INT. BELFRY – MEDICAL ROOM – EARLY MORNING
Soft, sterile light leaks through the blinds. The rain has stopped. Only the low hum of equipment breaks the silence.
Dick slowly wakes, groggy, a dull pain burning in his gut. He blinks, adjusting to the room—the Belfry.
His chest is bandaged, breath shallow. He turns his head and sees her.
Barbara.
Sitting nearby. Curled slightly in her wheelchair, head resting on one hand, exhausted from keeping vigil all night. But the moment she hears him stir—
Her eyes snap open.
"Dick?"
He gives her a weak smile.
"Hey…"
Without hesitation, she wheels over and wraps her arms around him, pulling him into a tight, desperate hug. He winces, but doesn't stop her.
"You idiot," she mutters into his shoulder, her voice cracking. "You absolute… reckless, stupid…"
She pulls back—and SLAPS HIM. Hard across the cheek.
Dick blinks.
"Ow. Okay… I deserved that."
Barbara glares at him, her green eyes fierce and hurt all at once.
"You said you were in Eastern Europe! You told me you were fine. You LIED, Dick!"
She spins her chair around, heading toward the door.
"You show up here, bleeding out, wearing a suit that smells like gunpowder and death—and you think you can just smile at me like everything's okay?!"
"Barbara—wait—"
"Don't."
She doesn't look back as she wheels out of the room, leaving Dick alone, head pounding with guilt, secrets, and the echo of her slap still burning on his cheek.
He sighs and leans back against the pillow.
"Yeah… I definitely deserved that."
INT. BELFRY – OPERATIONS HUB – LATE MORNING
The whir of computer fans hums low beneath a symphony of softly blinking monitors. Barbara sits alone at the main console, her back to the door. Her fingers move quickly across the keyboard, coordinating a mission with Batwoman and Spoiler over the comms. She's laser-focused… or at least, trying to be.
Then—footsteps.
Slow. Unsteady. But unmistakably familiar.
She doesn't turn around.
"You should be in bed."
Dick leans against the doorway, his bandaged midsection tight beneath his shirt.
"I know."
She keeps typing.
"Didn't sound like you listened to your last dozen concussions either."
"I've always been a slow learner," he offers, trying to lighten the mood.
Silence.
He walks in slowly, carefully, eyes scanning her face for any hint of softening.
"Barbara. I didn't come to fight."
"You lied to me, Dick," she replies coldly. "Over and over. And when you finally show up… you collapse at my feet with a bullet wound and a burner phone full of secrets."
Dick sighs, sitting down gently in the chair across from her.
"I didn't have a choice."
Barbara spins to face him, eyes sharp.
"That's bullshit. You chose not to trust me. You chose to leave me out. You think I couldn't have handled the truth?"
"It wasn't about you handling it," he says quietly. "It was about keeping you safe."
She scoffs.
"Safe? Look where that got us."
Dick hesitates, his voice low.
"I was undercover, Barbara. Deep. With the Court."
That makes her pause. The Court of Owls isn't something you say lightly.
"The Grandmaster. Evelyn. The missions. The hits. I had to vanish—fake everything. The whole Eastern Europe cover was just a smokescreen. Bruce and I… we planned this."
Barbara's expression hardens even more.
"Of course he knew. Of course you told him and not me."
Dick rubs his face, worn down by both guilt and pain.
"He didn't want anyone else knowing. Not the family. Not even you. If the Court suspected anything, I'd be dead. And now—now I think they're planning something bigger than Gotham. Evelyn wants more than just the city. She wants the world."
Barbara's eyes narrow.
"So what now? You sneak out again and leave me to wonder if the next time I see you is in a morgue?"
He reaches out, hand trembling slightly as it brushes hers.
"I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just needed you to know the truth. I needed you. Even if it's too late."
Barbara stares at him. Hurt. Conflicted. But there's a flicker in her eyes—something more than anger. Something that hasn't died yet.
She pulls her hand away but doesn't leave.
"You're going to have to earn your way back, Grayson."
Dick nods.
"I will. Whatever it takes."
A long pause hangs between them.
Then Barbara sighs.
"Go sit down before you tear your stitches, Romeo."
Dick gives her a faint smile.
"Yes ma'am."
He lowers himself into the chair beside her, the silence no longer quite so sharp.
For now, it's a start.
INT. COURT OF OWLS BASE – GRAND HALL – NIGHT
The shadows stretch long in the Court's marble-laced corridors, lit by the dim flicker of old chandeliers. Deep within, Evelyn, still wearing her refined owl mask atop her dark formal wear, walks with sharp purpose beside Pauline, who chews gum casually with his hands in his pockets.
They pass beneath the towering owl insignia on the wall as Evelyn finally breaks the silence.
"He's been gone too long." Evelyn says
Pauline shrugs. "Could've been the gut wound. He got hit pretty bad at that shootout with Penguin's guys. Might've crawled off to heal somewhere".
"He should've reported in. My father doesn't take kindly to silence." Evelyn said coldly.
