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The halls of Wayne manor were quiet. The sound of light rain tapping against the window and the wind filling the night sky as shadows from the trees stalked through the manor halls. All the Wayne children were fast asleep in their rooms behind closed doors. All except for one.
The youngest, smallest Wayne sat in his bed, staring out the large window on the right side of his room. By his side, a black cat with a white chest and four white paws rubbed against his arm, softly purring as it circled the spot where it stood before settling down. Damian's green eyes slowly blinked as he stared at his window, watching the drip down the glass. Damian liked the rain. He didn't like the storm it usually brought, though. His eyes widened when a loud crack of thunder echoed through the night sky, and a bright light lit up the sky. Flinching at the sound, Damian squeezed his eyes shut and hurried to bury himself under the blankets. A muffled cry slipped under the covers as Damian hugged his pillow, trying to calm himself as another boom of thunder rattled the manor. Alfred, the cat, glanced at the window, his wide green eyes watching the lightning grace the earth before jumping off the bed and trotting to Damian's cracked open door. "Alfred..." Damian whispered, pulling the covers off his head as he watched the cat stand at the door, looking back at Damian like he was waiting for the boy.
Pushing the blankets off his body, Damian scooted to the edge of the bed and threw his legs off the side. Slipping his green slippers on, Damian got out of bed and grabbed the blanket hanging off the side of his bed, wrapping it around his body as he walked to the black cat. Alfred meowed, staring up at Damian before weaving out of the room. Grabbing the doorknob, Damian quietly pulled open the door enough for him to squeeze out. Looking around, he saw Alfred sitting at the end of the hallway, black tail with a white tip swishing around. "Alfred, where are you going?" Damian whispered and flinched when another loud boom echoed through the manor. The bright light from the lightning split from the sky, illuminating the manor halls. Alfred didn't move from his spot, only meowing when Damian did not attempt to approach him. Looking back to his room, Damian huffed and walked to Alfred. When he was close enough, the cat stood up and trotted away, leading the boy down the hall.
Damian hadn't been in the manor's west wing for a long time. There were reasons why. Following Alfred through the massive residence, Damian's grip on the blanket wrapped around him tightened with each crack of thunder. As Alfred stopped in front of the stairs, he looked back at Damian before heading towards the west wing. "Alfred... We're not supposed to go there. Daddy said so," Damian whispered, standing at the stairs as he stared at the cat. Meowing, Alfred glanced back at Damian, but he did not stop this time. Alfred continued his way through the dark halls of the west wing. A sudden fear struck Damian as he watched the cat's figure disappear into the shadows. A crack of thunder rattled the manor walls, and Damian let out a scared cry and hurried after his fluffy companion that left him behind.
Damian knew he wasn't supposed to be in the west wing. His siblings and his father made it clear to him that he was not to go unless it was 100% necessary. Their points were if someone breaks in. If there's a fire and there is nowhere else to go to escape, etc. But none of them were if Alfred ran into the halls and left Damian behind. But Damian didn't want to be alone, not when there was a thunderstorm. "Alfred? Alfred, where are you?" Damian called, searching for the cat as he peeked inside a room. Inside there was a massive library. Damian recognized the library. He's seen it in family photos hanging on the manor halls. From the story, he's heard, when Damian's father first adopted his second oldest son, Jason Peter Todd. Bruce added a collection and variety of books for the bookworm when he found out Jason loved reading. And over the years, it grew more and more. Most books inside the old library had been around even before Damian's oldest brother, Dick, was in the manor. Damian understood from his father's history that these books belonged to his deceased parents and Damian's father when Bruce was a young boy. Pushing open the ebony double doors, Damian crept inside the library as his slippers silently padded against the marble flooring beneath his feet. All the books resigning inside the room were books Damian was too young to understand. He did not need to be here, so his father felt comfortable keeping him out of the library even though it resigned in the west wing. The seven-year-old boy curiously wandered around the library, noticing the fire was going. That meant someone had recently been in here? Damian wondered if Alfred Pennyworth, the family butler, was wandering the halls. Alfred tended to do that. He liked to clean when everyone was away or asleep. Alfred had caught Damian wandering the halls of the west wing before, he didn't say anything to Damian's father, but Alfred did leave Damian with a warning before carrying the child off to bed. "Alfred? Are you in here?" Damian mumbled, getting on his hands and knees as he peeked under the blue couch, looking for his cat. "Alfred, we aren't supposed to be in here. If Pennyworth catches us, he'll tell Daddy," Damian worried that he would get caught looking for his cat. How was he going to explain that it was all Alfred's fault? The cat did lead Damian to the west wing, after all. But Damian was the one who willingly followed. Looking around, he checked under the chair. When he didn't see the cat, A frustrated noise ripped from Damian when he couldn't find Alfred.
