So this is a little one shot of how Barbara came to find out that Dick was Robin. I'll prob post some other oneshots with different versions of this but this is the first one to pop into my head… I own nothing, ENJOY! (Set in Season 1, team is the original 6)
Gotham City
Police Commissioner James Gordon waited outside next to the Batsignal as usual for him. He had been doing work and waiting for the Dark Knight for close to an hour now, and was pretty interested to talk to him. He had heard about the fact that the Caped Crusader had gained a shadow, a very brightly colored shadow at that, and wanted to meet the young boy.
Looking up from his work, Gordon noticed Batman standing to the side of the giant light, a glare on his face as usual. The Police Commissioner looked around, wondering if the vigilante had brought his protégé with him, this glance around, of course, did not escape the notice of the Dark Knight.
"Robin, be polite," the man that scared the crap out some of the most hard core criminals called to his adoptive son.
Gordon looked behind the Bat, thinking that he would finally see the infamous Boy Wonder, but was completely surprised when a blast of color blared through his line of vision and a young boy landed only inches away from the Commissioner. He had a huge grin on his face and was eyeing the older man, trying to sum him up.
To say that Gordon was surprised would be an understatement. There before him was a boy that could be no older than his young Barbara dressed in a bright red suit with a yellow and black cape. His messy black locks hanging over and touching his domino mask. He has a sly grin on his face and looked at the Police Commissioner in utter curiosity, the polar opposite from his black dressed and glaring mentor.
"Robin," the boy said sticking out his hand for the older man to shake.
"Gotham PD Police Commissioner-" Gordon started with a smile, taking the young boys hand.
"James Gordon," the Boy Wonder finished for him with a sly smile, "I know, I've read all about you. Had to hack a few computers, but that makes it all the more fun. Also know of your daughter, Barbara is quite the gymnast, she was the top gymnast in the state; I would say she could make it to the Olympics, but that's just my opinion."
"Robin," the Dark Knight growled at his young ward sending him a Batglare that would have most grown men shacking in their boots but just made the little bird roll his eyes.
"Yes, yes, coming! See you around Commish," the little bird said as he did a mock salute at the man before jumping off the roof after his mentor.
-BREAKLINE—
Gordon waited in his office, not really reading what he was holding in his hands. His eyes kept traveling to his picture of Barbara on his desk; it was one of her at a gymnastics competition. She had asked him today if she could join the force when she became of age. He could never ever allow his little girl to fight the creeps in Gotham, and hopefully she would drop the subject, she after all was only eleven, she would soon be caught up in boys and other things, just not fighting crime.
He heard a rustle and turned to the window of his small office to find that it was open, allowing some chilling air to seep into the room. He hadn't remembered opening his window; in fact he had known it was closed. Gordon quickly reached for his gun that he knew he had lain on his desk only to find a light pressure on his arm. Looking down to see a pair of familiar black gloves pushing his hand away from the gun.
"Sorry Commish," began the young boy, only having grown so much in the three years Gordon had seen him, "I haven't gotten the whole sneaking in part down as well as Bats, so let's just pretend you didn't hear the window open and just all of a sudden I was there. Ya? So anyway B just sent me to check up on those mob bosses we brought in a few weeks ago," the boy let out with a grin while taking a seat on the Police Commissioner's desk.
"They are fine as usual, locked up and won't be getting out anytime soon. Was that all?"
"Yep pretty much, sorry bout the window thing! Oh and hey if you were wondering about Barbara, just know that either way she'll find a way to get what she wants!" and with that the happier half of the Dynamic Duo flipped through the open window.
"HEY!" Gordon yelled, stretching out the window to see the boy on the roof across the street from his office, "Don't get my daughter mixed up in all of this!" He called, cause really it was bad enough that a child had to fight crime, but Gordon could never live if his daughter had to fight it, either on the force or of her own ways.
"Whatever you say Commish!" the bird called back with his signature mock salute as he ran and jumped to the next roof over, and Gordon watched in slight awe as the boy did multiple flips in the air and kept running.
