blinding hope.

(  kento  yamazaki.  25.  he/they.  nonbinary.  )  are  you  a  HERO  ?  something  tells  me  that  loose  change  sitting  in  the  cupholder  of  your  car,  calloused  palms,  drinking  a  rootbeer  float  on  a  sunday  afternoon  make  you  who  you  are,  RICHARD  “DICK”  GRAYSON.  with  the  powers  of  ACROBATICS,  you’re  sure  to  have  a  steadfast,  obstinate  personality  —  and  you  definitely  belong  to  UNAFFILIATED.  were  you  listening  to  USO  by  SID  on  your  way  to  the  subway  ?  it  suits  you.  we  can’t  wait  to  see  what  you  do  next  !  (  @reshieldedintro  )

[   🐣   ]   𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚉𝙸𝙽𝙶   .  .  .   statistics.

━   𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄:  richard  “dick”  grayson.

━   𝐀𝐆𝐄:  twenty  five.

━   𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌:    kento  yamazaki.

━   𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌:  in  a  perfect  world  daisuke  ono  but  alas,  kento  yamazaki.

━   𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐓:  acrobatics.  escapology.  peak  human  stamina.  superhuman  strength  /  agility.  master  combatant  /  weapons  specialist  /  detective.  genius  intellect.

━   𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒:  batfam.  teen  titans.  young  justice.  birds  of  prey.

━   𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘:  bruce  wayne  (  adoptive  father  ).   tim  drake  /  jason  todd  /  damian  wayne  /  stephanie  brown  /  cassandra  cain (  adoptive  siblings  ).

━   𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂:  leo.

━   𝐖𝐈𝐊𝐈 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊:  here.  

“I dare you to try to make me cry. Bet you can’t,” Gwen’s eyes were already open like saucers, staring down their opponent like they were actually about to fight, “No sweat, I’m like a rock, baby.” @reshieldedstart

                 ❛❛   𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐦   .   .   .   𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥   𝐢   𝐝𝐨   have   some   tear-jerking   stories   but   that’s   on   level   twenty   of   our   friendship   journey.   it’s   gonna   take   a   little   more   than   a   dare   to   unlock   it.   ❜❜

           (  @reshieldedstart​ !  )     “  actually  …  could  you  leave  the  door  open ?  ”  

                  ❛❛   𝐲𝐨𝐮    𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞    ?    𝐢    𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭   want   the   cool   air   to   get   out.   people   are   practically   melting   out   there   !   ❜❜

          PLAYFULLY  SCOFFS  BACK  AT  THEM  .  gods  ,  she’s  missed  this  .  the  late  night  talks  .  the  bantering  .  they  wouldn’t  be  a  team  without  it  .  “  yes  i  do  come  from  a  mystical  land  .  however  ,  i’ve  lived  in  man’s  world  long  enough  to  develop  reasonable  standards  .  ”  they  retort  with  a  light  laugh  .  “  i  have  no  doubt  that  she  must’ve  told  tons  of  stories  .  but  i’ll  tell  her  you  say  hi  .  when  was  the  last  time  you’ve  seen  her  ,  anyways  ?  ”  head  turns  to  look  towards  the  horizon  .  “  dick  and  donna  take  over  new  york  .  i  like  it  .  sounds  like  the  premise  to  a  reality  tv  show  !  you  think  we  could  score  a  show  for  ourselves  ?  we’re  a  pretty  entertaining  bunch  .  ”

