"How is he?" asked Robin from where he stood at the main computer terminal. Bruce and Alfred had been in the med bay for a really long time, this was the first he'd seen either of them since coming back from trailing the mystery guy. He and Batgirl had lost visual of the guy pretty quickly but had kept searching the area just in case.
"Where's Barbara and Stephanie?" asked Bruce instead of answering, as he walked over to the computer.
"Steph went back to her house, did you really leave her at the docks?" asked Tim.
"Nightwing was the priority," stated Bruce flatly, not commenting on how the younger teenager had disobeyed his order to return to the cave. Though if he was being honest, he didn't need her here tonight. "Barbara?"
"In the shower, she's going to stay here tonight and head back to Hudson in the morning. How's Dick?"
"He has a concussion and a penetrating wound to the right side. A few other minor lacerations and abrasions," said Bruce. Seeing the youngest Robin still looking uneasy he continued. "He'll be fine. He needs to take it easy for a few days, let himself heal and then he'll be back out with us in no time."
Tim nodded as he looked back down at the computer. "Steph sent a photo of a knife she found on the floor near Dick's escrimas. She said she'll bring them all over tomorrow."
Bruce looked up at the computer screen to see the image Stephanie had sent, he focused on one image that appeared to have some etched design on it. Clicking on the image to enhance it, he found himself frozen as he stared at the symbol for a forgotten organization.
"You recognize the symbol?" asked Tim.
Bruce schooled his facial expression again as he looked down at the young teenager, "Go get cleaned up. You've got school in the morning."
Tim hesitated for a minute before nodding and walking off, he passed Barbara on the way who was heading into the med bay to see Dick. Barbara gave him a small smile as she tied her wet hair up into a knot as she walked into the bay.
"Miss Gordan, do you need any assistance?" asked Alfred.
"No, I'm good thanks, just coming to see Dick, how's he doing?"
"Sleeping at the moment," answered Alfred as he continued cleaning up the supplies he had used to fix up the teenager. "A concussion and a stab wound is the main concern, but I'm sure he'll be back on his feet in no time."
"No doubt," smiled Barbara as she moved closer to the bed. Dick was laying on his left side, facing the door. You'd never find Dick laying on his back if he had any choice about it. It made her smile, and reassured her that if he was aware enough to roll onto his side, he really would be okay.
"When Master Bruce retires for the night, I'm sure we'll be moving him up to his own room," said Alfred as he continued to reassure the young woman. "Call if you need anything."
"Will do, Alf," smiled Barbara as she sat down in a chair next to Dick. She linked her hand up with his, reveling in the feeling of Dick squeezing her hand slightly. "You with me?"
Dick blinked his eyes open sluggishly to look at her, "Always," he mumbled before closing his eyes again and going back to sleep. Barbara kissed his hand in hers gently.
"You need to stop scaring me like this," she muttered.
-/-
Steph followed Tim through the halls of Wayne Manor to the smaller sitting room where they often watched movies, Dick was lying on his left side, on one of the sofas asleep. The TV was playing the news quietly. Tim picked up the remote and turned the screen off, which had Dick waking up and looking around in confusion.
"Well, you look like crap," huffed Steph as she sat down in one of the comfy chairs.
"Be nice," chided Tim as he sat down on the floor, placing his laptop on the coffee table in the middle of the room.
"He threw up on me! He owes me," shrugged Steph.
"Hi guys," said Dick as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, gritting his teeth when the wound on his side pulled and the pain in his head spiked and made the room spin slightly.
"You okay Dick?" asked Tim quietly.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good," said Dick smiling slightly as he leant back into the cushions.
"Okay, now say that, so we actually believe you," pointed out Steph.
Dick opened his eyes and looked at the young woman, "I'm fine."
Steph looked to Tim, "He throws up again and I'm out of here."
"Are you never going to let that go?" smirked Tim.
"No, not until I either get ice cream, or better yet waffles and ice cream, and Dick does my math homework."
"I think you'll be waiting a while until Dick can help you with your homework, but we probably have ice cream in the freezer." Tim started getting to his feet, "Do you want anything Dick?"
Tim waited to see if Dick would answer him, Dick finally looked over to him, "What?"
"I asked if you wanted anything?"
"Oh, no, thanks."
"Okay, Steph come with me."
"What? Why?" asked Steph though she was already getting to her feet and following Tim out of the room. "Doesn't he usually bounce back quicker than this?"
"It was a pretty nasty concussion," shrugged Tim as he led the way to the kitchen. "A concussion like that can take ten, or even up to fourteen days to heal. Things like being more prone to headaches could take months to dissipate."
"So is he just going to sleep the next two weeks away?" asked Stephanie.
"He'll likely sleep more for the next couple of days, but it's Dick. I'm sure by next weekend he'll be begging Bruce to let him back out again."
Stephanie huffed in amusement, "Or he'll just run back to his warehouse in Bludhaven.
"No one has actually told me how he got a warehouse or picked Bludhaven of all places to call his city."
Tim didn't comment as he opened the freezer and pulled out a tub of cookie dough ice cream and placed it on the breakfast bar. Stephanie had spent enough time at the Wayne house that she knew where the spoons were kept and grabbed two of them. Handing one to Tim. "That's your cue to clue me in on past events."
"I don't know all the details," shrugged Tim as he sat down and took the lid off the ice cream.
