So, I had this AWESOME idea... Title says it all... Have fun reading!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT THE LAPTOP I'M WORKING ON!
-THE LION KING-
Robin (Richard Grayson) as Simba
Starfire (Koriand'r) as Nala
Cyborg (Victor Stone) as Puumba
Beast Boy (Garfield Logan) as Timon
Raven as Rafiki
Terra as hyenas
FEATURING
Slade as Scar
John Grayson (Robin's father) as Mufasa
Mary Grayson (Robin's mother) as Sarabi
Bruce Wayne as Zazu
John was showing his eight-year-old son around the circus. The child was already well familiar with his surroundings at Haley's Circus, and enjoyed every minute of it. After Dick's tour, his father showed him something he has seen many times a day: A trapeze set.
"This is where your mother and I perform our acts," John said to the excited boy. "We know you are very talented already, but I can't say you're ready to perform for others yet... but one day, when you're old enough, you'll be able to perform in front of crowds all by yourself! The crowds will be dazzled! And your mother and I will be very proud of you, Dick."
The boy's face lightened, but his father gave him a serious look, "Son. You must promise me you won't perform on the trapeze without a net until we say you can," he warned.
"Yes, Dad. I promise."
"Good. Now you can go and play," John said. Dick ran off without another word.
He ran through the tents, saying hello to his parents' co-workers. He loved everything about the circus, and he found it to be a blessing that he was born to the famous trapeze artists, John and Mary Grayson, also known as the Flying Graysons. One day soon, he thought. I'll be old enough to perform with Mom and Dad. Maybe one day I'll perform by myself! Then I can be the greatest trapeze artist in the world!
That thought excited him. He had almost pasted his Uncle Slade: A man with a scar over his right eye that was constantly hidden with an eye patch. Dick has always thought of him to be grumpy, dull, and formal. His parents would agree with him on that. Hoping to brighten his uncle's day, Dick jumped on Uncle Slade's back.
"Hi, Uncle Slade!" He beamed as the older man pried the child off his back and set him down in front of him.
"Oh, looks like I found a gnat flying around," Slade said sarcastically.
He tried to walk away, but Dick was excited, "Uncle Slade! Guess what?"
"I'm not particularly in the mood for guessing," he grimaced at the eight-year-old.
"Dad showed me around the circus today! He told me that when I'm old enough, I can perform on the trapeze set in front of crowds... without a net!"
Uncle Slade rolled his eye, "How fascinating, isn't it, Richard? I, being the older of myself and your father, should be in your father's shoes right now: Preforming death-defying stunts on nothing but two polls and a couple swings... But because of my eye, Mr. Haley found it a safety hazard to perform with one eye... I can promise you, Richard, your father is a very fortunate man considering I got my eye shot out."
But Dick had only listened to about half of what his uncle told him, being an innocent, young, happy child, he thought almost nothing of it.
"It's okay, Uncle Slade," Dick jumped onto his uncle's arms again, and he lazily allowed his nephew to be held. "When I become the greatest trapeze artist in the world, I'll let you work with me!"
"How considerate of you, Richard," Slade said with false gratitude. "But 'greatest trapeze artist in the word' is quite a title. After all, you are still a child."
"Yeah, but I'll work really hard! I'll practice every day! I know I can do it!"
An idea popped on Slade's mind as he set the child back down. He lowered himself to be close to Dick's height, "Determination... I had that once... Sometimes all the determination in the world won't matter unless you live up to your word. Why don't you try practicing now?"
Dick smiled, "You really think they'll let me?"
"Of course, Richard. Even without the net."
He frowned and faced down, "Dad says I'm not old enough to take the net off yet."
"That's because your father lacks confidence in you," Uncle Slade replied.
The boy looked up in confusion, "He does?"
His uncle nodded solemnly. The boy stood in silence for a moment before speaking again, "But I've done a whole ton of stuff! I don't fall as much as I used to... and Dad said himself that he and Mom are proud of me."
"You are remarkably skilled in acrobatics for someone your age, Richard," Slade added. "If only there was a way for you to prove yourself... say, I don't know, removing the net and practicing when no one else is around... as an example..."
He gestured the thought with extreme body language, allowing Dick to understand where his uncle was going with this. He beamed up happily at the man.
"That's a great idea! I'll prove I don't need the net! Thanks, Uncle Slade!"
But before the boy ran off, the man grabbed the boy's shoulder, "Oh, and Richard... I would prefer it if no one knew of our little secret."
He nodded, "Okay."
Slade revealed an evil smirk as the boy innocently ran off once more.
Dick had one more stop to make before going to the trapeze set. He ran to his longest and best friend, Starfire. A red-haired, green-eyed, orange-skinned girl who came from a different planet. She was about the same age as him, and since they first met when they were both really little, they have been very close. He found her sitting in front of a mirror brushing her long hair. She gasped in excitement as she saw her best friend in the mirror's reflection. Starfire turned around and gave Dick a tight hug.
"Ow! Star, you're hurting me!" He tried to breath on the strong hold of the young Tameranean princess.
