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p-artsypants · 6 months

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The Last Flying Grayson

While out on duty, Robin sees a billboard that chills his soul. ‘Haly’s Circus 3000 Phoenix Tour, coming to Jump City at the end of June!’ Not long after, Mr. Haly reaches out to the Titans for a favor.

Ao3 | FF.net

“I’m beat!” Cyborg lamented, slouching forward. “I hate chasing Mumbo. He’s annoying and he turned my car into a wind up toy.”

“I’m right here,” said Mumbo, returned to his old man form. “Not much of a crime spree if I stay in one place, is it?”

“Man, shut up!”

“It’s alright Cyborg,” Robin patted his back. “Let’s drop Mumbo off with the police and then we can pick up some pizza for din—” as he spoke, he turned to look at their favorite pizza place, only to see a large Billboard next to it.

Haly’s Circus 3000!

Phoenix Tour!

Coming end of June!

He stood frozen. Suddenly confronting his past like this was not something he was prepared for.

“Hey, you okay?” Asked Cyborg. “You look paler than usual.”

“Yeah dude, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

He tore his gaze away from the billboard and looked back at his team. This was his present, and that was his past. There was no reason he couldn’t stop in and say hello, but there was no use lingering on it. “I’m fine. I just…suddenly realized how much paperwork I had to do.”

“Oh Robin, you must not lock yourself up in that office!” Starfire cried.

“Yeah dude! It’s movie night!”

“I’ll do the paperwork on the kitchen table, how about that?”

Beast Boy and Starfire cheered.

As they carried Mumbo off to the car, Raven caught Robin taking one last look at the billboard.

She knew more than the others.

She had been inside his head and saw his memories. It was brief, but she saw it. Whether or not this ‘Haly’s Circus 3000’ was the same one from his memories, she didn’t know. But it wasn’t her place to ask.

—-

Robin’s past came back to haunt him a few days later.

They were all gathered in the ops room, playing a card game together and hanging out, just being teens.

“Ha!” Beast Boy put down a card with a tornado on it. “I bet none of you nerds can beat that!”

Cyborg groaned. “Man, I had a lightning storm! I was certain I had it!”

“I got nothing,” said Raven.

“I, as well, have nothing to beat the tornado.”

“Well well well, looks like Beast Boy is cleaning up!”

“Not so fast, Grass Stain,” Robin taunted. “I still have one card.”

Beast Boy gasped. “You would not.”

Robin slammed the card down onto the pile. “Meteor shower! Read it and weep!”

“Noooo! That’s three games in a row! How do you keep winning!?”

“Let’s just say lady luck is a personal friend of mine.”

“You have a lady friend named ‘Luck’?” Starfire asked, a pout on her face.

“Relax Star, it’s just an expression.”

“Then…perhaps we can play once more and I can befriend this Lady of Luck?”

“Nah, I’m done,” said Beast Boy. “I got my butt kicked on the field enough times this week, I don’t need it kicked in my own home.”

The big screen came to life with an unknown caller number on it.

“Ohhh unknown caller? How much do you want to bet it’s a salesman?”

Robin’s jovial mood plummeted as butterflies erupted in his stomach. He had a feeling. “I don’t think it’s a salesman,” he said, subdued. He rose, and answered it.

A portly man with a curly mustache wearing a striped shirt appeared on the screen. A big smile came over his face. “Robin! Good to see you, lad!”

Of course he knew. ‘Robin’ and ‘Boy Wonder’ had been nicknames from the circus. His uniform was nearly the same too. Not to mention the death defying stunts he performed while crime fighting. It wouldn’t be that hard for anyone from Haly’s to piece it together. But, since Haly’s left Gotham and promised to never return, he hadn’t been concerned. Now, he was.

“Mr. Haly,” he greeted with a nod.

“I don’t want to take up much of your time. I’m sure you and your team are very busy.”

“Busy losing at cards,” Beast Boy grumbled.

“What do you need?” Robin asked.

“I’m not sure if you heard, but we’re having a comeback tour, and next month, we’re coming to Jump City!”

“I saw the billboard.”

“Oh good! I had hoped that advertising was working. I had an idea. We used to do these charity nights where we had special benefactors sponsor us, and all ticket sales would go to the benefactor’s chosen charity.”

Of course he remembered. It was why Bruce Wayne had been there the night that—

Robin assumed, “and you were hoping the Titans could sponsor a show?”

“That’s right! Of course, you would all be considered guests of honor and get VIP seats. But, if it’s not in the budget, I’d understand.”

“I’m sure we can make that happen,” Robin smiled. This conversation was going smoother than he expected. It seemed like Haly was being considerate enough to not assume everyone else knew who he was.

“And…I have a personal favor to ask.”

There it was. “What’s that?”

“I was wondering if you could find someone for me. You see, our circus has many new acts, and some old faces too, but…the Flying Graysons were still the greatest. I was hoping you could find Richard, the Last Flying Grayson, and see if he has it in his heart to perform as a special act. Just one night, as an homage to his parents. Is that something you could do for me?”

Robin was quiet for far too long before he agreed, “yeah, I’ll find him and ask.”

“Excellent. I know this is rather short notice. We’re planning on coming in two weeks, with the first show at the end of June. We were hoping you’d sponsor the show on June 27.”

“June 27th, huh?” There was no hiding the grief in his voice.

“Unless you’d prefer another day.”

“I’ll make it happen, Mr. Haly.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Let him know he can reach me at this number once he knows what he’ll need for his act. I can’t wait for you to see how the show looks now!”

