Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A lot of people say I’m lucky to be adopted by a rich man after a year in foster care and I shouldn’t question it. But this rich man seems to be a bit off… He is supposed to have other children and yet the house is empty. Which is the first sign of his oddness and sign that I might be in danger. Yet, I am brave so I am investigating before I come to any conclusion.
My investigation has led me to find a lot of locked doors in his manor. A really strange clock which seems to be out of place. One worker who is very standoffish and for some reason able to take care of the entire house. Bruce’s lack of friends but large amount of meetings causing him to be away a lot and the feeling there was a lot more stuff in this house. People say that I am very perceptive and I agree—so much so I can tell that the house has recently been stripped from a lot of items. Finally, I swear, on my life, that I smell gunpowder everywhere in this house.

I spend a lot of time, walking around the house and I notice that a lot of stuff feels new. Or at least newly repaired. Some carpets, windows and even some spots on the walls. The paint also looks uneven and like they are slightly different shades. It makes me wonder what exactly has been happening in this house.
As I start to walk down the stairway into a large room which connects with a hall from the front door I hear a quiet commotion.

“I swear on god Ti-“ someone spits.
“Isn’t that a sin J-“ someone else retorts snakily.
“God will understand!” The first person all but yells.
“You both should shut up,” someone cautioned darkly.

The voices overlap into an unintelligible mass of noise. Quickly—and a little panicked—I creep back behind the wall, my head peaking out slightly so I could see the people.
In walks three boys all looking a little battered. I still can’t understand what they are saying but I feel like the tall one with a very light tan—looks kind of Arab or something—is speaking in a different language. I don’t know what he is saying but I am able to pick up a word or two and know he is getting mad. The other two behind him seem to be on the verge of getting into a fight—a physical fight. They are of similar heights but one of them obviously looks younger—still has his baby face it seems. They are yelling about something and trying to place blame.

“Well, it’s obviously Demon’s fault!” The baby-face one yells pointing to the very slightly tanned one.
“Me!” He yells spinning around on one foot.
“You didn’t disable the thing in time,” the one baby-face was fighting with snaps while crossing his arms.

I lean forward a little. What didn’t tall one disable? Where were they? Who were they? Could they be Bruce’s other children? I honestly should know more about Bruce Wayne’s family but I only just became completely fluent in English a month or two ago so I am not caught up in gossip.

“Well, if former wonder boy over there had watched my back then I would have,” the tall one spat eyes glaring at baby-face.

Why did he call baby-face “former wonder boy”? I lean forward a little more, hands gripping on the wall to keep me from falling.

“If know-it-all had given me accurate information then I could have,” baby-face sneers hands forming fists at his side.
“If you hadn’t-“ the other starts but my hands slip and I come crashing down and straight into the railing.

Thanks to some skills, I am able jump over the railings and roll onto the floor to break my landing. The boys stop talking as I scramble back onto my feet.
Great job Dick!
I swallow dryly as they stare at me with utter shock. I clasp my hands behind my back awkwardly wanting them to break the silence. And they did a couple seconds later.

“The fuck is that?” Baby-face says turning to the tall one who is speechless.

The one baby-face was originally fighting with stares at me with a look stuck in the middle of disgust and fear.
I try to stand up a little taller but end up shuffling awkwardly in my spot.
I should introduce myself?
I raise my hand trying to wave.

“I’m Richard Grayson,” I say trying to smile,”Mr Wayne adopted me,”

As the words leave my mouth, the eyes of the boys in front of me widen to an unrealistic size. A strangled scream leaves the tall one as he slaps his hand over his mouth. Slowly, I lower my hand and place it behind me again.

“He did what?” Baby-face fumes and I look at him uncertain.
He looks quite similar to an angry bull.
“Ad-er-he adopted me…” I stutter cautiously.
“Under who’s authority!” Not-baby-face thunders.
Unsure what to do, I say something stupid.
“The government,” I offer and they all stare at me with an emotion I cannot name.

I inwardly curse myself for saying something so stupid. I should have just kept my mouth shut.

“Are you mocking me?” The tall one hisses and I shake my head quickly,”Where is our father?”
So, they must be Bruce’s sons.
“Mr Wayne?” I clarify, leaning backwards a little.
“Yes,” they all growl and I bite my tongue.
“Living room,” I exclaim holding the back on my shirt in my hand.

