Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Date: April 12, 20XX

Time: XX P.M.

Location: Gotham Subway Station

Justice League Operative(s) Involved: Hawkgirl

Enemy Agent(s) Involved: Robin

Other(s) Involved: N/A

File Format: video, recorded by Hawkgirl’s headset. No other footage available.

[begin playback]

Robin runs down a subway tunnel. He wears a black suit, red cape, and black eye mask. He stands approximately five foot four inches. His hair is black and tied in a bun. His skin is brown.

Hawkgirl flies in pursuit.

Hawkgirl: Robin!

Robin shoots a mechanized grappling hook into the ceiling of the tunnel. He swings along it, gaining speed but not significantly, due to the low height of the ceiling. He does the same with a second grappling hook.

Hawkgirl gains ground.

Hawkgirl: Robin! Stand your ground and fight!

Robin shoots a third grapple. Hawkgirl swings her mace. Before the weapon can connect, Robin shouts, releases his grip on the grappling hook, and drops to the floor. Robin keeps running.

Hawkgirl: Stand and fight!

Hawkgirl swings her mace. Robin dodges. One spike of the mace hits his cheek; the main blow directs into the wall of the tunnel.

Robin throws smoke bombs, obscuring vision.

Hawkgirl: Motherfucker!

Robin’s footsteps are audible. Hawkgirl follows them into the smoke. 

Robin and Hawkgirl emerge from the smoke. Robin does a back handspring and kicks Hawkgirl across the jaw. Hawkgirl’s mace swing goes wide. Robin flips to his feet and draws paired knives. Hawkgirl lands. They circle each other.

Hawkgirl: Good. Fight me, then, Robin. Or surrender.

Robin smiles.

Robin: Surrender? Hah! You first.

Hawkgirl pauses.

Hawkgirl: Robin. How old are you?

Robin: Why, are you interested or somethin’?

Hawkgirl: You’re a child. Your voice—your height—

Robin: Hey.

Hawkgirl: You could have been a short adult. In this case, since you are a child, I insist you surrender to the Justice League for protection—

Robin laughs, circling Hawkgirl.

Robin: Protection? You’re the one attacking me.

Robin throws his two knives at Hawkgirl. Hawkgirl attempts to dodge, but both knives hit her wings. Hawkgirl screams and falls back.

Robin throws a smoke bomb. His footsteps are heard for a moment, and then vanish. By the time Hawkgirl is moving again, Robin is gone.

[end playback]

Operative Notes:

1. Robin is well-trained and clever. Uses terrain to his advantage when possible. Attacks opponents’ weaknesses. He's skilled in: grapple-hook maneuvering, gymnastics, mixed martial arts, throwing knives. Likely he has other training that he didn't display.

2. Batman has never shown propensity for gymnastics in his recorded fighting styles. This is potentially a skill that Robin learned from another trainer. Explore trainers in and around Gotham: this may be an avenue for discovering Robin's identity, since t he blood sample left on my mace was not sufficient in quantity to run any sort of test.

3. Robin can't be older than sixteen or seventeen, yet he was agile and trained enough that I wonder if he is a metahuman. Some kind of flyer, perhaps? The grappling hooks and gymnastics could have been used to disguise the powers. How the hell did Batman get a meta kid turned into a trained killer?

Conclusion:

Maintain active investigation into Robin and, by extension, Batman.

Chapter Text

Interview Location: Justice League Headquarters, Star City

Interviewer: Wonder Woman (abbreviated to WW)

Interviewee: Barbara Gordon (abbreviated to BG)

File Format: video, recorded by cameras in recording room

[begin playback]

Wonder Woman (WW) and Barbara Gordon (BG) sit in a well-lit interview room, on opposite sides of a table. BG is a young caucasian woman, 22 years old, red hair pulled back, using a wheelchair. She wears a button-up, as if for a job interview. Each woman has a glass of water in front of them.

WW: Thank you for being willing to come out and meet with us, Ms. Gordon.

BG: Barbara’s fine.

WW nods.

BG: I don’t mind coming out. This was about the best reason I could have to get an extension on my final.

WW: I’m glad we were able to help in that regard. You attend university in the city?

BG: Yeah. Star U.

WW: That’s wonderful. I’ve heard many good things about it.

BG: It’s been pretty good. I graduate in a couple weeks.

WW: Congratulations! Do you have plans for after?

BG, nodding: Yeah. Law school in the fall. Listen—can we just get into it?

WW: Of course. 

WW produces the Lasso of Truth and sets it on the table between them.

WW: We typically ask to utilize the Lasso of Truth in this sort of interview, to ensure veracity of information. It would not be tightened, and you could remove it from your arm at any point without question. But if you consent to the Lasso’s use—

BG: Yeah, I know, I read the paperwork and signed before I got here. The Lasso’s fine. Do you just—yeah, alright.

WW takes the Lasso and loops it loosely around Barbara Gordon’s forearm.

BG: That feels kind of weird.

WW: It can be a unique sensation. Are you ready?

BG: Sure.

WW: Alright. Barbara, I’d like to hear, in your own words, your recollection of the night your spine was broken.

BG: Yeah, I figured. You know, someday people are going to want to talk to me about something that isn’t the day my dad got tortured to death. That’s gonna be a really cool day.

WW: I’m sorry to bring this back up—

BG: Sometimes I think I should’ve changed my name when I went to college, just so people would stop asking me about it.

WW: I’m sorry to hear that.

BG: It’s fine. Listen—I gave a statement to the Gotham police. When it happened. I don’t think my memory of that night got better over the past four years.

WW: All records of any statements you previously gave to the Gotham police have vanished from their databases: including the off-site backup storage.

BG looks stunned.

BG: Wait—what?

WW: I’m afraid so.

BG, darkly: That fucker . No wonder the police gave up on catching him after he killed my dad!

WW: Batman?

BG: Obviously. Yeah. Ugh, sorry. I guess you want me to start from the beginning?

WW: Please.

BG, nodding: Yeah. Well. Four years ago—it was pretty late, I was up, texting some guy. My dad had already gone to bed. I thought I heard something in the house, so I called the protection detail—I did that sometimes, and they were cool about it, even though one time it was just a bird on the roof—but they didn’t pick up the phone that night. I probably should’ve called dispatch right then, but, well, I didn’t. I went to find my dad.

WW: For inclusion on the record, your father was—

BG: Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. Well, James, but he went by Jim.

WW: Thank you. Please continue, Barbara.

BG: I didn’t turn any lights on. I just went out into the hall. Uh, when I gave this statement to the police, they wanted to know what I was wearing and stuff like that. Is that helpful?

WW: Any detail you can provide may be helpful.

BG: Okay. I was in pajamas: sweats and a tee shirt. Barefoot. I had my phone. I opened my dad’s door and saw someone standing by the window.

WW: Were the lights on in his room?

BG: No. Just the light from the window. So I couldn’t see super well, but I could see Robin.

WW: At the window?

BG: Yeah.

WW: You’re sure it was Robin?

BG: Yeah. He wasn’t looking at me—he was looking out the window. But I could see the red cape. And there weren’t really photos of him or Batman at that point—I guess there still kind of aren’t, I’ve tried to look online—but everyone knew that Batman wore all black, and Robin wore the red cape.

WW: So you could see his cape? Could you make anything else out about Robin?

BG: Yeah, I could see the cape. Uh. I couldn’t really see much else—he had dark hair, I guess, kind of longish, like he needed a haircut. Oh, he was short, too. At least a head shorter than me.

WW: How tall are you?

BG: Well, at that point I was, I don’t know, five eight, five nine?

WW, nodding: Thank you. Could you see anything else?

BG: Not about Robin. Not then, at least. And Robin wasn’t looking at me, so I looked around the room. And there was enough light from the window to see that the bathroom door was open. And in there there was—a noise.

BG pauses for a long moment, looking down. WW slides her water cup closer to her hand. BG takes it and takes a small drink.

BG: Thanks. Um. I looked in and saw Batman holding my dad over a sink. And he was—his stomach, I—I don’t—

WW: It’s alright. You don’t have to describe it.

BG, with some difficulty: Thanks. Um. Batman dropped him and—and grabbed me.

BG takes another drink of water.

WW: How did he grab you?

BG presses both hands to her throat and mimics an upward lift.

BG: Like that. He lifted me off my feet—he was tall, really tall, taller than my dad—and strong. It didn’t seem like it was hard for him to lift me.

WW nods, listening quietly.

BG: He carried me out of the room. He was talking, but I don’t remember what he said. He seemed angry.

WW: Did he seem to be talking to you? Angry at you?

BG is quiet for a moment, as if considering. She takes another drink of water.

BG: I don’t know. Sorry.

WW: No need to apologize. Do you recall what his voice sounded like?

BG: Like a man’s voice, I guess. Low. Gotham accent. The Gotham police had me listen to some audio logs of people they thought might be Batman, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t any of them.

WW: After this many years, running you through the same exercise would be unreliable.

BG: Makes sense.

WW: Can you tell me what happened after Batman grabbed you?

BG: He carried me into the hall. Threw me down the stairs. It, well—can I swear?

WW: I won’t stop you.

