Author's Note: Sorry Zatanna and Dick were...dicks, albeit not on purpose or through malicious means. They didn't know any better and will be trying to fix things with Wally in the future (though Dick has it easy, Wally wasn't that mad at him since he knew the Boy Wonder well enough to understand that it wasn't meant to be cruel. Smart or not, Robin in Young Justice demonstrated difficulties interacting with others in the beginning, he was so used to working with Batman that he forgot that he had to communicate with others verbally at times.)
Also wanted to say...wow, at least 1.5k viewers for this story. Impressive. I want to give a hand to everyone that's been reading it.
Dick stormed into the mansion, Alfred trailing behind helplessly.
"Master Richard, I know you're upset, but this isn't any way you should be-"
"Should be what, Alfred?" Dick shot a glare at him. "Being pissed off, wanting to punch someone? Like anyone my age would?"
"You know exactly what I mean." But Dick doesn't.
"Those jerks were pushing me around and I couldn't do a thing about it. If the others from Mathletes didn't show up, I don't know what would have happened." Dick ranted angrily.
"Such is the consequence of no maturity, those boys had no idea what they were doing." Alfred said calmly. "When Master Bruce comes home, you may discuss it with him."
"That's the problem, Alf, he won't listen." Dick snapped, taking his backpack off and flinging it onto the kitchen counter as he walked in. "You know what he's going to say? 'Dick, I know this is hard, but you can't fight in public. Sooner or later, they'll figure out your secret identity. Sorry, chum, but you're going to have to take a few punches. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a business call to make, so I can't be interrupted.' And he won't even care what I have to say, because Bruce likes to pull the 'I'm an adult, so listen to me' card."
Alfred didn't know what was worse; the strong point that Dick came across or the horrible imitation of the Master? Certainly the impression, the voice was too gravelly and the Master only used that voice on a lower intensity when donning the Suit. He couldn't help but agree, Dick shouldn't be dealing with things like this on a regular basis. It was a miracle that other children his age thought so too, and defended the boy whenever they could. Otherwise, Alfred or Leslie had to check bruises and cuts to determine whether or not Dick could go out on patrol. And he would always protest, insisting that he was fine and a few scrapes weren't going to kill him.
That was when the Master would switch to his scowl, famously known for quieting any individual that was trying too hard talking and too little thinking. And Dick would stop talking altogether and just glare at whoever was looking at him.
"Fear not, Master Richard." Alfred said in a reassuring voice. Dick looked at him dubiously. "This time, I'll be there as backup."
The old man felt strong arms wrap around his torso tightly.
"Thanks Alf." Dick whispered.
Alfred chuckled lightly and patted Dick on the shoulder.
Bruce sat patiently behind the desk while Dick ranted about his day. Alfred stood by quietly, like a shadow.
"-then Jackson punches me in the eye before the cavalry comes in. Mathletes surrounded us and those punks backed off. Someone said that they would report to the principal, and Bette told me that I should do something about it and here we are."
"Before you say anything, Master Bruce." Alfred said as Bruce opened his mouth. "I agree with Master Richard that this nonsense has gone far enough. If you aren't going to let Master Richard take action, the least you could do for him is take action on his behalf like a father should."
Bruce nodded. "You're right, Alfred. I think those punks need to be taught a lesson."
"They should have been taught a lesson a long time ago." Dick grumbled. Bruce frowned.
"Dick, I know you're upset, but-"
"-you can't fight in public. Sooner or later, they'll figure out your secret identity. Sorry, chum, but you're going to have to take a few punches. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a business call to make, so I can't be interrupted." Dick and Alfred said simultaneously. They both looked at each other with wide eyes a moment later.
"If you try to win a free soda by saying 'jinx', Master Richard, I will remind you that it will keep you up all night at this time of day." Alfred said.
"Actually, I was going to say freaky, but that works." Dick shrugged.
Bruce sighed. "Am I really that predictable?"
"Quite, sir."
Bruce stood up. "Ok. Dick, I'm going to be changing topics now, so don't be surprised. You've been jumping the gun a few times on patrol recently. It's becoming a problem."
"What?!"
"Last week, you ignored my orders and almost got captured by the Penguin during a stakeout. If he hadn't been startled, you would have been filled with bullets in that moment."
"That's not true." Dick protested. "You were a second slower than I was, you said your leg was cramping up for a moment. I did not disobey orders!"
