Categories > Cartoons > Batman > Mantle
Chapter Three
0 reviewsThe Titans search for Robin as he assembles the equipment he needs to battle the criminals of Gotham City...
0Unrated
Chapter Three
After many hours of painting, and many sad sighs from Victor Stone, the T Car was well, normal looking, is the best description he had for it. He felt sad in a way, his baby wasn't special anymore. She was just a car now, on the outside at least. "Well, y'all the T Car is officially "normalified", no one will ever know it belongs to the Teen Titans."
"What are we going to do now friend Victor?"
"I suppose we go look for Robin," Victor replied.
"But where shall we start?"
"No clue, and that's a problem. But I think we need to buy some new clothes first."
"New clothes, friend Victor; is there something wrong with the way we are dressed?" Kory asked.
"Well, we don't exactly look normal. If we want to be normal we must dress normal."
"Oh, joy," Raven muttered sarcastically.
Climbing out of the car, they drove to a clothing store and began looking around. It took a few hours but soon they had some outfits. Garfield Logan sported a jeans and a T-shirt look. Raven sported the Goth look, which didn't surprise any of them in the least. Victor bought a black shirt and khaki pants. And Kory? A lime green shirt with matching pair of shorts with blue flowers, her friends gave her odd looks. But it was the beginning of summer so it worked; she just seemed a little out of place with the rest of them.
They also bought a few more outfits so they'd have something to change into. At long last, they were ready to leave and begin their search for Robin. They were driving down the road when Gar noticed something odd.
"Hey, what's going on at the hospital?" Beast Boy asked. He had noticed a large crowd gathering outside the hospital entrance. "Come on guys, let's go see!" Victor parked the disguised T Car and they climbed out.
"Let's stay in the back though; we don't want any unnecessary attention." They pushed there way a little through the crowd. They were at the back of the swarm of press but they could see, if one could see through the blinding flashes of the cameras as they began to snap pictures of a sharply dressed young man.
"Oh Dude, that guy's Dick Grayson!" Beast Boy said to Victor.
"Who is this Dick Grayson?" Kory asked. She hadn't heard of him before. Then again, the name rang a bell in her mind; she just couldn't place where she had heard the name before.
"Isn't he the heir of Bruce Wayne, the founder of Wayne Enterprises?" Raven asked.
"Yes, and he's set to inherit Bruce Wayne's billions. He has more money than you can imagine."
"Dude, I can imagine quite a bit," Beast Boy countered. "I think Grayson's trying to say something."
"I'm willing to answer questions if there are any," he began quietly.
"Has Mr. Wayne's condition improved?" a man asked.
"He is conscious and steadily recovering," Dick Grayson replied calmly.
"Is it true you'll be looking after Wayne Enterprises while he recuperates?" came a quick question from someone in the front.
"Yes, I'll be here looking after Wayne Enterprises." Dick Grayson began scanning the crowd. His eyes blue eyes met the stares of the press with steady confidence. He would try his best to answer there questions.
"Mr. Grayson, where was the Dark Knight when this incident occurred?" Dick Grayson kept his features composed. He had not exactly anticipated the question coming up so quickly. He retained his calm demeanor in practiced study in composure.
"The Batman, the Dark Knight as you call him, could not reach Bruce Wayne in time. He tried to save him but he was defeated by Bane."
"Mr. Grayson, what became of Robin III? Where was he?" a woman shouted loudly.
"Robin III has retired; he didn't want to do it anymore." There was an audible gasp. Kory's face was a mass of confusion.
"Who is this Robin III they speak of? There is only one Robin and that is our Robin, how can there be another?"
"I don't know Kory, we'll find out when we can find Robin..." Victor replied. "I don't understand what's happening either."
"I will take no further questions," Richard Grayson. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." The flurry of shouts began but Richard Grayson ignored them. He made his way through the crowd, bumping into Kory and Raven. Kory finally got a good look at his face. He seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place him. Their eyes met for a brief second, fiery emerald green and sky blue, there was a connection between them that she couldn't place; the moment ended and then he pressed passed the crowd to a car where an older woman with dark hair sat in the driver's seat.
