I've updated the summary, just warning you. I don't own anything.

Chapter 4—

A TV crackled in the corner, but Richard's adoptive Father paid no attention to it. Matthew Wilson was drunk again and trying to read the newspaper. A year had passed and now it was Richard's eleventh birthday. Not that he would tell his 'Dad' since he would only get a birthday beating. Besides, he hadn't celebrated Christmas, thanksgiving or any birthday since he was eight. A day to commemorate his birth was meaningless without his real parents. He sat in the corner of the living room, hugging his bruised knees to his chest, as he thought back to the night taking down the Riddler. It had been his first super-criminal arrest. On top of that he had met the Flash and the one and only Batman.

He tried to forget Kid Flash, but he seemed to be making the news of Central City every night. He even had fan club. The whole of America proclaimed him as the first kid-hero. To that, Kid Flash would stop them and say 'Boy Wonder was the first'. He was no hero—BW winced every time he heard the red-head say it. Some called him the first sidekick even though that was Kid Flash's title. Just because the Batman let him in his city didn't mean he was his sidekick. Admittedly they had teamed up a few times but as partners.

He'd been adopted last month after the police found him dying of hypothermia and starvation on the street but life wasn't any nicer. Wilson didn't let him eat much, and he wouldn't let him train or do anything he wanted. He wasn't allowed to a school or even out of the house in the day. He had no friends and only his Wilson knew him so if the man decided to kill him; no one would notice and no one would care. Richard became depressed and just hollow.

He would sit at home alone all day in his freezing cold room. The wind would always blow in through the broken window, it was only broken because Richard had been thrown through it. The room was brown and bare. He wasn't allowed personal belongings, he didn't deserve them but he hid the circus poster under the bed. The only thing he had left. When Wilson came home he would rush down to greet him, otherwise a beating would ensue. Then for the rest of the evening he would sit in front of the television.

"Right." Wilson slurred and threw the newspaper aside. "Get here."

Richard scrambled to his feet but pretended to fall when his legs couldn't take the wait. Regardless he made it to the man's side in time for fingers to be looped around his throat. Richard bit his lip keeping up the weak charade. But then visibly relaxed at his Wilson's next words.

"I'm going to bed." He stood, wavered and pushed roughly past his adopted son. "If you're going out tonight, stay gone until noon. I'm having someone around."

"Okay."

He had gotten lucky with no beating that night and didn't have to come back by the mourning, which menat longer on patrol as Boy Wonder. He scrambled up the stairs to bed. Not bed, per say since he didn't deserve the bed. He slept on the hard dirty floor beside the bed as it taunted him with soft pillows and covers. He pulled out the box from underneath and slipped on his Boy Wonder mask and put the sling shot into his back pocket. Calling out a brief 'back at noon then', he was out the back door.

Boy Wonder wasn't just the name and mask, it was the whole deal. Richard Grayson-Wilson may be weak and petty but Boy Wonder was a strong vigilante, though not a hero. He could bury all fears of dying alone and unloved and smirk just the way he was infamous for. That lingering cackle that screamed, 'I know where I am, and you don't'. It wasn't a genuine smile though. It has been two years hunting Tony Zucco and he had nothing. Every night he didn't arrest him was another night he'd failed his parents—his real parents, the ones that loved him and actually cared.

He ran along rooftops, scuttling up and down the sides. He shook off the depression and self-hatred and ignored the burning of the scars he carved into his wrist. He dropped down into an alleyway, causing a mugger to spin around. He mouthed something in disbelief before BW's fist connected with his face. He stumbled back, dropping what he'd stolen so the victim could scoop everything up. Boy Wonder ran towards the man, jumped off a dumpster and pivoted into a spinning kick. It sent the man flying into the wall behind him then the impact on the brick knocked the man unconscious.

"Thank you so much. Please take something to…"

"No please. Just get home." Boy Wonder brushed off the gift as swiftly jumped on the dumpster and he lifted himself up onto the roof.

"T-thank you, Trace."

He paused at that, he had heard him being referred to that before. It was because he wasn't being so secretive. Ever so slowly, he was leaving a trace. The name was cool at least, it was better than Dick anyway. Shaking his head, he reminded himself how long the name Boy Wonder was and it was about time someone came up with something shorter. He muttered something along the lines of lazy people when the he noticed the Bat-signal flashing in the sky as if someone was turning it on and off. It must be urgent, he thought. Boy Wonder dropped to the streets thinking it to be faster and ran to the police department.

When he got there Batman was talking to the Commissioner, with three people in suits. Two women each looking out over the city and the man was looking in the opposite direction more or less where Boy Wonder was hiding. Just to screw with him, Boy Wonder leapt into his field of vision and smiled as the man startled. He then turned to his colleagues and pointed to the shadows, whispering something to the both of them. Batman looked up, clearly hearing what they had said and glanced at the shadows. Just like that, his eyes fixed on the spot he was without hesitation.

"He's just a kid. Besides, he's a hero so why will he hurt you." The shorter woman whispered to the man.

"I am Mayor of Gotham. Trace, I wanted to thank you for what you've done for this city. Even though you are young, you are… Can I see you?"

Trace front flipped and landed lightly before the Bat-signal, blocked the light so it couldn't light up his face. Moreover, it looked cool with the light coming from behind him. "Yes. I don't need thanking. There must be something else you came here for. Just to see me?"

"Well, yes." He admitted.