                 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚    𝐡𝐚𝐝    𝐚    𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭    ,    but    didn’t    they    always    ?    dick    scoffed    at    their    scoff    ,    much    louder    and    playful    than    theirs.    ❛❛    yeah    !    well    ,    it’s    !    ugh    ,    it’s    um    .    .    .    ❜❜    he    isn’t    clever    enough    to    think    of    something    witty    to    say.    plus    it    isn’t    like    goody    two-shoes    dick    grayson    to    lie.    dick    sighed    ,    and    quickly    responded    to    distract    from    his    lack    of    an    excuse.    ❛❛    i    don’t    know.    i    haven’t    seen    anyone    lately.    ❜❜    dick    leaned    dangerously    close    to    the    guard    rail    ,    ❛❛    i    heard    bruce    talking    to    her    on    the    phone.    i    think    the    league’s    getting    back    together.    ❜❜    dick    shouldn’t    have    been    spreading    that    information    too    openly.    but    it    was    donna    ,    he    didn’t    have    any    reason    not    to    share    anything    with    them.    ❛❛    maybe    we    should    .    .    .    follow    ?    ❜❜    he    cringed    at    the    thought.    underneath    the    assumption    that    majority    of    his    team    had    given    up    on    him    as    a    leader    ;    incapable    and    unreliable.    ❛❛    i    mean    if    the    reality    show    doesn’t    get    picked    up.    that’s    the    real    priority.    ❜❜

the other accepts their apology  ,  for which tim is glad  —  they’ve already got to deal with yo-yo’s temper tantrums  (  as if their being here isn’t all her fault anyway  )  ,  they don’t want to have to de-escalate an argument as well  .  “  yeah  .  she’s a tawny owl  ,  her name’s yo-yo  .  ”  they offer a wrist for the bird to climb onto  ,  and she hops down onto it  ,  allowing tim to show her off to their companion  .  “  and of course now she’s behaving  ,  ”  they huff  ,  though it’s not terribly sincere  .

                𝐭𝐡𝐞    𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥    𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝    𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧    to    land    gracefully    on    the    other’s    wrist.    dick’s    eyes    widened    ,    in    awe    of    the    animal.    ❛❛    she’s    beautiful    !    ❜❜    he    complimented    with    a    grin.    dick    leaned    his    frame    just    enough    to    earn    a    better    view    of    the    owl.     ❛❛    it’s    nice    to    meet    you    ,    yo-yo.    ❜❜    he    added    with    his    grin    intact.    dick    looked    at    the    other    ,    ❛❛    ha    !    she    doesn’t    look    like    a    troublemaker.    ❜❜    dick    extended    his    hand.    ❛❛    is    it    alright    if    i    pet    her    ?    ❜❜

               ❛❛     okay  .  .  .  but  how  do  i  even  get  in  ?!  did  you  take  it  ?  is  that  why  you  and  kori  broke  it  off  ?  i  thought  bruce  was  just  too  mean  for  anyone  .  .  .  i’m  so  lost.     ❜❜

                𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲    𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝    𝐭𝐡𝐞    𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞    of    their    nose    in    an    attempt    to    disguise    the    chuckle    bubbling    in    their    chest.    ❛❛    nah    nah    ,    that’s    different.    dating    extraterrestrial    beings    requires    a    different    curriculum.    i    haven’t    graduated    from    that    yet.    ❜❜    he    explained.        ❛❛    bruce    isn’t    too    mean.    he’s    too    sensitive.    ❜❜    he    leaned    in    towards    con    with    a    smirk.    ❛❛    just    between    you    and    me    i    think    cass    is    gonna    be    my    step    aunt    or    something.    ❜❜    dick    stood    closely    beside    con    with    a    curious    expression.     ❛❛    soooo    are    you    going    to    tell    me    who    the    lucky    person    you    have    in    your    life    is    ?    ❜❜

dick’s answer raises more questions than it answers  —  namely  ,  if you know it’s always rigged, why is there any point in rigging it  —  but he doesn’t voice those thoughts aloud  .  instead  ,  rhodey shrugs  .  “  there are some costs that are too great  ,  no matter what kind of person you are  ;  there are lines even the worst people don’t cross  .  but not everyone you show mercy to will respond in kind  …  i learned that the hard way  .  ”  and not everyone on the same side shares the same values  ,  so where he might want to spare a life another soldier might not hesitate to shoot to kill  .  “  besides  ,  any weight is nothing compared to the several hundred pounds that my armour weighs  ”  he jokes  .  “  more seriously  ,  though  ,  it’s a weight that i would take on a million times over if it means that those i care about are safe  .  ”

