The flashbacks are in italic and they are from 'The Batman' which comes on every Saturday at ten thirty on the WB 11. That said, I do not own the show or the scenes I use in this story…no profit is being made by me from these scenes…blah blah blah.
The reason I am using these scenes instead of creating my own is because I thought that the show did a spectacular job retelling robin's past.
"You have to know the past to understand the present."
---Dr, Carl Sagan
Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart and his friends can only read the title"
---Virginia Woolf
The morning sun rose in all its great glory, born from the ocean and elevating to the sky, each ray of light making its way to bring brilliance to the darkest corners. However, there was one place where the rays rarely lit though it put up quite a fight. The dark, navy blue curtains always shielded the room from sunlight, as if afraid to let such a strange substance through. Today, like every other day, the raging battle wore on but as always, the sun succeeded in sending weak, thin waves of beams through the curtains. It bathes the room in a hazy, almost ghostly way.
Kori's eyes fluttered open, her long, soft eyelashes tickling his chest and making him wiggle beneath her and groan in protest. They remained in their current position for a while with her head resting on his shoulder and her hand spread out over his chest. She felt his limp arm, which had fallen to the mattress as sleep overtook him, wrap itself around her waist once more. Kori moved her head upward, catching a glimpse at his clear blue eyes before they closed. His scent had washed over her and she found that, through the course of the night, their two scents had joined together to make a scent so erotically delicious.
Kori moved her leg from the haphazardly thrown position over his body into a more comfortable place, smiling when Richard protested again and with a sudden movement, he threw his leg over hers and wrapped her in his arms.
"Sleep," he muttered drowsily, lying on his side and burying his face in her neck. She giggled at him but honored his request. With him lying so close to her and providing such a comfortable pillow, she found it easy to let sleep over come her. A few glorious minutes passed between them and their breathing soon regulated in to a slow, rhythmic pace.
Suddenly, a loud, overexcited ringing came from somewhere behind Richard. With nerves of steel and quick agility, he jerked awake and shot his arm out, completely and utterly annihilating his alarm clock. It dropped to the floor with an angry clank but remained silent.
"Stupid, useless…"
His hands covered his face, blocking out whatever he wanted to say about the subject.
Kori laughed, lying on her stomach with her arms under. One fist tried to muffle her laughter but her jerking body gave her away. Richard turned to her; his eyes sparkling at her with predatory mischievousness while his hands slowly coming down from his face. He proceeded to kiss her naked back, the curve of her spine, the small muscles on her shoulders, and finally, he grazed his cheek against hers.
"Good morning, Richard," she whispered happily, the light in her eyes burning brightly.
"Morning, Kori," he answered back, his voice raspy and scratchy with sleep. He turned her on her back, settling himself between her legs and resting his head on her chest. They remained there with Kori scratching his head, in a way his mother used to do. Without thinking about it, he voiced this comment to her.
"Truly?" she said in surprise, looking at him as he raised his head. He nodded pleasantly at her.
"It's always lulled me to sleep."
Kori chuckled, letting out an 'oomph' as he rolled over her and landed on his side again, incredibly close to her body. He appraised her strangely for a couple of minutes, something she didn't notice since her eyes were closed. There was a small smile on her face, the same one he had last night as he had fallen asleep.
Contentment flew in the air, surrounding them and becoming one with them. She had willingly accepted him last night and he realized that as much as he knew her, in fact, she knew very little about him. And yet, she had unabashedly, without as much as a second thought, given herself to him. She didn't know a thing about his past; she had been satisfied with knowing only his name.
The idea that flashed through his brain set off a chain of thoughts and emotions he did not want at the moment. One side of him (that sounded oddly like Bruce) told him that she had no real reason to know all that stuff. Why let her know his burden? Besides, if she found out what happened to him, she would be incredibly saddened. On top of all that, what if someone tried to get this information out of her head? What if, god prevent it, Slade got hold of her and tried to find out who he was or worse, who Batman was.
