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It wasn’t that Roy had anything personal against the new Robin, it was more the principal of the matter.
Dick had been pretty angry when he’d found out that his mantle had been passed on without either his knowledge or consent, and as he’d said wasn’t it his mantle to pass on?
Dick was his friend, and even though he was mostly angry at Bats for it, he was inevitably angry at the new Robin too.
So when your best friend is angry at someone, so are you.
It wasn’t hard to be angry. Apart from Dick’s obvious issues, Roy had a bit of a problem with the fact that a grown ass man would bring children in to fight his battles for him. Despite the fact that Roy had been the faithful child soldier himself. Or maybe because of it.
So Roy was angry with Bats for Dick, and he was angry at Bats and Robin 2.0 for Dick and hell, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the anger simmering to go round.
So when Dick wanted to make the trip to Gotham to give Bats a serve, and maybe test the new Robin a little, Roy was more than happy to tag along.
xx
Currently Roy was standing leaning against the wall of the batcave, watching Dick give Bats a serve.
Robin 2.0 was currently nowhere to be found. Roy figured he was probably at school, he didn’t know the kids age, but it was obvious he was still of an age requiring school attendance. Not the only detective around here are you Dick.
He heard a noise behind him on the stairs.
Speaking of.
He turned around to see a kid dressed in a tee and jeans, a cap with the Gotham Knights logo on it pulled down low on his head, and big sunglasses covering his eyes. It’s not the same as Dick used to wear around the mountain, but it still does the same job.
And it’s one thing to hate an idea of a person, but now that idea is a kid sitting behind him, and he can’t be angry at this kid, dragged into this world.
Stuck sitting on the stairs watching over two people arguing about him.
He’d been planning to cold shoulder him, be a bit of a dick, (ha) keep him on his toes.
He’s shocked when the kid speaks.
“He really hates me hey?”
So, kid doesn’t pull his punches.
“He,” Roy starts, but he doesn’t really have an answer for that. Yes Dick had walked in here angry at the New Robin, and yeah he probably still will be. But he also knows Dick, knows he wouldn’t hold a grudge at this kid sitting here. “No… he just… he’s angry right now. About this. But he’s angry at Batman.”
“He’s angry about me being Robin.”
And well, he’s not got anything to say to that, because the kids right. And Dick’s making that obvious enough with the words he’s throwing at Bats.
“Kid-”
“I’m not a kid,” the kid interrupts, in a very kiddish manner Roy notes.
“He’s worried about you too.”
The kid looks away. “Whatever.”
“Look, we started young too, we know what it’s like, and I don’t doubt you’ve got your reasons. But just, you don’t have to do this. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you and you don’t haveta do this.”
“I don’t have to do anything. I’m doing this cuz I want to.”
Behind Roy he can hear the argument petering out, figures it’s time to wrap this up.
“Yeah I’m sure.”
“Look, I know what it’s like. I loved to be red arrow when I started, but sometimes, it can get super sucky. If you need someone to talk to, away from all of this” he motions to the cave behind him “and someone is a bit more separate from all of this, you can give me a call.”
He takes a scrap of paper from his pocket, a receipt from Starbucks he’d given the name Titus.
“Do you have a pen?” he asks.
The kid nods before digging his hand into his pocket and holds out the pen to Roy. “Thanks’ he says, taking the pen and writing his number down.
“Look I’m not the best and I’m not really a great source for advice or anything. But I can listen if you wanna talk.”
He holds out the paper for the Robin to take, for a few moments he isn’t sure the kid will take it, but then the boy reaches out and snatches it from his fingers, fingers not even coming close to making contact with him.
Behind him he hears Dick stomping up the stairs, before coming to a rest next to Roy.
“Hello,” he shoots at the younger boy, somewhat tersely.
Dick doesn’t wait for a response before turning back to Roy, grabbing his wrist.
“C’mon let’s go,” he pulls Roy as he goes, stomping past the kid on the stairs.
“C’ya kid,” he says to the kid, reaching out to ruffle his hair, which the Robin easily ducks away from.
“Til next time,” he calls back over his shoulder. Dick glares at him as they go up the stairs, but Roy isn’t worried about it, hopes he's let the Robin know he has a friend in this.