Age 10

Thunderstorms always bought back memories of the Circus for Richard Grayson. The loud claps of thunder reminiscent of the drum beats in the Big Top. The build up to the Flying Grayson's final flight. Their final leap. Their fall and deaths. The little boy left screaming and crying on a podium high up in the circus tent. Alone.

Some one was screaming. Who was it?

Oh.

Right.

It was him.

They fell. Down, down, down - stop. He could see them. All the way down on the ground, limbs at odd angles and blood pooling around their lifeless bodies. They should be moving. Why weren't they moving?

The sticky liquid oozing from his mothers head reminded him of the lipstick she sometimes wore to go out... glossy and smooth looking, glistening in the bright stage lights...

"Dick?" Richard was bought back into reality by his guardians voice.

"Hmm? Oh sorry... what... what were you saying?" They were sat at the dinner table, Bruce at the end with Dick to his right. He had become lost in his memories and spaced out when the thunder startled.

"I was thinking that maybe it's time for you to meet some of the League. They were bound to hear about Robin at some point. I just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. They've been asking about you... are you sure you're okay?" He sounded so concerned. It was moments like this that he couldn't believe this man was also the Batman and billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

"Yup. Yes. Fine." A lie. But a good one. It was surprisingly easy, in Dick's opinion, to fool the worlds greatest detective. "So what's this about the league? Can I go with you to The Watchtower?"

"I suppose so"

Dick let out a cackle, "this is going to be fun."

STAY WHELMED STAY WHELMED

"But Bats, he's just a kid!"

Batman, Flash, Black Canary, Superman and Green Arrow were currently stood in the meeting room of the Watch Tower with Batman being interrogated by the other four about Robin. Although they clearly weren't getting anywhere, despite their efforts.

"He can handle himself just fine. His age is irrelevant." Bruce had considered that maybe he had made the wrong choice in letting Dick become a hero. He was only a kid, a kid who had been through a lot. But this was his own decision. He could handle himself, heck he could probably take down some leaguers. He wouldn't allow Dick out if he didn't think Robin could look after himself or cope with what went on in the streets of Gotham.

And Bruce wasn't going to let the boy become like him.

"I don't doubt that, Bruce, but he's a kid. He's not even in his teens! He looks about 8." Black Canary said.

Batman had known that the league would not in any way approve of Robin. Not that he really cared what they thought. He was The God damn Batman.

Robin chose that moment to drop from one of the air vents in the room.

"8? 8!? Are you kidding me? I'm 10!" Dick new he was small for his age but he was sure he looked at least 9!

"You bought him here?" Superman, being the goodie boy scout (Dick had heard Bruce call him that when he thought he was out of earshot) that he is, seemed even more horrified by this than the others.

"He has a name, you know." Alfred would have scolded Dick for talking to them like that, but they were really getting on his nerves. What Alfred didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

Black Canary walked up to the young hero and knelt down so that they were eye level ( Didn't she know anything? That's not how you talk to a short person) and said, "Hello." After saying this she gave him a small, but kind, smile.

Robin took a step back before responding, "Hi." He had done his research in all of the League members, both their personal and hero lives, where they came from, their powers... knowing these things he wasn't too comfortable with Black Canary being quite this close.

"What's your name? Mine's-"

"Dinah Lance aka Black Canary. I'm Robin." If the woman in front of him was shocked, she didn't show it in her face.

"You know that's not what I meant." The only reply he gave her was an innocent looking smile. He then turned around and looked at Batman.

Throughout this exchange the other occupants of the room just watched with various levels of amusement.

"Robin." Batman's voice wasn't really annoyed, he was obviously trying to hide much he was enjoying watching his son slowly ware away at the League members nerves, but it got Robin to take the situation more seriously, if only a little.

"Okay, okay. You guys clearly aren't feeling the aster." He didn't give them time to question is wordplay before he continued, ignoring their confused and mildly frustrated looks. "Dick."

The reaction was instantaneous, all of them murmuring about how a child shouldn't use such words, among other things.

Batman cut them off with a noise resembling... a growl? "Robin."

The young boy sighed. "Dick is my name. Well, actually, It's Richard John Grayson. Nice to meet you... I think."

"Anyway... this had been whelming but... bye!" Robin said before he ran off, disappearing out the door and down the hallway.

The Flash sped over to the door but the raven haired boy was already gone.