In the last chapter, the point wasn't that Diana would beat Raven, but to show that she cared about Dick and was protective. Ya know, motherly and stuff like that. Also this chapter is a Bruce and Dick chapter, no Raven. Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter Twelve - 'Catching Up'

He took a moment to regain his breath, sweat dripping off his brow - falling onto the mat of the combat area of the Batcave, his bare chest sore and drenched in sweat, the cut above his eyebrow had reopened. Dick and Bruce circled each other with the same predatory grace.

Dick's heart thumped quickly in his heart waiting for the Batman to make the first move. He moved his hand up to wipe the sweat away from his eyes. Bruce moved quickly and lunged at him, Dick always forgets how fast he is without the burden of the batsuit.

Dick moved faster, flipping to the side out of Bruce's reach.

Bruce got back to his feet, "Your reflexes have gotten better." The two of them began to circle each other again, fists at the ready.

Dick nodded, he'd always been naturally faster than him, but since he'd left Gotham behind he'd been working harder than ever before. Speed, reaction times, strength, and training his mind. He'd trained with Superman, Kid Flash, Green Arrow, and all of the Titans of course.

Although he was no where near Bruce's level. He'd been training his body and mind to be Batman since he was eight years old.

"Have you decided on a college yet?" Bruce asked as he attempted to sweep Dick's legs out from under him.

Dick jumped up to avoid the attack and landed a kick to the chest, causing the Batman to roll backwards on the mat. "I've looked, haven't decided. I've been busy." He avoiding striking his face, couldn't have Bruce Wayne looking scuffed for the Galla.

Bruce jumped to his feet, his face showing no expression and no perspiration coming off of him. He nodded, "Good hit. I've been watching your progress with the team. You make a good leader, I always knew you would." he rolled forward and struck Dick with a swift kick to the ribs.

Dick groaned in pain, he needed that pain. It got his blood pumping, his heart racing, and the adrenaline kicked in, "Don't go easy." Dick struck him with the open palm of his hand at Bruce's shoulder, sending him staggering back.

A rare smirk appeared across Bruce's face - a real one, not the forced toothy smile that he put on for the cameras, "I never do." The two of them returned to their stances in their predatory circle. Dick got down low, bending his knees and arching his back. He was shorter and faster than Bruce - it gave him an advantage. Bruce had the longer reach, but if Dick could take him down to the ground then Bruce would be at his mercy. So long as Dick stayed on top of him, Bruce out weighed him and could easily use that advantage.

"Tell me about the Titans." It wasn't a request, more of a command from his father.

Dick nodded, "Cyborg, real name Victor Stone."

"Sounds familiar." Bruce lunged at his pupil.

Dick leaped in the air and landed his knee at Bruce's lower back, not full power. He never attacked his back with all his strength, not after what Bane did. Dick grabbed his arm and pulled back, putting him into an arm lock, "Five star high school football recruit in Detroit a few years back." Dick explained, Bruce his hips upwards and grabbed him with the free arm - throwing him down. Dick smacked against the mat, his bruised ribs were taking a beating but he shrugged it off the best he could.

"Accident at his father's lab, if I remember correctly." Bruce continued, rubbing his shoulder.

Dick nodded, doing the same with his ribs, "His dad saved him, but around eighty percent of his body was turned into a functioning robot. Hence the name. His brain is essentially a super-computer and has various high tech weapons."

Bruce looked intrigued, "Could be useful. Would you recommend him for the league?" Bruce and Dick always had their spats and issues, but his son was one of the people he could trust. That was a very exclusive list.

Dick nodded, "Him above anyone else on the team."

"Reasoning?"

"I trust him the most. He's a good friend, gets along with almost everyone - it'd be good for morale and he's very powerful. Maybe not as powerful as the founders, but still I believe that he'd be an excellent asset to the League." he took a quick breath and loosened his shoulders, "Good to go?"

Bruce nodded, "Any other Titans that'd be good additions for the League?" the questioned came along with a quick succession of six strikes.

