Dick Grayson (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} trustedbatman) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} madisonvalley,@ 2025-02-17 19:28:00 |
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What: Testing some modifications
When: Afternoon weekend
Where: Wayne Manor (Batcave)
Rating: low
Dick had made some upgrades to his suit. They weren’t as good as if the usual people got to upgrade them, but it wasn’t like he was a slouch at suits either. He’d repaired enough of them in his time to know a thing or two. He might have asked Conner to help test the upgrades, but the boy was still pretty fresh from his time going home. Dick didn’t want to trigger anything, especially since apparently he was dead back home according to Conner. So he had asked Bruce. He hadn’t told Bruce he was apparently dead back home either.
He stood in his Nightwing suit in the combat room of Wayne Manor and thought it was a little ironic he’d chosen to do this. There had been a point in his life where he had sworn he would never train with Bruce again or step foot in the Wayne Manor again. He’d broken that one a lot, even back home. It was a little surreal to be standing there now in front of Bruce, even if this Bruce wasn’t ‘his’ Bruce.
“Don’t go soft on me.”
If Dick needed help, especially with suit upgrades, then Bruce would happily help the boy. It didn't matter that the other wasn't from his world. His own version of the other had been killed. Something that would haunt him for as long as he lived. He was, however, grateful to know that Dick was there.
He was grateful to have Wayne Manor show up, Batcave (with everything) included. Unfortunately, that meant Dick's suit being in a case that would never be opened again, with the Joker's words spray painted across it. That whole 'HA HA JOKE'S ON YOU BATMAN' would always haunt him, but he couldn't get rid of the suit.
There had been no reason for the Bat suit in Madison, but that didn't mean he didn't don it for the other. When Dick pops off with that, however, he gives a bit of a smirk," Don't worry, I won't. Same goes for you."
During that one week in January, he experienced another version of him where he had brutally murdered The Joker because of what he did to Barbara Gordan. He had thought he knew darkness until he had been that Dick Grayson. Comparatively, he seemed like a full blown optimist.
Bruce’s retort made him smirk in return. While doing something like this had been a while ago for Dick, the familiarity actually kind of felt nice.
He needed to test the suit’s ability to move with him. It shouldn’t be too much different since he hadn’t messed with the weave, but since he added a few places where he could shoot out a knife or a tracking device, he needed to make sure it kept the integrity. Also that enough blunt trauma wouldn’t cause them to deploy by accident. Dick wasn’t so cocky to think Batman couldn’t land a hit on Nightwing.
Not wanting to waste any time, Dick took a running start toward Bruce, throwing his arms or legs at him in a variety of martial arts moves.
There were a lot of things that Bruce didn't want to think about. Dick's death was one of them. It was right up there with the death of his parents. He thinks, honestly, that his parents would've liked the man that stood before him. That they'd have liked the one that he'd lost back home too.
If there was anything that the other needed help with, then he'd help. Whether it be with the suit or another thing altogether. After all, he still considered the other family. That? It would never change. No matter what universe he ended up in.
Bruce pays attention to Dick's actions and when those martial arts moves come at him, he does what's needed to block or parry the moves, using his own martial arts to counter them.
It was bound to happen at some point. While Dick could knock and pin Bruce on occasion, so could the other man when it came to him. When he had been younger he had thought it unfair that he always had to learn fighting from Bruce and then would end up getting his ass kicked by the man. Unfair because Bruce had been his main trainer so of course Bruce would know his moves. Then he met Diana and had some lessons with her and he had less of a leg to stand on.
He hit the ground hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him, but it was a good way of testing the suit. He got up quickly despite his body’s usual protest and went on the offensive again, this time he tried to send out two trackers to attach themselves to Batman’s suit. One tracker left the little hidden compartment in his sleeve, but his left one didn’t deploy. That was unfortunate.
With Bruce? It had only been him and Dick when it came to training. There hadn't been anyone else for the young boy to train with. He hadn't met Diana until after the death of the other. There would always be a part of him that would've wanted them to meet. Wanted his version of Dick to meet the rest of the Justice League. This version? He got to meet Diana and Arthur, even a version of Clark.
