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I used to dream about the heros of stories
As life became an endless night
When hope was gone you resurrected my spirit
Brought me from darkness into light
I can sense a storm is coming
Anchoring you to me
- Beth Crowley "Skin and Bones"
Friday January 20, 2012
Gotham City, NJ.
Almont Building, Diamond District
1:24 am
The city passed by him like a blur, he remembered when he had first came to the city, How bright it had looked from above and how different it actually was when he had touched down. Meeting his father, a man that even his mother and grandfather respected. How different he learned his father was before he met him. Meeting Alfred who would take the role of what was basically another grandfather. Leaning that he technically had 4 older siblings. Three brothers and 1 sister. He had a 2nd cousin in Kate as well. Immediately he rejected them. Wanted nothing to do with them but as he would come to learn through his father as well as Dick, whether he wanted it or not they were his family.
Through his time in the Wayne family he learned multiple things. He learned about love. Not the kind his mother claimed she had for him. True familial love. The kind his mother side of the family rejected and replaced with discipline. The kind where family was everything, no matter how annoying, how intrusive, or how much he claimed he hated them.
The first thing Damian learned when he first took the mantle of Robin was to always listen to Batman. The lesson instilled in him by Dick while he was serving as Batman while his father was away. Always listen to Batman. What Batman says goes. Always report to Batman. The second thing he learned was absolutely no killing, under any circumstances. No lethal hits. You knock them out or capture. As an trained assassin learning to how to restrain himself in the beginning was difficult but after 3 years it was like second nature.
All the training instilled in him by his mother's side of the family had to be replaced. He had to change the way he would swing his katana without the intention to kill, often leading him to using the pommel of his katana. He assumed he would be using it lot tonight. This was only his 4th outing as Robin since the year started, his father taking him out less since he had been enrolled in school the past September. Even though he claimed he did not need it.
"-alright Robin" he heard Dick from the passenger seat. Damn he wasn't paying attention.
He agreed anyway "Understood".
"You're okay with staying out here and keeping watch?" He immediately sat up and looked towards his elder brother who had a smug look on his face.
"What?" he demanded
"So you weren't paying attention?" his father asked "What do we always talk about Robin"
"Focus, I know"
"So get focused"
He looked towards his left and saw Tim smirking and Cassandra smiling. Rolling his eyes he looked out of the window of the Batmobile looking at the city again. He could hear the engines of Jason and Stephanie motorcycles following them from behind, suddenly begin lost in silence. Meaning the were close to their target. A few blocks later and the car stopped and everyone got out. They were still a few blocks away from the actual building.
Immediately Batman began giving out orders "While your in there scout out for any clues they might have left behind, report anything that seems suspicious. Nightwing, you get the top 3 floors. Hood you get the first 3 floors stun bullets only... got it"
"Yeah yeah yeah I remember" Jason cocked his guns "Once they go off, the noise is gonna alert the rest of the building you know that right"
"Which is why your gonna wait until the rest of us are already inside. Spoiler you take floors 4 and 5". She brought out the handle of her collapsible bo staff and nodded. Orphan you take out floors 9, 10 and 11. Red Robin and I will go handle floors 6, 7 and 8. Understood?"
There was a collective agreements of "got it" "yeah". Everyone began either scaling the buildings above. Dick being the quickest to reach the top and begin jumping across the rooftops till he made it to one of the buildings fire escapes and into a window.
"What about me?" Damian asked
Batman tuned to him "You'll be down here with Jason, your gonna check the basement".
He tried not to frown. Even if he didn't he know his father could tell he was not happy with the orders he had be given. "Next time. Pay attention". Punishment for not paying attention. Great. He was going to be looking into a basement while everyone else actually did the important stuff. He did not like being treated like some child.
"Don't look so down Baby Bat, this is nothing compared to what he would have done before" in a condescending tone. Glaring at his brother he slowly began walking away.
Tch "Just do your job Hood, I'm going to go through the back. See if I can find a window or something". He unsheathed his sword. In case of a coming attack and as he walked to the side of the building he came into contact with 5 people. Drug dealers, murders, human traffickers, rapist. The amount of inhumane things they could have possibly done throughout their lifetime, he didn't even wanna think about it. He gripped the hilt of his katana, pulled his hood over his head and disappeared into the dark.
"Ok guys, things are about to get loud. Hope your in position" Damians comm rang in his right ear. Then suddenly he heard a barrage of gunfire. The men quickly raised their guns alerted that they were there.
Damian dropped a smoke bomb and touched the side of his green mask, changing the setting to allow him to see through the smoke. He was able to knock out the men with the hilt of his sword. The smoke settled as he began looking for any entrances, how easy enough that was the was a door leading downstairs. He tested the door knob to see if was unlocked. He sighed and rolled his eyes complete and utter amateurs. Even so, he still took caution in entering the building. The first thing he noticed was that it was empty and colder inside than it was outside. Then he began looking for any bombs of some sort.