BG : It hurt like a bitch .

WW: I imagine so.

BG: Um. I figure I blacked out for a second, because next thing I knew I was lying at the bottom of the stairs, on my back. I couldn’t really move. Everything hurt. And I couldn’t feel my legs at all.

BG looks down at her legs and her wheelchair.

BG: That one kind of stuck. But—I was lying there, looking up at the stairs, and I thought I was going to die. I kept thinking, shouldn’t I be dead by now? Aren’t I dead by now?

BG pauses and takes a drink of water.

BG: And then Robin came down the stairs. I knew it was him: he was short, no cowl. Just the mask. I remember that—there were streetlamps outside, right, so it was easier to see downstairs, and I remember—I remember what his face looked like. The black mask on this little kid’s face.

WW: Little kid?

BG: He looked young. Super young. Middle school, maybe, I don’t know. He looked like he needed a babysitter.

WW: You could tell this with his mask on?

BG: It’s not like those masks you guys wear really cover all that much. He had chubby cheeks still.

WW, nodding: That’s fair. I’m sorry for interrupting. Please, continue.

BG: You’re fine. Uh. Anyway, Robin came down the stairs. I couldn’t really move to see what he was doing, but he put the home phone in my hand. And then he got up close and whispered to me and told me to play dead, to listen for the window to close, and then to press the call button.

WW: He did?

BG: I mean, yeah. I wouldn’t have been able to get the phone otherwise.

WW: We did get access to some photos. It appeared that your fall down the stairs knocked over the phone.

BG: ...I’m telling you what happened. Robin gave me that phone. I couldn’t even move my hand . If it had fallen, I wouldn’t have been able to grab it.

WW, nodding: So Robin handed it to you?

BG: Yeah.

WW: And what happened then?

BG: Well, he’d told me to close my eyes. What else was I going to do? I already thought I was dying—so I closed my eyes. And I lay there trying to not think about how much it hurt, and trying to not think that maybe Batman was going to come down the stairs next, and, and, trying not to breathe because it hurt and what if I missed the sound of the window closing?

BG pauses. Her hands shake a little. She tucks them into her lap.

BG: Sorry.

WW: It’s alright.

BG : I just lay there, is what I mean. And then I heard the window close. Or I thought I did. I was so scared I was just making up the noise in my head and Batman would still be there, but I pressed the call button. And the phone rang. I couldn’t even lift it up to my face, but I could hear the dispatcher on the other end. You know, the standard, 911, what’s your emergency? And all that. I—I didn’t answer. I couldn’t get myself to talk. The hospital said nothing was wrong with my voice, I could’ve talked, I just—didn’t. I guess I was still trying to play dead.

WW: You were doing what made you feel safest.

BG: I guess so. Um. I don’t really remember a lot after that, just the voice from the phone getting quieter and quieter. And the next time I woke up I was in the hospital.

WW nods. They are quiet for a few moments. BG takes a sip of water.

WW: Can you tell me anything else about your interactions with Robin?

BG, a little startled: Robin? Not Batman?

WW: Correct.

BG: Yeah. Sure. I mean—I said he was young, black hair. I think his skin was brown—it was darker than mine, at least, but it was hard to tell, with the lights off.

WW: What did his voice sound like?

BG, after a moment: Well, young, I guess. He didn’t really have a Gotham accent.

WW: Did he have another accent?

BG: I don’t know. American? Or—not fully American, but—I couldn’t place it. Sorry.

WW: That’s alright.

BG: He talked really quiet. He sounded scared. I remember that. I remember thinking: I’m dying and it’s Robin who’s scared.

WW nods slowly.

WW: Your hospital records indicate that if the ambulance had gotten to you any slower, you would have died.

BG: They told me that, yeah.

WW : Why do you think Robin saved your life?

BG shrugs. 

BG: I don’t know. I ask myself that all the time.

WW: You don’t have any theories?

BG: I must’ve come up with a million of them. Nothing that really makes sense, though. Maybe he felt bad for me. I don’t know. I’m glad he did it, though.

WW: As am I.

There’s quiet for a few minutes.

BG: Why are you asking me so much about Robin, anyway? It’s like you said earlier—it’s been four years since that night. What’s going on that you’re asking now?

WW: Anything I tell you here falls under the non—

BG: Non-disclosure agreement I signed, yeah. I know.

WW, after a moment’s consideration: In our recent intervention in Gotham—

BG, muttering: Where you killed nearly three thousand people, yeah, I heard about it. I don't blame them for the kryptonite shield after that.

WW pauses and takes a drink of water.

WW: On that day, a Justice League operative interacted with Robin. They left the interaction with the impression that Robin may be a metahuman.

BG: For real?

WW: Yes.

BG: What does that mean? Or, I guess, why do you care? I read all the articles about the agreement you guys made with Gotham—you wouldn’t interfere with anything, you wouldn’t go into city limits—

WW: That is the agreement, yes. We have no desire to contradict it. However, the Justice League maintains primary jurisdiction over metahumans worldwide. If Robin is, indeed, a metahuman...

BG: Then you’d have reason to go into Gotham and get him. What, you’re planning to kill another three thousand Gothamites in the process?

WW, softer: No. But we both know the Gotham police have bent the knee to Batman, Barbara. Nobody there will stop his reign of terror. Having reason to enter the city and pursue Robin might give us a chance to get justice for your father.

BG goes still.

BG: I’m getting tired of talking about this. Do you have any other questions, or can I go?

WW: You are the only civilian that we know of who has had sustained contact with Robin and lived to tell the tale.

BG: Okay.

WW: In your interactions with him, did he display any abilities or talents that could—even potentially—be classified as metahuman?

BG: I don’t know.

The Lasso begins to glow. BG frowns at it, but keeps her arm on the table.

BG: He was quiet. Creepily quiet. He didn’t seem to have any problems moving around even though it was dark. Hell, I don’t know, he works for a guy called Batman . I’m not the first to think they could be weird bat metas.

WW: Nor will you be the last, I imagine. Thank you, Barbara.

BG: Listen—hey—before we wrap this up and go back to the non-disclosure agreement.

WW: Yes?

BG: Whatever your deal is with metahumans and Robin and Batman, that’s not my business. But don’t fucking touch my city again.

WW: We intended no harm to Gotham—

BG pulls the Lasso from her arm, then rolls herself sharply away from the table.

BG: I’m sure you didn’t. Goodbye.

She wheels herself out of the room without waiting for a response.

[end recording]

Operative Notes:

1. Barbara's recollection of how easily and quietly Robin navigated the dark house could speak to a metahuman gene. It could also speak to excellent preparation on the part of Robin and Batman. I find this proof inconclusive that Robin is or is not a meta. Further information is required.
2. I am shocked to learn that Robin not just spared Barbara's life, but actively saved it. This must be taken into consideration. However, Robin’s interaction with Barbara occurred within a year of the first recorded sighting of Robin with Batman. There’s no proof that Robin has continued to spare or save any other lives.
3. Barbara confirms Hawkgirl’s suspicions that Robin is a minor. Between their recollections, I would place the current Robin at approximately age 17 in present-day, and approximately 13 at the time of his interaction with Barbara.
4. ...Gotham citizens remain almost universally wary of the Justice League after Wayne’s slandering and creation of the kryptonite bubble. Even without receiving the threat from Batman about the reveal of our secret identities upon his death, every interaction I have with a Gothamite only decreases my hope of being allowed to return and protect Gotham. 
5. In some ways, it seems as though Barbara hates us as much as she hates Batman.

Conclusions:

Robin’s status as a metahuman remains uncertain. Without proof that he is meta, we have no argument to send a Green Lantern Corps into the city.

Continue monitoring the situation from afar, and scouring Gotham social media and news feeds for any photographic evidence of Robin.

Chapter Text

Justice League Internal Note

Composed by: Superman

Data processing of Gotham news media and Gotham-based social media accounts continues to report shockingly low levels of Robin-based discussion. Conversation around Batman remains at a consistent level, but conversation around Robin has diminished significantly from the summer’s average.

Most mentions of Robin, currently, are only in conjunction with Batman. Some news outlets have even speculated that Robin is dead or injured, given the apparent lack of sightings of the criminal vigilante.

The last sighting of Robin appears to be last August, when eighteen different Gotham-based civilian social media accounts reported seeing Batman and Robin in the city. As per usual, the only photo evidence provided was low quality—but does display two caped figures. Based on their relative sizes, as well as the corresponding written accounts, it seems likely that this is indeed Batman and Robin.

If Robin is dead, these may be the last photos of him ever taken.

Let’s review morgue and hospital data from Gotham, beginning last August, to the present day. We don't have access to individual information, but we might be able to narrow down Robin based on demographic information. We’re looking for a 16–20 year old with brown skin, black hair, and a scar across the cheek (courtesy of Hawkgirl’s mace). He will likely have other scars, as is common to the life of any vigilante.

Follow-Up:

Composed by: Superman

Data review of morgue and hospital demographics in Gotham, last August to present, reveals no leads. No bodies or patients matching Robin’s description have been noted.

Addendum:

Composed by: The Flash

Let’s be honest, Batman was never going to take Robin to a morgue. If he’s dead, it’s in a ditch somewhere. And honestly? Good riddance.