                𝐡𝐞    𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐝    𝐡𝐢𝐬    𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬    together.    strong    enough    for    his    knuckles    to    flush    white.    the    statement    began    to    register    in    his    mind    ,        ❛❛    i’m    still    learning.    ❜❜    the    response    is    .    .    .    innocent    but    there’s    an    ominous    energy    that    surrounded    it.    dick    was    lost    before    ,    now    he’s    lost    more    than    ever.    the    world    felt    unforgiving    ,    cold.    he    didn’t    know    how    much    warmth    was    left    in    him.        ❛❛    you’re    smart.    ❜❜    he    reminded    him    of    alfred    ;    wise    in    the    good    way    not    the    condescending    way.        ❛❛    do    you    have    kids    ?    sorry    if    that’s    too    personal.    i    feel    like    you’d    be    a    good    dad.    ❜❜

&

“Yeah, yeah. And how’d that turn out for you?” He’d never been fond of Gotham. It had been the family farm with its wide clear skies and shitty satellite internet, and, for a little while, it had been Metropolis and its gleaming glass towers and golden sunsets. Jon belonged in the sunlight and the open air; Gotham was grim and damp and claustrophobic, a place only a family like the Waynes could survive. They’d only spent time there on Official Business (which usually meant visiting Damian in an honest-to-god actual real mansion). New York wasn’t Hamilton, or even Metropolis, but it wasn’t Gotham, either. It was somewhere in between. Something he could work with. Jon leaned over Dick’s shoulder, watching him scroll through his pictures. “Wait, no, go back,” they said. “Please tell me that was a picture of you all wearing matching Christmas sweaters.”

Jon laughed and leaned against the railing just an inch too far; gravity hadn’t been a concern of his in a very long time. “Hmmmm… Wow. Okay. I’m gonna go race track. Easy. Less room for him to hide.”

              𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡    𝐭𝐡𝐞    𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬    𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬    on    the    road    ,    dick    took    what    he    could    get    with    gotham.    it    wasn’t    comparable    to    metropolis’    swanky    skyscrapers    or    kansas’    open    fields    but    it    was    home    for    most    ,    if    not    all    his    life.    new    york    shared    it’s    similarities    with    gotham.    it’s    seedy    neighborhoods    ,    internalized    crimes.    it    followed    big    cities    like    a    sick    shadow    .    .    .    the    only    difference    was    he    didn’t    hear    the    echo    of    a    maniacal    laugh    terrorizing    the    open    streets.

tim looks up abruptly  ,  realising their mistake  .  “  no  ,  no  !  not you  !  i was talking to my bird  …  ”  that sounds worse  ,  really  —  but hey  ,  as long as the other person knows they don’t have anything against him  ,  they can live with being seen as weird  .  they kinda are  ,  after all  .  “  i swear  ,  i didn’t even realise you were there  .  ”

                𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐤    𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝    𝐚𝐧    𝐞𝐲𝐞    and    titled    his    head    slightly    to    the    side    ;    registering    what    the    other    had    confessed    to    him.    he    nodded    his    head.        ❛❛    okay.    yeah.    a    bird.    ❜❜    surely    he    had    experienced    weirder    scenarios.    ❛❛    it’s    fine.    ❜❜    dick    reassured    with    a    gentle    wave    of    his    hand.        ❛❛    so    you    have    a    pet    bird    ?    ❜❜

             ❝     wait  !  .  .  .  they  have  classes  for  that  ?    ❞

                ❛❛    how    do    you    think    your    folks    got    together    !?    there’s    a    reason    why    bruce    isn’t    settled    down    yet    ,    bro    !    don’t    be    like    him.    you    gotta    enroll    asap.    ❜❜

