Disclaimer: This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire
may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B
Rated T: Blood, violence, and some animal violence. If animal violence makes you uncomfortable, then please don't read this chapter.
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The Changing of a Heart
By. Fanficer21
Chapter 14: Part 2
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Note: When the Justice League appears, I describe them as Robin sees them for the first time. Try and see if you can figure them out. Shouldn't be too hard. :3
Note # 2: Some of you are probably aware that I forgot to mention the seven witnesses besides Bruce in this chapter. Oops!
Well, here is the updated version of part 2 with all the witnesses. YAYz!
On with part 2! Enjoy!
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Bruce grew tense the moment he heard a commotion outside, the sound was coming from the front of the house. He was nervous because he wasn't sure how his friends were going to take the news about Robin. Robin, who sat on a dining room bed, swung his feet back and forth in anticipation of the arrived guests. "Wait here until I call for you." Bruce said as he patted Robin's back before heading for the front door.
Robin waited for several minutes before he heard Bruce call his name. Hopping to the floor, he made his way towards the entrance. He peeked around the doorway, spotting several people talking to Bruce. He didn't realize he'd been seen until two squeals of joy caught his attention, and he was quickly pulled into the embrace of two women. One was dressed like a gladiator, with long blond hair. The other also looked like a gladiator, but more noble, with long black hair. A golden Tiara rested on her head. "Oh, Bruce! He's adorable!" They cooed as their fingers roamed around his face and into his hair causing him to blush. He looked at the others' faces to distract him from the women. Bruce's eyes twinkled, and he looked like he was holding in a laugh. A blonde man with a beard chuckled, he was wearing the same kind of toga as Bruce. Meaning he too must have been a senator. Another man with brown hair and dressed like a normal citizen, but he stood like a nobleman. He was a charioteer, an honored man in society for his fearlessness. Beside him, a tall blonde man with a crown smiled at Robin, followed by another tall man, but this time bald. His gaze seemed to peer right into the boy's soul. It creeped Robin out a little.
The last man had black hair, like Bruce, But he wore a gladiators outfit. He had a stern look about him. He didn't look happy from what Robin observed, especially when the man stared at him with a critical eye. Robin looked towards the ground, the bending of his neck caused his scars on his back to show from beneath the tunic. Looking down, Dinah traced the scars gently with her finger. But the action caused Robin to jump and wiggle from her hold before hurrying towards Bruce. Everyone saw Bruce kneel down and put a hand on the boy's shoulder who whispered something into Bruce's ear while adjusting his tunic.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" The blonde woman was cut off by Clark, it appeared that he couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer.
"Bruce! You can't just go around hiding slaves! He has to go back, back to his owner! " Clark exclaimed, making Robin tense, clutching Bruce's toga. A look of
horror crossed his features that everyone but Clark noticed. Bruce immediately stood up, pushing Robin behind him. A scowl on his face.
"I will NOT allow him to return to that man. He was DYING when I found him, Clark! He's safe here. He's not going anywhere!" Bruce growled. Why did Clark have to make a spectacle of this now. Sometimes the man really pissed him off.
"You know the law!"
"I'm a Senator, I can bend the law!" The others just looked on, not knowing what to say, or how to quell the growing argument. These were, after all the two most stubborn men they've ever met.
"Are you really going to go against the law made by the Emperor, for a slave? Bruce what happened to you! Where is the man I remember? The man who would stop at nothing to uphold the law." Clark rambled about, causing Bruce to grind his teeth. He could feel his anger rising, as if it was a volcano about to erupt. He was immediately brought back to reality with a soft pull on his toga, followed by a whimper. His anger disappeared and a soft smile formed on his lips instead. Turning his head to look down at the boy, Robin's fear clad face showed a slight smile as well.
"I found something to live for!"
"Well said, Master Bruce! Now I think it time that the young master come with me." Alfred said from the doorway before extending his hand towards Robin. The boy glanced at everyone but, Clark before running past the older man and into the house. Alfred noticed the sad faces on everyone but Clark. "It would be wise not to make such a commotion in front of the young master again. He has been through much an ordeal, and I do not wish to see him get hurt again." He said before also going into the house.
