Damian Wayne

Damian is wearing a reinvented Robin suit, separate from the one he stole from Tim in the attempt to prove that he is able to be under Batman’s guidance. Last he heard, Damian is has been working hard at the task; perhaps Barbara is right, time is relative in this city. Dick didn’t think this situation could get any weirder. This meeting is firm proof that his assumptions are usually wrong.

The harsh leer causes Dick to raise his hands in surrender, “Easy there, Damian, I was just–”

‘What were you doing, Dick?’

He wanted to go home, and to him Alfred has always been home. Alfred had been more of a father than Bruce has ever been. Alfred fed him, clothed him, hugged him, scolded him, and tucked him in at night. The butler will never know how much Dick loved him.

Yet he kept calling him by his name, even risking their very lives so recklessly. What was Grayson thinking? Was he thinking? A cold realization fell before Damian. Had he been so excited to see the man that he had failed to note the small but glaring differences? 

        So she knew there were other superheroes in the city already. She’d even met Steve Rogers of all people. But this was a little different. Not only did he look middle eastern, which she’d honestly never thought she’d see outside of herself, but he was…just a kid.

The bright colors of the costume caught her attention, drawing her eyes away from the store window she’d been looking into and to the boy behind her. Her lips pressed into a thin line, jaw clenching. The kid was dressed up like Robin. While most of her hatred went to Batman, Robin had earned some of it too. After all, it had been the first Robin who’d helped throw her mom into Arkham.

There was one person from his so called “family” that he could tolerate the most in that city, and he didn’t get the chance to properly see him. They had a brief chat the first time he ended up there, but Jason wasn’t known to be sociable. Besides, with Bruce there, apparently, he doubted that he could bump into the kid without seeing Bruce as well.

And yet he did, one of the nights that he was out for his normal patrols, he saw the younger Bat family member on one of the ‘busy’ rooftops, looking down a dark alley. Seriously, all of them were too predictable, it was so easy to figure out where they would patrol next.

He approached him, not really the one to greet him and ask how he was doing.

“Hey, kid”, he called, getting his attention. “I’m getting pizza”, he continued, not actually making the offer to come with him but hinting on it.

“Must have a good reason to approach me, Todd.” He let his voice hang bored and flat, but somewhat oddly inviting, if one knew what to look for. Part of him was glad to see the Red Hood again, he doubted he could talk to his father or any of the other bat family like he could with Todd, ask what he needed to know. A large part of him felt glad to see him back, if only for this purpose, but an even bigger part of him felt guilty for reasons he had previously tormented the man about. All these months and Damian had no way of getting home.

[txt] and there we finally have the true reason

[txt] fine i’ll get dressed and go over

[txt] to eat sushi…

[txt] at like 3 in the morning…

[txt] but you know you owe me now right

[txt] also shut up ive had plenty of sushi before damian

[txt] I did not realize you would be so easily susceptible to suggestion at 3 in the morning. [txt] Or is it just sleep deprivation in general?

‘Add Two-Face and it’ll be like home.’

The cozy sensation dissipates soon as Damian comes charging at him. He lifts his brows and instinctively adjusts his legs to prepare to hold the boy’s weight. Damian throwing himself into his arms is the last thing he’d expect to happen in his life time. Regardless, he accepts the hug and latches his arms around him as well. 

‘Don’t tell me this city broke you.’

“Who are you and what have you done with the real Damian.”

Dick only allows the embrace to go on for so long. He’s fully aware the other male isn’t one to give affection often and sooner rather than later deny the affection. He releases Damian from his grasp and settles him down onto the ground. 

“As always, you cannot comprehend the situation and have defaulted to inane accusations. I am Robin.”  He scoffed. “Nice slip up, by the way, haven’t you been doing this long enough to curb that tongue?” Regardless, it was nice to see him, to stand next to him again, even if he couldn’t help but spout some nonsense now and again. 

So she just hopped over him, heel kicking off of his back in an attempt to push him away.

“I usually like a little more romancing.”

“Would you put day drinking under ‘Experience’ or ‘Special Skills’?”

“I’m scared for you.”

“I’ve been asking the impossible of you, I see that now.”

“Now, that sounded like flirting to me.”

“Don’t… have feelings, okay?”

“Hey, last night was fun, but that doesn’t mean I want your opinion.”

“Again, I don’t flirt, I just say what I want.”

“Yes, you are a paragon of mental health.”

“I’m tired of missing you.”

“You think you can take your shit and dump it one me? You don’t get to do that. So you take your goddamned pain, and you live with it, asshole!”

“Knowing it’s real means you’ve got to make a decision. One, keep denying it. Or two, do something about it.”

“We get it, you’re a real gift to humanity.”

“You still get points for doing good.”

“I want you to know, I forgive you for everything. I’ll say it every day. For as long as you need to hear it.”

“If this is a booty call, I like your chances.”

“God damn you. Just had to be a hero, didn’t you?”

“You are a hard-drinking, short-fused, mess of a person. But you are not a piece of shit.”

“When you wake up, I won’t be around to screw up your life anymore.”

“I don’t get asked on a lot of second dates.”

“I can’t risk you.”

“You’ve been keeping tabs on me?”

“You shoot at me, I’ll pull the bullet out of my ruined jacket and shove it up your ass with my pinky finger, and who do you think that’s going to hurt more?”

“Don’t apologize. I don’t want that from you.”

“I was never the hero that you wanted me to be.”

“You’re exactly the hero I wanted you to be.”

“I don’t give a bag of dicks about what kinky shit you’re into, just be into it quietly.”

“It’s people like you that give people like you a bad name.”

“I let you fight my battles for too long.”

“The way I see it, most people go both good and bad going on. Just depends on which part wins that day.”

“They say that talking about a trauma… that it helps.”

“You help people. That’s who you are.”

“I thought about you. I knew it wouldn’t happen. I couldn’t help it. Picturing us.”

“You’re the first person I ever pictured a future with.”

“They say everyone’s born a hero. But if you let it, life will push you over the line until you’re the villain.”

“I’m life threatening. Steer clear of me. Please.”

“You’ve never loved anyone. You’re not even capable of it.”

“I hate feeling this way, I don’t know how you handle it.”

The quick glimpse of the black and yellow fluttering cape above head rouses his attention. There is zero hesitation as Nightwing scurries to chase after the figure. His limitless knowledge of acrobatics made it simple for him to climb up the crevice of two buildings and on to the roofs. From this distance he sees the ‘boy wonder’ and for a moment, Dick feels his heart skip a beat. However, judging by the hair style, shoulder length, and height, Dick knew it wasn’t Tim.

His legs pump furiously, eliminating the distance between he and the Robin at a surprisingly rate.

‘Be proud, Wally.’

It takes a few seconds to gain the momentum to be at an ear distance. 

He broke out of his thoughts then, sure he had heard. That was impossible, wasn't it? Just a trick of the wind and his own lonely imagination. Then he heard it again, clearer this time, and distinctively Grayson.

It could be a trick. He stopped regardless and turned to face the origin of what could potentially be a nasty trap. He had a few choice words, meant to shake up whoever was planning this, but his voice caught as he saw him. There was no mistaking him, and there were things that were so inherently Grayson that no one could ever emulate.

Still, she felt inclined to say hello to the sidekick. ❛Isn’t PARKOUR out of style by now?❜