A young boy sat in shock, tears streaming down his face as he tried to contemplate what had just happened. I killed them, he thought, It was all my fault. A man and a woman lay covered by a large white sheet in front of him as policemen murmured to each other. The bright lights of the patrol cars on the circus grounds didn't help the boy's situation either, as his mind was clouded with loud sirens and visions of his parents falling just out of his reach. They're dead because of me, his mind spoke to him, They're dead because of you. The boy got up quickly and snuck out the bottom of the circus tent. He ran as fast as he could into the forest beyond the fair grounds. After stopping to catch his breath, he sniffed and looked back. He could see the faint lights of the police cars beyond the trees and hear their sirens taunting him, ridiculing him. You weren't quick enough, they said, You weren't there when they needed you. The boy tried to ignore the voices growing louder in his head as he turned ran, but they became louder with every step he took running toward the edge of the forest. Branches and thorns cut him as he ran, but he didn't care. I need to get out of here, he thought, I need to hide.
Suddenly, as he broke through the foliage, he was faced with a clearing full of what the boy assumed to be captive escapees from the incident in the circus tent. Curious, the boy crouched behind a nearby boulder and watched intently. Several masked men were keeping watch over their prisoners, but the people seemed in no hurry to comply. One man decided he had enough and proceeded to elbow his captor in the stomach, which resulted in him receiving a broken nose and a fat lip.
You need to help them, the boy's conscience told him. I can't, he fought back, I'm just a circus act, I'll die just like my parents. As the boy was contemplating his situation, a large shadow swooped down from the cloudy night sky and landed on one of the captors. The other masked men got the message, as they fired their handguns as the shadow weaved in and out of the gunfire. One by one, the men dropped painfully to the ground until only a few decided to do the smart thing and run into the cover of the night. As the shadow darted after them, the boy noticed the outline of a cape. He slowly looked out from behind his hiding spot.
Having seen enough for one night, the boy broke down sobbing as he leaned against the boulder. Shortly after, a policeman discovered him and recognized him from his colourful acrobatic uniform that matched his dead parent's. The policeman escorted the boy back to the circus tent, after radioing for backup to take care of the hostages. The policeman turned towards the boy. "You're the third Flying Grayson, aren't you?" He asked. "Dick Grayson, right?" Dick nodded in affirmation. "Don't worry," the policeman said. "I'll take you down to the station and get you something to eat. You're probably exhausted from tonight." Dick didn't answer as they both reached the tent. Officers came rushing past on their way to the hostages, not giving a second glance to Dick. He didn't care though, as he stared into the flashing red and blue of the police cars, trying to forget about that night.