A/n: So this is what happens when it's summer and I have literally nothing to do but sit around at the house. Just to much time is what leads to something like this being created. The pairs are still up in the air as I'm not sure just exactly where this is going. So I have created a poll on my page about some subjective pairs I have thought about for this. If you have any suggestions for pairs feel free to tell me about it.

He didn't get a look at the person who saved him that night. The man that carefully grabbed him and moved him out of the way of a car. The man walked away, leaving one thing with Richard. A box and a set of words. "Get that open one day and I'll come to you kiddo. Then I'll tell you my name." Who knew that box would change everything.

Chapter 1:

The Box

It was darker than normal, the sky filled with storm clouds. It looked like the sky would break open and start pouring at any moment. He was in a hurry that night, rushing down the sidewalk to get to Wayne Enterprises. Alfred was to meet him there with the car. And he hoped to get there before it began to rain, for Alfred would not be happy if he got into the car soaked to the bone.

The street light turned red and there was a walk signal that lit up the sign across the street. Carefully but quickly he began to rush down the crosswalk to the other side. He carried papers under his arms, somethings he had been working on at Barbra's place earlier that day. He had an interview tomorrow for a new job, and she had been helping him with filling out a survey as well as practicing for the interview. It had taken about five hours before he had to leave so he was on time for dinner.

The only reason he had to get to Wayne Enterprises was because Bruce was also being picked up at the same time as him, and Alfred didn't have the ability to be in two places at once, sadly. Though if he had, it might never have happened. They might never have met. And his life would never had been turned on it's head so suddenly. Because that night, would be the night he met him.

A squeal of tires caused him to look up as he ran down the crosswalk. He seemed to freeze, knowing full well he would not be able to dodge the car that had just turned the corner. It crashed into a few others but it didn't stop and it was heading right for him, the squeal getting louder as it got closer. His eyes widened in horror. Sure, if he had not been suddenly panicked, he would have easily jumped over the car and been alright. But this was one of the few times that he froze and he was not able to react.

It had happened so quick, quicker than a speedster's fastest speed in his mind. Arms latched onto him, and they went tumbling over the car and onto the street again. His eyes had slammed shut, and he could barley register that someone was under him, clutching him tight. He didn't feel hurt, and he heard the man under him grunt in pain. There had been several screams of terror but now those who screamed were around them, trying to see if they were alive or not.

He finally opened his eyes then and looked up at them all, they all looked horrified. And when he looked down he saw why. Blood splattered the pavement but the man under him just carefully sat up, still holding him. It was a moment before he stood, again pulling him up with him. He cracked his neck a little bit and seemed to be alright. The car was stopped a few feet away and a person got out, stumbling over his own feet.

"I'm so sorry-" He began to slur and the gruff man who had saved his life glared at the man who then stumbled back and got back in his car. He didn't go anywhere but the glare seemed to scare the life out of the poor man.

"Ya alright kiddo?" It was a moment before the boy managed to respond, looking up at the man a little bit. He nodded silently then, he couldn't get a good look at the man's face. A hat hid most of his features from his eyes, but he saw the man's eyes. Eyes that pierced right through his soul in a way that he couldn't explain. A soft hand touched his hair and then ruffled his hair. "Ya better be more careful kiddo...now." He moved one arm and swept him off his feet. "Let's get ya to yer destination, and this time without getting almost killed by a car. That sound like a good idea, kiddo?" He was speechless. This man caught him off guard in so many ways. Ways that shocked him.

"...it's not kiddo." Was the first thing he began to say. "My name is Richard Grayson." And the man cracked a smile at that. A smile that Richard could only describe as wonderfully terrifying. It could light up a whole room and terrify it. The smile was bright but it showed sharper teeth than a normal person.

"I know." He responded, like it wasn't a big deal then as he began to walk. He ignored the questions of the people that stood around them, who were asking about how they were and if they were okay. Especially the news reporters.

"And then what is your name sir?" And the man looked at him for a moment before he cracked another smile. He kept walking without answering the question, giving him no name. And before long they were at the car where Alfred and Bruce were standing. Both turned their heads and Bruce showed relief on his face and Alfred put a hand on his chest. But they were guarded, watching the man. Richard was quick to explain though. "H-he saved my life."

Bruce raised an eyebrow as the man set Richard down carefully. "A drunken idiot almost hit him when he was crossin' the street with a walk signal." The man's voice remained gruff, even when talking to a man such as Bruce.

Bruce studied the man for a moment. "And how did you save him then?" He questioned calmly and the man grinned a little bit at the look, chuckling.

"What else? I grabbed him and we rolled over the car." He shrugged a little bit, like it wasn't a big deal at all. Bruce looked at Richard, seeming to ask if this was the truth. To which Richard nodded in response. Bruce then moved for his wallet, he was at least going to pay the man for saving his son and for any medical bills. "No." The sudden response made Bruce look up at the man, and he blinked.

