Batman was standing near the trailer that he had seen Nightwing enter, he suddenly heard a gunshot. His heart went into his throat as he raced into the trailer, he ran from one area to the next looking for Nightwing.
"Nightwing! Where are you!" Batman called frantically. He found the bedroom and there was a figure standing over Nightwing who was laying in a pool of his own blood.
Batman could see where his son had been shot and knew he didn't have much time to get him out of there.
"Say goodnight bird boy!" Raising the gun and cocking it the figure had every intention of finishing Nightwing off when they received a blow to the back of the head by Batman's Batarang. Spinning around the figure smirked under the mask and said. "I was wondering when you would show up. Here're your options Batman, fight me. Or save your dying son."
He looked over at the blood that surrounded Nightwing. The young man was struggling to sit up. Going to his side he said.
"Easy Nightwing, I'm here now." He crouched down beside him and looked at the wound.
"So now you have a dilemma, I suggest you listen to me, Batman. I know who you are, I know who he is. And I suggest you deliver Robin over to me by sundown tomorrow or I will finish what I have started."
Batman frowned and asked. "Who are you?"
"A piece of your past Batman. Just remember I know where you hang your cape at night. Deliver Robin or Nightwing dies!"
"T-T-Tal…." Dick tried to speak but was getting weaker by the minute from the blood-loss. The figure disappeared in a cloud of smoke from a smoke bomb.
Batman turned to his son and took his cape off and wrapped it around Nightwing. "Nightwing? Stay with me son."
He lifted him up he got to the Batmobile with little to no trouble. Laying him down he got in the trunk and took out some plastic wrap he had back there and wrapped it around his son's chest as a form of compression.
Phoning ahead he told Alfred to call Leslie to meet him back at the Batcave. The drive seemed to take forever and the sound of Dick struggling to breathe was making it hard to considerate on the road ahead. At some point, Bruce had to pull over and get the oxygen tank out of the trunk for emergencies and got Dick hooked up to it. He could hear bubbling in his son's chest, he knew that was NOT a good sign.
He floored it to the Batcave when Dick he started coughing hard into the oxygen mask that was on his face. He got to the cave to find Leslie, Alfred,and Tim on standby with a gurney to put Dick on.
There was a lot of activity as Alfred and Leslie began working on Dick to stabilize him, Leslie turned to Bruce who had his cowl down standing at the foot of the bed. Worry showed in his features.
"So what was the distance he got shot at?"
"I would say the range was about 5 to 7 feet. He was only shot once." Bruce replied Tim came up beside him with worry on his face.
"What about you Bruce? Are you OK?"
"Tim, I was outside the trailer looking around, Dick went in on his own," Bruce growled back.
Tim gave him a reassuring look and told him. "This is not your fault. Don't blame yourself."
They watched as Leslie cut the uniform from Dick's body and began surgery to repair his lung that had been punctured by the bullet.
"Bruce, I need you and Tim to step out."
He complied and lead the older teen away. They sat in a couple of chairs that were outside the Med-Bay door. Bruce leaned forward with his head in his hands and elbows on his knees, he tried to control his breathing and was praying to whoever would listen that his son would survive this.
In all the years he had been living with Bruce, Tim had never seen the man lose it like he was at this very moment. He could see the worry and guilt playing on his face.
Bruce held back the tears as he could hear Dick struggle to breathe in the room behind him. Tim could see a single tear form in Bruce's eye, standing he silently shut the door. "Dick will make it Bruce, you can't loose hope in that. You trained him to be strong, he will make it."
Looking up at Tim sadly he said. "I am trying..."
The elevator door opened and Damian along with Gabe came in. In his moment of haste, he had nearly forgotten about the two. Jumping from his seat he looked over to Tim. "Stay here, tell me if anything changes."
"I will, I promise."
"Bruce! You back! Where is Dickie?" Gabe asked as he ran up to greet him. Giving Damian a sorrowful look he picked Gabe up. "Let's go back upstairs buddy, OK."
"Bruce? Why you sad?" Gabe asked he had seen the tears in his eyes.
Damian picked up on what was grief in his father's features and followed behind silently. Bruce opened the secret entrance behind the clock and walked over to the chair near his desk. Sitting down he put Gabe in his lap. "Gabe..." he started to say slowly.
"There was a problem on patrol tonight, we thought we were alone out at the circus." Bruce tried to keep his voice steady, but it was becoming hard. Damian stood by silently listening.
