They Fly Through the Air... [Nightwing]

[Trickster]

The circus...The circus was coming to Gotham! Ya Hoo! What a time to come here! James couldn't suppress the grin that was thoroughly plastered on his face. He hadn't been to a circus in years. He recognized it from the circuit, but it was a lesser known one than his old digs. Even so, he loved the circus. The energy, the passion...the suckers. He almost yelped with glee as he threw the flyer into the air.

Oh this would be fantastic. A date would be nice. But opening night was tonight. He didn't want to take some random chick. Not that something like that usually mattered, but his chances of accidentally taking a psychopath was significantly higher in this city than any other.

James threw on his leather jacket and bolted out the door. He might've even given the Flash a run for his money.

Once there, he realized that he was drawing as much attention as some of the circus folk. Bright, yellow striped pants will do that.

"James?! James Jesse?!" Well, there was a familiar voice. He turned around in time to be half-tackled by a bouncy blond in diamond striped and polka-dotted pants.

"Jes, lovely, what are you doing here?" She laughed and punched him in the arm. "We work here now. Bumbleton's went under, so we wound up with Tim-Tim!"

"Giovanni!" A great large man came out of one of the tents behind Jes and picked him up in his arms. "È bello vedere voi!*"

"Bruno! È bene vedere anche voi.*" James was very thoroughly squished. He finally dropped the blonde and twitched his curly mustache before wandering back to his place inside.

"We have to get back! I had better see you at the show!" She smiled and ran off, leaving James absolutely glowing.

After a few minutes of wandering, he found himself a seat in the crowd. Jes was about to pull her human cannonball act. He was happy he didn't miss it. She might've killed him for it.

It was good to be back.

*It is nice to see you!

*It is good to see you too!

[Nightwing]

The grin hadn’t left Dick’s face since he’d seen the brightly colored advertisement. He’d recognized the color scheme and overall theme immediately. A circus was in town. Dick’s day had automatically improved.

It was a small circus, not one he could recall hearing of before. But there were a lot of circuses in the world; so that wasn’t a big deal. He briefly wondered if he would see any familiar faces. It was highly likely that some people who knew him from his Flying Grayson’s had moved around. He remembered the early days, shortly after the accident. There was a little while there when he wasn’t sure if he would be able to attend the circus again. Of course, he had overcome the notion. His parents would’ve wanted him to enjoy his life; to pay tribute to them rather than forever mourn them.

He entered the tent, one hand carrying a bag of popcorn, while another held a stick of cotton candy. He had been unable to choose between the two snacks, so he had decided to just consume the best of both worlds.

He sat down in the stands, eyes bright as he took in the familiar scene. He glanced to his left and it took only a moment for him to recognize the man beside him.

“Hey, what’s up?” he greeted friendly. A part of him was cautious, however. He sometimes found it hard to keep track of Flash’s Rogues- which were currently evil and which were on the side of the angels. Just like their hero, Flash’s Rogues seemed to have a fast-paced lifestyle.

[Trickster]

Who? ...Well, well. If it wasn't Dick Grayson. When was the last time he'd seen the man? The Wests' Christmas party was it? Yeah...He'd just gotten back from LA. He'd made a small appearance, but wound up going home early to unpack.

"Sup? Almost didn't recognize you without your mullet." He offered a sly grin and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey, that's right...I'd forgotten. Your family was in the circus too, huh?" He remembered hearing about that fall. It...didn't help his fear of falling off of the trapez. Come to think of it, he'd left the circus shortly after that.

He lifted a hand from across his chest and offered a handshake. "S'been a while, man. Can't say I'm surprised to see you here. Once on the wires is never enough, right?" Surprisingly enough, he missed the crowds. He got far more attention holding up a bank or stealing a train, but he missed the admirable attention.

