At last, Oswald opened the car door and got in.
"Everything alright, sir?" The driver asked.
"Yes," Oswald answered with a sigh, "I just needed to wrap some things up." What a mess that was.
"Where to next?" The man questioned politely as he put the vehicle on reverse.
Oswald had to think on that one. Maybe somewhere Dick could nibble on something in case he was hungry. He turned to the boy who was oddly silent. "Dick, do you like ice cream?"
Dick perked up and smiled. "Yes!"
Oswald returned the smile. "Good." He redirected his attention to the driver, "bring us to the nearest ice cream parlor."
The man nodded and they were driven to more familiar parts of the city. During the silent car ride Dick thought about what cool powers Ivy probably had and Oswald thought about what Ivy and Riddler had warned him about.
Oswald wasn't too concerned. Yes, he had many enemies, but none of them even knew about Dick. Even if they did, Dick wasn't always with Oswald. He around moved a lot. Either he was with Catwoman or.. who was it? Bruce? Yes, that was the name. He'd have to learn more about this man and find out whether or not he was truly going to be a good guardian for Dick. But getting back on track, if Dick ever really was in danger, Oswald always had henchmen to protect him. See? Problem solved, stress relieved.
And anyways, if something seriously did happen... Oswald wouldn't be.. too sad.. right? No, he wouldn't be sad at all! He always told himself that he wouldn't get attached to anyone because he could be betrayed at any time. Trust no one. You'll only get hurt.
Yet he found himself caring for Dick. Heck, he had to defend himself saying that he was right to involve Dick in his life to Ivy and Riddler.
Ugh, emotions were annoying. They were complicated and got in the way.
Fine, maybe he cared a little bit about Dick's well being, okay? He was only human after all. And he wouldn't consider making Dick his successor one day if he didn't care at all.
Besides, it was hard not to care about the boy when he was such a lovable bundle of joy. No wait- he did NOT just say lovable. He meant likable. Better yet: tolerable.
Dick wondered what Ivy ate. If she was technically like a plant, but also human, did she.. still eat fruits and vegetables? What about salads? That would make her a cannibal, wouldn't it? Or did she only eat meat? Maybe all she had to do is absorb the sun? Dick giggled at the thought of Ivy going outside to satisfy her hunger, getting a tan, and going back inside, feeling full.
The next time he saw her, he'd surely ask. Along with hopefully seeing her powers in action. The thing is, he didn't know if he would ever see her again.
The Riddler guy was pretty cool, too. He was still only human but he seemed really smart. It appeared that he and Oswald knew each well. They probably had a past of some type.
As interesting as they were, Dick had to remind himself that they were probably criminals. Oswald had mentioned that Ivy wanted to overthrow humans or something? She didn't seem like it, so maybe Oswald was just being dramatic as usual... still, Dick doubted that she was innocent. The same went for Edward. Then again, they were both decently nice, so Dick couldn't judge them too much. Besides, Penguin was a criminal too, and he wasn't bad. Well, actually, he had killed a person before... Oops. Scratch that.
It was dark outside now and Dick didn't have a watch to tell the time. Then he remembered that he had his phone in his pocket. Eh, he didn't actually care what time it was. Bruce thought he was fast asleep and Dick didn't have to go to school tomorrow, so it didn't matter how late it was.
Dick was half happy to be out of the manor and with Oswald- seriously, he was about to eat icecream for Pete's sake (his favorite!)- but the other half of him felt guilty for tricking Bruce. It wasn't Bruce's fault that he was sad. The manor just felt so restricting, which was odd because it was so big. Dick just couldn't put his finger on it.
You're being ungrateful, a part of him warned. He didn't know which one.
When they got to the parlor, they said goodbye once again to the driver and got inside. A wave of air conditioning hit Dick in the face the moment they got in.
"Hello! What can I get you fine gentlemen this evening?" A cheerful woman questioned as they walked to the countertop and observed the selection.
Dick looked up at Oswald, waiting for the man to tell him what he could get. Oswald noticed this and said, "you can choose whatever you like, Dick. Don't worry about the price."
That's right, Oswald was rich! How could he have forgotten? In that case... "May I please get the chocolate? On a cone?" Dick asked excitedly.
"Of course, dear," lady responded kindly as she itched her ear, "Would you like the cone to be small, medium, or large?"
Dick took a good few seconds to think long and hard about it. He wanted to say large, but he suspected that his stomach would be upset afterwards, so he said medium instead.
"Would you like any toppings?" The employee added. Her hazel eyes scanned Dick, noting everything about him.
Toppings?! And I get to say yes? So. Much. Power!! Dick thought, utterly amazed.
Dick shyly grinned. "Um, yes please! How much is allowed?"
"As much as you'd like, Sweetie." She answered.