"Dick went into one of the trailers by himself… If I had known that there was someone in there I would have gone in with him… He didn't have a chance to radio for help before someone hurt him."
Gabe had tears in his own eyes now and said. "Dickie go bye bye?"
"No, not yet anyway. He's just hurt really bad right now, Dr. Leslie and Alfred are working on him to help him breathe on his own."
"How he get hurt? Did the person hit him too hard?" Gabe asked curiously.
Shaking his head he told the boy. "No, he was shot," Pointing to the spot on Gabe's chest he said continued. "Right here in the chest, he was struggling to breathe when I got him in the car. I hope I got him back in time."
"He gonna die?" Gabe asked innocently. "I hope not kiddo, but we have to keep thinking he will be alright," Bruce told him softly.
The intercom on the phone beeped on his desk. Damian walked over and pushed the button. "Yes?"
"Dami, where's Bruce?" Tim asked.
"He's here, he can hear you," Damian replied.
Bruce stood up and put Gabe on his hip as he walked over to Damian. "What's going on Tim? Is Dick alright?"
"He's stable, they were able to get the bullet out of his lung. Leslie had to repair an artery that had been grazed by the bullet. It was touch and go there for a few minutes, Leslie also had to put him on a ventilator for a few days. She said his lung is too weak right now and needs a little extra help. He's unconscious still and she expects he won't wake up soon, not within the next 24 hours at least."
"So Dickie is gonna be OK?" Gabe asked.
"Yes Gabe, he will be fine in time, but Dickie needs to rest OK? No playing with him yet."
"He no gets be Nightwing no more?"
Bruce moved the boy a little trying to look at him better. "No, not for a while, in the meantime Tim we need to have a family meeting."
"Dumb question but, do you want Alfred to? Or would you like him to stay with Dick?"
Bruce thought it over for a moment before picking up the phone to talk directly to his son. "Put Leslie on the line right quick."
Moments later Leslie came to the phone. "I assume you would like a full report on your boy?"
"You guessed right, that and I need to have a family meeting with the boys and Alfred, would you mind keeping an eye on Dick for me? I really don't want him alone right now. I will be down to explain further when I am done talking to Damian, Tim, and Alfred."
"OK, I will give you the full medical report then."
"Sounds good."
Moments after hanging up Alfred and Tim were coming through the secret entrance to the Batcave.
"What's up Bruce?"
"Is something else wrong sir?"
Bruce was still holding Gabe in his arms as he sat back down in the chair. "Yes… Dick was trying to tell me who it was that shot him. The shooter gave herself away."
"Her? What are you talking about Father?" Damian asked with a scowl on his face.
Bruce took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It was, Talia… She informed me that what Dick got was a warning shot."
Damian paled at this news. "Mother…" You have got to be kidding me? Why Grayson?
Bruce nodded slowly and continued. "She also told me that I have 24 hours to hand Robin over to her, or she would finish what she started..."
Gabe had tears welling up in his eyes. "Dickie and DD no bye bye! I don't want them to leave!"
Bruce ran a hand through the young boy's light hair and said gently. "They won't if I have anything to say about it. Dick is too weak to move right now but we can figure something out."
Tim was pacing worriedly around the room. "So what do we do? You obviously are not about to give Damian up, and we all know Dick isn't going anywhere anytime soon."
"How blunt of you Drake, you would like it if Mother got me back! Who's to say she won't kill Grayson even if Father hands me over?"
Bruce frowned at the two arguing boys and responded. "That's enough, Damian, there is no if about it. We will figure this out, but right now she is going to not only be targeting Dick, but we have to hide Gabe too."
"Bruce? What if I go and hide upstairs? She no about the higher floors?" Gabe asked curiously.
Bruce tried to think back to when he had been with Talia… It wasn't long after he had taken in Dick, maybe a year or two at most. But he didn't remember giving her any tours of the Manor, well except one place in particular on the second floor of the Manor. But she had entered through the Batcave, she had not seen the outside. Thinking about what Damian had said in the past about how his mother trained him he told the boys.
"She wouldn't unless she's been following us around discretely. If she saw the outside of the Manor she would see that it was over 4 stories tall… But back then, no, she entered through the Batcave."
Tim blushed at what he was about to imply but he said it anyway. "What if after… um… well you know, afterward if while you were sleeping if she wandered around the Mansion?"
"She would have clued Grayson in on her poking around, and he would have woken Father."
"Dick's a light sleeper genius, he would have heard a pin drop!" Tim shot back.