Pauline stops walking, glancing around to make sure they're alone before leaning in slightly. "There's… something else."
Evelyn raises a brow, sharp and suspicious. "Go on."
"At the café—when we were tailing Tracy—I saw something. Or rather, someone." Pauline says
Evelyn tilts her head.
Pauline continues. "Redhead. In a wheelchair. Grayson clocked her the moment she rolled in. Eyes wide, jaw tight—he looked like he saw a ghost and heaven all at once."
That gets Evelyn's full attention. Her lips press together.
"And this girl… who is she?" Evelyn asks.
Pauline shrugs again. "No clue. Never seen her before. But whoever she is… Grayson couldn't take his eyes off her. Not even when we were waiting on Tracy."
Evelyn's eyes narrow behind her mask. Her tone grows colder, more curious than angry—but the edge is unmistakable. "Red hair. Wheelchair. And Dick said nothing."
"Didn't say a word. But he didn't need to." Pauline says
Evelyn looks away, processing. "Everyone has a weakness. A crack beneath the armor."
She starts walking again, but slower now. Controlled. Calculated. "Find out who she is."
Pauline pauses.
"You sure you want to go down that road?"
Evelyn without turning back "I need to know who owns my knight's heart… before I decide if he remains on the board."
She disappears into the shadows, leaving Pauline alone in the corridor, frowning slightly.
Pauline muttering "Poor bastard."
INT. BELFRY – COMMAND CENTER – NIGHT
The rain drums against the glass panels as the tension inside the Belfry could cut through steel.
Barbara sits in front of the computer terminals, arms crossed, expression tight with betrayal and pain. Her green eyes flash with anger as Dick, still clutching his stitched-up side, leans on the table across from her, trying—failing—to explain.
"Barbara, you have to understand—I didn't have a choice. This mission—it came straight from Bruce. Deep cover, no contact, no compromise." Dick tried to explain.
Barbara glares at him. "You did have a choice. You could've told me. Trusted me. But instead, I had to hear about your little European 'trip' through lies and burner calls."
Dick jetting defensive and frustrated. "If the Court knew I was talking to you—"
Barbara cuts him off. "But you did talk to me. So don't give me the 'keeping you safe' speech. You weren't protecting me, Dick—you were protecting your secret."
Dick takes a breath. He knows he's losing this argument, but he pushes forward anyway. "There's more going on than I can say. The Grandmaster… he's grooming his daughter, Evelyn, to take over. She's dangerous. Smart. She's onto me—"
Barbara now furious. "Oh, now we're talking about her? That's who you bring up right now?"
Dick winces. "It's not like that. She's a power player. She's… trying to test me."
"Did she test you in your room, too?" Barbara said coldly.
"I didn't let anything happen." Dick replies.
"But she tried, didn't she?" Barbara continued
Before Dick can respond—
A low creak echoes.
The shadows deepen.
And from the far end of the Belfry's upper level, Batman emerges from the darkness, cape trailing like a storm cloud. "Enough."
Both Dick and Barbara turn. Barbara wheels back slightly, arms crossed again. Dick stiffens, blood pressure rising.
"You blew your cover tonight." Batman said coldly.
"I got shot. Penguin's people nearly killed me. Belfry was the only place I could reach without bleeding out in an alley." Dick replied with.
"You triggered the security system. Brought heat to a location we've kept off the Court's radar. You know the rules of undercover work." Batman said with a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Barbara cutting into their conversion. "Oh don't you dare lecture him now. You're the one who sent him under without telling any of us—including me."
Batman looks at her, silent. His jaw clenches.
"He's breaking. And all you care about is intel." Barbara says.
Dick lowers his eyes, breathing heavily. "I'm doing what I have to, Bruce. But this mission—it's eating me alive. Evelyn is watching me. Pauline's threatening me. Every day it's another 'test'—another kill."
"And what happens when you do kill someone?" Batman says.
Silence.
Barbara looks at Dick, and for the first time… she's afraid of the answer.
Dick says quietly. "Then I fail and I won't come back."
"Then don't fail." Batman says.
Barbara wheels away from the both of them, face turned toward the darkened monitors. "You know what's funny? You two are more alike than either of you want to admit."
She wheels toward the elevator without another word. The doors slide shut behind her with a metallic hiss.
Dick stares at the door.
Batman watches him.
And the storm outside continues to rage.
The elevator doors have barely closed behind Barbara before Dick spins around and drives a fist straight into Batman's jaw.
CRACK.
Bruce stumbles back half a step—but doesn't fall. His cowl absorbs most of the impact, but the message is loud and clear.
The two men lock eyes.
Dick's chest is heaving, eyes burning with fury and heartbreak. "I was finally happy, Bruce. Finally. I had the girl I love, a city I could protect on my own terms, a life I built. And you—" (he steps forward, finger jabbing at Bruce's chest) "You knew what this mission would do to me. You knew it would cost me everything—and you let it happen."
