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“That is the fourth time you've sent me to Blüdhaven in the last week,” Dick said, and Bruce grimaced, aware of the numbers. He didn't like how much he was sending his son off on his own any more than he liked. Hell, he still hated letting Dick out of his sight. The kid was better, but he wasn't over what happened, and he wouldn't be, not for longer than anyone wanted to believe.
“I am aware of that.”
“Of course you're aware of it,” Dick said in almost a mocking tone, and Bruce looked at him, tempted to frown. Some of this attitude was typical of his son, but the rest was an unpleasant reminder of how much being away had altered him. “I'm just thinking that maybe we've all been overlooking something.”
“Bruce? Overlook something? Surely you're joking,” Barbara said, leaning back in the computer chair and wearing a mocking smile as she did. Sometimes Bruce wondered if she was the right person for this—for everything, not just hero work but also for being his son's best friend—and then he saw Dick smile and let some of his own reservations be quieted, again.
“I just mean... maybe with all the stuff that keeps happening in Blüdhaven, we should have a place there. You know, almost like a backup batcave.”
“A backup batcave?” Bruce asked, and both of the kids burst out laughing. Obviously, part of their plan had been to get him to say that. “Dick—”
“Hear me out,” Dick said after catching his breath. “I know how Alfred feels about having us all back after a night on patrol, but there have been so many times that if I could just have found a bed in Blüdhaven, I would have. I was exhausted, and driving home like that isn't a good idea. Of course, if we did set up a base there, we could see about adding a zeta tube to it, but until we did, we'd at least have a place to regroup and resupply and—”
“Shower,” Barbara interrupted, wrinkling her nose. “Which you could use right now, Stinky Wonder.”
“Hey!” Dick protested, and she smirked back at him. Bruce grunted, and they both looked at him, but neither was all that apologetic. “So, what do you think, Bruce? Should we consider getting a place over there? I've actually got a few thoughts about a good location—”
“You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?” Bruce asked, watching his son with a bit of suspicion. “How long?”
“At least a month that I know of,” Barbara said. She shrugged. “I think he's been thinking about it for a lot longer than that, though.”
Dick shrugged. “It was kind of inevitable, with as much as I've been in Blüdhaven lately. I'm practically their version of Batman these days. I've even got some... fans.”
“Fans?”
Dick laughed. “You don't have to say it like it's the worst thing in the world. I just... helped some kids out the other night and now they watch for me and try and help me if they see me. No big deal.”
“It's adorable, actually,” Barbara said, looking over at Dick with a smile. He smiled back until she said, “nauseatingly so.”
“Thanks a lot, Babs.”
“You're welcome,” she said. Then she stood, yawning. “I'd better get home. Don't forget your half of the lab project this time, Dick. Alfred can't always rescue you when you do.”
Dick winced. “That was one time. One time. And I'd just been taken out by Two-Face the night before so I should get a pass for that.”
“Not likely,” she said, still teasing. Bruce shook his head at both of them, watching her leave with a frown.
“Bruce?”
“Hmm?”
Dick cleared his throat, sounding awkward this time. “I did mean it. I think there's a good reason for us to have a base of operations in Blüdhaven. It's not just about exhaustion, though I figured if I said too much about what I've noticed going on over there everyone would bar me from going, so I was going to put together a whole thing on the location I wanted and give you all the logic and safe reasons why I wanted to build a place there first and then—”
“And you'd tell me about the rest of it when it was too late? Again?”
“Um... Not exactly,” Dick said. He blew out a breath. “The other part of it is Jason. I... I think he still feels threatened by me as Robin, and I know I feel like a third or fourth or even fifth wheel some nights. You're partners. I'm not needed with you and him anymore, and so I should have a place of my own to work out of and at the same time, Jason will get what he needs—a chance to know that he really is your partner. It all makes sense. I should be in Blüdhaven.”
It did make a certain amount of sense, Bruce agreed, but that didn't make him like it. “Show me everything you have on this.”
“You're actually going to listen to me?”
“I haven't approved anything yet,” Bruce reminded him.
“But you will, right?” Dick asked. “Right?”