The Vacation

                                    

                                          


                          
"You want us to what?" Damian shouted in disbelief, jumping up from his position on one of the lounge chairs in the living room.
                          
"You heard me," Bruce replied in his usual, dark voice. Damian sat back down, not expecting to receive any more from his father.
                          
"Why should we go on a vacation?" Dick asked; he didn't sound against the idea, more so curious. After all, this was Bruce, and he was practically anti-vacation.
                          
"Think of it as your training. It hasn't been long since Jason and Tim returned, so I believe this vacation will be good to build on your teamwork, allowing the four of you to work better with each other without threatening each other's lives," Bruce explained himself to the boys.
                          
"If I knew that coming back meant partaking in all these f***ing "Training exercises" I would have stuck with my old team," Jason mentioned, sitting next to Dick on the sofa.
                          
"I agree with Jason," Tim admitted, resting on the other side of Dick. "I would have stuck with my team to avoid this too."
                          
"Well then the two of you should leave, you don't belong here," Damian stated. "I was here first so I should be the only one."
                          
"Hey Demon Spawn! We were ALL Robins before you," Jason reminded, waving his hand dispassionately towards the younger boy.
                          
"Yeah, if anything I think you should leave newbie!" Tim added, more mockingly than Jason.
                          
"I bet you anything I could beat your sorry ass Drake!" Damian threatened, pointing menacingly at him.
                          
"That's enough!" Bruce bellowed. Tim, Damian and Jason all fell quiet. Dick looked towards his three successors smugly. "That's exactly why the four of you will be taking this trip together. So that you learn to treat each other as brothers."
                          
"I'm sorry Bruce but not all of us are spawns of the Devil," Jason informed.
                          
"Says the guy who emerged from the Lazarus Pit," Dick chuckled.
                          
"Shut it, Dickhead!" Jason snapped, elbowing his brother in the ribs. Dick recoiled slightly, he was sure that was going to bruise later. Bruce just sighed, now even Dick was taking part in this meaningless bickering.
                          
"Well, I think it's a great idea!" Dick announced, recovering from his injury and stunning everyone. "I mean, I haven't taken a vacation since I became Robin which was much earlier than any of you."
                          
"I guess if Dick wants to do it then I'm fine with it," Tim agreed.
                          
"Yeah ok," Jason also said, "suppose someone has to be the life of the party." They all looked over to Damian expectingly.
                          
"Fine! I'll go," Damian gave in reluctantly as he sunk into his chair, arms crossed.
                          
"Good, glad that's settled," Bruce informed, "not that any of you were going to be given a choice anyway," he added in a quieter tone.
                          
"So where are we going anyway?" Tim asked, quite curious. Now that he was on board with the idea there was a lot of questions to be asked.
                          
"The four of you will head over by jet to Australia," Bruce answered.
                          
"Australia?" Jason asked, "as in the one with koalas and kangaroos?" There was a tinge of excitement in his voice most people would have missed.
                          
"What? Does someone want to see the fluffy Koala Bears?" Dick cooed mockingly.
                          
"Well...I've never been to Australia or seen a koala before," Jason answered sheepishly, blushing slightly.
                          
"Yes, that is exactly where you are going," Bruce answered. "And I suggest you get packed, you leave tomorrow at six sharp," he warned before leaving the four teens alone.
                          
"Wait! That's it?" Tim asked, getting up and chasing after Bruce, "I have other questions! Is there power on the -"
                          
"I can't believe Father would make me go on vacation with you losers..." Damian mumbled as he left the room.
                          
"This trip is sounding better by the second!" Jason cheerfully left the room being eventually followed by Dick.
                          
"This does seem like it will turn out quite wonderfully," Dick told himself as he exited the room. The boys headed to their rooms and started packing for the trip, Tim filled most of his suitcase with computers and other electronic devices while Dick grabbed several cool board games he thought the four could play together, such as Cluedo and Monopoly.
                          
...
                          
The next morning the four boys were woken up and rushed to the front door. Dick was as cheerful as ever as he walked through the door and into the car being followed by Tim, who looked more like a zombie than a human. With dark lines under his eyes and the manner in which he walked, it was pretty obvious that he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Jason walked up behind him but before he could walk through the door Bruce stopped him and ordered him to drop all the weapons he had hidden. Reluctantly, Jason took out two pistols, three Swiss Army knives and six hand grenades out of his leather jacket. Claiming to be finished Bruce glared dangerously at him for a moment before Jason rolled his eyes. He reached into his suitcase and took out the AK 47 he had hidden there. He then grumpily walked over to the car mumbling several curse words under his breath. Damian was the last to walk to the front door; he still had his arms crossed as he sulked.
                          
"I still think it is unfair that I have to endure the company of those three imbeciles," Damian complained.
                          
"You will endure them and you will have fun," Bruce ordered in an intimidating tone. Once everyone was in the car Alfred drove off to the airport. When they arrived the boys said their goodbyes to Bruce and Alfred, though some were less than pleased with the idea, before boarding the plane.