Robin's Reckoning (Bruce)
I nearly had him… I was so close…
Driving under the waterfall, I entered the secret entrance into the cave and exited the car. My suit was soaked, but I could care less. My one chance, my only chance, to catch the Graysons' murderer was gone. That scumbag is probably miles away from the city by now…
"Goddamn it!" I yelled, pulling off my cowl and throwing it towards the ground. I stripped off the rest of my suit, angrily cursing to myself and punching the cave walls.
"Sir, I understand your deeply seated anger issues, but there is a reason why a punching bag was installed here," Alfred said, picking my wet suit up off the ground.
"I was so close, Alfred…" I growled. "I was so close, I could smell his sweat. From now on, Tony Zucco gets my undivided attention."
"How fortunate for Zucco, because there is a young boy upstairs just aching for some of that attention," the butler informed me.
Oh, Dick… "I'm doing this for him," I responded, typing up searches for Tony Zucco on the Batcomputer.
"I'm sure revenge can be deliciously sweet, sir. However, at the moment, he needs a friend. For the person who suggested taking him in, you have been awfully neglectful. After all, isn't that what you needed, Master Bruce?"
Alfred's words struck a chord right in me. He was right. If he didn't send me off to Smallville, I would've never met Clark. Or the rest of the League. Now that I think about, maybe I would've been worse off if I had never met them.
Slowly slipping away from the computer, I hung my shoulders and sighed. "You're right."
"Of course I am, sir," Alfred said in response. "I found Master Richard at the front door in similar condition as you. I had him shower and prepared for him a meal. I suggest you do the same."
I left to reflect on what Alfred said to me. He agreed to search for Zucco for me so that I could talk to Dick. As I let the water from the shower run down my face, my mind flashed back to what happened these past couple months.
It was supposed to be a fun night; go to the circus, watch the performances and have a good time. After all I've been through, it'd be a refreshing break.
I watched through all the performances; the knife-throwers, the clowns, the animal handlers, everything. I'll admit, I thought was a bit lame, but watching each performance was awesome. The fluidity, the skill and the pizazz really took me back to being a little kid again, kind of like watching one of Mr. Zatara's magic shows.
Then came the Flying Graysons. A family of acrobats known for performing death-defying stunts without a safety net. When they performed, they say there was magic in the air and I agree. The stunts they pulled were absolutely breathtaking. The twirls, impossible catches and their famous quadruple somersault flips were truly a marvel to behold.
But near the end is when everything went horribly wrong. Came the finale, two of the Graysons prepared to do their final flip. The father leaped onto the swing, suspending himself by his legs as he prepared to catch his wife. She jumped into his arms and used her momentum to swing them back over to the other platform. Then the rope snapped.
The awed applause turned into horrified screams as the two plummeted towards the ground. The lights quickly cut off right before they hit the ground. The last thing I saw before everything went dark was the traumatized expression on the young boy's face as he broke out into tears over his parent's death.
The circus was evacuated as the GCPD arrived on scene. Audience members were visibly shaken as they left and parents tried hard to calm their crying children. I stuck around for as long as I could to investigate the crime scene before the cops kicked me out. From a quick analysis, I saw that the swing was sabotaged. Someone had cut the rope that they were using, but why?
My eyes then lingered onto the lifeless bodies of the Graysons. The position they were in was disturbingly familiar. I started to have flashbacks back to… that night. It was sickening. I had to get out of here.
Quickly rushing out of the tent, I made my way towards the car. But on the way, I stumbled past Dick. I stopped to see how he was doing and I couldn't help but get a strong feeling of déjà vu. Seeing him in such a traumatized and vulnerable state only brought back more harsh memories from the past. I… couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
A month later, I found Dick at a Gotham Penitentiary during one of my patrols. Apparently, the orphanages were full so they had him placed in a juvenile hall. I caught him trying to run away and he looked absolutely miserable. The Penitentiary is practically a house for future criminals, so he probably wouldn't last another week there; or worse, he'll turn out just like the rest of them. I had to get him out of there. So I came in the next morning, pulled a couple strings, and took him into my custody.
