The Flight of the Robin
JUNE 28th
12:37 AM
GOTHAM CITY
"How could you?" Robin yelled, scowling with fury at his mentor, Batman.
"I did what had to be done." He answered, "She left me no choice."
"Choice?" Dick clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth. The cold rooftop was high off the ground, and the cold night's wind blew their capes in billows.
It had been a year since the 'Mole' incident, and recently, Robin had been spending very minimal time with The Team, and more of it in Gotham with Batman. He had been happy, even beginning his second relationship... Granted, his first one was with his teammate Zatanna, who was at least a year older than he was, but that didn't prevent the occasional make-out session between the two young heroes.
His current relationship was with Barbara Gordon, a schoolmate of his and a good friend since he began going to Gotham academy five years ago. She was the Daughter of Batman's friend and ally, police Commissioner Jim Gordon.
Which comes back to our current story, with Robin nearly at his mentor's throat, and Dick Grayson's girlfriend staring on... Wearing a cape and cowl.
"You knew! You knew I didn't want her involved in this!"
"Dick, you weren't exactly honest with me either!" Barbara shouted, under the new guise of Batgirl.
Batman, staying calm, spoke.
"You know Jim was attacked, he's in intensive care. Barbara is a smart girl, she knew I could help..."
"And when I discovered Bruce's identity, I said I wanted to help my father... He never wanted to put me into danger!" Barbara said to her 14-year-old companion, who hadn't stopped fuming, "You think you volunteered?"
"I know I did!" She exclaimed, now scowling as well.
"You don't know him like I do Barbara!" Robin turned to Batman, he had gone through a growth spurt in the past year, and was now only approximately nine inches shorter than Bruce.
"He manipulates, controls, pulls strings! He'll do anything to get what he wants!"
Bruce and Barbara stood in silence, Barb glaring at Dick, and Batman simply looking on at his 'son'.
"I thought we had the same goals."
"Dinah never DID tell you did she?" Robin yelled again, his voice cracking slightly, "We don't! Not after that little incident with the Team! I almost let them all get killed! All for the sake of your stupid mission!"
Again, Batman and Robin held an intense staring contest.
"I'll never be like you! Ever! Forget anything you ever thought of grooming me to be!
I QUIT!"
Dick started walking away, the Bat reached his hand out to try to bring him back, "Robin."
Dick lost it, he whirled around and sent a right hook to the Batman's uncovered jaw.
Barbara gasped in horror, Dick paid no mind to it, and ripped the black domino mask from his face and the cape from his back.
"Don't follow me." Robin scowled and shot a grapnel gun from his belt, swinging away from Batgirl, who was now tending to Batman's injury... But she could never heal a broken heart.
"What was that?" She asked the caped crusader, who simply stood up.
"This has been building for some time," He rubbed his chin and continued, "The stress of the Team, Aqualad's betrayal, Zatanna and Rocket's induction into the league while leaving him behind... This was jut another thorn in the bush... Albeit the one that pushed him over the edge."
"Will he be okay?"
"He needs time alone..."
"How much?"
Batman didn't answer, and instead jumped off the building and glided down to the ground below, leaving Batgirl behind.
JUNE 28th
2:30 AM
Ex-Robin stood in a watchtower teleporter Phone Booth, taking a cryptographic sequencer from glove and decoding a special radio signal, he was recognized by the computer, "RECOGNIZED. B01 ROBIN." It said in an electronic voiceover, Dick was teleported in a flash of light.
Robin ported at the north pole, or rather, the Fortress of Solitude, where he knew he could find the one person he knew he could talk to. The icy walls glinted in the sunrise around the continent of ice.
"Clark!" Robin called out into the fortress, it echoed slightly before he got an answer, "Robin?" Answered the Man of Steel, walking in from a separate room.
"Don't call me that anymore..." Dick responded and walked up to Superman. The last son of Krypton paused a moment, then smiled and put a hand on Grayson's shoulder.
"Let's talk."
