Chapter 1: Interests
Thirteen year old Damian Wayne was pretty self-centred. He never cared about anyone else but himself, his father and occasionally his friend Colin. His friendship with Colin had become tiresome. They liked each other but there wasn't much interest there. There was little spark between them both. They were so much different from each other.
Damian was walking down a wide street in Gotham. It was completely pedestrianized because it was a street surrounded by shops. These shops ranged from tiny comic stores to sprawling designer shops. It was always busy.
Damian liked it here. He liked being able to sink into the crowd, to just blend in. The hordes of people were only either the incredibly rich of Gotham and Blüdhaven or wealthy foreign tourists on their travels. This allowed him to blend in. Nobody cared that he is Bruce Wayne's son. He liked that. But his status did allow for small perks; skipping the line in some shops, discount etc.
It was a great feeling to lay low without the paparazzi constantly molesting you with cameras and microphones and recording devices. The only news reporter he liked to see was Vicky Vale. She was kind and gave him hugs, because of her close 'friendship' with his father. Although he would never admit it, Damian thought Vicky was fit. He found it weird because he thought a woman that was easily three times his age, fit.
He sighed as he dumped his McDonalds Milkshake into a bin. He decided to go into the comic shop. He thought they were stupid. All those fake superheroes and local artists making comics out of Superman and the mysterious Batman, he found stupid. He didn't want to read some crappy graphic Novel about the caped crusader, he lived with Batman.
He enjoyed laughing at them. He looked through the comics to kill time, and he would simply laugh.
"What crap you got in today, Rick?" He asked the comic store owner.
"Oh, like you say, just some crap!" Rick replied sarcastically.
Damian scoffed "Tt."
He walked up to the glass case by the cashier and looked through the glass. "You got anything really expensive?" Damian Asked.
Rick's face lit up. "Why, yes. Yes we do!" He smiled. "Follow me into the back, Master Wayne."
Damian followed the scrawny middle-aged man into the back of the store, whilst a geeky twenty-something year old manned the shop.
Rick stopped at a black crate. It wasn't too large; however it was substantial in size. "Here's my new stock. She's rare." Rick beamed as he slowly unclasped the buckles atop the crate. He did it for effect.
"Rick, cut the crap. There is money burning a hole in my pocket. It is not hard to do a simple task such as opening a crate." Damian ordered.
Rick shoved open the lid. Inside the crate was a pair of drumsticks, some guitar picks, a guitar amplifier and guitar.
"What is this…I was at least expecting a rare Katana or something interesting." Damian roared.
"Damian, they were used by the Arctic Monkeys in Glastonbury 2007, they are rare." Rick assured.
Damian's face went from a frown to a beaming grin. "That is awesome Rick! How much you want for them?" He asked.
Rick shrugged and looked into the air as if he was calculating. "Five thousand dollars!"
Damian's grin got wider. He thought it wasn't possible for a grin to get wider than it already was. "I will take them. I will have my butler collect them either later or tomorrow. He will bring Five K in cash." Damian said.
Rick shook Damian's hand and smiled. "It is a deal then Master Wayne!"
Damian left the shop with a huge smile on his face. He didn't even ask why a comic shop had band memorabilia, but then again these days the shops have to broaden out to earn extra money.
He carried on walking. He found himself daydreaming about being Batman someday and how he would catch all the women.
He wandered into the Gotham Central Park. It was a huge place; trees everywhere, a large fountain in the middle and some biking trails. The grass was always neatly trimmed, and although not as large as Central park in New York, it was still very big. It seemed a strange and comforting place to be amongst the skyscraper complexes sprawled all over the city. There was a familiar sound coming from the fountain. Not a sound of water, but instead there was a sound of a familiar song.
Damian investigated. He walked around the other side of the fountain and there was a boy sat on the side. He was playing an Arctic Monkeys song on his acoustic guitar. Damian beamed and stood in front of the boy who was playing.
The boy had light brown hair and looked up from his guitar. "Err, can I help you?" He asked, smiling.
"Carry on playing, it is my favourite song!" Damian urged.
The boy's eyes lit up. "It is my favourite too."
Damian sat down beside the boy. He dropped around forty dollars into the boy's guitar case. Damian watched as the boy played.
"It is a pity I don't know the lyrics." The boy sighed.
"I will sing if you want!" Damian suggested.
The boy smiled at him. "Go ahead,"
Damian never sang, not even in the shower. He occasionally did when listening to his IPOD or MP4 player, but never usually.
He started singing the song. The boy stopped playing and a smile illuminated his face. "Wow, you're actually really good at singing!" He said.
"I never sing." Damian replied.
The boy smiled even more. "You should sing, like, I dunno… every day! You'd be absolutely sick if you practiced!" He beamed.
"You really think?" Damian asked.