One by one, the boys walk out of the room in the direction of the living room starting with the tall one, then non-baby-face before finally baby-face.
I almost collapse out of relief when baby-face leaves the room. This is not going to be a fun experience.

Chapter Text

1 Week later

I know three things.

1. Bruce Wayne is either a super villain or a superhero.

2,His children are either on his team or trying to kill him.(I have valid reason to suspect that)

3. If I disappear randomly in the next couple days it will be at their hands.

Right now, I am currently debating whether to risk it all and run away or stay and face the three boys. Both options have their own set of pros and cons but I can’t decide which one is more dangerous. I am no wimp so I am inclined to stand my ground against this boys but at the same time if my suspicions are right I am out of my depth. I know one kids from my public school days and if I explain the situation well enough they might hide me. But then again, I don’t want to put them in danger. I probably don’t have much time before the boys make a move so I have to make a plan soon.

Luckily it is in the middle of the night and I don’t have to worry about them.

Slowly, I drift into a sleep. I am awoken abruptly and roughly as I am bound, gagged and blindfolded before being dragging off my bed and somewhere else. Instantly, I fear for my life. I know the three boys are behind this and I am scared to know what they will do it me. I wouldn’t put it past them based on what I’ve seen to kill me. The smell of gunpowder in this house has been getting stronger the past couple days which is most worrying.

The trip feels really long for me and I am dragged down multiple stairways. My head bumps into multiple things and I am surprised I haven’t developed a concussion yet. I can tell that the boys aren’t pros at this since they are arguing a lot.

“Keep his head up—your gonna kill him,” the voice I know as slightly tanned tall one—Damian—says.

“I’m trying,” Baby-face—Jason—hisses,”If someone who hold him right, it would be easier,”

“Don’t you look at me,” Not-baby-face—Tim—snaps.

They continue like this and I find it quite annoying. If you’re planning to kidnap someone the least do it properly. I mean, would it be so hard to just give me some knock-out fluid of something. And even if they didn’t have that, it’s not too hard to hit me into unconsciousness. Don’t even get me started and them arguing opening in front of me—it’s like they don’t know how to kidnap someone. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t even know where they are going because their plan of action is so stupid.

The trip is long because they seem to get lost—in their own house it nonetheless. I try very hard not to criticise them or how they choose to carry out a kidnapping but this is just pathetic. They’ve spilled personal information about each other like three time—albeit in a different language—within my earshot. They are just so careless.

When we finally arrive at the room they plan to keep me, I am more than a little ticked off. Who kidnaps someone from their room just to move them to another place in their house? And with both Bruce and Alfred in the building? How is this supposed to work out? A part of me wants to just start lecturing them on the proper way to kidnap someone because if this is how they go about kidnappings I am embarrassed for them.

Placing me on a chair, they pull the blindfold and gag off me quickly which shows the dark room we’re in. A part of me is impressed, the room looks soundproof and is dark enough for me not to see my surroundings well enough to plan an escape. Maybe they aren’t as useless as I though they were.

“Ok now Richard,” Tim says, leaning on Jason,”We know you know,”

My heart speeds up a little, my suspicions must be right then. I can’t believe it, Bruce Wayne is a supervillain and his children are his minions.

“Now, we want to know your plan,” Jason says calmly with Damian standing behind him coldly.

I shake my head quickly.

“I swear I won’t-“

“Who is your master?” Damian cuts me off.

I shake my head again. At this moment, I just want to survive which means I’ll do most anything to make them let me go.

“Nobody, I swear, I won’t tell the police,” I blurt out and they all look at me funny.

“What?” They all ask in various ways and I look at them confused.

“I won’t tell the police you’re supervillains,” I says and their jaws drop.

It is at that moment I realise I ran with the wrong conclusion.

“OOh,” I say awkwardly,”That wasn’t what you know I know,”

The boys look at each for a couple second before talking in Latin.

“Why does he think we are supervillains?” Tim hisses.

“Well we just kidnapped him,” Jason snorts.

I listen discreetly, they obviously don’t know I understand latin.

“So he doesn’t know father is Batman-“ “

What!” I snap loudly before I can stop myself.

I turn pink as their heads turn to me mortified. I sink back in my chair, hoping they will forget my existence. Tim holds back scared laughter. “

You speak latin don’t you?”

Hesitantly, I nod. Jason squeezes his eyes just.

