Thomas glowered at his breakfast, his mouth set in a thin white line. Damian could see Jason Todd shinning through his son, Thomas Todd-Grayson. When Jason had died, permanently this time, Dick had adopted Jason's infant son. The boy had tantrums much like his father and a stubborn streak that plagued the whole Wayne family. Somehow the training of the young Red Hood had fallen to Damian. Damian was reluctant to admit he felt a kinship with the young boy and his own rocky childhood.

Hero's voice wafted from the hallway as she breezed past the kitchen. The teen was talking into her communicator in hushed tones. Her eyes darted towards Thomas and her uncle as she passed. Damian arched a quizzical eyebrow as he regarded his niece's fugitive glance into the kitchen. Damian hummed low in his throat and glanced at Thomas. Thomas stared up at his uncle with round blue eyes, his auburn brows raised suspiciously.

"I wonder what she's getting into," Damian thought aloud. Thomas smirked, steepling his fingers like he'd seen Drake do when he was puzzling over something.

"It's Friday," Thomas deduced, his brow crinkling. "Teen Titans business?"

"Hmm," Damian hummed, scratching his chin, "She hasn't asked for a ride out to San Francisco yet."

"Dad might be picking her up," Thomas said with a shrug. Dick made it a habit to visit the children as often as possible, even if it was chauffeuring them between meetings. The JLA kept Dick busy these days as their Batman.

"Dick's on a mission this week," Damian informed the boy. A dark look crossed Thomas's face as he found himself out of the loop again. Damian made a mental note to keep a check on the boy's burgeoning temper.

"Grandfather?" Thomas tried again, stabbing at his now cold eggs.

"In Tokyo on business. And before you embarrass yourself, Drake is in Turkey and Brown is still on maternity leave," Damian said as he sipped his tea.

"You two are nosier than Oracle and Black Canary," Hero said from the doorway, an overnight bag hanging off her shoulder. Damian knew her Robin uniform was hidden away in a secret compartment in the bottom of the bag.

"So who's picking you up?" Thomas chirped. Hero stuck her tongue out at her younger brother.

"I don't have to tell you anything, brat," Hero snapped.

"But you do have to tell me," Damian warned. Hero frowned.

"Chris Kent is flying by to get me," Hero murmured. Damian glowered.

"You're not going anywhere with the alien-boy," Damian growled. Hero glared, her hands jumping to her hips.

"What is your problem with Chris? Is it because he's an alien or because he's a boy?" Hero chided.

"Both," Damian replied as he stood up, looming over his niece, "End of discussion." Damian left the kitchen while Hero sputtered like a wet cat.

"That wasn't a discussion you tyrant!" Hero hollered after her uncle.

The ride in the Batwing to San Francisco was dead silent, much to Damian's enjoyment. Hero sat in the co-pilot seat the entire ride, arms crossed fitfully as she brooded. Damian had to admit, Hero could brood with the best of the Bats. If he'd been Dick, he'd jokingly tell her he gave a 10 for effort but a 4 on style. But Damian wasn't Dick and he couldn't joke with his Robin.

Damian put the Batwing into a stealth hover over the Titan's tower and turned to Hero. The teen was doing her best to ignore her uncle as she grabbed up her bag and made for the exit. Damian stopped her with a hand around her wrist. He took a moment to marvel at how small and fragile it felt engulfed in the roughed grip of his fingers. Damian met Hero's startled gaze straight on, squeezing her wrist with as much tenderness as he could muster.

"Stay vigilante, Robin," he murmured roughly. Hero blinked her blue eyes slowly, a tiny smile coming to her mouth.

"Understood, sir," Hero replied before she disappeared to the back of the airship. Damian was thankful in that small moment that Hero knew what wasn't said, and that every word of it was true.