Chapter Text

Earlier this year, a new line of Drake Industries security cameras was introduced to the market and heavily purchased in Gotham. Following an anonymous tip provided to the Justice League public whistleblower email, we were able to gain backdoor access to some of these security cameras, allowing us some visuals of Gotham besides the news stations and civilian social media accounts.

The following footage was recently retrieved:

Date: December 17, 20XX

Time: 11:19–11:21 PM

Location: Downtown Gotham

Justice League Operative(s) Involved: N/A

Enemy Agent(s) Involved: Batman, Robin

Other(s) Involved: N/A

File format: video, recorded by hacked Drake Industries security camera. No audio available. No other footage available.

Footage reviewed and annotated by Superman.

[begin playback]

There is an empty rooftop in the camera view, which primarily focuses on a jewelry store. There is some light from streetlamps. The night is smoggy and the sky is green from Gotham’s kryptonite shield.

Batman lands on the rooftop. He is a tall man, standing approximately six feet three inches, in a black suit. The suit has a bat emblazoned on the chest, a black cape, and a cowl. Only his chin and mouth are visible; white skin. He turns away from the camera.

A smaller figure turns a triple flip, landing next to Batman: Robin. He wears a gray suit with a silver bat on the chest, black eye mask, and a shorter red cape. He has brown skin, black hair tied back, and a scar on his cheekbone.

Batman and Robin look at each other. Batman gestures, likely speaking out of the camera's sight.

Robin, as translated by a Justice League lip reader: About a million times better.

Batman gestures again, likely speaking.

Robin laughs, tipping his head back.

Robin, as translated by a Justice League lip reader: Yes, sir! Watch—!

Robin runs towards the edge of the roof and leaps off of the edge, out of camera frame. Although the camera shows the street, there is no sign of Robin landing.

Batman walks out of camera frame the opposite direction.

[end playback]

Operative Notes:

1. Robin is alive. I wonder why Batman brought him onto the street on this night, and why Batman kept him away for so long. We had theorized about Robin receiving an injury in the field, but the ease of motion in his acrobatics suggested that Robin was not in recovery.
2. The scar on Robin’s cheekbone matches the placement of the blow Hawkgirl dealt him during their prior interaction (see Entry 1). Long-lasting placement of the scar suggests there is no healing factor present in Robin’s meta abilities.
3. Robin’s disappearance from the camera frame after jumping from the roof suggests that he either rose into the air or traveled horizontally through the air. Either way, he did not fall as a nonmeta would. I suspect he has some flying meta capabilities.

Conclusion:

This is about as definitive proof that we’re going to get that Robin is a metahuman.

The Justice League’s agreement with the city of Gotham doesn’t prevent the Green Lantern Corps from operating within the city. We should continue to push to increase the Lantern Corps’ reach within Gotham. Should there be an opportunity to engage with or capture Robin, the Corps has custodial rights due to Robin’s meta abilities.

Chapter Text

Date: August 16, 20XX

Time: 11:02 PM

Location: The Bowery, Gotham

File format: photo file of Robin, Batman, and Eduardo Lopez (deceased). Photo provided to Gotham PD by unknown source. No other footage available.

[view photo]

A photo of three people: Robin, Batman, and Eduardo Lopez (deceased). Lopez is in the foreground, lying on his back, bloody. His chest has been cut open with Robin’s bat-symbol, and his heart has been removed.

Robin crouches over Lopez’s body, holding the bloody bat-symbol in one hand and Lopez’s heart in the other. Based on camera angles, Robin appears to be approximately 6’0”. He is muscular and broad-shouldered. He has brown skin and black hair in tight curls. Blood is splashed across his face. (From Justice League analysts: presumed to be Lopez’s blood.)

Batman stands behind Robin, silhouetted against the somewhat-green Gotham night sky. (Image enhancements reveal that he is wearing a black suit with a black bat across the chest, black cape, and full-head cowl. The visible section of chin and mouth reveal white skin.)

[close photo]

Operative Notes: 

Composed by: Superman

1. This is a photo deliberately designed to intimidate. I presume it was provided to the Gotham PD by Batman and/or Robin directly.
2. The Robin in this photo is not the same Robin from Hawkgirl’s recording (see Entry 1) and from the hacked Drake Industries camera (see Entry 4).
• His face shape, skin tone, and hair are different.
• He lacks the scar from Hawkgirl’s mace.
• If we were not in possession of Hawkgirl’s recording or the hacked footage from the Drake Industries camera, I doubt that we would have been able to note these differences.

Conclusion

This is a new Robin. Henceforth, all mentions of the first-seen Robin will be noted as Robin_01, while all mentions of this Robin will be noted as Robin_02.

Justice League Internal Note

Composed by: Superman

I think it’s likely that Robin_01 has been dead for some time. The last footage we have of him is from mid-winter (see Entry 4). When Robin reappeared in summer, reports coming out of Gotham indicated that his victims have been brutalized. I suspect that the change in killing style correlates to the death of Robin_01, and his replacement by Robin_02.

We have no proof, or even suspicion, that Robin_02 is a meta. He appears to be an ordinary young man, around the same age as Robin_01. Without suspicion of Robin_02’s meta status, we have no justification to continue pushing Gotham to allow the Corps to capture Robin. We will have to carefully monitor the hacked Drake Industries cameras in the hopes of finding more traces of Robin_02, his identity, and any potential meta status.

Addendum

Composed by: Wonder Woman

I feel that we failed Robin_01. He was a serial killer, but he was young. Perhaps he could have been helped.

Chapter Text

Date: December 3, 20XX

Time: 3:17 AM

Location: The Narrows, Gotham

Justice League Operative(s) Involved: N/A

Enemy Agent(s) Involved: Robin_02

Other(s) Involved: “Blue”

File format: video, recorded by hacked Drake Industries security camera. No audio available. No other footage available.

Footage reviewed and annotated by Superman.

[begin playback]

The camera shows a low rooftop. The sky is cloudy and faintly green. There are a few flakes of snow falling.

Two figures swing past the rooftop, hanging from a single grappling line.

Robin_02 (wearing the standard Robin outfit: gray suit, silver bat on chest, red cape, black mask; with short curly black hair) holds the grappling line in one hand, not appearing strained by the motion or the weight of the second person that he holds to his chest as he flies past the camera.

The second figure is wrapped around Robin_02, their legs around his waist and arms around his neck. Their head is buried in Robin_02's shoulder: face and skin are entirely covered. Their hair is black. They are slim but visibly muscular, and wear a tight-fitted costume of black and silver. As the streetlights shift over the black sections of the costume, it becomes iridescent blue. There are no bats or other iconography visible on the costume. (Hereafter, the second figure will be referred to as Blue.)

Though Robin_02 has one arm wrapped around Blue’s waist, he does not appear to be holding them up. Blue appears to be holding onto Robin_02 of their own volition.

Robin_02 and Blue arc through the air and out of the camera’s view.

[end playback]

Operative Notes

1. We’ve heard no sign of Robin (_01 or _02) or Batman interacting with any others in Gotham without killing them. (A notable exception being Barbara Gordon, of Entry 2, whose life was spared by Robin_01.) Victims have never been moved to a second location. It’s possible that Blue is part of a new trend; however, the apparent willingness of Blue to hold onto Robin_02 raises questions.
   • Is Blue drugged?
   • Is Blue a new ally of Robin_02 and/or Batman?
2. The suit Blue is wearing looks similar in design (in terms of material) to the vigilante outfits worn by Robin_02 and Batman.

Conclusion

Keep a tight eye on the Gotham PD death reports, and on the hacked Drake Industries cameras, for any further sign of Blue. Whether they are Robin_02’s next victim or new co-conspirator, it would be ideal to identify them as soon as possible.

Chapter Text

File Format: N/A. Deductions based on video "glitching" of Drake Industries cameras. No other footage available.

Composed by: Superman

Beginning in March, 20XX, every single hacked Drake Industries camera that we have access to began “glitching.” These glitches occurred as temporary power losses, resulting in blanks in the security footage. The glitches exclusively blanked footage for one second or for three seconds.

Justice League operatives began actively monitoring the glitches in the beginning of April, 20XX. These glitches occurred exclusively between the hours of midnight and 2 AM, and did not occur every night.

After reviewing backdated camera footage, the monitoring operatives became certain of the message that the cameras were repeating Morse Code, though in a nonsensical combination. Justice League codebreakers took two weeks to decipher the code, whose cipher was found to be based on the spoof email address that first sent the anonymous tip about the Drake Industries cameras (see Entry 4 ).

After completing the codebreaking, the repeated message reads:

BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE

MAGPIE RICHARD GRAYSON

ROBIN JASON TODD

This message would then repeat. It often took multiple days to repeat the same three lines.

