Summary: Dick discovers the family secret.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./1800 EDT]
Dick soon grew tired of exploring the manor grounds by himself. He wasn't allowed to ride Tornado alone or climb to the top of the oak tree or explore the grounds near the cliffs that overlooked the Gotham River. He wasn't even allowed to play among the dozen or so gables on the manor roof.
At times it felt as if Bruce and Alfred were wrapping him in a protective layer of bubble wrap to keep him from falling and hurting himself. He knew that they were just worried about him, but still. He was used to having relatively free rein at Haly's Circus to run around as he pleased, exploring, climbing, and getting into mischief.
Of course, being a professional performer, he knew his limits and the boundaries he shouldn't cross. He never approached the animal cages without permission nor climbed any of the apparatuses without a spotter—especially the trapeze and tightrope. If he had, Dick wouldn't have had to worry about falling and killing himself. After his dad was done with him, he would've wished he were dead.
Thinking of his dad brought back a sudden onset of grief. Before long, he didn't want to be outside in the dazzling sunshine, among the chirping birds, swaying trees, and fragrant garden. He needed to be somewhere dark and gloomy that accurately reflected his mood.
He returned to the manor, going in through a side entrance. Walking slowly through the labyrinth of darkened rooms and long, echoing hallways, Dick tried not to think about Bruce. He found himself missing his guardian, wanting to talk to him. Despite Bruce's obvious awkwardness in the whole comforting others department, his somewhat clumsy efforts nevertheless made Dick feel better. In fact, the last time Dick had suddenly found himself missing his parents again, Bruce happened to be in the room with him…
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[Sun., 15 Jun/1630 EDT]
They had been playing a game of chess, something that Bruce and Dick discovered they had in common. Dick explained that his parents had taught him how to play. It was a favorite pastime of many of the circus performers, and oftentimes during brief layovers, the whole troupe spent a few hours holding mini chess matches, arguing over brackets and whatnot.
Dick had smiled at the happy memories as he regaled Bruce with some of the performers' antics during their chess matches.
The clowns would invariably replace pieces they'd lost by making new ones suddenly appear out of thin air, much to the amusement of the onlookers and annoyance of their opponents. Of course, the one season that Zatara had joined them, the clowns found it impossible to get away with this. With a simple wave of his wand, Zatara spoke backwards and undid the clowns' work.
The jugglers, on the other hand, would keep spinning plates and other objects balanced perfectly at the end of a stick with their hands, their chins, and even their mouths, moving their chess pieces with the toes of one foot—while remaining balanced on the other.
The Graysons usually played together as team. His mom would stand on his dad's shoulders, and Dick would stand on hers. When it was their turn to move, Dick would leap off his mother's shoulders onto his opponent's and cartwheel across the chessboard. As he swept past it, he'd move the chess piece. Of course, it was when his mom made her move that the onlookers were really impressed. Dick would leap high above his parents' heads, and do a triple spin while his mom vaulted from his dad's shoulders.
As her feet touched the ground and she reached to move the chess piece, Dick landed back on his dad's broad shoulders. When his mom was done with the move, Dick leapt and did another triple spin as she cartwheeled and vaulted back onto his dad's shoulders, this time landing in a handstand. As soon as she achieved a perfect form, Dick landed, seated cross-legged on her feet. Then on the count of three, they would reverse—ending with his mom once again standing on his dad's shoulders and Dick on hers.
Despite their crazy antics, no one ever lost track of the games. Chess was taken very seriously by the players, as were the standings in their brackets…
After happily describing their chess matches to Bruce, Dick inexplicably remembered that today was Father's Day, something he'd been trying all day to forget. As abruptly as he recalled the significance of the date, he was just as suddenly hit by a powerful wave of aching loss. For the first time, he realized that he would never participate in another game of chess with his parents and circus family. Before he knew it, he could feel the tears threatening.
