Part 7: Scene 1

Dick sat in the chair next to Bruce's bed, propping his chin on the arm rest as he leaned away from the bed. A small gap between the curtain and the wall allowed sight to the rest of the recovery room. His eyes wondered the rest of the motionless room, and he repeatedly counted the empty beds that led to the window at the end. He swung his feet back and forth above the ground as he looked at the window, still, no one was at the other side, no leaguers.

He knew where they went, they were all in the bridge listening to an almost complete explanation from the founding members, but that's not the thought that bugged him. He could feel the bat glair melt the back of his head, it's been there ever since the rest of the league left the room, a whole five minutes. His thoughts were jumbled and scattered, his impatience was made more than clear through the rest of the room even despite his efforts against it.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to rid his mind of his frazzled thoughts.

"Robin…" he heard from behind him.

His eyes flung open and his muscles tensed, he tried to hide it with his voice. Replying at almost an interruption, "What?" his feet stopped swinging and he sat still.

"What's wro…" Bruce started with a soft tone.

"Nothing." The boy grunted in a non-convincing attempt, "I'm fine." He replied, refusing to turn his head around.

"No, I don't think you are…" Bruce stated, stiffening his voice a little.

"You're on anesthetic. Doesn't matter what you think…" Dick snapped, "The only reason you think you care is 'cause you can't think clearly right now…" he clarified angrily, "I'm…"

"You're not fine." Bruce growled, interrupting the boy's statement.

"Shouldn't I be? You'd be fine if I was you." His voice inclined, almost as if afraid of his words, "But I'm not you, and you're not me… That doesn't mean I'm not OK, just because you're OK now..."

Unsure of what to do next, Bruce and Dick left a long piercing gap of silence before movement was allowed to creep through the room. Dick stood from the chair, keeping his right arm down, he looked down at his other casted arm.

"I know…" Bruce broke the silence in a low tone, bringing the boy's eyes up from his arm, "I never expected you to be me." He said.

"Then what did you expect?" Dick frowned as he turned to stare down the bedded man, "That I would be just as helpless as you make me out to be? Or that I would listen to every pitiful lie Alfred told me under your order?" the boy's tone darkened and a tension made its way through his voice.

"Robin… I…" Bruce narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by a much disrupted shout.

"I'm sorry OK!" his fist tightened and he stomped his foot, he tried to stiffen his face to block his need to cry, "Is that what you want from me?! I didn't listen to you, and bad things happened!" his eyes softened, but he turned his back towards Bruce in attempt to hide his expression, "I hacked the computer in the cave and came here after you said not to, and bad things happened!"

"What bad things?" Bruce interrupted in curiosity, his eyes narrowed further.

Dick closed his eyes and turned his head away, sending yet another cloud of silence to block all motion and sound. On multiple occasions, Bruce made various attempts to open his mouth to speak, without success the two stood in complete stillness for a number of minutes.

"Dick… what happened?" Bruce repeated, only to be unsuccessful in receiving an accurate response.

"You know what happened…" the boy growled.

They would have stayed in this state for hours if the silence had not been broken by the one and only Scarlet Speedster, and his annoyingly positive taint on the room gone foggy with blocked emotion.

Flash's arrival in the room was made brief and to a shock, with a whip of air and a whoosh of the curtain, there stood the Flash. Although neither member already present in the room had even flinched at the almost sudden appearance of the speedster, both seemed to take a disliking to his use of sarcasm.

"OK." Flash started almost impatiently, failing to notice the tone of the situation he sped into, "Mini-Bats on in five." He stated enthusiastically, placing his left hand on the boy's left shoulder as he stood facing the wall.

Bruce looked up at Flash with an irritated growl, causing the speedster to raise his hands in surrender, "Robin… I mean Robin." He pointed towards the window on the other side of the closed curtain, "They're ready for him." He lowered his hands and awaited further response from either characters, both were non-responsive for several seconds.

"Fine." Bruce grunted from the bed, turning his attention back down to the boy who still refused to look back up at Bruce's eyes, "You know what to say?" he asked in a serious tone.

