Chapter 37: Losing Robin

Dick stayed unconscious for two days after and Bruce left his bedside for only an hour altogether though Alfred tried to persuade him to do so more often. As Alfred changed the IV and tended to some new bandages Bruce looked up. "I'm grounding him. I can't let him be Robin anymore."

Alfred turned to look at him. "Master Bruce I can't believe I'm saying this but I don't think you should do that."

"Of course I should! He's gotten hurt worse than I thought. He almost died Alfred. Leslie said if I came a minute later he would have. I can't lose him."

"Master Dick is a smart child. He'll have learned from this and won't do it again. Every child falls, but they get back up and walk more carefully so they won't fall again."

"But what if he does? And don't say he wont because he obviously will."

"Yes but I believe more harm will come from grounding him than not."

That was when Bruce got up for the first time and the last for those two days. "I'm going to get something to eat. Tell me if anything changes Alfred."

Nothing changed for another 34 hours when Dick finally opened his eyes again. The healing process after that was hard. He knew he was safe but still flinched when someone reached out to touch him. He couldn't get out of bed to do his acrobatics and Bruce hadn't even had the heart to bring up grounding Robin just yet knowing that Dick was already in so much pain. Leaguers came in and out visiting the kid and asking how he was. Wally and Roy were frequent visitors. They helped relieve some of the boredom of being on bedrest for the rest of his winter break.

Officially when school started again Dick was said to have injured himself on a ski trip with Bruce which invited the Gordon's to visit as well. Still the child was bored out of his mind unable to train or move having at least two weeks of bed rest left. So knowing he planned to ground Robin from being on the streets anyway he offered to teach him other things that Robin could do from the safety of the cave and still help Batman. Besides the detective skills, languages, observations and etc. Robin was given a laptop and Bruce slowly started to teach him about computers.

The numbers easily fell into place, coding easy enough to learn for Dick, as easy as any spoken language he had learnt traveling or practicing with Bruce. He had always had a knack for math but coding was different, hacking the same. Within a week Dick had mastered understanding binary so he started on other computer languages. Bruce had made it seem like a game and he was given the practice of hacking the GCPD as his first test. It had been easier than any mission to him and he finished within an hour and a half without setting off alarms.

By the end of his three and a half week bed rest Dick had started his way into the first firewalls of the pentagon. It was a handy skill that he knew he'd easily be able to use as Robin. Which was why, as he slowly got used to moving again, and then training, it came as a huge shock when Bruce told him.

"You can't be Robin anymore."

Dick stared at him blankly. "I don't understand."

"I mean I can't let you help me in the streets anymore. You won't be fighting anyone."

"What?" Dick shouted. "Why not?"

"Because you'll get hurt again. And I can't let that happen," Bruce said stubbornly. "You're a child Dick. You don't have powers or super healing like Wally."

"Kid Flash," Dick corrected thinking of his newly debuted friend.

"Fine. Kid Flash," Bruce groaned at the stupid name. "You don't have powers, you're young and Gotham is the harshest city. You shouldn't be fighting here. You shouldn't have too. You almost got killed because of it."

"Almost Bruce," Dick said seriously using his guardians first name.

"It doesn't matter. You won't be putting on that suit again."

"You can't stop me from it," Dick protested. "You've never been able to stop me from it and never will be. I'm good at this. You know that. I've taken out Penguin, Scarecrow, Clayface, Mad Hatter and a lot of others. I help people. I need to help people Bruce. You can't stop me from doing that."

"You can help them in other ways."

"Other ways will never be as good as being Robin. That's the way I can help you," Dick said earnestly gazing right into Bruce's eyes.

"You can help me by staying safe."

"I am safe. I will be safe. Because you'll keep me that way. Please Bruce. I need to be Robin."

"No."

Dick's face fell. Still limping slightly he walked up the stairs. "Good night Bruce. I'm sorry."

Bruce paid no mind and dawned the cowl to head out for patrol for the night. He was in the middle of dropping off a crook at the GCPD's doorstep that Alfred called. "Master Bruce, Master Dick is missing."

Bruce paled. He knew this would happen. He should have known this would happen. "Trace him."

"His coordinates show him not to be in Gotham. They're not moving but he seems to have gotten rid of his tracer in Metropolis."

Bruce groaned. Of all the people to run too why did Dick have to choose Clark. He raised his hand to his comm and replied to Alfred. "I'm on my way to the Zeta Alfred. I'll comm Clark and let him know."

Clark was fast to answer as always. Even though Bruce couldn't see his face he could tell exactly what was going through the alien's mind. His voice could say everything. "Bruce you're looking for Dick I guess."

"You have him?"

"He showed up limping at my apartment not too long ago. He's asleep on the couch now but I heard what happened."

"Then you know I'm right."

"Not this time," Clark said. "Bruce I understand where you're coming from in this. It's a good thought and from a good place. But I don't think it's the right choice. You need him to be Robin. Everyone does. He's already changed the whole world in just two years."

"He's going to get himself killed Clark," growled Batman landing in front of the Zeta-tube.

"He won't," Clark assured. "He's too good. This was a mistake he won't make again. Honestly Bruce you know better than anyone how skilled he is. He's been training with the whole league for more than a year. I have no doubt he'll be able to beat all of us soon."

Bruce smirked not doubting it before remembering himself. "I can't let him continue."

"You have too. Being on bedrest for as long as he had is already hurting him. Taking Robin away is destroying him. Bruce I've never seen Dick look so broken and I can't…."

That's when Bruce hurt crying accompanied by shouts and screaming come over the comm. It was another nightmare. Two-Face replacing all the horrible ones about his parents deaths. Bruce had been having them as well. "I'm coming to get him Clark."

Clark took a minute to answer. "He's fine now. But you should let him stay here a bit longer. I'll see you tomorrow Bruce."

Bruce growled angrily throwing his comm down on the rooftop before grappling away towards the manner. He stayed awake all night worrying and waiting to hear from Dick. Nothing came.

The next morning Clark Kent heard a knock at the door and got up from the table where Dick Grayson was eating pancakes next to him. He opened the door to see Bruce Wayne who nodded at him sadly. Clark stepped aside. Dick looked up to see who was there and stood up ready to run. Bruce's breath caught in his throat. "Please Dick. Don't."

"You can't tell me what to do Bruce."

"Maybe not all the time," Bruce replied stepping forward. "But that's my job even if I give you the wrong orders sometimes."

Dick paused. Bruce took the chance and continued stepping closer to his ward. "I'm so sorry Dick. You were right. You need to be Robin, I need you to be. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to keep you safe."

"You already keep me safe," Dick repeated.

"Not enough," Bruce told him.

"That was my fault," Dick told him. "I was stupid."

Bruce laughed through the tears welling through his eyes. He wouldn't cry he vowed. "You've never been anything close to stupid. Impulsive is better."

"I'm sorry Bruce," Dick cried moving forward to hug his guardian.

Bruce lifted the boy into his arms cradling him closely. "You never need to apologize Dick. This is my fault. I hope you can forgive me enough to come home."

"I think I can," Dick sniffled. "But can I finish my pancakes first?"