"Bruce?...What...happened to the boy? Why are you reluctant to hand him back to his master." Dinah asked slowly, not wanting to cause another uproar. They watched as Bruce sat on the front step, his eyes looked to the ground and his jaw clenched. "You saw the scars on his back. Those were from his master. Th-There must have been-" Bruce cut himself off, tears forming in his eyes. He didn't want to say it, but knew he had to for them to understand. "...30 lashes or more." Everyone, including Clark, gasped.
"30? What could a child have done to deserve that...it's just cruel." Diana said, tears forming in her eyes. Everyone nodded in agreement.
They listened as Bruce continued to explain the other scars on Robin's body, and his master. Everyone began to hate the man, and wanted Bruce to keep the boy, but they had to figure something
out, without going against the law.
"But what can we do?" Hal asked, looking as if he were going to vomit.
"We can't keep him hidden forever. Eventually his master will find him." J'onn interjected calmly.
"What about adoption!" King Orin stated calmly. Bruce's face fell at the comment. "If I were to adopt him, I would need the consent of a father, in Robin's case, his master. But, I'm afraid to let Robin near him." He said, rubbing his face.
"I'll be there with you, to protect him." Clark said, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "As will I!" Diana stepped forward, followed by the others. Bruce cracked a smile, he was glad he had such good friends. He was about to thank them, when he was stopped by an annoying shout that only came from one person.
"Bruce! Bruce! Hey, Bruce!" Wally came running into the courtyard with another man in tow.
"Wally, who's this?" Bruce asked confused. Wally stopped to catch his breath before answering. "It's my uncle! I finally found him!" Bruce smiled, extending his hand to Barry's. "It's a pleasure to meet you..."
"Barry! The name's Barry. I'm from Lartnec, at least I was before it was ransacked. I want to thank you for taking good care of my nephew when I couldn't be there for him." Barry responded, placing his other hand on Wally's shoulder. However, Wally looked around, not paying attention the guests. "Where's Robin? I want to tell him the good news!"
Kneeling down and placing both hands on Wally's shoulders, Bruce looked into his eyes. "He's in the house. But, please don't overwhelm him, he's not in the best of moods right now." He said the last part giving Clark a slight glare, making the gladiator look away with shame.
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"Robin! Robin!" Wally called out once he was in the house. Finally making it to Robin's room, he found the boy curled up against the wall at the corner of his bed. Alfred sat beside him, rubbing his back and talking quietly to the shaking figure.
"Robin?" Wally asked softly as he crawled onto the bed, placing a hand on the boy's foot. He was shocked when the small figure bolted forward, wrapping tight arms him. "What's wrong!" He patted Robin's back soothingly. "T-They...want...B-Bruce...to bring...m-me...back t-to my...m-m-master...!"
"You mean that man who lashed you?" Wally growled, narrowing his eyes. He was shocked again though when Robin shook his head frantically. "N-No!...d-differ-ent...m-master. H-He'll k-k-kill...me i-if...I go...b-back!" He sobbed into his best friend's shoulder before screaming "I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!" Wally was angry now, squeezing Robin's body against his in a tight embrace.
"What! There's another one too!? What did he do to you! Tell me, and I'll go knock his lights out!"
"NO!...d-don't...go...n-near...h-him...!"
"Don't worry Robin! I won't let them take you away!" Wally brushed his fingers through the ebony hair. He looked to the doorway when Alfred tapped his shoulder, spotting Bruce's pained face made caused him to glare a bit. He shook his head when the man mouthed 'how is he?'
Bruce silently made his way into the room and sat on the bed, then placed his hand on Robin's back, causing the boy to tense. "Robin...I...have an offer for you. If you want to...stay with me." Robin stopped sobbing, wiggling his way out of Wally's grasp he looked at Bruce with confused eyes. "W-What do y-yoy mean?"
