Chapter Text
She is 8 years old and her world has ended.
Her parent, her beautiful loving parents are gone. (deadfallingandfallingshecan'tsavethemit'sallherfault)
She's crying and alone and nothing is okay. It never will be again. They are moving her but all she wants to do is jump off the platform and fall with them. She screams as they move her and is held back when she moves closer to the edge. She struggles but they don't let her even when she bites them.
The warm hands that are holding her back pull her into a hug and all the fight leaves her as fast as it came. She can't bring herself to care that she doesn't know them because god does she need a hug.
She is 8 and she is sobbing into the arms of a stranger because she has no one else.
The stranger, it turns out is named Bruce Wayne. He is a tall, dark-haired man with lots of money.
She knows this because he pays for all their funeral costs. She thanks him tonelessly and expects that to be the last she ever sees of the kind stranger.
It is not, she finds out later when she is caught investigating by the Batman. Though she doesn't know it is him at the time. He catches her snooping into Tony zocco and his crew. She knows that it wasn't an accident and she is not afraid to scream it at him when he tries to stop her.
Except unlike everyone else he doesn't dismiss her, he listens and says "I'll look into it".
She is so relieved, she could cry.
It only lasts a second because he then scolds her and tries to make her stop anyways. He'll handle it, he says and tells her to go home. She glares through tears in her eyes. She doesn't have a home, she reminds him, she has been put in the detention center.
His eyes flash with something but it is gone so fast she's sure she imagined it.
Get in, he says and motions to the batmobile. She does hesitantly and sulks as he drives her back to her prison. He drops her off at the gate and warns her again before speeding off.
She stomps inside and spends the rest of the night crying into her pillow silently. She learned to keep quiet on the second night when one of the older girls got annoying by her constant sobs and made sure she knew what would happen if she ruined her beauty sleep again.
The next morning she ignores the jeers about her red eyes and sneaks out again. She's immediately caught. He must have been waiting for her because he was all ready there when she arrived. He takes her back with another warning and leaves.
This time she's too angry to cry instead she screams after him and stomps inside. One of the girls gets in her way but this time Dick is so angry she punches her right in the face. Unfortunately for her, the girl is 2 times bigger and stronger so she ends up in the nurse's office after a scolding by the officer on duty.
She doesn't let the pain of a black eye stop her. She goes out the third night and again he is right there. He glares at her and she glares right back.
"You need to stop," he says stoickly
"NO! I need to do this! He killed my parent and I'm going to prove it whether you like it or not!" She screams
He glares harder and dumps her in the batmobile. She fumes silently in her seat. She's so angry it takes her 5 minutes to realize they are going in the opposite direction of the detention center. When she does realize she whips her head around to look at him. He ignores her completely.
After another moment of staring at him, she shirks in on herself and gulps. She's suddenly reminded of all the stories the detention center kids told about him. One in particular about him eating disobedient children. She had ignored it then but now the story wouldn't leave her mind. She scuts as far away from him as she can and hopes this won't be the last time she's seen alive.
After what seems like a lifetime they come to a complete stop at what came only be described as a gigantic cave. Her fears only get worst when she sees the dark and empty cave. All her hopes of him being a normal human are completely erased. What kind of human lives in an underground cave?
"Please don't eat me" she blurts out when he parks.
This time he actually recoils in shock. He turns to stare at her. "I'm not going to eat you," He says finally
She's so relieved she starts rambling "That's good because I wouldn't taste good at allyoucouldaskthelionsatthecircus. Wellnotaskcausetheirlionthey can'ttalkandI'lljustshutupnow."
She snaps her jaw shut and stares at him. He stares back until a cough interrupts them.
"Master Batman, I see we have company," A formal accented voice says, it is attached to an old man dressed in a butler's outfit.
"Alfred, please get Ms. Grayson something to eat and drink shes had a long day"
"Certainly Master Batman" the man, Alfred, quickly walks off to who knows where and disappeared into the darkness. Does batman even have a kitchen she can't help but wonder as she watches
"That was Alfred, he is my butler if you need anything just ask him" The voice rips her from her musing and reminds her of just what's happening.
"I...Why I'm I here" She finally gathers the courage to ask
"You Ms.Grayson are here because you are one of the most stubborn people I have ever met."
"It's Dick, not Ms.Grayson and so what?" she huffs
He smirks "That wasn't an insult" then he turns sharply and walks towards a large computer.
He pushes a few buttons and the screen lights up with images and even a newspaper of her parent's death titled. The Famous Flying Graysons fall to their death.
