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thiccpersonality · 3 months ago

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You've Got My Back (So I've Got Yours)

Richard was excited.

Scratch that, he was beyond excited, he was...what does Alfred say? Ecstatic-exhilarated even.

Why you may ask?

Tonight is the night that Richard John Grayson debuts as Robin, HE a circus freak (in a fond way), gets to be seen with Batman of all people.

Tonight.

Do you know how big of a deal that is? Richard knows how Bruce barely likes to interact with people as a civilian, but Batman, he definitely won't tolerate anyone closing in on his personal space unless he says so. And he's just grateful that such a seemingly intimidating man has kindly decided to take him in, on top of letting him fight crime alongside him...nevermind that he threatened to go off on his own.

"Richard, can you stop moving for one second and put your shorts on?"

Bruce raises an amused brow at his child pouting, the boy huffing in protest of the older using his real name. "I told you to call me Dick! S'what everyone calls me, B!" Richard looks down at the green spandex shorts the other is holding out for him, his tongue poking out in concentration as he lifts each leg and slips them into each leg hole, his lips twitching in amusement when they get stuck at his thighs. "It's stuck, B!"

Richard giggles and starts shimmying as hard as he can. It's no big deal-the shorts getting stuck that is-he's had to deal with this plenty of times getting dressed for his performances in the circus.

Bruce holds tightly onto the pants and tries to hold back his amused smirk as the nine-year-old wiggles around like a worm just to get the shorts on. With a small hum, he catches Dick's attention, giving a small smile to the boy before lifting the child up and shaking him into the stubborn material, his heart feeling oddly light at the innocent sound of childish laughter echoing in the cave. "B-e-ee-e!" Richard clings onto Bruce's shoulders as he's now being held up by only his shorts, the taller having stood up so gravity would do its work and drop the boy down into the clothing. "There, all done."

Bruce lets his smile show when Richard looks at him, the boy's face flushed pink from laughter, though the joy is turned into concern at the younger frowning suddenly.

"Chum? Are you...okay?"

Richard hugs tightly onto Bruce, his chin resting against the man's shoulder as he speaks into his ear. "I-...you'll protect me, right? I've never fought crime before...but I want to do you good, B. I need to do this."

Bruce frowns and rubs the small back gently, "Of course I'd protect you. And we've talked about this before, Dickybird. You don't have to do any-and I mean any of this, do you hear me? I...I just want you to try being a kid after what happened. This lifestyle is a lot to handle, even with petty crimes, like how we're dealing with tonight. And it's a lot of responsibility to put on a child-" he gently draws Richard's head away from his shoulder so he can look the boy in the eyes-"I just want you to be safe. In whatever way that is. You don't need to fight crime to do good by me...you are good enough for me, D."

Richard clenches the Bat-suit in his tiny hands, lowering his head so Bruce hopefully doesn't see his watery eyes.

"But I want-need to do this. Knowing men exist out there like the one who murdered my mom and dad...I can't let them be free! Someone needs to do the tough stuff! So why not me?"

Bruce sighs and ignores the part of his brain where he's telling himself to say no to tonight...he doesn't want the boy to fight crime, not only because of his age, but because of the anger he still holds at the moment. But, if he doesn't teach Richard to fight and defend himself now, there's a high chance that the boy truly will run off...and then who will find him? What things could that person teach Dick instead?

There's no way that Bruce will sacrifice Richard's innocence any further, especially when he knows what he's doing and how to teach the boy properly himself.

"Okay, it's okay."

Bruce kisses the boy's temple and lowers him to the ground, allowing the other time to cool off while he tries slipping on the child's gloves.

Key word: tries.

After a few minutes of struggling with Richard's gloves, Bruce huffs out a laugh and gently grabs the boy's wrist in his hand. "You're moving around again, Dickybird. Is this excitement or are you nervous again?" Richard finally stops moving his hands around and smiles bashfully at his dad caretaker, "Sorry, B! I think-I think it's both! I know you'll protect me...but what if I'm also not ready yet?" He blinks up at the man, insecurity and worry in his gaze.

Bruce finally manages to finish slipping Richard's hands into the gloves, holding firmly but gently onto the smaller hand.

"If you aren't ready, then that is perfectly fine, Dicky. You can stay home with Alfred and I can go out alone, there is absolutely no pressure to do this...thing that I do." At Richards dejected look, Bruce sighs softly and grabs the boy's chin gently in his hand so he can tilt the boy's head up. "However, I wouldn't bring you out tonight if I didn't think you could do it, you hear me? If there is something that you can't do, I'll be there to help you-"

Richard's eyes shine with something that Bruce can't describe...gratitude? Trust? No one has ever looked at him like that before, like he's a hero. "If I fall...you will catch me." Richard finishes with a small smile on his lips, his posture loose and relaxed at the older man's words. "Thanks, B."

Bruce smiles back with a slight nod, his face getting serious as he puts on his mask. "As soon as you put this mask on, you'll become Robin, Batman's partner. Your identity is something precious, so remember to keep it secret unless it's absolutely necessary to reveal it to someone. And above all else, Richard, I'm proud of you no matter what. So, if you ever decide this life isn't for you...I will still support you as your d-" he cuts himself off from that three letter word, what is he doing? He's not even anywhere close to being a father figure to Dick...and he doesn't want to feel like he's trying to replace the child's real father.

