Oliver Queen sat on the hard benches of the circus tent watching with bated breath as people leaped from trapeze. Oliver noticed a small boy on the platform gearing up to join the others when-

Snap!

The sound was heard clearly over the clamour of the performance. The wires broke. The people fell. The boy screamed.

Oliver watched helplessly as the boy was led away by child services. 'What's the point of being a hero if I can't even save one family' Oliver thought bitterly.

'I have to help him.'

Richard Grayson was nervous when his case worker, a severe woman with a permanent scowl, came to get him.

"You better not screw this up, kid." She said, leading him to his new guardian, a sandy-haired man with a goatee.

"Hello, Richard. I'm Oliver, but you can call me Ollie if you want." The man said. Richard ducked his head shyly.

"Hello, Mr. Queen. Thank you for taking me in." he murmered softly.

"Heh. S'no prob, kiddo. Come on, get your stuff. I'll take you out for ice cream, kids like ice cream, right?" Richard indicated his small suitcase.

"I have my belongings" he said solemnly. Oliver put his arm around Richard.

"Come on, kiddo. I have a feeling we're going to get along great."

The sound of coughing met Batman's ears as he jumped from the Batmobile. Batman looked around for the source. There, in the filthy water of the Gotham bay, was a toddler, about two or three years old. Batman fished the dark-skinned babe out of the water and started as he noticed the gills on either side of the boy's neck.

'Atlantean.' Batman thought. The child's small frame was wracked with another coughing fit. Batman strode purposefully back to the car, and after securing the toddler as best he could, took off back to the cave.

"My word, Master Bruce!" Alfred exclaimed upon seeing the infant. Batman wasted no time handing his faithful butler the tiny boy he'd brought home.

"He's Atlantean" Bruce said, pulling down the cowl, "And sick."

The child's dark eyes met Bruce's own and a fierce protectiveness crawled into the Dark Knight's heart.

"Call Leslie, Alfred."