On Wings of Steel, chapter 3 - Nothing We Can't Weather
Title: On Wings of Steel
Fandom: Batman
Chapter: 3/?
Author: SiriuslyLupin
Rating: PG
Warnings: angst, mild language, parenthood/children, violence
Summary: Before he was Robin, he was Dick Grayson, youthful ward of millionaire Bruce Wayne. Little does Dick know, however, that Bruce is leading a double life, one that repeatedly leaves Dick feeling left out. Sick and tired of being let down by the man he's coming to see as a father, Dick is determined to find out what his guardian is up to. Meanwhile, Batman is caught up in a game of wits with the Riddler, one that results in Dick becoming even more wrapped up in his guardian's secret life than Bruce ever wanted him to. [Prequel to the 1966 Batman television series.]
Word count: 16,839 and counting
When we last saw our burgeoning Dynamic Duo, Dick had just stumbled upon the Batcave. Moments later, Batman had come roaring in in the Batmobile to find Dick in his most private and off-limits of places. How will Batman react? Will Dick be able to explain his actions? What will become of Bruce Wayne’s relationship with his young ward?
Hold on to your Bat-seats! The answers are yet to come!
On Wings of Steel
Chapter 3 - Nothing We Can’t Weather
Dick was expecting Bruce to get angry, to start scolding him about how he shouldn’t be there, but that wasn’t what he did at all. Rather - was it too much to hope for? - Bruce’s eyes almost looked amused underneath that mask of his. And then the very corner of Bruce’s lips curled up. He didn’t quite smile, however. It was that expression Bruce had when Dick had done something wrong, but Bruce still found it slightly amusing for some reason. Like the time Dick had told an off-color joke that Bruce hadn’t quite approved of, but Bruce had still found it funny and had laughed regardless, despite his best efforts to the contrary.
Batman stopped next to another piece of equipment, staring down at it and placing his gloved hand flat on the surface as if to support himself. It was like Bruce was pondering exactly what he should say next, as if he wasn’t exactly sure if he should scold Dick or not.
Dick wished he could think of something to say, but his mind was blank. He thought he should probably explain himself, tell Bruce why he was there where shouldn’t be. Offer some sort of explanation and apologize for breaking the rules. But he simply stood there. He still wasn’t sure exactly what it was Bruce was thinking, and he thought it might be prudent to let Bruce speak first.
Still staring down at his hand, Bruce said, “I wondered when you might find your way down here.”
Dick still wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Should he laugh? Bruce’s tone was slightly amused, but Dick didn’t know if that was the best move. Again, should he apologize? Should he just ask what it was Bruce was thinking? He wished Bruce would say something else, because the suspense was beginning to kill him.
“I didn’t think it would be long now,” Bruce said, finally looking up at his young ward.
Without even thinking about it, the question burst out of Dick’s lips before he could scarcely even process it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Again, there was that amused expression passing over Bruce’s features (the ones that Dick could see, at least). Bruce’s eyes were squinted in laughter, and the very corners of his lips were curled up in a smile. Letting out a heavy breath, Bruce looked up at the ceiling, as if it might contain all the answers he needed about how to handle this.
“It’s not exactly a conversation I knew how to start,” Bruce explained. “’Dick, I’m Batman’ seemed a little…tactless. But like I said, I didn’t think it would be long before you decided to do a little digging. I know you’ve been more and more disappointed and angry at me for continually breaking our plans, even if you never said as much.”
“Bruce,” Dick said around an exhalation of air. He closed his eyes before he went on. “I’m so sorry. I never knew that this was what…” Dick broke off, not entirely sure how to phrase his thoughts. He waved his hand around the room instead. “What you were doing.”
“Of course it wasn’t,” Bruce agreed. “I tried my very best to hide it from you. Which obviously didn’t prove to be enough.” He paused, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to his next question, but he asked it anyway. “How did you get down here?”
Dick simply motioned behind him, back towards the pole he had slid down. “You’re right, I was angry,” he finally admitted. “There were just…too many questions, things that didn’t make sense, so…I poked around in your study a little bit.” Dick shrugged, as if this might lessen the impact of what it was he was saying. “It was an accident, really. I bumped into that bust of Shakespeare, and…it kind of went from there.”
Dick didn’t mention anything about the conversation he had overheard between Alfred and the commissioner, but that really wasn’t necessary at this point, was it? He was still afraid that he was going to be scolded and punished, even if Bruce did find this all entertaining. Dick didn’t think it best to push his luck at the moment. After all, Bruce didn’t approve of eavesdropping anyway.
“So you never had an inkling before this?” Bruce asked.
Dick shook his head. “I had no idea. If I had, I probably would have just come right out and asked you.”
There was that smile again, dancing across Bruce’s lips. He nodded and said, “I imagine it was quite a shock when you slid down the Batpole, then.”
“To say the least,” Dick replied, a small hint of laughter apparent in his own voice. “But…” Dick looked back at the pole, smiling. “The Batpole.” Dick had been aware of its name from the writing on the wall, but hearing the term actually spoken out loud was amusing to him.
“Batpole,” Bruce repeated. “Batmobile, Batcave, Bat Crime Computer. I’m nothing if not predictable.”
“Oh, Bruce,” Dick said around a small chuckle. “You’re anything but. If you were, I probably would have figured this out a lot longer before I did. Without having to take a little trip down the Batpole, too.” Was this how things were going to be? Was Dick going to have to start adding words like Batpole into his vocabulary?
“I take it Alfred doesn’t know you’re down here,” Bruce said.
“I…I don’t think so,” Dick stammered. “I haven’t seen him. Not since this afternoon.” Dick didn’t like lying to Bruce, but again, wasn’t it enough that Dick was even down here to begin with? As easygoing as Bruce was being about all this, Dick knew he was probably still going to be in trouble, and he really didn’t need to add fuel to the fire, did he?
“I’m sorry, Bruce,” Dick apologized again. “I know I shouldn’t be down here, and I shouldn’t have been snooping in your study. I just…I wanted to know. I wanted to know what you were doing every time you ran out on me.” Dick grimaced. He hadn’t entirely meant to try and lay a guilt trip on Bruce. After all, Dick knew that he was very much in the wrong here himself. His words had just come out before he could fully think about what he was saying.
Bruce gestured towards the small set of stairs that led down from the Batpole. “Let’s sit down for a minute,” Bruce said, beginning to make his way over to the steps.
Dick followed suit and was amazed to see Bruce removing his Batman mask as they went. Dick was well aware of the fact that he had been talking to Bruce this entire time, but actually watching him remove his mask and go from one identity to the other was fascinating to him.
