Man I've been working on this for ages. But I'm quite proud to present "A Little Insight". I do quite like my Batfam fluff. This fic was inspired by irnan's "exactly how this grace thing works" on AO3. I seriously recommend. It's a great read :) Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or any of these characters.
Read and Review!
"Holy fuck."
"Hood? What is it? Is Nightwing ok?"
"Hood! Answer us!"
"Hood. Report."
"I don't know if he's ok per se…" Jason said as he stared at the unconscious figure in front of him. He turned his communicator off, giving him the silence he needed to process what he was looking at. After all, he was looking not at the body of the adult he expected, but that of a child.
The first thing that Dick was aware of was that he was being carried. The second was the familiar smell of Kevlar. Without thinking, he fidgeted and stretched in his saviour's hold, thinking that they were used to it.
"Bruce… you can put me down now," Dick mumbled. Instantly, the person carrying him tensed and Dick's eyes snapped open. He looked up in horror and scrambled away.
"Whoa! Slow down there, Dickiebird. It's just me," the stranger said.
Dick's eyes narrowed in suspicion through the lenses of the domino. "How do you know who I am? Where's Batman? Who are you?" he demanded.
There was a long silence from the man before he pressed the comm in his ear. "B? You need to get over here."
"I'm on my way."
"Answer me!"
Two sharp breaths were heard from Jason's comm as they heard the much younger voice of their older brother.
"Hood… is he…?"
"Just get over here. You too, Demon."
"I would have even if you had not said anything, Hood."
Jason had somehow managed to keep Dick from running away, with the promise that Batman was on his way. The boy looked skeptical but had settled for standing a good distance away from him, crossing his arms and looking doubtful, which looked ridiculous since he was practically swimming in the Nightwing costume. At least the domino stayed on, Jason mused. He surveyed the boy in front of him again and noted the reluctance to be close to him but pegged it on the lingering awkwardness of his being mistaken for the goddamn Batman of all people.
Even more awkward was Dick's entire demeanor. His normally cheerful personality was nowhere in sight, and that bothered the fuck out of Jason. The scowl looked wrong on Dick's youthful face. So wrong.
Surprisingly, it was Red Robin who arrived first. The hero landed beside Jason and the older man watched as Dick tensed in front of them. The boy's eyes darted left and right, already searching for an escape route. Tim picked up on this and held out his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture.
"We're not going to hurt you, Dick."
Dick snarled at him. "How do you know who I am? Where's Batman?!"
Tim stood stock still. "Do you… do you know who we are?" he asked slowly.
"No."
"… Batman is on his way. He'll explain things to you."
Jason crossed his arms. "This is a shitshow if I've ever seen one."
Tim thanked all the gods out there that Bruce showed up a few minutes later. Dick had seemed to distrust both his and Jason's word, which was completely out of character for the older brother that he knew. The Dick Grayson that he knew trusted everybody unless they had proven themselves to be untrustworthy in the past.
Did deaging give Dick a new personality as well?
"Dick," Batman greeted as he landed next to Jason, who tensed and shifted away. But Dick's attention wasn't even on his mentor. Instead, he stared at the boy next to him, dressed in red and yellow and green with an R on his chest and suddenly Dick felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Bruce…?" he asked weakly. "Who… why… how…"
"Dick… calm down," Bruce said as he approached his eldest-turned-youngest.
"I…"
"Robin." Damian tensed just as Dick straightened up and looked up to meet Batman's gaze. "Get in the Batmobile. I'll explain everything in the cave." The Dark Knight turned to face Jason and Tim. "You two too."
"Like hell—" Jason began.
"We'll be there," Tim promised as he shot a glare at him.
"Tch. Fine."
The second Batman parked the Batmobile, Dick had leapt out, only stopping to roll up the too-long sleeves again. The boy in the Robin uniform jumped out after him and after sparing him a glance, followed Batman up to the Batcomputer. Dick glared and followed.
The rumble of motorcycles announced the presences Red Robin and Red Hood. Batman flipped his cowl back and after a moment's hesitation, the Robin peeled off his domino. Dick did the same just as Tim and Jason made it to the Batcomputer. Tim peeled off his domino, and after a pointed glare, so did Jason.
Dick stared at all of them, uncomprehending. "Who are all of you?" he asked, a harsh note to his voice. The Robin flinched.
"I'm Damian Wayne."
At the mention of the last name, Dick's gaze whipped up to Bruce, who met his stare head on.
"Timothy Drake," the second one introduced.
"Jason Todd," said the one who had carried him.
Dick continued to stare at Bruce. "That doesn't tell me who they are."
"They're your brothers."
"I don't have brothers." All of them flinched at that.
"Jason, Tim, and Damian are my sons, which make them your brothers," Bruce explained.
