Bruce’s POV
It’s been two weeks since Dick ran away. Two weeks, and I can’t find a trace of him. He’s nowhere in Gotham, and the rest of the League کہا they haven’t seen him in their cities either, but then again, Dick would know that I would have the League searching their cities for him. He would stay away from those cities, but where is he?
“Think Bruce.”
“Sir?” Ah, good old Alfred, he’s been bringing me food and LOTS of coffee. He wasn’t too happy with me after I was down here for a week, but since it’s been almost two weeks without me even setting foot up in the manor, یا outside this cave, he’s finally stopped trying to make me come out of this cave. Sure, he still hints at it, but he isn’t insisting on it like he was the first week.
“I just can’t figure it out, Alfred. He shouldn’t be this hard to find.”
“Well, Sir, he was trained سے طرف کی the man of the shadows himself.” He always knew a way to make me smile whether I wanted to یا not.
“Yeah, but not even he should be able to stay undetected for this long. I mean, I’ve talked to Gordon and the League, and both کہا that they would keep an eye out for him, and Gordon کہا he would talk to the cops in the surrounding cities, but nothing has come up.”
He could always tell when I just needed some comfort, even when I acted like I didn’t, ‘cause he came up behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’ll find him, Master Bruce.”
Yeah, but it shouldn’t be taking me this long. “I just can’t figure out where…” Wait, what if…
“Sir?”
Of course. Why didn’t I think of it before? It should’ve been the first thing I checked. The one place that he would always feel welcome and at home.
“The circus?”
I have to figure out where… there. I have to get there so I can bring him back.
I have to bring him home.
Normal POV
Alfred stood behind Bruce as he searched for the location of Haley’s Circus. He hadn’t thought of checking Dick’s old circus family, so he was glad that Bruce had.
As soon as he found the location for the circus, Bruce jumped up, nearly knocking Alfred over, and ran to the elevator.
“I sure hope he finds him,” Alfred کہا as he started walking toward the elevator.
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Dick paid the cab driver then got out and watched as it drove away. He then turned and looked at the big tent and all the attractions around it.
‘It’s been so long,’ he thought as he walked over to the cages of animals. The bears that can walk on the balls, the ہاتھی that would always grab him and put him on it’s back, the lions that would jump through the hoops, and all the other animals that he use to hang out with. It all brought back wonderful memories for him.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here, kid.”
Dick turned around to see a big bald man in a yellow, leopard patterned, one-piece suit that Dick always thought looked like a one-strapped swim suit.
The strong man looked at him sternly then his eyes went wide when he saw who it was. “Richard? Little Dick?”
Dick smiled then ran to hug the strong man.
The strong man picked him up then gave him a big hug. “We’ve missed you, Dick,” he کہا after he put him back on the ground. He then looked around. “Where’s that Wayne fellow that you’re staying with?”
Dick frowned and looked at the ground. “Use to live with,” he corrected him.
The strong man looked back down at Dick a bit confused and saw the pained, sad look on Dick’s face. “What happened, Dick? Did something happen to him?”
Dick looked up at the strong man who could tell that Dick was trying not to cry. “No, nothing happened to him. He’s fine.”
The strong man was even مزید confused now. He knelt down and placed his hands on Dick’s shoulders. “Then what happened? Why aren’t آپ with him? He didn’t hurt آپ did he?” he asked, anger coming to both his face and his voice at the thought of anyone hurting Dick.
Dick smiled and laughed a bit. “No, he never hit me.” ‘Not in that way anyway.’
“Then what?” the strong man asked. He couldn’t understand why Wayne would let Dick come all the way to Northbra سے طرف کی himself.
“Can’t I just come and see my circus family?” Dick asked a big smile on his face.
The strong man wasn’t convinced. “Not سے طرف کی yourself.”
Dick lost any sign of happiness. “Ok, I ran away.”
The strong man stared at him surprised. “Ran away, but I why? I thought آپ were happy there?”
“I was, up until about a ماہ پہلے when I realized that I was nothing but a problem and burden to him.”
The strong man stood up, smiled, put his hand on Dick’s back, and led him toward the tent. “Well, you’re always welcome here.”
Dick smiled up at the bigger man. “Thanks.”
Once inside, Dick saw all his old friends, the bearded lady, the fat lady, the clowns, the lion tamer, and Pop Haley himself.
“Hey guys, look who came to see us,” the strong man کہا getting everyone’s attention.
Everyone turned and got big smiles on their faces when they saw Dick. They then stopped what they were doing and walked over to him.
“Dick!”
“Good to see آپ again, Dick.”
“Hey ya, Dick.”
“Welcome back, kid.”
Once they all gathered around Dick, Pop came up to him and placed a hand on his should. “Good to see آپ again, my boy.”