"Oh, I am Sorry," She said, letting go of the dark-haired boy, allowing him to breath.
"Starfire, I want to show you something!" He exclaimed a little too loudly. He was overheard by his mother.
"Show her what?" Mary asked, crossing her arms in a way that felt intimidating to both children.
Dick felt nervous, and he knew he couldn't tell her the truth. "Um... uh, I just wanted to show Starfire a, uh new trick that the clowns are doing."
"That is all?" Starfire asked. She seemed to loose all interest. "What is so great about the joke of the clowns, Dick?"
He gritted his teeth and spoke as bluntly as he could, knowing his mother can hear him, "I'll. Show. You. When. We. Get. There."
"Ooh!" Starfire finally understood. "May we please go, Mrs. Grayson?" She asked sweetly.
"Please Mom?" Dick asked as well, putting on his best puppy face.
His mom chuckled at how adorable the two children were, "Oh, alright. You can go."
"Yes!" Both kids shouted, and were about to leave when Dick's mother added.
"But I'll be sending Bruce to look after you."
Starfire and Dick could not help but hide their disappointment. Bruce Wayne was a very rich man who was close friends with Dick's father. It's part of Bruce's job to take care of the circus kids, although he isn't really the fatherly type.
A moment later, Bruce was chaperoning the two kids over to the clowns. We're too old for a babysitter, Dick thought. Why does he have to come with us?
"So where are we really going?" Starfire whispered so Bruce wouldn't hear.
Dick walked alongside her and whispered even quieter into her ear, "To the trapeze set. I'll show you I don't need the net to use it."
"That sounds glorious!" She whispered-screamed. Dick tried to shush her, but Bruce already heard.
"I see you two enjoy whispering secrets to each other often," he said. "You would become a great couple one day."
"What?! Eew!" Both exclaimed at that sudden comment.
"That would be weird," Dick said, half-disgusted, half-amused.
Starfire felt the same way, "And we are just friends."
"It's just an opinion," Bruce added.
Starfire whispered again into his ear, "How are we going to get rid of him?"
Dick looked over to the elephants and smiled, "I have an idea."
"What are you two talking about back there?" the man asked, growing suspicious.
All three of them stopped walking, "Oh, we were just talking about how one day, I'll be the best trapeze artist in the world!" Dick replied.
"Hmm. That would take years of commitment and hard work, Dick. Not only that, but you would have to surpass both your parents, who, may I remind you, currently holds that position. I do not expect you to achieve this anytime soon, Dick. Let's go the clowns. The sooner we get there, the sooner I get you back to your mother and I won't have to babysit you anymore."
Bruce was about to keep walking when Dick made a v-line towards the elephants, "I bet I can do a back-flip over all these elephants!"
"NO, RICHARD!" Bruce screamed. But the boy had already back-flipped over one. The man ran over to him while Starfire looked at Dick with amusement.
"Wow, Dick!" She smiled. "You're really good! You remind me of the bird, robin!"
Bruce tried to avoid the stomps of the elephants when Dick did a handstand on one of the elephant's backs, before sliding underneath. Naturally, Bruce followed underneath the elephant, before Dick escaped and the elephant sat down, crushing the man. The two kids laughed as they ran towards the trapeze.
"DARN YOU, KIDS!" Bruce muffled angrily underneath the heavy circus animal.
"HAHAHAHA! That was awesome!" Starfire said.
Dick smiled, "If you thought THAT was awesome, wait until you see this!" He went to the net and began undoing it from the trapeze. Starfire helped, and when the net was removed, Dick began to climb the ladder.
Starfire began feeling concerned, "Are you sure this is a good idea? You are pretty high up," she said as Dick climbed higher and higher.
"I'll be fine! I've done this trick a ton of times," he said as he finally reached the platform. He now noticed the distance between him and the ground when he looked down at Starfire's tiny figure. He began feeling afraid, since this was his first time without a net, but he tried not to let it worry him. Dick breathed and grabbed the bar before swinging off the platform.
Starfire gazed happily at her friend's performance as he moved from bar to bar, appearing to be flying. She wasn't lying when she thought he looked like a robin. His colorful uniform certainly helped. She was so focused on Dick, she almost missed seeing a figure climb up the ladder to join him. Starfire gasped when she saw who it was.
"DICK!" She screamed.
Dick was in the middle of a flip. When she called his name, he was momentarily distracted and grabbed the bar a second too late. Only for a second he had forgotten he was working without a net, grateful it would catch him. He realized that he had removed the net, and if he made contact with the ground, he would surely die. He began to fall, letting only a gasp escape his lips before he felt a large hand grab his wrist.
John pulled his son back on the platform and dragged him down the ladder, almost forcefully. When they reached the bottom, Dick saw just how crossed his father was.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW STUPID THAT WAS? I HAD TOLD YOU NOT TO PRACTICE WITHOUT A NET!"
Dick cowered in fear at his father's outburst and a very tattered Bruce behind him.
"Not to mention what you did to me, you twerp!" Bruce added.
Starfire walked up right behind Dick. He almost didn't notice her.