Bruce had pulled his mask off, running his hand through his brown hair as he sat down on the steps. Laying his mask in his lap, he smiled and patted the spot next to him, inviting Dick to join him.
Dick did so, staring down at the mask now sitting in Bruce’s lap. He still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around everything that was happening. That his Bruce was the Batman. The Batman that he had seen in news clips all the time, heralding what a hero he was.
“I feel like I need to apologize to you,” Bruce said around a sigh. He frowned deeply, staring across the Batcave at the unbelievably shiny Batmobile sitting in its parking space. “Believe me, I never liked canceling on you all the time, and I know how disappointed you were in me. How hurt you were, even if you never said so.” He finally turned his head, staring at Dick long and hard.
“You’re right,” Dick agreed, hanging his head. Remembering all of the hurt he had felt over their canceled plans always managed to dim his spirits. “I was. Only because I liked all the time we did manage to spend together.” Finally lifting his head and facing Bruce’s stare, he said, “I was really looking forward to this weekend.”
“I was too,” Bruce replied sincerely. “I don’t want you to think that any of our time together was a chore or a hassle for me in any way. I don’t want you to think that I wanted to break my promises to you, because I didn’t. I hated lying to you all the time about what I was really doing. Somehow ‘millionaire socialite affairs’ sounds so…fake. Mainly because it was.” Bruce leaned towards Dick, his intense blue eyes almost seeming to bore through his young ward. “I didn’t want you to think that anything in this world was more important than you are, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Especially not any millionaire functions I could attend. Just…”
“More critical,” Dick replied, almost without even thinking. He frowned before admitting, “I heard what Alfred said to you before you left today. I…couldn’t help overhearing.”
“You mean eavesdropping,” Bruce corrected.
Dick shrugged, making a face. “Call it what you will,” he said in a teasing tone.
Sighing, Bruce continued, “Like I said, I almost fully expected you turn up down here one day. Anyone with half a brain could see that something funny was going on with me. I only wondered how long you would stand for it. I wanted to tell you so badly, I just couldn’t figure out how. A part of me even wished and hoped that you would just figure it out yourself to spare me the agony of having to explain it all.”
A long moment of silence passed between them before Bruce continued on. “You see, when I first took you in, I had every intention of hiding the entire thing from you forever. There was just one little thing I didn’t count on.”
Looking up at him curiously, Dick asked, “What’s that?”
“This,” Bruce said, gesturing between them. Then he clarified, “Us.” He shook his head, eyeing the Batcave again. “I never imagined in a million years that we’d become so close.” He paused for a long time before he continued. “I mean, I never thought…I’d find my son.” Bruce’s words were barely above a whisper, but Dick heard him loud and clear.
Dick didn’t reply right away. He was too busy trying to swallow away the lump that had settled in his throat. Bruce kept staring straight ahead, almost like he wasn’t sure if he should have said anything and was afraid of Dick’s reaction. Although they had never talked about this before, Dick never thought it needed to be. Bruce was his legal guardian after all. Their relationship had already more or less fallen into that of parent-child, so what needed to be said?
Actually hearing Bruce put their relationship into words, however, was a bit more than Dick had been expecting. He had looked up to Bruce as a father figure for a long time now and he’d had a feeling that Bruce felt the same way, but sometimes, he wasn’t quite so sure. Like when Bruce constantly canceled their plans together, it had made Dick feel like he wasn’t as quite as important to Bruce. That he always took a backseat to the other things going on in Bruce’s life. But now…Bruce had assuaged all those fears and had finally spelled things out for him. Dick couldn’t quite believe it.
“I never…” Dick began, but then he stopped again. He swallowed, trying to moisten his throat and taking a moment to collect his thoughts before he went on. “I never knew you felt that way.”
Bruce finally turned to face him upon hearing the welcoming tone in Dick’s voice. “I do,” Bruce admitted. “I know I never came right out and told you, but…well, I’m a man of few words sometimes. I’d always hoped that my actions would speak for themselves, but…I know I’ve been lacking in that area as of late.”
“It’s fine,” Dick said endearingly. “I mean…it wasn’t at the time. I’ve been angry at you of course, but…if I had known you already had so much going on in your life…” Dick paused, gesturing around the Batcave.
“I don’t want to get a free pass because of this,” Bruce immediately protested. “Like I said, you’re my son. In every way that counts. And that requires a lot more than so many canceled plans and lazy excuses. As my son, you deserve so much more than that, and I’ve been feeling horrible about the lies I’ve been feeding you. When you were just my ward, it seemed okay somehow. But the closer and closer we’ve become…it was getting harder and harder to look you in the eye and so blatantly lie to you. I’ve wanted so badly to be a good role model for you, but how could I be that when I couldn’t even be honest with you? How could I expect that same honesty from you when half of our relationship was based on lies?”
Dick had started to quietly laugh, which caused Bruce to stop and stare at him.
“Sorry,” Dick said. “I’m not trying to throw this all back in your face or anything. I wouldn’t do that. But those were some of my same reasons for not wanting to go into your study. How could I look you in the eye when I had gone behind your back and disobeyed you? I didn’t want to. I just…I needed to know.”
“It’s not your fault, Dick,” Bruce said reassuringly. “I didn’t really give you much choice in the matter, did I? Like you said, you were feeling hurt and backed into a corner. I rather doubt I would have been able to stand for it either. You just wanted to know why I kept disappointing you all the time. You deserved an answer, and I’m sorry I didn’t just come right out and tell you. I’m sorry I didn’t feel like I could do that. We talk about pretty much everything else anyway. I don’t know why this one was so difficult.”
They sat in companionable silence for a while, each of them glancing around the Batcave, lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Bruce went on, “Or maybe I do. I kept telling myself, kept telling Alfred, that I was simply protecting you. It’s the same reason I won’t dare tell Aunt Harriet. Because I know she’d be worried sick if she knew what I was really out doing all the time. I can’t bear to put that kind of stress on her, and I couldn’t bear to put it on you either. And well, the fewer people that know, the better.”
“To be fair,” Dick disagreed, “I think that not knowing was worse. Because it was becoming more and more apparent that you were hiding something from me, and I hated the thought that you were lying to me so much.”
“I realized that,” Bruce said, nodding. “It’s easier with Aunt Harriet. I love her, of course, but I’m nowhere near as close to her as I am to you. I don’t cancel nearly as many plans with her as I do with you. I was just lying to myself a lot - that keeping you in the dark would be better for you in the long run.” After a moment of silence, Bruce raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’re not going to up half the night worrying about me when I’m not home now, are you?”
