Well, this is something I've been holding out on putting up for quite some time. Still 'Sacrifice' buildup, but it's the most important piece. X3 Still working on 'Sacrifice' and an extended version that won't be like a bunch of one-shots that I'll be posting in TT later, so keep an ear out. Anywho, back to the story.
Dick-16 Jason-13 Cass-11 Tim-9 Damian-3
Heroic Halloween
"Jason, I really don't think that's an appropriate costume." Bruce eyed the teen's accessories with distaste. It specifically violated rule 2, even if they were squirt guns painted black.
Jason just grinned impishly at his dad. Brown leather jacket, grey tank, black gloves, boots, and pants, plus the gun holsters he had on either side of his hips, he was one bad dude. And he had a hockey mask painted red to go over his face. He thought it was perfect. "It's perfectly appropriate! I'm an anti-hero! A bounty hunter!"
"They aren't heroes," his father reminded him, pinching his brow. He knew this night was a big mistake. "They're just outlaws who don't go after the good guys."
"Exactly!" The teen grinned from ear to ear. "The bad guys will never expect it when someone like them takes them in. And with a mask, they wouldn't know who they are! Same concept as every other hero, with a twist."
"And the guns?" That was the part he really objected to. The rest of the costume was fine. It was what this 'hero' would use that bugged him.
"How far away can a person get from Batman if they use guns?"
His dad cringed, looking back to his own costume. He didn't want to think real hard, and he didn't want to borrow Kent's uniform. So he was wearing an updated model of his old Batman uniform, complete with a well stocked utility belt. Never hurt to be prepared. So long as he smiled and used his normal voice, no one would ever put two and two together.
Well, Selina might, but he was trying to ease into this relationship slowly. He didn't want to rush this one, especially considering her past. Though she had recently seemed to go on the straight and narrow, he wasn't holding his breath. The only 100% positive thing he knew about the woman was she wasn't a killer and he could trust her with his children. He wasn't certain if she'd sell out his old identity he still moonlighted as, so he hadn't told her the truth yet.
But maybe she'd figure it out tonight. Curse Halloween and people's theme parties. He should have just let the kids go trick-or-treating.
"Point."
"Besides," Jason grinned as he looked over to the others coming down the stairs in their costumes, "I'm nothing compared to Dick."
That impish glint in his eye told Bruce enough. Something he'd disapprove more was part of that teen's costume. But he turned and watched the others come downstairs, smirking slightly anyway. He'd know what was going on soon enough. Cassandra put her costume together herself, a patchwork female version of his own costume. All black cloth except for the outline of a gold bat on her chest and her yellow belt. She put some nylon on the inside of the eyes to hide them instead of using white lenses or having openings for her mask. Tim was dressed like Catwoman actually, all black mock-leather, even a kitty cap with yellow goggles on top. Damian was making his own way down the stairs, grinning from ear to ear, in a normal kitten costume, also black. It was going to be easy for others to tell where these three came from.
"Well well well!" Selina followed Alfred in, newly arrived and wearing her usual Catwoman gear, grinning. Beautiful and seductive as always, though she did tone it down around the kids. "I think I'm flattered. We've got two kittens and two bats. And what are you? A serial killer?"
"Got the last of the fruit loops this morning," Jason joked, making his father roll his eyes. "Moving on to frosted flakes tomorrow."
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! PRESENTING…" Dick's voice rang out above them all. Their eyes flew to the top of the staircase, knowing well the acrobat's need to perform. There was a flash of yellow before their eyes caught sight of the circus boy, leaping over the banister and onto the chandelier.
"DICK!" Bruce shouted in immediate alarm. They had a very strict rule about this.
But the teen didn't hear. He was too busy swinging forward and pack before letting go into a quadruple summersault and landing on the couch to spring off it, flipping over the back and landing perfectly on his feet. He turned about on a dime, grinning from ear to ear. "ROBIN! THE BOY WONDER!"
"What are you wearing?!" Bruce gaped at the teen's costume, unable to see why the others giggling around him found it so funny. A green leotard with sleeves under bright red vest with an R on the left hand side. Green pixie boots and gloves, and a yellow cape and belt completed the getup. The black domino mask tied around his face, plus the messy hair, made him look like a cheep sixties tv sidekick! He wasn't wearing anything on his legs!
