I really adored the show, but I really did want to see the inevitable confrontation between Robin and Batman about going rogue like that. I imagine Batman wasn't pleased with his young student, and I think it was a scene worth writing. I'll be doing a lot more for this series, I already have a Kid Flash one next! I'm very much looking forward to the new fandom, the authors I've read have been great. Any requests?

Facing Justice

Robin should have been overjoyed. He had managed to get out of Project Cadmus alive and he was now the de-facto strategist for a team of the Justice League. He had his very own base with his best friend, a beautiful young lady and two people he looked forward to serving with. He was a member of the Justice League, something he had dreamed of since the say he had become a sidekick. So why did he feel like he had a thousand mutant butterflies in his stomach?

After examining all logical variables, the answer was clear. He was still in a lot of trouble. Batman wasn't going to forgive his behavior so easily, Robin was going to have to answer for this and the only question was how. His mentor hadn't mentioned anything, but that was just a tactic to keep the apprentice guessing when the axe would fall. Batman loved to make the punishment worse by making Robin wait for it, wonder how it would come. And it always did, Robin could feel himself sweating through his clothing. He had screwed up big time.

It had all seemed like a big adventure when they had gone down to investigate Cadmus. It was only when they were strapped down and being mined for genetic information that it all became far too real. He could actually die at the hands of his enemies or be de-masked at the hands of his foster father. He wasn't sure which one was worse. Okay, dying was pretty bad.

"You are borrowing trouble. He'll get you no matter how much worrying you do," he told himself. He had to concentrate on other things. The room he had was incredible, with views of the island through the bullet proof glass. His room was spacious with his own bathroom, lab and game system taken from his old room. As requested, he was right next door to Wally and the enormous video game system would allow for many nights of junk food and World of Warcraft. "No point in stressing." He just needed to chill and enjoy the good news, without thinking of the bad news.

Things were good, he kept telling himself. He was finally a member of a team in his own right and he had some major plans to take evil down a peg with his new friends. True, he would miss Gotham with Alfred's warm milk and cookies and the best home in the world, but he could be happy here. As long as he had his mentor and his best friend and plenty of trips home, he would be happy to soak up the sun and the waves and the cute girls in bikinis. It would be an excellent life for the young hero.

That is, if he wasn't hauled back to the Cave for sheer stupidity. It had been twelve hours already and he had still not seen Batman do anything but just ignore him politely. It could be days before it finally happened and by that time, he would be nuttier than Poison Ivy at a logger's convention.

All right, it was time to bite the bullet and take his medicine and metaphor his fate. It was better to die quickly than to wait for the guillotine to fall. He stepped out of his room and padded across the floor, feeling seven again. He could feel the footsie pajamas on him already, all he needed was Alfred following him with a scrub cloth to clean the fingermarks he always left and he would be Dick Grayson again, the scared little circus brat.

Why did he always seem to attract so much trouble? Batman had warned him to use common sense every single mission and somehow, Robin would find himself at the end with an adventure to tell and an angry mentor to ground him.

Ever since he had been adopted, he had been prone to trouble. Being a genius wasn't easy, there were so many interesting buttons to press and programs to crack. It was lucky that Batman had taken him in or he would have likely ended up in juvvie for his endless energy, hacking ability and sheer annoyance factor. He could still remember the night he had tried to run away from home and back to the circus where he belonged. He had been so lonely in that enormous mansion, with nothing to do but be privately tutored by a stiff British butler and be left behind by the only family he had ever known. The circus was pulling out and he was being left stranded behind because he was in witness protection after his parents had been murdered. The whole world had been turned dark and he had been helpless to do anything but wait to hear what would be decided for him.

Then Bruce Wayne had offered to adopt him and everyone had said he was very lucky. The policeman had almost had to put him in juvvie to protect him from the people who killed his parents. He was a "witness" and he had to stay safe because people wanted him dead. Still, visions of a terrible dungeon had terrified him and made him cry more. His parents were gone and he would be in some prison for just seeing it!

