"If you want to continue to be part of this family, you will have to leave her."
The "spectators" in the room gasped and looked at Bruce, not firmly believing what he had just said.
He didn't mean it.
Right?
Dick gasped and stepped back with his eyes wide, as if he had been slapped.
Reaction more than justified.
Everyone, and it is emphasized everyone, knows that family is the most important thing to Dick.
Having been raised in the circus environment for the first few years of his life, Dick considered every member of the circus to be family, even if not by blood.
And that is why Richard has "so many families" besides his adopted one.
He considers his former team, Young Justice, as family: brothers and sisters.
The same goes for the Justice League and he sees each member as an uncle or aunt (excluding Wonder Woman: he considers her as his mother figure).
He even still keeps in touch with the circus, his first family.
Thus, this justified Dick's reaction.
Dick raised his arms to the sky for better emphasis and shouted: "ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?"
The shout caused some bats, hidden in the darkest part of the cave, to wake up and flutter around the cave.
Bruce grimaced but kept his voice steady and icy. "No, Richard." ouch, full name. "It is your decision. Either you're going to leave Selina and continue to be part of the family or you may as well leave." he finished firmly, giving him a dirty look.
Dick opened and clenched his fists several times. After an unbearable silence, he spoke in a low voice, with controlled calm. "You're not asking me to make a choice between my fiancée and my family."
His siblings exchanged a look. They knew that Bruce, when angry, spoke in a low, menacing voice as his eldest son raised his voice.
But now that the acrobat was speaking calmly, it meant one thing.
Dick was beyond pissed off.
They had seen him over and over again furious, like when someone hurt a member of one of his families.
But this was different.
This time Dick was not angry or furious: he was pissed off.
Regardless, silence was the only response Richard received.
Richard looked straight into his father's icy eyes. "You are just like Ra's al Ghul.
"The only difference between you two is that he is an assassin, but otherwise you are the same. Ra's al Ghul only cares about his Assassin Empire, you care about your team of crime fighting Bats. You don't care about my happiness with Selina. You want to take that happiness away from me, and to do that you are threatening to remove me from the family. Well, do you know what threatening me like this makes you?" he spoke in an icy voice as he took a step forward toward Bruce. "A coward. You're just a fucking coward." he stated coldly, no emotion present in his voice.
Bruce clenched his jaw, his blue eyes full of anger focused on the figure of his son. He had to take a few deep breaths before he spoke. "You're going to leave her. So I will take her to Martian Manhunter and have her erase the part of her memory that includes our identities. Then I will take her to a maximum-security prison outside Gotham." he stated.
"DAMN BRUCE!" he yelled as he threw a punch at the cave wall, causing a large dent. "YOU'RE TREATING HER WORSE THAN THE JOKER! SHE WAS, KEY WORD WAS, A THIEF, NOT A MURDERER!"
His siblings were stunned by the size of the dent. They made a mental note never to get on the wrong side of a pissed off Dick.
Bruce looked at him coldly. "It doesn't matter. She's a criminal and she'll stay one."
An emotionless laugh came out of Dick. "Of course a person can't change, according to the great and powerful Batman." he taunted him, earning a menacing growl from Bruce. "Being the best detective in the world, have you ever wondered why Selina became Catwoman in the first place?"
In response he received only silence. He shook his head several times. "I figured as much. You know what, Bruce?" he spat his name as if it were poison. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to Bludhaven with my fiancée."
Bruce narrowed his eyes menacingly. "You can't do that." he growled dangerously.
"I can and I will. You're fucking nobody deciding who I'm going to be with."
Man, Dick was getting angrier and angrier.
And that's not a good sign.
Bruce growled but said nothing. He was probably trying to calm himself down and not do something that would make him regret it for the rest of his life (other than the fact that this discussion will remember him forever).
Dick huffed and began to walk toward the exit. Bruce grabbed him by the arm. "Catwoman must-"
What happened next shocked everyone in the cave.