"We agreed that you aren't my dad, Bruce," Dick said quietly, his gaze dropping to the floor as he bit his lip.
"I know, Dick."
"Then why do I suddenly have three brothers?!" the boy shouted.
"Dick… you're going to find this hard to believe, but you're actually twenty-five years old. You were deaged and we have to figure out a way to get you back to normal," Tim explained.
"I'm… what?"
Just then, the cave door opened and Alfred stepped in.
"You could have informed me of your return, Master Bruce. Do you have any— Oh," the butler stopped as he caught sight of the child.
"Alfred?" Dick asked weakly.
"Indeed so, Master Dick."
And suddenly it was too much. Dick took off in a run, exiting the cave as quickly as he could in the oversized costume. Everyone stared after him.
"That could've gone better," Jason noted.
"Agreed," Alfred intoned.
Rock, paper, scissors decided that Jason would be the one to check up on their now youngest brother. Jason knocked on the door to Dick's room.
"Dickiebird? You in there?"
He was met with no reply and so he tested the door, finding it surprisingly unlocked.
"Dick?" he asked into the darkness as he flipped the lights on.
The room was empty.
"Fuck."
Thank god that Jason remembered Dick liked high places or else it might've taken hours to find the kid.
"You worried them, you know," Jason started as he climbed onto the roof. To his credit, Dick didn't even flinch.
"How did you find me?" he asked, without turning around.
"You don't remember, but you once told me you liked to be above the ground. We used to meet on roofs all the time," Jason answered as he took a seat next to him.
"Is that so," Dick mumbled into his arms.
"Yeah."
The two sat there in silence for a while before Dick looked up, staring at the city lights. "Twenty-five, huh?"
"How old do you think you are?"
"Nine."
Jason whistled. "That's a lot of time to lose, Dickie."
"Not if you don't remember it."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you have such a bleak view on life?"
"Since I watched my parents fall to their deaths," Dick answered dryly.
Jason's jaw would have dropped if he didn't care about his image. "Are you sure you're Dick Grayson?"
Dick stood and began to climb down, ignoring his question.
"Dick! Thank god, I was so worried!" Tim said as he scooped the eight-year-old into a hug. Instead of returning it like his older self would, Dick tensed in the hold. Tim seemed to sense something was wrong and let go.
"Dick? Is something wrong?"
"No," Dick answered, not looking at him.
Tim surveyed him, and even though he knew that Dick was lying, decided to let it slide. "You should go to sleep. It's late."
Dick levelled him with an unimpressed look. "You and I both know that we stay up later than this on a regular basis. I don't need to sleep yet."
"That may be so, but at this age, you need at least eight hours of sleep."
"Hypocrite."
"Excuse me?" Tim asked, disbelieving. Who was this kid because he sure as hell wasn't the Dick Grayson that he knew.
"I'm going to find Bruce," was all the boy said before turning and walking away, leaving Tim dumbfounded.
Dick's lower lip quivered as he recalled the memory triggered by Tim's hug.
"Dick! Thank god, I was so worried!"
"Sorry, Dad, I'll be more careful next time!"
He rubbed his eyes furiously and continued his way to the cave.
"Grayson."
"Wayne."
Damian flinched. He was proud of his heritage, yes, but hearing Dick say his last name so coldly was like a knife in the stomach. And yes, he did know what that felt like, so yes, he could make that comparison.
"Where have you been? Father and Drake have been worried."
"How is it any of your business?" was the cold reply.
Damian's eyes widened before he grit his teeth. "Because, as you like to insist, we are a family and families look out for one another."
Dick's eyes blazed angrily. "I've insisted nothing. You hear me? Nothing!"
"Grayson!"
"My family is dead and three vigilantes claiming to be my brothers won't change that!" he hissed as he turned on his heel and stomped off in the direction opposite to the one he had been going in.
Damian watched him go, speechless.
"There you are, Master Dick."
Dick looked up from the ground, fixing the elderly man with a teary expression. "Hey, Alfred," he said softly.
"Come along now, Master Dick. You should be heading to bed."
"Alfred… is Bruce….?"
"I'm sure he will be along soon, Master Dick."
"But…"
"Hush, dear boy. Just because there are more of you now, doesn't mean that he cares any less for you," the butler said as he brought Dick into a hug. At his current height, Dick barely reached Alfred's hip and the man was reminded painfully of just how young his charge was.
"I can't—" Dick whispered into Alfred's jacket, his voice hitching with silent sobs. "It's too soon and—"
"I'm sure the young masters understand, Master Dick. Now, let's get you to bed."
Bruce hadn't moved from the Batcomputer since Dick had fled the cave. When he heard the elevator, he had expected Alfred or Dick. What he got, was everyone other than the two that he expected.
"Father," Damian said to his back, a strain in his voice.
"Bruce…" Tim began, but bit his lip, unsure of how to continue.
