Dick Grayson: Earth-24

I stare at the costume. Bruce wore it from his first night as the Dark Knight to the day he sacrificed his life to save the Universe from Darkseid. Or, at least one of the variations of the suit he wore over the years. It just happened to be the one he wore the day he died. If the world knew Batman was gone, Gotham City would go to hell faster than I could say "Holy crap, Batman!" I stare at the suit knowing that I had to step up to the plate and be Gotham's new Caped Crusader. Obviously, I don't want to. I've worked hard to distance myself from Bruce's shadow as Nightwing.

When I stopped being Robin, I still wanted to be a good hero, but not like Batman. The thing about Bruce was that he was willing to sacrifice more than his life for the sake of his mission, which meant sacrificing his friends, his family, or anything that was important to him, including me, Selina, and even Alfred. That's not what I wanted to be, but now I don't have a choice. The world will always need a Batman with all that happens in Gotham, but who would be good enough to wear the cape and cowl other than Bruce himself? Jason's too violent and out of touch with Batman's ideals, Tim doesn't have the drive that Bruce had, and Damian's far too young and immature, which left me as the logical choice. To be fair, it wasn't the first time I became Batman. I had to fill in for Bruce after Bane broke his back. I had to give up the name I made for myself to defend the city that made me the man I am today and spare my family of the pressure of being the Batman.

I look away from Bruce's suit and began to look back. I asked myself, "How did this happen?" "How did I get here?" I then turned to the other old suits that were on display in the Batcave. The Batcave itself is almost like a museum. There's old artifacts Bruce got from the likes of the Joker and others as well as the Batmoblie among other things. One of the coolest things in the Batcave is the suits that are on display. Everyone who had fought alongside Batman in his crusade in Gotham, including me, wore them. Some of them include my first Nightwing suit that made me look like Elvis, Barbara's old Batgirl costume, as well as Jason and Tim's old Robin costumes. But, the one that got my attention was the one I wore when I first started my life as a crime fighter; my old Robin costume. It brings back a lot of memories, but the first ones were painful to say the least.

My parents and I were a family of acrobats, and we performed trapeze shows all over the country. After I did my first quadruple flip, I became something of a child prodigy or boy wonder. My mother often called me her little robin, because it seemed like I could fly. I didn't like it at first, but that name would become so important to me later on. I was nine years old when we made that fateful appearance in Gotham City. When I was getting ready for the night, I overheard a mob boss known as "Zucco," wanted protection money from the owner of the circus, Jack Haly. When Mr. Haly refused, Zucco stormed out telling him that he would regret it. I was nervous, but Mr. Haly assured me that everything was fine. Being the kid I was, I took his word for it, but he was wrong.

Zucco and his gang of thugs sabotaged the trapeze before the show started and I had to watch my parents fall to their deaths before my eyes. I wasn't just overwhelmed by incredible misery that night, I had a sudden desire for revenge. I knew for a fact that Zucco was behind this, because the trapezes the circus had always used worked properly unless they weren't built properly. I had used so many of them, so it was easy for me to figure out that someone interfered with it. I wanted to find Zucco and give him a piece of my mind, but I couldn't without knowing where he fled of too, or because I had other things to worry about.

I didn't have any blood relatives other than my parents, but I often considered everyone in the circus to be my family. Even so, nobody there wanted to take me in since their lives were busy enough as it was and were already getting ready for the circus's next show in Central City. Even Mr. Haly couldn't help with his old age and ailing body. With nowhere else to go, I had to stay in Gotham and go to the local orphanage.