These fools would always place a stupid bomb to blow up their evidence
Then he kept hearing in his right ear.
"Last 3 floors are clear". Nightwing.
"I cleared out.". Hood.
"Clear". Orphan.
"I'm done". Spoiler.
"Rendezvous at the 8th floor". Batman.
"Robin, come in" He heard Nightwing.
"Not done" he replied.
He checked each room.
Empty.
Empty.
Empty.
Tch. Empty.
He clenched his teeth and looked at the final door.
He reached his ear piece "Last door and I'm on my way".
He reached for the door.
The first thing she remembered was hearing what sounded like pops and the cold air feeling enveloping her body. Her eyes opening slowly, her vision coming together. Her head was pounding. Where …..where am I? All she could make out was a mattress in the corner of the room, no windows. She reached over to rub her head only to realize her hands were tied and had some hard substance on them like hardened paint. Then that god awful scent filled her nose, the smell made her want to vomit. She felt something cold and metal near her body. A knife?
She took the knife and began cutting away at the rope that tied her hands. What am I doing her? She questioned. Think…..think…..think…..why can't I remember. Her face began heating up and tears began swelling in her eyes. Another thing she realized as she sat up was that her entire body hurt. As if it were on fire.
What am I doing her? How long?
Why am I here? Whats going on?
She shut her eyes trying to recall anything. Please…..anything ...anything at all? She began hyperventilating as she cut the rope that tied her feet. She stood up. Her legs numb and shaking, she took a step and winced in pain. Another step and she managed to trip over something. She looked over and saw a body, her eyes widened and she took a deep breath.
She screamed to the top of her lungs. Threw the knife on the floor in a panic and began moving the the back of the room. Then she heard a loud bang as the door flew open a boy dressed in green, red and yellow with a sword in his hands. She had backed into the corner of the room screaming, crying into her knees.
The second Damian opened the door his ears were met with a high pitched murderous scream. Female. Young. He jiggled the door handle and then he took a step back and kicked the door open and turned on the lights. The first thing he saw was a screaming girl, pushing back against the wall. Her cries could fill the building, he was convinced Batman and the others could hear her.
"I didn't do it. It wasn't me. No No No. I didn't do this." She screamed and cried. Then he looked down and saw a body as well as a dried puddle of blood. Shit. The girl was cowering in the back of the room screaming.
"You all need to come down here" he echoed into his comm. He hoped he could be heard over her screaming. He got a mix of replies.
"What the hell is that"
"What happened?"
"What's going on Robin""
Aggravated at the questioned he shouted "JUST. GET. DOWN HERE"
He put his katana away and approached the girl who had been hysterically crying. Dick had once taught him how to handle these situations and had dealt with them accordingly. Don't scare them. Assure them. Believe them. Relax them. Help them.
He bent down on one knee. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you". The girl looked at him dead in the face. He got a look at some of her features Brown hair, blue green eyes- now surrounded by red with all her crying, and covered in what was obvious to him to be dried blood.
She gripped his wrists and spoke in a raspy panicked voice "It wasn't me. I didn't do it. You have to believe me. Please, you have to believe me" her voice cracking.
She looked about his age, she wore a blue long sleeved shirt with a Superman "S" stained with what he guessed was blood, dark jeans also stained with blood. She had reached over and buried her face in his neck. He had felt her skin, she was freezing. She would give that fool Mr. Freeze a run for his money. He removed his cape and pulled it over her, hoping the thermal system would warm her. He turned the other way so that he was facing the door and the body instead of her but not even that was not enough to stop her cries.
He heard his name being called from the hallway outside the door.
"Robin!". Nightwing.
"Where are you!". Spoiler.
"Baby Bat!" Hood.
Just follow the screaming morons.
He saw Spoiler first, her blond hair covered by her purple hood. Immediately she let out a giant gasp covering her mouth. Cassandra followed, the same motion with no sound.
Jason followed behind them with a "Holy shit"
Nightwing appeared last " Oh my God". Nightwing looked at the body. Then looked at him and the girl in the back of the room sobbing onto his shoulder.
"Spoiler start dialing GCPD".
"But Nightwing-" she began
"NOW". He reached for his comm "Batman, Red Robin. You need to get down here. Now"
Nightwing ended up carrying her out of the room after Batman and Red Robin came in and he demanded an explanation and no one could give him one. The only thing that was there was a little girl covered in dried blood, a knife, and a dead girl though, she might have came to her own conclusion. He could already imagine the amount of counseling and therapy she was going to have to go through. Then they heard the police sirens coming closer.
