Twins, minus the Demon (Part 1)
When Damian and Danyal were created, it was not to become the League's successors, but to be the children for the trio to raise.
It didn't work, eveyrhting shattered when Ra's Al Ghul found out about the heirs.
Their Umi, Talia, went back to the League when the two were taken, Mother and Father none the wiser.
And so, they were trained carefully beneath the watchful eye of their grandfather.
Talia, Umi, revolved against the leader of the league and sent her boys to Gotham. She kickstarted a war with a battle cry, holding her sword up and chin never lowered.
Knowing Umi would be back, because she always did come back, they separated and planned.
Damian left with Father, Danyal with Mother.
Neither knew of the other, lest they ruin the suprise after all.
Like cats on a mission, truly.
Studying his self-proclaimed blood son, he noticed with sadness that he had Talias eyes, her tan, and walked just like her.
Yet he also reminded him of Selina, with the swiftness of a cat, eyes never straying and only satisfied when succeeded. He mildly notes he had her unruly curls with amusement.
He was a mix of demon and cat, but also with the spice of bat.
Stubborn like him, never backing down and always fighting.
He wonders why Talia left them, hiding a secret child along.
The spot for Robin was free, Tim having renamed himself with a new hero alias and finally flying from the nest.
Bruce should tell Selina, with his new Robin by his side.
While the man mourned, Selina had been enlightened when her eyes met his.
It was bittersweet in a way, to know the woman you loved had hidden a child from her and Bruce, but it also brought hope.
Because wherever talia was, this, this proves she didn't leave for nothing.
Selina sees the similarities between her and Danyal, he was quick-witted, let his emotions in the moment lead, and loves just as fierce as Talia does.
She also sees his hair curl just like her own, blue eyes that can only be from Bruce, lighter in shade than Talia is and with the matching paranoia of the bat included.
And she sent her son to her.
Because she couldn't take care of him right now, something happened, and it forced her hand and focused on protecting the child first.
It meant one day, she would come back.
She needs to introduce him to Bruce.
While Robin had his fair time as vigilante sidekick, Ragdoll robbed the rich and made sure to tease the other as much as possible.
It wasn't until they met, that the light was flipped and the truth revealed.
(For being such a old guy, Danyal really tips his head to Dick, the guy figured him out in a second, not far behind was Tim.)
(He really should have concealed his eyes, would have been more fun.)
They met on a rooftop, Catwoman leaning on a gargoyle as her little helper stood by her side.
(Catwoman wasn't fooled as easy, it took just a few longer glances that she'd figured out the switch.)
The bat's and birds on the other side, and soon enough, Batman gestures to his Robin, who steps forward.
Mirroring the bird, so did the cat.
"This is Robin." He introduces, and selina bites her laughter back, because–
That's her boy, or apparently, one of her boys.
"Ragdoll." She gives a fleeing smile, tilting her head to her apprentice.
"Okay, so, Nightwing, Red Robin and Black Bat immediately figured it out." Robin speaks up, two firm grips on his costume, and one tug has him dressed as his cat counterpart. He seems sheepish.
(Dick in particular is leaning forward with a wide grin, dragged behind him is Jason, interested but stubborn.)
"Tt," Ragdoll throws his own costume away, revealing Robin. "You need more practice. It took catwoman only 3 hours. I win."
The boy walks forward to his twins side, it seemed to amuse catwoman even more.
"Nuh uh! Technically speaking Batman didn't even know!"
Both pointedly look at the clad in black outfit wearing man, frozen stiff and looking between the two.
"Really, father?" Another 'tt' and Robin grumbles. "Fine, I'll take you to the stupid milkshake cafe."
Cheering, Ragdoll is throwing his arms around Robin's neck, dangling in front of his, the older twin having a secure grip on the black collar, lest Ragdoll fall.
"I get my milkshake!" Robin only seems more exasperated at his behaviour, shaking his head.
With delight and literally vibrating from his spot, Nightwing jumped at the two, staring between them with curiosity.
With his lead, so did the other birds and bats, teasing and playfully giving them head pats.
"Twins?" Batman's gruff voice breaks through the little gathering they have.
"Yes, father." The firstborn easily replies, the second only following behind. "Umi didn't want to overwhelm you and Catwoman when she sent us here. Don't be mad?"