Operative Notes

1. This is not the first time the Justice League has been sent tips about Batman’s identity. It is also not the first time that Bruce Wayne has been accused. (Most men in Gotham have been accused, at this point.)
   • Prior research into the possibility of Bruce Wayne being Batman has turned up no evidence.
2. This is the first time that an identity tip has been sent in regarding Robin (either _01 or _02).
   • This tip does not confirm whether it references Robin_01 or Robin_02.
3. This is also the first time that any tip, including an identity tip, has been sent in regarding “Magpie.”
   • Uncertain yet if we can presume “Blue” and “Magpie” to be the same person. However, footage of “Blue” (see Entry 6) reveals patterns on their outfit similar to a Eurasian magpie.
4. For this message to be coming from the hacked Drake Industries cameras, I think it’s highly likely that the person sending the message is the one who first sent us the anonymous tip that allowed us access to these cameras. While it is League protocol to regard every anonymous tip as individual and unconnected from other tips, the likelihood of this being the tipper’s second message—as evidenced by their use of the DI cameras to send the message, as well as the cipher being the previous email address—is high.

As always, we have a burden of proof to maintain. We can draw no conclusions about any vigilantes’ identity without legitimate proof.

Additionally, the Justice League’s agreement with Gotham stipulates that we are only allowed to interfere if 1) metahumans are involved, and 2) the city agrees to allow the Justice League to temporarily operate within its borders. Unless we have proof that one of the three—Batman, Robin, or Magpie—is a metahuman, and we obtain Gotham’s approval to enter their territory, we cannot interfere ourselves.

However, if we can establish the veracity of Batman, Robin, or Magpie’s identities, that can only serve us in uncovering their potential metahuman status. Failing that, we can provide the information to the Gotham PD.

Conclusions

Research Richard Grayson for potential links to Magpie or Blue (see Entry 6).

Research Jason Todd for potential links to Robin_01 or Robin_02.

Research any possible links between Bruce Wayne, Richard Grayson, and Jason Todd.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

• Note: There are two Jason Todds living in the Gotham Metropolitan Area. One of them is a 87-year old pensioner. By his age and his white skin, I have decided to remove him from our suspect pool.

The Jason Todd recorded to live in the Gotham Metropolitan Area has few documents to his name. This investigation is ongoing; any further documents will be added to the list.

Jason Peter Todd (hereafter referenced as JPT)

Birth date: August 16, 20XX

Location of birth: Gotham Hospital

Information taken from birth certificate:

Mother’s Name: Sheila Haywood

• Note: preliminary investigation into Sheila Haywood reveals that she is a doctor working in Ethiopia, and has been doing so for the past 9 years.

Father’s Name:  [blank]

Information taken from adoption certificate:

Mother’s Name: Catherine Todd

• Note: preliminary investigation into Catherine Todd reveals a death certificate dated two years ago. Cause of death: overdose.

Father’s Name: Willis Todd

• Note: preliminary investigation into Willis Todd reveals a death certificate dated six years ago. Cause of death: prison riot.

Current age: 16

Vaccination records: Here.

School records: Pre-K; Elementary

• School photos exist in grades 1, 2, and 4. See here.

• No school records in middle school or high school exist.
• The last recorded school attendance we have for JPT was when he was 11.

Other records: N/A

Internal Note:

1. In terms of which Robin JPT may be: there are school records for JPT during the first years of Robin_01’s active presence. It is possible that he served as Robin_01 during those years: his school records note a high number of absences. However, his school records vanish three years before the presumed death of Robin_01 / the debut of Robin_02.
2. JPT’s school photos suggest more of a resemblance to Robin_02 than Robin_01. However, I hesitate to make any conjectures here based on appearance. 
• In the photos, JPT appears to be small for his age. 
• Robin_02 has a notably large physique.
3. Frankly, JPT seems a dubious candidate due to his young age. If he really is Robin_02, then he began at age 14; if he really was Robin_01, then he began at age 9. There aren’t many 9-year-olds or 14-year-olds capable of the things the Robins have done. 

Conclusions:

This search was focused on Gotham. There is 1) every chance that the Jason Todd accused of being Robin does not have any records within Gotham, and 2) every chance that this was a false accusation. Remember: identity accusations are false until proven true.

Maintain a passive investigation into JPT as Robin. Emphasize the location of any more recent files, including death certificates or John Doe records that might match.

Research other Jason Todds with records in the surrounding states as potential candidates for Robin.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

Note: full video footage available of the Arkham Slaughter can be found archived here. This is a collection of the most prevalent Robin_02 footage.

Date: September 27, 20XX

Time: 1:13 PM–5:42 PM

Location: Various; Gotham

Justice League Operative(s) Involved: N/A

Enemy Agent(s) Involved: Batman, Robin_02, presumed Magpie

Other(s) Involved: escaped criminals of Arkham Asylum, Gothamite bystanders

File format: various videos. Origin of each video noted before playback.

Video 01: recorded by Gotham 1, a local news station.

[begin playback]

The video is shot through a glass window and shows a bloody Gotham street from ground level, with three orange-dressed bodies lying unmoving in a puddle of blood. Two figures fight hand-to-hand: Robin_02 (appearing in his usual suit; hair appears longer and is tied back; has detached the silver bat from his chest and uses it as a knife) and a large man in an orange jumpsuit (not yet identified). They go back and forth a few times: though the escapee’s blows crack the asphalt of the road, Robin_02 is quicker than he is, and blocks or dodges every blow.

Robin_02 ducks in close, slips beneath the escapee’s hand, and slams his knife up. He digs his bat-blade into the man’s ribs and keeps pushing.

The video shudders momentarily. Someone behind the camera gags loudly, off-screen.

When the video focuses Robin_02 is pulling away from the man, his arms soaked in blood up to the elbow. He holds the knife in one hand and what appears to be a heart in the other. As the man collapses, Robin_02 throws his heart down on top of his body, then charges down the street as another orange-jumpsuited escapee appears.

[playback continues. To view the complete recording, view here.]

Note: most videos available show different angles of this fight, or similar fights, over the course of the afternoon. The following videos provide footage of the most unique moments of Robin_02’s activities.

Video 02: recorded by @knights.of.goth (real identity unknown) and uploaded to YouTube with the title “ROBIN IN GOTHAM NOT CLICKBAIT.” Removed by YouTube within 3 hours for depictions of violence. A copy was downloaded onto Justice League servers before its removal.

[begin playback]

Video is shaky and low-quality, from a high angle (calculated to be taken from 6–7 stories up), and recorded through a window. The recorder’s breath can be heard shaking slightly as they record the scene.

Video shows a Gotham street. It is almost entirely empty, despite the bright green light of afternoon. A single person limps down the street, moving very slowly.

The video zooms in on the person. They appear to be soaked in red—presumed blood—that stains their skin, hair, and the shredded jumpsuit they’re wearing. (Upon image enhancement, the jumpsuit appears to be a blood-soaked Arkham jumpsuit.) The figure has a few hasty bandages on one leg, and one around their head, that are likewise bloody.

“Holy shit,” whispers the person recording. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”

The blood-soaked person (hereafter referred to as Magpie—see Entry 9: Note 01 for full explanation) limps further down the road.

Magpie is halfway down the road when the cameraperson says, “Oh my god!” 

The angle of the video changes, moving upwards. The video blurs slightly, then focuses on Robin_02 as he drops off of a rooftop holding a grappling line, retracting the line and running directly towards Magpie.

Magpie freezes. Then they stagger forward and collapse onto Robin_02, embracing him.

After a few seconds, Robin_02 leans back but does not fully pull away. He produces what a mask and presses it to Magpie’s face. Robin_02 then pulls two grapples off his belt and hooks them onto Magpie’s belt.

The two stand still for a few seconds longer, Magpie with their arms around Robin_02.

Robin_02 leans back. Magpie lifts his hands to Robin_02’s shoulders, leans in, and presses their heads together. (Note: potentially a kiss; camera angle and amount of blood makes it difficult to say.) 

Magpie steps away, limps forward, and shoots one of the grappling lines up. They fly out of sight; the camera stays on Robin_02, whose hand is pressed to his cheek.

“Oh my god,” says the cameraperson. “Oh my god, Robin didn’t kill that guy. Holy shit.”

A few seconds later, Robin_02 pulls out his grapple—the only one left on his belt—and shoots it. He pauses, seemingly testing the line, before he flies out of sight. The camera spins, but quickly loses track of him.

[end playback]

Video 03: recorded by Maria Chen, an office worker in a nearby building. Chen provided the footage to local news station Gotham 1. Snippets of this video were used in their evening coverage of the events. 

[begin playback]

Video appears to be taken from 2–3 stories up, with a phone camera, through a glass window.

A large man in an orange jumpsuit (bald, approx. 7 feet tall) (identified as Eduardo Dorrance, aka “Bane”) lifts a parked car and hurls it into a building.

Robin_02, who had been standing on a balcony ledge, jumps from the building and swings onto a grapple. He soars through the air as the car embeds itself into the building with a ringing boom and swirl of dust and cement.

Dorrance picks up another car and throws it at Robin_02, still in-midair.

The cameraperson gasps.

Robin_02 releases his grapple and freefalls through the air. The car soars over his head, missing by ~4 inches, and embeds itself into another building with another crash.

The camera follows Robin_02 as he falls through the air and hits the ground. (Based on building height and camera angles, he appears to fall ~35 feet.) 

The camera zooms in: Robin_02 does not move. His legs are bent at unnatural angles. Blood pools around him.