"Crazy Bats," Gordon grumbled as he went to his desk after closing the window.
-BREAKLINE-
"Hey Dick, are you sure we are allowed to be in here without a trainer?" Asked a concerned Barbara Gordon, she looked over at the gymnastics equipment in the room she had become all too familiar with. She had been doing gymnastics since she was five, but she hadn't been using this gym, the school gym to be exact, well she hadn't started using this one until she came to Gotham Academy two years ago, of course on scholarship for her outstanding grades, and more than likely recruitment for their gymnastic team.
Barbara looked over at her 12 year old friends, Dick Grayson. At first she was surprised she had made a friend so easily, but soon realized that Dick probably felt the same way, it was no secret that everyone called him 'Circus Freak' behind his back. Just as no one would come near her because she was the Police Commissioner's daughter.
Dick had a sly grin on his face as he turned to face her, "You said that you wanted to improve your gymnastics, well how are you going to improve if you don't even mount an apparatus?"
"Fine, fine. I'm coming," the young girl grumbled as she followed one of her few friends into the empty gym. The lights were on, courtesy of the dark haired boy, and not a soul seemed to be there, it was almost eerie. Barbara glanced around before quickly hurrying to catch up to her friend. Glancing back at his female companion, the Boy Wonder noticed her discomfort and casually slugged an arm around her shoulders.
"Let's go turn on some music," he said cheerily walking over to the stereo.
"Coach Dan really doesn't like people touching it," Barbara said in shock, it was bad enough they had basically broken into the gym, although Dick had said the door was unlocked after fumbling with the door for a few moments. "Doesn't he have like a password or something to keep all the tech secure?" The redhead asked uncertainly. Looking up she found Dick tapping away at the computer next to the stereo, but she missed him slip a jump drive back into his pocket. He turned with a grin while hitting a button turning on the local radio.
"It appears not," the ebony said with a sly grin at his friend, who didn't suspect the boy of a thing.
"Ok, well then I guess we should start," the said friends stated unsurely.
Seeing Barbara's uncertainty Dick took her hand and led her to the beam, "How about you do your routine, and I'll try to give you tips and pointers."
"How do I even know you know what you are talking about? You're not even on the gymnastics team," the red head stated with accusation.
"Let's not forget who has the lovely nick name of 'Circus Freak'," he deadpanned looking at the slightly taller girl with an eyebrow raised over one of his crystal blue eyes.
"Fine, point taken," she grumbled. Looking at the beam she did a running mount, flipping in midair and landing on her feet at the end of the tan beam. She started by doing a combination of front flips until she reached the other side of the beam, where she paused before doing a backflip, landing in a split, legs in front of and behind her. She adjusted her split so that her legs were on either side of her, posed in midair in an almost perfect stance.
Barbara all together forgot that her best friends was there, totally loosing herself in the motions of the routine, after having moved her split onto either side of her, she pushed herself into a handstand, legs still held in a split over her head. She tried to start walking forward, but felt her body start to lean forward, sending her rolling across the beam, which wasn't at all what she planned for, but had come to suspect. She sat up with a huff and looked over to her friend, who had taken a seat on the beam next to hers, he had a look of pensive thought, something that rarely graced his normally smirking face.
"You need to trust yourself more," he finally said, decided on the right way to phrase what he wanted to say, "You're pushing your body forward while in the handstand, which off sets your center of gravity, which is why you keep tumbling forward. You subconsciously don't think you can pull the move off, but your body physically can, you are simply freaking yourself out, here let me show you," and with that the black haired boy stood up on his hands, his legs going into a perfect split.
"You are pushing your back too far forward when you try to move," he said demonstrating by pushing his legs and back slightly forward so that they were at an odd angle with his arms, "But you need to keep straight up and down, and trust that you won't fall," and with that he walked forward, still in a split, and after a few steps leaned forward and rolled into a standing position looking at his red headed comrade with an impish grin.
Barbara looked on in shock, her friend, who wasn't even on the gymnastic team, had just performed the hardest part of her routine with utter ease. And she had the hardest routine in the school; Barbara was the only one who had come close to performing that move. At her shocked expression, the blue eyed boy looked slightly scared, but brushed it off with another smirk.