          HANDS  REACH  UP  TO  tug  at  her  hood  so  that  it  rests  a  little  more  comfortably  .  “  yeah  ,  yeah  .  i  get  it  ,  ”  rolls  their  eyes  at  him  .  “  you’re  homesick  ,  ”  she’ll  tease  .  her  head  turns  to  face  dick  ,  eyes  immediately  landing  on  his  phone  screen  .  “  i’m  glad  you  agree  that  this  is  a  step  up  from  gotham  ,  though  !  i  was  waiting  to  see  how  long  you  were  going  to  deny  it  .  ”  a  hint  of  a  smile  graces  the  amazonian’s  features  as  dick  swipes  through  his  selection  of  photos  .  she  doesn’t  miss  the  way  he’s  quick  to  dismiss  bruce  ,  no  matter  how  subtle  he  thinks  he’s  being  .  “  you’re  seriously  asking  if  i’d  rather  fight  a  clown  ?  the  guy’s  got  more  lives  than  me  !  now  the  dude  with  two  electrical  whips  on  a  race  track  sounds  interesting  .  i  think  i  could  take  him  .  you  ?  ”

              𝐚𝐬    𝐚    𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧    𝐰𝐡𝐨    never    allowed    mourning    to    depart    ,    it    was    strange    to    have    donna    back    in    their    life.    however    he    couldn’t    complain.    the    group    needed    their    heart    of    the    team    back.    ❛❛    oh    shut    up.    ❜❜    he    responded    with    a    scoff.    ❛❛    you    come    from    a    mystical    land.    everywhere    looks    like    a    shithole    in    comparison.    ❜❜    he    explained    with    a    shake    of    his    head.    ❛❛    your    sister    used    to    tell    me    stories    about    it    when    i    was    a    kid.    tell    her    i    said    hey.    ❜❜    his    politeness    for    the    league    wouldn’t    allow    him    to    say    otherwise.    dick    glanced    at    donna.    ❛❛    our    mentors    might    have    something    to    do    with    that.    ❜❜    he    clicked    his    tongued    before    scooting    down    the    rail    to    stand    closer    to    donna.    ❛❛    you    and    me    could    take    down    anyone    ,    anything    ,    anytime    !    ❜❜    he    extended    his    arm    to    dramatically    gesture    to    the    skyline.    ❛❛    dick    and    donna    take    over    new    york    !    it    has    a    nice    ring    to    it.    ❜❜

                ❝     why  would  you  want  to  live  in  a  shit  hole  ?    ❞     thorn  hadn’t  been  in  gotham  long  ,  in  fact  the  time  they  did  spend  in  the  city  was  mostly  holed  up  in  pamela’s  home.  never  saw  the  city  outside  of  bedroom  window  panel:  though  ,  if  they  had  gotten  their  hands  wrapped  around  the  crime  ridden  infestation   —  surely  there  would  have  been  a  longer  tug  towards  the  polluted  shit  hole.  not  that  thorn  cared  much  for  the  other’s  business  ,  but  she  can’t  help  the  way  her  eyes  shift  over  dick’s  shoulder.  unfamiliar  faces  hugging  at  the  other  ,  it  looked  warm  .  .  .  uptight  and  far  from  whatever  dynamic  the  isley’s  had.  there’s  a  disconnect  from  thorn  ,  a  shift  in  their  place  as  they  press  a  lukewarm  coffee  to  their  lips.      ❝     clown  ,  but  just  because  there’s  no  fight.  what  about  you  ?     ❞

               𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬    𝐚    𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝    𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧    ,    dick    thought.    his    hand    tangle    the    strings    of    his    hoodie    as    he    contemplates    an    answer.     ❛❛    because    my    family    lives    there.    ❜❜    despite    their    dysfunction    dick    not    only    valued    his    found    family    but    adored    them.    believing    that    if    it    wasn’t    for    them    he’d    be    venturing    into    a    dangerous    path.    ❛❛    they    make    it    worth    it    ,    plus    we    live    in    a    mansion    so    ---    ❜❜    he    trailed    off    ,    cringing    slightly    that    he’d    come    to    the    point    in    his    life    where    he’d    hold    money    in    such    a    high    regard.    it    wasn’t    like    him    to    do    so    ,    but    he    wasn’t    feeling    like    himself    lately    anyways.    ❛❛    electric    whip    dude.    the    clown    gets    old    and    boring    after    awhile.    ❜❜    he    answered    with    a    shrug.    dick    pointed    at    thorn’s    coffee    ,    ❛❛    that’s    probably    gross    by    now    huh    ?    let    me    get    you    a    new    one.    ❜❜

