The Search for Damian Wayne

By: Malaizjan P.J. Shultz & Reina Grayson

***Ok. Here is the final saga to our alternate universe Batman Beyond series. The first arch is introducing Damian Wayne. In the first series, Bruce learned that his son was still alive. So now Terry and Jason have taken it upon themselves to find him and return him to Bruce before Bruce passes away. This is that story. Reina Grayson has seen Son of Batman and loved it so I thought it would be nice to intro an older Damian Wayne in the BB universe. So here goes nothing! ***

Chapter 3

6 hours later...

'Strife' made his way to his private dungeon room. The new body of Ra's al Ghul opened the dungeon door to the lone figure chained from the ceiling. Arms were chained above and ankles chained to the floor. The dungeon was damp and the coppery smell of blood filled the air.

"Damien." Ra's voice was rather loud in the room.

Damien raised his head, and the forever young man glared angrily at the man before him. "You found a new body." Damien's voice cracked from the lack of water.

"I did."

"I will get free!" he vowed from his dry throat.

Ra's made his way to a water bucket and filled the ladle with water. He then went to Damien and tossed it at him.

Damien licked at the precious few drops of water that fell near his mouth.

"Even if you did, my assassins will take you out." Ra's smiled. "Of course, your father's soldiers are looking for you."

Damien looked surprised.

"Even with them and the covert team's children saving the world, they learned of my deception."

"Father will come for me. I vow this." Damien pulled off a near-perfect Bat glare at his grandfather.

"Not likely. But you will be taking a trip soon."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Ra's smiled as he neared the door. It opened and a hooded assassin walked in, a razor whip in one hand. "I believe you can be persuaded." Ra's then left, and Damien knew he was in trouble.

As the pair fell through the fan vent, Mona reached for her sister's hand to slow her down. She looked back to see that Ebon was pursuing them but lazily, as if something was waiting for them.

Meygan used her 'demon shot' to blast in front of her.

It hit something. Metal exploded.

Meygan and Mona exited the fan vent and Mona caught Meygan before she hit the floor.

Ebon flew at them after exiting the vent at a high speed. He slammed both fists into Mona and she dropped Meygan, both falling.

In a practiced move, Meygan righted herself and grabbed Mona. They landed carefully on the floor and were surrounded by ninja assassins.

"GET 'EM!" Ebon cried.

The ninjas surged to attack.

Back-to-back, the two fended off the bad guys, even though a cut or two would appear on one or the other before that ninja was knocked out cold.

Ebon watched from above. He waited for the right moment.

As Mona and Meygan finished with the last ninjas, Ebon created multiple shadow portals under them but the girls took to the air. Ebon looked mad and slammed into Mona again, but she let her demon fangs grow and she bit him hard.

"YOU DAMN-!" cried Ebon as he threw himself into a wall to loosen her.

Mona let go but Meygan flew over to Ebon and grabbed his arms. Before he could shadow himself into the wall to avoid her, Meygan cried, "Htrof emoc eci!"

Ice formed over Ebon's body, holding him in place.

Mona flew next to Meygan as she flew back a few feet from him. "Nice!"

"I try." Meygan eyed Ebon with caution. "Where's Damian?"

"Far from here!" He spat out.

Mona's skin took on a dark red shade. She didn't believe him.

Meygan heard the twang of a string and an arrow appeared in her hand.

In her hand.

Meygan stared at it. She never heard the second one.

Mona pushed themselves out of the way. It narrowly missed them both.

The pain hit Meygan, but it felt like it wasn't her that was in pain.

Mona saw who it was.

Gray Arrow.

Mona knew Meygan had to go. She took the bleeding Meygan and flew back up the way they came: up the fan vent.

Mona saw the blood flow free as Meygan held her hand, arrow still in it. Knowing that it had to be removed, she headed for the JLU's Watchtower.

She only hoped that Meygan's mental warning got to everyone in time.

Terry slowly came to, raising his head groggily. He felt like he just went 10 rounds with Bane.

He tried moving but couldn't. Terry's head still hurt, so he slowly moved his head around to see where he was.

Brian and Vincent were tied with chains a couple of feet away, both still out cold.

The few windows he could see were high up, and the ceiling looked like metal sheets put together by nails and chain links.

The room they were in had concrete walls and a metal door.

