Okay…once again I am the worst person in this entire world and I don't deserve the love I'm getting because I can never update.
Forgive me and enjoy~
Chapter 7
The boy wonder paced in front of his bed and ran his hand through his hair, Bruce was home. He wasn't working, he wasn't on a call…there was no reason he couldn't just go down to the dining room and talk to him. How would he say it? He couldn't think of any way that wouldn't end horribly with him ass first out on the street. He could go out and be blunt, or maybe just kind of hint at it and see if Bat noticed. He could even drag it out through a couple of days, like do small little hints here and there over the week. He huffed and planted himself down onto the sheets of his bed, how would he do this?
Dick's phone suddenly buzzed, causing the Boy Wonder to raise a slender eyebrow. He wasn't usually text so early in the morning. Looking at the name he found himself to be even more surprised by the name flashing across the screen. "Kid Flash" He lifted his phone and pressed the phone to his ear.
"H-hey…" Wally choked from the other line, "You there?"
"Yeah, I'm here, KF are you okay?" Dick demanded Kid's voice trembled as he responded,
"I…I think I need to break up with Art." He gasped on the other line Dick's heart leapt into his throat as he struggled for words and the room began to practically swirl around him,
"W-why?" He managed, "What did she do?" He could heard Kid's shaky breathes from the other line,
"Nothing! She didn't do anything…I did." Dick knitted his eyebrows together and sat up on his bed, crossing his legs one over the other.
"What did you do?!" He demanded almost instantly as he shifted his weight out of impatience. Wally sighed and paused,
"It's complicated," was all he could muster, Dick didn't respond with anything other than a 'uh huh', telling him to continue, "I mean…I don't know, I'm confused and I don't want to end up hurting Art." Break up with her! Do it! Just do it! Dick's mind rang out, prodding him to agree with Wally, and to tell him that it was okay to break up with her.
"Wally, do you love her?" Dick choked out, his voice catching in his throat as he pushed out the words,
"Of course." Wally said back instantly, "I love her, so much." Dick couldn't believe the words that he was spouting out as he consoled his friend,
"Well then, what's so confusing? Man, You love her. She loves you. Throw everyone and everything else aside and then you'll know, if you can't throw the other person aside, then maybe you are falling away from her. But Walls, for now, don't. That's my opinion, who knows what she'll do if you change your mind and want her back, man." Dick cursed silently at himself as the words tumbled from his mouth. There was no filter, no time to take the words back before they reached the speedster's ears. He had just thrown Wally, willingly, back into Artemis's arms. Why in the world would he do that? Oh yeah, he had never seen Wally so happy…and seeing Wally happy made him happy. He could only imagine the depression that Wally would have fallen into had he and Artemis separated.
Wally huffed from the other line,
"…I guess." Was all he could say, "Damn it Rob, what's wrong with me?" He whispered,
"Nothing Wals, absolutely nothing." Dick forced a smile into his voice, although he could already feel the tears bubbling up around his eyes.
"Thanks Rob, I love you man." Wally seemed to beam from the other line,
"I love you too, dude." Rob chuckled, "Go get 'er." He added before Wally hung up, leaving Dick alone and confused.
Again.
…
"Wally!" Artemis waved from where she was sitting on a swing. Wally raised his free hand and jogged up to her,
"Hey babe." He smiled pecking her on the cheek. She blushed and hugged him before sitting back against the swing, Wally sat on the swing next to her and pulled a single red rose from behind his back. Artemis raised an eyebrow and laughed,
"What's this?" she questioned and moved to accept the extended flower,
"A present! Am I not allowed to give presents to my leading lady?"
"You're such an idiot!" Artemis laughed and socked him on the arm, "But thank you, I love it." She leaned across the swing set and pressed her lips against his,
"Worth it!" Wally winked at her as she pulled away, Artemis rolled her eyes and hit him with the flower,
"Oh shut up!"
"Hey you just got two presents girl, I only got one! Just goes to show how generous I am."
"Pssh, yeah right." The girl rolled her eyes and let Wally slip his hand into hers as they swung.
"Hey Wally, what did you want to talk about?" Artemis suddenly asked as a sweet, comfortable silence fell over the two.
"Huh, ah, I just… the flower. I got it and I didn't want it to wilt before I could get it to you!" He quickly lied, "No biggy. That and I wanted to grace you with my presence."
"Oh? I call bull shit on that last one. I'm gracing YOU with my presence." She said bluntly, Wally shook his head,
"Nah, I'm obviously the best company."
"Prove it." Artemis challenged,
"Well if you would direct your attention to the 'gift chart', you have obviously received the most! Meaning that I am just such amazing company that I present you with gifts."
