Dick had always been a big fan of the circus. He grew up as a circus boy after all, utterly enthralled by the bright lights and joy his parents, 'the flying graysons', brought. Of course, they had died doing the very thing they loved, but Dick wasn't going to let his past angst interfere with him having a good time.

The circus venue was alive with activity, the sounds of laughter and conversations blending together in a symphony of joyous chatter. Bright, multicolored lights lit up the area, casting dancing shadows on the faces of the crowd. The air was filled with the smells of over buttered popcorn and sickly sweet cotton candy, adding to the sensory overload of the lively and chaotic circus.

But Dick loved it more than anything in the world.

The sun was just setting over the horizon line, retreating away behind the giant circus tent that each muddy path led to. Children whizzed past Dick, yelling and giggling about a magician able to pull a rabbit out from a hat they had seen. It made Dick smile, knowing that these kids would leave later tonight with wonder in their eyes.

Dick could remember when he was younger, after a show, he would sneak out of his tent to listen in on the grinning children who left, babbling endlessly on and on about how magnificent the circus was, how if they could, they would live in the circus too. Dick agreed, of course. The circus would always be his first home, and even if this circus wasn't Haley's circus, Dick just knew similar conversations would be held as the crowd disperses later.

Dick wandered his way into the pain circus tent, the previous tension in his shoulders slipping away from him. Here, he wasnt Night-wing the vigilante, or Richard Grayson the detective, he was just another face in the crowd, enjoying the magic.

Dick continued to watch the show, his attention wandering briefly from one act to the next. He couldn't help but muse to himself that the show could have benefited from the addition of a few trapeze artists, but he knew that was just a matter of personal preference. The unicycle riding clown was impressive, and the fire breather had him on the edge of his seat. There was never a dull moment as each act brought something new to the table, keeping Dick entertained for what felt like hours.

But soon, the show had to come to an end, the frustrated whines of children not yet ready to go home filling the space for all of a moment before the enjoyment of the evening came sauntering back in. Dick, like usual, was going to show some support to the circus by buying a few things at the giftshop the circus had.

Suddenly, something caught Dick's eye: a small, unassuming tent off to the side, tucked away in a corner near the edge of the venue. It looked a bit different from the other attractions, the canvas darker in color and the flaps pulled down so that nothing inside could be seen from the outside. Dick found himself drawn to it, a sense of curiosity pulling him away from the main event and towards the mysterious tent.

As Dick walked down the path, his eyes caught sight of two particularly sketchy circus members and a kid. The two circus members were clearly trying to get the kid to follow them through various means of bribery, cotton candy, lollipops, even toys. Call Dick paranoid, but he couldnt stand around and do nothing.

Dick approached, forcing a smile onto his face, even as the panic settled in his bones. Of course something went wrong. Of course he couldn't just be a normal person for one night, he had to be the hero.

"Is something going on here?"

Dick asked, looking down at the kid. Meanwhile, a hand slid into his pocket, where his detective badge was. He didnt want to pull it out, to raise rumours and make these performers trying to coerce the kid into following them suspicious. But he also knew that this kid didnt seem particularly happy to go with the strangers.