I should've known sooner that Gotham was no utopia when my parents landed on the ground. I could hear police sirens at least three times a day and gunshots at least once a week, whether it was from cops or thugs. There were often news reports of the Batman and his actions against the criminal underworld. That didn't give me a lot of hope, because I still thought Batman was a myth, like all people who didn't live in Gotham thought

I couldn't believe just how awful of a place Gotham was, and for all I knew, many in the city could end up having the same fate as my parents, and more kids would become orphans. Maybe Zucco would get away with even more murders. That's when I realized I had to do something if I wanted to save myself and help the rest of Gotham, but I still didn't know where he was. Until one day, I came across some gangsters. They didn't notice me, so I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation once I heard them mention "Zucco." I realized that these guys worked for him after one complained about not getting his pay from Zucco. I thought that if they worked for Zucco, maybe they knew where he was and may spill it out. It wasn't easy going unnoticed. I had to climb the ladders of nearby buildings to avoid getting caught. Fortunately, I got help finding Zucco's whereabouts in an unexpected way.

It turned out Batman had been following the gang of crooks himself, and once he figured out their connection to Zucco, he demanded to know where he was. When the mobsters refused to come clean, it turned into a fight. Although I was surprised to see that Batman was real, I couldn't let myself be heard if I wanted to know where Zucco was. During the fight, one of the thugs lost their gun, and it landed right in front of me. I was a little nervous, but I realized I had something to use on Zucco once I found out where he was. Finally, one of the thugs fessed up and told Batman that Zucco was in the abandoned bank in Burnley District. That was all I needed to hear, so I made like a bird and flew away with the gun in my hand.

Running to Zucco wasn't quick enough, so I decided to take a much faster route by jumping from roof to roof with my skilled acrobatics. It paid off, and I found myself at the old bank quick. What I wasn't expecting was for there to be more of Zucco's men along with him. I was outnumbered, but then I saw a large black car pull up with Batman behind the wheel. Once Zucco and his thugs saw who was there, another fight broke out with me watching it all. After things settled down, I approached Zucco aiming the gun towards him, but Batman stopped me before I would do something I would forever regret. He told me something that I will never forget.

"I know what you're going through Dick, but killing him won't change anything. You can never go back after you kill someone. He won't feel anything unless he faces justice, not revenge." After thinking for a few moments, I dropped the gun and let Batman hand over Zucco to the cops. He gave me a ride back to the orphanage in the yet-to-be-named Batmobile.

"You know me?" I asked.

He said, "I do. You're Richard John Grayson, but people call you Dick. I'm sorry about your parents, and I respect you for trying to take a stand, but you can't put yourself in danger like that.

I responded with "But isn't that what you do? You fight crime when nobody else will?"

"I've trained myself to be prepared for the mission, and I have the right resources too. I take it you don't have much."

"No."

"I would strongly suggest for you to stop, but it seems like I can't convince you."

I responded without having second thoughts with "I can't stop if this city's going to have more people that end up like my parents and leave their kids helpless." As we reached the orphanage, Batman told me one last thing before he pulled away.

"I may be able to help, you just have to trust me." Sure enough, he did.

A few days later, the owner of the orphanage told me they found someone to look after me, who turned out to be the son of Gotham himself, Bruce Wayne. Although I wasn't too thrilled with having someone take my Dad's place as a father figure, it didn't matter when Bruce showed me around his house. He opened a door in the appearance of a grandfather clock and led me to a giant cave that had the familiar dark car and bat suit. I couldn't believe it. Batman was Bruce Wayne, and out of all people, he told me his secret identity. Bruce explained how his parents were murdered in front of him when he was that young, and how he devoted his life training physically and mentally to eliminate crime. He offered me the chance to be his partner in crime fighting, which I quickly accepted.

Although I was already a skilled acrobat, that wasn't enough to fight alongside Batman. I spent months training in all forms of martial arts, stick fighting, conditioning, and detective skills among other things. When I was finally ready to join the battlefield, Batman presented me with a suit that looked similar to my old circus costume to suit my style of fighting. He then told me that I needed a name. After some thought I chose the name, "Robin," my mother's old nickname for me. The final thing I had to do before I got started was swear an oath to Bruce. We swore that we would fight together against crime and corruption, never swerving from the path of righteousness. Once I swore the oath, Robin the Boy Wonder was ready to take flight.