"Nah, I'll take him. Thought it would be nice to share my big old boring house with someone," Bruce had said, taking him by the hand and leading him to the fanciest car Dick had ever seen. "In fact, you can stay with me as long as you need a home. How would you like that?"

Today, it was one of the happiest days of Dick's life, but he remembered it quite differently as a child experiencing it. He had hated the thought of juvvie, but being trapped in another prison wasn't much better. Bruce may have taken him in, but he was really busy with his corporation and other things that Dick had yet to learn about. Therefore, he didn't have much time for a lonely little boy with far too much energy who missed his father and mother far too much. After Dick had amused himself by climbing up and swinging on the chandelier, his new handler Alfred the butler had put his foot down and insisted that Dick have a proper structured schedule. Confined to his room and the kitchen with nothing to do but study, it was a bigger cell to pine in!

Two days into his new home, it was the final straw. Dick had been sent to bed without dinner for using the banister as a giant slide. Enough was enough! He had climbed out the window, vowing to return to his family in the circus. Climbing down the oak tree outside his window, he dashed off into the dark forest surrounding the estate. The town had to be around here somehow, he would call the circus and beg to be taken back!

Of course, he hadn't realized how big the grounds were. Dick had run lost through the forests, completely lost and shivering. It had been so dark and he knew that he was in danger, but he had been so frightened and didn't know what to do. He was lost and clad only in pajamas; he was helpless against the elements. Bursting into tears, he had crouched beneath a tree and wished for his parents to do something….anything to help him. He just wanted them to come back and hold him close and tell him everything was going to be okay. But they were dead and he was lost and cold and alone!

The trees made angry hands above him, like monsters waiting to grab him. Shivering in cold, he thought of the warm room he had left. Suddenly, the boring furniture and lack of sweets seemed like a paradise. He would do anything to get back there, where he would be safe. He just didn't know how to get back there, it was so dark and he had no way of knowing if he was getting further or closer to the house. He could wait till morning, but he didn't know how long he could last out here. "Someone, please find me," he whispered. Someone had to be around this place!

The sounds of rustling leaves filled the air and Dick's blood ran cold. He didn't know the manor had wolves around but he sure didn't want to meet one. Scrambling up a tree, he winced as the sharp branches tore into his thin pajamas. The rustling were getting closer, they were going to find him and eat him and…

Suddenly, a dark shadow had lifted him up, carrying him as gently as a feather as they flew through the air. Dick squirmed to avoid getting kidnapped, but the shadow was holding him in an iron grip. "Where are you taking me?" he whispered, his voice too choked up from crying to scream. "Who are you?" Could it be the people who killed his parents? "Please, let me go!"

There was no answer, but when Dick had opened his eyes again, he was back in his bed. He had almost wondered if it had been a dream and he had been lying here all night. The shadow had quickly dispelled him of that thought. "Either you tell Bruce or I will," it had hissed in his ear. "You're lucky it wasn't the people who are hunting you."

"He won't believe you," Dick had said, sounding braver. "You're just a shadow." The shudder of terror in his voice had spoken otherwise. "I don't have to listen to you." Of course, knowing the shadow could be lurking around; taking him somewhere worse if he didn't behave. Defying the spirit seemed like a very bad idea, especially now that he remembered that there were people who wanted to hurt him.

Dick had tremblingly tiptoed down the endless hall of his new home and knocked on his new guardian's door. "Come in," a calm voice said. Dick briefly considered running back to his room and hiding under the bed. What if he was sent back to that awful cell in Irongate because Bruce didn't want him around anymore?

Forcing the door open, Dick shuffled inside. "I need to talk to you," he whispered, staring at his dirty feet. "I…" he began, wiping his eyes with a grubby hand. "I…didn't mean to bother you." Maybe if he just avoided the topic, the spirit wouldn't know what happened.

