There was no doubt that the bat kids were all able-bodied children. They loved destroying the stereotype of the uncoordinated nerds and using their vigilante training to show off from time to time. What they weren't used to was fighting each other.
III
Bruce watched his family from the head of the dinner table with heightened interest. It wasn't uncommon for several conversations to happen at once at the big table, but this was different.
The children were split up into two groups, whispering quite intently, and every now and then, someone would shoot a slightly aggressive look across the table. "Alright," Bruce declared, drawing everyone's attention. "It's no one's birthday, and no holidays are coming up. So what are you all plotting?"
The children all looked at one another for a moment, no one saying a word. "It's best you don't know, Father." Damian finally said. "We'd hate to have to make you pick sides."
"Like he'd ever pick you guys." Jason scoffed, thus invoking a round of arguments across the table. "That's enough!" Bruce yelled over the din. "One of you explain what's going on."
"Every year, the school has this huge relay race obstacle course challenge." Dick started. "You make a team and compete with other teams until you're the last ones standing, and then the winning team from Gotham Prep faces off with the winners from Gotham Academy."
"We crushed those preppy wannabes, and now Might and Power is going for the title." Stephanie gloated, giving Cassandra, Tim, and Damian a round of high fives. "Don't get too cocky." Barbara warned. "We've been running this course since before most of you could stand."
"And yet you've never won." Tim smirked. "Ok," Bruce intervened before things could get loud again. "You're right. I won't be choosing sides. But if any of you take this too far, I will pull you out of the competition. Is that clear?" Bruce waited for their chorus of understanding before he smiled.
"Good. And no talking about any of this at the table." With that, they all returned to their meal, only giving each other warning glances when Bruce wasn't looking.
As much as Steph hated to admit it, Might and Power hadn't won yet. The older heroes had been running the obstacle course for way longer than they had, and if they wanted to dominate, they had to practice.
She kept this in mind as she led her team through the halls of their sister school, starting down the bigger kids who attempted to block their path. "Can I help you kids?" The receptionist asked as they entered the main office. "We're here the practice for the race." She told her, but the woman only stared blankly.
"I'm sorry. You kids need to call ahead so we can have the equipment set." "But we did." Tim insisted. He had come into this very office himself as soon as they'd heard they would be in the finals. "Can you check? It should be under Wayne." The woman turned to her computer and tapped a few keys.
"Ah, here it is. It says a reservation was made by a Mr. Drake-Wayne and canceled this morning by a Mr. Todd-Wayne." It was now the children's turn to stare blankly as they processed what they'd been told. "Is there any way we can rebook our time?" Stephanie asked frantically.
"I'm sorry dear. That space has a waitlist. The second your reservation was canceled, someone else took advantage." The group barely managed to contain themselves long enough to make it to the hallway.
"This is an outrage!" Damian seethed. "Todd will suffer for this." "Calm down," Tim said through his teeth. "We can practice on a simulated version of the course in The Cave. For now, someone call Alfred to pick us up."
"Where are you going?" Cass asked when Tim turned back to the office. "Damian's right. Jason is going to suffer for this." He told them. "But Baba says no fighting." Cass reminded. "They started it," Tim said with resolve. "Now it's our turn."
III
The members of Might and Power sat spread around the living room doing homework or entertainment themselves when they heard the bang of The Manor doors slamming open. "Timothy!" Jason yelled through the halls. "Where are you, you two-bit replacement?"
The others looked over to Tim, who hadn't even looked up from his computer screen. "What did you do?" Cass asked to which her brother just smirked. Moments later, Jason was looming over Tim with a menacing scowl. "You've got a lot of nerve." He growled.
"What did he do?" Steph pressed as Dick and Barbara finally joined them. "This little weasel went to the headmaster and said that I shouldn't be allowed to compete because of all my detentions." Jason snapped, jerking Tim up by his shoulder.
"All I did was suggest that there should be consequences for your misbehavior," Tim said smugly. "I have to say, Drake," Damian grinned. "I have never been more proud of you."
"Don't be proud yet." Barbara cut in. "Lucky for Jason, Dick has people skills and a silver tongue. We're still going to take you guys down." "Only now," Dick grinned maliciously. "We're not going to go easy on you."
The following week and a half was a series of tit-for-tat revenge schemes. All enough to drive each other mad but just tame enough to stay off Bruce's radar. In essence, it was a test of who could be the pettiest.
The morning of the competition was tense. All five Wayne kids were sending each other such intense death glairs Bruce and Alfred thought it best to get them all the school in separate cars.
The gymnasium was at full capacity as the school staff did a final check of the course and the teams warmed up for battle. "This is it." Tim breathed. "The moment we have been training for." Damian added, cracking his neck and knuckles. "Let's just hope it was enough." Tim finished glancing over to their competition.
"Hey, none that!" Stephanie warned. "With your strategy, Cass's stealth and agility, Damian's cutthroat tactics, and my take no prisoners attitude, we can't lose. Besides," she stopped and jerked her thumb over to where Dick and Jason were alternating between stretching and watching the doors. "They're missing a whole teammate."
At that moment, Barbara burst through the gym doors, eyes blazing, her red hair like a halo of fire framing her face. She scanned the room for all of two seconds before spotting Might and Power and making a beeline for them.
