Until marriage-Superbat

Dick Grayson

Wayne Manor 1 pm

I arrived home and took off my bat suit. I took the elevator to upstairs, where Alfred was already waiting for me in the living room.

"Welcome back, sir! I hope you enjoyed your trip" he said but I didn't have time for chatting. I have to make a plan as soon as posible, so I wanted to go to the library but it was locked.
"Alfred, why is this door locked?" I turned to him for answers.
"I have to inform you that a boy tried to break into the house three days ago. I managed to capture him in the library"
"And why is he still here?" I looked at him confused.
"Because I thought you wanted to talk to him before we let him go. He got threw your security system" he said because he knew it would make me curious.
"Fine, I'll talk to him" I promised. I wrote in the password and the door opened.

When I stepped in, I thought there was a hurricane. All the furniture were in another position and my books were lying on the floor. The boy was on top of the bookshelf but he wasn't looking at me.

"I've just had lunch, Alfred. I'm not hungry" he said while turning a page in the book he was reading.
"I'm glad that you're not hungry because I didn't bring you anything" I said and I closed the door behind me. He was surprised that it wasn't the old butler this time.
"Who are you?" he asked as he stood up on the bookshelf.
"I'm Bruce Wayne, and you are?" I asked while I set up one of the armchairs and sat on it.
"Dick Grayson" he said after a moment's hesitation and he jumped down from the shelf. He landed on the floor without a sound. It was like he was practicing this for ages. A plan begind to form in my head.
"Nice to meet you, Dick.  Can I ask a question? How could you break into the house? It has more security than the Gotham Bank"
"I jumped through the gate and I could see the traps so I didn't activated them but they were hiding very well" he said playfuly. I started to like this boy and I wanted him in my plan.
"Thank you, I'll pay more attention to this in the future. Why did you break in here?" I asked very interested.
"We made a bet with the boys and I won because I got in the house. I didn't expect Alfred" he said a little bit sadly.
"You wouldn't expect him to be that fast" I said laughing and he also smiled a little bit. I think he was worried about what would happen to him so I made him an offer. "You know, I want to throw a party and invite a lot of powerful and rich people. I would like to ask you to be there and spy on them" I said emotionless and I could see on his face that he hadn't expected this change of subject.
"And what if I don't want to be a spy?" he asked and all happiness disappeared from his voice. It made him look much older and very similar to how I used to look.

He reminded me to myself. He had a messy black hair and almost black eyes full of suspicion. He was only 10 centimeters shorter than me and maybe around 16. He looked skinny but I knew he's very strong if he could climb over my fence. I felt the intensity of his personality. He doesn't like to sit still, he always has to do something. About the way he spoke I could see that he isn't a criminal and he didn't want to do anything wrong. I decided to trust him.

"Come with me" I said as I stood up and left the library, leaving the door open. I didn't have to look back to make sure that he's following me. I pulled one of the candlesticks above the fireplace and it turned around. I could hear Dick's surprised gasp.

There was nothing on the other side of the fireplace but if you step on the movable floor, it turns back and there you can see the elevator panel and the cave below you. We went down and the boy looked around in amazement. I sat down on the table next to the batcomputer and followed the boy with my eyes. When he saw the Batman suit, he looked back at me in shock.

"You're Batman" he said whispering but his voice echoed in the cave. I nodded at him smiling.
"Yes, and I need you to be my eyes and ears. People know me too well in both my forms but one of the advantages of being a kid is that no one thinks you can be dangerous"
"That's true but I don't think it'll work for me. I've been gone too long and besides being punished I don't think She will let me out again in this century" he said sadly.
"I can talk with your parents if you want" I said but he shook his head saying no.
"My parents are dead" he said quickly. Now I know why he is so similar to me.
"Than who is that She?" I asked not even trying to say sorry. I knew it means nothing in this case.
"The patron in the orphanage. She's always shouting if we don't do what she wants and sometimes she also beats us"
"Which orphanage is this?" I could feel the anger growing inside me.
"Yours" he said seriously and I could see the anger in his eyes. The same burning anger I felt. "I know you have more important things to do, as I can see, but sometimes you have to check on your workers"
"I'll take your advice. Let's visit your patron" I said and, I don't even remember the last time I was this furious.

Gotham, Martha Wayne Orphanage 3 pm

I was speeding through downtown at record speed when I remembered that there was a child next to me, but Dick seemed calm. I think I somehow earned his trust.

When we got out from the car I went inside the building first and Dick came after me. I examined everything and everyone while we were walking towards the patron's office. The building didn't look bad but I could see the fear in the children's eyes. Dick didn't look at either of them. 

I knocked hard on her door and waited for her to come out. (The knocking actually hurt a bit, but it helped me clear my head.) We heared her standing up from her desk and coming to the door.

"What do you want? I'm busy right now, can't you see?" she said and she almost shut the door in my face when I grabbed her arm and turned her towards me so she could see my face. I saw the recognition on her face, then she looked behind me and saw Dick. She escaped from my hands and stepped in front of Dick. Her voice echoed throughout the building as she shouted at him and all the kids ran into the bedrooms.

"How dare you ran away and make trouble for me! If you get injured I'll be the one who go to the jail and I won't go there because of you, you eccentric! Who cares that your parents are dead? No one!" she shouted when I grabbed her hand because she was about to hit the boy.
"That's enough!" I shouted at her and make her look into my face. "I think I saw enough. You're fired" I said and let her go. She was speachless for a moment. I saw that Dick let out a deep breath that I didn't know how long he had been holding because of this woman.
"You can't do this. You'll find no one in my place, no one but me will be able to control these little devils"
"We'll see and don't call them like this. They are humans as you"
"They're not humans. No one wants them" she shouted and I couldn't belive what she just said. There were children under three years old and she sais them that they are worthless. As I looked at Dick, all I wanted to hug him tightly and tell him that everything will be alright and there are good people in the world too. And that he is important for me.
"You have to leave until tomorrow or I'll call the police" I said as I walked away from her yelling. Dick followed me.
"Hey, Mr Wayne, I want the job you offered, but only on one condition" he said and I turned to him, waiting for the condition. "I want you to get me out of here" he said tensely. I didn't think through what I said to him, but I've never regretted it in my whole life.
"But where will you live next? I don't want you to live on the streets" I said and I took a deep breath. "Don't you want to live with me instead?"
"You would adopt me?" he asked stuttering because of the shock.
"If the work is done" I said smiling at him and managed to get a faint smile from him.

I opened my car and I almost sat in when he stopped me. "You didn't say when the party starts" he was looking at me confused but I didn't know it yet.
"I'll send Alfred for you and don't leave your things here because you won't be come back here after the party" I said and I drove home.