Without even realizing how it happened, Dick found himself gathered in Bruce's strong arms, seated on his guardian's lap, and feeling somewhat comforted and secure.
Bruce didn't say much; he just held him and let him cry, offering him a tissue with which to dry his eyes and wipe his nose. Finally, he'd rested his chin on Dick's head and said, "It will get better, buddy. I promise. Maybe not today or even tomorrow. But someday…"
They'd stayed that way for the rest of the afternoon, the long shadows creeping into the study signaling the dinner hour…
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[Sat., 4 Jul./1830 EDT]
Reaching the door to Bruce's study, Dick knocked tentatively. Bruce's office was one of the few rooms that had been placed off limits at all times with no exception. The only time he was ever allowed inside was if Bruce or Alfred invited him in. Otherwise, he was never to enter.
He recalled that this was where Alfred had led Lucius and figured that he'd find them there. When no answer was forthcoming, he hesitantly pushed the door open. Surprised to find no one there, he searched the rest of the usual places: the kitchen, the den, and the washroom. Checking the front of the house, Dick saw that Lucius' car was still parked there.
"That's funny…I wonder where they went."
Shrugging, Dick decided to wait for them in the family room. Much more casual than the formal den, the family room boasted a media center that included a 100-inch flat screen 3D-HDTV with surround WayneSound-4, the latest in sound systems from WayneTech, and hi-tech goggles that functioned as 3D glasses—also a WayneTech product. The remote control doubled as a game controller.
There was more amazing tech available, but so far that was all that Dick had had the chance to become familiar with.
Donning the 3D-goggles, he got comfortable on the lounger and turned on the TV. He scanned through the channels, pausing at the local 24-hour Gotham News Network (GNN). He checked everyday to see if there were any new leads on Zucco's whereabouts.
This time, something different caught his attention. News from Central City was just reaching the East Coast. Apparently, the country's heartland had been invaded by a real life, living, breathing alien from outer space.
"Whoa…get a load of that monster," he whispered, awed. In the next breath, he scowled, rolling his eyes. "A starfish? How lame! And Starro? Lame-o is more like it."
However, in the next moment he was sitting up straight in the lounger.
"Hey, is that Batman? He is so cool! But, I didn't think he came out during the day…" If that were the case, then the world must be in big trouble. Gotham's Dark Knight was rarely seen in the middle of the day. The next instant, Dick jumped out of his seat—was that a flying triple spin-split kick that Batman had just executed? "No way! That's the move I taught Bruce!"
The GNN anchor's voiceover could be heard narrating the video footage: "The Batman, Gotham's local hero, was seen in Central City today. The Dark Knight, along with several other super-powered heroes, was battling Starro, a strange, non-terrestrial creature, allegedly bent on world conquest. By midday CDT, Starro already held several thousand Central City locals under its thrall, as well as the majority of the 'Super Friends.' The starfish- shaped spores, seen here in the video attached to their victims' faces, are how Starro reportedly controls them."
As Dick watched, the Caped Crusader struck several of the starfish's zombie minions with enough force to send them flying out of camera range.
"The Batman was last seen rendering several of the victims unconscious and removing the starfish spore from one…"
"Bruce…?" Dick whispered. It couldn't be…his guardian couldn't be Batman. Could he? It would explain a lot of things. Why he was always called away at the last minute or late to his games and meets or…had wet hair at 2:00 in the morning, as if he'd just showered…
…Because Batman had just gotten back from his nightly patrol?
"And in local news…sources inside the GCPD report that Anthony Zucco—This instantly caught Dick's attention!—suspect in the double homicide of circus performers, John and Mary Grayson, is believed to still be in Gotham City. Viewers are urged to call the GCPD major crimes hotline if they have any information that may lead to Zucco's capture. Cpt. James Gordon, head of the major crimes unit, warns that Zucco is armed and dangerous and should not be approached."
By the time the reporter signed off, Dick was shaking. Zucco was still in Gotham. After all this time, his parents' killer was still close enough to be caught. Did Bruce…did Batman know?
