Batman & Robin #5 - The Flying Trapeze (Return Flight, Part Two)
DC Next presents:
Issue Five: The Flying Trapeze
Written by AdamantAce
Edited by deadislandman1 & PatrollinTheMojave
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RETURN FLIGHT - Recommended Reading:
- Part One: Suicide Squad #11
Stephanie Brown sat in the barracks of the Belfry, the state-of-the-art new headquarters of Batman and his allies in the centre of Gotham. She peeled the green domino mask from her face and set it down on the bench beside her, then unclasped her gauntlets, pulling them free. Piece-by-piece she disassembled her intricate costume, the latest in a long line of Alfred’s masterworks, hanging each piece on the hooks that emerged from the mechanical closet she faced until she was only left in her black and green under armour. The hooks then turned in, the mechanical closet shutting itself with a whir. She watched through the glass window as her suit was whisked off for cleaning, back to the display where she would find it when she next needed it. Quietly, Steph smiled to herself. She couldn’t believe it.
She was Robin. Like, the actual Robin. Of Batman and— fame. Steph had grown up quietly worshipping the likes of the Dynamic Duo, safe in the knowledge that caped protectors were out there, in the night, setting things right. Making things fair. It was one of the many things she loved about Gotham. And now it was her turn to fly the red and green.
The first few nights weren’t easy, and neither were the weeks after that, but she was getting better each night. Every time she got her ass kicked, she learned an important lesson, determined to never slip up the same way twice. Which reminded her—
“Ah!” she winced, pulling at her ribcage. Something was definitely bruised, but she didn’t mind. She thought back to her father, how horribly beaten up he’d be when he came home after a night of terrorising innocent folks at Penguin’s side. She thought about how she’d bring him ice to nurse his injuries, how he’d spend hours at a time soaking his wounds in the bath. She never wanted to end up like that, but she’d consign herself to all the ice baths in the world if it meant helping people, something Steph knew she didn’t share with her father.
She soldiered on, exiting the barracks and heading down the cool blue corridors to the main mission room. There she found a familiar figure pacing back and forth.
Unlike his ward, Dick Grayson had taken no time to doff his heroic regalia. Instead, he had removed only the cowl, revealing his own face underneath and his dark, sweat-streaked hair. Steph watched him from the bottom of the steps leading up to the mission room’s centre platform, not sure if he knew she was there. Something was bothering him, that much was clear to Steph. When she first met Dick, even when she thought he was just a vain celebrity, she saw the pain he carried with him, and paradoxically he seemed to have instantly improved the minute he finally took up the cape and cowl and became Batman. Even when he was out at night, showing Steph the ropes as the protective, shadowy vigilante of darkness and vengeance and all that jazz, he did it with a spring in his step and a smile. So what was suddenly bothering him again?
Slowly, Steph crept up the stairs, but the second she got to the top Dick’s eyes snapped to her direction. Caught. “Is it normal to be this tired?” Steph joked.
“It’s 5am,” Dick replied wryly, “And we spent the whole night fighting crime. It’d be weird if you weren’t tired!”
“Ha, I guess.”
Dick jested but there was clearly still something on his mind. “You should head home, get some sleep. You’ve earned it.”
“Sure, I— Just,” Steph swallowed. “Is everything okay? Did I—? I hope you aren’t mad. Cos I know I could have taken down Scream Queen quicker if I was more alert—”
“No,” Dick stopped her politely, smiling. “I’m not mad. And you’ve got nothing to worry about, especially not tonight! That grappling hook trick you did? I’m stealing that.”
“So what’s the matter?” Steph asked, taking a step towards him.
“It’s— It’s that…” Dick exhaled, dropped his shoulders and turned. “You seem so hot on the tabloids. How much do you know about how I grew up?”
“With Bruce Wayne?”
“Before Bruce.”
Steph blinked. “I heard you were a kid acrobat in the circus - a good one, obviously - and that your folks were killed by the mob. That’s why Bruce took you in.”
“They fell to their deaths,” added Dick. It was weird, he spoke of such a mortifying experience so matter-of-factly. It wasn’t their deaths that was bothering him. “Their ropes were sabotaged by Tony Zucco when the circus came to Gotham, because our boss Mr Haly refused to pay the Maroni crime family’s protection money, that and cos he refused to let them use the circus to traffic drugs across city lines.”
