Dick is back in the town he grew up in, and he loves it. It weird for him to be back here, he hasn't been back since he left Bruce that night, he hasn't spoken to him since. He still talks to Alfred on the phone every week or so, and he calls Barbara often, but he hasn't even thought about calling him.
He's currently looking for one of the right hand guys, for one of the major players in Bludhaven, to no avail. He's been looking for over an hour and still hasn't found the guy. He's checked the normal bars and clubs that low life's hide at, but still nothing.
Then as he's running across roof tops he realizes he's being tailed. He jumps of the room and lands gracefully onto another. He hears a thump as the chaser lands, oh so subtly. Dick turns his head and sees a familiar costume of red, green, and yellow.
Now Dick stops running and tackles the pretender. "Who are you?" Dick asks puzzled.
"Get off of him now!" A familiar voice growls. Dick looks up to see Bruce standing there glaring with his signature scowl, that would make any common criminal piss his pants. Though he's not a common criminal.
"Who the hell is this kid Bats?" Dick asks standing up.
Bruce's face softens once he realizes who it is. "I'm his partner!" Jason says standing up and brushing himself off. "Dick," Jason mutters under his breath.
If he wasn't trained by Batman he wouldn't have heard that, but he was trained by Batman. "You told him my secret identity?" Dick asks.
Simultaneously, Batman and Robin respond, "Of course not!" "You're name is Dick?"
"Can we talk about this back in the cave?" Bruce asks.
"Don't worry I won't be in your precious city that long, I just came here to grab someone."
"Please, Dick," Bruce starts using a kinder tone, "just for the night Alfred would love to see you and Barbara is at the house too."
"Fine, but only because I want to see Alfred and Barbara." Dick tells him.
"Great. C'mon Robin. You got a way back?"
"Yeah I've got a motorcycle."
Bruce and Jason both head to the Batmobile and get in as soon as the hatch at the top closes and they are all alone, Jason asks, "Who the hell is he anyway?"
"That's Dick Grayson, the first Robin, my first protégé. I haven't seen him in over a year."
"I'm guessing from the tension that the partnership didn't end well?" Batman just glares at Jason after he asks the question. "I'll take that as a 'no, it did not end well.'"
The rest of the way to the Batcave is quiet in the Batmobile. As they get to the Batcave and open the hatch, Dick pulls in. "Master Bruce, what did I tell you about getting Master Jason a motorcycle?" As Alfred finishes scolding Bruce, leaving Bruce speechless, Dick takes off the helmet. "Master Dick! Oh my it's so good to see you!"
"Good to see you to Alfred," Dick says giving the old man a hug. "What have you been up?"
"Not much, the house is much quieter since you've been gone, Master Jason isn't half as loud."
"But he's just as much trouble." Bruce says sneaking up behind them. Jason smiles, as if he were receiving praise for his art piece.
"C'mon Bruce, I wasn't that much trouble." Dick tells him.
"When you first moved in, I caught you swinging from the chandelier every other day." Bruce reminds him. Jason looks deep in thought, as if trying to think of a way to top that. "Don't even think about it."
"What do you mean?" Jason asks trying to act innocent.
"Stop trying to think of how to one up him." Jason's smile turns to a frown and Dick chuckles.
"Hey Bruce, I think I found the person that you were looking for…" Barbara says as she's walking down the stairs into the Batcave. Though she stops immediately once she sees Dick.
Dick turns and smiles at her, "Hey Babs, long time no see." His bright eyes turn fearful once he sees the anger in her eyes.
"Richard John Grayson, you better have a good reason for not talking to me me in weeks," She says as she comes up and slaps him across the cheek.
He runs his cheek as he answers, "Well you see…"
"And you have haven't answered my texts." She continues, "nor have you responded to any emails or…" Dick shuts her up by kissing her passionately. "That doesn't get you off the hook." He leans in and whispers into her ear. She giggles.
"Ahem." They both look at Bruce like they forgot he was there. Dick looks over to Jason, who is having difficulty containing the outburst of laughter, that's begging to be released. Dick and Barbara's faces are both bright red, but Bruce continues. "So what were you saying Barbara?"
"Oh yeah, I looked into the guy you were looking for, Jason DiStefano, and I think I found…"
"Wait you're looking for him too?" Dick asks.
"Yes, why are you looking into him?" Bruce asks in return.
"I have evidence that he has something to do with a new crime boss in Bludhaven, you?"
"I have reason to believe that he is dealing with the Penguin as a negotiator for someone else." Bruce says.
"If they really are trying to make a deal, the boss in Bludhaven and the Penguin, then we can use as many people out there as possible." Dick tells him.
"Agreed. So teams will be Jason and I, and you and Barbara."
"As much as I'd love that, I want to get to know the new kid, so I was thinking Birds together and Bats together." Dick suggests.
"Fine by me."
"C'mon kid." Dick motions for Jason to get on the bike with him.
"Master Dick, you cannot expect me to let Master Jason to get on that dangerous vehicle with you."
"What you want me to get the sidecar out?" Alfred gives him a pointed look. "He'll be fine Al. I'll be careful. Here, catch kid," Dick says tossing Jason a motorcycle helmet. Jason puts it on and they get on the bike and drive off.