Dick thought about this revelation for a moment. Bruce was the World's Greatest Detective after all. Of course, he must know.
But if he knows about this, then what about Mom and Dad? Bruce was there that night.
Is it possible that he had known or suspected that the circus was being targeted by Zucco? What other reason would Bruce Wayne—no, Batman—have had to be there that night?
But no…That had been the night of the big charity performance—an important event that had been sponsored by the Wayne Foundation. So, okay…Bruce Wayne had had a legitimate excuse to be there. But, had it just been a ruse? Had Bruce been there so that Batman could investigate Zucco?
"Did he let Mom and Dad die?" he whispered. He started to shake, a cold feeling spreading form the pit of his stomach. "No…he wouldn't." He wanted to believe it wasn't true, but how could know one way or the other. Only Bruce would be able to answer his questions, but he was busy saving the world from a giant starfish-shaped alien.
Whatever happened next, Bruce wasn't here. Like always, he had more pressing matters to attend to—like saving the world. He didn't have time to waste on some charity case. What was it Dr. Cunningham had called Dick?
"…Circus trash…and a gypsy, no less..."
No, Tony Zucco had murdered his parents and ruined his life. Zucco owed him and Dick intended to collect. He was a Flying Grayson, and Graysons were known to leap into danger without a net. It was up to him to find Zucco and bring him to justice.
As the last of the Flying Graysons, Dick would do what he'd been born to do: fly without a net or a catcher. He didn't need Bruce or Alfred or Batman! He'd show them. He didn't need anyone!
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[Sat., 4 Jul./1900 EDT]
Meanwhile, several feet below the manor's thick foundations, Bruce and Lucius analyzed the Starro spore's makeup. Working tirelessly together, they found that it was comprised of an alien nano-technology, made up of literally hundreds of microscopic robots that were absorbed into the host's bloodstream upon contact. On Earth, the technology was so cutting-edge that Wayne Corp was only now beginning to explore its many possibilities.
Once they knew what they were up against, the two brilliant minds behind WayneTech's many innovations worked tirelessly to find the creature's weaknesses. After several more hours of experimentation, subjecting the spore to different scientific tests, Lucius discovered that the alien had two.
First, the nanites had a weakness to cold. When exposed to conditions that mimicked the extreme cold temperatures of the South Pole, the nanites were rendered inert. Second, Starro's giant eye was the creature's most vulnerable point and should be their target.
Going to Cave's souvenir case, Batman removed the freeze gun he'd taken a few short weeks ago from Mr. Freeze, following his latest escape from Arkham. Batman and Lucius worked not only to adapt the freeze gun to the Batwing but also to have it shoot a concentrated flash-freeze beam at Starro's giant eye for at least 30 seconds.
It had taken the small spore less than .001/seconds to succumb to the cold beam. When multiplied by the size of the Starro creature, which was comparable to a three-story building, Lucius calculated that it would take a minimum of 25 seconds of concentrated fire to subdue the monster—30 seconds to be on the safe side. Batman had only one shot, so he had to make it good.
Once they had finished the necessary modifications, Batman climbed onboard the Batwing. As he closed the cockpit, he looked out at his two oldest friends.
Lucius nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Good luck, young sir," Alfred murmured. "Godspeed."
Batman touched two fingers to his temple, giving them a farewell salute.
The two loyal friends watched until the Batwing disappeared into its designated exit tunnel. They could see the telltale runway lights blinking on to indicate that the jet had entered the passage, and then off less than a second later, as it flew past.
The men stood a moment longer, until they heard the sonic boom in the distance, indicating that the supersonic stealth aircraft had cleared the Cave and was already on its way back to Central City.
Wordlessly, they headed up the staircase that led back to the manor, knowing that all they could do now was wait.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./1915 EDT]
Determined to do something useful to bring his parents' killer to justice, Dick hurried down to Bruce's office. Ignoring the off limits rule, he didn't hesitate this time, walking right inside. He made a beeline toward the desktop computer on Bruce's executive desk and turned it on.
