A Robin
I wonder how a Robin hears.
I never yet have seen his ears.
But I have seen him tip his head
And pull a worm right out of bed.
888
A Robin, Red Robin 1
When he thought back on it, it all really started with a visit to the circus. Back then, he had been but a five-year-old excited to attend the circus for the very first time. He had watched every single act with wide eyes, but the one that really took his breath away were the Flying Graysons. He had watched them turn in the air as if they truly had wings and engraved every summersault in his memory.
Then, he had seen his first death. His parents had been too shocked at the time to realize their young son had seen it. When they did they tried to shield his eyes, but it was too late. This too had been engraved in his memory. He remembered hearing the young boy crying out for his parents. He would remember his name for a long time and the name of the man that took him in after living through the greatest tragedy of his life.
It had been on a summer day that he finally connected the dots. He had been at the park with his parents when Mr. Freeze attacked. Robin had been the first hero in site and wasted no time in showing his skills after years of training with the Dark Knight. But, he had seen something that was not the Dark Knight in the flips and summersaults. He had seen the Graysons or at least the last one of them. From that point forwards it was easy to connect things and soon had in his hands the information many would kill for. But, he kept it under a lid. He admired the two of them for what they were doing and decided he should help too.
So, young Tim Drake took it into himself to abolish crimes, but using a very different set of tools. He was a genius and so in little time he was fighting crime through the web. Taking down scams that ripped families apart, hackers who were after very dangerous information, and sometimes even delivering online proof to the authorities to take down criminals that otherwise would have gone on free. It had been this last that really got him into trouble, but it could be said in his favor that his mind had been scattered.
His parents had gone on a cruise to rekindle their dying marriage. The ship had been taken hostage by pirates and many of the hostages killed, his mother among them. He wanted to be mad at Batman for not arriving in time, but couldn't when he noticed the second Robin was nowhere to be found. Something had been off with the Batman and Nightwing. Now that he was much more familiar with death he guessed the worst had happened and neither of them knew how to deal with it. So, neglecting his online crusade he sought out the Batman with an offer he didn't fully understand at the time.
Of course, after the loss of his last Robin the man refused and sent him home. However, when he got home that night, things were too quiet. It seemed in his distraction he had left a trail back to him and had made him place his father in danger. In the end, he and his father ended up with bruises, but they had been saved by Batman. Reluctantly at first to keep Tim out of trouble on his own, he allowed Tim to join them.
He wished it had been the end of it, but it was not. After a few years, his father found out the truth and tried to make him stop. He refused to listen and kept going on missions. In the end, when he was out saving people, he missed to keep one. It had been a simple robbery gone wrong. His father had tried to stop the burglar from going into his room and finding his secret. That got him two shots to the chest. He hated being the logical kind because he knew it was no one's fault. It had just been an accident. No one put the man into burgling their home. The man now rotting in jail had no idea he was Robin. And he didn't know that by insisting on going to the circus all those years ago he would discover one of the greatest secrets in history.
Bruce had taken him in just like he had taken Richard and Jason. Now he was just like them but not so.
888
He entered the cave in the Supercycle. It had been an exhausting past few days and he was ready to collapse. He guessed Batman was out on patrol as the cave was empty. It was just as fine. He didn't feel like talking to the man about what he and his friends would be doing next. As usual, he guessed Batman knew they would do this, but it didn't make it easier for anyone.
They had gone against the League and the Team. He, Kid Flash, Superboy and Blue Beetle had gone to Bart's time to help. They had succeeded and returned safely, but their elders couldn't let go of their actions even though they were based on what they taught them. When they stood before the League to be judged, they didn't give them a chance. They quit their affiliation to the League and the Team just a few hours ago and now he was returning from a mission in Smallville.
He looked at the sample he had taken from the alien parasite. If there were more of them, they would find them.
"Nightwing to cave," the main screen came up, "Robin! What are you doing there?"
"I live here," he said meekly taking the main chair. He was exhausted and didn't care to keep appearances. "Is there a problem?"
"Well, yeah," Nightwing said scratching the back of his head, "there's someone in the cave."
"Who?" he asked wondering if they might be upstairs. Alfred wasn't one to leave a guest without a snack.
"It is difficult to explain. A few hours ago Talia showed up at the port and-" and then the screen went off.
He stood up on high alert unfolding his staff. He held it ready to hit the enemy with all his might. The lights around the cave started to flicker. He felt like laughing for he already knew who it was. Their one-week trip to Bart's future had led them to find quite a few secrets. It was in the drafts of the cave. They were unnatural and too silent. His chest tightened once he sensed the boy watching him. He was good, but he didn't know him like he did.
