Love Birds

Chapter Fourteen

-Dick's POV-

Collapsing on the leather couch, I clicked on the television and dug my hand into the box of sugary cereal. There was a paused recording of some Justice League show. "Tim," I mumbled to myself, shaking my head. I hated shows like that because the way they portrayed the heros on the League was completely wrong. They made Superman into this loving character who excepted everyone, but where was he when his own son wanted a father? Flash was always this womanizer, when I had never actually seen him chat up a babe. That was more like Wally. Wonder Woman was always the girl who wanted to flaunt herself and have a life crisis about finding love, when she was the opposite. I wasn't really close to Wonder Woman, but since she had dated Bruce, I had a chance to get to know what she was like. She is a strong woman who knows her owns strengths and doesn't need anyone to take care of her. The only one that Tim's stupid little show actually got right was Batman. He was a character who never had time for fun. Spot on if you ask me.

I took another scoop of cereal and sighed to myself. Why was I being so grouchy? Was I letting this Nightingale get to me? I wasn't acting like myself. I wasn't making as many jokes as I usually did, instead I was growling at everything everyone else did. I scrubbed my face with my hands and changed the television to a sports channel. Metropolis Meteros going against the Gotham Wildcats. I laughed and sat up, watching as the teams flipped a coin for the first play. Football teams weren't the only people who flipped a coin in Gotham...

"...and so Batman and Superman were kicking Ivo's robots and fighting them off, while I hacked the main server and Ivo went back to Belle Reve," Tim's voice came from around the hall as he and Victoria walked in. She was about three inches taller than him and was watching him intently.

"Who is this Ivo? He seems like he just pretends to be smart even though he keeps getting sent back to that same cell," Victoria asked, glancing at me but looking away. I guess she decided to ignore me, I had done the same.

"He's smart, but I'm smarter," Tim smirked and took a seat at the bar at the back of the living room, "oh hey Dick! Did you hear about Vicky's training today? She beat all of yours, Jason's, and Barbara's records on the holographic courses!" A smile was growing on his face as he laughed beside Victoria. I slammed my cereal box on the coffee table and clenched my teeth together.

"Good for the rookie," I growled, standing up. She crossed her arms and mouthed 'fight me.' I squeezed my hand into a fist and got ready to pounce, but rethought the action as I realized Tim was right beside her. "I'm going to sleep. Tell me who wins," I nodded my head towards the huge flatscreen and walked down the hallway. I hid behind the corner and listened in on the two.

"Hey I beat your record too!" She joked. Tim made a laugh like he had been tickled. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, but he didn't need to know that. I don't know what his problem is. He's acting so...weird. Like he's jealous of you or something," Tim said. I wasn't jealous! I didn't want to be like her at all. I had to start acting like myself and stop letting this satan spawn get to me. I didn't want to be that guy who always makes everyone else feel like they had done something wrong. I would just ignore Victoria.

"He has nothing to be jealous of. Except for maybe that I am far past his simplistic training. You know, maybe I could teach you some things. The way I see it, Batman trains you guys from what he learned. But every retelling of the story will stretch his story more and more to the point where he is teaching a beginner's Karate class. The way I see it, you're the most badly trained Robin so far. Dick got the first retelling of the story, which even then wasn't that good. Then Todd get his training and-"

"How do you know that name?" Tim interrupted. My ears had perked up as well. My heart strings twisted a bit when I heard his name leave her lips. Jason Todd, the lost Robin. The dead brother.