After instinctively calling out Dick's name, Thomas froze. How could Dick have grown up so much overnight? What did he miss?
Then, he realized that this could not be the Dick he knew, or at least, certainly not the one he recognized.
Thomas quickly retreated two steps, reached behind his suit for a Batman dart and stared coldly at Nightwing, asking, "Who are you? Why are you in Wayne Manor?"
Seeing Thomas's familiar reaction, Nightwing reflexively stepped back a distance, raised his hands to shield his body and said, "Wait, Batman, I am…"
Nightwing's voice abruptly stopped. He realized what he had just said and then looked astonished at Thomas's face. Thomas looked uncannily similar to the Batman he knew.
Those who understand the Flashpoint Universe should know that Lord Thomas Wayne from the Flashpoint Universe is the biological father of the Primary Universe Batman. They look very similar in height and built which caused Nightwing to mistake him for the familiar Primary Universe Batman in a moment of confusion.
Even though Nightwing feels that the earlier Batman, who was about his age, was somewhat jarring, the current Batman in front of him seemed too old.
Two Batmans in Gotham City?
Just thinking about it made Nightwing feel dizzy.
Thomas clenched his Batman dart in his hand. Seeing his attack position, Nightwing quickly wanted to explain. But Thomas was clearly the kind of Batman who wouldn't listen to anyone. Just as he was about to throw his dart, another figure staggered out of the room.
Thomas saw his familiar Dick - half-asleep, leaning against the railing. Thomas loosened his grip on his weapon, and then listened to Dick, hugging his pillow, saying, "Didn't Bruce tell you? This is another Batman Family from another universe, essentially us from another universe."
"Oh, right. I read that letter the Professor wrote. He said that the Batman from that universe is your real son, and these people are all his good helpers and partners."
Thomas paused for a moment and recalled what Barry Allen had told him about the cause of the Flashpoint world and the completely different story from another universe.
Were they from the universe where Little Bruce becomes Batman?
Thomas kept a stoic face, still staring seriously at Nightwing. But he put away his weapon, straightened up his suit, and walked quickly to the couch and sat down.
He first waved at Dick and said, "You go back to bed first. You still have to get up for class tomorrow. By the way, put your French homework on the table. I'll check it later."
Dick immediately froze, his sleepiness vanished. He ran back to his room in panic.
Then he pointed at Nightwing and said, "You, come over and sit down."
"But I have to go..."
"You are not going anywhere." Thomas calmly looked at him, "The moment I reached for my Batman dart, all the airports, train stations, and bus stations in Gotham stopped operation, you have nowhere to go."
Nightwing stood at the spot and stared at him. It took him more than ten seconds to unwillingly walk over and sit on the couch.
"Name."
"Are you interrogating a criminal?"
"Answer my question, or it will be."
"Dick Grayson."
"Legal name."
"Richard Grayson."
"You're not a Wayne?"
Dick pursed his lips and looked away, "In memory of my deceased parents, I kept my surname."
"You're Batman's adoptive son?"
"Sort of."
"Is it or isn't it?"
"I'm his Robin."
"Okay, let me rephrase it. Is he your legal guardian?" Thomas stared into Nightwing's eyes and asked.
"We have no legal relationship, and we do not need one."
"Why didn't he adopt you in a legal sense?"
Nightwing opened his mouth, but still insisted, "It doesn't matter, and the conditions don't match, according to New Jersey State law..."
"He's a Wayne! Does he need to worry about New Jersey State law?"
Nightwing could have confidently rebutted him, but some intrusive thoughts troubled his heart.
He looked back into Thomas's eyes and couldn't help but ask, "In this world... Dick... I mean, why would Batman adopt him if his parents are alive? And why would he give him the Wayne surname?"
"Of course, it was to provide Dick with better educational opportunities. Myself, Bruce, and the Graysons all agreed on that. What good schools and teachers can Brood Haven provide?"
"There's plenty!" Nightwing instinctively wanted to defend his hometown, but then he didn't sound so convinced, "Although it may not be as good as Gotham, it's certainly not a bad school. The children there are very sensible and the teachers are very friendly."
"Happy Education, huh?" Thomas made a cold noise from his nostrils.
Just as Nightwing was about to ask again, Thomas leaned back against the sofa and asked Dick, "Does your surname matter to you?"
Although Nightwing felt a bit embarrassed to have his thoughts laid bare so quickly, he asked earnestly, "When Batman changed Dick's last name, did his parents agree?"
"I had the same question when I first got here." Thomas turned his head and took the hot tea from Alfred's hand. He took a glance, noticing some herbs he didn't recognize steeping within.
Despite this, he took a sip and continued, "I certainly wouldn't want Bruce to steal someone else's child, but he managed to convince me."
