God I hate the cold. It was always cold here in this city. I wish that I could have gone somewhere else, but this place was the only place where they couldn't reach me. Gotham would never be my first choice to hide because I knew what kind of situation I'd be in. I mean I'm 12, with no family, no money, no home, nothing. I have nothing, but I would at least be me here.
I was born into an organization called the leviathans and my mother was the heiress to the family that ran the organization. The Al ghusl. I was trained since the moment I was born to kill, and that was fine and dandy until I died and was resurrected. I can't remember anything that might have happened that change me to the point I am now. I can't bring myself to destroying my enemies any more. I can remember being a child and able to do anything. All in the name of my family, but now, now I can't even bring myself to do anything that this world might name as a sin. My grandfather had sat me down when these thoughts and feeling were beginning to surface. I wanted to so badly make him proud, but he seemed angry that I was falling for the notion that what he had said was subjective justice. He didn't like that I was refusing to follow his orders. He didn't like that I was refusing to kill. He was talking about sending me to a sorcerer. One that would "help" me get over this bout of "foolishness". I couldn't let him do that to me. Regardless if it was for my greater good. I couldn't let myself become something that wasn't me. So I ran away.
I took what I dubbed as necessary. A backpack that contained only a wad of money that would get me so far, a couple change of clothes, a few MREs' and a hunting dagger that would be used only if I were attacked. I figured that if I were abandoning this way of life, that I would go all the way. I wasn't going to sin anymore. I figured that in my short life, I had done more than my fair share.
My first chance I got to slip away for the league, I took it. I was sent to do some scouting with a team of fellow assassins in the states on some guy that was said to be studying a way for himself to become immortal. Another way for my grandfather to live forever. The moment my team was distracted by the local heroes I was gone. I went first to New York which at the time was the farthest I could get from where I was sent. I spent maybe a month there before I headed to Gotham. I had to figure out where I could go, keep a low profile, and where the leviathans wouldn't try to search anytime soon. Thanks to Batman and his history with my grandfather there has been some kind of truce between them. Grandfather doesn't touch Batman's territories and Batman doesn't hunt him down again. A war would ensue if that were to happen and neither of them seem to want that. So Batman's territory it was. I could hide there for a while till hopefully the hunt for me would die down a bit.
So that leads me to where I am now. Gotham is way colder than what I'm used to. The island is always warm and nice. Granted I was sent and trained in all kinds of weather, I still wasn't impervious to the cold. And Gotham is cold. I had brought with me 3 shirts and a jacket, and even wearing all of them couldn't keep the chill out of my bones at night. I've taken to breaking into abandoned warehouses to get some cover from the frigid nights. It helped, but it was never enough to keep me warm. The only time I felt warm anymore was when on the off chance id run into this group of teens. They too were, well I suppose you could call us wanders. They don't have families either, or at least not ones they want to mention. We met once awkward evening when I had crawled through one of the busted windows in an old lumber warehouse. They were off in the corner of the building setting up for the night when I fell down from the window. I immediately felt all 4 pair of eyes on me. They were all standing at this point and so was I. the dagger I kept in my back pocket feeling heavy. I didn't know what to expect. I had come across other homeless kids that just tried to steal my things or attack me for some reason. Granted id only had to hit them once and make my own get away, but this was different. There were 4 of them and the only way for me to get out was through the window that was now 10 feet above my head. I could easily climb that, but with 4 people trying to attack me. I don't know how well this would go.
Luckily, one of them burst out laughing. A guy that couldn't have been older than 15 began to laugh at me. Then the others soon followed. I tried to keep a serious face, but the laughter was contagious and I found myself soon falling apart alongside them. They offered to let me join them for the night and I accepted because I didn't want to have to climb through the window and back into the rainy night just to find a vacant building. I sat down next a boy who had scruffy brown hair and looked to be 14 years old. He said his name was Randall. He was a little stand offish with me but I preferred that over to what the 15 year old boy who was over joyous at me joining them. He introduced himself as Jerold. While the other two remained quiet for some time until Jerold began to introduce them himself. He called the first one who was 14 too as Aladdin. Jerold was rewarded with a smack to the head for such a bad joke. His real name was Ashraf, but ash was ok. The fourth one was an older girl that seemed content to just sit around us. She stayed close to Jerold. When Randall looked at her to see if were go to introduce herself she just gave a simple nod and let out a "veronica". I nodded and looked back at the small garbage fire that they had started.
A silence had started after they had introduced themselves and I was slowly lulling to sleep. I was exhausted from the constant running and fighting that once I finally found myself in a comfortable situation I was falling asleep. I just felt like I could trust these guys. Maybe it was the fact that they were like me in a way.
Well my peace was short lived because veronica nudged me with her foot. "Oh yeah, my turn." I said. I starched the back of my head trying to come up with a name. I could give them my real name but at the same time I didn't want to. On the off chance that the league was following me even here.
"Does it start with a D?" Randall asked my out of the blue. I jumped and looked at him. His face sat in an all knowing smirk. "What makes you think that?" I asked. I could feeling my heart rate pick up. It practically echoing my ear. My palms began to sweat and my eyes dilate. Ready to fight and run at any moment. Veronica kicked my bag and I saw the old carved D in my bags strap. Another moment of a past I don't truly remember. I calmed a bit, but gained some of my standoffness back. I straightened my back and any feeling of peace began to dissipate. I would spend the night here with them. Wake early in the morning and leave without them knowing.
I took a deep breath and looked at the wall behind Randall. "I honestly don't really remember." I said with a sigh. They all seemed to take it with a sort of ease that I was not expecting. Randall shaking his head in compliance and everyone else just leaning back.
"So you're like the others, huh?"
"What do you mean, like the others?" I asked now intrigued.
"There is a large amount of people like us that were part of a huge battle a few years back. Between the leviathans and Batman. Those who can't remember anything because they were brainwashed by the leviathans. They can't remember who they were. So they just wandered the city." Jarod explained. It was the first thing I really heard him say and it was said with such and air of sadness.
"Is that what you are?" I asked. Wishing that I hadn't. It was too blunt and insensitive.
"yeah." It was quiet and a broken whisper from Jerold. He continued to look down while Veronica scooched closer to him. Everyone let the conversation die after that. It was getting late and everyone was tired from the harsh weather. Jerold was the first one to doze off with Veronica letting him rest his head on her lap. While ash and Randall stared into the fire.
Ash shifted himself a bit till he was leaning against the wall. And Randall followed suite by leaning forward. Laying his body in front the can. I let my shoulders slump a bit.
"Do you want a name?" Ash asked out. I flicked my eyes up to him and regarded him for a moment. I shrugged my shoulders. I never really thought of taking a new name. Damain was a name that I had come to treasure. It was something my mother gave me. I didn't want to give it up.
"If you want to call me something. You can call me Dami." I offered. It wasn't my name but it kind of was. Granted just saying that made me cringe. It was such a childish and embarrassing name, but I wasn't willing to give it up.
Veronica snorted at it and Randall grinned like he was just given a gift. Ash smiled a bit too but quickly hid it the moment I glared at them. I had enough for the night and laid down. Curled up on my side away from them. Resting my head on my arms as a pillow I let myself fall into a light sleep. Letting myself enjoy the warmth they provided. Distantly I heard the rest of them too lay down and rest.