"He's kept so many secrets... So many lies, I'm just tired of it, tired of not only being overshadowed by him and putting up with his secretive personality, but with constantly being shadowed over, being expected to be just like him."
"None of us expect you to be like Batman. Nobody could be like him, he's one of a kind."
"I know, I know, the League and the Team know better... But the populace, the people I wanna help. You should hear all the 'Robin' talk at school... 'Robin's the coolest!' 'He's like a kid Batman!', 'He's the son of the Bat!'... Get that! They think I'm his son!"
Superman calmly spoke, "Dick, no matter how much you dislike it, in a lot of ways, you're the closest thing to family Bruce has. There's no one on this planet he cares about more than you. Being a father to such a fantastic son... It must be... 'Whelming'."
Dick smiled at Superman's use of his word, but frowned again.
"I guess I'm just... Afraid. Afraid that I'll become like him. I don't wanna be THE Batman."
"Then maybe... You should find your own Identity. As Red Arrow did."
"But, being Robin is all I know! Who else can I be?"
"That is for you to decide... For now, you're free to look through the Fortress, I always do my best thinking here."
With that, Superman left Dick to his thoughts. How could he become more than just 'Robin'? How could possibly he step out of the shadow of Batman and become a new person?
Dick perused the Library of the Fortress, coming upon an old book, Titled 'Nightwing and Flamebird'. In curiosity, he opened it, coming to a surprise, the pages were cut out in the middle, with a small flash drive in the hole in the pages. He pulled the drive from the book and pushed it in his arm computer. It opened to reveal a file named 'Kandor'. Dick raised his eyebrows and opened it, instantly dozens of words appeared onscreen.
Dick inferred these must have been the records of Superman's trip to the planet Kandor. In the scripts, it said that Superman had lost access to his powers, and was marked as an outlaw. He disguised himself and his companion as two Kandorian heroes of legend... Nightwing and Flamebird. He kept reading into it, and a light finally lit in his head.
His iconic laugh resonated through the fortress to signify that he was excited...
JUNE 28th
8:54 AM
THE WATCHTOWER
"RECOGNIZED, 02 BATMAN, B07 BATGIRL."
Batman and the new Batgirl had returned to the watchtower. Kid Flash, Superboy, Artemis and Miss Martian stood in front of the teleporters. Batman walked past them silently, while Batgirl stood and looked down.
"Hey, where's Robin?" Superboy asked, raising an eyebrow as the rest of the Team joined Batgirl.
"He didn't come back."
Wally's eyes widened, "What do you mean? Sure the guy disappears a lot..."
"I mean he's not coming back. He left."
"Left?" Asked Artemis, holding Wally's arm, "We know Robin, and he wouldn't just-"
"HE LEFT. THAT'S ALL." Barbara snapped and shoved past the Team, leaving them wondering just what the heck happened... Wally was the only one who knew, and he knew he had to find his best pal, ASAP.
(Line Break)
AUGUST 5th
5:38 PM
MOUNT JUSTICE.
"Alright Jason!"
"Smooth!"
"Great Job!"
Cheers of encouragement emanated from the training room in Mount Justice, where the members of the Team had been taking turns training their newest member.
The past months had been far from comforting for the Team, so much had happened in that time, not only had Dick Grayson, then 'Robin', flown the coop and disappeared without a trace, even from School.
Not only that, but a new member was added to the team, a 10-year old near-street urchin named Jason Todd had joined the team under the guise of a new Robin.
Jason was found by Batman a month ago, stealing the tires off the Batmobile in an obvious effort to maybe get some money. Bruce saw potential in the young boy, and took him in, revealing his identity and giving Jason the thrill of his life, to replace Dick as his partner and ward.
Jason currently had their Trainer, Black Canary in a head and arm lock that she just could wrench herself out of.
"C'mon Teach! Say 'Uncle'!"
Dinah groaned and shook Todd off as the team looked on in amazement.
"How incredible is this kid?" Superboy smiled down at them, Miss Martian and Artemis cheering him on.
