Chapter Text
Prologue
Coming home from school on Fridays was perhaps Dick Grayson’s favourite time of the week. Because Friday meant that he had two nights of patrolling as Robin in front of him.
The adrenalin rush of flying over rooftops. The warm feeling when they succeeded in helping people. And, last but not least, working together with Bruce.
Some kids looked forward to going to a baseball game, the movies, or the amusement park with their parents. And it wasn’t as if Dick didn’t enjoy doing things like that with his foster father, the few times it happened, but there was nothing quite like going out as Batman and Robin.
Quite often, Bruce himself would pick him up after school on Fridays. But when Dick heard the heavy oak doors close behind him as he walked down the steps from the school building, there were no sign of any of the cars that Bruce would habitually drive. Neither of Alfred and the limousine.
Dick’s brow furrowed for a moment – that was unusual. When he reached the pavement, he took up his phone to check for missed messages but found none. He shrugged and looked around for a place to wait, out of the way from where his fellow students were picked up, but just then the black limousine turned into sight.
Moments later, the car came to a stop, and Dick hurried to open the back door and jump in. He was still training Alfred not to step out and hold the door open for him as if he were some kind of dumb celebrity who needed props to make a noticeable entrance or exit.
“Hi Alfred”.
“Young sir”.
Dick frowned again – Alfred didn’t sound quite himself. Too subdued.
The boy leaned forward, hanging his arms over the front seat, and asked, “Anything the matter?”
“Of course not.”
“All right – if you say so,” Dick said, sitting back again. “I can hardly believe it's finally Friday. My favourite day! And I know we’ve got a case going.”
“Indeed, sir.”
“I’ve got a feeling this is going to be the best night I’ve had for ages!”
And if Alfred didn’t respond to that – well, it was only to be expected that the correct butler wouldn’t. The older man didn’t seem eager to chat this day, and Dick was content to look out through the windows and daydream about the weekend until they arrived at the Manor.
Alfred cleared his throat when he stopped the car and looked at Dick in the rear mirror.
“I believe Master Bruce wants to speak with you, Master Richard. He wanted you to go straight up to his study. He will be expecting you.”
Dick sat up a bit straighter for a moment before he flashed his driver a smile and opened the door.
“Thanks for the ride, Alfred! I’ll run straight up and see what the boss-man wants.”
And if Alfred looked after his young charge with a sad look in his eyes, well, Dick was too busy to run up the stairs to the Manor to notice.