“How can I not?” Dick asked honestly. A slight regretful expression passed over Bruce’s face at this, causing Dick to sigh. “Listen, Bruce. What you said before - that I’ve become like a son to you - it isn’t one-sided, you know. You’ve become so much more like a father to me than I ever thought you would. When I first came here, I didn’t want it to become like that. I felt like letting you take over that rule would be…dishonoring my own father somehow.”
“I know,” Bruce said. “I felt the same way about Alfred after my own parents died. That I was letting him…replace them somehow, and that they’d be hurt by it.”
Dick nodded in agreement. “I tried so hard,” he said, “to not grow close to you. You offered so many times to take me fishing or to just play chess with me, and I’d just lock myself in my room instead.”
“I remember,” Bruce said. “You were so angry, but how could you not be? Believe me, I was the same way. You’d just been through so much, and you simply weren’t sure how to handle it all. It was so much to process and feeling like you might be betraying your parents at the same time just made it worse. I know,” he repeated.
“And I wanted to so badly,” Dick admitted, squinting his eyes at the memory. “I wanted so badly to take you up on those offers, because…I felt so alone. I wanted nothing more than to…have a friend. I spent so many nights up in my room, battling with myself, because I wasn’t sure what to do. But then I thought…just spending a little time with you wouldn’t hurt. My parents might even be happy that I was able to make a friend after everything that had happened. But then I found myself growing closer and closer to you and…it almost happened before I was even able to fully realize it had.”
Dick let out of a soft breath of air, somewhere between a laugh and a small gasp of disbelief. “I remember you waking me up one morning for breakfast, and my first thought was, ‘Dad.’ I was still half asleep. I think I may have even been dreaming about my dad, but the more I woke up, the more I smiled about it - that I at least had you when I couldn’t have him. I just laid there for the longest time with this huge grin on my face. That was when I realized that my parents wouldn’t be hurt by it in the least, because above all, they’d want me to be happy and taken care of. And that’s what you’ve always done for me - made me feel safe, happy, and taken care of. Just like a father would.” He stared up at Bruce, smiling.
Unable to find the words to reply, Bruce simply placed a hand on Dick’s shoulder, squeezing it tightly.
“So of course I’m going to worry,” Dick said, “just like any child would worry if their parent was out doing something potentially dangerous, like a fireman or policeman. It comes with the territory. But I’m just…glad you’re not going to be lying to me anymore, and I’m glad you’re not disappointed in me.”
Bruce turned to look at him quickly. “Why on earth would I be disappointed in you?”
“For going into your study when I promised I wouldn’t.” Dick swallowed hard before asking, “Are you angry with me?”
Bruce shook his head. “I told you, I was hoping you’d find out one way or the other. If that’s what it took you, then so be it. Besides, I wasn’t being completely truthful with you either, so…can we both agree that we made mistakes? I’d say that makes us pretty even, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Dick said around a sigh of relief.
“As long as you don’t make a habit out of it,” Bruce said, that familiar scolding tone of his returning for a brief moment.
“I won’t,” Dick promised around a grin. “Finding out that you were Batman - that was definitely a very special circumstance. I doubt anything on par with that will ever happen again, so I won’t really have need to, will I?”
“I hope not.”
The two of them sat like that for a very long time. Dick wanted to ask something, but he wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Then again, it occurred to him that that was exactly what had gotten them into this position in the first place - hiding things from each other, because they were afraid. If Dick had learned anything in all of this, it was that he could be completely honest with Bruce. After all, there wasn’t anything else quite as earth-shattering as one of them having a secret identity. Whatever it was, he could talk to Bruce about it, and they would work it out. He knew they could.
“Bruce?”
“Hm?”
Rather than come right out and ask his question, Dick fidgeted around a bit. He played with his fingers for a moment before picking at a small patch of discoloration on his blue jeans.
“What, Dick?” Bruce spurred him on. “Whatever it is, you can ask me.”
“Would it be too forward of me to ask who it was?” Dick asked sheepishly. When Bruce didn’t answer right away, Dick said, “It’s not really any of my business anyway.”
Even though Dick’s question was rather vague, Bruce knew exactly what he was getting at, and he didn’t need Dick to clarify at all. Bruce knew a lot of the time, even when Dick didn’t always spell things out for him.
A part of Bruce didn’t really want to tell Dick. It was the same part of him that had wanted to keep him completely sheltered from all of this to begin with. But at the same time, Bruce knew that Dick was never going to let it go. Not now. Besides, how could Bruce continue to hide things from Dick after the events of that day? After everything they had just discussed?
After a very long pause, Bruce finally admitted, “I suppose you’d find out from the television or the newspaper anyway. It’s the Riddler. And it’s not over. I spent the day in Commissioner Gordon’s office, trying to figure out what his next move could be.”
Dick was watching him closely with a curious look on his face. Bruce knew that Dick wanted to ask more, that he most likely wanted to know everything about the case, but he wasn’t going to do anything as bold as come right out and ask. Dick was a rather curious and inquisitive young man. He liked to know everything about what was going on, but he also practiced quite a bit of decorum and didn’t like to seem too pushy or greedy in his questions.
“I’ll tell you what,” Bruce said, picking his mask up in one hand. “Why don’t you go on upstairs? Let me get out of this suit and I’ll be up in a minute.” Bruce checked the clock on the wall over the large mouth of the cave before continuing. “It’s nearly dinnertime anyway. Can’t fight crime on an empty stomach.”
This brought a smile to Dick’s face. Even though he knew that Bruce obviously had so much to do as Batman, Dick still wanted some time with him too. Especially since their weekend away had been entirely ruined by this point, even something as small as a dinner together would be nice.
As they stood up from the steps, Bruce gestured to a large sign on the wall just past the Batpole. It had a large red arrow painted on it, which pointed deeper into the Batcave. It read:
TO SERVICE ELEVATOR
“You can take the service elevator up to the study,” Bruce told him. “I’ll be right there.”
Dick silently made his way down towards the elevator, not bothering to tell Bruce that he was already well aware of the device. He decided that he would never tell anyone that he had been hiding in the study and had seen Alfred use the service elevator just that afternoon. Bruce had already been so forgiving and understanding of Dick’s curiosity in this entire situation, and Dick thought it was best not to push his luck.
Upon calling the elevator, Dick quickly stepped inside and eyed the buttons. He saw there was one for the first floor and one for the second floor. He wasn’t quite sure where the second floor shaft opened up to, so he made a mental note to ask Bruce about that.
As soon as the elevator opened up into the study, Dick stepped out to see Bruce already waiting for him and back in his street clothes. He was seated in one of the armchairs by the fire, and Dick quickly sat down opposite him. Dick leaned in close, and he felt vaguely like a little kid, waiting for some surprise that was coming.
