Chapter Text
It was mid-December, frost grew over the windows chilling the air even as the blanket kept him warm. He watched the ice-crystals grow off the edges of the roof for some time now, allowing his brain to be empty, tranquil, content to exist and be.
There wasn't much to do today, he had already gotten his daily training in and was taking in the sight of the snowy field piling up in front of the main gate.
He'll have to attend to that later, seeing how he's quite comfortable as it is. Surely it would be another's job to take care of the thick white coat. But he'll be cordial for today, the weather seems to have that sort of effect on him.
Of course, he would very much like to admire the snow in the mornings. As it shows the beauty of snow, turning sold, but only for a moment or so, creating ice so thin that it'd crunch underneath his boot, as the bold greeting cold air brings with it.
Damian let out a long sigh before he shifted a bit on his right leg. Night will fall very soon, and it'll be time for another evening of patrol to commend.
Damian had found it to be quite tedious to venture out into the cold night of Gotham, seeing as most villains- with at least a decent amount of common sense -would decide not to commit heinous crimes in this sort of weather. But, atlas most people here don't have considerable brain cells to call their own.
"Damian it's time to go."
The sound of his father's voice ranged loud within the quiet lounge. Stirring Damian out of his rumination, he glanced out the window to see that night had fallen fast upon the land.
No more than an hour ago was the sky was painted with hues of red, orange, and pink, but all color had faded leaving only a matt black canvas with no stars to be looked upon. Damian started stretching out his tired limbs before joining his father, following him down into the cave.
"Father, must we do this?" Damian complained, all the while putting his suit on.
"As I recall, the last couple of nights there hasn't been much activity due to the weather worsening," Damian said placing his utility belt around his waist.
"Are criminal cowardly and superstitious?" Bruce had asked. Damian nodded knowing he had gotten his answer and sighed. He knew his father well enough to know that he takes his job seriously, not saying that he doesn't as well, just he knew well enough when his father was being serious or comical.
At least today's patrol was going to be a short one from what he had deduced from his father's statement. "Let's just get this over with." Damian had muttered underneath his breath.
Surly today won't be as chilling as the last three nights, maybe it'll be mildly cold today? Especially since the season will be ending soon, so it'd be understandable that the weather would have calmed down...
But atlas, he was so wrong. Damian had underestimated Gotham's weather tonight, not like him at all.
He's marching in place to keep warm as blistering cold sir smack his cape around him violently. The night air nicking the heat away faster than his body can replace it.
He shivered a bit.
He'll have to ask the butler to install a higher temperature for his heater in his boots and cape. It seems like the weather wasn't going to let up anytime soon, not even for him.
"There's only been three muggings and two shoplifting, slow night." Damian hummed at his father's statement, maybe they'll be able to go home soon after all and he'd wouldn't have to be segregated to this torture.
Suddenly, he heard an emergency call from their monitor. "A home invasion?" Damian hears the roar of an engine swoop by in-front of them.
"Get in, the address isn't that far from here." Damian didn't hesitate and hopped into the bat-mobile as they speed down the streets of Gotham.
~o0o~
"What's the count?" Damian asked.
"Two hostages and three armed men." The situation was dire but nothing Damian couldn't handle, they'd scouted the area and swoop in and take them out before anyone got hurt.
They had promptly pulled up to the apartment and immediately dived on to the building. Using their grappling gun they zipped up the building to the roof.
"They're in room 239 B. fourth floor, take the window and save the hostages." Damian nodded and he quickly got to work.
Each of the floors had a balcony attached to it, he jumped down to the fourth floor and caught sight of the two armed men. Damian slid to the side as to not be seen and scouted the room for the hostages. He had spotted a small girl holding on to a tallboy.
Damian only notices the two men, the other one must be guarding the door or is set up as an escape. Damian could easily take out these guards but he'd risk endangering the hostages.
So he decided to wait for his father to create a distraction.
Just as he thought that the two men had switched to their defensive stance with their guns pointed towards the door unexpectedly. The tall one had given the shorter one a command and left to scoop out the area so it appears.
