Oversight

Author's Note: Years ago I wrote a story called Concerned in which, among other things, it’s brought to (non-canon) light that an angry Bruce once hit Dick hard enough to loosen teeth and necessitate an emergency trip to a dental surgeon. This is the story and aftermath of that little episode within a larger story.


* * *
 

The tapes were clear. What they showed was unmistakable. There was no question what happened. There was no defense. Circumstances didn’t matter, nothing could justify this. Nothing. There would be consequences. There had to be. There was no choice. None. There was no debate about that, there was no need and would be pointless. They were all in agreement. But still, the man had a right to tell his side of things, to try to explain; to somehow mitigate what happened.

He’d have that chance.

With a simple nod Superman left to bring Batman to the JLA satellite and see what, if anything, he had to say in defense of his actions.

 

* * *
 

The entire membership was present, sitting in at the semi-circular meeting table with Batman seated in the center. As the current Justice League leader, Wonder Woman was acting in the capacity as judge. “Batman, you know why you’re here. Flash was a witness to your actions and has brought charges against you; you stand accused of child abuse, child endangerment and child neglect. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty.” It was said without inflection.

“This action is being taken as an internal matter of the Justice League and is unrelated to any charges you may face in Gotham, is that understood?”

“Of course.”

“Flash, please tell us what you know about this.”

The man remained in his seat, speaking calmly, relaying a report just as he would during a normal meeting. “I received a call from Batman on communicator about ten Thursday morning. He said that Robin had apparently taken one of his cars and was missing, he asked me to try to find the boy and bring him home, which I did. I found Dick about sixty miles from Gotham and headed to visit his girlfriend.”

“Excuse me, isn’t Dick fifteen? I thought that the minimum age for a driver’s license in Gotham is older than that—does he have some special permit?”

Bruce answered. “No. He had taken the car without my permission and was driving illegally. The legal age for a license is seventeen in our state and then it’s restricted until the driver is twenty-one.” Diana nodded an acknowledgement.

Barry continued. “I caught up with him and he stopped without any problem then agreed to go back. I drove and left him off at Wayne Enterprises where Bruce was waiting in the parking garage.”

“What was his demeanor?”

“Bruce? He was angry.”

Superman asked, “And Dick—did he say anything to you about why he’d cut school and taken the car? That doesn’t seem like something he’d do.”

“No, he didn’t say anything about that and he seemed nervous about confronting Bruce, which seemed reasonable. At that point he was uninjured, though he was clearly upset about something. I didn’t feel it was my place to ask him questions which seemed to me more in the realm of a parent or guardian.” There was some quiet murmuring around the table.

“And what happened next?”

“We got out of the car, they had words, just an exchange or two—it was quick—then Bruce slapped Dick across the face once. I stepped between the two and Bruce took a step or two back and seemed to regain his composure, I thought the situation was relatively diffused. ”

“So you left?”

“Like I said, as they both seemed in control after that one slip.”

“Slip?” Diana gave Batman a hard look. “We have a security tape from Wayne Enterprises, could we see that now, please?” The thirty-second tape rolled, showing the incident as Barry described it happening. An enhanced view showed blood dripping from Dick’s mouth onto his shirt, Bruce looking shocked and giving the boy a handkerchief which Dick took and used to wipe his lips and chin while he stared at Bruce in what seemed to be disbelief.

“Why didn’t you stop the blow before it landed, Barry?” A simple matter for the Flash.

“I’m afraid that I was simply completely unprepared for anything like that happening, it didn’t occur to me that it could happen. I did restrain Bruce as soon as his hand cleared Dick’s face but by then he’d been injured.” It was obvious he blamed himself for the failure to stop Batman.

“Did Dick say or do anything?”

“No, I think he was as shocked as I was. Bruce apologized, though. ‘Was obviously upset with himself and asked how badly he’d hurt Dick. Then he immediately drove Dick to a dentist.”

“We all know Batman is an exceptionally strong man for a human, how badly was Dick hurt?”