"Or are you just repaying me for my amazing company?" Artemis teased and sent a wink over at him,
"Well you're too damn expensive then!" Wally laughed, "But very worth it."
…
Dick couldn't think, he could properly function with everything on his mind. Wally had just nearly broken up wit Artemis, and he still needed to come out of the closet to Bruce…okay…now, he'd do it now. Dick stood up from his bed and then plopped back down. He needed help figuring this out.
Wally, can I ask you something?
Dick typed out the text, but quickly deleted it. No, he couldn't ask Wally how to come out of the closet, Wally didn't even know Dick was gay! Now…who the hell could he ask? Babs was grounded so no phone there. Alfred would just tell him to walk up to him and say it. Who was good with words? Who was good with breaking news easily? M'gann wouldn't work, she wouldn't understand. Neither would Kaldur or Conner…he was left no choice…
…
Hey, umm I know this is random but you're the only one I think I can trust with this. Could you help me with something please?
Yeah, sure, what is it?
Are you with Wally right now?
No, he just left. What's up?
I don't really know how to put this…
Artemis's mind jumped to a million conclusions are the Boy Wonder text her, did he like her? Did he kill someone? Was this some horrible secret that she would be targeted if she knew? She gulped as she continued to type.
Just spit it out dude.
I need to kind of…tell Bats something and I have no idea how. Like at all.
Oh okay, what is it?
You wont tell anyone? Ever?
Promise.
Artemis…I think I'm gay.
Artemis nearly dropped her phone when she received the text, Wally shot her a look from besides her while the two sat on the grass, she starred at the phone in confusion and disbelief, Robin? The Boy Wonder? He was… her mind couldn't wrap around it. But he had gone on a date with Zatanna, he flirted with so many girls and he just was so…straight.
Oh.
Was the best she can manage. She didn't know what else she could possibly muster to say to the boy.
Yeah…I just…didn't know who else to go to with this and I mean, I don't know how to tell bats…
Oh. Alright, well I mean you could kind of lead up to it! Like spark a conversation on the topic! Or wait until he brings up crushes! Or bring up crushes or something! Wait…how do you know?
"Art, who are you talking to?" Wally asked, "Hello, Earth to Artemis! Hellloooo!"
"Huh? Oh, M'gann." She said, "She needed help on some problem with Conner I guess. Stupid stuff like spending more time with Wolf then her or something like that. " Wally nodded,
"Cool, tell her 'hi' for me!" Artemis nodded and waited for Robin to answer,
A lot of reasons.
Was all she got back, no explanation, no anything. He was so blunt. Well the Boy Wonder never was one for detailed explanations, short, sweet, to the point, that's how he worked.
Alright, I guess just kind of bring those reasons up, okay?
I'll try, hey, Artemis, thanks.
You're welcome. You better tell me how it goes okay? And Rob, I got your back.
…
Dick felt a little more comfortable having told someone and once again having them be so accepting. Now he just needed to confront the bat.
…
Bruce was sitting at the kitchen table, finishing up a cup of coffee and a waffle as Dick entered, his heart pounded in his chest and he felt light headed. Still, he forced his feet to shuffle across the wooden floors of the dining room and bobbed his head in the direction of the Dark Knight. Bruce looked utterly exhausted, his short black hair was in a fluffy mess on the top of his head and he had dark bags stretching under his eyes. He rubbed his stubbled chin once before returning to the newspaper that he held in his hands.
"Morning." Bruce nodded at him. Dick nodded in returned and took a seat across from him, "Heh, Batman Causes More Controversy, we just can't escape the head lines can we?" He said up at his young ward. Dick nodded,
"Anything about the good ol' Boy Wonder?" he asked with an attempt at a smile. Bruce raised his eyebrows but scanned through the paper,
"Yeah, something about child labor and you being too young…" He muttered and then returned to his coffee and waffles. Dick sat there in silence, waiting to see if Bruce would strike up anymore conversation that could undoubtedly prolong the inevitable. Once Dick realized he would have no such luck he went for it,
"Hey." He smiled, "Umm Bruce can we talk about something?" The boy's guardian looked up at the boy with a spark of confusion in his light eyes. The simple look of Bruce's eyes relaxed him a bit, not much, but a bit. The Boy Wonder actually felt as if he was speaking to Bruce Wayne in comparison to The Batman. The soft look of his eyes gave the boy a bit more confidence.
"Go ahead." He nodded, "Is something wrong?" Bruce asked when Dick hesitated.