"Detective Yin," Dick Grayson said, "I need to see Lucius Fox."
"Alright, Robin-"
"Please call me Dick, Detective," he gave her a smile. "You might as well get accustomed to calling me by my real name."
"Of course, Dick. Lucius Fox is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, right?"
"Yes, he is," Dick replied. "And I need to see him right away."
Driving to Wayne Enterprises, Richard Grayson walked inside and walked straight to the office of Lucius Fox's office.
Lucius Fox was sitting in his office chair; he looked up as Dick Grayson walked in. "Richard Grayson! Thank God you've come back. We were worried that Wayne Enterprises wouldn't be able to function as well without him."
"That's the reason I've come back. I wanted to make sure everything runs smoothly." Dick Grayson said confidently.
"That's very good to hear Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox replied.
"So Lucius, how are things going?"
"Things have been very uptight since the attack on Bruce. We've all been very nervous." Lucius looked at him. "I don't understand why this happened."
"Well don't worry Lucius. I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on around here." Dick Grayson placed a hand on the CEO's shoulder. "I promise. Oh and by the way, I have a request to ask of you."
"What would that be?" Lucius Fox asked.
"Do you remember the time Bruce asked you for the armored assault suit, the grapple gun, the utility belt and the Tumbler?"
"Yes, but that was ages ago! Why?"
"I need everything you gave him. I need all the equipment, everything he had, can you do that for me?"
"Of course, Mr. Grayson," Lucius looked at him. "Everything Bruce has is yours anyway."
"Do I need to pay for it?"
"I might as well give it to you since money is not an object for you anyway."
"I still think I should pay for it."
"Please, Dick. You practically own Wayne Enterprises. Call it a gift between friends."
"I don't know Lucius. I don't want to bother you. You do so much already."
"No trouble at all. You should probably be going. I've taken up too much of your time."
"I'm actually on my way to Wayne Manor now."
"I'll warn you in advance. It's in really bad shape."
"Don't worry about it. In no time at all everything well be fixed Thank you for your time."
"You're welcome Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox said as Dick turned and left the room.
Richard Grayson arrived at Wayne Manor. The place was in had shape on the outside, giant gaps where walls once stood. Broken glass was scattered about the lawn and extensive damage was prominent in many places.
He stepped through the great doorway of Wayne Manor and walked inside. It was so empty and dark, he felt a morbid sense of depression wash over him; it was overwhelming. It was completely silent; the place had an eerie feel about it.
Unexpectedly, he heard a soft whimper. Looking around, he tried to find the source of it. The soft whimper came again. "Ace? Old boy is that you?" Ace was Bruce Wayne's dog. He had bought it for him when he had first come to Wayne Manor. Ace was Dick's companion before he became Robin. He had kept him company when Bruce was away. He had always been able to talk to him. Ace knew all his hopes, dreams and fears. He was his best friend of four legs.
He was surprised the dog had survived the attack. He saw his furry friend limp out of the library. "Come here, boy. It's me, Dick. Come on Ace, remember me?" The eight-year-old Greyhound wagged its tail and lumbered up to him.
"That's a good boy. I missed you." The dog nuzzled his hands and settled his head against his knee as Richard knelt beside his four-legged friend.
"Yeah, I know it's been a long time, boy." Dick scratched Ace behind his ears. "You haven't changed one bit." Ace let out a playful bark and placed his paws on his master's lap.
"Down boy, easy," Dick soothed. "Come on let's take a look around this place, huh?" Pushing the dog off his knees he rose to his feet. Looking around he realized how extensive the damage was. The place in the worst shape was the Batcave. How he was going to fix that, he had no idea. It would probably take construction crew weeks to fix Wayne Manor. And he did not want them crawling all over the mansion and possibly discovering the Batcave.
For the first time Dick Grayson thought about his friends. Maybe he should have told them why he left so suddenly. He admitted to himself he could probably use their help in foxing Wayne Manor. He knew Cyborg would have loved to get his hands on the Tumbler, his friend would have died of shock if he knew what he was going to turn it into.