Robin’s throat felt tight. “Is Zitka still there?”

“Of course! Fat on peanuts, but she’s still beautiful.”

Robin couldn’t help but smile. “Great to hear. We’ll see you in a few weeks then.”

“See you!” And the call ended.

“Soooo…” Beast Boy grinned. “Who was that?”

“An old friend,” Robin said vaguely. He really didn’t want to talk about it, but knew if he made a big deal about not wanting to talk about it then they’d pry and pry and pry until he talked about it!

“That’s obvious,” said Cyborg. “But what’s the story!? You know circus people?”

Robin swallowed. “They performed in Gotham City for a time. I knew them from my time there.” Half a lie. “I owe Haly a favor.” That was the truth.

“Man, you have the coolest experiences from working with Batman and you never talk about them!”

He scoffed, “like the 22 times Two-Face robbed the Second National Bank of Gotham of all its 2 dollar bills? Yeah, real exciting stuff.”

“Please,” began Starfire, “this sir-cuss is a performance, like theater?”

“Sort of,” Robin smiled. “Circuses travel from city to city, and perform in big tents. There’s big animals, strong men, clowns, all sorts of performers.”

“And who is this Zitka and why is she full of peanuts?”

“She’s an elephant.”

“Cool! Robin’s friends with an elephant!” Cyborg smiled.

“UM HELLO? You all are!” Beast Boy morphed into an elephant.

Cyborg grabbed his trunk. “I meant a real elephant, dummy!”

Beast boy shifted back, rubbing his nose. “So what is he having you do? Something about finding a performer? A Flying Grayson?”

He was afraid of this. It was too close. He had to play it cool, pretend it was nothing. He was removed from the situation, and none of it mattered.

Or he could tell them the whole truth.

Nononononono no. No. Not happening.

“The Flying Graysons…were the headliner. A family of trapeze artists,” he began. “Gotham is full of crazies like the Joker and Two-Face, yes, but it also has a lot of mafia activity. An extortionist threatened Haly, and when Haly didn’t pay up, the thug messed with the rigging to The Flying Graysons’ act.” Robin swallowed harshly. “John and Mary Grayson…f-fell. Their son, Richard, survived.” He sighed. “I saw it happen. It was…pretty traumatic.”

“What of the foul man that committed the crime?” Starfire asked.

“Batman and I beat him up and threw him in jail.”

“So, I guess this Richard guy owes you a favor, huh?” Beast Boy smirked.

“I suppose.”

“Need any help tracking him down?” Offered Cyborg.

“Nah, I know where to find him.”

“I don’t know dude,” Beast Boy wondered. “If my parents died in an accident like that, I’d never touch the trapeze again. Is he still practicing?”

“Not exactly, but he can do it.” Robin headed for the door. “I’m going to go ahead and reach out to him. Have fun with your cards.”

As he departed and was alone, his shoulders sagged heavily and the tears started to well up. “Not yet,” he whispered.

He walked swiftly towards his room, only to be halted by Raven appearing from the floor.

“Wanna talk about it?” She asked.

“About what?” Sooth.

“Robin, I’ve been in your head. I saw your memories. I don’t know the details, but that fall that you witnessed was a prominent memory.”

He had almost forgotten that she had read his mind. Raven was considerate enough to not do it very often to people.

“I’m fine, and I don’t need to talk about anything,” he said sternly, walking past her. Then he felt a wave of guilt, because Raven, the one friend who was the least likely to reach out, was concerned. “But thanks for the offer.”

—-

The next few weeks were quiet. Robin shared no more information about the Circus. He never said if he found Richard Grayson. In fact, he didn’t say much at all. He spent most of his days in his room. He admitted that he had been working in his office a lot of late nights, so he was taking naps during the downtime of the day.

One night at dinner, Beast Boy asked a question that Robin dreaded. “So…I was walking past your room, and I heard a sewing machine?”

Robin nearly dropped his fork.

“What’s all that about?”

Robin gnawed the inside of his cheek. “I’m working on a new costume.”

Starfire nearly floated out of her chair. “Are you becoming Nightwing?!”

“No, not quite,” he smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m just…making a prototype.” Another lie.

“Can we see it?” Cyborg asked.

“When I’m done, I’ll show you.” Not a lie!

—-

Soon, the date arrived.

Robin banked on the fact that Beast Boy was too preoccupied by games to notice what he was wearing. Just in case, we wore a trench coat over his new costume.

“Beast Boy, I have to leave early for the show, but I’m leaving your guys’ tickets on the counter with instructions.”

“Okay Robby, see you later!” Beast Boy didn’t even turn around.

Robin, the Boy Wonder, exited the tower, and Richard Grayson, the Last Flying Grayson, entered Jump City.

—-

Hours later, the Titans assembled in the ops room, preparing to leave.

“Hey, where’s Robin?”

“Oh, he left hours ago,” Beast Boy said easily. “But I think he left a note around here somewhere…”

“You mean this?” Raven picked up the paper that was very clearly right in front of them.

“Haha…yeah…”

“Dear Titans, I went early to pick up Mr. Grayson. I have left your tickets for you. Your seat numbers are on them. Don’t wait for me, I will meet up with you during the show. Love, Robin.”

“He can be so sweet,” Starfire smiled.

“Yeah yeah, bunnies and flowers, can we go? I’m starving!”

“Oh yeah baby! Carnival food!”

“This isn’t a carnival, it’s a circus,” Raven corrected.

“I hope they have popcorn! No! Pretzels!”

“Whatever they have, I hope it’s deep fried and delicious!”