“We’re fucked,”

Chapter Text

I get used to my brothers’ weirdness after some time with them. After I spend quality time with them, I start to understand who they are. Damian is weird but it isn’t out of malice. You can tell that he is just like that. Jason on the other hand is weird out of malice but the malice is friendly—or dare I say brotherly. Tim is the ‘cool’ one who I always low-key weird but it is so subtle you don’t notice it.

Anyway, I have gotten used to them and we have started adjusting to each other.

Jason is even talking to Bruce about making me his new partner but Tim is arguing against it. Even if Jason can convince Bruce to pass the title to me, it won’t be for a while now so I’m not thinking about it too much.

At the moment, I am finishing a craft project. Instead of doing my crafts in the main living room which I originally planned, I have decided to do it in the front room which is connected to the door. This is because Jason has a show he watches every day at the same time and gets a little snappy if interrupted.

I reminisce briefly about the day I first met Bruce's other kids which happened in this very room. I laugh, a small smile spreading across my face before I turn back to my wood carving.

Right now, I am carving small details which I will then glue onto my cup. It is almost finished now that the handle is all glued on.

I might give it to Alfred or Bruce.

I am careful not to cut myself with the knife as Damian vowed to confiscate the knife and my project if that happened even though Bruce has allowed me to use it. Damian can be like that.

The sweet smell of the wood wafts through the room and I focus on the even and pleasing sound of the knife scraping across the wood. Small ribbons of wood shaved from the firm wood float to the ground.

Just then, the door opens and someone walks in weighed down by two suitcases. He yawns loudly and stretches still in the hallway.

I look at him suspiciously. I’ve been introduced to friends that visit here often—even Damian’s ‘boyfriend’ or whatever he is—but not this person.

After a minute, the person notices me and freezes with wide eyes. Just then my hand slips and I squawk as I jerk my other hand away from the sliding knife.

“What’s going on!” Damian yells marching in with  that  look on his face.

I hold back an eye roll as Damian inspects my spotless hand. He has been waiting for an excuse to take away my knife but he isn’t going to get one.

“Nothing,” I moan waving my hand in his face,” See.” Damian opens his mouth to say something when the stranger interrupts.

“Hey, Dami,” the boy—or man—states with a little worry in his voice as he places down his bags. Inwardly I smile and Damian’s possible nickname. “ Sorry… Catch me up. What is this… this child doing here?”

I look at Damian who is looking at the man with a raised eyebrow.

“Ohh, Don’t be rude Duke,” he scolds before starting to walk off,” It’s just Dick,”

“Dick?” The person—Duke?—repeats with wide eyes and I put on an awkward smile. Damian is already the door so Duke runs after him repeating my name in a fever-like daze.

I follow the two of them into the main living room where the rest of the family is. Tim and Jason are fighting over the remote and can assume, from his expression, Jason's show is not over yet. Bruce is sitting in his chair—he has one of that type of chair in each room which is saved only for him—and Alfred seems to be holding himself back from scolding Tim and Jason.

Alfred smiles when he sees this Duke.

“Ahh,” he grins causing all the attention to turn to Duke,” Master Duke, you’re back—how was your flight?” Tim gives a quick wave to Duke as Jason uses the change to snatch the remote.

“Actually,” Duke says rather loudly before motioning towards me,” Who is this D-urgh,” he cringes to himself,” I’m sorry I can’t… Just why is this here?”

“It’s Dick,” Jason stated like it explained everything. It certainly didn’t explain anything as Duke was still confused and turned to Bruce.

“Duke,” Bruce says seemingly lost,” It’s Dick… Your new brother.”

The word “What” falls out of Duke's mouth quicker than a single beat of a hummingbird’s wing and cries louder than the blow of a ship horn.

Everyone looks taken aback but by Duke's sudden yell and looks between each other in silence. Duke’s eyes turn to me and then slowly to Bruce.

“You adopted another kid…” he almost whispers with closed eyes. He looks like a mixture of a disappointed parent and an annoyed co-worker. “Since when?”

“Like six months ago,” Damian says still confused and Duke’s face dropped as he looked at Bruce with a shocked face.

“I assumed you knew,” Bruce says softly with a small shrug of his shoulder—Bruce looks completely indifferent.

“Well, I didn’t!” Duke yells throwing his hands up dramatically before looking at me once me. He cringes. “Dick? Seriously? God…”