"He's Ten! How the heck is he so good?" Megan said in excitement, to which a disdainful but nonetheless impressed Artemis replied, "He's fighting dirty, using his size and speed, not to mention some INSANE impressive upper-body strength for his age... Dang, I know Robin was good... But this kid's done something at ten years old none of the rest of us could."
"The only guy I know who could do that was the old Robin." Superboy said, folding his arms and petting his Wolf.
Just then, Kid Flash sped into the room, a heartache on his face that hadn't left for weeks.
"No luck babe?" Artemis asked sorrowfully.
"No. He's gone, Checked every inch of the country from here to Metropolis to Central to Gotham. Can't find Rob."
Conner stood next to his forlorn friend, putting a large hand on his plated shoulder. "We'll keep looking."
Jason was finally thrown off by Black Canary, who managed to throw him into a wall. The boy grinned and jumped off the wall, using the speed and his weight he grabbed Dinah by her jacket-covered shoulders and threw her on the ground. He breathed heavily, sweating in his costume, "Give... Give up?"
Canary, however threw the Boy off and grunted as she pinned him.
"You're good..."
"Don't need you to tell me that!"
Jason laughed and threw the Blonde woman off him, she didn't go far before finally raising a hand and smiling.
"Alright Robin, you win."
"Was there ever a doubt?" Jason grinned and helped his teacher up.
Dinah and Jason walked out of the training Hall. Black Canary went straight to the teleporters, while Jason went to greet the rest of the Team.
"That was great kid, worthy of the costume." Wally smiled and gave Jason a hi-five.
"Haha, the old man won't let me do anythin' but train, isn't a surprise."
Jason held his hand out to Superboy, who put five dollars in it.
"Thanks chump." He grinned and elbowed Superboy playfully in the side, Conner, however, wasn't too thrilled.
"Little creep."
"Hey, you're the one who took the bet." Said M'gann, smiling and holding his musclebound arm.
"Didn't think he'd win though."
"Kid's got skill, I'll give 'im that... Just wish Rob was here, if anyone would be proud of Jason, it'd be him."
AUGUST 5th
JUMP CITY
10:54 PM
A thief took a detour down an alley, his bag full of drugs he had stolen from a nearby store. The cops were on his tail, and he took a breather, assuming he had lost them. When he heard something that sent a chill down his back.
"Y'know, all you criminals are the same, 'Steal drugs, use drugs. Steal hostage, use hostage. I mean, where's the originality?"
The lawbreaker turned and saw nothing there.
"What the hell?" He yelled, grasping his bag, but then realized something was amiss... His bag was gone.
"Oh c'mon, just Marijuana? Man, if it wasn't so much fun to mess with guys like you, I'd just let you go."
"Where are you?" The man yelled in a panic, he whirled around to see a masked face as he turned around."
"Here."
That was the last thing he heard before he was knocked out cold.
"Well that was easy enough."
The masked man wiped his brow, and threw the sack of drugs next to its owner.
"Sleep tight."
The moonlight revealed the man not to actually be a man, but a 14 year old kid, he wore a Domino mask, it was very angled, it looked almost winged, his clothes consisted of a Kevlar Bi-weave battlesuit, similar to what Batman wore under his cape, with a blue Bird symbol on his chest.
"Freeze!" Yelled a cop as he shone a flashlight at the boy's back.
"I've got a visual on Nightwing." Said the cop into his radio.
"I do 80% of your job for you and THIS is how ya thank me?" Said Nightwing, slowly turning around with his hands in the air.
"Quiet!"
"Now that's just rude, gonna have to put you in the corner."
The cop raised his gun to Nightwing, looking away for a second, unfortunately he was gone before he looked back. All he could hear was a youthful laugh, and a pair of handcuffs hit the floor with a note attached.
The cop picked them up, and read the note:
'You might need these, start carrying them, it'll help.'
The cop checked his belt, and realized he had forgotten his handcuffs, he couldn't help but smile.