Damian Al-Ghul eyes the assassin in front of him. “Are you sure?” he asks with no semblance of emotion.
The assassin bows his head. “Yes. The Great Guardian of the Miraculous is currently in New York City.”
“And what does the Guardian do?”
“The Guardian has a business she owns – designing for various…celebrities,” The assassin displays disgust at the word, but Damian ignores it.
“And her name?” he asks.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”
Pursing his lips, Damian motions for him to leave. “Leave. And permit no one to enter.”
Bowing once again, the assassin leaves the room and shuts it behind him.
Damian rubs his temple, wondering just howhe could kidnap the Great Guardian of the Miraculous. She had the most powerful miraculous in her hands, and if he was not stealthy enough, the Guardian would detect him.
Yes,him.
Damianwas going to go and kidnap her for the miraculous. But the plan would have to be flawless and well executed.
So far, no one knew of his idea and Damian planned to keep it that way.
Now, back to the plan…
◇─◇──◇─◇
A few weeks later…
Marinette smiles brightly (and fakely) feeling her cheeks hurt with how hardshe was smiling.
Once she walked into her office, she slams the door shut and slides against it.
Her shaking shoulders and telltale sting in her eyes tell her that she’s about to start crying again.
“Why?” Marinette whispers to the room. “Why did he have to do it now?”
‘He’ was Adrien Agreste, her ex-fiancé.
The previous night, he had broken off their engagement for reasons Marinette couldn’t fathom to understand.
**
Smiling stiffly, Marinette smiles for the cameras outside the restaurant.
“That’s right,” Adrien whispers into her ears, also waving for the paparazzi. “You’re doing great!”
Marinette says nothing, somewhat annoyed at him for ruining what was supposed to be a privatedinner.
After 10 minutes of constant smiling, she finally relaxes into the limo. “Done,” she groans.
Adrien looks at her with an odd look in his eye. Then, Marinette didn’t realize what it meant.
As the car glides to her apartment, Marinette discusses her latest designs for her business. “-And if I finish it, it would be a huge boost!” she finishes excitedly.
“A boost you wouldn’t needif you joined Gabriel.” Adrien points out – for the millionth time – and Marinette sighs.
“Adrien,” she says, “We’ve discussed this. I am notgoing to be joining Gabriel as one of the designers. I have my own dreams to fulfill.”
And later, as Marinette reflects, this is what made him snap.
He stiffens up and they sit in uncomfortable silence for the rest of the ride.
Once they reach her apartment, Adrien asks her, “Marinette, would you mind if I came to drop you off?”
“No, of course not,” she says, oblivious to what comes next.
Inside her apartment, Adrien looks at her. “Marinette,” he begins in the patronizing tone she hates. “I’m giving you a choice.”
She stares at him. “What choice?”
He breathes in. “Either, you join Gabriel and we can continue our relationship or…”
“Or what?” Marinette asks, still not completely sure what’s happening.
“Or it’s the end.” Adrien finishes, looking at her with those hopeful green eyes as he was expecting her to choose the first option.
As if he was thinking she would give up her dreams, something she spent yearsmaking true, just for him.
“What are you doing, kid?” Plagg flies out of Adrien’s pocket and glares at him.
Adrien looks at Plagg as is he’s the one being stupid. “I’m giving Marinette a choice.”
“A choice between youand her job?What’swrongwith you kid?” Plagg asks bluntly.
Apparently, his owner is unwilling to listen and snaps, “Shut up, Plagg.”
As Plagg opens his mouth to speak, Adrien says it again. “Plagg. I order you to shut up.”
The kwami’s mouth snaps shut.
Marinette’s jaw drops open and Tikki and the other kwami’s fly out in indignation.
“Adrien,” Marinette asks sternly, “Whatare you doing?”
“Marinette,” Adrien says as if that will excuse what he’s done, “I gave you a choice. You pick.”
Seething now, Marinette glares at him. “I pick-”
“Me right?” Adrien asks excitedly, as if she would actuallydo that after what he’s done in the last past 5 minutes.
“No,” Marinette hisses. “Ipick my business.”
Now it’s Adrien’s turn to be shocked. “What?” he gasps. “But what about us-”
Practically fuming now, Marinette advances on him. “I wasn’t the one who gave the ultimatum Adrien. You were. And you can take it back how much you want. But Iwon’t be coming back.”
She snatches the ring on her finger and slams it onto her table, feeling spiteful satisfaction when it shatters to pieces.
An analogy of their relationship really.
“Nowget out.” Marinette dares him to try and fight her.
Still shocked, Adrien walks backwards, towards the door. “Come on, Plagg.”
Plagg tries to say something, but all that comes out is a muffled noise.
Enraged, Marinette snaps her fingers and he can speak again.
“You wish, kid,” Plagg hisses flying to the rest of the kwamis.
Adrien glares at him – as if he ownsPlagg, “Plagg, I orderyou to come with me!”
But nothing happens because Marinette has snatched the ring from Adrien’s hand. “Out.”
“But my miracu-” he stutters, looking at her with betrayal.
Later on, she will laugh bitterly at the irony.
“OUT!” Marinette yells, but yetAdrien still tries.
“Marinette-”
And for the first time in Marinette’s entire time, she’s had the Ladybug Miraculous, Tikki yells.
Boy, does she yell.
“GET OUT OF HER HOUSE!” Tikki screeches. “GET OUT NOWADRIEN AGRESTE OR I SWEAR I WILL MURDERYOU,RIGHT NOW!”
Adrien hightails out.
And hours after he has left, Marinette is sobbing with the kwamis trying to comfort her.
**
Coming back to the present, Marinette wishes she hadn’t left Tikki behind today. For two reasons really, 1) she could reallyuse her support and 2) Marinette felt like she was being watched.
Instead, Marinette tries to think about what Tikki would have said. He isn’t worth your tears, Marinette, she would say fiercely, you deserve so much better than him.
Yes, Marinette thinks, standing up and smoothing her clothes out, Tikki would say that.
Walking to her desk, Marinette opens up her laptop and while waiting she organizes her desk.
She pauses when she sees a dark shape behind her.
What in the kwam-
Spinning around, Marinette gives her attacker a solid punch in the jaw, smirking triumphantly when she hears himcurse loudly.
But it was far too soon, because later, to the smell of chloroform, Marinette falls into the waiting arms of unconsciousness.
◇─◇──◇─◇
Damian rubs the ice pack over his jaw thoughtfully, while assessing the short woman tied to the chair.
She is stronger than she looks, he thinks thoughtfully.
He smiles wryly, remembering the solid, surprise punch to the jaw she gave him.
When she starts to stir, Damian immediately makes his face blank and sets the ice pack down.
“Where am I?” she mumbles and he is momentarily thrown off by the innocence in her voice. For some reason, it appealsto him.
Clearing his throat, Damian waits for her to open her eyes before addressing her. “You,” he says coldly, “Are in the lair of the League of the Assassins.”
She stiffens up immediately and her eyes (beautiful ones) become glaciers. “Why?” she hisses. “The Order has done nothing to you.”
“Exactly,” Damian says walking closer to her. “Nothing.Zero. Zip. Nada. I wish to know why.”
She glares at him, subtly (but not subtle enough) trying to loosen her bonds. “And so, you kidnappedme?”