"Robin stay. The rest of you, return home." his father ordered. The others didn't object, Batman was serious. This was a crime scene and the only suspect was a little girl. Nightwing passed her over towards Batman and she was still crying. They made their way upstairs past the many unconscious bodies to the outside where Commissioner Gordon was waiting with his men. Damian didn't know much about him, but he did have a respect for him. Anyone that would stick around for Gotham willingly deserved even that much, even though he would never admit it.
"Batman. Robin." The Commissioner greeted them with a curt nod. "Who's this?"
The girl was still awake, at this point she had stopped crying and she had been staring off into space, definitely due to shock.
"A young girl, looks about 10 to 12 years old. Robin found her alone in a room, in the basement with a dead body. She's malnourished." His father explained.
Commissioner Gordon took in a deep breath while looking at the girl. He brought out his radio "Medical team, you're needed".
"Roger that sir. we're on our way"
"Okay Bats, lead the way"
His father turned to him "Can you hold her?"
He almost felt insulted "Of course I can" He held out his arms where she was placed.
She is definitely malnourished. It felt like she hadn't eaten in weeks. But how is she still functional or even alive for that matter. He figured they just hadn't fed her, which wouldn't be out of the ordinary. He felt a breeze go by and resisted the urge to make a sound insinuating he was slightly cold even with his suit on. The girl didn't even flinch due to his cape also having a heater. Clearly she was looking at him, he resisting the urge to look at her as well. Then she spoke.
"Um...excuse me?". He still wasn't looking at her. "Are you ...cold?"
He voice was quiet. Frankly he's surprised he heard her at all.
"What?" His eyes snapped towards her. So much for not looking
"I...I felt you... shiver. Do you want your cloak thingy back?" She asked pulling the hood from her head.
Shes crazy. "You need it more than I do" he replied.
"So...you are cold?"
"I am not cold" he gritted through his teeth. Don't yell at the traumatized girl. "Do you have a name?"
"I...don't remember it"
Damn it. Amnesia.
"Do you have a name?"
"Robin"
" Okay...I'd like to ...stand please" she was gripping her elbows
"Very well" he put her down, she stumbled nearly dropping to her knees but he steadied her. She was about 2 inches taller than him, he also got a look of the T-shirt she was wearing. Superman symbol covered in blood. Ironic. She then put her hand up, looking at her palms, her hands shaking from shock or the cold he couldn't tell. What he did know that she was going to need months ...maybe even years of therapy. Her eyes began watering, her face turned red and she began taking deep breaths.
"My hands...this is.." she let out a raggedy breath " this is ...dried..blood". Just in that moment Batman, the Commissioner and the GCPD Medical Team came out, a woman came towards him and the girl.
" Excuse me sweetie, could you do me a big favor?" she opened up a plastic zip lock bag "Can you just rub your hands together over this bag please?"
DNA samples.
"O-okay" the dried blood fell from her hands and into the bag. She then looked up at the lady and said "Miss...um ...where am I staying tonight?".
Damian saw the look of heartbreak on the woman's face "I don't know sweetheart but I promise you, you will be sleeping in a bed tonight".
"Are we doing okay?" the Commissioner asked her.
The girl nodded "My neck hurts" she reached to rub it, then her eyes widened and she began to feel all around her neck " I have a necklace". She began to work the chain from the back of her neck. She took it off to reveal a gold chain, with a single word on it with cursive writing.
Eliana.
"Eliana. That's a beautiful name" Gordon said.
"Tu nombre es Eliana?" the woman questioned to herself.
"Si" the girl, now identified as Eliana. Her eyes widened, wondering how she knew how to reply. She spoke with an accent, meaning there was a probability of her being fluent.
"Commissioner, keep me posted on any updates it's time for us to go. Let's go Robin" his father said as he began to walk away from the scene.
"Have a good night Commissioner" he stated and began walking towards his father until he felt a force grab him. Eliana had wrapped her arms from behind him.
"Thank you...so much ..for saving me" she sobbed. His father stopped to look back and Damian could see a slight smile on the mans face.
He didn't really know how to reply, he would get a thank you every once and a while. Things like stopping a mugging or something but never so physical. Her arms fell away from him and he proceeded to keep walking towards his father till once again she grabbed him.
"Wait...your cloak thingy".
He took in a deep breath "It's a cape...and I told you before I wasn't cold".
"Yeah ...right...right" she nodded.
Then he and his father disappeared into the darkness of the night.
"My name is Eliana" she smiled a bit. She wrapped the cape around herself tightly and thought gleeful about her name.
Eliana.
Eliana.
Eiliana.
She was Eliana and for now ...she was content with that.
AND THATS THE CHAPTER. WHEW. Read and Review.
I hope you guys enjoy this journey of the Eliana and the Batfamily more specifically Damian. I cant wait to flesh out and develop her character plus tell you guys about her history. .
