One time Bruce is like “I know you did x to piss me off” and Stephanie flips out
“Oh my GOD,” she shouts, bats screeching at her echoes in the cave. “You are out of your mind. Yes, Bruce, I did that just to piss you off.”
The rest of the family pretends not to be listening, but they are. Bruce’s arms are crossed, a stance of stubbornness and promised retribution. But Stephanie is just getting started.
“I took the time out of my week, as a dual major college student (with a workload coming out of my nose), working a part time job at a clinic,” she rants, “with YOUR former guardian, all the while trying to manage a social life. That’s exactly what I did.”
Someone winces in the background. Bruce opens his mouth.
“NOT TO MENTION,” Stephanie shrieks, “being a vigilante working with the world’s biggest asshole. Oh, I must have done it purposely, because, if not, then the world doesn’t revolve around YOU!” She throws her arms up in the air. “Which we ALLLLLLL know it does!” She pantomimes holding a mic up to her mouth. “Breaking news! Science proved wrong, heliocentrism is a lie. Turns out the earth revolves around one! middle aged! man! More at ten.” She drops the mic, meeting Bruce’s eyes.
The bat are still screeching. The kids are silent.
Bruce narrows his eyes at her. Then he turns on his heel and leaves.
(Normally he’d order her out, but he can sense the direction of the wind. His kids would cause an uproar if he tried to regain the upper hand in unfair measures now.)
The cave is mostly silent, but several moments after he leaves a batkid approaches Stephanie.
“Hey.” They look awkward. All the kids do. Constantly apologizing for Bruce without completely apologizing, because that’s how it is. “I just want you to know that we don’t all think that. Bruce was out of line there, you wouldn’t really—”
“Do something specifically to piss him off?” she asks. “Thank you, but I did.”
“I did do it. On purpose. I planned it.”
The child is left blinking. “But—how would you have time—”
“Oh,” she waves a hand, “I always have time to piss off Bruce.”
“Good thing he confronted me in front of all of you,” she muses, finger pressed to her chin. She smiles. “Now he can’t ever say something like that again! Without looking crazy, I mean.” She starts to get ready for patrol.
They look at her. She notices their gaze, then looks up at them.
“So…” she clarifies, “I win.”
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