A/N: Forgot to mention this will probably have some Young Justice elements. Not many, but just a little bit to help mesh personalities and such. Don't forget to review! Thx!

...

Eight years ago

Haley's Circus

Dick Grayson cartwheeled along the balance beam, an ecstatic laugh escaping his lips. In a few hours, the circus train would take his unique family to the coasts of France, where they would take a ship to America for their annual United States tour. He had heard so many stories, and he had been practicing his English so he could make new friends across the Atlantic.

He was especially excited to visit his father's home city, a place called Gotham, and it was one of the first cities of the tour. Who knows? Maybe he would finally get to meet his grandparents? His Romanian mother had no family left, and so all of his relations came from his father's side of the family. And he only knew his aunt, uncle, and older cousin. Maybe his Tati had more family, and there would be kids his age to play on the balance beam with or better yet, fly with him in their performance!

The young acrobat flipped off the beam and happily trotted out of the giant circus tent, his mind wandering to how wonderful the trip will be and how he planned to sneak into the animal compartment so Zitka the elephant wouldn't be scared.

As he neared the his family's trailer, he could hear familiar voices arguing back and forth from within. Dick hesitated outside. His parents had never fought before, so why were they now?

"We can't do it, John. I can't do it," his mother stated, "I won't let them take him."

"I know, and that's not what I meant," his father replied, "But you and I both know that he's already showing signs, and his natural skill is far above that of any boy his age. The Court will take him if we don't do something soon."

"But they promised not to even approach him until the Change," Mary countered. What it was they were arguing about, Dick still didn't know. The boy leaned closer as his mother continued, "We can leave. Leave the circus, leave everything behind and escape them once and for all."

His father looked like he was thinking about it, "We could start over in America. The Owls don't have much of a standing on the West Coast, and I'm sure Dick would love California. Jump City is a nice and rather safe place compared to Gotham. But you and I both know that once it begins, they will never stop hunting him."

Dick frowned as his mother began to cry into her husband's arms, "He doesn't deserve this. No one does."

"I know," John agreed sadly, hugging her tighter, "I know. We'll leave after the Gotham performance and cross the country. Haley doesn't take the circus all the way to Jump. He'll be safe. I promise."

But they never got the chance.

...

15:17 PDT

November 29th

Titans Tower, California

Robin bolted upright, his breathing ragged and heart beating fast. Where was he? What happened? He sharply turned his head to scan for anyone else, friendly or otherwise. After a few minutes getting his bearings, Robin released a sigh of relief. He was still in the Titans Tower...on the couch...and still feeling like he got hit by a semi truck.

"Robin! You have awakened at last!" Starfire exclaimed as she flew over to him, "We were beginning to worry that you would not wake at all."

The boy wonder groaned and pressed a palm to his forehead, "How long was I out? What happened?"

"You have been asleep since yesterday," she began hesitantly, "but as for the cause, we still do not know. Friends Cyborg and Raven have been trying to find that out since you did the spell of fainting."

"The what? You know, never mind. I don't care," he shrugged and stood, making his way to the kitchen. Starfire, determined to make sure he didn't hurt himself again, flew over and picked her human friend right off the ground.

"Hey! Put me down!"

"You are unwell," the Tamaranean stated matter-of-factly, "and you must rest. I shall prepare sustenance for you," she resolved and dropped him back on the couch.

"Star, you really don't have to. I'm fine now," he argued nervously. It didn't matter how he felt, he wasn't putting any alien concoctions in his mouth as long as he was still conscious.

Starfire glared down at him with surprising fierceness, "The last time you said you were fine, you collapsed before us and would not awaken. I shall not allow you to do so again. But do not fear," she smiled cheerfully, "I shall ask for assistance in making Earth's food remedy for your ailments."

Robin resisted the urge to release the sigh of relief building up and settled for a nod as the alien princess flew off to find someone willing to help her make something. He shook his head with a small grin. If this sickness didn't kill him, his friends' coddling would.

It didn't take long for Starfire to return to the main room with Beast Boy in tow. The green changeling cracked his knuckles and started pulling out a bowl and other ingredients.

"One noodle soup hold the chicken coming right up!" he chimed and got to work. Robin couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend's vegetarian habits, but he decided to go with it.

"Just remember not to throw in any tofu, okay BB!" he added as an afterthought. The shapeshifter gave a mock two-finger salute, his back still to the older Titan as he continued cooking, Starfire hovering over the changeling with eyes wide with wonder.

With his friends otherwise occupied, Robin flopped back down on the couch. For once, he felt kind of lazy, and he was sure his teammates would prefer him to stay where they could watch him. He wasn't sure how long he would be able to put up with that.

