Disclaimer: *grabs Dick by the head and snuggles* He's all mine~
Robin: No I'm not. I belong to DC
Me: *continues to snuggle* A girl can dream, can't she?
Chapter 11
(A/N- I am so sorry for not updating yesterday as an apoligy I shall update two chapters)
-Dick's POV-
I sat up in a panic my eyes wide with fear. I looked around the room and breathed a sigh of relief. With a plop a laid down on the comfy oversized bed and rested my arm on my eyes. Nightmares. They have been a constant alarm for the past week. I slightly raised my arm so now it was resting on the bangs of my hair. The midnight red curtains were slightly open letting in sunlight. The arm that was resting rose to one of the rays. I clenched my open hand and brought the fist right in front of my face and opened it. I didn't know what I expected. A ray of hope? Something that was related to warmth and happiness? I weakly chuckled at my foolishness and slid my hand through my messy hair. I heard clanking telling me that Alfred woke up and was preparing breakfast. I groggily got up and made the bed.
I went downstairs to the dining room and greeted Alfred who was setting the table, "Good morning Alfred."
"Good morning Master Dick." I cringed at the word master being spoken. I wasn't used to it. Everything was so different. First I lived in a trailer, then an apartment, and now a manor. Big difference and I thought living in a non-mobile house was different.
"Master Dick, sit down as I wake up Master Bruce." I nodded at Alfred's command and sat the usual spot. I swung my legs in a lazy manner and once again picked at my food with disinterest. Today I was supposed go to a gymnastics club meeting but two days ago I quit. Coach understood but Michelle didn't take it so well. Yesterday she called me saying that I didn't have to quit the team and that she and David were there for me also why didn't I call or text them. They were worried I got that but I didn't want to face them. During the phone call I could here David trying to calm Michelle down but to no avail. I mumbled a sorry and hung up. We haven't spoken since. Who cares for friends anyways? But I couldn't help feel the loneliness digging inside my core.
"Good morning Dick," Bruce greeted me with a yawn snapping me back into reality.
"Good morning Bruce. Late night?" Bruce, no, I mean Batman left the cave around ten o' clock and wasn't present when I actually fell asleep which was around midnight. Bruce just gave a tired nod and stared at my still full plate.
"Dick, you have to eat something. You barely have finished off your plate for this past week." I stiffened at his comment.
"I'm just not hungry, okay?" I knew not eating and barely getting shut eye was affecting me. My already skinny body was now skin and bones and dark bags had crept under my eyes. I probably looked like a wreck. Bruce stared at me uncomfortably and I looked away. It was still awkward between us. It was always him wanting to say something and me wanting to end the conversation. But his gaze never faltered and gave an annoyed sigh.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Um, well, I transferred schools for you. I'm afraid your school was too far from here so I transferred you into Gotham Academy," Bruce said under one breath. I stared at him taken aback. Bruce transferred me into one of the richest schools in Gotham.
"Huh," was the only thing that I managed to breathe out.
"Barbara will be there." Barbara. I haven't seen her since the funeral. I also wanted to talk to her as Batgirl. Maybe, she can help me capturing the Ge- I mean Transparent. I remembered Bruce saying something about him turning invisible. I looked up 'man that has the power to turn invisible' on Google and instantly came up with a single criminal that matched the Geoffrey, Transparent. There were hundreds of articles about him and his murder cases. As I read the articles the anger inside me bubbled. He destroyed so many families; torn them apart. He was going to pay.
"Dick?" Bruce called waving his hand in my face. I snapped back into reality.
"Right. Sorry, guess I was little shocked. I guess, it would be fine if Barbara is there. When will I be starting?" Bruce gave a sigh of relief and smiled, "I already bought your uniform. C'mon lets try it out." Bruce's plate was empty while mine was still practically full.
"Yeah," I deadpanned.
-Barbara's POV-
"He's what," I exclaimed into my phone.
"Dick is going to your school," Bruce said bluntly. I unconsciously nodded then I remembered I was on the phone.
"Alright."
"I expect you to show him around and if anyone bullies him I give both you and Artemis to slightly punish on his bad behavior." I rose my eyebrows in slight amusement. Bruce has noticeably took a liking to Dick. I felt a slight pang of jealousy. Even though Batman and I worked together for almost two years we still didn't have a strong connection. It was easy why. Bruce didn't like to talk; it was all about work and then see ya tomorrow while I was all mouth. And I could feel it; that Bruce, no Batman didn't trust me one hundred percent. It took him six months for him to finally show me his real identity and the Batcave. What a real shocker that was. But Bruce and Dick seemed to get close but to them it was unnoticeable. During the funeral I felt a strong bond but I also felt certain sadness to it.
