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Artemis glanced at her teammates. They were all piled in the small trailer that had been assigned to them upon their acceptance into the circus. They had only been there for three days and it was already getting on Artemis’s nerves. She thought she lived in a cramped apartment, but it was nothing compared to the tight quarters of the circus. She didn’t understand how anyone could stand living like this, much less choosing to do so.
“Maybe we should check it out,” Roy suggested, referring to the sounds of celebration that could be heard coming from outside their trailer. Artemis didn’t know what the circus folk were celebrating, but her group clearly hadn’t been invited.
“No,” Robin answered immediately. “We wouldn’t learn anything useful. Circuses operate as an extremely tight-knit group. They don’t trust gauchos. We’re outsiders, they won’t welcome us.” Robin’s voice was resigned, but Artemis couldn’t understand why. Sure, it was unfortunate that they wouldn’t be able to gather intel during whatever the circus was celebrating, but there would be other chances. There was no reason to be upset about not having the chance to see the celebrations. “We should head to bed,” he continued. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” With that, Robin turned away from them and began preparing for bed, leaving no room for discussion.
It was sometime later when Artemis was sure all the others were asleep that she heard movement. It was so quiet she wouldn’t have been able to hear it if it weren’t for the close proximity the small trailer created. Plus, she’d always been a light sleeper, and she hadn’t been able to sleep properly since they’d come to the circus.
In the dark, she could just barely make out the silhouette of Robin as he slipped out the door. She waited only a moment before following him. Under normal circumstances, Artemis never would have been able to follow Robin without him noticing, but tonight he seemed distracted as he made his way across the circus grounds.
He was heading toward the celebration, she realized when it came into view. Most of the other circus members were there, dancing and talking and eating. Artemis almost would have been offended that they hadn’t been invited if not for the fact that Robin had explained multiple times that the circus was untrusting of outsiders, and they weren’t the only people who weren’t welcome. Artemis noticed that several of the newer performers and roustabouts weren’t present. They hadn’t earned their place yet within the circus family. Hopefully, the team could wrap this case up and head home long before enough time had passed for them to be accepted.
Robin ducked behind a trailer near the outskirts of the celebration, and Artemis positioned herself where she could observe both Robin and the party while remaining unseen.
There was a group playing tambourines and singing and another man on the violin. Several others played some sort of pipes or flute. There was also a woman playing something that Artemis could only describe as a harp laying on its side. But instead of plucking the strings, the woman hit them with some kind of mallet. Artemis had never seen that kind of instrument before, but the music it created was beautiful. Combined with the other instruments and the people singing in a language that Artemis didn’t recognize, it created a melodious and upbeat tune for the dancers who weaved through the crowd and around the bonfire.
Artemis watched the people gathered around tables laden with all sorts of delicious-looking food, talking joyously in a combination of languages that Artemis couldn’t understand, but was becoming more and more familiar to her the more time she spent at the circus.
Was Robin here to collect intel? If so, why had he told them not to bother? Why was he trying to do it alone? They were a team. It wasn’t fair to any of them for Robin to leave them in the dark. Robin shouldn’t have to do it all on his own, and Artemis and the others deserved to know all the information pertaining to their mission. Though Artemis had to admit that she got the feeling Robin was keeping something from them. He had been acting strangely since he’d told them about the mission, and his behavior had only gotten stranger once they arrived at the circus. Robin blended in seamlessly. He knew the circus in and out and always knew exactly where he needed to be, when he needed to be there, and what he needed to do, seemingly without any instruction. But despite all that, Artemis had still caught him looking lost several times during the past three days, caught up in his thoughts.
Robin continued to watch the celebration from the outskirts, but he didn’t seem to be watching with any sort of intent. Surely he couldn’t be gathering intel. His gaze wasn’t calculating enough, not like the other times that Artemis had seen him on stakeouts. If anything, he seemed to watch with a sort of longing. As if he wanted more than anything to join in the revelry but something was holding him back. Artemis couldn’t understand why Robin would feel so strongly about joining in, it wasn’t like they were actually part of the circus. It was just a cover until they could get to the bottom of everything and go home.
“Hey,” Artemis heard a voice call out. “What are you doing?” For a moment Artemis thought she’d been caught, but instead, she watched as the fortune teller approached Robin. Artemis couldn’t remember her name, but she was fairly certain the one she’d given wasn’t her real name anyway.
“I’m sorry,” Robin started, sounding more wistful than apologetic. “I didn’t mean to intrude, Madame Mizella, I just heard the celebration and couldn’t stay away.”
“First of Mayers aren’t welcome,” the fortune-teller— Madame Mizella— said unkindly.
“I know, I’m sorry,” Robin said again. This time there was a hint of sadness in his voice. “I really didn’t mean to intrude, it’s just- I’ve gotten tired of celebrating Karachonya on my own. I couldn’t help but be drawn in.”
Artemis didn’t understand the last part of what Robin said. Karachonya? Was that what the circus folk were celebrating? She’d never heard of the holiday. What culture was it from? Did Robin celebrate it too? Or was it just some ploy to try and get an in with the circus folk? For some reason, Artemis couldn’t believe that Robin was lying. He simply sounded too put out about it. Listening to the conversation generated more questions than answers, but she stayed where she was.
