Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Batman. That's all DC comics business.

The Bat Legacy:

Passing Robin's

It was sweltering outside. Not just some hot summer day, but the kind of heat that carried the crime waves with it. Crime always goes up in the summer, be it in Gotham or elsewhere. It's just the way it was.

Commissioner James Gordon shielded his eyes from the glaring sun as two dark figured swooped pass him from overhead. He shook his head.

Night added to the allusion. The visage. Here, in the broad light of day, Gordon could see Robin was below average height, and not layered with the thickly coiled muscles Batman possessed Even the Batman himself became more real. A cut of a cheek bone through the black cowl, a stream of sweat running against the corner of his jaw.

In the dark they were secretly human. Possibly. But it was in the light that they became humanized.

There was no need for invoking fear for this task. No one could scare a fire away. Not even Batman. The duo had been helping with in-building evacuations, going in where even the firemen could not get to.

It was dangerous work. They came out with burns across their arms and ash smeared so thickly against their skin that the true pigment was indiscernible.

But they were alive.

Until an opportunists took advantage of the provided potshot.

Gordon's men neutralized the assailant immediately, five shots to the chest and over.

Panic rose up in him. "Batman–"

He was hunched over, but not over a wound, but over the wounded.

The boy wasn't moving. There was a lot of blood.

Artery, Gordon thought. There was a lot of blood. Too much blood.

The next instant Batman was gone, Boy Wonder cradled in him arms like the child he was.

A week later and Batman was back on patrol.

Robin wasn't with him.

One year later…

Commissioner James Gordon slumped over his desk, one large hand twisted in his white hair and the other gripping a pencil hard enough to snap it into half's.

Two-Face had managed to con his was out of the Asylum three days ago, he had four murder cases on his hands that were starting to look like serial killings, and his shoulders were so stiff he could barely get his arms over his head.

It'd been a rough week.

Gordon gave an involuntary shiver. And the damn AC still going off on it's own. The Commissioner rose stiffly to his feet and made his way to the temperature control stuck to the side of the wall.

"I think we need to talk about a problem we're having, Commissioner."

Gordon scrambled for his firearm as he tried to lock in on the spectral figure melding into the shadows of his office, "You! Try to run, Batman, and I'll shoot you."

"You've already tried." There was no humor in his graveled voice, "Which is part of the problem."

It had been a near thing, too. Gordon swore the bullet at least caught somewhere in the man's heavy cape.

"You're the only problem I see, Batman. Come into the light before I open fire."

Batman hesitated for a moment before stirring, "Alright." With a soundless glide he detached from the dark shade of the walls. Behind him a soft breath exhaled from the nearly invisible black of the wall. Batman did not take his eyes off Gordon.

The Commissioner tightened his grip. "Who's with you, Batman? I'd have thought you'd rather work alone after you got that boy killed."

With the air of hesitance, a smaller figure peeled out from the darkness.

Robin.

"I've never seen anyone move like that, Batman, not even you."

"I know. He's… gifted."

"And a child. This isn't right. How old is he? Twelve? Thirteen?"

But he never answered the question.

"There won't be a way to stop him, Jim. As I am Batman, now he is Robin. I do what I do because I must. He isn't any different."

"He's a boy."

"And for that reason, one day he will be more than I am now."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

A small grin. "Not even close."

He'd been so small then. Smaller even than the red and black figure that stood silently before him now. Gordon lowered the gun.

"You can't do this." His voice was dull, "Not again."

The man turned back towards the wide window against the back wall. "There's nothing else to be done. I am not here to discuss Robin. I want to know you're on the level with me."

Gordon wasn't listening.

"Is that what you do Batman? Lose one kid and then replace him like he was a damned tool? A boy is dead because of you."

The gun rose chest level again.

Batman stood impassive against the dark. "I don't recall pulling the trigger."

"We both know you put him in harm's way!" He roared, "He was a good kid, and now he's dead."

"You don't know anything about him."

Gordon froze. "What?"

"You said he was a good kid. You don't know that. What you saw -processed him at was a crazy kid who was rash and reckless."

"He was a child."

Inhuman bastard.

"Robin made his choice a long time ago. This was his decision, not mine."

You're Batman for God's sake! You've taken down people who have more in common with the devil than men!

"You could have stopped him." The charcoal barrel head leveled with his cowled forehead. Batman didn't move.

"Could I? Or would he have just run off on his own? He had a lot of natural talent and a thirst for revenge. Sounds like the short life of a murderer I would have put behind bars."

Liar.

"But-"

"He was a good kid?"

Gordon's voice grew quiet, "Not any more, now is he?"

"No, I guess he isn't a child anymore. Not in that sense." His tone was pointed and he spoke slowly, annunciating each word to the point of patronization, "All children leave home eventually Commissioner. You know that."

"Leave– Leave home?"

"Yes."

Commissioner Gordon pulled the trigger with a shaking rage that made his fingers burn. The gun clicked.

Untouched, Batman slowly made his way to the open window, the boy a step behind him. "I took the liberty of relieving your firearm of it's clip."

Criminal.

"You son of a bitch! I know what I saw! The boy got shot and it was your fault! If you hadn't brought him into all this, he'd be alive!"

"I'm not going to try to justify what I've done." His voice didn't waver, "I can't change it now." He motioned for the boy –Robin– to step on to the waiting ledge. "Come, Robin."

"This isn't over Batman." He promised, "I'm going to hunt you down and put you up for reckless endangerment of a child and murder."

But it was too late: he was already gone.

Just like Robin.

Alright. So there's chapter one. Cool. Writing style felt a little weird there… Anyway. Some of what is so come is cannon, some is a bit off kilter. Let no one fear, no Robin's were harmed in the making of…okay, no Robin's were killed in the making of this fic. After the whole Dick to Tim Robin hand off I'll get to Dick as Nightwing, and then taking up the mantle and Damian coming into the picture, yadda yadda. After all, Bat Legacy. The who shebang, minus Jason Todd, who is cool, but doesn't suit the needs of this fic unfortunately…

Please feel free (and more than welcome) to send some reviews my way.

-KydChyme