Aripi de Noapte
I deleted and am reposting this story. It is exactly the same, but a few changes. I want my stories to be as accurate as possible. This I fixed this one, I hope. Please review!
Well, here is the back flash!
Dick Grayson, now Nightwing, walked glumly over to the snack bar. Wally followed him, a concerned look on his face.
"Dude, that was, are you ok about this?" Wally asked. He put a hand on his 5'1" friend. Dick looked up at Wally. Wally could tell by his chiseled features he was on the verge of tears. If Dick wasn't smiling, he would seal up his features.
"Rob- I mean Nightwing?" Wally really wasn't sure what to say. Dick sighed.
"I'll be fine." Dick turned to face the punch. Wally noted he said he will be, not am.
"Um, is there a reason that you chose the name Nightwing?" Wally felt he should get Dick talking, just so Dick wouldn't focus on all the negative thoughts in his head.
Dick let a small smile slip through.
"Oh yeah, it is a special name." Dick lifted his head to look at Wally.
"Can you tell me why?" Wally prompted as he saw Dick frown deeply. Dick looked up and his eyes focused on the two Supers who were having an awkward conversation with each other. Superman barley nodded his head and started a conversation with Flash, dragging Conner to join him. Both had expressions as if they had just steeled themselves for torture. Wally saw this along with Dick and both cracked a small smile.
"Yeah, I think I can."
Flashback flashback flashback flashback
Dick Grayson woke to a gentle shake on his shoulder. He looked up to see the long black locks of his mother above him.
"Mommy, it is 4:00 am! Even for you that is early!" he complained into his pillow. He heard his mother chuckle softly.
"Oh my, my little bird will never learn to fly if he can't wake with the sun." Mary Grayson's voice was like small chimes to Dick's ears. He hopped out of bed and got ready for practice.
When Dick made it to the striped tent he was wearing dark green tight, a dark red leotard and sweat pants over his tights. He saw his father about to climb up the ladder and ran towards him. Well, more like ran, tripped over some rope, caught himself on his hands and flipped the rest of the way.
"Hohoho! Just like a Grayson to travel by air rather than walking like the rest of us!" Ringmaster Haley laughed as he came into the tent.
"How are you Dick, Mary, and John?" Dick tilted his head, while his parents answered the question. They were fine and they couldn't wait for the performance tonight here in Gotham. Haley laughed and looked at Dick again.
"Happy 8th birthday Dick. Tonight is your first performance right? Good luck!" Haley told Dick in the native language of the circus. Romani. Dick smiled, showing off the fact he had just lost a canine tooth. Haley patted his head and walked off. Dick saw a dark shadow in the corner, but it disappeared as soon as he looked over for a better look. Dick's mother had also seen the shadow, she put a hand on Dick's shoulder and led him towards the trapeze.
"Mommy, did you see that?"
"Yes, my little bird. That was a special friend of your father."
"Who is he?"
"Well, the name American's call him doesn't transfer into Romani easily. Your father nicknamed him night wing."
"Daddy calls him wings of the night?"
"Haha, no, no little bird. Easy mistranslation. If you use our words for wings of the night and put it into English, it would mean the same thing, but with fewwer words. It is hard to explain since you do not know much English."
"What about Spanish? Or German? I know French too!"
"Don't get hasty Dick. Tomorrow your father and I are getting green cards, you too. You know what that means right?"
"That Dick has to finally learn English!" A tall, lean man in white tight and a green swirled dance suit walked up to Dick and his mother.
"Daddy" Dick jumped into his father's arms. Dick had eyes that were oddly round and large, like his mother, but black silky-soft hair like his father. People often thought that Dick was younger than he was because his wide eyes were so innocent and curious.
"Daddy, daddy, who is your special friend, the one in the shadow?"
"Eh? Oh, him? Well I usually call him…"
"Wing of Night of know that! Bat what is his name?" Dick began to whine. His mother flicked his ear.
"No whining." Dick scowled. His father laughed.
"Well, I named him after an old gypsy tale of ours. You know the one where the man is lost in the woods and he meets a raven? The Raven lead him to a wagon and a horse. Then the man, the raven and the horse wandered around, picking up all the lost people they found. Some people left when they came near a town, but many stayed. The wagon became a caravan, and the first wandering gypsys were formed. When the first man, Incepes-"
"Beginning!" Dick added helpfully. His father laughed and nodded, and Dick's mother stroked his hair. This was Dick's favorite story of all time.
"Yes, his name is what became our word for beginning. Anyway, when Incepes was old and dying," Dick started to tear up a bit, "He left his troupe to follow the Raven. His wife, the first person they found lost, went with him. When the Raven stopped and turned, he saw his friends.
'Father of the gypsys, why do you follow me?'
'I merely trust you and your dark wings. They have led me through life. I will follow those wings ad they are good fortune.'
'But your people need you.'
'I am dying and my wife has borne me no son to take my place as leader. I myself find my strength leaving this frail body. I will die as day becomes night.' At these words his beautiful wife fell to her husband's feet and cried.
'I will go with you too, husband. You have led me like this Raven has led you!' she held onto his robes, weeping gently. The old horse that the raven had led Incepes too hobbled into the clearing.
'master, your feet are failing, let me carry you the stars, you led me like you led you wife and like how Raven led you.'
Raven, seeing this devotion to family, cawed out. The stars bent down and lifted all those in the clearing into the sky. In the bright light the Raven's wings became white as Incepes's beard.
'see now, my wings are white, you cannot follow my dark wings anymore.'
'then I and my people will follow your dark wings for all eternity. We will follow the night for it will lead us to greatness!' The gypsys heard this and it became their thoughts and dreams. They would follow the dark wings of the night to the edge of the Earth if need be, to follow the Raven. Raven was shocked,
'you would do this for me?'