The sight of the boy's tear stained face made Bruce want to grab him and squeeze him in his arms until they tears disappeared, but he withheld the desire and instead gripped the boy's shoulder."Adoption. You can stay here and live with me." Robin's eyes seemed to sparkle, causing Bruce to chuckle a bit, before the smile disappeared. "The bad news is that I need to find your master and have his permission to adopt you." The light seemed to disappear form Robin's eyes. There was no way Rekoj would agree to that. He would take him back and torture him some more, or just kill him. New tears began to fall down his cheeks as he buried his face into Wally's shoulder.
"I know it's hard, but I will be there with you. And the others have agreed to be there as well, to make sure he doesn't try anything." He rubbed the boy's back, ignoring the rough scars beneath the cloth. "Is that alright with you? After this we won't have to worry about him ever again." He squeezed Robin's shoulder.
After much thought, Robin turned to face Bruce again. Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he smiled brightly before jumping into Bruce's arms and surprising the man. Alfred chuckled at the cute sight before heading to the kitchen.
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The next day, everyone was gathered in the courtyard preparing for the adoption process. According to the law, seven witness were required in order to make sure that the event happened and that no one could bear false claims against it. And to Bruce's great luck, there were seven adults present, including Wally's uncle.
Bruce sent Alfred head during the evening to find the man and request his presence at a meeting place of the man's choice. Rekoj of course chose the abandoned building where the slaves fought. With everyone building up their nerves, Robin looked as though he was the living dead. He just stared ahead, his eyes glossy and unfocused. He jumped when Bruce touched his shoulder. "Ready?"
Robin hesitated before nodding. Bruce led the way and the other adults surrounded Robin, keeping him safe on all sides. Wally was also in the middle with Robin, doing his best to keep the boy calm. None of them had any idea what they were about to witness.
When they reached the old building where Bruce first met Rekoj, he narrowed his eyes at the sight of the man leaning against the structure. He looked bored. As soon as he saw the group, he straightened up and tried to look sharp. "So, I'm in the presence of a Senator. Did I do something wro-" Rekoj stopped the instant he saw Robin hiding behind Bruce, and before anyone realized what was going on, the man grabbed the boy by the hair and yanked him towards himself. Robin yelped at the harsh tug, his body froze when he was pulled against his master's body.
"So you're the one who took him! I've been looking everywhere for him!" Rekoj scowled at Bruce, before yanking Robin around by his hair again, this time facing Bruce and the others. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes from the pain of the man's grip. His hands grabbed at his master's hand, trying to get him to let go. "I'm so glad I found you, Robbie-poo! Are those tears of joy in your eyes to see me, after this bad man took you away?" Rekoj glided the back of his fingers along Robin's cheek and down his neck, causing Robin to shy away from him. Bruce clenched his hands into fists, glaring daggers at Rekoj. "Oh! This man scared you didn't he? Well I know how to cheer you up when we get home." The man said again with a disturbing smile as his hand slipped beneath Robin's tunic and trailed along the boy's chest. Robin jumped backwards, trying to get out of the man's grasp. His tears falling down his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut.
"I didn't come here to let you take him away. Instead, I have a proposition for you." Bruce interjected, taking the focus off Robin and onto himself. He wanted to punch the man unconscious again and embrace Robin, but that was not the best idea. "Oh?" Rekoj scowled again, taking his hand out from beneath the boy's tunic before waving it around. "Do tell!" His grip on Robin's hair never ceased.
"I've come to ask your permission to adopt the boy. He deserves...no, he needs a better home! Do this, and I won't have you thrown into prison for the crimes you've committed of underground slave fighting." Bruce spoke firmly, staring into Rekoj's eyes. However, instead of keeping his attention on Bruce, the man focused on Robin again.
"Did you know about this!" He growled into Robin's ear, making the boy flinch.