"My costume!" Robin grinned. "I tried nylons but I kept ruining them. So I just shaved my legs."
"Ooo… Gutsy." Selina grinned broadly, admiring what she was seeing while the other kids laughed. This boy was turning into quite a looker. "Gotta admire a kid who'd shave his legs for a party."
"Change." The man of the house ordered, all humor leaving his face. This was not a laughing matter. How could he even consider leaving the house like this?!
Dick gave him an are-you-kidding look. "Why?" He looked up and down himself for a minute. "It's not like you haven't seen this before. It's just like my costume back in my circus days. Just much bigger."
"I'm pretty sure if you stayed in the circus, you'd be wearing pants." Bruce continued glaring at the oldest child there.
"It's not that big a deal," he retorted, rolling his eyes.
"You've just broken both rules 6 and 9 right now." Though Bruce didn't usually enforce those rules, this time he was. They were more or Alfred's benefit than his. Dick gave him an incredulous look.
"Oh yeah," he waved over to the next oldest sarcastically, "and you're just gonna let Jay break rule 2 like that."
"Goes with the costume," Jason joked, pointing out why Bruce went with it. The man's jaw clenched at the mention. He didn't want that pointed out to him, not now.
"And this is my costume." The circus kid grinned, making his point to their dad. "Don't you think this is a stretch for 6?"
"Dick—"
"Daddy," Damian started, reaching up to him in hopes of getting picked up. After all, he was a cute kitty cat now. "Get candy now?"
"We're already late," Tim pointed out, waving back to Dick. "And really it's not that bad."
Dick rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the support Tim."
"It is getting late Bruce," Selina edged on. She really didn't want to help babysit all night long, even if two of them were cute kittens right then. "And what's wrong with him learning his lesson at the party? Peacocking like that is pretty normal for boys this age."
"Peacocking!" The teen looked downright outraged.
"It's how they attract mates," she added impishly. This won her a quick glare from Bruce, border lining on alarm. The teen looked away blushing slightly. The lady nudged the man slightly, encouraging him a little. "Bet you dressed like that when you were his age."
"Did not!" Bruce objected loudly, slightly offended. He never dressed like that.
"Sure you didn't." That sly smile on her face told everyone there she'd be asking Alfred later. Selina decided to pick up Damian and start guiding the others to the waiting car. "Come on kiddos. Candy's awaiting."
"Ooo…" Jason grinned as their dad's girlfriend took charge of the situation. He cast impish looks between them all. He then waved one of the guns and followed suit. "Can't wait to see how your legs freeze out on the dance floor Dickybird."
"Hey, it's Robin tonight." He grinned and strode past Bruce, figuring he won that round. "And who are you supposed to be? The Red Jason?"
"Red Hood." The trouble maker's ID took both those left for a spin. Jay put the 'gun' back in its holster. "Thought it'd be a good way to prove I'm over that nut, better than him."
"With guns." Their father shook his head, sensing an oncoming migrane. These two were insane.
"Nah," he continued to grin. "That's just for me. Race ya!"
"Hey! Wait up!" Dick tried to follow him when he took off, only to get his arm grabbed by Bruce for a moment. "What? We're gonna be late."
"We're not finished." The scowl on the man's face told the teen plenty. "Go grab some pants."
"You let Jason run around with fake guns and I'm not allowed to run around in a leotard?" The way they matched glares, it was hard to believe they weren't blood relatives. After a minute, Bruce let go of his arm, realizing he was becoming a hypocrite. He shouldn't have let him have those guns either.
But for the moment, Dick was right. The teen grinned to himself. It wasn't often these days he won an argument. "Come on, we're late enough already."
"Told ya you were gonna freeze."
"Shut up Jason." Dick moved around the large ballroom, trying to find a place to warm up a bit. Maybe the leotard was a bad idea. But at least he got Barbara to smile. In fact, she was still laughing at him. She promised to dance with him later, but she had come to the party with her dad, and he wasn't up to letting her dance with almost anyone.
Course Bruce was hovering too. Why were they stuck with nosey helicopter parents?
As he moved around the room to avoid Bruce's disapproving stare and get warmer, he took in his surroundings. The Harris' were pretty good with parties. Their marble ballroom was huge and their chandelier was near impossible to jump on to and swing from. Course with all the red, orange, and black steamers coming off of it, plus all the orange light strings, it wouldn't have been a good idea to start swinging from it anyway. The lighting was just enough to create a spookier mood, but not dark enough to frighten anyone.
