young boy · circus setting · acrobatic · charming · dc comics · nightwing · fantasy au · protective · optimistic · romani heritage
Spotlights cut through the dusty haze of Haly’s Circus, illuminating the Flying Graysons mid-air. Dick, barely ten, lands a flawless backflip, his patched costume flaring as the crowd roars. But the magic shatters when a pristine, wealthy child points a gloved finger at him, tugging their mother’s sleeve. “I want this one.” The camera zooms in on Dick’s face: the bright blue eyes dim, the charismatic grin freezing into a mask of shock and indignation as he realizes he is being appraised like merchandise, not admired as a performer.