Asuka02RedEva
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, Batman or any of the characters used in this story.
A/N: This story is going to change drastically next chapter...Gotham's in for some trouble and Bat Jr. has returned…
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Richard looked out the window as he rode in the Rolls Royce. Alfred was driving both Richard and Bruce to the civic center where the circus would be taking place. It was obviously out of season for a circus; however, the people of Gotham wanted to reward the children at the orphanage by having a fundraiser to support a worthy cause.
Of course, the words orphanage and circus being mentioned in the same sentence had brought back great memories for Dick. As Alfred pulled up to the entrance, he found himself taking a deep breath before stepping out of the car, carrying a few boxes under his arm.
"Thank you, Alfred," stated Bruce as he leaned down to talk to Alfred at the driver's side window, "I'll call when we are ready."
"Very good, master Bruce."
Dick watched Alfred drive away—he wanted to jump on the back of the car and wave bye to Bruce—instead he turned to Bruce, "Let's get the show on the road."
The two walked inside each with gifts in hand. Richard loosened his red scarf and unbuttoned his black wool coat.
"Well, let's see if we can find the donations table," commented Bruce, removing his gloves from his hand and putting them in his jacket pocket.
The two made their way through the crowded area; the aroma of fresh popcorn and hot salted pretzels filled the air. Clowns passed out sweets to the children—sticky candy apples and colored cotton candy, sure to rot their teeth.
A sign marked, "Donations and Contributions" caught Dick's eye as he tapped Bruce's arm, and motioned to the table with a smirk. All the good Bruce's height did for him...he apparently couldn't read…
The two made their way to the table and Dick smiled as he passed his gifts to Barbara, "Small world, isn't it?"
"Sure is. Well, you know me, if my dad signs you up for something you had better be there."
"Barbara, is your father here as well?" questioned Bruce, placing the gifts he had been holding onto the table.
"Dad couldn't get away from work sorry to say."
"Give him by best."
"Will do," she replied.
"I'm going to see if I can find Slade," began Bruce, "I'll see you when the show starts, Dick. Barbara, it's always nice to see you."
"You too Bruce."
Both watched as Bruce made his departure. Barbara arched an eyebrow at Dick, "So spill it—you? At a circus?"
"Yeah, well, it's for a good cause and all…and we were invited…"
"Hmm…I see…" she tapped the table with her pencil, placing her chin in her hand, her elbow already propped.
"What?" he asked, with a smirk.
"Nothing," she stated with an innocent smile.
The P/A system came on announcing that the show would begin in 5 minutes…
"I better go and find Bruce before he thinks I skipped out on him. See ya, Babs."
"Bye Dick," she let out a small laugh as she watched him hurdle over the guard rail and toward the arena seating, "He never was good at waiting in a line."
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"BB, come on! You're already a circus, so why do you need to watch one on T.V.?" complained Cy, wanting desperately to seize the remote.
"Hey, it wasn't my idea. Star wanted to know what one was. Robin would never go with her when it came to Jump City. And you know why she wouldn't go with us…" BB grinned.
"Oh yeah, because we're not—
"Friends! I have the popped corn and the chips of potatoes and the sticky brown bars of candy!" exclaimed Starfire entering the room and sitting down on the couch next to them.
"C'mon Raven, the circus is about to start," called BB.
"I'm fine," she replied, flipping the page in her book.
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Richard found Bruce and Mr. Wilson and took his seat.
"Hello again, my boy; I was just telling Bruce how good it was that you decided to join me."
"Thanks for inviting us Mr. Wilson."
"Oh please, call me Slade."
"I'd rather not," muttered Dick under his breath.
"Pardon?" asked Mr. Wilson, leaning toward him.
"I said, did you see that clown trip over that pot?" he shook his head in amazement, "Gets me every time!" smacking his knees with his hands and smiling like an idiot with a sweatdrop soon forming.
"I'm afraid I missed that…" commented Mr. Wilson eyeing him oddly and then smiling.
Bruce looked at Dick out of the corner of his eye, sitting in between the two he mouthed "Pot?"; Dick just nodded and smiled as his sweatdrop continued to grow.
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The ringleader stepped out and the show began…
All seemed to be going well for Richard; it was just the circus, nothing he couldn't handle…just chill out and he might even enjoy it…
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"How do they make the animals do all of those tricks?" questioned Starfire.
