Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ Past Woes ❯ Family ( Chapter 7 )

Four months of ducking and dodging Batman had led to this moment, deep inside of one of Joker's hideouts. Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg were staring at him in disbelief. They had seen through his disguise, a feat Batman hadn't even been able to do.

"Robin, how could you?" Starfire asked.

"You don't understand," Robin muttered as he stripped off his second costume.

"Then please, enlighten us," Cyborg replied.

"I…it's hard to explain."

"Then allow me," Raven said softly, lightly touching him.

"You got everything out of my mind, didn't you?" Robin asked brokenly.

"Yes."

Robin sighed and thought about it. "Fine. Just…be gentle."

Raven pulled them close.

"Joker took Robin and…raped him."

"He did what?!" Beast Boy gasped.

"Yo man, that ain't true. Robin's the best fighter we know," Cyborg argued.

"I was a lot younger, inexperienced," Robin said tightly, arms crossed. "Joker thought I was cute and sexy. He still sometimes grabs me when we fight, but Bats never notices. He waits until we're away from his sight then kisses me. He always surprises me. I…linger sometimes."

"Do you like it or something?"

Robin cringed and looked away. "It's complicated."

"Dude, we're here for you," Beast Boy said softly. "Talk to us."

Robin sighed. "He was so…gentle. It's like he wanted me to enjoy it. I was twelve. I couldn't help that I reacted to it. It felt so good…but it also felt terrible. I can't help that I liked what he was doing, you know, before the intercourse happened, but I feel terrible for feeling that way."

There was silence then Starfire spoke. "I do not understand what rape is."

"It's where you take somebody and have sex with them without their permission," Robin said with a soft smile at her.

"Ginrak!" Starfire gasped. "But that is the most grievous of offenses on my planet! This Joker did that to you?!"

"I…Do you not want to be my friend anymore?"

"Of course I am your friend. It wasn't your fault," Starfire said immediately.

Robin smiled. "Thanks, Star."

"Oh, little birdie!" a voice suddenly said. "Telling our little secret, are you? Good. Because I have a person who really should know."

"Don't you dare, you son of a bitch!" Robin shrieked, spinning around to face the man who was behind him.

"I didn't have to," Joker laughed jovially. "You and your friends just did!"

"Monster!" Strafire bellowed, lunging at him.

Joker laughed as she grabbed him and lifted him off the ground. "It's too late, Star! He's heading this way now!"

Robin flushed and pulled something off of his belt, walking over to Joker.

"Hey, Joker. I've got your favorite toy right here!"

"Ooh, a toy for me?" Joker's face seemed to darken. "No matter how fun it turns out to be, it will never be as fun as our nights together. In the dark. Naked…"

Robin smirked. "For me, it's a lot more fun. Don't worry. This won't hurt a bit. Just a lot."

"Ooh, quoting me from our first time? You really do remember it. And you try so hard to pretend you don't."

"Drop him, Star."

"He will get away," Starfire said, turning to look at him.

"No. He won't. He'll sit right there and take it."

"Why?"

"We think alike. He knew I wouldn't tell Bats about what he did to me. He knew I wouldn't tell anybody if I had the choice, unless they would keep it a secret like Speedy and Garth and Jason did. I know this like he knew that."

"I also knew who you were," Joker laughed as Starfire dropped him. "I was hoping ever so much for a high death toll. But you didn't kill one single person. Not even on accident. I'm so disappointed…"

Robin pursed his lips and activated whatever was in his hands before slamming it in the dip of Joker's collarbone. Joker began to scream, and Robin grinned then laughed. And that crazed, manic sound frightened all of his friends, including Raven, who had heard it echoing in Robin's memories. Starfire grabbed him.

"Robin? You sound…unwell," she said nervously, feeling his forehead with the back of her hand.

"I haven't been completely well since…Well, let's go. If Bats really is here, he'll come and make sure Gordon gets Joker."

"If not?" Cyborg asked, staring at the writhing man.

Robin smirked. "Then I will have a grand total of 1 to my death toll."

"Dude, we can't just—" Beast Boy started when there was a strange beeping. "Is that your communicator? It sounds broken."

"Completely different communicator," Robin said, pulling one out and pressing it into his ear. "I'm at Warehouse 22. I've tagged Joker. If you want him to survive, you better be here already, because I'm not going to take it off of him. According to him, you should know why. I'm going home."

He didn't wait for an answer, instead putting the earpiece back where he got it from. After that, he picked up his second costume and walked out. The others glanced at the 'tag' then at each other.

"I don't think we should touch it," Cyborg said after a moment. "Robin's got some sick technology that even I don't know anything about. We just have to hope Bats is here. Let's go."

They went straight back to Wayne Manor. Robin switched to Dick then they walked downstairs to the study. Alfred was there.

"Master Dick? You look…ill."

"I can almost guarantee that Bruce knows what Joker did to me when I was nine."

Alfred frowned. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Do we have any tarts?"

"Yes. Raspberry."

"I'll take a couple. I don't know what they want," Dick muttered, gesturing at his friends as he threw himself on a couch.

"We want you to be okay, dude," Beast Boy said quietly.

"I might be if Bruce doesn't clip my wings."

"But you live at Titans' Tower now. He can't do that!"

"How do you think I was able to afford to build that place?" Dick demanded. "I was drawing from my account, which Bruce kept putting money in. All the technology, all the power and water and lights? I pay for it. And if Bruce really wants to stop me from being a superhero, then he's going to cut off my money. Because now he knows that I'm Circus Freak, so I can't steal stuff like I used to be able to!"

"I shall talk to him, Master Dick," Alfred said. "I raised the bastard, so he better listen to me. Now, I shall go get your food."

