Chapter Text
Bruce was standing on the rooftop near his favorite gargoyle, gazing at his city’s landscape, deep in thought, when he faintly heard someone shouting.
“Batman! Batman!”
Bruce looked down. Through the darkness, Bruce could see a small figure of a child on the street, flailing around to get his attention. It could be a trap, but Bruce didn’t notice anything suspicious, and he couldn’t leave a child in need alone on the streets of Gotham. He grappled down, landing a few feet away from the child.
The child was obviously homeless, in tattered clothes with a dirty face. Bruce studied the boy. He couldn’t be more than seven or eight, maybe nine, if malnourishment was factored in. In fact – the boy was nine, Bruce realized, because he knew this child.
“Dick Grayson,” Bruce said. “I’ve been looking for you.”
The child’s eyes filled up with tears, and Bruce wanted to kick himself. He always said the worst things to children.
“I know, B-Batman, but I need your h-help. My brother – he’s really sick, and I c-can’t take him to the hospital, ‘cause they’d take him away, and-and I need your help!”
Dick Grayson didn’t have a brother, but Bruce would unravel that later. Right now, Batman was needed.
“Take me to him,” Bruce said, trying to gentle his tone through the Batman growl.
Dick crossed his arms stubbornly. “Y-you gotta p-promise no hospital.”
From behind the cowl, Bruce narrowed his eyes. Dick’s brother – whoever he was – probably needed a hospital. If the brother was a child, then taking him to Leslie wouldn’t be any better than a hospital, since she was a mandatory reporter. But Dick clearly wouldn’t budge unless Bruce gave his word.
“I promise,” Bruce said solemnly. “No hospitals.”
“O-okay. Thank you. This way.”
Dick took him a few blocks away to an abandoned – and condemned, Bruce noted with concern – apartment building. As they walked up the steps to the second floor, Dick called out, “Jay? It’s me and-and Batman.”
They entered a tiny studio apartment. A boy was huddled in the corner farthest from Dick and Bruce. He was smaller than Dick and just as filthy. The blankets covering him were thin and dirty.
Dick quietly crept to the boy’s side and gently rested a hand on his shoulder, shaking the boy awake. “Jason, Batman’s here.”
With a moan, the boy – Jason – slowly regained consciousness. He stared blearily at Dick and then at Bruce. “Told y-you…not…to,” Jason mumbled.
“I had to,” Dick said. “He promised no hospitals.”
Jason’s eyes slowly shut again, and his head flopped to the side. Bruce crouched in front of Jason and held a hand against Jason’s forehead. He could feel the heat through his glove.
“How long has he been sick?” Bruce asked Dick.
“About a week,” Dick said, nervously wringing out the bottom of his shirt. “He got real bad two days ago. Is-is he going to be okay?”
Dick’s eyes were wide and scared. Batman wasn’t the best at reassurances, but he tried his best. “If we get him the care he needs, yes.”
“He can’t go to a hospital,” Dick insisted. “They’ll-they’ll put him back into the system and-and then his dad’ll find him and-and-”
Dick’s eyes welled with tears again. Bruce resisted the urge to swear. Jason needed immediate medical attention, but if Bruce broke his word, then neither child would trust Batman – or any adult – ever again. They would run away as soon as Jason was better, and Batman would never find them. At least not alive.
Bruce had an idea – a stupid idea. Alfred was going to kill him.
“There’s a home I can-”
“No!” Dick said. “No, you can’t – you promised you-”
“Not that kind of home,” Bruce said quickly. “Neither of you will be put back in the system, but Jason will get the medical care he needs. A…friend of mine can take care of you – both of you – until Jason is feeling better.”
Dick bit his lip, clearly weighing his options. His eyes kept flicking between Bruce and Jason. “O-okay,” he said, his shoulders slumping dejectedly.
Bruce carefully lifted Jason into his arms. Jason groaned quietly but otherwise stayed asleep. “Is there anything important you need to bring with us?” Bruce said, looking around at the cans of food and blankets scattered around.
Dick shook his head, and that broke Bruce’s heart even more. After Dick’s parents had died, he had brought a box of their things with him to his foster family. Most of those things now sat in police storage as potential evidence, linked to the case of Dick’s disappearance and foster parents’ arrest.
Batman’s car was fortunately nearby. “That’s yours?” Dick said, sounding horrified as they approached it.
“Yes,” Bruce said.