“Oh god,” Steph replied. “Zucco - he isn’t out of prison, is it?”
“No,” Dick shook his head. “They threw away the key when the police took down the Maronis, or whatever was left of them after the Holiday and Hangman murders way back when. It’s not him.”
“Then what?” Steph wanted to just shake him, get him to spit it out.
“The circus,” Dick replied. “It’s back. Not in Gotham - they never dared come back after what happened - but in Blüdhaven up the coast. It’s the closest they’ve come to Gotham since. Hell, it’s the first time they’ve even been this side of the country since. And I guess I feel like I’m obligated to give a visit.”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“I’m just nervous,” Dick added. “All those people, they were my family when I was a kid. Then after my parents died and I moved into Wayne Manor, suddenly they were gone. They moved on, I moved on. It’d be great to see them again but I’d be lying if I said facing them doesn’t sound terrifying.”
“Well…” Steph thought to Blüdhaven. It was known as something of a sister city to Gotham - similarly developed, similarly dark - it was only a short distance up the coast, but it was still further from Gotham than Steph had ever been. “I’ve always wanted to go to the circus. Even if they are suuuuuper old school.”
Dick chuckled. “I appreciate that, Steph, I do, but I think this is something I have to face myself,” he replied. “Besides, this could be a good dance for you to get to know some of the other heroes in Gotham, or go on patrol solo for the first time.”
Steph laughed dryly. “One - I already teamed up with Batgirl last week. Two - I might be itching to get as much Robin-ing done as you’ll let me, but I don’t have a death wish! I’m coming with you.”
“I—”
“It’ll be good to get to know Dick Grayson outside of Batman. Before Batman,” she added, not finished. Clearly she was telling, not asking. “Y’know, if that’s okay.”
Dick smiled.
🔹🔹 🦇 🔹🔹
It was the smell of the sawdust that brought back the first memories; the clamour, the confusion, and the cacophony of the circus. Heavy footfalls turned light, his somber pace increasing. A large banner hung from the big top tent, its lettering lit up with glittering neon lights.
C.C. Haly and Norton Bros. Circus.
Dick Grayson was home.
There were some signs of wear and tear, some deterioration. So the carts needed a new lick of paint, there were more than a few holes in the canvas to patch, but as circus-goers flocked in to witness the magic, the air was electric just as it always had been. Still, everything did seem a hell of a lot smaller than Dick remembered.
“This is crazy!” Steph exclaimed, showing to be heard over the hubbub as she stayed close to Dick. “Talk about a far cry from Wayne Manor! But this is totally all you, Dick.”
Dick smiled, and gestured towards the ticket office. They approached. Inside were two attendants in red vests, both swamped by the rapid flow of customers. It brought Dick great pleasure to see the circus doing so well; he knew damned well that it wasn’t exactly twenty-first century chic, that there wasn’t a large market for circus performances in the age of technology, so he relished the buzz he presently felt. It was only as the pair got to the front of the line that Dick got a good enough look at the ticket attendant who served him, as her own eyes lit up with recognition.
“Dick Grayson!” she cried. She was an older woman, mid 40s, with dark skin and a stern face.
“Jana!” Dick replied with a toothy smile. He turned to Steph. “This is Jana, the bearded lady!”
Steph screwed up her face, that wasn’t quite right. “But she doesn’t have a—”
“I gave up that act years ago,” Jana replied with a laugh. “Freak show fell out of fashion, and I didn’t wanna be laughed at anymore, so Mr Haly paid for my laser surgery, and I stayed on in the ticket booth to repay the favour.”
“Jana, that’s amazing!” said Dick, conscious that they were holding up the line. “Oh, uh, two tickets please!”
“Don’t be stupid, Dick Grayson!” she exclaimed. “It never costs a penny to come home!” She gestured towards the nearest tent. “Now get your ass in, and find me out the back of the big top at intermission. We can catch up and you can tell me who this little chestnut is!”
And so the pair moved in, but as they did Dick couldn’t fight the feeling they were being watched.
🔹🔹 🦇 🔹🔹
The show was magnificent. Stupendous. Incredible. Mind-bending contortionists, stupefying fire dancers, death-defying knife throwers, and well-beloved animal acts such as the horses, lions, and monkeys. But the absolute highlights included the mind-bending Mister Damage, a strongman capable of incredible feats especially considering his more slight frame, and the new star performers: the twin acrobats Aliki and Margot Marceau - known as the sensational Double Dare. Now they were incredible. They moved with such grace, paradoxically accentuated by their fierce disregard for their own safety. They had all the marvel of the Flying Graysons and the talent to back it up, though trading family charm for rockstar flair.
