Although Dick was a sweet person, nice and hard-working and upbeat, he didn’t grow up the same. As the first Robin he had been angry, wanting to avenge his parents, hurting people and struggling. Over time he got over it, he knew, but the idea of anyone else even somewhat like little him scared Dick.

So when he saw a kid in the alleys, angry and spiteful, alone and hungry, he couldn’t just leave. He couldn’t get over it. At first he had been hesitant, thinking over how to deal with it, even talking with Oracle for a bit.

After a quick investigation from Babs, Dick found that the kids family was dead. No parents, no siblings, and there weren’t even any school records. He began searching the streets on patrol, because it turned out the kid was very good at hiding. Exhausted nights had turned him a bit hopeless, until he finally found where the kid was hiding.

It took a couple of days, him trying to lure the child towards him, trying to gain trust as a vigilante in the middle of the knight with a mask hiding his face. Dick understood the caution, of course—who would trust a stranger, never mind a vigilante? It still hurt a bit, though. He wasn’t some scary guy, he wasn’t the Dark Knight, he was Nightwing. He was nice.

On a late Saturday night he found the kids current hiding spot, the middle of a dark sewer. He winced a little at the grime as he made his way through, before he finally found where to settle down. Dick knew where people moved, and that was exactly why he stayed where he did, bag of food in hand, because soon enough the kid crossed a corner and saw him.

Dick smiled over at the other and sat back. "I gotcha food,” he said, moving the bag to the side closer to the kid. "If you want it, of course." He didn’t want to get his hopes too high, knowing very well the kid may just (try to) beat him up or run away, and he’d have to try again later.