In just a few moves, among others learned from Deathstroke (man, Dick made a mental note to thank his former mentor), Dick had slammed Bruce hard into the cave wall painfully twisting his right arm behind his back, preventing him from escaping his son's near-death grip.
"If you even try to think of throwing Selina into a prison, I will make you regret it so much, Bruce." he hissed menacingly.
Bruce would be lying to himself if he said he did not feel fear.
Jason, Tim, Cass, and Damian watched in shock as in just a few moves Dick had practically cornered the fucking Batman. If he had been an enemy, now the Dark Knight would be dead.
They knew that a pissed-off Dick could be dangerous, but that dangerous?
Dick looked coldly at his father and was almost satisfied when he saw a glimmer of fear present in his eyes. Sure, he was small and practically invisible to anyone else, but Dick was the person who knew him best (excluding Alfred).
He left him and walked out of the BatCave.
There was a heavy silence in the cave.
"Damn, I wish I had popcorn here with me." Jason affirmed, absentmindedly stroking his chin.
Meanwhile, Selina had come out of the cave and headed for the dining room. There stood Alfred.
"Miss Selina, are you all right?"
She shrugged her shoulders, trying to avoid letting him know how upset she actually was. "I'm fine." she lied.
He smiled slightly at her. "If you will allow me, Miss Selina, I can recognize when a person is upset. I can assure you that everything will be all right, Miss Catwoman."
She opened her eyes wide in shock. "How did you know?" in response she got only a mysterious smile and she sighed. "Dick was right about you not being a mere butler."
"Glad to hear that."
"That doesn't...bother you?"
He smiled reassuringly at her. "Not at all. I have seen the way you, Miss Selina, look at Master Dick and vice versa. I can testify that you are madly in love with each other." he smiled sweetly as he saw her blush slightly.
Selina mumbled a shy thank you.
A few seconds of silence passed. "Do you think it will be okay, Alfred?"
There was no need to specify what she was referring to.
The butler tightened his lips into a thin line. "If you want my honest opinion, I can't know for sure. Master Bruce and Master Dick have many characteristics in common, unfortunately that includes stubbornness."
She nodded.
"While we're waiting for them, would you like some cookies?"
Selina brightened. "Dick always tells me that your cookies are the best in the whole universe!"
He smiled happily at her. "I'll take that as a yes."
10 minutes later
"They are delicious." Selina praised Alfred with a beaming smile.
Bruce's father figure bowed his head slightly with a smile on his lips.
They chatted quietly for a few minutes until they saw Dick violently stomping his feet on the ground (Selina swore she saw smoke coming out of her boyfriend's ears).
He looked very pissed off.
Very much.
Why do I have a feeling it went very wrong?
"Selina, come on; we're going back to Bludhaven." he didn't even dignify her with a glance.
Wow, did it go that badly?
Alfred coughed, catching his attention. The boy only saw him now and gave a small smile before noticing the cookies. His ire subsided slightly and he took one. He murmured contentedly when he finished eating it. "Just what I needed now." he muttered. "Thank you Alfie!"
The butler simply nodded to him.
Dick sighed heavily before turning to his fiancée. "Come on Selina, let's go."
He frowned slightly but followed him, waving goodbye to Alfred.
Only after they left Wayne Manor did the girl notice that Dick's knuckles were bleeding. "What happened?" she asked, slightly worried.
It's not like he beat up Batman.
Right?
Only now did Dick notice her "wound" and grimaced. "I just punched the cave wall. No big deal." he said with a shrug.
Ah.
He only punched the wall of the Batcave.
Well, at least it's better than punching the Hooded Crusader.
They returned to Bludhaven in less than an hour, and Dick, after covering his hand in gauze, went straight to his cave to savagely beat up a punching bag.
"Dick, wouldn't it be better if you stopped beating the poor sack? You know, for your hand..." asked Selina.
Dick grunted (in a Batman-like manner). "I need to vent."