"Being a circus freak come with a lot of benefits," the ebony boasted, although on the inside he was afraid of Barbara's suspicions.
"I'll say," the girl said with a grin, "Why aren't you on the gymnastics team, I mean come on, that was pretty awesome."
"Not much of a team player," he said with a sly grin, that the redhead knew all too well about; it was no secret to her that Dick was the biggest troll ever.
"Ya, so? Have you ever met a gymnast that could call themselves a team player?" Barbara shot back, really all the girls on the team were the biggest snots every, with their 'I'm better then you' persona.
"I met you," he said with a grin, though his eyes read that he really did hold the redhead in high regard, and believed her to be a true friend.
"Ya, well," she said with a shrug, "Here all show you my bars routine," the gymnast said trying to avoid getting all mushy with the boy, although it was no secret, they were close and they really did need each other to survive school.
-BREAKLINE—
Barbara felt a scream build in her throat, but she quickly chocked it down, she couldn't show fear, not to these men. The Joker had her, he had kidnapped her right after she left school that day. His paint covered face looking down at her with an unnerving smile, a crow bar resting in his hand. He had just come back from turning a camera on, filming the whole ordeal to show the public. To show her dad.
Her dad, mainly the reason she was here. The Joker didn't just pick up random people, he had to make sure they mattered, he had to make sure their torture and death would ensure chaos. Gulping, the Commissioner's daughter realized she wouldn't make it out of this alive, but she knew she couldn't go down screaming for mercy, that wasn't her. She would fight this creep till the end.
She looked the mad man in the eyes, daring him to do his worst, daring him to try to break her. She knew it was stupid, she had seen the things this man was capable of; she knew his worst would easily break her physically and mentally.
She heard a shout and yell, and some gunshots rang through the air, causing the green haired creep to turn his head to see the problem. He swiftly walked to the door, waiting to see who would bust in. Barbara looked from her secluded and dark corner, praying and hoping for a savior, for it to be the Batman.
The door flew open, hinges almost breaking from the foot that had kicked it in. She watched as the red, yellow, and black clad Boy Wonder flipped through the door. He rushed Joker, who used his crowbar in his hand on the vigilante. The younger boy easily dodged, only changing the momentum of his flip and landing in front of the Joker, who with his eerie cackle brought his foot up, knife protruding from his boot. He kicked the Boy Wonder you, dodged it with a bit of surprise, but his dodge landing Joker a hit with the crowbar to the boys temple.
Barbara watched in horror as the young vigilante stumbled into the wall, trying to hold himself up. She screamed out, trying to release the horror and terror in what she was feeling, and as she shut her mouth to cut off the noise, the Boy Wonder looked up and noticed her. His eyes, hidden to everyone in the room, looked at the cuts on her face and arms that were slowly oozing blood.
He stood like that for less than a millisecond before his eyes on his mask narrowed and he stood up, brushing off an injury that probably gave him a concussion. He looked at Joker with a new resolve.
"You'll regret that," the usually smirking, sarcastic and smiling vigilante said coldly, adopting a tone and demeaned that could easily best Batman's. He adopted the infamous Robinglare, the glare that few had ever heard of, the glare that far surpassed Batman's best Batglare. The redhead watched in fear and slight awe, at of all the times she had seen the young bird talking to her dad and even fighting criminals, she had never seen him like this, she had never seen him so serious, and she had never seen him so deadly, and she wasn't prepared for him to lose control like he did.
The Joker paused, seeing Robin's reaction. The madman simply laughed, doing the worst thing possible. Underestimating the little bird. The Boy Wonder flew at the creep, he dealt punch and kick, not even pausing, until he heard the sirens in the distance. He stood up, assessing his work, the Joker was a bleeding pile on the floor, he had passed out some time ago, but the young boy didn't stop. This son of a bitch would be in a body case for the next year.