Dick turned to walk past Flash in a stomp, "Yeah, yeah. I'm just your side-kick… Not your son." He grunted as he plowed through the curtain separating view between Bruce's bed and the window. He stopped a few steps on the other side and stood still, "I'm just Robin." He said out loud, making sure Bruce would hear it.

Bruce closed his eyes at the sound of the boy's angry footsteps that seemed to have lasted hours until they reached the door at the far side of the room, and with the close of the door, the speedster spoke.

"Did I miss something?" he cocked an eyebrow at Bruce as his voice still showed enthusiasm in his confusion, "He seemed fine when we left."

Bruce opened his eyes and glared up at Flash with impatience, "I contacted Alfred a few minutes ago and informed him of the situation. After Robin is done here he is to zeta directly to the manor, no stalls. Two minutes." He stated, returning to the well-known impression of 'Batman'.

"Wow. That makes for a short 'Welcome to the Team' party, his curfew is gonna cost him cake." Flash stated sarcastically.

"We discussed this." Bruce reminded him in a grunt, "I don't want him involved with the League."

"I know." Flash stated as he slowly brought his tone to a serious level, "I don't want my nephew involved with it either."

"I thought your nephew knew about your line of work." Bruce added impatiently.

"He knows about me and the League…" Flash stated as he sat down in the chair next to Bruce's bed, "but he's not 'involved' with the superhero business. There is a difference Bruce." Bruce's glare intensified, prompting Flash to change his tone and speak again, "Want some advice?"

"Advice from you?" Bruce grunted.

Ignoring the comment, Flash took a deep breath and went on, "Talk to him." The unchanged expression on Bruce's face made Flash explain further, "You remember when I said I wasn't like you, and I needed to know what was going on before I could sleep at night because you're Batman and I'm not?"

"This doesn't sound like advice Allen." Bruce interrupted.

"Just listen…" Flash insisted. Before giving Bruce time to argue, he went on, "Maybe this isn't an 'everyday thing' to him either. And maybe he's not as much of a mini-bats after all… He is just a kid."

"Your point?" Bruce growled.

"Stop acting like this kind of thing happens all the time." Flash demanded, his voice sounding more serious than it's ever been, "I mean, you might be used to this life-style of staring death in the face no matter what you do, but that doesn't mean he is… So talk to him about it. He needs his father."

"I'm not his father." Bruce interrupted, shooting his eyes up from Flash as he glared at other wall.

"In the technical eyes of the Batman, maybe…" Flash implied as he stood from the chair, "But in the eyes of the kid that you took in four months ago, that statement seems a bit faulty. And I think Bruce Wayne might feel the same way… when he's not Batman."

Bruce narrowed his eyes as he turned his head back at Flash, deepening his voice, "1 minute, 48 seconds." He growled.

Flash smiled and reached for the curtain, "same ol' Bats." He stated before zooming away. Another whip of air, a whoosh of the curtain, and Flash was gone. Leaving Bruce alone with his thoughts.

'Maybe, for once, Allen could be right…'

Part 7: Scene 2

A flash of light and there it was, the Bat Cave. Alfred was there too, he waited at the railing of the computer deck for Dick to get back. When he finally did, Dick couldn't tell if Alfred was angry or just disappointed. But he was most certainly, under the circumstances, unhappy.

Alfred didn't even flinch at the sudden appearance of the small boy in the cave, his tone stayed the same. Not even his eyebrows moved as he spoke, "Evening, Master Dick."

The boy stood a few feet from the computer deck with his head down, he turned his eyes away from the old man and didn't say anything. He just listened.

"I see you've made a few adjustments concerning your attire. Taking an interest in Master Bruce's 'evening activities', I presume." Alfred implied with a sarcastic shun.

Dick took of his mask as he looked up at Alfred, "Bruce is awake. But, you probably 'presumed' that too. Didn't you?"

"Pardon me?" Alfred questioned, turning to watch the boy stomp across the cave.

