"What is the boy to you?" The question was an odd one especially coming from the boy's mother. Haruka watched her warily, taking in her surroundings, a quiet park in an eerily silent part of Gotham. The blonde-haired crossdresser wasn't surprised by the Al Ghul's heiress choice to meet up with a suspected troublesome distraction for her son. It seemed to be the perfect place for an assassin's daughter to plan a kill or to scare a person away.

The air was silent, resistant to giving away whispers of the woman's secrets before her. It was a frightening idea that even her own element wasn't into the idea of comforting her. Then again, it hadn't been very good at that since Hotaru died.

Talia placed her hands on her hips, pursed her lips, and waited impatiently.

For Haruka, all questions had a simple answer. It didn't matter that her answer wasn't always the correct one, but if she felt it in her bones, that was enough. When asked by his mother who Damian was to her, she didn't need to think. No, there was no question about it.

As smooth as the ocean breeze and with a voice smoother than butter, Haruka smiled and said, "He's mine." She could tell Talia hadn't expected the answer, in fact, she seemed angered that this person before her could care say such a thing to her.

Damian made the wind dance around her once again. He wasn't a good boy, not even in the slightest, but even so, he was hers. That little pouty mouth, the little annoying 'tt' sound he makes with his teeth when he knows he's wrong and wrong apologize because 'everyone should just humble themselves to his whim,' the arguments that he had about how his father should pay more attention to him than Tim and how Haruka should understand... those were all things that she kept dear and in her heart, that was her boy - he and all his imperfections. He wasn't perfect by any means, but there was very little that she would change about him.

Haruka loved that he was proper around his father and Alfred and around others his own age, but when he was with her, he was a boy. Damian was a child despite the fact that he didn't even realize it sometimes. He was changing, starting to smile, asking questions, showing desire for more than just to please his father and the mother who was never around.

The moment that Damian asked her to never leave his side in his own little snide way, Haruka knew that the boy was her's and nothing could change that. "You're his mother; you should ask him what I am to him."

Talia clenched her fists and scowled. "Stay away from my son. He doesn't need a person like you in his life."

Haruka had seen the look in her eyes once. Yes, she remembered those eyes. It was the same look in Damian's eyes, the anger that attracted her to the young boy, the very reason she couldn't leave him alone. He was a light surrounded by darkness, a child who couldn't be one even if he wanted to be.

He was just like Hotaru, and Talia was doing to him what destiny did to her. No, that wasn't right... destiny wasn't her parent. Haruka was supposed to be a parent, and she chose to allow destiny destroy her little girl's choices. Haruka was no better than Talia, but Damian was her way to fix the past.

She needed his smile. Haruka wanted to see that boy be the happy child that she always dreamed Hotaru could be had she never been Sailor Saturn. "Miss Al Ghul, Damian is like a son to me, the child I never had. I'm sure you know this, but his mind is magnificent and when he smiles, all my troubles seem so distant. I'm sorry, but despite your request, I respectfully decline to do as you respect." Her sky blue eyes met with Talia's cold emerald orbs.

Haruka turned to walk away but felt her wrist grabbed tightly mid-turn. The dark haired beauty's expression was feral. It was the look of a killer, a woman whose never held a child in her arms and promised to love and protect them for all time. "I hope you're aware of who you're talking to!" Venom spat from her glossed pink lips.

Haruka sighed. "You're a beautiful woman taught that your name will strike fear in all those you come across." With her free hand, she touched her face like she were her lover. "Bruce Wayne, as despicable a man as he is, truly is his father. When someone speaks of his son, his eyes soften and every facade comes down, but you are no type of parent to that child."

"Haruka Tenoh, you-"

With speed unapparalled, Haruka was suddenly standing behind her, the blonde-haired woman touching the shoulder of Talia. "Thank you for the talk." Her voice was an entire octave lower and Talia could feel the air escape her body. Despite the kind words, the old woman was sure that she was really saying, 'As I said before, Damian is mine. I will protect him... and before you threaten anyone with your name, beware that I will have you on your knees pleading for forgiveness.'

For the first time in Talia's life, she experienced true fear.

She turned and prepared to attack but when she looked, the girl was already gone. "She's just like Bruce in more than one way."