“Yes,” Damian says casually. “And I also want the Miracle Box.”
Her back straightens defiantly. “What makes you think Ihave it?”
Laughing softly, Damian looks at her. “You don’t think I would have done my research, Marinette Duoain-Cheng, Ladybug, former superheroine of Paris?”
She doesn’t look to surprised at the use of her name and alias. “I was hoping,” she admitted, “Damian Al-Ghul.”
And Damian can safely say he is shockedshe managed to get his real name. He made sure to keep it a secret.
“Interesting,” he says, walking around her. “Bit you still didn’t answer my question. Whereis the Miracle Box?”
Marinette tips her head back and gives him a cocky smirk (and for some reason Damian wants to kiss it of her lips). “What makes you think Ihave it? After all, if you know I was Ladybug, then you mustknow I had a partner too?”
He doesn’t miss the emphasis on ‘had’. Damian wonders if it has something to do with the momentary weakness she displayed once she was in her office.
His expression shifts uncomfortably, feeling like he wanted to murder the one who made her so…weak.
It disappears in a flash.
Replying as cockily as her, Damian smirks. “Unlikely because Wang Fu trusted you much more than your partner and fiancé, Adrien Agreste also known as Chat Noir.”
“Ex-fiancé,” she says almost angrily and then Marinette snaps her mouth shut as if she hadn’t meant to say that.
Quirking an eyebrow at her, Damian says, “This must be recent development because otherwise it would be all over the news.”
She rolls her eyes at that. “Yeah, because Adrien just hadto make us look good for the press,” she mumbles, apparently unaware he can hear her.
Ignoring the ugly feeling in his stomach, Damian eyes her thoughtfully. Perhaps if he opened her up more, she would give him more information about the Box.
(Definitely not because he wanted to know more about her)
Thisbeing opening up to Damian Al-Ghul, her quite literally arch enemy.
But here she was, telling him all about her issues with Adrien and how they broke up.
“-And then, he gave mean ultimatum – either I join Gabrielor we break up! And then when P-”
Marinette pauses abruptly. Shit. How could she have fallen for this trick?
He must have noticed the tear tracks on her face, she thinks.
“And then?” Damian looks at her with interest – interest that is faked, she tells herself firmly.
Realizing she should probably continue so as to not arouse his suspicion, Marinette says, “He did something I couldn’t forgive. So, I broke off the engagement.”
“There’s more to the story,” Damian says, no demands.
Marinette shrugs – or as much as she could in her bonds. “That’s all I’m willing to tell you.”
Damian presses his lips together and it draws her attention to them.
They look soft, she thinks longingly and almost immediately snaps out of it.
“Fine,” Damian snaps. “I’ll let you go.”
Marinette gapes at him as he rummages around his desk for a knife.
Quickly, he pulls one out and she stiffens. What if he’s going to kill her?
But that would defeat his purpose, she reasons. But isn’t letting her go alsodefeating his purpose?
She waits, her heart thumping, and Marinette feels her muscles become slack with shock when he actuallycuts her loose.
Unsure, why he is doing this, warily Marinette gets up and promptly tumbles into his chest.
“Mmph,” she says and she feels her cheeks color in a way they haven’t since Adrien.
Damian’s arms are wrapped around her and she can smell the scent of the cologne he uses.
Backing off, Marinette winces as she rubs her wrists. “Why are you doing this?” she misses Damian’s eyes tracking her wrists and then him cringing at her wince.
“Because I want to,” he says brusquely.
Glaring at him defiantly, she replies, “That’s no answer.”
“No, it’s not,” Damian agrees. “But if you want to escape, now’s the time.” He gestures to the door.
Marinette wastes no time, launching herself out and then taking off into the streets of New York.
Thank Kwami Damian took her somewhere familiar, she thinks as Marinette runs through the streets zigzagging for the benefit of any followers.
Taking the longer route to her apartment, Marinette stares at the Kwamis wide-eyed. “You will neverbelieve what happened to me.”
**
That night, as Marinette lay in bed, she wonders why Damian Al-Ghul of all people let her go.
Little does she know, said man is wondering the same thing himself.
Made a little comic book cover. it’s a comic to focus on Jason’s time at the league of assassin where Talia is a mother to him with Damian as his little brother. Kind of like lost days but with a little more focus on the lazarus pit recovery. Since Jason got his head bashed in to then be blown up, he lost a lot of his memories.
I might switch out the Batman title later for redhood instead but I didn’t find anything preexisting that worked. For now it’s Batman. I also created the FC (fan comics) logo kinda like DC’s. Lemme know what you guys think!
When Damian Al Ghul reached the side of his beloved—Raven. She had exhaled her last breath a long time ago. All he could do now was hold her lifeless blue corpse in his hands. He did not understand and could not comprehend—no, it was simply denial—what has happened to his beloved Raven who was in his arms.
He was kneeling down on the ground, a hand resting on the back of her neck. Her head limp and eyes closed and lips so terribly blue, his other arm under her legs. She had died a long time ago, had he come a minute earlier; nothing would have changed.
Time felt awfully too slow for him at that very moment. And yet, he was so very aware of every breathing, moving thing or person around him. And it made the non-existent breathing and moving of his beloved’s chest so sickeningly deafening in his ears.
His lips opened, and his inhalation was slow. “I want them all dead.” He heard himself say, his head spinning. “No—I want their limbs pulled apart, and I want them to suffer.” He heard himself continue on.
“Yes, my lord.” An assassin in black replied.
The heat from the flames around Damian reached his skin.
For a moment, he thought that maybe the heat would warm the cold body in his arms. He pulled her closer, but she was still freezing. He looked up at the sky, imaging a life without the woman he was cradling. And soft splatters of water fall from the sky.
It was like heaven was agreeing: that a life without her, was not a life worth living.
The rain drops pick up, and it felt like pellets against his skin. The cold from the rain quickly settles against his skin, and a small part of him longed for the heat. And he pulled her tightly against him, trying to protect her from the rain.
“You’re already so cold—no more…” He whispered brokenly; his eyes closed tightly as his back arched to shield her from the rain. But her body was so stiff against his, and it just made his heart ache even more.
Behind Damian was chaos. There were orange flames licking everything, his assassins catching those who aren’t a part of the league. Dead bodies littered all around, some people trapped inside the flames. And there was a lot of screaming. And because the rain was strong, the flames were contained but not enough to put the flames out. And Damian screamed and wept. His screams mixed with the harsh sounds of the rain and the chaos behind him. His tears blending with the painful rainfall against his face.
Eventually the flames were quelled by the rain and the screaming of frightened people disappeared. And even the pellets of water weren’t as painful and strong anymore. In front of Damian, the eerily dark, empty and silent forest seemed to mock him.
He too, stopped grieving. He couldn’t even tell if his throat was hoarse from screaming, or if his eyes burned after weeping so much. All Damian knew was emptiness now.
His assassins were hidden, too afraid to even approach him in such a state. They could see very clearly how broken their lord has become. They could see that he had fully entered into the darkness. This was something they have wanted collectively, and yet they feared the day that it would come—of the change necessary—and here it was.
The day they had feared the most.
A death they feared more of happening then their master’s.
Raven was an existence to them that was almost rather vile. It wasn’t that she was a bad person, it was because she was quite the opposite that they recognized the danger. The implication.
