"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light"

-Aristotle Onassis

Chapter 1: Dick Grayson to Robin

- Gotham City, year 2006-

"Look at him; he's soaring around like a bird again, Honey."

"That's my boy," Dick heard his father boom proudly. He waved down towards his parents while swinging from trapeze to trapeze.

As the small black haired boy soared though the air, the motion pushed back his hair and he felt like he always did when he was practicing his act. He felt like the king of the world.

Most children dreamed of the life he led. Heck, many have run away just pursuit it, and he couldn't blame them. He got to travel the world with his family while they got paid for something that they loved doing. Sure, it was a lot of hard work, but he couldn't imagine being anywhere else other than flying through the air with his parents.

Today's performance was in Gotham City, and ever since they arrived excitement had been buzzing around the circus grounds. Not because of Gotham's bleak atmosphere or because of the high crime; it was because of the guest of honor that was coming to see their show, Bruce Wayne. Dick might have been the only one who didn't see him as such a big deal. Yeah, he might have been rich and was considered a hero in Gotham for all his charity work, but he was nothing special. Without his money and power in Gotham he would be no different than everyone else.

"Hey, Dick, you should get down and start getting ready. The show's going to start soon," Haley the ring master yelled as he stepped into the circus tent.

"Haley's right; you're the only one not dressed, son."

"'Kay," Dick answered as he let go of one of the trapezes and did a triple flip in the air before landing gracefully on the waiting platform. "Ta-da!" Dick exclaimed as he looked down towards his parents.

"The boy's a natural entertainer," Haley commented as the small boy scurried down the latter towards his parents.

"He won't be entertaining anyone if he doesn't hurry up."

"Yeah, I got it Dad, I'm going," Dick answered as he ran off towards the changing room.

"Remember, Dick your costume is on the red hanger in our changing room."

"Got it mom," Dick yelled back without looking back. Both his parents thought about how much of a handful he was while smiling as they watched him run out of sight.

^•^

It didn't take long before Dick was fully dressed for his performance. He grinned slightly as he looked into the mirror to admire how cool his bright red, yellow, and green costume was. With this on he truly felt like a superhero.

Maybe I can get one more practice run before the show, Dick thought as he ran out of the changing room. Yeah, he was definitely like a superhero; he had the colorful costume down, plus he could fly through the air. He often dreamed of becoming a superhero just like Superman. A couple of months ago, he heard about how he single handily saved the world from some alien guy named General Zod. He couldn't wait to perform in Metropolis. Maybe if he was lucky Superman might show up as the guest of honor.

"Move it, kid!" a man yelled at him causing Dick to snap out of his thoughts before he could bump into the man. Dick couldn't look up to catch a glimpse of the man's face as the man walked passed him and out of the tent.

That was weird, Dick thought. It isn't time to let people into the tent yet. He looked out towards the performance area where the man was just leaving to confirm his suspicions. Although he didn't see anything wrong in the empty room he wanted to go investigate the matter. He stopped when he felt someone yank him away from the performance area.

"And where do you think you're going?" Dick heard his father asked with an amused voice as he watched his son trying to struggle helplessly from his grasp.

"Let me go, let me go," Dick demanded childishly as his father flung him on to one shoulder to better restrain the energetic nine-year-old.

"I bet he was just trying to get one more practice run in, weren't you?" Haley laughed, causing Dick to fall limp in his Dad's arms knowing that escape was futile.

"Here's the little troublemaker, Honey," Dick's father called out as they saw her waiting in the warm up area with the rest of the circus family. Dick sighed as his mother put the finishing touches on his costume as Haley went out to the performance area to start the show. There goes my extra practice time Dick thought with a pout, but his disappointment soon went away as the show began.

With every act that went out and came back with the sounds of cheers made Dick's heart start pounding with anticipation, and soon it was their turn.

"...and remember, Dick, always turn and smile at the crowd whenever you can, and-"

"Come on, honey, this isn't Dick's first performance."

"I know; I just want my little Robin to do the best he can," Dick's mom said soothingly as she hugged Dick tightly while his father ruffled his raven colored hair for good luck.

^•^

"Here comes the performance you've all been waiting for, The Amazing Flying Graysons! As always doing their daring feats without the safety of a net!" the ringleader announced as a bright light flashed upon them. It's show time, Dick told himself as he put on his best smile. It was hard not to, after all this is what him and his family lived for. The rush of adrenaline that pulsed through them as they propelled themselves through the air, the roar of the audience blasting through the background- nothing could beat any of it.

As his mother went out, Dick couldn't help but feel excited when the trapezes swung back towards him for his time in the air. However, all that excitement and adrenaline coursing through his veins to soar through the air like his parents soured as he felt his heart plummet to the pit of his stomach. When he saw the cables begin to become unsteady just as his mother was swinging back towards him with his father holding on to her legs.

"Dick-!" his mother called out to him with a smile that quickly fell as the cables completely came undone. Dick desperately tried to reach out to grab hold of his mother's hands, but it was too late. They were no longer soaring through the air, but instead falling.

It was almost like time slowed down for the young boy as he stood there terrified with tears streaming down his face. He saw and heard everything: the shocked faces of his parents, their screams of horror, all up to the sickening thud they made when they hit the ground.

Numbness hit him first as he felt his body trembling with a turmoil of emotions so strong, so agonizing the boy could barely comprehend them. This shouldn't have happened; the performance was almost over and all he had to do was grab hold of his mother's hands and do a couple flips before they all landed safely on the other side. No longer could he fly freely beside his family, that world had shattered into unfixable pieces leaving him cold and lonely. But, through the darkness that settled around him, he found a light, a new reason to soar through the air like the bird his mother knew he was, as Robin.

*This story came from watching Arrow, the Flash, and Gotham so I hope you like it and review.:)