"Please, the fault was not his!" She begged. He looked at her and noticed that she looks like she might cry.
"Stay out of this, Koriand'r," Bruce warned, but not in an angry way.
John looked from his son to Bruce to the girl, "Bruce... please take Starfire back to her tent. I need to have a talk with my son... alone."
Bruce walked towards Dick and rested a hand on his shoulder, "Good luck, Dick... you'll need it."
He obliged to John and went over to the girl, "Come on, princess Koriand'r. Say goodbye."
"Goodbye, Dick," she said quickly before Bruce forced her out of the room.
"Bye, Starfire," he said, only half sure she heard him. He looked at the disappointed face of his father as he led Dick outside into the night sky.
Dick was immediately mesmerized by the stars in the sky. Most of the time, Haley's circus would perform in cities, so a view like this was rare. The boy forgot for a moment that his father was mad at him for disobeying him.
His father looked at his son in the eyes. John's expression grew neutral, "Dick, look at the sky. Tell me what you see."
"I see the stars," he said, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"Do you see how the stars are twinkling and dancing in the sky?" Dick nodded. "When performers die, they are reborn in the sky. That's why they are called stars... Up there, your grandparents are shining down on us... and their parents and their parents. The Flying Graysons have been in this circus for generations."
John wrapped an arm on his son's shoulder. "We may be performers, Dick, but know that we are far from cowards. I don't know what caused you to act so reckless, but I almost lost you! You nearly died!"
Shame overwhelmed Dick as his father spoke.
"Your mother and I love you very much. We both work very hard to make sure you have the life you are provided with. We don't want you wasting it on stupid stunts like that!"
Dick hugged his father, "I'm sorry, Dad. I-I should have known better... I was scared..." John looked at his son when he said this. Dick continued. "...I thought I would fall... If you hadn't caught me..."
"It's okay to feel scared, Dick," John said, hugging him back. "Everyone gets afraid."
"What are you afraid of, Dad?" He let go of the hug to look at his father.
He looked deeply at his son, "I was afraid I would loose you."
This almost surprised him. His eyes widened as he looked at his dad. He knew that he was just trying to protect him, "I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, son," John said. He gazed back up at the stars. "One day, I will join the sky. Just know that no matter what happens, the stars will always be there to guide you."
Dick took in his father's words. He may be a child, but he was old enough to understand he wouldn't have his mom and dad around forever. Right now he was just happy he had his dad now. Dick smiled and jumped on his father's back and played with him. He was glad to have him in his life.
Weeks passed by without incident. Dick has never been so excited in his life. After practicing for endless hours with his mom and dad, he was now ready to perform with them. Starfire was waiting for him, as she was already dressed.
"Come on, Dick! You must hurry! Or else you will miss MY part!" she pleaded.
"Don't worry, Star, I'm almost done," Dick pulled on his green gloves and joined his friend, who was dressed in her warrior uniform. "You look great, Starfire."
"As do you," she replied.
Dick remembered her comment about him from a few weeks ago, "Do you... really think I look like a robin?"
She nodded, before his mother entered the room, "Yes you do, my little robin."
This comment made Dick blush and Starfire giggle, "Do you really think I'm ready, Mom?"
"Of course I do, Dick," Mary said in her most comforting voice. "It's your dream, isn't it? For the first time ever, you'll be out there entertaining the crowds! They'll love you, My Robin."
She kissed her son's cheek. Normally he would have been embarrassed by this, especially in front of his best friend. Right now, though, he just felt comforted like any other child with their mother. They knew everything would be alright.
They saw people beginning to file in the tent. "The show will start soon," Mary said. "You two can play here, but be quiet about it and stay behind stage," she ordered.
"Yes, Mrs. Grayson," Starfire said politely.
"Yes, Mom," Dick said, nodding as his mother left the area.
The moment she was out of earshot Dick felt Starfire's fingers on his exposed arm, "Tag! You're it!" And she ran giggling.
Completely forgetting his mother's orders, he followed her in a steady run. Eventually he caught up to her, only to find that Uncle Slade was in front of them.
"Richard? Koriand'r? Weren't you told not to go running about right before a show?"
"Sorry, Slade"
"Sorry, Uncle Slade," the two said in unison, bowing their heads in shame.
Slade shook his head, "You are both getting far too old for this kind of behavior. How old are you again?"
"Eight," they both said.
The one-eyed man smirked, "I'll keep note of that. You children better prepare. This is your first performance, isn't it, Richard?"
He nodded, "Yeah! Mom said I'll do great!"
Slade smirked down at his nephew, "I'm sure you will, kid. As for you, princess," he addressed to Starfire. "You've been performing here for how long?"
"Four years," she said shyly.
Dick had to admit he felt jealous that his best friend could start preforming much sooner than him. He got over it though, since he has always enjoyed her company.
The man nodded, "You perform very well, don't you, Kori?"
"Only because of my... abilities..."
"Ah, yes... your ability to fly and shoot... What do you call them? Starbolts, that's right. Not something the average human girl can do."