That's when the other voice joined the one sided conversation. Kori would never reveal who wither of them was. On top of that, he would make sure Slade didn't touch a hair on her being, much less use her. She had trusted him with her burden, why shouldn't he?
"Richard!"
He jolted back into reality. Kori was looking at him with strange eyes, half worried, half amused.
"You have returned to Earth?"
"Huh?"
Kori frowned, wondering out loud if she had gotten the expression right. Richard assured her that she had which made her smile in pleasure.
"I was just…thinking."
Arguing is more like it.
"What about?" she asked him gently, tracing his face with her fingertips.
He hesitated but only for a moment.
"Well, you kinda reminded me of my parents," he started, holding her hand for courage, "My mother used to do that every night so I could fall asleep. My dad used to tease me about it, telling me I would have my girlfriend do the same when I was older."
That got Kori to laugh.
"Guess he was right."
Chuckling, Richard agreed.
"What do your parents do?" she asked, the innocent question traveling in the air for a while. She was about to ask it again, perhaps thinking he had zoned out again when he answered.
"You remember when you went to the circus?" he asked her, and she nodded excitedly.
"You remember the acrobats you saw there?"
Another excited nod.
"You don't mean to say, you and your parents were acrobats?!"
Richard chuckled at her excitement, certainly glad she was lightening the somber mood he was about to put them in.
"I always thought you were so much like them, Richard. Fearless, agile, and so bendy…"
He chuckled again, certainly not expecting that last comment.
"Yes, well, it was a short career."
"Why?" she asked, genuinely surprised.
He sighed, noticing his palms were sweaty. He took a moment to think about the irony of his sweaty palms; jumping off seventy story buildings never got him to sweat but there were only two things that got him this way.
His past and his present: Kori.
"Well, my dad was the manager of the circus and we had just come to Gotham. It was supposed to be my big unveiling, the newest addition to the Flying Graysons…that's what we were called. But on opening night, a man came to visit us. His name was Tony Zucco…"
His face was long and pointed, like a horse's. His eyes were unlike anything he had ever seen before; one blue and one brown. He had a toothpick caught in between his lips, moving it around nonchalantly. When he spoke, Richard felt his spine shiver with dread.
"Looks like the circus is in town."
He introduced himself as Tony Zucco and extended his hand toward Richard, who knew better than to take it. From that moment, he knew that this man was a bad person. His father had taken charge of the situation, pushing young Richard back to his mother. She was as frightened as he was but he had no doubts in his father. He would kick Tony out of the circus, no matter what he was trying to sell.
But things took a turn for the worst. When his father had denied the 'protection' offered, Zucco revealed his true colors. His brothers had made sure to point out what the protection was for. For the first time in his young life, Richard felt truly frightened. When his father, a strong and well-built man was knocked out, Richard made sure he was ok before calling the police. Zucco appeared to be the kind of guy who liked to talk so calling on his cell phone for help, in secret, was not a hard thing to do.
"I'll be blunt with you John," Zucco slithered, "I don't this circus or your family can afford not having our protection."
Richard had always had brass, even as a young child.
"Funny…'cause I think we can."
Zucco had turned an amused look toward Richard.
"And what makes you so sure about that…Sonny?"
"I called the police five minutes ago," he had answered brusquely. And to his surprise, a deep, dangerous voice behind Zucco added,
"And guess who intercepted that call?"
It was the Batman.
"Please, who is this man of bat I hear so much about?" questioned Kori, a small frown forming on her face.
"Well, he's kind of like us, a superhero except he doesn't have any super powers. He depends on his wits and gadgets to survive."
"Like you," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, like me…"
The Batman proceeded to beat the living lights out of Zucco and his brothers, who hastily escaped while one of the brothers stood and fought. As Zucco ran out of the circus, Richard turned to glare at him. It was one of those moments that never fade. Zucco's strange eyes looked back with the same hatred but purer, more real than a child's version of hatred.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion and his glare burned a hole in Richard's eyes.