A wave of vertigo hit Terry so he closed his eyes to rest up.

Outside the door, someone had been watching through the small window.

"So, we're NOT going to kill them?" Yami asked the person as he closed the window.

"No...these peasants need to learn suffering before the three original protégés show up." The man looked regal in his cape and suit. His walking cane looked more like a wizard's wand than a traditional cane. The graying hair made the man look distinguished and his eyes held contempt for anyone he viewed beneath him.

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "Ok then. Well, I better check in with Ebon." The young grandson of Poison Ivy left the man there, eager to put some distance between them.

Terry felt the vertigo fade so he opened his eyes and looked at himself. He was chained just as well as Brian and Vincent.

But his lock was by his hands. Terry grinned as a half-inch lockpick poked out from the tip of one finger. He started on that lock.

Mona popped into the JLU monitor room in record time. A blast nearly nailed them and Mona's human skin went red.

"Meygan?" Barda lowered her Mega Rod.

"And me." Mona guided Meygan to the Infirmary. "Get Superman; we need to contract Nightwing."

Barda then saw the arrow stuck in Meygan's hand. The young woman's hand had her veins enlarged and purple. "Wait-she's been poisoned!" Barda ran after them.

Mona got Meygan to the Infirmary and onto the bed. Mona kept pressure on her wrist-Meygan's hand didn't look right.

Barda stormed in, and grabbed a surgical knife and ran to Meygan and Mona. She cut the arrow above the wound and quickly peeled the skin back. She then cut the wound wider. "Squeeze her hand over this pan. Get the infection out," Barda barked the order.

Mona was going to protest. But she looked at Meygan and saw her eyes roll lazily, and her protest never made it out.

Barda hooked up medical equipment to Meygan and watched as the clear poison oozed out of her hand.

Superman, Warhawk and Green Lantern, Kai-Ro, flew into the Infirmary.

"Mona?" Rex said to the demon before them. "What's wrong?"

"Gray Arrow-he's still alive. Barda said Meygan was poisoned."

"Barda?" Superman said.

"I know this poison. It hasn't had a chance to travel through her body yet, and I won't let it. Call her father."

"Why do you suggest this course of action?" Kai-Ro asked.

"This poison...it's from Apokolips."

Superman left to make the call.

Barda then took the surgical knife and made a second, precise cut in the palm of Meygan's hand and more of the poison left her body.

Barda then went to a freezer, looking for something.

"Barda, how do you know the poison came from your old world?" Rex asked her.

"It bleeds clear. I've seen it kill people in a just under an hour." Barda left the freezer with a vile and then emptied its contents into a syringe. "Ok. Strap her down. This is going to hurt her."

Kai-Ro did as requested, and Meygan was strapped down tight.

Mona glared at Barda. "She dies, YOU die."

"Then I guess I'll live." Barda stabbed Meygan in her injured hand and pushed the contents into her.

Meygan jerked in her restraints as the poison was pushed out of her hand. It went on for several minutes, then she gasped, arched against the restraints, and then fainted.

Barda sighed in relief as Meygan was sleeping. She pulled out bandages and started to wrap her hand.

Rex folded his arms. "You helped make it, didn't you?" he said quietly.

"That was a darker time in my life...but yes, I did."

"But you cured her. You can reverse it."

"Anyone could," Barda said dismissively.

Mona took a chair and sat beside her 'sister' and took her good hand into hers. "Gray Arrow needs to be scared."

Barda shook her head. "You can't kill him."

"Who said I was going to? I plan to scare him straight." There was a twinkle in her eyes.

Barda shook her head. "Give her some time, ok?"

Mona nodded.

Rex guided the others out, to give her some privacy.

"JLU to Watchtower...come in Nightwing."

Dick picked up the line. "Nightwing."

"Meygan and Mona are here. Mona said they got ambushed. Meygan was poisoned but Barda had the cure."

Dick swore. "Did Brian, Vincent and Terry get to you?"

"No," Clark answered. "Why?"

Dick swore again.

"Dick, what's going on?" Clark asked.

"Damian's alive."

Clark's eyes widened.

"Jason found unaltered footage. Talia used a clone while Bruce was knocked out. She took her son away and then took out the clone when Bruce came to."

Clark eyed Dick. "Where's Bruce?"

"Where else."

"I'm on my way." Superman cut the link.