Bruce was standing at his side in a moment, kneeling down so they were eye to eye. "You never bother me," he said sadly, brushing back Dick's hair. "I'm just glad you're safe and back here when you belong."

Dick stamped his foot. "The spirit told you!" he accused angrily. "He said he would let me tell you, but he didn't!" That mean stupid shadow had spoiled everything and one day, Dick would find it and pin it to a wall. "Don't believe anything he said!"

"Dick, what spirit? You're covered in dirt and the mansion security system noted your window had been opened completely. A video camera outside your room saw you escape. I was just about to call the police when you came back," Bruce explained, with a bemused smile. "What are you talking about, a spirit?"

Dick shrugged. "A spirit found me and carried me back. I know you won't believe me, but it's true," he said, staring at his feet. He knew what he saw and he had seen a spirit. Was it the ghosts of his parents? Unlikely.

"Well, you aren't a liar, so if you say it's a spirit, I will believe you. But you know why you need to stay put. There are some pretty bad people after you and in here, we have a security system. I would be devastated if something happened to you. You're a smart boy, you know what's right. Why did you want to leave? Are you unhappy here that you'd risk your life?" Bruce asked, giving him a warm hug. "I know it's hard, but I think if you give it a chance, you'll like it here." And he did, he really did like it now.

"I know, I'm sorry," Dick whispered, falling into tears. "I just miss the circus so much. I just want…" He wanted everything to go back to normal. He wanted to wake up in the trailer of the circus, watching his mother make breakfast and his father come in from feeding the elephants. He wanted his life back. "I don't want to hide here. I don't want people chasing me. I don't want my parents to be…" he couldn't' finish that sentence.

"You want your parents back. I know, I was your age when I lost my parents. It wasn't easy. I felt very alone in the world too." Bruce said softly. "I remember being so angry at the world…it was horrible. I can imagine it's very scary for you, since you also lost your home. You must feel very lost. "

"I am not scared. I'm sad," Dick admitted. He felt safe around Bruce, he knew that the billionare wouldn't hurt him. He had a good feeling about it. "I'm very brave, I'm not scared of anything." Besides spirits and gangsters who wanted him dead!

"But it does get better, the pain gets easier to bear. And if you let me, I'll help you. I've been busy lately, but I'll have Alfred bring you to visit me at work. I have a lot to teach you," Bruce said softly, pressing Dick into his shoulder. It felt good to be hugged again, it was almost like his dad hugging him. "I'm going to keep you safe and I'm going to make sure this place becomes a home for you, if you'd like."

Dick relaxed into the hug. "I'm….i think I'll stay," he finally said softly. "I promise, I won't run away again. I was just scared you wouldn't like me anymore because I ran away." He sobbed more at that, so confused.

"Of course not. You said you want to stay, you're family now. And nothing you do can ever change that. No matter what you do, you're my ward," Bruce said, as he picked up Dick and carried him out of the room, back to his bedroom. "I want you around. I know I'm busy, but I promise I will make sure to come home to spend time with you. And your parents would be really proud of you. I want you to know that. "

Dick smiled. "I like being here," he finally admitted. He imagined a nice wealthy guy like Bruce would buy him a lot of nice stuff and he had a list. He was sure he could learn to like his new family very much. He could miss his parents and still like his new guardian, right? The feelings of sadness faded away slightly, as he borrowed into Bruce's arms.

"Good that you like being here, because you are grounded for the next month. You'll be copying the encyclopedia by hand," Bruce said, as Dick's grin faded. "I said you'll always be family. And that means being raised with a proper work ethic, strict self discipline and a sense of responsibility, which means you get punished when you misbehave. Running away is against the rules, a smart boy like you should know that. "

"But Bruce!" Dick protested hotly. "I just moved in, you can't do this to me. I said I was sorry and wasn't I punished enough? I had a mean spirit pick me up and carry me around." He didn't like being punished, especially in his first week when he was just about ready to be spoiled. "You said you wanted me to be happy here. Being grounded doesn't make me happy. Buying me presents makes me happy."