Madame Mizella seemed to think so too because her stiff posture relaxed and her voice was softer when she asked, “You’re Rom?”
Robin responded in what sounded like the same language that Artemis had heard the majority of the other people at the circus speak. She couldn’t be sure though because these people seemed to switch languages as often as they breathed. It all blended together into a strange dialect only the circus folk were fluent in. Artemis was sure she’d heard at least eight different languages spanning from all over Europe, with English words and phrases thrown in every now and then. It made things incredibly confusing when trying to blend into the circus scene, and it made eavesdropping to collect intel even more difficult.
Even when they spoke English— or when M’gann managed to create a psychic link for translation without causing too much suspicion— they used so much slang that she could barely understand anyway. She was envious of Robin who seemed to always understand what they were saying, be it through slang or foreign language.
Whatever Robin had said, it obviously meant something to Madame Mizella because she lit up and responded rapidly in the same language. They continued to converse, and it wasn’t long before Madame Mizella was dragging Robin towards the celebration. Artemis momentarily lost sight of them in the crowds, but quickly found Robin again, surrounded by dancers and celebrating people. He looked more relaxed than she had ever seen him; he looked like he belonged there. He blended in so perfectly with the crowd that Artemis had a hard time believing that he was putting on a show simply for information, but then again, Robin was a good actor.
“Artemis?” A voice behind her startled her out of her thoughts. She turned and found M’gann standing there. “What are you doing out here? Where’s Robin? I woke up and you two were gone.”
“I followed Robin here. He snuck out and has somehow managed to weasel his way into the celebrations.” Artemis gestured to where Robin was standing near a buffet table, conversing with a couple of the clowns. “Have you managed to figure out what language they’re speaking?” Artemis asked, motioning for M’gann to join her. “I still can’t understand it, and I didn’t know Robin could speak it.”
M’gann shook her head, crouching down next to Artemis. “I don’t know the name of it, but I can translate it if you want.” She frowned, listening. “It might take a bit of work though. They are all using a combination of several different languages.”
Artemis nodded her confirmation and soon after felt M’gann’s mental link connect with her mind. When she turned back to watch, she now heard everyone as if they were speaking English.
She watched Robin take a bite of food, his head rolling back and his eyes closing as he groaned in satisfaction. “I’d forgotten how good proper sarma is,” he sighed blissfully. “Alf tries but he can never get the spices quite right.”
Some of the nearby people laughed and encouraged him to eat more. They continued to talk and share stories with Robin. Somehow he'd managed to integrate himself seamlessly into their group, and they welcomed him easily.
M’gann voiced Artemis’s thoughts. “I’ve not gotten anyone to open up to me, no matter how hard I try. How did he manage it?”
Artemis shook her head. “I have no idea. He just mentioned something about celebrating Karachonya alone, whatever that is, and started speaking in that language and suddenly he was being dragged away.”
“Leave it to Robin to know exactly the right thing to say to make people trust him,” M’gann said, shaking her head fondly. Artemis had to agree. Robin had a talent for making people open up to him, but she also couldn’t help but feel there was more to it in this situation. Robin had seemed truly wistful when he spoke about celebrating alone, and even as she watched she didn’t get any impression that Robin was gathering intel. He was simply enjoying himself, something that didn’t happen often. In fact, Artemis wasn’t sure she had ever seen Robin truly relax. There was always something on his mind, some problem to work through or some person to save.
When she turned back to Robin’s conversation it had moved on to circus work. “Yeah,” one of the clowns was saying while taking a bite from his bowl of goulash, “it’s a Dukey Run between here and Bruges. Pop wants the gilly wagons packed up by midmorning, so there’s some cherry pie if you’re looking for some extra ace notes.”
“Yeah right,” the strongman jumped in, wrapping his arm around Robin’s shoulders. “Like Dan needs to be picking up any cherry pie. You know Pop Haly always pays flyers more than they’re worth. It’s the rest of us kinkers who are left scrounging for scraps.”
They all laughed, and one of them turned to Robin. “You know, for a gaucho, you aren’t so bad.”
Artemis had heard that word directed at her and the others many times since they’d started this undercover mission. It was always said with disdain and a sneer. As far as she could tell, it meant something along the lines of ‘outsider.’
“Oh, I’m not a gaucho,” Robin said easily, waving it off. “I was born and raised in the circus.”
That took Artemis by surprise. If this was all an act Robin was going all in. Or did he really mean it? Artemis couldn’t be sure. She still knew next to nothing about Robin outside of his vigilante career. For all she knew, he really did grow up in a circus- it would certainly explain his acrobatic skills.
“I’d almost believe you if it weren’t for the rest of you Dangers” the strongman scoffed. “You might know your way around the circus, Kid, but your siblings sure as hell don’t.”
Robin laughed. “Yeah, they are a bit clueless. It’s kind of fun to watch them fumble around trying to tell a bale ring from a push pole tent.” He leaned in, a little conspiratorially and said in a stage whisper, “I’ll let you in on a little secret, we’re all adopted.”
The group laughed, and one of the clowns clapped Robin on the shoulder. “I could have told you that, Kid!” the clown boomed. “So go on then, enlighten us.”
