Zucco's Revenge

Part 2: On the Edge of Nowhere

Dick Grayson climbed in the backseat of Mr. Sharp's car. He placed his backpack and suitcase beside him. Before Dick could settle into the seat, Mr. Sharp was gunning the car out of the long driveway to the highway and Gotham City.

'Jerk,' Dick thought. 'He's sure in a hurry to get me away from Bruce.' That thought nearly undid Dick. He had not cried since the loss of his parents. 'Since they were murdered,' he corrected. Being taken away from two homes, first the circus, now from Bruce felt like another loss. 'Bruce did say he would do whatever he could to get me back, to bring me home.' While Dick was looking out the window, he noticed something odd about the car door. He checked the other door and it was the same way. There were no door handles, and yet Mr. Sharp had opened the door from the outside. Dick then noticed other things about the car. There were no seatbelts, and it looked like there used to be a cage-like grate that divided the front and the back seat.

"Did this used to be a police car?" Dick asked. "And why aren't there door handles on the inside?"

"It's to prevent curious and snot nosed kids like you from falling out of cars," Mr. Sharp answered, annoyed that he had to play chauffer to this brat.

'Didn't even answer my first question,' Dick thought. 'Probably was a police cruiser, but why go to all that trouble to hide it and not add door handles?' Rather than risk another disrespectful reply, Dick asked, "Where are we going?" It was a legitimate question that he hoped Mr. Sharp would answer without being so negative.

"You'll be staying with a couple until arrangements can be made for your . . . future."

Well, at least he wasn't being taken to some institution, but at the same time it was going to be difficult for him to do his duties as Robin. Batman might need him, but he can't tell anyone about it because they might learn Bruce Wayne's secret identity. He was going to have to keep his costume a secret, and that wasn't going to be easy.

Dick watched as they drove through Gotham City to an area of town that was less than questionable. The house they pulled up to looked old and run down. It looked like it could be blown over in a storm. The paint was peeling and there were bars on the windows. An old theater was across the street, its sign above was broken and there was paint sprayed all over, some of it words that no one should repeat.

Dick didn't want to leave the car. Not that he was afraid, he wanted to go back home to Wayne Manor, but with Mr. Sharp tapping his foot impatiently, he thought it was best not to keep him waiting. They walked up to the front porch, Dick dragging his feet and his suitcase behind him.

"Get a move on, I don't have all day," Mr. Sharp stated impatiently, as if he had an appointment to keep.

Dick nearly flinched when Mr. Sharp knocked loudly on the door. It wasn't a gentle knock, more like an impatient pounding.

"What is it? We're not open yet," a man's voice shouted out, until he moved the curtain aside from the small broken window and his eyes grew wide when he discovered whom it was rapping on his doorframe.

"I have him," Sharp said under his breath, then cleared his throat. "I am Mr. Sharp. This is Richard Grayson, the boy I spoke to you about."

"Oh, uh, come in both of you," the man stated, changing his tune, trying to sound more like a gentlman.

"Is your . . . wife at home?"

"Wife? Oh yeah . . . she's in the kitchen. Molly, Mr. Sharp is here . . . with the boy."

Dick suddenly paid attention to the exchange. Something felt odd about it, as if they were expecting him specifically, but that couldn't be right. He never met the couple. Dick also noticed that the man was unshaven and he had a lot of tattoos on his bare arms and the undershirt he wore was stained. He didn't think they were from grease. Dick observed when a very slight woman emerged from the kitchen, she behaved timidly and nervous as a cat, as if she was scared of someone, her husband? If that's who this man really was, Dick doubted it. There was no wedding ring on either of their hands. Dick's eyes narrowed when he grabbed 'his wife' roughly around the waist and pulled her close.

"Come on honey, meet our new boy."

"Well, I'll leave you here to get acquainted," Mr. Sharp said, but the words didn't sound all that sincere. He also appeared to not like the situation. He knew something that Dick was missing.

"Well, come on in boy. We won't bite," the man said with a crocodile grin. "Mr. Sharp said your name's Dick Grayson. Well, we hope to change that soon, don't we Molly."

Molly didn't answer, and Dick noticed she was afraid of him. Dick made a mental note to have Batman check this guy out.

'Um, what did you say your name was?" Dick asked, acting a little more timid than he felt. His alarm bells were going off. He knew a con artist when he met one from his days at the circus. He learned how to spot them on the Midway. When he and his parents weren't performing their trapeze act, they were running one of the rides or one of the games. A few times someone would come in and try to sucker the customers playing the games. Dick's dad, John Grayson learned to spot the good ones from the bad. He taught Dick what to look for and had him inform Pop Haley. And this guy, the way he chose his words and the body language he was showing told Dick the man was no good. And the woman may not even be his wife. She gave him a look that spoke volumes, but what that was, Dick would have to find a way to get it out of her then inform Batman. Somehow, he knew this woman was in trouble, and he might very well be in the same trouble.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Name's Victor Crumb. After all, you're going to be with us for a long time . . . a very long time." The man gave Dick that crocodile grin once more. He turned to Molly and stated. "Show the boy to his room. I'm going out for a while."

"Which room with that be?" Molly asked, her voice meek and timid, as if she wasn't allowed to say very much.

"The first floor, in the back. After all, he's ours . . . for now. We don't want his tender ears to be shocked by our other guests."

'Or be seen by them," Dick added. Just where was he and why did Mr. Sharp think this couple wanted to adopt a boy, and not any boy, but Dick Grayson.

Continues with Part 3: A Sharpened Knife