His father had returned as had the smile in his mother's face. The danger forgotten, Richard turned to see one of the most famous superhero of all time. He smiled, a real smile that Batman would rarely see after that moment.
Batman smiled back.
"How awful, Richard," said Kori emotionally, "Your mother must have been so scared."
"She was," agreed Richard, "But as my father always said, theshow must go on."
The circus was alive with people and excitement. Children laughed joyously, the parents were glad their children were so happy, and the circus folk, always so cheery and content, prepared for the opening. Fireworks exploded in the air, announcing the show was about to start and in one of the tents, a family stood by.
Out of the shadows, an ironic statement of things to come, a boy came out, wearing a costume made out of primary colors and his discontentment was evident on his face.
"Is there a reason why this costume has to be so…colorful?"
His mother had walked up to him and smiled, kneeling to look at him straight in the eyes.
"Because when I see you up there, Richard, you make me think of a little Robin."
Her hands had touched the R insignia gently, with the gentle touch of a mother. Richard had not thought of it that way…not back then anyway.
"Ughh! A robin! Like the bird? You know, kids my age get beat up for nicknames like that."
They had joked around, a warm feeling had settled into his stomach and though he was never frightened by the prospect of flying through the air with no real safety, he felt a bit of nervousness like he had never felt before. Still, he had labeled it 'before the show jitters' and left it at that. With his father's bear hug and his mother's kiss, he had happily climbed the stairs to the podium high above the audience.
Kori laughed, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Go on, Richard."
Though Richard had lived through this and knew what was coming, he couldn't help but be happy that she was so content at hearing his story. He hesitated, then, to tell her the rest. Surely, her present mood would not last after he continued. But he went on, thinking it was unfair to lie to her.
"Our routine usually consisted of a couple of daring acts but the most daring was that we did all of it without the safety of a net…"
"…I present to you, the fearless Flying Graysons!"
The audience cheered and roared, the excitement living in the very air. The lights shone on his parents and they unrobed, proudly showing off the costumes his mother had made for them. With a loving look at his wife, his father had dived into the air, twirling until he grabbed the next trapeze and swung around the air. A thunder of applause came from the crowd. His mother had gone next, smiling as she lifted her head to look at her husband and join hands. This was their life. This was their joy.
"And now, the youngest member of this amazing family."
The light shone on him as he proudly prepared to take his robe off. Suddenly, his ears had caught a god-awful sound. Looking up, he watched in horror as the lines securing the trapeze shook violently and finally came loose. This was not supposed to happen. Forgetting his turn was next, he let go of his robe. His eyes watched in pure terror as his mother swung toward him, her hands extended toward her son and gasped, fear swimming in her face. His father's eyes widened as did her mother's as her extended hands continued to reach for him.
"Dick…"
His clear blue eyes had seen them fall through the air they had trusted so much. His clear blue eyes had seen them hit the floor. His clear blue eyes had filled with tears as his mother's voice kept replaying in his head.
"Dick…"
His father's eyes had widened.
"Dick…"
Her mother's extended hands would always reach out for him.
"Dick…"
His heart had plummeted viciously from his chest down to his stomach as their bodies made contact with the ground.
"Richard…"
His eyes opened, looking at Kori's ashen face through watery eyes. He blinked a couple of times, focusing his gaze on Kori. Her eyes were filled with tears and a couple of them remained dangerously balanced on the tip of her nose and on her nose's bridge, as if frightened (by his story, perhaps) to drop down to the pillow.
"No, don't cry," he said quickly, panicking at the sight of such sorrow on her face, "It was a long time ago…"
"I am so sorry, Richard…so sorry…"
Kori continued to cry but she tried her best to stop, doing her best to stop the tears from falling. But is seemed impossible; it was as if her body was acting on auto-pilot.
