The long string of introductions filled Miaomiao's little head, reminding her of the days when that thick "Complete Guide to Gotham City Villains" had ruled her life.
Unlike back then, though, every introduction made Miaomiao realize that she had gained another new family member.
"I'm sorry, Miaomiao." Bruce stroked her dizzy little head. "We didn't mean to leave you out. It's just that everyone in the Bat Family has gotten used to... finding out about new members in their own way."
"Old man, that's putting it nicely." Jason fiddled with the short blade in his hand and scoffed. "Basically, none of us ever got a proper introduction as kids, so we never learned how to welcome family properly, either. We relied on digging, guessing, midnight stakeouts to get the dirt, and 'warm and friendly' Bat-style greetings. We got used to being uncivilized."
His gaze settled on Miaomiao's still-bewildered face, and his tone softened almost despite himself. "We're already holding back these days. Before, we would've dug up every last detail about you, right down to your preferred water temperature."
Dick seemed to remember how, when Jason first arrived at Wayne Manor, he had been far away in Blüdhaven. Bruce hadn't breathed a word about it; his mouth had been clamped tighter than a clam. So when Dick first learned that Bruce had adopted another little boy to take his place after he left, without any intention of even notifying him, his temper had flared instantly.
Seething with anger, Dick had rushed back to Gotham overnight and immediately gotten into a vicious fight with Jason, who still had no idea what was going on. Every punch landed hard, every move drew blood. They fought from downstairs to upstairs, then tumbled back downstairs, smashing plenty of things in the manor along the