An Assassin's Rose: Bad Blood

Chapter 8: The Summit

"You really should be resting." Dick said as him, Damian, Alfred, and Ruby watch Bruce lift weights.

"The summit's tomorrow, it's been a week, I'm fine." Bruce replied.

"Like father, like son." Alfred proclaimed.

"True." Ruby agreed.

Damian frowns at his fiancée who just smiled at him before looking at Bruce and scoffing in annoyance.

"And at least you get to go to the summit, I was so looking forward to going." She stated.

Which is the truth since Ruby was in fact invited to go to the Summit along with her grandma, Qrow, and some of her politician family members that live outside of Remnant.

But since she can't exactly go to a high-class event with a busted-up face, the huntress was forced to miss it.

"All things considered Master Bruce, you're in surprisingly good condition." Alfred added.

"She treated you...treated us...like we were machines that she could just program. That's all we were to her." Damian said  hurt at how little his mother actually cares for him.

"After Bruce Wayne completes his hosting duties at the summit. We'll gather any leads to find her." Bruce stated.

"Why wait?" Dick asked. "I'll call in Kate and Luke and then..." before he could finish sentence Bruce places the weights back on the bench aggressively and said, "No."

"You shouldn't involve them in the first place." He stated as gets up and walks towards him.

"Batwing pretty much involved himself." Dick stated.

"And Batwoman. Did she force you to reveal our secrets?" Bruce demanded.

Seeing the tension Alfred tried to defuse it. "You weren't here, sir. Master Dick made a judgement call, and I think it was the right one."

"Maybe so, but from here on...it's only family." Bruce said and starts to walk away.

"Kate's going through the hard drive we pulled from the convent." Dick stated.

"Fine, but when she's done, that's it." Bruce replied.

"You're not Batman, Dick! I call the shots here." Bruce asserted and without saying anything else he left.

Ruby growls angrily and starts to quietly mutter curse words in Russian under her breath.

And judging by the look of complete shock that Damian was giving her it's very obvious that the young huntress was quite...explicit.

Unfortunately for the Huntress Alfred heard her as well and retaliated by jumping out of his seat and slapping her upside the head.

"OW! ALFRED! WHY DID YOU HIT ME?!" She cried as she rubs her head.

"Don't even try to whine young lady, you are too young to use such vulgar words especially in this household! do I make myself clear?" he said sternly.

Ruby sighs in defeat, "Yes, sir."

Nodding his head, the old butler looks at Dick and said, "Furthermore, he's been through an extraordinary ordeal Master Dick."

"Yeah, well, so have we." Dick stated.

"I think you've been hanging around your father for too long." Damian stated.

Ruby shakes her head, "Eh some of it was Qrow, the rest was my Grandma Rap. She may be the calmest person I know but she has...a creative vocabulary if you piss her off far enough."