Oh my gosh! I am just...so whelmed by your reviews! 8 reviews, 7 favorites and, what the freak?! 18 followers?! You guys are absolutley amazing. I freaking love all of you.

So, Robin's background will be in two parts because it is so LONG and I haven't even written part 2 yet. I have it in my head! It's there! And I know what I'm going to do...I just don't know how to put it into words. Sigh.

And to top it all of my science is sucky this year and I hate writing. not these! Doing my own stories is awesome! But the stuff they make me do...the essays...It's just not easy. But hey! :D I just turned 14! something to be happy about!

And yes, I am going with Dick's Romani and I can't find an English-Romani translator anywhere,I will be substituting it for Romanian. So just pretend it's Romani.

Disclaimer: If I was the owner of Young Justice there would be a third season. Just sayin'.

Gotham City, Connecticut

April 1st, 07:05 EDT

2005

Laughter filled the morning air as two boys ran around the circus grounds. Both had raven black hair, gypsy tanned skin and defined muscles. One had emerald green eyes, while the other had such a unique and wondrous shade of blue, people often asked if they were real.

One was just coming into his teenage years at thirteen. Already he was receiving young girls' phone numbers, his hiar spiked up at the front stylishly. The other was only eight, and small for his age, with raven locks sweeping into his eyes he received coos and whispers of his adorable features, and how he was going to be a heart breaker someday.

It was easy to define that the two were related; both had the same hair, nose and jaw. Not quite brothers, but cousins.

They were also very physically fit, seeing as their occupation called for physical perfection. For you see, the boys were acrobats, aerialists. They lived and worked in the Haly International Traveling Circus.

The elder's green eyes sparkled with laughter and joy as he raced after his younger, blue-eyed companion.

"Dickie!" He laughed. "Come on! We gotta get back to the trailer! Today's Waffle Day!"

The eight-year-old, Richard John 'Dick' Grayson, performed a perfect front flip and stuck the landing, turning eagerly towards his cousin.

"Well then let's go, John!" He shouted, turning around and racing back to their trailer they called home, and John Richard Grayson chased after his cousin, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The trailer was admittedly small, with two bedrooms, a pullout couch, a tiny kitchen and one bathroom, but they made do with space. In fact, they preferred it. They boys and their parents always felt that family was the most important thing in the world, and so they relished the coziness and never complained. The boys opened the door, laughing and red-faced, the aroma of waffles and bacon reaching their noses.

Standing in front of the waffle iron was a short, red haired woman, sharing John's green eyes. A woman with auburn locks stood in front of the stove, watching the bacon strips with her blue orbs. These were John and Dick's mothers, Karla and Mary Grayson respectively. Sitting at the small table were two brothers, men with thick raven black hair, but while the elder had slightly curly hair and a thin mustache, the younger had his naturally straight and was bare-faced. Both had blue eyes and defined muscles. These two were John and Dick's fathers, Richard 'Rick' and John Grayson.

The whole family laughed and ate as the sun rose higher into the sky. "Excited for the show, Dickie?" Mary asked, a teasing smile adorning her lips.

Dick nodded eagerly. "Always, Mami!" He quickly finished his breakfast and grabbed his cousin's hand. "We're going to play with Zitka!" Dick called. "Then we can practice!" "Alright," Karla smiled. "Fi atent!" (Be careful!)

"Nu promite!" (No promises!)

John chuckled and shook his head lightly as the boys' laughter faded into the distance. "That child," he murmured affectionately. Mary glanced worryingly at her husband. "John," she started, "I have a bad feeling about this show."

Rick raised an eyebrow at his sister-in-law. "How so, Mary?"

"Well," Mary frowned, "I have an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I don't know what it is, but it's making me worried." Karla nodded, furrowing her brows. "I have it too, Rick. I can't shake it off."

The Grayson brothers exchanged glances. "We'll double –no- triple check the wires, bine?" (Okay?) John put his hand over his wife's and squeezed it comfortingly.

Mary sighed and nodded. "Bine."

With the boys, John and Dick were not with Zitka, they were sneaking around the compound, snickering (giggling, in Dick's case) and shushing each other repeatedly.

"No!" The shout startled the gypsy boys and they exchanged glances. John pressed a finger to his lips and Dick nodded once.

They stealthily crept toward Jack 'Pop' Haly's office, where there was Pop Haly and a strange man in a wide rimmed fedora, a dark blue suit, red tie and a toothpick in his mouth.