The weakness a Demon’s Head should not be having. And yet, it was also the same reason why they would go out of their way to ensure her safety. They could see clearly the kind of man their lord can be when she is taken off the equation. And they feared that kind of man even more.
Sometimes the assassins of the league would think that there really was no right or wrong between a Damian with or without his Raven. But they are Damian Al Ghul’s underlings, so of course, they would just follow. And since they knew he wanted her safe, following that would be easier than deciding who to fear more.
Him without her, or him with her.
Her clothes were no longer white. Her robes were always so pristinely white, thus she always stood out amongst the assassins with their black garbs. Now, it had the tinge of brown, and there was blood, dirt and rips everywhere, and mud on the parts that touch the ground. The assassins felt awful seeing her in that state. It was simply unfamiliar.
And Damian suddenly stood up. The air around him grew lifeless.
What would their leader do?
“Let’s go.” He said in such an empty tone. His voice is slightly different from what his assassins were used to.
His assassins reappeared around him. “Let’s return to Nanda Parbat.”
When Damian arrived at Nanda Parbat, the assassins who were not with their lord previously, upon seeing their lady’s lifeless corpse, understood the situation quickly. And they found that they were holding back their shivers of fear. Soon, the entire place was filled with lifelessness and trepidation.
“Prepare a basin of water, a wash cloth, sponge and every kind of essential oils we have.” Damian ordered as he continued to walk through his palace. The echoes of his footsteps are very eerie.
“Prepare the best silks we have too.” He added quietly.
He brought Raven into a room. “This was supposed to be my surprise for you.” He mumbled looking at the walls and decorations in the room. “I painstakingly prepared everything for you.” He mumbled, setting her down gently on the bed. He kneels by her side, holding her hand and resting it on his forehead. And he wept silently.
Her fingers were so stiff and cold against his skin. And it made his heart ache again.
Soon his subjects placed all that he asked for in the room. They did not say a thing about their own master kneeling on the floor by the side of his dead lover. And they quietly left just like how they entered– in complete silence.
Minutes passed before he pulled away from her lifeless body. His heart ached as he tried to remove her clothes off of her. He was so careful, he had to be. He was so afraid he’d hurt her more. And when all the dirty clothes were off her, his eyes twitched at the bruises and wounds all over her body.
He couldn’t save her.
Silent tears fell from his eyes as his shaking hands reached out for the sponge and water with some lavender oils. He gently cleaned her with the sponge and dried her skin with the washcloth. And with all the dirt and blood off of her body, he could see even more clearly all the wounds and bruises.
He was late—too late.
But as he cleaned her, he had made up his mind. He has resources.
“You might hate me for this. But I am willing to take the consequences.” He slipped in a white silk dress on her. And he picks her up, his eyes full of resolve.
The next thing Damian knew was the brown walls of the cavern illuminated by torches. And the green liquid of the pool in front of him. He was very familiar with this place. He could hear the sound of the flickering torches around him, and the sound of breathing from his own lips.
The woman in his arms, must have been dead for a few hours now. The pool looked very inviting, despite its disgusting color.
“There have been a few people that the Lazarus Pit revived—and the consequences, my beloved, I am willing to take.” He stroked her cold cheek. “Forgive me.” His apology was simply lip service. He actually didn’t care if he would hate her. He wouldn’t care if she would not be the same.
A life without her—was really—a life he was not willing to live.
As long as her heart was beating, and there was breath in her lungs, then everything was worth it.
He kissed her forehead gently and then looked at the Lazarus Pit. His eyes were cold and determined. He took a step near the pit and continued on. His hold on her was gentle, her head resting on his shoulder. Soon the water was around his waist and he lowered her. He waited for a moment, his heart aching at having to fully submerge his beloved into the green liquid, but he cannot hesitate now.
Damian kneeled and so Raven was submerged under the water, his head above the water.
He waited and waited. And it felt so long that it hurt.
She had already died because he was too late and here he was drowning her dead body. It felt like he was killing her ten times over. But he closed his eyes, his jaw clenched tightly.
And finally, he felt her twitch against him and arms wrapped around him. He quickly pulled her up by standing up. There was a lot of screaming from her, her entire eyes black.
“Raven! Raven!” He called out but she kept screaming. “It’s me!” And he felt a sting on his left shoulder. She had bit him hard, he was bleeding.
“It’s me.” He coaxed her as he patted her head. “It’s me.” He hugged her and she whimpered, teeth still on his shoulder.
“My Lord!” It was the familiar voice of a woman he had become friends with when he was twelve. The worry in her voice was so unlike her. He turned around, and for the first time, her face was not frozen in the expression that he was used to—indifference. Her facial expression matched the tone of her voice.
It was so clear on her face and in her tone, the fear and the pain she felt.
And when her eyes landed on Raven whose teeth were still on his shoulder, her body winced. She gulped down her messy thoughts. And suddenly fell to her knees.
“I should have been there!” She said her head casted down.
“Raven is perfectly fine.” Damian replied, and the woman before him, who was his shadow, his right hand—among other things, just clenched her fist silently.
“I should have been summoned back. I should have gone back.” She made her mind up. She shouldn’t have waited for a summon.
“Everything is alright. Raven is fine.” He caressed his lover’s black hair. “You had a mission to complete. And my Raven– my beloved Raven is completely safe.” Damian insisted as he continued to caress the hair of the woman in his arms who had growled at him like an animal.
“We will be alright.” Damian finally said as he walked out from the waters of the pit. The lady outside the pool silently kneeled with clenched eyes and fists.
Raven was never the same, but Damian welcomed the change with open arms. After all, she was still breathing and alive.
Damian stood in front of me, and I was at the verge of tears over the loss of our teammates and the emotions of those killed around us due to the parademons. It was suffocating and overwhelming, everything was too much. I could feel so much anger and remorse, and sadness– and the simple realization that this was it—this was their death. The intensity of it all made me rather self-aware, that this was happening to the entire people of earth at this moment. And I couldn’t help it anymore, because it came so suddenly and with such intensity, I found myself crying.
“Raven…” Damian said, he was dripping wet as he had just come out of the water just a moment ago. I found my outstretched hand shaking as I tried to approach him because I had to heal him. But I found myself stumbling, Damian noticing my situation and ran towards me despite his obvious injured state and held me on our knees.
“Raven.” He says my name so firmly for a moment I was able to contain my emotions.
“Little girl, you and I both know your will is slipping, just let me out now and ease your pain.” My father whispers to me, but I just bit my lip to maintain my concentration.
“I have to heal you, Damian.” I simply say as I brought my hand to his face. He looks down at me and he closes his eyes with a sigh. And I healed him, but the contact made me focus on his emotions. It was similar to what I was already feeling, but this was undoubtedly his, and not a collection of emotions from a multitude of people. My tears continue to fall, as his anger, sadness and helplessness begin to blend into the sea of emotions from the entire world.
“Little girl.” I bit my lip harder.
“Raven!” Damian called out to me, a hand on my cheek, my eyes wide in shock.
“What are you doing?” He says angrily, and I look at him confused. “Your drawing out blood!” He says his voice laced with worry; his eyes seemingly focused on my chin—no my lips, that is why it felt numb. I had bit down on my lip so much to injure it.
“Slipping…”A chuckle echoes through my ears.
