Revenge (Seqeal To Wrong Parent)

3--Birthday

"Happy Birthday, dear Dick. Happy Birthday to you!" Everyone sang. My face was red from being the center of attention. I blew out the fourteen candles on the cake Megan had made me and everyone cheered. I thought that they were making a big deal out of nothing, I mean the entire league was here, there was a pile of gifts in the living room, cake, ice cream, and the whole room was decorated in bright streamers and a Happy Birthday! sign that looked well used.

Black Canary cut the cake and handed out the peices to everyone. I was officially fourteen, but didn't really feel any older. I had yet to get my growth spurt and still wasn't in school. Bruce had decided that he's wait until September when I would be the same age as the rest of my classmates so wouldn't be picked on for it. Alfred, against my wishes, had given me a haircut and now my hair was out of my eyes, but it wasn't totally gone, thank goodness. Wally still ruffled it and Bruce still disapproved, but kept it to himself.

After cake, I was immediately rushed to the presents in the middle of the room. I opened them one at a time, admiring that money had been spent on me. When I noticed Wally hadn't gotten me anything, I felt sad for about three seconds before a fistful of money was shoved into my hands by the red head. "Use that to fix up that face of yours." The team laughed. It had been a running joke ever since Wally had taken off my Renegade mask about a year ago and had said, 'I thought you'd be prettier.' The League looked confused at the inside joke, but said nothing.

After a movie, three bags of Doritos, twelve cans of coke, an hour long, violent, unfinished game of Monopoly, me, Wally, Conner, and Artemis were playing Grand Theft Auto. Well, I was playing. The others were just watching and giving me tips quietly, trying not to wake up Megan and Kaldur, who had fallen asleep after the movie.

"Don't go into the strip club," Artemis scolded. "You're too young!"

"What? I've never played this before. How would I know that's a strip club?" I turned off the game with a yawn. I glanced at my watch and realized it was four in the morning. I was surprised how tired I was. I was usually up until two patrolling with Batman most nights, sometimes later. He was used to surviving off two hours of sleep and I wasn't. He always brought me home early, which I would complain about, half asleep.

Artemis and Conner went straight to bed. I got my stuff spread out on the couch and got in bed with a yawn.

"Did you have a good birthday, Baby bat?"

"What did you call me?" I asked.

"Nothing. Just answer the question."

"I guess so. I just don't understand what's the big deal about it? You're just a year older. I mean, sure I did it when I was younger with my parents, but...oh, I don't know. It's just something I'll have to get used to, huh?"

Wally laid down on his mound of blankets on the floor. "Night, Dickie."

"Night, Wally."

Short and sweet chapter, I guess.

In case it looks like it, there's no Birdflash in this story. There just really good friends, got it?