"All of them!" The boy shouted. His eyes widened when he realized how loud he'd gotten. Over ice cream. To be fair, though, it had been longer than he could even remember since he'd last eaten ice cream, and even then he wasn't allowed this much control over what he got. "Sorry." He cleared his throat. "I'd like all the topics please... Except for the peanuts." Dick liked peanuts but so did Zitka, and he didn't think he'd be able to hold in his tears if he thought back to the days where he'd sneak his elephant companion a handful of the salty snack.
After she scooped the many toppings on the ice cream, they moved to the cash register where Oswald paid.
"Thank you, Miss." Dick said with a warm smile. He turned to Oswald. "Thank you, Ozzie."
"You're very welcome. Now, let's sit down." Oswald insisted. They both sat across from each other at a booth. Oswald made a few phone calls as he let Dick eat. Meanwhile, the raven haired boy enjoyed the calm atmosphere and his delicious treat.
When he finished the rest of his cone, Oswald finally spoke up. "So, Dick, tell me about your first day of school."
Dick inhaled. So he was actually going to do this? "Umm, well.. it was fun. Really, it was. Everyone was nice to me. B-but.. that's the thing. I can't believe I didn't notice. man, I'm so stupid-"
"Richard!" Oswald cut in, his voice louder than he intended. "Don't talk that way. Continue explaining."
Dick blinked. "Uh, okay.. anyways," he sighed, "when I was in the manor after school, I heard Bruce and Alfred talking. They said that they expected me to get teased, which was not what happened. Then Alfred said that maybe everyone was nice to me because they didn't want me to tell Bruce if I was angry, who is, like, super rich and has a bunch of companies. So basically no one really liked me. They were just thinking about my title instead of the real me. It sounds really lame when I say it out loud.. But it just reminded me of a lot of bad stuff."
Dick was looking down at the table sadly now. Oswald's eyes were saucers.
"Dick, wow, that's unfortunate but- but Bruce? Rich? Companies? Are you talking about Bruce Wayne?" He asked in complete shock.
Dick raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes. Why are you so surprised?"
"Bruce Wayne, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises?! How could you not have mentioned this earlier?!" Oswald exclaimed. Richard had gotten adopted by one of the most influential people in Gotham. He'd heard a little something about Bruce Wayne's new son on the news, but he didn't give it any thought because he frankly didn't care. But that was because he hadn't known the boy was Dick!
That left Oswald with a lot of unanswered questions. Why would he adopt Richard? It was almost suspicious, considering the boy was chosen only moments after being submitted into the orphanage. Also, wouldn't a wealthy man such as Wayne have better security? If an eight-year-old can sneak out, it clearly wasn't very good. Then again, He probably never expected any kid to feel the need to escape because- heck- he was filthy rich; the child would have all the toys and video games in the world. Everything would be given on a silver platter. So why did Dick run away?
"Oh, sorry. I guess I should have mentioned his last name earlier. I didn't think it would be important." Dick apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Oswald shook his head. "That would have been nice but no matter. We came to talk about you, not Wayne." He sighed. "Not everyone fits in, Dick. In your case it's because of your new found status. It angers me that they've succeeded in making you feel bad about yourself. That you dare waste any energy on them. They don't deserve your attention. Dick, not just your classmates, but all of Gotham will probably underestimate your worth. But you can prove them wrong and make them regret ever treating you poorly. That's what I did."
Dick tried to let everything he said sink in. "What do you mean?"
Oswald bit his lip before explaining. "I know how you feel, Richard. I know how it feels to not know who to trust, to maybe feel unwanted. When I was young I was bullied by my peers for my limp and short height. They called me names, the most famous one being Penguin. The only one who I knew truly loved me was my Mother. However, even she left me when she died."
Dick stared at Oswald, his eyes now glossy and wide. Was he was actually telling him about his past?
"I started off small. I was the umbrella boy for powerful people." Oswald couldn't help but snicker. "It was their mistake for not seeing me as the threat I was. I slowly and stealthily gained more power in Gotham. They realized it too late and I overthrew them. It was thrilling. The people who mistreated me paid severely and I became the respected and feared figure that you see today. I use the name of Penguin with pride now."
Dick mouth went dry. "Wow," he croaked. "That's really impressive. And I get what you're saying, b-but I don't want people to be scared of me- my classmates already are! I just want them to try to get to know the real me and I get to know the real them."
"Of course you do," Oswald sympathized, "however it's unlikely that that'll just happen. You have to work for it to happen. Use your position to your advantage. Make sure you choose your words carefully so that your peers can't see it, though. I know it doesn't make sense now, but when the time comes, it will. Besides, Dick, even if they don't accept you, you must learn not to care. It doesn't matter what they think of you, you'll become successful without them."
Sometimes Oswald is confusing, Dick thought, but at least he's trying to help me. Huh.. he has a point.
