A/N: I just can't resist some Bruce and Dick bonding. Totally irrelevant to the story but it made me happy. :) Thanks for the comments, very much appreciate the feedback.
oOo
"Dick! Come on, we've got to go!" Bruce yelled impatiently up the stairs. He turned to Alfred. "If these late nights are interfering with his ability to get up for school, then I'm going to have to curtail how often he goes on patrol. DICK!" he bellowed up the stairs once more.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Dick appeared at the top of the stairs and used one hand to propel himself onto the banister. He slid down quickly and neatly flipped off, landing in front of Bruce. "I couldn't find my Biology book."
"Master Dick, what have I said about using the furniture as gym equipment," said Alfred imploringly.
Dick looked apologetic. "Sorry, Alfred, I forgot."
"I guess you also forgot that I have an important meeting at Wayne Enterprises this morning," Bruce grumbled, ushering him out the door.
"I didn't forget," Dick replied, waving goodbye to Alfred as he hurried down the steps after Bruce. "I told you, I couldn't find my book. See, this is what happens when Alfred cleans my room, I can't find anything."
"So you'd rather he let you keep that mess you call a desk," Bruce responded drily, sliding into the car and starting up the engine. "I don't know how you find anything in there."
"Its organised chaos," said Dick, buckling his seatbelt. "There's a system."
"Right."
"Did you find out anything else about that explosion at the Gotham Planetarium last night?" Dick asked eagerly as the car drove through the gates of Wayne Manor and turned in the direction of Gotham.
Bruce glanced at him and had to smile at the enthusiasm on his young ward's face. It amused him that even after four years, Dick could still get so excited about crime fighting. "I analysed some of the samples I collected last night. Whatever caused that explosion used vast amounts of energy; there were still readings of residual energy when we arrived."
"Do you think it could have been something they were working on in the lab?"
"I won't know until the computer finishes running specs on the samples, but there was some negative energy. I can't see the Planetarium using anything like that in its laboratories."
"Do you think we should patrol tonight and see what we find?"
"I will be patrolling alone tonight. It's a school night and I already let you patrol last night."
"But tomorrow's Friday. C'mon, Bruce, please?"
"No. Besides, you have a test tomorrow."
Duck huffed and crossed his arms. "Why is it you can never remember when I get invited to parties at school, but you always remember when I have a test?"
Bruce smiled to himself but didn't answer. Truthfully, he always remembered when Dick was invited to parties at school, but sometimes it was more convenient to forget…especially if those parties were going to take place at a house without parental supervision or where the supervision was going to be less than responsible. It would frustrate Dick if he knew just how close an eye Bruce kept on his fellow classmates, and that he could pinpoint exactly which ones were most likely to cause trouble and therefore should stay as far away from Dick as possible.
Bruce was well aware of the irony of his over-protectiveness when he allowed Dick to run around as a masked hero fighting crime, but at least Batman was always there to supervise and ensure he didn't get into trouble. High-school parties, where it was likely there would be copious amounts of alcohol, girls and possibly drugs, were a whole other ball game.
"So, if we can't go tonight, do you think maybe we could go tomorrow night?" Dick's tone was hopeful and Bruce glanced at his ward.
"Sure. But I would have thought you wanted to go to Mount Justice and see the team?"
Dick shrugged. "I can see them next week. It's not like there's a mission on the horizon. Besides, we haven't really done the dynamic duo thing for a while and…I kind of miss it." He flashed a smile at his mentor.
Bruce nodded. "Okay then, we can patrol tomorrow night." Inwardly he felt a warm surge of pleasure. He would never admit it, but he had missed having Dick patrol with him over the past few weeks while he had been so preoccupied with Young Justice. It was ludicrous to admit it, but Batman had been a little lonely and was slightly worried that his little bird was outgrowing him. It was nice to know that Dick still wanted to spend time with him.
"So what's the big important meeting about this morning?" Dick interrupted his musings. "It's been a while since you had to go in this early."
"We're brokering a new deal with some foreign investors on the South American project and some of the board members have voiced their concerns that I be at the meeting."
"You mean they complained to Lucius and he told you to get your butt in," Dick grinned at him slyly and Bruce grimaced. He detested the argumentative nature of board meetings.