This must be his chance, he placed his four fingers on the handle and slid the door open ever so gradually suddenly the cold air blew in causing a slight breeze to gush in.
Which had started a chain reaction both from Damian and the crooks. It all happened in slow motion as Damian leaped in quickly knocking one guy down and punched the gun from his hand.
Damian kicked it away before he could grab it. The man yelled, "It's the brat."
Damian punched him in the gut before he kicked him in the head, knocking him out cold.
There were footsteps heading his way. He couldn't run without the hostages getting caught in the crossfire. He'll have to take the goon head-on. But before he could even take out his Batarang he heard a loud thud hit the floor, he knew who it was.
"Robin are you alright?" Damian nodded walking towards the unconscious men binding them up against the table.
His father scans the area for any more men but thankfully found none, "You should be safe now the police are on their way." Batman had told the two.
Damian had just finished tying the men down and handcuff them to the table for safe measures.
"Is there someplace you can stay for the night?" Batman had asked as he crouched down to them. Damian made his way towards his father and unmistakably heard a tiny gasp reach his ears.
"Y-you're Batman?!" The girl looked almost dazed staring at his father, she seemed unaffected by the whole ordeal they had just gone through.
"And you're Robin?!" The girl whispered, almost barley audible to even his ears.
Now that Damian's adrenaline rush had completely seized he could truly see her for the first time. She was small and what looked like to be around his age, with short curly black hair with a yellow flower-pin, her face danced with freckles all across her nose, and her dark brown eyes shown brightest with wonder and awe as the two stared at one another.
She smiles, suddenly Damian felt awkward, especially with all the staring, he felt a chill creep up on him again. "We'll be fine, I have a friend next door who'd let us stay the night." Said the boy holding the girl closer in his arms.
Damian didn't miss the glare that was shot at him. While the girl still appeared to be smiling in delight at him. "Shall we take our leave then Batman?" He nodded, but not without missing his son's sudden change of sentiments in his voice.
The two vigilantes grabbed their grappling guns and shot it out the window to the next building over.
But before they exit through the balcony the girl quickly shimmied out of the boy's arms and said, "Thank you for saving us." She looked like she wanted to say something else but bit her bottom lip deciding against it.
She gave them a small wave goodbye before re-entering her apartment.
They nodded before they swung away.
~o0o~
Damian couldn't quite put it, but he's been withstanding a bit of frustration as of lately. As if something in his life was missing. And he couldn't quite understand why? He shook it off as him being overworked and that he needed a break.
It was almost Christmas, which means his adopted family would most likely be spending the holidays at the manor.
Damian huffed out his disapproval and began his training, Damian started working on his upper biceps until he was interrupted by a loud cough. He turned to see his father standing on the second platform with his hands behind his back.
"Damian,"
"Father," Bruce nodded at his son's attention and carried on.
"It was brought to my attention to discuss your sudden change of mode as of late." Of course, he'd notice, he wasn't called the greatest detective for nothing, but why would his change have anything to do with his father?
"If you'd like to talk about it, I'm all ears."
Damian still didn't understand, "Talk?"
Seeing as he didn't comprehend, Bruce approached his son and placed a careful hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Well, you're 16 years old now and I've noticed a few changes here and there and it's completely natural to feel a certain way about-"
"Father would you just get to the point, this seems trivial." Bruce sighed and just decided to get straight to the point.
"I've been noticing your attraction to the opposite sex, and I wanted you to know that if you're feeling uncertain or confuse you can always come talk to me, son." Bruce finished, waiting for his son's answer.
Damian wasn't sure what to say at the moment.
He didn't deem his sudden change of emotions as him being attracted to someone, he's not the kind of person to dwell on those sorts of things seeing as they were beneath him, an utter waste of time. Of course, he's learned that over time sexual and romantic attractions can change as one's period.
But still.
Love?
It doesn't exist, not in this world, fairy-tales and happy endings, he chuckled what an insignificant thing to believe in, what a waste of time and energy. This is a world filled with people who dwells in higher layers of life depending on one's perspective of their reality.