“Is he dead?” asks an voice from further behind the camera.

Smoke blooms outside, entirely covering the road. The camera shakes as the cameraperson scrambles backwards.

[end playback]

Note: Testimony reported by Chen, and corroborated by other bystanders, notes that the street filled with smoke. They moved away from the windows. When Gotham emergency personnel cleared them to leave the building early the next morning, Robin_02 was gone.

No further footage of Robin_02 from this time point on is available.

Gotham 1 and other local news stations have provided extensive what they have termed the “Arkham Slaughter.” This is the first real incursion of Batman and Robin into the broad sight of the public—and the first time the public has had video evidence.

Generally, the sentiment among reporters and Gothamites is that Batman and Robin did manage to protect the city from an assortment of violent metahuman criminals, while the Gotham PD’s defense attempt, on the road to Arkham, failed (32 officers dead at scene). While it is not necessarily goodwill, it is certainly the most positive sentiment that Gotham has ever held towards Batman and Robin: a belief that despite their methods, they are effective.

Rumors abound about the possibility of Robin_02’s death. (See the current trending hashtags in Gotham: #BatmanAndRobin, #DeadRobin, #ArkhamSlaughter, #IsRobinDead.)

Note 01: Who is the blood-soaked person?

I conjecture that it is Magpie (aka, Blue). My reasoning is as follows:

• The last time Batman and Robin_01 responded to an escape from Arkham Asylum, they killed every single escapee, to the point of hunting down the ones who hid from the initial bloodbath.
• Robin_02 left the blood-soaked person alive. While Robin_01 has left victims alive (see Barbara Gordon, Entry 2), Robin_02 has never done so.
• Robin_02 embraced the blood-soaked person, gave them a black mask (akin to the mask of the Robin uniform), and two of his grappling guns. The blood-soaked person handled the grapples with an ease that speaks to experience using them.
• The blood-soaked person appears to be wearing the jumpsuit of an Arkham prisoner. This implies that today’s Arkham escape was, potentially, an inside job: one arranged by Batman and Robin_02, and enacted by their person on the inside: the one who met up with Robin_2 in Gotham.
• We have only ever had record of one other person associated with Batman and Robin_02 at a time: once, internally named by the Justice League as “Blue” (see Entry 6, and note that again Robin_02 is physically close to them/comfortable with them); the second time, named by an anonymous tip as “Magpie” (Entry 7). Today’s appearance of a blood-soaked person—whose height, overall build, and dark hair color (though difficult to ascertain given the blood) all match Magpie and Blue—has convinced me that these three people are one and the same. Therefore, I have referred to the blood-soaked person as “Magpie” in previous sections of this report.
  • • Should evidence arise proving that Magpie, Blue, and/or the blood-soaked person are different people, I will redo this entry with the updated information.

Note 02: Is Robin_02 Dead?

It’s possible that Robin_02 is dead, but not certain. He fell from approximately 35 feet in the air and did not land on his head. This is a survivable distance, especially for a man wearing heavy body armor.

• Robin_01 died and was replaced by Batman. It’s possible Batman will do the same, if Robin_02 is dead. We’ll need to keep a close eye on any new footage we can find of Robin, to see if he gets replaced with a Robin_03.
• Footage from earlier in the day of Robin_02 shows him using multiple grappling lines to avoid such situations. Tracking the items on his belt, we can see that he gave both of his spare grapples to Magpie ~1 hour before this fight took place. If Robin_02 had retained his grapples, I have no doubt he would not have fallen.

Conclusions:

I am marking our efforts to access data from Arkham Asylum (video footage, prisoner records, guard records, intake information, and testimony from the 6 surviving guards) as high priority. It’s highly likely that Magpie was undercover there. I need as much information about Magpie’s undercover mission as possible.

A member of the Green Lantern Corps, John Stewart, was conducting an intake interview at Arkham Asylum at the time of the breakout. He survived, but was injured and knocked unconscious, and is currently in the hospital. His briefcase was recovered, but it had been unlocked and the recording device within was destroyed. I find the targeted destruction of this information incredibly suspicious: as soon as we can get Stewart on his feet enough to provide an interview, the better. This is also high priority.

Keep a close eye on the hacked Drake Industries cameras in Gotham. We’re looking for any sign of Robin_02, or, potentially, Robin_03.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern John Stewart

Date: October 1, 20XX

Interview Location: Watchtower

Interviewer: Wonder Woman (abbreviated to WW)

Interviewee: Green Lantern John Stewart (abbreviated to JS)

File format: video, recorded by cameras in interview room

[begin playback]

Wonder Woman (WW) and Green Lantern John Stewart (JS) sit in a dimly-lit interview room, on opposite sides of a table. The Lasso of Truth is looped around JS’s forearm.

WW: If you could begin by providing an overview of the situation, John.

JS: Yes. For recording purposes, my name is John Stewart, Green Lantern of Earth. I am the Green Lantern currently designated to metahuman cases in Gotham: specifically, in regards to Arkham Asylum. Part of that role involves conducting intake interviews with each newly admitted metahuman.

JS: Four days ago, I finally received permission from the city council to enter Gotham and visit Arkham, to conduct an intake interview for metahuman prisoner John Gray. Protocol dictates that these intake interviews happen within a week of a prisoner’s admittance to the Asylum: due to the delay in getting permission, my interview with Gray happened after he had been in Arkham for twenty-five days.

WW: This occurred on the day of the second Arkham escape: what people are calling the Arkham Slaughter. John and I and Superman have already discussed these events off the record: we’re reviewing them again in an interview to establish lasso-verified documentation.

JS: Yes.

WW: Apologies. Back to the Arkham Slaughter. We have not been able to access any video footage of that day from Arkham Asylum: Gotham PD has insisted that no footage survived, and our efforts to hack their database found no hidden footage.

JS: Thus, our interview right now.

WW: Yes. Did anything seem unusual when you entered Arkham?

JS: Not at all. I’ve been doing intake interviews there for nearly fifteen years now. Everything followed procedure: I entered Arkham with my audio recorder and reviewed John Gray’s entry files.

WW: Can you provide any information about those files? We’re unable to access them. Privacy laws.

JS: Ah. Right. Yes. I don’t have a perfect memory, but I can give you the gist.

WW: Please.

JS: There wasn’t much in the way of paperwork. Nothing from childhood, even though he’s young—twenty. The earliest records that Arkham had on him were from a couple of years ago—from a free clinic in Gotham. A few months of a rental agreement. Beyond that, the only records were oral testimony from people who knew him in Gotham.

WW: Do you remember anything about the testimonies they gave?

JS: There wasn’t much detail. Mostly it was from street workers or, ah, their clients. None of them seemed to be close to Gray at all: they’d just knew him in passing, or through working the streets. He came into Arkham after blowing up a building he was working next to, and killing his current client, as well as a few others who were in the building.

WW: Hm.

JS: One thing was interesting, though.

WW: Yes?

JS: There weren’t any blood tests. Normally all metahumans have a blood analysis run when they enter Arkham—it helps isolate their meta gene, adjust any medications they might need, that sort of thing. I asked the doctor if she had one for Gray, and she said no. Said she’d been told not to do one for him.

WW, frowning: That sounds suspicious.

JS: Agreed. Maybe I should have pushed more into it, but I figured it was a higher-up decision, and that I wouldn’t get much except for resentment if I kept bothering the doctor. She was able to show me Gray’s entry photos, though: she has to record all injuries, scars, tattoos, that kind of thing.

WW: Right. Did Gray have any distinctive marks?

JS, nodding: Yes. Before that: he’s brown; long black hair. But as far as distinctive marks go—no tattoos, but someone hurt Gray real bad, that’s for sure. Whip marks all over his back: more scar tissue than untouched skin. Heavy scars on the hands, like a boxer might have. A handful of other scars all over the body. A deep scar on the cheek.

JS traces a finger across his cheekbone, mimicking the placement of the scar.

WW: Was there anything else of note in Gray’s entry files?

JS: Not especially. Once I finished reviewing the files, I went to the interview room to meet him. He was already there, hands cuffed to the table.

WW: What was your initial impression of Gray?

JS: Honestly? I felt bad for the guy. He looked pretty beat up: he clearly hadn’t been having a good time in Arkham. Bruised on the face, and heavier bruises on the arms. Fairly thin: looked like he’d lost some muscle mass in Arkham. He had oatmeal in his hair.

WW nods.

JS: Then we talked. I went through the standard interview questions, trying to establish a rapport. He told me he was from Gotham, had had his powers—for the record, metahuman explosive powers—all his life, and set fires accidentally as a child. He told me about physical abuse from his father in response to the fires, as well as two exorcisms. He also told me he’d tried to get his powers under control without support: attempting meditation and drugs, without success. And I... well. I believed him. He seemed absolutely sincere: crying, the whole deal.

WW: Then what happened?

JS: I reached out to comfort him. He... somehow, he’d removed his hands from the cuffs that held him to the table—though he hadn’t removed the meta-suppressant cuffs—and headbutted me. I admit, it took me a moment to get my focus back and begin operating my ring in standard response—hold and contain. While I was doing so, Gray dove to the floor—and then there was an explosion overhead. I lost focus on my ring. Then Gray tackled me to the floor. And that’s the last thing I remember.