Bruce raised an eyebrow, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and hesitation.
“Did he leave a riddle?” Dick asked eagerly, waving his hand for Bruce to continue.
“You are entirely too excited about this,” Bruce observed. “We are talking about a criminal, after all.”
“Just thought I’d help,” Dick said quietly, “that’s all.” He stared down at his feet for a moment, his face burning uncomfortably. He only wanted for Bruce to include him in some of the other things in his life. It was only now occurring to him just how much Bruce did on a daily basis, so much that didn’t involve Dick. It made Dick feel more left out the more he thought about it, and he only wanted an inkling of what it was his guardian had to deal with.
“I know,” Bruce sighed, staring into the roaring flames in the fireplace. “A part of me still wants to protect you from all of this, that’s all.”
“My parents were killed by criminals,” Dick whispered. “I don’t think I can get any more involved than that.”
Bruce looked back at him quickly, his expression one of sympathy. “Fair enough.”
“Besides,” Dick said, attempting to break up the heavy tension that had settled into the room. “It’s not like I’m actually getting involved in anything the Riddler’s doing. I’m not in any danger. I’m safe and sound here, helping you solve the next riddle. And you must need help or you wouldn’t be here.”
Bruce still didn’t appear entirely convinced, but he decided to confide in Dick anyway. Nodding, Bruce said, “The riddle itself was rather amateur at best, but I’m not sure entirely what he meant by it. ‘Why is a Latin teacher like a criminal’?”
Frowning, Dick considered this for a moment, staring into the fireplace. But then the answer came to him almost immediately. “Because they both have a modus operandi!”
“Exactly,” Bruce agreed, “but what could the Riddler possibly be trying to tell me? The Riddler’s MO is riddles obviously, but that doesn’t exactly help. Something with a Latin teacher possibly, but-”
As soon as Bruce said it, it hit Dick. “Bruce, don’t you see?” he interrupted. “MO! He could be pointing you towards something else that has the same initials!”
“Of course!” Bruce exclaimed, his eyes widening like a light bulb had suddenly lit up over his head.
“It could stand for the Moscow Oblast,” Dick added.
“It could mean molecular orbital, a mathematical function.”
“Modena, a province in Italy.”
“It’s the postal code of Missouri.”
“Molybdenum.”
This earned Dick a stare. Bruce was one of the most brilliant men he knew, even more so now that he knew he was Batman. When Dick was able to come up with something that Bruce had not - better yet, when he simply knew something that his guardian did not - it made Dick feel slightly less inferior.
“It’s a chemical element,” Dick explained, “used in making steel alloys. Its symbol is MO. I just learned it in chemistry.”
“Oh,” Bruce said quietly, seemingly perturbed that he hadn’t thought of this. He blinked several times, the expression on his face becoming one of intense concentration. When he spoke again, it was slowly, something that Dick had become very familiar with. Dick took it as a sign that Bruce’s thoughts were moving so quickly and he was probably afraid of doing anything to interrupt them.
“I seem to remember reading something in the Gotham Times about an old steelworks being closed down and abandoned a few weeks ago due to its unsafe conditions,” Bruce said. “That might be what the Riddler is using as a hideout.”
“Unsafe,” Dick mused. “Sounds like it.”
Bruce immediately sprang to his feet, but he wasn’t quite quick enough to miss the disappointed expression on Dick’s face.
“You’re leaving again?” Dick asked.
Bruce let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes. “Dinner,” he remembered regretfully.
Dick shook his head and said, “Go.” His tone, however, was much more convincing and supportive than it had been just that afternoon. “The sooner you check it, the sooner you might be to closing this case and getting the Riddler back behind bars where he belongs.”
Bruce gave him an encouraging smile. “I just didn’t think I’d be able to solve his riddle so soon. I was resigned to the fact that I’d be pondering it over dinner and for most of the night.”
Dick grinned, knowing a compliment when he heard one. “You’re welcome.”
Bruce turned, heading towards the bust of Shakespeare on his desk. Before he flipped back the playwright’s head, however, he turned back towards Dick. “Why don’t you go find Alfred?” Bruce suggested. “Tell him you know.”
“And give him a heart attack,” Dick snickered. “Don’t you think that’s a lot to drop on him? ‘Hey, Alfred. I know Bruce is Batman. Let’s eat.’”
Bruce smirked, but then he said, “I don’t think he’ll be all that surprised. I’ve been telling him for ages how I was hoping you’d just figure the whole thing out, and he’s been telling me how bright and determined you are. He seemed fairly certain that you’d do it at some point or another. Although he’s been encouraging me forever to just come right out and confide in you about it. He knows how torn up I was about having to lie to you.”
“You don’t have to anymore,” Dick reminded him.
“No,” Bruce said firmly. “Never again, Dick. I promise.” Bruce’s expression suddenly changed into one of uncertainty. “Although I’m not very good at making and keeping promises to you, am I?”
“It’s not your fault,” Dick said. “You didn’t want to, and you wouldn’t unless you absolutely had to. I know that now.”
Bruce nodded appreciatively. “I will keep this one. Whatever it is I’m doing, I won’t lie to you about it anymore.”
“I know,” Dick repeated. “Now go.”
Bruce didn’t say another word, and he knew he didn’t have to. He silently pulled back the head on the bust of Shakespeare, turning the knob that it had opened up underneath. This triggered the bookcase on the other side of the room to spring open. As Bruce closed up the head of Shakespeare and turned to run towards the Batpole, Dick stopped him.
“Bruce?”
Just before he reached for the Batpole, Bruce stopped, turning around to face Dick once more.
“Be careful,” Dick told him.
Bruce nodded once. “I always am.” Without another word, Bruce reached for the Batpole, hoisting himself onto it and disappearing out of sight.
Dick sighed, but it wasn’t one of sadness or disappointment. It was a sound of contentment. He had so much love and respect for Bruce in that moment that he felt like he might bust with the tension it was creating in his chest. Not to mention, he and Bruce had finally put a lot of things on the table that they’d been keeping from each other for a long time. No more lying to each other, no more guilt from being dishonest with the other. They could finally be completely open with each other, and now there was one thing that Dick knew for sure - that he was the most important thing in the world to Bruce and nothing could ever change that.
Smiling, he went to find Alfred.
What could the Riddler possibly be up to?
Is Batman on the right trail?
Will he find the Riddler’s secret hideout?
Will Batman return home safely to Dick?
Tune in next time…
Same fan site…
Same fan channel.