“Thanks,” Dick said, big smile on his face. “It’s good to be back.”
“So آپ in town on vacation, یا did آپ just come to see us?” one of the clowns asked with a playful smile on his face.
“Well, not exactly.”
“He ran away,” the strong man said.
Dick looked up at him a bit shocked that he had just کہا that. He then looked around and saw all the shocked and concerned looks his دوستوں were giving him.
“What happened?” Pop asked concerned.
Dick just looked at the ground, pushing dirt around with his foot. “Well, I… I just… I couldn’t live there anymore, ok,” he کہا looking up at them. “I messed up and I had to get away.”
“What did آپ do?” the bearded lady asked.
“I was a problem for Bruce, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Dick replied as he walked away from the group and over to the pole that led to the high wire.
Everybody watched in silence as he started climbing up the pole, and when he got up there, he went to the edge of the platform. Everybody tensed up and some of them gasped because they thought he was going to jump, but he just sat down on the edge.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. It’s obvious that they’re disappointed in me just like Brice. I don’t belong anywhere.’
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Dick stayed the night at the circus and helped them set up for the دکھائیں the day. Little did he know that Bruce was pulling up in a cab.
Bruce got out of the cab and walked toward the tent.
“I’m sorry, Sir, but the دکھائیں doesn’t start for another six hours.”
Bruce looked at the man. He had what looked like a ringmaster’s outfit on, so he figured it was Mr. Haley.
“Mr. Haley?”
“Yeah?”
Bruce smiled. “My name is Bruce Wayne. I don’t know if آپ remember me یا not, but I’m…”
“The one who took Dick in after his parents’ death. Yeah, I remember. Good to see آپ again,” Pop کہا as he shook Bruce’s hand. “So, what brings آپ to Haley’s Circus? Want to see our amazing دکھائیں again?”
Bruce chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind it, but no, that’s not why I’m here. I’m actually here looking for Dick.”
“Dick?” Pop played dumb so he could find out مزید about what happened. Dick didn’t talk about what happened, only that he messed up and couldn’t stay there anymore.
“Yes. آپ see, over the past month, I’ve been really busy with my work and I failed to notice that Dick was having some problems. He had been making some mistakes that were actually my fault. I didn’t realize that he was blaming himself for my mistakes until it was too late. When I went to talk to him about it, he had run away. I thought, since آپ guys were his first family, that maybe he might’ve come here. Have آپ seen him?”
Pop looked at Bruce a bit sadly then toward the tent. He could see Dick watching them. He then turned back toward Bruce. “He’s here, Mr. Wayne.”
Bruce sighed in relief after hearing that. “He told us that he ran away because he messed up, but he wouldn’t talk about it. Come on, I’ll دکھائیں آپ where he is,” he کہا gesturing toward the
tent.
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Dick watched as Bruce came up to Pop. He saw them shake hands, talk for a منٹ یا two, then Pop turned and looked at him. ‘Bruce told him.’ He then saw Pop gesture toward the tent, and they were now heading toward him.
‘I have to get out of here. I can’t go back. I’ll just cause مزید problems.’
Dick looked around and saw the strong man lifting his weights and the lion tamer working with the lions. ‘I really miss all of them, but I can’t stay here, I might cause them problems like I caused Bruce, and I can’t let Bruce find me and take me back. I’ll only cause him مزید stress and worry.’
He heard Bruce and Pop walk through the open flaps of the tent, turned to them, then turned and ran.
“Dick, wait!” Bruce yelled then raced after him. The strong man and the lion tamer turned from what they were doing to see Dick running from someone. They heard the man yell, “Dick, please,” before he and Dick ran out of the tent.
Pop and the lion tamer walked up to the strong man, and once Bruce and Dick were gone, both the strong man and the lion tamer tuned to Pop confused.
“That was Mr. Wayne, the one who took Dick in after John and Mary died,” Pop explained. “Obviously Dick thinks he’s a bother to Mr. Wayne, and ran away. Now Mr. Wayne is trying to get Dick to come back.”
They both nodded then all three of them turned and looked toward where Dick and Bruce disappeared.
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Bruce ran out of the tent then stopped and looked around. ‘No, he can’t be gone again.’ “Dick? Dick, please, I just want to talk.”
Bruce walked around the area a few مزید منٹ then finally sighed and headed back to the cab that was waiting for him.
He walked past Pop, the strong man, and the lion tamer and shook his head. They knew from that that Dick ran away again.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Wayne, if we would’ve known…” the strong man couldn’t continue. He felt bad that he had just let Dick run off. He could’ve grabbed him when he ran by, but he didn’t.
“It’s ok,” Bruce کہا before he turned and exited the tent and got back into the cab.
Dick had slipped سے طرف کی him, and probably for the last time.
