Alfred
"And while he most certainly became a man, I don't think he ever became an adult." – Alfred, Robin: Year One (1995 Annual): (Chuck Dixon)
I feared that this would happen.
From the moment he brought that child into this house, I was afraid of this. Those six years ago, I remember standing in that dank, dripping cave Master Bruce prefers to work from, polishing another solid silver ornament that will never get any other attention other than that of my duster, and warning him; because I still believe that, in all truth, Master Bruce had no clue as to what he was going to do with the boy.
Things, as they say, have a way of working themselves out. Master Bruce signed countless papers and made him his ward; and he gave him a costume and a mask, and inducted him into his own insane world.
Proud as I may be of both of them – and, yes, Miss Gordon too, of late – I do not know if I can ever fully forgive my master for dragging a boy, one whom might have had a normal life, into his own personal war. At this time, Master Dick is an experienced soldier of this ongoing war – the beliefs and methods and motives of the "super-hero" are deeply rooted within him by now. This makes me quietly despair, because I fear that he is becoming, with each passing day, more and more like Master Bruce.
And while my master is, in many ways, an admirable man, I should hate to see Master Dick too descend into the festering Hell Master Bruce has created for himself to wallow in. Often I wonder if it is indeed not Bruce Wayne who is the true mask, and that the terrifying Batman is the true person that little orphaned boy grew up into. For I can see, as clearly as I have always been able to, that he is obsessed with his crusade.
He will never admit that I was right all those years ago – that he took the boy on a strange, selfish whim. He took him because he saw himself in him, and he could not bear to have anyone else take him. That, initially, I am certain was his only reason.
Any times I have confronted him on the matter, he has spun stories about the boy's acrobatic training and prowess, or his sharp mind, or his quick reflexes. Yes, Master Bruce has spent six years continuously honing the boy, constantly perfecting him, like an artist with a canvas; and yes, it has always been clear that Master Dick is a natural for this sort of thing. His training in acrobatics was a helpful head-start, but all in all, it took Master Bruce and I only six months to get him in uniform and out on the streets. Personally, I had anticipated at least a year before he would be ready, since he had no prior knowledge of martial arts or criminology; and I admit to being dubious when Master Bruce took him out after only six months.
Master Bruce was right, of course; and another thing he will never admit, though I believe it to be true, is that he took a silent, secret delight in his new partner. Maybe it was a pride – that he had trained and created this brand new mini hero, or that he was the only superhero thus far to have a partner. Certainly I know that he and Clark Kent had "words" during those first few weeks, since Kent didn't approve of what he referred to as Master Bruce's "insanity and recklessness" concerning training an eight year old boy and taking him on dangerous missions with him.
My master, in those happier days, would sit in the drawing room in his father's chair after the night's patrol, and after Master Dick had gone to bed; and he would pour himself and I a small glass of wine each, and then he would laugh and say that Mr Kent was only jealous that he hadn't thought of it first. He was even more amused, it must be said, when the Green Arrow announced that he invested in a sidekick of his own, Speedy.
Master Bruce smiled a lot more back then.
For years, it had been only Batman on his own. Then, for four entire years, Batman and Robin. But these past two years, there has been Batgirl too, and while I know Master Bruce to be fond and admiring of Miss Gordon and her input to his cause, I do not believe I am incorrect in thinking also that he perhaps… resents her presence.
Master Dick is a young boy, and has, for obvious reasons, become rather attached to Miss Gordon. And, as bizarre as it may seem, I rather think that Master Bruce is a little, well… jealous. I suppose this is understandable – after all these years, Master Bruce finds himself being… "frozen out", as they say on the television, in favour of Miss Gordon. And it is easy for I, or indeed any man, to stand back and shake my head and tut at his immaturity, but I know as well as any man that Master Bruce… does not think as other men do. His later childhood was lost to a double homicide in a dark alley; and to the obsession that has clouded over him from that moment on. My boy, my dark-eyed angel – he is a man, there is no denying that.
But sometimes, I do wonder… if he can really be counted as an adult; because it is something that I often doubt.
But this whole business, I fear, is not the problem itself. It is only the beginning. For Master Bruce and Master Dick have been arguing of late. More and more, over trivial things. Standing back, I can see why they fight.