"Partner. I'll support you as your partner."

Maybe he cut himself off quick enough for Richard to not hear his slip up? The boy definitely seems distracted enough looking at his gloves...but the look in his eyes as he stares at Bruce causes the older to stiffen up nervously.

Richard blinks once-twice, before giving a large smile and looking at the domino mask in the large hand. Hopping one leg to the next in excitement, "Can you put it on for me, please?!" Bruce relaxes and nods with a small smirk on his lips, attaching the mask securely to the boy's face and stepping back to get a good look at the nine-year-old.

There's something absolutely horrifying about the sight before him, I mean, what kind of man is he to allow a child to fight crime?

But.

There is also a swell of pride at seeing this small nine-year-old boy ready to fight for justice. Bruce knows that Dick has a lot of anger now...but, he won't give up on him, he'll make sure that he uses that anger for good; he'll teach him how to control that and put it into something productive like boxing or screaming out his frustrations or writing, cause if it's the last thing Bruce does, he won't allow Richard's trauma to make him bitter and cold...not as long as he's under this roof.

Bruce won't have a repeat of himself for this innocent little boy; his boy.

"How do I look, B?"

Bruce snaps out of his thoughts at the innocent question, exhaling out all his nerves, imagining the anxiety and stress as nothing but smoke to expell from his lungs.

"You look ready."

Robin beams up at Batman, following the man to the Batmobile and holding his hand for that extra bit of comfort as they head out into the night.

XXX

Robin remains in the Batmobile, his small hands wringing together nervously as he watches Batman fighting a group of robbers. Luckily it wasn't anything too serious...and it doesn't look like any of the men have guns, but they were still trying to steal someone's car, and Robin doesn't need to tell you the reasons as to why that's a big no-no.

It's...fascinating watching Batman fight, it makes Robin feel as though he's in a dream-a good dream he supposes-that such a man like him would take in one lone circus freak like himself.

Yet.

There's also something terrifying at seeing Batman in action.

Robin worries that he won't be able to live upto a figure-a man-like Batman is. The only skills he has are tricks he's learned from the circus, and yes, him being lithe helps him with the acrobatics portion of crime fighting, but other than that...he's just a boy in a suit, right?

Robin's eyes widen when seeing one of the thugs sneak up on Batman holding a crowbar, his body moving on autopilot as he shouts for the Batmobile to let him out, sighing in relief when the car listens and opens the roof. "Batman, look out!" Everyone seems to freeze at the sound of his voice, the small group of robbers turning to look at the boy with wide eyes when they see a child in green spandex shorts and a bright yellow cape.

Robin sticks his tongue out in concentration as he fumbles through his belt, ignoring the shaking of his hands as he grabs his very own Birdarang and throws it as hard and precisely as he can, the man with the crowbar raising a curious brow at the small grunt that escapes the young boy when chucking the bird shaped toy.

The man blinks rapidly, processing the sound of metal clanging to the concrete floor loudly as the weapon fails to reach its intended target and falls to the ground.

The group of criminals look at each other before laughing loudly at Robin, the one attempting to hit Batman in the head pointing at the boy with his crowbar. "That's cute! And who exactly are you supposed to be?" The man looks down and squints at the 'R' symbol printed onto the leotard, snorting loudly and gesturing at his friends to get a look at it. "Look here, fellas. It's R for Retarded."

Robin looks down at the symbol, something he felt proud of earlier that day, but now feels sad and even embarrassed over at these men-criminals-laughing at him.

His eyes water with embarrassed and angry tears, his face growing hot at the men continuing to make fun of him. "I-It's Robin! I'm Batman's partner and you'll respect me as such! So take it back! I'm not retarded!" Robin balls up his fists and tries to stand just a little bit taller when the men look at him again, his posture slumping a bit in defeat when the group of robbers somehow manage to laugh even louder and harder at him.

"You gotta be kiddin' me, Bat's! A kid!? Have you really stooped so low as to have a kid out here askin' Gotham for respect?"

The criminal in front of Batman turns to look at him questioningly, hoping that the vigilante will reassure them that it's all just an elaborate joke, that maybe the Dark Knight of Gotham truly does have a sense of humor.

Instead, what he receives for his harsh words is an icy look from the Bat himself.

It scares him-no, horrifies him to be looked at like this by Batman. I mean, he and the boys have seen the other look upset...but why does Batman look so...so...furious?

"H-Heya, Bat's...I's just joki-"

Batman grips the man in front of him by his greasy shirt, pulling the criminal in until they are face to face, the front of his mask harshly digging into the other's cheek as his deep voice rumbles protectively in the now trembling robber's ear.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes, Tony?"

The criminal; Tony, swallows nervously at his government name being used. Stuttering and sputtering while shaking his head frantically, "W-W-What!? No! Course not, Bat's! I'd be stupid ta think ya have a sense of humor..." He trails off at the look the other gives him...is there a right answer for that? Tony's thoughts are interrupted at the grip on his shirt getting tighter, a panicked squeak escaping him at his airway being restrained.

"Then why are you laughing at my partner Robin?"

