Title: Traditions
Author: InvisibleBrunette
Summery: Over the years a dark presence has visited this place...
Rating: K
Warnings: Unbeta'd and finished at one in the morning.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters! DC does! Happy reading folks, please let me know what you think.
Feedback: Yes please!
A/N: Written for the June 26th Bludhaven Challenge.
"I don't see why we're here." Robin stated. The ten year old's voice had just a hint of a pout in it. "I mean, it's just an alley what could possibly be special about it?"
Batman simply held up a silencing hand and entered the dimly lit, abandoned alleyway.
The newest Robin let out a 'tt', but complied with his brother, for now at least.
"You wanted to know what's so special about this place?" the Dark Knight asked, facing his partner. The boy nodded, body language screaming, 'ya think?'.
"Several years ago, a boy and his parents decided to take a short cut to their car after seeing Zorro." the new Batman said, temporarily dropping the rasp. "In this very alley a man approached the family with a gun."
The Boy Wonder unconsciously bit his lip. He had a vague idea how this story was going to end.
"The man shot the couple in front of their young son and ran." The former Boy Wonder's face softened. "The couple was Thomas and Martha Wayne. And tonight is the anniversary of that night."
"This is the place Batman was born" Robin concluded in awe. He was starting to feel like he had trespassed on sacred grounds.
"That's right."
"Is there a reason we're here besides story-telling?" the Boy wonder asked gruffly, trying to pretend that the significance of their current location hadn't affected him.
"We're here to carry on a tradition that got started a long time ago" Batman said softly, which his ten year old partner extremely odd, and pulled out two blood red roses, that were seemingly pulled out of nowhere. "Here," he held the flowers to Robin. "Place them by the candle"
"Candle?" The Boy Wonder stared dumbly at his 'brother' a moment, before letting his sharp eyes scan the alley, Oh, there it was. The off-white pillar candle sat innocently on the alley's floor, and judging by the burnt wick, it had been burning there awhile. The boy opened his mouth to question who would leave something like that here, then quickly snapped his jaw closed. Drake, it had to be.
"Go on." A soft voice and nudge brought him out of his thought process. Oh, he had just been standing there, hadn't he? Whoops.
"I'm going" he grumbled, and hesitantly walked to the lit candle. The slightly nervous steps between his original spot, and the temporary grave marker seemed to stretch on forever, until suddenly, he was right there. And he froze.
"It won't bite kiddo" his older brother's voice teased. Robin tossed a bat-worthy glare over his shoulder at the Dark Knight, before setting the roses down.
"Let's go, this was silly" he lied, knowing, and not caring that the first Boy Wonder knew he had fibbed, and quickly made his way out of the alleyway. Batman merely shook his head in amusement at his youngest brother's antics. But the kid was right, they had done their job, and for now it was time to go home.
Casting a final glance at the birthplace of his newest alter-ego, he silently vowed that he would return next year in Bruce's place. After all, it was tradition.
THE END
"Every now and then I have the feeling I've totally lost my mind. It's a great feeling." -Dick Grayson/Nightwing