Which was good because there were a lot of little kids there trying to get candy running around. It was partly a high class 'trunk-or-treat', a safer place for those paranoid parents out there (*coughBrucecough*) to take their kids. Some games and activities were in neighboring rooms for those who were interested. Even karaoke. Everyone was required to dress up as a superhero, and the kids were encouraged to make up their own. There would be a contest at nine for the best one.
Since no one would believe they were the real deal, Bruce was Batman (who laughed at lame jokes and carried a kitty-cat Damian on occasion) and Selina was Catwoman. She was teaching 'Catlad', or Tim, how to swipe candy from a bowl so he could get twice as many when Bruce wasn't looking. 'Batgirl' found her more golden counterpart (their mutual friend Barbara) and the two of them were trying to give her dad (pretending to be Captain Marvel) a heart attack. Jason was holding up people with his painted squirt guns and demanding candy on occasion, but mostly he was bugging Dick and making jibes at his girly legs.
When he wasn't moving around to find some warmth, the acrobat was dancing with someone, talking to someone from school, or trying to flirt. Girls giggled a lot. He would have stuck around Babs but with both their father figures on the lookout, it was best not to look too friendly. And as the night dragged on, he was more interested in getting warm than talking with people. He really should have worn tights instead of a leotard. And combat boots. But he always wanted to try this outfit again. He hadn't worn this kind of outfit since he was eight.
For a moment he fingered the R on his chest, smiling sadly. The anniversary of his parent's death wasn't too long ago. Eight years without them. His mother had put an R on his new costume the night before they…
He closed his eyes for a minute before he looked around again. They'd want him to be happy, and for the most part he was. Half his life now was with Bruce, Alfred, and his siblings. Life was good, when Bruce wasn't being a pigheaded, overprotective, paranoid idiot.
But sometimes that paranoia paid off, and rubbed off on him. Dick's eyes narrowed behind his mask as he spotted something wrong. "Hey Jay."
"It's Red Hood, Robin," Jason sneered. His brother tried not to roll his eyes. He always made fun of Dick's mother's pet name for him when he got the chance.
"Yeah, whatever." He pointed to the person dressed like Vigilante. "Does that gun look real to you?"
Red Hood pulled up his facemask and glared over to the man he was pointing to. His eyes narrowed a fraction before the teen nodded, frowning slightly. "Looks like it. And not a police issue one either."
"Thought so." And judging by how it hung, he was certain the thing was loaded. A bad feeling started to swell within him. Dick looked around and spotted a few more 'heroes' with guns. Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, Jonny Thunder, mostly western heroes. There was one who looked like Malcom Renolds from Firefly, but after getting closer to the guy, he saw it was just a spray painted nerf gun. Looking around the place, Dick noticed about a dozen people with real guns, all of them at the ready for use, and none of the carriers were cops.
"We've got a problem," Dick murmured to Jason and Cass as he finished making it around the room. She had joined up with them when she left Barbara for some drinks. Cass gave him a curious look behind her cowl while Jason just watched their backs. After who knew how many kidnappings and hostage situations they'd faced, each of them knew what to do if a scenario popped up. So he told them what he saw, and what he suspected.
"I think we're about to get held up."
"We should tell Dad," Cass immediately stated. Dick shook his head, causing both of them to raise eyebrows at him.
"Commissioner Gordon's here," he said evenly. He looked over to the older cop and knew he was getting ready to leave. Barbara was looking around her as well, probably looking for Dick or Cass come to think of it. She had promised him a dance. "Bruce would tell us to get to the car and then tell him. By then it could be too late."
"So what? You want to take out the middle man?" Jason murmured, still watching the gunmen. Dick nodded. "Better hurry then birdboy. I think they're making their move."
Seeing what his brother saw, the acrobat started moving, his siblings in tow. He was about ten feet from the Commissioner and his lovely daughter when 'Hex' took out his gun and started firing at the ceiling. The other cowboy heroes then took out their guns and did likewise. Dick didn't think twice before grabbing both his siblings' collars and pulling them under a covered table, hiding them all from view. Screams and chattering glass could be heard all around them. They knew the sound system was trashed a minute or so later, then they heard the shots end and the silence that followed.
"May I have your attention please!"
