Robin: The Boy Wonder
A retelling of the 1940 Origin Story (expanded version)
Part 2
Bruce Wayne sat in the audience, enjoying the show. So far he had not seen anything out of the ordinary. Coming into this as Bruce Wayne allowed him to investigate unnoticed. He was just another face in the crowd. The show was almost over. There was only one more act to go, the highlighted act that had been displayed on posters all over town. He was still wondering how Zucco was going to use the circus to make an example. It seemed inconceivable. And with the show winding down, he wondered what kind of threat would get everyone's attention. Bruce Wayne's attention was brought back to the center of the show when the last act was announced.
He watched as the trapeze act, the highlight of the evening, made their way to the center of the single ring. They bowed then moved apart to the two ladders on either end. The woman headed to the catcher's bar while the boy and his father moved to the other side. The young family reminded Bruce of his own family long ago. He watched the youngest of the aerialists do his performance, the quadruple summersault awing him and the audience. The kid was good, real good. And he was doing it without a net. Bruce kept his eyes on the youngest until he came down the ladder and was safely on the ground.
"And now that young Dick Grayson is safe below. The rest of The Flying Graysons will perform their death defying act . . . The triple Spin!
The crowd was hushed as John Grayson prepared himself. The drums rolled . . . Grayson flies out, turns over three times and straightens out.
'Nicely done, John," Mary commented as she grasped her husband's wrists.
Suddenly, the ropes part.
"JOHN!"
"MARY!"
"Th-they'll be killed!"
"MOTHER! FATHER!"
Dick watched horrified as his parents fell to earth. The audience screamed as the two aerialists came tumbling down to hit the ground in the center of the ring with a sickening thud. Those circus performers on the fringe rushed to the fallen pair and examined their bodies. A lone figure seeing the stricken boy and the two lifeless figures could not help recall his own parents' death. No one saw him slip from the crowd.
Circus performers surrounded the two still figures. The clowns, whose tears were fake now had genuine tears on their cheeks. The boy whose parents had fallen approached the ringmaster.
"Are . . . Are th-they . . . Oh n-no they . . ."
"I'm afraid so, son," The ringmaster said, as he tried to keep his own tears from falling.
Tears of anger and anguish filled Dick Grayson as it sunk in even more so that he was the only one left of the Flying Graysons. His parents were gone. Remembering the threat that had been made the day before, he wondered could those men have meant this? He had to find out. After changing out of his performance clothes, he made his way to Haly's office. The two men were once again talking to Haly. He moved up to the door to listen.
"Too bad about that accident."
"Yeah! But there wouldn't be any accidents if you paid us to protect you."
"You murderers! All right, I'll pay. But only so no one else will be killed."
Dick could not believe what he was hearing. "They killed my Mother and Father! I'm going to the police!"
"No, son. Not yet."
"Wha . . . Who?" Dick turned to see a dark figure dressed in a cape and a mask that covered nearly his whole head. Only his mouth and chin were visible.
'I'm the Batman. I want to help you get those murderers. They put acid on the trapeze ropes. But you can't go to the police. Come with me and I'll tell you why."
Dick followed the caped figure. The man led him to a black car hidden in the fringe of a grove of trees not far from the big top. Dick climbed into the passenger seat. The cowled man didn't say a word until they left the area. Only then did Dick dare to ask his question.
"Why can't I tell the police?"
"Because this whole town is run by Boss Zucco. If you told what you knew, you'd be dead in an hour. I'm going to hide you in my home for a while."
The Batman thinks back to the time when his parents too were innocent victims of a crime.
"My parents too were killed by a criminal. That's why I devoted my life to exterminate them."
"Then I want to also," Dick said with conviction. "Take me with you."
Dick Grayson's words struck a cord within the Batman. He heard the anger behind them, the rage that fueled them. This boy reminded him of himself, not just in age, but in determination. And yet the boy had a home, a family that cared for him, the Circus. He could not ask the boy to give that up. The Batman was reluctant, but the troubled face of the boy moves him deeply.
"Well, I guess you and I were both victims of a similar trouble. All right. I'll make you my aid, but I warn you, I lead a perilous life."
"I'm not afraid," Dick replied, his eyes steady, his face showing no fear.
The Batman could sense that the lad was telling the truth. In this instance, he wasn't afraid. "Maybe he should be," The Batman thought. Though from this moment, something inside the man changed. He no longer felt so alone in his fight. He hoped though this wasn't some mistake that could end in tragedy.
Continues with Part 3