They piled in the T-Car and made their way out to the edge of town. From even a few miles away, they could see the massive red and white tent, alight with search lights.

“Whoa…” Beast Boy gawked.

“Oh this is most exciting! Such an event on Tamaran would include the beheading of a shnerkel! Will any animals have their heads placed on pikes?”

“Uh…no.” Beat Boy looked ill. “The circus is a fun place with no maiming.”

“Actually,” said Cyborg. “I think their whole thing is death-defying stunts. So doing dangerous things to inspire awe.”

“Fascinating! I believe Robin called that ‘thrill seeking’?”

“Similar,” Said Raven. “Maybe you should just wait and see. It's hard to explain.”

They drove up to the gate, where a man in a purple clown costume waited. “Good evening! You must be the Teen Titans! Robin saved you a parking spot up front. Go ahead.”

“Awww Robin saved us a place so I don’t have to worry about my baby getting scratched!” Cyborg sniffed. “You’re right Star, he really can be sweet sometimes.”

Starfire giggled while Beast Boy made a gagging sound.

Cyborg parked up front, next to Robin’s motorcycle, and then they made their way to the entrance of the tent. They passed the ticket stand that had a sign up that stated ‘Sold out’. Next to the door was a huge poster of a silhouette of an acrobat swinging on a trapeze. The font read ‘One night only, The Last Flying Grayson!’ The song of a calliope rang through the air.

“Sounds like we picked the right show to sponsor,” Cyborg noted.

The tent was massive, with seating all the way around. Four giant poles held up the tent, which was blue with stars on the inside.

“Tickets please,” said a woman in a glittery leotard.

Starfire handed them over.

“Of course! You’re the Titans. You’ll be sitting in the VIP box, in section A.” She pointed to a spot in the bleachers that was raised up and out a little, presumably for the best view.

“We should sponsor more events,” Beast Boy grinned.

“Enjoy the show!” The woman smiled, handing back the tickets.

As they crossed the tent, Cyborg got a whiff of the concession stand. “I’m gettin’ in the food line before it gets too long. Whatchu guys want?”

“Oh! I would like a hot dog with a gratuitous amount of mustard!” Starfire licked her lips at the very idea.

“I’ll wait in line with you Cy,” said Beast Boy.

“Raavveeennnn,” Cyborg sang. “They have pretzels!”

“My day is made,” she droned.

Starfire and Raven went to their seats to wait for the boys.

“Where do you think Robin is?” Starfire asked, standing to peer through the crowd. People were still arriving and the stands were filling.

“Couldn’t say,” Raven shrugged. “Maybe he gets to help the Ringmaster or something.”

Like she summoned him, her communicator buzzed. “Robin to Starfire, come in, Starfire.”

“This is Starfire. Where are you?”

“You’ll see me soon. I need a favor.”

“Anything!”

“When I give the signal, I need you to prepare a Tamaranean discus maneuver.”

“What? Why?”

“Just trust me.”

“Alright, you know best. Where do you wish me to aim you?”

“At the center ring, the stage right in front of you, at the very center.”

“What signal?”

“Eyes on deck.”

“When?”

“You’ll see me. Don’t worry. And relax! Enjoy the show!” And he ended the call.

“Uh, that’s weird.” Raven quirked a brow.

“I hope there is no trouble.”

“He said not to worry. Maybe he’s helping Mr. Grayson out in his act?”

“Oh that would be wonderful! Robin is very good at the flipping!”

“Acrobatics,” Raven corrected.

Soon enough, the boys returned with arms full of all manner of popcorn, pretzels, hot dogs, soda, and cotton candy. “A hot dog and pretzel, for the ladies,” Beast Boy juggled over the two items, as well as two sodas.

“Where’s my cheese?” Raven asked.

“You didn’t say you wanted any.”

“My day is ruined,” she droned.

Then, the lights dimmed, and a drumroll silenced all chatter.

A spotlight illuminated a singular man in the center. The same portly, mustachioed man, wearing a red and gold suit with a top hat. “Ladies and gentlemen!” His voice carried throughout the tent. “Welcome to Haly’s Circus 3000! We would like to thank our generous benefactors for this special event, the Teen Titans!”

Another spotlight ignited on the group, unexpectedly, and they all smiled and waved awkwardly as the crowd applauded.

“Tonight, you will witness performances the likes you’ve never seen! Prepare for awe, laughter, shock, and drama! Please, enjoy the show!”

Sparklers ignited around the ring and the big band struck up a jaunty tune. From all the aisles came the performers. Clowns on stilts, women standing on horses, strong men carrying barrels, and even a bear on a unicycle.

Beast Boy shook Cyborg as he exploded with excitement.

A man in a burgundy suit came to the center ring, holding a whip in one hand, and a giant hoop in the other.

“Please direct your attention to the center ring, where you will see God’s mightiest creature come to heel. I present Marko, the Tiger Whisperer!”

The audience cheered as the Ringmaster left. The man called Marko raised the hoop, and snapped his whip.

From outside the tent came running a streak of black and orange. The tiger leapt into the ring, through the hoop, and skittered to a stop, like an overgrown puppy.

The tamer pet his nose and fed him a treat.

The audience and Titans watched with fascination as the tiger performed tricks that only extremely disciplined dogs could do. The act concluded with the tamer sticking his head in the tiger’s mouth.

Starfire stood up with the crowd to applaud.

Each act that followed was just as spectacular.

There was a juggler that juggled flaming batons and chainsaws. A set of clowns bonked each other on the head with progressively larger and larger cartoonish hammers, and of course, the bear on the unicycle returned.