People learn to understand the meaning behind oneself before they fully venture into the abyss of 'life' while others thrive within their endless unanswered existence.
Most would say that love would presumably bring hope. Yet at times it brings others pain and those towards a life of loneliness, which is congenial in one's familiarity. But yet, we're born to love and with all necessary the courage to walk the path to it, no matter the roughness, no matter the hardship.
We as human beings weren't meant to strive alone. As social beings we need that sort of connection wether we deem it worthy of our time or not, its a must need. Or so he read, Damian, prides himself on this discovery of the heart for years now and he's been trying to understand the ways of being human and what it means to be one.
Slowly but surely he feels like he's getting closer and closer to that revelation.
It means true knowledge.
The more knowledge a person gains, the more powerful he becomes. As a child, he was taught that simple phrase over and over again for many years, and many more to come.
Knowledge is power and the more power Damian has the more self-assured he'll become. The closer he'll be to becoming the true blood son in this family.
Damian has much to learn in the upcoming seasons about his birthright and validate his belief and it surely doesn't involve some false fanaticism of love...
"I thank you for your... assistance but I do not believe that is the case father, I think I just need some time to relax, maybe a walk will help." Bruce nodded he couldn't really push it, it'll come to Damian but on his own terms.
Bruce had done his part the rest was up to Damian.
"Alright." And that was the end of it.
~o0o~
It has been two hours since the 'talk', and it still doesn't seem to quite calm down his dissatisfy of the idea. Damian needed to get his mind off of it and find the source of this problem and deal with it effectively.
"When had this first occur? As of late, I've been somewhat mellow but now this." Damian had found himself in the tangle of a crowd of people, his mind was so preoccupied he didn't seem to notice until it was too late.
He groaned, he squeezed himself between the crowd and maneuvering around them with ease.
Until he felt a piety shoulder bump into him. He growled and sharply turned towards the person who dared touched him without his permission and give them a piece of is mind.
But once his eyes meet with the stranger, they almost popped out of his head as he was surprised to see her of all people.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bump into you," it was the girl he saved about two weeks ago. He couldn't forget a face like hers, not like she's particularly special looking, but, she does stand out from the rest.
She wore a school uniform with yellow sneakers and a bright yellow backpack, complemented with a yellow flower hair clip. Strangely enough he thinks he's seen that uniform some where before?
"Hey! you look... sort of familiar?" She said as she reached up and placed her hand over his eyes humming in concentration, Damian felt a bit of panic rise in the pits of his belly. He was about to deny any of her assumptions, until she presently cut him off.
"That's right you're that Wayne kid!" She nodded and smiled. Damian let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Wow, I actually got to meet royalty," Damian quirked his head to the side at her comment.
But before he could ask what she meant she shoved her hand out to him and said, "The name's Maps, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne." He blinked at her, before reluctantly grabbing her hand and shaking it.
"Right, I should be going now it was nice meeting you miss." She squeezed his hand gently and pulled him a bit too close for his comfort.
She gazed into his eyes then at their joined hands seemingly reluctant to let go but she did. The corners of her lips quirked up trying and failing to mimic a smile.
She looked like she was forcing herself to smile for him, was she uncomfortable too? If so why was she holding his hand like that?
"Well, I guess this is goodbye then have a nice day." She quickly retracted her hand before he could say anything, her shoulders became stiff and her smile seemed even more forced than before.
Once again, before he got the chance to ask what was wrong she began to walk off at an alarming speed. Damian was dumbfounded by her actions.
Usually, he'd just shrug it off as her being strange or delusional but something in the back of his head told him otherwise.
Damian couldn't shake off that feeling. He let out a long sigh and decided against his better judgment to follow her. Of course, he was only doing so to ease his nerves, he'll stay out of sight and keep a low profile as to not attract any unwanted attention.
And considering the fiasco, she had two weeks ago his intentions wouldn't be that farfetched, or so he convinced himself.
As Damian finally caught up to her keeping his distance, he saw the way she was rocking back and forth on her heels waiting for the bus as if she was anxious about something.
