Nightwing; A Series of Doubts – Give and Take –

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This by the way IS A spin - off of the one shot where Dick gets raped by a thief in Blud that he keeps running into, so this will…be very close. New chapter!

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Chapter 2: Boxed Lunches and Surprise Visitors

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"I'm not going to tell him this, Babs."

It was all over the news as Dick groggily had been up long before to hear his cell phone pinging up a frenzy next to his sleeping bag.

"I'm not! I just – You think he won't? What?"

She was siding with Bruce to keep her funding for Dick's sake, but this rammed a nail hardly into his coffin. It was his sentence to quit the whole damned deal!

"I'll tell him, I don…. I know you're helping me so I don't lose the cape." He shrugged and took his time with a few karate moves to keep himself alert. The phone was tucked by his ear, chin trying not to drop it into the hardwood this soon.

~ Right, well…you tried mostly. Good luck, Dick. ~

Her voice was one to sympathize, yet Richard rolled his eyes and sighed to his old friend. "If I ever hear the end of another grounding, then yeah. You too, thanks." Hanging up, Dick chewed at the inside of his cheek and scrolled to a name on his cell that mattered even more –

Right before IT called him back, the damned ring tone being in desperate need of an upgrade.

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~ You, are going to return home in the next few days. ~

"Bruce."

~ I don't want to hear it. ~ He was mad, madder that Dick had allowed Black Mask the chance to decimate a whole city block. The ash would take weeks to clear…

So much for less air pollution.

~ I know that you want to be that city's hero. I know you had a plan and it "began" since day one, but if Sionas is on Gotham's warrant list and in your city right now, I don't want you to put yourself under his –

"I'm not even eighteen yet and I went to stay with the Titans in California – miles away, and I was still facing guys like Slade then, B…"

~ I know, while you had a team. ~

Yet again, Bruce had pointed out that Dick wouldn't make it on his own. That he just…never could if the Bat kept throwing up a bar in front of every door he tried to cross through.

"They're not here now, and I had help."

That slipped out, which while Bruce brought a hand to comb over his tired face, that hero on the other line seemed unfazed by any such implications.

~ You, had help. ~

"Yeah, a guy after Sionas that I had to stop, from axing him –

~ An assassin??? ~

"He got me back to ….to the rooftop, said he couldn't keep saving me and he won't have to, B." Dick didn't know what was coming out of him, yet if it stalled Batman from taking his apartment away. His LIFE. Then, so be it.

~ Did you get a good look at him? Hair? Build? Skills that might directly point to his profession. ~

Dick shrugged and set the phone down so he could keep it on speaker. His shoulder was getting sore, mostly from the knock out attackers in the factory.

"Hair wasn't his natural color, eyes were hard to see, he was fast and made sure of that…could be ex – military, knew how to throw knives, guns were a big red flag. Hand guns mostly." He paused before continuing with the report. "He even cut Sionais in the shoulder. Avoided any major –

Bruce grumbled, his brows furrowing out of concern of these findings.

Crap. Too much info for you, B?

~ A possible, mercenary. Dick; you have to rethink your plan to stay. Go to a police academy that is closer to Gotham. Finish your schooling here and then we can talk about –

"I'm done making excuses, Bruce." Dick crossed his arms, knowing that he'd face plenty of hurdles if he had stayed. He was beloved by everyone in Gotham, but he wanted to be more than just the Titans' leader or a faithful side kick to the dark knight.

He wanted a change that was worth every moment that Dick Grayson had left to fight his mentor, to come to this dilapidated gem.

"I'm staying, Bruce. Have the feds here talk about his criminal activity. I'll send you any leads that Babs and I may find. Give us a chance –

~ You don't have to prove anything to me, Dick. ~

Richard threw his hands up.

Ok! Big shocker, there.

" You??? You think I left to impress YOU ? How unreliable ARE your sources, B! I'm doing this for myself so I can finally –

He stopped. Bruce was just, he was being infuriating. Trying to steer Dick away from his work. "I'm not in Gotham." Richard snipped. "It was my home and it will always be, but you can't pin me down not expecting, me to want more. I'm doing the right thing or I will be, once there is a chance to change my image."

~When? ~ Bruce sat back in his seat and demanded to hear of his ward's brilliant master plans.

~ You said the same thing when Zucco killed your parents, you do this every time something ticks you off to an extreme instead of trying to work through it. Red X, even the time you lost…I didn't raise you to act this spoiled. ~

Somewhere, he'd heard Richard scoffing directly next to the screen. Breathing his seventeen and a half flames of fury into the speaker.

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~ SPOILED ?? Is any kid going off to college with money they'd invested into their degree without your help, spoiled?? Jason was right. You can't understand how we feel…so, just grow up B! ~

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"I take it things did not go so well with our Master Dick, this time? Sir."