He shifted Jason in his grasp and reach his utility belt to unlock the car. “I told Jay it’d be a bad idea to steal the tires,” Dick said.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Dick said. “So…what do you call it?”
Bruce gently laid Jason down in the back seat and strapped him in. He’d had to do emergency medical evacs like this before, and so his car was equipped to safely transport someone lying down, instead of sitting up right.
“Call what?” Bruce said.
“Your car,” Dick said. “It’s gotta have a cool name. You’re a superhero.”
“It’s just…my car,” Bruce said, confused.
“You’ve gotta do better than that,” Dick said. “I’ll figure something out for you.”
Bruce wasn’t sure how to respond, so he didn’t.
Once Jason was secure, Bruce sat in the driver’s seat and gestured for Dick to sit next to him.
“I’m not old enough,” Dick said.
“In this car, you are,” Bruce said. “I’ve adjusted the airbags accordingly.”
Dick shrugged and got in. Before departing, Bruce changed the car into incognito mode, so that it would blend in with the rest of traffic.
The ride was mostly silently. Dick kept glancing behind his shoulder at Jason, who stayed unconscious. Bruce knew his attempts at reassurance would fail miserably, so he kept quiet.
“Woah,” Dick whispered as they drove up to the manor gates. “That’s a big house.”
Bruce rang the intercom system. A minute passed before he heard Alfred’s posh British voice, without any evidence that he’d just woken up. “Wayne Residence. State your purpose.”
“I apologize for the late hour,” Bruce said, keeping his Batman growl. “Is Bruce Wayne available? This is Batman.”
The cameras had already told Alfred as much, but Bruce needed to indicate that Batman was at the gate, not Bruce.
Without missing a beat, Alfred said, “I am afraid Master Bruce is away this evening. May I be of assistance in his stead, sir?”
“I have a child that needs medical assistance,” Bruce said.
“Ah. In that case, I am confident that Master Bruce would insist that you come in at once.” The gates opened.
“Thank you,” Bruce said.
Dick continued to gape at the manor as they drove up. It was…cute, Bruce had to admit.
He parked by the side entrance. Alfred was already waiting for them in his dressing gown and slippers. Jason was sound asleep as Bruce lifted in him into his arms again. Dick cautiously supervised. He seemed torn between amazement at the house, wariness of Alfred, and, most intensely, fear for Jason.
“Do you have bed where I can put him?” Bruce asked Alfred.
“Of course, sir,” Alfred said.
Alfred let them inside. Bruce remotely activated autopilot on his car, directing it to his cave.
The room that Alfred led them to was near Bruce’s bedroom. Bruce always appreciated Alfred’s perceptiveness. Bruce relayed to Alfred what little that Dick had told him about Jason’s illness.
“He needs to be hydrated,” Alfred said. “I will be back in a moment, sir.”
Dick sat on the bed, cross-legged, next to Jason’s sleeping body. He looked at Bruce with wide, scared eyes. “You’re sure we’re safe here with Mr. Wayne?”
“He won’t hurt you,” Bruce said confidently. “He’s a good friend of mine.”
Dick chewed on his lip, clearly not convinced, but he didn’t say anything else. Alfred was back soon with an IV drip and other medical supplies.
“What’s that?” Dick said, eyeing the IV drip suspiciously.
Alfred talked while he took Jason’s temperature. “It will give him the nutrients and liquids that his body needs right now.” He checked the thermometer and frowned. “103.2.”
“Is that bad?” Dick asked.
“Anything under 104 degrees is acceptable right now,” Alfred said soothingly. “The IV drip will help.”
Alfred explained every step to Dick in a calm voice as he prepared Jason for the needle and then inserted the IV. Dick held Jason’s free hand the whole time, gripping it tightly. He would flinch whenever Alfred moved too suddenly. He kept glancing over at Bruce. Bruce tried to look reassuring.
When Alfred was done, he said, “I will check on him in the morning. Let me know, young sir, if anything changes. I will be downstairs.”
There was no question about if Dick would stay with Jason. Dick would definitely put up a fuss if Bruce or Alfred tried to separate the two children.
“I have to go now, Dick,” Bruce said. “Alfred and Bruce will take good care of you. You can trust them.”
“You’re leaving?” Dick said in a small voice.
“Yes,” Bruce said. He couldn’t remain as Batman in the manor for too long. “You’re safe here.”
“I…okay,” Dick said mournfully. “Thank you, Batman.”
“Of course,” Bruce said.