The ebony haired vigilante looked over to the redhead tied to the corner, and almost regretted making her see that, but he would never forgive Joker, never for this. Not his best friend. The acrobat walked over to her, and lowered to a crouch in front of her; he untied her legs and then moved to her arms.
Barbara watched the Boy Wonder slowly walk to her, not even out of breathe from his fight, his hands were covered in blood, Joker's blood and he had a look of pure rage on his face. She was hesitant about him coming over, but released a breath that she didn't know she was holding when all he did was untie her legs. His arms gently untied the binds, complete opposite to what she had seen just minutes before; he looked at her face and noticed her eyeing his bloodied gloves.
He had a halfhearted impish grin on his face, and whipped the blood on the sides of his cape; he looked back up at her, and saw that her face was incredibly pale and she was eyeing the unmoving pile in the corner, the pile the body of the Joker. She turned to the young vigilante, a question on her lips.
"He'll live," the Boy Wonder said, answering her unspoken question. She nodded her head, trying to look anywhere but where the madman laid.
The ebony vigilante slowly wrapped his hands around his best friend's slightly shaking frame. He picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the building, as they neared the Joker; she buried her head in the vigilante's neck and started sobbing. He felt the wet tears against his neck, and in that moment wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to take off his mask and be there for her, but he couldn't and in that moment, Robin hated everything about having a secret identity.
The boy carried her out to where police officers waited, guns pointed to the door, although they lowered when the boy came out carrying the sobbing girl. The commoisionoer was the first to step up, and soon started to sprint to his daughter.
"I'm so sorry Barbara," the Boy Wonder whispered for only her ears before he gave the commissioner his daughter. Looking at the older man, the young vigilante spoke up, "Joker is in there, he poses no threat at the moment, but he will need medical attention, for a while," and the young boy walked away, and had the commissioner not been tending to his daughter, he would have noticed the usual spring missing from the boy's step and he would have noticed the absence of the boy's usual cackle or wicked grin.
A few days later, roof of the apartment building of Gordons
"You know it's not smart to be out here alone at night," a voice said with amusement behind her. Barbara whirled around to find the Boy Wonder himself leaning against the railing. "You know all about the crazies here," he said with his signature smirk. Barbara gave him a hard looked before stepping next him, to lean against the railing. He was surprised; he had never had a civilian approach him like that while in uniform.
"Listen," he started glancing sideways at the redhead, "About the other night-"
"Thank you," she said crisply cutting the boy off, noticing that he was almost two inches shorter then her. She hadn't realized just how young he must be, "But, please, don't expect that again. I'm not usually a damsel in distress, I can hold my own," she said gruffly eyeing the boy in a new light, noticing that he was quite skinny and all around small.
"Oh I know," the boy said with a laugh pushing off the railing and falling forward into a hand stand. As he looked up at Barbara's glare, he smirked again, before continuing, "I've been watching you for years Barbara. Your dad might not be able to see you on the roof at night with him, but I'm a creature of night, I saw you the first time, well Bats saw you, and then I noticed him glance over, but details," the Boy Wonder said with a wave of his hand.
He looked at the girls face, and saw it contort into surprise, only making him release a slight cackle, "Ya and I almost went up to you that night. I was what? Around ten? And so curious about you, so you know I hacked the police department system, and looky there! Barbara Gordon! I know more about you then you probably thing," he said gaining a slightly serious tone as he rolled out of his hand stand and faced Barbara.
She gave him an unimpressed look, "Those files only hold so much information, it isn't hard to find out my name."
Stocking his chin, the young vigilante gained an impish grin, an all too familiar impish grin. Barbara noticed it, but couldn't place it. Although the hacking did explain how he knew her name yesterday. The Boy Wonder continued, "Well let's see, I know where you go to school. That one's easy, Gotham Academy, Wayne Scholarship. Let's see you're a world class gymnast that could probably make it to the Olympics. Hmmm, what else is there?" He of course left out that her only friend was the mathlete Dick Grayson, he didn't want to bring up his own name, it might trigger something.