Dick started again with a harsher tone as he turned to walk towards the stairs, "Just like you knew where he was, and what happened to him… and how long he had left. So you should know that I saved his life a few hours ago… no thanks to you." He stated before arriving at the bottom of the stairs, Alfred had just started to follow him in attempt to keep up.

"Master Dick, What exactly are you…" Alfred had stopped at the bottom of the stairs as he looked up at the boy, who had managed to make it hallway up already.

"You're welcome." Dick mumbled over his shoulder, interrupting Alfred as he continued up the stairs. Alfred had said something else, but Dick didn't hear him. By the time he had stopped he had already made his way up the second set of stairs and into his room. Where he locked himself inside and found himself at the floor of the door, cradling his head in his knees as his arms wrapped around his legs.

He wasn't crying, he wasn't trying not to cry… he was just, breathing. For a while, all he could think about was the sound of his own breath. He remembered what his parents' breath sounded like, when he was little he would get nightmares. And he would crawl in their bed in the middle of night after waking up, and he would just lay beside them both and listen to them breathing. Everything was peaceful, and there was nothing to be afraid of anymore. All they had to do was breathe, and everything was better.

A gentle knock on the door brought the boy out of his thoughts, a gentle voice pulled him back in.

"Are you alright Master Dick?" Alfred asked quietly from the other side of the locked door. At first, there was no answer. So Alfred spoke again, "Master Dick…"

Dick pulled the domino mask out of his right pocket and held it in one hand. He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, not knowing if he should be angry or sad or proud, "I… I don't know Alfred. I mean, Bruce is OK now, he's alive… I should be happy now, but I'm not. And I don't know why, I don't know what to do Alfred… Tell me what to do." he sounded as if ready to cry, but no tears came from his eyes. He waited for what seemed as forever in a second for anything to happen, then Alfred spoke again.

"You may start by opening the door." Alfred suggested in a calm voice.

Dick closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing, "OK." He said out loud. He turned around and opened the door slowly to find a warm smile on Alfred's face. He stepped away from the door and watched Alfred walk from the doorway to sit on the bed, he placed his hand on the covers next to him as he looked up at the boy.

"Come…" Alfred started, waiting until Dick sat down on the bed to continue, "Tell me what happened."

"I thought you knew what happened?" Dick's expression turned to confusion as he sat down on the bed.

"I know only what Master Bruce spoke of, and in my experience, that is more often than not, half the story." Alfred replied. The confusion left Dick's eyes as Alfred continued, "So tell me, Master Dick, what happened?"

"Well…" Dick started slowly, unsure of where exactly to start he looked down, "Last night, after you went to sleep, I hacked the computer in the cave. I wanted to know what happened to Bruce, and, after I remembered what happened to me… I just, I had to do something to make sure he was OK."

A pause in the story prompted Alfred to speak again, "Go on." He suggested softly.

Dick took a deep breath before opening his mouth again, "I found the Watch Tower, and the teleportation device, along with records and files of the Tower's 'crew'. The Justice League… I had never heard about them before, I mean, my Tati said he thought he saw Flash once, but I didn't believe him. I thought they were just stories… There wasn't any record, or even mention, of Batman's membership with the League. So, when I found him in the Medical Bay of the Watch Tower, I thought… I don't know, maybe he was a prisoner there."

"Why would Batman be held prisoner?" Alfred asked.

"Batman protects Gotham. But he does it alone, and on his own terms. Not everyone agrees with his methods and he has a lot of enemies, so I thought… they might have done something to him." Dick suggested, slowly running out of thoughts and words, "I had to get him out of there, I had to get him home. I went into the tower thinking the League was the enemy, so I attacked them… and some of them got hurt. But then they weren't the enemy any more, and I found Bruce. I recognized his symptoms, they were the same as mine before I got to the hospital. So I figured the Joker really did get Bruce this time, and, that's when I remembered what Bruce used on me."

"And that was?" Alfred asked again, scrambling Dick's thoughts.

"I'm not sure exactly, but, it worked…" Dick replied, his eyes slowly drooping, "He didn't wake up for another 6 hours, but his heart was jumpstarted and he didn't need help breathing anymore after that. He was getting better." Dick paused with his mouth halfway open, as if about to say something else, but no words came out. So he closed his mouth.

