The Robin Files

The Flying Graysons

Bruce started his story talking about becoming the vigilante currently known as Batman. So to follow in the footsteps of my mentor, I'll be doing the same (becoming Robin, not Batman).

I have a few scraps of old newspaper tucked away as well. I'm not as prepared as my adopted father for this, but they'll have to do.

This picture was of my family's performance at the Haly Circus. Yes, I was- and still am- an acrobat. What made our performance so special was the fact that we didn't have a net to break a fall. This meant there was absolutely no room for mistakes.

The circus was packed with fans of ours. We were the star attraction of the circus, and had national reviews even with the dropping interest in traveling circus shows. As Haly said in reports about that night, "Ever since little Dickie joined the act, people had been coming out to see the whole family perform." * The act went on as planned. I did my signature move- the Quadruple Flip of Doom, which only my family could perfect- and stepped off to watch my parents. My parents- Mary and John Grayson- swung out on the same trapeze bar to start their simultaneous triple flip, but never did.

Both ropes snapped mid-swing, causing both my mother and father to fall to the circus floor. They died on impact.

No one would listen to me when I told them it was sabotage- the police insisted there was no sign of foul play. They told me something unfortunate had happened, and that it was just the grief in my mind. But it wasn't, and I proved it later on as Robin.

I knew who did it, and I knew the motive too. While getting ready for my act, I'd overheard a man pressing Haly for the circus's protection money. Haly refused, as the great and kind man that he is. I just knew this guy had something to do with it. I know of only one person who thought it was sabotage from the moment of my parents' deaths.

In the paper, reporter Jerry Wolfman included a statement from Harry Zagari, a fellow circus performer. He told the reporters this: "John Grayson was diligent when it came to his family's safety. He always checked and double-checked the equipment. This couldn't have been an accident. Two ropes snapping at the same time like that?" *

The reports also mentioned that I was a ward of the state, and would most likely go to an orphanage nearby. Luckily, the popularity of my family's performance drew local celebrities to the show. Bruce Wayne was an audience member that night, and watched my parents fall just like everyone else in the crowd. Except, he wasn't like everyone else. He never said 'I'm sorry for your loss' like so many others did. It loses its meaning after a few times hearing it.

Bruce figured I'd be better off with him rather than some Gotham orphanage. He took me home and made me feel like I had a family again. And- I'll admit this- I almost teared up when I read his passage about me in his story... key word- almost!

He noted that I smiled more than him at my age, that I pretended better than him that everything was okay. But he also writes about the time he found me on the roof, staring into the city. Bruce realized I had gone back to the circus (it was in town again). I told him I knew my parents didn't die in an accident, and he believed me.

Apparently he saw himself in me. Enough of himself to show me the Batcave.

-)0(-

-ImThatAlien

*Pictures and quotes were used that originated from The Batman Files along other online sources, and are therefore not my property