"Who asked you that?!" Dick Grayson snapped.
The moment Ben Tennyson bragged that Batman had actually agreed to let him drive the Batmobile, Dick felt like his molars were about to crack.
Dick had begged for ages.
Batman had never once said yes.
Standing beside the Bat-Signal, Dick glared up toward the distant clock tower. Ben was still planted next to that gargoyle like some kind of idiot landmark, and Dick couldn't even figure out what he was waiting for.
Wasn't tonight supposed to be patrol?
"How long are you planning to stay up there?" Dick demanded through the comm.
Up on the tower, Ben—who'd only been looking for a laugh—realized he was rapidly becoming the punchline.
He leaned against the stone sculpture while a knife-cold wind screamed around him. The uniform had some thermal protection, sure…
…but it was still a short-sleeve suit.
His arms were shaking hard enough to rattle his teeth.
"Until my transformation cooldown ends," Ben answered, trying to sound casual while fighting off hypothermia. "Also—could you maybe bring me a jacket? Or a cape? It's kind of freezing up here."
"Freeze to death up there," Dick said without hesitation.
For once, Dick felt real happiness. Let the so-called "temporary Batman" suffer.
He didn't even know what Ben meant by "transformation," but if Batman trusted this guy, Dick assumed Ben wasn't in immediate danger.
Ben stared into the night like a tragic hero trapped in the world's dumbest mistake. The wind somehow got colder.
He started muttering to himself out loud.
"Unbelievable. Ben Tennyson, handsome for fifteen glorious years… and today I die on a clock tower like an idiot…"
"Batman said you're my age!" Dick shouted, his ears getting pulverized by Ben's nonstop trash talk. He cut the comms immediately after and pretended his life was normal.
That was when Commissioner Gordon noticed Dick arguing with the air near the Bat-Signal.
"Robin?" Gordon called, walking closer. "What are you doing here? Where's Batman?"
Seeing only Robin on the rooftop, Gordon's stomach dropped. For a second, he thought something had happened.
"He went to Arkham," Dick replied, reading the worry instantly. "He's tracking the dirty bomb."
Gordon exhaled in relief. If the bomb was at Arkham, it made sense Batman wouldn't bring Robin along.
But Robin usually stayed at Batman's side. So why was he here alone?
"And what are you doing?" Gordon asked, the tone suspiciously similar to an adult questioning a lost kid.
Dick really wanted to shout that he was not a child.
But he swallowed it, kept the Robin persona steady, and answered, "I'm waiting for the partner Batman assigned me."
"Partner?" Gordon blinked. "Where is he?"
Dick pointed toward the clock tower, every ounce of dignity bleeding out of his voice.
"Over there. He got up… and now he can't get down."
"…."
Gordon followed the direction, squinting hard. He couldn't make out much—only a tiny shape against the tower.
Then he saw it.
A brief flash of green light.
And immediately after—like a blue-black streak falling straight down the wall—a blur shot from the tower and stopped in front of them with impossible precision.
"Seriously," Ben complained, "I just wanted to borrow a cape so I wouldn't freeze. Was that too much to ask?"
Whether the tower cold had triggered the Omnitrix's safety function, or Ben's previous transformation had been too short, the cooldown ended fast.
Not wanting to scare Robin on their first meeting, Ben picked something "cool" and speed-based.
Gordon adjusted his glasses, staring at the creature in front of him.
"So this is your temporary partner?" he said slowly. "A blue raptor… with wheels on its feet?"
Ben raised the built-in mask of XLR8, grinned, and waved a claw like he was greeting fans.
"That's right! I'm Batman's substitute. Please address me as Temporary-Contract Batman."
Ben's logic was simple: if he was protecting Gotham tonight—and partnering with Robin—then even as a stand-in…
he was still Batman.
Gordon clearly didn't agree. He rubbed his chin, evaluating the ridiculous silhouette.
"Looking at you," Gordon said, "I feel like we should call you… Dinosaur-Man."
Ben violently shook his head, as if rejecting the name could physically erase it from existence.
"Let's not do that. If you have to call me something, call me by this form's name—XLR8."
That triggered something in Dick's brain.
"Wait," Dick said, narrowing his eyes. "You're saying you have multiple alien forms?"
"Obviously!" Ben said with pride. "You watched the Justice League press conference, right? That guy on fire—Heatblast—that was me."
Dick's eyes widened.
"So you've already joined the Justice League?"
"Yep." Ben nodded casually, then added with a grin, "And when they were discussing who to invite next? I even nominated you."
"Really?!" Dick blurted out. His imagination instantly ignited—standing with the League, recognized as a real hero, not just Batman's sidekick. "So I can join soon?!"
Ben didn't let the hope survive more than two seconds.
"Batman vetoed it," Ben said cheerfully. "He thinks you're not mature enough."
Dick's face cracked like glass.
And then he turned to Ben, as if Ben had personally committed a crime against his entire future.
"You and I are the same age," Dick said, voice rising. "So how did you get in?!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 150)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter69)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter100)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 60
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 50
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 50
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 50
The Way the Umamusume Look at 31
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 26
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 26
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