"Are you calling me a liar?" Bruce's voice dripped with irritation. "I remember that evening specifically because I had an outside perspective of the situation. There were three other men stationed to guard the Penguin that you ignored, each of them had a gun on you before you got the drop on them first."
"That's because I used a smoke bomb-"
"And then you forgot to handcuff them-"
"They were all unconscious, I checked-"
"One more outburst, and you're off patrol for the night!" Bruce said warningly.
Dick bit his lip hard enough to draw a little blood.
"That's it, you're grounded."
"WHAT?! But I didn't say anything!" Dick shouted.
"You did now!" Bruce countered. "Dick, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Now. Unless you want to be grounded for a month instead of just for tonight."
Dick remained silent, his eyes turning a little red. Alfred looked at him with sympathy.
"Master Bruce-" Alfred began, but Bruce held a hand out to silence the butler.
"Now if you'll both excuse me, I have a business call to make." Bruce said before ushering them out the door.
"I don't get it, Alfred." He heard Dick's voice cracking. "I didn't even say anything."
"I don't know, sir, but I will deal with him later. Come along, now. Some tea might do us both some good."
The curtains hung limply. All lights were off in the bedroom, only the light pollution of the city and dimly-lit moon in the background allowed even the slightest chance of vision.
Something stirred, a figure asleep in the bed. Jackson, sandy-brown hair, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and lazily looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand. In his exhausted state, he could read 2:05 in the morning before closing his eyes again.
He tried to ignore the discomfort – that was the last time he would try nursing a headache with water before bed – and rolled over in his comforter. It wasn't until he registered the sound of a window being pulled open that Jackson opened his eyes again, this time, putting a little more effort into keeping them from closing again.
Jackson pushed himself into a sitting position and looked at the source of the sound. All three windows were closed, but he could feel a faint hint of cold air in the room now. Like a ghost was prowling nearby. That was when he felt something breathing down his neck.
A large, gloved hand covered his mouth as he screamed.
"Not a smart idea." A gravelly voice whispered into his ear.
Jackson felt his body turn to ice.
"Now that I have your attention, I want to discuss something with you. I've been hearing how you and your friends have been harassing a kid by the name of Dick Grayson. It ends. Now. If I hear you've been going back on our deal, I will find you. Do you understand what I just said?"
All he could do was nod.
"Good."
The gloved hand disappeared and Jackson could breathe again. He felt relieved, so relieved….he looked down at his sheets.
"Shit!" Jackson moaned.
Definitely not going to be drinking water before bed again.
Dick slammed his locker shut a little more roughly than he'd like, but everything he could get his hands on was a potential punching bag.
Being grounded from patrol just for biting down a remark?! What has gotten into Bruce? He followed orders pretty well, thank you very much! So why did he have to get on Dick's case over something that he never bothered criticizing him for until yesterday?
He heard footsteps behind him, coming closer, but he ignored them.
I hope Alf got through to Bruce last night. Dick thought. He's the only one who has a chance at making the Dark Knight see sense.
If Dick ever took to consideration that footsteps coming towards him potentially spelled trouble, he would have looked to see who it was and make the appropriate action. If he did and saw Jackson coming towards him like the Angel of Death, Dick would have thrown all rules out the window and got into a fighting stance. And if he noticed that Jackson didn't notice that there were witnesses in the hallway, Dick would have played it smart.
Unfortunately, he was too preoccupied with his frustration at Bruce to notice the hand gripping his shoulder like a vice grip until it spun him around and pushed him against the lockers like a bad cliché.
"Do you want to know what happened to me last night, Grayson?" Jackson hissed, shadows under his eyes.
"Um…had dinner, did some homework and went to bed?" Dick played the innocent rich kid as well as he could, the urge to rip Jackson to shreds becoming stronger.
Jackson laughed loudly, drawing attention to other students, who began to watch carefully in case something happened.
They have seen this scene play out at least five times this month! Dick thought angrily. Why aren't they doing something?!
"Close, Grayson. Except you missed one thing."
"And what would that be?" Dick asked cautiously. He felt a fist in his gut.
"Don't play dumb, nerd!" Jackson snarled. "I had a little visitor sneak into my room last night. Three guesses who."
"A burglar?"
Pain spread across his shoulders.
"Your girlfriend?" Dick gasped.
Knuckles grazed across his face.
"One more guess and you better think hard, Grayson." Jackson said warningly.