The opening screen remained blank except for a prompt for a username and password. A smirk suddenly came over his usually innocent face. One of the few times Bruce had summoned Dick into the office for a conference with Mr. Palmer, regarding his rapid math advancement, Bruce had been unexpectedly interrupted by an important phone call.
While he usually had Alfred hold his calls, Alfred had stated that "Mister Kent insists it's urgent, sir." Bruce had rolled his eyes, muttered something that sounded like Kent always insists everything's urgent, but took the call anyway.
Apologizing to Palmer and Dick, he moved to his desk and spoke quietly on the phone. Meanwhile, Palmer walked over to the floor-to-ceiling antique bookcases and perused the extensive library collection in the study. Dick propped his chin on his folded arms, which were resting at one end of the desk. Small for his age, Dick was barely chest-high to the desk, but resisted the urge to vault onto its glossy surface.
Still, he watched his guardian's deliberate actions with undisguised curiosity. This wasn't the first time that the mysterious Mr. Kent had interrupted them. Dick wondered who he was and why he annoyed Bruce so much.
Bruce said, "Kent, you have impeccable timing. I'm in the middle of something important. Can't this wait?" He sighed. "Of course, not. Wait a minute, while I call it up." Bruce tapped his computer mouse to wake his system, which had timed out. He quickly typed in his username, btwayne_0219, and his password.
Of course, the password only appeared as a series of asterisks.
Dick grinned. He'd watched and memorized the keystrokes as Bruce had typed them that day. He didn't do it for any nefarious reason; it was just something that he could do. Like his athletic gifts, his ability to observe his surroundings closely without conscious effort, came naturally to him.
He'd watched askance as Bruce had typed in his password: Time_1047PM. Dick had seen that was the time permanently set on the grandfather clock in the study. He realized that it must be significant, but didn't know why.
He shrugged. If Bruce had wanted him know, he would have told him; however, since he'd never trusted him with Batman, Dick doubted that Bruce would ever trust him with this information either. It didn't matter now. He wouldn't be around here much longer anyway. Logging onto the system, Dick was delighted when the computer was ready to give up its secrets...
"Yes!" He fist pumped in triumph.
A half hour later, he was almost ready to admit defeat. The encryption program that protected the hidden files was the most complex he'd tackled since Bruce had given him his first laptop. Sitting back, he glared at the steadily blinking cursor.
It's mocking me, he grumbled. It knows that it holds all the cards, and I've got jack. Stretching his back, he cracked a few vertebrae, stood up and worked loose a muscle cramp. Staring at the clock as if looking for answers, he got an idea.
Turning back to the computer, he started from scratch, using the time on the grandfather clock as his opening gambit against the encryption program. To his amazement, the program accepted the numbers and suddenly began spewing out a heavy volume of code. It stopped after several hundred lines, scrolled by quickly, and prompted for the next part of the code.
Unsure, Dick took a chance and typed in the numbers that were part of the username, 0219. His efforts proved successful, and this time after the lines of code scrolled past, the screen opened and a bat appeared before him.
"Whoa..."
End of Part 7
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Acknowledgements: Some ideas and dialogue borrowed from Batman: Dark Victory #8; All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder #9; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100; Gotham City map/points of interest from Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins #1; The Brave and the Bold #28; BTAS: Robin's Reckoning S2E2; The Sandman #1.
Additional Notes: A special thanks to my betas—Beth and Ellen. And I'd like to extend an extra-special thanks to everyone who's taken the time to review the story—especially the repeat reviewers. Your words of encouragement are very much appreciated. Also, I've enjoyed receiving personal messages from some of you. It's always nice to make new friends. Finally, I hope you keep on enjoying the story.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to DC, Time Warner, and CN; this is an original story that doesn't intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome.
Copyright: October 2012