"Well, I just, I mean, I kind of needed to tell you something." He mustered and sat back uncomfortably in his chair,
"Okay, I'm all ears" Bruce nodded to him, Dick's head spun as he thought of how he could say this, it felt like anything he could say would get him hated, he didn't want to be hated. Not by Bruce.
"I just…it's kind of hard to say." Dick choked, "I mean, I know what I want to say, it's just I don't know how to word it…"
"Dick, what did you do?"
"Nothing! I didn't do anything!" Dick shook his head, "Okay so it's like, I've been thinking for a really long time and it's just, I can't really think of any other way to put this, crap, why is this so hard?" Bruce raised an eyebrow, urging him to go on, "Alright, I've, you know, been doing a lot of thinking and it's just kind of been in the back of my mind for a really long time and I just kind of figured everything out, I think, but it's still all really complicated and I don't know what to do, or how to even tell you, because I mean, I don't want you to be mad at me or anything! I mean I honestly was so scared of telling you, why did I say that? Whatever, I mean I didn't know how you were gonna take it or I mean if I could even tell you without dying. Bruce, I feel like I'm gonna die. Damn it! …sorry… darn it…why is this so hard?" Dick continued to babble as Bruce simply sat there unblinkingly. The bat finally sighed and put his hand up, getting almost immediate silence from his frantic side-kick.
"It's alright Dick, what is it?" Dick groaned and threw his head into his hands,
"I don't was you to be mad when I tell you."
"I wont be mad." Dick peeked out from his hands and saw the genuine face of the bat. No, he wasn't the bat right now, he was Bruce, thank God it was Bruce and not the Bat he was telling.
"Fine…" Couldn't he just go back to babbling? To just never say what he started to say. He looked back at Bruce's calm face, nope, now he had to tell. "Okay so, you know how I went out on a date with Zatanna the other day?" Dick asked Bruce nodded,
"Yeah, Dick…did … something happen?" Dick blushed and shook his head,
"Oh ew no! I mean, she like kissed me and stuff right, but I mean I kind of freaked out, yeah? Because I mean…I kinda… don't like her…" He tried, wincing to see if Bruce would take the bait.
"You mean you lead on a girl that you didn't like?" Bruce said, almost angrily. "Was it to make someone jealous?"
"NO! I mean, I thought I liked her but I don't…I guess I found that out when she kissed me. Well, okay I guess I kind of knew that in the back of my head somewhere, but I guess it kind of just got confirmed by that." Bruce took a sip of his coffee and nodded,
"Then what is it you're going to tell me, Dick?" Bruce demanded, Dick winced as he saw the softer look of Bruce Wayne beginning to turn into Over-Protective-Daddy-Mode.
"I mean…I kind messed up with her, right?" Bruce nodded,
"I would say so."
"Well I mean, I like, totally didn't mean to! It's just I'm not into her and I didn't want to hurt her like I did because she really –"
"Dick, who do you like then? Because I don't see what's wrong with Zatanna, I thought you liked her for a while now."
"I did! But I mean, I kinda changed my mind about…something a while ago and I guess my head didn't catch up with it fast enough and…"
"Who, Dick?"
"Bruce I don't think you understand! It's not just something I can go out and say, and shi-shoot…why did I even start this?" Dick muttered dipping his head and beginning to drum his fingers against the wood of the table. Batman trained him better than this! He was trained to work out high stress situations like this! He was trained to be able to formulate his words so that he could get his point across quick and not get killed! Why was this so hard?
Oh yes…it hit him now, he was Dick Grayson right now, he wasn't Robin. Richard John Grayson had never been taught how to put together his words so he wouldn't get shot, or to outwit some of the greatest minds in Gotham…he knew how to do a flip on a trapeze and how to talk during weird dinner parties with Bruce's so-called 'friends'.
"Dick…" Bruce began before both of them heard the sing-song tune of Bruce's phone go off in his pocket. Sighing the man scooted back a bit and looked at the caller I.D. "Clark… Damn, alright I gotta take this." Bruce said and flipped open the phone "This is-"
"IThinkILikeWally." Dick sputtered and buried his face into his palms, Bruce nearly dropped his phone.
"…what?" Bruce demanded flabbergasted as he flipped his phone shut and set it on the table. "One more time?" He sputtered
"I…Bruce I think…Okay, Bruce, I'm gay. I like Wally, and yeah…" Dick finally mustered. He winced as he delivered the news, not wanting to see Bruce's face taking the news. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. Was all Dick could think as Bruce took a sip of his coffee and sat there blinking,
"You're…and you like…okay…." He breathed before standing up, and saying nothing else, left the room. Dick sat there dumbstruck and broken-hearted. This stung almost worse than if Bruce had slapped him across the face and told him to leave. The Bat had said nothing. He had just left…what did that even mean?