Robin laughed again and immediately launched into a story about his supposed childhood in the circus. Artemis had to admit she was impressed with his acting skills. Robin recounted his stories as if they were completely true, not just something he made up to keep his cover. “The ringmaster used to duke me a cherry pie just to keep me busy so I would stop climbing the king pole. He had me chasing off lot lice and towners for a week! I’d hide behind the floss joint and scare off anyone who tried to sneak into the back yard.”
Artemis was amazed that Robin could keep up with all the slang they used. It was even more impressive that he was able to throw it into his own stories as if it was second nature. “Do you understand what he’s saying?” she asked M’gann.
M’gann shook her head. “Only about every other word.”
Robin continued to exchange stories with the clowns until the musicians started a new song. Robin perked up, “Oh, this is one of my favorites!” he exclaimed as he made his way over to the growing group of people gathering to dance. Robin said something to a man that Artemis couldn’t hear, and to her surprise, Robin joined their dance.
He had always been graceful in the way he moved, but there was something magical about the way Robin danced. It was mesmerizing. Robin knew the dance well. He had clearly done it several times before, which only added to her suspicion that Robin wasn’t lying about celebrating this holiday simply to get on the inside. As he swayed and writhed to the beat of the tambourines he seemed to forget himself. He smiled and laughed with the other dancers and the people gathered around to watch, all clapping and singing along with the melody. It was an upbeat traditional dance, with lots of foot-stomping and arm movements, as well as smooth hip motions that Artemis was sure she couldn’t replicate if she tried. She looked over and saw M’gann was also entranced in the marvel of it all.
Everything changed when the second song began. As more people joined in, Robin turned and unthinkingly called out to Madame Mizella, “Dance with me, Bibi Mizi!”
Most everyone stopped and stared at Robin, who had frozen, a look of horror on his face. Artemis couldn’t understand what was going on. That didn’t seem like a nickname you just came up with on the fly, it felt like it had history. Why had Robin called Madame Mizella that? And more importantly, why had it made everyone react in such an extreme way?
“What did you call me?” Madame Mizella asked, stepping forward.
“I’m sorry,” Robin stammered out. “I- I didn’t mean to-”
“You called me Bibi Mizi,” Madame Mizella stated. “Only one person has ever called me that. How do you know that name?”
Robin was still stammering, trying to come up with an excuse. Artemis had never seen him this flustered, but she still didn’t see why it was such a big deal. Surely it was just a slip of the tongue? Maybe the woman reminded Robin of someone he knew? It could just be a coincidence.
“Unless,” Madame Mizella gasped, a sudden realization coming to her. “Dickie? Is it really you?” She asked in disbelief— as if it was too good to be true, like it couldn’t possibly be the case, and yet she was confident that it was.
When Robin said nothing Madame Mizella gasped again, her hands reaching up to cover her mouth. “It is you! My little Dickie! Come here.” She held her arms out and wrapped Robin in a tight embrace.
Artemis didn’t know what she expected to happen, but she certainly did not expect Robin to hug back just as tightly, closing his eyes and burying his face in Madame Mizella’s neck.
That seemed to set off a chain reaction. Madame Mizella was reluctant to let go, but as soon as she did, someone else took her place. It seemed as though almost the whole circus wanted to hug Robin, and he greeted them all with the same warmth he’d had for Madame Mizella.
“I’ve missed you all,” Robin was saying. Artemis had no idea what was going on. Everyone seemed to know Robin, and Robin seemed to know all of them.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were back?” one of the clowns asked.
“You weren’t supposed to know,” Robin admitted morosely. He looked around at everyone, his eyes landing on Jack Haly. “I heard about the thefts, about how they suspected the circus. I just couldn’t let them shut you down, Pop. This place means so much to me. I- I couldn’t stand to lose anyone else.”
There was a moment where no one said anything. Their joy had suddenly turned somber. Haly pulled Robin into another hug. “We all miss them, Kiddo. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about them, or you.” Silence hung over the crowd at those words. Artemis was still trying to understand what was happening. M’gann seemed just as lost. What was Robin’s connection to the circus?
“So tell us,” Madame Mizella said after a beat of silence. "How's Gotham treating you?”
Robin laughed, “It’s been good. I’ll always have itchy feet, but I’ve come to really love Gotham.” Robin’s face changed, he looked almost nostalgic. “It’s become my city.”
The strongman clapped him on the shoulder. “I have to say, when that Wayne fellow took you in I was skeptical, and then when he recruited you to his crusade against crime... but it’s done you good. You’ve turned into a fine young man.”
Artemis could barely contain her gasp. They knew he was Robin? How could anyone in this circus possibly know Robin’s secret identity? Not only that, but they must know who he really is-- not Dan Danger, but Robin’s real identity. The identities of the batclan were some of the most tightly guarded secrets within the masked community. Only a select few were allowed to know, and they were all tight-lipped about it. And yet no one from the circus was even mildly surprised by the man’s statement.
Robin, on the other hand, looked panicked. “What- what do you mean?” he stuttered.
