A/N: First chapter. Vote & comment if you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

SUSPECTED • Chapter One: Identities

Violence and other conflicts were never a problem in Gotham. Although chaos was common, absolute chaos was a bit rarer.

Robin could definitely say that tonight was one of those nights.

Another Arkham breakout. They were usually pretty bad, but this time it was ten times worse. The inmates had most likely been intensely planning for quite some time. The streets were littered with police cars, their lights flashing, cops pouring out with their weapons.

Robin did not even know what he was doing at this point. Batman was nowhere in sight, probably trying to solve the issue on the spot. After all, they didn't have much time to prepare or to react.

It was a disaster. Heavy on the dis.

At that point, all he could do was try to fend off the nearest villain. But making that move was difficult; he heard Joker's cackle to his left, and the presence of someone else to his right. There was no way he'd be getting out of there with scratches and bruises.

And that's exactly what happened. Dick Grayson, sitting on the medical bed, was pouting like a child, despite being sixteen years old.

He'd already been patched up and Bruce ordered him to get some rest, but Dick was in too much pain to do so. Dick had taken some heavy hits from a couple villains and so had Bruce. The night went horribly. And the worst? Several cops were injured in the process, 3 Gotham villains were on the loose because they had failed to be imprisoned, and Commissioner Gordon had been put out of commission. Dick didn't even know how he was doing at that point-- the guy was sent straight to the hospital.

The best part... he had school tomorrow. He'd have to make another excuse as to why he'd wince every time he moved and lightly limped every time he walked. However, he couldn't take a day off. Protecting his identity was more important.

Dick could feel his eyelids beginning to droop and his back beginning to hunch. But he was too tired to move. So instead, he fell asleep. Sweaty, hair a total mess, and covered in dirt dust and grime.

•

Waking up, Dick knew it was going to be a terrible day.

He had to leave for school in 20 minutes because he had forgotten to set his alarm. It seemed as though no one ever woke him up or moved him from the medical bed because he was still in the same place as the night before.

Dick rushed up to his room as fast as possible, passing Alfred in the hallway.

"Alfred!" He yelled. "Could you not have woken me up last night? I'm gonna be late!"

The dapper man stopped in his tracks, and turned to face the boy. "I did try, Master Richard. You wouldn't budge."

Dick sighed, knowing that arguing wouldn't help, and rushed to his room.

He took the quickest shower of his life, ignoring the burning pain from his wounds, and did his best to look presentable in 20 minutes.

Looking in the mirror, dressed in his school uniform, he couldn't help but cringe. There were dark circles under his eyes, probably from lack of sleep due to patrol, and there was a line of dirt on the side of his face that he'd missed in the shower. There was also a cut on his chin that had started to bleed again, and it was clearly obvious that he had a sore arm and back by his posture.

"Great," he told himself. "Today's gonna be great."

He grabbed his bag and rushed out of his room quickly. He passed Alfred in the hallway, who insisted he drive him in the limo to school, but Dick claimed he could drive his car there perfectly fine. Yeah he was in unbelievable pain, but he'd push through it like he always did. He was most certainly not weak.

Arriving at Gotham Academy, he felt a knot in his stomach. Dick was nervous. How could he hide the physical pain he was feeling?

Why would he have to hide it, you ask? Protecting his identity of course.

As he was younger, acting like a silly and immature child wasn't hard... because Robin (for the most part) had a mature image for his age. Most 13 year olds couldn't fight crime every night.

But as he got older, Robin was expected to be more focused, serious, and independent-- whereas Richard Grayson was expected to be smart, but lackadaisical. Despite that, Richard Grayson was always chipper, kind and outgoing, and always in a great mood when it came to being in public. That was the image he'd created for himself. That wasn't to say that he wasn't those things outside of the public, but those qualities were more eccentric than normal when around other people. His good reputation was like a safety net-- it helped protect his identity as Robin. It gave no reason for people to think Dick was Robin.

But then there was the injury part. Trying to be exceedingly happy when you're in unbearable amounts of pain would be highly difficult. Dick had pulled it off at school before.

There were days that Dick would come in with a broken bone every few months, and he'd play it off as an accident. Barbara would pick on him for not having enough Calcium in his diet, and Dick would casually play along.

People would ask how it happened. Dick would flash a cute smile, give them a fabricated story, and brush it off as though it was nothing. His closer friends would be a bit suspicious, but didn't put it past him. They knew he could be... stupid at times. But Richard Grayson did dumb stunts and tricks that got him hurt-- Robin didn't. Robin got hurt because he was Robin.

