#measuring shadows

Batman (Comics) | Gen | Teen and Up | (Prologue + Chapter 1 Combined) 7480 Words

Batkids Age Reversal | Reverse Robins, Alternate Universe, Bildungsroman

“Master Bruce, this is Mister Damian. He is Miss al Ghul’s plus one for this evening.” Bruce raises an eyebrow at Mother. “I didn’t know I asked her to do such a thing.” “It was time for more than just a reunion, my love. I’ve allowed you to be free from your responsibilities for many years, but my patience has worn thin and there is little more for him to be taught. Just as you did, he must explore new horizons and learn under new teachers.” He was right. This is a new teacher.  Damian sips the broth, pleased both by the flavor and his deduction. He knows that he would have probably eaten much lesser foods if given the chance, since the exhaustion and hunger from the day’s travels were becoming more and more of a noticeable burden as time went on, but it was nice to have something of genuine high quality. If this really is his teacher’s new home, then he’s glad that he will at least eat well. “I’m not taking on a protégé,” Bruce says after everyone has had at least some of their soup.  Mother looks up from her bowl and dabs her lips clean with a cloth. “What about a son?” Damian tries not to stare, but every hair on his body stands with those four words. “You can’t possibly mea—”  “—I do. Damian, meet your father.”

Batman (Comics) | Gen | Teen and Up | 8137 Words

Batkids Age Reversal | Reverse Robins, Alternate Universe, Bildungsroman

“You can come out, you know. I know you’re there.” Slowly, the shadows shift. A figure, taller than anything she imagined, steps out of the pitch. Darkness clings to him, making the pale skin of his face and the white slits he has for eyes stand out even more.  Steph tries not to scream. She attracted the attention of one of Gotham’s freaks, not just a normal purse-snatcher. This is what she gets for wearing a cape. She’s so stupid. Fuck.  “What are you doing?” the man rumbles.  His voice reminds Steph of thunder in a bad way. Thunder in the way that it rattles her bones and makes every single hair on her body stand up. Thunder in the way that it’s a force beyond anything she can fight. Thunder in that it’s foolish to try. “Going for a nightly stroll,” she replies, trying to keep her voice from shaking. His mouth flattens, distinctly unimpressed. Steph forces herself not to shrink. If she shrinks, she loses. Silence draws on.  He wants the truth. Of course he does. She swallows. “...Investigating.”  He stares. She could swear that his “eyes” got narrower. Air gets stuck halfway down her throat and just… stays there. There are about twelve things she could say right now that maybe would increase her life expectancy. She could say something humble. She could maybe say something deferential. She could say literally anything that doesn’t poke the bear.  Instead, she says, “Do you have a problem with that?” 

Bruce takes custody of Damian, Damian gets called "chum" and to absolutely no one's surprise he hates it, and Steph meets Batman for the first time.

Batman (Comics) | Gen | Teen and Up | 7175 Words

Batkids Age Reversal | Reverse Robins, Alternate Universe, Bildungsroman

Who are you?” she asks tiredly. “You’re not… normal.” “A Shadow,” he says. “That is all you need to know.” Stephanie makes a dissatisfied noise and sinks to her knees with a groan. Damian matches her, though he lowers himself in a far more elegant manner. Once they’re both seated on the concrete, she turns her eyes to the sea. He can see her thinking. He doesn’t interrupt her.  “Could you have stopped him tonight? On your own?” “Undoubtedly. I also wouldn’t have been injured.” “Bullshit.” Damian clicks his tongue against his teeth in disdain. “I do not lie. My training would make this child’s play.” She sniffs. Unexpectedly, she smiles. It’s a small, fragile thing. “You thought I was hired. Did I really look that professional?” “It was a brief misconception based on a small data pool. I promise you that if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have made the same mistake.”

