Asuka02RedEva

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, Batman or any of the characters used in this story.

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They say that a person's identity is the face that he or she shows to the world. It shows who one truly is and it's what that person does with their identity that defines them…

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There had been no evidence to link what the Joker had hoped to gain by sending his men to the circus. It didn't make any sense and no other crime had been committed simultaneously; now both Bruce and Dick knew that the Joker wasn't playing with a full deck of cards, but even they could tell a set up.

"I just can't understand what the Joker had to gain by sending his men to the circus," stated Bruce, sitting in his swivel chair behind his office desk, his hands folded over his stomach.

"It's like he was trying to distract Batman from the real objective, but as we confirmed no other criminal activity occurred yesterday," began Dick, sitting on Bruce's desk, "Unless…"

Bruce arched an eyebrow, "Unless, someone set the whole thing up as a play; meaning that someone could have rigged the trapeze."

Dick rubbed the back of his head, "Which means that someone was watching our every move and…"

"You gave them the performance of a lifetime."

"Yeah, note to self: stay out of the spotlight."

"Alright, so we've pieced together the scenario, but was it the Joker who was watching?" questioned Bruce.

"I don't know, Bruce—not really his style—plus what did he hope to gain from it?" Dick sighed and shook his head, "I have a feeling that something wicked this way comes…"

The lights flickered as lightning flashed and the rain started to pour down.

"Must you always be right?"

-

"Alright, I've hacked into Gotham City's records," began Cyborg, he paused, "You guys may not like what you're about to hear. This guy doesn't have a very happy childhood…"

The Titans moved around Cyborg and looked on…

"Says here, that Grayson's parents are both deceased; he's the only survivor of The Flying Graysons."

"The Flying Graysons?" questioned Starfire.

"They were a family of circus performers, acrobats, to be more precise. Something went wrong the day they performed in Gotham and they fell—which left our boy Richard in an orphanage."

"Dude…," whispered BB.

"Well that might explain why Robin hates the circus," commented Raven.

"He was only 10 when he lost both of his parents and ended up in the orphanage because he had no other living relatives," informed Cyborg, "But he wasn't there long because Bruce Wayne adopted him and made him his legal heir. The thing is if Robin IS Richard Grayson then we know where he learned his moves."

"He's a natural born athlete," replied Raven, "Which would also explain how he was able to save those two from the trapeze."

"But guys, look at Richard Grayson's picture. I mean, our Robin has spiky hair," declared BB, pointing his index finger with his arm held high.

"Maybe he's been laying off the hair gel," commented Raven, shooting his theory down the tubes and watching as BB put his arm down.

"Other than that, he's clean. No criminal record, gives to charity, he's a regular boy scout," concluded Cyborg.

"It feels as though we are intruding on Robin's private life," began Starfire, "If Robin wants to share with us his past and perhaps his true identity, then the decision should be his."

"She's right Titans," stated Cyborg, "If our boy Robin wants to keep to himself then we should just leave it alone…not like he's in any trouble anyways…"

He shut off the screen…

-

The lights flickered once more as Dick smiled nervously, "You know…"

"Don't even say it…" Bruce interrupted and just sat in silence as the power went out.

"I didn't say it!" exclaimed Dick, waving his hands in self defense—all the good it did him though with the power out.

"But you thought it didn't you?"

Lights from outside caught their attention. Bruce turned in his swivel chair and stood up. "That's a lot of cars…"

Dick stood on the desk, "I'll say. You forget that we were having a party or something?"

"Not to my knowledge."

They could hear Alfred making his way through the hallway as the door bell rang.

"I'll get it master Bruce."

Bruce pulled a flashlight out of his desk and shown it on Dick, "Do you mind?" he questioned, waving the flashlight at him.

"No, not at all," he replied, jumping down off the desk, "…Hey Bruce…" he made his way over to the window.

"Yeah?"

Dick looked out the window and peered into the darkness, "Where have we seen those cars before?"

Bruce looked out the window, standing next to Dick, as his eyes widened.

-

"Coming," called Alfred as the doorbell continued to ring, "I do say, I am coming!"

Bruce and Dick came flying down the stairs, "Alfred! Don't answer the door!" they cried in unison, just as Alfred stood there with the door opened, he held his candle up to the visitor.