Jason was the one who finally broke the silence.
"You could at least fucking look at us!" Jason shouted as he forcefully turned the chair Bruce was sitting on around. Bruce levelled him with an emotionless glare. Jason growled and fisted Bruce's cape in his hands.
"Jason!"
"Todd!"
"Shut up Bat Brats. I want answers and I want them now. What the hell is up with this version of Dick? What's wrong with him?!"
"I don't know what you mean."
"That's a steaming pile of bullshit. He's got an attitude worse than Demon Brat, an issue with family bigger than the size of your ego and a temper worse than mine," Jason hissed. "He's the opposite of Dick Grayson!"
"He's not," Bruce interjected.
Tim's attention was instantly on Bruce. "What do you mean?"
Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as he exhaled, deep and tired. "Dick was like this until we caught Zucco. He was like this for some time afterwards as well. This Dick has just watched his parents die in front of him and is grieving. You can't expect him to be what he was like when you knew him."
Jason reluctantly released his hold on his adoptive father. No one spoke for a while, still trying to understand that no, Dick Grayson had not been a happy-go-lucky kid. At least, not for the time that Bruce had known him.
Dick Grayson had been a hurting child who had literally watched his world fall to pieces.
"I demand that you fix this, Father," Damian insisted.
"It will be difficult," Bruce said. "Dick managed to come to terms with his grief only after Zucco was arrested. You boys will need to be patient with him. And yes, you should all stay. Regardless of what Dick says, it will be better for him to have people around him."
All eyes turned to Jason. The antihero scoffed before trudging his way back to the elevator.
"I'll be staying in a guest room."
Dick sat up in bed and stared out the window at the full moon. The soft light illuminated the room in an ethereal glow, making the room seem like a painting. Dick shivered. Alfred had left him in his room a long time ago and had left with the promise that Bruce would be along soon to say goodnight. Even if Bruce wasn't his father, he gave confirmation of what Dick needed to know: the reassurance of knowing that there was somebody who cared about him.
That he wasn't alone in the dark world he found himself in.
He needed Bruce.
But of course, his guardian had yet to come.
Dick shook himself out of his thoughts and lowered his gaze to observe the shadows on the floor. God he was so tired and his eyelids were drooping and for a second, Dick let them flutter shut.
A snapped wire.
Screams.
Sobs.
Blood on the floor.
Mangled bodies and unseeing blue eyes and a pool of blood growing larger and larger and—
His eyes snapped open, chest heaving as his fists clenched at the soft blanket. Dick sighed and turned his attention to the window again.
Another sleepless night then.
Dick glared into his cereal bowl the next morning. The butler had gone out earlier in the morning to buy more appropriately fitting clothes for the nine-year-old and Dick was now sitting in a pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt. The raven was quite as he stared into his breakfast. Alfred, having remembered what the boy had been like on days like this, wisely chose to resume his cleaning.
"He never came, Alfred," Dick whispered quietly. The butler stilled.
"He was likely very busy, Master Dick."
"With them," Dick muttered darkly into the table.
"Watch your tone, Master Dick. They are, after all, Master Bruce's charges as well as your brothers."
Dick looked like he wanted to protest, but he knew that trying to win an argument with Alfred was useless, so he merely looked up and met Alfred's gaze. The poor butler felt his heart stutter. Black bags ringed Dick's eyes and his deep blue eyes were brimmed with tears.
"I can't do this, Alfred…"
"Master Dick…"
Just then, Jason, Tim and Damian walked in, all three of them yawning. They all stopped, mid-yawn, sensing the tension in the room. Jason lowered his hand cautiously and continued forward slowly. Dick was glaring into the table and Alfred had pointedly turned away from the both of them.
"Good morning, Master Jason, Master Timothy, Master Damian."
"Good morning, Alf," Jason returned and the two others echoed their greetings. Jason took a seat across from Dick at the table, while Tim and Damian chose the ones on either side of him. Jason grabbed the mug of coffee when it was presented to him, by the unusually silent Alfred. "How was your night, Squirt?"
Dick muttered something into the table. Jason raised an eyebrow when Alfred didn't say anything. He looked to Tim and Damian questioningly, but they only shook their heads. So he leaned forward.
"Sorry, what was that?"
The nine-year-old looked up, eyes rimmed red, the most hateful look he had ever seen on Dick plastered on his face.
"Like you don't know."
Jason reeled back, totally shocked. "I'm sorry, what?"
But Dick just left without a word. Even more surprising, Alfred let him.
Bruce walked into his dining room to find the stock still form of all his sons, save for his current youngest. He took a seat at the head of the table, taking in all their expressions. Jason, Tim and Damian all looked shell-shocked.
Bruce sighed as he took the mug of black coffee from Alfred.
"Any idea what the matter is with them, Alfred?"
