Story Synopsis: Sequel to “Beyond Batman.” Being an anachronism isn’t easy.

“Belong”

“It was stupid.”

“I saved twenty police officers!”

“You didn’t think. You should have waited for back-up.”

“Back-up was more than an hour away. Those officers could have been—”

Bruce Wayne waved a dismissive hand. “Enough. This isn’t a discussion. The next time you don’t listen to my orders, you’ll be out of the costume until I know you will.”

Terry McGinnis shook his head. “You are freakin’ unbelievable.”

With that, he stormed toward the manor. Half way up, he met Dick Grayson, who snatched his elbow as he passed. “Whoa. Hold on a second. What just—”

Terry hissed; his teeth clenched. “Oh, great. I’m going to get it from you, too, right?”

Oh, if this didn’t sound familiar… “What I’d miss?”

Terry freed his arm with one swift tug and took the stairs two at a time. “Look, I’m going to just skip out on the second lecture. I’m wrong; he’s right. It doesn’t matter how many people I saved. Got it.”

The clock didn’t slam shut, but in Dick’s mind, it sounded like it. Letting out a deep sigh, he came down the steps to the computer. “All right, you want to give me a recap?”

No answer. Bruce continued to toil at the computer, reading over schematics and additions to Terry’s new suit.

Fine. Dick could play this game. He used Bruce’s chair as a vault and came to sit on the man’s console, so Bruce couldn’t type.

“Let’s try this again, shall we?”

Bruce, even in his old age, could do a mean Bat Glare. “Move. Now.”

“I’ll move as soon as you tell me what happened.”

A soft growl came from under Bruce’s chair, and Ace stood now, feeling the shift in Bruce’s emotions. Nevertheless, as soon as Dick put out his hand, the dog licked him.

“See? Even your dog wants you to tell me.”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“I just did…unless you mean the dog, which I don’t think is going to work.”

Bruce crossed his arms. “Who do you think you have a better chance of getting it out of? Me or him?”

Dick thought for a moment before getting off the console. “Good point.”

As he started to follow Terry, Bruce swiveled in his chair. “Did you read over the yearly recap I gave you?”

Dick turned halfway around. “I skimmed it yesterday while I was waiting for Tim. Cliffnotes: you’re spending too much on R&D while your distribution lines need to be upped, so you can have more money for R&D. Let me do a little reconfiguring, and I’ll get back to you.”

Bruce nodded and whirled back in his chair. “You might want to change.”

“What’s wrong with what I wear?” He motioned toward his jeans and T-shirt from thirty years ago. “It’s comfortable.”

“It’s outdated. Most collars have a break in the middle, and the Gotham Knights changed their logo to include a sword.”

Begrudgingly, Dick dragged himself up the stairs and toward his room.

*^*^*

It wasn’t bad enough Terry couldn’t hang in the Batcave for the rest of his Saturday. He had to come home and listen to his mother laugh with a potential new “daddy.” He slammed the door behind him just to let her know he was home, and less than a minute later, she came into the living room.

“Honey, you’re home early from your job.”

“Mr. Wayne and I had a difference of opinion. He’s senile.”

“Now that I know is not true,” her “boyfriend” said as he joined them, a warm smile upon his face, “but he does tend to be a real pain in the butt over certain things.”

Terry’s face immediately scrunched into a scowl. “Mr. Grayson, what are you doing here?”

Dick’s smile never wavered. “Terry, it’s okay to call me ‘Dick,’ and trust me, no one knows better than I the difficulties of being a go-for for Bruce.”

“So what line did you feed my mom?” Terry asked five minutes later as Dick led him through the streets of Gotham.

Dick shrugged. “The best I could come up with was I contracted a disease in Africa while doing work for the Wayne Foundation. It wasn’t contagious, but it was fatal to those who did get it in some technical way I have no idea how. And of course Bruce had his scientists and doctors cryogenically freeze me until a cure was found.”

Terry blinked. “Wow…that might actually work.”

Dick cracked a smile. “I know, right? Now, where do they have an ice cream shop around here?”

“An ice cream shop?”

“You’re too young to take for a beer.”

*^*^*

“So that’s when you went in,” Dick concluded, shoving a spoonful of mint chocolate chip into his mouth.