“Oh come now, Kiddo,” Jack Haly waved off Robin’s concern. “Did you really think we wouldn’t notice? Only a few months after we leave you in Gotham a new, startlingly acrobatic vigilante kid shows up-- calling himself Robin of all things? It wasn’t hard to connect the dots.”
That didn’t seem to reassure Robin at all. “You mean you’ve known this whole time?” he demanded incredulously.
Halt only laughed. “Don’t worry, Kid. No one’s gonna say anything. We’ve kept it a secret for this long, haven’t we?”
Robin still didn’t look convinced. He shifted nervously from foot to foot- his whole body screaming discomfort. “You can’t tell B-- he’ll kill me if he finds out you know. Also, the fact that I’m even here right now. B is off-world and he doesn’t know that I’ve left Gotham. And I told my team-”
They cut off his rambling with more laughter. Haly wrapped a comforting arm around Robin’s shoulder. “Our lips are sealed, Dickie.”
Artemis could see Robin visibly relax at the touch. “Okay,” he let out a shaky breath but sounded more sure of himself the second time. “Okay.” His voice was quiet. He looked up at Haly and threw his arms around the man. “Thanks, Pop Haly, you have no idea how much that means to me.”
Robin might have been reassured, but Artemis was still very much concerned about the fact that these seemingly random civilians knew the secret identities of Batman and Robin. Not to mention the fact that this jeopardized their whole mission. How are they supposed to investigate the thefts if the suspects knew who they were and why they were here?
“Anytime kiddo,” Haly reassured. “It's nice having you around the circus again. When I watch you perform, well- I can almost picture them up there with you. They’d be so proud of you.”
Robin gazed into the bonfire, looking a bit lost. “I hope so.”
Haly gave him a quick squeeze around his shoulders, “Come on Kiddo, let’s get back to celebrating; it’s been too long since we’ve had you here for Karachonya.”
Robin’s laugh was almost sad. “Yeah, B and Alf try, but it’s just not the same. I’m glad I get to be here to celebrate with you all this year.”
Haly gave Robin a somber smile and together they turned back to the celebration.
Artemis and M’gann continued to watch as Robin joked and danced and celebrated with the circus folk. He fit in so easily, and they all knew who he was- who he really was. It just didn’t make sense.
“He must have some sort of connection to the circus,” M’gann reasoned. “Maybe from before he was Robin?”
Artemis shook her head. “It must be, but how? He told me he’d been in the business since he was nine-years-old. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to form any sort of close connection with an Eastern European circus. How could he have even met them? They’ve only ever done a few tours to America.”
M’gann didn’t have an answer. She simply shook her head, looking puzzled. Artemis didn’t have time to think over it any longer because at that moment someone spotted them. Artemis cursed silently as she saw recognition flash in the lion tamer’s eyes. “Yo, Dickie,” he called out, “I’ve found some of your friends over here!”
Everyone had once again stopped to watch the scene taking place. Robin looked between M’gann and Artemis and frowned. “Artemis? Miss M? What are you guys doing here? I thought you were asleep.”
There was something off about his voice. He was speaking English, but with a strange accent. But Artemis ignored it in favor of asking her own question. “I could say the same thing about you,” Artemis fired back. “You tell all of us to hit the sack only for you to sneak out on your own?”
Robin flinched. “Sorry, I know I shouldn’t have. I just-”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Robin,” Artemis interrupted, giving up all pretense of their undercover identities. Robin already had, and there was no point anyway if the circus already knew who Robin was. “We’ve been watching for a while, we know something is going on.”
“Please don’t lie to us, Robin,” M’gann added softly.
Robin looked back and forth between them before sighing and looking down. “I- yeah, alright.”
Haly stepped up behind Robin and put a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Kiddo.”
“We’re here for you, Chav.”
They weren’t speaking English, assuming that Artemis and M’gann wouldn’t understand them.
“No, it’s okay,” Robin responded in English- most likely for Artemis and M’gann’s benefit. “They deserve to know.”
He led them to the outskirts of the party, with several reassuring touches and sympathetic glances from the circus folk as they went back to their celebrations and left them with some privacy. Despite that, Artemis could still tell they were all watching, listening. They seemed to be very protective of Robin, though Artemis still didn’t fully understand why.
“I haven’t been completely honest with you,” Robin began before pausing. His shoulders slumped in resignation. “Actually? Can we head back to the trailer for this? I think all of you deserve to hear this, and I’d rather not have to explain everything twice.”
It took only a few minutes to walk back to the trailer and wake Conner and Roy, but to Artemis, it seemed like an eternity. There were so many mysteries surrounding Robin, and hopefully, now they would finally get some answers.
“I guess the first thing I should tell you is that we aren’t on a mission from Batman,” Robin admitted when Roy and Conner were awake, and they were all seated together in their trailer. “He doesn’t even know we’re here.”
“Then why-” Conner started, but Robin answered his question before he could even finish asking.
“I needed help.” Robin wouldn’t look at any of them. His shoulders were tense and he kept his eyes resolutely on the floor. “I needed your help, but I didn’t know how to explain things without getting into forbidden territory, so I lied. I knew you wouldn’t question it if I told you we were being sent by Batman. I’m sorry.”
