Disclaimer: All Hail DC comics and their awesomeness! for they have made a story of woah! I merely wish to borrow some characters from them from time to time.

YAY! Thanks everyone for being patient and waiting until now! Because of your patience, and your awesome comments regarding this one, there is a sister story paralleling this one for his team in Earth16! And... I'm up to chapter 17 writing this one, and 7 on the other one. Check out 'Where's Robin?' for details. *grins* so there will be quite a few more updates from me, Plus a few hiccups because i'll need help with different parts. Feedback is my lifeblood. See bottom for details.

Rambling's done. READ DANG IT! READ ROBIN'S TRAUMA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

Without Me

Ch. 2 - What I can figure

Robin was having a hard time pulling himself together. All around him were familiar faces, people he's known well for the past five years.

He met Superman first; Clark had taken him flying and told him stories so many times when he was little. Flash was next; his nephew Wally was his best friend. Then Green Arrow with Speedy; they were always near by when he really needed help, and he helped their relationship whenever he could. The rest of the League soon followed. Hal taught him the basics of flying an aircraft when Batman wasn't around. King Orin taught him strategy in case there was a war, but also told him of the wonders of the sea. J'onn used to laugh at the silly games and puns he'd make to protect his mind from psychics while they ate Oreos. John told him about architecture and about the Marines. Diana gave him a good review on political battles along with mythology, giving him a respect for her people. Dinah was one of his teachers with his team, listening to his emotional problems when he actually admitted he had them. Red Tornado couldn't be seen in the room.

And then there was Batman.

There weren't enough words in the world to describe everything the man had taught him, meant to him. Bruce took him in when he needed him most. He wasn't the best parental figure, but he did what he could. He had officially adopted him not too long ago, having been his ward up 'til then. They had grown close, so close there was no denying they were family. Dick kept his family name, but allowed Wayne to be added onto official documents now. He loved his second father almost as much as his first.

And yet in this room, despite knowing each and everyone of these people so well he thought of them as family, not a single soul knew him. Not even Batman.

The emptiness filling him was familiar, but back when his parents died in front of him, he still had a family around him. The circus just didn't have the legal power to take him in. Bruce did, and helped him make a new family. Now that family, every one of them, looked at him as if he was a complete stranger. They never looked at him like this before. They had all heard about him before meeting him, and warmly accepted him within two meetings.

Batman never glared at him like that before. Not even when he had amnesia.

Robin had seen the glare and the terrorizing tactics quite a few times over the years, so they didn't scare him. It was actually funny seeing the looks on the other person's face. They didn't know how quickly Batman would release them or leave them cuffed up once they told them what he wanted to know. They didn't know how easy it was for the boy next to him to make him smile. All they saw was the big scary bat.

But he knew Batman's warmth, his kindness. He knew what drove him to such ends and he knew how much the man was hurting every day. He knew how kind and amazing Bruce really was. He was a very protective father, and Gotham was his to safeguard. Batman was merely trying to make the place safer for everyone. For Robin.

And yet, for the first time, Robin was on the receiving end of Batman's most vengeful glares. His voice was final. He really didn't know Robin. He saw him as a threat. There was no sense of kindness underneath the surface. It was as if…

Robin never existed at all.

His mind finally grasped this thought, bringing him slowly out of his stupor. Often in the past, different League members would say Batman was harder to deal with before he came around. He was darker, broodier, far more reckless and dangerous. He had little compassion on criminals and would likely sacrifice team members just to get the job done. It was something Robin knew about, but never fully witnessed.

He had heard of one time when the founders went to an alternate universe to save every reality from evil versions of themselves. Batman was said to be responsible for two of the syndicate member's deaths, though he didn't kill them outright. He finished the mission no matter what. Afterwards, Robin remembered how broody Bruce was at home. He didn't even like his tactics; he just did what he had to.

Flash did say though that Batman made certain he didn't die. He called Barry slow, and in doing so made certain he didn't succumb to the fate the evil speedster received.

Clark told Dick that without Robin, Batman would have become even darker, more reckless and unable to keep on the straight and narrow. He was Bruce's life line. Back then he didn't believe it. Now it had to be the only logical explanation.

His mind finally managed to leave the darkness he felt when this Batman stated his reality. Robin looked around and realized what his state was now. While in his stupor, someone had taken his belt, gloves and boots, places Batman and he kept their gear. His hands were tied behind his back over his cape. Cuffs. They weren't Batman's but that didn't matter. They weren't on super tight and he wasn't planning on escaping. He needed answers first.