One word of warning:
The worst is yet to come!
Fandom: Batman
Chapter: 3/?
Author: SiriuslyLupin
Rating: PG
Warnings: angst, mild language, parenthood/children, violence
Summary: Before he was Robin, he was Dick Grayson, youthful ward of millionaire Bruce Wayne. Little does Dick know, however, that Bruce is leading a double life, one that repeatedly leaves Dick feeling left out. Sick and tired of being let down by the man he's coming to see as a father, Dick is determined to find out what his guardian is up to. Meanwhile, Batman is caught up in a game of wits with the Riddler, one that results in Dick becoming even more wrapped up in his guardian's secret life than Bruce ever wanted him to. [Prequel to the 1966 Batman television series.]
Word count: 16,839 and counting
When we last saw our burgeoning Dynamic Duo, Dick had just stumbled upon the Batcave. Moments later, Batman had come roaring in in the Batmobile to find Dick in his most private and off-limits of places. How will Batman react? Will Dick be able to explain his actions? What will become of Bruce Wayne’s relationship with his young ward?
Hold on to your Bat-seats! The answers are yet to come!
On Wings of Steel
Chapter 3 - Nothing We Can’t Weather
Dick was expecting Bruce to get angry, to start scolding him about how he shouldn’t be there, but that wasn’t what he did at all. Rather - was it too much to hope for? - Bruce’s eyes almost looked amused underneath that mask of his. And then the very corner of Bruce’s lips curled up. He didn’t quite smile, however. It was that expression Bruce had when Dick had done something wrong, but Bruce still found it slightly amusing for some reason. Like the time Dick had told an off-color joke that Bruce hadn’t quite approved of, but Bruce had still found it funny and had laughed regardless, despite his best efforts to the contrary.
Batman stopped next to another piece of equipment, staring down at it and placing his gloved hand flat on the surface as if to support himself. It was like Bruce was pondering exactly what he should say next, as if he wasn’t exactly sure if he should scold Dick or not.
Dick wished he could think of something to say, but his mind was blank. He thought he should probably explain himself, tell Bruce why he was there where shouldn’t be. Offer some sort of explanation and apologize for breaking the rules. But he simply stood there. He still wasn’t sure exactly what it was Bruce was thinking, and he thought it might be prudent to let Bruce speak first.
Still staring down at his hand, Bruce said, “I wondered when you might find your way down here.”
Dick still wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Should he laugh? Bruce’s tone was slightly amused, but Dick didn’t know if that was the best move. Again, should he apologize? Should he just ask what it was Bruce was thinking? He wished Bruce would say something else, because the suspense was beginning to kill him.
“I didn’t think it would be long now,” Bruce said, finally looking up at his young ward.
Without even thinking about it, the question burst out of Dick’s lips before he could scarcely even process it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Again, there was that amused expression passing over Bruce’s features (the ones that Dick could see, at least). Bruce’s eyes were squinted in laughter, and the very corners of his lips were curled up in a smile. Letting out a heavy breath, Bruce looked up at the ceiling, as if it might contain all the answers he needed about how to handle this.
“It’s not exactly a conversation I knew how to start,” Bruce explained. “’Dick, I’m Batman’ seemed a little…tactless. But like I said, I didn’t think it would be long before you decided to do a little digging. I know you’ve been more and more disappointed and angry at me for continually breaking our plans, even if you never said as much.”
“Bruce,” Dick said around an exhalation of air. He closed his eyes before he went on. “I’m so sorry. I never knew that this was what…” Dick broke off, not entirely sure how to phrase his thoughts. He waved his hand around the room instead. “What you were doing.”
“Of course it wasn’t,” Bruce agreed. “I tried my very best to hide it from you. Which obviously didn’t prove to be enough.” He paused, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to his next question, but he asked it anyway. “How did you get down here?”
Dick simply motioned behind him, back towards the pole he had slid down. “You’re right, I was angry,” he finally admitted. “There were just…too many questions, things that didn’t make sense, so…I poked around in your study a little bit.” Dick shrugged, as if this might lessen the impact of what it was he was saying. “It was an accident, really. I bumped into that bust of Shakespeare, and…it kind of went from there.”
Dick didn’t mention anything about the conversation he had overheard between Alfred and the commissioner, but that really wasn’t necessary at this point, was it? He was still afraid that he was going to be scolded and punished, even if Bruce did find this all entertaining. Dick didn’t think it best to push his luck at the moment. After all, Bruce didn’t approve of eavesdropping anyway.
“So you never had an inkling before this?” Bruce asked.
Dick shook his head. “I had no idea. If I had, I probably would have just come right out and asked you.”
There was that smile again, dancing across Bruce’s lips. He nodded and said, “I imagine it was quite a shock when you slid down the Batpole, then.”
“To say the least,” Dick replied, a small hint of laughter apparent in his own voice. “But…” Dick looked back at the pole, smiling. “The Batpole.” Dick had been aware of its name from the writing on the wall, but hearing the term actually spoken out loud was amusing to him.
“Batpole,” Bruce repeated. “Batmobile, Batcave, Bat Crime Computer. I’m nothing if not predictable.”
“Oh, Bruce,” Dick said around a small chuckle. “You’re anything but. If you were, I probably would have figured this out a lot longer before I did. Without having to take a little trip down the Batpole, too.” Was this how things were going to be? Was Dick going to have to start adding words like Batpole into his vocabulary?
“I take it Alfred doesn’t know you’re down here,” Bruce said.
“I…I don’t think so,” Dick stammered. “I haven’t seen him. Not since this afternoon.” Dick didn’t like lying to Bruce, but again, wasn’t it enough that Dick was even down here to begin with? As easygoing as Bruce was being about all this, Dick knew he was probably still going to be in trouble, and he really didn’t need to add fuel to the fire, did he?
“I’m sorry, Bruce,” Dick apologized again. “I know I shouldn’t be down here, and I shouldn’t have been snooping in your study. I just…I wanted to know. I wanted to know what you were doing every time you ran out on me.” Dick grimaced. He hadn’t entirely meant to try and lay a guilt trip on Bruce. After all, Dick knew that he was very much in the wrong here himself. His words had just come out before he could fully think about what he was saying.
Bruce gestured towards the small set of stairs that led down from the Batpole. “Let’s sit down for a minute,” Bruce said, beginning to make his way over to the steps.
Dick followed suit and was amazed to see Bruce removing his Batman mask as they went. Dick was well aware of the fact that he had been talking to Bruce this entire time, but actually watching him remove his mask and go from one identity to the other was fascinating to him.
