I comin' with?" Oh yes... his english is Gothamized, Americanized.
"We are the dynamic duo, aren't we?" He hugged me tighter. "Alright... one half of this duo can't breathe." He let go then ran off quick to get dressed.
But when we got to it, things were unfortunate...
Scarecrow got Batman with fear toxin, and even though my mentor fought, he wouldn't be able to take him down, it was an over doce. I was in Scarecrow's grasp, he made me watch my fallen mentor. My hands were being held behind my back and my body was being held to his. He had a hand over my mouth. "So what is it our birdy fears. Dying? Spiders? Ghosts? Any of the practical kiddy fears? What about heights? Or even better... Batman. How does he treat you? Is he whom your afraid of?"
"Its non of your business!" I finally throw him over my back. But notice something, he had drugged me with fear gas...