Dick and Starfire became confused as to where this was going. They looked from each other back to Slade.
"She's not human," Dick reminded his uncle. "And I don't care if she isn't average. Star's my best friend."
"How touching," Slade smirked. "I have some... business to attend to before the show starts. Please try not to bother me."
The three of them listened as Mr. Haley started speaking to the audience, signaling that the show is about to start.
"I believe that's your cue, Ms. Koriand'r," Slade said before walking away from the duo.
"Good luck!" Dick said happily to his friend. She smiled back before heading out to do her act.
He watched from behind the stage as Starfire flew into the air. Next to her was a lion in a cage. This never scared Dick or Starfire in the slightest, since he knew she was powerful enough to defeat it. Because of her age, many of the circus performers still get anxious whenever Star does her act. The audience watched, and all eyes focused on the Tameranean girl.
The lion was released, and began growling and encircling Starfire. The audience was on the edge of their seats. Dick was never worried about his friend in these situations, but seemed more worried for the lion. Many times he would remind Starfire not to hurt the poor creature, and she never did. The crown watched as she used her powers to avoid the wild cat, ultimately placing the lion back into the cage, unharmed.
Dick cheered for his friend, and during Starfire's act, no one noticed Uncle Slade walking towards the trapeze nets...
The show carried on. After he congratulated his friend, Dick and Starfire watched the others do their performances. They both already knew all the secrets to the death-defying stunts, but they allowed themselves to enjoy the show anyway. Finally, Mr. Haley announced The Flying Graysons.
"You're up, Dick," Starfire said, giving him a push. "Best of luck!"
"Thanks," he said quickly. He came out with his parents, all in uniform. The crowd cheered as the family entered and readied themselves on the net-less trapeze. Dick knew he wouldn't have to worry about the net. He was able to do the whole performance forward and backward without falling once.
As they did tricks and spun in the air, all of Dick's doubts ceased. He almost couldn't hear Starfire cheering for him below. He smiled and laughed as he swung from the bar to be caught safely in the arms of his mother before all three of them landed firmly on the platform. The crowd's applause dimmed as Mr. Haley spoke.
"And now! The moment you've all been waiting for: The Flying Graysons' quadruple flip!"
Dick and his parents began, dazzling the crowd. John was swinging by his legs as Dick flipped four times in the air, getting a louder cheer from the crowd. As John grabbed his son's arms, Mary was now spinning in the air herself. The crowed tensed, wondering if John would catch Mary in time. The family all knew he would, considering this was how it was rehearsed. John pulled his son onto the platform before going back for his wife. Dick saw the wires breaking a second too late.
"MOM! DAD!" He screamed. "THE WIRES!"
John had caught Mary after her fourth flip, but the wire of the bar John was supported on snapped. Dick watched in horror as his parents crashed onto the ground. Two loud cracks were heard that echoed the circus tent. Dick's vision grew watery.
"NO!" He descended from the ladder. Panic began flaring throughout the crowd. Dick held the limp, bloody head of his mother, then his father. Tears ran down his cheeks as the eight-year-old helplessly tried to wake them.
"Mom! Dad! Please! Wake up! Wake up!"
Mr. Haley had already called the ambulance and the police. They can't be dead, Dick thought. They can't!
Starfire tried to comfort her friend in his time of need, but the clowns held her back, saying she couldn't interfere with this.
"He needs me!" She cried. "I need to help them!"
"I'm afraid help is too late," she heard a voice say. She turned around seeing Dick's Uncle Slade. She grew suspicious by the tone of his voice.
Why isn't he crying? Or at least saddened? His brother and sister-in-law just fell from the set! Why is he acting so calm in a time like this? She thought.
"Please, Slade! I need to-"
"I understand your concerns, Princess Koriand'r," He turned his attention to the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Grayson and bit his tongue to hide a smile. "It is best however, that... given the circumstances... I must be the one to comfort my nephew in his time of need. You are to rest, Koriand'r. Go to sleep, and in the morning, you shall confront him once his emotions have died down."
Starfire nodded. Slade's logic did make sense to her, "Yes, sir."
Dick cried on his parents as police officers tried to pry him off, "No! They can't be dead!"
For an eight-year-old, the boy sure puts up a fight, Slade thought. I'll keep that in mind...
Slade placed a hand on his nephew's shoulders as he sniffled uncontrollably, "Easy there, son... There's nothing more you can do."
Dick turned around, revealing his watery, blue eyes as they widened at his uncle. He shook his head, "They can't die! I love them!"
The police officers took this opportunity to pry the boy away from his family. He screamed and kicked in protest, "STOP! I NEED THEM! MOM! DAD! HELP!"
The one-eyed man shook his head in disapproval. The reality still hasn't sunk in yet, hasn't it? That's what happens when you make a child believe that everything will always go right. Pathetic.
"Officers, I'm this child's uncle. May I please have him for a moment?" The boy stopped screaming when the cops brought him to his Uncle Slade. "Follow me, Richard. We need to get you away from here."
