Chapter Text
A kidnapping situation is never the way Dick wants to spend his night, seeing innocent people in pain is never what he wants. But it's fine, everything is fine, Batman is chasing the bad guys across the city, and all Dick has to do is make sure the kid in the van is alright. As he opened the door, however, he was met with a surprise.
“A.. A baby..?”
When Dick opened the door he was met with chubby cheeks and red eyes. He's been doing this for two years now, he's seen kids being kidnapped before, of course he had, it's Gotham! But before him was practically a baby, who doesn't know what's even going on.
“Mama! Mama!” He looks around two, at most, with his little arms flying around. His broken wails make Dick wince.
“Robin, have you found anyone?” Batman's voice comes through less rough than before, Dick takes that as a sign that the thugs are dealt with and Batman is coming back.
“Yeah, B, there's a kid, a really little kid.” Dick picks the toddler up when he makes another whining sound. “he's like two.”
Dick waits for the grunt from the other end of the line, but instead he gets a “wait there, I'm on my way.” As the toddlers' little eyes stare into Dick's soul.
“Uh- hi? Um. What's your name?” Unfortunately that wasn't the right approach. Dick’s eyes widened as this little kid let out a scream that gave Black Canary a run for her money.
“I WANNA GO HOME”
Dick winced and picked up the kid in an attempt to comfort him. “I know, I know, you can go home in a little while. Are you hurt anywhere?” The kid is too young to understand what's happening, but too old for him to not be emotionally affected by it. Dick at least feels calmer when he shakes his head into his shoulder. “Good, you're so brave.”
He steps out of the alley with the kid in his arms just as Batman approaches. “B!”
“Is he hurt?” Bruce has a soft look on his face, contradicting the blood on his fists. Nice, Dick thought, those assholes deserve it.
Dick shakes his head. “Pretty shaken up, but no visible injuries. And he said he was okay.” Batman nods and looks at the kid.
“Hey there, can you tell me your name?” His tone is far more Bruce than Batman. Risky move in public, but the kid probably wouldn't appreciate a gruff voice at the moment. To Dick's relief, the kid looks up.
“Duke”
“Alright Duke. How about me and Robin take you home?” when Duke wraps his arms around Dick's neck, Bruce turns to the Batmobileᵗᵐ. “I need to look up background information about Duke. A child his age won't know their address, and giving him to the police is not a good idea right now. Entertain him for half an hour.”
Dick's brain takes a whole twenty seconds to catch up. “B. My buddy, my favorite mentor, my partner in (fighting) crime, are you seriously telling a ten year old to look after a toddler for half an hour!?”
Bruce doesn't even spare Dick a glance. “No, I'm telling Robin to watch a kidnapping victim while Batman finds out who we need to return him to. You know how to contact me if something happens.” Before Dick can splutter out a reply, Bruce is sitting in the Batmobileᵗᵐ fully ingrosed in whatever illegal hacking he's about to do.
Dick sighs. “Do you… like the park?” Duke’s eyes lit up as he scrambled out of Dick's arms shouting “Park!” Dick takes his hand and walks him to a shitty looking slide, swing set, and roundabout. Dick doesn't come from Gotham, he's only been here for two years, but to a young kid indigenous to the city, this “park” is where dreams are at.
“Swings?”
“Yeah!”
As Dick pushes the swing, he lets the day sink in. The poor kid has been through something horrible, his parents must be worried sick, too. Though, Dick supposed it was nice to just push a swing for a bit.
“Robin, I've got the address.”
“No problem, B, I'll be right there.” He stops the swing and picks Duke up. “Ready to go home bud?”
Duke smiles brightly, something Dick would gladly die for.