The tears would just not stop.
Richard did his best to wipe them away but more fell in their place. Kori's tears did not help his own feeling, like he was about to burst as well. She must have noticed a trembling of his lip or the tears forming in his eyes for she shook her head and willed the rivers from her eyes to stop.
"Well, after my parents' funeral, I found out I was going to be put in an orphanage. An orphanage is just a home for children who no longer have one."
He paused there, in fear she was going to start crying again but when she didn't, he felt it was safe to continue, "It wasn't so bad there. I mean, the food wasn't all that great and the beds weren't super comfortable but…I had a roof over my head, you know?
A month or so later, I was adopted without even knowing I was being adopted. A man named Bruce Wayne had agreed to take care of me and I found out he had been the one that paid for my parents' funeral. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the biggest house I had ever seen in my life…"
"Welcome home, Dick."
It wasn't long 'till he figured out that Bruce was rarely home. Alfred, their butler and probably the only true friend Richard had made up to that point in his life, had told him that Bruce's job kept him so busy. Richard often wondered what job could be so entertaining that Bruce would miss so many meals. Days went by without properly talking to his foster parent and in those days, he would entertain himself by playing video games. As more days went by, he found a new hobby.
Annoying Alfred out of his mind.
Being born an acrobat, Richard couldn't bear being cooped up too long. So, he would swing from all the fixtures in the ceiling he could get his hands on. He destroyed lots of expensive lamps, chandeliers, and staircase structures as he grew up. Anything to pass the time.
But one day, as he slept on the couch facing a beautiful, almost life-like painting of his parents (having been awoken by yet another nightmare that would never truly stop) he heard a loud noise coming from behind the chair. Richard peeped around, his curiosity getting the better of him. The old butler came out from behind the old clock and even through the din fire's light, he could see the elevator that stood there. Making sure he made no noise, he remained sitting there until he was sure Alfred was gone.
He jumped at the opportunity for mischief and discovery.
He pulled on the clock's hand and before he knew it, the elevator's doors shut and he was being taken to some underground part of the mansion. When he stepped out of the elevator and took a quick look around, he had no doubt in his mind where he was.
"Wow, wow, wow! Batman…"
As if answering him, the Batman had arrived. Richard quickly hid, hoping the Bat wouldn't find him. But as he turned to confirm this, he met face to face the Dark Knight.
White eyes narrowed at him, as Richard's would do in the future and took off his mask.
"Who was it?" asked Kori excitedly, the tears gone from her eyes though she seemed to be cautious around the things he told her. She had learned her lesson.
Bruce Wayne, multi-millionaire and playboy extravagant was really the Dark Knight. And he had figured out who had killed Richard's parents. But worst of all, he was going to be the one to go after him.
"No. That's for me. I wanna make sure he gets what's coming to him."
His voice had been so serious, so haunting that it made Bruce raise his eyebrows in surprise. Perhaps at the deadly edge of his words or how much Richard reminded him of himself.
Whatever it was, Bruce did not allow him to do so. But Richard had his own ways to figure out where Zucco was.
"If I find Batman, I find Zucco."
With a little trial and error, he found Batman and was eager to go after Zucco. But how? Batman had his little Halloween costume, where was his?
Then it hit him.
"…you remind me of a little Robin."
His mother's harmonious voice stayed in his mind as he donned on his costume, adding a cape and mask for flair.
Soon, he took off into the sky.
He found Batman in a bad position and having knives thrown at you wasn't the most comforting thing in the world, especially when one had just been thrown at your face. Richard quickly cut a bag loose and sent it flying to intercept the knife. When he jumped down to the ground, he made sure to give Zucco the beating of his life.
"So Batman's got family too. Cute."
He was sure he impressed Batman with is ability to kick major ass, especially since he was a rookie. Richard was also sure Batman saw how uncoordinated he became when angered.