HE    COULD    VIVDLY    REMEMBER    THE    EVENING    when    a    bat    fought    for    its    breath    on    the    mantle    of    his    father’s    portrait.    the    sordid    image    remains    in    his    conscious    to    remind    him    why    he    adopted    the    title    as    the    caped    crusader    ,    the    batman.    while    the    death    of    thomas    and    martha    wayne    was    a    motivator    for    bruce    to    become    the    myth    he    quickly    established    a    boundary    -    -    -    because    if    he    didn’t    what    good    would    come    to    the    citizens    of    gotham    ?    a    city    consumed    with    crime    it    didn’t    need    yet    another    FREAKSHOW    terrorizing    the    streets.    he    had    his    code    :    JUSTICE    NOT    VENGEANCE    ;    and    after    those    agonizing    years    in    the    himalayas    it    was    a    difficult    code    to    forfeit.    along    with    the    code    bruce    carried    secrecy    that    he    rarely    considered    to    be    a    burden.    it    wasn’t    difficult    for    a    LONELY    MAN    to    have    secrets.    with    everyone    at    an    arm’s    length    bruce’s    absence    on    multiple    occasions    big    or    small    rarely    caused    any    suspicion.    the    emotional    weight    of    batman    didn’t    exist    during    these    times.    it    was    him    ,    alfred    and    the    sinatra    record    he    liked    to    listen    to    after    trudging    the    gotham    city    sewers.    the    image    he    painted    for    himself    seemed    to    be    permanent    until    the    doors    of    the    dark    manor    opened    and    entered    a    tiny    bluebird.    

MEETING    DICK    GRAYSON    WAS    NEVER    intentional.    but    neither    were    miracles.    fifteen    years    ago    bruce    wayne    was    running    late    to    a    circus    show.    he    approached    the    pinstriped    tent    and    only    inches    away    from    it    he    could    hear    the    morbid    screams    ;    a    suitable    reaction    to    the    tragedy    of    THE    FLYING    GRAYSONS.    the    aftermath    of    the    tragedy    left    a    sole    survivor    that    bruce    believed    he    had    an    obligation    to.    he    followed    him    ,    adopted    him    and    provided    him    a    life    .    .    .    a    chance.    what    bruce    failed    to    predict    was    the    weight    he    carried    from    loss    wasn’t    singular    to    him    and    soon    enough    dick    would    desire    to    resolve    his    survivor's    guilt.    at    the    time    the    LOGICAL    solution    was    to    create    another    alter    ego    that    would    be    personal    to    dick    and    operate    as    an    EXTENSION    to    batman.    when    it    all    began    the    lines    were    concrete    but    as    time    passed    and    the    weight    of    what    it    meant    to    be    a    hero    only    increased    and    those    lines    became    blurred.    bruce’s    negligence    to    reinforce    them    is    what    brings    them    here    at    an    odds.    the    similarities    between    them    remain    but    bruce’s    remarkable    inability    to    rationalize    with    dick    is    what    keeps    them    apart.

