Garbed in his usual suit for the nightly persona, he jumps onto the next rooftop. He surveys the area before looking back at the small screen. According to his piece of technology, his partner was last recorded to be on this rooftop.
He looks around, eyes narrowed out of suspicion and caution. He approaches a shadowed corner with exercised caution and finds no sign of life. Sparing a glance downwards, he sees broken pieces that seem very familiar to him since they were of his design.
Picking up a small shard of metal and plastic, he scowls and turns around. His cape flares dramatically as he puts a finger to where his ear is under the cowl.
"Batman to Robin," he says. "Do you hear me?"
There's nothing but static in his ear.
•••
Bruce Wayne steps close to the trailer belong to the ringmaster of Haly's Circus. After receiving a letter from the old man (weeks prior to today), he invited the old man for one final show in the cruel city of Gotham. He knocks on the door and waits for it to swing open.
He steps back in time to avoid getting hit by the door. An aged man is standing inside, smiling kindly at him. "Ah, Mr. Wayne," he says. "Pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Haly," Bruce replies. He looks around and asks if he can step inside. The old man is happy to oblige, stepping aside and gesturing for the tall man to enter.
Bruce does so quickly and shuts the door behind him. As soon as it's closed, he frowns. "Are you really going through with it?"
"I am," the ringmaster says in a tired voice. "I want to look for Dick and managing a circus will only hold me back. Besides, it's about time my troop and I settle down."
"You're not settling down though," Bruce points out. Haly cracks a smile as he seats himself in a rickety looking chair.
"I just want to know that Dick's safe and sound," Haly says. "I know he's out there."
The billionaire purses his lips and clears his throat. "Believe me, I want to believe that he's still alive. I've done everything I could to locate him."
The ringmaster looks away from Bruce's piercing stare. "I know, I know. You even got the Justice League in on it from what I've heard."
"I'm hoping that... if Dick somehow hears about this, he'll come to see the show. This circus was and is his first home," Bruce says. "Knowing him, he wouldn't let it just close."
"He would never," Haly agrees. "This circus was his life and blood when he was with us."
Bruce nods because it's true. He knew Richard Grayson gave everything he could to the circus and would never allow the circus to be disbanded. "I hope you don't mind if my boys and I watch the show."
"Of course not. You've done so much for this circus and one last show is the least I can do to repay you." That is also very true. Bruce paid for the circus to come to Gotham, Bruce took in a member of the circus when they were unable to care for the orphaned acrobat, Bruce (as Batman but no one needs to know that) brought justice to the circus when Tony Zucco was placed behind bars.
Moving on to a more upbeat topic, Bruce and Haly discuss the performance and the date for that very performance. The show will be a homage to Richard John "Dick" Grayson and his family. This show will hopefully bring back the boy who went missing two years ago.
It's an hour later that Bruce excuses himself and leaves. He's going to be late for a meeting if he doesn't pick up the pace. He hurries off into his car. He starts the engine and takes a moment to look at one of the pictures he had dangling from the rear view mirror.
The picture is of a grinning noir-haired boy with bright blue eyes. He's holding up a peace sign as he stares directly into the camera with a lopsided party hat. It was taken on his fourteenth birthday, just days before he disappeared.
Bruce heaves a sigh as he pulls out of the lot and drives towards Wayne Tech. Thoughts of his missing ward disappear into the back of his mind so that he can focus on driving. After all, it's a definite setback if the Bat himself gets into a car accident.
He gets a phone call once he's on the highway. He swallows down a complaint and presses a touch screen that allows his car to take the call. He gives a greeting as he keeps his eyes trained on the road and hands in the proper positioning on the wheel.
"Father."
"Damian," Bruce says, recognizing the voice of his blood son. "Did you need something?"
"As a matter of fact, Father, I do." A pause and a shuffle. "I've noticed that Grayson's room has been locked and I do not wish to pick the lock. Where can I find the key?"
"Have you tried asking Alfred?" Bruce asks as he eases on the break to come to a steady stop. "He's at the manor, isn't he?"
A tt. "He told me to ask you since you were the one who hid the key." Another pause. "Why did you lock up the room anyway?"
"Check the desk in my study," he says, pressing on the gas pedal. He hears a door opening in the mansion.
"You never answered my question, Father," Damian says. "Why did you lock Grayson's room?"
"Why do you want to go in Dick's room?"
A pause. "I wish to... have a moment in a place with his memory."
"There are plenty of places you can do that."
A snort. "That may be true, Father, but there is a chance that something in that room that may give us a clue as to where he is."
Bruce narrows his eyes and makes a right turn. "I've searched through every single one of his belongings and I've found nothing."
