Robin, designation B01, Batman's sidekick, most experienced and longest lasting in the field today. Batman's sidekick, the Boy Wonder, and half of the famous dynamic duo. Most don't get to see much past that - the R on his chest, the flash of red on black. He's the kid at Batman's side, short and thin, black hair, and more often than not, grinning for the cameras. He seems to be the light to Batman's dark, the kid hero who stands at his side. He must be talented, if Batman keeps his around, quick and strong and useful. Batma's protégé, the next in the line. If you're a hero, you might get to see the grin up close. See how seamlessly he works up close to Batman, closer than anyone else has gotten. You might hear the laugh, a little out of place in such a gritty city like Gotham, echoing all around you. You might even see him work, the computer on his wrist one of the many mysteries that modern technology can provide. He's active, he's able, and he's smart, talented. You'd expect nothing less from Batman's sidekick, but it's a bit of a mystery of why it works so well. How. Sure, it's every child's dream to be a superhero, but dreams and reality are so different, you might wonder how he's still alive.

And it's true, it is somewhat of a mystery. A mystery that Robin has learned to work with, adapt to. He's been Batman's sidekick, in the field, for four years now - they work at an almost telepathic level, able to predict each other's move without needing to speak, to even ask. Robin, before joining the team, was used to this level of independence when he worked. This changed, of course, when he become a part of Young Justice and he adapted accordingly, learning to be specific in his plans, describing what he's thinking out loud (through a telepathic link of course) to his teammates. It took time, yes, but he learned. He got better. He might be the youngest and the smallest of the team, but Robin has a very determined drive to make sure he is not the weakest link, won't allow himself to be the weakest link. Of course he still wants to, from time to time, try and go off to do things on his own - but the want has decreased while being on this team. He's learned the advantages of working with people he trusts, intrinsically, and enjoys what can come of it. He's efficient and he thinks ahead, has each step of every plan ready to go and ready to explain when the time comes, but don't take that to mean he can't think on his feet. Robin's known to be the one on the team to come up with a plan on the fly, getting them out of many a situation on spur of the moment, multi-faceted plans. And they're alive, which is saying something, knowing the kids of things they face. He's athletic, strategic and extremely intelligent - and it doesn't hurt that he's experienced, too.

But that's not all there is. Behind the mask - behind the Robin - there is Richard Grayson. A fourteen year old mathlete who likes computers and word-play. Whereas Batman keeps his secret identity completely separate from his heroing one, Dick isn't so successful, and a lot of who he really is comes through even when he's wearing the mask. Because really, think about it. This is a teenager (pre-teen, if we're being technical) who has to spend countless hours with Batman, the light to his dark, and that has bred a very sarcastic, sometimes overly confident, kid. Rob will make fun of just about anyone, given the situation and the material to work with (Wally is his favorite target, though. He just makes things so easy) or anything. He inserts humor into situations to alleviate the gravity, to keep everyone's mind off the fact that this is all very real, and very dangerous. The laugh, that comes through when he's fighting, is part of this - he likes to make his presence known, though not outright. He'd much rather sit in the shadows and echo his laugh around the room, confuse the bad guys before he jumps in, because what is more frustrating? Being knocked out before you even know you're being followed, or being taken down when you know someone there, somewhere, and is laughing at you? Described as being lighthearted and somewhat immature, Robin found himself taking up a very little-brother-esque role with the rest of the team (save Zatanna), and seemed quite fine with that. Robin's also known to be quite social, able to get along with just about anyone and everyone if he wants to. He has a tendency to give people chances to prove themselves, rather that writing them off from the get-go, and reserves first impressions. But like it is with most, the difference between being friendly and being trusting is completely different.

Robin is Batman's sidekick, yes, and is being trained to be what many believe is the next Batman, but beyond just the different takes to crime fighting, Robin and Batman differ in very important, very basic ways. For one, as there are with just about every teenager, Robin has doubts. He's spent enough time around Batman to know that he will do anything for the save of the mission, and after a very traumatic training-gone-wrong, where Robin played that roll and ending up, effectively, sending all of his friends to their deaths, he made the self realization that he can't do that. Doesn't want to become whatever it is he'll need to become to be able to do that. He sees the darkness that eats up Bruce Wayne, the pit in his chest that grows day to day, and he doesn't want to become that. Which is why he opens up to people as much as he can - maybe not completely, because no one needs to know about his insecurities, his fears that he will never be good enough or never be able to prove himself enough - but at least he has friends. The Team, for one. Robin has a bond with Kid Flash, Superboy, Aqualad, Artemis, Miss Martian and Zatanna (Rocket too, with time) that he's not sure Batman has with the Justice League. He's not sure Batman can have that connection with anyone but him, and that weighs on him more than anyone really knows.