As the boy sniffled heavily, Slade grabbed his hand and led him outside. They didn't stop right outside the tent as Dick thought they would. His uncle continued walking with him by his side. To depressed to ask questions, Dick kept following him. As the minutes slowly crept by, the boy's sniffles lessened and he stopped crying. It was very cold out and he was still dressed in his light circus uniform that exposed his arms and legs. His cries were replaced with shivers after what seemed like ten minutes at least. When Slade noticed this, he stopped walking and let go of the child's hand.
"W-Where a-are we?" he finally asked, holding his arms for warmth.
"I never intended a destination, Richard... I just couldn't have a decent conversation with you crying like you were. This was just to calm you down."
Dick noticed he was surrounded by trees. Not too much trees like a forest... maybe a park? It was too dark out for him to tell, "I'm cold. Ca-Can we m-move somewhere wa-warmer?"
"Where were you suggesting, Dick? Back to the circus?" Slade asked casually.
His eyes widened as he recalled the terrible incident that occurred just a few moments ago, "They'll be alright, won't they? My mom and dad will be alright! They'll wake up!"
For a moment, Dick had forgotten he was cold, "Your mother and father won't be waking up, Richard. Their necks broke when they fell. Whether you like it or not, you need to see the truth: They are dead."
"...No..." The words sank in and Slade watched as the small boy made the realization.
"But at least one good thing came from tonight... You got your wish."
"What?!" What kind of joke is this? he thought.
Slade leaned down towards the boy, "You are now the greatest trapeze artist in the world."
Dick shook his head and took an involuntary step backwards, "No! This isn't what I wanted to happen!"
"Real life is much more complicated than the circus life, Richard. And the most important rule you should learn is that life isn't fair. Your parents are dead. You are an orphan."
"But Uncle Slade-" He shouted at his uncle. Slade interrupted.
"-An orphan who will have to leave the circus. You will have to grow up in an orphanage."
Dick shook his head, "No, that isn't true! I still have you, Uncle Slade! And Starfire!"
"Do you really think," Slade said in a sickening, amused tone. "that I am capable of raising a child on my own? I'm afraid I cannot adopt you. And as for the princess... She doesn't even care about you."
"THAT'S A LIE!"
"Is it, Dick? I saw Starfire after the accident. As you were crying on your parents' corpses, she didn't even bat an eye. I tried to ask her if she wanted to comfort you, but she declined. Koriand'r said she doesn't grieve over entertainers... even if they were the parents of her so-called 'best friend'."
Dick didn't know how to respond to that. That sounded nothing like the Starfire he knew... but it did concern him when she didn't appear by his side.
"Where is she?"
"Probably fast asleep in bed. As the warrior type, I don't think she feels the slightest bit of guilt."
I don't have a friend, he thought. Starfire was my only real friend. I don't have parents anymore... I don't have a home...
"What should I do?" He asked. Dick was desperate and confused. He felt alone.
"I say you should leave. Your life no longer belongs here. The longer you stay, the more they will think this tragic accident was your fault."
"But it's not!" Dick was reminded of the bitter cold as a gust of wind pricked his skin. He kept backing away from his uncle. "I didn't touch those wires!"
"Then run!" Slade said. "Run away and never come back!"
Without waiting for another word, the boy darted off into the darkness. He had no idea where he was going. He just wanted to be far away from the circus... Far away from his old life... Far away from his uncle... Far away from Starfire. He still couldn't believe that his life-long best friend would completely ignore him in his time of need. Maybe she thought she was too good for him... Well, she was a royalty.
Starfire was a princess... Dick was just an acrobat...
...An orphaned acrobat...
Dick had no idea how long or how far he traveled. The circus was long ago out of sight. He wondered if anyone would look for him... Mr. Haley might still need him to perform by himself, but he didn't want that. Not after what happened to his parents. He could never go back.
As he walked, his legs grew tired and numb from the cold. He wished he was wearing something other than his Flying Grayson uniform. In fact, as soon as he found something else to change into, he would throw his uniform away. He didn't even want to be called 'Dick' anymore. His name even brought back too many memories. He would think of his alternate name later...
The sun rose behind him, allowing himself to enjoy the warmth to come. He was tired, cold, and hungry. Dick noticed he was walking through a rocky terrain. Not a speck of green in sight, other than on the boy's uniform. No water. No food. No shelter. Dick's legs could no longer let him stand, and he fell on the ground in fatigue. Maybe I'll just rest for a while, he thought. Then I'll try to find the closest town.
He allowed himself to fall asleep, waking up only an hour later as the sun brightened the sky. It was still cold, but he felt a little warmer than he did hours ago. He forced himself to get up and keep walking. After a couple hours of walking, it felt much warmer, but Dick knew that unless he got out of the terrain soon, it would be too hot.
"So... hungry..." Dick said in response to his loud stomach. He searched for some sign of life in vain. He was used to being pampered by his parents and the circus. He was used to eating lots of food. Especially hot dogs and pretzels. He even enjoyed non-circus related food prepared by his mother. Different assorts of pasta and salads filled Dick's mind and his mouth began to water.
"Stop thinking about food!" He said to himself bitterly. "Stop thinking about Mom!"
