A/N This is in celebration of the character Dick Grayson known as Robin: The Boy Wonder who later became Nightwing. This is for his 75th Anniversary, which by the way is next year! Note, in this story, there is no mention of Alfred. He isn't even on the scene yet. He comes in from a later story. Bruce also does not live at the Manor. He lives in a large suburban home. There is no bat cave. In a later comic, he purchased the home outside Gotham City that later became known as Wayne Manor and had the bat cave below.

Robin: The Boy Wonder

A retelling of the 1940 Origin Story (expanded version)

Our scene . . . A rising young town outside of the big city where the Haly Circus plays an engagement. Inside the big tent, the Flying Graysons, Father, Mother and young son Dick swing on the flying trapeze.

Dick Grayson is a young dare devil, attempting feats and tempting fate that most eight year olds only dream about. He is a professional and he's been working the trapeze with his parents, John and Mary since he was four years old.

"That's it Dick, get your momentum up," his father John Grayson stated as Dick's mother watched.

Dick swings out and when he was ready, he released the bar. He tightened into a ball then spun in the air. He turned concentrating on the move. He barely heard the crowd counting the revolutions before he stretched out and reached for his father's hands. Their wrists locked as his father's strong arms caught him.

The crowd erupted into applause. He had done it, as he had done it countless times before. He had succeeded in doing the quadruple summersault. Dick returned to the platform and waved to the crowd. He climbed down the ladder to the saw-dusted surface below and for a brief moment watched his parents perform their death defying part of the program.

Dick wrapped a towel around his neck, satisfied with his performance. He headed down the makeshift corridor leading from the big tent. His part of the act over, the boy walks past Mr. Haly's room when he hears voices.

"And if you pay us, we protect you. Get it Haly?"

"Yes! I get it. You're gangsters! It's a protection racket! I'll call the police!"

"You don't want to die, do you? Be sensible. Pay us and protect the show from 'Accidents.'"

"Get out! Get out!"

"Okay buddy! It's your funeral. 'Accidents' WILL happen."

Before the two men spotted him, Dick rounded a corner. He peaked back to take a look. One man wore a pinstriped suit and appeared to have a scar on his cheek while the second wore a dark suit with a red hat. He had a cigarette in his mouth. Both had mean rugged faces. Dick ran back to his parent's circus wagon, preparing to tell them about the gangsters, but they weren't there. Then he remembered this was a special performance. Even so, he could not help thinking about the gangsters. He raced back to the tent and breathed a sigh of relief. His parents' performance was over. They approached him with smiles and ruffled his hair.

The next night . . . In the audience . . . Bruce Wayne, The Batman enjoys the show, but what has brought our young socialite to see an itinerate circus? To learn we must go back a few days before. Someone was shaking down small businesses in Gotham City. These gangsters had not been seen in the city before. Runners from a rival gang from a small rising city nearby were trying to spread into his territory. The Batman had been trying to protect the citizens of his city from such criminals.

The Batman dropped down, cornering a small man in the alley.

"Tell me who's trying to muscle in," he growled. The Batman had been trying to find out for weeks without success. This time, his luck was about to change.

The cowardly cretin shivered before the dark and menacing figure. "His . . . his name's Boss Zucco. He . . . he controls Newtown. He'd kill me if he knew I was talking to you."

"Why is he trying to spread into Gotham City?" The Batman demanded.

"He's not satisfied. He wants a piece of Gotham."

"What's he planning next?"

"He . . . he wants to make an example," the squealing mousy man replied.

"With whom?"

"Some circus coming to town."

"Why would he choose a circus for an example?" Batman questioned, but the sniveling informant didn't answer. "Why!" The Batman shook the man until his teeth rattled.

"Because . . . because it would be big news."

The Batman shoved a wad of bills into the informant's hand then left the cowering figure to his own devices. The Batman would have gone after the circus, warn them of the impending doom that awaited, but he had no real proof that Boss Zucco was really planning on making a move on a traveling circus that held little interest to such people. And it would look strange for The Batman to take an interest in a traveling circus without due cause. He would have to investigate this another way. What would Boss Zucco do at a circus? It would be three more nights before he would find out.

Continues With Part 2