Years had passed since his parents' death and the return of his memories of his past life. In those years he had been pushing himself because of worry for the future and the paranoid feeling he gets whenever he goes out outside when he's in Gotham, he is damn sure that someone is following him but he could never figure out who's following him or if anyone is actually following him and he never felt eyes on him once he left for his training.

He keeps his days busy with lessons and training, leaving him no time to be a child. He knows that Alfred is starting to worry, especially after he started doing some work for the company last year. Alfred did try to get him to have a little fun and maybe make some friends but it never worked.

No one is happy to have a child working but he managed to convince them to let him by pointing out he is the owner of the company and he needs to learn sooner or later and he wants to make sure the company will still be around when he's finally able to take his rightful place in the company. Of course, the work he was given is simple and checked but he isn't even annoyed.

The whole point isn't to learn how to run a company, it is to meet Lucius Fox. Lucius had just joined the company when he first started and lucky for him, Lucius was the one assigned to check his work and teach him. As a result, they got to know each other and Lucius is now one of the few people he trusts.

Getting to know Lucius as soon as possible is part of the plan. He knows how important the man would be for his future as Batman and his company so it's best to get him on his side as soon as possible. Which isn't that hard seeing as the man seems to like kids.

Once he's sure Lucius is a friend of his instead of an enemy, he sat Alfred and Lucius to lay out his plan to them. He isn't going to be like the Batman he knows, he isn't going to try to shoulder everything himself when there are people who can help him take on some of the load.

He remembers how nervous he was when he told them that he was leaving once he turned 18. He had kept his head down so he won't see their faces, worried that it would make him change his mind as he tells them the rest of his plan. To travel the world, looking for teachers to train him, take out the crime bosses in Gotham and clean the streets of criminals when he returns.

They listened to him without interrupting but it's clear to him, even when he wasn't looking at them, that they won't happy with his plan. They didn't want this for him and so they fought and argued, only giving in when they saw that he isn't backing down. Knowing that it's better to be there for him, helping him, than letting him do this on his own.

They won't happy and made it clear to him up until the day he finally put on the bat costume and went out on his first day as Batman.

And holy shit it was fun! Sure being shot at isn't his idea of a good time but scaring the crap out of the criminals more than made up for it.

He had planned what kind of Batman he would be way before he left Gotham to train, he worked on horror movies under a false name, studied urban legends from different cultures and learnt magic just to hit a hundred on the fear factor.

Fear is his main weapon against the criminals, that did not change even as super-villains starts coming out of the woodwork. He actually leans more into it as more of his villains appear as he waits for the day he comes across the Red Hood gang.

When the day finally arrived he did everything he could to break up the gang before they are even anywhere near Ace Chemical Processing Plant and succeeded, so imagine his surprise when Joker appeared. It's like a bad dream for him. He thought he had prevented Joker from being created but how wrong he was...

It just made him more determined to be there for his future children. He most definitely won't be winning the best dad of the year award but he's going to try his hardest to be there for them and make sure they know that they are loved.

Perhaps he was too focused on cleaning up the streets, he did not hear the news of The Haly Circus being in town until the very night of the Graysons' performance.

His heart drop when he heard the news and used his magic to teleport to where the circus was set up, not caring that he's in his civilian clothes, he was hidden by the shadows anyway so no one saw him teleporting.

He runs to the performance tent and entered through the back, greeting people he recognises as he passes them till he's standing next to Dick, watching his parents' last performances...

"Hi, Dick." Bruce greeted softly as he gently place a hand on Dick's head.

Dick look away from his parents and smiled brightly when he saw who was talking to him. "Bruce! What are you doing here?" He asked as he turn his complete attention to the man he had come to love during the time he travelled with them.

"It is good to see you again, Dick." Bruce drops to one knee as he pulls Dick into a hug, tightening the hug and moving one hand to push his face into his chest as his parents' high wire snapped and they fall to their death. "I'm so sorry..." He whispered to the confused boy as he pick him up and take off running before Dick's parents even hit the ground.

Travelling with The Haly Circle had not been his plan, but after leaving the League of Assassins and returning to America he managed to run into them and he thought 'why not?'. To this day he still doesn't know how he got the job as a knife thrower but he did. He has never been so glad that smartphones haven't been invented yet, while he's proud of his skills; he doesn't need videos of Bruce Wayne as a knife thrower all over the Internet.

He actually enjoy his time in the circus, he made friends, learnt new things and most importantly; he formed a relationship with Dick. But that also means he formed a relationship with his parents, they are lovely people...

"Bruce! Bruce, what's going on?" Dick's scared yelled snap him out of his trip down memory lane.

"Dick..." Bruce whispered as he stopped outside the tent. "I-" He feels his words die in his throat. Because how do you tell a child that their parents are gone? No one had to tell him, he saw them die... But Dick...he didn't. He had made sure of it.

"You're scaring me, Bruce. What's going on?" Dick asked as he push against Bruce's chest so he can look at him.

Bruce had no more reason to keep the boy blinded so he let him lift his head as he let his hand slide down so he can hold onto Dick more securely for his new position in his arms. "Dick..." He managed to whisper but luckily he didn't need to say anything else as a pale Haly run up to them.

"Bruce?" Haly is surprised to see the man but he has other priorities to worry about now. "How's..." His eyes flick towards Dick.

Bruce shakes his head. "He didn't see anything." He said as he set Dick down on his feet.

"What don't I know?" Dick demand as he looks up at the adults. "What aren't you telling me?"

Haly walks up to Dick and gently place his hand on his shoulder. "Come with me." He said softly as he lead the boy away to have a private conversation with him. He never wants to do something like this but he is responsible for everyone in the circle. He has to, even if he doesn't want to.

Bruce watch them walk to the side, just far enough out of earshot. He watches as Dick's confused face morph into one of heartbreak as he falls into Haly's arms and let out a cry loud enough for him to hear from where he is.

Tears form in his eyes and roll down his face for the boy he had come to love. He will never be able to fill the hole now in Dick's heart but he promises that he will do everything in his power to ease his pain and shower him with love. He will be there for him even if he has to forgo what little sleep he's getting right now.