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petroica_traversiTim Drake has known Dick Grayson since before he can remember. The high point of every year of his childhood was when Haly's Circus came into Gotham, and Jack and Janet Drake took him to see the show again.
Dick was only one year older than him, but so far as little Timmy was concerned Dickie Grayson held up the moon. His first photograph is of the older boy hanging off of Zitka's trunk. When he was six and Dickie was seven, Dickie snuck him into the animal pens and they planned how he could stay on and take official photographs and never leave. It took hours for the Drakes to find them, and the next year Tim had to beg for a week straight and make all sorts of promises before he was allowed to go back.
It's a good thing he was. When Dick was eight years old, John and Mary Grayson were murdered under the big top. The police couldn't catch their killer, and Dick Grayson was placed under protective custody. You know how this story goes... except for how it ends, with the Drakes adopting a second son. (Not quite sure yet how Jack came around to that. Possibly Dick was placed in foster care for awhile, but actually lived at the Drake household, what with the spare guest rooms and Tim being stubborn.)
When Dick came to live with Tim, he soon learned about Tim's personal darkroom – and once he snuck in, he got to find out about Tim's other main photography subject. Not that Dick was really awesome at stalking Batman himself? But when Tony Zucco's thugs tracked him down to the Drake household, one or the other of them definitely called up Wayne Manor in lieu of throwing up a Batsignal. Mr. Wayne wasn't too happy about that.
Dick first teamed up with Batman in order to track down Zucco. Robin was born there, but he only showed up part-time. Tim continues to stalk, and also starts training with Dick, ostensibly just to help him stay focused and in shape.
Cue: Robin Year One, and capture by Two-Face. Tim puts on the Robin costume to rescue Batman and Robin from that first time. Also, because it appeals to Tim's budding capabilities for mindfuckery to present Two-Face with two Robins. Tiny Timmy effs up Harvey's shit, rescues Batman and Robin, and they all kick ridiculous amounts of ass. Batman never fires Dick-Robin.
Robin becomes the superhero name for two boys trading off one persona. At first it's a casual, fun thing.
Cue: Obeah Man. Unsure whether both Drake parents or just one are dying here. Howling grief, lingering angst, eventual Waynedoption.
With renewed effort and focus, Robin keeps up the illusion of being one boy in a cape mostly successfully; it's good cover, too, as Bruce Wayne has two wards. And not even the few who know about Bruce are sure what the full deal is with Robin and the boys.
In their unmasked lives, Dick drags Tim everywhere in attempts to socialize him. Tim pretends to put up with it, secretly loves it, and even makes a couple friends himself. He becomes more outgoing, and a wicked sense of humor begins to show – shaped by Dick's lighthearted banter, but more cutting and fueled by just a little dollop of schadenfreude.
When Dick's wearing the mask, Robin befriends Kid Flash and, to some extent, Speedy. Tim stalks these friendships obsessively, and keeps them up without a lot of trouble. Dick's given up trying to find all the bugs Tim puts in the costume. Speedy finds he enjoys Robin's company more depending on (as he sees it) which weird mood the weird little bird is in. Tim counts this as victory.
Wally knows Dick is Robin. So, Tim's trying to keep Wally from knowing that Dick has a little brother at all. Dick is baffled sometimes at Tim's paranoia but he's humored it, so far.
By chance, when Young Justice first teamed up to rescue Superboy from Cadmus, it was Tim in the suit.
But when they all lost six months of memories and M'gann had to dip into everyone's minds, it was Dick who was so blithely willing to open up his memories to her. If she weren't so busy trying to recall the circumstances of their mission, M'gann might have noted then that it seemed Robin was actually missing lots of memories. Or maybe she did, but forgot about it. Or put it aside, as a fading side effect of the mindwipe.
Dick was only one year older than him, but so far as little Timmy was concerned Dickie Grayson held up the moon. His first photograph is of the older boy hanging off of Zitka's trunk. When he was six and Dickie was seven, Dickie snuck him into the animal pens and they planned how he could stay on and take official photographs and never leave. It took hours for the Drakes to find them, and the next year Tim had to beg for a week straight and make all sorts of promises before he was allowed to go back.
It's a good thing he was. When Dick was eight years old, John and Mary Grayson were murdered under the big top. The police couldn't catch their killer, and Dick Grayson was placed under protective custody. You know how this story goes... except for how it ends, with the Drakes adopting a second son. (Not quite sure yet how Jack came around to that. Possibly Dick was placed in foster care for awhile, but actually lived at the Drake household, what with the spare guest rooms and Tim being stubborn.)
When Dick came to live with Tim, he soon learned about Tim's personal darkroom – and once he snuck in, he got to find out about Tim's other main photography subject. Not that Dick was really awesome at stalking Batman himself? But when Tony Zucco's thugs tracked him down to the Drake household, one or the other of them definitely called up Wayne Manor in lieu of throwing up a Batsignal. Mr. Wayne wasn't too happy about that.
Dick first teamed up with Batman in order to track down Zucco. Robin was born there, but he only showed up part-time. Tim continues to stalk, and also starts training with Dick, ostensibly just to help him stay focused and in shape.
Cue: Robin Year One, and capture by Two-Face. Tim puts on the Robin costume to rescue Batman and Robin from that first time. Also, because it appeals to Tim's budding capabilities for mindfuckery to present Two-Face with two Robins. Tiny Timmy effs up Harvey's shit, rescues Batman and Robin, and they all kick ridiculous amounts of ass. Batman never fires Dick-Robin.
Robin becomes the superhero name for two boys trading off one persona. At first it's a casual, fun thing.
Cue: Obeah Man. Unsure whether both Drake parents or just one are dying here. Howling grief, lingering angst, eventual Waynedoption.
With renewed effort and focus, Robin keeps up the illusion of being one boy in a cape mostly successfully; it's good cover, too, as Bruce Wayne has two wards. And not even the few who know about Bruce are sure what the full deal is with Robin and the boys.
In their unmasked lives, Dick drags Tim everywhere in attempts to socialize him. Tim pretends to put up with it, secretly loves it, and even makes a couple friends himself. He becomes more outgoing, and a wicked sense of humor begins to show – shaped by Dick's lighthearted banter, but more cutting and fueled by just a little dollop of schadenfreude.
When Dick's wearing the mask, Robin befriends Kid Flash and, to some extent, Speedy. Tim stalks these friendships obsessively, and keeps them up without a lot of trouble. Dick's given up trying to find all the bugs Tim puts in the costume. Speedy finds he enjoys Robin's company more depending on (as he sees it) which weird mood the weird little bird is in. Tim counts this as victory.
Wally knows Dick is Robin. So, Tim's trying to keep Wally from knowing that Dick has a little brother at all. Dick is baffled sometimes at Tim's paranoia but he's humored it, so far.
By chance, when Young Justice first teamed up to rescue Superboy from Cadmus, it was Tim in the suit.
But when they all lost six months of memories and M'gann had to dip into everyone's minds, it was Dick who was so blithely willing to open up his memories to her. If she weren't so busy trying to recall the circumstances of their mission, M'gann might have noted then that it seemed Robin was actually missing lots of memories. Or maybe she did, but forgot about it. Or put it aside, as a fading side effect of the mindwipe.