“I…” I glanced at our surroundings, at our dead teammates and dead parademons. “I can’t take this!” I shoved my face against my shaking hands. It’s just too much, I sob. And I could feel him stay so still. He was dealing with this too; he must think me selfish for acting like this. He wouldn’t understand—no one could understand this knot I was feeling right now.
I felt arms wrapped around me and it caused me to stop crying out of shock. And I looked up to see the setting sky. Damian’s head on the nook between my right shoulder and neck.
“Everything will be alright, Raven. I promise you.” Hearing him say that, made me feel centered again. And I was able to block the external emotions I was feeling. But one final tear slipped from my eye, as I slowly return his comforting hug. And yet knowing, so fully well, that even he was unsure how to proceed after this disaster. Knowing fully well, that everything was not alright.
When all my emotions settled in, all that was left was his and my genuine emotions. Damian now felt that he had a responsibility, I couldn’t help but wonder what he felt responsible for. And I realized that the helplessness Damian felt before, was mine too.
“You won’t be so lucky next time” A light growl from father echoes in my mind.
“We need to find a safe place.” Damian says as he pulled away from me, and I nodded. I absently looked at our team members, and so did he.
“We can’t even bury them…” I whisper softly, and Damian looked down on the ground as he shook his head and after stood up offering me his right hand.
“We can’t afford to waste time, the parademons might attack again, we need to hide now and rest properly.” I look up at him as I placed my hand on top his right hand. I know that he was right.
We had been hiding and killing parademons here and there for a week now. Three days ago, we found out that Conner was alive and joined us in hiding. We were so happy to find that there was someone else who had survived the attack.
“So, what’s the plan Damian?” Superboy asks, we were at a dark abandoned building—our current hide out.
“Nothing, we just have to try and survive now.” Damain glares at Superboy. “This is all Superman’s fault.” He gritted his teeth, and I saw Superboy ball his fist in response. Despite being together for three days, the tension between them had not dissipated. They would fight over this topic.
“Enough!” I say knowing fully well that this could start a fight. “There is no plan Conner, you’ve seen the state of the world already. What can three barely superheroes do? We only fight parademons when they attack us, we have never actively fought them, we can’t risk a horde after us, you know that!”
A faint amuse laughter comes out from my father, and I lean against the broken table for support. I felt their eyes on me.
“Perhaps it was wrong of you to come here Superboy. I did not expect that you were hoping for us three to do something against Darkseid.” Damian says and I look up at him, the tension between the two felt stagnant for a moment. The look on Damian’s face tugged on my heartstrings.
“Perhaps it is better for you to return to your family and protect them,” He looks away from Connor and sighs. “Be thankful you still have them.” Damian’s fist clenched.
When Connor found us, I recalled the relieved look on his face. When we got to a safe place, he told us that when we were attacked, he was hit and flew far away from the tower. When he came to, he had attempted to go to the Titans Tower to collect our dead; but he could not find himself to look at them so closely. So, Conner stood from a very safe distance and left. Afterwards he went to his parents, hoping that they were safe. Thankfully, Superman had implemented a safety measure for them, so they were safe. Damian was very angry when he found out Superman had safety precautions for his parents.
Conner was devastated but with his parents help, he was able to find strength again. And so, he went back to the Titan Tower, planning to bury his fellow members as that was what they deserved, but there were no bodies to be found. And that was when he deciding and hoped that just maybe– somewhere out there– was at least one Titan member that survived. And he found us.
I had opened my mouth to try and comfort Damian but Connor cut me off with a very loud sigh.
“You’re right, Damain.” A pause. “I am grateful that they are safe, and I should probably go and make sure that they will always be safe.” I felt Superboy’s resignation, there was really nothing we could do now. We knew for a fact that the justice league members that went to Apokolips are mostly dead, so what hope and chance did we really have?
Connor approaches Damian and placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry.” He whispers sadly, Damian looks down on the floor.
“Yeah, me too…” He responds faintly, and Connor slowly walks out of our hideout. He glances at me and gives a weak smile as farewell, and I couldn’t help but feel like crying, because I felt them. They were just trying to be strong, but the reality was—they weren’t. They were trying to look for hope in a place that provided no form of comfort. They had felt the resignation long before this moment—this moment that they finally acknowledged their hopelessness.
When the door closes behind Connor, I stood up and slowly approach Damian.
“Raven…” He calls my name in the darkness and I was startled, I look at his green eyes my brows etched in worry.
A gasp from my father.
“I have something I must admit to you.” He tells me and I can see and feel how difficult this is for him.
“I get it now,” My father laughs.
“What is it Damian?” I look at him and gently urged him with a faint smile. He turns his back around me and walked a couple steps.
“You like him.” A fact.
“I have been in contact with the league of assassins,” I stare at his back. “I am thinking of going back.” He crossed his arms behind him, he turns to look at me, his eyes gentle.
“I would like you to join me in leading them.” I stare at his lips as he says those words.
“I will kill the boy if you don’t release me, daughter!” My heart was beating so loud and it felt as though it sunk to my stomach, and I must have looked ashen.
“No…” I whispered breathlessly. Damian was startled—hurt. He took a step back unconsciously and turned around.
“I… I understand.” He mutters to himself, not sounding like his usual self.
A laughter from my father. Damian looked as though he was preparing to leave now.
“No!” I ran towards Damian and grabbed his left wrist pulling him to me, and he turns to look at me. But I just crashed my lips against his, and I placed my right hand on his right cheek.
“You will regret this daughter!” My father screams. I felt Damian wrap his left arm around my waist and his right hand cupping my left cheek as he kisses me back.
Shut up, father.
“Yes! Yes, I want to go with you!” I say frantically, worried that the kiss was not obvious enough. But he had kissed me back—so this means its mutual right?
I hear him sigh and placed his head on the nook of my right shoulder.
“You worried me, Raven. I’m glad you changed your mind so quickly” He chuckles. I hug him and clenched his cape.
You will not win father, I swear it.
When we arrived at Nan Parbat, the first thing Lady Shiva said was about Dick.
“You used the Lazarus Pit on Dick?” I grabbed his wrist and look at him. We were at an empty hallway within the compound.
“I have to try— his my brother!” Damian says not looking me in the eyes.
“Damian…” I took a step forward, placed my hand on his cheek and stood on my tippy toes, understanding what I was doing he places his forehead against mine. “I trust you. I trust your decisions; I might have done the same.” And he wrapped me around his arms.
“Just so we are clear…” Damian clears his throat and pulled away; he looks away from me. “We are together right?” And I laugh and he glares at me with a slight pout.
“Of course,” I cup both of his cheeks between my hands and I felt his relief. “I trust that you trust me too?” He smiles and closes the distance between our lips. A soft gentle and loving kiss.
“Yes, I do.” He says and I could hear my father growl, but I smiled. I will enjoy my moment with him, for as long as I can.
Two years had passed and in those two years, I felt so happy. Happier than I have ever been, but sadly my father has become a little bit too loud and my healing is not as it used to be. But I was at least able to return Dick’s sanity, it was a very long and tedious process, and with my waning healing abilities, there are times that he slips into madness again.
“There is an intruder! Inform the demon’s head!” I heard someone yell, I asked where the commotion was coming from and ran towards the courtyard.