The candle flickered as a purple suit, white face, and green hair were made out.

"Can Batman and Bat Jr. come out to play?"

The door flew open as Alfred was knocked to the floor. In walked the psychopath in all his glory with his henchmen and opened fire on Wayne Manor.

"Alfred!" cried Dick, jumping over the banister and beneath the stairs; he held his arm and gritting his teeth reset it.

"Dick!" Bruce called, jumping with him and grabbing his other arm, "We've got to get out of here!"

"Bruce, we can't leave Alfred!"

"We won't…follow my lead…"

The Joker stood in the dark, his ghostly white face glowing, "Oh Batman, Bat Jr…come out, come out, wherever you are," he called in a sing song voice.

The two launched their attacks as Batman swept the rug out from under their feet, shots firing as the men fell. Dick leapt over to Alfred and grabbed him, "Alfred we've got to move!"

Alfred shook his head and realized what had happened, "To the stairs master Dick!"

Dick and Alfred hurried toward the stairs; the lightning flashed lighting their way.

"Bruce, hurry up!" yelled Dick, ducking as the ceiling above him was shot at.

Bruce was with them in an instant, helping Dick up the stairs with Alfred. They retreated back to the office and locked the door.

"How can this be happening?" questioned Dick, holding Alfred up.

"He knows Dick…"

They could hear the men coming, their feet approaching…

"Break it down boys," ordered the Joker, leaning up against the wall and watching.

They could only hear pounding in the darkness but they knew that the door was starting to give…

"Bruce, we can't fight them here."

"I know Dick…"

He walked over to the grandfather clock and pulled down on the pendulum; the clock moved to the side and revealed a hidden stairway. The Joker's men continued to beat down the door, "One more time boys…"

Dick hurried down the stairs with Alfred, Bruce followed closely behind as the clock moved back into its place. The two donned their costumes once more.

"Please leave me behind," whispered Alfred as Robin carried him over his shoulder.

"No way Alfred!"

"But young master your arm…"

"I don't care about my arm Alfred, I care about you!"

"It might be the only way to get out of here alive though."

"What! No way Batman, we're not leaving Alfred!"

"We'll put him in the elevator shaft, he'll be safe there; I've notified the police, they'll find him there."

"It will be alright young master," assured Alfred as Robin set him down gently in the shaft.

The Joker's men were in and almost upon them. Robin shut the door and pressed the elevator button sending Alfred to safety.

"Let's go Robin!" hollered Batman as bullets fired at them.

They made a run for it, running down the stone stairway, dodging bullets, and turned left when they reached the last of the stairs, heading toward the crime lab.

The Joker smiled as he pulled the pin from the grenade in his hand and threw it down the hallway, "Oops…" he said with an evil smile playing on his lips.

Batman and Robin came to the end of the hall; Robin reached the stairs leading to the batmobile first and saw the grenade land at the step below him.

"Aaah!" he yelled, losing his balance and falling forward, as Batman grabbed him by the waist and jumped pushing them both out of harms way.

"Robin run!"

The two ran down the stone path toward the batmobile as the Joker looked on from the edge of the hallway; the staircase had been completely blown away.

"Fire at will boys!" laughed the Joker pointing to the two caped crusaders.

A man smiled and shot a missile in their direction, the missile sailed past Batman and Robin as the batmobile burst into flames. Both turned down a connecting stone bridge, covering their heads as debris flew past them.

"Have they been working out?" questioned the Joker, "Oh, I must have the name of their trainer!"

-

Batman and Robin continued running, bullets upon them once more as the Joker's men were closing in—there didn't appear to be any end of them.

"Robin, get to the hanger!" Batman stopped running.

"What about you!" Robin yelled, turning.

"I'll be there in a minute! Just go!"

Robin ran as fast as he could go, his heart pounding inside of his chest. It was all gone, the Joker's men had taken the manor, his home, his life…he wanted to protect it but Bruce and Alfred were more important and getting out alive took priority.

Meanwhile…

Batman threw a handful of explosive balls toward the men, causing the stone bridge to crumble; he didn't stick around to see how many he had taken down.

-

Robin made his way across the stone bridge where the hanger would be at the end. Batman was taking the high road as he ran above Robin and jumped landing next to him.

"What took you so long?" questioned Robin, with a smirk.

