The members of the Justice League of America considered themselves a family. They were long since used to Dick's Rapid and often sudden transitions. Bruce, as expected, always acted according to who came out. Naturally, when they'd heard (through Superman's incredible hearing) the cries of Christian, they knew he wouldn't be out for a while. Therefore, the JLA converged on the couch of the Teen Titans to await Batman's update. When Batman did come out, he looked understandably exhausted, but incredibly defeated. Every member of the JLA was on the edge of their seats. Whenever Batman spoke, it was perhaps more important than the speakings of any other member. His seriousness, incredible focus, and work ethic made him easily the most intimidating. He stood behind the Titans' coffee table before he spoke.
"After Christian calmed down, Chris came out to speak to me. He told me that he has no knowledge of what this dark thing is, let alone if it's human or not. He told me that he and Jack would try and fight it from the inside. Consequentially, that leaves only Dick and Christian Left. While Dick can handle himself, Christian is incredibly dependent, and I'm not comfortable with just leaving him here. You all know that I can't be here all the time, but Chris was adamant about having someone here that Christian knows. He suggested taking shifts. If you're called on, someone else can step in. If it gets ugly, you all know how to reach me." Even under the cowl, the change in expression of Bruce's face was noticeable. "I know this is asking a lot of you, and I wouldn't ask if I wasn't concerned for Dick's safety. I know you all care about him, and that's what he needs right now."
The soft way he ended the speech threw everyone for a loop. They looked to each other, similar thoughts of the amount of desperation it took for Bruce to (for lack of a better term) grovel for their help. Well, it wasn't exactly groveling, but it was as close as Bruce would ever get. Diana stood first.
"Of course we'll help, Bruce." Clark quickly followed.
"It would be our pleasure." The others nodded their assent. Although he would vehemently deny it, the corners of Bruce's mouth twitched into the ghost of a smile.
When Bruce went back to Dick's room, Chris had stayed as promised. His lips tipped up into a satisfied smile, as if he already knew that his proposal had been accepted. He shut his eyes, and was gone in an instant. It was Dick who emerged to a stern yet concerned Batman standing in front of him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. In retrospect, he should have seen this coming. He knew a transition was coming when he was last conscious. It would have been unsurprising to hear one of his alters call Batman.
In a tangle of emotions, he had a dozen viewpoints scattered around in his mind. He could have felt betrayed that despite all he'd done he still needed Batman. He could have felt frightened that he'd lost enough time for his adoptive father to get here. He could have felt angry that a part of him still needed a parent.
Yes, Dick Grayson could have felt all these emotions, but the one feeling that coursed through him was relief that made him sag forward. He didn't have to put on a façade and pretend like he was alright. He didn't have to make light of everything that happened. He could afford the luxury of taking off the mask and being just Dick Grayson, and know that that was enough.
"Hi Dad." He whispered. Batman sat beside his partner and waited. Slowly, Dick peeled off his domino mask, and in one foul swoop became a normal person. Bruce, in a reciprocal gesture, removed his cowl. "I guess one of the others told you about it." He said, dully. Bruce was quiet, choosing his words carefully.
"I want to know what happened to you, Dick. What the others told me doesn't matter. What happened to you as an individual is what concerns me now." Dick looked up at his father with a silent plea for understanding, and a layer of guilt coating his eyes. Bruce gave him a slight nod, and it was all the encouragement Dick needed to start talking.
"There are always arch foes for every hero. Superman and Lex Luthor, you and The Joker, Spiderman and Venom... You get the idea. When I moved here I met mine. His name is Slade. From the first crime he committed I knew that he was incredibly intentional with his work. He was clever, devious, and always tried to be one step ahead. As time went on, he started focusing more on me. He kept talking about how alike we were... And it was terrifying. One day, he threatened us with a chronoton detonator. He distracted me with another villain. When I won I found a GPS that had a map to Slade's lair. I went, and thought I had him. But he had me. The chronoton detonator was a fake, and he shot my team up with nanoscopic probes. He could destroy them from the inside out with the push of a button... And he blackmailed me into becoming his apprentice. When I put the uniform on, Jack took over, but I watched from the inside..." He shivered at the memory. Bruce put an arm over his shoulders, and the small act of affection surprised him. "Aren't you mad at me?"
Bruce looked down at his son, seeing the distress on his face.
"Dickie, I'm not mad at you. When I saw the security tapes of you stealing the thermal blaster, I knew it was Jack in control. I knew there was a reason for what was going on and planned on calling, but Christian called first. Son, I could never be mad at you. You did what you thought was best for the sake of your friends, and you outsmarted Slade in the end. If anything, I'm proud of you."
Dick looked up at his surrogate father in surprise. The words of praise were ones seldom heard, and he savored them for everything they were worth. The joy that burst in his heart was overwhelming, and it took all his training to control himself. It was an instance of his cast-iron will failing him, and he hugged his father tightly.
"I'm scared." He whispered. "He made me steal from you. It was like he was forcing me to hurt you. I'm terrified that he knows who you are... And I feel terrible, because I should have known better than to fall into that trap in the first place. You trained me better than that, and I let you down." He looked up at Bruce, looking innocent and genuinely frightened. It took Bruce a minute to remember that he was dealing with Dick and not Christian.
"Dick, never in my eight years of knowing you have you ever let me down. I'm so proud of everything you've done, and even if we've had our differences, it doesn't change the fact that you're my son first, partner second."
Hearing the words alleviated some secret weight from Dick's shoulders. For a long time he'd always thought Batman considered him his sidekick. To hear the word "partner" was a monumental step up from what he believed. He smiled up at his father, a true, genuine grin, and was surprised to see Bruce return it. He pulled his Father into his arms, and whispered,
"Thank you." Bruce wrapped his arms around his son, flashing back to the times when Dick had been eight years old and had had a nightmare. He held onto his son a bit longer than normal before letting him go.
"You're welcome." He said, a rare smile crossing his features. "Now, let me catch you up to speed on what you've missed..."
