Since everyone was bitching about how Robin was out of character, I decided to edit the chapter so he wasn't as wimpy.
Disclaimer: I don't own the out of character Robbie, or even the rewritten one! Hell! I don't own anything!
The second Dick stepped out of the limousine, a silence heavier than the weight Atlantis had to hold on his shoulders fell upon the schoolyard.
All conversations were strangled until they were a dark purple in the face, a color that brought in the Oompaloompas to drain them of what they suspected to be an effect of chewing the newly invented gum that still had a few kinks in its making. All footsteps were paralyzed by faulty neurotoxin, similar in the making to the main ingredient in Botox, a heavy poison from the puffer fish that succeeds to freeze even the smallest muscle if not used correctly, sending the victims incorrectly to a coffin where they suffocate underground or die of starvation or thirst, depending on which death favored them on that particular evening.
The pencils that had been frantically attempting to finish up some last minute homework fell like their parents had before them, their faint little noises of defeat nothing in comparison to the mighty roar that their protectors had given off as the light left their branches. The girls, and boys for that matter, had stopped mid-flirt, their attraction for the person their lust-filled eyes had been set on suddenly setting aflame, crumbling until they were nothing but a pile of once hopeful ashes, the gray particles of pain flying off as if a blown kiss had knocked them from their stand around the now slow beating organ within their chests.
Dick froze, looking around in confusion before he leaned back and slipped his binder from the seat, waving Alfred on. The butler made quick work to be suspicious, insisting that the ebony get back in the car until they knew why everyone was working like dysfunctional automatons on a ride in Disney World, but the teen shook his head stubbornly. He was sure they were just shocked at the sight of the limo, as were most kids, and that Alfred was just being old with his worries. Nothing could happen! Gotham Academy was expensive, which also made it safe with Dick's twisted explanation of it, his own personal way to send his 'grandfather' back 'home'.
The second the black limousine was gone from sight though, the blue eyed babe immediately regretted not stepping back inside. The absence of protection seemed to recharge all of the robots in a second, sparking them to life, an immediate reaction cutting over the lawn of familiar faces. The serious faces all twisted, the school split into two halves. One half, mainly the girls, grinned ear-to-ear with excited giggles and squeals while the other half, mainly the guys, got this face that easily challenged the short bird of some task he wasn't aware they wanted him to do. Before Dick could react to the faces, he was suddenly swarmed.
It was no surprise to his mind that the jocks reached him first, but it wasn't much a comfort. He immediately dropped his binder, pulling a foot back and raising his hands into fists, ready to fight them back if that's what they had the intention to do. They didn't touch him directly, instead circling him in a way he couldn't escape from. The thirteen year old didn't bat an eyelash, the dark blue irises hidden beneath completely fearless. He knew there had to be a reason for this, so he didn't flat out beat the hell out of them despite the fact that every muscle in his arms begged him to.
"What do you guys want?" he demanded to know, his eyes darting fast, turning even faster when any of them would move.
He was prepared to block punches and throw a few of his own, if that's what it took to escape without getting in trouble. Besides, the principals favored the straight-A Mathletes over the straight-C football players any day! He'd just have to smile and look innocent for the cameras like he always did. The innocence would have to wait for another day though.
"We just want to talk, bird boy," one of the brunettes smirked, folding his arms over his chest, a secretive look written hard in his features.
Dick froze, his hands lowering faintly, one eyebrow raising in forced confusion as betrayal ran deep across his mind. He automatically jumped to conclusions, assuming from the nickname that someone had blown his cover far off with the ashes from the flirting from before that were now being scraped up from the grass with finely trained eyes and hopeful hands. Who could've ratted him out and gone against his trust? Better yet, who knew? Barbara and Wally, his two ginger best friends, but he was near positive that they wouldn't betray him. They were his best friends for his reason.
"About…?" he lightly probed, a fine sheet of ice coating his eyes as the confusion became suspicion, his fists still tight and his eyes hard on the speaker from before.