Bruce had pulled his mask off, running his hand through his brown hair as he sat down on the steps. Laying his mask in his lap, he smiled and patted the spot next to him, inviting Dick to join him.
Dick did so, staring down at the mask now sitting in Bruce’s lap. He still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around everything that was happening. That his Bruce was the Batman. The Batman that he had seen in news clips all the time, heralding what a hero he was.
“I feel like I need to apologize to you,” Bruce said around a sigh. He frowned deeply, staring across the Batcave at the unbelievably shiny Batmobile sitting in its parking space. “Believe me, I never liked canceling on you all the time, and I know how disappointed you were in me. How hurt you were, even if you never said so.” He finally turned his head, staring at Dick long and hard.
“You’re right,” Dick agreed, hanging his head. Remembering all of the hurt he had felt over their canceled plans always managed to dim his spirits. “I was. Only because I liked all the time we did manage to spend together.” Finally lifting his head and facing Bruce’s stare, he said, “I was really looking forward to this weekend.”
“I was too,” Bruce replied sincerely. “I don’t want you to think that any of our time together was a chore or a hassle for me in any way. I don’t want you to think that I wanted to break my promises to you, because I didn’t. I hated lying to you all the time about what I was really doing. Somehow ‘millionaire socialite affairs’ sounds so…fake. Mainly because it was.” Bruce leaned towards Dick, his intense blue eyes almost seeming to bore through his young ward. “I didn’t want you to think that anything in this world was more important than you are, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. Especially not any millionaire functions I could attend. Just…”
“More critical,” Dick replied, almost without even thinking. He frowned before admitting, “I heard what Alfred said to you before you left today. I…couldn’t help overhearing.”
“You mean eavesdropping,” Bruce corrected.
Dick shrugged, making a face. “Call it what you will,” he said in a teasing tone.
Sighing, Bruce continued, “Like I said, I almost fully expected you turn up down here one day. Anyone with half a brain could see that something funny was going on with me. I only wondered how long you would stand for it. I wanted to tell you so badly, I just couldn’t figure out how. A part of me even wished and hoped that you would just figure it out yourself to spare me the agony of having to explain it all.”
A long moment of silence passed between them before Bruce continued on. “You see, when I first took you in, I had every intention of hiding the entire thing from you forever. There was just one little thing I didn’t count on.”
Looking up at him curiously, Dick asked, “What’s that?”
“This,” Bruce said, gesturing between them. Then he clarified, “Us.” He shook his head, eyeing the Batcave again. “I never imagined in a million years that we’d become so close.” He paused for a long time before he continued. “I mean, I never thought…I’d find my son.” Bruce’s words were barely above a whisper, but Dick heard him loud and clear.
Dick didn’t reply right away. He was too busy trying to swallow away the lump that had settled in his throat. Bruce kept staring straight ahead, almost like he wasn’t sure if he should have said anything and was afraid of Dick’s reaction. Although they had never talked about this before, Dick never thought it needed to be. Bruce was his legal guardian after all. Their relationship had already more or less fallen into that of parent-child, so what needed to be said?
Actually hearing Bruce put their relationship into words, however, was a bit more than Dick had been expecting. He had looked up to Bruce as a father figure for a long time now and he’d had a feeling that Bruce felt the same way, but sometimes, he wasn’t quite so sure. Like when Bruce constantly canceled their plans together, it had made Dick feel like he wasn’t as quite as important to Bruce. That he always took a backseat to the other things going on in Bruce’s life. But now…Bruce had assuaged all those fears and had finally spelled things out for him. Dick couldn’t quite believe it.
“I never…” Dick began, but then he stopped again. He swallowed, trying to moisten his throat and taking a moment to collect his thoughts before he went on. “I never knew you felt that way.”
Bruce finally turned to face him upon hearing the welcoming tone in Dick’s voice. “I do,” Bruce admitted. “I know I never came right out and told you, but…well, I’m a man of few words sometimes. I’d always hoped that my actions would speak for themselves, but…I know I’ve been lacking in that area as of late.”
“It’s fine,” Dick said endearingly. “I mean…it wasn’t at the time. I’ve been angry at you of course, but…if I had known you already had so much going on in your life…” Dick paused, gesturing around the Batcave.
“I don’t want to get a free pass because of this,” Bruce immediately protested. “Like I said, you’re my son. In every way that counts. And that requires a lot more than so many canceled plans and lazy excuses. As my son, you deserve so much more than that, and I’ve been feeling horrible about the lies I’ve been feeding you. When you were just my ward, it seemed okay somehow. But the closer and closer we’ve become…it was getting harder and harder to look you in the eye and so blatantly lie to you. I’ve wanted so badly to be a good role model for you, but how could I be that when I couldn’t even be honest with you? How could I expect that same honesty from you when half of our relationship was based on lies?”
Dick had started to quietly laugh, which caused Bruce to stop and stare at him.
“Sorry,” Dick said. “I’m not trying to throw this all back in your face or anything. I wouldn’t do that. But those were some of my same reasons for not wanting to go into your study. How could I look you in the eye when I had gone behind your back and disobeyed you? I didn’t want to. I just…I needed to know.”
“It’s not your fault, Dick,” Bruce said reassuringly. “I didn’t really give you much choice in the matter, did I? Like you said, you were feeling hurt and backed into a corner. I rather doubt I would have been able to stand for it either. You just wanted to know why I kept disappointing you all the time. You deserved an answer, and I’m sorry I didn’t just come right out and tell you. I’m sorry I didn’t feel like I could do that. We talk about pretty much everything else anyway. I don’t know why this one was so difficult.”
They sat in companionable silence for a while, each of them glancing around the Batcave, lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Bruce went on, “Or maybe I do. I kept telling myself, kept telling Alfred, that I was simply protecting you. It’s the same reason I won’t dare tell Aunt Harriet. Because I know she’d be worried sick if she knew what I was really out doing all the time. I can’t bear to put that kind of stress on her, and I couldn’t bear to put it on you either. And well, the fewer people that know, the better.”
“To be fair,” Dick disagreed, “I think that not knowing was worse. Because it was becoming more and more apparent that you were hiding something from me, and I hated the thought that you were lying to me so much.”
“I realized that,” Bruce said, nodding. “It’s easier with Aunt Harriet. I love her, of course, but I’m nowhere near as close to her as I am to you. I don’t cancel nearly as many plans with her as I do with you. I was just lying to myself a lot - that keeping you in the dark would be better for you in the long run.” After a moment of silence, Bruce raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’re not going to up half the night worrying about me when I’m not home now, are you?”