"I know you have gone through a lot of changes, and I think a sense of structure will help you adjust. Your life has changed, Dick. As my ward, you have a great deal of privilege. Do you understand what I mean?" Bruce explained in a calm tone that brooked no resistance. It was terrible!

"You'll give me nice stuff when I'm good, but take it away when I'm bad?" Dick asked, wondering how Bruce could be so amazing and then so mean at the same time. "I'll be good, I really will." He really wanted those new toys. He had even made a list, he wanted a dirt bike, a new video game and a jet plane.

"You're a kid, I know you can't always be good without being taught properly," Bruce said, hugging him close. "If your parents were alive, that would be their work. But now it's up to me and I want to do a good job, just like Alfred did for me. Do you think I had all the toys and things I wanted when I was your age?" he asked.

Dick nodded. "The police say you're a billionaire, you're the richest guy in the world. So you have everything, you must have had a great life," Dick said, still angry at the idea of being grounded. He didn't deserve it, he had tried to be good. He only remembered a second later that Bruce had lost his parents too. "Is that part…about you being the richest guy in the world true?" This house was bigger than a city, it had to be.

Bruce gave a short laugh. "That's not a discussion for now. I have enough resources to take care of you," he said, which confirmed the answer. "That's all you need to know. It's all I knew when I was your age, Alfred didn't let me get too spoiled. I still had chores and a very small allowance. I had to work hard for everything and so I appreciated what I have now. I plan to give you the same life, you'll be given a lot of opportunities most people can't have. I want to make sure you're ready for them."

"I don't want challenges. I want toys," Dick whined, really hating how badly things had gone. "Come on, you are new at being a dad. I'm a pro at being a kid. I should be teaching you!" he said, earning himself a chuckle.

"We can learn from each other. I am going to give you the tools for the future, not indulging you with lots of toys. I'll give you an education; give you the chance to have any career you want. A doctor, a lawyer, a businessman, a journalist," Bruce said, depositing Dick on the bed. "Anything you want to be, I can help you." He sounded like such a dad, Dick blinked back tears. He wished his parents could have met Bruce, they would have liked him.

"What if I want to be a rock musician?" Dick asked insolently to cover his sadness. "Big hair, lots of tattoos, all scary and leather." He just wanted to get some revenge on Bruce for making such a nice moment become so horrible.

"Some piano or violin lessons would be good for you. A classical musical education is very beneficial. And with your flexibility, you could do ballet." Bruce seemed to catch on quickly. "We'll discuss it in the morning, I'll have Alfred give you a bath as well. You need your rest more than you need to be clean. Have a good night," he said softly, tucking Dick in before shutting the lights. "And don't let the spirits bite."

Dick pulled the covers up to his chin as Bruce left, tearfully mourning the loss of his beloved video games. He had already promised not to run away again, but he wasn't happy about being grounded. He didn't think it was fair, Bruce had been way too harsh on him. Bruce should have let it slide this time. he would have to consider throwing a pouting session in the morning.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that the shadow had returned. "Who are you?" Dick whispered, wondering where Bruce was! "Are you…my parents?" he asked in a soft voice. Maybe his parents had come back to watch over him. There was no answer to that and Dick knew for sure, that it wasn't' them. Whoever it was, they were allowed to rescue him but this invading of his room would not be allowed. He was Bruce Wayne's ward, he was supposed to be safe. "I'll scream, Bruce will come and he'll fight you off. He's a billionaire, he's so powerful!" It sounded scary enough in his head, but all he knew was how terrified he was now with this horrible monster in his room that just seemed to come out of the shadows without even noticing.