The Marceau twins were certainly the talk of the vast majority of the crowd as the show broke for intermission, the stands emptying back out onto the pitch, the audience set upon the food carts to fill their stomachs. Steph was enraptured by the performance, and by the twins especially. Dick supposed that was possible when you didn’t have insider insight on all the tricks.
“So,” Steph spoke as they excited the big top, “How come I haven’t seen you do anything like that?”
“You haven’t?” Dick laughed. “You’ve seen me quadruple somersault off of a rooftop enough times. I bet they can’t do that.”
“Right, but like, you don’t put on a show!” she teased.
“I’m sorry if my moves don’t have enough flair for you!”
Steph laughed, with Dick joining her. For all the time they had spent together since Steph moved in at Wayne Manor, they hadn’t spent much time on the ground at all, among regular people, having fun. This was nice. “So, any faces you recognise?”
“A few,” Dick nodded. “Not as many as I was expecting.”
Just as instructed, Dick and Steph then circled around to the back of the big top before meeting a wide curtain separating the tent from the nearby fence. Guarding it was a man they recognised as Mister Damage. Quietly, they approached, stopped by the man.
“Troupe members only,” he spoke in a low, curt tone.
“Oh, sorry, I’m Dick Grayson?” Dick replied.
“Are you with the troupe?” the strongman cocked his head.
“I used to be. I was… one of the Flying Graysons.”
“If you’re not with the troupe, then no entry.”
“Damage!” a voice bellowed.
Dick and Steph turned around to find Jana skirting through the crowd towards them, her red waistcoat unbuttoned slightly.
“Shift just finished,” she replied breathlessly. “Damage, let these folks in. They’re family.”
One embarrassment later and Dick and Steph passed through the curtain to the backstage area of the tent where performers hydrated, oiled up, and prepared for the rest of the show. Out of the corner of his eye, Dick could see one of the twins changing into a bright yellow one-piece. He looked away respectfully.
“So,” Jana clapped her hands together as they walked through the grounds. “How was the show?”
“Amazing,” Dick smiled.
“Spectacular,” grinned Steph.
“Now, Dick, what brings you to town?” said Jana. “It’s been years!”
“Guess I’ve been busy,” Dick answered nervously. “But when I heard you guys were only up in Blüdhaven I guess I had no excuse not to drop in.”
“And who is this cute thing!” Jana approached Steph, petting her on the arm. Steph visibly squirmed a little, but smiled. She wasn’t used to this type of attention. “She’s got to be sixteen! Too old to be your kid and definitely too young to be your girlfriend!”
“Oh, no I’m—” Steph’s eyes shot open.
“Steph is my ward,” Dick answered hurriedly. “Because that’s apparently still a thing. I took her in after her parents— You know, I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it, it was all over the news.”
“Oh, you know we don’t keep up with stuff like that! Not here!” Jana blustered. “Still, it’s heartwarming, seeing you pay forward what that billionaire did for you. Your mom and pop would be proud.”
Swiftly changing the subject before he allowed himself too much praise, Dick asked “So where is everyone? What happened?”
Waldo the Clown, Wilhelm the lion tamer, the previous strongman Mister Atlas, them and more were all gone.
“Oh, Dick,” Jana replied sweetly. “I don’t know what to tell you. You grew up here but, comparatively, you weren’t here for all that long at all. I know we were a little family, but people come and go, hon. That’s always been the way.”
Dick resisted the urge to frown. He knew. “I know. What about Clay? Where’s he nowadays.”
“Clay retired as a strongman after he twisted his back,” Jana explained. “Last I heard he was a bouncer out in Chicago. Doing good for himself.”
“I saw Jimmy clowning in the tent, and Marc with the swords. And you. Is there anyone else left from the old days?” Dick asked.
Jana grimaced. “Just us and Harry - Mr Haly. It’s a shame, you just missed Raya. She split off a few months back.”
Raya Vestri. Dick thought back to her. They were childhood best friends, two parts of an inseparable trio. She was also Dick’s first crush, not that it was ever reciprocated. He only hoped she was doing well for herself, that she had finally escaped the melancholy that followed her as a kid, and what came after.