"You know me, I had to stop and take in the sites."

The hanger was just up ahead and Batman had taken the lead, he suddenly stopped in his tracks as a man with two armed henchmen stood in front of him—their guns aimed at him. Robin came running toward Batman and stopped, coming face to face with Slade.

"Hello Robin, long time no see…"

Robin stood there in shock as the Joker and his men closed in from behind. Batman looked behind them to find the Joker with a loaded gun pointing at Robin. Batman turned and grabbed Robin with one arm and jumped off the bridge.

-

Slade and the Joker ran to the edge of the bridge and looked down to see the two falling. Batman held onto Robin with one arm and shot his grappling hook, catching hold of a ledge and began lowering them to safety.

-

"More resourceful then I thought…" observed Slade.

"When Batty and Bat Jr. are together, you can't leave anything to chance. That is why you must separate them, just as I have done in the past. Take out Baby Bat and Batman is a lost soul," explained the Joker, raising his gun and aiming it at Robin, his index finger on the trigger.

-

Batman let go of the grappling hook as he and Robin ran—running had become a second nature to Robin—they headed toward the watercraft to make their escape.

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"No!" yelled Slade, pushing the Joker.

The shot fired and bounced off the door of the craft as Robin was getting into his seat. Batman threw an explosive disc toward Slade and the Joker and watched as it exploded on impact; he quickly jumped into the driver's seat and closed the door.

"I want him alive, you fool!" Slade fumed, watching the Joker stand up.

The Joker brushed himself off and growled with anger, "You would be wise to remember to never touch me again."

-

Gun men opened fire on them once more using ropes to repel themselves down the cave walls. Batman wasted no time as he shifted the craft into gear and sped off threw the underground tunnels leading to the river.

"Robin do you know who that was back there?"

Robin looked down at his lap, "That was Slade, he's the biggest psychopath in Jump City and the reason why I came back to Gotham. To make matters worse, I think that Slade Wilson and Slade are one in the same."

"Robin that's ridiculous but we'll discuss it later."

"As always, later it is…is that later as in after we catch the bad guys or after they catch us?" he questioned, pounding the side of his fist against the inside of the craft.

"We're going to be alright. We just need to get to the tunnel on the other side of the river and come up with a plan to take down the Joker and Slade."

"And how are we going to do that? You and I both know that the Joker is a loose cannon and with Slade…and they know who we are Bruce, it's only a matter of time before they get Barbara too!"

"Why has he come to Gotham?

"We've got more important things going on here Bruce, the manor is gone, Alfred is probably lying in a hospital bed, and we've made the number one spot on the psychopath hit list in an hour! That's not good Bruce!"

"What is his reasoning, do you know?"

"Leave it alone!" Robin hollered, looking out the window trying to avoid the conversation.

"Just tell me, maybe we can use it to our advantage."

"…You want to know what Slade wants, well it's me…"

"What?"

"He wants me," he declared, turning back to Batman and straight at him, "He's been after me for months, he used some drug on me and it was so real, Bruce. I couldn't get away from him, he kept beating me no matter how hard I tried…"

"Whoa, slow down. Beating you?"

"Yeah, you heard me. I left the titans because I couldn't deal with what happened to me, alright? He just about killed me, if I hadn't stood up when I did he probably would have…" he turned away once more.

Batman couldn't let his emotions show, it would jeopardize everything, "Robin I'll—

"We've got trouble!" yelled Robin, pointing up ahead to a police craft blocking the way.

"STOP IMMEDIATELY OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO SHOOT" came the man's voice from the megaphone.

"Whose side are they on!" shouted Robin, his finger shaking in disbelief as he wanted to just pull out his hair and scream.

"Apparently not ours…hold on…"

"I shouldn't have eaten lunch…" whispered Robin, fastening his safety belt.

-

Barbara was sitting on the couch reading a book by candle light, waiting for her father to come home when the phone rang. She set the book down and went to the phone before picking it up, "Hello? Dad? Wayne Manor…under attack? Bruce and Dick are nowhere to be found? You think it's the Joker, and you found Alfred! The city's not safe. Sure Dad, I'll stay right here…" she hung up the phone, "Sorry Dad…"

She quickly ran to get her jacket before flying out the door to the hospital…

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Thanks for reading! Please R/R