Tony struggles to swallow against the collar of his shirt digging into his throat, the other robbers making a shocked noise at realizing this is in fact not a joke, but that-as usual-Batman is very serious about this situation.

Crowbar man almost drops his weapon in shock, "You mean-" at Batman's venomous glare being turned onto him, he quickly shuts his mouth, hard enough his teeth clack together from the force of it . "Of course! You wouldn't lie to us, B-man!" Batman grunts in agreement and nods towards Robin, "You made my kid very sad with those comments. Tell me. Is he crying?"

Crowbar man stutters and looks at Tony for help on what to do, the man responding with a kick to the other's leg in panic.

Clearing his throat nervously, CBM takes a peak at the boy, praying to anyone that will listen that Robin won't be crying...because if he is, he and his friends are all-in the eloquent words of his beloved grandma-deep horse shit. (she worked on a farm, okay?)

He almost exhales loudly in relief at seeing the boy just looking extremely embarrassed, upset and sad, luckily not to the point of tears...okay, maybe the child looks like he'll cry, but the point is: he isn't! CBM quickly turns to look at Batman, "No! He's not crying! I admit...he looks a bit upset, but I swear he's not crying! Just...have mercy on us and please, for the love of God and all things holy, let Tony breath!"

Batman looks at Tony and quickly releases the young man's shirt when seeing that the other was turning purple.

He takes a moment to calm himself down and slowly sets Tony back down onto his feet, steadying the light-headed man with a warning grip on his shoulders.

"You three listen to me very closely-" he pauses to add to the air of murderous and angry parent before continuing-"This is Robin's first appearance. He obviously wasn't very confident when coming out here, but he did so anyway because he has a good heart to keep Gotham safe from filth like you. We are starting off with petty crimes and even pettier criminals; no weapons involved. So I don't understand why you have a crowbar-" he turns the glare back onto CBM, holding his hands out for the weapon and gripping onto it when the man hurriedly deposits the metal into his gloved hand. "And I definitely don't understand why any one of you would think picking on a child would be a good choice to make in front of me."

The three young men look at each other before each trying to plead their case, stopping immediately when Batman raises his hand to cut them off.

"Robin...Robin is more than just my partner, he's my child, my son. So, what you three are going to do is continue fighting us; however, when Robin hits one of you, you better act as if it's the worst thing you've felt in this world." Batman holds his glare with the three stooges before releasing them from his paralyzing glare, Tony immediately sending CBM to go 'fight' Robin. "Y-You heard the man! Go on and fight the kid, and for all of our sakes...please make it realistic."

CBM stutters and attempts to protest, but the look Batman is giving him shuts him up and sends him on his way over to Robin, the man pausing when the boy stiffens and settles into a fighting stance.

"B-Be still!"

Robin finds it odd that the man listens to him so easily...but he won't complain about an opening showing itself to him so easily.

His hands tremble as they reach into his belt, grabbing another Birdarang and chucking it as hard as he can at the man, gasping softly as the man shouts in pain and stumbles back from the force of the weapon. Robin pulls out a pair of handcuffs and tightens them onto the dazed criminals wrists just a tad too tightly, the boy stepping back and looking at the man, his eyes wide as he processes the fact that he just took down a thief.

"Oh. My. Gosh..." Robin whispers and looks back and forth between the bound criminal and Batman, the excitement slowly seeping into his body as he shakes with the attempts at suppressing the feelings. However, he's just one small little child and hops up and down while pointing at the now awake robber. "Batman, I did it! I did it! Did'ya see me!? He laughed at me and underestimated me and then he walked over trying to scare me-I was a little scared-BUT, then I 'membered what you taught me and threw my birdarang at him and then he fell down and then I cuffed him!" Robin pants loudly to try and catch his breath, his smile wide and proud while watching Batman walk over with the other two robbers.

"I saw you. Good job, Robin, I'm proud of you for being brave tonight-" Batman (in his still bitter feelings of Tony and his crew making fun of his child) harshly tosses the two men to the floor next to CBM, nodding his head slightly in approval of their acting-"It seems you'll have their respect in no time if you show them your skills." Robin feels his heart flutter in excitement at the gloved hand ruffling his hair, his smile quickly disappearing when remembering what the man with the crowbar tried to do to Batman.

A loud slap echoes through the surprisingly quiet street, Robin glaring harshly at the now stunned man.

"Robin!"

The boy turns to look up at Batman with a pout on his lips, his gaze unapologetic as he holds the older man's gaze. "What?! I'm not gonna say sorry!"

Batman sighs softly and kneels down to Robin's level, "You...you can't hit the criminals after you've already caught them, understand? We can't abuse our power. And it's not right to hurt someone just because of what they say about you, actions speak louder than their words ever can."

Robin's eyebrows furrow in confusion as to what Bru-Batman means, it taking a second for him to truly remember the man's earlier insults before he looks angry again and turns to kick the bound man in his stomach, sniffling innocently at Batman's scolding tone. "I didn't slap him cause what he said to me...he...he could have hurt you, B. A-And you promised to have my back...so why should I not have yours? You're my dad, so-" he cuts himself off and shrinks under Batman's intense stare. He's messed this up for himself, didn't he? Bruce didn't almost call him son in the cave...Robin probably just imagined it and became too hopeful-vulnerable from the excitement and adrenaline, that he let it slip.

