A/N: I have a lot of ideas. I have also quite of active projects all over the net. I'm a little discontinued. While I'm writing the next chapters of my batfic, I came with this project: an alternate bat-universe where Damian is the older, first Robin and current Nightwing and Dick the younger and last (fourth). Also Tim and Jason swapped their roles, with the inevitable consequences. Other characters were swapped, of course, keeping unchanged the first generation of superheroes. Essentially, this is a sort of reversed AU. Probably, there will be connections with Joung Justice. Naturally, the main characters were for many reasons partially OOC even if I tried to keep their basic personalities.

To make things more clear, here's below some simple indications over the main characters in order of age (still approssimative, however).

Bruce: 40 years, first and current Batman since 25 (Year one), had Damian around 16;

Talia: 40 years, conceived Damian with a ignare Bruce around 16;

Stephanie: 27 years, first Batgirl at 14-15 shortly after the first Robin, paralyzed by the Joker, first and current Oracle and leader of the Birds of Prey;

Damian: 24 years, first Robin at 10 (Year three), founded the Teen Titans at 14-15, first and current Nightwing at 17-18;

Colin: 22-23 years, met Damian-Robin at 9-10, become Abuse shortly after, co-founded the Teen Titans at 13, become leader of the Titans when Damian quitted as Robin at 16.

Cassandra: 22-23 years, first and current Huntress;

Tim: 19-20 years, second Robin at 12, "killed" by the Joker at Sarajevo at 14-15 ( the reference came from the UTRH film);

Jason: 17 years, second Robin at 12-13, become Green Robin at 16-17 in honor of his dead best friend, the Green Lantern Kyle Rayner;

Helena Kyle: 16-17 years, second Batgirl, "died" after the wounds caused by Black Mask;

Barbara: 13 years, at the start of the story is a normal teenager fan of the first Batgirl;

Dick: 10 years, at the start of the story he is an aerialist in Haley's Circus (Year fifteen).

I guess this fic will be more slow in his updates respect to the other, so I wrote more this first chapter as a sort of prologue/one shot. However, enjoy this for now!

Disclaimers: All the characters are of DC. I don't own nothing.

Reversed Robins

Chapter one

" I-I can't believed you forced me to do this! Forcing me to abandon our usual night patrols in our respective cities to visit a circus. "said a very pissed Damian towards his father during the travel from Bludhaven to Gotham with their limo. " We never did something of so similar neither when I was a boy, Father."

Father. Bruce knew well his twenty-four year old son used that title when he was angry or disappointed; the best thing was to remain silent in order to let him cold down.

"Well master Damian, even for two high skilled vigilantes who fought night by night the crime for years as you, it could be necessary to take a break" Alfred intervened from his driving position.

" It seemed I don't requested your opinion, Pennyworth. However, I guess someone important like the Wayne family must participate to more high cultural events instead to visit a circus." Bruce emitted a sigh. He understood that his son wanted a talk fight. They did this for almost fourteen years, since they met each other for the first time, when Damian escaped at the age of ten from his mother and his grandfather to know his father, Bruce Wayne. His arrival shocked for sure his father, and even more when he revealed to him to be a deadly trained assassin heir of a seven century immortal who leaded an organization with the objective to exterminate the humanity. On the other side, Damian was surprised as well to the revelation his father wasn't a simple CEO of a industrial mega corporation, but also and above all the Dark Knight of Gotham city.

Batman.

The son accepted to help the father in his crusade, and adopted his own personal identity calling himself Robin. Their synergy was perfect on the "work", but with the years various tensions risen between the two, especially about their different position over the "no kill" policy. Despite his past, Damian agreed to remain loyal to that rule at any cost ( except for the case "Blockbuster", but he never talked of that to him even if he was sure he knew in some way) but he thought if in some situations it wasn't better to stop definitively some criminals, and one in particular. At the end, their cooperation as partners ended, and Damian decided to adopt his own vigilante persona ( because beside it was his creation, Robin will be forever tied with Batman) and became Nightwing; despite all, and despite the other grudges with his father, his loyalty to him never came less. It occurred however some years and other two Robins to restore a more amiable relation between the two men.