The show itself was pretty sub par. They were good. You had to be. But one of them had already nearly fallen, and the crowd would gasp, despite the net underneath. "Geez, this is almost painful to watch.." He muttered softly to himself before a spark of inspiration lit up his features. He nudged the other man in the side, eyes still fixed on the performers. "Hey, Grayson...I've got a couple of connections in this show. What say you and I show these amateurs how it's done?" There was a great, wide grin on his face, the kind he got when there was a particularly valuable treasure within his grasp.

[Nightwing]

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly when James brought up his mullet. He would never live that down, would he? It wasn’t like he was the only one who’d had a mullet back then. His theory was that he’d made his work the best, that’s why he got so much crap about it. “Ha ha.”

He smiled at the mention of his family and nodded. “Yep, The Flying Graysons; best of the best.” He sent a wink at James, so he’d know he didn’t mean any insult by the statement. He could feel his chest filling with pride, though, at the thought of how truly amazing his family had been.

He shifted the two snacks in his hands so he could return the handshake. “Amen to that, pal.” It was nice, talking to someone who knew what it was like to be up on the trapeze, soaring above the crowds.

He watched the acts, enjoying them despite the fact that he had seen better. But he knew what it was like to be new, to just be coming in to your full potential. He didn’t react when one of the trapeze artists almost fell. There was a net, so the danger was obsolete.

He took a bite of cotton candy and turned to James curiously when he was nudged. He swallowed the bite of cotton candy, which had quickly melted in his mouth, and grinned widely at James. His eyes lit up with excitement. “Sounds fun. I’m definitely game.”

[Trickster]

The other circus folk had wasted no time finding them costumes. The trapeze artists look a little put off until they found out that both men were from famous performing families. They looked a bit more humbled after that. James didn't have any need to change. The black top and yellow striped tights he wore were already perfect for the air. He did ditch the leather jacket, though.

The lights in the tent dimmed and the music went down to a low drumming. "Laaaaadiesssss aaaaaand Gentlemeeeeennn!! Tonight! We have not one, but two very special guests!" As the ringleader belted out a little background and mystery, James couldn't help but grin from behind the canvas. Not only at the crowd, but across the way at Dick. This was going to be awesome!

"Now!! If you would give a well deserved hand to our two guest performers...." The lights dimmed right before he started speaking and James dashed to the ladder to reach the platform before the man was done.

By the time they'd be at the top, he was ready to announce, "James Jesse of the Flying Jesses, and Dick Grayson of the Flying Graysons!!!" A spotlight turned on each of them in turn, and some murmurs drifted throughout the crowd. Most of them fixated on Dick. That was okay, though. He certainly drew more attention from Gothamites, anyway.

After a wave and a grin to the crowd, he beamed across to the other man and grabbed hold of the fly bar before making his decent and swing. Nothing in this world could compare to the rush of the trapeze. And James had walked on air.

This was going to be a glorious night.

[Nightwing]

Dick was slightly surprised by how welcoming the circus was to the idea. He was also surprised that they had a costume that was just the perfect size for him. Aw, the luck. He changed quickly, grinning at the familiar feel of the material.

While waiting for their cue, he sent a thumbs up across the way to James. He was beginning to like this guy. He climbed quickly up the ladder to the platform. His cheeks were going to be sore later, he was grinning so much.

For a moment, on the platform, the world stood still. He looked down and saw the net. He almost would’ve preferred it wasn’t there. But it didn’t really make much of a difference. He wasn’t going to fall and, if he had heard right about James’ talents, the other man wouldn’t be falling either.

The light came on and he waved to the crowd, smiling brightly. Just wait until Bruce and the others heard about this. It was bound to be in some news article later.

He grinned across the way at James. The cue to begin came and he took a breath. He conjured up the image of his family, his parents. This was for them. Everything he did was for them. And he knew they were proud of him. He could feel them on his shoulders, like little angels.

He grabbed the bar and swung off the platform. The movements came so easily to him, like breathing. He had probably learned how to swing on a trapeze before he had mastered walking. That was the beauty of it, really. He had no wings, but he had been born to fly.