“I’m sorry, Dick,” said Steph, reaching up to put a hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly, Jana’s face lit up. “Actually, there is someone you’ll want to see! Walk this way.”
Dick’s interest was piqued.
“You woulda seen him during the show, but he’s currently taking a bit of R&R.”
Steph stopped Dick before he moved to follow Jana. “I’m gonna go look through the food carts, you go ahead.”
Dick nodded and followed Jana. “Stay safe.”
🔹🔹 🦇 🔹🔹
Jana led Dick through a few of the tents, giving him something of a tour before finally bringing him to their destination: the animal tent. There, Dick met some of the animals that had joined the menagerie since he had left, including Gunther the lion and Wayne the snake, but as Jana gestured forward before leaving to tend to more customers it was clear who Dick was here to see.
“Sitka!” Dick exclaimed, leaping forward. He sprinted through the open cage to find Sitka, the great African elephant. He found her sitting down, clearly nursing some kind of sickness, but she immediately stood as she entered the tent, evidently recognising him instantly. Perhaps it was true that an elephant never forgets.
As he ran his fingers across the elephant’s rough grey skin, Dick couldn’t choke back any more tears. He thought back to all the time he spent as a kid cleaning up after Sitka, helping her get dressed up and down before and after shows, how much of a good listener she had been every time he had something unimportant to scream about. But more than all of that, he remembered how heartbroken he was to have to say goodbye to her when he first learned that Bruce Wayne was taking him in, taking him away from the circus. He remembered how desperately he wanted to stay, how he was convinced that Clay, or Jana, or Wilhelm could adopt him instead, how determined he was to stay within his circus family. But they all agreed he had the best shot in life in taking Bruce up on his offer. Today, he knew they were all right, but he couldn’t help but wonder what his life would have been like had he stayed. Would he have still been with the circus today? His gut said yes.
“God, you stink!” Dick laughed, tears slipping down the back of his throat. “Who’s kid do they have cleaning you up now? Whoever they are, they need a few tips!”
Without delay, Dick reached over to the outside of the cage and brought in a large wooden bucket and a sponge and began lathering the African elephant up, making sure she was properly cared for. Then, when he was done, before going to find Steph, Dick knew he had one more person he had to see.
It didn’t take him long to find the right trailer. The man was a sentimental sort so of course he lived in the exact same trailer he had back in times past. Dick approached the trailer of the owner and ringmaster of the circus, the grandson of the man for whom the circus was named, Harrison Haly. But as he reached for the door, he noticed it was already ajar. From inside, he heard the booming voice of a man who certainly wasn’t Mr Haly.
“You know me, Harry! You took me in a lifetime ago!” came the voice.
“Right, so you understand how important discretion is!” Mr Haly replied. “When folks join our family, we don’t ask questions on where they came from, just like we don’t ask them questions of where they’re going when they leave.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” the man hit back. Dick looked through the gap in the door and saw the world-weary Mr Haly grappling with a tall man with tan skin.
“It means I can’t tell you anything else about Mister Damage,” said Haly. “If you want more you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“Harry…”
“I mean it, Ric!” Haly stayed firm. For better or for worse, Mr Haly was always an unmovable object of a man, ironic considering the nomadic nature of the circus. “Now let me get the door for you.”
A man shaking down Mr Haly for something he would never give him while Dick listened on unseen. It appeared Dick had come home just in time for history to repeat himself. Although this time he was determined things wouldn’t play out the same way. But as the pair moved towards the door, Dick had to make himself scarce, he couldn’t be seen to be eavesdropping. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get far until—
“Dick Grayson?”
Dick turned back on himself to face the call from Mr Haly, acting surprised to see the old man.
“Don’t think just cos you’ve grown up I’m not gonna recognise you!”
Before Dick could react, the wide, plump man was upon him, pulling him into a tight hug. For as morally rigid as Mr Haly was, he was a warm man, he always had been. Dick had always suspected Haly would have taken him in himself if not for Bruce, or for his own inconsolable grief in holding himself responsible.
“Hi, Mr Haly.”
The other man stood over Haly’s shoulder. He was in an orange-brown suit, bright to contrast his bronze skin. Dick had expected him to make a hurried exit after his argument with Haly, but he seemed to be lingering for some reason, staring at Dick with his piercing amber eyes.
