Really, Alfred...
But whatever, whatever. If having this boy here made Alfred happy, so be it.
Though he couldn't really figure out why Alfred didn't make Dick - Richard? Probably - his own ward, frankly. It wasn't like he couldn't afford to - Alfred's salary was not on the low side, to put in mildly, and his investments had payed off handsomely, as far as he knew...
But that was all water down the creek. Alfred probably thought it was better for the boy if his guardian was officially Bruce himself, probably. The Wayne name did work wonders at times.
Alright, then. No.1, schooling. The boy had to go to school, right?
Some hours later, Bruce Wayne was nursing a developing headache. The boy - his name was actually "Dick", it seemed - had had eccentric access to public education to say the least, it seemed. It was a wonder he could actually read and write@at all, frankly.
Even circus kids should have better access to education then this, damnit. Just what were the authorities in charge of that doing?
So what then -tutors, right. Then school, once he'd caught up...That sounded about right.
"But Master Bruce. We could simply home-school him here, and save all that hassle, I thought?"
Bruce snorted.
"Alfred, a boy that age needs friends his age, don't you think?"
"Master Bruce...The boy would feel quite out of place in any of the better schools..."
"-So we'll tutor him in manners, too. He's my ward, which means that he gets a decent education, goes to a decent university, and I'll get him a job at one of my companies if he wants after that, too. In other words, his future is secure unless he manages to napalm it to death or something."
Bruce blinked at his butler's expression, then. Why the face?
"...That was the point in making him my ward in the first place, I thought? Giving him a chance at a, ahh, better life?"
"Well...Ahh...Yes, sir. Very generous of you, to be sure."
Bruce sighed. He sometimes didn't understand Alfred at all...
And...Hmmm. Maybe he could do something about the state of education around here - not just about the circus's, but in general.
Even Alfred wouldn't disapprove of something like that, surely?
Several years later, Bruce Wayne was looking at a young man. Boy, rather.
The boy looked back.
"...Alfred?"
"This is Master Jason Todd, that I wrote to you about, Master Bruce."
Yes, yes, I know that, Alfred.
"Alfred...where's Dick?"
Alfred looked at him expressionlessly.
"Mr Greyson is at a... boarding school in Wyoming, Master Bruce."
Bruce chocked.
"He was perfectly happy at Gotham Ceders High, the last time I was here. What happened?"
"...Perhaps you should talk to his schoolteachers directly, Master Bruce."
Bruce stared at his butler.
"Very well, I'll do that."
Two days later, Bruce Wayne went to Wyoming.
"Really, Dick. You should tell me when you get in trouble..."
Dick Grayson looked at him with expressionless eyes.
"I'm supposed to be your legal guardian, not Alfred. - Did you have a fight with him, or something? Eh?"
Dick looked at him, and down.
"Sorry, sir. I ...Mr Pennyworth said -"
"So you did fight with him. Never mind, Alfred is getting a bit - set in his ways, so just humor him, alright? Just come to me if he's unreasonable..."
Bruce sighed.
"Alright, then. Ready to come home?"
Dick blinked, then.
"I - Um - I thought my room - The new kid?"
Bruce groaned. Alllfreeeed.....
"...I have plenty of rooms, you know that. Jason can get another room, if he's taken up yours."
"Well, um, it's not just that - Sir, it's only a couple of months till I graduate anyway, and -"
Oh.
"You have friends here?"
"Yes, but - Ah, Sir, um,...Can I ask you something?"
"...Hmmmmmm?"
"It's actually not so bad here, but there's something I noticed..."
Two months later, Dick cracked his first case, which happened to be embezzling of certain school kitchen fees.
Bruce told him not to make a habit of it. PI's rarely made a decent living off their trade.
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(Posted Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:44)
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