There was always the chance that it was just a nickname given to him for his agility and strong leaps, the ones that secured him a high ranking in the athletic records. He had to stay optimistic with an open mind without letting his walls down all the way, in case his first overreaction was right like it usually was. Maybe, for once, it wouldn't be and his developing Robin-Senses would be wrong.
"You being Robin."
Dick's heart stopped, his eyes widening in terror for the briefest of a second. He forgot how to breathe, let alone think, blinking blankly in disbelief. The words registered with his first breath, playing off the fear as surprise, adjusting his facial features, still not adjusted to being without his mask in a situation like this.
"W-What?" he took a breath, forcing his eyebrows to furrow, prying his nails from his palm. "I-It's Dick, Dick Grayson!"
He never got to go any further than that before the brunette stepped forward and shoved him back, into the arms of a blonde to his eight. Anger immediately tore through the ebony's expression, his eyes narrowing and his teeth gritting, but he used his strength to scramble away from the blonde instead of lunging at the know-it-all jock and kicking him hard in the stomach like he wanted. He kept his eyes full to the brim with murder, his fists trembling, daring the older jock to continue his thought. Daring him to sign his name on his own certificate of death, making it clear that he knew the second he opened his lips again, he was better left for dead. Some people are just too stupid for their own good.
"I don't think so, 'Grayson'. It was all over the news last night! You're Robin!" a taunting grin lit up the jock's face, happily accepting the dare with the sparkle that lined his brown eyes.
'It was all over the news last night.'
That was all Dick needed to hear to panic. If the news had announced his identity, that meant that all of New England would now recognize his face on the street. It also meant that they would automatically link Bruce to being Batman, which meant however he had slipped up had ruined two lives instead of just one. It meant he'd be removed from Gotham Academy and Barbara, as well as the fact that Bruce would most likely quit Wayne Tech. They'd have to move, torch the house, destroy all evidence of the Bat Cave ever existing before they went out to find a new place to live and a new place to rebuild their lives.
He would lose all of his friends and all of Bruce's respect. He would be torn from his second home, the tears to his broken heart bleeding harshly as the stitches were broken, the reminder of why he had to leave his first one burning bright at the surface. That little corner in the back of his room at the Manor, the one he could lift the carpet on to get the picture he had hidden of his parents to look back on when he was feeling nostalgic, would be burnt to ashes until the grinning faces of the Flying Graysons joined all three of them, the newest grave freshly dug. He'd have to find a new ZETA, a new name, a new face, a new lie…
Dick's breath caught hard in his throat, his eyes wide in the worst of horror. He'd have to hack the school sites and destroy all evidence of him ever existing, getting rid of the Mathlete photos and the trophies, destroying the records he had set and his face from the roster. He'd have to forget Barbara, one of his closest friends, and drop off the map without offering her a single word of goodbye in fear of being caught. He'd have to lose the black tint to his hair and go blonde, or even ginger like the people he chased, something to match the new name he picked.
Pale fingers entangled themselves into the slicked back black hair, messing up the gel's effects, the horror more than evident now. His stomach had long ago dropped like the floor in a horror house or a roller coaster with the intention of amusing the little children without knowing that they didn't have their seatbelts buckled. Faint mutters slipped past his lips, sharp nails piercing the skin on his head, every inch of him trembling. To anyone with eyes, he looked like the small child he was supposed to be, vulnerable and afraid. The jocks didn't like kids apparently.
"I can't believe we didn't notice before! You look just like him!"
"Yeah! Black hair, short, huge ears!"
"All that money you and your daddy make for saving the city explains the limo and the super expensive supplies you always have!"
"Now I get why you have all those records! It's not fair! You don't belong in a regular school with the rest of us!"
"Don't they have a special school for people like you?"
"He doesn't have powers, dipshit! He's not really a hero. He just wears a cape and a mask!"