Dick Grayson sighed. His friends were in Jump City. He knew he probably wouldn't see them for a long time. Taking Batman's place was something one did not take lightly. He knew he might not see his friends for a long time. He missed them already, but he knew he must sacrifice what he wanted so he could serve others. It was what made him a hero.
He made his way down into the basement where the Batcave was. If he was going to start cleaning up he knew he should probably start there. He would have to conceal the room again so no one would find it. Staring at the shambles of the old hideout he cracked his knuckles. "Well, Ace, let's get to work shall we?" The dog barked an answer. Dick smiled; it was time to go to work.
After listening to the long dialogue between Dick Grayson and the press, the Teen Titans decided they better make themselves inconspicuous so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves. Kory Amders looked at Victor Stone with worry.
"What should we do now?"
"I'm not sure, Kory. But I wonder if Robin's sudden need to come here has anything to do with this attack on Bruce Wayne the press was interviewing him about."
"Why would Robin have connections to a big shot philanthropist like Bruce Wayne?" Gar Logan asked
"I'm not sure; does anyone know what Robin did before he formed the Teen Titans?" Victor frowned.
"Wasn't he Batman's sidekick once, way back a long time ago?" Raven asked.
"Excuse me, but I do not understand this term "sidekick" you speak of." Kory Anders frowned. "What is a sidekick?"
"It's someone who helps the hero kick butt," Gar Logan replied.
"I see."
"So you think Robin came back to Gotham City because of Wayne Enterprises?" Raven asked.
"He could have. If I remember correctly, Batman and Robin work for Bruce Wayne the owner of Wayne Enterprises. We should probably start looking there."
"But how will we find him when we arrive?" Kory asked.
"I don't know Kory, maybe he'll find us," Victor looked out at the streets of Gotham through his windshield, "let's hope we can find him."
A few days later...
There was a loud knock at the door and Ace barked loudly at it. Dick Grayson jumped to his feet from the couch he was sitting on and ran to the door. Opening it, he saw Lucius Fox standing in front of him.
"Hello, Lucius. Do you have it for me?"
"Yes, the armored assault suit, the grapple gun, the utility belt and the Tumbler are all right here sir. Did you want it in black?"
"Lucius, you're the best. It's black right?"
"Yes it is, you have Bruce's tastes too, it seems. How is he?"
"He is steadily recovering. I visited him just before I came to see you."
"When you see him again, give him my regards."
"I will, don't worry."
"Dick, may I ask what all this equipment is for?"
"It's for a...hobby of mine, I'm going to need something to do while I'm here besides work."
"Oh, you the extreme sports type like Bruce?"
"You might say that," Dick looked at him. "Thank you for your time, I'm sorry to keep you so long. I'm sure you're very busy."
"No problem Dick. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'll be by tomorrow morning."
"See you then, Dick."
"Thanks Lucius," Dick shut the door behind him. He began to start working on the bat like cowl that would cover his face. It took him hours but at last, the mask was ready. He smiled with pride at his accomplishment. But the task was far from over, he didn't even have the Batcave operational yet.
Richard "Dick" John Grayson stood in the dark recesses of the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. He had just completed the redesign of the Batsuit. It was a dark grayish black, nearly an ebony color. He had carefully engraved the Bat symbol onto the chest plate. He had to do it himself; he couldn't let anyone see what he was making. He had to keep it a secret. He began gathering equipment for his utility belt, smoke pellets, electronic explosives, Bat-a-Rangs, and his gas powered grapple gun.
Dick Grayson looked at the assembled pieces of the Batsuit. It was all ready. All the pieces were in place. There was just one missing element.
"Now the student will become the master." Richard Grayson said solemnly. He took the advanced assault suit and put it on, then he took the utility belt and strapped it on. Grabbing a dark cape that the Dark Knight wore, he slung it about his shoulders. The final piece was ready. He placed the cowl over his face, it covered his eyes completely, now he was ready.