“I still don’t get it,” Roy spoke up. “What was so important that you felt the need to lie and drag us halfway across the world? What’s so important about some petty thefts? Interpol is already on it; I’m sure they had it handled. Why were we needed? What was so important?”
Robin still wouldn’t look at them. When he spoke his voice was soft. “The circus. Interpol suspected the circus. They were gonna shut it down. I couldn’t just sit by and let it happen.”
“They know you,” Artemis said. It wasn’t a question. “I mean really know you. They know that you’re Robin, but they also know your secret identity. How?” Artemis distantly noted the shocked look on Roy and Conner’s faces at the revelation but didn’t pay them any attention.
Robin winced. “That’s part of that forbidden territory I was trying to avoid.” He paused and braced himself before continuing. “But I think- I think you guys deserve the truth.” He breathed deeply, steeling himself for what came next. “I was born here- in the circus, I mean. These people are my family.” Robin finally looked up into their stunned faces. Artemis couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It just seemed so far out of the realm of possibility, but it would make a lot of sense- how Robin seemed to know everyone, and how they all knew him. Really, now that Artemis thought about it, it was the only plausible explanation. But that didn’t make the revelation any less shocking.
“These people raised me,” Robin continued. “My parents were acrobats, and we traveled all over the world performing together.”
“No wonder you can understand them so well- when they speak in all those languages and when they use circus slang.” Conner looked thoughtful.
“Yeah,” Robin nodded. “I grew up speaking a mix of all kinds of different languages. Everyone in the circus brought their language with them and created quite the melting pot. By the time I was eight I was fluent in six languages- though mostly we spoke Romani.”
“Why did you choose to leave?” M’gann asked. “I don’t think I’d ever want to stop traveling and settle down.” Artemis didn’t quite agree with that assessment. She’d only been at the circus for a couple of days and she was already done with the cramped spaces, hard work, and lack of privacy, but she could understand the appeal circus life had to some people.
Robin, who had had a small smile on his face as he re-lived old memories, tensed. His eyes shifted back down to his lap where his hands were clenched tightly, gripping the fabric of his pants. “I didn’t, not by choice anyway.”
Robin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing for the story he was about to tell. “It was the first time I’d ever been to America,” he smiled ruefully. “I remember I was so excited. Haly’s had done their last American tour a couple of years before I was born, and Bibi Mizella had been telling me about it for weeks. It was going to be the first time Dat and Dya let me do the quadruple flip during a performance. I practiced so hard, perfecting it to show them that I was ready.”
“Wait, you performed?” Roy sounded incredulous. “You were just a kid and you performed in an acrobatic routine?”
Robin just laughed. “Yeah, I’d been performing since I was three, though it started with just small things. My mom always used to joke that I learned how to fly long before I learned to walk.”
Artemis could picture it, a small baby Robin clinging to a low-hanging trapeze. He always looked so comfortable in the air— like he was born to be there— even though he had no superpowers to aid him in his flight. It only made sense that he had been flying since he was young.
“Gotham was the first stop on our tour. Believe it or not, but back then crime was even worse. Batman was just starting out and he didn’t have the reputation or the experience yet to keep people off the streets. One of those people was a mob boss named Tony Zucco. He ran a protection racket.”
Artemis startled at those words. Protection rackets were not uncommon in Gotham, and things rarely ended well where they were involved. Artemis had a sick feeling that she knew where this story was going.
“Zucco threatened Pop Haly; said that if he didn’t pay the ‘insurance’ money, accidents would happen. Of course, Pop refused, and Zucco got mad.”
Robin was as tight as a bowstring. Every muscle in his body was clenched, his knuckles were white. “That night the ropes snapped in the middle of our performance. Zucco’s men had soaked them in acid. I watched my parents fall. They died on impact.”
M’gann gasped. Roy and Conner looked horrified, and Artemis was sure she had a similar expression on her face. She couldn’t even imagine watching her parents die in such an awful way, even if her father was a horrible man. She didn’t think she’d be able to bear it.
“Oh, Robin, I’m so sorry,” M’gann said, a few silent tears sliding down her cheeks.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” Robin’s voice wavered slightly, but it was still strong. “I’ll never get over what happened, but I’ve accepted it. I was angry for a long time, but I’ve come to terms with that anger. I refuse to let what’s happened to me in the past stop me from living in the present.”
“What-” Artemis hesitated, not sure she wanted to know. “What happened after?”
Robin scoffed. “The police came- I don’t remember a lot of details. I’m pretty sure I was in shock. I remember an EMT pulled me off my parents’ bodies and sat me down in the back of an ambulance. Pop Haly and a few others were arguing with a social worker. I didn’t realize until later that they were arguing over what to do with me.
“Gotham Child Protective Services decided that a circus was ‘no place for a child’, despite the fact that it was the only home I’d ever known, and refused to give Pop Haly or anyone else in the circus custody over me. Instead, they decided to rip an eight-year-old kid who’d just lost his parents away from everyone and everything he’d ever known and throw him into the foster care system.” Robin took a breath, steadying himself as he recounted the painful memories. “I’d just had my whole world collapse around me, and I was suddenly alone in a foreign country surrounded by strangers whose language I didn’t even speak. To make matters worse the social worker who’d been assigned to my case took one look at me and decided that it wasn’t worth her time to try to find a foster home that could take me. She sent me to the Juvenile Detention Facility claiming that a poor gypsy kid like me would end up there anyway, and she was just saving everybody some time.”