"Hello, Barbara?" Bruce sounded annoyed.
"Sorry, what?" I could feel the batglare and I slightly shuddered.
"I said that Dick found out." Did I hear that correctly?
"You mean about you and me?"
"Yes," Bruce said matter of factly.
"How?"
"He found the Batcave." I again raised my eyebrow in curiosity.
"How," I asked again. There was a silence telling me that he wasn't going to answer.
"Right," I said and hung up.
That phone call was three days ago. Dick knew that I was Batgirl. That means he knew about me even at the funeral. Is that why Dick looked away? Because he knew? I would just talk to him on Monday and sort things out.
-Dick's POV-
Bruce carried a medium sized bag into my room and I silently watched him take out the contents on to me bed. There was a sapphire vest, also a sapphire long sleeved jacket, a white T-shirt, khaki pants, black shiny dress shoes, and a sapphire tie that had red slanted stripes as a pattern. The vest, jacket, and shirt all had what looked like the school logo on the left side.
"The jacket is mostly for the winter and fall so you don't have to wear it now and the vest is for the spring and summer. The tie is necessary for all times." I gave a nod picking up the clothing and inspecting it.
"Why don't you try it on?" I looked at Bruce baffled at his comment. I looked at the vest that was currently in my hands.
"Um, alright." I walked over to my private bathroom and dressed accordingly. I stepped out and awkwardly coughed bring Bruce's attention towards me. I slightly pulled loosened the tie as Bruce stared at me. Then at that moment Alfred walked in and slightly smirked.
"My word Master Dick you just look like Master Bruce when he went to Gotham Academy." I raised my eyebrows at Bruce, "You went to G.A.?" Bruce nodded and smirked, "Yeah, I can see the similarities."
-Alfred's POV- (A/N-may be the last time he's coming out)
I smirked at the scene before me. Master Dick was awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck while Master Bruce was slightly smirking.
"I can show of Master Bruce in his high school days."
Master Dick raised his eyebrows and reluctantly said, "Alright." I left out of the room for a second and soon came back with a book full of pictures. I sat in the wooden desk both Master Bruce and Dick came walking over. I flipped over the pages full of rich memories.
"Ah, here we are," I said stopping to the page I was looking for. "Master Bruce is in the middle." I said pointing to him. He had two friends at his left and right their arms wrapped around young master's shoulder and grinning foolishly at the camera. Master Bruce had on a slight smirk, his hands dug into his pockets, and his gleamed a lonely glare.
"How old was he in this," Master Dick asked.
"I believe I was around fourteen, Dick," Master Bruce replied. I smiled nonchalantly at the memory of his first day of school.
~FLASHBACK~
"Master Bruce, your tie is crooked," I scolded as I righted the deep blue tie.
"Thanks Alfred."
"Any time Master Bruce." It was silent, only us silently gazing at each other. His eyes were now dull; the playfulness now fully gone. His face was now chiseled into a never ending expressionless one. But I had years of practice to read the finest details on his face.
"You do not have to be worried, Master Bruce. I'm sure you will do fine." Bruce gave a sigh and ran through his hair with his hands.
"But, Alfred, I haven't gone to school since..." He trailed off and his gaze broke off. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Master Bruce has been home schooled since his parent's death.
"As I said before I will not try to replace them but I am here for you." Bruce slightly smirked at this and enveloped me in a warm hug.
"Thank you, Alfred." The hug broke and I smiled warmly and said, "Let's get going, shall we?" Bruce nodded and we walked out of the lonesome manor.
£A Few Hours Later£
The phone rang in the manor as I was dusting a book shelf. I ran to the phone and greeted the caller, "Hello, Wayne residence."
"Hello, are you Mr. Wayne's legal guardian?" The caller sounded defeated and exhausted.
"Yes, whom am I speaking to?"
"The principal of Gotham Academy. I'm afraid that you need to pick up Mr. Bruce Wayne immediately." I stiffened at this and asked, "Oh my, did something happen?"
"I'm afraid so. Mr. Wayne has started a fight."
"Yes, I'll be there right away."