"Creep," she said with slight disgust and a slight grin for catching the Boy Wonder's eye, Robin simply let out another cackle jumping off the building and doing a series of flips before shooting a grapple to the building over. "Show off," she mumbled and heard another cackle as the young acrobat heard, surprising her that he could hear her.
-BREAKLINE-
"What is it now?!" the redhead almost yelled, looking at her friend in slight disgust. He was bailing on her again. AGAIN! They use to do this all the time, go hang out, sometimes work on gymnastics, but now he was never available, Barbara had just been pushed to the side. Forgotten, leaving her friend count at zero.
"I'm sorry, Babs, but Bruce has-" the ebony began looking at his friend, his blue eyes shown with apology as he looked slightly down at her. He had finally hit puberty, slightly.
"You know what? Just save it!" the cried as she stormed off, completely fed up with her supposed 'best friend', some friend he was being. Dick watched her storm away, and he was reminded of the night he had saved her, the night about two years ago, the night he wanted nothing more than to rip off his mask and be there for his friend, for his Babs.
That night, Barbara's room
Barbara was once again home alone, her dad the only other person to live in their apartment, was off doing something or another, devoting his life to criminals basically. The redhead looked at her wall, sitting in a chair at her desk. She was just overall annoyed with everything, with the fact she was being brushed off by her only friend and the fact she didn't even have any other friends. She was annoyed with her stupid school, and all the snobs, she was annoyed with everything.
So when she heard a knocking on her window she was almost happy for the distraction of a visitor, even if that visitor was a slightly creepy crime fighter. The girl went to her window, and opened it, stepping away feeling the cold night air seep into the room. She watched as the boy flipped into the room with his usual smirk.
Barbara smiled slightly, the last time they had been close like this, like they knew each other and were friends was that time on her roof almost two years ago. She watched as the boy looked her over, as though assessing her for something, and she noticed that he was now taller than her.
"Couldn't you have gotten in without my help?" she asked sarcastically, trying to poke at the fact that the young vigilante could almost do everything.
"Well yes, but isn't polite to knock before barging into a room?" he asked flippantly, taking a seat on her desk as though he belonged there, and she was reminded somehow of the other ebony boy she knew, who frequently took a seat on her desk, not matter what he was sitting on in the process.
"Ok, why are you here?" she said bluntly, looking at him, having gotten tired of the joking, and the more she thought about it the more she just wanted to sulk in private.
"I can't just come and visit my favorite citizen?" he said innocently, continuing when he saw the slight glare forming in the redhead's eyes, "Look, I need to tell you something," he said losing his jesting attitude and looking serious.
"Babs, it's just, ugh, how-"
"What did you call me?" the redhead said, standing stock still as she stopped what she was doing.
"Ok, screw this," and Barbara felt a hand on her shoulder, she was tugged to turn around at the boy wonder, who took off his mask, reviling crystal blue eyes. And he looked at him, the apology still clear in his eyes, and he then proceeded to crush his lips against Barbara's. Finally pulling away, he cupped his best friend's face in his gloved hands.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Babs, and I think that I might just love you," he said looking into her gray eyes, waiting for a response that took her a while to formulate.
"Dick," she said faintly, still trying to wrap her head around the thought when suddenly something came to her. "That was you? When I was nine? That was you running around with no pants? Crime fighting? Wearing those green boots?"
Her best friend pulled a hand to scratch the back of his head, "Well, ya, pretty much."
"In the pixie boots?" she asked excitement clear in her voice.
Looking at her in question he slowly let out a slow and confused, "Yaaaa…"
"PIXIE BOOTS! Oh Dickie, I can't believe you!"
"Hey! I came from the circus that was way normal for me!" He said defensively at her humor. And then he paused listening to something, "We'll have to continue this late, Babs, crime to fight, justice to serve. You know? The normal stuff," and with his signature smirk and mock salute he dove out of her window backwards as he replaced his mask.
Boy Wonder, the redhead thought with a smirk. Well he was a wonder all right.
So what did you think? I have other ideas of how she came to find out about Dick, but idk this one just kinda fit the beginning of the story, so anyway, please review!