Disclaimer: I Don't Own Young Justice

IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ

Okay so in my story, Dick lost his parents when he was 7 years old, he was then taken by the court of owl immediately following this event and was trained for two years, he's nine now, before being sent out to kill his first target, after killing about 30 people, Dick ran away and has been living on the streets ever since. The serum that makes the talons heal almost instantly is in this story so Dick has "super healing". Dick is now 10 and has been running from the court for about a year. (That makes him 10 and a half for those who were confused)

A cold wind blew through the alleys of the dark city and chilled any who might be in its path. Winter had come early this year and those who lived on the streets were suffering greatly. The unexpected snow had caught many off guard and as a result, a lot of the street folk fought for whatever they could get their hands on. Of course this wasn't an unusual sight, it's just that they fought more viciously and frequently than normal. For example, if anyone had looked into a certain alley as they walked past on their way home, they would have seen a young boy no older than ten years old doing what would be described only as, "beating the crap" out of the poor soul who tried to take the boy's only blanket. Perhaps they may have even marveled at the sheer strength and skill the boy displayed as he attacked the man. However, there was no one to look into the alley and so the fight went unnoticed to all except those involved in it.

Dick stood still as he regained his breath and silently scolded himself. He shouldn't have taken that long to subdue his enemy. Shaking his head slightly, he looked down at the man who had dared to take an item in his possession. He looked to be in his mid twenties. Dark hair, scraggly beard, and ratty clothes. Dick snorted in disgust. He had been on the streets long enough to know that it was possible to not look like a beggar. As he turned around and gathered his scattered belongings, mainly knives and the blanket, he began to wonder how the man had ended up living on the streets. More likely than not, he was orphaned at a young age and was trying to survive. Briefly he let his mind explore the possible reasons why the dude would be living on the streets, before shutting down his train of thought when a bright circus tent popped into his head. After he had picked up his stuff, he turned to the unconscious man and winced. His arm was bent at an odd angle, definitely broken, his nose was totally smashed, he probably had a concussion, and there were scattered cuts all over his body.

"Stupid gunoier*. You just didn't know when to quit." Dick sighed as he picked up the man's feet and began to drag him over to a sheltered spot of the building.

"Don't worry. I'm not completely heartless." he paused as he glanced towards the skyline, "The bat should be patrolling tonight. I'll let him take care of you." sighing once more Dick returned his gaze to his cargo and chuckled slightly "I must be more lonely than I thought if I'm talking to you."

As night fell over Gotham city, the chill became greater and Richard huddled closer to the wall that was currently sheltering him and the man. Standing up Dick made his way up to the rooftops, Batman would be here soon. Smirking to himself, he decided that he would surprise him. After all, it's not often you meet someone who can match you in stealth. Climbing up onto a shadowed ledge, Dick crouched down and waited. Batman would usually pass by this way on his rounds and would take a moment or two to look at the city from this particular rooftop. As the night wore on he found it harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn't be a problem for him but since it was rather cold out and Dick hadn't slept for a few days, he found it was annoyingly easy to fall asleep. Just as he closed his eyes, he was startled by the faint rustle of fabric on stone. Of course no one would be able to hear this noise unless they were highly trained. Once again smirking to himself, Dick looked at a shadowed corner on the other side of the rooftop and laughed. A barely perceptible shift in the shadows was all the warning he got before a batarang flew out and towards his head. Or it would have if he hadn't already moved.

"Now, now Bats, that's no way to greet a visitor." Letting out another cackle he flipped himself into Batman's shadowed corner. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Batman was absolutely shocked when a young boy suddenly appeared in front of his face, of course, no one would be able to tell he was shocked because he was Batman.

"Who are you." Batman narrowed his eyes and glared at the boy

"I am a survivor. Who are you?" The kid's bright gaze seemed to stare through batman and he found himself taking an involuntary step back.

"You already know who I am." the boy blinked slowly before walking out into the un-shadowed area of the rooftop and faking a yawn.

"I know you are the infamous Batman and a, dare I say it, very rich man, but the question is, do you know who you are?" Batman narrowed his eyes further at the barely veiled hint of his true identity and he asked the only question that seemed logical as a response.

"What do you want?" the kid smirked at him in response

"You do not know how fun it is to mess with you but anyhow, to answer your question, there's a guy down in that alley that ran into some…..trouble while attempting to steal something. He needs medical attention and I figured you would give it to him."

"What kind of trouble?" Batman raised a cowled eyebrow at this

"Um..well you see….he may have gotten into a fight and refused to back down." The boy's voice softened as he finished speaking and Batman glanced down towards the alley

"I see. I'll pick him up and drop him off at the hospital."

"Excellent! Now then, that's done, it was nice to officially meet you Batman but I'll be going now."

Just as the boy was about to jump off the edge of the roof, Bruce asked one more question.

"What's your name?" he was genuinely curious. The boy paused as if thinking before turning around and smiling at him

"You may call me Shadow."

"That's not a real name." Batman deadpanned

"Well that's because I don't trust you with my real name." The boy smirked again and Bruce decided that he wanted to punch the kid in the face because it was so annoying "Well, as I said before, it was nice meeting you but I gotta run, I'll see you around BW." With that parting jab, Shadow jumped off the roof. Batman ran to the edge of the rooftop and leaned over but couldn't spot anything moving down in the alleys. He did however, see the injured man. Glancing around one last time, Batman jumped down from his perch and went to get the man to a hospital all the while thinking about Shadow. How did he know my name and how did he end up on the streets? As Bruce duly continued his Batman patrol, he couldn't stop thinking about that boy. Little did he know that he would be seeing Shadow around more than expected.

So what do you think? Was it good or was it bad? I know I probably didn't do a very good job with Bruce's character but I've never really tried to write Batman before. Please review and tell me what you think. If you have a question don't be afraid to ask and I will try to answer it in my next update. Thanks for reading!

*Scavenger