The three little heroes uncovered their heads and looked through the cracks between table cloths to see who their assailants were. Still a dozen people, all western themed. Their identities were hidden the same way the original heroes were, and the more creative westerners had bandanas. Mal was huddling with the others around the room. Through one hole Dick could see Bruce shielding Tim and Damian with his body, Selina right next to them. Only the three year old was scared; the other three were glaring behind their masks. Commissioner Gordon was also glaring at the head gunman while trying to protect Barbara. She seemed just as calm as Dick and the others who were hiding under the table.
The leader, 'Hex', was grinning as he started explaining things. "As you all know, this is Halloween. Me and my friends are going to do some trick-or-treating here, so I want you all to hand over the goodies. Now don't think that your pretty little costumes can't have anything of worth on it; I know you types. Antique pins, real gold, good weaponry, I know you have something on you worth at least ten grand. If it isn't part of your costume, it'll be your wallets, your cellphones, and that lovely jewelry of yours. Don't bother calling anyone. We've got a signal jammer in place and cut the phone lines here long before the first shots were fired.
"Now if you'll be so kind to hand over your valuables to your nearest trick-or-treater, this will go a lot more smoothly. Resist and…" 'Hex' grinned. "Well, wouldn't want to scare the kiddos anymore than we already have now, do we?"
"Okay," Jason murmured, "now what?" He looked over to the other two, slightly exasperated. Though each of them had kept their heads, none of them were fond of being victims.
"Think the signal watches will work?" Cass asked curiously.
Dick cringed, shaking his head slightly. "The League is all off world, all the lead members at least. The reserves don't know who we are yet. No one's coming."
Jason looked through the crack again, glaring slightly. "Dad can't do anything with everyone watching. They'll connect too many dots."
"So we're on our own?" The three of them locked eyes as they tried to think this over. A dozen men with guns, sixty to eighty hostages. What was the likelihood of a mishap? Of someone picking one of the kids as a hostage so they could run off safely? Plus what if one of those guys actually searched Bruce or Selina or even Gordon? All of them kept their gear on them. Exposure to some extent was imminent. They couldn't let it get that far.
They were on their own. And they had to act fast.
The three of them looked down thinking, remembering the terrain best they could. After a few minutes, Dick gave them a huge grin. "Got it. Okay, this is what we'll do."
"Well well well now," 'Bat Lash' loomed over the actual Batman, poking him with his gun. Thanks to the mask he didn't know what he was up against, but he was more focused on the pouches than what laid behind the cowl. "Trick-or-treat pops. Empty the belt."
"For candy?" Batman raised an eyebrow at his assailant. He wasn't about to open up his belt, especially since everything inside it was meant for taking down these men. He hadn't figured out a discrete way to take these men down yet, but there were other things to worry about. Damian was shaking in his arms and he hadn't seen his other three children since before shots fired. Selina and Tim were taking everything well so far, but his date's instincts to run away were getting stronger. She was ready to rabbit any second now.
"I doubt there's just candy in that belt." The bandit pulled back the hammer on the gun, pointed straight at the Bat's head. The sharp gasps around him were lost on him as his mind carelessly flew back to that fateful night long ago. Just what he needed, to relive his trauma when he was needed most by those he cared about.
Thankfully then was when the streamers above them decided to fall, along with a lot of balloon popping. The sounds and drifting papers out of the corner of his eye made him withdraw his gun in surprise. "What the hell?"
A dinner plate was thrown perfectly into his hand, knocking the gun out of his hand as it fired off into the ceiling. Cackling soon followed, along with other dinner plates being thrown around the room, knocking even more guns out of hands. "Hex! What's going on?! GAH!"
With a couple more plates thrown into the man's body, mostly his head, 'Bat Lash' was down and out. All the gunmen jerked around towards the tables, pointing their guns at it. But they couldn't see anyone. It was too dark to see clearly. "Get out from under there! Or so help me-"
He didn't get to finish his statement 'cause another plate shot out of a darker area, hitting his temple, knocking him clear out. With the head of the group out cold, the others started to panic. And so did a certain guardian.
'What are they doing?!'
Batman had night vision lenses so he could see everything clearly. Jason was near the tables, preparing something from the food and drinks lying about there. Cass was halfway up a nearby wall, climbing towards one of the decorative alcoves currently keeping certain high hanging item up. Dick though, he was the kicker. The teen was flitting around the room, keeping both out of the way and nearby to distract the men, throwing plates at every odd interval. And cackling. He was being the distraction.
