Promise

Disclaimer: Some dreams don't come true!

"So... Red Hood, did I tell you thank you yet for saving our lives?" Mary asked. "Only for like the twentieth time, Mrs. Grayson," Red Hood chuckled, cleaning his plate in the sink, "but I don't understand is how you are acting like an hour ago didn't happen. Are you not at least shaken by it still?" John chuckled. "Hey, as long as we are still alive and walking, and with our son still," he said, ruffling Dick's hair, "then we're the happiest circus family alive."

Red Hood smiled softly, drying off the warm plate. "Well gosh, I wonder what had gone wrong with the trapeze? It seemed perfectly fine during the first act," George exclaimed, eating the last of his steak. Red Hood perked up and he quickly turned so that he was facing the family and leaning against the sink. "You know what, I saw a man in the audience- he sorta looked like too much of a well dressed guy to be watching a circus act, matter of fact, he did not look like he even belonged there. He sabotaged your act; he snuck to the trapeze and took off the bolts and cut the wires thin at some point when nobody was watching and by the time John and Mary had applied weight to this, it was enough to cause the ropes to bust," he explained. "Wait, are you talking about Tony? Tony Zucco? He did this?" George asked.

"That creepy guy?" Dick questioned.

Mary's eyes widened a bit in a sudden fear. "Oh dear."

"I knew we should have done something with him earlier," John hissed. Jason raised an eyebrow. "You already know him?" he asked. John nodded. "He attempted to harm my family especially my son," he replied. Red Hood tensed up a bit. This Tony guy dare laid a hand on Dick?! He felt his hand twitch for his gun hiding under his jacket, but he overcame the temptation. "You okay, Red?" Dick asked, knocking the justice assassin from his thoughts of killing Tony. Red Hood smiled softly at the boy then looked at John. "Do you assume anything of why Tony tried killing you and Mary besides from the conflict earlier?" he asked.

"Haly mentioned Tony a few times. He said that Tony's a boss in the Mafia."

Red Hood chuckled empty and folded his arms. "The Mafia... My favorite."

"We should tell Haly right away. For the sake of our lives," George said firmly. Red Hood's masked eyes widened. "Oh nononono, you don't wanna do that," he warned, motioning his finger left and right rapidly.

"Why?"

"I know the Mafia. They are mad dogs and if you expose them to ANYONE they will hunt you down and kill you. You can't stop them all at once; it's too risky."

Dick slipped under the table and quickly walked up to Red Hood, looking up at him with fearful blue eyes. "You're going to protects us, right?" the boy asked in a almost pleading way. Red Hood felt his heart clench at this. "Robin," Mary scolded sadly, "Red Hood has done enough. We don't need to drag anyone else in this." Dick's lip quivered and his baby blues brimmed with tears. "But Mama... What's gonna happen to us? I can't lose you guys. We're a family, we have to stick together... I'm scared..." Everyone winced at the boy's last words.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Mary whispered.

Dick felt a tear run down his face and before anyone could stop him, he darted out the trailer. "Richard!" John yelled. Mary began sobbing with her head on the table; George walked over to comfort her. Red Hood stood there for a second, thinking of what to do. For some reason he couldn't find any part of hid dark heart to say 'no'... Because all he could think of were those baby ocean blues... The way they reminded him of a certain little boy looking up at a certain man.

"Bruce... I'm scared..."

Finally, he pulled away from his thoughts and looked at John who looked back at him. His brown eyes surprisingly showed a plead for help. Boy, has he seen that face from the strongest of men. Red Hood sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'll go get him," he said before walking briskly out the trailer.

Red Hood searched through the carts and cages full of all different types of animals including lions tigers and bears. His mind was juggled through what has happened all in one night. All he wanted to do is watch a nice circus act then run off to do work, but what he got was a big problem starting with a boy he barley knew but could not say a single 'no' to, especially if there is a Mafia boss after him and his family for all Red Hood knew. Whatever, he just needed to find...

"Help! SOMEONE! HELP-"

Red Hood perked up at the distress scream that could only come from Dick Grayson, before it was cut off. "Kid!" Red Hood threw on his helmet and darted to where the scream had came from which was a large empty area . There, he saw a shadowed figure holding the trapeze boy up by the waist and struggling to carry him out the fenced area. "Hey! PUT HIM DOWN!" Red Hood roared, running towards them. No damn way will I fail this kid now, he thought to himself.

Dick screamed for Red Hood under the hand that was clamped down on his mouth. Tears were streaking down his face as he tried reaching for the justice assassin. Red Hood, seeing this, understood it was time for business and took off his heavy jacket and dropped it to the floor, revealing two big heavy guns in hoisters and a black waist belt packed with gadgets.

Dick's eyes slightly widened a bit more than they already were. Okay, maybe Red Hood had a few more things up his sleeve- or under his jacket?- other than a zipline. Mom will so not approve if she knew, but hey: what Mother doesn't know, it won't kill her... literally it won't kill her.