"Don't, Alfred." Bruce ran a hand through his dark hair and leaned back, worn out without Tim driving his riddles at the man at the dinner table, day and night. Screens, too many to count. Even he couldn't keep up with that brilliant hacker… He needed a vacation…just the three of them.

And no Dick Grayson, which tore at the billionaire's heart and soul twice - over.

"Master Richard is at a point in his life where, he must have a way to go. Especially when tomorrow as I have taught you as well, you and both he may have no one left to turn to."

"He won't take up the Batman' mantle, Alfred. He won't show a decent ounce of respect in how much I've done. He probably can't even find work with his school in the way to pay for that apartment! I'm doing it all to make him happy, and…"

"You were as I recall, simply far too stubborn at his age, Master Bruce." The butler stood, staring out the window before them as if that day in time were etched before his eyelids. "If you must, I won't pry more than what should be done; if maybe you were to have Robin, consider speaking to someone besides Miss Gordon? Dr. Leslie via the computer, sir?"

"I might just, Al." Bruce sighed. "Dick is still my ward; I'd do anything to see him succeed on his own but…he pushes and I can't understand."

"As all I have seen, he is becoming a fine gentleman, Master Bruce." The butler said as B nodded, staring out the window into the same space that his butler once saw as vast. Only a garden with the aching tenderness of a budding springtime, while April was on the way very soon.

"He'll be turning eighteen in a couple of days, about less than two weeks." Bruce leaned into his palm and tried to imagine if Tim at Dick's age would be more or even less of a hassle. "I still want him to report to me; even if he doesn't stay until April, I just want to know that he's safe."

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Dick saw the text and sighed. He picked up his cell, flicked the reply button and finished his course work in the same time it took to close a rather tedious read from beside the coffee table.

Up to the last chapter, as he finally hit send on both his laptop and cell's main screens. One going straight to that needy bat.

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It was more rain and no groceries, so Dick put on his unpacked civilian gear, locked up and went to find a grocery store he'd pinpointed on his phone's gps. Technology was getting as lazy today as the people who used it, no fun in trying to be in control all the time, but there was safety of one's self to never underestimate.

Of course.

What roads to avoid traveling at night, a wild west of crime as Dick arrived in front of the local grocery marketplace. And no muggers waiting in the back lot. Looks like the news channel he watched online was extremely biased after all.

The wafting of fried chicken on the same street had his stomach growling like wild. He had to stick to the plan, so the hero went in with a few bucks to get his grub on. Maybe chicken for dinner and a side after he made sure to take the Q train if it got to wet outside…

/

It was a short trip, a low bill and if it had taken longer, he'd have to drink his sherbet through a straw.

And no chicken, as he'd heard thunder rumbling overhead.

As Dick made a turn round the corner, his bag a bit weighted on one side, the road turned to shadow as a n even larger cloud appeared.

"They said by tonight, why now…" The kid grumbled and just hoped that his precious box of Crocky - crunch would be salvageable once the rain had let up.

He made it to his flat, seeing a strange sight of a few kids in street wear fashion hanging around the apartment's main entrance outside.

He'd give them the sherbet if they were good, but not his cereal! They never carried it in any place but Gotham, and Jump had waffles. So, end of story.

The three boys noticed him and hung around with a thug dynamic that had Dick simply to keep an opened mind. He knew Cyborg, BB and even Bumble bee and many teens in Cali, yet Blud was on the east coast, just like Gotham as he tried to get to the entrance of his place without any trouble. The kids nudged each other as one of them came over. Beanie cap and large pants falling off of his hips, the boy looked to be holding something. Dick got ready to speak first. See if he could give them the sherbet –

"Yo! Are you Mr. Grayson?"

"Um, I am…and you?"

"Anton." The boy was just…this was way odd. Why did these kids have his address?

"We were told ta' give you this – the guy didn't give us a name or nothin…oh! Is that Crocky – Crunch? Man, are you from Gotham or sumthin?"

There and then, a burner cell was exchanged for his glorious box of precious green dyed vanilla and choco balls meant for one sweet tomorrow. Dick sighed and trudged up the steps, getting out his key as the lock clicked. The room looking, brighter…somewhat.

" Surprise!"

/

Dick was glad that a speedster was there to catch his groceries in a…flash of a second's worth of time.

"Dickie!!" He was hyper, definitely a bit eccentric, and the same age as Richard, while Roy was a year older and already Red Arrow with the Outlaws as they were called. Jason ran that group, and quite frankly –

"What is he doing here, Barbie?" Dick wasn't sure about the candles on a vanilla birthday cake on hi counter, or a banner spelling an "birthday to you" in bold blue paint.