"Show yourself!"
"Ya want me?" Robin jeered. "Ya got me!"
Within a split second, the teen was out of the shadows, charging at the second in command. He narrowly dodged each bullet fired at him before making it close enough to slap his gun arm away, then kicking him in the chest then face, almost walking up him. Immediately he flipped back to regain balance, crouched low and swiped a kick under his feet before he could even blink. No. 3 was down.
"That was fun. Who's next?" The kid grinned up at the next gunman.
"Son of a—"
That earned the bandit a swift kick in the teeth. "Watch your mouth! There's kids here!" A quick elbow blow to his neck took that one down. "That's rule 6 Calamity Jane."
"Get 'em!"
All at once the gunmen started charging at Robin, firing on occasion as they were wary of hitting their allies. The teen grinned at them, digging one hand into his own utility belt as he dodged each shot. Again he was in the air, flipping over his opponents, but also striking one of their nerves and tossing marbles and jacks at their feet to trip them up.
He weaved through them, heading back to the table while taking out the legs of another man with ease. The marbles tripped a few of them up, sending a couple of them sprawling and landing had on the jacks, pointy ends diving into each of their skins.
As more shots were fired, the boy wonder slid under the table cloths, just as the table was flipped over for extra cover by Jason. During Robin's distraction, he had moved all the liquids onto the one table and now every kind of drink, from koolaid to wine, spread over the floor and onto the men. A row of cakes also splattered all over the guys left, blinding them temporarily and jamming their guns.
Then the lights above them dropped on their heads, all small, but already made unstable because of the previous shots fired at them. While blinded and distracted by even more falling ropes, Robin gained his second wind, leaping over the toppled table and grabbing the swinging cords to wrap around the remaining volatiles. Just as he finished his last go around the group, he tightened the makeshift lasso, making the men clash heads.
"I'll take it from here son."
Commissioner Gordon's hand grabbed Robin's shoulder, startling him slightly and nearly letting go of the cord he was using to strike out just in case. Behind him he could see a few other off duty cops coming out of the woodwork and tying up the down and out gunmen he took down earlier. One of them was roping one he missed and another was being pinned to the ground by Barbara. He hadn't paid as much attention to others after he came out of the shadows himself. The crowd wasn't completely full of scared rich folk.
Robin gave a relieved smile, relaxing a little. He handed over the last bit of the cord to the older man, letting go of the whole problem. "Just doing my part sir. And I think we've got this pretty much wrapped up."
"One can only hope." Jason came out from behind the tables at last, glad this fiasco was over. Cassandra dropped from her vantage point a few seconds later, coming towards them eagerly. Gordon was already at work, reading the assailants their Miranda Rights and cuffing them with zip ties. The three of them grinned at each other as the crowd gathered around them, very interested in their heroes. "Not bad for our first time in the field eh?"
The boy wonder laughed. "Not bad at all."
"Hey kid!" Someone came up to the brightly colored mock hero, who was now a hero. "That was amazing! Where'd you learn all that stuff?"
"Oh, here and there," he tried, waving it off. Dick really should be getting back to his family. But the attention was pretty cool. He hadn't gotten this kind of attention for what he did since the circus.
"Kiddo! Jack Ryder, Gotham Channel Five. Can I get a statement?" The guy had a mini camera on him, a good quality one. Had he been recording the whole time?
"Holy…" Dick's eyes went wide at it. He wasn't shy of a crowd, but cameras still got to him.
"Hey!" Jason jumped next to him. "Don't we get a say in this? We helped save the day too ya know."
"Don't take all the credit Dick," Cassandra piped in, still hiding behind her cowl.
The teen laughed, then hung an arm around each of their necks. "Couldn't have done it without them! Jay here came up with that table thing and Cass came up with the end play. I was just getting all the bad guys' attentions. Shame about the cake though."
"I know, isn't it?" The kids laughed at their joke before more questions came their way, most of them aimed at Dick. He even pulled off his mask after five minutes of talking, grinning broadly as the new people and a few victims came up to talk and say thanks. All the while he could see a large dark form in one corner of the room, trying to get closer to him. There was a slight scowl on his face.
And that one didn't bode well.