" It doesn't seemed to me that the heir of a multibillionaire who is by job a police officer in Bludhaven will increase the prestige of his family. And however, Haley's Circus is one of the most famous in all the States and its crew one of the most spectaculars."

" You talked like you already visited it."

Bruce remained silent for a moment; he seemed embarrassed : " I did… Some years ago, with Tim. Just…prior to the incident."

"Oh."

Damian didn't ever suspect to reach and push that key. All of the members of his family knew the death of Tim Drake, the second Robin, almost lead his father to destruction and still today saddened him. He reminded well when he met him for the first time and was really impressed to his deductive skills which brought him to discover his identity and by consequence that of his father. It was at the same period when he was quitting as Robin, and he was very frustrated and angered when Batman called the boy to be his successor, impressed by his deductive capacities. However, soon realized he was a worthy successor and recognized him, giving his original uniform. Despite all, he didn't have so much contacts with him, because his grudge with his father increased even more at that period, and they continued to keep separated their vigilante careers, until the death of the second Robin and her mother, united at the same time to the disgrace happened to the first Batgirl and both of the events caused by the same psychotic criminal, marked their lives forever.

Damian cooled down a bit and reflected for a moment: " Wait a moment… that photo with Tim and you with that family of acrobats you keep on your desk… it was made during that visit?"

" Yes, Tim remained very impressed by the ability of those aerialists and their child that he wanted to know them personally. Alfred made that photo." Bruce stopped for a moment, then continued. " Tim called you to come with us, but you were busy with your training at the police academy and with the patrols around Bludhaven, so we went only the three of us."

Damian suddenly remembered that call; and remembered that he refused because he was very tired and busy by his duties but also because he was pissed about the fact the second Robin convinced Batman to break his routine for a night to do a thing he will never did with his father. Also, the fact the first Batgirl wasn't present to piss her as in the old good days was another motive to refuse the offer.

Damian was really sorry for his stubbornness, as usual; it prevented him to say his excuses, even when he recognized his faults. But Batman was capable to read his mind as usual, because he replied immediately: " It wasn't your fault, son."

Damian partially relieved, but his expression was still sad " Thanks… Dad. But this not change the fact that still I had my part of responsibilities over Tim. I shall be more present in his life instead to play the role of the hermit, and to be less hostile towards you."

Bruce made a small smile: " Well, I didn't tried either to be more conciliatory and…open towards you. But I'm glad that now in some way we… normalized our relationship despite our different opinions ."

Damian nodded, even if he was a bit embarrassed. He wasn't too comfortable to that kind of talk, especially when it turned too much sugar and fluffy; so he immediately changed the argument: " By the way, why Jason isn't there with us? "

" I asked him, but he refused saying he was on duty with the Titans."

" Naturally, the favorite son was left free to decide by his own will; it's always the first that must be always involved in all your plots." By the tone however Bruce understood that Damian was joking; he was always grateful with him to accept Jason Todd as a brother, and he was quite surprised when he immediately supported his project to adopt him. " However, that boy worked too much in my opinion. Someone shall teach to him to relax sometimes."

" I don't think you are the better example to says this, considering few minutes ago you were complaining about the fact to not do your patrol this night. However, I completely trust Green Robin about his capacities."

" However, the burden he decided to wear sometimes scared me."

" There is something that scared you, then?"

" Don't joke over these matters! It's only… that his decision to completely devout his life to crime-fighting is not very healthy for him."

" This is the same decision we both take for ourselves, Damian."

" Yes, but he is always a seventeen years old! The difference between him and us is that you took the necessary time to mentally prepare for this life, and I despite my… past decisions… I had the time to come with terms with most of my issues, thanks to you, Alfred, and… Batgirl. Also, Gotham and the world were less… violent respect to when Jason become Robin."