"Why Master Bruce, I would have thought that you would have known."
"…What?"
"Maybe you should ask Master Jason, sir."
"Jason…?" Bruce ventured.
The rogue seemed to snap out of his daze and glanced up at his father.
"What happened?"
"Dickiebird happened," Jason frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't fucking know!" Jason snarled. "He just looked really tired and upset this morning and he said I should know why but I don't!"
"…Fuck," Bruce swore.
"Do I need to wash your mouth out with soap even at this age, Master Bruce?"
That seemed to snap the other two birds out of their daze as they looked questioningly to their father.
"Alfred, I completely forgot," he groaned.
"It's good that you finally realized it, Master Bruce. Need I say more?"
"Where is he now?"
"Likely in his room, Master Bruce. Might I suggest you speak with the young master before you leave for your business trip?"
"Thanks, Alfred."
With that, the billionaire was gone. Not three seconds later, the three boys followed.
"Dick?" Bruce asked as he knocked on his youngest son's door. There was a muffled answer and Bruce recognised it as permission to enter. He opened the door slowly, taking note of his other three sons watching from behind a wall, waiting for the opportunity to get closer.
Bruce took a seat on the bed. "Hey, chum. I'm sorry about last night."
Dick, who had been lying on his side on the bed, facing away from Bruce, didn't budge.
"It's fine, Bruce. You had more important things to do."
"Even if I did, that's no excuse. You're very important to me, Dick."
At this, the boy rolled over to face his guardian.
"You say that, Bruce, but you've got three replacements ready, don't you?"
"Dick…" Bruce began. But Dick wouldn't let him explain.
"You don't want me anymore, do you… Just send me back to the orphanage, Bruce."
Bruce drew back briefly before gripping onto Dick's shoulders firmly, but not enough to bruise his small frame.
"Dick, I would never do that. I do want you. Very much. You understand that, don't you?" he asked.
"You want me enough to replace me as your partner, Bruce. In most people's books, that isn't wanting someone a lot," Dick said, pointedly avoiding Bruce's gaze.
Bruce knew that the others were outside the door, listening in on their conversation. He hoped that they would be able to comfort Dick in a way that he couldn't. Dick had been upset when he had given Jason the Robin costume when he had been 18. Now at 8, there was no telling how much more that hurt.
"Dick… you have to understand. You became your own person and outgrew Robin. You helped to train each of your brothers. You weren't replaced, Dick. I promise," Bruce swore.
Dick turned again to face the wall. "I think you should leave, Bruce," he whispered softly.
The billionaire sighed, but got up to do as he was told. "I'll be back in a day or so. You're free to go down to the Cave and practice, but either Alfred or one of your brothers has to be there with you."
Jason, Damian and Tim quietly descended down the stairs.
"Didn't think Dickiebird thought that Bruce didn't want him too," Jason said quietly.
"That was probably the last thing we thought," Tim admitted.
"Tsk. It makes sense if you think about it. He was the first one Father took in. And for no obvious reason either. Of course he would think that Father might send him back to the orphanage," Damian muttered.
"What should we do…" Tim said, casting a glance back in the direction of Dick's room.
"Just try to help the poor kid, I guess," Jason answered.
"Great idea, Jason," Tim said as he rolled his eyes. "Now how do we go about doing that?"
"Tt. Just because you and Todd are incompetent, Drake, does not mean that I am," Damian declared as he turned and marched back up the stairs.
"…Damage control?" Tim asked.
"Oh yeah," Jason agreed as they both turned to catch up with Damian.
"Grayson, I'm coming in," Damian said as he entered the room.
The nine-year-old sat up, annoyed. "There's such a thing as knocking, Wayne."
"Unfortunately, the door was open, and as such, I did not see much of a point in knocking. Now, I require a sparring partner and seeing as how Todd and Drake are incompetent fools, I have been forced to settle for you."
Dick grit his teeth. This kid was really getting on his nerves. "I'm busy at the moment," he bit out. "Go train with the dummies."
Jason and Tim chose that moment to stop behind Damian.
"Demon Brat, what are you doing?" Jason demanded, already sensing the underlying tension in the room.
"Damian, what did you do?" Tim asked.
Damian, being Damian, chose to ignore them.
"Yes, wallowing in self-pity is truly time consuming. Or are you afraid to lose?"
"Damian!" Jason and Tim both yelled. Jason even cracked his knuckles menacingly.
"Kid, that's going too far."
Damian quickly glanced upward and mouthed trust me, before turning his focus back to their oldest brother.
Blue eyes flashed angrily before Dick got off his bed, glaring at Damian. "Fine. Don't complain when you lose though."
Tim and Jason stood nearby as the two boys squared off against each other on the mats. They both had an idea as to what Damian was trying, but that idea also had a good chance of backfiring and making the situation worse than it already was.
