AU. Nico is and always has been Robin. Too bad no one else has noticed it.

A/N: Okay. Pretend Gaia isn't waking, the heroes had to close the doors of death for some other reason, and succeeded. Quest complete. Nico isn't drained and fading when using 'underworldly stuff'.

Idea (nico is robin) borrowed from rapidChangeIsImminent.

I'll be switching between 'Nico' and 'Dick' or 'Robin' quite frequently, depending on what topic I'm writing about. Be warned.

Nico was humming softly, a nervous habit he'd developed over the years of traveling. Rather ironically, the lyrics stuck in his head were pretty accurate to his current situation. Probably why it was stuck in his head in the first place.

He'd just gotten back to Gotham after going missing for a week, in which he was kidnapped and suffocated by twin titans. Perfectly fine- as long as Nico didn't think about it- exept for the undoubtedly worried sick Bruce whom he'd have to face in a few minutes.

Even nervous as he was about explaining this to Bruce, and- oh gods- the Team, Nico couldn't help but relax slightly at the familiar streets of Gotham. How many nights had he spent here, fighting to protect the innocent or staking out a local gang?

That shouldn't be a relaxing thought, it really shouldn't, but after the events just a few hours ago this was more than welcome.

As he was walking, Nico began manipulating the mist to make his eyes seem blue. After Alecto kidnapped him from the Lotus Casino the first time, de-aging him which resulted in him losing his memories temporarily- thanks a lot Alecto- Hecate had subtly changed his eyes to sky blue to fit with his adoptive parents. After their.. death.. he was supposed to go to Juvie, and well, he did, for a day or so before he was kidnapped yet again and put back in the Lotus Casino with yet another flimsy memory shield.

Nico still didn't see the point of it all, especially since he'd remembered everything only a week later at Camp Half-Blood... But he was glad it happened like that.

Nico pushed the memories away. He had enough painful stuff to deal with right now.

He came to a stop on the outskirts of Gotham, in front of the big fancy gate with the initials 'BW', and waved rather lamely at the camera.

"Hi. I'm back."

Oh Hades, Bruce was gonna skin him. Dick didn't even want to think about what Alfred would do. This was totally not asterous.

It was moments like these that he wished Bruce and Alfred knew about the double life he'd been leading. Every time Bruce had found out something- which was a lot of times, he wasn't called World's Greatest Detective for nothing- the mist had covered for Nico. He was just amazed Bruce hadn't managed to look past the mist yet.

Speaking of the devil, Bruce had appeared on the doorstep about one hundred meters of lawn away. The gate opened slowly, ominously almost, and Nico took his first steps with dread.

Bruce had his hands folded behind his back and stood still as a statue. To an outside observer, the man seemed impeccably calm, but Dick detected his surrogate father's fury effortlessly.

As Dick had had hours to collect himself and stop gasping for air like a traumatized dying fish, he looked completely normal and not at all like a kidnap victim. For all Bruce knew, he'd just decided to take a stroll for a while.

A while being a week.

Coming to a stop before Bruce, who still hadn't moved an inch, Nico looked up cautiously.

Bruce's you-better-explain-right-now-what-the-hell-you-were-thinking look gave Dick a tiny bit of hope. At least Bruce would let him explain..?

"Richard John Grayson-Wayne."

Well shit. Nevermind.

"Seven days. No message, no trace, not a single word explaining explaining your sudden dissappearance. What the hell was I supposed to think?!"

Bruce hand movements emphasized his enraged-with-worry speech. This was all very familiar to Nico. All those times he'd disappeared- the Battle of Manhattan, his ventures to Camp Jupiter or Camp Half-Blood, just fighting monsters- Bruce had reacted like he was now, and even though he had slowly gotten used to the endless excuses he never failed to be worried. It was heartwarming, in a way. Also completely terrifying.

"Do you know how worried you made us? You could have been dead and we wouldn't even know! You, young man, are grounded for life and afterlife and potential rebirth- don't interrupt me, you know I can make it happen."

Dick closed his mouth and swallowed his protest. Yes, Bruce could definitely make it happen, somehow. He was the Goddamn Batman, after all.

"And now you're going to explain in perfect detail why you thought dissappearing was a good idea."

Dick meekly followed Bruce in and to the nearest living room, where Alfred stood waiting with his arms crossed, wearing his perfectly ironed suit like always and making Dick look like a walking fashion disaster in comparison. He'd no doubt heard the one-sided exchange outside.

Dick cringed in embarressment. Even though he wasn't really at fault here, Bruce and Alfred's looks made him feel incredibly guilty.