Batman blinks in shock behind his mask before pulling Robin into a hug, shooting a glare over at the three blind mice for their cooing at the cute scene before them.

"No! I mean, you're fine. I think-you-I..." Batman furrows his brows and pauses, taking a moment to breath steadily and gather his thoughts together, his gaze never leaving Robin's uncertain yet hopeful one. "You are my son. I never said anything because I didn't want you to think I was trying to replace your real father...so, don't worry about what you said. I think the same thing about you."

Robin feels himself slump in relief, wrapping Batman-his dad-in a strong hug and hiding his face in the man's neck.

CBM can't stay quiet anymore and loudly aww's at the sight, sniffling at seeing how soft the Bat can be. "I wish I had a dad like you growing up, maybe if I did I would be better off now? You're a lucky kid Robin...and just so you know, you give a mean slap, but I won't hold it against you. You're kind of a cute kid-" at Batman's deadly glare, he corrects himself-"I mean, you are definitely for sure a totally adorable kid."

Tony nods his head, "Yeah. I think your fiery temper has a charm ta it-" he tilts his head in curiosity-"Ya know how to break into cars? We could use a guard dog."

The other lackey elbows Tony for the question and starts apologizing to Batman, "I'm sorry for his behavior! He doesn't know what he's saying-" he elbows Tony harshly in the side again-"You can't ask a freaking kid to commit crimes, Tony-and no, I don't care that you did it when you were younger, we should have standards."

Tony huffs and settles back down, "But why not? B-man over there is allowing him to fight crime."

Robin frowns at their conversation and lifts his head up from Batman's neck, "I threatened to run away and fight crime myself! B didn't want me out tonight, but if he didn't I would have left." CBM's eyes water even more and he sniffles, "You mean to tell me that Batman didn't want to lose you to this world, so he allowed you to fight crime?" Robin tilts his head at the man and pouts, "I think he just doesn't trust me fully yet."

Tony sighs and shakes his head, "Trust is earned anyway. Even with criminals like us, Batman was right when he said that your actions speak louder than words ever could...though words are still nice too, ya know? You gotta back up what you say with actions, and even though you looked kind of scared tonight, ya didn't hesitate to defend the Bat." The man nods in approval and bumps into his men to get their attention, "Seems like B-man found a good partner after all guys."

Robin looks at the group of criminals curiously for their behavior, they aren't exactly what he was expecting. He thought that these men tonight were God awful, irredeemable individuals...but CBM just wants a dad and Tony got into crimes young, so who knows what brought them to this point?

The sound of police sirens causes Robin to hide under Batman's cape with a surprised yelp, he doesn't think he's quite ready to meet the people Batman has worked with for years now.

But luckily enough, Batman notices that too and makes sure to leave the three criminals where they can be seen by the police and slips away into the dark alleyway and to the Batmobile, setting Robin gently down into his seat and turning towards the boy with a small, proud smile when he settles into the driver's seat. "So how does ice cream sound?"

Robin smiles brightly and whoops in excitement, his legs kicking out excitedly as he starts chanting what flavor he's going to get.

XXX

It's a few weeks later and three criminals are playing a game of poker until their game is interrupted by an officer calling out their names. "Tony Esposito Bianchi, Marcus Hamilton and James Irwood! There's some letters for you three."

The three men look up in shock before scrambling towards the officer with grabby hands for the letters, it's rare that the three get any messages from outside, is it family? Marcus opens his first, licking his lips in excitement at the thought of who it could be, his brows furrowing at seeing childish handwriting. "Dear CBM (Crowbar Man), after lots of thought towards my actions during our fight, I'd like to apologize for kicking you in the stomach. Even though you were a jerk, I may have went overboard, and I don't regret slapping you for almost hurting Batman. However, I assumed the worst of you when it turns out you don't have a daddy to teach you goodness...sorry about my temper and-" he pauses to read the multiple crossed out words before settling on the correct one-"assumptions. I hope your stomach and face gets better, Robin."

Something...odd settles in Marcus's chest, something warm, touched and endeared by this odd little boy he made fun of. Though his attention is caught when noticing a little extra something scribbled onto the paper.

"P.S. If you ever need a dad, I think Batman has room for plenty here. P.P.S. dad helped me write this and says he's sorry for saying you were filth...whatever that's about! :)" Marcus looks up at Tony and James with a smile on his lips after reading the letter, the three silently conversing before coming to an agreement.

"Robin is definitely for sure a totally adorable kid, guys. And we'll make sure Gotham filth never touches him."

(So...Robin adopted three new criminal brothers and most likely (definitely) reformed then just by being adorable, he's truly already a great hero! 😂

As it was implied with Robin writing the apology to them for Bruce, he didn't mean to say they were Gotham filth, the only reason Batman did is because he was mad they hurt his son's feelings XD. Much like Robin, he pondered his actions later and felt bad for saying that to them, because ultimately, he desires for everyone to have a chance at doing good and he just implied with his words they weren't anything (as far as he's concerned).

I was going to title this story as 'Robin's Firsts' and have it be a multi chapter story about each Robin's first night out on patrol as Robin. But...I obviously didn't make it multi chapters, however, if you guys want it that way or even just as a series...I can work on it! But as usual, be patient with my horrid schedule XD.