Dick shrank back into his cousin's warm embrace and buried his face in the elder's chest. This man was scary. And Pop shouted at him. Pop almost never shouted.

Pop clenched his fists. "I don't want your protection, Zucco, and I never will. I run an honest business here. Now leave." The man in blue, Zucco, growled and jabbed a finger in Pop's chest.

"You'll regret this Haly, mark my words. One of acts just might…disappear." And with that threat, he spun around and stomped out the door. As soon as Zucco was out of sight, Pop fell into his chair and covered his face with his hands.

Dick jumped out of his and John's hiding spot and rushed for the only grandfather figure he had ever known, John following after him slowly.

Pop started when the boys came into view. "What are you two doing here?" He sighed, placing Dick on his knee. John wrung his hands sheepishly. "Well, we were just running around the compound, and we heard you yell, so we came here because we thought you might be hurt."

Jack sighed affectionately at the boy's natural curiosity and ruffled John's hair, smiling gently.

"Don't worry boys, that man didn't hurt me. We're all fine." He chuckled as Mary and Karla's voices were heard, shouting for their sons.

"Go on now," he said, placing Dick back on the ground. "Go practice, tonight you'll be performing your best show."

Dick beamed. "Okay, Pop!" Zucco seemed banished from the eight year old's mind as he raced for his mami, calling for his cousin. "C'mon John!"

"I'll be there in a second Dickie-Bird!" The older ebony called back. As soon as Dick was out of earshot he turned to the old ringmaster. "Pop, about that man-"

"Don't worry John." Pop soothed. He placed a hand on the youth's shoulder and smiled comfortingly. "I'll handle Zucco. You just go practice."

John hesitated before nodding. "Bine, Pop."

Jack watched as the young trapeze artist ran over to his family and his smile dropped into a worried frown.

Gotham City, Connecticut

April 1st, 21:00 EDT

2005

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls, children of all ages! Welcome! To the Haly International Traveling Circus!"

Cheers sounded as Dick shook excitedly like he always did before the shows. Pop Haly was introducing the opening act, and him and his family were on in half an hour.

As Dick was peering through the curtains, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Somebody…somebody was around the trapeze rigs! It was the man who threatened Pop! As Dick started forward to investigate, he felt someone tap his shoulder. The eight year old whipped around, coming face to face with his amused mother.

"Come on now, Dickie."

"But-" he started to protest, but his mama shushed him.

"You need to put on your costume." She pushed him gently towards his father.

Mama and Auntie Karla had sewn them all new costumes, red, tight sleeveless tops with black leggings for the boys, and a red corset with black bottom leotards with mini-skirts for the women, all costumes designed with golden wings sewn onto their chests.

Dick had thought they looked awfully colorful, but when he saw the smile his mother beamed at him, he didn't have the heart to say so. Instead, he smiled at her and jabbed his uncomfortable-looking cousin in the stomach.

"Thank you Mami! The costumes are wonderful!" Dick said cheerfully. "Yeah, wonderful." John echoed, less enthusiastic.

Mary knelt down and clasped her son to her chest, embracing him. "Mama?" Dick questioned, hugging her back. "Are you okay?" Mami pulled away slowly. "Da pasăre mică, eu sunt bine. Doar-" (Yes little bird, I'm okay. Just-) she cut herself off.

"Da?" (Yes?) Dick was confused. This wasn't like his mami. She was acting strange. "Doar știi că te voi iubi mereu." (Just know we'll always love you.) Tata finished. Dick nodded and hugged his parents.

Soon enough, the moment came for the family to appear.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The Flying Graysons!" Pop Haly's voice rang out, and the performance began.

The Graysons performed daring stunts, flips and twists all around. As the net fell down from its posts, they laughed as they flew in the air, feeling the joy only known to them.

Dick's heart raced as he readied to perform the signature Flying Grayson move: The Quadruple Backwards Somersault! His family was the only people in the world who could do it. And he was the youngest.

Tension built up as Dick jumped, flipping once…twice…three…four times! Cheers erupted from the crowd as perspiration adorned his brow and he waved.

John, Auntie Karla, Uncle Rick, Mama and Tata swung to the platform of the center pole, waving along with the youngest of their troupe.

Now came the more dangerous stunt, doing that exact trick, at the same time, catching each other. It was more dangerous because they had to rely solely on each other. And only five of the six Graysons had ever performed it without a net.

Dick looked up hopefully ay his father. "Can I join in Tati? Please?"