…
Dick sat up in bed, having already text Artemis what happened, he was alone again. It was nearing eleven and Bruce had left a while ago for some call or another. Dick didn't even get invited…No warning, nothing. He didn't even feel like he would be able to ever put on his Robin uniform and work side by side with the Batman again.
"Master Dick?" Alfred's calm voice requested from the other side of the large oak door.
"Ye-yeah?" Dick asked wiping at his teary eyes.
"Your presence is requested in the cave, Master Bruce says you're late for patrol." Dick blinked, and scrambled off of his bed, swinging open the door with his shirt already half unbuttoned.
"He…he isn't mad at me?" He demanded when he came face to face with the butler,
"He shall be if you aren't out soon." Alfred tutted and motioned him forward, "I suggest you talk about it though. It would be best to clear this fog, would it not?" Dick smiled up at the elderly man,
"Thanks, Alfred." He beamed as he bolted towards the Batcave.
"Hey Bats, sorry I'm late!" Dick called into the cave. Shockingly enough it was empty. He blinked and heard his earpiece buzz to life,
"Robin, I'm on the South Side on a burglary. There is a mugging in progress off of Main Street, I want you to handle it." Dick puffed out his cheeks, they were on the total opposite sides of town, Bruce obviously needed some thinking space.
"Gotcha." Dick said into the earpiece and hopped onto the R-cycle.
…
"Oh hoho? Where's Mommy Bat, little birdie?" A familiar cackle let out once Robin had reached the scene of the supposed mugging.
"there goes a simple mugging…He's going to get some other worm." Robin snapped back, turning himself around, attempting to see where the Joker was hiding, "Looks like you'll have to settle for me." There was a long drawn out cackle from one of the tops of a building on Robin's right. The Boy Wonder flipped to face it, but was met with nothing,
"Oh no, he left his little egg unprotected! How's about we make an omelet then!" Joker wailed and jumped down, planting a kick firmly into Robin's back. "Yah see…" Joker began as Robin spun around and sent his foot flying at him, the attack was dodged easily as he continued "There's a new exhibit there at the museum, a pretty, pretty little toy! I just wanted my hands on it for a little play date~ but then, this poor little man wanted some money!" The laughs began ringing out through the speech, "So my guys just thought it would be a good idea to have a little fun with him!" The yellow smile of the Joker was suddenly in front of Robin as the boy felt a punch land thickly into his stomach. He coughed, but gripped the fist. He leaned in and shoved his shoulder into Joker's collarbone, and using the fist now firmly planted in his own stomach he used the momentum and flipped the Joker over his shoulder.
The agile man slithered away and managed to jump out of the hold. Robin spun around to meet his kick with his own forearm. He felt a bruise suddenly begin to form where there was contact and he leapt back,
"You said something about your men! Where'd they go? Too chicken to play Chicken?" Robin scoffed, Joker cackled and spun back planting his palm on the ground and lashing out at Robin's jaw with his foot. There was brief contact with Robin's nose as the sidekick stumbled back.
"They're just playing hide-n-seek!" was the giggled response. Robin's eyebrows pulled together, attempting to figure out what he meant and gain some balance. Yet before he could make another move, arms the size of his entire torso snagged around him and lifted him off the ground.
…
When Robin came to he was bound and gagged in some dark dank room. He felt his heart beating at a million miles an hour as he frantically struggled to get some sort of bearings on his location. Soon enough he realized he was blindfolded and had managed to get the bandana off from around his eyes by moving his eyebrows.
Cursing, Robin pulled himself up a bit and blinked, he couldn't see two inches in front of himself, "Damn it" He swore and struggled to get his hands out from behind his back. Sliding his feet through the loop made by his arms he was able to wriggle so the arms were in front of him.
"Ah looks like our little Robin finally woke up from his little nap." The Joker's crackling voice shrilled from an intercom somewhere in the room, suddenly, as the man's voice rang up the lights of the room flicked on. Robin blinked and rubbed his eyes to quickly adjust them. When he was finally able to see he squinted into the light and looked around to find himself inside of a glass case being held up with a single chain over what he only could assume was something that would be extremely painful...oil…he smelt olive oil. Fantastic.
Robin said nothing as the Joker appeared from a door on the opposite side of the room, his permanent smile cracking all the way across his face as he danced across the tiles, leaping around machinery like a child on a playground.