"Gotham City, I've come back. Care to welcome me home?"
After many hours of painting, and many sad sighs from Victor Stone, the T Car was well, normal looking, is the best description he had for it. He felt sad in a way, his baby wasn't special anymore. She was just a car now, on the outside at least. "Well, y'all the T Car is officially "normalified", no one will ever know it belongs to the Teen Titans."
"What are we going to do now friend Victor?"
"I suppose we go look for Robin," Victor replied.
"But where shall we start?"
"No clue, and that's a problem. But I think we need to buy some new clothes first."
"New clothes, friend Victor; is there something wrong with the way we are dressed?" Kory asked.
"Well, we don't exactly look normal. If we want to be normal we must dress normal."
"Oh, joy," Raven muttered sarcastically.
Climbing out of the car, they drove to a clothing store and began looking around. It took a few hours but soon they had some outfits. Garfield Logan sported a jeans and a T-shirt look. Raven sported the Goth look, which didn't surprise any of them in the least. Victor bought a black shirt and khaki pants. And Kory? A lime green shirt with matching pair of shorts with blue flowers, her friends gave her odd looks. But it was the beginning of summer so it worked; she just seemed a little out of place with the rest of them.
They also bought a few more outfits so they'd have something to change into. At long last, they were ready to leave and begin their search for Robin. They were driving down the road when Gar noticed something odd.
"Hey, what's going on at the hospital?" Beast Boy asked. He had noticed a large crowd gathering outside the hospital entrance. "Come on guys, let's go see!" Victor parked the disguised T Car and they climbed out.
"Let's stay in the back though; we don't want any unnecessary attention." They pushed there way a little through the crowd. They were at the back of the swarm of press but they could see, if one could see through the blinding flashes of the cameras as they began to snap pictures of a sharply dressed young man.
"Oh Dude, that guy's Dick Grayson!" Beast Boy said to Victor.
"Who is this Dick Grayson?" Kory asked. She hadn't heard of him before. Then again, the name rang a bell in her mind; she just couldn't place where she had heard the name before.
"Isn't he the heir of Bruce Wayne, the founder of Wayne Enterprises?" Raven asked.
"Yes, and he's set to inherit Bruce Wayne's billions. He has more money than you can imagine."
"Dude, I can imagine quite a bit," Beast Boy countered. "I think Grayson's trying to say something."
"I'm willing to answer questions if there are any," he began quietly.
"Has Mr. Wayne's condition improved?" a man asked.
"He is conscious and steadily recovering," Dick Grayson replied calmly.
"Is it true you'll be looking after Wayne Enterprises while he recuperates?" came a quick question from someone in the front.
"Yes, I'll be here looking after Wayne Enterprises." Dick Grayson began scanning the crowd. His eyes blue eyes met the stares of the press with steady confidence. He would try his best to answer there questions.
"Mr. Grayson, where was the Dark Knight when this incident occurred?" Dick Grayson kept his features composed. He had not exactly anticipated the question coming up so quickly. He retained his calm demeanor in practiced study in composure.
"The Batman, the Dark Knight as you call him, could not reach Bruce Wayne in time. He tried to save him but he was defeated by Bane."
"Mr. Grayson, what became of Robin III? Where was he?" a woman shouted loudly.
"Robin III has retired; he didn't want to do it anymore." There was an audible gasp. Kory's face was a mass of confusion.
"Who is this Robin III they speak of? There is only one Robin and that is our Robin, how can there be another?"
"I don't know Kory, we'll find out when we can find Robin..." Victor replied. "I don't understand what's happening either."
"I will take no further questions," Richard Grayson. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." The flurry of shouts began but Richard Grayson ignored them. He made his way through the crowd, bumping into Kory and Raven. Kory finally got a good look at his face. He seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place him. Their eyes met for a brief second, fiery emerald green and sky blue, there was a connection between them that she couldn't place; the moment ended and then he pressed passed the crowd to a car where an older woman with dark hair sat in the driver's seat.
"Detective Yin," Dick Grayson said, "I need to see Lucius Fox."
