Batman and Red Arrow

Batman & Red Arrow #2

Change

Alfred was walking down the staircase to the Batcave while he whistled a happy tune, something was draped over his left arm but the shadows covered it so well in the small, dark stairwell.

The door inside the Batcave opened as Alfred stepped in, Bruce could be seen observing Roy while he was finishing up a training course.

"Master Roy seems to be excelling at this, perhaps I should have started you off at his age rather than tussle with you over all the nights you would sneak out to fight crime anyway." Alfred smirked.

"That was different, Alfred, I was a boy bent on revenge. Any pain I could cause criminals would help keep my mind off my own. Roy is different, he almost lost his life, now he sees that there are far better things to live for. I only hope I can put him on a better path than the one I went down." Bruce spoke to him seriously.

Alfred looked at Bruce whose eyes stayed fixated on Roy who backflipped to a landing before he ducked and caught an arrow that was on fire and threw it back into the center of a target about 10 yards away.

"Woo! Yeah, that training course was awesome!" Roy cheered as he ran up to Bruce and Alfred.

"Very well done, I took the liberty of making you a uniform for while you assist Batman." Alfred added jovially.

He held out the classic styled Robin suit with the pixie shoes as Roy looked reluctant.

"Actuallyyyy, I think I'll pass. Looks a little...leggy." Roy grimaced as Alfred lowered them.

"Something a little more gritty for you, Master Roy? I think you two will get along just fine." He smiled before he turned and walked away.

"At least hold onto the cape, its bulletproof and fire retardant." Bruce tried to convince.

"I don't know how I feel about capes, also, it wouldn't work with my quiver." Roy held up an arrow.

"An archer, are you?" Bruce asked as he rose his eyebrows.

"Probably the only thing I'm really good at, I remember my uncle Jim used to teach me when he had the time outside of his busy work schedule with CADMUS." Roy tilted the arrow back and forth in his hand.

"If you're going to work with me, you won't be using any arrows to kill anyone." Bruce crossed his arms.

"I didn't realize we weren't going to be fighting criminals. Better to get rid of them before they hurt or do worse to the good people of Gotham!" Roy gritted his teeth as he gripped the arrow tighter and mean mugged Bruce.

"You're wrong, Roy. Listen to yourself, if we kill it doesn't make us any different than them. Taking advantage of a life is taking advantage of a life, plain and simple." Bruce answered as he took the pointed arrow from Roy.

"Don't think I don't remember watching the news and seeing you and Superman fighting last year! You can't seriously tell me that you two weren't trying to kill each other!" Roy threw his hand to the side as he let his emotions steer his words.

"Just because I'm Batman doesn't mean I don't make mistakes too." Bruce scoffed.

"Never forget this moment, my boy." Alfred added as he and Roy looked shocked.

"I didn't understand Superman before, nor did he understand me. It took that fight for us to realize, Roy. We are the same, trying to do what's right while not giving trust to anyone else. We have to trust that people change, that means giving them that chance. No killing." Bruce handed him a trick arrow with a cylindrical tip.

Roy looked inquisitive of what Bruce said as he pondered and looked down at the truck arrow in his hand.

He then looked to Batman's utility belt which hung on the Batcave computer.

"So what if we made me a quiver like your utility belt?" He smirked as of making a valiant compromise.

Bruce looked over at it and then to the arrow in his hand, he grew a grin that could not be hidden for long before the two were then leaning over a black and red metal quiver on a workbench with a magnifying lamp on it.