“Does that give you fond memories, Cyborg?” Beast Boy joked.

“It gives me memories alright. Fond? Not so much.”

“That bear is very talented!” Starfire cooed.

“I’m surprised the unicycle hasn’t broken.”

“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” called the Ringmaster once more, as the lights swirled over the audience. “The moment you’ve been looking forward to all night. A once in a lifetime opportunity. The living legacy himself! Performing high-flying death-defying stunts, 60 feet in the air, without the safety of a net, The Last Flying Grayson!”

The spotlights turned and illuminated a young man, standing in the center ring. The haunting sound of an accordian playing a waltz filled the air.

“Wait, is that–?” Beast Boy squinted.

“It can’t be…” Cyborg gaped.

“But it must!” Starfire gleefully beamed.

“No. Way.”

The young man had black hair, styled into slicked back spikes. He wore a tight, sleeveless red tunic with yellow ties across the front. He had dark green tights, and a yellow sash instead of a utility belt.

He had a sad smile on his mask-less face, along with face paint to make it look like he had a single tear on his cheek.

He bowed low, his arms back behind him. Then he flung back and flipped, once, twice, three times and landed on his feet. A swing, made of silk rope, descended down to him. He wrapped one side around his arm, and took measured steps in time with the music, until he broke into a run, and then twisted. He spun rapidly, gliding over the ground, and gradually raised into the air. The higher he raised, the more his body contorted, until he looked like he was twisted into a pretzel. It was all effortless, as his facial expression never changed. Just kept that look of bittersweet happiness.

“How is he doing that?” Beast Boy asked as Robin held onto the loop with just one hand that reached between his legs while he did the splits.

“I knew he was flexible, but…whoa.”

A woman began to sing while he performed. A sad tune, haunting melody, and unknown words to everyone in the audience.

Everyone, except Starfire.

“Go, go child, go, you'll see, go.”

She knew these words were in a tongue that was not English, but she wasn’t sure how she knew them. Robin had been the only language assimilation she’d had since she’d been on Earth. But perhaps…

She learned it from him.

“Go and you'll see that a smile often hides a great sorrow. Go and you'll see the madness of mankind.”

As he contorted, Robin twisted the rope around himself, forming a cocoon, until he reached the very top. Then, he pulled a pin on one side and he fell, unraveling like a ball of yard.

He stopped about a foot from the bottom, posed with one leg up by his head.

The audience cheered and whistled, but the only one who stayed totally silent was Starfire. Not because she wasn’t enjoying the show, but because she was mesmerized by him.

“Madness of mankind without righteousness, go. Madness of warriors without fear, go.”

Robin wrapped back up in the silk rope and soared through the tent, waving at the crowd as he passed by.

The swing raised up further, and reached the height of a platform that was built into the main beams of the tent. Up here, there were several bars, some stationary, and some hanging on wires.

“Madness of a child full of life who, playing at paradise as a soldier, was killed.”

He simply turned and stepped onto the platform, and offered a little bow.

He raised his arms, took two steps, and leapt, gliding out to a bar on wires. He swung out, flying over the crowd effortlessly, before he flipped and grabbed the next bar with his legs. At the peak of his swing, he flipped off the bar, spun in a tight ball, and landed on a platform on the opposite side of the tent.

The crowd clapped.

Oh, but he wasn’t done. Of course not! He ran and leapt again, catching the bar as it swung back. He used the momentum to swing all the way around the bar several times, getting faster and faster before he let go and flung himself up high. There, he tucked into a ball and rotated twice and caught another bar. He swung on that quickly and shot up again. At the crest of his arc, he hugged his arms to his chest and twisted, turning sideways and upside down.

The audience watched as he came down, and reached for the next bar…

And missed.

“No!” Starfire was on her feet, ready to fly out and catch him, only to watch him fall about ten feet before he twisted again and caught a different bar with his legs.

The audience went wild.

Starfire nearly collapsed with relief.

“Where fortune walks, you can't reach there with the heart anymore.”

He swung backwards, before hooking his feet around the wires and contorting backwards to climb up to stand on the bar. Once it reached the peak swing, he dropped down to his hands and swung, using momentum to swing out far and fast. From here, he leapt onto a hanging hoop. He hooked one leg around the hoop and braced the other inside, then relaxed his torso and threw his hands out. He glided over the audience, nearly touching them. Then he passed the Titans and gave them all high fives with a big smile.

He winked at Starfire.

The hoop rapidly rose up high into the tent, as someone pulled it on the other end.

At the top of the tent, there was a thin wire from post to post, about a hundred feet long, and 70 feet up. The accordion and woman ended their song.

“And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Flying Grayson will become the Balancing Grayson, as he performs the tightrope walk!”

The crowd ‘oo’ed.

Robin withdrew his bow staff from his belt, extended it, and very carefully started walking across the tightrope.

The drums below rolled as he shuffled forward, a little more, a little more…

Suddenly, it looked like he lost his balance as he started swaying and trying to over correct. Then he jerked to one side and fell—

Only to once again catch himself, with one hand on the rope. He flipped back up easily, before stowing the staff again, then he gave an exaggerated shrug and flipped forward, walking the tightrope on his hands.

The crowd went ballistic.

After a few feet, he flipped again, placing one foot down, then the other, then turning and doing a backbend. Up on his hands, then his feet, then he did a front flip, a cartwheel; a full balance beam routine before reaching the other side.

He raised his hands to quiet the roaring crowds.