“You!” I heard Damian call out in fury. I had a bad feeling about this, when I stepped out of the doorway, I saw Superman with Constantine and behind them Etrigan fighting assassins. Damian had unsheathed his sword and was ready to attack Superman.
“Damian!” I called out as I use my powers to block Damian’s attack on Superman. He turns to glare at me.
“He wouldn’t be here without good cause, let us hear him out.” Damian sighs and sheaths his sword.
“Your lucky my wife saved your ass.” He glares at Superman whose eyes widened at the information while Constantine chokes.
“I’m sorry… aren’t you two too young?” Constantine was at the verge of laughing but I glared at him, a silent warning not to.
“I already have a lot of regrets, starting from allowing father to follow on your idiotic crusade, Clark.” When Damian said Clark there was nothing but hatred there. “I will not add another one.” He gestures for the uninvited guest through the door and he glances at me.
“You have seen the state of the world, Constantine, at least there is this piece of happiness between us.” I finished for Damian our eyes locked. We had talked about it before.
“And its not like laws matter at the state the world is in.” Damian couldn’t help but comment bitterly.
We had settled the intruders in a room. Damian was not happy with the situation but I give him a look to remind him that they’re purpose here must be important.
“So, why are you three here?” Damian says trying to contain his anger and hatred.
“To the point, I like that.” Etrigan says. And Superman tells us how he thinks Damian could get across Batman, and that when Batman found out Nightwing died there was a reaction from the big bat. Damian and I exchanged a knowing glance. The silence in the room was chilling. Before Damian could respond I interrupt.
“We will think about it.” I glance at Damian and walked out of the room. This is bad. I went to our bedroom, and sat down on a chair facing the door.
I was nervous, or perhaps it was the external factors of it all making me feel so— What am I saying, of course it’s the external factors.
I kept picking on my purple robe out of sheer nervousness, and chewed on my lips, I felt awful. What would they think, what would he think? Why does it matter what he thinks—of course it does, why am I even lying to myself. This inner turmoil I am feeling was just eating me up whole.
The door opens revealing Damian, he looked exhausted.
“I told them that we should sleep it off first, and that we will come to a conclusion tomorrow.” He says as he slowly removes his armor, I stood up to help.
“Raven, you don’t have to, you seem exhausted.” Damain tells me gently and I smiled at him. I look into his beautiful green eyes, and…
“There is something I have to tell you…” He looks at me patiently.
“Do you recall when you offered me to lead the league with you?” I ask him our bodies just two feet apart.
“Of course,” He says as he folds his cloak. “You looked so terrified and disgusted and…” He sets his cloak down and looks at the floor. “It was painful, I did not know you hated me that much to the point of disgust.” A bitter smile as he cups my cheek.
“But you kissed me, and changed your mind quickly.” The bitter smile was replaced by a warmth that we shared over the last two years.
“Yes, that moment, my father decided to threaten me with your life.” His eyes widened with the revelation. “And I decided no more. And so, Damian, my love.” I cup his cheek this time.
“I have something to tell you.” I whisper as I put my forehead against his.
We awoke the next day with loud screaming that we were both very familiar with.
“Dick.” We say as we look at one another, I used my magic to change clothes and ran towards the screaming, Damian following suit.
“It’s all your fault!” Dick says scratching and thrashing toward Superman in Etrigan’s arms. His eyes had come back to that after he was dumped into the Lazarus pit.
“Dick!” I called out firmly, and he stopped thrashing and looked at me with hollow eyes.
“How could you, its all his fault! HIS!” He yelled and I smiled at him.
“I know, I know…” I placed my hand against his temples and soothed him and he fell asleep.
“Bring my brother to his chambers.” I heard Damian command from behind me, and I moaned in pain.
“Raven what’s wrong?” Damian approaches me worriedly as he saw my pain. “Is it your father again?”
“Maybe I can help.” Constantine says as he did a spell and my father’s voice echoes faintly in the hall.
“I don’t believe you! You brat! You ungrateful daughter, you dare!” I couldn’t help but smile. I see a few members of the league bring Dick back to his room.
“You heard that didn’t you Constantine?” I say as I stood up straight. “He says he doesn’t believe me.”
“Yes, well I do not know of the context but…” He eyes me suspiciously.
“Check if my soul is bounded to Damian.” I look at Damian and he just stood still. I could feel Constantine’s disapproval.
“You wouldn’t—you couldn’t.” Constantine says and he looks between Damian and I.
“Well, only you can disprove it.” I look at him sternly, and he did a magic circle in front of me and then moved in to Damian and did so back and forth. But you can tell from his shocked eyes, to his ashen face that it was true.
“That is one nasty, nasty spell, Raven.” He comments his lips tugging into a proud smile.
“Damian’s fate is my fate. If he dies, I die. We are one and bound together for all eternity.” I simply say as I glance over Damian who gave me a supportive smile.
“NO!” I hear my father’s furious voice echo in my head.
Damian stared at his inbox. There was an impossible email, addressed to him, in his inbox
Addressed to DamianinRobin’semail.
If this was a prank from one of his insipid teammates, Damian was going to eviscerate them.
Damian clicked on the email.
There were barely 3 lines of text, not even 20 words total.
And yet, 3 lines of text and a singular sign-off brought Damian’s world crashing down around him.
To: Robin encryption-B01
From: unknown
Damain, I’m alive.
Mother has found me.
Would our Father help me?
-Gemini
——
Chapter 2:
After fighting back and forth on if it was even worth it to reply, he settles on something small.
How?-is it really you?-
What happened?
Of course he would. What do you need?
There are few that even know of his existence.
Fewer still who would try it, try to claim to be his brother.
And there’s only one who ever called them Gemini.
“Danyal, we’re not Gemini, we were born in January. And anyways, the stars have no effect on our strength, nor our abilities as an opponent.”
“But we’re twins. So that makes us both Gemini. It can be like our secret name for each other.”
Gemini, the sign of twins. Histwin.
But then how??
A knock sounds on his door. Damian whips his head up.
“Damian, it’s time for patrol.” Grayson’s voice sounds through the wood.
Patrol. Of course.
He was patrolling with his father tonight. Not just his.
Danyal’s too.
He had to know.
“I will be down shortly.”
——
Damian entered the Batcave, stepping down from the last step with a slight sound.
It was enough that both Tim and Dick looked over in confusion.
Damian ignored them, staring resolutely at his father in the suit in front of the batcomputer.
Once he was within a few feet he steeled himself and cleared his throat, “Father.”
Bruce turned around, looking down to see Damian and then glancing around confused.
“Damian..? Why aren’t you dressed? I want to leave soon, there’s been trouble at the south side and I-“
“I have an issue I believe I need to share with you.” Damian interrupted.
Bruce shut his mouth with a click and Damian could hear as both Drake and Richard’s eyes bored into the back of his head.
Damiannever interrupted Bruce.
He clasped his hands behind his back in a rather desperate attempt to stop them shaking.
“Of course, what’s wrong?”
Damian paused, took a deep breath, tried to convince himself of the inevitability and then blurted out, “I have a brother.”
“Aww, Dami, you’re finally calling us your broth-“
“No.” Damian cut Richard off sharply, “From the league. I have a brother from the league.”
“..What?” Bruce’s voice came out thick, strangled by an emotion either anger or something stronger.