"Didn't your parent ever teach you any manners?"
Zucco's words had angered to no belief and he had lost his cool. His first butt whoop. Not cool. Thankfully, he had Batman to save the day…as he would for years to come.
When Zucco had fled in panic, it was then the Batman realized just how similar and yet how different they were. Something, no doubt, they would experience in the future far more often.
"Nice save but I thought you wanted Zucco to get what was coming to him."
"Well, he did, didn't he? Justice."
And that's when he knew. It was their sense of justice that separated them. It was too far away to see it now but they would soon find out just how far Batman was willing to take his own version of 'justice' and how much Richard could stand it.
But for now, new beginnings were forming.
"I've thinking, Dick. I'm not sure Bruce Wayne has what it takes to raise you properly."
"Yeah, I kinda noticed he's never around. But if not Bruce Wayne, what about the Batman?"
A pause, perhaps to consider the possibilities.
"We'd have to give you a name."
His eyes widened slightly as he touched the insignia on his chest. His mother's voice, so sweet and gentle, came echoing through his head.
"How about…Robin?"
"Like the bird?" came his surprised response.
"It's a family name."
Kori giggled, her timbre sweet enough to get him to smile as well.
"I've always thought it was because of your birthday."
Richard cast a surprised look at her face.
"You know when my birthday is?"
Kori nodded, looking like a child caught in the act.
"When Beast Boy found out Raven's birthday, I asked him to find out what was yours. I am only sorry to say we were in Tamaran during March twentieth and I was a little preoccupied…"
"Oh… you know, I hadn't eve thought of that."
Kori smiled, pulling at his hair once more.
"I am glad you told me all of this, Richard. But why?"
"Why?" he repeated, his eyes burning through hers, "I thought that maybe it was about time you knew a little more about me."
"I am glad," she said simply.
They lay on bed, silent and simply breathing each other in. But all good things have to come to an end and this, unfortunately, was one of them. A glance at the broken clock told Richard what he dreaded.
"Time to get up?" Kori asked, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"Yep."
Groaning, she got up and looked around for her clothes. Unwilling to…reuse certain clothes, she put on her shirt and skirt and decided to carry the rest of her clothes in her hands. She stuffed her underwear in one of the boots and stuck her tongue out at Richard who had been watching her as she changed. With a swiftness known only to him, he pulled her back against the pillow and kissed her senseless. Though he was also dressed by then, he could feel her hands itching to undress him once more.
"Kinds frisky, aren't we?"
She giggled against his lips but nodded shamelessly.
Deciding it was best to not keep teasing each other, they stood a distance from each other as they got ready. When every piece of clothes was in the right place, Richard put on his mask and Robin appeared. She smiled at him and stole a kiss on the cheek, before they stepped out. Once the doors opened and the two of them steeped into the hallway, things changed but only slightly.
"I shall see you in the Common Room, yes?"
He nodded at her, tugging at her hand to land another kiss.
"Last one," he promised.
The day went on without a hitch; everyone was busy in one way or another. Robin had brought his laptop out and was, once again, furiously typing away, as if possessed. Cyborg had busied himself installing new equipment into the T-car, something he hadn't done in some time. Raven had gone to her room to meditate with Starfire and Beast Boy had been left alone to watch his all-time favorite TV drama: Jack of all Trades.
Starfire floated in the air, a feeling of pure contentment. Her very aura was exuberant with energy, pulsing endlessly through raven's mind.
"Jeez, Star. Happy much?"
"Oh, so happy."
"Really? Couldn't tell."
A pink ripple waved around. A giggle.
"Any reason?"
A blue cloud surrounded them, enough to hide Starfire from view. Could it be a blush?
"Robin and I made love last night."
Through the blue haze, black lighting passed through.
"Kinda noticed by all those emotions you two sent out last night. You guys are way too cheesy."
"Oh but the cheese was wonderful," she retorted, a pink atmosphere surrounding them again, "It was sooo much better than what I imagined."