It’s been two weeks since Dick ran away. Two weeks, and I can’t find a trace of him. He’s nowhere in Gotham, and the rest of the League کہا they haven’t seen him in their cities either, but then again, Dick would know that I would have the League searching their cities for him. He would stay away from those cities, but where is he?
“Think Bruce.”
“Sir?” Ah, good old Alfred, he’s been bringing me food and LOTS of coffee. He wasn’t too happy with me after I was down here for a week, but since it’s been almost two weeks without me even setting foot up in the manor, یا outside this cave, he’s finally stopped trying to make me come out of this cave. Sure, he still hints at it, but he isn’t insisting on it like he was the first week.
“I just can’t figure it out, Alfred. He shouldn’t be this hard to find.”
“Well, Sir, he was trained سے طرف کی the man of the shadows himself.” He always knew a way to make me smile whether I wanted to یا not.
“Yeah, but not even he should be able to stay undetected for this long. I mean, I’ve talked to Gordon and the League, and both کہا that they would keep an eye out for him, and Gordon کہا he would talk to the cops in the surrounding cities, but nothing has come up.”
He could always tell when I just needed some comfort, even when I acted like I didn’t, ‘cause he came up behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’ll find him, Master Bruce.”
Yeah, but it shouldn’t be taking me this long. “I just can’t figure out where…” Wait, what if…
“Sir?”
Of course. Why didn’t I think of it before? It should’ve been the first thing I checked. The one place that he would always feel welcome and at home.
“The circus?”
I have to figure out where… there. I have to get there so I can bring him back.
I have to bring him home.
Normal POV
Alfred stood behind Bruce as he searched for the location of Haley’s Circus. He hadn’t thought of checking Dick’s old circus family, so he was glad that Bruce had.
As soon as he found the location for the circus, Bruce jumped up, nearly knocking Alfred over, and ran to the elevator.
“I sure hope he finds him,” Alfred کہا as he started walking toward the elevator.
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Dick paid the cab driver then got out and watched as it drove away. He then turned and looked at the big tent and all the attractions around it.
‘It’s been so long,’ he thought as he walked over to the cages of animals. The bears that can walk on the balls, the ہاتھی that would always grab him and put him on it’s back, the lions that would jump through the hoops, and all the other animals that he use to hang out with. It all brought back wonderful memories for him.
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here, kid.”
Dick turned around to see a big bald man in a yellow, leopard patterned, one-piece suit that Dick always thought looked like a one-strapped swim suit.
The strong man looked at him sternly then his eyes went wide when he saw who it was. “Richard? Little Dick?”
Dick smiled then ran to hug the strong man.
The strong man picked him up then gave him a big hug. “We’ve missed you, Dick,” he کہا after he put him back on the ground. He then looked around. “Where’s that Wayne fellow that you’re staying with?”
Dick frowned and looked at the ground. “Use to live with,” he corrected him.
The strong man looked back down at Dick a bit confused and saw the pained, sad look on Dick’s face. “What happened, Dick? Did something happen to him?”
Dick looked up at the strong man who could tell that Dick was trying not to cry. “No, nothing happened to him. He’s fine.”
The strong man was even مزید confused now. He knelt down and placed his hands on Dick’s shoulders. “Then what happened? Why aren’t آپ with him? He didn’t hurt آپ did he?” he asked, anger coming to both his face and his voice at the thought of anyone hurting Dick.
Dick smiled and laughed a bit. “No, he never hit me.” ‘Not in that way anyway.’
“Then what?” the strong man asked. He couldn’t understand why Wayne would let Dick come all the way to Northbra سے طرف کی himself.
“Can’t I just come and see my circus family?” Dick asked a big smile on his face.
The strong man wasn’t convinced. “Not سے طرف کی yourself.”
Dick lost any sign of happiness. “Ok, I ran away.”
The strong man stared at him surprised. “Ran away, but I why? I thought آپ were happy there?”
“I was, up until about a ماہ پہلے when I realized that I was nothing but a problem and burden to him.”
The strong man stood up, smiled, put his hand on Dick’s back, and led him toward the tent. “Well, you’re always welcome here.”
Dick smiled up at the bigger man. “Thanks.”
Once inside, Dick saw all his old friends, the bearded lady, the fat lady, the clowns, the lion tamer, and Pop Haley himself.
“Hey guys, look who came to see us,” the strong man کہا getting everyone’s attention.
Everyone turned and got big smiles on their faces when they saw Dick. They then stopped what they were doing and walked over to him.
“Dick!”
“Good to see آپ again, Dick.”
“Hey ya, Dick.”
“Welcome back, kid.”
Once they all gathered around Dick, Pop came up to him and placed a hand on his should. “Good to see آپ again, my boy.”