"Then what happened?" Alfred asked once again, hoping to continue the Boy's story.

"Then…" Dick started, then stopped, and tried to start again. But a different series of words rolled off his lips unintentionally, "I was so scared Alfred… for so long, I was just scared. I didn't know what to do. And then he woke up, and, it was like… nothing had changed. And, at first I was happy he was OK… then the others left and when it was just me and Bruce, I wasn't happy anymore." A tear finally began to slowly carve its way down Dick's cheek, "Why wasn't I happy?" he whispered to himself.

Alfred tried to speak as he put his arm around the small boy, but he was interrupted by Dick's out loud train of thought, "I mean, He's not my father. He's not even related to me, I met him after my real parents were killed. I shouldn't be upset or happy or angry or satisfied with any of this! I don't know what to think Alfred! I don't know why I'm upset or angry or, or…" Dick tried to go on, but by now he had buried his face in Alfred's arms, unable to speak through his sobs.

"Master Dick. Let me tell you a story." Alfred suggested with a surprisingly calm tone.

Dick looked up at the old man, not knowing what else to do, he listened.

"Once, there was a boy." Alfred started, taking a deep breath, "And his family. Just the three of them, mother, father, son… happy. But then, something terrible happened. And at a very young age, the boy's parents, left. Upon being left alone, this boy had no idea what to do next. Days, weeks, even months went by before he finally realized something…"

"I don't need you to tell me my life story Alfred." Dick hissed, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Did I ever say this boy's name was Richard?" Alfred asked, "What about Grayson, or Dick perhaps…"

The boy thought for a second, bringing a confused frown to his face. He stayed in his thoughts for more than a few moments before opening his voice with a different tone, "What did the boy realize?" he asked quietly.

Alfred simply smiled, "That even though, everything had been taken from him, his entire world upside down and inside out in so many ways… the world went on." Alfred paused, letting enough silence into the room to pull tears from Dick's eyes before continuing. His tone inclined to the enthusiastic part of the story, "One day, it was as if he had woken up from… a bad dream. He accepted the tragedy which burdened him so, and went on with his life to accomplish great things. One of which, was seeing himself in another young man, and taking him in."

Dick's eyes shot up, "Bruce? He was Bruce?"

"When he was a boy, he didn't have anyone else... for a long while, he didn't have anyone else. He convinced himself of many things, one being that loneliness and despair was only a fair part of life. Until he met you." Alfred stated with confidence.

"Me?" Dick asked in disbelief.

Alfred nodded, "I had this discussion with Master Bruce shortly after taking you into this household. With as stubborn as he is, he does hold a place for you in his heart. And although it will never fill the void left by your…" Alfred cleared his throat before highlighting Dick's exact words, "real parents… he has given you a chance at something for the both of you to have again." Another pause as Alfred's tone deepened again, "Love."

Dick sniffled, "What do I do?" he shut his eyes tight, as if afraid of what Alfred might say in response, "What do I do Alfred…" he repeated.

"Talk to him." Alfred suggested.

"He doesn't listen…" Dick shrugged, keeping his eyes closed.

"Well then…" Alfred smiled, "When Master Bruce is particularly hard-headed, you may do as I have in the past to get his attention."

"What was that?" Dick opened his eyes with curiosity.

"This is not something I suggest on a daily basis, but given the circumstances…" Alfred paused again to straighten his back, "Yell at him." He smiled.

Part 7: Scene 3

"Ok, I know I said I'd believe it when I saw it…" Green Arrow stated from his place at the table in the cafeteria of the Tower, "But I even met the kid, and I still don't believe it." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

"What's not to believe?" Black Canary ask from across the table, cocking an eyebrow as she took another drink of her coffee.

