(A/N): Uhhh. Here you go? Kinda OOC. Oops. I wrote it in half an hour so it sucks. I just had to get out of my trend of writer's block.
Most of the team knew some basic acrobatics, mainly because flips and jumping were good dodge techniques.
Robin, however, had flair. Wally knew that it came from a background as an aerialist – but no one else truly realized just how much flair he had. Until Conner, M'gann and Artemis wandered into the gym in the Cave, only to look up and see the resident acrobat on the trapeze. They'd always wondered why there was the dangerous equipment in their training room – none of them were skilled enough to use them without a net.
Seeing Robin arching and flying on the long cords, though, they were mesmerized, and understood why it was there. The room was echoing with techno and dubstep and he moved with the music, movements automatic and solid. It didn't even seem like he was expending any effort remaining up there. Artemis and M'gann had to squint to even see him. The ceilings in the mountain was already extremely high, and these lines were almost thirty feet in the air.
The youngest member was without cape, belt and boots, and those slight differences made him seem significantly more venerable than usual. Artemis was the first to speak.
"Did you guys…?" She trailed off, but the implication in her question echoed after she stopped speaking.
"Um… no." M'gann said, looking at the young boy with her eyebrows furrowed. The music stopped, and the two women looked towards Conner, standing next to the controls to the music. Robin started where he was, and it seemed that one shouldn't startle a aerialist when they're on a trapeze. He missed the grip to the next cord, and began falling. His hand flew to his waist – but came up empty. No grappling hook.
"Cădere!" He shouted, then remembered that there was no one there to catch him. Instead, he allowed his rigid muscles to relax and loosen, then closed his eyes waiting for what was to come.
When you're falling, it's funny how time kind of slows down, and you have time to reflect on the royal fuck-up that brought you to that point. Unfortunately, Robin didn't get to face that reflection, instead thinking that this was exactly how his parents had died and how fitting it was that he was going out in the same way.
His macabre thoughts were cut short when a blunt pain enveloped his ribs. He felt like he was being hit by a freight train.
Conner quickly angled himself so that when they crashed into the wall, he'd take the brunt of the hit, keeping Robin protected. Robin still felt the jolt, and blinked hard as they landed.
"Robin!" M'gann shouted, running forward. "Are you okay?" Her voice was almost frantic, and Robin slowly stood, holding a hand to his ribs. It was only a slight sting right now, but he knew that as the adrenaline wore off, he'd be feeling that. The ribs were probably bruised.
"Yeah… yeah. I'm fine." His voice was tired as he rubbed his bruised ribs.
"I didn't know you could do that," Artemis said, ignoring the look that M'gann shot her direction.
"Maybe we shouldn't bother him for a bit…" She trailed off as Robin waved a hand dismissively.
"No, no, it's fine. I'm… fine." He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, running a hand over his face. "I… I was trained by a circus?" It came out as more a question than a answer and Artemis scoffed.
"Sure, Boy Wonder. And I'm a pageant queen." Robin shrugged at her response.
"I mean, you can choose to believe me or not, it's no skin off my nose," he began walking towards where the discarded bits of his uniform sat, putting the belt and boots on immedeatly. He clipped the cape onto his shoulders as he stepped through the small group of people assembled.
"Thanks for the save, Conner," as Robin spoke he paused next to the clone and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Once he was out of the room, M'gann sighed and looked at Artemis.
"What if he was telling the truth?" Her voice was compassionate, and Artemis shrugged.
"He wasn't. Trust –"
"He wasn't lying," Conner said, but before either of the girls spoke, he stepped from the room quietly after the youngest member. The two girls looked at each other and Artemis shrugged again, not otherwise responding to M'gann's expression of mixed concern and confusion.
When Conner caught up with Robin, he didn't say anything, didn't know what to say. So instead he fell into step next to the younger one and waited for the other to say something.
"Dude, I'm fine," Robin was the first to break the silence, as he usually was.
"Are you? You've been acting off for most of the day," Conner said, shrugging.
"And you noticed?" Robin's voice was slightly snappy, and Conner looked away for a moment, then nodded.
"Believe it or not, I was taught basics of human behavior. And I go to high school. I'm aware of the way people act." Robin looked up and seemed slightly sheepish as Conner sighed. "I'm not dumb."
"Yeah, I… I know. I'm sorry Supey. Today's just not a great day," he shrugged as he paused, staring blankly at the wall of their common area.
"Why?" Conner replied easily, not afraid to ask the younger one questions.
"It's…" he sighed, and pulled open the computer on his wrist. He simply showed a calendar, letting him see the date of today. It read May 9th, and below that were the words 'Mother's day'. Conner processed that, then looked back up at Robin.
"And? What's that… oh." Conner's eyebrows furrowed as he thought for a moment. "If Batman's your dad, then you mother…" he trailed off. Robin shook his head.
"Batman's not my dad. But yeah. You get it." Conner nodded and placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. The boy smiled at him and skipped off, going to the refrigerator. Conner stood still a moment.
"Wait. Batman isn't your dad?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, however, a cackle echoed around the room and Robin had disappeared.
There you go.
If you have a prompt, please, give it to me! I'll write it, and be glad to! Lemme know if you want me to continue this in any way.
~Winglet