A few moments later I parked in front of the manor with Master Bruce in the back. The sudden stop jerked Master Bruce woke him back into reality. He unclenched the fists that were grabbing furiously into his pants. I opened the car door for him without a word. He stalked out of the car door and walked in the Manor with the same silence. I followed behind him and grabbed the medical kit. I found Master Bruce sitting in the dining room his head perched in his hands. I walked over to him and gently grabbed his hand and began to rub alcohol on his bloodied knuckles.
"You have given him quite a punch for tearing your skin like this," I said as I began to wrap the bandage. I looked in to his eyes that were flashing with guilt and anger.
"Why," I simply asked.
"H-he was making fun of Mom and Dad. Saying t-that they deserved to die for making h-his dad bankrupt," Bruce shakily replied.
"Who was this rude man," I harshly asked.
"D-Daniel Hawthorne." Hawthorne. Ah, I remembered the child's father. One time Mr. Hawthorne came to a charity ball held by Master Wayne and he had caused a ruckus. At that time Master Wayne had kept a close eye on him and found out that he had been cheating on many businesses. So Master Wayne did only a sane man can do was to exploit of his unfair ways.
"That is not true. Nobody deserves death. It's a cruel and an unlikable fate. Especially Master and Mistress Wayne didn't deserve such a death. They were both exceptional people." I finished what I had to say and hugged Bruce.
"I know Alfred."
~FLASHBACK ENDS~(A/N- Wow, that was a long flashback O.O)
-Bruce's POV-
I stared at the photo of me when I was about fourteen. It was three years later when I finally decided to avenge my parent's death. To train nonstop. Wrack my brains with languages, mathematics, science, mythology, and other studies. I learned from the best in martial art skills in Japan. It was excruciating; my bones ached but I still prevailed. Seven years later u came back with a new light to everything. The muscles in my bone were now ripe and my brain was stuffed with information. When I came to the manor I immediately felt a pang of guilt when I saw Alfred. Alfred nearly blew about saying how worried he was and all he got were letters from who knows where. But when I told him why I left with all but a letter his expression softened into a sad and soft gaze. Three years later Batman was born and at first of course it wasn't easy. I came home with bruises, broken bones, cuts, and sometimes it was even worse. Alfred immediately studied medical and health after seeing all the injuries I had gotten from the 'adventures' as Alfred called it. A while after Joker came. He was cruel, evil, and psychotic. We clashed as soon as we saw each other. We always left with injuries. Soon, I was known as the dark knight, the caped crusader, the dark hope in the grey Gotham City. It was wonderful that I was called such things. That I was hope for this cruddy city. But for Dick I was too late. Yes. Batman was born for vengeance but it grew into something bigger. I see myself in Dick. At a such a young age we both had left the white, innocent part of the world and got enveloped into the darkness and cruelty part of the world. We never looked back; we let it envelop us while we were crying silent tears. But now the little ounce of innocence that had been locked inside his heart has been pulled and torn right in front of him. Now, he was drowning in the darkest art of the world and I swear that I will rescue him. I will try my best to at least bring back the innocence he had lost. I won't make him become like me. I put my hand on Dick's shoulder and he gazed at me. I smiled at him. Showing him an expression that I understood what loss felt like. That you didn't want to trust anybody; not let anybody in; afraid that person will vanish too. I understood. Dick stiffened less and slightly smiled.
-Dick's POV-
The alarm that sat on the counter next to my bed shrilled waking me up. The alarm woke me up. My nightmare didn't. I stretched happily. It was the first night didn't plague me. That look Bruce sent me that Saturday night. It was calming. I don't know how but it told me that he understood what I was going through. It meant a lot. I should get ready. It was the first day of school for me. Barbara said she was going to meet me at the front of the school to show me around. I showered and dressed into the uniform. I walked down the flight of stairs and greeted Alfred and Bruce a good morning. Alfred placed a bowl of cereal in front of me.
"It looks like you slept well, Master Dick," stated Alfred with a smile.
"Yeah, I did." I ate the cereal for once being hungry. I gulped down the last bit of milk left in the bowl and wiped the milk mustache with a napkin.
"And hungry, too," Bruce stated.
"Yeah." I smiled shyly at Bruce as I said this and he smirked back.
"Master Dick, I'm afraid we have to get going or else we will be late."
"Alright. Bye Bruce!" He nodded at my direction signaling me a good bye.
(A/N-This was a longer chapter than I expected it to be. I'm afraid this story is coming to a end. Maybe like 2-3 chapters? Maybe more? Well rate and reviews will be always appreciated! :D)