As Bruce and Alfred left the room and were out of earshot, Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Should I inform Master Bruce about his visitors, Batman?”
“Besides knocking Dick out, this was the only way,” Bruce said defensively.
Alfred’s lips twitched. “As you say, sir.”
“I have to make a few calls,” Bruce said. He ignored Alfred’s amusement. “Do you mind staying awake in case Dick or Jason needs something?”
“Of course, sir,” Alfred said.
Alfred went to the kitchen – presumably to make some tea – and Bruce went to the Batcave. His calls needed to be far from the ears of snooping little boys.
“Gordon.”
“Hey, Jim. It’s Bruce Wayne. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
Jim sighed wearily from the other end. “I was already up. Babs has gymnastics at way too early in the morning. How can I help you?”
“Batman dropped off two young boys at the manor about an hour ago. Homeless, I think. One of them was sick – Alfred’s sorting him out. They need a place to stay that isn’t a hospital. I want to house them until he’s better and then work with them on finding a safe place to stay after, but I don’t want to break any laws.”
“Shit. I mean shoot – Barbara, don’t repeat that word, especially around your mother! Sorry, Bruce. Uh, you don’t happen to know their names?”
“No,” Bruce lied easily. “I just returned from a…night out. Alfred didn’t catch their names either.”
“If this was anywhere but Gotham, there’d be no way in h – I mean, be no way to get this approved. But we’re in Gotham, and social services won’t have the resources to view your case for a few weeks. I’ll put in a good word for you, and they should be happy with that for now. Bigger fish to fry than Bruce Wayne. Besides, Alfred might still be listed as a suitable foster parent after…well, after your case.”
“Send any paperwork to my lawyers, and they’ll figure it out. Thanks, Jim.”
“No problem. Good on you to look after those kids.”
“I couldn’t say no.”
They exchanged farewells, and Bruce hung up. He switched phones and dialed. It went to voicemail, so he re-dialed. This time, the call went through.
“Fuck, spooky, y’know what time it-” Hal yawned loudly. “-is?”
“I need your…advice,” Bruce said, a tad reluctantly.
“Really?” Hal now sounded wide awake. “The Batman needs my advice? Can you say that again? Can you maybe, I dunno, beg a little? This happens so rarely, I can barely contain-”
“Jordan,” Bruce snapped. “Shut up.”
“Not how you should be talking to someone that you’re asking for advice from – Mr. I am Batman and never listen to what anyone has to say, because I know all. But fine. Whatever. What’s up?”
Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose and took a calming breath. “I’ve recently acquired two boys and-”
“God, could you make that sound any creepier? What, you went to the child fair and picked up your two boys? Shit, I bet that’s a real thing. Especially in Gotham.” He made a disgusted noise. “Ugh, you didn’t really buy them from somewhere, did you, because-”
“One of them found me on patrol. His brother is sick, so I took them both home,” Bruce said. “I-”
“Home, home? Or your creepy cave?”
“The manor.”
“Okay. Continue.”
“Dick was the one who found me. He’s nine. His brother, Jason, is probably around seven. Alfred has stabilized Jason, but he won’t be awake to…process everything for a few days. However, Dick watched his parents die a year ago, went into foster care, and then ran away because of an abusive situation. He trusts Batman, but he’s jumpy around Alfred, so I can’t imagine how he’ll react when he meets Bruce Wayne.”
“And you called me because of my crappy childhood. You know I was never actually homeless, right? Just ran away a few times.”
“You’re the best resource I know,” Bruce said honestly. “How would you recommend I move forward?”
Hal was silent for a moment as he thought. “Ask Diana to stay over a few nights. Having a woman around might help. If he’s nervous around Alfred, of all people, that means something made him afraid of men. Let’s hope that nothing has made him afraid of women.”
“Wouldn’t Dinah be better because of her training?”
“Nah. Dinah’s great – and more than her husband will ever deserve – but she gives off concerned adult vibes. Diana treats everyone like a potential warrior. The kids’ll like that.”
“Would you-”
“Nope, nope. I won’t come over. I’m not a kid person. They scare me. Lots of teeth. Germs galore.”
“Alright.”
“Don’t alright me. I know that tone. You won’t be able to coerce me into-”
“Thank you for your advice,” Bruce said and hung up.
He called another number, this time through the comms on the cave’s computer. Diana’s face showed up on the screen.
“Bruce,” she said warmly.
“Hello, Diana,” he said. “I need a favor.”