"He doesn't-" Bruce tried to say, but was stopped When Rekoj yelled in the boy's face. "ANSWER ME BOY!" Robin cried out when the man's grip got even tighter, he could feel fingernails digging into his skin. Robin was taught not to lie, so he nervously nodded his head, causing Rekoj's blood boiled before he let go of Robin's hair, pushing the boy backwards. The boy stumbled a few steps, before a fist collided with his face, sending him to the ground with a yelp. The man then pulled out a dagger, he was about to straddle the boy, but a firm hand grabbed him by the neck. In an instant, his body was pinned against the wall as one strong hand held his wrist tightly, forcing him to drop the dagger. Clark pinned the other arm to the wall with his forearm, while holding his own dagger against the man's throat. " Touch the boy again, I will execute you myself." Clark growled into the man's ear.
Barry, Diana, and Dinah knelt beside Robin, helping the trembling boy up to his feet. Wally hugged his best friend, feeling Robin's body shake terribly only made him hug the boy tighter.
"Fine! We'll do it your way, but we use my terms!" Rekoj grumbled. Clark looked to Bruce. Receiving a nod from the man, he let go of Rekoj. The crazed man only dusted his clothes off before glaring at Clark. "You! Me! And the boy! Inside!" Was all the man said, his eyes moved to Robin before narrowing them. Robin recoiled at the sight of the man's anger.
"He comes too!" Bruce said, pointing to Clark. Rekoj glared at Bruce, but then relaxed with a smile. "Heh! Why not? The more the merrier! But the rest stay behind!" Rekoj walked into the building. Bruce signaled for Clark to stand watch at the door, before walking over to Robin. "Robin, I need you to come with me." His heart wanted to break when the boy shook his head furiously, burying his face into Wally's shoulder. "Please Robin! I know it's hard, but this will all be over with soon." He placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Does he really have to go?" Barry asked sadly, sighing when Bruce nodded. "It's the only way." The Senator said, keeping his eyes on the shaking boy.
"It's alright Robin! After this, we don't have to be friends anymore. We'll be brothers instead! Alright?" Wally whispered into the boy's ear. With a start, Robin broke from the embrace. Looking at Wally's genuine smile caused him to smile as well. He nodded with tears of joy in his eyes. Turning around, he looked at Bruce before slowly grabbing the man's hand. "Let's get this over with." He sighed quietly, following Bruce into the building, but that didn't stop his body from becoming rigid the second he smelt the familiar scent of dirt and blood. He had no idea what could happen, but he had to trust that Bruce knew what he was doing. Clark was in the main area beside the arena, keeping a close eye on Rekoj. Robin hid behind Bruce, but poked his head out to see what was going on. Bruce brought an arm behind him and gave the boy's shoulder a comforting squeeze. He hoped he knew what he was doing.
"I hope you know that I will not just "give up" my slave!" Rekoj growled at Bruce, then gave Robin a glare causing the boy to hide his head behing Bruce. "I had hoped that's what you would do, but I should have known better."
"I won't sell him either! He's too good to accept money in his place." Rekoj smirked, folding his arms against his chest.
"Then what would you have me do?" Bruce asked, narrowing his eyes. This man was up to something.
"I propose a fight to the death! Last one standing claims the boy!" Rekoj laughed hysterically at Robin's horrified expression.
"What!? Bruce don't do it! This man's planning someth-" Clark was stopped by Bruce raising his hand to him. "I accept your challenge, IF there will be no foul play!" Bruce could feel Robin shaking his head against his back. "Don't trust him!" The boy said quietly for only Bruce to hear.
"Me? Planning something? Nooooo!" Rekoj scoffed, placing his hand on his chest to complete the act. Bruce only narrowed his eyes even more. "Just you and me, down there!" The crazed man pointed to the arena below, before heading for the entrance. Bruce nodded, before unwrapping his toga and giving it to Clark. Left in his white tunic, he took a step forward, heading to the other entrance.