[Trickster]

After a few basic tricks, James decided to up it a notch. With a great swing, and a touch of help from his anti-gravs, he landed on top of the fly bar than Grayson was currently attached to, careful not to step on the other man's hands. He had quite a few more years in the circus than his partner. Owed to the fact thathis family was not hit by such a tragedy. He felt sorry for the kid, really. Of course, his relationship with his own parents was strained at best. He couldn't remember the last time he'd talked to them. His father was never that interested in him outside of the show, and his mother was...less than proud of his career choice...

Wouldn't they get a shock if he told them they were grandparents?

Focusing back to his current position, he began to swing the bar, confident the other man could hold on. He signaled for Grayson to change position, to hold the bar at his knees. He'd planned to get enough of a swing to pull off two or maybe even three somersaults and catch hold of Grayson on the way down. He'd done it before, and the flying was more difficult than the catch, so the kid should be able to handle it no problem.

[Nightwing]

He complied to the signal, shifting himself on the bar so that he was dangling from his legs. He grinned and waved down at the crowd, looking at all the different faces gazing up at him. His smile was probably mirroring those of the little kids, completely overjoyed by the acts they were witnessing.

He grinned, realizing the move James was going to pull. He’d seen his parents pull it a couple times, but they’d never gotten around to teaching it to him. Now, with his training from Bruce, he could probably pull it off, but it was best for him to stick to moves where people wouldn’t question where he learned it from.

He caught James soundly. Despite the net, he had a promise to himself that he had to keep; if he could help it, he wouldn’t let anyone fall again.

“Nice,” he complimented, grinning down at James, “I wanna do my quadruple flip.” He let James know ahead of time. As far as Dick knew, he was still the only person in the world who could accomplish such a move, since his parents died. Besides, the whole art of performing in a circus was to show off, to give your very best and then some. You had make the crowd go wow. You had to give them a show they’d never forget.

[Trickster]

When their hands and wrists were thoroughly locked, he let out an excited whoop coupled with a wide, beaming grin. A quadruple somersault, huh? James really was out of practice. He swung over to the other bar and flipped back over to face Dick, his position mirroring the other man's to catch him when he flew.

It was almost surreal being up here again. In the old days, before his boots, he would have to deal with his father getting distracted. It made the act much more terrifying. He couldn't show off as much as he wanted back then. It was nice to have a partner who was on the ball.

The crowd gave a shout of excitement as the dark-haired man jumped. He grabbed him in decent and laughed. "Not bad, kid." His grin was smug, but sarcastic. Who would have thought that a Rogue and a hero would be trusting enough to be 40 feet in the air together?

[Nightwing]

He nailed the flip, his body flowing through the air with well-practiced perfection. Now, he couldn’t help but think slightly of Tim every time he performed that move. It was the one that had lead the then young boy to figure out his and Bruce’s identities. Luckily, the kid seemed to be the only one to pay enough attention.

He grinned at James. It was odd, having to trust the Rogue to catch him. Dick had a naturally trusting personality, but he also suspected the fact that there was a net had something to do with it. God, he really couldn’t wait ‘til Bruce heard about this. “Thanks. Any ideas for a finale?”

It wasn’t like the two had a set routine. This was their first, and probably last, time performing together. It kind of affected the flow of things, but not in a way the audience would really recognize- not unless they were all professional critiques, used to seeing the best of the best.

[Trickster]

He gave Dick a swing and a push off to the other bar before letting himself swing freely and think. Huh..This must be how Batman thought...He grinned and flipped himself back up on the bar. He knew just what to do. A whistle brought out some of the circus folk and he had them clear away the net. When they were back on the platforms, the bars were raised higher. It was nothing to swing back and forth on them, and the crowd was certainly already impressed between the height and the typical stunts.

After a few minutes, Trickster got his swing going high. When he finally let go, he whipped around in the air, getting to about three and a half somersaults before side rolling back down. As he dropped past Grayson, it looked as though he'd misjudged his leap. And he was falling. Fast.