His girlfriend sighed and muttered 'guys' and stepped aside to watch Dick work out.
He was wearing only his pants. He was shirtless as he let off steam.
Selina didn't find him sexy.
She didn't.
Not at all.
Be that as it may, after a good fifteen minutes of practice, the communicator rang in Dick's ear.
"Nightwing in."
Selina looked at him curiously.
"Greetings, my friend."
"Ehy Aqualad."
"We need your assistance on a mission. Are you busy?"
"No. See you in a bit. Nightwing out."
"Who was that?" asked Selina as she hugged him (hey, she was a very cuddly woman).
"Aqualad from my former team. Often, if I'm not busy on a Justice League mission, I help them out."
She frowned. "So you have to go?"
He smiled and kissed her cheek. "You can accompany me to Mount Justice."
She opened her eyes wide and looked at him surprised. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yes, just give me a minute to add your name to the zeta tube and we're done."
"Can you do that?"
A smirk appeared on Dick's face, "When I was nine years old, I already hacked the Justice League mainframes several times. Plus I was the one who helped them upgrade their security." he chuckled at his girlfriend's stunned face.
He kissed her for a couple of seconds before going to get dressed. "I'll meet you in front of the zeta tube in a little while."
"Come on, when is 'Wing coming?"
Kid Flash, a.k.a. Wally West, was stamping his feet on the floor as he waited for the arrival of his friend whom he regarded as a brother.
"Give him some time! We're not all as fast as you." Artemis Crock replied to him, sitting on the couch watching TV.
Next to her sat Wonder Girl, Cassandra Sandsmark. She had been a new member of the team for a year and a half along with Red Robin, Beast Boy (Garfield Logan ), Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) and Impulse (Bart Allen).
Of course, there are also the original members of the team: Artemis, Kid Flash (although he had given up at crime-fighting and was only called in if they needed his help, as in this case), Superboy (Conner Kent), Miss Martian (M'Gann), and Aqualad (Kaldur), as well as the first Robin.
Only the original members knew Nightwing's true identity (excluding Red Robin for obvious reasons).
Then there was the announcement of the zeta tube.
Recognized: Nightwing B-01
Recognized: Catwoman C-01
The team members exchanged confused and worried looks before heading toward the zeta beam. There stood Nightwing, who had laid an arm on Catwoman's shoulders as they laughed at something.
Their former leader (though he often still led them) noticed them and gestured to greet them with his free hand. "Hey guys." he greeted them. He saw his younger brother and his smile faltered for a moment but quickly recovered.
The awkward silence was broken by Superboy. "Who is she?" right to the point.
Before she could answer, Wonder Girl spoke. "A better question would be: what is she doing here?"
Kid Flash interrupted his best friend once more. "Dude, you told me that-" he was interrupted by a meaningful look from his friend. The realization hit him. "Ah." he said stupidly.
First Robin shook his head before smiling broadly. "Team, this is Catwoman, my girlfriend."
Immediately questions were asked left and right. He clapped his hands a few times to restore order. Blue Beetle spoke first. "Not to be offensive, but do you know that she is a criminal?"
"Former criminal." corrected him Catwoman, who spoke for the first time since joining Mount Justice.
"Does it really make a difference?" asked Wonder Girl, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, it does." replied Artemis, getting sympathetic looks from the original team.
"Anyway, does Batman know?" asked Impulse.
Red Robin looked away from his older brother, who unconsciously clenched his fists. The movement was noticed only by members of the original team.
"Yes, he knows." he replied through clenched teeth. Then he flapped his hands once more. "All right, enough about my love life. But before we talk about the mission, I ask you the favor not to talk about it with any of the Justice League members. They don't know yet and it would be better if they found out from me."
The others muttered affirmatively and Aqualad stepped forward to explain their mission.
Nightwing listened carefully and nodded once his friend finished explaining. "All right, Miss Martian get the bio-ship ready."