"I still want to look," Damian says, hanging up. Bruce sighs with a shake of his head and makes a left turn.
•••
Damian has a key in his hand. He found it taped on the underside of a drawer in Bruce's desk. He has a sneaking suspicion that his father had no faith that his young ward would be found. Or he just really wanted to stay out of Dick's room.
He sticks the key in the keyhole and twists it. He's able to grab the doorknob and pushed the door open. He feels a distinct air hitting him as soon as he enters. It's clear that not even Alfred was able to get inside and clean the room from the dust particles that flew into the air.
Waving one hand, he flicks on a light switch. Dick's room is probably in the same exact condition it was left in two years ago. There are a few articles of clothing strewn about and some papers on the desk in the corner. He ambles over to the bed and sits down, sinking into the plush mattress.
The room has a very faint scent that must've gotten lost over the long two years. Damian scowls, wondering when exactly Dick will be found. He may not be a doting brother but he has a soft spot for the youngest member of the Bat Family. He just knows there is hope that Dick is still alive.
He gets up and pulls the closer open. Shades of blue and green and yellow and red glare back at him as he pushes them aside. He presses his hand against a part of the wall and a small compartment opens. He pulls out one of Robin's uniforms from the hidden spot.
He drops the suit, holding the belt in his hands. "Father told me that Grayson's belt must have been smashed," he says out loud. Batman found fragments of the front clasp of Robin's utility belt on the rooftop that was the location of Robin's last known coordinates.
The belt is the only accessory with a tracking device inside of it. After all, it is a rule to never leave home without one's belt.
Batman theorized that Robin had taken off his belt, smashed it against the ground, and put it back on. It didn't make sense though because Robin would have never done that. If Robin were in trouble, he would have called for back-up that night.
And he never did.
Damian sighs and places the uniform and belt back in the hidden compartment with careful hands. He hears the door being pushed open a bit more and turns his head.
"It's quite dusty in here, Master Damian," Alfred Pennyworth says. The British man makes an odd face as he looks around some more. "This was Master Richard's room."
"It's not my problem," Damian mumbles. "And it is Grayson's room. Stop treating him like he's dead."
"... Apologies, Master Damian. Shall I prepare some tea?"
The blood son of Batman gives a curt nod as he walks past Alfred in a dismissive manner. "Brown sugar instead of white and a wedge of lemon."
"Certainly."
The butler notices the key still in the keyhole when he steps out to shut the door. He looks at it and then takes it, stuffing it into his pocket carefully. He'll need it if he is going to clean up the room later.
•••
Damian is absently stirring his tea downstairs in the Batcave. Alfred is with him, cleaning up any bat guano he found laying around. Both men say nothing as they go about whatever it is they are doing.
The hero of Blüdhaven is on the computer, looking around random files to ease his boredom. "Pennyworth?"
"Yes, Master Damian?"
"Do you believe that Grayson disappeared of his own freewill?" Damian inquires, genuinely curious about what the butler would say. "Why would Father believe Grayson would smash the only means available of tracking him?"
Alfred pauses in his cleaning to give the questions some thought. "I do not know what went through Master Richard's head that night," he says because it's true. "Master Bruce knows Master Richard would not let anyone near that belt you know."
Damian grits his teeth and sips on the tea. The water is now lukewarm and he feels rather cheated and not-so-pleased about the temperature. "I suppose you have a point." He cranes his head just a little bit to get a better look at the British butler. "When will the others arrive?"
"Tomorrow Masters Terrence and Timothy will be arriving together because it will be more convenient," Alfred informs the blood son. "Master Jason hasn't specified a specific date but I assume it will be soon."
"Great," Damian murmurs. "I'll have to deal with a bunch of imbeciles by the end of the week."
"Master Damian, they're only here for the same reason as you: to see that performance."
Resisting the urge to scowl, Damian lifts the cup to his lips and begins to slowly empty its content into his stomach. The tea tastes cold against the back of his throat and it's disgusting to him. Alfred continues the usual routine of monotony.
Are there any typos or mistakes? I apologize if they are. I haven't slept a wink and I wrote all this with my sleep-deprived brain. I was able to pick up on a few mistakes and correct them tho. :3
Ahhh, thank you all so much for the support you've shown my story! I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this.
rose and 10 has asked if Gardner is Dick. Who knows? No, seriously, who knows? Besides, where's the fun in knowing whether he's Dick or not? The whole point of the game is to fool everyone. :0 And GalaxyWolf2.0, maybe the BatFam will fall for it, maybe they won't.
Who do you want to see next chapter? Do you wanna see Gardner's response or maybe one of the Bat brothers? What might have happened to Dick, can you guess? Any other questions?