WW: Do you believe that Gray caused the explosion?

JS: I think so, yes.

WW: Earlier, you said he was wearing the meta-suppressant cuffs. Was he wearing them at this point?

JS, after a moment of thought: ...yes. Yes, he was. I remember the light flashing—the cuffs are white, and a little reflective. He was still wearing them.

WW: Is there a way to disable the meta-suppressants while still wearing the cuffs?

JS: No. The cuffs were designed by the Justice League specifically for this. Gray was wearing them—he couldn’t have accessed any metahuman abilities.

WW: Then how do you think he created the explosion?

JS pauses, frowning.

JS: I don’t know. Perhaps he found a workaround? Or...

WW: Or?

JS: The doctor never did a blood test. It is... well. It could be possible that he’s not even a meta. Perhaps it was just... a bomb.

WW: We’ll look into it.

JS nods.

JS: After that, I came to in a hospital. Gotham emergency service workers had pulled me out of the rubble of the Asylum. I’ve been heavily concussed.

WW: I know. And I know you’re supposed to be on bedrest. We’ll wrap this up as quickly as we can.

WW produces a tablet and sets it on the table. She plays back the recording of Robin_01, as recorded by Hawkgirl and documented in Entry 1.

WW: Do you see any similarity between this footage of Robin_01 and your personal interactions with John Gray?

JS, nodding: Absolutely. He’s younger in this video, but the scar on the cheek matches perfectly. So does the rest of the face, even with the mask. And the voice is the same, too. I’d stake my life on John Gray being the first Robin.

[end playback]

Notes

1. Robin_01 is not dead.
2. We suspected that Batman and Robin had someone on the inside of Arkham (see Entry 9, the blood-soaked person), and anticipated that this person was Magpie. I suggest that instead of dying, Robin_01 was simply retired, and took up the Magpie mantle instead
• The paperwork that exists for John Gray lines up roughly chronologically with the first sighting of Magpie (see “Blue” in Entry 6). It’s likely that he began both new identities—Magpie and John Gray—at or around the same time.
• JS’s description of John Gray aligns visually with all video footage we’ve seen of Magpie.
• This explains why Magpie was able to handle Robin_02’s grapples with such ease (as per Video 02 in Entry 9): Magpie/Robin_01 used the grapples long before Robin_02 did.
• It’s the best explanation we’ve found for the disappearance of Robin_01 and the sudden appearance of Magpie. Unless proven otherwise, we will move forward under the assumption that Robin_01, Magpie, and John Gray are the same person.
3. We did some base research into the names we were tipped off about in Entry 7, in which a tip was given that Jason Todd is Robin and Richard Grayson is Magpie. We ran into a dead end researching Jason Todd (see Entry 8; the search is ongoing in surrounding states): we need to escalate our research into Richard Grayson, under the idea that Magpie is Robin_01.

Note: in an attempt to improve the clarity of the Robin Files, we will continue to refer to this man as Magpie, rather than Robin_01.

Conclusions:

Robin_01 is not dead. Instead, he is operating under the code name Magpie and the civilian persona John Gray.

Magpie may be a metahuman with explosive abilities: research the Arkham doctor’s orders to not give John Gray a blood test. Determining his metahuman status is critical to the Justice League’s ability to petition to enter Gotham to apprehend him. High priority.

Research Richard Grayson as a potential identity of Magpie. High priority.

Review of Known Identities

1. Batman
• Proven identity: unknown
• Aliases: unknown
• Identity tips received: Bruce Wayne (Entry 7); approximately 1,450 other identity tips (see The Batman Files)
• Metahuman abilities: unknown
2. Robin_01
• Proven identity: unknown
• Aliases: Magpie, John Gray
• Identity tips received: Richard Grayson (Entry 7)
• Metahuman abilities: unknown; suspected but unproven explosions
3. Robin_02
• Proven identity: unknown
• Aliases: unknown
• Identity tips received: Jason Todd (Entry 7)
• Metahuman abilities: unknown

Chapter Text

Date: October 2, 20XX

Composed by: Superman

Approximately six months ago, we began to receive coded messages delivered by brief interruptions in the camera feeds of the hacked Drake Industries cameras (see Entry 7 for full overview).

Since the messages began, their content—identity tips for Batman, Robin, and Magpie—has not changed at all. Some nights, we have received only a few letters of the code. On rare occasion, an entire night passes without any part of the message being conveyed at all.

On September 27, the night of the Arkham Slaughter, we received no part of the coded message.

In the five days following the Arkham Slaughter, we have continued to receive no part of the coded message.

Notes

The disappearance of the encrypted messages is too perfectly aligned with the Arkham Slaughter to be a coincidence. Somehow, the person sending the message was tied into the Slaughter. We have so little information, and I hate to speculate on what became of them. Perhaps they were found out, frightened away, or one of the casualties of that day.

Conclusions

Continue to monitor the hacked Drake Industries cameras. Note any reoccurrence of the encrypted messages.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

Date: October 3, 20XX

Time: 1:42 AM

Location: Downtown Gotham

File format: video from hacked Drake Industries camera. No other footage available.

---

[begin playback]

Video shows a Gotham rooftop.

A corner of black fabric moves through the video, at the top of the camera frame. It appears to be the end of a dark cape just in view.

Thirteen seconds later, a small figure sprints along the roof, moving in the same direction as the cape. Robin_03 is dressed in the typical Robin outfit: dark gray suit, silver bat on the chest, short red cape, black mask across the eyes. Their skin is pale. Their hair is short (reaching just past the ears), dark, and appears to have a straight texture. Based on analysis of their surroundings, they are approximately 4”4’. There is a large yellow-green bruise covering half of their visible face.

As Robin_03 moves fully into camera view, their steps slow. They turn their head directly to the camera. (Direct eye contact cannot be ascertained, due to the lenses on their mask.) 

With their right hand—the hand most visible to the camera—Robin_03 taps a rhythm onto their leg. Then Robin_03 looks away from the camera and picks up speed again, breathing hard as they sprint out of view.

[end playback]

Justice League analysis of the pattern Robin_03 tapped onto their leg reveals the pattern:

- - -        — — —         - - - 

In standard Morse code, this is an SOS pattern.

Notes

1. There’s a new Robin on the streets of Gotham: Robin_03. Based on physical appearance of the person in this video, there’s no doubt that this is not Robin_02 or Robin_01.
• Robin_02 is most likely dead: killed by his fall during the Arkham Slaughter.
• I’m concerned about how quickly Robin_03 appeared. It’s almost as though Batman maintains (to put it crassly) a “backup supply” of Robins that he cycles through as needed.
• Robin_03 is physically very small: far smaller than Robin_02, and even smaller than Robin_01 (as he appeared in Entry 1). How old is Robin_03?
• If that was Batman’s cape moving through the top segment of the frame, it’s implied that Batman is flying through the city. Both Robin_01 and Robin_02 flew alongside him: why is Robin_03 running roofs on foot?
2. Robin_03 knew the location of the hacked Drake Industries camera, and seemed to know that someone was watching through it.
• Does Robin_03 know it’s the Justice League that they signaled to? Or were they asking for help from any source?
• How did Robin_03 learn about the camera’s location?
3. A direct call for help increases the urgency of this situation. However, we must bear in mind that this may yet be a trick. 
• Batman is clever: he is not above having a new Robin signal for help to try and draw us into Gotham and into violating our agreement with the city.
4. Additionally: even an action as simple as tipping off the Gotham PD to Robin_03’s call for help could alert Batman that someone is watching him through security cameras in the city. (Gotham PD is known to be at least partially compromised by Batman: see the absence of Barbara Gordon’s testimony, as referenced in Entry 2.) Additionally, if Batman did not know that Robin_03 signaled for help, such measures might only result in a worse situation for Robin_03.

Conclusions

Without a concrete plan to remove Robin_03 from the situation, the potential of repercussions to Robin_03 from Batman are too large. Despite my personal urge to interfere with great prejudice, we are additionally stymied from direct action by 1) the Kryptonite barrier, and 2) the Gotham Agreement.

Tipping off the Gotham PD or attempting to bring in the Green Lantern Corps may alert Batman to our observance: and, again, without a concrete plan to protect Robin_03, Robin_03 may bear the brunt of the repercussions. Much as I hate it, we’re limited in our options.

Researching Richard Grayson and searching for proof of his meta abilities is now highest priority. If we can get into Gotham for Magpie, we can take that opportunity to help Robin_03 at the same time.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

Note: there are multiple Richard Graysons in the state. The information provided in this report centers on Richard John Grayson. See Notes for my reasoning.

Richard John Grayson (hereafter referenced as RJG)

Information taken from international passport:

Birth date: March 20, XXXX

Location of birth: Bârlad, Romania

Citizenships held: Romanian, Indian, Bulgarian

Current age: 17

Family information:

Mother’s name: Mary Chopra Grayson

• Preliminary investigation into Mary Chopra Grayson reveals she was born in Kolkata, India. She entered Haly’s Circus as an acrobat at age 19. She died in Gotham, USA, from blunt force trauma after the line of her trapeze broke.