He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind. He had to focus on surviving. A strange noise caused him to look behind him. A blond girl, roughly his age was surfing on rocks, causing the ground beneath Dick to tremble. When the girl saw him, she stopped and dropped to his level.
"Hey, kid, are you lost?" She asked.
"How did you do that?" Dick asked in amazement.
She shrugged, "I practice. I have rock manipulating powers... I was just heading to town to get some stuff. You need a ride?"
"Sure!" he said. The girl placed his arms around her shoulders.
"Now hang on, kid!" And she used her powers to make it to the town.
"Where are we?"
"Fallside, Calfornia," she answered. "It's a small town... not too far from Jump City... You look like you could use some new clothes. We'll stop somewhere to eat and get you something less Christmassy for you to wear."
He nodded as they walked down the streets together, getting glares from other people. The rock manipulator noticed this.
"We're getting too much attention. Let's give you something to wear first. Then we can grab a bite. Follow me!"
Dick didn't argue as she led him to an alleyway. There was a large, brown door leading into a building. The girl made a move as to open the door.
"I still don't know your name," he admitted.
"It's Terra. Terra isn't my real name, but it's what I like to be called. And yours?"
He didn't want to be called by his real name or his nickname. At the last second, Dick made up a new name, "My name's Robin." He grimaced as memories of his mother and Starfire flooded through his mind.
"Robin. I like that name. With your outfit, you kinda look like one."
That didn't help him at all, "I get that a lot."
Terra turned back towards the door and knocked on it. A round man from the other side opened it. "Hello, Terra!" The man smiled. "Brought a friend I see."
"This is Robin. Do you have anything for him to wear?"
The man looked at the dirty boy, "He looks like he's been on the streets for a week! Come in, Robin. Let me see if I have anything for you." Dick entered the building to find himself in a thrift shop. He awkwardly followed the man to the boy's clothes. "How about this?" he asked, holding up a blue, graphic t-shirt in front of him.
"That looks a little too big."
"Or maybe this?" The man held up a smaller t-shirt. It was red with short, green sleeves.
"Yeah, okay," Dick said, taking the shirt. After spending five more minutes picking out a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, socks, and boxers, he went into the changing room to change into the new outfit.
When he came out, he still looked dirty from the dust of the rocks he slept on, but at least he looked normal enough for the public eye. "You look great!" Terra said, now wearing a new outfit as well. She wore brown hiking boots and combat shorts that looked like boy's clothing and a grey and black shirt.
"So do you," Robin said. He turned to the man, "Thank you, sir."
"Anytime, kid. Anytime."
Terra and Robin now left through the front door and blended into the crowds. Robin held the bundle of his old clothing in his arms and threw them away in a nearby trash bin. They barely got ten yards from the thrift shop when his stomach rumbled loudly again.
"You're hungry, I see," Terra said, hearing Robin's stomach.
"Yeah... you know anywhere we can eat?" he asked hopefully.
"Yeah. There's a diner not too far from here. They have some of the best pie!"
After eating a full meal, Robin felt himself again. "Thanks for everything, Terra," he said. "but I have to keep going."
"Why?"
Robin wondered if he should tell her. She did help him, probably saved his life, even. "I'm an orphan. I ran away from home after my parents died. No one else cared about me... not even my best friend..."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Terra said. "Follow me. Come on!" Robin followed her to the edge of town, where the rocky terrains came back into view. When he stopped, she grabbed his arm and pulled him further away from the city.
"What are we doing out here?"
Terra smirked, but happiness wasn't emitting from her, "I didn't want anybody seeing us."
"What do you mean?"
She laughed. It would have been menacing if it hadn't been for her young, feminine voice, "Did you really think you could trust me? I was sent here to kill you, Richard!"
Robin gasped. She knows my name! Uncle Slade was right! They ARE after me! He turned to run, but Terra shook the ground with ferocity, causing him to fall to his knees.
"Your uniform was a dead giveaway," she continued. Robin turned around to see her eyes beginning to glow yellow. Her hair flowed crazily in the wind that she seemed to create by herself. It was awesome, but terrifying at the same time. "I was paid to kill you because they suspected you! After you ran away like that, they knew you couldn't be trusted! You're no longer a circus brat, Richard!"
It felt like an earthquake. Robin grabbed onto the ground like his life depended on it. He was afraid to move, but he knew that if he didn't he would die. He noticed that the earthquake was actually Terra pulling a large, round boulder from the ground. The boulder hovered until it was right on top of Robin. He rolled out of the way, but when the boulder collided with the ground, it crushed his left arm. He let out a scream as dirt and blood formed on his arm.
"Don't worry," Terra teased. "You'll see your parents again soon!"
He snapped. He let out a growl and ran clumsily towards the girl. "Don't you EVER talk about my parents!" He screamed, raising a fist at her.
He was surprised that Terra let out a small shriek and raised her hands up to protect herself. The shaking around them stopped, giving Robin the advantage. He threw weak punches on her with his uninjured arm. With the bleeding one, he managed to pull her hair. She screamed, but fought back, scratching, hitting, pinching, and even biting him.