Beside him stood Black Canary and Martian Hunter. Canary hadn't changed much, but she wasn't giving Robin any leeway either. Manhunter though, he seemed slightly troubled. It was likely he had read Robin's mind while he was still in shock. The Martian was always kind hearted, so probably talking to him was best. Clark would work too, but he was busy debating something with Batman and the rest. Whatever crisis was going on had to be important.

One glance at Batman nearly put Robin back into a dreadful panic, but he managed to pull away and concentrate on his breathing. Yes, a technique Bruce had taught him to calm him when he had nightmares. Maybe this Batman would recognize it too. He pushed the thought aside and looked around the room again.

It was the cave at Mount Justice, pure and simple. He recognized nearly every nook and cranny of the place. Even before their foes had run them out of the place, Robin used to sneak over to visit different League members and work out while waiting on Batman. He got a lot of homework help there too.

The computer systems were the same as he remembered, exactly. It was a little off though. When he first went to the cave, they didn't have the holopad keyboards. It was a recent update for the kids to use. These people had the same tech as his team.

"What's the date?" Robin asked quietly, not wanting to interrupt whatever they were talking about.

Black Canary looked back at him, surprised to hear him talking again. How long had he been out of it? J'onn answered his back turned, "January 20th, 2012."

Robin nodded, confusion settling into a thinking glare. It was the same day to him. That took out time travel. So this wasn't a League who hadn't met him yet, it was a League where he just didn't exist. An alternate universe. At least they weren't the kind to just kill him. That bode well for him.

Slowly he thought back to his last mission, then to the accident that followed. Oh boy, if he ever got back home to his Batman and his Wally, he was going to sucker punch the yellow speedster. Him and his stupid souvenirs! Did he have to tinker with it? "Stupid Wally."

"Are you ready to talk kid?" Black Canary turned fully to face him, her arms crossed critically.

Robin nodded slowly. "To you. I don't think I can take another Bat-glare right now." His voiced cracked and he knew the misery in it. He couldn't taste salt on his lips so he was certain he hadn't cried in front of them, but he was still dehydrated. "Can I have some water? It can be from a bottle if you want."

The woman wasn't about to comply, but Flash was there in a second with a bottle. He helped Robin drink from it, compassion on his face. Robin could guess he saw Wally in him, and that was why he was being so kind. "Thanks," he whispered when the bottle was drained.

Flash smiled kindly. "No sweat. You look like you've been through a lot."

He bit back a laugh. "No kidding."

"So," Canary continued, "who are you?"

He sighed. "I'm Robin. And in my universe, I'm Batman's partner."

"Your universe?" Skepticism dripped from her voice.

Robin nodded. "Best I can figure, Kid Flash pressed the wrong sequence of buttons on this weird piece of alien tech and set it off. A blast from it hit me and threw me into a parallel dimension, a reality slightly different from my own. One where I didn't become Batman's partner."

"Why did Batman take you in?" Flash asked curious.

Robin hesitated to answer. The truth was always hard. "He… he was there when… my parents died. I was sent to an orphanage and then he…" Why was it so hard to tell him this time? One glance at the Batman of this world reminded him. Back then, Bruce had his back, supported him. Now, his foundation was gone.

He took a breath before continuing. "Bruce took me in, raised me. I found the bat-cave about a month after and begged him to help find Zucco, to bring him to justice. I was going to go out on my own anyway, so he was kinda… forced… to help me. A few months later I kinda forced my way into the crime fighting community and he decided to train me to make certain I didn't die on the streets of Gotham. Been together ever since."

The two meta-human leaguers looked at each other, surprised at his story. Questions still plagued their faces. "But why… why would Batman take any child in?"

"I don't know." Robin closed his eyes, always troubled by this question. He asked Bruce before. Everyone seemed to ask him at one time or another. Why did he take Dick in? Was it penance? Because he saw himself in the boy? What was the real reason?

"But," Robin continued, "everyone's said it was the best thing he's ever done. For me, for him, for Gotham, for the world. He's never regretted it. He saved me back then, and Bruce was always there for me when I needed him most."

He did his best not to look at the Batman there. It hurt. To know the one person he trusted more than anyone in any world, didn't know him, nor wanted to know him. The Leaguers before him exchanged compassionate glances before looking on the kid again. Robin was never good at hiding his true feelings. Pain welled inside him, and he fought against the darkness once again.

"You're delusional."

Robin refused to look up at the voice, knowing already how he was looking at him. The others turned and met Batman's glare. He and the rest of the League were listening in, and he wasn't the slightest bit amused by Robin's tale.

"He's not."

Everyone but Robin looked at J'onn. His stony face glared back at the dark knight. "He hasn't lied once, and if you would just listen to his thoughts—"

"Don't even try it," Batman growled.