Through and through, though, Robin is a hero. He has a very intense sense of right and wrong, but unlike Batman, he lacks the complete confidence in his belief. Yes, he knows he's the good guy. And yes, he knows they're the bad guys, but he also knows sometimes you have to act like the bad guy to get the good stuff done. And yes, there's a line you don't cross, of course, but you do what you have to do. Sometimes that line might make him look like the bad guy, or make the bad guys look good, but there is a line. A very specific line. And sometimes...sometimes he questions where that line falls. That's what he has Batman for, who always knows where that line is, or his team, who help him draw the line when it needs to be. Batman might be training him to be a leader, and his team might recognize that yes, one day, he will lead, but it's this inability on his part (and you could even call it immaturity) that keeps him from doing it now. Leaders take control, leaders lead and don't question what orders they give, who they send where, and while Robin might act like he's there - that he's at that point - he isn't. Not really. Not yet.

All in all, Robin exists in the grey in between. He can be himself - the fun loving, troll-like flirt who acts much more confident than he is - and he can be the hero - the disciplined acrobat who can hack and who can kick butt all in the same day - and he hasn't decided which is him, more. Batman is Batman - Bruce Wayne is the mask and it's all about the job. But Robin...Robin isn't sure if he can do that, yet, and hasn't. Hasn't made that decision, hasn't taken that step, and for him that's perfectly fine. For now. Because he has his team and he has his friends and that can be enough.

HOLY SIDEKICK, BATMAN!
The thing about Robin that most people forget is that yes, he's fourteen. He's fairly scrawny, not the strongest, and 100% human with no special abilities and powers. He's just a kid, with a couple of special talents, and just the right training. Batman training. You see, Batman is a superhero, one of the first and one of the best, but like Robin he is completely human. A genius, yes, and always at 100% top physical condition, but human, which means to keep up with the rest of the superhero world, he requires training. Robin has received this training for years now, having started being Batman's sidekick at age nine (four years prior) with prior training before even then. He's been trained in the art of deduction, of strategic planning and adaptability, to be able to look at a situation and plan for every possible outcome, and then plan further. Where he may not have super strength or speed, he makes up for with preparation, with the ability to find and use information to his advantage. Batman has groomed Robin into becoming a leader, with the skills and talents necessary to organize and execute missions to Batman-like precision (or almost. he's still young). He's trained in various different forms of martial arts, stealth, escape artistry and marksmanship. He is comfortable with and knowledgeable of just about every weapon you can think of, as well as kept up to date with political and war-like situations across the globe. Robin is also an extremely skilled hacker and computer technician, able to hack into even the most complex of mainframes and redesign its entire infrastructure to suit his needs. If it has a mainframe, he can bend it to his will, with the right tools and time. He might not be Batman (might not want to be Batman), but he has all the information to
become Batman.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FLYING GRAYSONS
Before becoming Bruce Wayne's ward, Richard Grayson was a part of the circus. More specifically, a family acrobatic act called the Flying Graysons. He was talented, a real show stopper, but this dream life came to an end when his parents were murdered as he watched. Despite this traumatic event, Dick keeps a very close connection with his acrobatic roots, working it into his training and his hero-ing as often as he can. This training and natural inclination towards acrobatics has helped hone Robin's physical condition, not only making him extremely flexible but also giving him above average speed, strength, agility and endurance.

FEELIN' THE ASTER, YET?
And then, of course, there's the mental side of things. Because Batman doesn't just pick up any ole orphaned acrobat and train him to be a sidekick - there has to be something more, another step. Robin is just a kid, yes, but he's a kid with a few very special - very helpful - mental advantages. One is his incredible skill for languages. Not only is he fluent in English, but he has shown the ability to understand and utilize French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. But it doesn't stop there, because along with languages - and, if you want to get technical, the language of computers as well - because Robin has also proved himself to be something of a math genius, an honored mathlete on his school's math team and quite advanced for his age, a talent Batman most likely does his best to encourage. His mind works in a very mathematical way - starting with a problem and working, step by step, through it to find a solution. This penchant for math and languages allows Robin's mind to work in ways that many other fourteen year old boys can't - but that is also something to keep in mind. He's still just a kid, and as amazing as these abilities are, they are not flawless. He makes mistakes, forgets things, and makes bad decisions - just like any kid who wants to prove themselves to their friends and their parental figures.