Terry nodded. “Yeah, but you were over an hour away at Tim’s, and Freeze had already frozen two cops as it was. And he was giving us a deadline before he froze the city, so I don’t see why Mr. Wayne went—”

“Did you ever think of cutting the power?”

Terry stopped in mid-lick of his cone. “What?”

“The power. A freeze gun of that magnitude must have a large power source, so if you cut the power source, then you don’t have to worry about the city. Freeze, himself, isn’t much of a hassle if you know how to deal with him.”

“Yeah, I know. His henchwomen weren’t even fighters, just cheerleaders really, and I took him out by slicing his suit.”

Dick swallowed. “And in between him popping out as only a head, stabbing you in the shoulder, and you hogtying him, it occurred to you that there had to have been a better way of doing this.”

“Hey, now waitaminute—”

“But of course, you’re not going to tell Bruce that, right?”

Terry narrowed his eyes before sitting back in his chair. “I saved twenty officers, y’know.”

Dick patted the boy on his good shoulder. “You did a good job, Terry. Make no mistake over that. You acted heroically, and no one, not even Bruce, can take that from you.”

“Then why does he always give me such a hard time?”

“Because you could’ve gotten yourself killed.” Dick pointed his spoon directly at Terry’s chest. “Look, the timeframe Bruce gave you was still over an hour anyway, so a quick call to me would’ve gotten you your backup. Not to mention, the two policemen killed were the first ones on the scene. The others were nothing more than hostages. Their lives, at that moment, weren’t in any immediate danger. The only one put in immediate danger was you, which could have been avoided.”

“So what are you saying?” Terry asked, watching Dick closely.

Dick let out a breath. “Like or not, we’re partners now in the suit and out. You’re not alone in this crusade and strength in numbers and all that.”

“So you’re saying I should have listened to Bruce?”

“No. Not necessarily.”

“Then…I shouldn’t have listened to Bruce?”

“No. Not necessarily, either.” Dick finished his ice cream in one gulp. “Look, there are going to be times that Bruce is going to be wrong. He won’t admit it, mind you. If you get a ‘good job’ out of it, be grateful, but he’s the best there is, Terry, and he knows what he’s talking about. Listen to him. Really listen to him, and then make your decision.”

Terry snorted and sat back in his chair. “Yeah, well, all I heard this morning was I was stupid last night.”

“Really?” Dick stole Terry’s cone. “All I heard was, ‘Don’t die on me.’ Weird.”

*^*^*

“Damnit.” Dick wiped his hand down his face and turned around again. Okay, that was Goodwin Avenue. Aparo was to the left, which would leave the Dixon Bridge to the…oh, hell.

He picked up his new cell phone and hit speed dial four. Sure enough, it went straight to voicemail. After the beep, he massaged the back of his neck. “Hey, Tim. It’s me. Sorry I missed you last night. I guess this is your busy time of the year at work. Look, I’m kinda lost in Old Town Gotham, so when you get this message, could you give me a call back? Thanks.”

A half an hour later, he knew he was out of choices. Tim wasn’t calling. It didn’t surprise him. His “little” brother was too busy to have dinner last night, and he spent an hour at an Ivytown restaurant before giving up. He doubted Tim would be able to make it to Gotham to save his long lost “big” brother. Bruce, he wouldn’t call and drag out of the Manor for something as trivial as this. Terry, he just told he knew everything there was to know about Gotham. and Dick could not be proven wrong about his hometown by a punk seventeen year old.

That left one choice.

Speed dial nine.

Damn.

He hit it.

“Gordon here.”

Damn. Damn. Damn.

“Hey, Barbara.”

“…Dick? Why are you calling me at this number?”

“Funny you should ask that. Are you busy right now?”

“I’m the police commissioner of Gotham City. Of Gotham, Dick. Of course I’m busy.”

And mad.

“Well, the reason I’m calling is...I’m kinda lost.”

“How do you get lost in Gotham?” Barbara demanded twenty minutes later while zipping through the streets of Gotham. “This is your hometown.”

“Yeah, well, Gotham’s added on a lot since…y’know.” He glared out the window, trying to make a mental map in his head of how she drove.