“He is- was- I- I believed he was dead.”
Bruce’s fists clench and he almost growls out, “Explain, Damian. Now.”
Damian allows himself to go numb to explain it without wavering, “We were twins. Grandfath- Ra’s had no use for both of us. When we began to advance in training individually and stagnate as a pair… We fought.” He paused and forced the words out, “To the death.”
“I won. And Danyal…”
“Didn’t,” Richard finishes for him.
Damian twitches forward but hesitates as his father nearly drops himself to one knee, supporting himself on the chair next to him.
“Danyal…” His father says despondently, “I had another son… named Danyal.. and she took him from me… Again.”
Richard is already next to him reaching out.
“Perhaps not.” Damian whispers.
Both of their heads snap to him. “What?”
“I have been… contacted..by someone claiming to be Danyal. He says Mother has found him and…” Damian grows unsure, “He asked if you would be able, be willing to help.”
“He’s alive? You’re sure it’s him?”
“He used a code I’ve never shared with anyone else and that no one else in the league knew.”
“How can we be sure? I mean, Bruce’s kid? Asking for help?”
“Shut it, Drake.” Damian snaps, Drake raises his hands in surrender.
Just as he opens his mouth to talk again, his phone gently chimes with an email notification.
It’s him.
Damian races to open it.
“He says he’ll be in Gotham tonight. And that he’llfindme.” Damian says as he looks up at his father. The panic, relief and desperation warring in his own eyes reflected back at him.
“Then let’s make it easy for him. Still up for patrol, Little D?” Richard sounds with a smirk.
—-
The night is quiet but tense between Batman and Robin.
They hop the rooftops in sync, stopping a small crime here or there. There’s been no sightings of anyone unusual, even with Nightwing and Red Robin scattered across the lower districts. Even Red Hood was called in about the situation, though they’re not sure he’s really looking as all they got in response was a scoff and a derisive “Another one? Really, B?”
Damian shoots his grapple after his father over one of the main roads, only to get yanked back. For a second, he fears he will plummet into the sea of cars below.
Then his back hits the gravel rooftop.
The shouts of his family are but white noise in his ears as he stares at the dark, hooded figure in front of him.
“Hey, brother. Long time no see and the first thing I catch you doing is jumping off a building? Not a great start.” The figure-his brother- says with a sharp smirk.
Damian stays awestruck for a second before scowling, “I had a grapple.”
“Robin!” His father barks from above them, swinging down from a water tower like a vengeful shadow.
Danyal makes a suspicious squeaking sound and vanishes from sight.
Both are immediately on guard as Batman puts himself between Damian and where the stranger was.
“Are you Meta? Who are you? Stop hiding!” Father says again, growling.
As Danyal’s shape fades into existence yet again, Damian tries to push past his own questions for the sake of them all.
“Father. It is alright, this is… Danyal. My.. twin.”
Here, his father falters. Apparently, so does Danyal if the cringe he gives is anything to go by.
“I don’t really go by- anyways, yes I’m Da..mi..an’s? twin. And I need your help. Talia’s found me and she’s trying to make me join back with the league.”
Damian tensed even more as the person in front of him stutters over his name, “Why don’t you know my name? What did you call me when we were younger? The code you signed on your email.”
Something in Danyal’s eyes went pained, “I called you Gemini, because that’s what we are, even though you always emphasized that we were Sagittarius and ‘besides the stars have no effect on..”
“On our strength or abilities as an opponent.” Damian finished for him, “It is you..” he said amazedly as he stepped closer, “But how? How are you here? How are you alive?”
“Simple answer?” Danyal pulled down the hood of his black sweatshirt to reveal a head of fluffy white hair, “I’m not.”
“And as for how I’m here? Well that’s a rather complicated answer, but it all starts with one thing. Ghosts.”
Their father made a strangled sound beside them and Damian took a stuttering step back, “You’re a ghost?” “You mean, you didn’t survive? … I killed you?”
Danyal’s eyes zoned out before flaring an angry green and then settling as he looked back up, his edges going fuzzy for a second, “Yeah, I mean.. I guess? Listen, I don’t really remember much from when I- we- were 6, and I don’t much care to. My ghostliness, I think it’s why Talia is trying to get me back. I can’t think of another reason.”
Damian scowled, “Perhaps it is because she is our mother and believed you dead and lost-“
“That woman is not my mother!” Danyal shouted, glow flaring, eyes flashing as he leaned in.
He took a breath and pulled back to collect himself, “Talia was not a mother to us. You have to know that by now at least, Damian.”
Damian looked away and scowled again.
“You barely knew her,”
“Because she sent me to my death!” Danyal flung his hands up.
Batman struggled to choose a side between the two children in front of him. He had loved Talia once too, but he had also seen the toxicity of their relationship.
“Danyal, Robin, we need to focus. If Talia came to recruit one of you, she might be coming for the other.”
“She is. She kept saying some nonsense about ‘making our family whole again’ now that she’s ‘in control.’ I came because I had a feeling she’s not gonna take my Hell-No as an appropriate answer with that goal.”
Batman froze, “The League of Assassins. She’s finally been able to regain control over all of them and become the Demon’s Head after Ra’s Al Ghul’s death.”
Jason knows it’s naive, but it was all too easy. He wants revenge against Bruce, against the Joker…. But the Joker doesn’t even exist here. He’s as far from that monster as he’ll ever be able to be.
And there’s no one here that knows him. He has a chance to get away from Talia and the League.
He knows Talia is keeping him away because Ra’s will kill him if given the opportunity.
But here?
Here, he’s free from Batman, from the League, from anyone who wants to try and control him.
A bullet ricochets off the building next to him.
Well.. free as soon as he gets these German octo-idiots off his tail.
They’re morons. But by god, they’re well-connected morons. Somehow they’ve managed to chase him across three borders, from bum-fuck-nowheresville, Russia to mediocre-as-fuck City, Turkey.
You’d think they’d be less attached to him after spending barely a week with him before he burned down their base and killed all their men.
And right after he killed his first German asshole too.
Egon and HYDRA are two different types of scumbags. But they’re still scumbags.
Jason hops another fence, scrambling to the top of the dumpster and then up the first level of the fire escape.
He pauses as he hears shouts around the corner. Well, it’s as a good a time as any.
They corral themselves into the alley way, fully dressed in their tactical gear, blaring red Nazi-armbands and all.
The first guy is the biggest, Jason takes him down fast, the second… he gets a little sloppy but honestly, he doesn’t care when the spare asshole impales himself on Jason’s knife. Gonna be a bitch to clean though.
The third guy takes a bit more of a tussle and right when Jason gets in his face to start asking questions, the jerk smiles.
“Hydra will get what it wants from you child. Cut off one head, and three shall take its place.” There’s a suspicious crack before the man’s mouth fills with foam as his eyes roll back.
Jason drops the body in disgust. A waste of information. He glances at the first guy, it’ll be a pain to lug to an abandoned floor but… probably worth it to find out why they’re chasing him.
Jason walks over and yanks open the guy’s mouth. Now where….? Ah ha!
It takes a bit of prying with his blade but moments later, Jason holds a bloody cyanide capsule in his fingers.
It crushes uselessly beneath his feet.
After getting leverage under the guy, Jason is able to haul the limp man up the two flights of stairs to his current empty safe-house.