"What did he say?" Nightwing leaned forward, asking.
"Whether his surname is Grayson or Wayne does not shake their bond, but it can change how others perceive Dick."
"If Dick cannot show an obvious connection to Bruce Wayne in appearance, surname, or on a legal basis, everyone will see Dick as a pitiful boy picked up by Lord Wayne. They might feel he isn't valued and speculate he might be kicked out any day."
"But if his name is Richard Wayne, no matter whether he is related to Bruce by blood, as long as he is a 'Wayne', people have to give him the respect he deserves. Otherwise, they would be disrespecting the Wayne Family. There aren't many people in this world who can afford such a cost."
Thomas put down his cup, sighed, and said, "Dick isn't originally from Gotham. Outsiders won't be accepted immediately anywhere, and in order to quickly establish his due status in this unfamiliar circle, Dick needed help and guidance."
Thomas keenly noticed that at his last sentence, Nightwing had clenched his fist tightly but then quickly released it.
"Let's talk about you." Thomas spoke up at the right time.
"Me? What is there to talk about?" Nightwing seemed a bit nervous. This atmosphere that should have been relaxed turned into something akin to a test due to his tense facial expression and stiff body language.
Thomas recognised that this guarded demeanor was not conducive to conversation and likely wouldn't yield much. Therefore, he planned to ease the tension by starting with everyday life.
Thomas sized up Nightwing, estimated his age based on the difference in physique with Dick, and chose a topic that a boy of his age might find easiest to accept, then asked.
"How's college life? Do you have a girlfriend?"
Nightwing blinked, instinctively replying, "I didn't go to college, and I don't have a girlfriend."
Thomas frowned slightly, but he managed to hide it, pretending to say casually, "Oh? Did Batman hire a home tutor for you?"
"Well, he has been tutoring me... "
"About the Wayne Family business?" Thomas's expression softened a bit. He asked caring, "When was the first time you took over the management of the Wayne Family business? Bruce is rather conservative in his business strategy, so I guess... when you were fourteen?"
Nightwing seemed a bit surprised, but Thomas continued as if talking to himself, "What was the first business he let you handle? The chemical industry? Construction or logistics industry? Surely not the arms industry?"
Looking at Nightwing's expression, Thomas's brows furrowed again. He spoke in a rather displeased tone, "Don't tell me he sent you to mess with those young upstarts on Wall Street? I remember when he was a child, I would repeatedly emphasize that the foundation of Wayne Enterprises is in industry. Surely he didn't completely disregard that?"
"No, that's not it." Nightwing instinctively answered. He rushed to explain, "What he taught me wasn't that. It was ways to fight crime, like Batman, I'm his assistant, do you understand?"
Thomas didn't seem to understand, so he asked more specifically, "So what exactly did he teach you? How many languages do you know? How are your Latin and Arabic skills?"
Nightwing was overwhelmed and muttered, "Arabic? Even Tim doesn't know that! Oh my God, give me a break!"
Thomas finally sensed something was wrong, his face darkening. Nightwing felt Batman's suffocating atmosphere loom over the entire Wayne Manor.
"Let's start from the beginning," Thomas said, "Did you go to a church school or a grammar school?"
"I think you might have misunderstood something. I was traveling and performing with my parents before I was adopted..."
"I'm asking about after you were adopted!"
"Uh." Nightwing also quickly detected a shift in Thomas's tone. He sobered up from the continuous probing, looked at Thomas and asked, "Who are you? Why should I tell you?"
"I'm Bruce Wayne's father!"
The surprised Nightwing's eyes widened, his mouth agape as though he could fit an egg in it. Thomas leaned forward, his intend intimidating.
Nightwing, looking at Thomas's face that strikingly resembled Batman's, found himself without the courage to escape. He meekly explained, "Batman opted for home education..."
"Who were your home tutors? Professor Rodriguez? Dr. Fries? Professors from Gotham University? Or full-time tutors from a theological seminary?"
"It was Batman." Nightwing replied.
"So what exactly did Batman teach you?"
"As I said, he taught me methods to combat crime!"
"So what methods did he teach you?!" Thomas gesticulated with his hands in bewilderment as he asked, "Does a fully capable adult need someone else to teach them how to pull a trigger?"
"Batman doesn't use guns." Nightwing defended in a low voice.
"You don't even know how to use a gun?!"
"I haven't used one much, but I can pull the trigger..." Nightwing's voice became more and more timid, "He also taught me hand to hand combat, driving, rope and balancing skills, and tracking techniques."
Thomas stared at him and asked, "What about investigative science? Deductive reasoning? Information and data collection techniques? Communication science? Mechanical engineering? Medicine? Law?"
Seeing the unmistakable stupidity in Nightwing's expression, Thomas clenched his fists.