"Do you like this little set up? I had it all set up for some boring ol' politician but, why not let the little birdie take the first swim? Maybe a dip in the fryer will cook me up some good chicken wings, huh?" Joker was now near the glass case, Robin followed him with careful eyes as the psychopath bounded around the vat that held the oil.
"Hope you have a lot of ketchup, I don't think I taste to good." Robin spat back, "A little gamey." He added, "Not a lot of meat" He shrugged again, holding up one of his slender arms and spinning it around as if to showcase the skinniness of the appendage.
"Oh it's not for me! My little puppies want a treat." He cackled and then whistled, the call summoned three hyenas from the room the Joker had just been in. The animals ran at full speed towards the whistling man, only stopping when the call ceased. Joker pointed up at the Boy Wonder and grinned, "Now little puppies, how does the Boy Blunder look? Nice and tasty?" He questioned, Robin gulped, he didn't underestimate the insanity of this man, he knew in a few minutes, regardless of what he said or did, he would be plummeting, most likely face first, into a vat of boiling olive oil, and then his charred remains would be taken out and fed to some meat-crazed hyenas.
"Are you sure you aren't going to want a piece?" Robin asked, attempting to stall
"Me? Oh no, no, no. These boys are far too hungry for me to even pluck off one of your little toes." Robin huffed, and frantically searched for another question to distract the man with,
"What do you think the Bat would taste like?" He quickly asked, hoping that the Bat in question would be finding him soon. If he even knew, or cared that he was gone.
"Most likely beef. I'm betting chicken in your case." Was the cackled response,
"What about Harley?!" Robin demanded, "What would she taste like?" This confused the Joker for a bit as he leaned against a large crate to ponder,
"Are we talking something you would know the taste of?" The mad-man questioned, Robin nodded,
"Yeah, I gotta be able to know kind of the gist." This received a glance from the man,
"I bet, ham." Robin nodded,
"And Catwoman?"
"Cat."
"Penguin?"
"Duck."
"Scarecrow?"
"Dirt."
"Killer Croc?"
"Really, kiddo, does that one need explanation?"
"Umm… Firefly?"
"Like a beetle." Robin was running out of names and fast, he flashed through his records of villains or other heroes the Joker would have had an encounter with and listed them off, getting very twisted, very sadistic responses each time. Eventually though, Robin couldn't think of anyone else to even consider asking about,
"Are we about done lamb chop, because the puppies are getting a bit…feisty." Robin broke out into an instant sweat when he realized he was stumped, there was no more he could say or do that could distract the Joker. Batman wasn't coming. He was going to die. Please, oh please, make it quick. Robin prayed. Then he remembered something,
"So! If I'm going to die here, can I at least get a run through of how this thing works?" Robin asked, Joker blinked but obliged,
"I suppose that would only be common courtesy." He shrugged, "Very curious kid you are, always asking the news making questions. Have you even considered being a reporter? Maybe you wouldn't have ended up trapped in a glass case, but at least you could have shared your questions with a bit bigger audience, huh?"
"Considered it." Was all that Robin could choke out, his mind was working at a million miles an hour, and without his utility belt, or his gloves, or his boots, he was left with very little option of tools. Fishing into his pant-leg he managed to snag onto a small wire he kept in his pocket for emergencies. Frankly this was quite the emergency.
Robin wrapped the around his hand, the sharp edges biting into his skin, but it would be worth it if he could manage an escape with it. He tied a loop on one end of the wire flashing looks over at the Joker who he supposed was still on a very long tangent about how he wanted to be a reporter, no now he was on something about a tattoo artist.
Eyeing the length and with of a pipe that looked sturdy enough from his point of view to hold his weight without breaking, the Boy Wonder was ready. He hoped.
A lot is happening! Dick finally told Bats, is that a Dick and Artemis friendship in the making? Why would Artemis lie to Dick about Wally being there? Is Wally totally over Dick now? And now Robin is in some deep shit!
What do you think?
Okay, so today was my birthday~ well yesterday…now…it's midnight so yes, yesterday! So I wanted to give you a treat for that! It's not a amazingly long beautiful chapter but it's leading into stuff and important stuff…I was gonna have the time skip in this chapter but I didn't…
Connichiwa was this weekend (it's a con I go to every year) and so yeah…I was busy with that … I have no excuse…I'm a horrible person.
BUT really, reviews DO help me write faster, as soon as I get a review I crank out a couple pages so REVIEW I'll love you forever.
Alright a little prompt for this weeks reviews… How do YOU think Bruce/Bats is going to take Dick's news? Is he gonna be cool with it? Or will he never forgive him? Or what?
AND question number two, how is Dick going to escape from the Joker? Or will he?
What do you think?