Damian sighed in defeat as he stepped out of the library. He had to find Alfred. Damian didn't want Alfred to get into trouble. Damian's shoulders tensed as he stared into the shadows. Damian did not fear the dark. He was scared of the unknown that lurked inside it. Taking a step, Damian heard a thud from the room across from the library, and he stilled. His eyes widened, and his heartbeat pounded in his chest. Slowly turning to the door, Damian hesitantly placed his hand against the ebony wood and slowly pushed it open. Damian's shoulders relaxed when he peeked inside and saw Alfred perched on top of an organized desk, his tail swishing as he meowed at Damian. Placing his hand against his chest, over his pounding heart, Damian sighed with relief as he walked around the desk. "Alfred, You scared me! I thought you were a monster," Damian whispered as he picked up the black cat, holding the cat from under his armpits and rubbing his cheek against the top of Alfred's fluffy head.
Glancing up from the cat's fur, Damian noticed the fallen books and papers on the red rug, "Oh no, Alfred, what did you do?" with a huff, Damian mumbled, setting Alfred down on the floor. "You're going to get me in trouble," Damian hissed quietly, glaring at the cat before getting down on his knees as he picked up Alfred's mess. Gathering the papers, Damian neatly stacked them and glanced at the headline of the first paper, "Wayne Tech...? Isn't this one of the divisions in Daddy's company?" Damian asked himself, looking over the page. He was confused when he saw a picture that looked like a bat. A sudden noise from outside the room caught the boy's attention.
Lifting his head, Damian stilled, "Oh dear, I thought I shut this door?" Pennyworth's voice sighed from out in the hall. In a hurry, Damian fixed the stack and stood up, putting the papers back on the desk and setting down the two books. Damian stopped moving as he stood by the desk, watching with wide eyes as Pennyworth grabbed the doorknob. The man must not have seen Damian because he shut the door without saying anything. Allowing himself to breathe, Damian glared at Alfred as the cat looked up with innocent green eyes. Turning away from the desk, Damian stopped, noticing something out of place by the bookshelf, "Alfred? Did you move this too?" Damian sighed, shaking his head as he walked to the bookshelf to fix the Earth Globe that looked like it was about to fall over. Pushing it back, Damian stopped when he found a button underneath it. "Huh? What's this?" He mumbled, hesitantly pressing the button. Gasping, Damian backed away from the shelf as it began to move, revealing a passage behind. Alfred meowed, glancing up at Damian before making his way down the path of stairs. "Wait, Alfred, come back."
Following after his cat, Damian glanced around the stairs, running his fingertips against the wall as he walked further down. Eventually, the wall started to feel like a rock. The further down he got, the colder the air around him became. Wrapping the blanket around his body tighter, Damian could almost see his breath because of how chilly it had become. "Alfred, where are we going?" Damian asked, barely able to see the black cat because it had become dark, and he could hardly see anything. The soft meow was the only indicator Alfred hadn't left, so Damian kept walking down the stairs with cautious footsteps.
Nearing the exit, Damian could hear muffled voices. Damian pushed open the metal door and gasped when he saw a massive cave. Looking down, he saw a group of people dressed in costumes. "Now, all I'm saying is Scarecrow is running around Gotham with a new type of fear toxin, and we don't have an antidote," one of the men spoke, dressed in a leather jacket.
"Jason's right, B. We need to find a way to make an antidote," The other man spoke.
Sighing, Batman leaned back in his chair, "I know, but we'll need to get a sample of the toxin first. But for now, that will have to wait till we come up with a plan-" A meow echoed throughout the cave, and Bruce glanced at the stairs, watching the black cat enter the cave.
"What the hell is Alfred doing down here?" Dick asked.
"I thought he was supposed to be in bed with Damian?" Tim questioned, picking up the cat.
Glancing at the stairs, Bruce sighed, "Damian, come on out, honey."
"Wait, he's down here? Shit-" Jason huffed, quickly hiding his weapons.
Peeking his head out from behind the railing, Damian slowly stood up and walked down the stairs as he nervously looked around, "Daddy?"
Taking off his cowl, Bruce got up and walked to Damian, hooking his hands under the boy's armpits and picking him up, "Hi sweetie, why aren't you in bed?"