"Now that we're talking about this, neither explained your circumstances nor why now?" She nears them with her cat like dance, slipping next to Batman and leaning into his side.
"Umi was adamant that we'd meet and get along first before bringing in our situation." Robin explains, his voice is steady yet unsure in the way only a child with recent loss could sound.
"It's not that she didn't trust you," Ragdoll explains to Batman when the man looked like he wanted to interject. "Umi knew you'd help us regardless of our blood connection."
They share another look, one fiddles with his hands, the other having a steady grip on his hilt.
"This is no conversation for anyone to hear, we can't risk being found because we slacked off in security."
The twin wearing leather and cat ears snorts, mischief twinkling, and jumping forward to give Red Robin a pat on the chest.
A smile only a cat could wear takes over, and with joy he hollers. "Tag! Your it!"
Not even a second later, he was thrown over Robins shoulder and both skedaddled to the cave.
"Tt, truly experts, to freeze like that on a rooftop. Assassins could have easily killed all of you in that moment."
Robins tease echoes through the comm and causes them all to unfreeze.
With a huff of laughter, Red Hood pushed Nightwing to RR as sacrifice and bolted after the twins.
A yelp and Nightwing was swiftly tagged, RR disappearing with Spoiler in tow.
When he searches for a target, both Batman and Catwoman are already gone.
In the end, Robin comfortably sits at the chair in front of the batcomputer, Ragdoll on the arm rest with his legs tossed out on the others lap.
As the other mile around, Damian and Dnyal exchange hushed whispers, only drawn out when Batman urges them by clearing his throat.
"Okay, this won't be easy," Danny drawls the words, fumbling with Damians hair instead.
The other scowls but does nothing else. "First of all, Umi did not leave you willingly." He speaks loud and clear, mask off and staring at Bat and Cat.
"She never planned on leaving, but complications arose with our birth."
Smiling nervous, Danny takes over.
"You're familiar with our grandfather, yes?" At the nods, he grimaces. "When he heard he had potential heirs, he kidnapped us once born. Umi had to follow immediately, lest one of us dies because grandfather wasn't careful."
"She couldn't exactly flee either, with two toddlers, so what she could do, she did. It might not have been the best childhood, but umi did her best!"
While the children of the bat stay mostly silent, Bruce, without cowl, and Selina don't.
"Why now? Why did she send you two at 10?"
Damian drums his fingers on the others legs laid out on him, humming.
"On our 10th birthday, Grandfather gave us a rather... peculiar mission." He winces at the explanation, those words bring no truth of the situation to light.
"What akhi means, we're twins." Dnany holds up two fingers. "Two people, one destiny. Grandfather did not like that two remained, seeing as only one can become the next Demon head."
Someone took a sharp intake of air somewhere, he can't really focus, the memories are not pleasant ones he'd get reminded of.
"Umi didn't let it happen," Damian drawls, massaging Danyal's fingers with bored expression, the forced nonchalance doesn't fool anyone.
"She swung her sword and declared war on grandfather. It was the start of a civil war in the league, dangerous to us for we were still known as heirs."
Danny meets Selinas eyes. "Umi didn't just send us here because of the chance, it was also for protection. With groups joining the civil war for the throne, some might have the idea to kill off the heirs, us in this situation."
A wince and he starts blabbering. "Not that I'd like to die in the next few hours, or days, or weeks, or—"
"You're rambling, daynal."
With a wave of his hand, Batman nods at the rest of the bat's and birds, they leave to continue patrol.
Silence in the cave, only interrupted by drops of water and the clicks of the bat's above them.
"Thank you." Her voice is soft as she walks to them, heels clicking on the ground. Her gloved hands ruffle the ebony hair of the two and brings them into a hug.
"We will protect you, love you and wait for Umi to come back," Selina declares with careful words, nails running through thick curly hair.
Damian and Danyal can't argue otherwise, the other not as comfortable as his counterpart with the hug, but leaning in neverless.
This will be a journey, neither parents having had twins before and growing back closer with them.
(When talia left, Bruce and Selina grew apart. It brought tension they'd ignore in publics eye, vulnerable moments only for the other to see and so much mourning.)
(Talia is not back, but her children are. Their children. Wonderful twins that will stomp and smash the tension between them and bring back what Talia took.)
(They cannot wait for the day their third will rejoin them.)