Bruce and I proved to be great force to be reckoned with, which led to the public giving us the nickname "The Dynamic Duo." There were good times and bad times, but we always managed to make things work no matter what was thrown at us. We overcame Two-Face nearly beating me to death after I disobeyed orders, Bruce's business with the Justice League often pulling him out of Gotham, and Bruce's feelings for Catwoman, which often let her get away with more crimes. Bruce was getting harder to deal with as I got older, but things got easier for me when Barbara joined us.

I first met Babs when we were students at Gotham Academy. Although there were plenty of hot girls dying to get my number that were fun to hang out with, Babs was the one that really got my attention, mainly because I have a thing for redheads. The problem was that she didn't feel the same way about me at first, as she thought of me as a player. She didn't really start liking me until she joined the crusade in Gotham. It wasn't surprising that Commissioner Gordon's daughter inherited his desire of justice and be the one that serves it. What did surprise me was that she was willing to join the vigilante life without me or Bruce's help. When it became obvious that she wouldn't stop, I helped Bruce train her, which left Gotham in even better hands. When Babs found out my secret identity, she was stunned that it was a kid in her class, but she admired how I was willing to help others to prevent them from ending up like my parents, but she still thought I was a player. Even so, we were sort of a couple, and I mean that we were an on-and-off couple.

Babs wasn't the only kid hero that I fought alongside with. Whenever another member of the Justice League needed help from Batman and I, or vice versa, I met a lot of their teenage partners. Some of them include Wonder Woman's sister, Donna, Green Arrow's ward, Speedy, Superman's cousin, Kara, and my best friend, Kid Flash. It was cool hearing their stories and how much I could relate to them. I was so glad I wasn't the only one who hated being called a sidekick. When the Justice League came under the control of an alien called Starro, me, Babs, and the rest of us had to snap them out of it and stop it without any help from the League. And with that, a new team of heroes was born; the Teen Titans, with me as the leader. We set up a base in California with the help of Batman and Green Arrow, where we could meet and discuss more missions.

While my presence with the Titans was starting to grow, I started to spend less time in Gotham with Batman. We started to argue more on how to do things and my place in his crusade. I was getting sick of being treated like a kid, because I wasn't a kid anymore. It came to a breaking point when I got shot, and Bruce tried to take me out of the field. That was when I finally had enough and decided that I could no longer be Robin if Batman wasn't going to treat me like an equal. Fortunately for Bruce, Robin would still be around when Jason came into his life.

I had planned to take a few months off from the Titans so I could decide what to do. When I told my team, they had some things to say, too. Wally announced he was leaving to attend college. Barbara announced the same thing, which would drift us apart for a few years. Supergirl announced she was going to join the Justice League, but before I left, she told me the story of a Kryptonian legend, called Nightwing. I was inspired, and with that, I got a new name.

Even though my older friends from the Titans had left, new ones came. Some of which included Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, but the one I was closest to was Starfire. She was the princess of the planet Tamaran, who was taken prisoner from another race. She managed to escape to Earth where me and the Titans helped her stop them. To my surprise and delight, she kissed me to learn our language, and that was the start of something special. I helped her get used to life on Earth and she was there to lighten up my day whenever I was moody. Sadly, our relationship didn't last.

Without telling my teammates, I went undercover as Deathstroke's apprentice in order to bring him to justice. The rest of the Titans were hurt, but none of them were more hurt than Kori. I would later know how she felt when I discovered that she had killed many her fellow prisoners in her time of captivity, and would still kill whenever the situation called for it. I had a strict rule not to kill, which somewhat drove a wedge between us. I didn't feel in love with her anymore, and it seemed like she was feeling the same way.

Things changed again when Alfred gave me a call that the Joker had shot Barbara and killed Jason. Although I wasn't hurting as much as Bruce was, I felt that Barbara wouldn't have been crippled and Jason would've survived if I was there to help. But I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore. Babs can walk again, and Jason's back from the dead, even if he's not quite the guy he was back then. When all that happened, I decided to leave the Titans for good, and Kori announced she would be returning to her home planet shortly after, which pretty much ended things between us.