The beeping from the computer distracted him from his lethargic mood. Robin grunted as he stood and made his way over to the keypad and selected the answer button. To his surprise, a familiar speedster grinned back at him.

"Kid Flash, hey," he greeted slowly but with a genuine smile. Ever since the two of them broke away from their mentors, they hadn't gotten to see each other as often as they used to. He, KF, and Speedy had been the first three sidekicks, and they had semi-adopted each other as brothers because of that.

"Sup, Rob!" Kid Flash grinned back with a signature wink, "Ready for your big day?"

Star and BB turned their heads at the question. What day were they talking about? Robin, on the other hand, shrugged.

"Eh, not really feeling the aster right now, KF," he replied while subconsciously rubbing a palm over his eye. He was beginning to hate headaches with a fierce passion.

"Beast Boy," Starfire whispered, "What is the feeling of the aster?"

"I have no idea," he answered, "I think it's some sort of code between them."

The ginger's happy grin fell into a concerned frown, "What's wrong?"

"Long story," Robin sighed curtly. The speedster's frown deepened.

"I'm gonna grab Speedy," he resolved before Robin could protest, "Bro time has been way overdue, and we need to get you feeling better before your b-day!" he added on a happier note, "Sick or not, it's gonna be the best party ever!"

"That's not necessary, KF," Robin waved nervously.

"Sure it is! Now you stay right there. Me and Red will be there before you know it!" he chirped and promptly ended the call. At the same time, Robin facepalmed.

Ten seconds later, the Titan elevator dinged and out walked two redheads. One was sporting an easy grin and chill swagger, while the other appeared unkempt and a little airsick. Neither looked like they noticed the Titans yet.

"Don't ever do that again, Kid Idiot," Speedy grounded out.

"Ah, come on, Red! You know how Rob gets when he's sick. He literally went back to using aster. Next thing you know, he'll be back to saying whelmed and chalant and all those other made up words!"

"Not my fault the English language makes no sense," Robin grumbled under his breath with his arms crossed. At the noise, both redheaded heroes glanced his way and approached him. Speedy dropped an arm around the leader's shoulder.

"How you feeling, Rob?" he asked in a rarely used big brother tone.

"You guys really didn't need to swing by. I'm fine," he protested.

"He is not fine!" Starfire declared, making her presence known, "He has been feeling most unwell since encountering someone he says came from a court of the owls."

Kid Flash choked on air, and Speedy's eyebrows shot up.

"Dude!" the speedster exclaimed, "Seriously?!"

Speedy directed the boy wonder towards the couch and more or less forced him to sit down, "Tell us everything."

Robin shook his head and whispered, "Not here. If you're staying the night, meet me in my room after everyone goes to bed. I can't talk about this with the others."

"Still can't trust others, can you?" KF muttered, earning a patented batglare in return.

"Secret ID stuff," he emphasized, "I don't have the green light to tell them yet."

"Oh," KF nodded apologetically, "Got it."

"One bowl of noodle soup!" Beast Boy interrupted, breaking through wall of protective gingers and giving Robin his food. Hesitantly, he took a sip and was pleasantly surprised.

"Not bad, BB. This is good stuff," he complimented and took another slurp with his spoon. The shapeshifter beamed at the praise.

"Soup, friends," Kid Flash listed off his fingers, "All we need now is the movie marathon!"

"Joy!" Starfire cheered, "I shall grab the others so we too may enjoy the race of movies!"

"Well isn't someone a little ball of sunshine," Speedy smirked, watching how Robin's masked eyes trailed after the hyperactive alien. Sensing his stare, the boy wonder shoved the archer playfully. What neither expected was for Speedy to fall roughly off the couch from the force of it.

"Hey! What was that for?!" he demanded. Robin looked mortified and balled his hands into shaky fists.

"Sorry!" he whisper-shouted, trying to keep Beast Boy's attention away, as he helped the archer up, "That's something I need to tell you two about tonight."

"Everything okay?" BB asked. The trio agreed hastily.

"Yeah! Speedy's just clumsy sometimes!" KF spoke up quickly, forcing a laugh. Not knowing any better, Beast Boy shrugged and continued digging out movies for them to watch. When the changeling's back was turned, Speedy shot Kid Flash a nasty glare.

"Clumsy? Really?" he deadpanned. KF held up his hands.

"Hey, it was the first thing that came to mind!"

"I always thought food was the first thing on your mind," Robin quipped softly and leaned back in his seat. His eyes had grown unnaturally heavy over the past few minutes.

"Guys...," he trailed off, "you can watch the movie...without me..."

"Woah," Kid Flash gasped, "I've never seen him go to sleep that fast."