Staring at his brothers, Damian looked back at his father and stared at the bat symbol on his father's chest, "I couldn't sleep... The thunder is scary," Damian mumbled, tracing the bat with his tiny finger. "Alfred, lead me here. I don't know why? I know I wasn't supposed to go in the west wing. I'm sorry, Daddy."
Glancing at the cat, Bruce imagined it had something to do with Damian being scared of the thunderstorm. Alfred most likely brought Damian to the cave because he knew they were down there. Smart cat. "Oh, sweetie, you did nothing wrong. I'm just happy you're okay," Bruce smiled, smoothing Damian's hair with his hand as the boy looked back to his brothers.
"So... JayJay is Red Hood?" Damian asked, pointing to his brother.
Jason smiled, hiding his guns behind his back, not wanting to scare the boy, "You're getting pretty smart, squirt."
"And... Dickie is Nightwing?"
"That's right!" Dick squealed happily, cooing at how adorable his baby brother looked.
"Timmy is Robin."
"Yup."
Turning to his father, Damian looked up and smiled, "And Daddy is Batman! Is this the Batcave?"
Sitting down, Bruce sat Damian on his lap as the boy looked around with curious wide green eyes, "Yes, it is."
"What about Pennyworth? Is he a superhero too?"
Entering the cave, Pennyworth softly chuckled as he walked to Bruce, "No, Young Master Damian, I am afraid I am just the world's greatest butler. I can take him back to bed, Master Bruce."
Glancing at Alfred, Bruce stood up with Damian on his hip, "No, it's alright. I'll take him."
"Alright, why don't you boys get changed? I have cookies in the kitchen," Alfred smiled, watching the three run to the showers.
"But I don't wanna go to bed! I'm not tired-" Damian yawned, burying his face into Bruce's shoulder. "I wanna be a superhero too."
Softly laughing, Bruce shook his head as he walked up the cave stairs. When Talia first dropped Damian off when he was still a baby, Bruce knew he would try to give his son the normal childhood he deserved. Making a Robin out of Damian was never what Bruce wanted. He wanted his son to grow up to be like other children, to enjoy things other children do, and cry and throw temper tantrums as other children do. He couldn't give that to Dick, Jason, or Tim, but he wanted to try with Damian, "Why don't we get you tucked in? I bet you're tired after all that exploring you did," Bruce whispered against his son's hair, pushing his bedroom door open.
"Daddy, this isn't my room?" Damian asked, confused, as Bruce laid him down and tucked him in.
"I know, but it's still thundering outside," Bruce smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Can Alfred sleep with us?" Damian asked, glancing at the doorframe as he watched the black cat roam into the room. Bruce only hummed as he watched Damian's long black eyelashes touch his cheeks as his green eyes closed, "I... I'm not sleepy," Damian huffed, but his yawn said otherwise. Rolling over onto his side, Damian wrapped his arms around Alfred, pulling the cat close as he buried his face into Alfred's fur.
Running rough fingertips through Damian's short black hair, Bruce leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against his son's head, "I love you, Damian," he whispered, smiling as his son slept soundly, safe, and happy. Hearing a crunch, Bruce turned his head to the doorframe and noticed his sons all standing there.
"He's so cute. Don't you think he's cute, Timmy?" Dick asked, cooing at Damian.
"When he's not throwing a temper tantrum, sure," Tim shrugged.
"I told all of you cats are gonna take over the planet, but no one listens to me," Jason grumbled, munching his crispy chocolate chip cookie.
Jabbing Jason in the side, Dick rolled his eyes and huffed, "You read too many weird sci-fi books, Jay."
"I mean, he does have a point. Alfred is probably one of the smartest cats I've ever met," Tim argued.
Bruce shook his head, quietly laughing as he listened to his son quietly bicker. Turning his attention back to Damian, Bruce gave his son one more hair ruffle before getting up, "Alright, boys. It's time to hit the bed."
"But dad," They cried in unison.
"No buts, bed now."
Before Bruce went to bed, he checked each room, satisfied when he found all his sons fast asleep in their beds. Walking down the hall, Bruce stopped when he saw Alfred sitting in the middle of the hallway. Bending down, he picked the cat up and scratched behind his ears, listening to the cat's soft purring as Bruce glanced out the window, watching the lightning illuminate the Gotham sky, "You are a strange cat, you know that Alfred? But thank you for looking after Damian," Bruce smiled, walking back to his room with Alfred in his arms.
Setting the cat on his bed, Bruce climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Damian, pulling the little boy into his chest as Bruce held him close. The pitter-patter of the rain tapping against the window soothed Bruce's mind as he smoothed back Damian's hair.
His son was safe in his arms, where he belonged.