"Then you're saying Batman's not a hero?"
"Not in the slightest. That flying bastard just has good aim and a cool costume! Dick Gayson here just follows him like a lovesick puppy, doing whatever his daddy tells him! He doesn't deserve to work with the League! He's just a sidekick, no matter what Batman says!"
"He's too little to be a hero! Who would want to be saved by someone this short? Go back home kid, hang up your cape! You're a sad excuse for a-!"
Dick didn't care which of the boys it was that he hit, but as the insults continued to stack up, it really shouldn't have been a surprise to find his fist buried deep in the brunette's stomach. The jock didn't even have time to cry out before a kick to the back of his knees knocked his feet out from under him, toppling him over. His fall would've been slow and soft, but a black dress shoe moved from behind his legs to under his chin as the thirteen year old lifted himself on his hands, kicking the teen as hard as he possibly could as he spun his body, landing on his hands and one knee when he hit the ground at the same time as the brunette.
His gritted teeth were exposed in an animal like action, one that a wolfe might use to defend himself, baring his fangs and growling just like Dick was to tell the others to back off. The wounded cries of the prey on the grass in front of him certainly kept them at bay if his growl didn't, no one else wanting to be screaming of a potentially broken jaw. As the screams kept on, the ebony stood to his feet and slowly turned, his cold eyes burning holes in the other jocks. All of their intelligence, or at least what was left of it, seemed to seep through the newly drawn holes, giving them reason to foolishly charge.
The blue eyed babe wasn't afraid of them. He caught the first fist that lunged his way, shoving it back to the left with such vigor that the bigger teen stumbled back, taking down an unsuspecting bystander who hadn't anything to do with the fight. Two boys then took his place, charging at him with the intention to double team and take him down. Just like the Pokemon move though, the attack was useless down to the simplest detail. He easily backed up and ran at them, jumping at the last second, catching one of their fists as a stepping stone, flipping behind them.
Another boy charged from behind, bringing a frustrated groan to the ebony's lips as he had to drop to his back, pulling hard on the ankles of the boys in front of him, in opposite directions mind you, so they crumpled into each other like dominos. To avoid getting crushed, he quickly tumbled backward, catching the blonde behind him hard in the stomach, crashing him to the ground with a groan of pain. Dick set his hands on either side of his head, pushing himself up and flipping himself to his feet, staggering as the blood rushed to his head. He easily brushed it off though, turning fast on his heels.
The wannabe Dynamic Duo were on their feet again by now, their lesson obviously not learned, the bigger teen from before charging too. The ebony easily shook his head, tears of fear still burning hard in his eyes. The adrenaline pumped straight to his fists and his feet, fueling the muscles between them, giving him the strength he needed to easily get them far from him. It gave each punch, kick and deliberately painful move that much more energy; that and the rage. Anger burnt hard within him, anger at himself, and he was more than happy to take it out on the jerks who found it necessary to pick on a self-conscious orphan.
The adrenaline was pumping so hard through his veins that Dick almost failed to notice the reaction of the schoolyard. Usually, there would be people rushing off to get someone who worked for the school to break it up or they'd try to do it themselves, but no one moved from their spots. Instead, they all were cheering. Cheering. And it wasn't for anyone who was fighting. No, the schoolyard was rooting for Robin. That was what officially stopped him, giving him reason to turn his glare to the people he had once called friends. He examined their excited faces, freezing on the only one he truly wanted to see.
Babs… Her blue eyes were averted in shame, her red hair lightly blowing around in the faint breeze of the day with the light blue of her skirt. She had her arms wrapped around her stomach, clear disapproval written across her features. The freckle-less ginger didn't move an inch, a faint bit of anger mingling in with her shame, refusing to meet his eyes.