Speedy, eyebrows furrowed in concern, lifted a hand to his bond-brother's forehead, "He's running a fever. Kid, grab a blanket and a wet cloth. Let's get him as comfortable as possible."

"I'm on it!" he saluted and dashed off.

Seconds later, Robin was sprawled out on the couch, a pillow resting his head on the armrest, a blanket covering over half his body, and a wet rag laying across his forehead and drenching his too-pale face. Speedy and Kid Flash leaned over the back of the couch as they watched him shudder in a fitful sleep.

"I don't like it," KF stated with a dark look none had ever seen on the normally perky speedster, "One minute he's fine, and the next he's out cold and sick as a dog. It's not natural."

"On the contrary," a monotone voice spoke up, "it's because it's natural that I haven't been able to heal him."

"When did y'all get here?" Cyborg asked. Speedy shrugged noncommittally.

Raven frowned at the new arrivals but did nothing to make them leave. Instead, she floated over to the comatose Titan and placed a glowing white hand to his face. Her eyes shone for several intense moments before fading away.

"I did what I could to alleviate some of the pain, but I can't do much more than that. At least he can rest a bit easier now," he said flatly, her voice not portraying how frustrated she actually was at how useless her powers were.

Robin had finally stilled, and his breathing slowed. Speedy and Kid Flash shared a look of concern as they watched their little brother sleep. But seeing as he wasn't going to wake any time soon, the two decided to find other ways to keep occupied.

"Got any eats?" KF asked and zipped over to the fridge before he got an actual answer.

Speedy gave an exasperated sigh and flopped down on the empty space at Robin's feet. Casually taking out an arrow, he began to sharpen it and mull over the situation.

"What can you guys tell me about what happened to Rob?" he asked without looking up.

The Titans, not aware of the closeness between the two guests and their leader, clamped up. No one had any idea how much they should share without making Robin upset.

"Look, I get it," Speedy grounded out, his focus never leaving that of the arrow in his hands, "You don't trust us. But let me tell you something. We've known Rob longer than he's known you, so the more you tell us, the more we can help."

Cyborg still looked skeptical. Before he could voice his opinion however, Kid Flash zipped into the group with a giant sub sandwich in his grasp.

"Yeah, man," he chirped between bites, "We've known each other since he was a kid. You can trust us."

"Chew first, then talk, Kid Mouth," Speedy rebuked, finally looking up from the projectile in his hands. The speedster made a show of exaggerating his bites before sticking his tongue out at the red clad archer.

The remaining Titans glanced at each other, debating what they should do. Raven, having known they were telling the truth after seeing glimpses of Robin's memories, stepped forward and explained the situation before anyone could tell her otherwise. Several beats of awkward silence followed after she finished.

"So do you know anything about the Court of Owls?" she asked, her voice never rising above its normal monotone. Speedy and Kid Flash shared a look.

"Well," Speedy began, "neither of us lived in Gotham, but we've all heard whispers. There's nothing really concrete about them. I do know they're real though."

"How can you be so sure?" Starfire asked.

"Cause it's the reason Rob left," Speedy stated. All eyes turned to him, and he shrugged, "I had been going solo for a while, and I had a small apartment in Central, trying to make ends meet. One night, Robin shows up outside my window. It was in the middle of storm! I couldn't just leave him out there, and we'll...he looked disconcerted."

"Heavy on the dis," KF muttered sadly.

...

02:46 CDT

2 years ago

Central City, Kansas

Roy Harper, aka Speedy, clicked the door to his apartment shut and unceremoniously collapsed on to the couch. Early in the night it had started pouring rain, and no one in their right mind would be out in such a storm. So he decided that he must have had a temporary bout of madness, because he had chosen to go out on patrol anyway. After a few hours of absolute nothing, he called it a night.

He groaned, knowing that he needed a shower and dry clothes if he didn't want to come down with something. But he couldn't bring himself to care. The increasing water bill was also good incentive to remain on the couch a while longer.

Roy sat up and pulled off his mask and hat. A hot bowl of ramen was sounding real good about now, but the sound of something tapping outside his window distracted him. One glance at the darkened glass and who was behind it emptied his mind of everything else.

"Dick!" he yelled and rushed to open the window. The shivering form of the acrobat fell into the apartment.

"Heard you moved this way," he greeted with a weak grin. Roy was not amused.

"What is wrong with you? My apartment is on the seventh floor!"

The boy wonder waved a hand dismissively, "Details."

Roy helped his friend and surrogate brother on to the couch, mentally apologizing for soaking it with his wet clothes. Now that he could get a better look at him, the dark haired teen didn't look the greatest.

"What's going on? Why aren't you with Bats? Are you hurt anywhere?"

The last question was one of habit. Both had been in the hero business long enough to get used to patching each other up every so often. Dick, or should he say Robin, shook his head.