Damian took a brief breath." You remember how was Jason before that damned crisis."

Bruce smiled, but his eyes were sad: " A stubborn and impulsive child, but also very radiant, self-confident of his capacities, and above all happy. The deaths of his best friend, his girlfriend, and his mother changed him really much."

" They weren't his fault."

" Indeed, but he saw them as personal failures, and swore to make all the possible to protect all his still alive affections. Even at cost to push himself over his capacities."

" I know very well, but I have still trust in Jason's personal judgments, despite his tantrum. Besides, I'm sure that he will not made our same mistakes… or those of Tim as well."

They remained silent for a while. Suddenly, Damian reopened his mouth again. He seemed more worried.

" In that circus… There will be also clowns?"

Bruce sighed, knowing where that discourse will ended: " In every circus there are clowns, Damian. If you want, you can go out during their exhibition…"

" No, there is no need to do so. Unless they doesn't use a crowbar in their number, they are safe from my killing intentions…"

" I don't want to talk this again…" Bruce tried to end the debate, but Damian was again upset.

" Don't worry. I will not talk of you about mine and your hate towards the Joker, about the fact I wanted him dead and you not, despite all he did towards many innocents, as Jason's mother, not counting Tim… and Stephanie."

" The fact that still today you respected my will to leave him alive despite your… reasonable anger it's the sign that you agreed with my policy."

" For now, dad, until he doesn't do again something of irreparable towards our family. But certainly, if you called me immediately after Stephanie's disgrace, at that time I will came immediately to Gotham so…" he stopped for a moment. " At least, Tim will be still alive today if you let me acted."

" I knew well that if you told about Stephanie, I will not be able to stop you at that time. And however, she requested me to not tell nothing about the fact she was shot and paralyzed… She didn't wanted your hands covered in blood for her."

" I know, and I respect her decision for this. But I admit that I felt… betrayed by both of you when I discovered all by myself after a month, at Tim's funeral."

" After the "incident", all went too fast even for us… The immediate evasion of the Joker…"

" Thanks to mine grandfather and mother… " Damian added. His not-so-hidden rage was pointed towards them now.

Bruce nodded. " … The kidnapping of Tim's mother by his hands, and our pursuit all across the world, concluded at that damned warehouse of Sarajevo…"

"… For his first time in his life, Tim acted by alone and irresponsibly reaching that place where you were busy with another track. But the Joker already killed his mother and beat him with a crowbar furiously, killing him before you arrived in time to save him."

Both of them remained silent. Alfred as always tried to fix the situation:

" Both of you aren't responsible for master Tim's death. And both of you know that killing the Joker didn't bring him to life, but only make you crossing that line you imposed to yourself to not be like that criminal. He always believed in your ideals, so betraying them will kill him a second time. And today, we go to that circus because he loved it and it will be a tribute he really deserved, instead to pursue inutile revenges."

As always, father and son recognized their butler was right. The limo however soon stopped. They were arrived to destination.

Too many noises. The acre smells. The crowd.

Damian really hated the circus.

He looked towards his father while buying the tickets, seeming more relieved to be in a place like that. Certainly more than in one of his charity parties. Not that he didn't love too them. In those occasions, both were forced to wear the masks of the multibillionaire charismatic patriarch and of his leonine heir. He hated to participate to those parties because he was forced to play someone he didn't like, because later he must forced to be subjected to the bat-glares of Steph (and her glares could be more dangerous of those of his father, in all senses).

He was attracted by a stall which sold plushies. Plushies related to his world. Plushies of Batman, Blackbat, Green Robin. And also of Nightwing. Only Robin and Batgirl were absent, because the people noticed that it was a while Batman didn't have a Robin and a Batgirl on his side.

Damian thought suddenly of his days as Robin. There were good times, after all. He considered however if it wasn't better if Batman returned to fight by alone: because only with a Robin he showed all the best of his capacities. He was complete.