"Do you think this will work?" Tim asked.
"Who knows. We weren't around when Big Bird was grieving the first time. We don't know what works for him and what doesn't."
"So this is trial and error."
"More or less."
"Fantastic."
"We will continue until one of us is unable to or surrenders. Are those acceptable terms, Grayson?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Todd, officiate for us."
"Don't order me around, Demon Brat," Jason growled, but stepped forward anyway. With a quick countdown, the spar started.
Both boys didn't budge. They circled around each other, sizing up their opponent. While Damian had sparred against Dick before, so he had a general idea as to how his younger self would fight, but he still had to be prepared for any surprises the nine-year-old might throw at him.
Dick was at the disadvantage. He had no idea what Damian fought like. He had no way to prepare or plan around Damian's attacks.
Expectedly, Damian made the first move. He lunged forward with a cry, fist pulled back, ready to strike. Dick easily evaded with a backflip before crouching low and pushing off, tackling the older boy to the ground.
Jason whistled. "Dickie's still got it, even at nine."
"He's always had it," Tim pointed out. A snarl brought their attention back to the fight.
"Were you always this reckless, Grayson?" Damian asked as he wrestled the younger boy to the floor and pinned him. "Did death always make you lose your senses? We have all experienced loss and we move on from it. Zucco was apprehended years ago. Let it go."
A furious growl ripped itself from Dick's throat, surprising all of his brothers. The acrobat bucked underneath Damian, taking full advantage of his surprise, and managed to throw the assassin off.
"What do you know about loss?!" Dick screamed as he wildly threw a punch. Damian easily dodged and crouched low, swiping his leg out to knock Dick off his balance. Of course, Dick, being the acrobat that he was, jumped to avoid it and spun, using his centrifugal force to throw a kick which landed square in Damian's chest.
"What do you know about my pain?!" he continued. "You still have your parents! They're both alive! You'll still get to see them and make memories with them and you don't have to remember what their corpses look like broken and bathed in their own blood!"
Damian pushed the mental image of his own parents lying dead on the ground out of his mind. "Be that as it may, you are still behaving recklessly. We are your family. Let us help you."
The sudden gentleness in Damian's tone seemed to drain all of the aggression out of Dick's tiny frame as he froze, standing on the mats, looking small and alone. The acrobat's shoulders shook with silent sobs as he cried,
"My family is dead."
It was then that Tim stepped forward and wrapped his brother in a hug. "Yes, your mom and dad are gone. But you have us now, and Bruce and Alfred. We're not trying to replace them, but can we be there for you?" he asked running a hand through Dick's hair.
The response was a tight grip on the back of his shirt and a small head of black hair burying itself deeper into his chest. Dick's sobs echoed loudly in the cave and Damian looked away, while Jason just closed his eyes, both paying their silent respects to the Flying Graysons.
Dick eventually fell asleep in Tim's arms, having worn himself out the night before and as a result of the sparring match. Jason looked down at the slumbering child.
"You know, he looks different when he's asleep. A lot more peaceful."
"We should bring him back to his room," Tim suggested. "It's a little cold down here and Dick would probably appreciate a blanket."
"Not to mention, Pennyworth would find it deplorable if we allowed him to rest in the Cave."
"I'll take him," Jason offered. "Replacement, you should stay down here and try to figure out an what happened to Golden Boy and if we can reverse it."
Tim handed their sleeping brother over to Jason and while Damian gave him the evil eye that promised death if anything happened to Dick, Jason cheerfully ignored it and headed towards the elevator.
Jason had made it halfway up the stairs to Dick's room when the boy began squirming in his arms.
"Oh hell, not now," Jason groaned. The rogue quickened his pace up the steps barely making it past the door before Dick started whimpering. Jason looked down at the bundle in his arms, unsure of what to do. He maneuvered the sleeping boy to his bed and turned to looks towards the door. Sighing, he turned back to the nine-year-old and gently shook him.
"Dick? Wake up. It's just a dream."
Dick stood on the platform, high above the ground. Any other child would be terrified of the height, but not him. He was a Flying Grayson. He turned to the edge and grabbed hold of the trapeze. With practiced ease, he swung forward. He laughed as he felt the familiar rush of air and switched positions midair so that he hung from the back of his knees. He looked up expectantly to the next bar, only for his arms to freeze in horror.
Staring him in the face, was the bloody corpse of his father.
"Ahhh!" Dick screamed. He willed his arms back to him but they were stuck. The corpse grabbed onto Dick's wrists and the acrobat was pulled from his trapeze. Dick looked up fearfully at the bloody face of his father. But he didn't dare squirm. One wrong move on the trapeze would be your last. He knew that lesson well enough.
He continued to swing from the dead man's grasp only to be handed off to another figure on the trapeze. Dick bit his lip and whimpered as he stared into the empty eyes of his mother.
