Dick Grayson Trash

Titus (Andronicus)

-Thank you to @alyssa579437744 for the request! I'm a little overwhelmed right now. You can still leave requests, but if it takes me a over two weeks to get to them, I've probably forgotten, so just remind me-

-also, yes, I'm a theatre nerd. I hope y'all understand why I adore this title-

"Don't do that." Damian stated.

Dick was practically hanging from Titus' neck. "He's so strong!" The dog lowered his neck and, by extension, the boy, to the floor. He licked Dick's cheek, making the little boy giggle. "STOP! STOP! STOP!!!"

"You need to leave Titus alone." Damian said, frustrated. He loved his brother, but Dick had no clue how to treat animals. Fortunately, Titus was being patient and didn't attack Dick, but Damian almost wished he would nip at the boy, just so learned to let the poor creature be. Dick didn't seem to realize that the puppy he was hugging had a mouthful of vicious knife-like teeth, that will likely kill at least one person this year.

"I love Titus." Dick stated, wrapping his arms around the dog and lying on him, burying his face in fur.

"Then leave him alone for a few minutes." Damian remembered when Dick first arrived: he was terrified of Titus, he was scared out of his wits that the dog would eat him (though, that was mostly Jason's fault).

"Can I take him outside?"

"No."

"Just to the park?"

"No, Richard." Damian looked down at the five year old, briefly reminded by the strange, internal want to punt a child. 

"But I'll take care of him!" Dick argued.

"You aren't allowed outside without supervision, and I'm busy."

"Just on the lawn?"

"The 'lawn' is nine square acres, at least a third of which are heavily wooded." 

Dick pouted and sat on the stairs. "Please?"

Damian sighed, it was hard to say no to Dick once in a conversation. "Maybe."

"YES!" Dick shouted, knowing he'd broken through to his brother.

"But going out is a privilege, and I can revoke it, like I did for your brother." Damian warned he leaned to Titus, and whispered some commands to the dog. Dick thought he was watching the dog, but the dog was actually watching him. "Be safe, and stay near the house. on this side of the gate." Dick nodded, and Damian headed back upstairs. 

Dick grabbed the dogs leash and an extremely tough dog ball that could withstand the beast's fangs. "Come on, Titus! We're going out!" 

Dick skipped down the driveway, calling the dog after him. They played in the lawn for a bit, but is wasn't the same. it was overcast and humid, and they couldn't even go play in the woods! Dick stayed on the driveway mostly, and over about ten minutes, his eyes began to linger towards the huge gate.

Surely there was no harm on just going on the road outside the manor... the manor was pretty detached, and there weren't many cars. Plus, he'd just be right outside the fence.

 Luckily, the gate wasn't locked, and Dick trotted out onto the road, chanting Titus' name. "Come, Titus! We're going out here!" The creature lumbered after him. "C'mon! let's go!" Dick flounced onto the road. There were a few older kids from coming from their  parents wealthy detached houses, and heading down the block to the skate park side.

Dick recognized a few of them, they had a habit of picking on him while Bruce chatted with their parents. He hid against the fence as they passed, not moving until the kids had gone out of sight down the road.

Dick hurried out  onto the road (Without checking both ways, may I add), called Titus out, throwing the ball as far as he could. The dog streaked after it, catching the ball effortlessly, he trotted back to Dick. Dick observed what a good boy Titus was, and tried to yank the ball back. After a brief tussle, Titus got bored of using a fraction of his strength so as not to hurt Dick, and let the little boy take the ball.

 There was a man strolling down the street towards him. He was white, overweight, and nearing sixty, with patchy facial and huge eyebags. Dick didn't notice any of this, he was too excited playing with the dog.

"Hello." The man said, nearing Dick.

Dick turned around, waving. "Hi." Instantly, Titus stopped pretending play-wrestling the ball from Dick, and dropped it.

"Do you... live near here?" The man asked, slowing down.

"Uh huh." Dick jerked his thumb towards the house. 

The man read the manor's plaque, and a grin began to spread at the corners of his mouth. "Wayne manor?"

Instantly, Titus began growling. Not play-growling, but angry, offensive snarls. Head and tail lowered, the beast arched its back and stalked forwards in front of Dick, who still didn't seem to see a problem.

"Titus! stop!" Dick said, covering his ears and sitting down on the curb. Bruce hadn't given him the stranger danger talk yet

Titus began barking furiously at the man, who had stopped walking at this point. Titus' barking was deafening, and echoed through the humid air for what must have been miles around. Fur pointed like needles, the dog lumbered in front of Dick, threateningly.

"Big dog." The mansaid, trying to calculate a way around it. He finally decided to lay a kick into Titus' side.

Titus wasn't having that.

Having been punted to the side, the dog darted, fangs first into the man's leg. Letting out a brutal snarl, Titus tore into the man's flesh. He pulled at the fat and muscle on the man's shin, and tried to pull him onto the ground.

"Titus!" Dick squealed. Shutting his eyes tight, and clasping his hands over his ears.

"FUCKING DOG!" The man tried to kick Titus off, but the beast dug his teeth deeper, causing blood to gush from the man's leg.

Dick began crying, falling over into the grass alongside the road. He covered his face in fear and began to sob.

Titus made a last tear into the man's leg, and darted next to Dick, blood dripping from his muzzle. He glared at the man, barking again, but resting his bloody chin on Dick's shirt, protectively.

Dick heard another voice shouting, and limping footsteps, then a set of running footsteps, and a smack. His eyes shook open, and he turned his head, to the Damian, on top of the man, shoving his face into the pavement.

The moisture in the air seemed to have hit a peak, and rain began to fall. "Dami!" Dick's hoarse voice called.

Damian looked up. "Richard, go inside! Titus, take Grayson inside!" He ordered. On queue, the dog  clasped his jaws around the collar of Dick's shirt, and pulled him through the gate. Dick managed to stumble up, and they both ran to the manor.

Damian joined them shortly, swooping  Dick off the floor, and carrying him inside. Dick struggled a little, trying to dry his face. "Dami! He'll get away!" He cried.

Damian shook his head. "Not how I left him."

He carried Dick with him to the cave, setting the boy on the med bay table, as he called the commissioner to report the man he'd beaten half to death and cuffed to the fence.

"Titus is okay?" Dick asked. 

Damian nodded. "He's strong, he just needs a break."

Dick thought for a minute. "am I strong?"

His brother looked him up and down, and nodded. "You're strong too."

The five year old smiled a little. "Yeah, I need a rest too."