For the remainder of the journey, they chatted about the South American project; a massive redevelopment campaign that Wayne Enterprises was spearheading to save the rainforest by investing in local companies to encourage working with the environment rather than destroying it. Dick was a keen environmentalist and constantly asked questions about the project. Bruce was still answering some of those questions twenty minutes later when they pulled up in front of Gotham City Academy.
"I'll be working late so Alfred is going to pick you up," he reminded Dick as the boy climbed out of the car.
"I know, I'll be on time." Dick grinned. Bruce was more liable to tolerate his inclination to linger and chat with his classmates after the final bell than Alfred, who abhorred tardy timekeeping with the same virulence he reserved for bad table manners.
Hoisting his bag on his back, Dick waved and headed in through the gates. Bruce waited until he saw him enter the front doors and then pulled away.
oOo
True to his word, Dick was out almost immediately after the final bell. Alfred was waiting by the car with the door open and Dick sighed. He preferred when Bruce picked him up because, even though it was Bruce Wayne and he drove a Ferrari, it still didn't draw the same level of attention that a very proper English Butler standing beside the open door of a vintage Rolls Royce did.
Dick waved and smiled at Alfred, trying to ignore the smirks of Dirk Cadwell and his gang. Even though Gotham City Academy schooled the children of the wealthiest families in Gotham, none of them were on the same level as Bruce Wayne, and some students – such as Dirk Cadwell – resented the fact that Dick with his circus roots was Bruce Wayne's ward.
"Hi, Alfred," Dick greeted the old man cheerfully as he drew level with the car. "Asterous day, isn't it?"
"Indeed," Alfred smiled, shutting the door after him when he climbed in, before returning to the driver's seat and starting the engine.
Dick grinned. It had dismayed Alfred when he had first started playing with prefixes and 'butchering the English language' as the man had once proclaimed to Bruce, but now it had become something of a running joke between them; Dick trying his hardest to shock Alfred, or at least get him to use one of his prefix-less words, while the older man smiled indulgently and refused to rise to the bait.
Dick wondered how he would react if Alfred ever actually used one of the words. Probably die of shock, the boy decided.
"How was school, Master Dick?"
Dick shrugged and sat as far forward as his seatbelt would allow so that he could catch Alfred's eye in the rear view mirror, "Meh. Same old, same old. Although Mr Wilcox has asked me if he could put my name forward for the AMC 12 exams this year."
"The mathematics competition? What did you tell him?"
"That I wanted to talk to Bruce first."
"A wise decision, Master Dick," said Alfred, turning the car out of the city. He and Dick fell into a companionable silence as Alfred drove along the lonely coast road to Wayne Manor.
Dick settled back in his seat, idly watching the trees on the other side flash past. His thoughts strayed to going patrolling with Bruce the following night and he smiled. It had been weeks since they patrolled together, and Dick was looking forward to it. The previous night didn't count because they had only visited the Planetarium after the explosion. Dick hoped they would see a little bit of action the following night.
He was jerked out of his thoughts as the car bounced suddenly, followed by several loud bangs. The Rolls swerved dangerously across the road. "My word!" Alfred exclaimed, fighting to regain control of the car.
The car rolled to a halt and a shaking Alfred turned to face Dick. "Are you alright, young Sir?"
"I'm fine, Alfie. You?"
"I'll let you know when I've located my nerves."
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure, but I think we may have blown a tire." The Butler climbed out to investigate and Dick could see him frown as he examined the front of the car.
"What's wrong, Alfred?" the boy asked, clambering out after him.
"Both tires appear to have been split right open," Alfred answered, his face still scrutinising the car. "I can't think how…"
"I can," said Dick grimly, his sharp eyes scanning further back the road and immediately locating a spike strip. "That."
"Master Dick, get in the car NOW!" Alfred shouted suddenly and Dick turned back just in time to see a man in a red mask running towards them out of the trees. He raised his arm and threw something at the car where it exploded, enveloping them both in a noxious gas.
Dick immediately covered his mouth and moved towards where Alfred had been standing. He could hear the man coughing and felt something burn in the back of his own throat. He coughed, feeling his limbs get heavy. From somewhere to the front of the car, he heard a loud thump.
"Al…cough…fred…cough." Dick's legs gave way and he fell to his hands and knees. His head felt light.
There was someone beside him. Dick managed to look up and glimpsed a red face looking down at him through the fog. Then he slumped to the ground and the last thing he was aware of was hands grabbing him.