Batman (Comics) | Gen | Teen and Up | 9439 Words

Batkids Age Reversal | Reverse Robins, Alternate Universe, Bildungsroman

Father places a hand firmly on Damian’s shoulder and gives it a small shake. “Girls, this is my son, Damian! You’ve met Damian before, haven’t you?” “Brucie, you didn’t tell me you had a son!” “I didn’t?” The expression of confusion on Father’s face goes far beyond anything that could be called “natural”. “I’m sure I would have mentioned his name at least once. He’s my son from my relationship with that model all those years ago?” “Which one?” One of the women asks, and the others all laugh.  “He’s adorable, Bruce! How long is he staying with you?” “His mother and I are thinking it’ll be more long term,” Father says easily with a smile that reeks of nonchalance. “She wants to expand her career, and, well, Wayne Enterprises is doing so well now with Lucius that I figured I could take some time off and be a good dad.” The women coo. One of them reaches forward to try to touch Damian’s face, but he leans away in avoidance.  “You’re so lucky, Dami,” the woman pouts. “I would give anything to spend all day being spoiled rotten with Brucie. You have to take advantage of it, okay kiddo?” “Oh Roxy,” Father breathes as he leans close to the woman. He whispers something in her ear and Damian can see the way she nearly collapses with a grin. Her hand snakes its way up to Father’s chest and presses firmly against the matching pocket square Father has tucked in his breast pocket.  “Mr. Wayne,” she gasps, “saying those sorts of things in front of your son? You naughty, naughty man!”   Damian wants to leave. He completely regrets his decision to attend. If this is the life his Father lives, then he would rather throw himself into the Atlantic and swim back to the compound.

Damian meets the public at one of the biggest parties of the year, Bruce attempts to bond with his son, and Steph receives death threats from not just one, but two people.

Batman (Comics) | Gen | Teen and Up | 7392 Words

Batkids Age Reversal | Reverse Robins, Alternate Universe, Bildungsroman

It takes Damian approximately twenty three minutes to comb through the equipment storage before he feels a distinct change in the cave. A low rumble emits from deeper in the cavernous bowels, and the air shifts slightly to incorporate the scent of sea salt and exhaust woven into a gentle draft. With each passing second, the rumbling becomes louder and the ground beneath Damian’s feet quivers. “Stephanie! Come here!” Damian orders. Stephanie leaps over the edge of the platform and lands in a graceful roll, running to join Damian by the equipment only a few seconds after he calls for her. He fishes one of his knives out of his sock and hands it to Stephanie, then retrieves another from his pant leg and unsheathes it. Just in case. Within the minute, a car as black as pitch and more armored than a tank pulls into the cave and parks near the rest of the vehicles. A figure in a black cape and grey bodysuit leaps from the roof of the car and makes its way down the platform to the platform that houses both the supercomputer and equipment. The figure is undoubtedly Batman. He doesn’t look surprised to see Damian and Stephanie inside his lair. In fact, he heads directly for them instead of the computer, stopping just short of slashing range. “You do not belong here,” he says in a deep growl.

Batman (Comics) | Gen | Teen and Up | 7975 Words

Batkids Age Reversal | Reverse Robins, Alternate Universe, Bildungsroman

“This is a proper stretch. It is also only moderately difficult.” “Maybe if you’re a circus performer,” Steph snarks. “I’m telling you, this works for me. If I tried that, I’d probably break a bone. You’re just showing off.” Damian's expression becomes a little uglier. “Try it.” Well now she doesn’t want to. Maybe she did before, in an abstract “that would be cool” way, but now that he’s trying to tell her what to do, she wants to do everything in her power to avoid doing it. It’s extremely childish and petty and she knows this but does not care. “No. I’m happy with what I’ve got.” “You will get nowhere without pushing yourself. This is not difficult.” Steph unfolds entirely and crosses her arms as she glares at Damian. “That’s easy for you to say.” “Try,” he orders again. “I can’t do it.” Damian returns to a neutral resting pose with an extremely annoyed expression. “You can. You are not worth teaching if you cannot.” “No, I can’t!” Steph stands to get the height advantage, feeling her own anger and agitation rise with each and every comment the both of them snipe each other with. “Who said I wanted you to teach me? You just showed up out of nowhere and started getting involved in my life! Why? Is it because you took pity on me? Is it because my good-for-nothing rotten dad is in jail? What’s your problem, Damian? Why do you keep pushing me to get better at this when you have no reason to care?” He stands as well, moving in two swift steps to stand right in her personal bubble as he stares right back up at her. “You have potential that you are squandering. It is natural for individuals to seek improvement and peak physical abilities, and you have shown to be capable of understanding this at times, yet you continue to second-guess yourself at these critical moments. You have absolutely no discipline or tact.” “Tact?” she laughs in astonishment. “You’re the one that threatened to kill me! You showed up at my house out of the blue and then transferred to my school and you even followed me into the girl’s bathroom!” “What does any of that have to do with tact?”