Barbara let out a sigh. “Things change, Dick. A lot of things changed in your absence.”

“You’re not talking about Gotham, are you?”

She paused, hesitated even, and for a moment, so did he. It was the same reason he hesitated calling her.

“Dick, listen. What happened between us—”

“—was thirty years ago. Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t mean—”

“It was nothing,” the hard, cold voice of the commissioner spat.

Dick tore his sight from the window to stare dumbfounded at her. “Excuse me? That kiss was not nothing—”

Barbara continued to stare through the windshield. “Dick, whatever we had was nothing more than puppy love. We were young; we were in college. It happens to everyone, and everyone feels a special glow around their first love.”

“Puppy love?” He shook his head, refused to believe it. “That’s what you want to call it?”

“I call it like I see it.”

“And what about you and Bruce? Is that what puppy love is, too?” Oh, God. He hated bringing that up, but he needed to know.

Barbara averted her eyes. “Bruce and I—there was nothing there.”

“So you just did one another, is that it?”

“We kissed once on the streets, and he pushed me away.”

Take a breath. It’s over. So thirty years ago. “Look, I’m…I’ve gotten over that Barbara. Really. It was my fault anyway. I left. It’s only natural for you to want the most handsome, richest bachelor in—”

“That wasn’t what happened. He told me what we were doing would hurt you, and he never wanted to hurt you.”

…Bruce…did that…for him?

“We were both hurting,” she said factually and turned off of Route One. “Despite what you think, we both missed you, and—and we were both scarred when you left.”

“Over puppy love?” he spat. It came out harsher than he wanted.

. “…yes, puppy love.”

“Stop the car.”

Barbara never met his eyes. “Dick, you have no idea where you—”

“Barbara, stop the car now, or I’m getting out the Bat way.” His hand clutched the door handle, ready to pull.

She pulled over on the side of the road just before the bridge into Bristol, and he opened the door.

“Dick…”

He paused.

“…it was a long time ago...for both of us. There’s no sense in wondering what could’ve been. What is, is all that matters.”

He pushed out of the car. “It was always you, Barbara.” He slammed shut the door and stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. He crossed half the bridge before the rain began. “It was always you.”

*^*^*

As the rain pounded her windshield, Barbara let out a sigh. “It was always you, Dick.”

The cell phone jingled, and wiping the tears that never fell, she answered sharply, “What!...oh, Sam…yes, everything’s okay. I was…I was just saying good-bye to an old friend.”

*^*^*

Dick collapsed to the Batcomputer’s chair and leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. He had finally gotten his life together. Bruce and he were good. He was going to spearhead the hostile takeover of Powers Industries. He and Barbara were still in limbo, but things were looking up. And Tim…he had finally gotten Bruce to come to terms with what happen and embrace the boy again.

The man again.

But now…

God, what was he doing here?

Buzz-Buzz.

Dick slowly raised his head.

Buzz-Buzz.

On the console blinked a little communicator—Terry’s JLU communicator.

Huh. He needed a pick-me-up.

*^*^*

Superman didn’t want to admit it, hated to admit it, actually. After seventy-something years on Earth, he should have learned by now how to deal with the Royal Flush Gang, but yet, here he stood with the Justice League, battling Ten to a standstill. The robot must have been reengineered, and nothing he could throw—a punch, heat vision—could defeat the machine.

That was until a small circular patch stuck to Ten’s face and quickly spread like mercury over the android’s body to encase it. No matter how hard it struggled, it couldn’t break free, and as the metal cover fused with its joints, an electrical, neon blue pulse of some sort shorted out the robot, sending it reverberating to the pavement of Metropolis’s Memorial Park.

Superman never turned as the black and red figure came to land next to him. Instead, he simply rose to his feet, feeling stronger all of a sudden.

“There was something in that robot—kryptonite?”

Batman didn’t stop moving. Rolling to duck a flying card that almost took off his head, he threw three batarangs, freeing the trapped Warhawk and G.L. from their bindings in front of the large memorial for Superboy.

“Warhawk, take out the cards!”

Superman’s eyes widened. “…Dick?” he whispered.

Batman jumped and soared with his boot jets toward the hovering queen, who had a thin line of green around her body.