“God, last time I saw you weren’t much bigger than some of our chimps!” Haly exclaimed. “Look at you now!”
“I know, Mr Haly, I know,” Dick laughed, moving away. “Sir, who is…?”
Haly looked over his shoulder to the other man. “Oh boy, of course, he woulda left when you were a tyke.”
So he was from the circus.
“This is Ric, formerly Rocket the Human Cannonball,” Haly introduced him, prompting the man to inch forwards. “I don’t have to introduce you to Dick.”
“Hi there,” said Ric, offering Dick his right hand. He was wearing black leather gloves.
Dick shook his hand. He had often been told he had a strong grip, but the man before him didn’t seem to mind. In the seconds they remained in contact before moving away, Dick watched as Ric searched his eyes. For recognition? Or something else?
“I, uh, I’m very sorry for what happened to your parents,” said Ric. For as aggressive and full-on as he was with Haly, he seemed awfully awkward now.
“It’s fine,” Dick replied, moving away. “That was a long time ago.”
The pair stared at each other for an awkward moment before Haly interjected, “Ric, weren’t you good friends with the Graysons back in the day?”
Ric flinched and then straightened his tie. “I was. We were very close, and I, uh, I’m sorry I never offered you my condolences at a more appropriate time,” he explained with pain. It seemed these wounds were a lot fresher - or at least rawer - for him than they were for Dick. “I skipped the circus when you were probably too young to remember me and I… wish I’d changed that.”
“I…” Dick didn’t know what to say. As far as he was concerned, this man was a stranger. But clearly he knew his parents, and clearly he knew Haly. “Well I’m pleased to meet you now.”
“Wayne,” Ric added. “I’m sorry for what happened to him too.”
Dick nodded. It seemed as if Ric had only just remembered Bruce.
“So what brings you back to the circus?” Hally interjected again, easing the tension.
“You were nearby,” Dick explained. “And I wanted to show Steph, my ward, where I grew up.”
“I heard about this on the news,” Ric nodded. “I’m glad to see you haven’t forgotten about this place. It would be easy while living the whole billionaire lifestyle.”
So this guy clearly knew more than the rest of the troupe what Dick’s life was like since leaving the circus. What else did he know?
“Well, I was a cop until recently,” Dick replied. “And things have been far from easy in Gotham lately.”
“Of course,” Ric nodded. “What with all the… I understand.”
Dick couldn’t make up his mind about this man. What he did know was that something wasn’t right.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been awfully rude,” Ric pivoted. “You say you brought your ward with you? Let’s find her, let me buy you both dinner before act two kicks off.”
Dick took a deep breath. He was more than willing to give the guy a chance to get off on the right foot, especially if it meant having a better chance to figure him out. But before Dick could accept, Ric’s face changed. He stiffened, looking off, as if having remembered something or as if someone were whispering in his ear.
“I’m sorry,” he added. “I have to go. Let me get you something after the show, I…” He hurried off. “I have to go.”
Yup. Suspicious was the word. So, Dick traded quick platitudes with Mr Haly and similarly hurried off. Picking up his phone, he called Steph, who answered after little delay.
“What’s up?”
“There’s a guy at the circus giving me some bad vibes,” Dick explained. “Save me a seat, I’m going to follow him.”
And follow him Dick did. Carefully, Dick tailed the orange-clad man through the dense crowd, hanging back just far enough to not be visible. But this got harder over time as Ric strayed further and further from the crowd, heading off the field the tents were pitched on and along the street adjacent. Dick pursued, thankful he was wearing dark colours, until he watched Ric disappear into a warehouse.
Uh oh. No-one ever got up to anything innocent in a warehouse late at night.
With grace, Dick ascended the rear fire escape and dropped down through a skylight, thankful for Blüdhaven’s signature smog in its aid in staying invisible. From there, it wasn’t long until Dick discovered something awful. From the balcony above, Dick saw a lower storeroom stocked with weapons and ammunition. In the centre was a large black truck. But that wasn’t what bothered him. He had complained earlier about a lack of familiar faces, but here was one for him. Killer Croc, alongside Ric and a young girl. Whoever this Ric was, to Dick and his parents or otherwise, he was bad news.
Next: To be continued in Suicide Squad #12, then in Batman & Robin #6
Posted May 19, 2021, 2:35 PM UTC