Robin, the Boy Wonder.
Under the current domino mask, one Timothy Drake currently carried the title.
He knew Richard Grayson. The original Robin, taken under Batman's wing for tutelage after the death of his parents, at the hands of Two Face some time after the $50m Christmas Hunt. Dick, as he was known at Haley's Circus, spent a few years at a boarding school, funded by Bruce Wayne himself, guilty for being unable to stop Two Face.
Once he turned 18, and finished at the school, Bruce asked if Dick would live at the Manor with him. Dick reluctantly agreed. He would spend his days listening to the latest rock music, much to Alfred's disdain, or exploring the grounds. This was how he had eventually broken into the Batcave, and discovered Bruce Wayne's secret.
Bruce wasn't overly mad, when he returned and found Dick sitting at the Batcomputer...playing a game Bruce later discovered to be called "RuneScape."
The training regime Batman put them all through was vigorous, deteriorating and draining. But that was the idea; an opponent wouldn't let up, just because they were tired. They had to push through.
As he slumped off the Redbird and onto the cave floor, Bruce's words rang through his head. "KEEP GOING. PUSH, TIM. AND HIT ME!"
Robin swallowed, remembering one particular time when he had knocked Bruce out during a sparring fight. He looked up and saw Alfred.
"Let's get you cleaned up. Again." He said, offering a gloved hand to the teen.
-
"It was careless, thoughtless. You could have gotten yourself killed!" Bruce scolded the younger man. Tim had removed his armour and now sat on a medical bed in a small wing of the cave. Bandages wrapped tightly around his torso, some around his head, and several around his hands.
Tim grimaced, but said nothing.
"Black Mask is beyond your weight class. You're lucky you managed to take him out so easily." Bruce said.
The Dark Knight was still adorned in his armour, but his cowl had been removed. Beads of sweat rolled down his face still, as Alfred fought with the armour to tend to a bullet wound received from Deadshot's high-powered rifle.
"I did what I thought was best. Oracle said you were deep into a case, and Dick is in Bludhaven." Tim said defensively, "I did what you would do. I looked at the situation. I analysed the options and I took one."
Bruce opened his mouth to retort but Tim opened his mouth again and cut in, "I'm supposed to be your partner in this, Bruce, not your little errand boy. I'm not your puppy. I got the job done, didn't I? Black Mask, Hammer and his thugs are all in holding cells at the GCPD awaiting transfer to New Arkham...you gotta start trusting me more, Bruce...I'm not Jason."
Those last three words hit Bruce harder than anything. He stared at the boy as he limped down the corridor and out of the cave. Bruce then lowered his gaze and gave a sigh as the armour loosened. He held the manservant remove it and winced.
"He's not wrong, you know sir." Alfred said, "Master Timothy may be Robin, but he is in no way comparable to Master Richard..." he hesitated, and added in a softer tone, "Or Master Jason."
Again, Bruce's jaw clenched at the name, but he sighed. "Tim has made the mantle his own. He is an exceptional Robin." He agreed. "Perhaps...like Dick...he's outgrown the role." He said thoughtfully...
To be continued...?