Also, I wrote Robin hitting Marcus (CBM) because I read everywhere that he was a feisty and angry little boy. So, I decided to add that bit somewhere by having him slap and kick the poor guy XD, and yes, Bruce will have a talk about how Robin needs to control that. I just want to focus on the cute stuff.

If anyone enjoyed this small, simple and silly little story, you are much appreciated! Kudos, bookmarks, comments, silent support and all the more is always appreciated! You all are the greatest, and if you love reading good dad Bruce Wayne as much as I do, well, I literally love you. 😂

You all remember to stay safe, happy, healthy and of course lovely as always. 💛)

#dc comics #dc universe #dcu #bruce wayne #bruce wayne is a good dad #bruce loves his kids #dick grayson #oc #ocs #cute kids #fluff fic #humor #fluff and humor #batfamily #crime fighters #batman and robin #light angst #protective bruce wayne #protective dick grayson

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obliqueblade · 1 year ago

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DDVAU- Chapter 1 Meeting of the Board

Hot Guy’s POV

Scar couldn’t remember when exactly the first appearance of Cute Guy was. He wasn’t there and then suddenly he was kind of a deal. Of course, Cub would know, but Scar wasn’t too concerned.

The media, however, had been having a field day since CG arrived at the scene.

“New Vigilante raises suspicion of Hero Association’s ability to protect us”

“Hero Association allows Hybrid to run amok”

“Hybrid Cute Guy- Doing what our Heroes can’t?”

“... if we’re going to allow Hybrids to run around Upper City, what’s next? What’s to stop all of the monsters from entering Upper City? Cute Guy’s appearance is a threat to the peace our ancestors lost their lives to give us! It is time we hold the Hero Association accountable for allowing this threat to continue! By giving these monsters a way into our society, the Hero Association is dooming the good citizens to be torn apart by these monsters”

Scar couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the mainstream newspapers. He knew that outside of the bigger media companies, most people had begun to view the separated hybrids differently. Asking why they hybrids were forced out in the first place when there had been no reported reason. People question the history behind the city. It had been an ongoing issue, but with the appearance of Cute Guy, they had gotten worse. Of course, that hadn’t stopped the Hero Association board from gathering him only a few weeks after the papers had begun to circulate, in order to “discuss the issue”.

“Hot Guy, you have long been regarded as our number one hero, is that correct?” the Director stated, rather than asking. Hot Guy had been summoned up to the main building of the Hero Association in the middle of Upper City as soon as he had gotten in and changed into his hero costume. Aside from the Director, there were five other board members who were all in charge of the different classes of heroes and supports. Hot Guy wasn’t sure why everyone needed to gather for a simple “discussion”, but he doubted it would be any good.

“Yes, Director,” Hot Guy answered the question though he knew the Director only asked because that was the answer he wanted. He had only ever asked questions he knew the answer to. Hot Guy knew these were control tactics- ways to make sure that he remained in control of the situation. That the topic at hand was exactly the way he wanted it to go. It’s the same for dealing with hostage situations, always lead the conversation. Hot Guy couldn’t understand it benign used for this, but he wasn’t the Hero Association Director. The question was technically true, though, so it wasn’t like he was lying about it. Despite having worked for the Association for a little over a decade, having started as he was halfway through his Doctorate program, Hot Guy hadn’t taken long to rise quickly in the rankings before achieving the number one spot. A spot he would hold for the last eight years. Hot Guy was nearly confident that if he were demoted or lowed in the rankings the people in the city would riot. On some level, it pleased Hot Guy, on the other it was one of the main reasons the Hero Association would not allow him to retire.

No matter what, Hot Guy thought solemnly glancing down at the robotic legs strapped to him.

“Then might you be able to explain this?” The Director again asked thrusting a paper across the table at him. Hot Guy glanced down, recognizing the photo plastered prominently on the front page of the article. Immediately, nearly all of Hot Guy’s focus went to keeping the blush off of his face. He had a feeling that would be harder to explain than just the photo at that point.

‘Remember, Hot Guy, room full of people.’

‘Hot Guy unable to stop rouge Hybrid? Is this the end of the Hero Association?’

Pictured was one of the first times Hot Guy and Scar had met, and despite the fight the two had gotten into, the article had decided to use the very end where Cute Guy had managed to get in close and the two were practically nose to nose.

“Director, we were in the middle of fighting, I didn’t realize the cameras were going to use random images of the fight to…” Hot Guy began but the Director quickly cut him off.

“So you admit that you failed in your responsibilities? Not only did you fail to capture the hybrid, but you failed to keep your surroundings in mind and reassure that the Hero Association had this situation handled?” the Director angrily stated glaring over the table. Hot Guy remained silent for a moment. While it was confirmed he hadn’t been able to apprehend Cute Guy at that moment, the fight had stopped due to a monster attack a few blocks over. By the time they had handled the situation, Cute Guy had already vanished when Hot Guy got swarmed by the media. Hot Guy opened his mouth to remind the Director that, his main job was to protect the people, but he was once more interrupted.

