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The American Robin is considered the harbinger of spring; a joyous sign that warmer days are just around the corner.
It was cold.
Mr. Freeze broke out of Arkham last week, turning the already frostbitten air into a near death sentence for anyone who didn't have shelter or heating. Considering the quality of the housing in such a cheap area, however, barely anyone had heating in Uptown Gotham. The fact that his freak snowstorm was sticking around long after he got caught was only the icing on the shitty cake that is Gotham winters.
Sam was far from the only one crowded around the fire pit tonight, wedged deep in an abandoned part of the Bowery and made out of a fairly large metal bin someone likely stole and dragged here while drunk but forgot about it the day after. Surrounded by the unforgiving pitch black, his two little sisters, Julie and Garcia, were huddled together in front of him to share whatever body heat between themselves they could. There were three teenagers just as lanky and malnourished as himself, one that might've been blonde under the dirt and two brunettes - one of whom had two differently coloured eyes, so it would be incredibly lucky if they hadn't been targeted by Two Face before. Alongside this was a short young boy who couldn't be older than seven or eight, covered in grime and ratty clothing that wouldn't help against the weather in the slightest.
There was something to be said, though, about a group of homeless kids sharing a fire in the worst winter Gotham's seen since the snow lasted until June a few years back - screw Mr. Freeze sometimes, seriously - because the frigid silence was only cold and brittle due to the temperature and not the company. The comradery of trying not to die together, or something to that effect. Grim, but welcome nonetheless.
The kid was the first one to crack, unsurprisingly, considering how much he had started to look like he was about to burst in the last half-hour or so they'd been huddled around the fire. "So." He said before visibly cringing at the way his voice caught at the end, likely from disuse. The three teenagers exchanged glances before the maybe-blonde pulled the silent smallest straw, "So?" she repeated judgementally, raising an eyebrow at the boy who flushed red despite the pinkness of his cheeks from the cold. "So," he said again, clearing his throat and scuffing his shoes against the concrete, "this is awkward. We're all sharing a fire an' stuff but no one's talkin' an' we don't know each other."
Sam didn't smile, exactly, but the corners of his mouth twitched as he regarded the kid with amusement. It was cute, to want to get to know the people at your fire. Abnormal for a street kid, yes, but cute. The kid probably wouldn't appreciate that though, so he went for a different approach. "Alright then," he said, the kid's bright blue eyes snapping to his, "I'm Sam, these are my sisters Julie and Garcia." he ruffled the hair of the two munchkins in question, though Garcia swatted at him for it, "We grew up three blocks from here on the edge between Park Row and the Bowery."
The teenagers were staring at him like he'd willingly gone into the sewers, but the curious kid was grinning so he couldn't care less. He had opened his mouth to ask for the kid's name, because calling him 'the kid' was getting old, but before he could say anything one of the brunettes spoke up. "Taylor."
It was the brunette's turn to face their friend's incredulous stares. "What?" Sam asked. The brunette's expression, the one with dual-coloured eyes, turned sheepish, "I'm Taylor. This is Patty" they gesture to the other brunette with the hand they've temporarily moved from it's place warming near the fire, "and that's Rachel." the blonde, "We're from Burnley, technically, but the next street over was the Bowery so we're kind of from both." Rachel hit Taylor on the shoulder, causing them to cry out and rub at their arm, "What was that for?"
"Being an idiot, Tay."
"Ouch, I'm hurt."
"And I'll do it again."
Patty sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose under the cracked glasses that had seen better days.
The kid took that moment to introduce himself too, still grinning. "I'm Robin!"
Everyone paused, almost synchronous. Julia spoke up, frowning, "But, if you're Robin, what're you doing here? Shouldn't you be fighting crime or something?"
Robin, apparently, scrunched up his nose "No, silly. My actual name is Robin. That's what my mama called me, all officially an' stuff."
"Oh." Julia said quietly. Garcia, on the other hand, grinned, "Good. Now we know spring is coming."
