Cereta's Web: Interlude II: Breaking and Entering Part I

Breaking and Entering Part I
by Lucy Gillam

Batman was tired.

Not just the tired of a busy night (for tonight had been fairly quiet), or the tired of Bruce Wayne's daytime activities taking away his sleep time (for Bruce Wayne had been as absent in recent weeks as most of Gotham's wealthy, conducting business mainly by phone and email), or the tired that comes when one thing follows on the heels of another and there never seems to be time for rest (although the last few weeks had certainly felt that way).

There was more to this tiredness than that.

This was the tiredness of knowing that no matter how many lives he'd saved from the clench virus and Ra's al Ghul's later plans, so many more had died.

This was the tiredness of having watched the rich of his city once again abandon those less fortunate.

This was the tiredness of having to ask others for help with his city. It was Clark's eternal willingness to supply that help, and Lois Lane's headline: Superman and Justice League Save Gotham. It was Alfred's understanding and Leslie's tireless work and Jim's dedication and…

And the figure perched on the ledge of a nearby building, adjusting goggles that were aimed right in the direction of Markel's Jewelry Store.

Batman clenched his jaw. The city was barely getting back on its feet, businesses still feeling the pinch of the quarantine and the flight of those who could afford it. Markel's was doing better than most, and was in little danger of closing, but it was locally owned. It was part of Gotham.

And Dick Grayson was about to rob it. Less than three weeks after the quarantine had been lifted from Gotham, he was preparing to rob the store.

He'd let this go on too long. Whatever reasons he'd had years ago, he'd let it go on too long.

He threw a batarang, deliberately aiming it for several feet away from the figure, close enough to get the young man's attention, but not close enough to cause him to fall.

It did the trick. Grayson looked around, then heaved an exaggerated sigh and pointed upward, immediately beginning to scale the building. Batman waited until he was all the way to the roof before moving to join him.

Grayson was waiting for him, arms crossed, stance casual.

"What, you thought we hadn't had enough rooftop meetings this year? Okay, granted, it's been a while, and that one wasn't really on a rooftop, but…"

Batman hit him.

It wasn't even remotely as hard as he might have hit him, but the punch landed square on his jaw and sent him sprawling.

"What the hell?" Grayson raised a hand to cradle his jaw, but made no move to stand.

"This ends now," Batman said. His voice was flat and steady, and there was no hint that he was almost as shaken by his action as Dick was. "Whatever special exception you think you had in this city is over. From now on, you steal, you go to jail, just like everyone else."

Grayson stood slowly. For the first time since Batman had met him, he seemed to be at a loss for words. Finally, he reached up and raised his goggles. The expression underneath was almost hurt, and Batman clenched his fists to keep from reacting.

Dick looked in the direction of Markel's. "If they're," he said slowly, "if they're friends of yours or something…"

"They're citizens of Gotham. That's all that's needed. And they've been through enough."

"I know," Grayson snapped back. "I have friends here, too."

"Oh? And what were you doing for them? What were you doing while they were in danger or even dying?"

Grayson flushed. "I wasn't in Gotham when it hit. I would've come back if I could have."

"Would you?" Batman felt his anger building again, and when Grayson opened his mouth as if to speak, he added, "What I said stands. You try to steal in this city again, and I'll stop you."

The silence hung between them for a long moment, then finally Grayson nodded and replaced his goggles. "If you say so," he said, but there was nothing light or mocking in his tone. He bent to gather his equipment, and left with little of his usual flair.

When he was gone, the sudden rush of anger Batman had felt when he first spotted the young man left as well, leaving only the tiredness.

There was nothing stopping Grayson from just leaving Gotham again, and Batman tried to ignore the clenching of his stomach when he thought about that, just as he tried to ignore the question of whether he really could send him to jail. It was a question he had been ignoring for nearly nine years, and he still didn't have an answer.

But he could stop him, and he would. It had gone on long enough.