He took out his staff again, and ran out onto the tightrope. A little before the halfway point, he extended the staff and vaulted up to balance on top of it! He had one hand out, the rest of his body completely straight with his arm. Then, slowly, he transferred the connection point to his forehead.

“Dude…” Beast boy gaped.

Robin balanced on a tightrope, on his staff, on his forehead. The drums rolled.

He gave a little shake of his hands and the band played a cheerful ‘ta-da!’

His friends clapped and cheered, only to be drowned out by the uproar of the crowd.

Robin flipped backwards onto the rope, tucking his baton back into his sash. He watched the swinging bars below and timed it perfectly as he leapt, fell thirty feet, and grabbed the bar expertly.

He whirled through the air, catching bar after bar in more and more precarious ways, like while he was spinning in a somersault, or by just one hand. He even dangled by just one foot.

Starfire watched with awe as he performed, laughter and joy bubbling out of him each time he landed a trick.

It was a side of Robin she’d never seen before.

He was…beautiful.

Of course, she and many other ladies (and probably several men) thought that Robin was cute, handsome, and ‘oh em gee a total hottie’ but seeing him right now, in this environment…he was just beautiful.

Like a galaxy made of an ocean of stars and colors, he was beautiful like a force of nature. His thin frame was deceitful to the strength he held. His ropey muscles had mostly been hidden under loose sleeves and gloves. But Starfire could see them plainly now, and hard at work, twisting under his skin with each aerial feat. The contours of his body were distinct with the skin tight costume. The peak of the human form, a rib cage, surrounded by bands of muscle, a chest with a rapidly beating heart. Even his fingers held incredible strength, as he dangled carelessly from just the tips.

A force of nature. A human in the most definite form.

Utterly mesmerizing.

Robin arched his back, hanging from his ankles with his arms far behind him. He swung his arms, pumping his body to climb higher and higher. He let go, somersaulting in the air, once, twice–five times, before landing on the tips of his toes on a platform. His silk rope dangled off to the side, and he used it to climb all the way back to the top, where the tightrope was.

Once up there, he looked down, right to her. He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then to her.

Eyes on deck.

The signal.

Starfire floated out of her seat, up about ten feet, to provide plenty of clearance for what he had in mind.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he spoke into a mic way up there. “Thank you so much for coming out tonight for my special performance. And to the Teen Titans, thank you for making this event even more special. I knew I had to design my costume after Robin when I heard you guys were going to be here.”

He was such a liar.

“For my final trick, I will need the assistance of a beautiful young woman from the audience.” He pretended to glance around for only a second before exclaiming, “oh Starfire of the Teen Titans! Thank you for volunteering! Give her a hand folks!”

There was an applause, along with laughter, as this had obviously been planned. Starfire giggled as Cyborg shouted, “yeah that’s our girl!”

Robin crawled out on the tightrope, pinwheeling one leg around his body, and then the other. When he reached the middle of the rope, he held his arms out to the side.

A drum roll went up.

He dropped, catching himself with his fingers, and began to swing faster and faster until he was rocketing around the wire, gaining speed.

Then he let go and soared.

Arms out wide like wings, he whooped as he flew.

Then he started to fall, but he had no fear. He was falling right towards her, and she’d catch him.

Starfire floated a couple extra feet, eager to make contact with her friend. She caught him with her hands coming to rest on his ribcage, while he took hold of her shoulders.

“Hi Star,” he beamed, piercing her soul with those vibrant blue eyes.

“Hello,” she smiled back, her heart in her throat. Then she twisted, never letting gravity have a turn with him in this dance. She spun, her grip dragging down to his arms.

Once, twice, three times she spun him, before she let him go. Letting go this time was so different from everytime they performed this maneuver on the field. She wasn’t flinging him into an attack. There was no enemy waiting.

She was throwing him into the end of his act. The end of this beautiful, sacred moment.

Robin twisted in the air and grabbed his staff from his sash. He extended it and dug it into the center of the ring, slowing his descent. He spun around it, his limbs just gliding across the surface as he slowed more and more.

He ended with one leg wrapped around the staff, while the other kicked out. He leaned back and threw his arms out and laughed.

It was like he was mocking the crowd. I flew, his laughter said, I got to fly and you didn’t.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The Last Flying Grayson!”

Robin got to his feet as the crowd stood, screaming and cheering. He bowed once again, and then departed out of the ring, choosing to cartwheel and backflip out.

Starfire was stuck floating in the air, tears streaming down her face, as a bittersweet smile came over her face.

“You coming down?” Cyborg asked.

She nodded awkwardly and sank back into her seat.

“You okay?” Raven asked, offering the edge of her cape to wipe her tears.

“I am only sad it is over,” she lamented.

“No worries!” Cyborg chirped. “I recorded the whole thing!” He tapped his head. “You can watch it over again whenever you want!”

“Oh glorious!” She clapped her hands together, feeling slightly better.

Of course, watching a video would never be the same as watching it in person, but it would have to be enough.

“You guys enjoying the show?” A voice asked from behind them.

They turned in shock as Robin, back in his normal costume and mask appeared behind them. He crouched and stole a handful of Beast Boy’s popcorn.

“That Richard Grayson is something else! Did you see that tightrope act? I wonder how long it took him to perfect that!”

Starfire grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him into a hug. “It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”

Robin blushed, as she had basically pulled him into her lap, but he hugged her back, nonetheless.

“I wouldn’t say it like that,” said Beast Boy, “but it was certainly the craziest thing I’ve ever seen!”