Shrieks and gasps echoed through the crowd as he fell, but he looked to be in a dive. Right before he hit the ground, he flipped up and let his anti-gravs take over. His arms were outstretched beside him, and he looked like he could have flown. With a few maneuvers, he floated up past Dick, much to the crowds excitement. He was pretty sure his grin couldn't get any wider as he looked over to his dark-haired partner.

"Too much?" It was practically mouthed as the crowds roars ripped through the tent. It was good to be back. Sooooo good.

[Nightwing]

Dick raised an eyebrow as James had the bars raised and the net removed. The guy was up to something. He hoped he liked it ‘cause, judging by this guy’s name, The Trickster, he was probably one for throwing some curveballs now and then.

He watched as James dropped past him. For a moment, his heart leapt and he was about to pull some heroic gesture that would probably land him flat as a pancake as well, before he realized that James had done it purposefully. He also remembered exactly what he knew about The Trickster and his paraphernalia. Dick shook his head. He was lucky he was no longer a traumatized child.

He smirked slightly as James used his anti-gravity shoes. Now, that was cheating. He gave James a good-natured glare at his question.

“That’s cheating” he said, pouting for a moment, before smiling brightly and waving at the crowd. His heart was still racing from the excitement of the performance. It was like the first time, every time he got on the trapeze. He could feel the excitement and suspense the audience felt. His stomach curled as his adrenaline rush began to fade.

Or maybe that was just the popcorn and cotton candy mixture in his stomach.

[Trickster]

He let out a laugh. "Uh...Look who you're talking to!"

The audience began to mellow, and the lights came back down on the ringleader. As he began to announce the closing ceremonies, Tricks made his decent. He met the other behind the canvas and yipped in joy. "Woo!! That was great!!" Some of the circus folk gathered around them, and Jes landed a kiss on his cheek.

Eventually they dispersed for their closing ceremony and only Tricks and Dick were left in the back. He stretched out a hand to the younger man with a smile. "That was awesome. It's been a long time since I've performed with someone reliable up on the trapeze." Boy, wasn't that the truth. But the exhilaration of tonight got him thinking that maybe he'd go and perform again someday. Nothing beat outwitting heroes, and he was sure he'd get bored again, but it would certainly be something to pass the time.

[Nightwing]

He made his descent down the rope ladder, the grin on his face never fading. That performance had been amazing. Being on the trapeze was like jumping off a building- exhilaratingly terrifying. The feeling was breathtaking and it put him on a high.

He smiled and exchanged some words with the fellow circus people, none of whom he really recognized. He left James with his friends to change quickly. Once he was back in his normal clothing, he walked back out to see that the circus was beginning its closing act. He walked up next to James. He smiled and held his hand up for a high-five when James said how awesome the experience had been. His brows furrowed before he raised one at James next statement.

“Really? That sucks, man. I haven’t done anything like this in a while”- He was pretty sure the man didn’t know he was Nightwing, but then again, Wally had a unique relationship with his Rogues, who seemed to always be going back and forth from being good guys to robbing jewelry stores. “But whenever I do anything like that, I never do it with anyone I don’t trust my life to. Maybe that’s because I usually work without a net.” He winked. “It’s a Grayson thing.”

[Trickster]

He grinned. "Pop always insisted we practice without a net. Our performances used to freak me out before a came up with these babies." He floated a bit to emphasize his point. When he touched back down, he motioned towards the exit of the tent. "I think I'll leave the after show celebrations to the hired work. How 'bout grabbin' a beer?"

A little celebrating would be nice. He didn't want to be the center of attention tonight. Tim-Tim's folks deserved it more. He knew he had a habit of pulling focus. And he usually played to that. But a quiet end to the evening would suit him just fine. Perhaps he'll come party with the circus folk before they leave town.

"I still haven't picked out the good bars from the bad here. Any suggestions?" He put his hands on his hips and waited for a response. He could take the time to sort out the drinking establishments, but why put forward the effort when he could get someone else to do it for him?