"No! Don't go!" Robin cried, rushing forward. Bruce instantly turned around. Kneeling in front of the boy, he put his hands on both sides of Robin's face. His fingers weaving their way into the ebony hair. "I have to do this. It is the only way for us to stay together." He said with a smile, using one hand to move Robin's hair out of his face before leaning forward to place on kiss on the boy's forehead. Robin almost knocked the man over as he wrapped his arms around the man's neck, hugging him in a tight embrace. "I don't want to lose you too!" He whispered, causing Bruce to return the embrace, wrapping his arms around the boy's back.
"I'll come back to you. I promise!" Bruce gave one last hug before getting up and heading to the entrance. Robin made to follow him, but was stopped by Clark. The man put firm hands on both small shoulders, steering Robin towards the edge of the arena as they watched both men enter the arena with swords in their hands.
Bruce and Rekoj circled each other, glaring daggers at one another. Baring his teeth like a wild animal, Rekoj charged at Bruce swinging his sword towards the man's head. But he was stopped when Bruce blocked the thrust with his own attack. He kicked Rekoj's feet, making him fall onto his back. Taking the opportunity, Bruce ran a distance away. He did not want to kill the man.
A sudden movement caught Robin's eye, causing him to look at the caged door behind Bruce. Yelrah, with a dark smirk, opened the door and released the hyenas to attack the Senator. Robin's heart pounded as he thought of what he should do, the hyenas were closing in on Bruce fast.
Without another thought, Robin turned, grabbed the dagger from its sheath at Clark's side, and then jumped onto the ledge before launching himself into the arena. He landed on top of one hyena, stabbing it in the neck. Stopping it in its tracks, the hyena fell to the ground as Robin rolled off its back. The other hyena suddenly charged at Robin with bared fangs, ready to rip out the boy's throat. Robin quickly got up and ran towards the other side of the arena, catching Bruce's attention. Just as the man looked away, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Rekoj slashed his sword against his chest, causing him to stumble backwards before lifting his sword to stop another attack.
Tripping over his feet, because of how fast he was running, Robin fell to the ground, dropping the dagger. He then rolled onto his side before getting up. Fear struck him at the sight of the hyena fast approaching, teeth bared and ready to strike.
Seeing the beast nearing the boy, Clark jumped over the edge and ran towards the boy. Unsheathing his sword and lifting if over his head, he cut the hyena's head off just before it was about to bite Robin. From the shock of seeing the beast's head at his feet, Robin fell to the ground, shuddering. Clark went to help him up, until a yelp filled their ears. Both looked to see Bruce fall to the ground, a large gash on his left thigh. Blood flowed down his leg and into the dirt. Rekoj raised his bloody sword above his head, preparing for the final blow.
Within seconds, Clark was between them, stopping Rekoj's attack. He punched the man, causing him to hit the dirt face first. Turning around quickly, he took off a few of his leather straps, before kneeling next to Bruce. Bruce squeezed his eyes shut in pain as the man bound the straps above the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
When he raised his head, Rekoj saw his pet hyenas on the ground, dead. Beside one, Robin sat with wide eyes, staring right at him. Rage filled Rekoj as he jumped to his feet, grabbing his sword and charged at Robin. It took a few seconds for the boy to register what was happening. As Rekoj neared him, he raised his sword ready to strike, but Robin jumped out of the way just in time to miss the cut. He ran as fast as he could away from the man, his stomach muscles pulling on his healed wound, causing him pain. But said man was much quicker than before. He swung the blade, causing Robin to cry out when the steel cut into his back. Rekoj then jumped forward, swinging his leg until it made contact with the boy. Robin flew into the wall with a crack, instant pain surged through his right shoulder at the contact. He grit his teeth at the pain, then ducked when the blade was swung at his head. The steel embedded itself into the wall, giving Robin time to get away. But Rekoj left the sword and pulled a dagger out of his toga, before chasing the boy again with a snarl.
From his position on the ground, Bruce heard Robin's cry. Looking up, his eyes widened at the sight of the man attacking his boy. "Clark! Forget about me for now and go help Robin!" He demanded. Clark just looked him in the eye sternly. "If I don't get this wound to stop bleeding, you're going to die!"
