I Swore . . .

By

Dick Grayson

(Ghost Writer AJ)

Part 1

An Oath . . .

What is an oath? The dictionary says an oath also called plight is either a calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow. Those who conscientiously object to making an oath will often make an Affirmation instead.

I did not make an affirmation. An affirmation can be more easily dismissed and broken. An oath is something sacred. I understood that. I made an OATH, a sacred vow. I was ten when I made the oath . . . in front of a man dressed as a bat, in front of a lighted candle sitting on a table, in the darkness of a cave. That oath was . . . is . . . something sacred. Breaking that oath . . . I would die before I would break my oath.

I often think about taking that oath and I wonder, did Batman ever say such words? I'm sure he did, when he was that angry eight year old kneeling in front of his parent's graves in the pouring rain. That's how I imagined it. I don't know if it really happened that way, he's never really told me, but what he has said suggests it. Swearing an oath to war on all criminals, that's a tall order. I don't know if that's possible. You can't possibly win such a war. You might be able to win battles, but the whole war? Well, I do know one thing. No matter what Bruce thinks, he's not alone. And I will be there for him. In fact, I do remember saying to myself while being Batman I would die for him. If that's not being committed than I don't know what is.

Then there is Jason. Did Jason say the oath? It's unlikely. Bruce told me that Jason wasn't the kind of kid that you could get him to do something, not without promising something in return. All I know is Jason was a troubled kid and filled with a great deal of anger. He didn't always want to obey Bruce let alone the Batman. I had my rebellious moments myself. All teenagers go through them. And though Jason tried to do the right thing in the end, he had been betrayed. He revealed the fact that he was Robin, betraying everything that Bruce ever taught him in that one moment thinking he was going to save the woman who bore him, but in the end, they both were betrayed and it ended in death. I won't talk about when he came back alive. His last memories were of Batman not saving him, and so his own war on crime was to become like them, a criminal, all for the sole purpose in hopes that Daddy Bats would kill the very person who killed him. When you break an oath, what's to stop you from breaking everything else that is sacred?

I never forgot about my oath. If I really wanted to break it, I would have left the crime fighting to Bruce after my parents' killer was brought to justice, but I didn't. I had the chance, but I knew my parents would have wanted me to do something that would make a difference. Being a trapeze artist might make people happy and the audience can be entertained, but to make a difference in people's lives? That takes a commitment beyond just an affirmation. It takes a sacred vow. I had to take that oath otherwise it would have had no meaning.

Did Tim take the oath? I know that Tim had not. For him, being Robin was like a job, a job that he could be fired from. Did "Batman" fire me? Not really. There are many stories out there that suggested that, that made their own interpretation of the events, but no. He did not fire me. He was concerned for my safety. I wasn't ready to deal with Two-Face. And I should have listened. And being a naive kid, I played right into his hands, and almost died. I really didn't blame Bruce telling me that I couldn't be Robin . . . but I allowed my own fears to get the better of me. If I couldn't be Robin than what good what I? He already expressed that he could never replace my father. Did that also mean that he didn't need a son? It's not that he didn't want me to be Robin. I couldn't be Robin until I was better trained to take on someone like Two-Face. I was still a novice and I needed more experience under my belt. And I was totally wrong about the son part. So was he.

Did Damian take the oath? No, Damian did not. It was too late for him to take such an oath because he had already killed. He was a trained assassin. His mother had big plans for him. In truth, she really wanted Damian to kill his own father after he would claim him as his sole heir to the Wayne Fortune. Turns out she needed the money to finance her own agenda. And Damian was as much a pawn, a means to an end. No, an oath such as I took Damian would not have taken it. He would have taken a far different oath. He probably did, but between Bruce, Tim, even Jason, and myself, we were able to show Damian that there are different oaths that are just as sacred, such as the oath of family and love.

So, the oath that I took, how do I feel about it all this time? I still see it as something sacred. And there is more to it. You'll just have to read my next thoughts on this subject as I look at the next part.

. . . To Fight Crime . . .