The trouble I had with this document was ridiculous... Anyways, here it is! They much awaited chapter four! With many thanks to Theresa, for all her help, and Father of Understanding, for reminding me that I was in fact, supposed to be writing this, and my Cupcake sister, and of course all my other wonderful reviewers! You guys make me so happy.
"Who is that?" Damian asked, drawing his swords.
"The illustrious Nightwing!" Jason said, theatrically. "Defender of the weak, scourge of the villain, and wearer of spandex."
"Seriously, do I know him?" Tim asked.
"Nah, he doesn't even like you, Max," replied Jason.
Nightwing pointed his escrima sticks at them.
"Hand over the boy and the bag, Outlaw," he said.
Damian narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking about me?"
Jason shook his head. "Nah, he doesn't like you either. Anyways, to business."
"I have no business with you!"
"Yeah you do. There are a lot of angry ninjas after us, much like you are. Now, I know you and your precious rules won't let you kill me or Max over here, but those ninjas have no such qualms. So, you can go, stop them, and hope to find us again, or you can let the ninjas overtake us and kill everyone." Jason grinned. "Your choice!"
Nightwing hesitated then growled and stepped back. "I super hate you."
Jason shrugged. "I can live with that."
Nightwing pulled out a grapple gun and swung away.
Damian frowned. "What was that about?"
"Family problems, you know how it is," Jason said airily. "Hey, Max, stop puking, we've gotta get a move on!"
Damian sniffed. "That imbecile isn't going to be following us the whole time, is it?"
Tim made a face at Damian. "I super hate you."
At that moment the ground beneath their feet gave out, and the dropped into darkness. Wet darkness.
"What just happened!" yelled Damian, shoving rubble off himself.
Jason did the same, examining the dark surroundings. "We must have been standing over some sort of cavern… looks like we're trapped."
"That's not the worst of it," added Tim. "There's water pouring in here. It's going to fill up."
Damian scowled. "I super hate you two.
…
Tim coughed up some water. "What is-ack-wrong with you!"
Damian pulled himself out of the dirty stream they had been washed into. "So much. I won't bother asking what you were thinking, because the answer is clearly nothing!"
"Hey, don't make me regret blowing up the wall to free you two jerks," Jason said irritably. "Ah, messed my hand up!"
Tim collapsed on the ground. "I regret so much…"
"Here, you completely don't deserve this," Damian grumbled, pulling out the vial around his neck. "Hold out your hand."
Jason did so, and Damian carefully let one drop fall onto the wound. It glowed green for a moment, then broken skin and bones knit themselves back together.
"Whoa," said Tim. "I definitely have a concussion."
Jason stared at his hand, and then sat on the bank. "Excuse me for a moment," he said. "I think I'll have a flashback."
Damian shrugged. "Suit yourself."
…..
Nighwing retrieved an escrima stick from where he had thrown it at a ninja, stepping over said ninja in the process.
"Hello child."
Nightwing whirled around, raising his sticks at Talia al Ghul. "What do you want?"
"To help you-"
Nightwing snorted.
"- recover what you lost." She took a step nearer. "Help me recover something the Red Hood took from me, and I'll see your satchel returned to you."
Nightwing shook his head. "No. I won't ally myself with you. But- I won't get in your way if you don't get in mine."
Talia inclined her head. "Agreed.
…..
"Feel better?" Tim asked, as Jason sat up.
"Much. Nothing like some angst to sooth the soul."
"Tt. Can we continue now?" Damian asked impatiently.
"Yeah yeah," Jason waved his hand. "Don't you wanna hear about my flashback?"
"No."
"Ok you've talked me into it," Jason shifted, sitting cross legged. Tim sat down across from him.
Damian glared at Tim. "Really?"
"What? I want to know what his flashback was about."
Damian heaved a sigh and sat next to his companions. "Let's get this over with."
It was a dark and stormy night-
"That's rather cliché, isn't it, Todd?"
In Gotham, it's always dark, always stormy, and always night. Don't interrupt. Anyways. Once upon a time, I died.
"But if you died, how are you-"
Shut up max. It doesn't matter how it happened. It was super tragic. Lots of people cried.
"I imagine you often make people cry."
Rude, demon brat. Lemme tell the story ok?
"Jason, I kind of feel like I might- oh no. Eck-"
"Todd how many times can one be sick before permanent damage occurs?"
Jason sighed dramatically. "Wow Max, way to ruin the story. Come on, there's a convenience store a bit down the road."
Tim staggered to his feet and followed Jason and Damian down the road.
As Jason and Tim perused the first aid aisle, Damian wandered into the pet aisle, scratching his cat behind the ears as he browsed.
"I thought I'd never get to talk to you alone, Damian," cooed a familiar voice, causing Damian to freeze.
"Mother?"
Talia smiled, and put an arm around her sons shoulder. "Hello child."
"How did you find me?" Damian asked, confused.
"It was easy, I just listened for the sound of complete and utter betrayal and followed that."
"...Fair enough."
Talia's grip on him tightened. "Come along now, Damian, we're going back home."
Damian twisted out of his mothers grip. "No!"
Talia's gaze darkened. "no?"
Damian took a deep breath. "No. My companions and I-"
"An imbecile and an outlaw are not fitting companions for the heir to the Demon."
"We're almost to Gotham city and-"
"Is that what this is about? Those lights you're obsessed with? Damian, drop this foolishness and come home, or there will be dire consequences."
Damian considered this, then decided that there was not point to being a spoiled ten year old prince if you couldn't throw a tantrum every now and then.
"No!"
Talia looked at him. "I see. You think your companions won't abandon you when they learn who you are?"
Damian crossed his arms. "They already know you're my mother."
Talia smiled, causing Damian to cringe. "That's not what I meant, dear." She picked up a satchel Damian hadn't noticed she'd placed at her feet and held it out to him. "Did you think I wouldn't find it? When they see this, they will put the pieces together, and turn you over to our enemies without a second thought. Come home, Damian, and I will forget this idiotic deviation ever happened."
Damian looked at the satchel, torn.
"I will give you to think about it, but don't take too long," Talia warned, leaving as suddenly as she had appeared.
"Hey! Brat! There you are," said Jason, walking into the aisle, followed by Tim, who was holding an ice pack to his head.
"I told you he'd he in the pet aisle," Said Tim. "Why'd we have to check aisle two first?"
"It makes sense. Aisle two because he's playing second fiddle."
"What? To who?"
Jason glared at the ceiling. "Stupid Golden child, making us all look bad..."
"I'm confused," said Tim.
"Well there's a surprise," Damian muttered.
Jason sniffed. "Why can't my family just love and accept me for who I am?"
"Aren't you a murderer?"
"Shut up max, or I'll give you another concussion."
…..
Nightwing watched, as three people left the convenience store.
He narrowed his eyes. There was no doubt they were heading to Gotham city, but why? And what was Talia's interest in the boy?
Keeping to the rooftops, he followed, and watched.
He wasn't the protege of the worlds greatest detective for nothing...
