Weird Little Things

Scars - (DICK GRAYSON)

Dick Grayson walked out of the school changing room wearing a hoodie and baggy sweatpants, as usual. He started the morning ritual. The sub didn't notice, and chatted with a friend. Then she turned around.

"You!" The Sub shouted, "why aren't you wearing gym clothes?!"

"Ma'am, I am wearing them. The requirements are that I wear a tank top and pants or shorts I can easily work out in." Dick said politely, "I am wearing a tank top under the hoodie."

"Oh so you're a smart Alec." The sub scoffed, "take off the hoodie."

"No, Ma'am." Dick said, "I am following the rules. I'm just not comfortable with everyone seeing my body." Everyone wondered why he always wore clothing that covered his entire body. That was probably why.

"Yo, Richard," a bully shouted, "You scared we'll see your weak body, or something?" The class snickered.

"Or something." Dick muttered. The other kids started shouting.

"Come on, Grayson!"

"Do it!"

"You're such a chicken."

"SILENCE!" Dick's voice echoed throughout the gym, somehow silencing the students, his tone switched to a deathly calm, "You would regret your request the moment the hoodie was off. I have my reasons. I don't want to disturb you. I don't want to be treated differently - at least more differently than I already am. I don't want more pity, hatred, or rumors. I do not need more issues than the ones I already have. Besides, do you really wanna be scarred for life?"

"Come on, it can't be that bad!" A dumb bully shouted, after a moment of silent shock. Then the sub scoffed in agreement, and walked over to Bruce Wayne's ward.

"Take it off, before I pull it off." The substitute teacher said sternly.

"Just leave me alone." Dick scowled. Everyone stepped back. Dick never got angry. Never. Not even when people bullied him. He Usually just looked exasperated.

"Look, Richard." The Sub growled, "You need to listen to your teachers. We can do this here, or in the office."

"We're not doing this at all." Dick said giving the teacher a glare that made her and everyone else flinch, but a bully tackled him from behind. The sub smiled in approval, as Dick struggled. She pulled off his hoodie, and he stopped struggling. She stepped back, in shock. Scars littered his entire body. The clearest one, was a large J on his arm.

"Who did this?" His sub asked harshly, "Bruce?"

"What?! No!" Dick asked horrified, "Joker." There was a shocked pause.

"You were attacked by the joker." His bully said slowly.

"Hey, I'm the ward of one of the most powerful men in the city, who cares deeply for me, and would do anything to protect me." Dick glared at the teacher, "Bruce even got the Bat after him."

"Seriously?!" A boy shouted, "How can you be so calm?!"

"I get kidnapped almost every other week, but I'm never gone for more than a few hours, or about 30 minutes." Dick shrugged again, "I don't wanna go back to the system, nor do I want to to leave Bruce. He needs me, and I need him. I keep him sane, and he does the same in return."

"Why would you need to keep him sane?" A boy laughed.

"Do you forget that he saw his parents shot to death right in front of him? Much like I saw mine fall 55 feet to the hard ground? I never forget the sound of the ropes breaking, or the cracks of their bodies hitting the ground, and I doubt he forgets the sound of the gunshot and the thud of their bodies hitting the side of the wall." Dick said darkly, "We understand each other. We cancel out each other's misery. That's why I was adopted. I didn't judge him for his wealth. I judged him for him. To me is a regular person who had a past as dark as my own." The boy's laughter died. The others pondered this for awhile.

"Why would he keep you if you get hurt all the time?" Another boy asked.

"Because the alternative is worse." Dick said softly.

"What could be worse than torture?" A bully scoffed.

"The orphanages are full. The only place for someone like me is a juvenile detention center. I'm a goody two shoes. The other kids would hurt me more than Joker." Dick said uneasily, "Can we stop talking about this?"

"No." The sub said, "I'm going to have to talk to social services."

"What?!" Dick shouted, "Why?!"

"Because you have scars littering your body!" The sub shouted, "You could just be making this up to cover up for your jerk of an abusive adoptive father!"

"You people are so stereotypical!" Dick scoffed, "just because someone has money, does not make them a stuck up jerk. In fact, you are more of a stuck up  jerk than anyone I know!"

"Why you little-" the teacher was cut off.

"Besides, helping students to harm others is illegal. Not to mention forcing a student to do something that is not in the school policy. And then you have the fact you rough handled me when you pulled off my hoodie." Dick continued to list several felonies and then smirked, "I have enough to put you in prison for about.... 45 years."

"Is that a threat?" The teacher scowled.

"No." Dick said boldly, "only a statement of facts. You are in no position to accuse me of anything, in fact, I speed dialed the Commissioner and put him on speaker, he's listening to this ever since you allowed that kid to tackle me."

"What?!" The teacher shouted. Sirens could be heard outside. Dick pulled his phone out of his pocket, and waved in front of him.

"Dick's right." The commissioner said from the phone, "I came quickly from the moment I heard him struggling."

A beep was heard as the commissioner hung up.

"You're in big trouble miss." Commissioner Gordon said from the doorway, tossing a pair of handcuffs between his hands, before cuffing the teacher, "You have a right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court." He smiled at Dick, "Hey, Grayson, tell Barbra I said hi."

"I will, sir." Dick said, and Gordon chuckled.

"You got wit, Dick, not to mention smart. Even I almost missed a few of those felonies." The commissioner tipped his hat, "I gotta get this stuck up jerk to the station. You have an asterous day."

"Thank you, you too, sir." Dick said smirking. Then the officers and commissioner left.

"Asterous?" A kid asked.

"A little something between me, and the commissioner" Dick shrugged, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and he smiled, before vanishing.