Authors Note: I'm not sure where this story ties in for the timeline, obviously after New 52. This story include many major Batman/DC universe characters tying in with Original Characters. I was nervous about starting out with OC's, but who wants to keep reading the same stories over and over and over again? I wanted to work with something/someone new.
And obviously, let's ignore Morrison's hand in Damian's timeline.
This is rated T+ for language, gore, sexual situations or innuendo etc. Please feel free to comment or critique; I'm slightly fumbling through this story so far, trying to get the ideas down. I know there's plenty of room to trim the fat, so any and all thoughts are appreciated.
I'm far from home...
Gotham city seems like it is teeming with energy, some sort of soft buzz that you inhale almost immediately as you enter the city's core, looking out on all the bridges, the buildings, the harbor that encircles this timeless place.
I already feel like I'm crawling in my skin. This timeless city has its past, its present and it's cruel, cruel intentions. But if you travel far enough, deep enough, like I have, you'll realize that every single street in every single city has at least once tasted blood.
It's only a matter of pomp and circumstance, a slot on the dinner-time-news that damns us or hides our dirty, stained secrets.
It's nearly dawn when Bruce and Damien return to retire for the evening. The most eerie part of the evening was that it consisted of nothing- nothing! hardly any simple street thugs that disrupted the night. The good ol' GPD handled the minor incidents without any further incident. It had set Damien on a whirlwind and he couldn't really admit is anxiety. It was a calm evening, such a rare sight indeed. Battles between he and his father have waxed and waned as Damian is nearly 18 now, his hormones and violence, his rage and inner demons rearing their head more commonly than they had been the past few years.
Damian leaves the cave before his father can even comment on the strangeness he felt of the night. A trail of his yellow cape, green boots littered through the doorway as Bruce caught the large shadow Titus cast as he sauntered after the boy. Damian had transferred into jeans and a t-shirt, shoving a cold sandwich Pennyworth had handed him on his way out as he threw a tennis ball idly for Titus to tear after.
"I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin..." Damian sighed inwardly, chewing hard on his food and threw the ball again and Titus took off after it, vanishing behind the bushes that created the horizon. Titus's low growls and barking alerted him from his brooding and on instinct Damian tore after the dog, pupils dilated with anticipation and his heart thrumming with excitement at something to focus all his excess energy on.
Titus stopped barking shortly, forcing Damian to run even fast to meet with him. The giant dog's body was low to the ground, lips quivering and growling low. Damian paused as he drew even with his companion and a small smile played at the corner of his lips.
"*tt* sick 'em," and off the dog ran, Damien waiting to follow for only a few steps.
The boy lost sight of him quickly, but followed the clear loud barking, but shortly that stopped all together. Damien, confused before concerned, quickened hastily to find a silhouette and his dog...Titus was on his back.
"What do you think you're doing here?!" The boy yelled, startling the shadowy figure even though the barks of the Great Dane and running boy clearly alerted this person to their presence.
"I'm sorry," The woman, no young girl, shrugged out of her hood as the dog rolled at her feet before leaning on its back legs and jumping up, causing a grimace to pull down her peach lips.
"Titus!" the Damian snapped and the chastised dog is at his side in the blink of an eye.
"He could have mauled you, and you could deserve it, Lady, for breaking and entering on private property!" Damien seethed about the fact his dog didn't do his duty as a guard.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea this was private property." the girl shrugged, awkwardly running her hands through her own short, asymmetrical hair as she kept eye contact with Damian. Her green eyes didn't even flicker away from the constant glaring gaze he returned her.
"What are you doing here?!" he yelled, barely controlling his anger, the girl's eyes glancing towards his slowly balling fists.
"I'm sorry," she spoke finally meaning it. My first night in this new forsaken city and I've already got my head nearly on a stick. Way to go, Remmy. "I was in the woods you see-"
"The woods?" he doesn't mask his disbelief.
"Yes, I'm not from around here, I was trying to find an old hotel out this way, it's supposed to be close to the Wayne Manner or something. I thought with how large the grounds were here I might have finally found my way." and the strangers voice is thin, pissed and tired. "I meant no harm, sir." she held up her hands slowly and stopped as his just barely flinched. Normal people would have never seen the reaction.
"Who are you?"
"Doesn't matter, which way can I leave?"
"*tt*"
"Fine!" The girl marched forward and Damian swung aside as if preparing to be attacked. The girl blanched staring at him in either disgust or surprise before hurrying her steps to the obvious front gate. She fled with the shadows as dawn peaked and the dog and his frustrated boy turned homeward.
"Make a new friend?" Bruce asked upon his sons return.
"*tt"