“How can I not?” Dick asked honestly. A slight regretful expression passed over Bruce’s face at this, causing Dick to sigh. “Listen, Bruce. What you said before - that I’ve become like a son to you - it isn’t one-sided, you know. You’ve become so much more like a father to me than I ever thought you would. When I first came here, I didn’t want it to become like that. I felt like letting you take over that rule would be…dishonoring my own father somehow.”
“I know,” Bruce said. “I felt the same way about Alfred after my own parents died. That I was letting him…replace them somehow, and that they’d be hurt by it.”
Dick nodded in agreement. “I tried so hard,” he said, “to not grow close to you. You offered so many times to take me fishing or to just play chess with me, and I’d just lock myself in my room instead.”
“I remember,” Bruce said. “You were so angry, but how could you not be? Believe me, I was the same way. You’d just been through so much, and you simply weren’t sure how to handle it all. It was so much to process and feeling like you might be betraying your parents at the same time just made it worse. I know,” he repeated.
“And I wanted to so badly,” Dick admitted, squinting his eyes at the memory. “I wanted so badly to take you up on those offers, because…I felt so alone. I wanted nothing more than to…have a friend. I spent so many nights up in my room, battling with myself, because I wasn’t sure what to do. But then I thought…just spending a little time with you wouldn’t hurt. My parents might even be happy that I was able to make a friend after everything that had happened. But then I found myself growing closer and closer to you and…it almost happened before I was even able to fully realize it had.”
Dick let out of a soft breath of air, somewhere between a laugh and a small gasp of disbelief. “I remember you waking me up one morning for breakfast, and my first thought was, ‘Dad.’ I was still half asleep. I think I may have even been dreaming about my dad, but the more I woke up, the more I smiled about it - that I at least had you when I couldn’t have him. I just laid there for the longest time with this huge grin on my face. That was when I realized that my parents wouldn’t be hurt by it in the least, because above all, they’d want me to be happy and taken care of. And that’s what you’ve always done for me - made me feel safe, happy, and taken care of. Just like a father would.” He stared up at Bruce, smiling.
Unable to find the words to reply, Bruce simply placed a hand on Dick’s shoulder, squeezing it tightly.
“So of course I’m going to worry,” Dick said, “just like any child would worry if their parent was out doing something potentially dangerous, like a fireman or policeman. It comes with the territory. But I’m just…glad you’re not going to be lying to me anymore, and I’m glad you’re not disappointed in me.”
Bruce turned to look at him quickly. “Why on earth would I be disappointed in you?”
“For going into your study when I promised I wouldn’t.” Dick swallowed hard before asking, “Are you angry with me?”
Bruce shook his head. “I told you, I was hoping you’d find out one way or the other. If that’s what it took you, then so be it. Besides, I wasn’t being completely truthful with you either, so…can we both agree that we made mistakes? I’d say that makes us pretty even, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Dick said around a sigh of relief.
“As long as you don’t make a habit out of it,” Bruce said, that familiar scolding tone of his returning for a brief moment.
“I won’t,” Dick promised around a grin. “Finding out that you were Batman - that was definitely a very special circumstance. I doubt anything on par with that will ever happen again, so I won’t really have need to, will I?”
“I hope not.”
The two of them sat like that for a very long time. Dick wanted to ask something, but he wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Then again, it occurred to him that that was exactly what had gotten them into this position in the first place - hiding things from each other, because they were afraid. If Dick had learned anything in all of this, it was that he could be completely honest with Bruce. After all, there wasn’t anything else quite as earth-shattering as one of them having a secret identity. Whatever it was, he could talk to Bruce about it, and they would work it out. He knew they could.
“Bruce?”
“Hm?”
Rather than come right out and ask his question, Dick fidgeted around a bit. He played with his fingers for a moment before picking at a small patch of discoloration on his blue jeans.
“What, Dick?” Bruce spurred him on. “Whatever it is, you can ask me.”
“Would it be too forward of me to ask who it was?” Dick asked sheepishly. When Bruce didn’t answer right away, Dick said, “It’s not really any of my business anyway.”
Even though Dick’s question was rather vague, Bruce knew exactly what he was getting at, and he didn’t need Dick to clarify at all. Bruce knew a lot of the time, even when Dick didn’t always spell things out for him.
A part of Bruce didn’t really want to tell Dick. It was the same part of him that had wanted to keep him completely sheltered from all of this to begin with. But at the same time, Bruce knew that Dick was never going to let it go. Not now. Besides, how could Bruce continue to hide things from Dick after the events of that day? After everything they had just discussed?
After a very long pause, Bruce finally admitted, “I suppose you’d find out from the television or the newspaper anyway. It’s the Riddler. And it’s not over. I spent the day in Commissioner Gordon’s office, trying to figure out what his next move could be.”
Dick was watching him closely with a curious look on his face. Bruce knew that Dick wanted to ask more, that he most likely wanted to know everything about the case, but he wasn’t going to do anything as bold as come right out and ask. Dick was a rather curious and inquisitive young man. He liked to know everything about what was going on, but he also practiced quite a bit of decorum and didn’t like to seem too pushy or greedy in his questions.
“I’ll tell you what,” Bruce said, picking his mask up in one hand. “Why don’t you go on upstairs? Let me get out of this suit and I’ll be up in a minute.” Bruce checked the clock on the wall over the large mouth of the cave before continuing. “It’s nearly dinnertime anyway. Can’t fight crime on an empty stomach.”
This brought a smile to Dick’s face. Even though he knew that Bruce obviously had so much to do as Batman, Dick still wanted some time with him too. Especially since their weekend away had been entirely ruined by this point, even something as small as a dinner together would be nice.
As they stood up from the steps, Bruce gestured to a large sign on the wall just past the Batpole. It had a large red arrow painted on it, which pointed deeper into the Batcave. It read:
TO SERVICE ELEVATOR
“You can take the service elevator up to the study,” Bruce told him. “I’ll be right there.”
Dick silently made his way down towards the elevator, not bothering to tell Bruce that he was already well aware of the device. He decided that he would never tell anyone that he had been hiding in the study and had seen Alfred use the service elevator just that afternoon. Bruce had already been so forgiving and understanding of Dick’s curiosity in this entire situation, and Dick thought it was best not to push his luck.
Upon calling the elevator, Dick quickly stepped inside and eyed the buttons. He saw there was one for the first floor and one for the second floor. He wasn’t quite sure where the second floor shaft opened up to, so he made a mental note to ask Bruce about that.
As soon as the elevator opened up into the study, Dick stepped out to see Bruce already waiting for him and back in his street clothes. He was seated in one of the armchairs by the fire, and Dick quickly sat down opposite him. Dick leaned in close, and he felt vaguely like a little kid, waiting for some surprise that was coming.