"If you don't help Robin, he's going to die! Now go! I can finish tying this up." He grabbed the bloody straps from Clark's hands, motioning for the man to go. With that, Clark jumped to his feet and ran towards the boy and man.
Rekoj had tackled the boy and pinned him onto the ground, one hand holding Robin's arms above his head. The dagger was in his other hand as he straddled the boy. He leaned over Robin, ready to strike. The boy's eyes widened as fear filled him, thinking this was the end. Rekoj swung his arm down to pierce the boy's heart, but stopped instantly when pain filled his body. Robin saw a sword come out of Rekoj's chest. The metal stopped just as it touched his neck, leaving a trail of blood to run down his skin. Something dripped onto his face and rolled down his cheek. Looking up Robin saw that blood was falling from the man's mouth. When the sword was yanked out, Rekoj fell sideways to the ground. His hand still holding the dagger fell limp against Robin's chest.
Clark cleaned the blood off his favorite sword before dragging Robin out from under the man, before lifting him to his feet. A second later, the boy hugged Clark with a teary smile, causing the man to smile back. "Thank you!" Robin's thanks was muffled as he buried his face against the man's stomach. A strange feeling entered his heart, and he kind of liked it. Maybe this was what Bruce felt when he was with Robin, he thought as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Robin!" Looking in the direction of the voice, Robin saw Bruce getting to his feet and taking unsteady steps forward. He immediately let go of Clark and ran towards Bruce. He stopped however, at the man's horrified expression. Falling to his knees, Bruce rubbed his bloody hands against his toga to wipe the blood away. He then gently grabbed hold of the boy's neck before softly rubbing a thumb against the line of blood on Robin's neck, with tears forming in his eyes. He visibly relaxed when he realized it wasn't his boy's blood. He weaved his fingers into Robin's hair, and kissed his forehead multiple times. Not able to contain his happiness anymore, Bruce grabbed Robin and yanked him into a firm embrace, until he heard the boy gasp in pain.
Releasing Robin, the looked the boy over. Because of his bloody chest, Robin's tunic was now bloody in the front. Seeing blood on his arms, he turned the boy around and gasped at the sight of a deep wound on his back. His tunic was soaked with blood around the cut, and dirt was inside it. That needed to be taken care of right away, lest an infection began.
Seeing Rekoj laying on the ground, Bruce was filled with sorrow, at the realization that the man was dead. He had no way of legally adopting Robin now. "Bruce, what's wrong" Clark asked, seeing his best friend mourn. "What am I going to do? He's still a slave. How can I adopt him now that his master is dead. There is no one to perform the ceremony now." Bruce whispered.
"We'll figure something out." Clark said as he took one of Bruce's arms, placing it over his shoulders. Robin was on the man's other side, keeping him stable as they walked towards the caged doors. Once they finally made it to last door, Bruce wrapped his free arm around Robin's shoulders. He gave the boy half hug, as Clark opened the door. He was about to question the boy about the gasp he heard, but was stopped by the others.
"Bruce! What happened?" Everyone asked as they ran to the trio. "He's dead. Now I can't adopt Robin without a father figure." Bruce whispered again, looking to the ground.
"I'll do it!" Barry said, making Bruce look up at him quickly. "I'll be the father in the ceremony." Wally smiled brightly at his uncle's offer, as did Bruce.
When everyone made it to the house close to an hour later, because of keeping close to a limping Bruce the whole way, they gave Alfred quite a start. "Dear me! What has happened!" The older man questioned as he walked up to inspect the injuries. "Oh my! We'll get you two cleaned up right away." Following Alfred into the house, Clark sat Bruce onto one of the dining beds. Bruce patted the spot in front of him, motioning for Robin to take a seat. When the boy sat down, he felt Bruce's fingers gently brush around his back wound, releasing a slight whimper. "We need to clean this right away." He said quietly, before noticing the boy holding his right shoulder with another whimper.