Once Dick came to the manor, that's when I started a deeper investigation into the Graysons' murder. It was best that I gave him some space to recuperate and adjust, so in the meantime, I had Alfred tutor and care for him while I was off conducting research. I analyzed a piece of rope that I confiscated from the crime scene and ran it through some tests. There were traces of an organic acid on the line that mimicked natural wear, making it seem as though it was an accident. Whoever did this was smarter than the average crook. But the question remains: who was behind this and what was the motive?
Word on the street was that one of Tony Zucco's men was seen at the circus on the night of the murder. Putting two and two together, it's likely that he was extorting Haly for protection money. The Graysons' "accident" was probably a warning to him if ends didn't meet. The only thing left now is to find out where Zucco is.
Weeks later, I made a break. Zucco and his men were apparently going to be paying a visit to Haly's Circus on their last night in Gotham. I tailed them to one of the trailers and waited for an opportunity to strike. However, shortly after I arrived, I saw Haly rush out in a panic only to shot multiple times and die on the spot. Then Dick jumped down on them.
I was shocked to find him out here by himself, so I quickly intervened before one of those crooks got a shot in. Zucco fled from the scene with Dick giving chase close behind, leaving me to deal with the other mobsters. I couldn't waste any time; God only knows what that killer will do to him. It took me some time to dispatch all of his men; four against one wasn't exactly a fair fight.
Tracking down the two, I confronted the mobster, who had Dick in a headlock and a gun next to his head. He kept yelling "Don't get any closer! One jerk and the kid gets a bullet straight through his skull!" I activated a sonic device which emitted an ear-piercing alarm to stun him, and then I disarmed the gun with a Batarang.
I pounced on top of him and beat him, over and over again. This degenerate had taken away the lives of an innocent couple and orphaned a child. Zucco never stood a chance against me. I continued to beat him until I heard bones cracking and saw blood running. Once I'm done with him, I'll give whatever's left to the GCPD. Never again will anyone suffer from his crimes; I'll make sure of it.
But then I heard a loud splash from behind me. Looking back, I saw Dick had fallen into an aqueduct, the current dragging him quickly downstream. I heard his drowned cries for help as his head bobbed up and down the water. There, I was left with a split decision: save Dick or stay with Zucco. I chose the former; with the state that Zucco's in, there was no way he could escape, or so I thought. I dived into the stream, catching up with the drowning boy and caught him before we hit the waterfall. I quickly grappled us both to a nearby structure before we fell and I returned to the spot where I left Zucco, only he wasn't there. In the distance, I heard tires screeching and roar of an engine fading into the background of the dark city. He had gotten away.
I got dressed and came down to the dining room where Dick was. Peering through the creak of the door, I saw him gloomily picking at a plate of spaghetti. Maybe I could cheer him up.
"Hey, Dick," I entered the room and greeted him with a smile, "how're you doing?"
He glanced sideways towards me before continuing to pick at his food. "Fine," he replied coldly.
"Sorry I haven't been around lately. Sometimes, I forget how big and lonely this place could be," I apologized, taking a seat next to him. "But I may have some free time, starting this week. My friends and I are planning to see that new Ant-Man movie this weekend; you wanna join us?"
"No thanks," he replied again in the same tone.
"Are you sure? I know this cinema that has first-class service-"
"I'm fine," Dick asserted, stabbing his fork through the pasta.
Oh, this isn't going to be easy… "Look, Dick, I know these past couple months have very difficult for you-"
"Oh, you don't say?"
"…look, you shouldn't have run off like that tonight; you had me and Alfred worried sick," I placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. But his glum expression quickly turned into a scowl, and the boy angrily slapped my hand away from him.
"Yeah, sure you do," Dick snapped at me. He quickly stood up out of his seat and stormed out the room.
"Dick, wait!" I chased after him into the living room. Again, I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him, but he turned around and pushed me back as soon as I touched him.