"Alright, Robin-"
"Please call me Dick, Detective," he gave her a smile. "You might as well get accustomed to calling me by my real name."
"Of course, Dick. Lucius Fox is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, right?"
"Yes, he is," Dick replied. "And I need to see him right away."
Driving to Wayne Enterprises, Richard Grayson walked inside and walked straight to the office of Lucius Fox's office.
Lucius Fox was sitting in his office chair; he looked up as Dick Grayson walked in. "Richard Grayson! Thank God you've come back. We were worried that Wayne Enterprises wouldn't be able to function as well without him."
"That's the reason I've come back. I wanted to make sure everything runs smoothly." Dick Grayson said confidently.
"That's very good to hear Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox replied.
"So Lucius, how are things going?"
"Things have been very uptight since the attack on Bruce. We've all been very nervous." Lucius looked at him. "I don't understand why this happened."
"Well don't worry Lucius. I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on around here." Dick Grayson placed a hand on the CEO's shoulder. "I promise. Oh and by the way, I have a request to ask of you."
"What would that be?" Lucius Fox asked.
"Do you remember the time Bruce asked you for the armored assault suit, the grapple gun, the utility belt and the Tumbler?"
"Yes, but that was ages ago! Why?"
"I need everything you gave him. I need all the equipment, everything he had, can you do that for me?"
"Of course, Mr. Grayson," Lucius looked at him. "Everything Bruce has is yours anyway."
"Do I need to pay for it?"
"I might as well give it to you since money is not an object for you anyway."
"I still think I should pay for it."
"Please, Dick. You practically own Wayne Enterprises. Call it a gift between friends."
"I don't know Lucius. I don't want to bother you. You do so much already."
"No trouble at all. You should probably be going. I've taken up too much of your time."
"I'm actually on my way to Wayne Manor now."
"I'll warn you in advance. It's in really bad shape."
"Don't worry about it. In no time at all everything well be fixed Thank you for your time."
"You're welcome Mr. Grayson," Lucius Fox said as Dick turned and left the room.
Richard Grayson arrived at Wayne Manor. The place was in had shape on the outside, giant gaps where walls once stood. Broken glass was scattered about the lawn and extensive damage was prominent in many places.
He stepped through the great doorway of Wayne Manor and walked inside. It was so empty and dark, he felt a morbid sense of depression wash over him; it was overwhelming. It was completely silent; the place had an eerie feel about it.
Unexpectedly, he heard a soft whimper. Looking around, he tried to find the source of it. The soft whimper came again. "Ace? Old boy is that you?" Ace was Bruce Wayne's dog. He had bought it for him when he had first come to Wayne Manor. Ace was Dick's companion before he became Robin. He had kept him company when Bruce was away. He had always been able to talk to him. Ace knew all his hopes, dreams and fears. He was his best friend of four legs.
He was surprised the dog had survived the attack. He saw his furry friend limp out of the library. "Come here, boy. It's me, Dick. Come on Ace, remember me?" The eight-year-old Greyhound wagged its tail and lumbered up to him.
"That's a good boy. I missed you." The dog nuzzled his hands and settled his head against his knee as Richard knelt beside his four-legged friend.
"Yeah, I know it's been a long time, boy." Dick scratched Ace behind his ears. "You haven't changed one bit." Ace let out a playful bark and placed his paws on his master's lap.
"Down boy, easy," Dick soothed. "Come on let's take a look around this place, huh?" Pushing the dog off his knees he rose to his feet. Looking around he realized how extensive the damage was. The place in the worst shape was the Batcave. How he was going to fix that, he had no idea. It would probably take construction crew weeks to fix Wayne Manor. And he did not want them crawling all over the mansion and possibly discovering the Batcave.
For the first time Dick Grayson thought about his friends. Maybe he should have told them why he left so suddenly. He admitted to himself he could probably use their help in foxing Wayne Manor. He knew Cyborg would have loved to get his hands on the Tumbler, his friend would have died of shock if he knew what he was going to turn it into.