"Not back in those days boys, he was a heavy sleeper back then. He was still pretty new at being Robin, and between patrols along with school, he slept very heavily. He became a light sleeper some years later." Bruce told them both, he wanted them to get along and work together.
Seeing as neither of them knew Dick back then, and Damian wouldn't have been born yet, they didn't have a leg to stand on to continue arguing.
"Bruce, I think if you hide us somewhere we be safe from her?" Gabe responded.
Damian couldn't help how he felt around the two-year-old if this had been someone of his age or older he would have thrown an insult at them. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to be rude to this kid.
Walking to stand directly in front of his father and Gabe he told the boy. "That wouldn't work Gabriel. Mother would bring forces to back her up." Seeing the confused look on the younger boys face he added.
"Meaning she would bring more people with her to look for us and she would k-hurt anyone that got in her way. You have to understand an assassin is someone who is trained to look under even a flat rug to find someone. You stop at nothing to reach your goal, we could hide in the attic and she could find us."
"The Batcave," Tim said flatly. Damian turned to him curiously. "I don't follow you, Drake?"
Walking closer he stated. "Hide in the Batcave, it's got to have secret passages and tunnels going in and out."
"Might I remind you young sir that Master Dick is hooked up to a ventilator at the moment, he will not be strong enough to move or disconnect for several days to come," Alfred told him.
Tim tried to think hard about how they were going to protect Dick, he could lead himself and the two younger boys down the passages of the cave… but Dick was another matter all in its self. But then again how was Bruce supposed to fair up against an army alone?
"Bruce, what if we call in Red Hood?" Tim suggested.
"Out of the question," Bruce stated firmly. Granted he loved all his sons, he wasn't about to allow a trigger happy maniac into his home, it was bad enough that Talia was about to do so.
"Bruce, Jason's family, why are you turning your back on him!" Tim told him angrily.
"I'm not, he's not in his right mind Tim and you know that. He thinks it's partially my fault that he died and that Ra's brought him back to life, or a half life. If you want World War 3 to come down on the Manor then that's how you do so. Wait until Dick is healed before bringing Jason here."
Damian had yet to meet the second Robin, Dick had told him briefly about him but never went into much detail.
"So is he a friend or foe Father?" Damian asked as Bruce went to stand up.
"It all depends on his mood. Dick has been the only other one that can keep Jason in check. But we can figure this out on our own without bringing him here."
Damian didn't want another argument to break out but he asked anyway. "Why is Grayson the only one Father? Can't you get through to him?"
"He calls occasionally Damian, but it's been a while. He's been in Bludhaven for some time now, he prefers it that way." Bruce answered. He hadn't told Damian much about Jason if anything at all. Dick must have told him something.
"How about this then, what if we lock the steel door to the Med-bay? Then I take Damian and Gabe into the tunnels that I know about and leave them there? Would that work?"
Shaking his head Bruce started to reply when Gabe announced. "Bruce, I hungry."
Looking at his desk clock he saw it was nearly midnight. Picking Gabe up he told the boys. "You two go to bed, I will feed him and lay him down for the night."
Both of the older boys had eaten supper earlier but Gabe was hitting a growth spurt and was hungry more often.
Taking Gabe to the kitchen he sat him in the high chair and began making him a sandwich. As Bruce was cutting it into quarter pieces he sensed they were no longer alone, turning he saw Damian standing next to what he now considered grandson.
"Why didn't you go to bed?"
"I need to speak with you Father, I can't rest until I do," Damian told him, taking a seat next to Gabe as Bruce brought over the sandwich.
"What's wrong?" Bruce had a pretty good idea of what was bothering his son, but he wanted to hear him say it.
"Father… I'm sorry for how I acted when you and Grayson were getting ready to leave tonight… I don't know what came over me."
"To be honest son, I think in a way you are jealous," Bruce explained.
Frowning Damian asked. "Of what exactly?"
"Not of what, but of who. Damian, you had Dick's undivided attention just under a year ago, now someone else is taking up his time. I believe you have become jealous of Gabe because of that attention and you are just simply acting out. Dick actually got jealous when he learned about you, Tim didn't take up much of my time, they got along just fine and could hang out. But when you came along I was always getting on to you, training you spending time with you. Time, that I used to give Tim and Dick. Tim didn't get as belligerent as Dick did, Tim acted out in his own way but not as badly as Dick."
"I thought when one was jealous they took it out on the person they were jealous of? I have never made any attempts of harming the baby."
