Espera | R. Grayson ✔

[21]

Barbara stayed true to her word and both her and Helena began to help Richard in his mission to keep protecting the city. They had settled with choosing the identity Batman since Gotham was quite known for its gothic architecture and a symbol to present it could either be a bat or a gargoyle.

Since a gargoyle seemed rather disturbing, the votes went for the bat and thus Richard took up the vigilante identity of Batman.

He found out that Barbara had been right in advising him to keep his vigilante life and his civilian life separate as in the other case, it would only pose more threat to him and the people he were close to such as Barbara, Helena, Jason and Carrie.

Eventually, Batman became known among the common people as the city's savior and even the GCPD refrained from interfering much into the vigilante as they found out that he was actually helping them out a lot by controlling the crime that flourished in the city.

Becoming Batman also meant making enemies out of the entire crime world so Richard had to be twice cautious and he had started training Jason as well on how to fight and defend himself if the need arose.

However, with someone standing up to protect the city, it seemed like an open invitation for Gotham's infamous criminals to strike back in retaliation. Barbara had been worried that they would all team up to take Richard out hence that night as they met in Gotham Tower, she thought of persuading him to lay down low for some time.

She did not know what he was fully capable of but she knew that it took more than just a good natured protector to fight against those heartless murderers.

"It won't be my first time going against someone who deserves to die for his crimes," he protested and she shook her head, thinking that he was still joking around, "I can't give up what I've decided to do. I will have to face them one day or another, it would be better if I face them sooner."

"Be serious for once, Richard, this isn't child's play," she looked at him with concern in her eyes. 

So far they had taken on a lot together but that once she had a bad feeling about the entire ordeal.

He replied seriously, "I know. Been there, done that."

She paused but he didn't stay silent long enough for her to ask him further.

"Remember the case of Tony Zucco?" He asked, looking over her shoulder at the screen on which she quickly pulled up said criminal's data.

"Yup. There you go. Died in an accident."

He took in a sharp breath, voice lower than usual, "it wasn't an accident."

At that remark, Barbara turned her chair to face him, "what do you mean?"

He didn't reply but the way he had retrieved his gaze from her inquisitive stare answered the unspoken question.

"It was you..." The words escaped her lips but her tone wasn't accusatory instead it was that of surprise, disbelief even, "how... Why...?"

He sat down on the other chair beside her, icy blue eyes staring at the ground, "it's not something I've told anyone else..."

She did not interrupt, besides she was too startled to see that the man in front of her could be capable of murder. And that too a murder cleverly disguised as an accident, fooling the detectives at the GCPD as well.

She might not have been old enough to handle that case herself, back then she hadn't even joined the police department but she had heard bits of it from her father who was the police commissioner back then.

"I used to be an acrobat, part of the Haley's Circus. The Flying Graysons act was very popular with me and my parents performing on our trapeze," he began, voice lowering slightly, "but the circus was in debt as the owner owed money to a gangster... Tony Zucco... I heard him talking to the owner and when the debt wasn't paid in time, he messed up with the ropes on our trapeze. I had wanted to tell my parents about it, warn them not to perform that night but couldn't. And that night when we performed... I watched them fall to their deaths."