“I knew you had some skill, but I get so focused on the martial arts part, I don’t even think about your acrobatics!” Said Cyborg.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Raven asked, not accusatory, just curious.

“Uh…” he pulled at his collar. “It’s like…really hard for me to talk about. I figured just showing you would be easier.” He adjusted his grip on Starfire, resigned to the fact he was sitting in her lap. He couldn’t get out of the hug if he tried. “It’s…it’s been 10 years. 10 years ago today that they…my parents…” He swallowed harshly. “Haly knew. He knew I would spend the day crying and in self loathing. It still hurts, and it might never stop, but by being able to do this…it was kinda like…being with them again.”

Starfire hugged him tighter, burying her face in his shoulder.

“You seemed to have fun. Are you gonna do it again someday?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Eventually, Starfire let him go so that he could sit next to her instead. She still held his arm, too emotional to let him go completely, and honestly, he didn’t mind so much.

They all watched the end of the show together, a rancorous applause as almost all the performers came out and took their bows.

Then, the lights came up, and everyone was free to go.

Robin released a little sigh. It was hard, but it had been worth it. He felt happier and more content than he expected he’d feel today.

“So,” Raven began. “Are you going to introduce us to your friends, or what?”

“Oh yes! I should very much like to meet your elephant!”

Robin smiled. “Whatever you guys want.”

—

They waited for the crowds to thin before Robin led them to another tent. Here, all manner of performers lounged about, some still in costumes and makeup. When the Titans entered, attention swiveled to them.

“Dickie Bird!”

Then there was an onslaught of ‘way to go’s and ‘atta boy’s, accompanied with affectionate head rubs and back pats. Robin took it all in stride, vainly fixing his hair afterwards. “Uh…thanks guys. It means a lot. Um, these are my friends, The Teen Titans. Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire.”

“It is good to meet you all in person,” Mr. Haly himself said, shaking their hands. “Tonight was a smashing success. Thank you for all your help.”

“Uh, gotta be honest man, we just showed up tonight. Robin took care of everything. If anything, we should be thanking you guys for the amazing show!”

“Nevertheless, attaching your name to the show really brought the crowds in! We’re back, baby!”

Robin smiled, thrilled to see Haly’s Circus thriving.

“So,” Beast Boy began, talking quietly to Robin, but everyone heard him. “Everyone here knows who you are, huh?”

Robin blushed, embarrassed. “Yep.”

“You think a little piece of fabric would keep us from recognizing ol’ Dickie Bird?” A man with smudged paint on his face asked. “Even if you did grow a bit.” He nudged Robin.

A strong man spoke up, with a heavy Russian accent. “Your friends, they do not know how you got the name Robin?”

“Hey yeah!” Cyborg said, vexed. “How come we don’t know? Does anyone know?”

Robin rubbed the back of his head. “It’s…kind of embarrassing.”

“Please share!” Starfire asked, linking her fingers around his arm.

Robin sighed. “So…I was born on the first day of spring, so my mom always called me her little Robin.”

“Aww,” said Beast Boy. “That’s sweet!”

Robin continued. “She said it so often, it became kind of like a stage name, though never officially since I only performed with my parents. But we did talk about me having a solo act as I got older, under the name ‘Robin, the Boy Wonder’. When I joined Batman, I was 8 and didn’t know any better and used the same name.” He gave a little shrug. “I don’t even think Batman knows.”

“Oh, he knows,” said Haly with a laugh. “Shortly after your debut, he sent me a strongly worded email telling me not to tell anyone or there would be consequences.”

Robin rolled his eyes. “Did you respond to that nonsense?”

“You know, I did? I told him you were our boy and that we wouldn’t do anything to put you into harm’s way…which is why we let that playboy billionaire adopt you, despite the fact he clearly didn’t know how to raise a kid. Anyways, I asked Batman if he was in the habit of sending kids to fight on the street. And you know what he told me? He said that you went after Anthony Zucco yourself, at 8 years old. He found you out there and you told him you weren’t going to stop looking for Zucco until he was dead or behind bars.”

“Toughest eight year old I ever heard of,” Raven said, actually sounding impressed.

“So, I let it go. But, we've been keeping an ear out for you.”

Robin wasn’t all that surprised that Batman had basically threatened his extended family, but he was proud that Haly didn’t put up with his bullshit.

It also sounded like they didn’t know that Bruce Wayne was Batman. So that was a relief.

“It was Donna’s idea to reach out to you,” Haly continued. “I didn’t know if it was a good idea, but you don’t know until you take a chance, right?”

The woman that had taken the tickets came up to him and put an arm around his shoulder. “We still love you, Dickie Bird, and I knew we had to take that chance to see you.”

“Dickie Bird?” Beast Boy asked Cyborg, in a hush.

Another man started whistling a happy tune, before a few others joined in singing, “a Dickie Bird whispered ‘haven’t you heard? Spring is here, spring is here, spring is here’.”

Then Robin finished, “And you and I fell in love in reply on hearing the Dickie bird’s news.” His smile was tight. “I…had forgotten they sang that. But I guess I never forgot the song.”

Donna gave him a loving pinch to his cheek. “Now Dick, there’s something we wanted to give you. We found this in the archives, and we thought you would want it.” She retrieved a tube from a table, and two of the strong men opened it up and unraveled the large poster inside.

The Flying Graysons

New Addition

Dick, Our Boy Wonder

It was the poster from his debut show, three years before the accident.

“Is that you?” Starfire asked, nearly cooing. “You were so small.”

“Still is,” Cyborg grinned.

“Yeah,” Robin breathed. “Thanks Donna. It means a lot.”