"Mom… Dad…" Dick cried softly. The corpse smiled down at him.
"Hush, my little Robin. We'll be with you soon."
And with that, she let go.
"Ahhh!" Dick screamed as he bolted upright.
"Whoa!" a voice screamed. Dick, in his panic, latched onto the closest person to him.
Which happened to be Jason.
"Ah… Dick?" Jason asked. The boy was trembling badly, his shoulders hitching as he sobbed into Jason's shirt. Jason's hands hovered hesitantly over Dick's shoulders, unsure as to whether or not he should attempt to comfort his brother. Finally, he sighed and rubbed Dick's back soothingly.
"It's ok, Dick. It was just a dream. You're alright now."
Dick sniffed and shook his head furiously. "He… they… they're dead and I fell and… and…!"
Jason didn't waste another second and pulled his brother into a hug. "Sshh… you're alive and that's what matters, Dick. Come on, breathe with me," he said as he took in a deep breath. Dick's shuddering sob followed as he attempted to mimic the rhythm Jason set.
It took some time, but Dick finally settled down enough to loosen the death grip that he had had on Jason's shirt. His eyelids fluttered as his body began to go limp.
"Thanks again… Bruce."
Jason froze. Dick slumped against his chest, asleep once more. Jason looked down at him. The poor kid must've been exhausted. Jason laid down on the bed and set Dick down next to him. He sighed and glanced over at the child version of his older brother.
"Just this once, Golden Boy, I'll let it slide. Anything you need to snap you out of this."
Dick awoke alone with Tim at his door.
"Ah, you're awake. Did you sleep well, Dick?"
"You were… Tim, right?"
Tim's eyes seemed to light up. "Yeah, that's me."
"I slept ok… what time is it?" Dick asked as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
"It's around two in the afternoon. Are you hungry?"
"A little," the nine-year old admitted.
"Let's see if Alfred can make you something to eat then," Tim said. Dick pushed himself off the bed and trailed slightly behind Tim as they headed towards the kitchen.
"Did you figure out why I'm like this?" Dick asked.
"Yes, actually. There was a security camera in the warehouse they had you at. You were injected with a drug. Jason is already on his way to collect a sample of the drug and then I can analyze it and create an antidote."
"How long will that take?"
"Not long," Jason's voice chimed in. They turned the corner into the kitchen to find Jason eating one of Alfred's cookies as the butler watched in disapproval.
"Master Jason, you will ruin your appetite for dinner," Alfred chastised.
"It's just one, Alf. No harm done, I promise."
"Did you get a sample, Jason?" Tim asked.
"Yeah. It's down in the Cave."
"Thanks."
"Tim? Jason?" Dick asked. Both boys turned to look at their brother. Dick was looking down at the floor, avoiding their gazes. Alfred seemed to sense what was about to happen and quietly left the room. The two took notice of this, but turned their attention back to Dick, who seemed to be struggling to speak.
"What is it, Dick?" Tim prodded gently. Jason merely reached into his jacket for a cigarette, lit it, and watched silently. The nine-year old bit his lip and looked up at Tim, his eyes telling more than his words every would.
"I'm sorry for how I treated you… Can you please forgive me?"
Tim gave him a smile. "Of course, Dick. I understand that it's hard to lose your parents so young."
Dick gave Tim a quick and shy hug before looking nervously at Jason. The anti-hero took a drag from his cigarette before answering,
"Sure. Not like you did much to either of us anyway."
Dick seemed to relax visibly and gave Jason a smile. "Thanks, Jay."
Alfred returned sometime later with a sandwich, only to find Dick chatting with his two brothers. It still wasn't anything like the twenty five-year old Dick's conversations with his younger brothers, but it was a step in the right direction.
"Master Damian requested to see you and Master Jason down in the Cave, Master Tim."
Dick moved to follow the two as they rose from the table, but Alfred quickly had him sit.
"Master Dick, your presence is not required in the Cave as of this moment and I would much prefer it if you would stay here."
Dick raised an eyebrow. "Alfred, you've never had a problem with me going to the Cave before. What's wrong?"
"Master Dick, if once, please just humour me," the butler pleaded. Dick was taken aback at the plea and so forced himself to sit and eat the sandwich in front of him, all while planning a way to sneak into the Cave.
"What is it, Demon?" Jason asked walked over to the figure sitting at the Batcomputer.
"Tony Zucco has escaped from prison. I believe it wise to contain the situation before Grayson hears of it."
"Fucking hell. Everything just has to go to shit doesn't it?" Jason groaned.
"What was his last known location?" Tim asked. Damian pulled up a few security feeds from the Batcomputer.
"Around the Iceberg Lounge. If Zucco is going to Penguin, this will become a much larger problem than we had foreseen."