Five seconds later, Superman arrived via boom tube.

Clark stared at Dick.

Dick sighed, and told him everything. "If Meygan hadn't gotten off a warning to the others, I think more teams would be missing."

"Where's Jason?" Clark asked.

"Infirmary. With Areina."

Clark flew off.

"Damn it!" Jason cried, throwing down his helmet that bounced off the floor and smacked into the nearest wall as he and Areina walked into the infirmary at the original Watchtower.

"Uncle Jason-" Areina tried to say but he wasn't hearing it.

"I had him, Areina! I had Damian, and I was so stupid-!" Jason continued.

"Jason."

Red Hood looked up.

Bruce Wayne walked in, leaning a little more on his cane, with Ace walking beside him. "Jason...you can't be hard on yourself."

That stunned Jason into silence.

"You will get your chance." Bruce looked at all of his son and granddaughter. "You all will."

"Ra's was on to us; he probably figured Terry would find him eventually," Areina said, using her bat instincts.

"Ra's had done the same to me in my youth. He has centuries over any of us. But he's not invincible," Bruce said calmly.

"Grandpa's right; we have to figure out his weakness….besides the Lazarus pits." Areina remarked as she was finally able to get Jason to sit down on the nearest medical bed. "I'll get Molly in a moment."

"I swear….if I hadn't promised the girls, I would have killed Ra's right then and there," Jason said as Areina started cleaning up the wound in her uncle's stomach.

"Believe me I know how you feel right now." Areina said, thinking about what all Ra's had done.

"Areina…." Bruce started.

"I know, but after finding out he poisoned mom…and all just to get to you; I…" Areina said and the two men could tell that she was getting upset.

Jason was trying to leave the bed as soon as he was patched up but Areina had a fireball ready to roast him if he tried. So Jason was stuck in bed. "I'm telling you fire bug; I'll be alright."

"With that knife wound in your stomach, no way in hell you're getting out of that bed till Molly heals you."

"I'm older than you."

"I don't care, you know I can fry you if you don't listen."

"Do you want me to come back?" Clark asked as he came in.

"No, if I miss frying Uncle Jason, then you can."

Clark chuckled. He turned to Jason. "I need to talk to you."

"Superman-" Jason started.

"Clark."

Jason nodded. "Clark... I almost had him!"

"Are you sure Damian's alive?" Clark asked.

"Yeah. Why you asking?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"Bruce can't be disappointed again."

"I know that."

"Be sure you're right on this, Jason. Bruce lost you, then him; it devastated him. You came back...I don't want him to think Damian's coming back and he ends up not."

"Sorry to interrupt, Clark, but Ra's was at our site; it's really Damian," Areina piped in.

Clark looked to Areina. "He was?"

"Yea."

Clark thought for a moment. "Then we need to find Brian, Vincent and Terry."

"They haven't returned?"

"No. Mona and Meygan are at JLU HQ. Meygan was poisoned by Gray Arrow."

"What about the other teams?" Jason asked.

"They made it back safe and sound, Meygan got a mental message to them in time."

"Let's get searching for the boys then," Jason stated. Bruce couldn't afford to have Terry missing. He knew that better than anyone.

"No. The JLU will. You all need to rest. I'll send Mona and Meygan back as soon as Meygan's better."

"You said Gray Arrow poisoned Meygan?" Areina said.

"Yes."

Areina was thinking. "I think there's a new LOD."

"Can't be," Clark said.

"It's possible. Ebon was never captured," Jason reminded him.

"Along with Yami and Mordred."

"Maybe we need a few wizards to help locate them," Clark suggested.

"Serenity and Zach?" Areina suggested.

"Yes. They know how to track. And Meygan needs time before she can do ANYTHING."

"We can ask."

Clark then saw Bruce just outside the doorway. "Excuse me."

Clark went to Bruce. The pair stared at the other. Neither said anything for the longest. Clark broke the spell. "Bruce... are you sure you want to search for him?"

"It wasn't me that started this."

Clark paused.

"My son started this."

"Damian?"

"Terry."

"Since when?"

"Found out when Meygan was captured by the Master and Mordred two years ago. Areina knows as well."

Clark nodded. "And Terry's missing."

"He'll be found. I have a sorceress for a daughter-in-law."

"So you finally accepted her?"

Bruce glared at Clark.