"Well you must know something. Tell me those bits."
Tim sighed as he weighed up what he knew for certain and what he only speculated. Using the opportunity to take a spoonful of ice cream to stall. Stephanie was like a bloodhound when she wanted to know something she found a way of getting people to tell her.
"It was after Jason…" Tim stalled. He'd only met the previous Robin once and that was when they were at a charity gala. Jason had been pretty cool, three years older than Tim but hadn't treated him as a little kid. It had been one of the best galas Tim had been forced to go to. Jason had died shortly after.
"I think I would have liked Jason," said Steph grinning, breaking the uncomfortable silence and Tim from his memories. "Two kids from the wrong side of town. Now he would have got my humour."
Tim chuckled slightly, before coming more somber. "Jason passed two years ago, nobody took it well which meant Dick and Bruce fought more, and Batman and Nightwing couldn't even get along.
Dick was seventeen and had graduated a year early from high school. He spent most his time at Hudson with Barbara.
"He dropped out though," pointed Steph.
"Yeah, he still wasn't speaking to Bruce. Now rumor had it that the only civil interactions they had was when members of the Justice League were around, or the Team. Or that's what Kid Flash says, so who knows how truthful that is.
"Anyway, I showed up shortly after and that's when Nightwing set up shop in Bludhaven. Where he got the warehouse is anyone's guess. Superboy once grumbled about a Slade, but he then punched a hole in the wall of Mount Justice and Kid Flash and Miss Martian started talking very fast and then Artemis was yelling and Batgirl was bad mouthing Batman."
"Sounds like they know the truth, but are trying to cover it up. Who's Slade?"
"See, now that's even more interesting. I did some digging, only Slade I could find was a Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke. He's some kind of super soldier, mercenary. But I couldn't find any connection to Dick or Nightwing."
"I'm assuming you hacked the JL computers," grinned Stephanie as she took another spoon of ice cream.
"Naturally. Nothing there, and nothing on the Bat-computer either."
"Sounds fishy." Stephanie suddenly was grinning widely. "You know who could tell us?"
"Who?" asked Tim warily.
"Dick. He's so confused right now, he could let anything slip."
"I'm not interrogating an injured man."
"Not interrogating, nudging the truth. It'll be easy," grinned Steph.
Tim laughed, "Six months on the Team and you haven't learnt that Dick is a vault when it comes to secrets. He's almost as tight lipped as Bruce."
"What am I tight lipped about?" asked Bruce walking into the room. Stephanie would not admit that she jumped about a foot in the air, and her heart rate had just skyrocketed.
"Where you learnt your ninja tricks," she said instead. "So rumor has it you're actually a magic user."
"No magic," smiled Bruce softly. "Did you bring that blade with you?"
"Yeah, it's in the other room."
Returning to the sitting room they found Dick was laying back down and had fallen asleep again.
Bruce perched on the edge of the sofa and pushed the bangs away from Dick's face, which had the teenager stirring. "Hey chum, how are you feeling?"
"'M fine," muttered Dick in reply. "You're home early."
"The office was boring, thought I'd check on you," smiled Bruce. Dick didn't respond as he had drifted off to sleep again. Bruce turned to Stephanie instead. "You have that knife?"
"Yeah," she reached down into her backpack and pulled out Dick's escrima sticks and a bright purple pencil case, unzipping it she pulled out the knife and handed it over to Bruce.
"You just carry weapons around school with you?" asked Tim.
"No one is going to bat an eyelid at my school, hell, I think they're thinking about putting in metal detectors," shrugged Steph. "It might become a bit more tricky if that actually happens, but I'm sure I'd still be able to work something out. Maybe if I put them in the case I store my tampons. No guy would ever look there."
Tim opened his mouth to say something before closing it again. It was times like this when it became obvious how different their lives sometimes were. Steph growing up on the other side of town where it was everyone for themselves.
Bruce took all the weapons from Stephanie and left the room without another word to either of them.
"I think Bruce knows what that symbol is," said Tim quietly.
-/-
Alfred came down to the cave where his first charge had been working since he'd come in from the company office several hours earlier. He placed a tray next to the computer which had dinner on for the younger man.
"Timothy and Stephanie have eaten already, Richard had a few bites before retiring to his room. I don't think they'll be any arguments from him about staying at home tonight," smiled Alfred with fondness.
Bruce looked up to the older man, "The head injury has really taken it out of him this time."
"No doubt the blood loss isn't helping, nor the fact that I know he's been visiting underground casinos again, so I doubt sleep was high on his priority list before these sequences of events."
"I'll talk to him about the casinos again," sighed Bruce. Since Dick had dropped out of college last year he spent his time working odd jobs and supplicating his income by gambling. Or as Dick said, he wasn't gambling as he knew when to quit. He used his mathematical abilities to count cards in blackjack and the skills he'd learnt being a vigilante, like recognizing micro-expressions to win in poker. He called it extra practice.
Then he was pretty sure Zatanna had created Dick a glamour charm or two so no one would recognise him.
"That would be appreciated, maybe at the same time you could tell him about his family history," instructed Alfred.
"You really think this is the best time?" sighed Bruce.
"Considering it looks like there is a Talon after him, I think this conversation is three years too late."
"I'll think about it," sighed Bruce.
"That is all I ask," said Alfred as he turned and left the Cave.
-/-