He jumped from the spot where a pair of shuriken would have hit him.
"I know it's you… Damian," he said before he heard a clenching of teeth. He threw a pair of birdarangs to the ceiling before hearing the clang of metal with metal. Swords? Leave it to Talia to give the kid swords. Now that he knew where to start he followed the small shadow sneaking on the top.
"Two can play that game, Tim Drake," a young voice called from the shadows.
"You had the computer to find that out. I just came in," he laughed hoping to throw him off even further. Every time he talked he got a better sense of who he was at this age.
"Don't think so much of yourself!" the boy jumped towards him in rage.
"Follow your own advice!" he said blocking the sword with his staff. The ten-year-old boy reached into his belt to throw something at him. He knocked the sword off his hand taking advantage of his divided attention. He then took hold of his wrist ready to pin him down, but the young boy twisted his body to plant a kick on his chest and then place space between them. They faced each other in the light for the first time.
He didn't know if he should be furious or impressed. The kid was wearing Todd's old costume, plus a few adjustments. It was clear the kid was out for the position.
"You are dead," Damian said with a sneer.
"Definitely Talia's kid," he sighed, "I guess Batman hasn't had the chance to tell you, but we don't do things like that around here. And where did you get that?"
"Where you think?" Damian said pointing at the now naked manikin.
"Alfred is going to be so mad," sighed Tim, "so let me guess. You want to fight crime alongside your dad."
"Don't patronize me," the ten-year-old said with a glare.
"I am not, but I am right," he said reaching for his mask and taking it off, "it's all yours. I am moving out."
"You are running away? I knew you were a coward unfit for-" the kid said with a smirk.
"Don't get me wrong," Tim said going back to sit on the chair. Damian remained in a fighting stance but seemed unnerved at seeing the teen relax on the chair. "This place is great, and working with Batman, the Team, and the League is also great, but I am moving on to something else and for that I have to leave. I am actually glad that you made it here now."
"If you are trying to earn my trust, be aware that I trust no one," Damian said finally dropping the fighting stance and going to pick up his sword.
"I could care less for your trust," Tim said, "but I want you to look after Batman."
"He is Batman," Damian laughed as if that was answer enough.
"Human, like you and I," Tim reminded him, "he needs a good partner to watch his back, a partner he can trust. I don't know what Talia has taught you, but that is the real foundation for what we do here."
"And here I thought you would be tearing each other's throats out," Nightwing said driving into the cave on his motorcycle, "Sphere here? Well, this night is just full of fun, isn't?"
"Damian, the name is-," Nightwing said extending his hand to shake with the boy.
"Richard Grayson, I know," Damian said turning away from him.
"And aren't you just full of cheer?" Nightwing said before addressing Tim, "What happened to you?"
"Alien parasite in Smallville," he told him before showing him the sample, "and him."
"Who said we were over?" Damian said brandishing his sword.
"Later, I am off," Tim said going up the stairs.
"I am the new Robin," he heard Damian tell Nightwing.
He didn't wait to hear what Nightwing would respond. Damian would tell him everything. Tomorrow, he knew Richard would seek him out to find out what he planned to do.
888
When he woke up, it was to a breakfast set on his bed. He was definitely going to miss this.
"Master Tim, nice to see you return safe and sound," Alfred said already serving him a cup of tea.
"Glad to be back," he said digging in. He checked the time and saw he had to start working soon. They had agreed to talk to Jason the next weekend, but that didn't mean he was going sit idle until then.
"Master Bruce would like to speak to you after breakfast. It seems he wants to talk to you about something young master Damian told him when he returned last night," Alfred said handing him the cup.
"Is he driving you crazy yet?" Tim asked him with a smile.
"From the moment he entered the cave," Alfred said also with a smile, "but he looks so much like Master Bruce as a child. I knew who he was the moment I saw him."
"He might have been raised by Talia, but I am sure Bruce will be able to take him through the right path," Tim said.
"I really hope you are right Master Tim," Alfred said before leaving him to his breakfast.
888
He was not surprised to find Damian at the cave with Bruce. The kid was once again wearing the Robin customer and attacking imaginary enemies all over the place with his sword. Bruce was definitely not getting the award for the father of the year. He found the Batman going over the file of the Falcone family. He didn't bother to turn around as Tim made his presence known.
"You are leaving," it was not a question but an understanding of what Damian had told him.
"Yes, in a day or two," he said looking at the old file.
"There can only be one Robin," he said stopping working and turning to look at him.
"And his place is next to Batman," Tim said calmly. "He is a good kid."
"You barely know him," Batman said with a frown.
"I have met him before," he said taking out his phone before getting a picture he had taken. He showed it to the Dark Knight who didn't bother to hide his surprise.