"What happened to you shoulder?" Bruce asked, waiting patiently for a response. "Hit the wall." Was all the boy said. Looking to Clark, Bruce motioned for the the man to help him. "We'll need to fix that. Hold still, and Clark will pull on it. Just do your best to stay calm." Bruce said as he placed one firm hand on the boy's other small shoulder, his other arm wrapped around Robin's chest, underneath the armpit. Nodding to Clark, the man pulled gently, but firmly on the boy's right arm near his wrist and above the elbow once he had a good grip. A crack filled the room as Robin's shoulder was lifted back into the socket. He felt a rush of relief, quickly followed by throbbing pain.
"Clark, can you stay and help Alfred." He decided that he would clean Robin's wound, while Alfred and Clark worked on him. He also didn't want the room crowded to make the boy even more uncomfortable with his scars exposed. "The rest of you can wait outsi-"
"It's okay. They can stay." Robin said quietly, looking at the floor, hands resting in his lap. He felt he could trust them, seeing how much they cared for Bruce. "Are you sure?" Bruce placed a firm hand on the boy's left shoulder. Robin simply nodded, taking a deep breath. Bruce could tell he was trying to calm his nerves. Alfred and Clark came back into the room with two bowls of hot water and clean cloths. Bruce lifted his thigh off the bed, allowing Alfred to put a cloth beneath it to prevent more blood from soaking into the bed. "Thank you Alfred." He said gritted teeth from the pain of disturbing his muscles.
"Can you get out of the tunic by yourself, or do you need it cut?" Bruce asked softly. He watched as the boy moved his arms around, his back muscles flexing as he tried to push his arms out the top, gasping and cringing the whole time. He had to stop, his muscles pulling to much on the deep cut. Diana came around, taking a seat in front of Robin. She pulled the dagger from its sheath at her hip and handed it to Bruce. After Bruce cut the back of the tunic open, she pulled the fabric off his shoulder and down his arms. She heard the others, except Bruce and Alfred gasp at the sight of his scarred back.
Looking at the boy's chest, she bit her lip. She felt like she wanted to cry from the many scars she saw. Her maternal senses kicked in as she pulled the boy forward against her chest, snaking her fingers into his hair and massaging his scalp. Her other arm wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close. She playfully stuck her tongue out at Bruce when she noticed the man was watching her with a smirk.
"Ok, Robin. I need you to put this in your mouth so you don't bite your- augh- tongue." He cringed and clenched his jaw when Alfred and Clark's ministrations to his thigh caused him a great deal of pain. He handed a piece of leather to Diana, who then gave it to the boy. Clenching his teeth down on the animal skin, he then rested his head against Diana's chest again, preparing for the pain.
The second Bruce rubbed the blood away from the wound, Robin tensed and whimpered. Bruce continued to clean the wound, despite his mind telling him to stop putting the boy in so much pain. He needed to finish it, and didn't want the boy to get an infection of any kind. Once that was done, he nodded for Diana to tighten her hold on the boy. Doing so, Bruce dug the wet the cloth into the wound to get the dirt out. The action caused Robin to moan from the pain, tears fell down his cheeks. When Diana felt the tears on her bosom, she rested her face upon his head, whispering soothing words to the boy in a means to calm him. Bruce was impressed by her maternal kindness. It was nice to see another side of the woman besides her touch facade.
Another wave of pain caused Bruce to grit his teeth and swear at Clark for using too much force on bandaging up the wound. Alfred was preparing the bandages for Robin, as Bruce was just about done. When he finished, Bruce looked at Robin. The boy wasn't whimpering, or even moving for that matter, except his breathing. Diana looked up at him and smiled sweetly, making Bruce blush. "He's asleep." She said, before brushing the hair from Robin's face. Bending her head lower, she placed a soft kiss on his temple.
"What!" She asked when looking back up. The rest of the team was either smiling brightly or trying to hold in their laughter. Barry and Wally were cooing at the cute sight. "Can't a woman show compassion once in a while!"
"I just wish you'd show more compassion on us!" Clark mumbled, earning a smack to the back of his head*, courtesy of Diana. Everyone burst out laughing at that point, except Alfred who smiled politely before bandaging Robin's back.
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