He swiftly pulled up his hoodie over his head and leaned across the building next to her so he can better observe her behavior. She didn't seem to be paying attention to her surroundings that could easily get her killed in the future.
She was constantly rubbing her hands down her arms and constantly moving. Most likely the weather getting the best of her seeing as she was only wearing a skirt and a long-sleeved sweater.
Completely inappropriate for this time of the month. Nothing much to speculate there, although he has noticed an unusual pattern of her fidgeting when someone of older age came close to her, specifically the men?
Could it be PTSD? Damian will have to look more into it later seeing as her bus had finally arrived, the bus had made a complete stop bringing about a hissing sound before it completely opened its doors to its many passengers.
The girl stepped on the bus and paid the kind man before taking her seat in the far back.
Damian had done the same fashion but had sat in the front of the bus to avoid getting caught. It was a busy day, so of course, the bus was practically full but luckily for him he had gotten a row to himself.
Damian sighed out loud before leaning into his seat it was nine o'clock in the morning hopefully he wouldn't be gone too long and that she was only going to a friends house or something.
And that it was just his paranoia getting the best of him again. It might have been better if he had gone as Robin, but he would have lost her if he did and looking for her would have taken up more time then needed.
This was the right course of action as long as he stays hidden then there shouldn't be any problems.
An hour had passed by and it appears like they haven't gotten any closer to their designation. At least the bus wasn't as crowded as before, abruptly the bus had stopped in a tore down little area where buildings had been taken apart, cars flipped over, and everything was covered in grime and dirt.
He heard footsteps from behind him and quickly turned his head away from the broken city finding his shoes more fascinating.
"Thank you, sir," he heard the girl say with a 'have a nice day' right after hastily, as she had stepped off the bus Damian had followed suit.
Waiting a few minutes for her to get a small head start on him since he still needed to stay hidden.
Damian found no explanation as to why she'd want to come down here this place was a ghost town perfect for drug dealers or any other known low level criminal to hide their shady work.
Which didn't look good for her. It would be wise to avoid areas like this seeing as there is an eerie aura to this place that he couldn't quite put as to what? Damian quickly shook his head, he was losing focus and fast.
He quickly scanned the area to detect nothing too suspicious going on, in fact, this region had simply reminded him of a junkyard of sorts. Of course, that still didn't explain why this child would be wondering in these parts of town at ten o'clock in the morning?
Before Damian could continue his train of thought he suddenly realizes that he had lost sight of the girl.
There were no footsteps to be heard in the distance, no bright yellow backpack he had remembered her carrying, and no blue platted skirt for that matter, was she lost?
Damian surveyed the area only to curse himself for being so distracted. He needed to find her quick before-
"Caught you!!" Suddenly Damian had felt a pair of arms wrapped around his torso and a piety body collide onto his back.
If not for Damian's quick reflexes they would have surly crashed into the ground. Damian had let out a low growl before turning his head to see the small girl grinning up at him. Did she think this was a game?
"I knew you were following me," she giggled, "You weren't very secretive about it though, I mean up until when I saw you following me off the bus." She soon released her hold on the boy before walking in front of him.
"So, why were ya following me, Mr. Wayne?" Maps smirked placing her hands on her hips quirking her body to the side.
This wasn't apart of the plan and now he's unfortunately stuck in this predicament.
Damian pinched the bridge of his nose before inhaling and exhaling out, he needed to come up with something quick.
"Look," Damian started, "I wasn't following you okay, I was only gathering information is all." Damian almost face palmed himself from how stupid he sounded, there's no way she was going to believe him.
How would one go about telling a person that they were following them due to bad intuition and not be called a creep or a pervert because Damian was none of those accusations.
This is what he gets for failing the simplest of tasks.
Damian sighed out loud he was prepared to hear her shout, slap him, or even call the police.
Something along those lines but instead to his bewilderment all he got was his hand being held into something warm and soft, in a reassuring kind of way that he wasn't quite prepared for in the least bit.
Damian looked up into the girl's eyes to see no hatred or confusion.
But pure glee?
"Gathering information huh? Kind of like a detective?" She squinted her eyes at him, before looking left and right of her on a suspicious way.