Bruce answered. “I loosened four of his teeth, one of which was knocked out. They were all wired back into place within the hour and he’ll make a full recovery.”

“No thanks to you, man.” Green Arrow was less than impressed. “You’re damn lucky you didn’t break his jaw.”

Wonder Woman stopped Oliver dead with a look. “Hold off on the personal remarks, if you don’t mind.”

“He’s right. Dick’s lucky he doesn’t have a permanent injury and everyone in here knows it. He’s out of control—the only thing that ever kept his lid on was Dick and even he’s not able to do it anymore. In my opinion he can’t be trusted and if he can’t be trusted he shouldn’t be in the League.”

“Sit down, Arthur, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Robin is here to give his side of things and we’ll listen to what Batman has to say. Then we’ll decide what action, if any, to take.” Diana pushed a button on the table, “Robin, please join us.” The door slid opened and the boy came in, wearing his uniform. He took a seat a few feet to the right of Batman; the two didn’t look at one another. The bruises and swelling on his jaw and cheek were fading but still visible. “Dick, please tell us what happened.”

Oliver slammed his hand on the table. “Wait a damn minute. How can you expect the kid to talk freely with his mentor, his guardian and the man he shares a house with sitting three feet away from him—let’s get realistic here. This is a man who counts intimidation as one of his main weapons, right?”

Diana nodded. “Dick, would you be more comfortable if Bruce was out of the room so you can speak to us in private?”

“No, but thanks. I don’t have anything to say he can’t hear and if I asked him to leave that would just make it look like I’m afraid of him—which I’m not.”

Wonder Woman continued to ask the questions, at least for the most part. “All right, please tell us what happened, then.”

“I’d gotten a call from my girlfriend, she was upset about something and so I cut school, took one of Bruce’s cars and drove to New York to see her. Bruce found out I wasn’t in school, sent Barry after me and he brought me back to Wayne Headquarters. Bruce met us in the parking garage and was angry. I assume you’ve seen the tape?” Diana nodded. “So you know what happened, but you don’t know why.”

“We know he struck you hard enough that you needed emergency surgery.”

“C’mon, we’ve all been hurt; this wasn’t that bad, they were just being cautious. He’s never hit me before, ever, and it’s never happened again. I’m not afraid of him—you all know me, if I was do any of you believe I’d stay around so he could use me as a punching bag?”

“Dick, why would it make any difference if we knew why you did this? I’ll grant this does seem out of character for you—was the reason you took off the reason why Bruce lost control? And, if so, how does that justify him endangering you?”

Robin took a breath. “No, he didn’t know why I did it for like a month afterwards, it had nothing to do with his reaction. Besides, you have to understand that he wasn’t really angry; he was scared, he was afraid that I’d get hurt or that I’d decided to run away or something. He—it was like—I mean, sometimes a parent will spank a kid when they run out in traffic but they aren’t mad, they’re just scared. It was like that. He was worried about me. He hit me—and yeah, he shouldn’t have done that, I guess—but he wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t care about me. ‘You see?”

Oliver snorted in disgust. “’Nice try, but he still hit you hard enough to knock your teeth out—and he’s supposed to be the adult, right?

Arthur added, “We all know you’re trying to protect him but ‘sorry, Dick, your argument doesn’t hold water.”

There was general agreement around the room and even Dick knew they were right. Mad or scared as Bruce was, he’d still hit him petty damn hard and he was just glad his medical records were sealed and hidden or they’d know about the hairline fracture to his jaw.

“But the thing that you’re all missing is that he—he, well, he loves me and I love him. He’d never have done it if I hadn’t started it. If I’d just talked to him, told him what I was doing, he’d probably have been okay with it. It was my fault he was so upset.” He saw the looks on the faces around him. “I mean, c’mon—I don’t have a death wish and I‘m not making excuses like an abused wife or something like that. If I thought he’d ever hurt me I’d leave. I’d call Clark or the Titans or just walk out; it’s not like I can’t take care of myself if it came to it.” He didn’t want to let it go. “We work—the partnership of Batman and Robin works and aside from all that, he and Alfred are the only family I have, that any of us has.” He took a strong breath, “I don’t care what you decide here today because it’s not going to change anything as far as I’m concerned. I’m still Robin and he’s still Batman and that’s not going anywhere. You’re the JLA but we’re still Batman and Robin, no matter what any of you say.”