Robin furrowed his eyebrows adorably, "What're you talking about?"
Sam did smile this time, wistfully, "It's a thing our mother would always say. Robins are the harbingers of spring. When you see your first Robin, you know warm days are coming."
"I've heard that too," Patty said, nodding, "My family would make a game out of spotting the first Robin of the season, and when we did we would celebrate by lighting an extra candle in the apartment to make things warmer for the night."
Taylor grinned, "Well it's good we found a Robin, then, 'cause I'm tired of freezing to death. Hell, all we need now is the hero so we can have two Robins and spring will come twice as quickly."
It was then, almost as if being summoned, that something dropped down from a nearby rooftop. Sam had never actually seen the elusive Robin before - the minor theft he had to commit to feed his sisters wasn't high enough on the radar for the vigilantes if he timed it when a rogue broke out - but he like everyone else knew that the perpetual kid that's been running around in bright impractical traffic light colours was the Batman's sidekick. However, Sam definitely didn't think he'd be so scrawny. Robin, the hero, raises his arms dramatically like he's performing his crowd-rousing final speech, "Your harbinger of spring has arrived!" he grinned widely.
Rachel smiled back after shaking out of her momentary shock, "Sorry Robin, but we've already found our first Robin of the season."
The hero's back straightened, and he might've widened his eyes under his mask, "Seriously? When?"
The civilian Robin raised a hand, "Hi," he said, uncharacteristically nervous, "I'm Robin."
If anything, the hero looked even more joyous than before, "Oh wow, that's awesome! Now spring will come twice as quick." he paused for a minute, looking to the side. He exaggeratedly rolled his eyes at the shadows cast by the flames - presumably, considering his almost petulant annoyance at it - and turned his attention back to the group, "but right now, as your designated Boy Wonder, I bring warmth!"
Suddenly, the shadows Robin was annoyed at warped and moved, revealing the Batman in all of his vengeful glory. Or, rather, what would've been his vengeful glory if he wasn't currently acting as Robin's personal clean laundry basket. In the Batman's arms was a pile of warm clothes that weren't ratty or had any sorts of holes or stains in them. The Bat stayed still as Robin grabbed seven hoodies of varying sizes, somehow not dropping a single one.
"Now," the Boy Wonder said, walking closer to them, "as it is my sacred robinly duty to bring warm days, it would help me if you guys wore these." He gestured with his full arms.
Patty huffed a small laugh, but still took a burgundy hoodie, "We know what you're doing, kid." Robin just smiled as the other two teenagers took hoodies as well, thanking him.
"Thank you, Robin" Julie said politely, pulling on a purple hoodie that swamped her. "Yeah, thanks." Garcia said.
Sam smiled, taking a red hoodie, "You're a good kid, kid."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Of course not." Sam shrugged.
By some hilarity, the last hoodie the Boy Wonder gave out - to civilian Robin - was red, yellow and green, with a stylised yellow R over the heart. "Thanks, Robin." Robin said, grinning.
"Just doing my civic duty, Robin." the hero replied, similarly joyful.
A grunt came from the shadows and Sam jumped, completely forgetting that the Batman was there, still holding a few soft and warm garments in his arms. "Alright then, it's time for me to head out and bring warmer days to more people." Robin rubs his hands together, like the plan to give warm clothes to the hypothermic and homeless of Uptown Gotham was an evil scheme. The Batman grunts again, and Robin waves goodbye before Sam blinks and they both inexplicably disappear.
With the pair of crime fighters gone, the group falls into a silence. It isn't heavy or uncomfortable. It's companionable. And yet it isn't like their last silence, not grim or frigid. Warm. Warm like the fire and how Robin the hero grinned at them. How the Robin wearing a brightly coloured hoodie is smiling in the firelight, and the teenagers are leaning into each other equally as soft. Julie and Garcia yawn, and Sam feels hope.
Above them, the silence breaks. An American Robin starts singing on the old power line. Spring is soon upon them, with warmer days just around the corner.