"Not hurt. Just tired. I'm on my way to Jump City," he stated. Roy quirked an eyebrow.

"Jump? That's in California. Why are you leaving Gotham?"

"Can't stay," he replied, "Something's going on, and Bats has been trying to keep on the down low, even from me. He's worried, Roy. Someone's been making hits on both Robin and Dick Grayson, and I've been seeing people in white owl masks for the past few weeks. We think there's a connection, but Bats thought it would be safer if I skipped town for a bit."

"So he sends you off on your own?!"

Dick shook his head, "Nah, that was my idea. While Dick Grayson is sent off to finishing school in the UK, Robin and Batman have a big fallout, and the boy wonder officially goes solo."

"That's a big cover story," Roy mused, "But why Jump?"

Robin hung his head, "This going to sound so weird out loud," he mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face, "I think my parents were going to run away there before the incident."

Roy's eyes widened, "Dude, are you sure?"

He nodded, "It was a few days before we sailed to the US. I overheard them talking about leaving the circus and moving to the West Coast…and something about owls."

Roy watched Dick tap his chin in deep thought, obviously trying to make sense of the puzzle he'd been thrown into.

"But why would your parents want to leave the circus? I thought you all loved it there."

"I thought we did too. I still do," he answered in a low whisper, "It's all kinda fuzzy right now. I don't remember much more than that."

"Don't sweat it, Dick. You got this," Roy smiled and patted the acrobat on the shoulder, "Now, you go get a shower, and I'll fix us both a bowl of ramen noodles. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," he smiled back, locking his arm with the redheaded archer.

…..

"He stayed the night and was gone by sunrise," Speedy concluded, making sure his version didn't share either of their secret IDs, "And I found a stack of twenties on the kitchen table."

"Dude, Robin must be loaded!" Beast Boy exclaimed. Kid Flash and Speedy grinned knowingly.

"You have no idea," KF smirked.

"So he and his K'norfka did not part in anger?" Starfire asked. Speedy nodded.

"He said that to keep his cover. He was supposed to return to Gotham a few weeks after he left, but by then, he met you guys. And he felt obligated to stay."

"Besides," KF added, munching on a bag of chips that seemingly appeared from nowhere, "Bats never tracked down who was behind it, but I think he knew."

"Duh, he's Batman," Speedy deadpanned.

"How do you know he never caught them?" Cyborg asked carefully.

"Cause he told me so," he replied simply, "and he asked me to keep an eye out. Why do you think I suddenly popped up in Jump City? I had check up on my little bro."

"And I joined Titans East mainly to stay in contact with him," Speedy added, "After the whole apprentice fiasco, he needed to know someone he trusted could be reached."

"You know about that?" Raven asked, unable to hide her surprise.

Both gingers gave her a look that read "really?". The Titans, on the other hand, looked hurt.

"But Robin does trust us!"

"He trusts you with the small stuff," Speedy clarified, "The stuff that doesn't matter in the long run. We know the big stuff."

"Oh, yeah?! Like what?" Cyborg demanded.

"His room is soundproofed, right?" Speedy asked out of nowhere. Cyborg nodded slowly, not sure what he was getting at.

"Do you know why?"

The room was eerily silent. Kid Flash lowered his head, a dark shadow covering his face, "You've never had to wake him from a nightmare, have you?"

Again, his question was met with no answer. The speedster glared, "Thought so. I'll bet you've never even seen him out of uniform."

While the comment was made offhandedly, the small team realized that they never had seen their leader out of costume. None of them counted his apprentice suit…or his Red X suit.

"You are correct," Starfire said sadly, "It is clear that once again, he does not trust us as his friends."

"Hey, don't take it personally," KF reassured her, "Most of the stuff he told us before he found out he wasn't supposed to. And we've known each other longer. I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later."

"He might have to," Speedy added, "If this is all connected, then I think a lot of things are going to come to the surface. Come on, KF. Let's get him back to his room."

"We'll help," Cyborg piped up, and scooped Robin in his bulky arms. Everyone tried to ignore the pained grunt that escaped the Titan leader.

They didn't make it far though, for as soon as Cyborg took the first step, Robin flipped out of his grasp and landed in a crouch. His arm automatically pulled out and extended his bo staff, and he swiped it at his second in command, sending him flying backwards with a rod-shaped dent in his arm.

Robin blinked, the sleep evaporating from his eyes, and it finally registered what he did. He shouldn't have been able to throw his friend that far. He should have known who his "attacker" was before he reacted so violently. Baby blues widened behind his mask as he saw the gobsmacked expressions on that of his teammates. Guilt quickly became a dominant emotion.

"I…I'm sorry," he whispered.

And then he ran…….