"Shit. Demon, you and I will go out to bring Zucco down. Replacement, stay here and work on the antidote and keep Dick from hearing about this."
"Hearing about what?"
Immediately, all three turned to find themselves face-to-face with their deaged brother.
"Dick…"
"Is that… Zucco?!" Dick seethed as he stared at the security feeds.
"Dick, listen to me. Zucco has already served his sentence for what he did to you. Justice has already been served," Tim tried as he knelt to place his hands on Dick's shoulders. The boy roughly shrugged them off.
"No! You don't get to decide that! He killed my parents! He killed them!"
"Dick!"
The nine-year-old's eyes filled with tears. "You don't understand!" he insisted vehemently as he glared at his three brothers before breaking down in sobs. "He needs to pay for what he's done," he cried. The three boys' hearts clenched. It had been right in front of them for the past day, but they had never truly understood how much pain Dick was in.
It was Jason that approached him.
"Alright."
"Jason!"
"Todd!"
"On two conditions," Jason said.
"What?" Dick sniffed.
"One, you don't leave our sight and two, don't let what he did to you interfere with what he's doing now."
"Ok," Dick agreed readily.
"Jason, I don't think this is a good idea," Tim said as Damian took Dick off to suit up. Jason took a drag of a cigarette.
"You're probably right."
"Then—!"
"But he needs this. More than anything, Tim. Dick needs to catch his parents' murderer. After he's gotten his closure, we'll bring him back to the cave and give him the antidote. I'll have Demon watch it and tell us when it's ready."
"Yeah."
"Don't worry. We'll make sure nothing happens to him."
Tim groaned. "This is going to end horribly."
Robin grappled from building to building. He had Damian speaking through his communicator and Red Hood and Red Robin trailing from behind.
"Zucco should be near the Museum. He's dressed in a brown trench coat. I assume you remember what he looks like?"
"As if I could ever forget."
"Well he's turning the corner now. Do you see him?"
"I've got eyes on him, Demon," Jason responded. "Your 11 o'clock, Robin."
Dick turned his gaze correspondingly and caught sight of his parents' murderer. "Zucco," he hissed out.
Tim called out to him from behind him. "Robin, remember. He's already served his time for what he did. This time, we're only interrogating him for information as to what he and the Penguin are planning."
"I know, RR," Dick replied, keeping his tone dangerously calm.
"Robin…"
Red Hood stopped on the rooftop across from the Iceberg Lounge and made sure Red Robin stopped with him.
"He's all yours, Robin. We'll be watching from here. If you need help, call us up through the comms."
"Got it. Robin, out."
Robin dropped behind Zucco silently. Arming himself with a batarang, he crept up behind the man. Zucco, sensing that he was being followed, whipped around, only to find no one there. His eyes scanned his surroundings carefully, head snapping to the side when he thought he heard the telltale whoosh of a cape.
Pulling out a gun from his jacket, he pointed it into the darkness.
"Come out! I know you're there!" he shouted.
"Tony Zucco. What are you doing here?" a voice called out from the shadows. Zucco looked around cautiously.
"That's none of your business."
A batarang came flying out of the darkness, embedding itself into the wall next to him. Zucco didn't dare move, but cautiously looked to his side at the weapon. A thin trail of blood began to run down his cheek.
"I won't miss next time. I'll ask again. What are you doing here?"
"I just have a meeting with an acquaintance at the Iceberg Lounge."
"That acquaintance wouldn't happen to be the Penguin, would it?"
"So what if it is?" Zucco challenged. Another batarang came flying out, this time embedding itself right above Zucco's head.
A silent promise.
"Ok, ok! I was looking for some henchmen and weapons and Penguin said he'd supply some! That's all it is!"
"Henchmen to do what, exactly?"
There was a heavy silence where Zucco refused to answer. Instead, he slowly turned while raising his gun, finally having pinpointed his interrogator's location. He fired shot after shot into the darkness, but seemed to hit nothing. Growling, he pulled another from his jacket, preparing to fire again when a smoke pellet went off at his feet. Cursing, he stumbled back, only to be tackled to the ground.
Dick was frozen for a moment. His parents' murderer was underneath him. His parents' murderer. Distantly, he remembered Red Robin and Red Hood's instructions to control himself, but it felt like those words were ringing static. One hand curled into a fist and before Dick knew what he was doing, Zucco was unconscious, his face covered in blood, much like Dick's fist was. He let the villain drop, shocked at what he had done.
"I…"
He heard two people land behind him. Before he could get a word out, he was enveloped in a hug. Numbly, Dick said,
"Sorry I couldn't get more information out of him."
"You got enough," Tim said. "We can get the rest out of Penguin if we need to."
"Red Robin, I…"
Behind them, Jason whistled. "You sure did a number on him, Robin. He's out cold."
"Hood, I broke your…"
"I already knew you would."