❝    dick.    are    you    out    of    your    mind    !?    ❞    bruce    lifts    his    brows    with    his    eyes    darting    in    dick’s    direction.    his    forthright    behavior    wasn’t    entirely    new    to    bruce.    the    two    had    shared     a    handful    of    heated    arguments    but    it    was    incomparable    to    the    DISRESPECT    he    was    greeted    with    today.    ❝    i’m    not    THREATENING    you    with    my    death.    it’s    inevitable.    it’s    a    goddamn    miracle    i’m    still    here    today    and    we    can’t    keep    depending    on    miracles.    ❞    the    feeling    of    discomfort    sits    high    in    his    chest    ,    high    enough    for    it    to    be    translated    onto    his    expression.    being    held    ACCOUNTABLE    wasn’t    something    he    needed    someone    else    to    do    for    him.    his    laundry    list    of    mistakes    followed    him    like    a    sick    shadow.    ❝    your    inability    to    accept    criticism    shouldn’t    encourage    you    to    insult    me    ,    dick.    even    more    so    when    you    know    damn    well    i    carry    those    mistakes    with    me.    but    unlike    you    i    choose    to    learn    from    them    not    keep    them    at    bay    to    use    as    LEVERAGE    in    an    argument    while    drinking    a    pink    drink    at    starbucks.    ❞    he    struggles    to    keep    his    anger    at    bay    but    a    singular    exhale    allows    him    to    keep    his    composure.

HE    FOLLOWS    DICK    OUT    THE    DOOR    the    contrast    of    the    quiet    cafe    to    the    bustling    city    life    rings    in    his    ear.    he    reaches    outward    to    earn    a    grip    on    the    younger’s    arm.    he    gives    it    a    pull    ,    ❝    i’m    not    afraid    you’ll    be    better.    ❞    he    admits    over    the    heavy    street    traffic.     ❝    because    you    already    are.    ❞    he    holds    each    side    of    dick’s    arm    and    looks    down    at    him.    ❝    i’m    afraid    people    will    take    advantage    of    that.    you’re    a    good    kid    ,    dick.    ❞    his    sincerity    is    present.    if    it    wasn’t    for    dick    the    hope    he    earned    for    the    subsequent    robins    wouldn’t    have    existed.    he    was    more    than    a    prodigy    but    A    PILLAR    in    the    legacy    of    batman. 

          what   weighed   more   ?   the   survivor's   guilt   or   the   mantle   he   was   expected   to   uphold   .   .   .   the   death   of   his   family   ,   or   the   death   of   a   son’s   future   ?   richard   grayson   wasn’t   an   orphan   groveling   in   the   streets   of   gotham   then   saved   by   a   messiah   in   a   tom   ford   suit   ,   but   a   beloved   son   from   a   loving   family.   during   his   evolution   as   robin   a   part   of   dick   believed   that   he   would   be   able   to   heal.   his   idolization   of   bruce   was   rooted   in   his   ability   to   create   an   an   image   of   strength   and   justice   after   an   unspeakable   tragedy.   dick   wanted   to   paint   the   same   image   but   as   time   progressed   he   realized   that   the   paints   in   his   palette   weren’t   the   same   as   his   adoptive   fathers   .   .   .   and   the   image   he   needed   to   complete   required   him   to   find   a   new   set   of   paints   ;   shades   of   bright   blues   contrasting   his   bleak   blacks.

          bruce   was   able   to   fill   a   role   in   dick’s   life   but   failed   to   replace   what   he   needed   most   :    a   father.   in   dick’s   quest   to   ensure   that   his   successors   wouldn’t   suffer   the   same   fate   ,   he   lost   his   chance   to   integrate   into   the   family   himself.   filling   the   role   of   not   only   batman   but   the   compassionate   patriarch   the   wayne   family   needed   to   function.   he   felt   a   sense   of   betrayal   when   bruce   decided   that   his   personal   desires   outweighed   his   personal   obligations.   dick   assumed   that   he   was   far   more   interested   in   gallivanting   with   his   laundry   list   of   romantic   partners   instead   of   being   a   dad.   guess   being   a   billionaire   playboy   sounded   a   whole   lot   cooler   than   billionaire   dad.   but   these   were   all   assumptions   ,   nobody   really   knows   our   fathers   anyway.