Okay, yes, safe-house is a bit of a stretch. As it is neither safe anymore, nor been a livable house in a long time.
It’s because of this that Jason doesn’t even bother putting a tarp down before tying the man to a chair.
“Wakey wakey, assface.” Jason says.
There’s no response except a mild groan.
Then screaming as Jason plunges his still-dirty knife into the man’s collarbone.
He smirks. Time to ask Nazi Number 1 some questions.
———
When Coulson gets the assignment to Northern Turkey for the bodies of two dead Hydra agents, he’s almost expecting it to be boring.
Of course, the moment he lands he finds out they’ve found the third body. Any hope for boring goes out the window as he looks at the multilated corpse of what used to be a Hydra agent.
This was torture. Expert torture. Combined with the skill of the two dead in the alley below and the chase his ground agents have been able to track.. they’re dealing with a professional here. And not a new one.
But somehow, they have nothing on the assassin. That makes him dangerous.
Coulson steps into the hallway of the abandoned building to make a call.
One ring.. two… three..-
“Hello?”
“Hawkeye.”
The tone changes over the phone, “Coulson? What’s wrong?”
“Care for a search and remove mission in Akyaka, Turkey? We have an unknown assassin that’s popped up with three dead Hydra already under their belt. Could use a good pair of eyes.”
Coulson could hear the smile on the other end of the line, “You know I’m always up for some sightseeing.”
“I’ll send for transport.”
The call ends and Phil glances back through the open doorway at the body. Whoever did this… they were looking for something. He thinks they must have found it.
Clint shows up on a private red-eye the next afternoon; and with barely a greeting, the two launch into the search.
Between the two of them and the bevy of SHIELD agents at their beck and call, it should be a straightforward mission.
It’s not.
The killer is always a town or a city ahead of them. There’s no aliases to track or face to ID, with the red sweatshirt he wears constantly, hood up, head down. They barely have a height or body type estimate by the time two weeks roll past.
Seven more Hydra agents show up dead in that time, and it’s becoming the most dependable way to track him.
When they realize the man is making towards the airport in Erzurum, Clint calls in Natasha.
It takes them another week stillto find where the man will be staying for a few days before moving on.
When they find it though, Coulson has the place locked down within the hour, entirely discreet.
He and Natasha are acting as the front, hopefully this will go diplomatically. If not.. that’s where Clint comes in.
The man walks through the darkness of the apartment, heavily dropping groceries on the counter.
Just as they’re about to wonder if perhaps they were wrong about this person or their skills, the man pulls two guns directly at them.
“Who the hell are you and what the hell do want from me?”
“Mr. Smith. I’m glad to see you are the person we’ve been looking for. However, it would be best if would lower your weapon and cooperate with your arrest.”
“Phil, wait-“
“I’m not cooperating with shit, baldy.” The man cocked his guns, completely ignoring Natasha.
She quickly flicked on a light switch, illuminating the shadows of the man’s face.
But that was the problem. It wasn’t a man, it was a kid.
“How old are you?”
The kid hesitated, already a bad sign, then he snarled, “What does it matter, lady?”
“It matters because this changes things. Coulson,” She looked at him, “He’s just like us. We can’t just let him be.”
Coulson’s face was serious and understanding, “Listen, kid, we can help you. Now that we know-“
“Now that you know? Know what? You know nothing,”
“We can help you, please just come with us, SHIELD can-“
There’s a spark of recognition, “You’re Shield.” He raised his guns back up from where they’d gone slack, “Which makes you Black Widow. Greatest living product of the Red Room.”
A flash of surprise passed through her eyes, “How do you-“
“I read a lot about you. And let me tell you this. Both of you. I just got free from one shadow organization, I’m not about to join another. I’ve been both soldier and weapon, now I’m neither. I plan to stay that way. Even if it means killing you and every black ops agent in this building.” The kid growled, finger pulling on the trigger.
An arrow pierces through his forearm, forcing him to roll backwards into his kitchen. Natasha leapt towards him, halting when he raised a gun back at her face.
He wavered between pointing it at Coulson or Natasha, breathing heavily through the pain.
“Tell your buddies thanks but I’m good. Freedom suits me just fine.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he leapt for the window over the sink, crashing through the glass and into the air outside.
Natasha didn’t even have time to stop him before the kid was gone. No sign of him on the street below save for a blood trail that tapered off quickly.
——
Hours later, Natasha’s eyes flicker open from sleep in the darkness of their safe house.
Why was she awake?
A small creak sounded from outside the room.
An intruder.
Slowly, Natasha wrapped her hands around her gun and slunk out the door, tapping Clint on her way.
There was a groan and slight clatter in the kitchen.
She motioned for Clint to go around.
As she came to the kitchen, she flipped on a light, immediately aiming her gun at the figure.
It was- the kid?
“Hey,” he groaned, leaning on the counter, blood on his face and clothes, “you said SHIELD could protect me?”
Natasha nodded, not lowering her gun.
He pulled his hand away to show the blood oozing from a large wound on his stomach and looked up at her pleadingly, “That offer still available?”
Jason slowly crawled his way back to consciousness, fully aware of the screeching pain in his side and arm.
He wanted to grimace but held back when he registered the presence of other people in the room. Three.
Two were at least 10 feet away, the other was…
Jason grabbed the wrist of the person leaning over him, twisting it backwards as he sprung awake and upwards.
A syringe dropped to the floor next to them as Jason slammed him to the ground.
“Clint, wait!” The man below him stopped struggling. Jason looked down at him.
“Clint Barton. Hawkeye.” The night came flooding back to him, “What was in the syringe?”
The man grunted uncomfortably from the awkward position, “Morphine, you brat.”
Jason scowled and let him up with a tight smile and a wince, “I don’t do morphine. Or any pain meds.”
“Yeah, well you can just suffer through that torn stitch all on your own then.”
“Considering you’re probably the one that shot me with an arrow, I think I’ll manage.”
Jason snapped back and then paused to take stock of the room he was in.
Small. Living room. Old couch, half-filled bookcase by the front door.
One window with a fire escape. Adjacent bedroom and 2 kitchen entrances. Likely with windows.
The other two people - Black Widow and ‘Coulson’- stood by the bookshelf, both armed.
“I know I should regret shooting a kid, but considering your attitude, I’m finding it a little hard.”
Jason huffed a laugh then winced and clutched his side when pain flashed through it.
“Ha. Karma.” Hawkeye chuckled as he rubbed his wrist.
“Barton. Behave.” ‘Coulson’ stepped forward, shooting a sharp look at the other and holding up a placating hand, “You’re going to want to be careful about that side, reopening a would like that so fast would not be good.”
“I’ll be fine.” Jason snapped, then quieter, “Been through worse.”
“Be that as it may…” the balding man came closer, stopping when Jason glared at him, “I think we got off on the wrong foot, my name is Agent Coulson, this is Agents Barton and Romanoff. Or as you seem to know them, Black Widow and Hawkeye.”
“Don’t sweat the first impressions. Breaking in and threatening me is generally how I meet new people, so it’s not like you’re anything special. How long was I out?”
“Just under three hours. We expected you to be out for a while longer. Care to explain why it is you’re awake? Or how you came to such a state in the last 6 hours since we saw you?”