“You will do well to remember just how you are able to do the things you do now Hot Guy,” the Director threatened practically spitting the hero's name. Hot Guy froze, and he could have sworn he felt his legs twitch underneath the table. Of course, he knew that wasn’t possible. The robotic substitutes the association “provided” weren’t equipped for him to really “feel”. Hot Guy felt the anger rise within him under the reminder of the “gift” that the Hero Association had “provided” when in reality they were the ones that had strapped them to him and wouldn’t let him take them off. As much as he loved the work, there had to be an end date- a date the Heros Association

“Director, if I may,” a voice interrupted and Hot Guy felt himself relax for a moment. Sat directly to the left of the Director was Xisuma, the overseer of all S-Class heroes and one of Hot Guy's long-term friends. There was no doubt Xisuma had recognized Hot Guy’s rising temper. He was also, right after the Director the most powerful board member of the Hero Association.

“Hot Guy has a long record with us, and we all know he would not do anything to damage our reputation. What we should be focusing on right now is how we can begin to get ahead of the media outburst. The best way I can see us doing that is utilizing Hot Guy here.” Xisuma continued when the Director did not interrupt.

“Xisuma, while that sounds like a good plan, how are we going to do that? The longer we let it run around the more people will think we’re incapable of handling the situation,” one of the lower-ranking representatives spoke up. As much as Hot Guy hated to admit it, they did have a point. The longer they went without an arrest, the more the media would use it to attack the Heroes. However, the more Cute Guy did for the city, the more people would use his arrest to make Cute Guy a martyr.

“Well, the answer to that is rather obvious is it not? We just need to make it appear that Cute Guy is working alongside the Hero Association,” Xisuma stated simply as if merely commenting on the weather. Hot Guy's eyes widened in surprise while the Director slammed his fists against the table turning to fix Xisuma with a glare.

“You’ll have us do what?” he stated tersely. The room was so tense, and no one dared to draw a breath as Xisuma stared calmly at the Director. For all the credit that Hot Guy gets, if Xisuma was in the public more as a hero he could probably spark so much in people. But, Xisuma seemed pleased to help out the S-Class heroes he’d taken under his wing, and in moments like this, Hot Guy was pleased to have him as his supervisor.

“How could we even begin to trust that Hybrid? What happens if we align with it and it decides to betray us? The Hero Association would never be able to recover! Upper City would become just as bad as the filth that thing escaped from!” one of the other board members yelled harshly. Hot Guy tensed at the language the member used to describe Cute Guy, and by how Xisuma tensed, he had also noticed

“It”.

Hybrids were hybrids for a reason, yet there wasn’t a difference to these people.

“Calm down, I have a plan. One that solves all our problems and ensures Cute Guy cannot go against the Heroes.” Xisuma responded once the yelling decreased, effectively silencing the rest of the room.

“We’ll use our number one hero of course,” Xisuma finished when the room silenced. This of course sent the room back into hysterics, but Hot Guy let the noise wash over him as he stared at Xisuma.

Use him? How? How would he be able to ensure that Cute Guy wouldn’t betray them when he had only met the vigilante a few times before? As if feeling his stare from under the visor, Xisuma glanced over at Hot Guy, before winking quickly and returning his attention to the other board members.

Oh, dear, what was Xisuma planning?

“Think about it. Hot Guy is the number one hero and has been for a while, but even before then everyone remarked him as a “true hero”. Don’t you remember the riots outside the building when we didn’t immediately promote him to number one? The people trust him. Look, back at the article. While the title mentions Hot Guy, the majority of it is an attack on the Hero Association, not Hot Guy,” Xisuma pointed out and once more the room fell into silent contemplation. Hot Guy remembered that time well, the previous heroes had mostly been infuriated by the people calling him that, but there was nothing they could really do about it. Hot Guy himself never really cared about where he was ranked, just happy to be of service.

“Go on,” the Director eventually said nodding at Xisuma.

“The media recognizes that the people will gather their pitchforks to protect Hot Guy if the media directly attacked Hot Guy’s abilities or honor. He’s done so much for the people and for the city, that this would not have an effect. So, we’ll use that loyalty. The Hero Association won’t release a statement on this matter. Instead, Hot Guy will be featured fighting alongside Cute Guy, because the people will grow to trust Cute Guy if Hot Guy does,” Xisuma explained and was cut off once more. Hot Guy nodded as Xisuma explained his plan. The people would only grow more suspicious of the Hero Association if they came out and made some vague statement or promise they had no idea if they would be able to do.

“That’s all well and good but how does that assure that Cute Guy won’t go on attacking our citizens?” the board member from earlier crossed his arms and glared at Xisuma. Hot Guy glared at him through his visor, but Xisuma just nodded his head. The very notion that Cute Guy would attack a citizen seemed ludicrous to him. Even though they had only met a few times, Hot Guy could see just how much she cared for the people, even when they hated him for it.

“I was just getting to that. So far, Cute Guy has only ever helped people. He shows up and quickly vanishes when we send heroes after him. So a few weeks ago I had some of the support classes run a few long-distance tests. We primarily set out to try and figure out the threat level, and if we needed to deploy several S-Class heroes to deal with her,”

“Then why was it not dealt with?” the Director interrupted angrily. Hot Guy would have preferred the question to not have come across as a threat, but he supposed he could understand where the Director was coming from. From the sounds of it, this matter could have been dealt with weeks ago from the Directors' perspective. The very fact that it had not been, and the issue had blown up in his face was no doubt irritating for him.