I set up shop in the city of Bludhaven so I could still be an independent hero and be close to Gotham City if Bruce needed me. He eventually did when Bane broke his back and Gotham turned into a hellhole when the word spread among the underground. I was able to smooth things out with Bruce, form a bond with the new Robin, Tim Drake, and reconnect with Barbara. We eventually got engaged, but we're still waiting for time to tie the knot. Our lives as vigilantes make it complicated to squeeze a wedding in. It's even more complicated now that Bruce is gone and that the safety of Gotham now depends on me. Bruce's biological son, Damian has been quite the handful as the current Robin, and Selina just gave birth to Bruce's daughter, Helena. I hate that both of them will have to live their lives without a father, like me and Bruce did.

All my memories of being Robin and Nightwing just bring me back to here; getting ready to become the next Batman even if I don't want to. All I could do is remind myself what would happen to my family and Gotham City if I didn't do anything. As long as they're all safe, that's all that matters. It's not easy though. I kept wondering how I'm going to live up to Bruce's example and legacy. How am I going to be the Batman that Bruce was? I already knew he would give up everything he had for the mission, and I knew that wasn't me. I didn't know how I would live with myself if I became that guy. Then, just as I put on the costume, Alfred approached me with something in his hand.

"What's up, Alfred?" I asked.

"This is for you, Master Richard," he said.

"Master Bruce instructed me to give this to you if he ever died."

"What is it?"

"You may want to see for yourself." Alfred gave me something that looked like a batarang, but I could tell it wasn't since it didn't have the sharp edges. I noticed there was a button in the middle and I pressed it. Suddenly, a hologram appeared, and it was Bruce in costume. I realized that this was a recorded message.

"Hello, Dick. If you're listening this message, I'm dead. I may not be here to protect Gotham anymore, but I have faith that someone else can. If you're worried about being as good as I was, then don't. I always knew you could become better than me. I never found the man who killed my parents, and I was never the same afterwards. I helped you get justice for your parents so you wouldn't become the man I was. I hoped that if I put you on the right path, maybe you would still be able to have a happy life and be a good man, and I feel like I succeeded. I know Gotham would be in good hands if that type of person was defending it while I couldn't. I'm happy with what you've become Dick, and I would be grateful if it was you managing Gotham, but it's all up to you though. You make your own choices and have your own life. I realized that when you became Nightwing. But no matter what you do, I will always be proud of you as a hero, and as my son. Batman out."

After the hologram disappeared, all I could do is think about all the things he said. It was the first time my eyes had tears since my parents died. I never heard Bruce give me so much praise before, let alone anyone else besides Alfred, so that said a lot, coming from him. The tears in my eyes weren't sad ones though. The message didn't take all the weight off my shoulders but it really put a monkey off my back. If Bruce knew I could do it, so did I.

A few hours later, I intercepted a police message of a robbery taking place at the Museum. Duty called and I was ready.

"Hurry up, Robin!" I yelled to Damian as I was sitting in the Batmobile.

"Don't pester me, Grayson!" he responded bitterly as he jumped in. It was so weird seeing a lighthearted Batman and a serious Robin. Even more so that the colors of our suits didn't really match our personalities. It's going to take a lot of patience to deal with Damian, but Bruce took a chance on me, so I can't complain.

"You may be wearing the costume, but you have to prove to me that you deserve it, Grayson," Damian said.

"I'm okay with that," I responded. I never thought I would be taking care of Bruce's son, but I owe him everything. Aside from watching Gotham, I could make Damian a better person and give him a life far more enjoyable than the one he had with the League of Assassins. I know that's what Bruce would've wanted for him, which sounded so familiar. If there was anything else I could do for Bruce besides taking care of Gotham, guiding Damian would be it. I cranked the Batmobile's engine, and we were off.

"I won't let you down, Dad," I thought to myself as I drove out of the cave into the city. Bruce Wayne may be gone but the Batman lives on.