If his best friend couldn't support him…
Even his best friend couldn't support him…
Without another word, he dropped his binder to the grass that now encircled the bodies of his attackers only to bolt off down the road. The shirttails of his tuxedo jacket flew up from his waistband, fluttering behind him down the asphalt like the cape he lacked in this cameo, his tie curving to the left to join it. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him until his feet began to idly ache, giving him cause to rummage his jacket for his utility belt. It was only after the yellow of the belt was over his shoulders and a pair of shades were shielding his eyes did he actually allow himself to think.
'Calm down, you're overreacting… no you're not. You're just reacting. Any other hero who blew their cover would've beat up a handful of peers… right? Looks like Bruce'll be chewing my ass on that one unless I can think of an excuse… might have to hack the cameras. The last thing Dick Grayson needs is an arrest on his records. Just contact base and catch them up,' he thought to himself, slowing his breath to clear the sudden entourage of thoughts that bombarded his mind.
He slipped his com. link from its pocket, ducking into a side alley and making himself a nice spot against the brick wall beneath the fire escape in case he needed a quick escape. He hovered himself, wall-sitting without strain, struggling to catch his breath while he waited for his communicator to patch him through. It took him a second too long to realize that he had it off, face-palming mentally before connecting and shrugging off the cold shivers that traced his spine specifically.
"Robin-," Batman was the first voice to cut his ear, hardening his expression at the reminder of how much trouble he was going to get in for all of this.
"They… figured… me o-out.." he panted, still attempting to catch his breath.
The silence that waited only further stopped his heart, running dread along with the cold from the tip of his skull to the base of his soles. He knew that he had to start fighting for himself now if he expected to ever see light through the eyeholes in his mask ever again.
"Hold your breath for a second and hear me out first! It must've been on after I left or something, but I know that my identity was discovered and someone put it on the news. I would say that I have no idea how this could've happened… but I did tell Kid Flash my identity and his aunt does have connections… but he would never rat on me! I told him nearly three years ago! He would've told back then if his conscious was that dirty. He's my best friend and he gets that it's a secret, and he'd never blow my cover! I don't know how the news found out, but I was confronted about it at school and these guys got too close. I did fight them, but-!"
"I know," the warm and more charming side of the Dark Knight trickled through the link.
Dick swallowed hard, tensing extremely as he took the hint and shut up.
"It seems my identity has been revealed… as well… I've been locked out of Wayne Tech-," that was as far as Dick could go with his silence.
He choked on the air he tried to inhale, gagging from surprise, looking over at his communicator as if Bruce could see his face in the current moment.
"Can you meet me at the Cave in five?" the voice in his inner ear tried to go over the intense mood shift the younger ebony was suffering through currently.
Dick lightly sank down the wall, his gaze going distant before he hooked his elbows around his knees to anchor them there and to assure himself that his touch wasn't all too poisonous on its own. He slowly fought for control though, wrestling his subconscious until he was looking down at his right wrist and pulling the sleeve back to his elbow. Slowly switching from Grayson to Wonder, trading Dick for Boy, he pulled a special something from his belt to serve as a replacement for his glove.
He had a map opened in a click, finding his location fast and surveying the area around within three miles on all sides with a bemused expression. When satisfied, he replaced it back in his belt, touching his finger to his inner ear.
"There isn't a ZETA near me on any side and the Robincycle is down for repairs. I busted the engine last week when I tried revamping it to-… you know…" he drifted off, unsure of whether to laugh or cough at the memory.
His half-hearted attempt to cheer up was cut short from both the thoughts that flooded him like the gates to a breaking dam and the curt voice that ended the call.
"I'll be there."
Dick halfheartedly muted the com. link, hugging his knees tight as he gave in to the hear the chatter going on between his ears. All the thoughts that he had previously repressed to hold composure started to float up, flitting to-and-from his attention with ease. He was helpless to do anything but hold himself and turn his eyes to the sky, desperately hoping that he'd wake up to find his eyes digging holes in the ceiling of his room at Wayne Manor.
-F.J. III
