Autobiography

Chapter 2

The interview/talk/conversation with Clark Kent and me continued over the course of several months. This is the second time we met. I think we talked for a couple hours this time and he wanted to know how the whole Robin thing came about. This is how it went:

Clark Kent: So, tell me how becoming Robin happened—and what was that like?

Nightwing: Um…I had no idea where to even start with this.

CK: Okay, first of all, how old were you, eight, nine?

NW: I was a few months past my ninth birthday the first time Robin made his appearance. Batman made sure that I was trained enough that he felt he could depend on me to not get killed—he had to know that he didn’t have to baby-sit me the whole time and that took a while. Like I think he’s still not completely sure…

CK: But what made either of you—especially Batman, a grown man, think that a child could or should be put in danger like that? On the surface it seems…

NW: Nuts? Yeah, I know. He took a lot of crap for that from the Justice League and the cops, then the media chimed in and for a while it was pretty intense whether or not I’d be allowed to continue. I just thought it was a rush, y’know? ‘Beat the hell out of cub scouts, right? Okay, when I thought about it—which I didn’t too often—even I had to admit it was insane. I mean, I knew that; no brainer.

CK: So what changed everyone’s mind?

NW: My winning personality? Sorry. Okay, well first of all I had to pass all the GPD police tests before I could do anything and then I had to pass the tests for detective, too. I guess most people don’t realize that, but I’m legit, fully licensed to operate in Gotham and later Interpol and then Bludhaven licensed me.

CK: You were nine?

NW: When I got my first badge, yeah. I know, I was pretty young but what the hell—I passed the tests, aced them, in fact. Then when I was ten I passed the tests for accreditation from Interpol so that gave me some major cred with the cops.

CK: I’ve heard that Commissioner Gordon was dead set against you being allowed on the streets. True?

NW: Of course he was against it, c’mon; I was nine years old, Clark. He finally came around, though. It took a few years, but he did. I think he was afraid that I’d get killed and the PR fallout would have been a nightmare—okay, and I know he liked me personally. He always treated me like a favorite nephew or something. I know he’s always gone out of his way to be protective of me, he was always good to me. Then when he found out about me and his daughter he sort of cooled for a while but maybe he was right about that. I don’t know, maybe he was.

CK: What changed his mind? Was there any one case or episode that did it?

NW: Yes, there was. I was, I think I was ten and there was a report that Twoface was out again. We—Batman and I responded and ended up cornering him in Robinson Park, near the botanical garden. It was winter, cold and it was sleeting—a really crummy night. Batman and I were about to make the collar when a couple of his henchmen created a diversion by breaking a few panes of glass in the conservatory. Batman went to see what was going on and I ended up tackling Twoface alone and bringing him down. By the time Batman and the backup police got there I had him restrained and ready for transport to the nearest station.

CK: And you were how old?

NW: I think I was ten. Hell, I know I was ten and it was pretty damn cool. After that they local police figured I was okay and let me do my thing. I mean, we still got a lot of complaints and criticism and stuff and the cops still kept a close watch over me, but I was allowed to fly, so I was happy. Most of the cops were protective of me and a few were jealous because I was stealing their fire but, hell—the press loved me. I was this cute, gutsy kid who was beating the bad guys at their own game and on their terms. It was a great story and I know it. I knew it back then, too. I was born to be a performer and I really think it’s in my genes, in my DNA. Batman used to say I was born to be center stage and he was right. I was—literally. Of course, when he said it, it wasn’t meant as a compliment. He always thought I was grandstanding. Okay, he was probably right.

CK: Do you remember your first case?

NW: You always remember your first time, Clark.

CK: Ahem, yes…I admit it. I love embarrassing Clark; can’t help it. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

NW: Sure I do. When my parents were killed I think I told you that I had a lot of anger—really a lot and Batman was afraid that it would warp me, turn me to the dark side and all of that…

CK: Do you think he was right? He didn’t expect that and I knew it but it’s true. It would have been easy for me to take the easy way out.

NW: Yes, he as. If things had turned out differently, sure—I can see myself going down that road. I even think I would have been pretty good at crime; I’ve seen how it works and I think it’s something I could have made a success of if I’d tried.

CK: What area of a crime career do you think you would have excelled at?

NW: Theft is pretty easy, so is drug dealing on a large scale—importing. You can make a serious amount of money doing that.

CK: If you don’t get caught.