"Why did you even take me in at all?" he snarled furiously. "Was it to make your image look better? Am I just some kid that you took in just to boost your ego?! Are you really that shallow!?"
"Let me explain-"
"What's there to explain?! That you saw me as an opportunity to gain more publicity as some 'savior'?!" he continued to yell. "I was better off before you took me in!"
"Dick, the Gotham Penitentiary is practically a house for future criminals," I explained to him. "I didn't want you to end up like one of those kids there-"
"But at least they gave a crap about me!" the boy argued. "Since the day you took me in, we only talked like maybe, what, three times!? All Alfred does is feed, teach, and clean up after me; nothing more and nothing less!"
"Look, I know Alfred and I can never replace the circus or your real parents-"
"You two will never be like them!" Dick continued to scream, his eyes welling up with tears. "You two will never replace my family, ever!"
"Dick, I know what you're going through-" I tried to sympathize with him, but he kept on interrupting me.
"You?! You have no idea what I'm going through!" he pushed me again, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. "I lost my parents, I lost my home and tonight, I just lost my friend!" His face was flushed red, cheeks wet from the tears and he was panting heavily. "You have no idea what I'm going through."
We both stood still for an uncomfortable amount of time. I turned my head away in shame while he dropped his and quietly cried to himself. Was I really this neglectful? Alfred was right; I guess all he needed was a friend…
"It's all my fault…" Dick sobbed.
"Dick, you can't blame yourself," I said to him. "There was nothing you could have done-"
"No!" he yelled. "I heard Zucco threatening to do something if Haly didn't pay up! I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen!" At this point, Dick dropped to his knees and continued to sob as I watched him fall apart. "If they just listened, none of this would've happened…"
I kneeled down in front of him and put my hand on his shoulder again. This time, he didn't slap it away. "I know how you're feeling," I sympathized with him. "You keep thinking… if only I'd done something differently… if only I could've warned them…" My mind kept flashing back to that night; the sounds echoing in my ears as my world fell apart that fateful day. "…but there isn't anything you could have done. There isn't anything either of us could have done."
"…What are you talking about?" Dick muttered. I looked up at the portrait of my parents and his eyes followed as well.
"When I was young, younger than you, my parents were shot in an alleyway right in front of me," I told him. "I felt that same feeling of helplessness, guilt and anger as you. Because I thought it was all my fault that they died."
"Mommy!" I cried as I tugged on her arm, desperately trying to get her back up. "Mommy, get up! Get up, come on!"
It all happened so fast. One minute, we were laughing and talking about the ending of the Gray Ghost, the next I was staring down the barrel of a revolver. The crook ran away with our money, leaving my parents lying on the cold, wet pavement. I was still registering what had happened. I didn't know why they were on the ground, why they were in so much pain, or why so much blood was flowing out of them.
"T-Tom…?" she whimpered weakly. She was clutching her chest, her white coat now painted red with blood and face completely drained of color. Her breathing was irregular; she was taking really deep breaths in between short ones and she looked on the verge of passing out.
My father, on the other hand, was panting heavily and gasping out in pain. He was shaking erratically, pressing down on his abdomen as he tried to stabilize his breathing. "M-M-Martha…?! Bruce!" he called out to us. "Are you okay!?"
"Dad!" I didn't know what was going on. I was so confused and afraid. "Dad! Get up! Please!" I pleaded with him.
"I can't-!" he stifled out before letting out a scream of pain. "Martha?! Martha!"
"Bruce…" I heard her calling me. Kneeling down beside her, I held on to her cold hand as she tearfully looked me in the eyes. "Bruce… I…" she spoke before breaking out in violent coughing fit. Blood came out of her mouth and dripped down the side of her cheek.
"Mommy!" I couldn't believe what was happening. I squeezed her hand tighter, denying whatever was happening. She and dad were going to be okay. They had to be.
"Bruce, listen to me…" she said quietly. "Whatever happens… just know that y-you-" She broke out into another coughing fit as she struggled to get her words out. "Your father and I are… we'll always be with you. Whenever you're alone, just think of us, okay?" She held my face as tenderly as she could while holding back tears.