Master Bruce is used to the boy being an obedient, awed eight year old, nine, ten, eleven… At those ages, Master Dick did not ever disagree with him; because he didn't dare, but also because he never found fault with Master Bruce's methods. Master Bruce has yet to understand the concept of the "teenager", and has yet to understand the fact that his boy is not that obedient eight year old anymore. It is that, I believe; and jealousy of Miss Gordon.
On Master Dick's part, it is that he is, quite simply, growing up. He has formed opinions of his own, and doesn't agree with all of Master Bruce's, and is at the age where he feels he needs to speak up when he doesn't agree. Master Bruce can't stand it when his Boy Wonder answers him back; and Master Dick can't stand it when he is told not to speak to his mentor like that.
They are very different people too, however. As Master Dick has gotten older, I have seen it. They have different priorities and different preferred methods. I suppose that, even if Miss Gordon had never entered the scene, these arguments would happen anyway. Master Dick has become a very different person, and I think it is safe to say that Master Bruce hasn't really changed very much at all.
And the hair gel – he has admitted to me that he hates it. At Miss Gordon's suggestion, Master Dick as taken to wearing his hair gelled and spiked. Master Bruce doesn't like it, and told him so. The uniform has subtly changed too, with long trousers, more robust shoes. Master Bruce is undoubtedly irked that Master Dick made changes to the uniform that he designed; and he told him this too.
Ever the tactful one, that man.
Is this the end? I am afraid not – and I grow ever more worried, because, last night, they fought again. They fought again, and so badly that Master Dick eventually walked out of the Batcave. I didn't hear their words, since I was showing Miss Gordon to the door; she seemed distressed, for we could both hear them, if not distinctly. Master Bruce rarely shouts; but last night the pair of them were like fighting toms down there in their little clubhouse.
After seeing Miss Gordon to her car, I returned to the manor and went down into the Batcave myself, to find Master Bruce on his own, in his chair with his head in his hands. I learned there that Master Dick had stormed up to his room in full uniform and slammed the door.
After shouting that he hated Master Bruce and he was leaving.
The former I do not believe; he was angry when he said it, and I do not think him to be ungrateful for everything Master Bruce has done for him.
The latter is, to our concern, all too real. He is leaving Gotham tomorrow, for a city called Jump. It is not too far away, but it is not something either of us are happy with.
As for the 'Dynamic Duo' themselves, they are not on speaking terms. It breaks my heart that they will part like this, after all these years, but alas, my efforts to mend the angry silence between them have been in vain. I have become their go-between, and it is a role I am not keen to play.
And while I worry for Master Dick, going out there alone to face a brave new world, I am also concerned for Master Bruce. I do not know how he will cope with this, angry as he is. He will still have Batgirl – but I fear that Batgirl was the initial subject of their argument last night…
It is not only that. I stand now, and watch Master Bruce with his back to me, standing at the drawing room window with a slender flute of ruby wine in his hand; it is half past four in the morning, and the first light of dawn is beginning to stain the bottom of the darkness on the horizon, and I do not even know why I am still awake. I have been wandering aimlessly, restless and not tired, dusting things that do not need dusting, because I cannot bear to sleep.
And now I stand in the drawing room doorway and watch him at the window, the way I did all those years ago, when perhaps the first concept of Batman was born in his mind; and I realise then what I think I must have somehow known all along.
That Master Bruce, to a strange and twisted degree, loves Dick Grayson.
I cannot account for how; I do not fully understand my master. In fact, well as I know him, I do not believe I understand him very much at all. It may be simply attachment; may be fatherly; may be brotherly; may even be sexually. He is a man, but not an adult; and I do not think he even really knows the degree of this attachment himself.
The point is – and I cannot bring myself to say it to him, even though he is only across the room; because I am not sure if he knows – is that he has attached himself to him; understandable, I suppose, that Master Bruce would cling to someone with this much in common with him, but worrying nonetheless.
The point is that he loves him.
I feared that this would happen.
Doesn't imply homosexual undertones so much as it implies that Bruce Wayne is, quite simply, just plain weird.
Like we didn't know that already…
Thankyou to: AutumnDynasty, AlsoSprachOdin, LoopyLouise123, Stargirl7 and Guardian of Azarath.
Next chapter, it's those guys the show is named after… :D