"I'm not supposed to say anything but actually I'm undercover too." Damian raised a brow at her and made an uh-huh sound.
"So, what kind of information are you here to gather young detective?" Damian wasn't sure if she was teasing him or if this was normal? Did she really believe his lie?
Well, it wasn't completely a lie but still, he'd be damned if he actually told her the truth. She seems way too trusting for her own good, Damian internally groaned, this should not be happening.
"I-"
"Hey, I have an idea! how about you join me?" She exclaimed loudly, Damian blinked in confusion.
"I'm a great detective and all, but every good detective needs a Watson by their side, right?" Damian had the urge to tell this girl off, who was she to call him her sidekick?
If anything she'd be his sidekick. Maybe all of this was just some stupid game to her, this was a waste of his time.
"Look I don't have time for this look for someone else to play pretend with." He snatched his hand away and began walking away back towards the bus.
"Wait! hold on this really is important, I-I have bad men after me." She blurted out before she could regret it she quickly covered her mouth.
Damian stopped midway evaluating what she had said. She must be talking about men from her recent hostage situation. It did seem strange that there were hired gunmen holding them hostage to begin with?
Which means his intuition was right, there was something more going on.
Damian turned around to look at the shaking girl. What seemed truly strange about this was that she'd knowingly accept a stranger's help, with no sense of knowledge as to who he was, for all he knew this could be a trap.
"Why not just call the police?" She stiffened and shook her head no.
"I can't do that, they're not trustworthy I have to do this myself." She looked down and clenched her fist into her blue platted skirt.
Damian hummed in understanding cops are just as dirty as the criminals on the streets, but then who was that boy with her that night?
"Don't have anyone you trust who could help you?" This time she frowned.
"No," was all she said looking even more sullen, Damian wasn't sure what to make of it but decided to leave it as it is.
Now, how to approach this, he could just outright reject her and come back as Robin, or he could stay as is and get to know more about how she's related to all of this and go undercover.
She seems to be completely unaware of the dangers of trusting strangers with sensitive information, so it wouldn't really matter who he'd go as.
But going as Robin, Damian will be prepared for whatever will be thrown his way but risk his identity of being found out spending a certainly large amount of time with her.
"You still haven't answered my question," Damian said, "You'd so willingly trust me with this sort of information, without any hesitation disregarding your safety? It baffles me to think that anyone would be that trusting, you know absolutely nothing about me and yet here we are?" Maps stayed quiet, averting her gaze from the boy.
"I'm desperate okay," she pause to fix him a glare, "Besides, that's real big talk from someone who was just following me." She shot back with as much irritation in her voice sporting on a nice glare of her own, if he did say so himself.
He supposes she wasn't completely gullible after all. There might be some potential in her after all, he would have never deemed her as a feisty one.
"You're right, I have no room to talk but I'm not the one going around telling everybody my business am I?" Damian bit back framing a smirk on his face, the girl bit her lip, as she gazed into his eyes intensely.
She might as well go all the way seeing as she's already dug her grave, she decided to play his little game.
"It's simple really, my information means absolutely nothing to you, I mean what would you do with such sensitive information Mr. Wayne?" The girl known as Maps, gave him an innocent pouty face and a tilt of her head imposing as a toddler awaiting her punishment.
Damian's smirk grew bigger, she thought she had some sort of power over him playing cute?
Damian wasn't some simple-minded halfwit who'd fall for the charms of the opposite sex so easily. Damian had more integrity than that, "I could think of something, what may be a man's trash could be another's treasure." He said.
"Of course, I am not one to be taken lightly here child," the brown-haired girl frowned at his usage of the word child there, she didn't like it one bit.
"I will deem your information vital, meaning that I shall keep what you have told me a secret seeing as it is quite... sensitive?" Damian's brow quirked up, hoping she'd take the hint, he never was one for simply asking for what he wanted he'd normally take it by force or threaten the withholder.
The girl began to tear up clutching her fist tighter than before, making her knuckles white. She look distressed, she bagan biting her bottom lip in consideration.