She had been asking 20 questions since the circus had begun and that was only 25 minutes ago!
"Sweet!" exclaimed BB, "This is my favorite part, the trapeze!"
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This was the moment where Dick was put to the test. He could see his family climbing to the top of pole, taking their bows and the show beginning…
Bruce watched Dick's reaction to the act, while Mr. Wilson clapped and commented about the wonderful display.
The performers were simply wonderful as they flew through the air with such grace and ease—the same grace and ease that his parents had once displayed to the city of Gotham. They called for the net to be removed for they planned to demonstrate a death drop. Each stood opposite of one another, bowing before their final crowd pleaser.
She jumped first, followed shortly by her male partner, when a cable was heard snapping. The girl had been able to grab hold of the high wire with both hands but there was no way for her to pull herself up and her partner hung onto the handle of the trapeze with no way to reach her.
At first the audience applauded, thinking that it was merely part of the act. Richard stood up, Bruce following…
There was no trace of the circus crew and the net had been removed. A scream rang out as gun shots were fired.
"I'm going to get help! Dick stay here!" yelled Bruce, having to shake him, "Dick...just stay here…I'll get help…" he ran off into the crowd.
Mr. Wilson was now standing, "What on earth is going on?" he saw an armed group of what appeared to be gang members.
Richard knew who they were; they were the Joker's men.
Another cable snapped…
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All of the Titans had stopped their munching.
"This is…"
"No! This is not how a circus goes Star!" cried BB.
Raven was now on the couch, all eyes glued to the T.V.
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Batman was no where to be found and as he heard the second cable break and the couple drop lower, he started to run. There were too many panicked people, he pushed to make his way through them.
"Get out of the way! Please, I have to help them!" his cries were absorbed by all the rest.
What could Richard Grayson do? As Robin he would have been able to use his grappling hook, swoop in and save the day. But Richard Grayson couldn't do this…so why bother? It was because her voice cried for help—she was slipping, there was no way…he searched frantically…
'The bleachers!'
It was a long shot but…
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"Where's the police? Somebody to help those people!" yelled Cy.
"Will no one rescue them?" questioned Starfire.
"Look!" ordered Raven, pointing to the screen.
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Batman flew down from out of nowhere and knocked down the gunman who had opened fire on the crowd. The audience was busy scurrying to the nearby exits. Batman was working on the armed henchmen.
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"This is Amy Walker, reporting for Gotham News. Batman has arrived, people are fleeing as gunmen have opened fire at the civic center here tonight. My god Stan, zoom in on that!"
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The Titans zoomed in as well…as they watched what appeared to be a young man using the bleachers to get through the crowd. But he wasn't jumping on them to get to the next, he was using them to launch himself past the crowd and flipping from the momentum they were giving him. He back flipped over the crowd when he hit the last of the bleachers and landed on the main floor, crouching down.
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Shots fired as Dick covered his head and stood up running toward center floor. Batman kicked the gun out of the man's hand and saw Dick running toward the two endangered performers, followed closely by another one of the Joker's henchmen. Letting his emotions get the better of him, he didn't mind his surroundings and was hit in the back of the head with a board and knocked to the floor.
The man lifted the board once more to knock Batman completely out when he was hit in the side as Batgirl made the scene.
"Thought you could use a hand," she stated, holding out her hand to Batman and helping him up.
"Thanks but no time for that! Help Dick!"
"Dick? Don't you mean Robin?" her attention moved to the display taking place on center stage, "He take his suit to the dry cleaners or something?"
"Just help him!" ordered Batman.
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"Yes! Batman AND Batgirl!" cheered Cy and BB in unison.
"What about them!" cried Star and Raven, pointing to the performers.
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"Stan look!" cried the reporter hitting him hard and moving the camera…
The camera zoomed in on a figure climbing the pole as a gunman closely followed right behind him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Dick kicked the man's hand, knocking his gun to the floor, and yelled, "Hang on! I'm coming!" to the performers. He continued to climb, reaching the top and standing on the platform as the man also stood up. Dick crouched down with his hands on the platform and swept the man's feet out from under him. The man was pushed off of the platform and fell, Dick winced, but there wasn't time for that now.