The first one caught Dick in his core, but he quickly recovered. He blocked the rest of them, except for the last one - he caught the punch and used Bruce's body weight against him, throwing him across the mat. "No. At least not in this point in time."

Bruce looked back at Dick as he got back to his feet. He was proud of Dick - they were much more of an even match than they were when he left. He wished he'd done better for his son, he wished he could've been there to watch his son grow into the man that stood before him, but Bruce knew that Dick would do great things. Bruce shook himself out of his thoughts, readying his hands once more, "I see. Give me a run down of the rest of your team and your reasoning why."

Dick rolled his eyes, "I've made files, Bruce. It has everything in them."

"Good." he nodded, "Upload them to the Batcomputer, but I want to hear it from you."

Dick gritted his teeth together as he lunged forward, decided to go on the offensive, "Fine." He jumped up into the air sending a flying punch toward his father.

Bruce easily caught it and threw him to the side, "Starfire?"

Dick jumped to his feet, "Good heart, but isn't familiar with Earth's customs yet." he threw a kick toward Bruce, who just used his shoulder and forearm to block the attack, "She's unpredictable and perhaps too emotional at times." he backed away, watching Bruce's footwork as he moved slowly but gracefully, "She's extremely powerful." he huffed, "She'd have to learn to control herself before I'd recommend her for the League and an Agememno file would have to be developed."

Bruce looked surprised, "I thought you disapproved."

"I do." Dick moved fast, faster than Bruce expected, as he swept out Bruce's legs from under him and quickly pressed the advantage while he had it, "Just because I don't like something, doesn't mean it isn't necessary."

Bruce grinned, "It seems you've grown up more than I thought." he launched Dick off of him, sending him rolling to the edge of the mat, hitting the guard railing that protected them from falling into the abyss that was the bottom of the Batcave, "Beast Boy?"

Dick used the railing to pick himself up, "He's too young for the league and he acts like it." he groaned, "He's childish and doesn't take any of my training regimen seriously, but he's a good friend and a good person. Also, he can take charge of the Titans when things get serious and I'm not around or otherwise unable to. Once he matures, I'd recommend him for a spot in the League or maybe the leadership role in the Titans."

Bruce nodded, the two of them giving each other space, regaining their breath, "Raven?"

Dick grimaced and said nothing.

Bruce frowned for the first time since their fight had begun, "Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment." he dropped his defenses and walked closer to Dick.

Dick matched his father's frown, "She's not ready for the league. That's all you need to know." he lowered his arms as well, walking off the mat and grabbing one of the towels that Alfred had left out for them.

"I need specifics." Bruce followed after, it had gone unsaid, but their match was over and the fight had begun.

Dick whipped his head back around and glared at Bruce, "You don't need anything. You just want to know how to kill my girlfriend."

Bruce widened his eyes in a moment of weakness, before he narrowed them back once more, "Dick." it was more of a guttural growl than his name, "I don't-"

"You don't kill. Yeah, I know. Everyone knows the great and mighty Batman doesn't kill, right? Batman is an icon that strikes fear into criminals, right? They're a superstitious cowardly lot, right?"

"Calm down." He demanded.

Dick laughed excessively loud, "This is rich, coming from you of all people. Whatever you wanna know? Telepathy, telekinesis, flight, the list goes on. You know she's half-demon, but guess what? Still more human than you've ever been. I don't think she should be in the league because she's just getting full control over her emotions, I don't know how easily she could be turned over to fight for her father, and I don't know how to stop her." he was shaking with a fury he'd only known a few other times than you, "Congratulations Bruce. You got what you always wanted, I'm just like you."

Bruce looked at Dick, showing no emotion for a few moment as he thought on everything.

Dick snorted, shaking his head in defeat, "I never should've come back here." He took one step toward the door, but Bruce stopped him, grabbing his arm - firm but gentle. Dick narrowed his eyes at his father, but waited for him to speak.

"Why do you think I took you in, that night?"

Dick was caught off guard by this. They never talked about the night Bruce's parents died or the night Dick's parents died. They never have, it was just something they buried - something they used in order to fuel their drive to protect the city. They were very similar in that fashion, Dick thought. "Because you saw yourself in me."