Okay, clearly he expects me to know something, but what? Think, Grayson! What would he connect you with that happened last night? Dick then remembered Bruce from yesterday, and suddenly, the random accusation and grounding made a little more sense now.
He must have shown the realization on his face, because Jackson sneered at him. "Oh, so you do know, then?"
"Batman?" Dick snaked one of his hands towards the hand pinning him to the locker, hoping Jackson wouldn't see.
"He used your name." Jackson whispered threateningly. "I had no idea why until an hour ago. Why would Batman go to all the trouble of bothering some random kid in Gotham that hasn't committed any crime? Then it hit me; he said Grayson. He knew you. Batman never does favors like that, as far as I know. That only meant one person."
Jackson chuckled darkly. "For the World's Greatest Detective, that was a pretty stupid move."
"You have no proof." Dick said, trying to keep his breath level like he was taught. He could feel his face growing hot, and the anger flared up inside of him until he began seeing red.
His hand edged closer to Jackson's, while Dick silently cursed the bystanders for not doing something. He thought he saw someone leave, but they might have become bored.
"Are you willing to test that theory, Boy Wonder?" Jackson whispered.
"You talk, and everyone will think you've been harassing one of the few people keeping this city safe." Dick said coldly.
He didn't know where that came from, but Dick realized that it was the truth. One of the protectors of Gotham, one who kept to the darkness like a shadow. Never staying around long enough for a thank you most of the time. The hero that never asked for anything in return.
Some people began whispering, and Dick wondered how loudly he said that. Jackson actually looked shocked, now, unconsciously loosening the pressure he placed on Dick's shoulder. Dick used that opportunity to kick him in the groin – Why didn't I think of that earlier?! – right as a teacher came rushing in with Bette trailing behind.
"Krei! What is going on?" The teacher, Mr. Brooks, said as he got in-between Jackson and Dick.
"Nothing, sir." Jackson wheezed out, his hands clutching his groin as he slid to the ground.
Mr. Brooks turned on Dick. "What happened, Grayson?"
"Um…Jackson was threatening me and I kicked him in the jewels, sir." Dick said sheepishly.
Bruce just finished a business call when he heard the door slam open. He looked up to see a red-faced Dick followed by a harried-looking Alfred.
"Master Richard, I'm sure Master Bruce will explain himself if you just-"
"YOU HYPOCRITE!" Dick shouted before lunging at Bruce. Bruce didn't have much time to react, allowing Dick to drag both of them to the ground and land a couple of punches before Bruce caught a first and reversed positions so Dick was the one on the ground with Bruce pinning him there.
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" Dick continued, struggling against Bruce's pin. "YOU TELL ME I CAN'T DEFEND MYSELF AS DICK GRAYSON, AND THEN GO OUT AS BATMAN AND ATTACK SOME JERKS FROM MY SCHOOL?!"
Bruce was caught off guard. "I thought you would be grateful."
"Yeah, maybe." Dick growled. "If you; A) Didn't enforce the ruling on me and B) Didn't do what you did last night! Jackson figured out who you and I were, and then I found out some other kids got a more impressionable lesson too! People know who I am now, thanks to your stupid plan! And I almost got massacred until I fought back!"
"You what?!" Bruce said coldly.
"I. Fought. Back." Dick landed a kick at Bruce's stomach, freeing the boy and allowing him to clasp his hands around the older man's neck. "If I didn't, I'd have to go to Leslie. Again."
"Master Bruce….ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MIND?!" Alfred shouted. Bruce stopped trying to push Dick off and just lay on the ground, stunned. Alfred Manners-And-Etiquette Pennyworth was shouting and swearing at him?!
Alfred took a deep breath and continued in a colder tone. "You have invented a new kind of stupid, a damage you can never undo kind of stupid, an open all the cages in the zoo kind of stupid. 'Truly, you didn't think this through?' kind of stupid!"
"Hm." Dick muttered as he loosened his grip on Bruce's neck and stood up. "Someone should make a song out of that."
Alfred shot a disapproving glare at the boy, whom chose to remain quiet. He looked at Bruce and continued. "So, when Master Richard was assaulted by several peers at Gotham Academy, your response was that he shouldn't risk exposing his identity. And when he actually defends himself, you have the gall to be pissed at him…when you had just threatened the same kids who harassed him the night previous. Did it ever occur to you that your little stunt would backfire?"
Bruce didn't say anything.