No, the actual situation is right for all. All the Robins soon or later shall leave the nest, it was natural; and however, one to become Robin shall have some… particular traits. And he sincerely hoped any child will pass from the sufferance he, Tim and Jason proved to become that they are today.

He was thinking to buy a plushie for Stephanie (to increase her collection, of course), without noticing someone stopped behind him.

" Nightwing is my favourite."

"Uh?"

Damian was distracted by his thoughts by a voice behind him. He turned behind to look.

It was a child. Fantastic. He hated children because he was never a child, passing the first eight years of his life into a tube, other two to be an assassin, and other seven to be a vigilante. He managed to bond especially with boys and girls who didn't had an happy infancy like him. Colin and Stephanie for first; Chris and Iris were an exception, because they inherited the indefatigable optimism of their fathers, while Jaime was more compatible with him as having much rage after the loss of his speed powers, and he was sincerely grief-striken for him after the death of his daughter during that devastating attack over Keystone City. Tim, he wasn't coming exactly from a bad situation, but Damian was conquered by his attachment to the duty, his devotion, his detective skills; with Jason, despite the age difference, he entered almost immediately in syntony, quite less with his best friend and his first love. And Helena… Well, another reason for him and his father to curse themselves forever.

Despite all, Damian was really inclined to socialization, surely more than his father, according to a discourse Alfred had with him once; however, this didn't changed the fact he hated kids.

However, this child was quite strange. His clothing, for example, was an unisex tight, with brilliant colors, which showed his shape; he was fit for his age, and remember him when he started his activity. His smile strangely discomforted him, while his black hair were heavily glued; also him used a lot of hair gel when he was Robin and in the first months as Nightwing, when he used that suit… He preferred to not remember it. But his blue eyes… Really impressed him. His gaze. Happy, but at the same time really strong. He secretly envied him.

Again, the child disturbed him from his thoughts: " What it is your favorite plushie?"

Without noticing, Damian entered into defensive, even if he was really pissed by that statement : " Why do you think I liked plushies?"

" because you stared at them like you were really attracted. But probably, more than the plushies you were attracted by the characters they represented… right ?"

Damn child. He was so irritant… But instead to left him alone he decided to face him. "Batgirl. The first, to be more exact."

" Oh. She was the batgirl who fought crime with the first Robin, right? Well, she wasn't too bad… for a blond."

" How you permit to say this kind of shit over her? She…" He noticed everyone around them looked in his direction, so he immediately lowered his voice. " She was really smart and strong, and saved Robin many times. I don't permit to anyone to offend her, neither by a brat like you."

The boy protested: " I'm not a brat! However… maybe I exaggerated a bit towards her. I'm sorry. It's only that nobody could surpass Nightwing, because he was really amazing! He was the only who could stands besides Batman in all his family and he fights alone in a city more violent than Gotham and he was the first Robin…"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down for a moment! How do you know that Nightwing was the first Robin?" Damian cut his tongue with the teeth. He shall said could be. However, the kid didn't seem to notice.

" Well… Nightwing made his apparition shortly after the disappear of the first Robin, right? And he was always on the side of Batman in various situations, no? Also, it is sufficient to compare the last photos of the last Robin with the first with Nightwing to see they were the same person. The face features are the same."

" I'm really impressed. Not much people could eleaborate this kind of theory." Except for Tim, but this is another story.

" To be honest…The truth is someone time ago told me Nightwing and the first Robin were the same person. I saw him once, but he was a really smart and kind guy."

" Sincerely, I came towards you because of him. You remembered me the person who came with him that time."

To hear these words, Damian had an illumination: "Excuse me, kid, but what is your name?"

The boy didn't have the time to reply, because he was distracted by the arrival of a man who already knew.

" Damian, I bought the tickets. The next show will start in around twenty minutes…"

"YOU! You are the man who came with Tim that time…"

Bruce looked to the boy, recognizing him. " Oh. You must be Richard, right? You are grown so much from the last time we met."