“Oh, Robin!” M’gann had her hands up, covering her mouth. Her few stray tears had turned into a steady stream. Roy and Conner looked ready to track down the social worker, and Artemis was tempted to help them. Her jaw was clenched, and she was sure if she looked down she’d see her hands shaking. How could someone whose job was to help kids be so cruel?
“She can’t do that,” Conner growled, his fists clenched. “That has to be illegal.”
Robin laughed bitterly. “It’s Gotham, she could do whatever she wanted and no one would care.” He shook his head. “I spent eight months in there, and it was some of the worst months of my life. I was the smallest one there, and an easy target. The other boys loved to push me around and mock my broken English. Even the guards joined in.” Robin scoffed. “I could speak six languages yet they called me stupid because English wasn’t one of them. By the time Batman found me I was so desperate to get out, I didn’t even care who he was or why he wanted to help me.”
Artemis marveled, not for the first time, at how strong Robin was. Oftentimes, it was easy to forget that Robin was only thirteen years old. He had gone through so much and he was still so young, but he was always so composed. Nothing seemed to shake him. He always stayed calm and knew exactly what to say and what to do when they were in tough spots. It reminded her just how much more experience Robin had than any of them, despite being the youngest. He'd been in the vigilante business for years before any of the other sidekicks had even thought about joining. It broke her heart to hear that his suffering had started even before he met the Batman.
“He’d been in the audience that night. He saw what happened and wanted to help me. His parents had been killed in front of him when he was young so he understood what I was going through. He took me in as his ward. Eventually, I discovered that he was Batman after I snuck out to try and bring Zucco to justice on my own. He agreed to let me help him catch Zucco, to give me some sort of closure. So I became Robin. He trained me, gave me a sense of purpose, a way to do good.”
Artemis could do nothing but sit in silence. It was too much to imagine Robin going through all that, especially at such a young age. Despite all the tragedy, he was still so kind and light-hearted. He never failed to lighten the mood, and he was always ready with the perfect words of comfort when someone needed them. He was the light to Batman’s darkness.
There was still one detail from Robin’s conversation with Haly that Artemis couldn’t get out of her mind. “Haly mentioned something about the name Robin. What does it mean? Why did Batman choose it? I’ve never really understood the connection.”
“That’s because Batman didn’t choose it,” Robin answered softly. “Robin is what my parents called me. I chose the name, and the colors of our old uniforms, to honor them.”
It made so much sense. Artemis had never understood why he called himself Robin when his mentor was Batman. The fact that Robin chose his name to honor his parents was a much more sensible explanation.
She had always assumed that Batman was Robin’s father, but somehow it never quite fit. Something about their relationship had never quite worked like a father-son relationship. They were close, and Robin and Batman obviously cared for each other, but they were partners- equals. They couldn’t have forged that kind of partnership if Batman was Robin’s biological father. There would have been more of a hierarchy to their relationship if it has started as a father-son duo.
“That must have been awful, I’m so sorry that happened to you.” M’gann was still crying.
Robin shrugged. “I don’t let it consume me. It was horrible, but I’m in a good place now. I have people who care about me, and I’ve been given an opportunity to help people. It’s because of the tragedies that I went through that I am able to stop other people from having to go through the same thing I did. I do good work as Robin and I’m sure my parents would be proud of that.”
They sat in silence for a moment, none of them quite knowing what to say. Eventually, Artemis broke the silence. This entire time Robin had been speaking in that strange, unfamiliar manner, and she couldn’t help but ask about it.
“Sorry, I didn’t even notice.” Robin apologized. “My accent always gets thicker when I’m around the circus for a while.”
Artemis supposed that made sense, given everything they’d just learned. “How is your American accent so good?” she asked. “I couldn’t even tell that English wasn’t your first language.”
Robin shrugged. “I was only eight when I came to America, so I was young enough that I picked it up pretty quickly. Plus, it wasn’t the first language I’d learned. And the boys at Juvie gave me plenty of motivation to learn fast.”
Artemis tensed at that statement. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Robin. A small boy who’d just watched his parents die and was now alone in a foreign country surrounded by strangers. Then on top of that to be thrown into a detention facility when you’ve done nothing wrong? Artemis could only imagine the horrors the other boys inflicted on Robin. Children could be cruel, and a small foreign boy who spoke broken English with a thick accent was the perfect target.
“So,” Roy asked, changing the subject before they could get too angry, “what exactly are they celebrating out there?”
“Christmas,” Robin answered. “We call it Karachonya.”
“It didn’t look like any Christmas celebration I’ve ever seen.” It slipped out before Artemis could even think about the fact that her statement might be insensitive, but Robin didn’t seem to mind.
Instead, he smiled slightly and scoffed. “No, it’s definitely pretty different. I remember the first Christmas I spent with B was so confusing. Americans don’t celebrate Christmas at all like I was used to.”
“How did you celebrate?” Superboy asked, sounding genuinely curious. This year would be Superboy’s first real Christmas experience. Artemis was sure Cadmus’s programming had given him some knowledge of Christmas because he obviously knew about the holiday. But that wasn’t the same thing as actually experiencing it for yourself.
