The Way
John Westcott
...Dick caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the mirror mounted on his wall as he paced back and forth and almost recoiled in amazement. He had never really had an occasion to see his own face at moments like this, when he was a seething cauldron of anger, and he was taken aback by it. Many people had mentioned how striking a child he was, gifted with roguish good looks and more than his fair share of charm, those pleasant features had melted away now, replaced with the face of a desperately angry young man with no conduit to release it. Bruce was never in favour of emotional outbursts, be they happy or otherwise. No matter what, Bruce would say, you must always be in control.
"Keep your emotions in check." Dick mumbled under his breath, mocking Bruce's deep monotone voice. "There's no need to get so emotional. Do as I tell you." He continued on, pacing the room and pausing every so often to kick the side of his bed. For the young vigilante, the effort did not abate his anger, it only served to fuel it. Once again, Dick began speaking to no one in particular, merely giving voice to his frustration.
"Right now he's down there, accusing and interrogating her. She saved my life, Bruce! Does that matter? Nooooooo. Nothing matters but the crusade. You don't care if she's my friend. What good are friends? They're not nearly as important as the war on crime, are they?"
Dick looked down at his balled up fists, they were practically shaking with fury. Bruce never seemed to laugh, or to encourage him when he made a breakthrough in martial arts or detective work, or even his daily school work. To Bruce, he had merely done "adequately". With Chae, he could laugh and relax and not feel as if he were being tested at all times. She supported him and told when he was doing well, not just pointing out his mistakes. Now, the men who had threatened Chae upon her arrival in Gotham were free once more. Dick unclenched his fists, as they were beginning to ache, and as if that simple act had opened a door in his mind, the anger flooded away from him and he came to a decision all his own.
"Fine." He said as he donned the remained of his costume and moved to the large window at the other side of the room. Robin pushed the window open and looked across the manor grounds at the glow of the city lights in the distance. Somewhere out there, the men who threatened Chae were conspiring. He was going to do what Bruce would do, he would take matters into his own hands. Chae was his friend, she took a bullet for him. For her, he would track down these animals and bring them to justice. Then he and Chae could once more resume their friendship and continue their study of The Way. A month ago, he might not have felt confident enough to pursue these criminals on his own, but he had already learned much of The Way, and he knew he could take care of himself better than ever before. He had even taken Bruce down a peg with a move from The Way, a task he once thought impossible. Maybe that was part of it, maybe Bruce didn't want him learning something so dangerous, something that made him better than his pointy eared mentor. Dick shook his head and dismissed the thought, no matter how angry he was at Bruce, he knew that Batman was not that petty.
Dick glanced back over his shoulder once final time, taking in his room. It seemed like a normal room, but he noticed that there were no pictures of he and Bruce together, laughing and smiling at a football game or on a fishing trip. Bruce never had time for that kind of thing. His decision made, Robin pulled his cowl tightly around himself and vaulted into the brisk night air....