Chat and the Bat

Chat Noir

"I'm thinking about it."

"Aw come on Bruce, he'd be valuable and- wait did you just say you were thinking about it?"

"Yes. He has unique... abilities. I'm not going to suggest anything until he's ready, however."

Dick narrowed his eyes, "What exactly do you mean, ready?"

" I mean he has to come to terms with his past. His father may have been a danger to society, but he believes it's somehow his fault that his father became what he was. What was your reaction when you found out your parent's murderer?"

" I... I wanted him dead, " was Dick's reply, " I wanted to be the one who did it."

"Exactly, and did I let you immediately, without training- without a sound head on your shoulders?"

"No, you didn't You kept me away until I was able to deal with the consequences."

"Correct. Now, if you watched as your parent was revealed to be... say the Joker- and you were taken from your home and moved who would you blame?"

Dick thought about it for a minute, " I would probably blame the ones who took him in. Probably Batman, if of course, I wasn't Robin."

"Now," Bruce asked," who would Adrien blame for his situation?"

"The people who exposed and captured his father, Ladybug and Black Cat."

This is when Bruce genuinely smiled.

"Yes, you'd assume that- if he was normal."

" You smiling is never a good sign, what do you mean he's not normal?"

"He acts like you; like he's lost something. He fidgets like he's used to doing something that he doesn't do anymore. He reaches for his finger like he used to have something he usually messed with that's no longer there. He's horrified at the slightest mention of cats, and as I said he blames HIMSELF for his father's arrest."

Dick gives his surrogate father a confused look, " I'm lost... is there supposed to be a connection or some-"

" I'm almost, no I am positive that Adrien is, or was Black Cat."

*         *         *

Adrien went back to his room. All he felt was confusion... and fear.

Why was Dick testing his athletic ability? He had always been fit, but the need to dodge kicks, and recover fast was something he had learned as Chat Noir. His Lady couldn't afford for him to take a hit, and not be able to move quickly.

His question was, Why? Why did Dick need to know about his athletic prowess, and what did Bruce have to do with it? Adrien had only interacted with the man a couple of times, and to be honest thought he was stuffier than Gorilla. Tim knew something, but he wasn't going to say what. There was something going on in this house, and Adrien was determined to find out what. What he didn't know, he soon would and no amount of secrecy- which he was well acquainted- would keep him from knowing the Truth. He knew exactly what that had brought him before. Misery.