Clark chuckled. "The JLU will look too. I doubt she can track down Terry so fast."

"Either way, they will be found." Bruce stated.

"I know they will. Speaking of in-laws, you do know that Roy's your son in law right?"

"I know."

"Well, better get Serenity to see if she'll track down the boys."

"I'll do it." Serenity said as she came up behind the Man of Steel.

Clark moved as if spooked.

Bruce was smiling on the inside; Dick had taught his wife well.

Serenity looked to Clark, then to Bruce. "Where's my daughter?"

"With the JLU. Terry's missing. And she can't sense Brian and Vincent."

Serenity swore in a very unlady-like way. Everyone stared in shock at her.

Bruce looked amused.

"What?" she asked. "So you need a tracking spell. I need Zach."

Jason's eyes narrowed, he didn't like the idea of relying on Zach's help…since he didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him.

Serenity reached up to her ear and whispered.

Clark smiled.

Zach came running in, his face flushed. "Sorry! I was with Cass. So...tracking spell?"

"Yes. We have to find Batman, Archeron and Kid Flash," she explained.

"Ah." Zach looked over at Jason.

Jason frowned.

Zach and Serenity closed their eyes, falling into a trance. The two reached out with their magic, muttering words in a language no one understood.

As the strange chanting continued, Zach sensed something and quit right in the middle of the spell. He opened his eyes and pushed Serenity and she fell to the ground. As Bruce and Jason watched on; they saw a semi-transparent hand was shown making a fist right where Serenity's hair had been.

All of a sudden Zach was able to put up a fire shield and turned to his family. "I'm going to give this 'master' a talking to. You all better get out of here."

Jason was confused. He thought for sure that Zach and this Master were on the same side.

Areina helped Jason out of his bed, and everyone ran to get out of the room so Zach could fight.

A shield came up to block the exit. The others were trapped.

"So Zacharius...you still dare to defy me."

"You won't touch my little sister!" Zach darted his eyes from side to side before watching the hand.

"Your puny fire magic is no match for me!"

A pile of dirt hit Zach and he was forced back but he heated his body and the dirt sizzled into nothingness.

They all heard the sinister laughter as the hand faded away. "I already have a few of the mortals. Tell the favored great granddaughter of Merlin I want a match. Or I kill them…her choice."

"You're not getting her! I still owe you!" Zach cried.

But the Master was gone, and his shield was too.

"Thank you Zach." Serenity cried as she ran to hug her brother.

Zach looked beyond pissed off. "You're my little sister, it was nothing. Don't tell Meygan though. I'll go after him and I'll get the boys back."

"We're going with you." Jason said as Areina still supported him.

"No. He needs to heal up." Zach said pointing at Jason. "This isn't my first dance with him. You keep Meygan away though. He already tried killing her and Rini and I don't want her near him. Just watch Cass for me."

Areina was about to protest, but she heard the sincerity in the wizard's voice, so she just nodded as did Serenity.

"How do you plan on finding him?" Superman asked.

"He just left a magic trail to follow, so that's how I'll find him. He left it on purpose so Meygan would go after him, or Seri." Zach eyed his sister. "Don't even think about it."

"I...wasn't?" She protested weakly.

"I'm the oldest, remember? I never did what I was told either." Zach looked sad for a few moments.

Jason still felt like something was off with Zach but he couldn't figure out what. And the way Zach was acting... "You ok?"

"Yeah. Just thought of my wife. It's...nothing." Zach plastered on a smile. "I mean it Seri…stay put." Zach then teleported via flame.

"I so want to learn that," Areina said.

"Fire wizards," Serenity said shaking her head; knowing that Areina could become one with the special amulet she owned.

"He must've truly loved Cassidee's mother." Jason said.

"He must have...well, I better follow." Serenity said; smiling as Bruce blocked the doorway. "Bruce."

"No."

"I'm Dick's wife. No way am I sitting and waiting." Serenity huffed.

"You should do what he asked, Serenity," said Clark.

"And I should act like a weak female? No way!"

"He's your brother. And he's looking out for you." Jason said.

"I got a husband for that," she said.

"Speaking of, are you two planning any more children?" Bruce asked.

Serenity blushed.

"Not that I don't mind, but at some point stopping has to come to mind," Bruce continued.

Clark laughed.

"That's what he was known for." Areina said as she smiled.