"You dirty cheat!" She snapped, getting right in Tim's face. "I knew you wanted to win, but this was just low." "Where have you been?" Jason demanded as he and Dick reached them. "You wanna tell them why I was late, Tim?" Barbara growled. The boy merely shrugged, and the redhead turned to her teammates.
"Someone hacked into my phone and turned off every alarm, so I overslept and missed the bus. And just to be cruel, he had me blocked from every ride-sharing service in Gotham. My Dad had to give me a police escort to get here when I did." Dick frowned at his brother.
"Really Tim?" He chastised. "I expect this from Damian, maybe even Steph. But you?" "It was not Tim," Cass said defensively. "And how would you know?" Barbara asked incredulously. "Be-cause I did it." The raven-haired girl admitted proudly, to which the others just stared.
They all stood there, bitter contempt seething between them, until the sound of the headmaster calling for everyone to take their places broke the tension. "This is war." Jason growled as Dick led their team to the starting line.
III
The competitive energy turned vengeful rage between the two teams filled the waiting spectators with an eager buzz as the headmaster prattled on about the history of this competition and the spirit of the game.
Finally, though, the crowd waited with bated breath as he raised the starter's pistol to the sky and…. BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound of shots ringing through the gym, much louder than any fake gun, made everyone drop to the ground. A gang of masked figures strode through the main doors, armed to the teeth and glaring around the room, daring anyone to move. "Bar the doors!" One of them barked as he stomped his way to the podium.
He snatched the mike in his fist and looked out at his quite literal captive audience. "Now, before anyone gets any smart ideas," he started with a sick smirk. "Just know that we're blocking all cell service within a five-mile radius. So while we won't be calling in any ransoms for your spoiled asses, I'm sure you all have some perfectly pawnable items on you."
The man jumped off the stage and stalked over to where a group of teachers had formed a protective cocoon around some of the younger students. "Now, don't get the wrong idea. I don't want to hurt anyone. But if anyone gives my friends and me any trouble," he gave one of the hooded men at the doors a signal, and three more shots rang through the air. "Detention will be the least of your worries."
Even with their weapons, it took the gunmen a while to start splitting kids up and shaking them down, which gave the feuding young heroes the time they needed to regroup underneath the raised stage. "Is everyone ok?" Dick asked in as loud of a whisper as he dared.
The others nodded, all trying not to flinch as a pair of combat boots stomped dangerously close to their hiding spot. "We've gotta do something." Barbara hissed, glancing through a crack in the stage. "There are little kids out there, and they will not be able to keep it together until help gets here."
"But we can't blow our cover." Stephanie reminded them. "We need a way to get everyone out with any mass casualties." "I think I might have something." Tim piped up. "Lemme guess, it involves the three of us doing all the work and your little team getting all the praise." Jason scoffed.
"I'd say we deserve as much after all you've put us through this week." Damian growled. "Not the time." Cassandra warned, scooting her way between them as best she could.
"Cass is right." Dick agreed, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder. "I'll be the first to admit that we've all taken things too far this week, especially for some bragging rights and attention from kids who don't even like us. But we're a team. One good team, together. So let's act like it. Agreed?" Dick stuck his hand out and waited for the others to follow suit.
One by one, they added their hands to the pile. "Good." The oldest boy grinned. "Tim lay it out for us."
"The way I see it, we need to implement a version of protocol Delta Circa. I count five masks with two fully loaded weapons each. The four foot soldiers each take a student and presumably take them to the hall to collect their valuables.
Cass and Damian, when they lead you out, you two need to take them all out without any shots being fired. Got it?" The assassins nodded. This is where their training lay.
"Dick, Babs, the teachers, and other students trust you. I need you to discreetly get them out through the emergency exit behind the bleachers. Start with older kids with phones and cars so they can get help." The original Batgirl and Robin gave their thumbs up. They were pros at running interference.
"That leaves the leader for Jay, Steph, and me." Tim took a deep breath, glancing at his friend and then at his brother. "He's gonna realize something is up pretty fast when his men don't come back, so that's our opening. Steph and I will flank. Jay, get that gun away from him.
We all need to be in sync." Tim finished, locking eyes with everyone. "Jason was right. This is war. They started it; now we finish it."
Bruce bearly let the car stop before jumping out and scanning the sea of frantic and relived faces for his children.
When Jim Gordon personally called his office to inform him of the hostage situation at the school, Bruce had almost Zetated to The Cave to dispatch Batman. Luckily his worries decreased slightly when Alfred called to inform him that Gotham PD had reached the scene and were taking the offenders into custody.
Bruce felt a great weight lift from his chest as he spotted his brood and pushed through the crowd to reach them. After assuring they were truly fine, the Bat Clan loaded into the car to give Bruce and Alfred the full debrief on the way back to The Manor.
Bruce smiled to himself as he realized that they were not only all talking to each other again but that their contest was long forgotten. The team that mattered had come out on top.
A/N Hey y'all👋 Thanks so much to all the new readers, voters, and commenters over the last couple weeks. Some you have even sent me ideas for new adventures for the Wayne Family to have. Keep it coming and thanks a ton!