Damian began presuming that he had said something wrong to cause the girl such frustration. Damian wasn't good at apologizing, let alone comforting people.
So he stood there waiting for her to calm down a bit before they discussed the real reason they were here.
"Thanks, you don't seem like the type of person who would be untrustworthy... even though you did follow me all the way here?" Damian was about to retort that comment, when she suddenly smacks her forehead on the palm of her hand repeating stupid, stupid, stupid.
"What am I thinking this is so crazy and totally reckless and dangerous and..." The freckled face girl began to mumble something else that Damian couldn't quite catch, as she kept hitting herself over and over again.
Damian did have to agree, but despite the fact that she may be too trusting, it didn't mean she was stupid. This needed to stop.
Damian quickly cleared his throat catching her attention, "Hm, alright then I'll help you." Maps quickly looked up surprised and then furrowed her brow.
"Really?" she asked skeptically, he nodded.
"Under one condition," he said.
"What?" She asked curiously.
"You have to do as I say throughout this investigation, not only that, you're going to tell me what going on, the full story." She almost shook at his demand.
"Are you crazy!? You just said not to trust you with my information, then you switch it up and say I need to tell you everything?" She asked in beyond disbelief.
"You've already given me enough to know that this is serious, and that you have limited reliable sources to go to. Besides it's too late to take it back now, so you might as well." Damian huffed.
"Moreover," he continues.
"I'm not a man to leave someone in dire need of help." She quirked her brow in a uncertain expression and gave him a look.
"Really now? What a saint you are." Against her better judgment, he was right and Maps couldn't have been happier to know that there really was kind people who'd help her.
So, uncontrollably, she couldn't help but don on one of the brightest smiles Damian has ever seen.
Almost taken back by the gesture he quickly averted his eyes not liking the way her smile made him feel.
Damian coughed and place both of his hands behind his back, standing straight as a commander would that demands attention to the individual.
"I suppose your silence means you agree with my terms?" She shook her head yes, stepping closer to pat him on the shoulder.
"I accept some of those terms, not all, but we can discuss that later." Maps said as she began walking deeper into the broken city. Damian followed suite not sure if he should take that as a confirmed agreement?
"I guess I should start with the reason why I'm here." She started
"About a week ago my brother and I had encountered a group of bad men trying to... kidnap us, probably for our parent's money," She said that last part so quietly he barely heard her, so there's conflict within the family he deducted.
Maps took Damian's silence as a means to continue, so she did, "If you're wondering if our family is rich, then the answer is yes. But they use that money for their own selfish reasons sending me and my brother away to live with our grandmother." Maps fist clenched once again, almost turning pale.
"I heard one of the gunmen talking about some debt that my parents must pay, and that they were there to collect the payment." She looked over her shoulder upset with a hurt expression on her face, Damian can only assume that her parents must have sold them out as collateral for the pendent.
"We have no money nor anything valuable for them to steal so the next best thing was us."
She frowned. "I found it ironic really, our parents couldn't care less about us and I have a feeling those men aren't done with us either." Damian nodded they'll do nothing to stop at getting what they want, no matter who they hurt whether it's women or children.
If money is involved... it won't be a pretty picture, Damian's had his fair share of witnessing some brutal killings all because someone 'didn't have their money'.
"So what's your plan, run away? Hide? You're not left with many options." Damian asked, Maps nodded in agreement and stopped walking turning around to meet his gaze.
"I'm going to get to the bottom of this and the first thing I'm going to do is find a way to contact Batman and Robin." Damian's eyes widen in shock.
"And how are you going to do that? I mean it's not as if you can just call them." Damian played along, hoping she'll take the hint that her plan was just plain crazy.
Maps smiled at his uncertainty, "Not true my friend, I know a way." Maps crouched down under a broken up car door that's been dislodged from the vehicle. Pulling out what looked like a grappling gun but made out of wood and a metal hook.
The freckled-faced girl had given him a tooth-rotting smile before saying proudly, "I'm going to sneak into Gotham's GCPD and use the bat-signal as a way to contact them."
She smirked proudly.
What has he gotten himself into?