But this wasn't a basic injury. This was so obvious. What lie could he make up this time? That he attempted to do a triple flip off of Wayne Manor again? Or that he slipped in the shower again?

So now, as he stood across Barbara, face to face, he practically crumpled under the pressure as she pulled him aside in the hallway.

"What the hell happened to you? You're a mess!"

He sheepishly smiled and rubbed his arm. "Yeah, sorry. But I'm more worried about you. I didn't think you'd be at school today. After you know... what happened last night."

She sighed. "He's still in the hospital, Dick. It was bad. Really bad."

Dick gave her a sad look. He didn't really know what to say.

"My dad is already hurt enough. I don't need you or anyone else that I care about being hurt too..." she said, calmly this time. 

There was a silence between the two friends, and their silence was interrupted by a certain blonde who had seemed to sense the unease from a mile away.

"Damn guys," the girl laughed almost, leaning against a locker. "I could cut the tension with a knife."

Dick rolled his eyes and Barbara turned to face her. "Oh, Artemis. Hey," she said sadly.

Artemis then remembered the incident in Gotham the night before, and reached forward to hug the younger girl. This caught Dick off guard-- Artemis was nice, but she wasn't the touchy-feely type.

They broke from the hug, and Artemis got a good look at Dick's physical state.

"Wow Barbara, you really need to keep your lover boy in check," she said with surprise, and Dick groaned.

Barbara did nothing but glare, and Artemis blushed and gave a short apology. "Um... didn't mean to say that. Sorry."

Barbara said nothing but crossed her arms and averted her attention to the ground.

"Sooo... what exactly happened to you, Dick?" Artemis asked, and upon hearing this, Barbara returned her attention to the boy standing next to her and gave him a hard glare.

"Yeah, Dick," Barbara said. "What happened this time? Did you do another flip off of Wayne Manor?"

"Uh... um..."

"Did you slip in the shower? Again?" Artemis asked with a sick grin on her face, enjoying every moment of the poor boy's torture.

Dick could only stand there sputtering, because he had forgotten to formulate an excuse. He'd been so tired that he'd forgotten the most important thing he'd need to do today: lie. He really just wanted to wrap himself in a blanket, crawl inside of a sixteen-foot hole, seal it shut, and never be seen again. Dick already felt physically awful, but his mental state was giving his physical state a run for it's money.

For a moment he blinked, then blinked again, because he could have sworn he saw stars-- so he blinked again, and then he could've sworn that Artemis' grin flipped upside down. He shook his head once, trying to snap out of whatever was happening, but he could already start to feel his legs giving out a bit. He heard Barbara's voice, then Artemis' voice, and then as he began to stumble a bit he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay, that's it! We're taking him to the nurse right now!" Barbara commanded, grabbing him by the collar and practically dragging him. "Something's wrong with him!"

Artemis started to become worried. He was not well at all. She could see it on his face. He was going to faint.

"Barbara, he's gonna pass out! Stop!" She yelled at the girl, removing her arm from his collar. "We can take him to the nurse but perhaps we do it more... gently."

A few students heard the commotion and gathered around, confused yet intrigued.

And then, he passed out in Artemis' arms.

•

"Wow... no normal sixteen year old boy should be suffering such injuries. Does he have a history or background of abuse?" The nurse asked a worried Barbara, who's hand had a tight grip around Artemis' forearm.

"No! Not at all! Plus, who said you're allowed to give him a full medical examination? Isn't that an invasion of privacy?!" The redhead snapped, tightening her grip and ignoring Artemis' wince.

The female nurse, who was sitting in a chair next to the medical bed Dick was laying unconscious on, groaned. "I didn't do an examination. It was nothing but an observation. It's clear he has bruises and such."

"Yeah..." Artemis said, raising an eyebrow.

The nurse pursed her lips together, unsure if she should speak of anything-- but decided to nonetheless. "Girls... he seems to be under intense mental stress as well. Are you sure nothing bad is going on?"

Barbara gaped. Was this woman insinuating that Bruce was a child abuser?

"Listen, ma'am," Barbara said, keeping her composure. "I've known Dick since he moved here. He's always done stupid things, exceptionally stupid since he's an acrobat. He likes doing lots of flips and stuff. I've seen him fall on his face so many times I've lost count on my ten fingers. If you have any problems, consult them to Mr. Wayne. Not me," she finished with a small growl.

The woman's eyes widened. "I'm sorry dear, my apologies. I'm just worried is all."

Barbara's anger quickly shifted to sadness and she glanced at the floor, loosening her grip on the blonde's arm. "I'm worried too," she whispered.

And upon saying that, Dick awakened.

He had heard everything.

