"What's got you pissy, Dickhead?"

"Robin made chai to share with the new kid! He never does that! I can be a little upset if I want to be!"

"Chai? Damn. Any chance there will be some left?"

"There will not be," Damian told them before removing his ear piece. He nodded to Alfred as he carted the tea tray into the living room. His classmate had taken up position on a couch and was reviewing a bamboo slip book. None of the characters were any version of Chinese he could recognize. Danny was reading carefully, finger trailing along the bamboo; muttering to himself.

"Oh! Dames. Tea! Thanks so much!" Danny rolled the book back up, tucking it into his backpack.

"It will go well with the snacks you brought." They settled into the tea and snacks for a long moment. Enjoying the food and company until Danny cleared his throat.

"So, what do you want to know?"

Damian mused that Danny was as forthright as always. "Your guardian and my father are currently having ...relations. We must consider reasonable expectations."

"We probably should, but I don't have any. Ziet is.....old and knows what they want. I'm only you're classmate. Not to mention, I have parents so if something does play out between them; there's nothing to expect from me anyway."

Damian hid a frown with his next sip of tea. "Zeit is not also engaged with your parents? I had heard it was a trouple. From your expression, I see not."

"Ewwww, ugh. No! They don't like my parents all that much and visa versa. It's...not. My parents would never give Zeit the time of day."

That only opened up more questions. "Then they do not entrust their child to a partner but an enemy?"

"Not enemies, they just don't see eye to eye on lot of thing. I guess it sounds worse than it is. They get along, but they don't get along. Dating is it's own problem, Damian."

"What if your parents do expect something, Danny?"

"Uh....not really? I know you probably don't believe it but they've got their own little world. That last time someone tried to get between them it ended...well. Let's just say, badly."

"Vladimir Masters."

Danny grinned, but raise his eyebrows. "You have done your research."

"Of course." Damian scoffed.

"Yeah."

"He has been declared missing and dead. You were set to inherit his holdings; but passed control to the Manson family."

"Yeah. I trust them to take care of it. They're snooty and kinda obnoxious, but they've got good business sense. Plus, I have my own stuff to worry about. I don't have time to run a multinational corporation. I'm not your brother." Now, his smile was tired, wane, and with the same depressed edge every teenage superhero had. A child who'd misplaced his youth or had suffered it being ripped away. A tight, thin-lipped smile upon which two lives were balanced.

Damian considered him, watching Alfred arrive with a selection of chopped vegetables and fruit. Once thanks had been offered and the older man departed, he said. "We have a very strict criteria for step-parents as well as a screening process."

"Uh....okay. Makes sense. What makes you think is going to stick around for a relationship like that? I mean, they've only been on a few dates and the only time you met them was when we both had a bloody nose."

"It is a precautionary measure. Zeit is an entity of unknown origin and motivation."

"I dare you to say that to their face." Danny said blandly. "Triple-dog-dare you."

Before Damian could mount an argument, Richard wandered into the room looking as if he'd eaten too many processed foods and then thrown himself from the top of Wayne tower. He was supposed to be observing the interactions between Zeit and their father. "Richard?"

"Uh...there was a steamy scene in the movie." The other man grimaced. "I can't watch that with my dad, so." He wave at the room. "Is there any tea left?"

"No," both teenagers said in tandem.

"Wow. Not even a little? Dames, come on!"

"We're in the middle of a strategy meeting, dude."

"I heard Damian made tea." Jason said, stepping around Richard to stare at the snacks. "You know, he doesn't pull that out for just anyone. That's the same recipe he spent months perfecting."

"'Which is why I'm not sharing it." Damian growled, rising to his feet. The teapot behind him a treasure to be guarded. "Begone."

"Awwww." Both men separated, flanking the younger man. "Come on, kiddo."

Damian startled when he heard Danny stand. Tall and proud with the fearsome expression which had dominated his face the day of their duel. He had Damian's back. "You heard him. Back off."

"Oh yeah?" Jason smirked. "You going to make us, buddy?"

Talia would be proud of the stance the other boy took up. Ready and dangerous. "Yes."

It was the only warning anyone got.

When Tim wandered down the stairs an hour later, drawn by the idea of food and meeting their potential step brother, he found all four lounging in the kitchen. Dick had an eyepack over his right eye and one on his left knee. Jason was nursing a split lip, and Damian looked as if he'd been sucker-punched into a wall. Danny, the new kid, was suffering Alfred's ministrations and scowling.

"What the hell?" Tim could guess who had done what, but the why was missing.

"They wanted the last of Damian's tea." Danny hissed as Alfred gently pressed a bruise with medicine. "I was defending his honor."

Tim couldn't help the bark of laughter. "His honor? The demon brat he....well, good job." Danny's scowl could have stopped Superman cold. Out of the boys eye line, Dick grimaced.

Damian turned toward his classmate. "Would you like to meet my cow?"

"Yes! I would love to! You have a cow?"

"Yes. Alfred?"

"All done, Master Damian. Please take care." Once they'd hopped down and left, Tim rubbed his forehead.

"So now we have demon twins. Fantastic."

"That kid has training." Jason muttered, leaning into his ice pack. "It was like being punched by a baby Wonder Woman."

"And he bites."

"So...why are you back? I thought you were trailing Bruce to see how he dealt with Zeit."

"We did. We got a little more than an look at how he deals with them." Jason said sourly. "I thought he was suppose to go for an interrogation. He took flowers."

"Master Bruce does seem to be pleased with their company. I hope they will be introduced to the manor."

"We should have just talked to Danny. We still don't have anything on Zeit or even much on Danny."

"It's nice that Dami made a friend," Dick pointed out, smiling. "I mean, aside from Jon he doesn't really have friends. We should be proud of him."

"I am proud of him," Alfred stowed the first-aid kit. "And of the young man defending Master Damian so well."

Tim nodded, accepting the cup of coffee which was offered. "We have all weekend, guys. Don't crowd him yet."

#$34

In the barn, Damian watched Danny interact with each of the animals with the same care and attention he'd given Batcow. He was good with animals, and people. An exceeding talent in so many fields. His initial concerns that Danny and his family would make trouble for the Bats and Gotham adjusted. If his father and Zeit were no longer a couple then Danny might not want to interact with them. If they ended on a sour note then Danny would really not want to talk to them.

Since it was likely the Fenton parents had had a hand in Masters disappearance then his father wouldn't be paired with them....how could he convince Danny to stay? They might be classmates but Damian...he'd often heard his siblings joke that he'd gotten his fathers adoption tendencies. Taking in wounded animals and pets; but now the feeling was to a person.

He had not had the opportunity to choose his siblings before. If he could choose the next one.

"Damian?" Danny sat with Titus' head on his lap. "What's wrong? You're perched up there like a ninja."

Damian almost smiled, but leapt to the barn floor. He must find a way for Danny Fenton to become his brother. "Alfred has prepared ice cream which was made with milk from Batcow. It is a pistachio and saffron flavor. We will have some with dinner."

Danny beamed, almost glowing in the dim light. "That sounds great. Hey, I've got...uh, this fantasy book I'm reading and I'm kinda wondering what you think might happen. There's these elves who have been arguing over a bunch of trees, and then one of the royal servants was kill from one side and the other side said they didn't do it. Not they're all threatening war and this stupid prince has to solve the problem or everything explodes."

Blinking at the unexpected turn, Damian settled onto the hay across from his friend. "I do not engaged in reading such novels....however, this is an intiguing problem. Start over."

Danny grinned, and obeyed.

Part 6