"Alfred, mind putting the others to bed?" Bruce pulled his cowl down, glaring slightly forward. One hand was on Dick's shoulder and the teen couldn't for the life of him figure out why the guy was so ticked. He knew he was, but… why?
"Of course sir." The butler helped guide the little ones towards their bedrooms, despite protests from Jason and Cassandra. "Come along."
"Dad," Jason tried, some concern on his face due to the man's scowl, "what are you—"
"Bed," he ordered sharply. "Now."
"But-"
One more glare silenced any protest from the rest of them. Damian was too sleepy to care and Tim was trying to keep him awake long enough to get to bed on his own. Cass sent a worried look to Jason, who likewise was wondering what was going on. Dad was in a bad mood all evening, ever since Dick showed off his costume. So what if it didn't have normal pants. It was no reason to drag their older brother away for a lecture.
But one more look from both Bruce and Dick, saying it was between the two of them only, and they stopped trying to interfere. All four of them trudged upstairs to their rooms, ready to sleep despite sugar and adrenaline running through them. Once they were out of sight, Bruce tugged Dick towards the study. "This way."
"Why'd you just send Selina home instead of letting her stay the night like you planned?" This earned the teen a sharp glare, which only increased the kid's uneasiness. Neither of them spoke until after the man had them in the cave. Batman had to put away his suit after all. "Okay, what did I do wrong this time?"
"Do you know what you did back there?"
"Saved everyone's lives?"
"You put everyone in danger with that stunt of yours!" The Bat glared sharply, his temper rising by the second.
"Nobody was hurt," the bird tried to convince him.
"This time. You got lucky they weren't willing to take out their own men! I didn't teach you to fight just to risk your life like that."
"No, you taught to save myself and others," the teen shot back. "You used to do it all the time!"
"Do you remember why I stopped?" He gave a piercing glare now, striking the teen through the chest. Of course he remembered why. Because of him."You could have gotten Jason and Cassandra killed!"
"They volunteered! And their ideas worked didn't they?" Dick shook his head, trying to make him understand. "What does it matter if we took a few risks? Everything turned out alright."
"You got lucky."
"I call it planning."
"You could have been shot!" Some worry entered his shout. That was what he was really worried about, Dick and the others getting hurt.
"You would have been!" This made the man take a mental step back. He jumped into the fray for him? Dick breathed in and out hard for a moment before continuing. "You froze up when that gun was pointed at your head. We had to act fast."
"I didn't freeze up! Gordon was there, he had a plan. As a civilian, I was following it." Jim had to have had a plan. He was counting on it. His trusted ally inside the police department all these years, in and out of the cowl, was definitely able to outsmart those gunmen.
"They were watching him! They were watching everyone! The only ones they weren't watching were us!"
"You need to trust him to do his job!" Couldn't this kid see how much danger they were in?
"Like you used to? Batman?" The irony in his voice was not lost on the man.
"I trusted him," the man insisted. "But I wanted to help, in my own way."
"So do I!" Dick took a step forward, earnestly trying to convince him like he tried so many years before. "Bruce, I've always wanted to do this! I never wanted you to retire! I wanted to join you in the field, not keep you home! This is the life I've wanted!"
"So you want a life of constant danger? Fearing for the lives of those around you? Not knowing if you'll make it home every night because someone got lucky? Not being able to have a real relationship because the job keeps getting in the way?" These were possibilities Alfred told him when he donned cape and cowl. His fears and close calls.
"What relationship?" The teen stabbed back. "You won't even let me date!"
An older argument brought back for airing. "Dick, you're too young to—"
"To what?! Know what I want in life?!" Dick was done being told what to do. Done with all the restricting rules and policies. Done having to be obedient all the time. He wanted to be his own man, for once in his life. "Bruce I'm sixteen!"
"Exactly! You have no idea-"
"I know exactly what I want Bruce! I've seen it! I want to do this! I want to be Robin!" He tugged at the R on his chest, earnestly trying to convince the man. This really was what he wanted. "You saw how it went tonight! I kicked their butts, saved everyone's life, and no one got hurt!"
"You got lucky! That's all!" Really, that was all. The kid got lucky. Previous experience tied with strokes of luck is what saved them that night. Couldn't he see how close he got to being hurt? Those bullets came so close to him, Bruce nearly had a heart attack. He was terrified for the
"Was it luck? Really?" The teen's body screamed frustration. "Even Catwoman thought I did a good job. Is that why you sent her home? Because she was praising me?!"