'yes, friend,'
'Then let you always find me in your time of need. Me the Wings of the Night." John finished the story, and looked into Dick's wide blue eyes that were filled with wonder.
"Oh WOW!" Dick said in his heavily accented English.
"Yes. One day this friend of mine saved me last time I was in this city. He guided me and led me back to the circus. This was just after you were born. He was dressed black as the darkest night. Another of his nicknames is the Dark Knight you know.'
"Oh! Who is he, please tell me!" Dick pleaded. His father laughed.
"Oh Richard. I told you, he is wing of the night. Though… let's try this." John went over to the circus computer with his son and wife following him. He looked up a picture of a bat and printed it out.
"A bat?" Dick questioned. His father nodded.
"I call him wings of the night because he helped me like the Raven helped Incepes. Americans call him man of bats."
"A bat isn't a bird, also that is a long name."
"Dick, little bird, remember, in English you can rearranged some words and create a shorter name that means the same thing. Try saying it in English." Dick nodded.
""Hem hem, Bat. Mahn." He looked at his parents who were giggling and smiling.
"Good job Richard." His mother praised him. We can fixed enunciation later she thought. The trio went off to practice, Dick now felt determined to master this confusing language of English.
Fast forward fast forward fast forward to 10 pm
Dick was watching the show, he was about to go on. He held onto the trapeze, watching his parents fly, soon he would join them! Dick was so excited.
"NOW LADIES AND GENTS! THE NEWEST FLYING GRAYSON RICHARD…" Haley's announcement was cut short by a scream. The lights were focused on the five Graysons that were on the trapeze. The lines snapped and all of them fell, one hundred feet to the cement-hard dirt floor. There was a sick crunch and a wail of horror. Screaming ensued. Richard slid down the ladder so fast; he peeled some skin off his hands.
His mother, father, aunt, cousin and uncle had fallen, he had to help them. He was first to the bloody bodies. The bodies were so broken, Dick had a hard time finding which was his parents.
"Mommy! Daddy! Are you ok? Please be ok!" Dick wailed and wailed. Haley came up to him to pull him away. Dick let himself be led away; his uniform was stained in blood. His parent's blood.
"Mommy, daddy." He hiccupped, his mind a body were numb.
"Just stay here Dick, I have to talk to the police." Haley left Dick alone with a blanket around his shoulders. Dick shivered, he walked out in to the ring. He watched his parents get bagged and taken away. He stumbled after the ambulance. He saw one person hadn't been bagged. It was his uncle he thought.
Dick somehow left the circus unnoticed and followed the trail of the ambulance. It was so dark he didn't notice the black clad man in front of him until he ran right into him.
"Ahhhh!" he squealed, but it came out wispy and weak.
"Who are you?" the gruff voice asked. Dick tilted his head in confusion. The man switched to another popular language, he guessed this was a circus brat.
"Who are you?" he asked in French. The kid jumped, he hadn't expected the man to speak French.
"I'm, I'm Dick Gra- Grayson." He fell over, tears rolling out of his eyes blinding him. The black clad man bent down and supported the kid.
He knew that name.
"I am a friend. Do you know who might have killed you parents?" The dark man asked, but the kid just stared at him. The man repeated his question, this time in German, the kid didn't respond.
"Kid, you need to answer me."
"Are, are you Ba-batman?" the kid's English was terrible, but understandable.
"Yes."
"You helped my daddy; you are the wing of the night! You must lead me to my parents, please!" Dick's voice started to squeak out.
"I, cannot not do that. I can help you stay safe." Dick noticed that Batman's Romani was rough, but better than his English.
"No, I want to follow you! You will lead me to save my mommy and daddy." THE bright blue eyes were wide and watery. Batman stared at them emotionless in appearance. He was actually remember how he felt when his parents had died.
"I can't do that to you." Batman began to turn and call the circus to get the kid home.
"That dude Antonio did it! If you won't help me I'll hunt him down myself!" Dick's voice became strong, but wavered. The kid bolted away, towards the dangerous parts of Gotham. Batman had to sprint to catch the kid.
"I will keep you safe, Dick. Look for the white knight of Gotham, he will help you." Batman picked up the traumatized child and carried him to the circus where Haley was freaking out over where Dick was. When he saw who had the boy, his small eyes went wide.
"Mr. Batman, I'm sorry! Please, thank you!" Haley stuttered. Batman handed him the small boy. On the ten minute walk over, the boy had told Batman the Gypsy story, and then had fallen asleep. Batman like the kid, he would make sure the kid was safe. The police came and Haley, Officer Gordan, and Batman had a talk on what to do with the kid. Since they were in America, the kid had to go to a homeless shelter. The plans were arranged. Just before Batman disappeared, he gave Dick the smallest of smiles, shocking Officer Gordan.
PRESENT PRESNT PRESNET PRESNT
"Oh." Was all Wally said. Dick nodded.
"So, you confused a nickname of Batman's and turned it into your own name?" Wally asked, he found it slightly confusing. Dick nodded.
"It is also the name of a Hero that Superman told me about from his home planet. I find it interesting that the two stories have so much in common. I think it is fate."
"Well, Nightwing, you know that you always have us, the YJ guys, if you ever need a vacation from leading all those lost people home." Wally joked, putting an arm around Dick. Dick nodded, and then shrugged the arm off. He walked to the grave marker, dropped to the knees and laid a single red rose on the grave. Dick smiled and one tear fell down his cheek. He then stood up and left the reception, the new Robin followed him, as did Batman into the darkening sky outside.