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“Who is this Batman?” Batman glares at the impish grin on Robin’s face as he is held up by his cape. Superman held him warily, eyeing the thing that had managed to infiltrate the Watcthtower.
“That is Robin.” He’s words are evenly measured, but Robin can sense the bite in them and the secret glare, the dad glare. “He’s been working under my tutelage for the past eight months, and a full four months before that preparing. Robin has no place in League business. His focus is on Gotham.”
“Then what is he doing here?” Robin scrambled to Batman’s side when Superman dropped him not so carefully.
“Robin?” Bruce glared down at the boy grasping onto his side under the cape.
“Because I… I… wanted a hug before I went to bed.” Batman wraps his one arm around Robin holding him closer to his midriff where the boy tucks his head against. “I can’t believe that is Superman.” Dick grins back up at him. Batman scowls at the boy’s ploy.
Flash buckles over laughing. He notices the other stares, “He said he works alone.” Robin huffs.
“I did until last year.”
“Don’t you think this is a bad idea, bringing a child into crime fighting?” Clark points out. He eyes the tot sized human pressed up against Batman’s side searching for comfort in possibly the scariest man alive
Robin piped up, “I heard it is all the rage these days.”
“We didn’t ask for your opinion pip squeak.” Guy Gardner pipes up, which he immediately regrets as he came under fire of Batman’s liquidizing stare. Robin also hit him hard in a much different way with the poutiest, sweetest face ever. Dinah was practically melting at her knees. She just wanted to squeeze and cuddle it.
“Robin is under my guidance, if any moment I feel it is unsafe for him to continue in the field I pull him out.” Batman’s gruffness didn’t match his sweet protectiveness of the boy. His arm was wrapped tight around him and it was clear if anyone made a move towards Robin they would be losing a limb. Flash, ignoring all the warning signs as usual, zoomed in to inspect the brightly plumaged child. His head quirked, as if examining some artifact. Bruce did not appreciate them treating his son as a thing. Clueless bachelor’s the whole lot of them. How are they so clueless?
Even Superman, wasn’t sure what to make of a kid in a costume. “Nice cape kid,” at least Barry is being nice.
Dick gave him a glib smile back, “Thanks, I choose the colors myself.” An emerging yawn was suppressed. Bruce eyed him. Dick had said he was going to go to bed. It’s a school night, which means something to him now.
“If any of you want to complain about my decision, you can do that later.”
Guy pushes forward spitting back at Batman, “I think now would be a good time.”
“B?” Sweet eyes looked up at him. His excitement cannot cover how tired he is. Well, it is time for one little miscreant to go to bed.
Increasingly exasperated Batman sighs and lifts the child into his arm. Robin’s head clicks into place underneath Batman’s jaw and on top of his shoulder. A lot of them were having a hard time making that image make sense. Batman a… dad? Of course without any announcement, Batman moved to leave. Typical. Then in moments they were just gone.
Flash buzzed around, “Wait, how did he get in here?” They all looked back at the boob tube where the figures had faded away into the light, “Oh have mercy, there is two of them.”
A black and blue hero is elegantly laying in the head chair with his foot thumping. His eyes avert over when he sees the members push open the door. Clark presses first, “What are you doing here Nightwing?”
Dick gives him his charming smile as he raises from his spot, “Looking for Batman.”
Some of them looked at him odd, that’s alright not everyone knows that he exists. Green Lantern pipes up, “How did you even get up here?” Dick just grins as he jumps up onto the table and does a series of back handsprings to get to the other end where the group still stands in their formation.
“He’s new, isn’t he?” Nightwing squints at the Green Lantern.
Clark arms are crossed, and he explains to some of the newer members, “Nightwing was trained by Batman.”
“What do you need Batman for?” Hawkman demanded.
“Batman is avoiding pertinent duties at home.”
“He is in the command room.” Dick dismounted by twirling over their heads. Mouths were agape, and they watched him press backwards into the door. He shot them a two fingered salute.
“There is no way that Batman produced that.” Clark gave a little chuckle and moved to take his spot at the table. The rest of the League followed.
The man that walked in glided through the room, but he lacked all prowess of his predecessor. “You’re not Batman.” Superman can see all the inconsistencies the thinner jaw, the smaller build, but the glare startled him in the ability to intimate Bruce.
He growled, “I am Batman now.” He leveled a stare at the rest of the room, and then with silence he took the seat.
“Who do you think you are?” Superman bit back at Dick, “Batman doesn’t deserve this. You taking his mantle like this. Tarnishing his legacy. What right do you have to it?” The man sat square jaw locked glaring a hole forward.
“In Limbodia-“
“How do we know that we can trust you?” He pressed his jaw even further suppressing any rage. Of course it was Ollie who opened his massive yapper.
