Title: The Continuation of a Legacy
Rating: PG
Snippet: "Becoming Robin was probably the best decision he'd ever made. So can he really forbid this homeless kid, this Jason Todd, from experiencing the thrill of flying by Batman's side?"
Notes: Basically one big summary of Dick's point of view during season one of Young Justice. Features quotes from the show, the cartoon "The Batman," and one quote from Paradise Fears' Sanctuary Speech. For the YJ Hiatus Survival's Robin appreciation days. The dividers symbolize start/end of flashbacks. Story of how Dick became Nightwing taken from Nightwing: Year One. Enjoy!

I'll try and update my other stories ASAP!

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Dick looks down at the R-symbol, on somebody else. His symbol on somebody else's chest. His costume on this… this street rat.

Dick is ready to start throw punches. He's ready to bash heads. Dick is beyond angry.

He's outraged.

Dick opens his mouth, ready to tell that kid to get out of his costume, but he stops.

And it all comes rushing back.

OoOoOoO

The first time Dick Grayson's heart stopped, he was eight years old, and fifty feet above the ground.

He was exhilarated—waiting for his mother and father to finish their section of the act, so that he could get back out onto the trapeze. His mother flipped through the air, once, twice, three times, and grabbed her husband's outstretched arms. Flawlessly executed, as always. Dick was a prodigy on the trapeze, but he wasn't as good as his parents. Not yet. But he would be, his parents had reassured.

Then the rope supporting the trapeze snapped.

And Dick's heart stopped beating.

Dick didn't even remember how he got back onto the ground.

Suddenly, in a rush of color, the world came back. But now it was a world without his parents.

He stared down at his parents' bloody and mangled bodies and silently promised he would never fly again. Not when his parents had died while they were so high in the air, defying gravity. Gravity was now Dick's number one enemy.

But after a while, Dick became more and more anxious being grounded as he was; a bird with broken wings.

"But even broken wings can fly away…"

And then Dick found out that his guardian, billionaire Bruce Wayne, was the Batman. And that his parents were murdered by a crime boss named Tony Zucco.

"Robin needed to help bring the men who murdered his family to justice."

"So he could turn out like you?"

"So that he wouldn't."

The first time he flew after his parent's death, he refused to let himself enjoy it. He'd taken up the mantle of Robin ("Because when you're up there, Richard, you remind me of a little Robin…"). After altering his circus costume, he set out to find Tony Zucco. He flew across the Gotham skyline and his heart ached, but he refused to acknowledge it. This was only temporary, it was only so he could catch Zucco…

But then it became permanent. His family's deaths were avenged. They could rest in peace, now; and Dick could move on knowing that no one else would suffer the same fate. And so, Dick finally let himself enjoy flying again. The wind ruffling his hair, parental figure at his side, someone there to catch him if he fell… Dick was Robin. He was the light to Batman's darkness. He was the Boy Wonder.

And thus, a legend was born.

"How can you be so calm?"

"Practice. I've been doing this since I was nine."

Dick started something. Soon, other superheroes took on younger partners. And that's how he met his best friend, Kid Flash. He learned that there was more to life than Batman and Gotham and The Mission. Against Bruce's wishes, Dick told Wally his story. All of it. Dick told Wally about The Flying Graysons, and Haly's Circus, and Tony Zucco. Everything. Perhaps it was because he was sure he could trust Wally. Perhaps it was because he wanted someone outside of Bruce and Alfred, someone his own age, to know the real him.

And Dick was glad. That he'd made a friend. Wally was the first real friend he'd really ever had. There weren't exactly an abundance of kids that traveled with the circus.

That love of friendship; that need for companionship only grew when he helped form Young Justice. He'd saved Superboy from Project Cadmus, and had teamed up with Aqualad. When Robin had told Batman to stop treating him like a sidekick, when he'd told Batman he was joining this team, Dick could see it in Bruce's eyes. That deliberation, the thing inside him that was asking would this be productive or counterproductive to the mission? But either way, Dick didn't give Batman a choice.

So Dick split himself in half. Half of the time he was Robin, Batman's talkative partner and the light to Batman's darkness. The other half of the time he was Robin, future leader of Young Justice and the butcherer of the English language.

And while he was with his new team, he formed friendships he didn't think a member of the introverted Bat clan could ever make. There was Aqualad, the teen he looked up to as an example of what he should be when he became leader. Then there was Superboy, the perpetually angry teen that, despite all his faults, was wise and gentle. And how could he forget Miss Martian, the seemingly harmless and ever-sweet girl? There was also the brash and abrasive Artemis, who Dick admired for her bravery and inner strength (even though she had… questionable relations). And there was Roy, the stubborn and unyielding archer who Robin would never give up on. Then there was Zatanna, the mystical girl who he liked as a little bit more than a friend.

Oh, and Wally. His brother in everything except blood.

Dick couldn't have imagined better friends. He was always scared that his friends would be stolen away from him, like his parents were brutally taken from him as he watched.

And his worst fears came true. During that horrible, horrible training exercise.