“It’s not like an American Christmas,” Robin started to explain. “We never had a tree or anything like that, but that might have just been because it's hard to have a tree when you're a part of a traveling circus. Instead, Karachonya is a big feast. Everyone in the circus gathers around bonfires and we eat and dance and sing. Pop Haly usually gives a speech, and leads us in the remembrance of the mule.”
“Mule?” Roy asked.
“The spirits of the dead,” Robin explains. “Roma believe that a person’s soul survives even after their physical body on Earth has died, so it’s important to honor them.”
“Why on Christmas?” Artemis couldn’t help but feel like that was a somewhat morbid topic for the holiday, which was supposed to be all about peace and joy.
Robin shrugged. “I guess that’s just where Romani and American Christmas differs. Growing up, Christmas was always about seeking forgiveness and reconciliation and remembering dead family members. It’s Roma tradition.”
“All I know about Christmas is from the T.V. shows and movies Uncle J’onn brought back to Mars,” M’gann admitted. “But forgiveness seems to fit with American traditions.”
“Yeah, that does align more with American Christmas.” Robin agreed. “Since Roma have always been seen as outsiders in the societies they lived in, it's important for us to maintain strong bonds with each other. We use Christmas as a time to strengthen those bonds.
“I remember my Dat used to always say to me O Roma, kaj save te ulahas rushte, pre Karachonya penge odmuken u aven pale lachhe. Sar shaj jivas, te na janas jekh avreske te odmukel?— Roma, though they be the worst enemies, forgive and are reconciled during Christmas. For how could we live at all, if we didn’t learn to forgive each other?” Robin smiled fondly as he reminisced, lost in the memories of his parents, remembering happier times before tragedy struck.
Artemis imagined Christmas must be a bittersweet time for Robin. “What do you do to remember the dead?” She asked. “Do you do anything for your parents?”
Robin, who had been lost in his memories, was momentarily startled by the question. “At the circus, we would all sit around the fire and tell stories and remember those who had passed. I do what I can for my parents in Gotham, but it's just not the same. B never knew them, and he tries, but he and Alf don’t really understand my traditions. Usually, I light a candle for each of them and spend some time remembering all the good things. And I always leave a plate of food out for them.”
“A plate of food?” M’gann asked.
“It’s a Romani way of honoring the dead,” Robin explained. “ You’re telling them that you haven’t forgotten about them just because they are no longer with you in the physical world.” Robin paused and looked down at his hands still in his lap. “And, it’s also a reminder for me, I think. It’s a way to remind myself of where I came from. No matter where I am now, or where I end up in the future, I’ll always be Rom. I’ll always have circus blood flowing through my veins. And it's a reminder that my parents are still here with me. Even if I can’t see them or talk to them, they’ll never leave me. I’ll always have my memories of them. And I’d like to think that they are watching me. I’d like to think that they’re proud of what I’m doing.”
Artemis reached out and put her hand on Robin’s shoulder. “I didn’t know your parents,” she said, “but I can’t imagine they’d be anything but proud at everything you’ve done.”
Robin smiled. “Thanks, Artemis.” He looked at her, then glanced at everyone around the room before reaching for his mask and pulling it aside. “I guess there’s really no reason for me to wear this anymore. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who I am from everything you guys know now.”
Artemis found herself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes. She was startled to find that she knew those eyes. She would have known them even before she’d started going to Gotham Academy. He was constantly making appearances at televised charity galas and showing up in the news alongside his guardian, Bruce Wayne. Any Gothamite would know his name, and probably plenty of people outside of Gotham as well.
“Richard Grayson!” M’gann exclaimed. “I’ve seen you on T.V. before!”
“Yeah,” Robin laughed, “that’s me.”
“You’ve known that we’ve been going to school together this whole time and you didn’t say anything?” Artemis cried out, indignant.
Before Robin could reply, Roy also jumped in with an accusatory finger pointed at Robin. “You mean to tell me,” he said, his voice dripping with irritation. “That this entire time we could have been hanging out together during all those stupid charity galas that Oliver drags me to, but instead you just let me suffer alone?”
Robin held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, it’s not my fault! Bats forbid me from telling anyone my secret identity, remember?”
“Oh, and you always do everything Batman says.” Roy rolled his eyes.
“Batman knows everything,” Robin said, totally serious. “He would’ve found out.”
Conner scoffed. “I think you put too much stock in Batman’s abilities. There’s no way he’s that good.”
“He knows every time I swing down from the chandelier instead of using the stairs. I still have no idea how he manages to find out every time; I cover my tracks perfectly. There’s no way I could have kept it from him if I told you my identity.”
“If Batman knows everything, how are you planning on keeping this mission a secret from him?” M’gann questioned. “You said we weren’t here on his orders.”
“Oh, I’m not deluding myself into thinking I can keep this from him. I have no doubt that he’ll be waiting for me when I get back, probably with a heap of punishments ready for me.”