“Bow down to me, rodent!”

Batman narrowed his eyes. “No.”

“Then you will fry.”

As a blast of green energy in the shape of a missile came at Batman, he ducked at the last second. The missile flew over his head and exploded Ten on impact. The lead shield instantly covered the little bits and pieces of green rocks.

The queen surprised, Batman finished her with a simple punch, throwing the green ring on her finger to the little boy at Superboy’s feet.

A moment later, a green bubble encircled the king and the prince, stopping another tirade of the Royal Flush Family.

As Batman landed safely on the ground, a soft voice called, “…Dick? Is that really you?”

Batman turned to the approaching alien with his own small smile. “Hey, Clark. You look a lot younger than Bruce.”

Superman came forward, his arms out for a hug when Batman put a hand on his chest. He then motioned to the two JLU members, who stood in disbelief.

“Where’s the kid?” Warhawk demanded.

Batman met him unflinchingly. “He’s been reassigned.”

“He is an integral part of this team,” Green Lantern explained. “You cannot take his place.”

Superman stepped in front of Batman, a hand on the younger man’s shoulders. “Do you know who this is?”

“It doesn’t matter who he is.” Warhawk crossed his arms. “He’s not the kid, so he’s not welcome.”

“Warhawk—”

“He’s right, Superman.” Batman pushed off the older man’s hand and turned his back to the group. “It doesn’t matter.”

*^*^*

Bruce reclaimed his seat at the Crays by the time Batman returned.

“You’re late,” he bit off.

Dick collapsed to the seat next to him, crossing his legs on the console like he did time and time again. “What am I doing here, Bruce?”

Bruce raised his head but said nothing.

“Seriously? What am I doing here?” He hunched his shoulders. “I mean, Barbara doesn’t love me anymore, and—and I know this is sick, but she still looks hot to me, and she’s old enough to be my mom—my grandma really.”

“It’s…natural to still feel something for—”

“Terry was doing great as Batman, and what have I done other than hurt him by taking that away?”

“Only on certain nights. He still—”

“—is Batman when I’m not, but still—”

“He needs a positive male role model.” Bruce took a pill bottle from the tray next to him and pressed down to open it. It didn’t. “One he can relate to.”

“He has you.”

Bruce shook the bottle fiercely. “I’m old enough to be his great-grandfather.”

“So? He still looks up to you, craves your approval.” Dick blew out a loud sigh and sat up to take the bottle and open it as he spoke. “He has Gotham covered and helps the world with the Justice League. Barbara’s moved on, and Tim has his own family. It’s not like I’m helping anyone by being…here…”

He looked down at Bruce’s eyes as he handed the older man his pill. Burce’s eyes spoke more than his voice ever would, appraising Dick with a mixture of affection, hope, and longing.

And fear. Despite everything, despite what they had been through, there was a hint of fear of losing Dick again.

This was why he came back. This was why he was here.

For Bruce.

Bruce, of course, said nothing, only took the pill and sloshed it down with some water.

Only then did he avert his eyes and take another pill bottle. “Did you finish the report?”

Dick accepted the bottle and opened it easily. “Yeah, I made notes all over it. I, uh, I left it in my room, so let me just grab it.”

Bruce nodded, and Dick quickly changed into an ancient T-shirt and sweatpants. As he left the grandfather clock, his shoulders tensed at the boy who entered Bruce’s study. He was ready to pounce when he saw the person’s identity.

“Hey, Terry. I thought you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.”

Terry leaned back and drawled, “Weeellll, I was thinking about that whole partner speech you gave me earlier, and…you want to go to a movie later? Or something?”

Dick blinked and shut the clock behind him. “What?”

“Well, you said that we need to get to know each other and be able to anticipate each other’s moves. That means we have to be comfortable with each other, so…movie?”

Bruce’s previous words filtered through Dick’s mind. He needs a positive role model, one he can relate to.

Dick smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that. You want to meet at the theatres?”

“Why don’t I pick you up? You’d probably get lost.”

Dick threw back his head and sighed, letting all the tension bleed from his body. “Barbara called you?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I’m never going to live this down, am I?”

“Hell no.”

Well at least some things didn’t change. Dick slammed Terry on his shoulder. “Good to know, little brother. See you tonight.”