The members of the JLA were too tactful in front of the adolescent to explain the reality to him, to tell him in no uncertain terms that there was no excuse, no justification for what Bruce had done. Besides, it seemed like the boy knew that, anyway.

“Thank you, Robin, you’ve been very helpful. You may wait outside.” Reluctantly he got up, gave Batman an ‘I tried’ look and closed the door behind himself as he went back to the anteroom.

“Batman, do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“Only that I swear it’s never happened before and it will never happen again. I know we’ve all heard that before but I promise to resign my JLA membership and retire Batman if I’m wrong.” He looked down at the floor for a moment, humbled for one of the only times in his life. “The instant I hit him, felt the sting in my hand and knew how hard I’d slapped him, saw his blood, I wanted to cut off my hand, take it back. I wanted to call Clark to somehow take us back in time two minutes or to earlier that morning so I could prevent any of it from happening. But I couldn’t and I live with that.” He paused, uncomfortable with emotion but went on. “You all know me, know what that boy means to me. I’d never…” He stopped. “I’ll never…” He just shook his head, unable to say it again.

There was silence when he stopped talking, a few members wondering if he had more to say but was unable. It didn’t matter; he’d made his point.

“Thank you, Batman. Please excuse us while we make our decision.”

“I’d rather stay.”

Diana considered a moment. “If you refrain from speaking, I see no reason why you shouldn’t hear our opinions.” He nodded his agreement. “All right, I believe we’re all now aware of the facts so far as they matter in this situation. The question before us is two-fold; was Batman—Bruce Wayne—guilty of child abuse, child abandonment and child neglect and, frankly, should he continue as Batman, as a full member of the League if he’s unable to control himself. I also want to stress that despite Robin being who he is and his many accomplishments, he is still fifteen years old. He’s a minor. We’ve all heard Barry, Bruce and Dick agree with the bare bones of the case; Bruce did hit the boy and did hurt him. That’s undisputed. He was unaware of Dick being so upset by whatever was going on with his girlfriend that he acted out of character that suggests a detachment and neglect I find disturbing. There’s strong evidence of both neglect, at least emotionally and there’s clear proof of abuse, though I don’t see any case for abandonment. The question is simply what will we about this?”

Barry spoke first. “This isn’t a court of law and as a private organization we have leeway regarding our members. Bruce has already been questioned regarding these charges by Gotham PD and has been released with no charges being filed. Furthermore, no mention was made in the press and the police files are sealed. Suspend him from the JL for a specified period. I say if there are no further incidents let him continue with us.”

“Probation? The hell with that, he’s a loose cannon and I don’t trust him any more than he trusts any of us. I think the League will survive without the Bat just fine.” Arthur never did like Bruce, was always happy for a chance to take him down a peg or two.

“Let him keep doing his Batman thing but I think Dick would be safer with one of us; Clark? You like him, you could take him on—he’s bright and he is good at what he does.”

Superman shook his head. “I work alone, J’onn. Dick wants to stay with Bruce, he’d never agree and we have no right to move him out of his home, especially after he lost his parents just a few years ago. I’d be afraid that would outweigh any possible benefits.”

“If the real idea is to make sure that Robin isn’t in any danger from Bruce we could install some kind of tracking device and give Robbie a panic button in case anything happens.”

“That sounds reasonable and we can certainly do that, Canary, but that allows Batman to escape with no repercussion or consequence for his actions. He lost control with a child and that has to be addressed. Should it happen again Dick might not be so lucky as to walk away with relatively minor injuries like he did this time.”