There was a sound, halfway between a snort and a cough. "I'm Batman. I'll be watching you." Batman…the Dark Knight had decided he was worth monitoring? Dick decided that he would willingly spent the next month confined to the manor, with only Alfred to check on his homework. He was too frightened to even go outside without permission. Even the worst criminals were afraid of Batman. "Stay put and do as you're told. Otherwise, I will find you."

Now that he realized the shadow and the guardian were the same person, he had to admit he felt silly being afraid. Both were the same sides of the coin of the man he thought of as his second father, the kind philanthropist and the heroic mentor. He honestly loved the man. He should be happy for a chat. Though at this moment, he was quite terrified. He had screwed up and he knew he would have to pay for it, but how? He was too old to be punished like some little kid, he would prefer death than have Kid Flash snicker at him and call him "Baby Robin."

Batman had appropriated the biggest office as mission commander, and it didn't take long to reach it. It Robin knocked and felt his knees shake again. "May I come in?" A grunt through the door announced in the affirmative. Robin pushed in the door with his foot and entered, proverbial hat in hand. "I thought we should talk." Talking was good for the soul and the sidekick.

Batman was seated in a chair, studying a bunch of maps thoroughly. He wasn't looking up at him, sparing Robin another glare but making his mentor harder to read. "Now you come?" he asked in a dark voice said, as if he had been listening to the mental rant and waiting for the right moment. As the dark mood loomed through the room, Robin resisted the urge to snap his heels together and salute. Somehow, Batman managed to give off this air of absolute power. He nodded and tried to look cool as a cucumber.

"I can always spare some time for you," Robin said lightly, trying to make his mentor smile. Sometimes, it actually worked and made things a bit better. Other times, it would have him scrubbing the Bat Cave with a toothbrush for insolence. Fifty-fifty risk. "So…ummm…about what happened?" he began, trailing off worriedly. Yeah, he didn't have an explanation for that one prepared and a confident grin wouldn't exactly work. That and his voice was squeaking nervously.

"What exactly did you think you were playing at last night?" Batman growled, glaring at him from over the maps. Robin managed to keep his knees from knocking by sheer force of will. "Do you think hero business is some kind of game you and West to play?" he demanded, making the apprentice shift his weight from side to side. Robin had a sudden urge to plead temporary insanity. "Do you think this is some kind of joke?"

"Of course not," Robin said softly. "I didn't find anything funny about clones. Clowns…maybe," he cracked, before realizing how very unfunny that joke was. He knew how horrible a clown could truly be. "Motion to strike that from the record under grounds of idiocy?" he pleaded.

"You're acting like a child. You have the most experience, but you weren't selected leader. I didn't train you to be some class comedian, cracking jokes and codes. Someday, you could become the Batman and you need to start acting like it," Batman said severely, obviously very put out by the whole exchange. "Don't you want to be a hero?"

"I could ask you the same question. You were going to leave me and Kid Flash in the library, how would that have made me useful to truth, justice and the American way?" he asked. "I know you want to keep me safe, but you're the one who gave me a mask. I meant what I said. This is what you trained us for, to be heroes. Otherwise, you should have never trained me, if you planned for me to become some ordinary kid," Robin said, dignifying his light tone with sensible words and holding his hands out. It stung what he said, he had expected to be leader and it had been shameful to admit some barnacle boy from Atlantis would be calling the shots, insulting humans everywhere. He knew it was a fair critique, Batman had never been cruel to him, but he just exuded terror and authority naturally. Robin wondered if he had been that way as a baby, but decided that was a very foolish question to ask right now.

"Sometimes I regret giving you this mask. I should have forced you to live a normal life, sent you to Eton where you wouldn't have gotten into trouble. You would be playing rugby and not fighting monsters," Batman snapped, sounding more annoyed with life than with his apprentice, a very good sign. "But you said this was your path and you would agree to the sacrifices it meant. That means not being able to just claim you're a kid when you make mistakes. "

"I know, someday I will be helping you run Wayne Enterprises and the Justice League. I will work harder to become leader." It was a vow he intended to keep. "Come on, you have to forgive me. We managed to uncover a big plot. I know, next time, you'll send me to military school. I'm sorry." That was a serious threat, he had been sure Bruce would have shipped him off for what happened today. "I was scared I wouldn't ever see you again." That would soften his mentor.