Green Arrow frowned and started counting the reasons on his fingers, "Little kid breaks into the Watch Tower in the middle of the night and hacks all our systems, never-mind how he even got here as it's not like the Tower is in space or anything." He mocked sarcastically, "He manages to make extremely clear his knowledge of everything about the place and everyone in it, never-mind how he got that information as it's not like we're the Justice League or anything. And then, after getting our asses handed to us by an 8 year old, we are expected to believe that Batman, who, might I add, has never shown a compassionate bone in his body, has decided to wake up one day and take on a protégé."

He paused, letting her stare him down unimpressed by his argument, "Gee. What's not to believe? I don't believe any of it." He grunted, raising his hands behind his head to lean back more comfortably.

"I do." She raised an eyebrow, her face growing deadly serious, "Why else would Batman have disappeared from the League for so long?"

Green Arrow frowned, "I don't think we're getting the whole story here. Batman and a protégé, Come on." He grunted, turning his head to look away. The sound of a small giggle brought his attention back to her, "What's so funny?"

"I think you might just be upset because the Big Bad Batman got a side-kick before you did…" she stated in amusement.

His eyes shot wide and he sat upright, folding his arms again, "What? That has nothing to do with this." He insisted.

She lost her light smile and her tone got serious, "I know you've been thinking about Roy lately."

"Yeah, well…" he unfolded his arms and mumbled out more words in attempt to end the discussion, "That's different." He grunted.

Black Canary was only able to shoot a look of disbelief across the table before being interrupted by the unexpected visitor stomping through the cafeteria. Many heads turned to see the small child with a domino mask march through the cafeteria of the Watch Tower, almost unsurprised at the sudden reappearance of the boy as he was the topic of most conversations among the league. Only the sound of his angry footsteps echoed through the cafeteria as all conversing had stopped, and all eyes landed on him.

He didn't care, unlike the last time he came to the tower, his mission this time didn't involve the rest of the league. And as far as he was concerned, the rest of the league was no concern of his. He stomped on.

Upon reaching the other side of the cafeteria and disappearing behind the doors, the conversing had started again, in a much more violent matter.

Green Arrow turned his head back around to Black Canary, "See? My side-kick wouldn't do that. Roy isn't 6…" he murmured.

"You mean 9." Canary corrected, "Robin is 9. Roy is only…"

"I know how old he is…" Green Arrow cut her off, "That's he's not my side-kick. Who makes a crime fighter out of a kid?"

"Batman." Canary answered, almost confidently.

"Yeah." Green Arrow nodded, "That's what I'm worried about."

Dick marched down the hallway as fast as he could, half anticipating the reaction of his arrival, half wanting to turn around and go home.

Home. That's what he came here for, home.

The thought jumbled his expression until he reached the set of double doors at the end of the hall, he didn't stop to give himself time to doubt, he just plowed through.

The expression of surprise on the faces of the founding members gave the impression he'd interrupted something important. He had quickly taken note of them sitting around the round table, and Bruce at the far end, no longer in a hospital bed or gown.

"Batman!" he shouted, fighting tears. When only the Bat-glair was given in response, the boy continued, "We have to talk." He demanded.

The heads in the room turned to Batman, now in full uniform, "Robin." He barked, "Not now." He growled.

"Yes now!" the boy shouted, bringing the attention back to him, "I have to talk to you about…"

"Robin…" Batman didn't change his expression as he scolded, "Go home. Wait for me to…"

"This can't wait!" Robin protested, stomping his foot.

"Leave, now." Batman demanded.

"NO." Robin insisted. Most mouths in the room dropped at the very idea of someone telling Batman 'no', especially a child. Batman stood from his chair at the far side of the room, but the boy didn't allow enough time for him to protest, "I am going to talk to you, and you are going to listen to what I have to say!"

"This is uncalled for." Superman interrupted.

"Agreed." Batman added, still glairing down across the table, "Robin is leaving." He stated.

"No. I'm not." Robin matched Batman's tone almost exactly, "We are." He stated.

Batman growled harshly in disbelief, "Robin, you are disrupting an important…" he would have continued to scold, but he was cut off.

"DISRUPTING?!" the boy shouted, throwing his one arm in the air and clenching his fingers in curls, "YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT DISRUPTING?!"