Father’s name: John Grayson

• Preliminary investigation into John Grayson reveals he was Romani and was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He entered Haly’s Circus as an acrobat at age 17. He died in Gotham, USA, from blunt force trauma after the line of his trapeze broke.

No other family information is available.

Information taken from news media:

RJG was a child acrobat whose family worked and traveled with Haly’s Circus. RJG and his parents, John and Mary Grayson, had a three-person acrobatic routine, and were well-known and highly respected within the community as the Flying Graysons. 

• John and Mary Grayson toured for a decade as the Flying Graysons before RJG was born and added into the act. Here is the first promotional poster featuring RJG at ~4 years old: note the tagline “The Boy Wonder!” Newspaper reviews of the Flying Graysons, from this point on, began to use this tagline as a referent to RJG and emphasize his youth. (This sparked a brief movement of including children in circus routines worldwide; this movement faded quickly when the vast majority of children were unable to perform consistently or safely. RJG was, by and large, the only one who remained.)
• Video of the Flying Graysons’ most popular routine here. Note that RJG is ~8 years old in this video.

7 years ago, when RJG was 10, Haly’s Circus did their first American tour and included Gotham as one of their tour stops. 

During their May 19 show, the trapeze lines holding John and Mary Grayson aloft—RJG, at this point, was waiting on the platform for his cue—snapped. John and Mary Grayson died on the scene before emergency services could arrive.

RJG became a ward of the state. Despite efforts from Haly’s Circus to have RJG placed with them, they were denied on the basis of incapability of providing a stable home for a child and suspicion of breaking child labor laws.

• Full transcript of the case, decision, and ward of state agreement here.

RJG was subsequently placed in a group home in Gotham. Due to overcrowding of the Gotham foster care system, and the desire to place younger children in foster homes and group homes, RJG was scheduled to be transferred to a juvenile detention center until such time that more space in a group home became available. The day before RJG was due to be transferred, he was reported missing from the group home and officially labelled a runaway.

There are no reports from the foster system, Gotham PD, or any other institution that efforts were made to find or retrieve RJG.

No further files are have been recovered about RJG.

Notes:

I am convinced that RJG is Magpie.

1. Computer facial scanning of the promotional posters and video available of RJG, when compared to the League’s video footage of Magpie, confirms a likely match with 95% confidence. 
2. RJG’s intensive background in acrobatics and high-intensity athletics aligns with every fighting style we have seen from Robin_01 and Magpie: including but not limited to his ease in the air, balance of weight in combat, and use of high-level acrobatics in his fight against Hawkgirl (see Entry 1). We once tried to track down acrobatic teachers who could have taught Robin these skills: we failed to consider that Robin had these abilities long before he took up the mantle.
3. The timing is in alignment: RJG went missing from foster care a few months after Batman’s name began to spread throughout Gotham, and a few months later, the first rumors of Robin arose. While Robin was nothing but rumor for 2–3 years (before Police Commissioner Jim Gordon took up the case, and Barbara Gordon confirmed Robin’s existence (see Entry 2)), that time can be understood as time RJG spent training and/or being indoctrinated.
   • Following this timeline, RJG would have been: 
     • 10 when he joined Batman
     • 12 when Batman and Robin killed Jim Gordon
     • 13 when he fought Hawkgirl (see Entry 1)
     • ~15 when he stopped appearing as Robin (see Entry 3)
     • 16 at his first recorded appearance as Magpie (see “Blue” in Entry 6)
     • ~17 when he began actively working corners and living as John Gray, prior to his entry to Arkham Asylum as John Gray (see Entry 10)
4. How did RJG end up with Batman? He was a runaway in an extremely vulnerable situation. Haly’s Circus was long gone from Gotham and had cut their American tour short, returning to Europe. RJG would have had no support system in the city or even in the country. Did Batman find him on the streets? How willing was RJG to join him? 
   • At such a young age, it was certainly kidnapping whether or not RJG was willing—but the amount of decision RJG believes he had in joining Batman could be an indicator of his later feelings and understanding of the situation.
5. Though there are no records of RJG being a metahuman, the version of international passport he carried was one that did not yet mark for the gene. It provides no proof one way or another.
   • In terms of the ‘explosive’ metahuman ability that RJG claimed to possess when he was undercover as John Gray: There are a handful of reports of fires occurring at Haly’s Circus during the years RJG spent there; however, in all of these reports the fires have been attributed to natural causes. That said, Haly’s Circus could have certainly attempted to cover up the fires’ unnatural beginning. We can’t rule out an explosive power. However, this gives us no true proof of RJG’s potential meta abilities.
   • There is also something to be said about the fact that RJG was a talented, effective, and popular acrobat (who performed consistently enough to be featured in promotional posters) beginning at age 4. As seen by the fact that other circuses were unable to replicate the work and popularity of the “Boy Wonder,” I do wonder if RJG had some sort of metahuman ability that helped him reach these acrobatic heights at such an early age. This could be anything from a flying gene (to help with acrobatics) or a minor healing gene (to help muscular repair from strenuous work, such as acrobatic performances). Of course, likewise, these theories give us no true proof of RJG’s potential meta abilities.
6. There should be hospital records at least from RJG’s birth. We have been unable to access them yet, but need to emphasize that although meta abilities aren’t always present at birth, they are generally tested for. This information could be highly valuable.
7. RJG’s identity is one identity hint (see Entry 7) proven true. However, despite extensive searching, we have uncovered no connection between RJG and Jason Todd or RJG and Bruce Wayne (the other identity tips given in Entry 7).

Conclusions

Identity confirmed: Robin_01 = Magpie = (false civilian identity) John Gray = (true civilian identity) Richard John Grayson.

Finding medical information on RJG that confirms his metahuman status is now highest priority.

Addendum

Added by Wonder Woman

Richard was so young when this began. 

He is still so young.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

Date: October 8, 20XX

Time: 11:42 PM

Location: The Narrows, Gotham

Justice League Operative(s) Involved: N/A

Enemy Agent(s) Involved: Batman; Robin_01 (aka Magpie, aka John Gray, real identity Richard John Grayson)

Other(s) Involved: N/A

File format: video, from a hacked Drake Industries camera. No other footage available.

[begin playback]

Video shows a Gotham rooftop in the Narrows. Green smog hangs low in the sky.

A person dressed in the traditional Robin suit (gray body suit, red cape, black mask, silver bat on chest) swings into view and turns a triple flip, landing lightly on the rooftop. He turns and looks over his shoulder, face coming into view of the camera: brown skin, long black hair braided around the head, scar on the cheekbone, and fresh scar across the forehead, standing approximately 5’9”. (Facial recognition confirms him to be: Robin_01, aka Magpie, aka John Gray, aka RJG. Hereafter referred to as Robin_01.)

2.4 seconds later, Batman (black suit, cape, and cowl; white skin; approximately 6’3”) swings into view and lands on the rooftop next to Robin_01, his face and body turned away from the camera. Robin_01 turns towards Batman and gives him a blinding smile.

Robin_01 (as transcribed by League lip readers): Quieter out here than I expected it to be.

Pause. (Presumably Batman replies.)

Robin_01 laughs. He reaches out and trails a hand along Batman’s arm and onto his chest.

Robin_01 (as transcribed by League lip readers): I know, sir. But I did miss this.

Pause.

Robin_01 (as transcribed by League lip readers): I missed us. Being out here where we started—just you and me.

Pause. Robin_01 laughs. He wraps his arms around Batman’s neck.

Robin_01 (as transcribed by League lip readers): You know I’m better than he ever could be. In every way.

Pause.

Robin_01 rises on his tiptoes and kisses Batman deeply.

Batman puts a hand on Robin_01’s hip and pulls him closer. His other hand twists into Robin_01’s hair, pulling it loose from the braid. The kiss goes on for 1.4 minutes before Batman pulls back and grapples out of view.

Once Batman is out of sight, Robin_01’s face falls from a smile to a flat grimace. He takes a deep breath and drags a hand across his face. Then he smiles again, pulls out a grapple, and runs for the edge of the roof, out of view.

[end playback]

Notes:

1. We knew Robin_01 was engaging in underage sex work as John Gray (see Entry 10). Until this video, we had no proof that he was engaging in such with Batman. Remember: Robin_01 is 17 years old. He’s been working with Batman since he was ~10 years old. There’s every chance that this has been going on for a long time.
2. Based on Robin_01’s facial expression at the end of the video—a grimace, only revealed once Batman could no longer see his face—it appears that he, too, dislikes these interactions.
3. I’m concerned about the transcribed line of dialogue from Robin_01: “Better than he could ever be. In every way.” Based on the kiss immediately following this statement, I’m taking ‘in every way’ to mean ‘including in sexual ways.’ Who is the ‘he’ that Robin_01 is referencing? ...Robin_02? ...Robin_03? Another individual?
4. Robin_03 has been on the streets for the eleven days past the Arkham Slaughter. But tonight, he’s been replaced with Robin_01. Why switch robins now? Did Robin_03 get injured, or otherwise made unavailable?