And he felt bad-- His best friend was truly worried. Did he really need to do this to her? Should he tell her the truth?

He rubbed his head and moaned in pain, acting as if he was just now waking up.

"Dick! Are you okay?" Artemis asked with worry, lightly shaking Barbara's hand off her forearm and taking a few steps towards the medical bed.

He sighed. "Yeah, I've just been stressed lately. You know... midterms, chores, other teenager stuff," he said with a shrug.

Artemis' right eye quivered a bit. "You're Richard Grayson... don't even act as if you do chores."

"Haha... right," Dick replied, blushing. "It was a joke!"

It was a joke that no one found funny, because the nurse sat rigidly, Barbara looked nervous, and Artemis seemed worried yet bored at the same time; something only Artemis could pull off.

"Shall I call Mr. Wayne? I think you need some rest Mr. Grayson," the nurse said seriously.

"Oh!" Dick chirped. "No need," he said kindly. "I should be fine for the rest of the day."

The nurse gave him a look as though she was unsatisfied with his response. "Are you sure?"

"Hmm..." Dick said aloud, thinking to himself for a moment. "You know I could use the extra rest..." he said sheepishly, slightly embarrassed.

Artemis rolled her eyes. Barbara sighed with relief.

"But," Dick said, and Artemis and Barbara stiffened beside him. "Call Alfred, my butler, instead please. Bruce gets very busy at his work."

"Oh, of course," the nurse replied, reaching for the phone.

"Could one of you drive my car back to the manor after school? I don't think I'm in any condition to be driving right now," Dick said, bluffing. He was perfectly fine now. But he had to play that card and pretend it was worse than it really was.

He couldn't make any slip-ups.

So, he did play that card. Alfred picked him up from a newly polished limousine, students whispered to each other with confusion and curiosity, and Dick felt relieved. He didn't know if he could take any more of Barbara and Artemis' banter.

Alfred didn't question anything during their ride. Alfred was a smart man. He assumed it had to do with Dick's injuries.

Dick couldn't help but feel bad, though. He sat in the back, elbow leaned against the window, pondering. How could he cover this up? And he couldn't stop mentally scolding himself for passing out in school. How careless could he be? All students were stressed. All had problems. But no one fainted because of it. If the school suspected any underlying problems like the nurse had, that could be a big issue for Batman and Robin.

"Alfred, I fainted in school today," Dick said with slight embarrassment.

"Yes, your nurse informed me. She was a kind woman," he replied.

"Yeah well she was also very suspicious. She insinuated that Bruce is abusive..."

The older man hummed for a moment, and then replied. "But you and I both know he's not. That is all that matters Master Richard. Though I can see how that would be an issue."

Dick sighed. "Yes, I just hope it doesn't upset Bruce."

"The only thing that would upset Master Bruce is that if you are not ready for his charity event in time. It begins at eight pm Master Richard-- I hope you didn't forget."

Great. Just what he needed. To stall around at another one of Bruce Wayne's charity parties.

Dick hated it. He was always forced to attend, and forced to wear an expensive, uncomfortable suit. And he always spilled something on it-- and then Alfred would get annoyed.

But that wasn't the worst part. Old women that he'd never met before would speak to him and act as if they'd known Dick for years; they'd give him hugs and smiles and act like his grandmother.

Then there were the old folks. They'd be the same way, except they'd give him a Dutch rub and ask him how his education and shit was going, as if Dick actually cared. They always wore monocles and other weird glasses, and their suits reeked of a weird musty scent.

There were also the highly attractive women-- the sexy ones to put it short. The ones that were whores and constantly within 10 feet of Bruce. Their dresses were so tight that it cut the circulation off in their legs. Half of them probably cheated on their husbands.

Either way, Dick would have to suffer through it. He'd also have to deal with Barbara, who always attended the events that Bruce held. Dick and Barbara would always hang out once the adults were preoccupied, and she'd save him from his boredom. But this time it was different. Normally he enjoyed having Babs by his side, but Dick knew if she came, she'd be questioning him constantly. There was also the fact that her father was in the hospital-- she would probably want to visit him, right?

Dick sighed again. He knew this shouldn't be about him- it should be about his best friend. For having her father in the hospital, her composure was insane.

Everything was a mess. Dick felt a lot of pressure. He had so many things to worry about: Gotham, injuries, the team, school, charity events, and most importantly Barbara. But he'd work it out. He always did.

"We've arrived Master Richard. Please do not forget about Master Bruce's event young man. It is a very important one."

"Important huh?" Dick questioned.

"...he must have invited some pretty important guests then... I guess I'll have to be on my best behavior."

End of chapter 1.
To be continued.

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