Notes: Some interchanging between hero names and real names.
Part 2 – Chapter 2
Light steps sounded behind Dick. Selina edged around the gargoyle and sat down on the ledge next to him.
"So, you didn't go and talk to Damain," she opened with. Dick shrugged and nodded. She gave his knee a pat. "Come on then, let's go."
"Go?" She couldn't mean that…
"We'll go together. I can distract Bruce while you speak to Damian."
Dick gave her a flat expression in response. Surely he was past the age where he needed his mother around? Especially when he was returning to his father's place to talk to his brother.
"Well, if I don't come, you boys will hedge around it for months."
Dick had to give her that one. He still shot her an annoyed look because she was using her experience against them.
Alfred let Selina in while Dick walked past with a 'hey, Alfred'.
"If you're looking for Master Damian, he's not here," Alfred said when Selina asked. He made sure to make his voice carry so that Dick, currently walking up the stairs to Damian's room, would hear.
"Where is he?" Dick called back, quickly descending the stairs.
Alfred responded with, "he went out, saying something about seeing Jason. I contacted Master Jason and he had already left the safehouse."
"Damian's missing?" Dick questioned, his heart-rate increasing at the implication.
Alfred shook his head and explained that Damian wasn't missing, just that he seemed to be tracking down family members. Damian was currently looking for Tim.
"Yes, I am certain, Master Dick. Do calm down," Alfred said when Dick asked if he was sure. Dick stiffly nodded and ran up the stairs without making a single noise.
"Looks like that talk won't be happening any time soon," Selina lamented.
"I can guide you to Master Bruce or the balcony for tea and biscuits," Alfred said to her. "Whichever you prefer."
"Tea and biscuits, thanks Alfred."
Dick walked into his room, grateful for a few moments to himself. Then he noticed the light flashing from his desk. One of his old mobile phones was sitting near the corner, a message notification on the screen.
[Hey, don't your brothers know about your parents?]
It was from Superboy. Dick was surprised that Conner had used the number. The phone had been idle for years, ever since Tim took over the Young Justice team and severed it from the Justice League. Now those with Young Justice decided on their own missions, using a very extensive database program designed by Red Robin.
Dick decided to call back.
"Did you get my message?" Conner asked as soon as he picked up. Dick could actually hear his brothers in the background.
"Hey, Supes. Yeah, I did." Dick thought back to when he had been a scared teenager and the team had offered him their support. He had taken it too as the offer coming from so many people left him many options when he wasn't feeling comfortable with Bruce or Selina.
"Well? Do they know? M'gann believes they don't, not that's she reading their minds or anything, just surface thoughts and you guys are really good at manipulating those."
Dick had to think about it for a moment.
"If they know, then I didn't tell them," he responded, "although, I don't think any of them know." He thought about it a little longer. "I've certainly never mentioned it."
"Uh, okay. I guess that's sort of an answer. Maybe you should try asking them if they know?"
"So, what, I just ask if they know Catwoman and Batman are my parents?" Dick joked. "That's certainly one way to tell them."
Dick wandered down the hall with the phone pressed to his ear as he went back to where he had left Selina. Alfred directed him to the balcony.
"Better than seeing in it the paper," Conner whispered over the line.
"Huh?" Okay, now Dick was confused. "What's brought all this up anyway?" Especially since they never talked about this. Conner didn't care about who Dick's parents were, although he understood now that Lex Luthor had been revealed to be his other parent. It had made Conner Dick's go-to guy when he thought he was bothering Wally too much. Before Conner, it had been Kaldur.
Having your whole world-view change because something you believed to be true, something you didn't even think could be touched, was difficult. Both Kaldur and Conner agreed that Dick had it harder because his parents hadn't been an unknown before he found out who they really were. He had parents, people he thought were his only parents. Only for that to be untrue; to discover that he had another set, a biological set.
It could be just as shocking for his brothers too. For almost the same reasons. The Bat Family was close, closer than they pretended to be. They thought they knew almost everything about each other's pasts. They certainly didn't expect to find something they believed to be the only truth to have more to it.
"Robin's here, waving around a Gotham newspaper."
Dick raised his eyebrows, even though Superboy couldn't see the motion. There was a newspaper sitting in front of Selina which he borrowed.
"Okay, you have my attention. What's so special about a… missing secretary from Bludhaven? …Actually, maybe we should be looking into this."
