The bright sun is shining on Chicago and in a apartment a 16 year old teen is sleeping but his alarm wakes him up and he sits up and rubs his hair and goes and takes a shower and looks in the mirror and says "Looking good Grayson."
He puts on his outfit for the day and goes downstairs and sees his father named John Grayson in his detective suit and he says "Morning Dad."
John smiles and says "Morning son." Then Dick says "Where's mom still sleep?" John nods and said "She worked late at the Chicago Paper."
Dick nods and makes a bowl of cereal and turns on the TV and it's talking about how the newly formed Avengers has saved New York from a alien invasion and Dick says "World is getting kinda of crazy."
John nods and then he looks at his watch and says "I got to go have a good first day of your junior year." Dick nods and waves bye over his shoulder at his dad.
Dick sees the time and knows the bus will be here soon so he goes to his parents bedroom and sees his mom Mary Grayson sleeping and so he kisses her on the forehead and says "See you later mom."
He then leaves the house and walks to the bus stop and after a couple of minutes standing there the bus arrives and he walks on and goes to the back and as the bus is moving through the city he is just watching building pass by.
The bus arrives at the school and Dick walks off and walks into the school and heads to his locker but someone grabs him and puts him in a headlock and noogies him but Fick pulls away and sees it's one of his best friends Jason Todd, grinning like a troublemaker.
"Morning, Grayson," Jason smirks. "Still using five pounds of hair gel, I see."
Dick rolls his eyes and fixes his now-messy hair. "Morning to you too, Todd. That the way you greet all your friends? Or am I just the lucky one?"
Jason shrugs. "Just my favorites."
They exchange a quick fist bump and start walking down the hall together.
"First day of junior year," Jason says with a mock groan. "Can't wait to see what flavor of trauma this school year brings."
"Don't jinx it," Dick replies. "Maybe it's the year we actually make it through without getting suspended."
"Speak for yourself."
As they turn the corner, a third voice chimes in. "Look who it is. The acrobat and the bruiser."
Dick turns to see Roy Harper leaning against the lockers, his backpack slung over one shoulder.
Roy gives a nod. "What's up, circus boy?"
Dick grins. "Still calling me that, huh because the one time I performed at one because you dared me too?"
Roy shrugs. "It's either that or 'Captain America Glazer.' But I figured I'd let you settle in first."
Jason throws an arm around both of them. "And thus, the trio is back. The school's three worst influences. Lock up your lockers and hide your lunch money, folks."
Dick rolls his eyes and says "Why are so loud." Jason smiles and says "I need to make sure you are awake. But what are y'all schedules?" The trio pulls their schedules up on their phones and they see that they all have all the same classes and they just smirk at each other and Roy says "They just messed up really badly."
Then Jason laughs and says "Why did they put us together after last year." Dick smirks and says "When you both filled Mr.Johnson car with chickens."
Jason and Roy's high five each other after Jason says "He deserved it after call us hood rats."
Dick shrugs and the bell rings and they head to their first class which is AP Biology.
The trio walks in and sit at the back and then a pretty hot red head walks in and then Jason elbows Dick and whispers "There go your weakness." Dick snacks Jason in the back of the head and whispers yelled "Shut up."
Roy and Jason chuckled to themselves the red head writes on the board Ms.Isley and she turns around and says "Good Morning students welcome to AP Biology."
30 minutes into the class our trio have their heads down and are sleeping. Ms.Isley noticed and then raised her voice "Gentlemen since you think you know everything please answer this question."
The trio jump up and looks at the question on the board and it says "Explain how the disruption of the carbon cycle by industrial activity impacts plant cellular respiration."
Jason and Roy blinks and Jason mutters "What the hell's the carbon cycle again?" Roy half sleep says "Isn't that the one where cows fart methane?"
Ms.Isely dryly says "A charming summary, Mr. Harper. Incorrect but charming." Then Dick says "The carbon cycle... it's how carbon moves through the environment, right? Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis to make glucose. If there's too much CO₂ or the wrong kind because it can disrupt respiration efficiency. It... stresses the plants. Slows energy production."
Ms. Isley smiles faintly. A proud smile, but one that doesn't reach her eyes and says "Mr. Grayson, well done. You remembered something between naps."
She walks over to a potted fern near her desk and touches one of the leaves very tenderly and says "Too much interference... too much pollution... and nature loses balance. But nature always finds a way to fight back. Even when pushed too far." Jason leans over to Dick and whispers "Okay... that was low-key threatening, right?"
Then Roy whispers "I don't know if she wants us to study harder or burn down an oil refinery." Dick smirks but doesn't answer. But the bells rings and the trio gets up and leaves.
In the Chicago police department Detective John Grayson is at his desk typing on the computer but then his partner Detective Harvey Bullock walks up and says "Johnny boy commish wants to talk to you."
John nods and walks to the office and knock and a voice is heard and he opens the door and sees Commissioner Ellen Yin and says "You wanted me commissioner ?" She looks up from a file and says "Grayson come look at this." She gives him a file and says "This is a murder crime scene."
John opens the file and sees a dead body with a black skull mask on his head. John looks up and says "Black Mask?" Yin nods and says "This is one of my informants and a couple days ago he went silent and then shows up dead but he did tells up something good."
Yin pulls out a map of Chicago and says "We know Black Mask controls The south side and he works with weapons depots and black market tech."
John nods then Yin says "The Falcones control the west side and they work with Real estate, restaurants. We know he has city officials, judges, and cops in his pockets."
John clenched his fist when she says cops but calms down and nods and Yin continues "We also know The Maroni Family controls North side and he works with Nightclubs, money laundering fronts, and has politicians in his pockets. Then the The Penguin's Gang controls downtown and he deals with Casino fronts, gun running, and high-society blackmail. The brick gang controls the west side and they work with Drug labs, underground fight clubs, human trafficking routes."
John nods and says "We know this what was the information the informant gave you." Yin looks at John seriously and says "Black mask wants to start ann all out gang war for him to take control of all of Chicago because in his words Chaos is a ladder." John eyes widen.
In a office a man in a white suit with a black skull mask sitting on the desk and he is looking at a map with pieces on it and he says ""The Falcones cling to tradition... The Maronis think they're modern kings..."
He then grabs the mask and says "But I? I am the future. And I will build it... from the ashes of this city." He then puts the mask down and looks out the window of his office and holds his arms out and says "Chaos is a ladder. And I just climbed another rung."