Trace stepped forward and the women, seemingly bodyguards tensed. The Boy Wonder looked at them. "Why are you scared of me? What am I going to do, eh? I'm like half your height."

"It's my job." One responded.

"Very well." His attention turned back to the Mayor. "You're doing this out of someone else's orders. Who really wants to see me?"

"He's good." Commissioner murmured to Batman who just nodded.

"The president."

"I'll pass thank you." He said quickly. "Does the president want it to be filmed, make a big deal about meeting the young heroes?"

"Well yes, this morning outside of the Hall of Justice."

"And I was notified today so I couldn't back out."

"Well yes."

"Why would I go to the Hall of Justice?"

Batman leant forward, "The Justice League is curious of you, until recently they doubted your existence. It'd be a chance to secure some powerful connections."

"You hate Superman; don't call him a powerful connection. The only powerful about him is his ego, he just happened to land on a planet with a lighter gravitational pull. Besides, do I even want to meet the Justice League?"

Batman's line for a mouth quirked in his version of a brief smile, something only Trace caught. "No, I don't imagine it would be a pleasant experience."

"Then no, I'm quite happy with the shadows, I won't be going to the bright lights of Washington."

"Kid Flash, Speedy and Aqualad will also attend alongside their mentors. It will improve morale of the country seeing that not only are their heroes now but kid heroes are being trained for the next generation."

"I'm not a hero, I'm a vigilante. There's a difference. I can't be all smiles and every cloud has a silver lining when I don't believe in that myself. Besides, I have no mentor to accompany."

Everyone on the roof looked to Batman who shook his head, "I don't know him anymore than you do."

Boy Wonder didn't really know what that meant either but something told him that it proved his point so he bowed, just like he did a year ago, handing Riddler over, and slipped back into the shadows. He crossed the street ready to patrol the alleys when he heard his Father call out.

"Oy, what are you doing around the police station."

Richard ripped his mask off, thankful for once that his clothes were black with no heroic emblem.

"Someone asked me to keep an eye on them in case they started snooping around the docks." He blurted the lie.

"What's going on at the docks?" As he stuffed his mask in his pocket, Wilson grabbed his arm and started leading him to his car, parked around the corner.

"They wouldn't tell me, they said the less I knew the safer I was. But they promised me food if I did."

"Well, forget that. We're going home. My mate cancelled on me, says he wants sleep before the League's sidekick introducing tomorrow, he's taking his niece."

"You mean the Justice League?" Richard whispered keeping up the dumb and naïve act.

"Yeah, do you wanna go?"

"Yes, please, can I?" He asked slipping into the back seat and waiting for Wilson to get in the car.

"Sure, we'll get something for supper since you haven't eaten all day. Have you?"

"No. I haven't. I swear."

"Good because I want Kebab. I'll get you something."

Richard resisted narrowing his eyes in suspicion. First there was no beating then he didn't accuse him of ratting him out to the police station, now he was getting food and going to the awarding tomorrow. Maybe it was luck but whatever it was he didn't push it. After stopping at the take-away shop, it was a short drive back home and Richard was wrenched out of the car and thrown inside. Wilson chucked the food on the table and disappeared into the bathroom. Richard leant on the wall, staring at the food that taunted him. He couldn't eat any though.

Wilson finally came down with a first aid kit in hand and a tired look in his eyes. Ice flowed through Dick's veins; his 'luck' must have been up. Wilson opened the takeaway and grabbed a handful of chips to stuff in Richard's hands. As the boy ate, he pushed him up the stairs; running water could faintly be heard from the bathroom. Richard was in a dusty state from jumping rooftops not that Wilson was aware, and he couldn't go to Washington tomorrow looking like a coal miner.

"Wash now and be back down as quickly as possible but don't forget behind your ears."

Dick nodded, knowing better than to talk with his mouth full and rushed off leaving Wilson to go down stair and switch the television on again. Meanwhile, Richard almost fainted when he slid into the hot water. It began to scold his skin but he didn't care, compared to freezing each night he was in heaven. While his body was used to such extreme temperatures, he still paused slightly as he waited for the entire ache that was his body to relax to disappear from his muscles. He scrubbed and washed, he had barely rinsed his hair of shampoo when he knew his time was nearing to an end.

After drying and pulling on fresh clean pyjamas, he tucked his mask and slingshot back under his bead and ran downstairs. Immediately Wilson took him to the sofa and pushed him down; he grabbed his wrist and bandaged the scarred flesh, paying no attention to the fact the scars were partly because of him. His face was still pink from the hot water and he looked as he did when he was eight, except thinner and the innocent light in his blue eyes had dimmed.

"Don't do anymore tonight and wear long sleeves tomorrow, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Richard…what were you doing at the police?"

He wanted to say 'I told you' but that would be dismissive and that will only earn him a beating. So he repeated his story, "Someone offered me food if I would keep an eye on what the police were talking about. Was that bad to get food without you saying I was allowed?"

"No, you weren't bothering me about it were you?"

"No. Okay." Richard couldn't help but inhale the scent of the meat drifting from the table.

Wilson laughed at the starving kid before taking the polystyrene container and watching as he devoured the contents like an animal after a chase.

"If there had been a pattern on the inside there isn't anymore." Richard murmured as he stared at the empty box, feeling the satisfaction of a full stomach, something that he never had anymore. "Go to bed, to sleep this time."

"In the bed?"

"Yes. Now go before I change my mind."

Richard fled from that room faster than the Flash fuelled with coffee and Haribos.