"He's going to stand up to Bruce?" Cyborg asked incredulously.

"You've seen me get mad, right?" Dick asked, covering his eyes with one arm.

"Yeah."

"You've heard me talk about Bruce getting mad, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you'd be rightly afraid of us, right?"

"Yeah…Is this going somewhere?"

"If you think we're bad, you should see Alfred lose his temper. He's the calmest person I've ever met…until he gets mad. It might take a lot to rile him, but when he's upset…Run. Fast."

Alfred brought the tarts, enough for each person to have one, plus drinks for each of them. He then went to Bruce's personal study. The Titans had just finished eating when they heard a shout.

"Don't you dare, Bruce! The poor boy is upset enough as it is!"

"You son of a bitch! You knew! You knew what Joker did to him!"

"Of course I knew! You thought he was just dazed from being knocked out for three days like you were! You didn't walk in on him crying thirteen times! It was so hard to even get the truth out of him! He was so ashamed of himself! He asked me what he had done wrong! He felt guilty! I had read enough psychology to get him through it!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"The boy asked me not to! He had a damn good reason, too!"

"What reason is good enough for you to keep something like this from me?!"

"You would take everything away from him!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You spent two years training him! Two years, Bruce! You taught him how to fight! You conditioned his mind! You trained his body! Three times he goes out with you before Joker did this to him! If you had found out, you would have taken everything away from him! You never would have let him go out again, with or without you! Well? Do you deny it?!" There was dead silence for a full minute. "That's right, you know you would have done that! Now you get out there and be a proper father to that poor boy! You will not take away half of himself! Do you understand?!"

The Titans sat there, mouths ajar. Dick snickered at their expressions.

"Told ya. Unfortunately, he makes some damn good points when he's mad, so there's no winning with him."

They nodded and stared at the floor until there was the quiet sound of a throat clearing. The Titans, minus Dick, turned to look at Bruce, who stood there in his evening wear.

"Might I have some time alone with my son?"

Alfred appeared and pointed at the Dick's teammates. "You four, follow me. Now."

They obeyed immediately, not wanting his wrath. Bruce stood there staring at his son for a good two minutes before he took a deep breath and settled on the couch beside him, pulling him close. Dick immediately began to cry, burying his face in his father's chest.

"Dick, you should have told me."

"I-I wanted to, b-but—" the boy started.

"But I understand why you didn't," Bruce said loudly. "I know it might not seem like much, but I'm here for you now.

"That's all I wanted," Dick whimpered. "I just wanted you with me, where you weren't mad at me or ashamed of me."

"Dick…"

"I know! I know the psychology, Bruce! I know how I feel! I've had over six years to analyze it! I know I shouldn't feel like this! I know it wasn't my fault! I know! But that doesn't stop the feelings! That doesn't stop the doubts! Tell me I'm wrong! Please!"

Bruce told him what he needed to hear for over two hours. The hand on the clock had passed 1:00 and was three-quarters of the way to the two by the time Dick had fallen asleep curled close to him. Bruce carried him upstairs and was about to open the door to his son's room, but he stopped short then carried him to his own room. Oh, he knew that Dick was too old to sleep in his bed with him, but an exception was going to be made. He tucked him in then slipped in beside him.

The next morning when he woke, Dick was gone. Bruce was rather hurt, but was pleasantly surprised when he got to the dining room to find that Dick had gotten up early to make his signature breakfast. The man was the first one down, besides Alfred of course.

"You didn't have to do this, Dick," Bruce said, smiling at him warmly.

"Eh, I felt like it. I feel better than I have in a long, long time." Dick paused. "Thanks, Dad. I…I needed that. All of it."

"Anytime you want to talk about it, I'm here," the vigilante promised.

The front door opened and closed and Dick smiled. "You two stay right there. Don't move! You'll like the surprise I have for you!"

He hurried out and Bruce and Alfred smiled at each other. "Two surprises in one day?" Alfred asked with a shake of his head. "He'll probably ask us to rate which one is better!"

"I'd say I'm the better surprise, Alfred," Jason said from the door. "But if you like breakfast more than me…"

Both men spun to the noise. There was shocked silence as they took in Jason standing there, whole and healthy, standing in front of the Titans. Jason walked over to Bruce and held out his arms.

"Dad?" he asked after half a minute, his face falling.

The next moment he was in their arms, and they were all crying. Dick served breakfast five minutes later, and they ate happily, talking animatedly. When they were done, Alfred insisted on doing the dishes, and the rest of them went down to the Batcave. Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven explored while Bruce, Dick, and Jason watched them.

"Dad?" Jason said. "I'm Animal."

"Oh? Why?"

The boy was surprised at the calmness, but answered honestly. "Dick told me to tell you the truth. Joker almost killed me and it makes my brain hurt."

"We'll talk about it tonight. All three of us. As a family."

"We won't be a family without Alfred, Bruce," Dick said with a shake of his head.

"You know you can call me 'dad' right?"

"Yes. I do. But I'm going to save that for really personal moments. Like tonight. With you and Jason. And Alfred."

"I'd have to agree with you, Dick," Bruce said with a laugh. "I wouldn't be who I am without Alfred."

"Neither would I," Dick replied.

"He's given me so much good advice," Jason admitted. "I think we're all agreed. He's a part of our family as much as each of us are."

Bruce pulled his two boys close, kissing their heads then they settled back to watch their extended family look over the lair. Raven watched calmly, smiling. She was glad that this had happened. She knew that they had to reconcile after she'd gotten into Dick's head. And she was happy to have helped. Because her friend had needed his father. And, surprisingly, a brother. But now they were a family, despite all the bad things that had happened to them. And she was a part of it in a really special way.