“Not particularly and the usual assholes being sent on missions way out of their league. One got a lucky hit in, that’s it.”
The man in front of him hummed and raised an eyebrow, “So you came to us for protection from ‘the usual assholes’ then?”
Jason tensed.
“Or protection from the ones sending them?”
Jason gritted his teeth, “The ones sending them. Listen, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to be, but things have… changed for me recently and I’ve found myself in dire need of new allies.”
Widow stepped forward, “So enlighten us. Who are you running from?”
“I can’t tell you and I’m not running. I just… I was given a chance to get out, more than that, get away. I want to take it. I can’t do that with Nazi assholes and Ninjas bearing down on me like I’ll change my fucking mind.”
“Hydra?”
Jason sighed and rolled his shoulder to test it, “Yep.”
“That’s a powerful enemy to make, kid,” Hawkeye piped in.
Jason smiled cynically, “Yeah, well, I’m a worse one. If they want to keep sending their guys at me to get put down I have no problem with it. And I’m not a kid.”
“Ehhhh, looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, I’m gonna say you’re what, 13?”
Jason growled at the archer, “Old enough and skilled enough to skin you with your own bowstring, asshole.”
Widow stepped between them, “You said Ninjas as well?”
Jason clamped his mouth shut.
“If you want SHIELD’s protection, we need to know who we’re protecting you from.”
Jason clenched his jaw, “I can’t tell you their name. And nothing about them can show up anywhere. If it does, they’ll know who it came from and where I am. Then you’d be useless.”
“How about you then?” Widow said.
Jason paused, stunned, “What?”
“Tell us about you. We don’t even know your real name, because ‘John Smith’ is definitely not it.”
“John works. ‘J’ works better.”
“Alright, Jay. Age?”
Jason looked away, “Somewhere over 14.”
“The hell does that mean? ‘Over 14’ Like months or years over?” Hawkeye said with a bewildered face.
“If I knew I would tell you. But unfortunately, I don’t, so the best I can tell you is somewhere over 14.” Jason snarled.
Coulson and Widow gave each other a look, one that he was sure Hawkeye picked up on without even looking.
“Alright, easy goes it kid. Birthday?”
“August.”
“Wow, that is frustratingly vague. Any chance you’ve got a year to tack on that?”
Jason thought for a second, “Nope.”
Black Widow took over again, “Skill set?”
“Most of it.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Most of what?”
Jason gave a mean smirk, “Everything.”
Romanoff glanced back at her partners, Barton just shrugged and Coulson answered, “We’ll have to test you on that for more specifics.”
“Go ahead. As long as you know it’s the only kind of test I’m gonna let you do.”
Even though his face stayed empty, something flickered in Coulson’s eyes, “Of course. Any parents we should be thinking of?”
Green tinted anger coursed through Jason’s body so fast the chair he was gripping creaked under his hand, “None that are worth it.” He growled through clenched teeth.
“Anything else we should be aware of? Favorite color? Hobbies? Hopes and dreams?” Hawkeye quipped lazily.
Jason ground his teeth together, “Currently? Stabbing you through the neck with same arrow you shot me with sounds nice. But seeing as I snapped it in half and dumped it in an alley, I’ll settle for breaking your kneecaps.”
Barton looked unfazed, “Is that categorized under hobbies? Or hopes and dreams?”
Jason stood with a snarl, hand twitching for a weapon, “I’m always up for finding out.”
“Ha! Try knitting next time,” Clint laughed and looked past him, “Geez, ‘Tasha, he’s worse than you were.”
Natasha’s lips settled into a grim line as Coulson pulled Barton back with a hand on his shoulder.
“Kid-, Jay, we need your cooperation on this. We can’t stop whoever’s coming after you if you don’t work with us-“
Jason scoffed, “I don’t expect you to be able to stop them. You couldn’t if you tried. I’m just hoping you’ll delay them enough for me to run like a bat outta hell.” He said with a smirk at the inside joke.
Hawkeye rolled his eyes, “And isn’t that a comforting thought.”
Just as Jason turned to snap at the man again, something beeped on Coulson’s watch. He held it and read the small screen.
“Our ride’s here. We need to blend in to get out,” Coulson looked at Jason, “Any chance you know Turkish?”
“I dabble.” He answered in Turkish, then changed, “My Russian or Romanian is better.”
Everyone in the room raised an eyebrow, even Widow’s twitched.
Coulson nodded, “Hopefully we won’t need to talk, but just in case.” He turned to Barton to, “Barton, get him some new clothes without blood on them. We leave in 20. Can we trust you not to kill us and run or do we need to remove more of your weapons?”
Jason scowled- not pouted- “You got my favorites so we’re good provided Katniss over there doesn’t get on my nerves enough to put him down.”
“I resent that remark!” Hawkeye said as he dug through the bag they’d confiscated from Jason’s safe house. He chucked the new clothes at Jason with a smile.
Jason caught them with a grunt and winced as sharp pain struck up his leg and his side. He stomped past them to the bathroom as best he could without a limp. Pausing briefly to grab the first aid kit from the wall.
“For the popped stitch.” He said blandly and then shut and locked the door behind him.
Hawkeye sighed, shoulders dropping, “Damn, that kid is messed up.”
“I hope the people chasing him dare to try and come for him.” Natasha said darkly, face cold and hard as stone.
“If they do, I hope I get to put an arrow through a least a few of them.”
Coulson cleared his throat, “Let’s focus on getting him out of here before we start planning the next step.”
“Come on, Phil, you can’t tell me that just guessing at what that kid’s gone through doesn’t make you want to punch someone.”
“I never said anything about that, just that it’s not our first priority.”
“As long as you live, shine. Let nothing grieve you beyond measure. For your life is short, and time will claim its toll.” ___________________ Costume and wig by @msskunk from @skunkandweasel Photo by @eosandy_ taken at @rpcgermany
i Hope that the sequel to The Batman will be adopting dick and solving the murder of the graysons However due to foreshadowing, i think it will be bruce with the league of assassins. i base this on One Scene and it would be the green liquid. i think it’s lazarus water.
![First appearance of Ra’s al Ghul.[from Batman (1940) #232]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/9233cf5ab36f360aaa24dbdae248266c/8544d7ca77feaed1-66/s1280x1920/39f8da9b6b58790c8b2f1e095ed3417c688c6edc.jpg "First appearance of Ra’s al Ghul.[from Batman (1940) #232]")
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![First appearance of Talia al Ghul.[from Detective Comics (1937) #411]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/f3202fc3e04aaad33ef2c7dfbbc7d72d/7ca5757cd215a5d9-50/s1280x1920/f4c66283a949cc46401de875de9ffa6a0337f910.jpg "First appearance of Talia al Ghul.[from Detective Comics (1937) #411]")
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![Batman vs. Talia al Ghul.[from Batman (1940) #616]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/05d267eb91aae70e0e4cf9d4d0f3fd2e/tumblr_pkcw1wgRT61rvm5qqo1_1280.jpg "Batman vs. Talia al Ghul.[from Batman (1940) #616]")
![Batman vs. Talia al Ghul.[from Batman (1940) #616]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6b54d83b528426b9b36e228813e7dbd3/tumblr_pkcw1wgRT61rvm5qqo2_1280.jpg "Batman vs. Talia al Ghul.[from Batman (1940) #616]")