“Well we couldn’t get accurate scans for starters,” Xisuma answered sheepishly, not enjoying the fact that their department had not been able to answer a question. The room filled with shocked gasps and whispers once more, and Hot Guy had to wonder when the board had turned into a bunch of gossiping teenagers. Long-distance scans weren’t perfect, but they always at least revealed the magic level of the being that was being scanned. Every human had a minimal amount, usually, the ones with larger quantities had gear that made it appear that their intrinsic magic level was higher than what it actually was. Monsters had no magic level, they relied on a different type of life force, one that while it wasn’t magic could at least be easily scanned for across the city. It was how they made sure that monsters had not broken into Upper City.

Finally, there were the hybrids.

Now, Hot Guy felt it went without saying that obviously, hybrids didn’t occur naturally. A known, yet not discussed fact about hybrids was that the humans had engineered them back before the city was created. No one knows what the first group of hybrids were, or who they were created by, but they did know they had been created in order to fight the monsters. The hybrids were stronger than the humans and had larger magic reserves to fight.

However, once the monsters had been pushed back, something happened. There were different accounts of what “it” was, but as a result, the group that had created the hybrids constructed the walls.

Walls that to this day keep not only the monsters out but the hybrids as well. Hot Guy knew that every ten or so years, a group would arise voicing how it wasn’t fair that the hybrids had fought so hard to protect them all, yet when the time came, they were shunned. These groups never lasted long, Hot Guy had noted. And no hybrids were willingly allowed into Upper City.

After all, it had been over 2,000 years since humans and hybrids interacted before the construction of the walls. Who's to say they were peaceful? If they had managed to survive on the other side then clearly they were still dangerous. Who knows what would happen if they ever broke through the walls?

Occasionally, the Heroes would be attacked by hybrids within the city, but this was rare. Usually, all they had to deal with were monsters the walls hadn’t been able to completely keep out such as the Phantoms or Ender creatures. Maybe the occasional spider, but unless they crossed the walls that was about it.

Hot Guy had only had to deal with a few hybrids to various degrees. Once a Blaze hybrid had managed to burn his way through a back section that led into an alley and started a massive fire in the city, that job had been hard to handle, as they had managed to evade more of Hot Guy’s arrows than the typical Blaze. Eventually, the hybrid turned and went back through the wall, and it hadn’t taken long before the Hero Association had reinforced the wall.

The only other hybrid Hot Guy had personally encountered was no older than a teenager. He had stumbled upon them sitting in the small alley on one of his patrols through the streets before he got off for the night. Hot Guy recognized half of the hybrid to be Ender, but he wasn’t sure of the other half. As soon as the hybrid had seen him, tears welled in their eyes before they vwooped out of the small alley. When Hot Guy made it back to the office, he refrained from mentioning it. He had wanted to help them, but no matter where he looked he couldn’t find them. All he could hope was that they managed to keep themselves safe.

So who was Hot Guy to say what the hybrids really wanted? Cute Guy was the only one he had ever actually spoken to, and funnily enough, she did not seem to want to reveal her motivations at that time.

“How could you not get any readings,” The Directors voice caught Hot Guy's attention once more as he refocused on the conversation. Hot Guy forced himself to turn his attention away from Cute Guy, who apparently was good at distracting him even when he wasn’t there.

“Well, I discussed it with some of our engineers and there are two real theories, both of which prove this plan will work,” Xisuma started, “The first is that Cute Guy has some equipment that repels our scanners, however, there’s a few problems with this theory. For starters, when we isolated his weapons they came back negative for magic, they were just normal pistols. So we had no problem scanning his gear, and her costume does not leave much room for hidden gadgets…” Xisuma stuttered through his explanation, and Hot Guy felt his face heat. Hopefully, his visor hid some of it, but the reminder of Cute Guys… uniform was… distracting, to say the least.

“... now that does not mean he does not have anything built into the costume to prevent the scan from working,” Xisuma finished.

“I fail to see how this is good news for us?”

“Well, that’s just it. If the hybrids are advanced enough to not only know how our scanners work, but how to prevent them entirely, sending out one hybrid to help the Heroes does not make much sense if they were just going to attack Upper City. They would have attacked long before now, and definitely with more than just a few pistols.” Hot Guy's eyes widened, thinking over Xisuma's explanation. All things considered, Hot Guy never really believed that Cute Guy was doing this for anything nefarious. She might have been chaotic, but Hot Guy could recognize her want to help people. No one put their life on the line that often for people they didn’t know, just to achieve something they could’ve done without it.

“What’s the other theory?” Hot Guy voiced.

Xisuma tensed for a moment before,” The engineers and I concluded that there is a chance Cute Guy’s magic overpowered the sensors, and they could not handle the readings.” For a moment the room was silent once more as the weight of just what that meant settled onto them. Hot Guy couldn’t help himself from tensing. If there was a possibility that hybrids were that strong, then what was Cute Guy's motivation? Why come to Upper City at all? More than that, if Cute Guy was so powerful, why was she just using pistols?