"Yeah," Dick agreed, his voice more confident than earlier, "I don't need other people to make me feel happy. You're right!"
Oswald proudly smiled.
Dick's shoulder's sagged again though. "The thing is.. I.. I feel kinda lost. Everything is so different.. and really miss how things used to be. Don't get me wrong! I'm super grateful for everything you and Selina have done for me! And Bruce. Much better than the center. But.. I feel like it's too good to be true, like it's almost fake. And.. I still miss Mami and Tati.. so much. Is that.. selfish?"
Oswald appeared outraged at that question, which made Dick immediately regret it. He opened his mouth the blurt an apology and take it back, but Oswald spoke first.
"Of course you miss your parents! I expect nothing less, Dick! There's nothing selfish about that in any way. Anyone would feel the same way, I assure you. And I can't speak for the Cat and Wayne- however, I'm sure the same goes for them-- none of my intentions for you have been anything other than what I've told you. However I understand why you're doubtful, when it appears that people are helping you for seemingly no specific reason. I, personally, simply want to teach you how to manage in this city, because I know it could prove to be beneficial to you." Oswald explained vehemently. He examined Dick's face to see if the boy understood. He was sniffling with a quivering lip.
"So.. you and Selina and Bruce.. actually care about me?" Dick whimpered.
Oswald watched him and nodded. He didn't want to speak for the others but it would do no good to say anything but yes.
Dick felt tears threatening to spill from eyes so he rubbed it with the back of his hand. "And-and I'm allowed to cry for my parents?"
"Of course." Oswald sincerely uttered.
The boy shuddered and let a small, relieved sob escape his lips. Despite this, he smiled. "Okay. Thanks, Ozzie. I really do feel better now. I've felt happier ever since I've been with you today, but I think talking to you was the most helpful." He looked into Oswald's eyes knowingly. "You're a really great friend, Ozzie, even if you yourself don't believe it."
Oswald felt a pang in his heart.
He didn't know how he'd keep up the walls he'd work so hard to build when this child was effective beginning the break them down. If Dick only knew the monster that Penguin really was, all the horrible, truly horrific things he'd done..
He'd probably run in the opposite direction and never look back. The word 'friend' would be long forgotten.
Because Penguin didn't deserve the kindness Dick had to offer.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Good bye, Miss!" Dick hollered as he and Oswald left the ice cream parlor.
"Bye-bye, Dear." The woman replied sweetly. The moment the door closed and they walked away from earshot she chuckled darkly and pressed on her earpiece.
Now with a French accent the woman muttered, "I have eyes on the target."
"Good," A robotic voice replied. "Now we contact Sportsmaster."
- - - - - - - - - -
"Are you sure you don't want us to get a bit closer to the manor?" Oswald worriedly questioned. They had parked a few blocks from the Wayne manor and were about to part ways. Oswald didn't want Dick to have to walk alone and be out of their sight in the dark, dangerous streets of Gotham.
Dick gave a sure nod. "Yep. Don't worry, it's right around the corner. I'll be fine."
"Alright.. if you say so. How about you text me when you get to your room safely?" Oswald suggested.
Dick smiled at the concern. Ozzie was such a softie when you got to know him. "Okie dokie." He jumped out of the car and walked towards Oswald's lowered window. "Thank you for everything."
"No need to thank me, Dick," Oswald informed, "I enjoy our time together. Hopefully, you'll keep everything I said in mind?"
"I will." Dick declared assuringly.
"Good. Until next time-" the mobster said as he began rolling his windows up. "Stay safe."
Dick grinned, "Okay. Bye, Ozzie!" He waved in the direction of the car as he walked away. The two men in the car waited until Dick was beyond their range of sight to drive away.
Dick froze and flinched a few more times then he'd like to admit whenever he heard a rustle of the bushes or the "caw" of a crow. His laid back strolling turned into anxious speed walking. When he got to the Manor's property he sighed in relief. Dick felt the day's exhaustion hit him and he suddenly couldn't wait to get to bed.
However, as he climbed up the wall and opened the window to his room, he almost considered jumping back down and running away as fast away as he could... because an unhappy looking Bruce Wayne sat on his bed, watching Dick gulp in fear.
He probably wouldn't be going to sleep anytime soon.
It sure has been a long day for Dick, and it's about to get longer! Hahaha! Also, finally-! Antagonist~!!
And about Penguin- yes, he's been thinking about making Dick his successor in the future. He reminds him of his past self (minus the positivity lol) and for that, he thinks Dick can learn from him. Hey, Penguin isn't immortal, and who'll run the criminal underworld if not him? Now, the thing is: would Dick even want to do or be that?
And will Oswald even care about such things if Dick continues to soften him up?
Only I know the answer to those questions, readers! Muahahahaha!
But um yeah two updates in a week, I hope you guys feel fed :P