The boy shifted to face Damian, still with his guitar rested in his lap. "Absolutely!" He exclaimed. He extended his hand "My name is Ryan!"
Damian shook his hand. "I am Damian." He replied. "How old are you?"
Ryan put his guitar into his case. "I am thirteen. What about you?"
Damian smiled. "I am thirteen too."
Ryan clipped his case up. "I have never seen you around Gotham before…"
"That's pleasantly surprising!" Damian said.
Ryan smiled. "How come?"
Damian shrugged. "I am Bruce Wayne's son!"
Ryan shook his head dismissively. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"
Damian's jaw dropped. "Yeah, he's sort of a big deal!"
Ryan laughed and playfully punched Damian's arm. "I am pulling your leg. I know who Bruce Wayne is."
Ryan hauled his guitar case onto his back. "So… you wanna go get a drink or something?" he asked.
"Sure. I know a great place where they do the best shakes ever!" Damian smiled as the pair started walking.
Ryan nearly stumbled into a tree. "Is it Alfonso's?" Ryan asked.
"Never heard of him… I go to the Gotham Plaza, you know the little Shake Shack in there…" Damian said.
Ryan shook his head and giggled. "I used to go there, but the Plaza shakes taste like sewage compared to Alfonso's. He makes them fresh with ice-cream of your choice!"
Damian shrugged "I don't mind to be honest. I just like Milkshakes! If the milkshakes are as good as you say they are then why not?"
Ryan led Damian out of the park and into an alley that led past Gotham Arena and onto Shrewsbury Avenue.
"It is about a mile down here!" Ryan explained. "So how come I have never seen you around, like at school or anything? Do you go to Gotham Academy?"
Damian put his hands in his pockets. "No. I was sort of off the rails. My dad didn't trust me enough to send me to school. But my granddad, Alfred, tutors me."
"Oh," Ryan said. He didn't know what to say. He could see the sign of Alfonso's diner. "I go to Gotham Academy. It's very big. I don't really like it there."
Damian looked curious and concerned. "Why?"
Ryan shrugged and kicked a stone into the gutter. "I…Um…There are some not very nice people there, that's all."
Damian looked over at the boy who looked somewhat uncomfortable talking about it.
"Why do they bully you?" Damian asked.
Ryan shrugged. "Because I am different,"
Damian raised an eyebrow "It what way?"
Ryan shrugged again, he felt uneasy. "It doesn't matter. We're nearly there anyway!"
The diner was nice. It looked like a traditional American diner from the nineteen-fifties. It wasn't too swank or anything. It was just a humble place.
"Hey, Alfonso" Ryan smiled as he went through the door. Ryan was wearing a baseball shirt with three quarter length sleeves. It was Red and White, like the diner's interior.
"Hello there young Ryan! How are you today?" A plump man with a moustache said from behind the counter. He had a strong Italian accent.
He came out from behind the counter to hug the boy.
"I am good thanks, Alf." He smiled.
"Who's your friend, Ryan?" Alfonso asked as he wiped a glass up in front of them.
"His name is Damian," Ryan smiled, "I just met him at the park. We have lots in common"
Ryan smiled at Damian. Damian nodded at Ryan's statement.
Alfonso gestured towards a table near the front of the diner. "What can I get you two boys?" Alfonso asked.
Ryan sat down. "Just my usual please Alf," He said with a smile. Ryan turned to Damian. "What do you want mate?"
Damian hesitated, "Do you have strawberry?"
Alfonso nodded, "That is Mr Ryan's favourite. I will get you both your milkshakes." Alfonso said as he plodded off into the kitchen.
There were only a couple of other people in the diner. It wasn't a match day so the Gotham Rogues fans weren't flooding in like usual.
Damian was comfortable. He had never been to this part of Gotham during the day, only ever at night as Robin.
"You and Alfonso seem close." Damian remarked.
Ryan nodded. "My dad used to bring me here when I was little. I have been coming here all my life, pretty much."
"You said he used to bring you, why doesn't he anymore?" Damian asked.
Ryan hesitated. "My father and my mother died when I was five." He said.
Damian felt bad. "Oh. I didn't mean to be so insensitive."
"It is okay." Ryan smiled. "I have Alfonso; he is a good friend and my music. That's all I have really"
"I have never really had a friend before. I mean I have acquaintances, but I don't get much chance to spend time with anyone my own age," Damian said.
Ryan smiled, "Me neither."
Alfonso appeared with two strawberry Milkshakes. "There you go!" He smiled.
"Thanks Alfonso," Ryan said, getting out ten dollars
Alfonso gestured for Ryan to put the money away, "On the house for a regular like you," Alfonso said.
Damian took a few gulps. Man that is good! He thought to himself.
"Mmm, these are really good!" Damian said as he took another sip.
Ryan nodded in agreement "They certainly are!"