“Of course, baby. Now, we’re gonna put the poster from tonight in there too, so you can have both, okay?”

Robin just nodded.

Starfire could see this was hard for him, and just laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Why don’t you go say hello to Zitka?” Donna urged. “I’m sure she missed you.”

“Will she remember you?” Cyborg asked.

Robin chuckled, “well, they say an elephant never forgets.”

—-

When they returned to the tower, Robin shut Richard Grayson away in the closet, where he belonged, along with both posters. Just a skeleton of his past life. He was Robin now, all the time. 24/7.

Whenever Starfire tried to talk about it, he deflected the topic. Not harshly or cruelly, he just decided not to answer her directly.

It broke her heart.

About a week later, she sat on the rooftop, looking at the moon, that haunting accordion tune playing in her mind, the silhouette of her friend against the curtain was just a shadow on the surface.

“Hey…you okay?” Robin’s voice asked from the door. “You were pretty quiet today.”

She wasn’t sure if she could handle a conversation with him right now. All she wanted was to talk about his performance. She had questions and observations, and she just wanted to share it all with him. She couldn’t bear hearing him shut it all down again.

“You know you can talk to me,” he said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Can I?” She asked just as softly.

“Of course.”

“It is…about the circus.”

He frowned.

She prepared herself for the wall that was about to drop.

Instead, he took a seat beside her, legs crossed in front of him. “I’m sorry. You’ve been trying to talk about it all week and…like I said, it’s really hard for me to talk about.”

“I understand. I have things in my life that are equally difficult to share.” She reached out and touched the side of his face, where the painted tear had been. “I just…admired your performance so much. You were most joyous. I have seen you happy, but never like that. I would like to share that experience with you again. Perhaps then maybe one day, it will not be so hard to talk about?”

Robin was quiet for a long time, considering it. Then he offered a small smile. “I’ll think about it.”

She returned the smile. “That’s all I ask.”

—

Another week passed. Robin seemed to clam right back up.

Starfire was resigned to the fact that that one night at the circus was all anyone was ever going to see. And she had to be fine with it. So what if he was her best friend? It was his tragedy, and only he could decide who he’d share it with.

But then, late one night, there was a knock at her bedroom door.

“Hello?” She asked, as she answered.

There was no one there, but there was a package at her feet. A brown paper wrapped parcel, with a note on it.

‘Starfire,

Please put this on and meet me in the training room.

-Love, Robin’

Curious, she ripped the paper off, only to find a purple piece of cloth, nearly the same color as her uniform. She unraveled it, surprised to find a suit made of stretchy material. It was purple but had silvery accents and glittery beads all over the front.

It was so pretty! She held it up and did a little twirl, then rushed to put it on.

It wasn’t a completely perfect fit, but it was comfortable and not too tight. She zipped through the tower in haste to get to the training room.

Richard Grayson was there, dangling from his ankle from a bar hanging from the ceiling. He looked at her as she entered.

“Oh wow!” He chirped, flipping off to land on his feet. “That turned out great! I wasn’t sure if it would fit, because I measured a spare uniform that obviously doesn’t have all the measurements—”

“You made this?”

“...yeah? I made all my uniforms. Always have.”

“There is so much I do not know about you, Richard Grayson,” she smirked, coming closer.

He blushed, but smiled at her. “It’s so weird hearing you say that name.”

“Why do you look at me in such a way?” She asked, tilting her head.

“What way? I’m just…looking at you. I mean, you’re pleasant to look at, but if I’m staring I’m not meaning to!” Shutupshutupshutupshutup!

“You mean to say this is how you look at me when your mask is on as well?”

“Yes?” Was that a good thing? Or was he in trouble now? Did he hurt her feelings? Was he leering? Glaring?

A pretty blush dusted her cheeks as her smile deepened, though it looked like she was trying not to show it.

He cleared his throat. “Um…would you like to…learn some moves?”

Her eyes glistened. When she asked if he would share with her, she had expected him to just talk, not this! “Yes please!”

“Alright.” He ran and leapt, grabbing hold of the bar, then he contorted so he could hang upside down, his feet hooked around the wires. “Okay, come here and hold my arms, facing the same direction as me.”

She gleefully did, having to hover a little to reach.

“Okay, you’re going to push off that box to get us swinging.”

She did, and thrust her legs to pick up momentum.

“Good! Now just do it in time with me so we pick up maximum height.”

“Can I not just fly us up?”

“You could, but where’s the fun in that?”

She giggled. “You always have a certain way to do things.”

“That I do!”

They swung together, making the bar go farther and farther out.

“Okay, now I want you to kick up and try to hook your feet with my calves. Don’t worry if it takes a couple of times.”

Using her super strength, she easily flipped up and hooked her legs with his. She was going to tease him about how good she already was, until she realized the extremely intimate position this put them in. They were completely pressed together, and she saw straight into his blue eyes. “Oh,” she whispered.

“What?” He smirked.

“We are close.”

“Yep. That’s part of the experience. Now, put your arms around my neck.”

She did so, amazed that they could get any closer.

He had kept the swing moving despite being nervous about having Starfire so close, and effortlessly, he flipped them right side up so he was sitting on the bar and she was in his lap. “Ta-da!”

She couldn’t help but giggle again.

“Hey Star?”

“Yes Robin?”

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. This is very sweet. What made you finally share?”

He kicked his legs so they stayed gliding through the air. “For the longest time, Trapeze represented falling instead of flying like it should. I figured…if anyone would understand flying, it would be you. So…” He avoided eye contact, feeling awkward. That was the dumb answer.