Her heart squeezes tightly at the reminder and she has to tear her eyes away from it. She turns her gaze towards Batman who is observing her again. "You're right about it being a murder," he says finally " Tony Zocco killed them for not paying his toll."
"See I told you!"
"But" he interrupts "You're going about this the wrong way, you're putting yourself in danger by going after him."
Dick's temper erupts "So! I'm going to stop him! He killed them. I have too they deserve to be avenged, I'll kill him if I have to."
"Do you honestly think your parents would want you to kill someone and recklessly put yourself in danger to avenge them?" He asks seriously
Dick falters "I-"
"No they wouldn't, I may have not have known then but I do know they loved you, they wouldn't want you to live like this"
"So what you want me to just, let him get away with this... He- they..." she stutters through her tears.
"I understan-"
'No, you don't! No one does!" she screams then buries her hands in her hands and sobs
He kneels down in front of her and puts his hands on her shoulders gently. "I do understand"
Then to her surprise, he does something completely unexpected, he lifts his hand to his cowl and pulls it up revealing his face and identity to her. She gaps in surprise and it takes her a minute to understand what is happening "Mister Wayne?!"
"I do understand Dick because I went through the same thing as you. When I was 10 years old my parents were shot and killed right in front of me. Ever since that day I have vowed revenge on the people that did it but killing isn't the answer. It won't stop the hurt" he said as he stared into her eyes
She looks back into eyes just like hers. Not the color they share but the pain. Now that he is unmasked she can see the old wound in his heart that won't heal. She is faced with pain so similar that she can't help... needs to ask. "How... how do I make it stop"
"Time helps," he says softly "but I won't lie I'm not sure it ever does."
It states a new wave of tears but this time she launches herself at him and sobs into his shoulder and once again she is crying into the arms of Bruce Wayne.
She is still 8 when he offers her a deal, he will let her help with the investigation as long as she follows his two rules. She will come to the cave every day and she will help look through all the evidence but she will not go near any of Zocco's hideouts or go after him. When he sees her hesitation he tells her sternly that this is his final offer.
She glares but agrees to the first rule relatively easily. It's the second that makes her pause.
"After he is caught he will go to jail. No killing him for revenge, no matter how much you want to. Batman doesn't kill" he says firmly
She clenches her fists and nods. Satisfied he also nods and holds out a hand. She tilts her head in confusion. "It a deal after this were partners for the time being" She brightens slightly and shakes his hand "Partners"
This time when he drops her off he tells her to pack her things and wait for him.
She frowns in confusion but does as he says. She finds out the next day what he meant by that when a cowless Bruce Wayne walks through the door of the detention center to take her to her new temporary home. All the other girls gawk at them or bat their eyes prettily at him as they walk by then turn to glare at her when he ignores them.
There is confusion and envy in their gaze and honestly, Dick can't even blame them. Going from a detention center to a mansion is a huge upgrade. That doesn't stop her from smirking at the particularly mean ones as she passes by them though.
She raises her head high and walks to the limousine parked outside proudly. Then turns to her guardian for the foreseeable future with a beaming grin. She'll later remember this memory with a laugh and know that he had also been smiling that day.
"So were too boss?"
"Wayne manor if you will Alfred" he nods to the same elderly butler she had met before.
After about 10 minutes of a mostly silent drive, they arrived at Wayne manor. Dick mentally sighed in relief when they finally arrived. It was obvious that even though Mister Wayne had offered her his home he had absolutely no idea how to talk to her. Honestly, Dick doubted that he had ever talked to kids for extended periods.
Alfred opened her door and kindly ushered her inside. "Let me be the first to welcome you to Wayne manor Mistress Richard. Feel free to ask if you need anything and make yourself at home."
"Thank you, Mister Alfred"
"No need for the Mister I am merely a butler after all" Dick got the feeling that was defiantly an understatement.
"I'll call you Alfred if you call me Dick then."
"Mistress Dick then"
"Just Dick"
"Of course Mistress Dick." He replied and Dick huffed
"Its no use, I've tried to get him to drop the formalities for years but he refuses each time" Mister Wayne voice appeared out of nowhere and Dick jumped when she realized he was right behind her
"It is my duty as a butler of this esteemed family to be proper. I shall not bring sham upon this household." Alfred said properly but she didn't believe he was always that proper for a second, especially after the sass from earlier.
"Of course Alfred" they had clearly had this conversation many times.