Richard. Now Damian understood why he seemed to see him already. He was the boy in the photo with Tim. He must be the son of those Grayson acrobats.

" Thanks, sir! They passed four years, but I still remember that day with you and Tim! By the way, he is here too? I will be glad to see him before my exhibition…"

The two men seemed embarrassed and remained silent for a moment. Then Bruce took the courage to ask his question. " I'm sorry, Richard… He passed away few years ago."

Richard seemed sad. " I didn't know… I'm sorry. It's only that I see this person who was similar to you and I thought it was your son or someone similar… Am I right?"

" Yes, Richard. This is my first son, Damian. I bring him here because he never visit a circus."

" Frankly, I was never interested to visit this kind of places…"

" But circus are funny! We have many attractions and numbers, and Zitka…"

"Zitka?"

" Our elephant. Do you like to know her before the show started?"

"Uh, really…"

" It seemed a good idea. Here's your ticket, I will wait you into the tent."

"But…"

Despite his feeble protests, Damian's arm was grabbed by Richard who started to pull him.

" Okay, so it's decided! And by the way, call me Dick, Damian."

Before he went away, Damian as always wanted to say the last word.

" Tonight later I shall make you pay for this, father."

Bruce seemed really amused.

Damian saw of everything in his life, but never an elephant. Despite Bruce and Alfred's efforts, he never visited a zoo or an aquarium. He was sincerely impressed to the size of Zitka. Of course he admired the strength and the capacities of the animal, thinking the best options to using them in a battle.

Dick was amused to see the face of Damian. He never believed existed someone who never say an elephant; he thought at first it was a common trait of rich, spoiled brats who will never wanted to visit popular places like circus, but Damian sure was particular. He wasn't bad; it seemed only that he didn't know how to enjoy. Suddenly, he had an idea.

" Do you want to caress her?"

"What?"

" She is really docile, you know. She never harm nobody. There is no need to fear her."

" I'm not fear her, it's only-"

" Then touch her."

After a little hesitation, Damian touch the trunk of the elephant. It wasn't so bad after all. Suddenly, Zitka made some trumpets.

" She was disturbed?"

"No, she really enjoyed your caressing. Seemed you like to her."

Suddenly, Dick raised his voice.

" Zitka, take him!"

The elephant used her trunk to take Damian by surprise, lifting up in air. The young man didn't believe to himself. To be caught in that mode!

" What the fuck? Put me down now!"

Dick was laughing; instead to give advice to Damian's order, he gestured something to Zitka. The elephant slowing placed him over her back, then she made the same with the young aerialist. Damian was really pissed while Dick continued to laugh.

" So, I guess this is something unusual for a multibillionaire heir, no?"

Damian was caught again by surprise. Surely that child knew how to deal with him.

" Well… I shall admit it is a unusual event even for my standards."

And for the first time in ages, he laughed as well.

"However, i still call you Richard."

Bruce was content to see Damian more relieved, even if a little discussion with Alfred about his "smell" pissed him for a moment just before entering the circus, and to see his son seemed enjoying the show. He however decided to remain silent during the exhibition of the clowns, with Damian sending text messages to Jason about some upcoming revenges over the fact he left him alone to watch a low quality cultural event. During the pause, he noticed he was talking at the cellphone.

"It is Stephanie?" Damian nodded.

Bruce adopted a serious grim."The situation is under control?"

After a moment, his son replied. " She said that he can hear you, to not be paranoical as usual, that all is calm in Gotham and Bludhaven, and that the end of the world is near if both Big Bat and Little Wing went together to visit a circus."

Finally arrived the moment of the aerialists. The Flying Grayson deserved their fame. However, Damian admitted the young Dick was surely the most talented in the family; he was really amazed to see him made a quadruple somersault perfectly, a move that neither him never succeeded to manage despite his trainings. As Nightwing, Damian pointed more to agility respect to his father.

