CHAPTER 4

When Dick's trial, or "Jurisdictional Hearing" as Rae insisted on calling it, finally came a week later, the entire Wayne household greeted the day with relief. Both Bruce and Alfred had been watching Dick like a pair of hawks, waiting for the boy to break loose and run for it. Dick, who had no intention of running (before the trial, at least), was tired of being watched and micromanaged.

Bruce had continued his cold and silent manner with the boy, cutting off Dick's attempts at explanation or argument. Even Alfred wasn't able to make peace, which, Dick reasoned, was saying something. Bruce had never been this mad at him before.

But trial day arrived and Alfred drove Bruce and Dick to the Gotham County Juvenile Court building. Again, the press was out in droves. Dick sighed, finally realizing just what he'd unleashed. Fortunately, the police held back the reporters enough for the little family to get inside the courthouse. They were escorted into a courtroom where they found Rae Green already waiting.

She smiled and shook Bruce and Alfred's hands, then paused before Dick. "Good morning, Dick, how are you today?" she asked.

Dick shrugged and took his seat. Bruce sat next to him and leaned over to talk to Rae, with Dick in the middle. "Well?"

Rae smiled. "I think that we can avoid a trial. The DA agrees that since Dick has a traumatic background, it's his first offense and he never actually sold anything, he'll be let off with probation and community service."

Bruce exhaled and slumped back into his seat in relief. "Thank goodness. That's a relief, isn't it Dick?" He elbowed his ward.

Dick's eyes were focused on the middle distance. "Yeah. Great," he said absently. Bruce's gaze sharpened but the boy gave nothing away.

Soon, the prosecutor arrived and nodded to Rae. The judge took up her place at the bench and the proceeding began.

The judge looked over some papers in her file and stared, first at the prosecutor and at Rae Green, then finally at Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. "Am I to understand from this that you've reached a plea bargain?"

"We have, Your Honor," the prosecutor said. "The Minor will plead no contest to a lesser included charge of petty theft and we recommend a sentence of one year's probation and one hundred twenty hours of community service."

The judge snorted and fixed an irritated gaze at Rae. "I don't need to ask you, Counsel, whether this is acceptable to you. The boy was caught with sixteen baggies of crystal meth which he'd personally burglarized from the police evidence locker. If this boy belonged to any other family, he'd be spending some time at the Hamilton School for Boys...Tell me why I should approve this?"

Rae Green stood up and cleared her throat. "Your Honor, Dick has had a traumatic life. When he was only eight, he witnessed the murder of his parents by a small time extortionist. Dick, himself, was the chief witness in Tony Zucco's trial and had to live under police protection for his own safety. It isn't surprising that the boy has trouble with boundaries. This was only a childish prank. Dick never attempted to sell any of the drugs, nor did any of the other guests at the party have any idea that he even had them on him."

The judge just sniffed and trained her glare at Dick. "And you, what do you think?"

Dick frowned and stood up, a smug, rich-boy look on his face. "I think I deserve special treatment because I'm a special person. I'm not like all the other doofuses out there; I've got money and a name behind me. People like me don't go to kiddie jails and we sure don't go to pathetic schools like Hamilton. That's for losers."

The judge was silent a moment, her gaze growing more and more irritable by the second. Dick glanced at Bruce and saw that his face was white and getting paler, but his guardian couldn't do anything to shut him up since he'd been asked a question by the judge. Stifling a grin, Dick decided to lock it down. "And I suppose I could hire a servant or somebody to do the community service," he drawled. "I suppose my pocket money would extend to that and still leave something over for beer."

Bruce glared at him, then seemed to make a decision. He stood. "Your Honor, may I be heard?"

"Oh, by all means, Mr. Wayne," the judge said in an ironic tone. "Maybe you can shed some light on this...situation..."

"Hearing what Dick has to say this morning brings me to a conclusion I have been hesitant to reach, Your Honor. I think that he does need a school like Hamilton and I, myself, would like to send him there rather than waiting for the Court to sentence him to it. Dick has some remaining...behavioral...problems stemming from his past and it might do him some good to be in a different environment for a while." Dick could read Bruce's expression as though it were a billboard: 'Okay, this is what you wanted. I'm giving in. See how you like it.'

Rae jumped to her feet. "Your honor, if you could see your way clear to allowing the plea-bargain, we can have Dick on a plane for the school by the end of this week. Please, give him another chance."

The judge looked at all the parties, including Dick, who had slumped and put an abashed expression on his face. "All right," she sighed. "But he stays in that school for at least one semester. I'm making that an order of this court, along with probation and community service. And Dick," she said, her small green eyes cold, "If I ever see you in my court again, it had better be as a witness."

"Yes, ma'am," Dick gulped.

"All right then, jurisdiction over the minor is found with the plan to be as already discussed. Court is adjourned."

Bruce didn't say anything to Dick until they were safely in the car. "I hope you're satisfied, Dick," he said coldly. "You've manipulated and maneuvered until you got what you wanted. I just hope that you don't find yourself regretting this later. You're going solo."

"I'm sorry, Bruce," Dick said. "I really am. But I have to know and this is the only way to find out."

Bruce looked out the window in frustration. "Just remember, you're there as Richard John Grayson, not as Robin. You won't be able to defend yourself at the level you do now. You'll have to hold back."

"I understand," Dick said. "Bruce...I promise. I won't let you down."

Bruce turned back to his ward. "That was never my fear."

HAMILTON SCHOOL

40 MILES FROM PAHRUMP, NEVADA

Paul Hamilton scanned the application for the newest student of his school for boys. When he saw the boy's name, he shrugged. Another bad kid to instill with a sense of discipline. Drugs, too...and this one looked like he was smart. Well, he'd see about that. The boy's initial indoctrination would have to be focused and intense. He turned over a page and saw the boy's photo. His face curved into a slow smile that didn't reach his eyes. Still smiling, he closed the file and picked up the phone. "Harrison, I have a new student for you to escort in. Yes...he's a referral from the Juvenile Court... Gotham City. He's going to be one of our 'special' students, so make sure he gets here. You'll be coordinating with..uh...Alfred Pennyworth. No, not the father, he's some servant of the family... Oh yes, very wealthy apparently. No, that won't make a difference, Richard Grayson will run away just like all the others." He closed his file and leaned back thoughtfully in his chair.