Alfred continued. "The whole point of your plan was to make sure that no one figured out that you and Master Richard lead double lives. But when you stepped in, it wasn't with the intelligence, planning, and foresight as Batman, but rather with the intelligence, planning, and foresight of Bruce Wayne: Billionaire Playboy."
"I dropped the act a few years ago, Alfred." Bruce rubbed his neck gingerly. "No one would take me seriously when I got into serious matters."
"And now, they won't take seriously the act of Bruce Wayne: Business Man. No doubt, those ruffians will have told their parents about your actions last night and seek out retribution."
"They were supposed to back off from Dick."
"Then why didn't you contact the school and parents about this problem, then?" Alfred raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"I…" Bruce said before closing his mouth.
Dick glared at him. "You stupid hypocrite."
And then, he stormed off.
Bruce sighed. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"
"Quite the understatement, sir." Alfred said briskly before walking out of the office.
"Dad, I'm telling you, Dick Grayson is Robin!" Jackson said for the third time that night.
Jackson's father rolled his eyes and continued talking with his wife about how his day went.
Jackson felt like quite the idiot now. Nobody outside of his group of friends is buying the 'Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson are the Dynamic Duo' claim. Grayson was right, he realized with bitterness. There was no proof to back him up, so why would anyone else believe him?
Anyone who did manage to listen automatically called him an asshole and a bastard for hurting someone that's been risking their life so frequently to keep the city safe from criminals.
Otherwise, they would think he were crazy or drinking – his parents checked his blood for any alcohol before contemplating a psychologist – and ignore him.
And to make things worse, he was grounded for constant harassment and bullying Grayson. Wayne must had grown a brain if he made that phone call. Now he had two pissed-off parents to deal with who were viewing Jackson as a delinquent.
Bruce rapped on the door quietly. If this didn't work, he didn't know what else to do.
"Get out!" Dick's voice sounded muffled on the other side, which might be considered an accomplishment since the door itself was thick.
"Dick, please let me come in." Bruce said quietly, his lips almost pressing against the door.
"No! I don't want to hear your excuses!"
"I'm sorry for what I did, I realized that it was stupid of me to be a hypocrite and cause more trouble. All I could think about was giving those punks a taste of their own medicine."
"That's why you made such a big deal about last week, then? You knew I would argue back and grounded me so I wouldn't get involved." Dick shouted through the door before Bruce heard coughing on the other side.
Panicking, Bruce pushed the door open, thankful that it wasn't locked.
He was waiting for me to come in. Bruce realized as he entered.
He expected to see Dick on the ground with tears in his eyes, but Bruce instead just saw the same boy coughing and clearing his throat before looking up, about to shout again when he saw that Bruce got into the bedroom.
"Get out." Dick said coldly.
"I admit I was wrong, Dick." Bruce said. "You have every right to be mad, but can we talk about this a little?"
"No. Get out. Now." Dick's voice quarreled no argument.
Bruce wanted to ignore his wishes, but he realized that it would just prove Dick's point further. That his opinion and needs didn't matter that much to Bruce. Instead, he nodded in defeat and walked out.
Author's Note: I know I mentioned this before, but I always hated how Bully Fics sometimes ended with Bruce intervening as Batman. When I was talking to Alexandria-likethecityinEgypt, I realized that I could address the issue by pointing out what Bruce could have done coupled with the consequences of attacking kids as Batman, regardless of their bullying nature or not.
Dick would be more pissed than touched because Bruce had broken a rule that he insisted that Dick follow during school hours (no fighting that can connect you with your identity). And the bullies would be wondering "Why would Batman go to all the trouble of scaring us for that Grayson kid?" They would connect the dots in no time...however, that doesn't mean that anyone would believe them. Those who did were pissed that they knew the secret ID of Robin and were still bullying one of the few people that made Gotham a little safer each night (or as many times as a 13 year-old could handle before collapsing from exhaustion.
Honestly, the writers who create these stories are demonstrating a double standard "Do as I say, not as I do" with this.
In case it hasn't been made clear, Bruce knew he was a second slow when dealing with the Penguin, he knew that Dick would get defensive and used it as an excuse to keep him off patrol so he could handle the bullies by himself. Didn't help his case, it might take a few weeks before Dick and Alfred stop seeing him as a hypocritical moron.
Kind of a depressing ending, huh. I've done a couple of those in a row now, but that's what happens when you try applying as many cliches as you can into one-shots. Next one will be a lot lighter and funnier, promise. See you on the 2nd of June.
Please review and suggest as always! :)