          dick’s   weakness   was   and   remains   to   be   his   tender   heart.   with   his   emotions   kept   at   the   surface   it   was   easy   to   get   lost   in   the   tide.   it   felt   foolish   to    allow   himself   to   act   on   emotion    in   front   of   bruce   ,   who   time   and   time   again   reminded   dick   the   dangers   of   it.   his   warning   in   the   cafe   earlier   rang   in   his   ears   louder   than   the   street   traffic.   absent-ish   father   ,   sure.   but   he   did   have   good   advice.   dick   felt   a   tug   on   his   arm   before   it   being   followed   by   a   pull.   he   doesn’t   fight   it   as   he   doesn’t   see   the   point   in   doing   so.   he   knew   it   was   bruce   fighting   for   a   second   chance   ,   like   he   always   did.   

finding a young vigilante on a rooftop is an unsurprisingly common experience for rhodey  ,  though usually both he and they are in their suits  .  to have neither be in a suit is an even rarer experience  (  except for with miles  ,  of course  )  &  he relishes the lack of pressure it brings  .  no risks of his conversational partner vanishing into the night  ,  nor himself being drawn away by an alert  .  would you rather is something he has fond memories of playing in university  ,  and a good way to get to know people  —  though  ,  the question the young person supplies raises an eyebrow  .  “  is this a trick question  ?  like  ,  is the warehouse rigged with explosives  ?  although  ,  thinking about it  ,  i’d rather fight vanko on the race track  ,  ‘cause if i fought him he wouldn’t have been coming back  .  that would have saved us a lot of pain later on  .  ”

         the   shadow   of   an   older   ,   wise   adult   constantly   loomed   over   the   young   vigilante.   dick   wasn’t   completely   opposed   to   the   idea   of   having   such   figures   in   his   life.   he   valued   them   but   he   seemed   to   prioritize   independence   lately   to   fulfill   his   urge   to   graduate   from   sidekick   ,   vigilante   ,   to   finally   hero.   dick   snorted   ,    ❛❛   i’m   not   good   at   tricks   ,   mister   rhodes.   ❜❜   his   response   is   polite   ,   like   the   good   kid   he   is   ---   or   the   good   kid   he’s   expected   to   be.    ❛❛   of   course   it’s   rigged   ,   it’s   always   rigged.   when   you   least   expect   it   ,   expect   it   typa   deal.   ❜❜   he   explained   the   fantastical   idea   that   could   only   exist   in   gotham   city.   dick   scratched   his   head.   ❛❛   i’m   guessing   you’re   the   get   the   job   done   regardless   of   the   cost   kinda   guy.   how   do    carry    that   weight   ?   ❜❜

          ❛❛   that’s   because   it   is   a   shithole.   ❜❜   dick   reassured   with   a   bit   of   a   grin.   soft   yet   sad.   a   mix   of   feeling   that   slowly   became   a   permanent   fixture   on   dick’s   expression   ;   regardless   of   how   often   he   attempted   to   disguise   it.    ❛❛   but   it’s   my   shithole.   okay   ?   i   practically   grew   up   there.   ❜❜   he   swiped   past   a   few   images   on   his   camera   roll   ---   one   with   hayley   ,   another   with   babs   ,   an   obligatory   found   family   photo   ,   and   then   finally   one   with   him   and   bruce.   dick   scoffed   and   promptly   locked   his   device   before   slipping   it   into   the   pocket   of   his   hoodie.   his   elbows   propped   on   on   the   railing   and   his   eyes   locked   onto   the   city   skyline.   the   new   york   lights   mimicking   daylight.   ❛❛   so   yeah   ,   this   place   beats   gotham   city.   you   win   that   round.   ❜❜   his   eyes   flickered   to   the   guest   beside   him.   ❛❛   okay.   my   turn.   ❜❜   he   tapped   his   chin   playfully.    ❛❛   would   you   rather   fight   a   dude   with   two   electrical   whips   on   a   race   track   or   a   maniacal   clown   in   an   abandoned   warehouse   ?    ❜❜