And like every other night, he was denied. "Nu, fiule." (No, son.) Tati patted his shoulder. "Îmi pare rău." (I'm sorry.) Dick sighed and shrugged dejectedly. "It was worth a try,"

His cousin chuckled. "Don't worry, squirt." John messed up his hair. "You'll get a chance sooner than you think."

Dick laughed good-naturedly and nodded. "Noroc!" (Good luck!)

Little did he know, tonight, luck would not be on their side.

As Mama was reaching out for Tata's feet, Dick heard a quiet snap. He looked up to see the wired were snapping! They were going to fall! His eyes widened.

"Mami!" He screamed, pointing to the wires.

His mother's eyes widened in horror as she looked at the wires, seeing them snap slowly. Tati, Auntie Karla and Uncle Rick did as well. You could feel the air being sucked out of the tent. But John kept his eyes locked on his cousin –no, his brother- and he nodded, mouthing, 'Fly high, Prihor.' (Robin.) Dick could only reach out his hand and whisper, "no," as his family finally fell with a loud SNAP. And all was quiet.

Until a woman's scream was heard.

Everything was chaos after that. Dick kept his eyes on his family, climbing down the ladder uncarefully. There were limbs sticking up, bones jutting out, blood running from open wounds, but none of that mattered to the young aerialist.

As he reached the ground, stumbling to his broken family, people tried to catch him. He dodged them all easily, of course, and when he finally came within touching distance, he stopped.

His Mami's eyes, once full of life and joy, were empty and dead. He shakily reached out and closed her eyelids. A glint of light shone into his eyes and his hand dashed out, grabbing it and four others, stuffing them in his waist band.

As the realization sunk in, the eight-year-old slowly put his hand to his mouth and started crying. Then he placed his other hand over that one and started sobbing. His shoulders shook and his body trembled as images replayed in his mind.

Over, and over, and over.

He distinctly heard someone call nine-one-one, he knew people were watching him sob to high Heaven, he knew people started towards him, going to take him away from his dead family, but nobody had the heart to do it.

He started as something soft, slightly hairy and long placed itself on his head. He spun around to see his baby, Zitka.

She wasn't really his, heck, she wasn't even human. She was almost three times his age as well. Zitka was a twenty year old African Elephant, but she was there when he was born, peering in through the window of the trailer –the circus had been on their world tour and were in the middle of Romania, and very far from a hospital- and they had been near inseparable ever since. He was her baby and she was his. They adopted each other.

Zitka's dark brown eyes looked at him sadly. He trembled and wrapped his arms around her long trunk. She picked him up and rocked him gently. Sometimes, Dick liked to think Zitka was more human than elephant.

Too soon though, ambulances came to take away his family. He heard 'D.O.A.' being called out and men and women covered the bodied with blankets.

Dick jolted when he realized what they were doing. "Nu," he whispered. Then he started sobbing again. He heard footsteps coming up behind him.

A rough hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up with teary eyes to see a slim man with a kind face, graying brown hair, mustache and wire-rimmed glasses.

The man crouched down. "Son, I'm Commissioner Jim Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department. I need to ask you some questions." Dick nodded slowly.

Did he have any grandparents? No. Any more aunts or uncles? No, Mama and Auntie Karla were only children. Was he positive? Completely. After so many more, the questions ceased.

Commissioner Gordon had a sad look on his face. "Richard, I'm afraid you're going to have to live at an orphanage or a foster home. I may not know much about circus reputations in court, but I know nobody here would be able to gain custody of you. You can stay here for the night, but I'll come and pick you up in the morning."

Dick's cerulean eyes widened and he turned away from the forty-four year old man, hugging Zitka.

"I'll go pack my things." He murmured into her trunk. Before the commissioner could say anything else, the Last Flying Grayson sped towards his trailer, his home. The only home he'd ever known.

He changed quickly, stripping off his circus costume and putting on a blue t-shirt, a green hoodie, a black jacket, dark blue jeans and green sneakers.

He would have to pack light. Oh yes, Dick Grayson was not stupid. He knew he had no chance in the system. No matter how 'cute' he was, nobody would want to adopt him, the gypsy circus boy.

So he was going to run.

That man –that monster- Zucco…He was the one to pay for this. He was the one who murdered his family. Dick would find him. And he would kill him. He would make Zucco know what it felt like to have his heart torn out. Physically.