"That's not the article," Conner said the dry tone he didn't use unless he was annoyed. He no longer had fits of anger towards comrades, although he had been known to take his issues out on criminals. "It's on page four."
Dick placed the paper on the table and turned it with one hand. A picture of a smiling, younger Selina and a teenage Dick stared back. Their smiles were strained, although only people who knew them would be able to tell that.
"Oh. Hey, Mama C, check this out," Dick said, turning the paper so Selina could get a better look. "Must be a slow news day."
Selina smiled and agreed. She also studied the page and article.
"Anyway, I don't see this being a big issue," Dick said to Conner.
"That's what you think. Except Batgirl and Robin and putting together a plan of attack to destroy the reporter who wrote the article. They've roped Red Robin into helping them too. Robin knocked him out and Batgirl tied him to the chair when he tried to get Batman. With rope, in case that wasn't clear."
Dick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Poor Tim.
"Also, I'm certain some of the stuff they're planning is illegal. Stealing the guy's credit card to make embarrassing and expensive purchases online breaks a few laws, plus I don't think a ten year old should be part of that plan."
"No. No, he shouldn't," Dick agreed. "Put Robin on the phone, thank you."
Robin was surprised when Superboy popped his head over the couch and held up a phone like a bargaining chip.
"It's Nightwing, for Robin," he said. Robin shared a look with Batgirl and they both glared at the little tattletale. Because Nightwing wouldn't have chosen this moment to call if someone hadn't told him what was going on.
"Wing, what do you want?" Robin growled into the phone. He was doing the man a favour and didn't need to be interrupted.
"I hear you've been going around about an article which talks about me."
"And father," Robin was quick to remind him. It wasn't like he wanted Grayson knowing that he cared. Not that he did. Much. He just... owed Grayson. For making him Robin.
"Yes. What did Red Hood tell you about it?"
"Father's name sells newspapers," Robin recited.
"Yes. And by going after the people writing the article, we just draw more attention-"
"And that's why we're doing it covertly!"
"I wasn't finished, Robin. By going after them, we give them more news to print. It doesn't matter how you do it, they will find a way to spin it. Generating more news for them, which sells more newspaper for them and makes them more money. Ignoring it is your best option. No one's even read this story anyway. Well, until you started waving it around."
"Oh." Grayson did have a point. This time.
"And Robin, could you let Red Robin go?"
"-tt- Do I have to?"
"Do I need to ask Batgirl?"
"Fine. I'll let Red Robin go."
"Thanks, Robin!" The cheer in Grayson's voice was grating. But, Robin felt a little pride at making Grayson sound like that because of him.
Selina looked up from the newspaper as Dick hung up. Her son looked relieved, however, she wasn't.
"Dick. This picture…" She pushed the picture towards him. Dick looked at it, his eyes darting upwards as he remembered that day.
"What about it?" he asked.
"The only copies are with you, me and possibly the people who ran the place we took this photo. How did the newspaper get a copy?"
She saw the moment it clicked. Dick's shoulders fell in a silent sigh and he picked up the paper.
"I guess we should talk to Bruce then," he said. The invasion of their privacy was an issue, especially considering their secrets.
Jason's motorcycle tore up the path to the manor. He had decided to give Bruce a warning about the Demon Brat and his impending rampage against the papers. Show the old man that he could work as part of the family. Or whatever.
He took off his helmet and walked up to the door, wondering whether to ring, knock or just go in.
"Maybe I should have just sent an email or something," he muttered right before the door opened.
"Master Jason," Alfred greeted him. Jason's eyebrows went up at the slight lit of joy in the old butler's voice. "Welcome home! Come inside. Would you like something to eat?"
"Uh, no, Alfred, I'm good." As always, the butler's warm manner was unchanged from back when he had been the teenage partner to Batman. It made something inside Jason feel both warm and broken. "I wanted to talk to Bruce."
Now Alfred's eyebrows were the ones to go up, in a rare display of surprise.
"Of course. Master Bruce is in the study. I believe I saw Master Dick and Ms. Kyle go in a few moments ago."
"Cool," Jason responded automatically, not really thinking about it. He knew that if Dick and Selina were there, then Bruce wasn't having a make-out session nor was he busy with work or the 'mission'.
Chances were that Dick and Selina were trying to get him to relax and Jason's news might be a welcome excuse for the old man to give his tormentors.
Internally, Jason snorted at that thought.
Yeah right.