"Sit down, please." There was only one chair nearby - the chair in front of the Batcomputer. Dick did as his father told him and sat down, facing him. Bruce nodded his head, "You're right. I saw what happened to you, to your parents and I thought of what happened to me. I thought of what I went through. Alfred was the legal guardian, in the event of my parents deaths and I inherited my parents wealth and company." he explained.

"I know all this." Dick was getting a little tense, they weren't supposed to talk about this. It was an unwritten rule that they didn't.

"Just listen." it wasn't in his usual tone, his angry Batman tone. He almost sounded like he was begging, pleading for him to listen. "I was alone. I had Alfred but I rejected him for it. It took me a long time to realize that he was there for me, every step of the way, but - at the time, I didn't want him. I wanted my parents." he sighed, "Dick... I never wanted you to become Robin. I never wanted to burden you with my curse, to infect you, but I did and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, a thousand times I'm sorry. I just wanted... to be your father, to give you a place to call home and make sure you didn't end up like me."

"But then I found the Batcave..."

Bruce nodded with a sad smile, "And everything changed."

Dick nodded, "Yeah... it did." he stood up, "You may have not wanted this for me, but it doesn't matter now - this is my life. This is who I am."

Bruce sighed, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not." Dick's rage had subsided as he tried his best to forgive his father, "You taught me everything I know."

Bruce frowned, "And sometimes it's not enough." his eyes drifted to the Robin memorial near the display cases.

Dick's eyes widened. How could he have forgotten? It was the whole reason they'd come early. He chided himself, he really was a fool sometimes. His eyes darkened as he looked at his fathers, "I... I have to tell you something."

The cold winter air blew through father and son's matching jet black hair. Dick's hands were shoved in his pocket, but he didn't feel the cold. He wasn't sure what to feel - he read the headstone over and over again, 'Jason Todd'. It was untouched, exactly like it was the last time he'd seen it, except for the light layer of snowfall. Dick shook his head, finally breaking the long standing silence, "This doesn't make any sense."

Bruce looked over at him, "There are cameras, Dick. Motion sensors." he explained, "I would've known."

Dick's thoughts were racing a million miles a minute. He'd thought it was him, no - he knew it was him. Could he have been wrong? He'd been so sure it was Jason.

"We should still be on high alert if someone's after the Bat-family. I'll alert Barbra."

It didn't make any sense, "Why?" Dick asked as he turned to look at Bruce, his expression was darker than he'd seen it in a long time, "Why would someone impersonate him?"

Bruce's face turned sour, forming a deep scowl, "I don't know, but I intend on finding out." he was angry, of course he was. He was the Batman. He put his hand on Dick's shoulder, "I'm going to start a new case file - see if I can find any leads. Coming?"

Dick shook his head, "I think I'm gonna stay with him, maybe. Just a bit longer."

Bruce nodded, removing his hand. Two quick buzzes came from Bruce's pocket. He reached in and pulled out his phone, he looked at Dick, "We put it to a vote. It was unanimous. Welcome to the Justice League, Nightwing." Bruce turned and began to walk back to the Manor.

He was in shock, it was so much to process. Justice League? Nightwing? Everything was happening so fast, too fast. He never asked Bruce to join the league. Unanimous? It was getting hard to breathe. What about the Titans? What about Raven?

Dick looked down to see the headstone staring back at him. Dick remembered what it was like - seeing Jason's lifeless body cradled in Bruce's arms. He should've been here. He should've saved him.

A part of him wished it really was Jason, he'd do anything to see him again. To see his brother again. All this would be so much easier with him here. Dick bent down and brushed away a place for him to sit next to the headstone. It was quiet out here, it was nice - he could think. "Merry Christmas Jase."

A long pause was taken. He sat in silence, the birds didn't chirp, his thoughts were quiet, only the gentle sound of the cold December winds blowing through his hair.

"I miss you." a single tear hit the ground, watering away the snow.