Don't own nothing but my Batman shirt/lunchbox/keychain/mug/etc.
EDIT: I posted this in a rush, so I went back and fixed a few minor oopsies. Enjoy, my pretties!
"Hello, Master Richard."
Despite everything going on, Dick cracked a smile at hearing that voice. He had missed the old man terribly.
"Alfie," he enveloped him in a tight hug. The raven-haired boy held back his tears, he was not going to cry right now, he needed to stay strong. "I missed you."
Alfred smiled down at the young man in his arms. He had not seen the boy in almost four years now, and those had not been happy days when he departed. Though he did not like the current circumstances, it was good to see him healthy and unharmed. Richard had definitely grown over the years and developed a much more muscular physique. All traces of baby fat had been worked away through countless battles and sleepless nights. He wasn't sure if he liked the thought of that. "And I you, Master Richard."
They packed the things away in the car and drove out of the hangar. There were no paparazzi, as promised by Jim. The two chatted about this and that, staying away from heavy topics for the moment. Richard had never felt so out-of-place before, with the leather seats and sleek, tinted windows on the black limousine. It all felt so different than riding shotgun in the T-car on patrol nights. Here it was so quiet and formal, it was not something he'd faced with his teammates. Ever. They were always so loud and friendly, not like Bruce. Maybe that was why he'd always been the jokester of the Dynamic Duo, he'd always felt too suffocated by Batman's serious air. Now he'd become just that; The Serious One. The Leader. The Voice of Reason.
He'd become Batman.
As much as he'd tried to avoid it, the inevitable had happened. It was what he had cried over, yelled over and, in the end, run away from. It seemed that pushing it all away had driven him closer to what he didn't want to be. He should hate himself for it.
But he couldn't. He loved his team. Loved Starfire's naïve and carefree attitude, Cyborg's brains and protective streak, Beast Boy's immaturity, Raven's stoic and reliable nature. If he needed to be the strong one, the one they could turn to when they needed something to believe in, then he would be that person. Because his team was important to him. Even though he had never shown them his face, never bothered them with his identity outside of Robin they had never judged or pried.
It meant more to him then they could ever know.
They pulled up to the manor, the streets of Gotham quiet for once. "Batgirl has been working hard these last few nights." Alfred commented to the now-silent car, knowing what Dick was thinking. "I worry for her schooling at this rate."
Richard turned to his elder, a serious look on his face. "I'll be sure to help her out, I don't want her to suffer because I left Gotham unprotected."
Putting the car in park, the two stepped out, Richard quick to help Alfred with his bags. He never liked watching the old butler care for everything around the house, it made him feel guilty. At the circus everyone took care of themselves, it didn't seem right to have one man caring for an entire mansion and Bruce. So, Richard was always sure to help when he could.
"Master Richard," Alfred started as they made their way up the stairs. "Have you considered how you will go about all of this?"
Dick shot the man a confused look, "What do you mean, Alf? I go about as I always have, as Robin, the younger half of the Dynamic Duo." They continued their walk.
Alfred shook his head, "I don't mean to step out of line, young master, but don't you think it might be suspicious, going out in to town as Robin?" Richard stopped on the staircase, staring down at his feet. "Frankly, people may start to wonder why it is Robin appears back in town at the same time as Richard Grayson who has returned to find his lost father. People may be short-sighted to these things, but they are certainly not blind." He paused and continued in a quiet voice, "Besides, he is going to need you. The Richard you. Not his predecessor."
"I—" Richard chewed his lower lip in thought. How had he not thought of this? "I'll figure something out, Alf." Somehow.
And so they continued on their journey.
He unpacked in silence, Alfred disappearing to go make a light dinner. His thoughts were his only company. He needed to figure out what he was going to do, because Alfred was right, he couldn't compromise his secret identity. That could put a lot of people in danger. Hearing light footsteps approaching his door he turned to see a young boy, dark hair and a pale complexion. People like him.
"Dick," the boy said with relief, running over to the elder. His small arms enveloped him tightly, as if he were afraid he would disappear too. "I'm so glad you're here."
The blue-eyed bird let his arms fall around the other's shoulders, "Hi, Timmy. I missed you." They pulled back, blue meeting brown. "How have you been holding up? Not making too much trouble for Alfred, right?" The eleven-year-old tried to crack a smile, but his watery eyes ruined it. Dick pushed the tears away affectionately, something a big brother would do. "You've been so strong, handling all of this on your own. Bruce is going to be so proud when he comes back, you know that, right?"
