Of Bats and Birds

By

Angelina

A/N This will be a series containing stories of a younger Robin and Batman. This is an indirect sequel to Many Meetings and will include Robin's first meeting with the Justice League and individual members. You do not have to read Many Meetings to understand what is going on here, but that would make me happy :)

And since CN seems to be making up their own canon so will I. You have been forewarned.

Robin is also eight in this series, not nine. I know CN has him as being nine when he first started being Robin, but oh well; it's my story, deal with it.

So without further ado here is my new series: Of Bats and Birds

Call Me Dick

By

Angelina

It was a sunny day in Gotham. Bruce hated sunny days; they made everything so cheerful and light-hearted. Bruce hated cheerful. But he was willing to put up with the sunshine since it made the newest occupant of Wayne Manor happy.

Young Richard was currently cavorting about Alfred's highly manicured lawn, much to the chagrin of the butler. Bruce laughed, watching the child back-flip over the carefully cut hedges and pruned flowerbeds, completely ignoring Alfred's indignant cries.

In some weird way this curious, loud, bright, happy, social butterfly, and the total opposite of him child seemed to complete his life. And for the first time since his parents' death, Bruce was happy.

Gah! He was turning into Superman.

It had been nearly three months since Bruce had taken in Richard. The first few weeks had been the most trying to get through. Bruce had no idea how to care for a child and Alfred had been stuck comforting the child as he cried through the night.

Bruce had taken in the boy out of sympathy, because he knew what it was like to watch your parents be murdered in front of your eyes. However, he had not been ready for the challenge that a child poised, and especially that of a broken-hearted child.

But slowly, as time wore on, Bruce was getting used to the idea of having someone else in the Manor. Getting used to having someone, besides Alfred, in his life again.

Richard had brought a bright ray of sunshine into the darkness that was Bruce's life. No longer was he just the night, but now he was also the day to someone very special. And Batman had something more than just justice to fight for, now he was fighting to make Gotham a better place for his own to grow up in.

No matter what anyone said about them, Bruce would forever be glad that he took Richard in. He was glad to have laughter to light up the halls of Wayne Manor, glad to have sunshine in his dark life, even glad to have the toys all around the Manor that he constantly tripped over. They say (though who the proverbial they are, Bruce never knew), that a child changes everything. Bruce was beginning to see how right they were.

"Master Richard, it is high time that you got your homework done!" the flustered Alfred admonished as Richard flipped over the water fountain and somersaulted onto the grass, staining his clothing in the process.

"I already, uh… terminat." The boy rarely spoke, and then it usually was in his native tongue. They were still working on his English.

"Very well then, Master Richard, why don't you go inside and play with Master Bruce for me."

Richard nodded silently and Alfred sighed thankfully as the bundle of energy skipped towards the house, an uncomfortable looking Bruce striding in his wake.

Once inside Richard led Bruce to his toys, picked up a toy truck, and held it out to Bruce expectantly.

"Oh no Richard, I don't play." While Bruce was getting used to having a child, that didn't mean he was comfortable in all areas of child-rearing, especially that of playing. Bruce had long ago forgotten how to have fun, Batman had taken that from him.

Richard started pouting, his bottom lip stuck out and his blue eyes beguiling the elder man. Curse those eyes! Bruce always had such a hard time resisting them.

The pouting intensified and a few moments later Bruce caved, as he knew he would.

"Alright Richard, you win." Bruce took the toy truck offered to him.

"Call me Dick." The young boy smiled shyly up at the billionaire as he slipped his tiny hand into the elder man's much larger one.

"Alright, Dick it is."

Together they sat down in the middle of Alfred's immaculately clean sitting room and began playing with toy cars. Before long, they were both laughing as they imitated the sounds of sports cars, airplanes, trucks, and the Batmobile.

A large smile lit up Bruce's face. He really was turning into Superman, but as long as he could be this boy's Superman, he didn't care.

A/N Yes, I did steal the title from Moby Dick, deal with it!

Sorry that was so fluffy, but I just love fluff and stuff!

I am drowning in a sea of College essays and applications, Scholarship essays and applications, and financial aid applications. So I will probably not be updating that often, sorry. I will be able to relax around Christmas but until then, I need a lot of caffeine and a speedster's brain.

Which Justice League member do you want to see Robin meet first?