"Mommy… don't say that…" I croaked as tears began streaming down my face. I didn't want it to happen. They had to make it. "You're scaring me…"
"No, no… I don't want to scare you," she tried to reassure me. But I saw the life slowly seeping away from her eyes. "Bruce… I love y…" Her voice trailed off. Her cold hand slid from my face and hit the ground. Her eyes dimmed before closing shut and her body then became still and motionless.
"MOMMY!" I screamed. I shook her body back and forth, desperately trying to wake her up. She wasn't responding. No matter how much I yelled at her to open her eyes, they stayed shut. I didn't want to believe what happened.
"M-M-Martha…?" my father stammered. I looked at him, seeing the terror and realization on his face as he registered what had happened. "Martha! Oh god, no!" he cried.
"Dad! What do I do?!" I yelled him in panic. He always knew how to solve everything. He always knew what to say. He had to be able to get out of this.
"Br-Bruce, I-!" Again, he let out another grunt of pain. He was shivering uncontrollably, trying to control his breathing to no avail. His pants only caused breathe faster; I thought he might have been hyperventilating. "Bruce, listen to me-!"
"Dad!"
"G-Go to Dr. Leslie's office across the street. Tell her what happened," he instructed me. "Don't stop- f-for anybody-! Do you u-understand?" I nodded my head up and down. Before I could go, he told me his final words. "Bruce… don't… be… afrai…"
His breathing started to slow down at this point. He was taking long, deep breaths instead of quick pants now. Before he could finish his sentence, he took in one last gasp… and then let out a quiet exhale.
"Dad…?" He didn't respond. His chest stopped moving up and down and his tensed muscles went limp. His head slumped to the side, with his lifeless eyes staring back into mine. "DAAAD!"
My cries echoed through the empty streets and fell on deaf ears. I yelled at a some passersby for help; they stopped, glanced at me briefly and continued walking on like nothing happened. I couldn't believe the apathy of those people; how could they just leave a little boy crying out for help all alone?
I did what my father told me to do; I sprinted over to Leslie's office as fast as I could and banged on the door over and over again, pleading for her to come out quickly.
"Bruce?" she finally responded. She was pretty alarmed by my sudden appearance, but as soon as she saw the blood splatters on me, it quickly turned into worry. "Bruce! What happened?!"
"Mom and-and dad! They- they're- there was a gun a-and-!" I tried to articulate through my sobs. "There was blood and- and-!"
"Bruce, Bruce," she held me so that I could calm down, "You need to talk slowly. Where are your parents?"
"There's no time! Come on!" I then sprinted back to the alleyway with Leslie chasing after me, trying to keep up.
"Bruce! Wait! Where are you-?" But as soon as she saw the sight of their lifeless bodies, the doctor stopped dead in her tracks. "THOMAS! MARTHA!"
Leslie ran towards their bodies to get a closer examination, and then she just dropped to her knees and cupped her hands over her mouth. "No, no, no…" she shook, trying to keep herself composed. She pulled out her cell phone and frantically dialed 911 to report what had happened.
It was at that moment that it finally hit me. My parents were gone. My fears had come true and now they were gone. I dropped to the floor and completely broke down, screaming and hitting myself for not being brave enough. It was all my fault that they died. I told them to go down the alleyway as a shortcut; I didn't warn them fast enough about the mugger. Why couldn't he shoot as well?
Leslie came over and pulled me into a tight embrace. She rested my head on her shoulder and rubbed my head tenderly, rocking me back and forth and telling me everything was going to be okay. But nothing would ever be the same again. I felt like the entire world had just ended right then and there.
"My father wanted to make a visit to a family friend," I explained to Dick. "He wanted to take the car and drive over there, but I suggested a shortcut through an alleyway. It would have been shorter and faster that way." I picked him up back on his feet before continuing. "As we walked through, I noticed someone lurking behind a dumpster. I didn't think much of it at first, but as soon as he pulled out a gun, I knew there was something wrong."