When he got the news that Batman had died, he was numb. That should've been his first indication that something was wrong. If Batman had really died, Dick probably would've broken down. Losing three parental figures in five years? It would've been too much.

But then things went so far downhill that it was like jumping off a cliff. Artemis died. M'gann took control of the training exercise, making them believe it was all real. And Wally – his best friend, his rock – lost it. Dick felt terrible, too, because Artemis was almost like a snarky big sister to him. But Robin understood that Wally liked Artemis as more than that. There had been enough long Friday nights playing video games for him to know that.

Aqualad had died – sacrificed himself like he was a soldier, and not the general Robin (and the rest of the team) needed him to be. So Robin stepped up. He was terrified. Beyond belief. So he did the only thing he could think to possibly to: he became Batman. He blocked everything out except for The Mission and sacrificed everything to complete it.

Dick allowed his best friend to vainly believe that their lost friends were inside the alien mother ship. But Dick knew they weren't. He could feel it. But he went along with it anyway. It made it easier for him to sacrifice Superboy. And then Wally realized that Dick hadn't actually come to rescue their lost teammates.

"You knew. You knew from the beginning why we were here."

Dick didn't try to deny it. But that didn't mean he wasn't trying to avoid the guilt of sacrificing his friends. He set his explosives to go off and ran. He ordered M'gann and J'onn to leave, promising to follow with Kid Flash. But both he and Wally knew they weren't coming out. And Dick wondered if M'gann knew this, too.

So when Wally had nodded to him, they'd both charged, ready to fight to the end. They'd go down fighting. Together. Because, deep down, they knew that was how it was always going to be.

Before the explosives went off, Dick had said to Wally, quietly, stoically: "At least I'm not falling."

And their eyes met. That brief moment of eye contact conveyed so much. An entire friendship was compacted into that one look. Wally's eyes said, "I know, bro. I know. We'll be okay. Because we're together." And Dick's eyes said, "I can't thank you enough for being my friend when I didn't have anyone else. It's been an honor working with you."

The look only lasted half a second. Then their vision was overtaken by white.

After that, darkness surrounded them, trapping them in its black cocoon.

And then…

They woke up.

For half a second, Dick wished he hadn't. But he shook that off. No, he couldn't afford to think like that. Ever.

Dick sat in numb shock as Martian Manhunter explained what happened. Dick purposefully avoided looking at Wally. He didn't want to break down, not yet. He couldn't. He stayed emotionless and stoic as the team went their separate ways, back home. Still as a statue as Batman took him to Wayne Manor. Sober as they entered the Cave and Alfred asked what happened and Bruce whispered quickly and quietly into the butler's ear. Indifferent as he changed from his Robin uniform into pajamas.

But once he got in bed…

He broke down.

Dick allowed tears to roll down his face and hiccups to escape him. His plush pillow was soon soaked with tears as he relived every agonizing second of that training exercise. His memory was not merciful in leaving out any excruciating detail. Sobs shook his body, and Dick thought he saw his door open a crack, but ignored it in favor of burying his face in a wet pillow. The door closed again and Dick tangled his hands into his sheet. Several minutes of heartbroken tears later, Dick heard the door open again and a weight make the mattress dip.

Dick sat up slowly, rubbing his red eyes, not even trying to hide how distressed he felt. Bruce had already seen him, so what was the point? Still, Dick's cheeks tinted a light pink at being caught in such a vulnerable state.

"It's okay, Dick," Bruce reassured. "I understand how hard it must've been to watch everyone you hold dear die."

And a fresh round of tears sprung to Dick's eyes at that. For all of the times Bruce was an emotionless robot and did not know the first thing about being a father, there were times like these. Times when Dick felt like Bruce knew exactly what he needed to hear. Times that made Dick want to call Bruce "Dad."

So he did.

Dick gave a shaky sigh before speaking in an unsteady voice. "Thank you, Dad. That means a lot to me."

Bruce smiled softly and widened his arms a fraction of an inch. On anyone else, that gesture would mean nothing. But in Bruce, Dick recognized it as an offering of physical comfort. Something rare in itself.

Without a second thought, Dick leaned himself against Bruce's wide chest. Bruce wrapped his arms around his small, sobbing ward, happy that he could offer him a shoulder to cry on.

The next morning, Dick woke up alone, in his bed. But that was normal, so it was okay. He'd never forget his guardian's warm embrace.

The next several days had been hard; what with the team's spirits so low.

"The thing that-that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission—that's not me. I-I don't want to be the Batman, anymore."

Dick swore to himself that he wouldn't become Bruce—he wouldn't sacrifice his friends, ever again. And if by some terrible stroke of luck, he had to become Batman, he swore that he'd be different than Bruce. He'd be a lighter Batman—the Batman that had also been a Robin.

But slowly, the collective morale of the team picked back up. It was a process.

When all the adults disappeared, Robin was calm and collected on the inside. On the inside, he was panicked. Losing Bruce would break him. But he made it through.

When Zatanna lost her father, Dick felt for her. He'd lost his parents, too. He wanted to be there for her as a friend or maybe something more—whatever she needed him to be.