"Remember, you were the one that attacked Dick and Tim just over a year ago. You were jealous of them then, and you are jealous of Gabe now. I know you have never made any attempts to harm him, and I know you never will. But what's going to happen the day that you retire from Robin? The others have all moved on to different identities: Nightwing, Red Hood and Red Robin. Granted Jason doesn't live here but the other two do, well for the time being."
Gabe had long finished his sandwich and was listening to the conversation. "Bwuce? Is Dickie gonna be OK?"
"Yes, once he wakes up."
"Do Dickie and I have to go back to his home when he gets better?"
"Not unless he wants to, you two are welcome to stay as long as you two need too."
Damian asked his father. "When is Gabe's date of birth Father? I know he's close to being three?"
"From what Dick tells me he is nearly a New Years baby. He was born December 31st."
Damian looked over at the calendar. "It's almost Halloween… wow, he's going to be three in two months. What are we going to do for his birthday Father? I know you always plan something for us, if we want to or not."
His voice went dry on that last sentence. Damian did not see the point in birthdays other than the fact he was another year older.
Gabe looked down at his empty plate then back up at Bruce. "I no want birfday dis year. Dickie may not be able to be happy with me..."
"Why not?" Damian asked.
"I told you Dick should be fine as soon as he wakes up?" Bruce told him softly.
Gabe pushed his plate off the tray and onto the table. "I know… but if Tala is trying to get DD he gonna be busy keeping him here. An I don't know if I wanna celbrate it… mommy and daddy aren't here."
Tim came up behind them all, he was having a hard time sleeping. "Kid, we are your family now. Dick will be fine, we will kick Thalia's ass, and you, my dear nephew will celebrate your 3rd birthday with a bang!"
If you say so Timmy… Gabe thought quietly to himself, he looked up at Bruce and asked. "Can I see Dickie before going bed? Pwease?"
"Will it help you sleep?"
"Yes, sir," Gabe told him with a smile creeping across his face.
Damian picked up Gabe's plate as well as his own and put them in the sink, turning he told his father. "We will figure this out Father, try not to worry too much."
"That's easy for you to say, I still have to find a way to keep Talia away from Dick."
Tim had gotten Gabe and set him on the floor. "If you bekade the door, then she may just take someone else fwom you Bwuce."
Damn, this kid was smart. Bruce thought, he noticed Damian giving him a worried look and said. "Tim, take Gabe to visit Dick, I will be right there."
Sensing that Bruce was most likely going to talk to Damian he complied by taking Gabe out of the room.
"Is something on your mind son?"
Damian was silent as he stood there in the middle of the kitchen. Damn, he's bottling things up again. "Damian, don't do this to yourself, please talk to me. What is wrong?"
Damian looked away as Bruce pulled out a chair and sat down facing his son. Bruce could see the emotions playing across his son's features.
Damn emotions are for the weak Damian! Get a hold of yourself! Grandfather taught you better than this. Damian told himself. But he saw the expression on Bruce's face and knew he couldn't hide it forever.
"I guess… I guess I am worried a little. I don't want you to face them alone. This is because of me… Mother will stop at nothing to ensure I come back to her, but why I do not understand? What was the point of shooting Grayson? She claims it to be a warning? But I wish to know why? I want to go with you tomorrow night Father."
"I am not handing you over and that's final."
Damian held a hand up and told his father. "No, I am not asking you to Father, I just want to be there as back up. If she really does plan to kill Grayson and if I am not present, then I don't want to give her that opportunity. If I am there then she will think you cooperated. If not then she will kill Grayson at any cost. We could try to hide Baby Grayson, Richard and Drake along with myself but what good would that do with an entire league of assassins?"
Hating to admit it, but his son had a valid point. He couldn't do this on his own, but he hated to take his son with him for fear of him being taken.
Staring at his son for the longest time Bruce thought to himself what kind of father am I to put my son in danger? And what of Dick? He's in worse shape…
Seeing the worry in his father's eyes Damian told him. "Father, it will be alright. We have faced worse in the past. The Graysons' Killer might not even be Mother and the League of Shadows. It could be another individual entirely. It could have been Zucco after all."
"I know son, I have thought about that too. Come on, let's go see how Dick is doing."
Both of them went down to the Batcave, they found Tim holding Gabe while the little boy was begging Dick to wake up. Turning his teary eyes up to Bruce he said sadly.
"He not going bye bye, is he? Yous said he be OK."