Bruce and Alfred raised an eyebrow in sync, waiting for Dick's explanation.

"Well.."

Bruce nodded encouragingly and gestured for him to continue his until now amazing story.

How was Dick gonna bullshit his way out of this one?

"This mysterious anonymous person begged for my help."

It was nice imagining the God of the Underworld on his knees before Nico- okay let's stop that train of thought right now that sounded way too wrong.

"I couldn't refuse, besides, it should have only taken a few hours!" Dick attempted to defend himself from his guardians' skeptical looks.

"What made it take a full week then, if I may ask, master Dick?"

"Umm... I kinda got captured?"

Both of the raised eyebrows nearly disappeared into Dick's parental figures' hairlines with skeptism. Well, Bruce's hairline and Alfred's bald spot. However much an eyebrow can dissappear into a bald spot anyway.

Okay, get back on track, Dick.

"They didn't actually do anything, just held me as leverage until another group beat them and I managed to escape."

It wasn't technically lying..

The two looked suspicious.

"I think it was a gang war or something." Dick added convincingly.

Bruce sighed, resigned. "Fine. At least you're back in time for dinner. I'll call off the League's search party."

Ouch. Bruce had resorted to a League search party only once before, and it wasn't good.

As Bruce turned and walked away to do just that, Alfred noticed the half-relieved look on Dick's face and commented casually, "Don't think this gets you off scott-free, master Dick. You're still grounded."

"And going to describe these persons and their actions to me exactly." Bruce called over his shoulder.

Wonderful.

"Ah, one other thing, master Dick."

Dick groaned. "Yes, of course, go ahead Alfie, I really want to hear more about my punishment."

"Actually, I was going to inform you that as far as the Team is concerned, you were on a trip out of the country. If you insist, however, I'm sure I can think up some more punishment-"

"No!" Dick yelped, alarmed. Alfred smirked.

"Nope, I am good to go, extra punishment is extremely unnecessary, I'm gonna go now goodbye!" Dick rattled off before running up the stairs into his room.

With a relieved and blissful sigh he let himself fall on the big, heavenly soft bed. How he had missed it.

All of this, actually. The banter, Gotham, Alfred, Bruce..

It was good to be back.

The next day, Bruce informed him that 'grounded' actually meant 'not grounded at all' - not in those words, obviously. Apparently Dick was still allowed to walk around Gotham, patrol, go to the Cave, etc.

Dick suspected Bruce had cooled down a bit, which he was thankful for.

So now Dick was headed to the Cave. The Team thought he'd just been on a trip, which made his life a whole lot easier, and he hadn't just hung around with them in a while. If Bruce needed him in Gotham, he'd call.

Following the familiar route, Dick came to a stop in front of the old-telephone-box-turned-Zeta-beam and looked up from his thoughts to see a bronze jarstaringcan'tseecan'tbreathsomeonehelpme-

Nico snapped himself out of it and stumbled back, breathing heavily and staring with wide eyes at the completely normal telephone box. He had to lean against the wall to avoid falling over and swallowed the bile in his mouth.

Nope nope nope nope nope nope and nope. Nico turned away and got the hell out of there. He knew another Zeta beam nearby and that would probably become his usual one because there was no way in Hades he was going near that thing again.

Once he was far enough away- that's all you do, isn't it? run from your fears- Dick took a second to calm himself. It wouldn't do any good to show up looking like a terrified street cat with its hackles raised.

What the Hades was that? Nico hadn't had that happen before. Then again, it was not even 24 hours since he'd been found unconscious in an air tight bronze jar, so it was probably a normal reaction. Nico hoped it would fade with time. He knew it wouldn't.

Letting out a shaky breath, Nico composed himself, adjusting his sunglasses, and took the next best Zeta-Beam- one without any jar-shaped attributes- to the Mountain.

Even before he heard the classic Recognized: Robin B01 his usual smirk was on his face, only a little bit faked.

It became a genuine smile when KF flashed to the Zeta-Beam with an exited cry of "Rob!" and consequently tripped over Robin's outstretched foot.

Robin snickered and helped his friend up, the latter dazedly shaking his head. Wally snapped out of it almost immediately and turned to Robin with a wide grin.

"You're back, finally! We missed you dude!"

Wally's wide grin was infectious and Robin realized how much he'd missed this.

"Wally! If you don't come back with Robin right now we'll eat all the popcorn without you!" Sounded through the mountain.

Wally gasped something what sounded suspiciously like "My precious!" and speeded off, coming back half a second later to pick Robin up bridal style and run to the living room together(for which he got a whack on the head with a bird-a-rang from a laughing Robin).

Life was good.