“That I do,” she grinned softly, tenderly. Her heart was full, she thought she might just burst. “What next?”

“Grab hold of the wires, then put your feet on the bar, right here.” He patted the space next to his hips.

She stood, sort of, and made a ‘v’ with her body.

“I’ll lean back, and you stand up straight. 1…2…3!”

Starfire readjusted her grip on the wires and stood, looking down. She watched as Robin fell backwards, and then disappeared. “What…?”

The weight on the bar shifted, and suddenly he was behind her, arms around her waist, and chin on her shoulder.

“How did you do that?”

“Trade secret,” he chuckled. “Now, when I tell you to, I want you to let go and bring your knees up.”

“But I am holding the wire, and you are holding me. If I let go…”

“Trust me Star,” he said earnestly. “You’ll love this.”

“Alright. I am ready when you are.”

He tightened his hold on her waist. “And…go!”

Starfire let go of the wire, tucked her knees, and instinctually clenched her eyes shut. She let out a loud ‘EEP!’ as she felt them fall backwards together. Then she flipped all the way around, before they came to a swinging stop. She peeled her eyes open to find herself parallel with the ground, being held by the hips.

She craned her neck to look at Robin, who was hanging by his knees. “Ta-da!” He chuckled. “It’s probably not all that exciting since you can fly on your own.”

She laughed and placed her arms out in front of her, like she did when she flew. “Contrariwise, it is very exciting! I am not prepared for what you are going to do. I am not in control.”

“So this is a good trust exercise then!”

“You have my trust, Robin,” she said so sincerely, so confidently, it brought a pang to his heart. He trusted her too. With his life, with his past, with his heart—

Starfire noticed he was using her like a pendulum to gain height again. So, she flew, just a little, just to get the bar moving.

“Ready Star?” He called down.

“What is happening?!”

“Here we go!”

Starfire let out a shriek this time as he yanked her upwards and let go, only to grab her a second later and hug her to himself. She fell to sit sideways in his lap as he sat on the bar.

“Did I scare you?”

“Only for a moment!” She giggled, the joy in her soul bubbling over. She wrapped her arms around his neck for a better hold.

Robin lazily kicked his foot to keep them moving, but otherwise just enjoyed having her close. What a thought. They weren’t even talking.

He shook his head, a little embarrassed by himself.

“What is it?” She asked sweetly.

“Nothing, just thought of something ironic.”

“Would you please share your ironic thought?”

He held his breath.

Well.

He was Richard Grayson right now. No mask, no polymerized titanium cape, and Starfire was sitting on his lap.

Couldn’t really get more vulnerable than that, right?

He exhaled. “I was just thinking…I lost the two people I loved the most to a fall. But I don’t have to worry about losing the girl I love, because she can fly.” He offered a small smile.

“Me?” Her eyes brightened.

He just nodded.

“Robin, you truly love me?”

“Yeah,” he whispered.

She touched his face, gently drifting her thumb over his cheek. “The feeling is mutual.”

His shoulders sagged in relief, and his smile grew.

“Shall we initiate lip contact?”

He barked a laugh, not because it was funny, but because it was so Starfire that it brought him immense joy. Instead of answering, he just leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

Starfire smiled into the kiss and hugged him tighter. Thankfully not too tight, as she had a tendency to get carried away with these things.

As they pulled away, they stayed close, just savoring the moment.

As Robin was in what was probably the happiest moment of his young life, it all shattered in front of his face. Like a bucket of ice water, the sound of three people clapping slapped against his face.

Well, a cyborg, changeling, and an empath.

Robin whipped his head around to stare at the intruders.

“Bravo! Encore!”

“Bravissimo!”

“Yay.”

“How…long…have you guys been there?”

“Dude, like, the whole time. When I saw Starfire dressed like a purple disco ball, I knew something like this was going down.”

“The pageantry! The drama! The action! The romance! Best show I’ve seen all week,” Cyborg smirked.

“Congrats on the kissing,” said Raven, who seemed genuinely happy for them in her own way.

Robin sighed. He should have known better.

“So are you going to teach us how to acrobat?” Asked Beast Boy.

“Do we have to sit on your lap too?” Asked Cyborg, wiggling his eyebrows.

“As long as I get a sparkly leotard, I’ll be happy,” Raven made a rare joke.

Robin was far too embarrassed to retort to any of that, so he just hid his face in Starfire’s shoulder.

“Dudes! We can start our own circus! We have a full set! And we could all learn Trapeze from Robin and do a whole show! We can call it, ‘The Teen Swingers Club’.”

Cyborg and Robin burst out laughing while Raven desperately tried not to.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“Yes, I do not understand the joke either.”

Robin whispered the meaning to her quietly before she also burst out laughing.

“Aw man. I hate it when my best jokes are accidents.”

“The best things that happen to you are accidents,” Raven quipped. “You probably were an accident.”

“Hey!” He barked, offended.

Starfire giggled and rested her head on Robin’s chest. “Do not be embarrassed, Robin. For I could not hide what happened from our friends, and this way we do not have to tell them.”

He sighed. He supposed that was a bonus.

Besides, he had started this trend of showing vulnerability instead of talking about his feelings. Why stop now?

“Hang on,” Robin told Starfire.

She gleefully squeezed tighter as he fell backwards, and the rest of the Titans cheered.

—

The next day, both posters were hanging proudly in the training room, right by the acrobatics equipment.

#fanfiction #robin #starfire #robstar #teen titans #tt animated #dick grayson #koriand'r

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