The exhibition then ended. All the Wayne family clapped their hands as the other spectators. Damian saw very well even if they were quite distant Dick really satisfied and looking towards his parents.

" BANG! BANG!"

Panic started to run all across the spectators when the gun shots fended the air. Damian thanks to his training remained somewhat calm, in order to understand what was happening.

But he wasn't prepared to that he saw next.

Looking towards the trapeze, he realized with horror that both Dick's parents were grounding blood in the face, from a hole in the front. They remained as frozen for a moment, until their weights brought them to fall to the ground. And the worst was that their son, covered by their blood as well, saw all the scene. He remained in a state of shock on the trapeze.

No, no, not to him…

Completely in confusion as never happened before in all his vigilante career, for instinct Damian searched the face of his father, because he needed to see him, to hear him, to retake control of himself.

Looking towards Bruce however didn't make him feeling better. His expression was shocked as well; they were his eyes, looking towards Dick, that showed Batman was still lucid despite all. But it wasn't the usual Bat glare, but a glare that he saw only three times in his life. Towards Him. Towards Tim. Towards Jason.

When he chose them.

The only fact to be his biological son will be never sufficient to understand his father; it was only being his first partner that Damian managed to understand most ( because a complete vision will be impossible even for Superman) of both Bruce Wayne and Batman. And he always agreed to his orders even if he internally objected to them.

But Dick is not ready now, it will destroy him if he called him now…

When he saw his father moving, Damian awaked from his shocking status and tried to stopping him.

" What are you doing to do?"

Bruce looked towards his son. He never saw him so… fragile. Not only of those he just saw, but also because he understood his thought. So he decided to be honest with him.

" Richard will be ruined for the rest of this life if I don't intervene now. And I can only help him by giving a purpose in his life…"

Damian scattered in rage, visibly indignated:

" He didn't need that kind of help right now! He just saw his parents dying and he is covered by their blood! He needed support right now, and not to be launched in a global anti-crime crusade!"

Bruce replied coldly: "The support you have in mind is an orphanage, like Colin? Or to let him be adopted by another family? Nobody could help him to surpass a trauma like that, except for me."

"Hah! And what will make you superior to the others to help him? Because you are the goddamm Batman?"

"Because I passed from the same experience."

Checkmate. Damian knew well that he will never won over that argument. He tried to search their butler for some support: "A-Alfred?"

Alfred tried really hard to keep his stolidness: " I really don't know what to suggest, master Damian… Both of you seemed to have good arguments. But I guess right now the child needed help in some way…"

All of they looked towards the trapeze. Dick was always over it, as petrified; the circus personal was shocked to take some valuable initiative. Suddenly, he slowly started to tremble.

This is not good…

Instinctively, Damian ran towards the central stage, throwing away his jacket, jumping over the barrier, avoiding the various people in the stage, climbing as fast as possible the trapeze, and catching Dick before losing the equilibrium.

" I caught you, Dick, I will not let you to fall. Look towards me, now."

The boy, still semi-unconscious, seemed to regain some self control. "D-Damian?"

Damian was more relieved and try to show himself more calm. "Yes, Richard. I'm with you right now. Now we slowly going down from here. You are safe now."

Dick nodded, but suddenly the scene he saw few moments ago returned in mind: " M-My parents… a-are d.." He tried to look below, but Damian stopped his face with his free hand.

" Don't look down right now. It will hurt you more that you already are." But he seemed it wasn't enough, so he continued to talk: " It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you had in power to do in that moment. I want you keep in mind this. Please."

Damian was surprised by his same words. He never conforted someone, and especially in that kind of situation. Dick seemed he understood his words, nevertheless he started to cry. He needed to cry right now.

And then, Damian made something he really never thought to do in all his life. He embraced him. He felt he was the most logical choice to do.

" It's all right, I'm with you, I will not left you…"

And his inner self was only capable to say:

Welcome to our world.