"This isn't about her!" Why was he bringing Selina in on this? She had no place in this debate.
"Why not! You're sleeping with her!"
At this the man's eyes grew wide in anger. How dare he… Dick threw his hands up to change the subject, just as angry. "You know what? You're right. It's not about her. It's not even about me saving all those people! It's about how you won't let me make my own decisions!"
"Dick!"
"I'm sixteen years old Bruce!" His voice rose several decibels as he told him what he thought was really wrong here. "I can make my own choices! If I want to be a vigilante or a cop, it's up to me! If I want to have a date with Babs, it's my choice! If I want to go skydiving—"
"Not under this roof!" That was not going to happen. The kid had no idea what he was getting himself into.
"That's the problem! Right there! You won't let me do anything I want! Your rules! Your plans! Your agendas! I don't have a single say in the matter!" The boy wonder flung his hands at him, indicating exactly where he felt the problem was.
"You have no idea what kind of danger you're putting yourself into!" There was a problem. Dick didn't listen! He thought—
"I know exactly what I'm doing! You just don't trust me to do it alone! I'm not a little kid anymore!"
Yeah right. "I'll believe that after I see it! You are a kid! No matter what you say! Now promise me you won't—"
"NO!" He glared burning daggers at the man. "You're not my father Bruce! Stop telling me what to do!"
"Dick!" The teen turned sharply and ran back up the stairs into the manor above, leaving the dark knight in the dust shouting after him. "Get back down here! Dick!"
But his shouts were ignored. He started following after the boy but stopped as the full implications of what he said hit him.
'You're not my father…'
A bolt of lightning struck him, forcing him to take a few steps back. 'Not my father…' His head went into his hands as he stumbled away. 'Not my father…' Numbly he slung into his chair. 'Not my father… Stop telling me what to do!'
'What have I done?' Dick had been with him so long, he almost forgot he wasn't really his. For years he thought of him as his own son and so many people commented that he was. And to be told otherwise by him… The pain and numbness flowing through him was unlike anything he had experienced. Those words hurt him more than any bullet or knife wound.
'You're not my father… Stop telling me what to do!'
How could he have forgotten, let it slip by? Dick was always so childlike, time had seemed to slip pass him. Sixteen. The kid was sixteen. Sixteen wasn't that young anymore. There was only a seventeen year age gap between them. Why didn't he see this coming? But most of all… 'What have I done?'
Dick didn't just slam his door and lock it. He dragged his desk in front of it to keep everyone out. He did not want visitors; he did not want to talk. All he wanted was Bruce to give him some space! That was all! He was sixteen years old. Sixteen and a half really. He was a senior too! For eight years he obeyed every stupid rule (well mostly) and been a very good older brother. He did what Bruce wanted him to do, regardless of what he wanted. He stopped the man from making horrible mistakes even. But the guy just wouldn't let him grow up! Wouldn't let him live his own life!
Okay, so wearing a leotard and pixie boots was probably a bad idea, but he didn't regret saving everyone that night. He never would. Why would he? It was great! He saved lives, fought bad guys, and honestly it was fun. He never could go all out like that before and it was great to finally get to. The thrill of it all… so addictive. He missed it from that night he and Batman took down Zucco. He missed it from his days at the circus. What he did tonight, he'd never regret it.
Fighting with Bruce? Well… the guy deserved it. Dick rolled over on his bed, half his costume strewn about the room, trying to ignore his uneasiness and focused on his anger. Bruce deserved it. He really did. That was the only thought that could satisfy him as he tried to drift off to an uneasy sleep.
A/N: and that's The Argument! I've edited this one about a dozen times and I think this is a good time to post it, at last. That was a hard fight to write. Fights always are hard to do, especially with these two. Hope I did the fight justice, or at least this version of it.
Like all the cameos? We've got two Batgirls, Red Hood, Robin in his pixie boots glory at 16, and the fanmade Catlad! Plus the real Batman and Catwoman get a chance to go out in public. Damian's three, he's just a cat. Either way it's something of a holiday for Selina. I had to do some digging to get all the western heroes, but Malcolm Reynolds was a total Firefly reference Gotta love space cowboys. XD and then we had the Creeper, before he became insane.
Where will this lead? Well, how else do you catch someone's attention? B3