"You imagined?"
Another blush.
"Quite a bit, yes."
"Nice."
She fell silent for a second, actually enjoying the feeling of contentment coming from Starfire. Perhaps because it had been so long since she had felt it. Strangely, it calmed her from all the feeling she was having.
"Did you use protection?" asked Raven suddenly, their auras surrounding each other closely, something she never did with anyone unless she had to--- no one except Starfire, of course.
"Protection?"
"Oh man…"
Raven's aura became murky. Starfire could hear and feel the dread in her but she wasn't sure why.
"What does 'protection' protect you from?"
Raven came close to Starfire again, trying to explain what a condom was.
"Well, the guy wears a latex covering on his…penis so the…semen won't pass through."
She finished lamely, feeling her natural body blushing from head to toe. Just because she was Queen of the Darkness didn't mean she wasn't a teenage girl and that the words penis and semen didn't have the same effect as when Beast Boy heard the word boobs.
She turned into a tomato.
"Oh! That's all right," Starfire said happily, "Tamaranians do not need it. I have found that earth women have a monthly cycle where you menstruate, yes? Well, Tamaranians have something similar. Every two years, our own lining sheds but instead of blood, it dissolves into our blood stream and we give off a certain…smell that arouses men. This way, more men are attracted to us and we are able to conceive quicker."
"You can only conceive every two years?" Raven asked, surrounded in a purple aura.
"Yes, this is why our smell is so important during that time. It attracts males by the dozens."
"Does Robin know about this?"
"Um…no."
Shaking her head, Raven laughed suddenly. Starfire's aura let a cloud of confusion go by.
"I'm going to have so much fun with him about this…"
Starfire laughed but was a little frightened as well. Raven's way of fun was dark and macabre, not exactly what Starfire wanted to hear. After a moment, Starfire had the courage to ask a question that had been bothering her.
"I feel you are a bit confused about something. Would you mind telling me?"
Raven turned to her for they were very close now. Their emotions bounced off each other, creating waves across the space they were in.
"Teenage things."
"Such as?"
Raven hesitated. She always felt she could confide in Starfire but how could she when she herself didn't know what she was feeling. Hell, it was bad enough that she was feeling something.
"Is it between you and Beast Boy?"
Surprised, she nodded numbly at the haze figure of the girl. While Starfire was enclosed in a light violet cloud, Raven kept herself in a navy blue haze. However, for this conversation, she eased her hold on the bubble she had created for herself.
"I am sure there's something there," she started bluntly, the confusion evident on her voice, "But out of all people…why him?"
"I am sure we don't get to pick who we fall in love with, Raven," commented Starfire gently, adding, "Besides, what is wrong with falling for Beast Boy?"
"I'm not falling for him but there's a certain…attraction. And do you not know us? We're vastly different from each other."
"There is a saying in Tamaran that is similar to one I have found here on Earth. It is that opposites attract."
"That's just cheap bullshit one believes to not question the stupidity of liking your exact opposite."
Raven scoffed, shaking her head. Her aura was starting to overwhelm Starfire and Raven retracted herself a little.
"Let talk about something else…"
"No, please, continue."
"No, I shouldn't burden you with all this…"
"What are friends for?"
Sighing, Raven paused. Allowing herself a few minutes to compose herself, she started once more, a lot calmer.
"He's annoying, I'll never deny that but--- he also doesn't care that I am the way that I am. He enjoys the times I threaten the sanctity of his behind. He actually looks for me so we can fight… he doesn't care that I push him away 'cause he always comes back. He looks for me, you know. He goes out of his way to look for me."
"And you are frightened to feel for him?"
Raven breathed out heavily.
"You know what happens when I feel. The world goes boom."
Starfire was about to speak when they were interrupted, by the very person they were speaking about.
"Guys, trouble!"
Beast Boy's voice.
"It's Control Freak."