"What do you mean no? You saved my son's life. And I'm sure that you were hurt in the process as well. The least I can do for you is to pay you for saving him. It can go to the medical bills, whatever. I just want-"

"No." The man responded again. "I don't need it. Keep it and put it in the kid's account or something." The man held up one of the paper's that Richard had been carrying and Richard's mouth fell agape. When did he grab that. "Because if he's looking for a job to pay for an academy, I think he needs it more than I do." Richard took the paper back and shifted his feet a little bit. He knew Bruce wouldn't like him being a cop. Especially if he had to kill anyone. It would be frowned upon. "And cut this kiddo a little slack, if he's workin' hard for this then he wants to do it. So at least do that. That can be my "payment"." Bruce sighed but he didn't feel like arguing.

"Do you at least want a place to stay for the night? We have a big enough place for you to stay if you need it. At least as something I can do for you in response to saving him." The man shook his head at that, turning around. He began to walk off, but said.

"I gotta place, and I need to get back to who I'm stayin' with before he decides to get himself into some trouble." He glanced back for a moment when Richard suddenly called out.

"Wait! At least tell me your name!" He watched the man for a moment before the man pulled something off his neck, and put it inside of something. He tossed it to Richard. The box was locked up tight, and it needed a key.

"Get that open one day and I'll come to you kiddo. Then I'll tell you my name." He then vanished off just like that...and Richard stared at the box.

"But...how do I get it open when I have no key?" He whispered.

That was five years ago. At the time he had been sixteen years old, and now was twenty-one. Things had changed many times already, and it was hard to find days of peace between it all. Between Jason being back as the Red Hood, Tim being Robin, and just a general attack on the city, there was just no time for anything. Yet, every day he found himself staring at that box. The box he had been given five years ago. It laid on the nightstand, and it never moved from it's place. Richard had spent countless nights trying to pick the lock, trying to get it open, get a chain off, anything. But it wasn't that easy. It never was of course.

"Dickybird I don't see why you insist on keeping this little tin box." Jason grumbled as he looked at the box, staring at it. More like glaring though. "It's not like you have a way to open it, and all you do is fantasize about finding out what is inside." He scoffed a little bit and turned to look at Richard who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't fantasize, Jason." He responded, grumbling a little bit as his younger brother chuckled some at that. The younger boy grinned and looked his brother in the eye, daring to say his next words then.

"Oh, but don't you totally fantasize about the man who saved you Dickybird?" He hummed a little bit, grinning like a mad man. He dodged the book that was thrown at him. Richard then lightly knocked him on the side of the head, his face a deep shade of red.

"Jason!" He snapped and the other chuckled, flopping back on Richard's bed with a cocky grin on his face. Richard then sighed a little bit, sitting next to him. "I don't think about it like you are implying Jason...I just really want to know who he was, so I can give him an actual thank you..." He sighed a little bit, running a hand through his hair. "...he saved my life but he didn't want anything...and then he gave me this box to open. To find out what his name was. I just want to know at least...you know?" He looked at Jason who looked up at him from where he was laying. Positioned in a strange way, but Richard didn't think much of it.

"So you spend all of this time trying to open that box...to find out his name. To thank him. That's what you are telling me here. Wow. Honestly that isn't that good of a reason." He sat up a little bit, putting a hand on his older brother's shoulder. He looked him in the eye. "Dickybird that isn't a good enough reason to be so fixated on opening that box. Try and figure out a reason that makes more sense by the next time I show up." He jumped up then.

"And where are you going at 5 in the afternoon?" Richard gave Jason a look of, don't you dare be getting into trouble. Jason chuckled a little bit at that.

"I told an old friend I'd meet him in an hour. I need to get home to change out of my costume you know." He then left the apartment, flipping out of the window. Luckily, it was open for once. So there were not broken window shards everywhere. Richard sighed a little bit, folding his hands in his lap after Jason left. He knew that he had a point. It seemed silly that he was still trying to open that box just to thank a man who had saved him five years ago. Taking a deep breath he looked at the box, before he stood up. He walked over to it and picked it up. He looked it over for a moment before laughing a little bit to himself. He set it back down, running a hand through his hair.

"This is just ridiculous." He whispered to himself. "I'm getting all worked up because of a box. Jason's right, this is so getting to me." He sighed and then grabbed the box again. He opened the drawer to the nightstand and put it inside. Maybe putting it away would be better for now. He shouldn't be worrying himself so much about it. "I need to focus on my two jobs...being a cop and being Nightwing." He told himself again and again for the next five minutes before he groaned and sat down.

"Oh what am I kidding, I can never do that." He rubbed his head a little bit, glancing at the drawer. "...he gave me a box to open. A box that needs a key to be opened...but I got no key. A box that is chained up, and I cannot find a way to open." He closed his eyes a little bit. "How do you open a box like that? I don't see a way..." I'm thinking about it again. He groaned and rolled over, shaking his head. "Okay...don't think about the box. Don't think about the box...I'm thinking about it just by telling myself not to. Great." He groaned a little bit and rolled over again to face the drawer. Then he sat up as an idea struck him. He could look up the box...and see if there were any keys he could buy! That might work... He grinned a little to himself and got up off his bed. "Maybe I won't have to think about it for much longer...if I finally get it open."