Robin one shot part 3!

Bruises from Bruce pt 2

Last time on Bruce is a bad dad

Clark opens his door to find Dick asking for shelter. He lets the kid in only to learn that Bruce has been abusing him lately and Dick insists that nobody can know he's here because Bruce will find him that way. Whilst Lois gets him to bed, Clark is left with what to do next. Whilst he wants to honour Dick's wish for everything to stay quiet, he can't let Bruce get away with this behaviour. He decides to concentrate on the boy's well being for the evening and work through things in the morning.

CONTENT WARNINGS STILL APPLY AS CHILD ABUSE IS A CONTINUING THEME 

https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/report/

https://www.legalmomentum.org/referral-directory/childhelp-usa-national-child-abuse-hotline

It was a quiet night after they got Dick to bed and that sentiment continued throughout the morning as Clark began breakfast. Neither of the couple had the heart to wake the teenager sleeping so soundly in the next room. He needed as much as he could get. They'd wake him eventually of course since he needed to eat at some point and they needed to have a serious talk about what would happen next but for now, they were letting him sleep. Lois tapped the table as she thought about the situation they were in, her other hand wrapped around her coffee cup. She'd need the caffeine for the day ahead. She couldn't believe the problem that had fallen into their lap. Bruce had been different in the passing years as that playboy billionaire persona began to wear thin. There'd been hints that he wasn't the best with kids considering every sidekick he had soon distanced themselves from him but she thought that's just what kids did. Well, these hero kids at least. She assumed they just wanted out of his shadow to start their own lives but had she been far to naive? Had they all been too naive? "We've got to tell someone," Clark stated, unable to keep it in. "We can't just keep him here without telling anyone. There'll be questions and Bruce will find out."

"The bastard does know all," Lois sighed into her cup.

"Lois!"

"Well, he is a bastard. You saw what he did to that poor boy," she defended. He hummed in defeat and began plating up their food. She had a point but he wouldn't be one to repeat it. She took a sip as she ruminated on what their options were. There weren't many if she were honest but that didn't mean there were none. "Do you think Bruce has done this before?"

"I have no idea. The others never mentioned anything like this. Perhaps the man has finally lost the plot," Clark thought aloud. It felt horrible to think but he'd find some comfort if Bruce had just gone mad or maybe was being mind-controlled. Perhaps this Bruce was some sort of shapeshifter and the real one was locked up somewhere far away. He would feel better about that. Yet he had a feeling that the simplest answer was the right one. Bruce wasn't a good man and took his anger out on the people he saw as weaker than him. Without criminals readily available, there was another option sitting there. It was painful to think about it. Dick had idolised the billionaire and to have that shattered into pieces, he couldn't imagine it. 

"You need to tell the others even if Dick says he wants to keep it quiet."

"I can't mess with the boy's trust like that," Clark replied though he was halfhearted. He knew it was for the best and after all Dick was thirteen. He may be smart for his age and more mature than the likes of Barry but he was still a child. They needed to do what was best for him. Then again, he had a point about Bruce's status. He'd have the best lawyers in the business, and the respect of the judge and the jury because who the hell hasn't heard of Bruce Wayne and Gotham was well Gotham. He doubted there'd be much justice even after a lengthy court case. Still, it felt like the right thing to do.