Title: Flying to Redemption
Genre: Crime, Romance, Supernatural, Family, Friendship, Hurt/ Comfort, Angst
Pairing: Bruce Wayne X Dick Grayson (OC Semi Self-Insert)
Summary: It was only as he stared at his new guardian dressed as a giant bat that he realised that he had not simply been reborn. No, it was much worst.
Warning: Slash (Yaoi, Boy X Boy…), Reincarnation, Semi Self-Insert, OC as Dick Grayson (Sort of), Age Difference, OOC! Dick Grayson, Bat Family will not include Cass and Steph, Follows its own timeline (This is mostly its own dimension, different from any seen in the comics but also holds similarities). Endgame BruDick
Interlude 6 – What happens when you leave three teenage heroes alone
It was their second Saturday together when they encountered the first hurdle. The previous weekend and the previous day, they had decided on take-out for their meals as it was easier to obtain. Unfortunately, they could not keep getting take-out and so for lunch the three teenagers found themselves in the fully stocked kitchen, staring at the pantry door.
"Anyone knows how to cook?" Kid Flash asked first in trepidation.
"I… know how to boil an egg?" Aqualad offered hesitantly.
"Well, good for you. Last time I tried I burned it," Kid Flash replied sheepishly.
Robin on his side let out an exasperated sigh. "I know how to cook."
His companions turned to stare at him.
"Are you even allowed to use the oven?" Kid Flash asked the tiny twelve years old.
Robin wanted to glare at him at the remark but instead asked, "Do you want to eat?"
"Okay, point."
"We will help," Aqualad offered. "Do you have anything in mind, Robin?"
"Maybe something simple?" Robin mused. "And enough for dinner too?"
"Erm… I'm a speedster. We eat a lot," Kid Flash added awkwardly.
"Then we better get started," Aqualad said.
Robin sighed again.
It was trial and error. Since none of them was used to cooking, even Robin despite knowing how – and that was what happened when you lived with a butler who did everything for you – it took them a long time to get everything sorted out and then prepared. Because of Kid Flash's metabolism, they needed to cook a lot but even giving the speedster a lot of salad hardly did anything to his hunger. The teenager burned a lot of energy because of his powers and needed the food to replenish. In the end, they settled for food with a lot of carbohydrates.
If anything, at the end of the day Aqualad and Robin gained a better understanding of their speedster teammate. And Robin silently decided that he needed to create another way to fill Kid Flash's blackhole without emptying their pantry in one sitting. They definitely could not do this every time.
That still left them with a completely messy kitchen due to a few… accidents.
There was the flour everywhere on the floor from when Kid Flash had tripped when carrying the sack of flour; a few eggs were plastered on the ceiling from when Aqualad had tried flipping the eggs; batter was spilled over the counter from when Robin had tried pouring it from a large bowl and into a mould only to have the bowl slipping and tipping from his fingers…
After eating, the three teenagers stood in the kitchen, staring at the mess. Well, it was the start of a new adventure?
…A very messy adventure.
The kitchen was a mess. The bathroom smelled like a boys' locker room. The trash stunk up the whole base after they forgot to take it out after their first weekend. On the second Friday, they found the pantry empty except for canned food. They also kept tripping over things in the media room and the main living area.
It was not long before they decided on a chore schedule to keep their base clean and stocked. Since everyone helped for cooking, everyone would also help for cleaning the kitchen after. However, they quickly found out that they had more to do and keep clean. The bathroom for one needed to stay clean if they kept using it after training. Moreover, the media room and the main living area being the other places in constant use needed to be clean for their own convenience. And then there was of course the trash that needed to be taken out.
Even though there were only three of them, the mess they left behind seemed abnormal. They decided that they needed to limit their use of the rooms, keeping to the media room, the main living area, the kitchen and the bathroom nearer to the training room, plus their own rooms, and delegated the chores equally, taking turns with everything. Still, they also made sure to mind their own mess and not add more to it.
When the adults would come to check up on them, they were in for a surprise if they thought a base occupied and taken care of by only teenagers was going to be a pigsty.
(Well, it was at first but they did not need to know that, did they?)
After all, they had been given the responsibility to take care of their base. The least they could do was show that their trust was well-founded.
Later when Bruce asked Dick what he made of sharing living space with the other two teenage heroes, the young twelve years old would stare at his mentor, thinking about the day they had spent airing the base and spraying air freshener all over the place, before replying, "Aqualad keeps tracking water inside and Kid Flash keeps emptying the pantry. Can we clone Alfred?"
Bruce's snort was well worth it.
Besides, Dick had his little quirks too. He was the one after all who kept napping in strange places like the vents and the top of the fridge only to surprise his teammates each and every time they found him.
It was still a nice enough experience though. Now if only Roy would join them.
AN: I was thinking of having this published after the next chapter but after the previous chapters I thought maybe a break in the tension might be better, something light before the heavy stuffs happen. This chapter takes place before their first mission - where they meet Superboy - and after they got the base as their headquarters.
I hope you like it. Feedback would be welcome and appreciated.
Stay safe, everyone.
Leight