Dick Grayson Trash

The Man I Saw On The Stairs (Part Two)

-I'm gonna go hard on this storyline, I hope you like it-

Bruce was relieved that Dick hadn't brought up his nightmare from the night before. Now he was driving his ward home from school, and hadn't heard a word about shadow people all day. unfortunately, that was about to change.

Dick shifted a little in his car seat, leaning against the window. Suddenly, he gasped, throwing himself away from the door. He pointed out the window. "Bruce!" He shouted.

"-WHAT!?" Bruce instinctively jerked the wheel, slamming on the breaks.

 "It's the man! It's the man I saw on the stairs! Stop! Look! Right next to us!"

Bruce let out a shaky breath, trying to calm himself. "Dick, none of this while I'm driving."

"But he's in the car next to us!" Dick shrieked. "look! It's the guy who broke in!"

"Dick." Bruce said angrily, starting to drive again. "Not now."

"But-"

His father turned away in silence, frustration boiling in the air around him. Dick always had a vivid imagination, but this was getting out of hand. He could have crashed the car. Dick was quiet the rest of the drive, frowning at his sneakers.

It was raining again today. Dick unbuckled himself, grabbed his jacket, backpack, and lunch bag. He jumped out  onto the driveway, following Bruce into the house.

He put his raincoat and boots in the cupboard, still pouting angrily at the floor, his eyes watery. Bruce sighed. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"Did you hear what I said? The guy was in the car next to us." Dick asked hopefully.

"Dick, we talked about this, it was a bad dream, you imagined it. Remember? I looked around the downstairs, there was no one there."

"The window was open!"

"Alfred left the window open to air out the kitchen." Bruce was getting tired of Richard's imaginary bad guy.

"Why aren't you listening? He's everywhere we go! the car he was in is always parked out side of school at three!"

"Maybe it's one of your schoolmate's parents."

"No, It's not! It was the guy who broke in! I know it is! I-"

"It's in your imagination, Dickie." He groaned a little. "How about you get your homework done early? we have patrol tonight."

Dick's face darkened, he stuck out his lip a little, grabbed his bag, and ran up the stairs without another word. 

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"Dick, finish your dinner, please."

Bruce had been trying to ignore Dick's pouting. Usually, if he didn't give Dick attention for it, he would forget to be mad, and go back to normal.

"Are you ready for patrol tonight?" He asked. Dick shrugged. "Do you want the east side or west side?" Dick still didn't reply. "Dick, are you still thinking about earlier? There's no one stalking us." Dick sunk lower in his chair, still not eating. "Are you going to keep up this sulking act all day?"

"Why not? You've kept yours up for sixteen years!" Dick shot up and stormed from the room, stomping his feet on the stairs.

"Master Dick seems to think that you do not believe him."

"Alfred, he's not saying anything believable! There are over eight million people in Gotham, there is no way the same guy would be able to break into both Wayne tech, and The manor, and sit outside Dick's school. He imagined it, and now he's in too deep and doesn't want to admit it."