Picking the distraught little boy up he told him. "He will be fine, we gave him some medicine to help him sleep. He should wake up come morning. Let's get you to bed little man."
"No, I wanna stay here with Dickie!" Gabe began to squirm in Bruce's arms frantically trying to get back to Dick.
"I know you do, but, he needs his rest and so do you."
"No! I do not want to!" He shouted and struggled harder to break free from the strong arms holding him.
It had been a long and tiring night, he still had to think of a way to keep his sons and grandson safe. But dealing with a two-year-old's temper tantrum was wearing on his patience, very quickly.
"Father, may I suggest we all stay down here with Grayson?" Damian asked from where he stood near Dick.
Bruce looked over at his sons and told them. "No, Tim, you will take Gabe to his room and put him to bed. Damian… I know we still have to deal with your earlier behavior. But now is not the time, just go on to bed."
Suddenly an alarm sounded, spinning around Bruce saw Dick's heart monitor flat line. "Oh Jesus no!"
Handing Gabe off to Tim he raced to Dick's side and began CPR, after about a minute he got a faint heartbeat to start back up.
Turning to the boys he said. "Take Gabe upstairs Damian, and stay with him. Tim, I need you to get Leslie. Something's wrong."
Gabe cried hard as Tim handed him off again to Damian. Racing from the room Tim went to get Thompkins.
Bruce listened as Gabe's cries faded the farther Damian got away with him. He knew this was going to be an even longer night now. Looking down at his wounded son he ran a hand through his hair and told him softly.
"Hang in there Dick, Gabe's counting on you… your brothers are counting on you… and so am I. We will fight this like we have so many times before. I promise no matter what happens we will win this fight. You have to fight this Dick, right now death is not an option..."
Bruce's words caught in his throat as emotions started to build up.
Leslie reentered the room and saw Bruce struggling to keep his emotions at bay. "It's been a long time since I have seen the mighty Bruce Wayne fight his emotions."
Looking up from where he was hunched over his son praying, he saw his old friend come in with an amused look on her face.
"His heart stopped… I brought him back… but something's wrong, the heartbeat isn't as strong as it should be."
Leslie took the young man's vital signs and told Bruce. "He's very weak Bruce, and most certainly not out of the woods yet. I need to run some tests to find out what went wrong."
"What can I do to help?" Bruce asked hopefully.
"You can sit over there and stay out of my way, I can check him over without help at this point."
Bruce sat and watched while Leslie did her multitude of tests on Dick, she turned from the ultrasound machine that she used to look at his heart more thoroughly and told Bruce.
"He has fluid building up around his heart, I need to insert a catheter into his chest to drain it or he will die."
Standing up Bruce asked. "How do you do that?"
"It's a complicated procedure, I will need Alfred's help. I will also need you to step out of the room while I do this. I can't have you leaning over my shoulder while I do this. He is still in critical condition."
Bruce walked out of the room and sent Alfred in, while they worked on Dick he explored one of the deserted cave caverns and found a secluded place behind an old wooden door. He wasn't sure what this room had been at one time but there was electricity in it and that was good enough. Dick was on a ventilator and needed to remain so for who knew how long. He was hell bent on keeping his family together, neither Dick nor Damian was leaving the house if he had anything to say about it.
Going upstairs he also looked into the 4th-floor rooms he found one at the end of the hall he knew it was never used and could also work as a hiding place. It would be warmer than in the cave… The windows were smaller in this room and the room itself wasn't very big. Dick, Gabe, and Damian could hide in here without any trouble. Or so he hoped…
"Father? What are you doing?"
Bruce spun around quickly when Damian had spoken, started he tried to catch his breath. "What are you doing up? I told you to go to bed."
"I know you did Father, but I saw you come up here… it's been an hour I never heard you leave so I came to make sure everything was alright."
An hour? Have I been up here all that time? Bruce thought to himself, he put a hand on Damian's shoulder and lead him out of the room.
"Sorry to worry you, Damian, I think I have found a couple of places I can hide Dick and Gabe, along with you if necessary."
"What about Drake? You're not going to hide him as well?"
Bruce stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to his youngest son. Kneeling down to his level he put both hands on his shoulders to better look him in the eyes.
"Damian, I know how you were raised, you think hiding is a sign of weakness or cowardice. But it's not, sometimes in times like this it's necessary to do it. I need you to stay with Dick and Gabe… Gabe is only 2 he can't watch himself and Dick is still unconscious and in critical condition. Alfred will be there as well as Dr. Thompkins. They will be busy with Dick, I need you to watch Gabe."