Red Hood pulled out his guns and aimed at the shadowed man. His mask eyes squinted in pure anger even though his true eyes were hidden. "Put. Him. Down... NOW," he seethed in a dangerous dark tone. The hidden man quickly pulled out his own gun and aimed it to Dick's head, making the boy cease his struggles. "Mphh hmmph," Dick muffled in a whimper. "Don't worry, Kid. Nothing won't happen to you... I promise," Red Hood said.

The man and Red Hood continued giving each other hard glares and the hidden man threateningly lightly pressed on the trigger, making a click noise, causing Dick to flinch with a muffled yelp. Red Hood tried to show no sign of fearing worry and glanced over behind the other man, seeing a metal base. He got it. Quickly, he shot over the man's shoulder; the man flinched, then chuckled.

"You missed..."

Red Hood only smirked and before the stranger knew it...

Shwoom!

A hole was formed in his forehead as the bullet zipped through it; the blood splatteeed a bit on Richard's face as the man released him and instantly dropped down dead. Dick stared down frightingly, as the blood polled in with the dirt, making gooey mud and it flooded to the bottom of his shoe. He never seen a dead body before... Well, only at funerals... But he never witnessed how the person is deceased. Shocked, he slowly looked over to Red Hood who stood there calmly. "You... You killed him," Dick whispered. Red Hood took off his helmet.

"I know."

Dick exploded. "Are you outta your fregging mimd?! When you run into problem with a person, you try reasoning with them, you don't just blow their brains out!"

"Listen Kid, if I didn't do something, than he was gonna do something. It's either you do something or they will do something and I'm sure they are not gonna reason with you over coffee," Red Hood exclaimed. Dick thought about what he had said and sighed, wiping the blood from his face. "This is so gross," he snorted. Red Hood seemed impressed.

Most people, especially children would be terrified of this sort of problem happening to them, but Dick was acting the way his parents did... Like it never happened. Dick looked down at the guy who seemed to be well dressed as well. "You think he works for Tony?" he asked. Red Hood walked over and turned the dead man over, revealing his fairly neat complexion for a kidnapper. A too neat complexion. "No doubt about it," he agreed.

"We won't say a word of this to my parents, right?"

Red Hood chuckled. "Yeah. We won't... Now help me get rid of this body."

Dick was unsure. He felt wrong doing this for it made him think like he was on one of those killer detective shows; he was the helper to the murderer. But not wanting any cop suspicion, he went along with cleaning the mess.

Red Hood, on the other hand, felt very calm- in fact, he was quite... whelmed. While killing and hiding a body seemed like a terrible thing to Dick, since he was knew, killing and hiding bodies was more of a game to him. He did it for a living since the world was full of scumbags that did not deserve to live. Even the ones who try to kidnap a child then threaten to blow their brains out! O.O... Point is that there has to be someone to say 'enough' and rid the sin...

He is willing to do so.

Batman would never...

Dick was over joyed.

Happier than ten clowns.

Delighted.

Safe...

Red Hood had agreed to stay with them until he was sure that they were safe from harm, and the best part was the way John, Mary, and George wondered what had got him to decide. It made Dick giggle. "Wahoo!" he cheered, swing on his door and landing on the bed. Red Hood walked into his room and ducked a pillow that came flying to him. A blanket came next and draped over his head and face. "This is so great! Gosh, you're going to love it! We can tell each other scary stories, and-and build a fort, and eat junk food, and stay up late, and-and..."

Red Hood watched in amusement as the boy babbled about doing all sorts of activities and figured he hardly had anyone over before. He walked over and settled Dick to lay on the bed. Still Dick kept babbling so Red Hood placed a hand to his lips. "Do you ever stop talking?" he snorted, moving his hand away. A blush ran to Dick's face. "S'rry. I really don't have any friends to have come over. Your probably my second friend," he exclaimed shyly. Red Hood smirked. "Really? Who's your first?"

"Mike."

"Mike? Huh, he sounds like a nice lad."

"Yeah. He's the assistant monkey," Dick exclaimed with a toothy smile, but Red Hood's faded. "Oh..."

There was a silence in the room for moment till Dick asked, "Red Hood... Can I call you something else? Do you have another name. Red Hood smiled gently at the boy, feeling he could trust him. "Jason..."

Dick smiled. He knew better that a Hero should never reveal his identity, which made him glad. Red Hood trusyed him. Which was like... Huge. "Jason... Can I also call you Redjay?" he asked. Jason nodded. Dick smiled and yawned. "Good. You can call me Robin."

"How many nicknames do you got, Kid?"

Dick laughed softly and snuggled in his blankets. "Mama calls me that. I remind her of a Robin when I'm on the trapeze." His eyelids began to fall shut. "Jason... You *yawn* won't let anything hurt us, right?" he asked, vlosing his eyes. Jason nodded. "Yeah, Kid."

"Promise?..."

"..."

"You know, I'd thought I'd be the last you'd let him hurt..."

He cringed at the words he had spoke to Batman and ran a hand through the boy's raven locks. "Yeah... I promise. With all I am," he replied. Faster than light, Dick was fast asleep but Jason stayed awake.

"God, what did You get me into?"

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