"That's him?" the picture was of him and an adult Damian. The resemblance was incredible.
"Yeah, one of the five leaders of that time and a good man though a little rough around the edges. He was raised by Talia alone in that time but turned from trying to conquer the world to try to save it," he said before deleting the picture. Both knew it was for the best.
"Where will you go?" he asked.
"San Francisco," he said from the top of his mind though he then realized it was the best choice. There were a lot fewer heroes operating from the West coast.
"On the other side of the country, aren't you taking the whole separation a bit too literal?" Dick said entering the cave.
"The farther, the better if you ask me," Damian said.
"And no one did," Dick said walking up to Tim, "are you sure?"
"More than sure," Tim said, "I have to get some things ready. I will be upstairs if you need me."
He left knowing they had a lot of questions about what he and the other would do. He would eventually tell them… when he had an idea of where they were going. Besides being a team and helping those who needed he believed they were meant to do something else. It was staring straight at him and he couldn't tell for his life what it was. He jumped from the bed just in time to evade Damian breaking through his ceiling and landing with a pair of Sais.
"I am busy, go away," he said moving with his laptop to his desk.
"Not until we finish what we started yesterday," Damian said jumping from the bed to launch at him.
Tim slid his chair to the side so that Damian crashed against his desk, knocking the air out of his lungs in the process. He grabbed a book from his bookshelf and hit Damian on the head with it.
"What was that?" Damian said rubbing the top of his head.
"I hit you with a book, what else?" he said finding a little curious that the boy found the action so surprising. He wondered how to grow up with the League of Assassins was like.
"But why?" he asked still rubbing his head though Tim was sure he had received harsher knocks to the noggin while being raised by Talia.
"Because, I don't want to fight you; I have a lot to do, and you should get some rest before you try to follow Bruce tonight. And don't attempt to deny that's what you are going to do. He probably already told you to not interfere tonight and so on," he said returning to his search for an apartment.
"Hmph," Damian turned around with his chin held high and left the room, but not before throwing him a glare.
"Chip off the old block, isn't he?" Dick said entering the room after Damian left. "How much you want to bet he will need saving tonight?"
"What do you think of this place?" he asked him no longer wanting to talk about the kid. He showed him an apartment.
"Mission Bay? Isn't that kind of blunt?" Dick asked as he looked at the other pictures of the flat, "and sunny. Good luck wearing your costume in the middle of summer."
"Good luck in Blüdhaven," Tim said, "I believe their crime rate will keep you quite busy."
"You haven't told anyone yet, have you?" he asked with wide eyes.
"Not yet," Tim said with a smile. He had been monitoring the League's inner communications and that little bit had slipped on a few conversations. The League usually took turns looking after Blüdhaven, but they realized they needed someone there all the time to get used to the inner workings. Nightwing had volunteered to be that someone. At the top of that there was another bit of news that told them everything was changing. Aquaman was leaving the League to spend more time in Atlantis as a ruler and also as a father. Recently, they had been attacked and the young Atlantean prince had almost fallen into the clutches of his resentful uncle. Kaldur was to take his place as Aquaman.
"Who will lead the Team?"
"Like you don't know already," Dick laughed, "M'gann says she will do it only until someone better takes the place. That's going to be a long wait unless you or Superboy comes back."
"You know we are not changing our minds," Tim said as he continued to browse for an apartment. He had grown in such a dark city, he actually felt curious to explore life on the sunny side.
"It was worth a try," Dick said with a shrug.
888 A few days later 888
He leaned over the rail of his new apartment. It was a still very new building so he had no trouble adding a few things here and there such as movement sensors and cameras. The sun was setting and he felt the last rays warm his skin. In the past, he would be getting his gear ready, but not that night. He was tired of the move and fending Damian off the past few days. Tonight, he would work from behind his screen.
He started monitoring the Metas Blue and Kid Flash had freed in case someone else started collecting them. Most of them were happy to stay in contact with them in case they started getting captured again. They had also reported the incident to the League, and Wonder Woman, who was working with Department of Metahuman Affairs. Even with all those eyes on them, he made sure to keep close contact with them. It also helped that they were building together a network of information. Some of them were going to join what was being called the Justice League International (though he believed they needed to get a better name), and were hoping for them to join them. He didn't tell them he and his friends were free agents, but he was sure they could work something out if needed.
He leaned back and listened for a moment to the sound of the waves not far away. He needed to gather his thoughts because he believed he knew what their team's mission was. But, they would not be able to do it on their own. This was a task much greater than anything they had tried. Then again, they had done the impossible before and come back. He returned to the balcony and set his eyes on the waterline. They had to get started soon.