The moment Terra was free from Robin's grip, she sent out what seemed like hundreds of bullet-sized rocks. They lifted into the air and bolted at Robin. Thinking quickly, he jumped into the air out of harms way, landing on his hands, and jumped again, landing back on his feet in a crouch. The pebbles violently collided with the ground, causing a thick layer of dust to protect him from her vision.
He ran. He knew it was hopeless for him to escape from her, but he could at least give himself the distance. He ran further into the rocky terrain unwittingly. He could feel the vibrations beneath his feet that she was catching up to him. With Robin's small stature and pure will he ran faster. A rock, a size unknown to him, struck him on the back of his head, and he fell forward with a thud. Stars appeared before his eyes for a brief moment until he was hit again with what felt like a larger rock... He bit his lip in effort not to scream out and remained silent. He let his body go limped and motionlessly held his breath.
Terra looked at the boy, truly believing him to be dead. She thought she had killed him, and seemed none too happy about it. The seven-year-old girl walked towards Richard, nudging him slightly with her shoe. Robin heard her sob, soon followed by the vibrations of the ground pounding against his entire front half. He allowed himself to breath, and when the vibrations stopped, he moved.
She didn't want to kill me. It was like she was paid to or something... but who tipped her off?
Robin was in too much pain to think much further. He turned himself over so he was lying on his back, but was cautious of his head. He placed a hand where he had been hit. He felt something warm and sticky. Blood now covered his hand as he brought it back into his view. It scared Robin that he was loosing blood like this. He thought he was going to die. He thought of his parents... Bruce... Mr. Haley... Starfire...
He felt homesick... He wished that someone would save him and patch up his wounds and tell him everything was going to be alright. Tears fell down the side of his face. He was in pain. Not just physical pain... he was betrayed by Terra. He knew she didn't want to do this to him, but it still hurt. He also felt pain from the loss of his parents. It's almost impossible for Robin to believe that they died only just last night... It seemed like years ago he saw them plummeting to their deaths.
It was so hot. the rocks beneath him almost burn to add to the pain he was already experiencing. He was pretty sure his legs were broken, so he couldn't get up. He was too sore to anyway. Sweat added to the tears. His exposed blood seemed to boil on his open wounds. He found the outline of his field of vision blackening as Robin drew further away from consciousness. After what seemed like hours, he finally blacked out.
The seven-year-old girl approached the masked man. She had ran away from home, afraid to hurt people with her powers. Now Terra is paid to do just that.
"Is he dead?" The man asked.
"Yes," the young mercenary replied.
He handed Terra her money, "Quite impressive for a young girl such as yourself... Then again, you had to hunt down a boy not that much older than you. You have done well, Terra. Your powers are a gift."
She nodded, "I'll be going now." Terra headed towards the door, but before she could exit, the man spoke out.
"And Terra?"
She turned around. She thought the man's mask was terrifying. It only exposed an eye hole and slits for the mouth.
"Yes?"
"We'll be keeping in touch."
Terra nodded, "Yes, Slade."
Robin woke up to feel he was sitting on something soft. Where ever he was, it was somewhere cooler and more comfortable when where Terra left him for dead. The next thing he noticed was that he was shirtless and covered in bandages. He turned to see two strange boys looking at him. One was green and the other was mostly covered in metal. He took a look at his surroundings since his vision was now fully clear. He was sitting on a couch in a large living room. He has never seen a TV that big before.
"Hey, I think he's waking up!" The green boy said.
The robot boy was holding a first aid kit and a gauze, "Hey, kid. How are you feeling?"
He wanted to say he was fine, but truthfully, he was still in a lot of physical pain... at least his emotional pain had died down... he hoped.
"Better," he forced out. Robin tried to get up, but pain seared in his back. He gritted his teeth and laid back down.
"So what happened to you, dude," the green boy asked. "There were vultures surrounding you when we found you. We thought you were de- Ouch!"
The taller boy punched him in the arm. The smaller winced and rubbed his arm as he went to Robin, "You don't have to tell us anything. Are you okay with sharing your name?"
Robin didn't know whether to trust them. He trusted Terra, and look where that left him! Then again, they did save his life... Then again... so did Terra... Robin's silence spoke for itself and the metal boy nodded, seeming to understand him. He looked to be slightly older than Robin, while the green boy appeared to be younger.
"My name's Victor, but you can call me Cyborg," he said. Cyborg pointed his thumb back at his friend, "That's Garfield."
"My name is Beast Boy!" He said. "Beast Boy sounds way cooler than Garfield."
"Right," Cyborg added sarcastically. "You've been out cold for a few hours at least. I changed your bandages just a few minutes ago. Do you want anything to eat?"
Robin looked from Cyborg to Beast Boy. He could trust them, right? He wasn't sure... Terra had offered him food too... But it wasn't as if he could just get up and walk out now. He wasn't in proper condition. At least he could still walk before she found him. Hesitantly, he nodded.