Dick Grayson sighed. His friends were in Jump City. He knew he probably wouldn't see them for a long time. Taking Batman's place was something one did not take lightly. He knew he might not see his friends for a long time. He missed them already, but he knew he must sacrifice what he wanted so he could serve others. It was what made him a hero.
He made his way down into the basement where the Batcave was. If he was going to start cleaning up he knew he should probably start there. He would have to conceal the room again so no one would find it. Staring at the shambles of the old hideout he cracked his knuckles. "Well, Ace, let's get to work shall we?" The dog barked an answer. Dick smiled; it was time to go to work.
After listening to the long dialogue between Dick Grayson and the press, the Teen Titans decided they better make themselves inconspicuous so they wouldn't draw attention to themselves. Kory Amders looked at Victor Stone with worry.
"What should we do now?"
"I'm not sure, Kory. But I wonder if Robin's sudden need to come here has anything to do with this attack on Bruce Wayne the press was interviewing him about."
"Why would Robin have connections to a big shot philanthropist like Bruce Wayne?" Gar Logan asked
"I'm not sure; does anyone know what Robin did before he formed the Teen Titans?" Victor frowned.
"Wasn't he Batman's sidekick once, way back a long time ago?" Raven asked.
"Excuse me, but I do not understand this term "sidekick" you speak of." Kory Anders frowned. "What is a sidekick?"
"It's someone who helps the hero kick butt," Gar Logan replied.
"I see."
"So you think Robin came back to Gotham City because of Wayne Enterprises?" Raven asked.
"He could have. If I remember correctly, Batman and Robin work for Bruce Wayne the owner of Wayne Enterprises. We should probably start looking there."
"But how will we find him when we arrive?" Kory asked.
"I don't know Kory, maybe he'll find us," Victor looked out at the streets of Gotham through his windshield, "let's hope we can find him."
A few days later...
There was a loud knock at the door and Ace barked loudly at it. Dick Grayson jumped to his feet from the couch he was sitting on and ran to the door. Opening it, he saw Lucius Fox standing in front of him.
"Hello, Lucius. Do you have it for me?"
"Yes, the armored assault suit, the grapple gun, the utility belt and the Tumbler are all right here sir. Did you want it in black?"
"Lucius, you're the best. It's black right?"
"Yes it is, you have Bruce's tastes too, it seems. How is he?"
"He is steadily recovering. I visited him just before I came to see you."
"When you see him again, give him my regards."
"I will, don't worry."
"Dick, may I ask what all this equipment is for?"
"It's for a...hobby of mine, I'm going to need something to do while I'm here besides work."
"Oh, you the extreme sports type like Bruce?"
"You might say that," Dick looked at him. "Thank you for your time, I'm sorry to keep you so long. I'm sure you're very busy."
"No problem Dick. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."
"I'll be by tomorrow morning."
"See you then, Dick."
"Thanks Lucius," Dick shut the door behind him. He began to start working on the bat like cowl that would cover his face. It took him hours but at last, the mask was ready. He smiled with pride at his accomplishment. But the task was far from over, he didn't even have the Batcave operational yet.
Richard "Dick" John Grayson stood in the dark recesses of the Batcave beneath Wayne Manor. He had just completed the redesign of the Batsuit. It was a dark grayish black, nearly an ebony color. He had carefully engraved the Bat symbol onto the chest plate. He had to do it himself; he couldn't let anyone see what he was making. He had to keep it a secret. He began gathering equipment for his utility belt, smoke pellets, electronic explosives, Bat-a-Rangs, and his gas powered grapple gun.
Dick Grayson looked at the assembled pieces of the Batsuit. It was all ready. All the pieces were in place. There was just one missing element.
"Now the student will become the master." Richard Grayson said solemnly. He took the advanced assault suit and put it on, then he took the utility belt and strapped it on. Grabbing a dark cape that the Dark Knight wore, he slung it about his shoulders. The final piece was ready. He placed the cowl over his face, it covered his eyes completely, now he was ready.
"Gotham City, I've come back. Care to welcome me home?"
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