"God, please help us!" called the girl, trying to hold on.
Dick was now on his stomach, sliding out to her. "Hang on…" he said, reaching for her hand.
Still too far away…he couldn't reach her…
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"He's not going to make it…" stated Cy nearly biting his nails—if he had any that is.
"He's going to make it!" yelled the remaining three.
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"Oh my God Stan, is he going to make it!"
"How the hell should I know?"
"Stan! You can't say "hell" on the news!"
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"Almost there…just give me your hand…" he stretched to grab hold of her hand.
She stretched her hand out toward his but fell short and slipped.
"Once more, you can do it!" he cried, stretching his hand as far as he could, "Don't look down, look at me!"
She looked into his eyes and reached, just as the final cable broke…he felt her fingers brush up against his, his eyes widened as she slipped past his grasp.
"No!" yelled her partner in anguish, watching her fall.
Without a thought Dick jumped off the platform…
Batman watched as Dick fell after the performer, trying to push through the henchmen…
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Silence fell at Titans Tower…
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He grabbed her waist, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he searched for anything to grab a hold of.
"Hang on tight!" he yelled, the rush making it hard to think let alone speak.
He grabbed hold of the safety wire and gritted his teeth and let out a growl as the pull yanked on his arm, he felt it pop out of the socket. It was enough to give him what he needed though; he swung with the dislocated arm just enough to get them on the right track so that he could use the pole to project them—bouncing from one pole to the other—repeating the cycle until finally he landed on the main floor on one knee with the performer in his arms. Just as he heard her partner fall…
As he fell Dick couldn't even find the words to yell and when the world seemed to stop, there was Batgirl as she swung in and brought the man to safety on the floor.
He had never been so relieved…
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Cheers went out at Titans Tower as they watched the police arrive and take out the men in handcuffs; even the man who had fallen was taken out on a stretcher by the paramedics.
"Wow! They are amazing!" cried BB.
"Boo Yay! Did you see that guy? What about Batgirl saving that performer at the last minute?"
Raven and Starfire were only watching one guy as the camera moved in…
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The female performer held Dick's face in her hands, "Thank you…thank you so much…" she whispered, kissing his cheek, there were no other words to express her gratitude.
Dick watched as she ran over to her partner and wrapped her arms around him. Batgirl crouched down next to him, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You save her life, nearly get shot at, leave your suit at the dry cleaners apparently, and all you can say is, 'I'm fine'?"
Bruce came running onto the floor, "Dick! I told you to stay there! What were you thinking!"
Batgirl smiled and took that as her cue to leave; she shot her grappling hook and flew off.
Bruce was ranting, "God! You could have been killed with no—
"No, what? No suit? No weapons?" he whispered, "There wasn't time Bruce," he picked himself up, holding his arm, "Why the hell would the Joker's men be here anyways?"
"I have no idea but I'm going to find out. Are you with me? I could really use 'his' help."
"I…" he looked around, "He's in."
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From the shadows clapped Mr. Wilson, "Bravo Mr. Grayson, Bravo."
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"That Grayson is amazing!"
"Boo Yay!"
Raven looked to the others, "Isn't he a little too amazing? I mean, how he was able to help out Batman and Batgirl like that?"
"Agreed. He was very amazing," commented Starfire.
"Just like a certain boy wonder we know…" continued Raven, arching an eyebrow.
"You trying to tell me that you think that Grayson is…Robin?" questioned Cy, looking in disbelief.
Question marks danced around BB's head. "What? No way! Why would Robin be fighting crime without his costume or mask?"
"Maybe he doesn't want to be Robin anymore," replied Raven.
Now Starfire had the questions marks around her head, "Robin is not Robin?"
"Well, I'm sure that Cyborg has a name other than Cyborg, and that Beast Boy isn't Beast Boy's real name—seems kind of cruel for a mother to name her son that—so I'm going out on a limb here and thinking that Robin is just an alias," Raven further explained.
"I don't know Raven…I mean, Robin, some billionaire's son? Hey if it makes you feel better, I'll run a scan on Grayson first thing tomorrow."
"It would…" Raven looked over at Starfire who was watching the footage of the circus being played over.
As they zoomed in on the young man she merely stared, "Robin?"
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Thanks! Please R/R!
