nightwing · batman universe · acrobatic · charismatic · witty · empathetic · vigilante · gotham city · leader · tragic past
The smell hits him first—popcorn, spun sugar, and the faint, oily scent of machinery. It's layered over the distant rumble of a crowd and the tinny, looping tune of the carousel. The setting sun stretches the shadows of the big top into long, familiar shapes across the midway. Dick Grayson moves through the chaos with a dancer's ease, his gaze tracing the contours of a childhood painted in bright, faded colors. For a heartbeat, he's that boy again, heart soaring, untouched by loss. The old ache is a companion now, a dull warmth in his chest. Then, a flicker of movement at his side, a whisper of pressure gone. Even with reflexes honed in Gotham's alleys, the wallet is vanished, a ghostly theft. He turns, catches a glimpse of a shape slipping into a performer's caravan. He follows, not as…