"I don't have to." J'onn gestured to Robin and his bowed, defeated head. "One look at this boy should tell you all you need to know. Until you hatefully declared not knowing the boy, he was as calm and casual with us as anyone of our allies. His uniform is made of the same material as your own. His body is well trained to fight us all if need be, yet he stays still because despite everything crashing down around him, he still believes in us.

"And he still believes in Batman."

Slowly Robin looked up at J'onn, hope rising in him. Normally he'd hate it if J'onn went through his mind but this time the Martian's delicate probing was appreciated. Deep down, he really did still believe in the Justice League. He'd always believe in Batman. This was everything to him.

"He's a threat," Batman stated flatly. "He knows too much. We have nothing on him. Every scan, every search, has turned up nothing on this 'Robin'. For all we know, Luthor or Ra's brainwashed this punk into believing he's one of us."

"That can't be right," Flash insisted, giving his own version of the bat-glare. "He's just a kid! Who would involve kids in any of this?"

"Sportsmaster did," Green Arrow piped in, a grim line forming on his lips. Canary nodded, but glanced once to Robin, not sure what to make of him. Robin watched them all, seemingly gaining courage as he listened.

"Besides that maniac."

"Flash and J'onn are right," Superman finally piped in. "He's just a boy, a lost little boy who's very confused at the moment. If we give him some time, he may be able to tell us everything that happened to him."

"For someone so confused, he sure came up with a decent story," Hal noted. John nodded too. Diana seemed to be reserving judgment. "Might be worth looking in to."

"So he's the victim? Somehow I doubt that." Batman's skepticism and glares brought out everyone else's. They were all fighting each other again, but kept it to glares for the moment.

Slowly while the others had their glare down, Robin shifted the cuffs behind him and tugged the chains under his seat. Flash saw his movements as did others, so he stopped and looked at them. "If I may? Sitting back isn't easy with your hands tied behind you."

No one stopped him, though many (mostly Batman) glared dangerously. So he continued to bring his hands behind his legs and over his feet before settling his back against the wall. The bench he sat on wasn't very comfortable. Bit tired, he rested a moment before reaching up to his mask. The adults blinked in surprise as he took it off, revealing his clear sky blue eyes.

Batman stared at him, not glaring for once. Dick knew that look. A twinge of annoyance came to his voice. "Oh, so now you recognize me?"

Everyone stared between them, glares turning into confusion. Batman's lips tightened, but he nodded slightly.

Dick didn't move. He knew what that face meant. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

Slowly and grimly, Batman nodded again. The kid sighed. "With my parents or while going after Zucco?"

The league members watched in anticipation. Over half of them knew this revelation would decide the kid's fate soon enough. If Robin gained his OK, then the whole League would listen and help him out. Finally Batman answered. "Who's Zucco?"

Dick gripped his face in pained frustration, taking control of his breathing again. With his parents then. "Tony Zucco. Their… our deaths weren't an accident. Zucco tampered with the lines. He threatened Mr. Haley the day before. I was a witness and I saw him leave the tent the day it happened."

Batman nodded, the dark edge leaving his face. Quickly he returned to his computer, and Robin replaced his mask, closing his eyes to control his breathing. The remaining League members looked between the two, not quite understanding what was going on. "Um, Batman?"

"He's either a very well trained clone or he's telling the truth." The dark knight didn't look at any of them. "You handle him until I have enough data."

Instantly the room warmed up, Flash and Superman grinning at Robin. "Hear that kid? You're not a threat!"

Robin gave a quick, breathless laugh, shaking his head. "Nope. Still a threat, just a strange one he can't figure out yet."

"You really do know Batman don't you?" Diana pointed out. Robin could only give her a weak, knowing smile.

A/N: YAY! Robin is now safe! Just not home. catch the reference to Crisis on two worlds? I'm gonna say that's Barry in that movie, not Wally. same animation style after all. Also, I'm not really certain why Bruce took Dick in. The reason is kinda muddled, but I think everyone agrees it was the best thing he ever did.

now for the help I was talking about. I've kinda hit a few walls with a few stories. Running three series here. All the help and ideas would be great.

1- Slade Plan B: need names and positions of people in Haley's circus. Just a little background and really my usual sources online aren't helping.

2- Where's Robin?: How does Roy find out? Bit merky here. =/

3- Without me: need a world wide crisis the whole league would have to take care of that can be handled in a single afternoon, like the whole blocking out the sun mission or the injustice league's plants. Must have people from Belle Reve and Injustice society. Need to empty their base for a few hours so teens can run around unsupervised. No aliens. Ideas?