"I'm glad you understand. Just remember, your success doesn't give you the right to act like a fool. I may have allowed you and your friends to work with us, but you will never act against orders again," Batman said, his cold tone thawing a tad.

"Perfect copy, I get it," Robin said, his voice managing to keep steady. He didn't want to know what happened the next time he broke the rules, and with his luck, there would be a next time. "If I ever behave badly again, I will fully deserve the horrible punishment you find for me."

"I hope so. I made you who you are and I can unmake you. You may be my apprentice but you're also my ward and I can take you home any time I feel like it," Batman said, removing his cowl and becoming Bruce again. "Is that understood?" His tone softened automatically as he became the billionaire playboy again. The scary Dark Knight was actually a young billionare playboy who had just reached his thirtieth birthday.

Robin removed his mask, becoming Dick Grayson, devoted son again. "Way to go all parental. I promise, I'll be good from now on," he said, suddenly very glad that it would be Bruce chewing him out. Lectures seemed so much worse with the mask than without it.

"I am your parent. I legally adopted you, Mr. Grayson. That means I'm responsible for keeping you alive till your twenty-first birthday, heaven help me. Besides, Alfred would have my head if anything happened to you, he's awfully fond of you. You are only thirteen and I'm not losing you yet," Bruce said, ruffling Dick's messy dark hair. "So no more dumb behavior."

Dick glowed under the affectionate words. He was a pretty lucky kid after all. "Come on, you must be a little proud of me." He knew his mentor well enough, the tiny signs that showed that he was pleased with him. There was that twinkle in his eyes that few ever got to enjoy. "I did save the day, and brought down a serious threat. I was the one doing most of it, the others were just there for back up. It wasn't all a failure, if you recall correctly."

"I could be prouder. According to the debriefing, it took you seven minutes to pick the locks. Unacceptable," Bruce growled, folding his arms. "I expect better. Two minutes or less is what keeps you alive," he reminded him with a poke in the ribs. "Hacking may be more fun, but if your hands are tied, it's of no use." Why did he always have to be right? Still, it was as close to a compliment imperfect work would get. "I noticed quite a few mistakes were made. We'll go over them in debriefing tomorrow."

"I know, I know," Dick said, hopping onto a chair top. He deserved this, he had admitted it himself. He really needed to brush up on his escapology. "I'll be practicing hard from now on. But you have to admit, my hacking skills were whelming," he said proudly. "It's my new word, like it?"

"Whelm, an act or instance of flowing or heaping up abundantly; a surge," Bruce said, rolling his eyes as he took out a tray of locks. "It's a word. You are overwhelmed by teen hormones impeding your judgment. I am underwhelmed by your lock picking abilities. Remedy it. Crack these. I'll be timing you."

Dick rolled his eyes. "You really know how to take the fun out of vocabulary. Let's get to work." Things were as they should be. His mentor was happier, he had a team and he wasn't scrubbing the Bat Cave floor with a toothbrush.

"If it makes you feel better, Flash is going to be raking little Flash over the coals as we speak. He may be laid back, but he can sure shout and ground as well as any mentor," Bruce said with a grin. "So you aren't the only one getting called on your behavior. And I can say, at least you aren't Speedy. I suppose yesterday could have been worse," As Robin shared a smile with his mentor, he knew one thing.

Life was good.

AN-A fluff piece, but a fun one! Hope you enjoyed it. Poor Robin! I kinda feel bad for him, even though his mentor really shows his care quite openly. I loved how Batman smiled at him and patted his shoulder.