“It’s just wrong to disrespect him like that. There hasn’t even been a funeral Nightwing.” Arthur rose from his spot, “He was our friend and you are parading around in his costume.”
His voice was low, “Do you think that I want to do this?” Clark flinched.
Superman’s hand went out to touch his shoulder, but the man pulled away slipping from his seat and rising to stand off in the corner. “How can you all be so dense?” That wasn’t Batman’s voice it was a breaking voice.
“Just last night I realized that this is my life. Forever. Because I’m going to die long before I ever have to choice to hang up this stupid fuckin’ cowl.” He was far away somewhere out in that galaxy of stars. “Robin reminded me why Gotham needed Batman. Just like how he reminded Batman why he needed Robin. Red Hood’s back and pit crazy. And Batman’s son had also been found. They need Batman. They need me.”
“Dick this isn’t you.”
“It will have to be.” Silence permeated in the Hall.
Diana insisted, “You can’t be Batman.”
“I can be a good Batman. The Batman. I will be the Batman.” If only he could believe himself, “Moving on. In Limbodia…“ The hall sat silent as Batman rattled off information. In many ways he was just like Bruce he was thorough and direct and his voice rumbled like Bruce’s. Also just like Bruce, Dick was quick to make an exit he didn’t stay behind to chat like the others. He did his best to disappear at the first moment.
In truth he wanted to escape because he still juggled his grief and anger. If anyone would notice it would be one of his pseudo aunts or uncles. Especially Superman. Superman, the man who had called him out for tarnishing Bruce’s legacy. He needs time and someone to lean on, but he can’t have that. So Dick Grayson will stand the strong face as the others mourned. He is the pillar.
Ollie mulled over his cup of coffee. He’s screwed up a lot, especially when it comes to guiding and mentoring others. Everyone knows that. He’s not really good at dealing with others emotions, and he is just lucky to have Dinah. Maybe he had been too harsh, but Dick is also gallivanting around with that legacy. He acts like all is fine.
He looked at the man who was about to teeter over, that isn’t Batman. He knows the rest of them are thinking it. Dick wasn’t Bruce in the battlefield, and he had made a near lethal mistake. Being Batman has only torn down the idea of this perfect Dick Grayson. He always heard it from Roy, about how Dick is the best of them all. Tonight they were all greatly disillusioned. He just says what the rest of them are thinking, “You shouldn’t be Batman.” Dick’s head snaps up from his mullings over something on his gauntlet.
“Bruce asked me to.” Dick pulled down the cowl. His blue eyes were cutting rather than bright and sparkly, his hair was all strewn from being whipped out of the cowl, and bags drooped under his eyes. On top of that all was a rage, this rage this wasn’t an imitation of Batman’s rage this was Dick’s rage which made it all the more terrifying, “You guys were his friends. You saw each other occasionally, saved the world, had coffee in the Watchtower breakroom. I’ve been his partner since I was nine. I was his son. I know Bruce better than any of you. I know what he would have wanted, no matter how painful it may be. I am Batman.”
“No, you’re Nightwing.” Dick stewed for a little bit his eyebrows scrunched, and he searched between the different members.
His voice was low, “I’ve been plenty of things.” He turned away from the group, leaving them stung.
Superman was walking through the halls when he heard the shuddering heartbeat, he noticed Batman sitting alone in a room, hunched over with the cowl pulled off, and looking back into the soulless eyes of Batman. There was sniff, and the attempt to contain tears. Something punctured Clark, because how had he forgotten that underneath all that garb and image is the boy that he loves. That he watched grow.
Dick immediately went to compose himself, and he does it so well. He hides away everything so well, shoving it under whatever proverbial bed and closet. He just don’t fully manages to hide away all the signs from Clark, “Hey, Clark.” Clark wants to beg him to stop pretending. Stop pretending to be alright.
Dick rose to greet him. Superman pulled Batman into his chest, because even if Dick Grayson is a grown adult he still lost his dad and now has what must feel like the weight of the world on his shoulders. Yet he hasn’t shrunk to this challenge. He’s remained strong, and the same can’t be said about them.
“What you are telling me is that Batman was seen swan diving off a building and survived?”
“Yes.” The voice was flat, and right above him.
“Jesus Christ, Br-“ Oliver cut off as he looked back up at the glowering man, but there was a small smirk that played on his lips.
As Dick walked in the cape and cowl, whatever it was, it may not be Bruce, but it was Batman. The suit seemed to fit better, and Dick was a little bit hulkier. He was terrifying, which is the secret to Batman no matter how often he hangs out with him he still always makes him unnerved. Dick has the part down.
In so many ways Dick isn’t Bruce. He moves like liquid grace, he stays behind and comforts the victims, he dives in and plans in mid air, and he meshes with the team much better than Batman ever has. He’s Batman.
“None of you were going to tell me that he was behind me?!”