Dick let go of Tim, confused. "Then, why did you…"
"Because it helped you focus on what we needed to know. You caught your parents' killer for your own justice, but you also caught him to potentially save lives tonight. If I never gave you that condition, the second you saw him, you would've beat the living shit out of him. And you would've felt awful about it afterwards."
"We're just looking out for you, Robin," Tim added.
"That's what brothers are for, right? That's what you've always told me."
Speechless, Robin flung himself at Red Hood, crying and gasping and he held onto his eldest brother with a death grip.
Jason didn't seem to mind.
The ride back to the Manor was short and uneventful. Minutes before the entrance to the Batcave, Damian had contacted them to let them know that Bruce was back and that the cure was complete. Tim and Jason both acknowledged him, relieved.
Dick remained silent.
The three vigilantes entered the Batcave and were promptly greeted by Damian. Before the assassin could get a word out, he was tackled into a hug by his brother.
"Unhand me, Grayson! What is the meaning of this?!"
Dick looked up at Damian.
"You gave me your Robin. Just to be able to bring Zucco to justice. I… I won't ever be able to thank you." His eyes began to well up with tears. "You have… no idea what this means to me," Dick whispered.
Damian, uncomfortable, looked away.
"Think nothing of it, Grayson. Like you always say, family looks out for one another."
Rubbing away the tears, Dick nodded. "Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry for how I acted towards you before."
"Again, think nothing of it. Now, Father has returned and is currently in the showers, but will be joining us shortly."
"I see. Will you stay?" Dick asked, blue eyes hopeful.
"I intended to do so."
Dick turned back to look at his other brothers. "Jason? Tim?"
Tim smiled gently at him. "We're all staying, Dick."
Dick quickly ran over to Tim and gave him a hug before occupying himself with a training dummy.
Bruce entered the Cave a few minutes later. He glanced at Dick knowingly, already informed of his activities that night. Dick looked away.
"Do you feel better?"
"…A bit."
"What's wrong, Dick?" Tim asked.
The nine-year-old looked up nervously. "I… I don't want to go back."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not the same as it was with Mom or Dad, but I think if I was ever going to have a family or brothers, I'd like them to be like you, Bruce, Jason, and Damian."
"Dick…" Jason breathed.
"I don't want to lose you once I go back to being old me!"
Surprisingly, it was Damian who stepped forward to comfort Dick. "You will not lose us, Dick. You have always been there for us, when we needed you, just as we will always be there for you. It does not matter what age you are. We had not realized it, but you were going through so much pain and we were all oblivious. We apologise but we would like you to know that you are still a part of our family."
Everyone was silent. After a few moments, Damian turned away, a furious blush on his face, but still glaring at everyone, daring them to challenge him.
Damian's words seemed to have an effect on Dick as he looked up to Bruce, eyes clear and determined.
"I'm ready."
Dick allowed himself to be injected with the cure, wincing at the initial prick of the needle. It was over with in a matter of seconds, but to Dick, it felt much longer.
Bruce retracted the needle. "How do you feel?"
"A little dizzy," Dick admitted, before falling to his knees. His brothers were instantly at his side, supporting him.
Dick managed a weak smile before completely losing consciousness.
As he came to, Dick groaned and pressed his palm to his forehead.
"God, why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?"
"Dick?" Tim's voice sounded from somewhere to his left. Dick managed to turn his head and blearily opened his eyes.
"Tim?" he asked, wincing at the raspy sound of his voice.
He heard simultaneous sighs of relief before he had the wind knocked out of him by two of his younger brothers. Hesitantly, he brought a hand up to each of their heads.
"What happened?" Dick asked as he ran his hands mindlessly through Tim and Damian's hair.
"You are never allowed to do this to us again, Grayson. Am I understood?" Damian ordered.
"Uhh… sure?"
The assassin nodded before settling himself close to Dick, seemingly intent on taking a nap. Tim laid down on Dick's other side, and just as Dick was making himself comfortable, he winced at a sudden bright flash. Behind a camera, Jason grinned.
"Jay?" Dick asked, almost incredulously.
"Blackmail material on the baby birds, Dickface. But for what it's worth, welcome back. Don't get yourself into all these messes all the time, yeah?"
"I… ok?"
Jason nodded, satisfied. He took a seat next to the hospital bed Dick had been placed on, took his helmet off and bent over on the bed, preparing to sleep. Dick stared in surprise.
Bruce smiled from the Batcomputer, having been watching the entire scene play out. "Just go to sleep, Dick. It's one of hopefully many more times you'll get to see all your brothers getting along so well."
Dick smiled and let his gentle gaze settle on each of his brothers briefly. "Yeah. I hope you're right, Bruce."
With that, he closed his eyes, lulled away into dreamland by the warmth and safety of his family around him.
Phew. Let me know what you thought? Have a nice day!