Artemis winced. She could only imagine what punishments from Batman must be like. Maybe he’d ground Robin, prevent him from leaving the house. Though Artemis thought that might not be so bad seeing as Robin’s ‘house’ was a whole manor and surrounding property…
It all came together at once. Artemis wasn’t sure why she hadn’t made the connection earlier, but the realization still hit her like a ton of bricks. “Wait, Bruce Wayne is Batman?”
Robin flinched. “Yeah,”
Artemis couldn’t process that information. There was no way Bruce Wayne and Batman could be the same person. Bruce Wayne was a ditzy billionaire who partied too hard and fell into fountains with beautiful women. There was no way he could be Batman. Except, maybe that’s exactly why he was Batman. Only Batman would be paranoid enough to create a whole civilian persona to hide his vigilante life. No one would ever suspect that Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same person because the two acted so differently. Leave it to Batman to create the perfect cover. No one would ever find enough similarities between Batman and Bruce Wayne to warrant suspicion.
“You can see why B is so committed to keeping it a secret,” Robin said. “If word got out that Bruce Wayne was Batman it would be a big deal. He’s not just some nobody; there would be major consequences.”
“Of course we’ll keep it a secret,” M’gann assured. “You can trust us.”
Robin smiled at her. “I do.” Then he sighed and rubbed his face. “Bats is gonna kill me,” he groaned, but quickly added, “but don’t get me wrong, I’m actually really glad you guys know now. It was exhausting keeping it a secret this whole time.”
Artemis thought over everything she had discovered. She realized that before tonight Artemis hadn’t really known Robin. Of course, he was her friend, and she trusted him with her life, but she didn’t know him. Batman and he had made sure of that. Batman had put every precaution in place to prevent anyone, even their own teammates and fellow superheroes, from finding out his and Robin’s identities. At first, that level of paranoia had annoyed Artemis, but she eventually got used to it; that’s just the ways the bats were. But she’d never stopped to think about what kind of toll it might be taking on Robin. It can’t have been easy hiding everything about yourself from everybody. Robin had to hide his vigilante life from his civilian friends and his civilian life from his teammates. It must have been lonely.
Robin stood, interrupting her train of thought. “If you guys don’t have any more questions for me, I think I’m gonna head back out there. They’ll be celebrating for at least a couple more hours, and I want to be there for the remembrance of the mule. You guys can come with if you want. Usually, the circus isn’t very welcoming to outsiders, but they’ll let you join if you’re with me. I’m sure they’d all be excited to meet you properly.”
It took only a moment for all of them to agree.
“Sastimos! Pop Haly! Bibi Mizi!” Robin called as they all approached the celebrating crowd. He motioned for everyone’s attention. “Everyone, this is my team: Artemis, Red Arrow, Superboy, and Miss Martian.” Robin gestured to each one of them in turn, and they were all greeted with enthusiasm, which was a startling change from the distant tolerance Artemis and the others had received since they’d arrived.
“It’s nice to meet you properly,” Jack Haly greeted them. “We’re glad you all are here.”
“Thank you for letting us join your festivities,” M’gann said.
“Of course! Any friend of Dick’s is a friend of ours,” Jack Haly assured, clapping Roy on the back. “It’s good to know that Dick has people watching his back. He has the ability to get himself into quite a bit of trouble if he’s left unsupervised.”
“Pop Haly!” Robin groaned. “You can’t tell them that.”
Haly laughed. “With the amount of mischief you caused when you were little, I can only imagine the sort of situations you get yourself into now.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” Robin grumbled.
“I found you sleeping in the lions’ pen most mornings, kid.” The lion tamer spoke up. “And I know you and Zitka used to steal extra hay for her from the storage unit.”
“She was hungry!” Robin insisted. “It’s not my fault all the towners kept throwing her peanuts. Everyone knows elephants don’t eat peanuts.”
Artemis didn’t think that fact was as widely known as Robin apparently thought it was, but she wasn’t going to say anything. She was still trying to process the fact that Robin apparently slept with lions and got into trouble with an elephant.
“What about all the times I found you at the top of the king pole,” Haly added.
“Or those times you and Zitka kept dousing the roustabouts when they entered the cook house,” Madame Mizella chimed in.
“Okay, fine,” Robin conceded, “I might have been a bit of a troublemaker, but that doesn’t mean I’m still that bad.”
“Dude, just last week you and KF put shaving cream in the cave’s ventilation system,” Artemis said.
“Training exercise,” Robin defended. “You need to stay vigilant. You should never be caught off guard.”
“Yeah,” Artemis rolled her eyes, “sure,”
Artemis and the others continued to listen as the circus members recounted stories of Robin’s time in the circus. They ate food and enjoyed the singing and the dancing and the general air of celebration. It was nice to take some time to relax for a few hours without worrying about the mission, and it was even better hearing stories about Robin when he was little. Artemis felt like she was finally getting to know the real Robin. At first, Robin attempted to protest the retelling of some of the more embarrassing stories, but in the end, he gave up. Artemis could tell he really didn’t mind. Robin was practically glowing. The tension he always held seemed to leak out of him, at least for the time being.
Tomorrow, they would go back to the mission. Tomorrow they would worry about the thefts and the potential suspects, but tonight Artemis ate food and appreciated the celebration, and was just glad that Robin was able to take time to just enjoy himself.