A long piercing moment of silence had passed before anyone had dared to speak, finally Batman broke the silence, "Excuse me." he muttered and began making his way slowly around the large round table towards the exit, "Two minutes."

Dick's breath had increased dramatically along with the thumping inside his chest, his stomach turned to knots as the Dark Knight walked past him and plowed through the doors. Without knowledge of anything else to do, the boy followed.

Batman stopped just outside the doors in the hallway and waited for Robin, he stayed facing away from the boy. As soon as the doors closed Batman spoke, his voice rough and impatient, "Robin… there had better be a good reason for…" again, he was cut off.

"Good reason!?" he shouted, "Other than the fact that you almost DIED!?"

"Robin…" Batman breathed impatiently.

"I was a flying Grayson! The only child of John and Mary Grayson, and member of Haley's circus since birth. I had a family, they loved me, and I loved them!" Dick yelled as if Bruce didn't already know this.

"Robin…" Batman said softly, trying to grab the boy's attention as he went on.

"4 months ago, I lost my life! They died! Haley's circus left! Everything was different! Everything I had was gone! My identity had been taken from me!" he shouted, steam coming from his ears.

"Robin…" Batman tried again, still turned away from the boy as he continued his tantrum.

"And then came you!" his voice began to soften as Batman could almost hear Dick's attempt to fight tears. He didn't say anything in response, he didn't know what he could say at this point, he just listened.

"You ruined everything! My name wasn't Grayson anymore, it was Wayne. And I wasn't an acrobat, I was Robin… and… you were…" he paused as he tried to gather his words, the whole speech that he'd practiced suddenly vanished and he didn't know what to say anymore, "And, and, and… I was OK with that. But, you are not my… and it's not like I thought of you as…" he looked down and closed his eyes, the tears were coming now, "I should hate you." He growled, trying to hide the sadness in his voice.

Batman took a deep breath and turned around, "But you don't…" somewhat between a question and a statement was what came from Batman's mouth as he stared down at the boy who refused to look up at him.

"I thought they were being replaced… I should hate you so much… But I don't." he murmured, opening his eyes to turn them away as he frowned. Tears streaming down his face made his mask sticky and slippery on his cheeks.

"Richard." Batman said softly.

"What…" he shot his eyes up and his voice started to crack.

"Come here." Batman ordered in a low tone.

Dick stayed still, narrowing his eyes in confusion as he tried to read Batman's position, "what did I...?"

"Now Dick." Batman interrupted firmly.

Dick's eyes fell back to the floor as he crossed the few feet between him and Batman, he didn't have to look up to see that Batman was now kneeling on the ground, Dick guessed his eyes would be the same height as Batman's.

"Look at me." Batman ordered again, this time bringing his hands up to grip the boy's shoulders. Firmly, but soft at the same time.

Dick's eyes slowly trailed upwards, making their destination at Batman's eyes. To his surprise, the cowl was off, his eyes were so deep, and serious, and almost too intense to look at. Dick almost flinched before letting shaky words fall from his lips, "You gonna yell at me…" he implied, planting a frown on his face in anticipation.

"No." Bruce said quietly.

Dick said nothing, a mix between shock and disbelief clouded his thoughts before everything in his mind went blank. Once again, he didn't know what to do.

"You're gonna talk to me, and I'm going to listen." Bruce finished.

Before anything else could be said, a flood of tears rushed down Dick's face and he ripped off his mask. He didn't know what else to do except dive into Bruce's arms and just stay there.

Bruce took a deep breath, almost flinching at the reaction he got from Dick, now curled up in his arms, sobbing. Now it was Bruce's turn to have no idea what to do next, so he waited. Several minutes passed before the boy lifted his head slowly to reveal his glossed-over blue sapphire eyes, a light smile of an almost appreciation on his face.

"Thank you…" Dick whispered, clutching the uniform over Bruce's chest and shoulders for life.

Bruce swallowed, "I love you… you know that right?" his voice still firm and serious, but Dick could tell he meant it. He buried his face back into the man's chest and sniffled, his only response was simple…

"I love you too…" he paused slightly before smiling, "Tati…"