Terry took a step back, and Dick wanted to mentally shoot himself.

“What’d you just call me?”

Dick sent him a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—It’s just…”

“No. No, it’s cool.” Terry’s own smile smoothed, and Dick wondered if that was what Bruce would have looked like if he had smiled at Terry’s age. “Look, I have to go pick up my own little brother, but I’ll be back, all right?”

“Sounds good.” Dick started toward the grand staircase when Terry called, “It’s good to know someone has my back.”

Dick smiled, too. “Likewise.”

They broke then, and Dick retrieved the report before heading into the cave once more. He stopped halfway down the stairs to see the newcomer in the cave.

“Mr. Kent, you’re not looking for an exclusive on the return of Dick Grayson, are you?”

Superman came forward with a large smile on his face. “Always.” He embraced the younger man. “Dick, how are you—how did Bruce—this doesn’t have anything to do with cloning, does it?”

“No!” The younger man shoved Clark in the shoulder as he made his way past, plopping down in the seat next to Bruce. “Why does everyone seem to think my father is one mishap away from—” He shot a glare at Bruce. “I’m not cloned, am I?”

Bruce hit him over the head with the report.

“An old enemy of mine wanted to make a point, and she kidnapped him—”

“Is it kidnapping when the person in question was in his thirties?”

Another smack. “—and cryogenically froze him until she could use him for her own twisted and malevolent purposes.”

Dick cocked his head to the side. “See? Fun.”

Superman’s head jerked to the side suddenly, and he patted Dick on his shoulder. “I have to fly—an earthquake in Peru, but it’s good to have you back. We’ll meet up later.”

“I’d like that.”

And then he was gone faster than Dick could blink.

“Not tonight.”

Dick hiked his legs up on the Crays’ console. “Well, I am meeting Terry—”

Bruce lifted up the report. “Summarize.”

“Okkkkaaaayyy,” Dick sighed. “R&D has great developments, but production and distribution have been hampered by antique and inadequate technology and procedures. We can reassign some of the R&D personnel to update the production lines and distribution channels, which will hopefully increase profits and allow for more research and development.”

“Do you want to spearhead this?”

Dick shrugged. “I just got back, Bruce. I don’t think spearheading a restructuring of Wayne-Powers—”

“I wasn’t talking about the restructuring.”

Dick froze and turned wide-eyed toward Bruce. “You can’t seriously mean…?”

“Did you think it would be anyone else?”

Dick sat up straight and dropped his feet flat to the floor. “Oh, Bruce, I don’t think I can—”

“It doesn’t matter what you think. It only matters what I think, and I know you can do this.” Bruce smirked the small smirk he always did when he was the Bat and Robin made him laugh. “And it’ll piss off Derek Powers.”

That grew a smile upon Dick’s face. “Under one condition.”

*^*^*

“Today in local news, Gotham-based Wayne-Powers announced the retirement of its CEO Bruce Wayne and the appointment of Wayne’s adoptive son, Richard Grayson, to the same position. Grayson, who recently recovered after a debilitating disease that caused scientists to cytogenetically freeze him, also announced that Wayne-Powers would once again be known as Wayne Enterprises and follow the traditions that Thomas and Martha Wayne instilled when they ran the company almost seventy years ago.”

Derek Powers’ head shot up in the rec. room of Blackgate. “WHAT!”

*^*^*

Dick stood outside the board room, taking deep breathes. Abruptly, his phone rocked and vibrated to a tune Terry picked out, and he quickly answered it, “Hello?...Tim, hey. Not a good time.”

Tam Fox stepped outside the room and pointed to her watch.

He put one finger. “Yeah, I waited, but…yeah, thanks. Bruce said I could do this, but I don’t think…you really think so? …Thanks. Coming from you that means…Tuesday? Yeah, I’d love dinner and meet your—yeah, remeet Jack and…Richie? You named your kid after—”

Now Bruce stepped out, and Dick cringed. “Yeah…got to go.” He snapped shut the phone.

Bruce straightened his back. “Ready?”

Dick straightened his old-look suit and looked at his father. “I grew up here, Bruce. I was born ready.”

And he belonged.

The End