"If I remember correctly, Dick… I didn't force you into this mission. You chose it." Batman said calm but cold
Dick's hands tighten into fists. His voice trembles—not from weakness, but from everything boiling over. "Don't twist this on me. You know how I work—I couldn't walk away from a threat like the Court. But I trusted you to have my back, not to use me as a pawn and keep the people I love in the dark."
Batman looks away for a moment, jaw tight. "We couldn't risk a leak. Not even to the family. Not to Barbara."
"Yeah. Can't have the Batfamily knowing anything real. God forbid we act like a family." Dick says with anger and bitter sarcasm.
He turns his back, breathing hard. The silence lingers like a wound.
"You're not the only one who's had to make sacrifices." Batman says.
Dick whips around. "The difference is you chose this life. I didn't. I made the best of it, I tried to be better than you. And I was. Until this."
He gestures toward the security feed still replaying footage of the bloody standoff from earlier. "Now I'm just another ghost in your war."
Bruce says nothing. There's no deflection this time. Just quiet understanding—and guilt. "The mission isn't over."
"No, Bruce. But when it is… I'm done." A long, heavy silence."And I don't know if Barbara will still be waiting… or if I'll even be someone worth waiting for." With that, Dick limps out of the room, each step echoing louder than the last.
BATMAN stands alone in the dim glow of the Belfry monitors, watching his first son walk away—again.
But this time… maybe for good.
Dick's footsteps stop. He turns slowly, his voice cracking not from weakness, but from years of built-up resentment. "You don't know what love is, Bruce."
Batman's jaw tenses under the cowl.
"You say you love us. You tell Alfred. You tell the family. But deep down… the only thing you've ever really loved is the mission. Everything else is just something you tolerate so you can keep that war going." Duck tells him.
Batman takes a step closer, his voice steady—but quieter. "I've been in love too, son."
Dick scoffs, hurt flashing across his face like a crack in a mask. "So where is she, Bruce?"
Batman doesn't answer. He doesn't have to. They both know who Dick's talking about.
"Where's Selina?" The silence stretches. "Because I know she didn't leave just because she's afraid of commitment, or tired of the Bat. She left because you pushed her away. Because the second she made you feel something, you shut down."
Bruce's eyes lower—just for a second. It's all the confirmation Dick needs.
"You couldn't say the words, could you? Not even to her. And you think I'm reckless for calling Barbara?" Dick's voice softens, but it cuts sharper than ever. "You want to know why I called her, Bruce? Because I needed to hear her voice. Because every time I do something for this goddamn Court, I feel like I lose another piece of myself. And she's the only one who makes me feel like I'm still… me."
Bruce remains still, but there's a heaviness in his shoulders now. "I was trying to protect you."
Dick laughs, bitter and tired. "No. You were trying to protect the mission. Like always."
A long beat.
"I'm not you. I won't be you. If this mission costs me her… then I don't know if I even want to finish it."
He turns to leave again, slower this time.
"You may be the one who raised me. But if loving her is weakness… then I'd rather be weak than end up alone like you." And with that, Dick disappears down the hallway, leaving Bruce alone—surrounded by shadows, monitors, and silence.
The mission may continue…
But a part of the family just cracked.
The air still hums with tension. Dick walks with heavy, determined steps toward the elevator. Behind him, Batman doesn't follow. He just watches.
Dick reaches the doors, presses the button, and turns his head just slightly. "I'll finish the mission, Bruce… but after that—" He steps inside the elevator as the doors begin to slide shut. "…we're done."
The doors close with a final clang, cutting off Bruce from view.
INT. BELFRY – HALLWAY – SECONDS LATER
Dick steps out of the elevator, his hand still pressed lightly against the spot where Barbara slapped him earlier. He looks left, then right—searching.
Down the hall, the sound of a wheelchair softly moving echoes against the cold metal floor.
Dick follows it.
INT. BELFRY – BARBARA'S WORKROOM – MOMENTS LATER
Barbara sits at her console, back turned, screens glowing with mission data she's not really reading. She knows he's there. She heard the elevator. But she doesn't turn.
Dick pauses in the doorway, watching her."You were right to be angry."
Barbara's fingers twitch on the keyboard, but she still doesn't turn.
"I should've told you everything from the start. I should've trusted you. Not just because you deserve that... but because I needed you." Dick says.
She finally turns, eyes red but strong, like always."Then why didn't you?"
A silence. Dick takes a step closer, then another. "Because I was afraid. Afraid that if I told you what I had to become for this mission, you wouldn't see the man you loved anymore."
"And what do you see when you look in the mirror, Dick?" Barbara asked him.
Dick lowers his head. Voice breaking just slightly. "Someone I don't recognize… unless you're looking back at me."
Barbara exhales, the weight of it all pressing down—but she doesn't look away. "You scared me, Dick. I thought I lost you. Not just to the Court, but to whatever darkness they made you embrace."
"You didn't lose me. I found my way back. I always will... if you're still there." Dick says sincerely.
Their eyes lock. No more lies. No more masks.
Just Dick and Barbara.
Broken, but not beyond repair.