NW: That’s what would have made it kind of fun, Clark—c’mon, anyone can rob a gas station. Clark gave me this look, like he couldn’t tell if I was joking or not and so I decided not to let him know if I was or not. I wasn’t—I really can see myself turning to crime if things had been even a little different. That’s no lie. And I think I might have been one of the greats, to be honest… maybe in another life…

CK: Your first case…

NW: I caught the guy who ordered my parent’s deaths, put him away. That was supposed to be my debut and swan song but it turned out to be a pretty much full time gig.

CK: And?

NW: And nothing. That’s what it was. The guy was locked up, convicted and died in prison a couple of years later—heart attack.

The answer was a bit curt, even I have to admit that but I still don’t like talking about that whole time. It still hurts.

CK: But how did…

NW: That’s all I’m going to say about that.

CK: But…

NK: Moving on, Clark, moving on.

We took a break here because I was getting pissed and Clark was getting frustrated but I wasn’t going there. I’ve never talked about that and I’m not going to now. Or ever, if I can help it. After twenty minutes or so we picked it up again:

CK: You liked being Robin, didn’t you?

NW: God, yes, I loved being Robin from the word ‘go’. Hell, I got to bring down bad guys, I worked with the Justice League—the JLA f’Chrissakes—I bested some of the world’s baddest bad-asses and I got to work with Batman. What kid wouldn’t love that?

CK: Any down side to any of that?

NW: Like what, missing Junior Prom? I was over it. And not being able to have regular kids as friends in case they saw something, falling asleep in class, dealing with the pressure only someone like Batman can lay on you. Working through more injuries than a pro linebacker, stalkers, hours and hours training. ‘Wondering if people liked me or liked Robin…Hell, sure, a lot of it was great, but every silver lining has a cloud, right? Don’t get me wrong, I did love being Robin but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

CK: Any regrets or second thoughts about it?

NW: If I did have them, I could have hung up the cape any time, Clark. No one was holding a gun to my head—okay, no one I worked with ever held a gun to my head. But there were a lot of silent arms twists, dirty looks and guilt trips…

We took a break here while Nightwing answered his cel phone. It was clear from the side of the conversation I could hear that he was talking with a police office he was working on some case with and seemingly they were about to make an arrest later that evening. When I followed up a few days later he told me that Catwoman was trying to steal some rare snow leopard cubs and the crime had been averted when she was taken into custody that night…CK

NW: Where were we?

CK: You were telling me how being Robin was always up to you and you could have quit any time you wanted. Did you ever seriously consider it?

NW: Not seriously, no. Besides, most of the people I worked with were my best friends and I didn’t want to lose them or let them down.

CK: You mean the Titans? Are you all still friends?

NW: Right, the Titans and yes, I’m friends with the ones who are still alive. We work together and hang out. Thank God.

CK: You said you never seriously considered quitting. Care to elaborate?

NW: I’m human, everyone has good days and bad days. On a good day it was the best high you can imagine. On a bad day…not so much. It never really got bad enough for me to walk, though. I thought about it sometimes but I’d always tell myself to give it a week or till Tuesday or something and if I still felt the same then I’d quit. But I never did. ‘Came close, though, especially when a friend was hurt or killed. I still blame myself for Roy’s addiction—okay, that wasn’t my fault, but I should have noticed sooner and that kills me. And then when we lost Donna—shit; it doesn’t get any worse than that.

CK: I can’t get past the fact that you started all this when you were in elementary school. Aside from encountering people who were often violently criminally insane, you worked with Batman—not an easy personality under any circumstances. Y’think?

NW: But you have to remember that he was also my mentor and, in a lot of ways, the closest thing to a father I had left. And I also saw the other side of him, when he was relaxing, hanging out, eating dinner; stuff like that. He wasn’t always the big bad Bat around me. A lot of the time, sure, but not all the time. And, in his way, he tried. He really did and –again, in his way, he loved me. I believe that—in fact, I know he did.

CK: No truth to the old rumors?

NW: Jesus, them again? No, he never made a pass at me, nor I at him. He’s about as hetero as you can get and even if he wasn’t, he wasn’t about to go after little boys. You have to keep in mind that I was his ward and so CPS was looking over his shoulder until I turned eighteen. If anything had been going on I’d have been pulled from him and placed somewhere else. Besides, the JL always looked out for the sidekicks. They were pretty protective about us, always were. And Alfred was there. Thank God for Alfred. And Superman, Kal—he always had my back. He was subtle about it, but he made sure I could always call him for help or a shoulder to lean on. I suppose I could have called anyone in the League but does anyone really want to talk to Arthur or Ollie? I owe Kal for that, always will.

CK: You and Batman had a falling out when you were in your late teens. Could you talk about that?

NW: Next time.

TBC

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