"Wait! What about her?" Superboy pointed at Catwoman not accusingly but simply curiously.
"She's going to stay here."
"Are you serious?" complained Wonder Girl.
Nightwing looked at her, tightening the white slits in his mask, making him more menacing. "Is that a problem?"
She gasped at the bat's gaze and looked away.
No one answered so the protector of Bludhaven smiled and turned to his fiancée, who was watching the scene with a small smile. "You can take a tour of the mountain in the meantime. Even visit my room if you want."
Catwoman nodded and returned the smile. Next she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, shocking everyone else on the team. The kiss lasted a few seconds before they broke away, both smiling. "Good luck, pretty kitten." she said, kissing him on the cheek one last time.
The acrobat's smile increased in size and he nodded. He turned to the rest of the team. "Come on, let's go."
Three hours had passed and Catwoman was getting bored. She had visited every room in the cave, including Nightwing's bedroom.
Dick's bedroom was a normal size. The room was filled with different colors, probably dating back to when he was Robin. There were also several photos, most concerning the original team. There was even a picture of him, then Robin, and Batman.
Regardless, she was waiting sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed while watching television. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching. She turned around and saw her fiancé with his team in tow.
"I assume your mission went well." she affirmed.
Nightwing nodded with a smile.
Soon only Nightwing, Catwoman, Superboy, Miss Martian, Artemis, Kid Flash and Aqualad remained in the mountain.
Nightwing removed his mask, revealing his deep blue eyes. Catwoman smiled sweetly at the sight of them.
"So," Kid Flash began. "I'm assuming Catwoman is Selina Kyle. Right?" he asked looking at the aforementioned girl who nodded. He looked at his best friend. "You didn't tell me she was Catwoman." he said without a sign of prejudice.
"I was going to tell you soon."
"Did you tell Roy and Donna?"
Dick shook his head. "Only that I was engaged to Selina." he said as he sat down on the couch and rested his head on his fiancée's shoulder. He felt her rest her head on his.
"You guys are so cute!" squeaked Megan with a smile.
Dick chuckled as his girlfriend blushed slightly. He looked at his watch. "We'd better get back to Bludhaven, Selina," he said as he stood up and stretched, putting his mask back on.
"In the meantime, you can go. We here need to have a word with Catwoman." said Artemis as she exchanged a meaningful look with the other members of the original team.
Nightwing sighed. "Don't frighten her too much with your overprotectiveness." a pause "Although I doubt she will be frightened." and with that he was covered by the light of the zeta tube and disappeared.
Recognized: Nightwing B-01
Catwoman turned to face the team.
It was Kaldur who spoke first. "I'm sure you know that we" he nodded to the team. "pretty much grew up with Dick."
"We've known him for years and have grown as a family." Miss Martian said softly.
"All of us are very close with Dick. We think of him as our brother." continued Conner as he crossed his arms and looked at her with a frown.
"We've noticed your glances at Nightwing and we're sure you love him very much. We have no doubt about that." stated Wally with a small smile.
"However, break his heart and you'll have to spend the rest of your life watching your back." Artemis threatened her, squinting.
Selina, instead of freaking out like a normal person (because, you know, you were threatened by a superhero team), smiled. "Well, I'm glad he's got great friends." and with a final wink, she turned and headed toward the zeta tube and was surrounded by light.
Recognized: Catwoman C-01
She took off her mask as she headed toward Dick.
"Hey." she greeted him.
Nightwing, who was sitting in front of the computer monitor, turned and smiled sweetly at her. "Ehy to you too. Did the team behave well with you?" she nodded and her boyfriend sighed annoyed. "I just wish Bruce would accept it too."
Selina gently cupped his face. "You'll see he'll accept it sooner or later."
He smiled gratefully at her positivity and kissed her gently. As they kissed, there was one coherent thought in the boy's mind.
No one will take Selina/Catwoman away from me.
Not over my dead body.