Conclusions:

Search Gotham-based social media for mentions of a potential injury or reason for Robin_03 to be removed from the field.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

File format: N/A. Deductions based on video “glitching” of hacked Drake Industries cameras. No other footage available.

Date: glitches began October 10, 20XX

Update: five months later, as of March 1, 20XX, the glitches and message remain consistent.

In the same decrypted Morse code as Entry 7, the reappeared glitches read:

BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE

ROBIN RICHARD GRAYSON

ROOK TIMOTHY DRAKE

SOS

CAVE UNDER WAYNE MANOR

SOS

The message then repeats.

Overall Notes:

1. The reappearance of the encoded messages approximately aligns with Robin_01’s return to Gotham (see Entry 14). Despite an extensive review of footage, there were no glitches during the time that Robin_03 held the mantle.
• I’ve expanded my further thoughts on this in the Timothy Drake section below.
2. I have specific thoughts about each part of the new encrypted message. For ease of organization, I have laid them out in separate categories. See below.

Notes on Bruce Wayne:

1. Again, the encrypted message names Bruce Wayne as Batman. I have put more Justice League resources to begin a second investigation into Wayne; however, we have researched him extensively before, with no results.
2. This is the first time that the encrypted messages have given us a location. “Cave under Wayne Manor.” If the Kryptonite Barrier weren’t in place, I’d be able to take a look and discover if such a location even exists: as it is, we’re stuck with the paper method. We’ll do some research into building records, geographic features, etc.

Notes on Richard Grayson (RJG):

1. As we noted in Entry 14, Robin_01 (aka RJG: see Entry 13) has returned to the mantle of Robin. The fact that this message knows of the change in Robin speaks to it’s potential veracity: the multitude of Robins doesn’t appear to be a phenomenon noticed by any entity other than the Justice League.
2. There is no mention of Jason Todd, the Robin suspect (Robin_02) named in the previous coded message (see Entry 7). This furthers the suspicion of Robin_02’s death.

Notes on Timothy Drake:

1. Both Timothy Drake and Rook are names we have never been provided with before.
2. Who is Rook?
• There have been no reported sightings of new vigilantes in Gotham. It has exclusively been reports of Batman and Robin.
• Is Rook a new third party?
• With RJG back in the mantle of Robin, is Rook a replacement for Magpie? It’s possible, but I doubt it: the multiple iterations of Robin have used the same name, no matter who has worn the suit. I believe Rook to be an entirely separate entity; not a replacement Magpie.
3. Who is Timothy Drake?
• A preliminary search on my behalf reveals Timothy Jackson Drake (TJD), son of Janet and Jack Drake of Drake Industries. However, by the press releases and school photos immediately available from a surface-level search, TJD is attending a boarding school in Switzerland, and has been doing so for some years, and his parents have been notable in the global archeological world, as well as prominent at a handful of Gotham society events. I doubt that TJD is the correct Rook candidate: he’s a moderately public figure with documented records placing him well outside of Gotham.
• Further investigation into other potential Timothy Drakes is needed.
• Note the Drake last name, and the fact that the hacked cameras are Drake Industries cameras. I doubt this is coincidence.

SOS Notes:

1. Unlike previous encrypted messages, this message includes a repeated SOS call for help.
2. Why send an SOS now, rather than before? What has changed?
3. Note that Robin_03 also sent a Morse code request for help... in prominent and apparently purposeful display in front of one of the hacked Drake Industries cameras (Entry 12). (See “Notes about message sender” for the rest of my thoughts on this topic.)

Notes About the Message 

1. The message appears to have been sent manually: no part of the message sends on a consistent basis, as one would expect if this were a pre-set message. The timing between letters, and glitches, are erratic. It could be a randomized program, but I doubt it.
2. Additionally, we have to look at the periods of time in which we did not receive any encrypted messages from these cameras. We stopped receiving the message the night of the Second Arkham Slaughter, and did not receive any further message until October 14. That accounts for approximately two weeks of time in which this message was not sent.
3. This two-week period notably overlaps with the approximate time that Robin_03 was active in Gotham (Entry 12). (See “Notes about message sender” for the rest of my thoughts on this topic.)

Notes About Message Sender:

1. I believe the message sender to be Robin_03. My reasoning:
• The timelines match. The period of time that Robin_03 was active in Gotham was the only period of time in which we received no encrypted messages.
• When Robin_03 was active in Gotham, he knew the location of the hacked DI cameras, and signaled for help to one directly.
• When Robin_03 signaled for help, he did so using Morse Code.
2. Does Robin_03 have any connection to Rook/Timothy Drake? As noted, the Drake name could suggest his knowledge of the DI cameras.

Conclusions

Conduct immediate research into Timothy Drake. Because of the name connection to Drake Industries, this might be a fake name, so try and look into people with connections to DI: also, conduct a thorough investigation into Timothy Jackson Drake. Despite the schoolboy he appears to be, we know that nothing, in regards to Batman and Robin, is how it appears to be. We can’t take anything for granted. High priority.

Secure building plans and/or geographical surveys for Wayne Manor and surrounding land. Can we prove or disprove existence of a cave on or near the property? High priority.

Send feelers out among Earth-based Justice League contacts. Has anyone heard of a vigilante or entity operating under the name Rook? High priority.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

File format: N/A. Deductions based on video “glitching” of hacked Drake Industries cameras. No other footage available.

Date: updated message glitches began April 3, 20XX

Update: as of August 1, 20XX, the glitches and message remain consistent.

In the same decrypted Morse code as Entry 7, the updated glitches read:

BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE

MAGPIE RICHARD GRAYSON

ROBIN JASON TODD

ROOK TIMOTHY DRAKE

The message then repeats.

Overall Notes:

1. The message appears to be changing as the different vigilantes change roles. Batman and Rook retain their same civilian name, while Magpie is again Richard Grayson (Robin_01, RJG) and Robin is again named as Jason Todd (Robin_02).
2. The "SOS" message, and the location of the cave, has been removed. Why?
3. If this message is to be believed, Robin_02 survived the fall he took during the Second Arkham Slaughter (Entry 9). Though we have no access to video footage of Robin and/or Batman since last October (Entry 14), I think it's a safe assumption that RJG retained the mantle up until the message changed. With that in mind, I presume Robin_02 has spent the past ~6 months regaining mobility after his injuries. That’s a shockingly quick timeframe to heal from a fall that, by our visuals, looked to (at the very least) have broken both of his legs. Could Robin_02 be a metahuman with a healing factor?

Conclusions

Pursue research into Robin_02 and Jason Todd, with an emphasis on healing-oriented metahumans. Our investigation into RJG’s metahuman ties remains ongoing, but if we can prove that another Robin is a meta, then we have another argument for entering Gotham. High priority.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

Date: September 12, 20XX

Time: 10:04 PM

Location: Downtown Gotham

Justice League Operative(s) Involved: N/A

Enemy Agent(s) Involved: Robin_03

Other(s) Involved: N/A

File format: video, from a hacked Drake Industries camera. No other footage available.

[begin playback]

Video shows a series of storefronts and rooftops in Downtown Gotham. The sky is dark and kryptonite-green.

Robin_03 lands lightly on the rooftop, grapple in hand. He takes a few running steps across the roof, red cape flaring behind him, smiling.

He looks directly at the camera as he runs past it. His smile doesn’t fade. There are no bruises visible on his skin.

His hands do not move. He taps no messages in Morse Code.

He shoots the grapple and goes soaring out of sight.

[end playback]

Notes:

1. Robin_03 is back in the mantle, instead of Robin_01. Why switch back now? I theorized that Robin_03 had been injured (see Entry 14); is he now healed?
2. Unlike the last time we saw Robin_03 (Entry 12), he doesn’t appear to be injured or bruised. He was smiling. He also—despite clearly knowing the location of the camera, and perhaps even purposefully landing on that roof to be seen by it—did not tap out any Morse Code messages or SOS signals.
3. We’ve never seen Robin_03 using a grapple before. It seems like either he’s now learned to use it, or he chose not to in earlier sightings (Entry 12).

Conclusions:

...I don’t know what to conclude, exactly. This snippet of video carried so little information. Nothing concrete. That said... I can’t help the feeling that something has changed.

Chapter Text

Composed by: Superman

Date: October 2, 20XX

Time: 2:14 PM

File format: N/A. Deductions based on video “glitching” of hacked Drake Industries cameras. No other footage available.

Up until this message, the encrypted messages as noted in Entry 16 remained consistent. No further messages appeared after this one was sent.

In the same encrypted Morse Code as Entry 7 , the final glitch reads:

NEVERMIND

The message does not repeat. No further messages appear.

Notes:

1. We had received very limited coded messages since August 2; however, they were all repeats of the earlier message noted in Entry 16. This makes sense, if the message sender (presumed Robin_03) has returned to the role of Robin (see Entry 17).

Conclusions:

I remain all the more convinced that something has changed in the Batman and Robin situation.

We have already applied multiple times for League access to Gotham and been denied. We need to find a way to enter the city more quickly. We need to locate a metahuman that gives us cause to enter Gotham. I don’t care if that metahuman is Robin or not—once we’re in the city, we have room to work. Highest priority.