“Thanks,” Dick said, big smile on his face. “It’s good to be back.”
“So آپ in town on vacation, یا did آپ just come to see us?” one of the clowns asked with a playful smile on his face.
“Well, not exactly.”
“He ran away,” the strong man said.
Dick looked up at him a bit shocked that he had just کہا that. He then looked around and saw all the shocked and concerned looks his دوستوں were giving him.
“What happened?” Pop asked concerned.
Dick just looked at the ground, pushing dirt around with his foot. “Well, I… I just… I couldn’t live there anymore, ok,” he کہا looking up at them. “I messed up and I had to get away.”
“What did آپ do?” the bearded lady asked.
“I was a problem for Bruce, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Dick replied as he walked away from the group and over to the pole that led to the high wire.
Everybody watched in silence as he started climbing up the pole, and when he got up there, he went to the edge of the platform. Everybody tensed up and some of them gasped because they thought he was going to jump, but he just sat down on the edge.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have come here. It’s obvious that they’re disappointed in me just like Brice. I don’t belong anywhere.’
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Dick stayed the night at the circus and helped them set up for the دکھائیں the day. Little did he know that Bruce was pulling up in a cab.
Bruce got out of the cab and walked toward the tent.
“I’m sorry, Sir, but the دکھائیں doesn’t start for another six hours.”
Bruce looked at the man. He had what looked like a ringmaster’s outfit on, so he figured it was Mr. Haley.
“Mr. Haley?”
“Yeah?”
Bruce smiled. “My name is Bruce Wayne. I don’t know if آپ remember me یا not, but I’m…”
“The one who took Dick in after his parents’ death. Yeah, I remember. Good to see آپ again,” Pop کہا as he shook Bruce’s hand. “So, what brings آپ to Haley’s Circus? Want to see our amazing دکھائیں again?”
Bruce chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind it, but no, that’s not why I’m here. I’m actually here looking for Dick.”
“Dick?” Pop played dumb so he could find out مزید about what happened. Dick didn’t talk about what happened, only that he messed up and couldn’t stay there anymore.
“Yes. آپ see, over the past month, I’ve been really busy with my work and I failed to notice that Dick was having some problems. He had been making some mistakes that were actually my fault. I didn’t realize that he was blaming himself for my mistakes until it was too late. When I went to talk to him about it, he had run away. I thought, since آپ guys were his first family, that maybe he might’ve come here. Have آپ seen him?”
Pop looked at Bruce a bit sadly then toward the tent. He could see Dick watching them. He then turned back toward Bruce. “He’s here, Mr. Wayne.”
Bruce sighed in relief after hearing that. “He told us that he ran away because he messed up, but he wouldn’t talk about it. Come on, I’ll دکھائیں آپ where he is,” he کہا gesturing toward the
tent.
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Dick watched as Bruce came up to Pop. He saw them shake hands, talk for a منٹ یا two, then Pop turned and looked at him. ‘Bruce told him.’ He then saw Pop gesture toward the tent, and they were now heading toward him.
‘I have to get out of here. I can’t go back. I’ll just cause مزید problems.’
Dick looked around and saw the strong man lifting his weights and the lion tamer working with the lions. ‘I really miss all of them, but I can’t stay here, I might cause them problems like I caused Bruce, and I can’t let Bruce find me and take me back. I’ll only cause him مزید stress and worry.’
He heard Bruce and Pop walk through the open flaps of the tent, turned to them, then turned and ran.
“Dick, wait!” Bruce yelled then raced after him. The strong man and the lion tamer turned from what they were doing to see Dick running from someone. They heard the man yell, “Dick, please,” before he and Dick ran out of the tent.
Pop and the lion tamer walked up to the strong man, and once Bruce and Dick were gone, both the strong man and the lion tamer tuned to Pop confused.
“That was Mr. Wayne, the one who took Dick in after John and Mary died,” Pop explained. “Obviously Dick thinks he’s a bother to Mr. Wayne, and ran away. Now Mr. Wayne is trying to get Dick to come back.”
They both nodded then all three of them turned and looked toward where Dick and Bruce disappeared.
YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ
Bruce ran out of the tent then stopped and looked around. ‘No, he can’t be gone again.’ “Dick? Dick, please, I just want to talk.”
Bruce walked around the area a few مزید منٹ then finally sighed and headed back to the cab that was waiting for him.
He walked past Pop, the strong man, and the lion tamer and shook his head. They knew from that that Dick ran away again.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Wayne, if we would’ve known…” the strong man couldn’t continue. He felt bad that he had just let Dick run off. He could’ve grabbed him when he ran by, but he didn’t.
“It’s ok,” Bruce کہا before he turned and exited the tent and got back into the cab.
Dick had slipped سے طرف کی him, and probably for the last time.
Rebecca Stevens