They stand on a rooftop observing one of Penguin's clubs. "So, how'd you get involved in this." Dick asks breaking the silence.
"B caught me stealing the wheels off the Batmobile. He then read into my history and started training me to help with my 'anger problems'. He said I had potential and made me Robin, after about 6 months of training. So how about you?"
"B saw me in him. He watched me, watch my parents die. He took me in, telling me that I would never be alone. I found out he was Batman when I stumbled on the entrance to the Batcave. He went after my parent's killer, and forbade me to come. I of course didn't listen. I wore my old gymnast uniform and helped him anyway. After we took down the guy, he told me that, 'if we're going to be partners, we're going to do it my way.' He trained for a couple of a months, and then I made my debut as Robin, The Boy Wonder." Dick finishes his story and looks through his binoculars again. "I'm sorry for tackling you earlier. I didn't realize B had a new partner."
"It's fine, I assumed you and him were on good terms because of how highly he spoke of the 'Original Robin'." Jason says, sounding envious.
"Don't worry, I can already see what he saw in you. You know most people wouldn't have been able to keep up with me on the roof tops." Dick says making Jason smile. "I see him."
"Ok, let's do this!" Jason says enthusiastically. They both take out their grappling hooks and swing up to the front of the building and bust through the door.
"Mr. DiStefano? You here?" He counts five guards, they begin pulling out their guns. Dick and Jason both reach for batarangs and throw the projectiles at the guns, knocking them out of the guards hands.
Jason sees one of the guards reaching for a sidearm, he quickly runs over and breaks the guards hand. "Have fun shooting with that hand again!" He says and then kicks the guard in the face.
"Thanks for the save," Dick compliments, as he does a flying knee into another guard.
"Anytime," responds Jason, as he throws a right cross into another guard's face. Dick does a back handspring and lands on the guard's shoulders, then pushes himself off, making the guard lose his balance and fall. Jason runs towards Dick, and Dick puts his hands near the ground, Jason jumps and lands in Dick's hands, before Dick launches him over his shoulders. Jason lands on one of the guards. Dick and Jason both see the last guard and simultaneously run and punch him in the face.
"That was good for the new kid," Dick teasingly compliments.
"Not so bad yourself gramps."
"Who in the bloody 'ell is making a ruckus in my club?" The Penguin looks and spots Robin and Nightwing. "And 'o the 'ell let you bastards in?"
"Your guards seemed ok with it." Jason says pointing to the downed men.
"Well get the 'ell out, it's a private club!" Penguin shouts.
"We'd love to, and we will… once you give us James Distefano." Dick tells him.
"You think I'll give 'im up, then I'm not the one who needs mental help."
"Fine, then we'll take 'im," Jason says in a mock British accent.
"You know what, out of… my goodwill, you can take 'im." Penguin tells them opening the door to the office. They walk in and the doors lock and and windows become blocked by gates. "Eh, I think I forgot ta mention, he ain't in me office!" Penguin laughs. Something starts beeping. "I knew I was forgetting somethin' else, there be a bomb in there, 'ave fun, and cheers!"
Jason begins getting anxious and aggravated. Dick leans in and close and whispers into his ear, "Jay it's ok, we're gonna make it outta here."
"I know, we just gotta figure out a way." Jason says. Dick starts tearing through the room and Jason looks at him puzzled. "The hell are you doing?"
"Looking for the bomb, if I find it maybe I can diffuse it," Dick answers calmly. "Yes! Wow, never thought I'd be that happy to find a bomb. Good thing is I can diffuse it, bad thing is, I'm not sure if I have enough time." Dick says as he starts diffusing the bomb.
The bomb continues ticking as Jason stares at Dick working on it. Dick knows he has about 10 seconds left from the ticking.
9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. It stops abruptly and Jason thinks it's gonna explode. Dick's eyes widen, "Holy crap I actually did it!"
Jason runs over to Dick and gives him a hug. "Good job!"
"Thanks."
"And Dick?"
"Yea Jay?"
"How the hell are we getting out of this room, it was made to withstand a bomb blast." Jason reminds him.
"I say we call Bruce."
"Good suggestion."
After waiting another 10 mins the doors burst open. "Bats!" Dick yells giving his former mentor a hug.
"Look who we caught trying to make an escape a couple blocks down?" Barbara says pushing Penguin and Jason Distefano forward.
Later out on the rooftop looking over the scene Jason and Dick sit on the ledge. "You did Jay, I'm happy to call you Robin." Jason smiles at the words of the man, who's become like the older brother he never had.
"Thanks Dick, it means a lot."
"No problem. You deserve the title, you really held your own." Dick looks at the Batmobile starting to drive away and says, "We should probably head back to the mansion."
"Yep."
The next day in the morning after breakfast, Dick prepares to leave. "Jay don't be afraid to call, if you ever need anything. Anything at all."
"I will thanks big bro."
"No problem Robin."
As Jason leaves the room, Bruce enters. "You know we should really work together more," Dick says.
"You're just saying that since we didn't actually work together directly." Bruce counters.
"No I'm saying because I just had Alfred's cooking, and it reminded me of what I'm missing. And one of the things I miss is you and me working together." Bruce and Dick hug. "And be good to Jason," Dick says as he puts on his helmet, "he's a good kid." Bruce nods and Dick begins driving off.