Chapter 4. Hi!

I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

I, sadly, so not own these characters, or anything.

Still, Enjoy!

Dick cracked open his eyes. The sunlight streamed in his window. There was an old man at the window opening the curtains further. Dick liked how the sunlight warmed his face.

"Ab Uruguay." Richard mumbled. The old man, Alfred turned.

"Master Richard! How are you this morning? Would you like some food?" Dick nodded. "What would you like?" the kindhearted butler asked.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Dick said his accent still very heavy. Alfred scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"Tell you what, Master Richard?"

"Do you know?"

"Know what, Master Richard?"

"I want eggs and sausage." Dick said, trying to sit up more. Alfred came up to the boy, and slid him up before he could put weight on his arm. Alfred spun the boy around and undid the buttons on the nightgown the boy wore. Last night, when he had been putting the boy to bed, he had the boy wear long, black, soft cotton pants and a matching nightshirt. Alfred sighed, hoping the boy wouldn't notice his arm. Bruce had been very worried, that and had brought home five unexpected guests!

"Master Bruce, I should scold that man." Alfred muttered under his breath. Dick, who had just done an adorable one arm up, lean back yawn, looked at Alfred sleepily. Alfred chortled. "It is a good thing I don't need to scold you!" Alfred said with laughter in his voice. Dick smiled.

Alfred, who had finished unbuttoning the nightgown, brought Dick a soft, loose, red cotton shirt. He also brought some black sweat pants. They had yet to get the boy some, in Alfred's mind, decent clothes.

"My arm hurts." Dick said. Then, Dick looked at his still bare arm, just as Alfred puts the shirt over his head. Alfred eases the injured arm through the sleeve; bit Dick put his left arm through the other sleeve quickly.

"Yes, it wasn't deep, just like a half-inch cut. It might hurt for a little while, but it will heal and not even scar." Alfred said soothingly.

"Did Batman save me?" Dick asked, looking at his feet.

"Yes, now finish dressing and I shall make you pancakes." Alfred turned and smiled as he heard the boy getting ready behind him.

Eight minutes and 13 minutes later, Dick came down the steps sliding down the banister. When he got to het bottom, he used the momentum to throw his legs in the air and do a handstand. This is how he always went down the stairs, but he always thought no one was watching. Dicks arm throbbed so much, he almost fell over, but the acrobat pushed off the banister and landed on his feet. He gripped his throbbing arm. Dick blinked away his tears, and then skipped into the kitchen.

"Hey, Alfred! Can I eat pancakes now?"

"The correct phrasing is, 'may I eat some pancakes now.'" The gentle butler corrected.

The heroes who had been hiding in various spots, watching Dick, gathered into the living room. Bruce was sagged in a leather chair, open hand over his eyes.

"Well, that boy is tough." Hal said, sitting down to drink the amazing coffee Alfred had made. Bruce nodded, silent.

"Bruce?" Diana asked. No answer.

"I am actually surprised on how difficult you are making this, Bruce." Clark started. "It is obvious you wouldn't be able to sleep if you didn't know where the kid was 24/7." Clark smiled into his coffee mug. No visual response from Bruce. The heroes heard some thunking as a person clambered down the stairs. James appeared in the doorway.

"Thanks for the room tonight, sir. I'll be back at 11." The young man threw on his shirt and left. No one knew that a certain circus boy was watching the front lawn and had seen the familiar figure leave.

"Bruce, do you even need to think about it? James would be ticked if you didn't keep him." Shayera said, sipping her coffee. Bruce uncovered his eyes and huffed.

"I don't want him to get into anymore trouble. If I could get Zucco behind bars this would be so much easier. What if Dick…" Bruce stopped when he saw his young ward walk into the room. Bruce had a fleeting thought of 'thank goodness no one is in uniform' when Dick pointed at Oliver and yelled "Green Arrod!" Flash of course burst into laughter.

"Kid? It is pronounced Green Arrow, but why are you calling me that?" Ollie said, pride and secret I.D. battling inside him.

"Huh? It not obvious? You the same shape." Dick said, tilting one head to the side. Ollie's jaw dropped. Dick wasn't done though. "Black haired lady is Wonder Lady, and that is Flashy, and the Martian, and Superman!" Dick seemed really proud of himself. Bruce stood up tiredly.

"Richard, I think you must be tired. You were out late and got injured. Why don't we visit the doctor so that cut can be looked at by a professional?" Bruce knew very few people could beat Alfred in the medical field, but that was part of the cover. Dick frowned.

"No. That guy that left was Cop-man! I want you to tell the truth!" Dick crossed his arms, but flinched when he brushed his injury. Bruce stood tall and looked at Dick curiously.

"Why do you think that my guests are superheroes?" Bruce asked. Dick looked at Bruce carefully, suspicion bright in his eyes.

"In circus, everyone wears mask. You don't use face to recognize the guy responsible for your gear, you life-line, and your family." Dick's voice grew bitter. Dick was also giving a very good impression of the bat-glare.

"Mister Wayne, I wanna get even with Zucco." Dick sounded more scared then angry, but Bruce recognized the stance the young boy in front of him held. Had he not done the same to Alfred when his parents had been murdered?

"No. Go back and finish your breakfast." Bruce ordered.

"No to you! You not my Tati!" Dick yelled, and then the boy turned and ran into the kitchen.

"What is a Tati?" Flash/Barry asked.

"Father." Bruce said. The dark man walked out of the room silently, but before he left, "I trust you will all be out of my city by nightfall?" Everyone was out by noon.

"I don't want to leave!" Dick cried into Alfred's arms. The man had been surprised to find the boy behind him, eyes brimming with tears. At first the boy said his arm hurt, but he had barreled into Alfred's arms, crying.

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked.

"Mister Wayne, he, he said he wasn't going to keep me here! I don't want to leave! I like it here, I like Mister Wayne!" Dick cried.

"I heard you say Master Wayne's guests were superheroes." Alfred said. Dick nodded.

"They are, but Mister Wayne was the hardest to find out. Did you know he is Batman? I knew. I knew when I first met Mister Wayne. My tati talked about Batman like a hero. Mister Wayne is my hero, but he is Batman too. I can tell when he frowns. I don't want him to frown. He is grumpy. He wants me to leave, I don't want to. Alfred, don't let me leave!" Alfred looked straight into the young boys eyes. He then saw Bruce's shadow in the doorway.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Alfred prompted, gentling guiding the boy to the large man. The two stared at each other, sharing a private conversation, just by staring.

"Richard, would you like to stay?"

"Yes sir."

"Would you like to learn?"

"Yes sir."

"Can you keep secrets?"

"Yes sir."

"Are you willing to save other kids so they won't end up like you, or me?"

"I would, sir."

"Richard Grayson, will you please be my ward and maybe we can help each other." Bruce said, smiling softly. Oh he was never letting this kid go, he loved the boy already.

"Well then, welcome to the Wayne manor." Bruce said.

"Sir? Can I help Batman?"

"We'll see." Dick smiled brightly. Bruce knew what his colleagues would think of him letting an 8 year old boy help him, but this kid was special.

"Dick, why don't you follow me?" The dark knight took the circus boy's hand and led him down the tunnel that would be their life for years to come.