Bruce raised an eyebrow, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and hesitation.
“Did he leave a riddle?” Dick asked eagerly, waving his hand for Bruce to continue.
“You are entirely too excited about this,” Bruce observed. “We are talking about a criminal, after all.”
“Just thought I’d help,” Dick said quietly, “that’s all.” He stared down at his feet for a moment, his face burning uncomfortably. He only wanted for Bruce to include him in some of the other things in his life. It was only now occurring to him just how much Bruce did on a daily basis, so much that didn’t involve Dick. It made Dick feel more left out the more he thought about it, and he only wanted an inkling of what it was his guardian had to deal with.
“I know,” Bruce sighed, staring into the roaring flames in the fireplace. “A part of me still wants to protect you from all of this, that’s all.”
“My parents were killed by criminals,” Dick whispered. “I don’t think I can get any more involved than that.”
Bruce looked back at him quickly, his expression one of sympathy. “Fair enough.”
“Besides,” Dick said, attempting to break up the heavy tension that had settled into the room. “It’s not like I’m actually getting involved in anything the Riddler’s doing. I’m not in any danger. I’m safe and sound here, helping you solve the next riddle. And you must need help or you wouldn’t be here.”
Bruce still didn’t appear entirely convinced, but he decided to confide in Dick anyway. Nodding, Bruce said, “The riddle itself was rather amateur at best, but I’m not sure entirely what he meant by it. ‘Why is a Latin teacher like a criminal’?”
Frowning, Dick considered this for a moment, staring into the fireplace. But then the answer came to him almost immediately. “Because they both have a modus operandi!”
“Exactly,” Bruce agreed, “but what could the Riddler possibly be trying to tell me? The Riddler’s MO is riddles obviously, but that doesn’t exactly help. Something with a Latin teacher possibly, but-”
As soon as Bruce said it, it hit Dick. “Bruce, don’t you see?” he interrupted. “MO! He could be pointing you towards something else that has the same initials!”
“Of course!” Bruce exclaimed, his eyes widening like a light bulb had suddenly lit up over his head.
“It could stand for the Moscow Oblast,” Dick added.
“It could mean molecular orbital, a mathematical function.”
“Modena, a province in Italy.”
“It’s the postal code of Missouri.”
“Molybdenum.”
This earned Dick a stare. Bruce was one of the most brilliant men he knew, even more so now that he knew he was Batman. When Dick was able to come up with something that Bruce had not - better yet, when he simply knew something that his guardian did not - it made Dick feel slightly less inferior.
“It’s a chemical element,” Dick explained, “used in making steel alloys. Its symbol is MO. I just learned it in chemistry.”
“Oh,” Bruce said quietly, seemingly perturbed that he hadn’t thought of this. He blinked several times, the expression on his face becoming one of intense concentration. When he spoke again, it was slowly, something that Dick had become very familiar with. Dick took it as a sign that Bruce’s thoughts were moving so quickly and he was probably afraid of doing anything to interrupt them.
“I seem to remember reading something in the Gotham Times about an old steelworks being closed down and abandoned a few weeks ago due to its unsafe conditions,” Bruce said. “That might be what the Riddler is using as a hideout.”
“Unsafe,” Dick mused. “Sounds like it.”
Bruce immediately sprang to his feet, but he wasn’t quite quick enough to miss the disappointed expression on Dick’s face.
“You’re leaving again?” Dick asked.
Bruce let out a heavy breath, closing his eyes. “Dinner,” he remembered regretfully.
Dick shook his head and said, “Go.” His tone, however, was much more convincing and supportive than it had been just that afternoon. “The sooner you check it, the sooner you might be to closing this case and getting the Riddler back behind bars where he belongs.”
Bruce gave him an encouraging smile. “I just didn’t think I’d be able to solve his riddle so soon. I was resigned to the fact that I’d be pondering it over dinner and for most of the night.”
Dick grinned, knowing a compliment when he heard one. “You’re welcome.”
Bruce turned, heading towards the bust of Shakespeare on his desk. Before he flipped back the playwright’s head, however, he turned back towards Dick. “Why don’t you go find Alfred?” Bruce suggested. “Tell him you know.”
“And give him a heart attack,” Dick snickered. “Don’t you think that’s a lot to drop on him? ‘Hey, Alfred. I know Bruce is Batman. Let’s eat.’”
Bruce smirked, but then he said, “I don’t think he’ll be all that surprised. I’ve been telling him for ages how I was hoping you’d just figure the whole thing out, and he’s been telling me how bright and determined you are. He seemed fairly certain that you’d do it at some point or another. Although he’s been encouraging me forever to just come right out and confide in you about it. He knows how torn up I was about having to lie to you.”
“You don’t have to anymore,” Dick reminded him.
“No,” Bruce said firmly. “Never again, Dick. I promise.” Bruce’s expression suddenly changed into one of uncertainty. “Although I’m not very good at making and keeping promises to you, am I?”
“It’s not your fault,” Dick said. “You didn’t want to, and you wouldn’t unless you absolutely had to. I know that now.”
Bruce nodded appreciatively. “I will keep this one. Whatever it is I’m doing, I won’t lie to you about it anymore.”
“I know,” Dick repeated. “Now go.”
Bruce didn’t say another word, and he knew he didn’t have to. He silently pulled back the head on the bust of Shakespeare, turning the knob that it had opened up underneath. This triggered the bookcase on the other side of the room to spring open. As Bruce closed up the head of Shakespeare and turned to run towards the Batpole, Dick stopped him.
“Bruce?”
Just before he reached for the Batpole, Bruce stopped, turning around to face Dick once more.
“Be careful,” Dick told him.
Bruce nodded once. “I always am.” Without another word, Bruce reached for the Batpole, hoisting himself onto it and disappearing out of sight.
Dick sighed, but it wasn’t one of sadness or disappointment. It was a sound of contentment. He had so much love and respect for Bruce in that moment that he felt like he might bust with the tension it was creating in his chest. Not to mention, he and Bruce had finally put a lot of things on the table that they’d been keeping from each other for a long time. No more lying to each other, no more guilt from being dishonest with the other. They could finally be completely open with each other, and now there was one thing that Dick knew for sure - that he was the most important thing in the world to Bruce and nothing could ever change that.
Smiling, he went to find Alfred.
What could the Riddler possibly be up to?
Is Batman on the right trail?
Will he find the Riddler’s secret hideout?
Will Batman return home safely to Dick?
Tune in next time…
Same fan site…
Same fan channel.
One word of warning:
The worst is yet to come!