He'd heard the accusations against Jack Haly. That the circus was stealing tech from all across Europe. Dick had pleaded with Bruce to do something, and Bruce had wanted to, but there was a mass breakout of the criminals at Arkham. Batman had other things to do. So Dick took things into his own hands. He snuck out while Bruce was asleep, leaving only a note explaining where he'd be. Dick felt like a bit of a coward, running away like that, but he had to clear Mr. Haly's name.

He'd explained the mission to the team minus Wally, Kaldur, and Zatanna. Wally would stop him if he knew what he was doing. So they went out and joined the circus. And Dick hadn't realized how much he missed it.

The sights, the smells, the flurry of motion… It was what Dick had grown up with.

When they first performed their act, Dick was off his game with the "flu". He was behind in the routine, and he'd missed M'gann's hands. The sheer, thoughtless panic when he felt himself falling was indescribable. Gravity. His old enemy. It caught up with him, pulling him towards the ground. But he forced his panic back and told the team to keep their cover. Superboy threw a barrel, and Dick reached up for M'gann's hands again. But he was short. The panic was lapping at the edge of his mind, and he had no doubt that if he plummeted towards the ground, he would've passed out before he hit. But then the invisible force of Miss Martian's telekinesis pulled him up the rest of the way. Dick internally frowned at her, but he was happy that she'd saved him from the fall—and the panic that still lingered in the back of his mind.

"I didn't want my best pal questioning my objectivity."

"Dude, that's what a best pal's for."

Wally's call had warmed his heart. Kid Flash honestly cared for him, and would always be there. Memories of his past were overwhelming him because of his surroundings, but Wally had brought him back down. Dick would never be able to express his gratitude to his best friend. Ever. It was unspeakably immense. No words could ever convey how much Dick thought of Wally as his brother.

After they caught the thief and cleared Haly's circus of all suspicion, Dick was glad to chat with Mr. Haly one last time.

"But some things never change. Like the sight of a Grayson on a trapeze."

As Dick performed in the Daring Danger's farewell show, he realized that on the inside, he'd always be a Flying Grayson. No matter what he did, he'd have his roots in circus acrobatics

And, moreover, Dick would also always be Robin. Because being Robin was something that he loved and something that defined him. He'd carry his experiences as the youngest Flying Grayson and as Robin for the rest of his life. They were an integral part of him.

And Dick wouldn't change it for the world.

When he'd first come back to the Bat Cave, he'd expected Bruce to be outraged. But Bruce just said, "Good job. Don't do it again," and sent him to get some sleep. Dick breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Bruce understood how much he needed to complete this mission.

Weeks past, and it came to the time when Robin had to fight Batman, who was being controlled by the Light. Dick was terrified—how was he supposed to beat his mentor? Bruce knew so much more than Dick, and Bruce was ruthless when it came to fighting. The entire time, Dick kept thinking that this was how he was going to turn out. He was going to grow up to be Batman, and there was nothing he could do about. He felt like he was turning into a little Batman clone as he matched his guardian's attacks blow for blow. He eventually got the patch that would override the Light's control over him on Bruce, thankfully.

But as time passed, Dick grew more and more uncomfortable with how similar he was becoming to Bruce. Tensions began to arise between mentor and protégé, creating a rift in their relationship. That's probably why, after their most explosive argument yet, Bruce told him he couldn't be Robin anymore. And Dick just snapped. He left Wayne Manor. He didn't go to the Cave because he wasn't Robin anymore. He was just Dick Grayson.

After fighting crime anonymously for a while and taking refuge at the circus for a time, Dick had a long talk with Superman. The man of steel told him an old story from Krypton featuring a hero named Nightwing. Dick was inspired by the story and took up that name to fight crime again. He went back to the team and felt better than ever.

He'd gone back to the Bat Cave to try and make up with Bruce when he saw a teenager wearing a domino mask and the R patch.

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Dick closes his mouth.

He'd had some bad times as Robin, and some good times. Becoming Robin was probably the best decision he'd ever made. So can he really forbid this homeless kid, this Jason Todd, from experiencing the thrill of flying by Batman's side? No, he can't. Besides, he isn't wearing the Robin costume any more. Dick is Nightwing now. He's his own hero. Letting the legacy that is Robin die would be a shame. Sure, Dick created Robin, but that doesn't mean that Jason can't continue his legacy.

And Batman needs a Robin. Jason will do.

"Wear that costume with pride, Jason," Dick says, finally breaking the silence. "And if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call your big brother Nightwing. Once Bruce gives you the OK, you have an open invitation to join my team."

Jason scoffs as Dick turns to leave. "As if. I won't need your help, 'cause I'm going to be a better Robin than you ever were. I'm going to break all your records!"

Dick chuckles at the sheer determination in the kid's voice. He will always be Robin at heart, and he suspects that this kid will, too.

"Of course you will, kid. Of course you will."

OoOoOoO

"Tim. You'll be leading Gamma."

"Me? Dick, I've never led a squad before…"

"Making this a good opportunity to get your feet wet as field leader."

"Because it's Gamma, and you're not expecting trouble, or because we're stretched thin and you have no choice?"

"…Just don't die, okay?"

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