“How likely is that?” the Director finally voiced after a beat of the heavy silence had passed.

“Cub confirmed it was probably about 10% chance. The level of magic that a hybrid would need in order to accomplish that would more likely than not kill the hybrid long before they entered adulthood, let alone be able to occur naturally. However, even if that was the case this is still a good indicator,” Xisuma admitted. Hot Guy knew what he was talking about and shuddered. It was seen rarely in human children, but, when a child was born with more magic than their body could handle it could literally burn them from the inside out, until there was nothing left. It was rare in humans, but even with hybrids being mixed, there was a limit to just how much power they could withstand before they faced the same fate.

“Why was I not informed of this before now?” The Director questioned, accusation heavy in their eyes. Hot Guy’s fingers twitched, and he had to resist reaching for his bow to defend Xisuma. While the director might be the big boss, Hot Guy would defend Xisuma before all else.

“We had to make sure our numbers checked out, and that we thought of everything. By the time we figured this all out, this meeting had already been scheduled, so we felt it best to report now,” Xisuma responded shrugging the accusation with little fanfare, and Hot Guy relaxed back into his seat. Logically, he knew that Xisuma was far too smart to put himself into a situation he was unable to get out of, but it was that Hot Guy instinct within that made him want to help.

“So, I assume the logic follows closer with your first theory. If Cute Guy were that powerful he would have attacked long ago. Definitely wouldn’t be using those pistols either,” Hot Guy stated leaping back into the previous conversation. Xisuma turned his attention back to Hot Guy and nodded.

“Yep, so this at least confirms that Cute Guy does not hold hostility for the citizens of Upper City,” Xisuma states, “It also shows that in either case, Cute Guy does not mind the presence of Heros, he doesn’t even attack only defends when they go after him until she can get away.”

“And I assume this is where Hot Guy comes in?” A board member spoke up, remembering what Xisuma had said earlier.

“Yes, we can use Hot Guy and the media to shift their perspective. We can make it appear that Hot Guy is helping Cute Guy and ensuring that she remains safe while helping out the city,” Xisuma resolves and Hot Guy nods his head. It was better than the alternative plan Hot Guy knew the board had wanted to go with in any case.

“Sounds like a sound plan, Xisuma,”

“I do have one requirement,” The Director interrupted Hot Guy,” you will have to use this to dissuade another of the other monsters from trying to do what it's doing. One of them is bad enough, and until we can get rid of it we’ll use Xisumas plan. However, if another one of those things pops up, or Hot Guy gets even a hint that it is planning something you’ll take it out,” the Director orders, staring down at Hot Guy. With more effort than Hot Guy cared to admit, he managed to refrain from glaring at the Director. Every derogatory remark made his skin itch, but there wasn’t much else he could do.

If he didn’t accept the mission, they would either use another hero, which Xisuma seemed to convince them was near impossible, or they would…

They would try and wipe out Cute Guy.

Worst case, they would succeed, and Cute Guy would die.

Even worse, if they failed, the citizens had to pay for it in the crossfire.

Hot Guy did not like either of those options.

“... so, will you do it, Hot Guy?” Xisuma's voice broke through the fog that Hot Guy had gotten lost in.

“If it’ll keep the people safe, absolutely,” Hot Guy affirmed staring the Director in the eyes.

Xisuma nods and stands, “Well, that settles it then. Hot Guy, Cub is waiting to give your equipment a check before you go out tonight, so stop by. Remember, what we discussed whenever you run into Cute Guy. Our cameras show he tends to be more active in the next few hours, so you’ll likely run into him more.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Hot Guy responds standing from the table as well “Have a good evening everyone,” Hot Guy nods his head at the members of the board who have remained sitting before turning his back and heading towards the door.

“Hot Guy,” the Director calls out stopping Hot Guy in his tracks.

“Do not forget. If Cute Guy shows to be a threat you will be the one ordered to take it out,” The Director reminds and Hot Guy smiles, lifting his hand to touch the top of his bow slung over his shoulder.

“Do not worry Director, Hot Guy will always be there to protect the citizens,” Hot Guy assures and the Director nods in response before turning his attention to one of the other board members. As Hot Guy began to turn back to the door, he caught Xisuma's eye. Quickly glancing around to make sure no one else was paying attention, he sent him a wink, before turning and walking out the door.

With the door closed behind him, Hot Guy rolled his eyes. Truly the board knew no limits. They didn’t even ask why Xisuma would have run those tests. Of course, Hot Guy knew, because he was the one who had asked them to. Go figure the board did not care until Cute Guy was a threat to their image.

Hot Guy needed to make sure the people were safe.

All the citizens.

If the board made a move to hurt Cute Guy, even though they all knew she was not a threat to the people, Hot Guy would follow what he told the Director.

He would wipe out anything that threatened the civilians.

Especially if they threatened the flirty little bird set on embarrassing him, and not just because he had a crush on them.

Nope, definitely not, Hot Guy affirmed to himself as Cute Guy sat on his chest with her hand over his mouth. Brain totally not shortcircuiting at that moment.

Hot Guy was completely able to do more than only stare wide-eyed up at the Avain as his attention remained firmly on whatever threat he had heard to lead to this situation.

Never mind he was still definitely just checking him out.

He was doomed.

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