They had been walking for two hours and were starting to get antsy.
"Hey brat! Are you sure we are heading in the right direction?" Jason yelled at Damian.
"Almost every stronghold Grandfather has is opposite of the sun at a certain time of the day. This particular one is opposite of the sun at five o'clock. Since the sun sets in the west we head east." Damian said.
"How are you so sure about this, little demon?"
"I lived there for two years of my life. The longest Mother ever let us stay someplace. And I'm not a demon you dumb-"
"Be quiet for a minute." Dick interrupted Damian. "I think I hear something."
There was a soft humming noise that sounded like a generator kicking in after the power went out in a storm.
"Cover your faces!" Damian yelled as he loosely wrapped his face and sat down. The others did as Damian did.
"Why?" Tim asked after he sat down.
"It's a locust storm!" Damian yelled louder over the increasing sound of what was now presumed to be flying insects. For twenty minutes they sat there while being hit by locusts. When it was all over, dead locusts were everywhere. They all had to take off their boots to get the dead insects out.
"We better keep moving. That swarm was a pretty small one. No doubt there is a larger swarm heading our way." Damian said.
"Wait, that was small? And how do you know there will be another swarm?" Jason asked astonished.
"Like I said, I have lived here the longest. I was trained to endure those things. We lived here the longest because I had a fear of the locusts and could not handle the swarms. We stayed until I was no longer afraid. Each day Mother would make me sit out in the swarms. Each day I would run back into the compound before the swarm was finished. Mother would send me right back out an hour later to endure the locusts again. I did that every day for a year and a half." Damian said in a low voice.
"I-" Jason stopped for a second, not exactly sure what he was going to say. He stopped Damian and bent down on one knee with both his hands on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry Damian. You know about all the stuff I call you and-"
"Oh quit it with all the fluff Todd. We need to get a move on." Damian said turning around making Jason's arms flop off of his shoulders. If Dick didn't know any better, he could have sworn that he heard Damian sniffle a little.
