Titans - Rising Robin & Invasion! Crossover Fanfic (Flash x Arrow x LoT)

Chapter XXVII: Constant

Richard parked the car in front of the gates of Wayne Manor & stepped out of the car, looking up at the mansion's majestic architecture. He couldn't remember the last time he set foot on the Wayne Manor property. It must have been years since Richard was last there. There had been times when Richard was back in Gotham, but he had only visited Tim during those times, picking him up from the Manor when necessary. He would show up to Wayne Enterprises on business with Bruce, but those were friendly visits. Despite all of that, Richard wanted this one last moment at Wayne Manor to be like old times, back before Richard even put on the Robin suit. A gnawing feeling in the back of Richard's head told him that it wouldn't be like old times.

Richard walked around his vehicle & walked through the Wayne Manor gates. He made his way through the large courtyard, taking in the familiar scenery of the large, majestic stone statues placed around the shrubbery in the garden. Richard almost forgot that there were statues in the courtyard. Were they always there? No, they were probably new. Bruce probably had them made after Richard left. Right? He wasn't sure anymore. Richard sighed as he looked up at the statue to his right. He saw a god with a lightning bolt in his hand. Richard smiled at the Zeus figure, then cast his eyes to the statue to the left of Zeus. Richard looked up at the other god holding a double pronged spear. Richard frowned at the Hades statue, feeling as though it was looking down at Richard in shame.

Richard made his way up the front steps of Wayne Manor, walking up towards the front doors. He was about to knock heavily when he saw that the doors had been cracked open. Richard cursed to himself, shoving the doors open. He scanned the front foyer, searching for any signs of trouble in the house. He considered calling out to Alfred or Tim, but didn't want to cause alarm to anyone who may be in the house, or alert any intruders to his presence. Richard made his way up the stairwell, leading up to the second floor. Richard needed to find Bruce. That was the main reason he came back. He needed to find how what happened to the Batman & the rest of the League after the invasion. He needed to get to the Batcave.

Richard made it to the second floor, then turned towards the right. He made his way towards the end of the hall, then turned to a door on his left. He felt like it was the door to Bruce's study, but it had honestly been so long. He hardly remembered the layout of the mansion. Richard took a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob. He wasn't sure if he was afraid of opening the door to find Bruce, or if he was afraid that he wouldn't. Richard felt a soft chuckle escape his lips. It was so long ago when he was just as terrified to enter Bruce's study, soon after finding out Bruce was the Batman. That same fear crept back into Richard after all these years. He felt as though he was coming full circle in a sense.

Finally, Richard mustered up the courage to turn the doorknob & open the door to Bruce's study. Richard stepped in & exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding his breath. He looked up to find the study empty. The walls were all lined up with books upon their shelves. The room was dimly lit, as though someone had entered recently. Richard stepped in further to examine the room, until he noticed the bookshelf at the back of the room. It was pulled off from the wall slightly, revealing the corridor leading down the caverns under Wayne Manor. Richard sighed. Bruce was in the Batcave.

Richard walked past the desk, stepping up towards the shelf, & pushed it aside. He made room for himself to squeeze through the passage, then began stepping through the dark, quiet caverns. His footsteps echoed through the caves as he walked deeper & deeper into the Batcave. He remembered first discovering the Batcave below. Richard was beyond shocked at the revelation. There was a wave of confusion, then as he walked through the cave, the pieces came together, & Richard knew then that Bruce Wayne was the Batman. He ran for his life & escaped the Batcave in the Batmobile. Richard was tracked down by the Bat, frightened for his life, horrified by brutal nature of the Bat, but eventually, his fear washed away. He realized that the Bat was Bruce, & that he was only a man. It brought him a sense of comfort when Bruce finally explained his story to Richard.