"Sorry, Dick!" Babs put her hands up and chuckled nervously at her ex – partner in crime fighting. "Wally here was going to be away next week and…your stuff was slated to show up so we hopped downtown to get you all set up!"

"You moved my furniture?" Dick gulped. "Babs, what about him? B's not going to –

"Barbie told me about your double or nothing mission to stop Sionas." Wally grinned as he waited for Dick to play his brooding counterpart off.

"No, I don't want to attract any attention to myself."

The two felt their hopes droop, until Speedy took to grabing a slice of cake for all three of them, a paring on his lips as he motioned to the terrace quickly. "I'm not sticking around for the after party, Dickie. Only came to wish you an un - birthday since you're trying to leave the Bat's shadow officially now."

"What else did you tell him, Babs?" Dick seethed at the trouble making hacker with a fork in her mouth. A bit of frosting on her cheek as her napkin did the trick to erase it completely.

"Word gets out pretty fast in the hero community. Don't blame your partner, I got the deets from Cy and Mas e Menos over the forum –

"Forum??" Dick felt his stomach drop. "This wasn't supposed to GO viral. How did anyone –

"The explosion. They found your gear at the scene and just assumed that you'd gone solo from there." Babs shook her red headed messy bun away from her side, before munching on her fourth bite, rather quickly. "Srrmmn, Dnnn!"

"Don't do that, you'll choke." Wally was no help as Dick went to the other side of the kitchen and opened the freezer, before putting the sherbet onto the table with a slap.

"We need bowls. Anyone have a few bucks that they can spend so this stuff won't turn to soup?" The kid smirked, leaning over to eye Wally first. "Or do I have to call off the celebration from someone not bringing enough silverware to my party?"

/

He said goodbye, rather quickly since this was the kid speedster on Dick's back, while nineteen-year-old Barbara Gordon looked on and waited to really figure out what was going on inside her boy wonder's thick skull.

"Tell me what's up." She demanded softly. "It wasn't the cake. Iknow you don't hate vanilla –

"I don't." Dick smiled from the terrace as he'd waved Wally off with a goofy grin on that boy's face.

"Are you and Cy still in touch?"

"We are." Dick dragged a hand to rake through his ebony mane. "I just, had no idea that they'd found out before me that this was personal….no one was supposed to know until I –

"Hey." Babs gave the teen a stare bordering on pity and annoyance. "You are like I was before I joined up with Spoiler and the Birds of Prey." She told the hero, his eyes still longing to understand. "I told my dad that the move meant more opportunities; that he could rest knowing I was taking care of myself, but I did it. Even when everyone said that it was impossible."

"Babs. You are an amazing person, you can decode anything…you, you have the working of a world class spy, heck! I wanted to be better than you but never got that far. I stuck by others, so now –

"I do too, Dick." The woman interrupted as she walked closer to her old best friend. "I did it because I believed in a future I wanted to try out. You slip into so many masks and eventually, you lose touch in yourself. About what makes you, genuine as a hero and a person."

He attempted to add to her sentiments; not wanting to sound standoffish or to hurt her, not like he hadn't by leaving Gotham…

But he chocked and chuckled at how sappy his own words would have sounded next to Babs's. "If you say so, then I guess we have to keep ticking off Bruce."

She gave him a giggle back and rummaged for more cake on the table. A bite off the edge of that fork coming at him like a fighter jet. "Then, let's keep this party going! One more bite, un – birthday boy!"

"Babs! I don't want to get fat!"

They were like kids in Gotham again. The teasing, the…

Dick stopped at the kitchen counter and turned to the fridge. "Sorry. I still do need some time to think about, that." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to distance himself.

~ She's not like Starfire. We can't ever be like that, but…~

Her eyes fell as she returned the cake to the table, her back to him as the room grew deafening silent to them both.

"I understand, but boy wonder?" She turned back to him with her feminine green eyes nothing as Kori's had always, not been when saying goodnight at the tower after a long day of busting up criminals in Jump.

"Don't forget about what we had, when you become as big as Bruce one day. Kay?"

"Sure, whatever you say." He hadn't even told her that he had his first fan as the burner cell stayed hot within his pocket until he'd left to head for his door, to shut himself back away. Holding in a sigh, he let it out and dragged out the device. Checking for surveillance, yet found none.

"Okay." He had decided. This was an all-night affair. He'd sort out papers and more phone calls in the morning. Someone was trying too hard to have this boy wonder's full attention.

Well, they'd gotten their wish as he sat down on his unpacked sofa and took the thing closer to examine.

No wires…. very interesting.

"Then let's get down to business. Find out who you really are…"

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Still a thing between them. No action in this one, so just hold your horses! We have a long way to go while Dick is busy being grouchy before his big day. And that, is what this is all about. What will happen? Find out and read on! Stay curious for chapter three.