Richard Grayson considered himself a mature, civilized individual.

And for the most part, he was.

He’d been moulded from an orphaned acrobat into a detective and a leader. He’d shouldered responsibilities as a teenager that would decimate most grown men—and came out stronger. He was a retired crash-out.

So why did you make him feel so d#mn ‘whelmed?

You weren’t a villain, but a fellow vigilante. Someone he’d worked with since his Robin days. You weren't incompetent either, despite his constant nitpicking. If you were, he could’ve ignored you entirely. No, you were infuriatingly good.

He should’ve been able to put differences aside. Yet the sound of your voice alone triggered his antagonism. His patience dwindled. His words became sharper. No amount of meditation could make him civil.

This? Being assigned to a mission with you? It was a cruel joke.

“If you hadn’t compromised our last mission, I wouldn’t be forced to babysit you,” he snapped, words dripping with venom. “Stay behind on comms.”

He didn’t wait for a response, before stalking off to the weapons room. And to his irritation, your quiet footsteps followed. Didn’t you get the hint?

It was always like this—you were persistent despite the constant bickering—the back-and-forth. Somebody once told the two of you to get a room, and he’d been so flabbergasted he went speechless.

It wasn’t that Dick was asocial. He loved people—and thrived on connection. Others looked to him for guidance, protection, and leadership. He was the guy cracking jokes mid-fight. The leader of the Titans. The Golden Boy of the Justice League.

Maybe he hated you over an incident in his Robin days. Or perhaps, it was a difference in philosophy that made you two clash. Maybe it was because you constantly challenged his leadership and got under his skin. Or, maybe, he never got over the one time you bested him in a sparring match.

You fought well, but you breathed way too loudly. He’d forgotten the reason for his petty grudge, but the resentment still ran deep.

And now, he had to work with you. Fantastic.

“There are other rooms in Mount Justice.” He snapped, turning around to face you. “Try one of those instead.”