"Now I shall allow you two time to talk while I go prepare lunch." Alfred walked away calmly
There was silence for a minute but just as it was about it last long enough to be awkward Mister Wayne spoke.
"Don't mind him. Alfred's may seem very proper but he is the best man I know, he has been with me since I was a child and there is no one I trust more."
"He seems nice" she agreed
"He is and more often than not also right so do try to hed his advice"
"Okay" she agreed and began to look around
Mister Wayne caught her eye "I'll show you to your room so you can get comfortable them. We can discuss our... partnership after lunch"
As he walked up the stair and towards the hallway, Dick couldn't help but take note of the fact that when he walked he didn't make a sound nit even a rustle of his clothes.
"This is your room" his voice spooked her
"Oh-right thank you" she stuttered and took a look inside.
Her jaw dropped immediately the room was huge and beautifully decorated. But what caught her attention the most was the poster that hung over her new bed. Her breath hitched. She recognized it immediately and tears filled her eyes.
"Th-that's how did..." she trailed off as she stared at it hungrily. She made sure to take in every detail she could.
"I thought you might like something to remind you of them so I asked Mr. Haly for a momento."
She paid no mind to the tear that ran down her face. To entranced by the beautiful poster to care.
Mister Wayne coughed awkwardly "I hope you like it"
"I- Thank you... thank you" she finally said. She's not sure what she thanking him for, there are so many things but she needs him to know. She looks up at him with tearful eyes. "Thank you"
His eyes softened and he nodded silently. They stood in silence but unlike before it wasn't uncomfortable, just the opposite, it was like they were old friends.
Despite her earlier worries, Dick seems to fit into the Wayne household like she had been there the whole time. She wakes up to eat breakfast with mister. Wayne. Who insists on being called Bruce, then waves goodbye as he drives off to work. After that, she simply goes exploring or follows Alfred around as he works. He is always patient with her, answering all her questions and telling her stories when she asks. It is like they are a completely normal family during the day.
However, she knows the truth. Once night approaches the house because almost ominously quiet and the real work begins. Beloved billionaire Bruce Wayne becomes the stoick, dark, and mysterious Batman. He leaves his work suit behind, puts on his cowl, and becomes one with the night.
This is also where she spends countless nights. Right beside him as she shifts through cases and tries to make sense of all there clues she can find. It is a tedious job but she continues with a one-track mind. Most nights she can find him there for a few hours but on particularly hard nights he doesn't return from his patrols until she is long asleep.
Once in particular when the Joker escapes Arkham. He releases laughing gas in the middle of town and destroys a whole city block. It takes Batman two days to catch him. Both of which he is short-tempered and Dick steers clear of his path. She has gotten past the point of fear but she can't help but hide when he is angry even though she knows she is safe.
He never hurt her and tries to be patient but talking is not in his nature so she tries her best to be silent. Though she can't help but chatter unconsciously at times. He continues his work unbothered but she knows he's listening because sometimes he answers her questions. She was horrified that she was annoying him at first but by now she knows he doesn't mind as long as she doesn't get in the way of his work.
They continue like this for weeks on end until finally, they get a lead. Tony Zocco was much better than hiding than he seemed but even then it was only a matter of time before Batman found him. He made the mistake of going back to one of his lars now that he thought he was home free.
"We have to go after him" Dick growled
"We need to be patient" Batman replied
"I have been! I've waited weeks and it finally paid off we got him now, We just have to bring him in!" she argued
"If we wait a few more days more of his thugs will show up. If we go now they'll realize something is wrong and run off before I can catch them. We need to wait"
"What if he leaves! It took us weeks to find him if he leaves there's no telling how long it will take again!" She cried angrily
"He thinks he's gotten away that will make him arrogant. He's not going to leave. If his thugs get away, they could hurt civilians. The risk is too high."
"Batman please you have to understand, he-I, Bruce please" she begged
He continued unfazed by her pleas "I will not be going after him tonight. End of discussion."
Dick's eyes filled with tears. "I hate you!" She screamed and ran up to her room.
Dick screamed in frustration when she arrived. She threw her pillows against the door and yelled angrily. She cursed him in Romani, French, Spanish, Russian, and any other language she could think of. Finally, she grabbed her small elephant figurine and chucked it at the wall.
It hit with a tump and shattered on impact. The noise snapped her out of her anger and she fell to her knees next to the broken figure. She grabbed the pieces and held them to her chest. That is when the first tear appeared. It was followed by another, then another, and another. She didn't try to stop them as they fell and she was sobbing hysterically on the ground.