"Not bad," Bruce tells him. If he felt something attach to his suit he doesn't make it known. "What're these meant to do?" He might as well ask, even as they get back to training. If there was something within the other's suit that needed to be fixed, then they could fix it. Probably not at the present time, but after they were through sparring. Whether that was him putting Dick on the ground or vice versa.
“They’re trackers. In case people run or if I need to. That way I won’t have to try to track them down later.” Dick knew that there were only a few times in Madison where being Nightwing was even needed now and the idea of having to augment or improve his suit might be a little silly, but Dick didn’t do well with relaxation. He liked to think he did, but Dick was a doer. Working on his suit gave him direction and kept him busy. “But I also don’t want it to be obvious it’s happening.” Since it would defeat the point.
Trackers? That wasn't a bad idea for the suit. Even if something like that wouldn't always be doable. It all depended on the person they were going after. Then again, it would also depend on if the person was a baseline human, mutant, or a supernatural type creature. There were a lot of factors to take into account. As for not being able to sit idle... well, it was one of the reasons Bruce worked at the Holodeck. He could make up any scenario he wanted.
"What other modifications have you made to the suit other than the trackers?"
At Bruce’s question, a smirk spread on Dick’s face. Maybe he had sworn not to give a damn about Bruce, but his complicated relationship with the man back home would always be a work in progress. He had come to terms with the idea, here, that he and Batman would always be connected in some way. Even though he didn’t admit it, there would also always be a part of Dick that wanted to impress the man.
To demonstrate, he flicked his other wrist and a throwing star popped up. He threw it in the air at Bruce, but not really at Bruce because Dick was certain the man would either dodge, deflect, or take it if he thought the suit could handle it.
There was nothing in the world that would make Bruce not care, not when it came to Dick. That was someone that he would always care about. He's not entirely sure that he'd like Dick's version of himself. Hell, he'd probably want to give the man a piece of his mind. Not something that was a normal thing to want to do, but that didn't truly matter.
When that wrist is flicked and that throwing star pops up he dodges it, letting the throwing star embed into the wall. Moving over he pulls it out of the wall and gives a smile. "Not bad. You've given yourself some good toys for the suit it seems."
Dick’s throwing stars were now in the shape of blue birds. Similar to the Batarang, but his own. The ‘R’ also having been left behind. It felt more ‘right’ at his current stage. “Looks like the suit mostly held up. One misfire, but I think I can fix that.” He was proud of his enhancements. It had definitely been a while. “Not that there’ll be a lot of opportunity to use it, but once in a while the Dome throws us an invasion. I could go without another Gotham bad guy coming to town though.”
Bruce looks the throwing star over and notes that it was blue birds, kind of like his batarang. It definitely seemed like something that would actively fit the man beside him. He was happy to see that Dick had made things his own. There was a part of him that wished the one he'd known had been able to do the same. However, he was going to do his best not to dwell on that. Not when it hurt to think about. What could've beens were always hard to handle.
Walking over he hands the throwing star back to Dick and watches him for a moment," We'll be ready for whatever this place throws at us. Just as we'll have Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Aquaman for help if need be. Also, if you need any help with the modifications let me know and I'll help you."
“Almost the whole Justice League.” If that was a thing in Bruce’s time. Technically they had two supers here too, but he knew that this Clark wasn’t Bruce’s Clark. In his world, Bruce and Clark already had a tenuous relationship from time to time so he wondered if this Bruce was even more hesitant to include the man. Not that Dick would say any of that.
“I appreciate it.” He meant about the modifications. This had been nostalgic and hadn’t made him want to rip out his eyes so it was a nice change of pace. “Maybe we can meet for lunch sometime and I can tell you my thoughts on another suit design. One for Barbara.” She wasn’t Batgirl anymore, but she could still fight - continued to fight- and he had an idea or two about how to make it happen even if she was in a wheelchair.
"Almost, we're only missing Superman," Bruce states. Him and Clark actually had a good relationship in his timeline. At first? Things had been a bit different. Things hadn't been the way they should've. However, that had been around the time of Doomsday. Something he never wanted to actively deal with again. He liked Clark. Had even re-bought the Kent farm to keep Martha Kent from losing it. Only after buying the bank. So, if his own Clark ever showed up later on, he'd include the man too.
He gives a bit of a nod to the other," We can do that, Dick. I'm sure we can work on this other suit design and see what we can do for that. I'd like that."