Dick packed food, a water bottle, his stuffed elephant, Peanut, a small blanket, a change of clothes, his circus uniform, money, and a picture. It was of him and his family, all happy, smiling, laughing, and waving at the photographer with grins adorning their faces.

Furiously wiping away tears, he stuck the picture in his backpack and zipped it up. He shrugged on the backpack and breathed. He was going to do it. He really was. He was saying goodbye to this life forever.

He looked around, clutching something in his pocket. Earlier in the circus tent, that glint that his eye was his mother's wedding ring. He had snatched it, his father's, aunt's and Uncle Rick's. He strung Mama and Tata's on a small yet strong chain and had done Auntie Karla and Uncle Rick's on another. The object he had taken from his cousin though, was a previously made necklace.

It was three years ago, a dog had come on campus while Dick was running around, hiding from his cousin whom he had pranked earlier and was mad at the five-year-old. The dog had brutally attacked him, but ten-year-old John had rushed in and saved him, punching the dog's teeth out and wrestling with it until one of the circus folk had heard the commotion and knocked the dog unconscious.

John had gotten bit and clawed severely. Luckily, the large dog did not have rabies and wasn't carrying any diseases or bugs, but the boy's arm and knuckles were pretty scratched up. John couldn't perform on the trapeze for two weeks.

Later that evening at the hospital, Dick, teary-eyed, had asked John why he had sacrificed himself for Dick when he was mad at him. The elder boy had given the younger an incredulous look and responded, "Why wouldn't I? Prihor, you're my cousin. If anything happened to you on my watch, I would never forgive myself. We may fight, but we're family. It's our job. Prihor, I'd never let that dog hurt you."

Dick had then collected the dog teeth and cleansed them with his tata's help. Then they had drilled a hole in the biggest one and transformed it into a necklace. He had given it to John for his birthday a week later, and the eleven-year-old had worn it ever since, after all, kids could boast about having a store-bought shark tooth around their necks, but cold any of them say they fought a dog and knocked its tooth out, that very same tooth around their neck?

Dick shook his head, relieving himself of the memory and placed all three chains around his neck.

He shut off the light and snuck out of the trailer.

As he crept towards the gate, he saw someone with their face in their hands. It was Pop.

Guilt overwhelmed him. He…He was leaving his only family left. He was leaving Pop, Zitka, all of the circus family. Even if he wasn't running, he would have to leave them all behind.

He exhaled once, bracing himself for what he was about to tell the old ringmaster.

"Pop?"

His only grandfather-figure looked up to see the young trapeze artist with a backpack slung over his shoulders. Dick's eyes were sad, angry, heartbroken and determined. Pop knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Pop, they're going to-"

"Stop, Dickie." Pop held up his hand. His old, tired and wise blue eyes looked into Dick's.

"I know you're going to run." Dick's eyes widened in shock, and Pop chuckled sadly. "You're a Grayson, son. And a Grayson can't be caged up like pets; they have to be free and wild as birds." He kneeled down and put both large hands on his small shoulders, expression now serious, "So you run, Dick. Run and I can only pray that I'll see you again, still as free as you are on the trapeze.

"Make a difference in this world. Make allies and friends, and be free, little Robin."

Dick did not wipe away tears as they did not drop out of his eyes and nodded. "Bye, Pop." And with that, he hugged the old man, and ran.

He snuck past all of the policemen and news vans and ran toward the forest the circus grounds were near. He knew the forest would lead to the Gotham streets, and that's where he would find people to find Zucco for him.

Dick's eyes hardened. He would do whatever it took to avenge his family, and he would do anything to make sure it happened.

Yes! I did it! I finally finished it all! HA HA HA! SEE THAT MA?! WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE NOW?! Okay, anybody who gets that, tell me in a review so I can mention you in my next chapter :) (I think I'll start doing that...hmm...)

Okay, so I know Dick's personality suddenly just switched. Like, he was all happy and then BAM! total angster. But too bad so sad, I only realized that five minutes ago and I really wanted to post this.

Yes, I may have dwelled a bit more on John and Dick's relationship than most people would like, but it's very important in here that he be so close to John. Believe me. (Well, maybe not VERY important but important to me!)

If anybody can give me hints on how to bring out my ideas onto paper, please, I'm all ears. Also, please tell me if you find a spelling mistake, usually I am very thourogh, but even the best make mistakes.

Anything else? Umm...Oh yeah! :D Review, Favorite and Follow!

Love you guys,

randomkitty101