She reminded like this of hours even when Alfred came to check on her she ignored him and continued. After the first 2, she moved herself to her bed and curled up pitifully around her blanket for comfort. She sniffed and choked on her sob.
"I'm so sorry," she whispers to the empty room "I tried but he wouldn't listen"
She wiped away her tear and looked up at her poster. She looked longingly at her parent's faces and dried her tears. The remainder of their death fueled her sadness but even more than that it fueled her anger.
Tony Zocco was going to walk free if she didn't stop him. If Batman wouldn't do anything then she wasn't just going to sit around while he got away. "He'll pay for this. Even if I have to do it myself," she promised
Finding him was easy. She had his current location and she had the advantage of surprise. Escaping for the manor under Batman's watchful eye was the tricky part.
She used her tears to her advantage. As far as Alfred and Batman Knew she was in bed Crying her heart out. To upset to even move let alone sneak out. She felt a flash of regret at the thought of lying to Alfred but pushed it away and scolded herself. She was doing this for her parents. Besides they would more than likely never see each other again after Batman found out what she did.
Cautiously she stood up and grabbed her pillow off the floor careful not to make any noise as she moved. She tucked it under her blanket and fluffed it out to make it seem real. Next, she snuck to the computer Batman had given her and typed each letter in quietly. C_R_Y_I_NG.
She clicked the first video she saw and lowered the volume so that it sounded real. It was about 1 hour long so plenty of time for her to sneak away after that she just hoped that assumed she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Last she pulled on the darkest clothes she owned. She needed to be discreet for this to work. With that, she grabbed all the allowance she had and shoved it in her pocket. Just her bare hands weren't going to cut it she need supplies and since Batman was definitely brooding in the Batcave that left normal store supplies.
With everything prepared she to a breath and began her climb down the window. she used the ledge for balance and used the stone as a place to put her feet next was the hard part. Carefully she turned around and launched herself at the conveniently placed tree next to her room. It was a far leap and if she had been any other child she might have fallen but she was a flying Grayson so instead, she soared.
She gasped as she caught herself on the tree. She allowed herself just a moment to breathe then quickly pulled herself down to the next branch. She repeated this process until finally with one last jump she was on the floor. Not stopping just in case they had cameras she ran as fast as she could towards the dance. Once there she threw herself over it and sped off into the bushes for cover.
She held her breath. one minute passed, then two, then three then finally she was sure the alarm wasn't going to go off. She sighed in relief.
She probably should have thought this through she thinks as she is stared down by an angry Batman.
That had become abundantly clear after Zocco had managed to capture her with minimal effort and was now practically slapping her in the face now that Batman was glaring down at her.
"Richard," he said, Dick cringed, full name and everything
"Batman" she replied with more confidence than she had
"What exactly did you think you were doing?"
She crossed her arms and glared but to be honest she was relieved he was here to save her. She was sure she was dead meat for a second there. Zocco had tied her up and she was this close from becoming a knife target.
"Someone had to do something"
He glared "I told you to stay put"
"and I told you to stop him but we both know how that went"
He sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Yes I do"
Clearly, he was referring to her disastrous plan. If had been fine at first she had the drop on him but she hadn't anticipated him having already called on his thugs so she was quickly overpowered. He had immediately recognized her and began to brag about his luck. He got the full set she remembers he said with a shiver.
"You're never doing this again" Batman growled
"Yes I am" she snapped "I can help you saw tonight I know I can"
"You were captured!" He roared at her. She stilled it was the first time he had ever yelled at her "You could have been killed!"
The words were accompanied by silence. Dick fidgeted before she took a deep breath. "Batman... Bruce, I may not know how to fight but I can learn if you teach me"
He glare but he stayed silent so she took that as a queue to continue. "I want to help people. like you. You understand. I don't want anyone to have to go through the same thing as me ever again. so please let me help you." she begged
He stared her down but this time she refused to relent. She stared back with all the determination she had.
"You'll need a name" he finally said tonelessly
Dick beamed "really!"
He fixed her with a glare that made her standstill. "You will listen to everything I say. You will train until you can do everything with your eyes closed and your hands behind your back and you will not be going on any patrols until I say so. Do you understand?"
Dick nodded vigorously and cheered.
"so?"
She stopped her cheering and looked at him curiously "So what?"
He raised an eyebrow "The name?"
Dick paused. After everything that had happened, she could only think of one fitting name. "Robin" she decided
He looked curious but didn't ask "Well the Robin, it looks like we're going to be working together from now on, Partner"
Dick crackled and stuck of her hand in return "Partners"