“Are you actually suggesting that we remove Dick from Bruce? He’s Bruce’s legal ward; I assume that Child Protective Services keeps an eye on the arrangement and, even if that weren’t true, we have no legal right to…”

Superman held up his hand. “Hal, calm down, please. I don’t think any of us is seriously suggesting that. If nothing else, we all want what’s best for Dick and to be pulled from a home where he’s clearly happy and secure after the trauma he’s endured would be sadistic. I would, however, propose that we, the League members keep our own watch on the situation. Bruce would know that he’s going to answer to us and—as Canary said—we can give Dick a panic communicator and make sure he’s tagged with GPS.”

“Will either of them agree to that, though? You know how independent they both are.” Barry seemed, at best, skeptical.

“I think that they would be willing, yes.”

“If we let them know that if they refuse we’ll give the story to the press and let Bruce hang in the wind and deal with CPS on his own,” Diana commented, her eyes on Batman. “Are we certain that the local authorities have stopped investigating this?”

The Flash spread his hands in frustration. “It’s been hushed up. Don’t underestimate how powerful Bruce Wayne is, especially in Gotham. It’s likely that tape we saw is the only copy and it would be easy to explain loose teeth in an active kid like Dick.”

“Oh for the love of God—you’re telling me he’s bought off the cops or Child Welfare or whoever? I’ll file the damn complaint myself, with a copy of that damn tape!”

“Ollie, just stop and think. Think real hard, all right?”

“Why the hell should I Canary?”

“Because, aside from dragging Dick through a scandal which would be the media circus of the year, you’re looking at shining a very bright light on a lot of things which we would all rather stay right in whatever closets they’re hiding. Do you really want the press and the judicial system scrutinizing the dark side of Bruce Wayne instead of his idiot, skirt chasing side or how and why the Flash brought his ward home after a little joy ride? Then you have some bright reporter making the tie between Wayne’s ward and Flash’s nephew that could lead to possible connection to…”

“The Titans, which opens the whole can of worms. Yeah, I get it. So we slap his wrist, tell him to behave and give the kid a cell phone in case he’s the Bat’s punching bag again? Great solution.”

Diana stared him quiet. “I also suggest that we institute a random three times or so a week check up on Robin, make sure he’s all right and that nothing’s happening which shouldn’t be. Dick knows he can count on us and he also has the Titans. He’d be more likely to confide in them than us so everyone who has a sidekick or whatever in that group—talk to them and make sure they understand, call them and talk to them. Find out of they’ve seen or heard anything. Any further comments or questions?” No one moved. “Arthur, you wanted to say something?”

“Not really.” He wanted to get back home, as usual. ‘Never did have any patience for meetings, especially involving kids.

“J’onn?”

“I hesitate, but it seems to me that the problem is being—excuse me, what’s the phrase?—swept under the rug, shuffled aside. You’re all saying that this is a problem and that we have a responsibility to protect and oversee the youngsters but what this seems to be coming down to is a rather half-hearted system of dropping into Bruce’s home and giving Dick a cell phone. If we believe that he’s in danger, shouldn’t he be removed so no more injury can be inflicted on him?”

“We just went through that. It would cause more problems than it would solve. We have a decision. Batman? You’ve heard what we have to say. Do you agree with what we’ve outlined?”

He nodded, his head downcast.

“If there’s no other business…? Then we’re adjourned. Thank you everyone. Batman? Robin will be fitted with a locator before you leave and will also be given an emergency contact device. I expect that neither will be tampered with in any way.”

He stood up, leaving to tell Robin the decision with as much dignity as possible.

Wonder Woman touched J’onn’s arm as he passed close to her. “You’re unhappy with the outcome?”

He regarded her before he spoke. “Nothing was solved here. If the boy was beaten once he may well be again and today his safety took a back seat to League secrecy and security. Bruce has always flirted with sanity and has crossed the line with that child by using violence, he well may break again and, even with your insignificant safeguards, that child may not survive the next attack.”

“He knows we’ll be watching…”

“Diana, please. You’re a politician and you’ve endangered a young life for you own ends; the reputation of the Justice League.”

“No. I did what’s best for all of us, including Dick.”

“And you shall live with that, Princess. Let us hope so shall Robin.”


6/14/09
 

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