#robin training

“You’re gonna fall!” Bruce called from below the wire.

“I’m not gonna fall.” Steph grinned, holding the staff out behind her, shoulders back and steady.

There was a net out underneath her as she laid her feet out, one in front of the other.

“Keep your weight central,” he reminded, following her steps from below, one in front of the other, “if you start tilting you won’t be able to keep yourself upright.”

“I know that B, you’ve proved that a million times.” She half teased, stilling herself as she teetered slightly.

“I fell once, and I was injured.”

It was three times. She counted, she had pictures of each time, thank god they were only training.

She rolled her eyes.

Being up on the wire was her favourite part of training. It let her separate herself from her surroundings, keep focusing on the line. Surprisingly, for it being so high up, it never scared her. She’d been terrified of heights when she was little, but Robin had fixed that, heights felt comforting in a way now.

She knew Bruce would catch her, well not directly, but still, he set up the net. And the wire. Hm.

“I’m pretty sure tightrope walking isn’t something in all vigilante tool boxes,” she hummed as she reached the end of the wire, pressing her palms to the wall, letting herself stand for a moment, “why do we do it?”

“The lot of you follow Dick’s old training routine, at least vaguely, it’s spill over from that, it makes you harder to knock down.”

“Does it?” Stepping back out onto the line she twisted herself, conforming to the wall again as she straightened out.

“Being able to keep your Center of gravity still makes it harder to lose your balance, keeping your footing in a fight is important— ”

“So you don’t get knocked on your ass?” She completed, shifting to the one foot.

He snorted, “sure.”

Settling in silence, she crossed the rope again, back straight, shoulder back, one foot in front of the other.

She could imagine the fall from here, clattering down, maybe the net would break? Be like the Grayson. Morbid thought.

Wind in her face would feel good though, a few moments of peace, maybe.

God what would death feel like? She wouldn’t be the first Robin if she did, wouldn’t be revolutionary. She didn’t like the idea of being normal, maybe she could strap fireworks to herself and die that way. Maybe she could take a jack hammer to her skull—

“Stephanie? kid?”

She looked down from the wire, Bruce’s head was cocked to the side, arms crossed.

“Feet on the floor, wanna try sparring.” She was certain he was distracting her, certain of it.

Day Four:

Stephanie Brown Day

Prompts: Robin Training, Body Swap, Different Predecessor, Funeral.

   “Faster. Nope--- sloppy form. Watch for a damn opening. Good… good. Bad. HUP---”

   Stephanie yelped as his blink-an’-you-miss-it takedown swept her feet out from under her. With a hollow whumph, her spine hit the mat. She rolled over, coughing, and the entire warehouse spun. Shit.

   “I told you to watch your blind spot earlier.” Someone stooped next to her head, gloved hand extended. “That’s twice you’ve fallen for the same feint; let’s take a break.”

   “No.” She slapped the hand away, huffing. “I’ve got this.”

   He stepped back, silent. When she struggled to her feet, she could practically see the raised eyebrow, even through that dumb shiny red helmet.

   “I’m not stupid,” she spat, bristling.

   “No,” he allowed, crossing his arms instead of getting back into a ready position. “Just fuckin’ stubborn.”

   “Perfect, then; we match.”

   “Stubborn doesn’t win you prizes, kid… stubborn gets you killed.”

   You would know, she wanted to bite back, but there were certain rules to follow if you wanted to be trained by the Red Hood. One was “No Bringing Up The Zombie Robin’s Past”. Another was to never EVER refer to either of them as Robin.

   Even though this was definitely, one-hundred percent, bona fide Robin training.

   “I can do this without you,” she reminded him.

   He cocked that stupid helmet to the side. “Reeeeeeeally? That’s not what you said when you came a-begging for a deal.”

   “I don’t need your permission, jerk.”

   “No, just my skills.” He finally uncrossed his arms, snapping his fingers. “Fine--- again.”

   She couldn’t help a triumphant smile. “Yeah?”

   “I could beat your ass all night, kid.” He beckoned egotistically. “‘S long as you wanna keep eating gym mats, I’m happy to oblige.”

Bruce, who’s already been through this with two Robins before: I am unfolding a piece of paper.

Batman (1940) #444

Because I can already imagine he definitely peppered sprayed him (multiple times) to teach him how to fight/get to safety while being blind and in pain

He’s has to

Like at some point the pepper spray training always comes in handy for all the batkids, but I find it hilarious that before they hit the streets they have to do this. They just scream in the cave for a solid 10 minutes after the fact

just imagine brucie fucking wayne sneaking into your room at 5 AM in the morning and standing over your bed until you woke up and saying, “bane’s chasing you! go run five miles!” in the most deadpan voice known to man 

Batman (1940) #449