And here's a new chapter! See what nice reviews can accomplish?
Special thanks to Bobby Corwen and Brightpath2 for reviewing all three chapters!
As always, I own nothing.
It was cold. Dick had curled into the fetal position, clutching his thin blanket around him like a lifeline, and he was tucked against the wall in a futile attempt to keep warm—but it was cold, and he was hungry, and he just couldn't keep a slight sniffle from escaping.
It was a mistake. The boys nearest him, huddled in their own blankets, turned slowly, hampered by sluggish muscles and disbelief. They looked at him incredulously, and Dick could feel himself shrinking under their gazes.
A boy across the room stood up. He had clearly supplemented the orphanage uniform with several shirts, sweatpants, and other assorted articles; Dick felt a surge of envy that turned to terror when the boy headed towards him.
"Are you going to keep whimpering like that all night?" he demanded.
Dick looked up shakily. "No…" he mumbled.
"What did you say?" The older boy stepped closer. "It's your first day here, so maybe I'll be nice. But if you want to last long here, you'll take my advice: don't think about home. Don't go crying for Mommy." He leaned forward. "If you want to last more than a week in here, shut up and get out of the way."
YJYJYJYJ
The cave was silent when the billionaire and his protégé arrived. Bruce went straight to the computer, pulling up Julian Webb's records. Robin settled into the background, watching silently.
Bruce thought about his partner as he flipped through the files. Taking on the young acrobat had seemed like an impulsive decision at first. 'Rick' had been so young that his ability was a real concern, and Alfred had had many talks with him over the ethics of sending a ten-year-old out on the streets of Gotham.
The problem was that the boy had already been there. Bruce had been orphaned as a child much like Richard had been, but he couldn't imagine trying to survive in the same way. He'd had a home and wealth in his parents' estate, and a surrogate father in Alfred. On the streets, Richard had nothing, and yet even that was preferable to life in the orphanages.
The experience made him strong, if nothing else. After less than a year of training, Bruce was assured that Richard could hold his own. He became Robin, the masked vigilante, and had brought down a good number of criminals. Now, he was the only one that Bruce truly trusted in Gotham.
The computer beeped gently, indicating that the correct record had been found. As Bruce read it, his scowl grew.
His partner would be tested soon enough.
"Robin? There's another one."