☑ one (1) pair of eskrima sticks
☑ one (1) grappling gun
☑ various (X) batarangs including but not limited to: explosives, electric shock emitters, knock-out gas releasers, radios, messages, etc.
☑ one (1) pair of binoculars
☑ two (2) pairs of handcuffs
☑ one (1) holographic wrist-watch computer
☑ two (2) bolas
☑ one (1) chalk pencil
☑ various (X) flash grenades
☑ various (X) gas pellets
☑ one (1) lockpick
☑ one (1) knife
☑ one (1) periscope (device used to see around corners)
☑ two (2) rebreather (device used to breathe under water)
☑ one (1) taser

[ for the first few days or so, robin doesn't even look at the notebook. carries it with him, because sure, extra material. something that might be useful later on. but write in it? why? he had his wrist-watch, his computer, even if it didn't actually work and it took him two days before he could control the panic behind his eyes and the slowly contricting feeling around his throat.

he's alive, isn't he? breathing, walking. so there has to be more to this. has to be more for him to figure out.

the notebook comes to him in a fit of frustration, because nothing else is working so why would this, and the only thing he can think of is you haven't tried it yet. ]

TEAM, REPORT.
B01 SOUNDING OFF
SERIOUSLY /NOT/ FEELING THE ASTER
ANYONE THERE?

[ he tries it, then he waits, stares at the page and won't even let himself breathe because someone else has to be here. no matter what he saw, what happened, there has to be someone. wally, m'gann, anyone.

it's some time before he gets back to it, scribbles in something under what he'd already written. ]

I TAKE IT THERE'S SOME KIND OF TRICK TO THIS PLACE
ANYONE WANNA COUGH UP THEIR CHEATS?
I'LL TAKE A 'PRESS B' AT THIS POINT

The last thing he remembers is looking at Wally.

They hadn't said anything, hadn't needed to say anything, when faced with it all. When it came down to it, and it was just the two of them in that core, that was it. There was no surviving, no getting out, no nothing. Just them, the bomb, and the understanding that if they didn't do this the world was doomed.

They didn't even hesitate.

Robin closed his eyes when he heard the boom, tried to keep himself as relaxed as he could as the heat and enveloped him for those last few seconds. The force of the bomb hit, then, and everything went white. Then? Then there was nothing. Which in itself was problematic enough, because he was aware of the fact there was nothing. He could tell that he was still conscious enough to notice the silence, the darkness, and then the fact that it wasn't actual silence anymore. That he wasn't just done, over, but that he could heart. Hear his heartbeat, hear his breathing, hear the sound of wind rustling through trees.

It's that last thing that has him sitting up, rubbing at his head and the budding migraine that presses at his temple, and looking around. Being out in the woods was such a shift from anything he'd been imagining he'd see that it takes a moment or two for it to sink in. The trees, the ground, the air. They're not anywhere near the enemy ship, any kind of wreckage of a ship, there aren't even lights in the sky...

Wally.

He's moving, faster than he probably should with how well his body is taking to the force of the explosion, but it's easy enough to push past his aching muscles, his spinning head. Not thirty seconds (or was it minutes? Did he pass out? He doesn't recall losing consciousness but if he had...) ago he was with KF in the middle of it all, waiting to die, waiting for something. Now? Now that he can stand (shakily) and move (slowly to start) he starts off in a run.

"Kid Flash!" Panic is what sets in, a familiar grip in his chest. The same feeling he'd been holding off during the entire invasion, during every moment of the last twenty four hours. Kid Flash had been right there but now all that stands around him is forest. Woods. Trees. Robin punches desperately at his wrist, trying to get something, anything to pop up, and it's telling that he's not surprised when he gets nothing at all. Instead, a curse escapes him, pulling out his grappling gun and shooting it off to the tree-tops, jerking his bruised and battered body up into the leaves.

Seeing Kid Flash will be impossible, hearing him even less so. But KF hearing him? It's stupid, it's reckless, but it's the only thing he can think of. He cups his hands over his mouth, taking a deep breath that hurts his ribs.

"Wally!"