Author's note: Please review and if you have any suggestions I would be glad to hear them.

Chapter One

Grayson stares at the window of a circus trailer, but Bruce figures that he isn't focused on anything.

Grayson had just lost his parents in an "accident" and Bruce didn't want to do this, but Grayson deserved the truth. It would be traumatizing, but kids were strong. He'd survive. If Bruce wanted to stop the killings, he'd have to interrogate the kid.

Bruce knocks on the door. No answer. He knocks again. This time he sees Grayson startle at the sound and walk over to the door. "Hey," mumbles Grayson after opening the door.

"Greetings," Bruce tells the kid. "I came to offer my condolences." Bruce tries to sound kind, but it's a lost cause. Grayson's vacant blue eyes observe him from head to toe. Still, Bruce has a job to do.

"I wanted to ask you some questions. Is that okay?" Bruce questions.

"No, it's … fine," Grayson manages. Bruce enters the trailer and Grayson offers him a seat.

"My name is Bruce Wayne. And I think I can help you." "How could you help me?" Grayson says.

"Did you see anything weird today?"

"Weird" Grayson continues," Because this is a circus. It's supposed to be filled with weird."

Bruce elaborates, "Weird as in strange people around, flickering lights, strange smells, people acting weird."

"I guess you could say that." "We've been having a little trouble with the lighting and there have been an unusual amount of accidents."

Grayson hesitates, then says, " M-Mom and Dad were acting a little strange b-before the show."

Bruce focuses on that, "Strange how?"

"Well, t-they seemed angry and d-distracted." Grayson says. Grayson's body starts trembling as Bruce decides he has what he needed.

Bruce tells the kid, "Thanks for telling me this. I know it's hard."

Then, he leaves.

It's night when Bruce returns to the circus grounds. The night is young and moonless. The perfect night for hunting.

Earlier, Bruce had found out the killer of Richard Grayson's parents was a ghost. The ghost of Tony Zucco, a mobster who had cut the ropes and killed two people in a famous circus act years before Bruce was even born. Apparently, someone in the circus had found out and in an act of grief had killed Zucco. The ghost would take over and control those who resembled the last people he had killed. Unfortunately, Grayson's parents were his most recent victims. Bruce was determined for them to be the last ones. He was wearing his special suit to protect him from most serious injuries.

Batman, as he was called in the suit, needs to find the body of Tony Zucco and salt and burn it to kill the ghost. He scans the place and finds a few possible places. A few hours later, he finally found the corpse.

However as soon as he finished salting it, the ghost appeared. Its neck moved sideways as it moved toward Batman.

A thought starts to form in Batman's head. He shouldn't do that. He should stay still. Death would be peaceful and he could be with his parents. Batman realizes that the ghost is messing with his head and fights its mind control. Unluckily, as soon as it seems as if Bruce is winning, pictures of the way his dead parents looked appears on his mind.

The way their bodies were cold, the blood running down their sides as if it was a thin red stream, the empty eyes which had been warm and kind only a few days ago. Batman hesitates and that costs him the fight.

Suddenly, Batman sees a pair of confused, frightened blue eyes appear near the corpse of Tony Zucco. Grayson was near and Batman managed to shout, "Burn the body, burn it!"

Grayson hesitates but soon follows orders. He throws the whole bottle of accelerant on the corpse , but fumbles the matches.

Invisible hands are gripping Batman's neck and his vision goes black for a few seconds. What he sees is that the corpse of Zucco is burning. The hunt is over.

"What just happened ?" Grayson shouts. Batman starts to leave the scene, but Grayson continues, "Oh no, you don't. You don't get to leave without telling me what happened."

"Watch me," Batman grunts. He tries to leave again, but the kid says, "I just saved your butt. I deserve an explanation." Batman has to admit that Grayson has a point.

"Very well, but you won't like this" Batman warned. "You may have heard of me, the Batman." At the mention of Batman, the kid's face pales, but who wouldn't when meeting the nightmare of Gotham?

Batman continues, "I hunt the monsters of the city, both human and supernatural. Ghosts exist as well as other monsters. I handle them and catch the human criminals."

Grayson asks, nervously, "Is that what happened to my p-parents?"

"Yes," Batman says, not unkindly.

Unexpectedly, Grayson's face becomes determined and asks, "Can I fight the monsters with you?"

"No," Batman answers quickly. "Why not?" Grayson asks bravely, blue eyes fired up with stubbornness. "I don't have my parents and they won't let me stay with the circus." Batman guesses that they are some officials from the city.

"It's dangerous for children," Batman says and starts looking for an exit.

"If you don't let me do this with you, I'll do this alone."

That statement gives Batman chills and a glance at Grayson's face shows that the boy is willing to do this. Batman lets himself think about it and having Batman within distance to protect the kid is better than having Grayson with no support.

"Very well, Grayson, but you will follow my orders even if you don't like them."

"Call me Dick," Dick says, beaming for the first time since he's met him and Batman wonders what made him say yes to the kid.