Tim nodded, holding tight on to the front of Dick's button-down shirt, his jacket having been removed. "Just," he started shakily. "Just don't leave me too, okay? I can't lose anyone else."
Richard pulled his brother in to a hug, "I would never do that." Tim was the more emotional Robin, the one who let everything affect him. Dick understood, it was hard to lose one's parents, but it was probably even harder knowing that it was that parent's fault. Tim's dad had basically gotten himself killed for some lowlife paying next to nothing where Dick's parents had died in cold blood for revenge. To make a statement. Now, Bruce was gone, and Dick knew Tim still wasn't over Jack's death.
Alfred was right, Tim needed Richard. Not Robin, the one whose shoes he was now trying to fill.
"How about this," the elder said pulling away. "When we get Bruce back you can have first go at yelling at him for being so careless, okay?" There it was, the smile he wanted. It made him feel better knowing he could get the boy out of his dark mood. Standing from his crouch the original Boy Wonder began to walk out of the room. "Come on, I haven't seen the Batcave in years, let's go down there."
Tim nodded, feeling lighter and led the way. He spoke of some of the new souvenirs collected while he was away. Bruce had a thing for keeping important items from missions.
As Dick watched Tim dancing around in front of him, distracting both of them with his chatter he remembered a day, some years back. What was it, about two years ago now? The Boy Wonder had received a phone call.
"I worry for Master Bruce. He has been more aggressive and withdrawn after what happened."
"Not my fault he can't keep a hold on his Robins."
"Master Richard…"
"Sorry, Alfie. So, what can I do about it? It's not like he would want me back. Even if he did I wouldn't go back, I have a team now, I can't abandon that after all this time and hard work."
"I would never ask you to leave your team, Young Master. All I ask is that you give me your support on something. There is a boy, nine years old who has skillfully deduced the identities of yourself and Master Bruce. Now, do not be alarmed, the boy only asks for one thing."
"What's that? Money? Power? What could a kid possibly blackmail out of Batman?"
"No, he wishes to be Robin."
"….Oh."
Robin had backed Alfred in his endeavor to get Bruce to take a new partner. Unsurprisingly the man had been reluctant. After what happened, Robin didn't blame him…
Bruce broke eventually, taking the boy in after his father was killed by Two Face. Richard had a sneaking suspicion that his foster father had a thing for collecting orphaned birds. But, that was a thought to pursue another day.
As he looked around the Batcave, with the Batmobile sitting stoically in the middle of everything, Dick noticed that very little had changed. He ran a hand lightly over the keyboard of the giant computer, not activating it quiet yet. Tim's presence was forgotten as a glass case caught his attention. His old costume was there, lights shining down on it. He couldn't believe that Bruce had kept it. Dick was sure that the man would throw it away in anger. On a plaque below were the words:
Richard Grayson
The First Robin
My prodigy
My son
Dick blinked, once, twice. My prodigy. Is that really what he thought of him?
"He used to stare at this every night when we came in from patrol. As if he was trying to force it to make you come back." Dick looked to his left, his younger counterpart staring intently at the costume inside. "I know that he likes me, why else would he take me in? But you'll always have a special place for him." Looking up, the brown-eyed boy said, "He missed you."
Time made it sound so easy, as if he could just come back and everything would be fine. Sure he had run away, so he had always been able to come back, but it's not like Bruce asked him to. So he didn't. And that was it. Both were too stubborn to break, and now it had gotten them here, to this point. Not even Slade or the Brotherhood had put them back in contact.
Yet, he believed Tim. How could he not? The boy would never lie about such a thing.
The Batman costume stowed away to the right of his own grabbed his attention. He walked over, hand touching the glass case surrounding it.
People may start to wonder why it is Robin appears back in town at the same time as Richard Grayson who has returned to find his lost father.
Maybe he didn't have to return as Robin. After all, it's not like Batman was the one missing—
No. Slow down there Grayson. He pulled his hand back from the glass. Sure, after taking leadership of his team he had become more like Batman, but that didn't mean he was ready to be Batman. That would be too much. That would be admitting defeat. He wouldn't take the torch, not until he absolutely had to. They weren't that desperate yet.
How long can you wait until you become too desperate?
The cowl was mocking him. Giving him a glimpse of the future he had fled from so readily. This was all too much.
People may be shortsighted to these things, but they are certainly not blind.
Why did Alfred always need to be right?
He needed to think on this.
Brooding Dick.
Hey, I brought Tim in! Yayy!
So, any guesses for our kidnapper at this point? I want to know who you think it is.
We will be meeting whoever Jim called next chapter! Yay next chapter!