Dick's emotions quelled and his expression turned into that of understanding and sympathy. "He started yelling at us to hand over our money, but as soon as my parents did so…" I trailed off into silent and let the context speak for itself.
"Oh… I'm… I'm so sorry…" Dick apologized regrettably. "I didn't know…"
"It's okay," I reassured him. "When I saw what happened to your parents, I couldn't help but feel pity for you. I took you in so you could have a safer place to live and so that you could get closure for yourself. I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you."
"It's okay, I understand," he replied, wiping his face with his sleeve. "But Zucco's still out there. The Batman told me he got away when he took me back here."
I saw the dejected look on his face. Obviously, he feels some responsibility for him getting away. So I made possibly one of the worst decisions of my life. "You really want to see Zucco pay for what he did, don't you?"
"I'd do anything just to see him get behind bars," he said bitterly.
I hesitated for a moment, then I decided that he needed what I couldn't get: the satisfaction and closure of seeing his parents' killer being brought to justice. "Come with me, Dick. There's something I need to show you."
I led him out of the family room and into my office. I probably shouldn't drag him into my own personal affairs, but perhaps it would help him. Alfred won't be happy about this, but I can handle his reprimands.
In the office, I approached the grandfather clock and dialed the hands to 10:47. The hidden door unlocked and I swung it open and started to walk inside.
"Um, Bruce…?"
"Follow me, Dick. Just trust me." The boy reluctantly followed my lead and came down the staircase along with me. When we finally reached the entrance, all he could do was stare in awe. His eyes trailed from the Batcomputer to the workout station and the lab, all the way to the Batmobile. Then he became fixated on one display: the case for my Batsuit.
The realization dawned on him. "No way… you're… the Batman?!" I nodded in response.
"Master Bruce, I have tracked some police radio frequencies for the whereabouts of Tony Zucco," Alfred informed me, turning away from the Batcomputer. "Have you spoken Master Richard yet-?"
The butler stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw the boy. "Oh, er- Master Richard… you're not supposed to be down here-"
"It's okay, Alfred," I reassured him. "I took him down here myself."
"Why, sir?" I exhaled sharply and gave him a look. Immediately, he knew what that meant. "Absolutely not!" he sprang out of the chair.
"Alfred, it's only for one-"
"No!" he refused. "It's already insane enough that I've let you run around putting your life at risk in a Halloween costume, but I will not let you endanger the life of a child for your 'crusade'!"
"He needs closure-"
"He needs to live a normal life, not this path of vigilantism!"
"But Alfred, I can handle myself!" Dick objected. "I'm almost thirteen, so I think I can make my own-!"
"I'm sorry, Master Richard, but I cannot allow you to take part in this," Alfred interrupted him.
"I want to see Zucco get put behind bars-"
"Master Bruce can easily do that for you; just be patient-"
"But I can help-!"
"Absolutely not."
"Bruce!" he pleaded with me.
I chose my next words carefully, lest I want to anger Alfred even more. "We'll talk about this in the morning. We've both had a lot of excitement and trauma tonight, so you need to have a clear head before you make a big decision like this." Dick just looked at me blankly before silently agreeing. "Alfred, take him to bed. I'll handle the rest down here."
As the boy left to go back upstairs, Alfred apprehensively asked, "Please tell me you aren't considering this, are you?"
"Like I said, we'll talk about this in the morning," I replied, walking towards the Batcomputer.
But Alfred grabbed my arm, stopping me abruptly and said to my ear, "If he gets hurt in any way, shape or form, this will be your responsibility."
"Understood." The butler then released me and left the cave to take him to bed, leaving me alone to continue my search.
I started to wonder if this really was a good idea or if I just hit my head too hard against the aqueduct. But this will only be a one-time thing; just until Zucco is behind bars. Then that will be it for him. I don't want him to go down the same path as me. I don't want him to be like me, and I will do everything in my power to make sure of it. Rest well, Dick; you'll need it.