"But Father! Just earlier you said I could go with you!" Damian told him flatly.
"I know I did… but I can't take the risk of Talia getting her hands on you Damian. I have thought long and hard about this. Please, do as I say, don't think of it as hiding, think of it as a mission… a mission to protect your nephew from danger. He is too young to fight back, he knows enough to maybe get free from a captor but other than that he doesn't know much. Please, I am counting on you."
Damian looked into his father's pleading eyes, he could see he really didn't have much of a choice. He also saw that his father was counting on him.
"Agreed Father, I will protect Gabriel with my life."
Bruce pulled his son in for an embrace and said as he held him close. "Thank you, son."
"Father, if it comes to it… may I use my sword for protection? Or would you rather me use my Robin training?"
Pulling back Bruce told him. "Try not to kill, but if that is the only method you can find in protecting your brother and nephew then I give you permission. But please use your Robin training first, I would rather there be no bloodshed unless it was absolutely necessary."
With a serious look in his eyes, Damian told him firmly. "Yes sir, I will do the very best I can."
Bruce walked his son to his room, stopping in the doorway Damian turned and said. "I really am sorry for how I acted earlier."
Bruce knew he should deal with the bad behavior, but right now with everything that was at stake he didn't have the heart to remain angry at him. Kneeling down again he told his son gently.
"I know you are Damian, listen, it's been a long night. I am not mad at you, just please don't do that again, that's all I ask OK?"
Seeing no fight left in his father he said honestly. "I understand Father, and I will respect your wishes and not kill, and not sneak out again. I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused in the past."
Bruce wondered if the spanking the boy had received over a month ago had actually changed him, or if he was really growing up on his own. He didn't know but he liked the change no less.
"Thank you, son, good night."
Damian shut his bedroom door, Bruce turned and walked back down to the Batcave after checking in on Gabe to see that he was asleep, and he was but he was hiccuping in his sleep indicating that he must have cried the entire time.
Once down in the cave he found Tim half asleep sitting up outside the Med-bay door. "Tim? Is everything alright?"
Tim startled awake and looked up at Bruce. "Oh, yeah… um, Leslie kicked me out when he flat-lined again, she's got him back. But she just started the operation to put that tube in his chest to drain the fluid."
"OK, you are probably not going to bed either anytime soon are you?"
Shaking his head slowly Tim told him. "I can't sleep knowing that my brother is dying in the Batcave."
Bruce got down by Tim and told him firmly. "Do not ever think that way Timothy Drake, he will pull through this. You know full well he is a fighter, he has fought worse demons and came out the victor."
Tim could see the pain in Bruce's eyes at the thought of Dick dying. "Sorry Bruce… after my dad was killed years ago I guess I just… don't see hope in anyone making it through a gunshot wound."
Running a hand through the teen's hair Bruce told him. "I survived, Dick has once before, you have, Damian has, and so has Alfred. I know losing your father was hard Tim, but don't lose hope."
"But those wounds weren't life threatening like this one."
"True, but any gunshot wound can be life threatening. Even the minor ones."
"Wait, Damian? When was he shot? I didn't know about that."
Bruce gave him a smirk and told him. "It was a graze, it didn't penetrate his body thankfully. But I still count it."
Tim looked over his shoulder at the closed door. "Will he be alright?"
"I believe he will be, listen, you are coming with me tomorrow night. Damian has his orders to protect Gabe and Dick. They will be hidden within the confines of the Manor along with Leslie and Alfred."
"Well, she did say bring 'Robin' with you..."
Bruce grinned at the meaning. "She wasn't specific about which Robin."
"So true. So are you going to make Damian and I go to school? And you go to the office?" Tim asked.
"It's almost 5am, no I will just call us all in. Keep an eye on Gabe for me, I am going to stay down here with Dick."
"Sure thing boss. Night."
He left the room and headed back upstairs, Bruce looked around at the Robin costumes. Looking at the ages under each one he couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have Dick as Robin for so long, then Jason, Tim and now Damian. One day he would hang up the cowl and Dick already told him he would take over. Granted he doesn't think the young man really wanted to but would out of respect for him, Tim told him that when he graduates from college that he plans on dropping down to part-time crime fighting. That left doors of possibility wide open for Damian, and an invitation for Gabe to step up and assume the mantle if he still wanted it that is. Only time would tell…
A/N: Reactions? Tell me how you really feel about this story? I know you guys have comments.