When Beast Boy gave him his food, Robin was shocked to see it was a slice of cheese pizza. Back at home, when ever he was hurt or sick, his mother would prepare soup or give him ice cream or cotton candy. Now that he thought about it, Robin doesn't remember the last time he had pizza. Using his uninjured arm, he took a bite out of it. It was hot, but delicious.
"Thank you," he said with a nearly full mouth. After finishing that slice and two more slices, Robin was full. He tried to get up again, but the pain only returned to his back.
"Hey, you need to rest, kid," Cyborg said, laying him back down. "You're lucky nothing's broken, but whatever hit you left behind several large bruises on your back. It'll take a day or two until you can walk again. Until then you shouldn't be moving much, alright?"
Robin nodded.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Beast Boy asked, with a whole pizza slice in his hand.
"Leave him alone, BB. Kid needs his space." Cyborg made the impression that he was going to lead Beast Boy out of the room. Robin didn't want to be alone.
"My name is Robin," for a moment he questioned himself why he used that name again. Why didn't he say his real name? Oh, right... people were after him. He needed to protect his identity.
Beast Boy and Cyborg turned back towards him. They seemed shocked that he spoke out like that.
"Robin, huh? That's a cool name," Beast Boy said. Now he was starting a conversation. Good. Robin wanted one.
"Thanks... Where am I?"
Cyborg spoke, "This is our hangout. Nothing special... It's pretty big for just the two of us. We have TV, food, video games, you name it!"
"Don't you have parents?"
That seemed to be the wrong question to ask. Cyborg and Beast Boy shuffled nervously at the word 'parents'. Did they have any or were they orphans like Robin?
"I ran away from home," Cyborg said at last. "After they did... this to me," he gestured at his body, "I didn't want to live with them anymore... They made me a freak. Now nobody wants to be around me."
"And I don't like to talk about my parents," Beast Boy added. That was understandable. Robin didn't want to talk about his past either.
"So it's just you? No adults?"
"No adults!" Beast Boy repeated. Robin didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"But how do you afford everything? How do you get everything you need?"
The two kids looked at each other and back at Robin.
"We have to earn it ourselves," Cyborg said. "By fighting crime. Beast Boy and I have superpowers, so we beat bad guys and the city funds us."
Robin has only ever heard and read of superheroes. He's always found them admirable. He found a smile spread across his face.
"That's so cool! Can I be a superhero too?"
Beast Boy smiled, "What are your powers, Robin?"
Confusion came over him, "Do I need superpowers to be a hero?"
That small question made the two boys uncomfortable. But Cyborg spoke, "Of course not! It has nothing to do with powers. It has to do with heart. And you have heart, Robin."
"I know acrobats," he said. "And I took a self defense class when I was younger. I can fight!"
"Well, we'll wait for your wounds to heal," Cyborg replied. Then we'll test your skills.
Soon enough, Robin was well enough to walk on his own. He continued progressing in health as days went by. He has grown to trust Cyborg and Beast Boy more and more. He enjoyed learning about machines from Cyborg, and he enjoyed playing video games with Beast Boy. Whenever Cyborg and Beast Boy went on missions, Robin stayed behind, but was given a communicator in case he wanted to contact them while they were away. This kept Robin from feeling lonely. On the TV, he would watch the young heroes beat bad guys, in which most were adults.
Finally, Robin was healthy and strong enough to fight. In the gym he showed his acrobatics skill and used them in a way that could help him in combat. It felt strange, using his talent for self defense in stead of entertainment, but he enjoyed every minute of it. Eventually, the superhero duo became a trio.
"I love it!" Robin said, stepping back into the room in his new uniform. His eyes were covered with a black and white mask. He had green gloves, steel-toed boots, a black and gold cape, green tights, and a red and green shirt with a black and yellow 'R' emblem.
"I was a little surprised of the colors you asked for," Cyborg admitted. "But I found a way to make it work. And with that mask, no one would recognize you."
"So what's your new superhero name?" Beast Boy asked. He concluded it began with an 'R' from Robin's emblem.
"Robin," he said simply.
This brought confusion to the other two boys, "But why are you wearing a mask if you're using your real name?" Cyborg asked.
"I lied... Robin isn't my real name."
Beast Boy opened his mouth to ask him for his real name, but he thought better of it. To Robin's surprise, they didn't bother him much more about his real identity... At least they knew what Robin looked like beneath his mask.
Years past and Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg became a great team. Other young heroes got to meet them, fight alongside them, and earn communicators, but none joined their team. All three of them found that they were more than a team... they were friends... brothers. They didn't want more people to ruin the relationship the three boys shared. Since Robin began wearing the mask, no one said anything about their pasts. That wasn't a problem to Robin. He trusted Cyborg and Beast Boy and they trusted him. That was all he needed to know.
END PART ONE
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What do you guys think? Don't worry. Part two will be much more angsty because the characters will be older. If you watched The Lion King, then you know what happens in the end, but I'll still have my Teen Titans plot twists in there. And you will get to see more of Terra!
I'm usually a Terra fan, but I'm just making her evil here because... well... SOMEONE had to play the hyenas!