Gah! I apologize to you guys, this story has been completed for months! There is absolutely no reason why this shouldn't be all up here...grrrr...
Aaaanywho, shout outs to the folks with the most awesomesauce: Seven Silences, Evening Raven, and Molly Grace 16! You asterous people get cookies, and I'm throwing in a tall glass of milk because you deserve it! (::) Ll
ENJOY!
Leosani hurried around her living room, doing a bit of last minute straightening before Damon and his friends arrived. She rolled her eyes as she scooped up an algebra textbook from the couch and tucked it in the alcove under the coffee table.
"That girl…" she muttered under her breath. A pair of hands obscured her vision, and she suddenly felt a warm presence behind her.
"Guess who." Damon's warm tenor voice chuckled in her ear.
She laughed and whipped around to hug him. "Damon! You're early dear!"
He laughed, leaning back a little to look at her. "Yeah. Miss M caught a good air current and we made pretty good time. We left the bio ship hovering over the pasture. I hope that's alright…"
She waved him off. "That's fine dear, as long as the horses aren't running themselves into it." She said, remembering the invisible ship her grandchild had left in.
"Don't worry Mamaw." M'Gann reassured, having gotten used to the idea of calling Mrs. Cliffrunner 'Mamaw'. "I made sure it was too high for anyone to run into it."
Leosani nodded. "Good." She smiled at her guests. "I see you all decided to go without the uniforms this time."
The teens smiled and nodded.
"After all, the only ones this really makes a difference for is me and Artemis." Wally answered, grinning. He teasingly elbowed Robin. "The Bat's decreed that Rob can't tell his identity to anyone, or let anyone see his face. Not even us!"
Robin flushed, reaching up to resettle his sunglasses on his nose. "Hence the glasses." He admitted. He gave Wally a look.
Wally laughed, patting his friends shoulder. "But we don't hold that against him." Grinning at Damon, he added, "Though you would not believe the sheer amount of wheedling required to get Damon to wear purple!"
Damon made a face, glaring down at the purple hooded sweatshirt he was wearing over a tank top and a pair of dark jeans. "You are going to rue the day Kid." He grumbled good-naturedly. Ignoring the laughing speedster, he added "Mamaw, could I have a word with you?"
The elderly woman nodded. "Certainly. Make yourselves comfortable kids, we'll be right back." The two trotted off into the kitchen, Damon instructing Naomi to stay in the living room. He wasn't worried about the hyena hearing the conversation, but he could already smell his great grandmother's cooking, and he didn't trust her around the food.
The team settled themselves on the couches, talking and laughing while they waited for their hosts. No one was prepared when the sound of yelling suddenly erupted from the kitchen a good ten minutes later.
Damon rolled across the floor, desperately trying to avoid the knife while he wrestled with this strange young woman about his own age. He could hear his grandmother yelling, but he was too distracted to really listen.
Damon, what is going on? Kaldur asked across the psychic link.
Damon shook his head, gritting his teeth as he fended the girl off. Little distracted. Talk to Min.
What's going on in there? Wally asked. Conner says there's someone other than you and Leosani in there and...
Yes there's someone in here! Mini Me yelled. And she's currently in the process of teaching the idiot 'Do-it-Yourself' taxidermy! So if you 'heroes' could get in here and give us a hand before she gets to the gutting stage…!
Damon was ignoring them to the best of his ability.
"I'm going to tear your lungs out!" the girl shrieked.
Damon froze. He knew that voice! He stared down at the girl. Long black hair, dusky tan skin, and dark eyes, all typical of a native American girl. But this was no typical girl. He knew this girl. He'd known her all his life!
His moment of distraction was his undoing.
The girl gave an enraged cry and brought her feet up between them, planting them in the middle of his stomach and kicking him off her, knocking his breath away in the process. She was on him in a second, straddling his waist and pressing her knife against his throat.
"I'm going to kill you." She hissed. "I'm going to cut your heart out and…"
"Danae Two-Wolves, get off Damon this instant!" Leosani yelled, finally making herself heard in the sudden silence.
Danae froze. Damon remained exactly where he was, not daring to move. Off to his left, he could hear the rest of the team coming through the door but he never took his eyes off hers. They were just the way he remembered, he thought distractedly.
Full of fire.
That's great, listen, you just lay there and swoon over your old girlfriend while she slits your throat. Ok? Mini Me asked sarcastically.
She's not my girlfriend! Damon thought back.
From their place over by the door, Wally and Robin grinned. DE-NI-AL! They sing-songed in unison.
Artemis rolled her eyes, covertly slipping an arrow into the handheld crossbow that was her backup. If things got nasty she wanted to be ready. Oh please, would you two just grow up already?
Thirteen. Robin thought back cheekily. I've got at least six years before I even have to remotely start acting like an adult. And besides, if she were going to kill him she would've done it by now.
Looks more like she's debating to me. Conner thought back, keeping a grip on Naomi.
I'm glad this conversation's all psychic. Damon thought dryly. She's wound tight as a spring. One false move, and she won't hesitate to take my head off.
Kaldur's voice in his head was calm and reassuring, though Damon could just glimpse the Atlantian pulling his water bearers from his pack. We will not provoke her. M'Gann, be ready to stop the blade if she decides to disobey Mrs. Cliffrunner.
Gee, thanks for the assist… Mini Me grumbled under his breath.
The girl was still staring at him. Damon decided to take the chance. "Danae?" he asked softly.
Anger suffused the girl's features. The knife clattered to the floor next to his head. The guy in him would've liked to claim that he didn't flinch, but the realistic part of his brain recognized that there were way to many witnesses for him to deny it. Not to mention the errant little corner of his mind, who'd be more than happy to rat him out.
She made as though to slap him, but her hand stopped a mere inch from the side of his face. She starred at him, shocked.
Damon gave her a sheepish smile. "Um… Miss M?" he said, looking over at his friends. "This is probably one hit it's ok for me to take. I don't think she's going to kill me…"
Danae's eyes narrowed as she followed his gaze to his friends. Glaring at him, she pulled her hand away. "Just seriously maim you." She growled. Grabbing her knife, which Damon now recognized as one of his Mamaw's kitchen knives, she scrambled to her feet.
Damon waited until she was up and out of the way before getting up himself. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.
She apparently noticed. "What?"
He shook his head. "Mamaw…" he breathed. "You never said anything about Danae being alive…"
"I did to!" Mamaw exclaimed indignantly. "I wrote it out very plainly in that last letter I sent you! And…" she trailed off as something clicked. "..and you never got that letter… Oh Damon, I'm so sorry! If I'd known..!" she trailed off. "Well, this certainly explains why you never asked after her…"
"It's alright Mamaw. What's done is done." He answered. To Danae he added, "You going to finish up where you left off? Miss M won't stop you this time. And I'd understand if you did."
Danae glared at him. After a long moment, she turned and stomped over to the counter to slam the borrowed knife back into its block before whipping around and stomping back. Without any warning whatsoever she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and slammed one fist into his face.
"That's for leaving." She growled, eyes cold and pitiless as she watched him recover from her blow. After a long moment, her face softened. Throwing her arms around his neck, she clung to him as if he were a life line. "I missed you…" she said in a small voice, muffled by his shoulder.
He hugged her back, burying his nose in her hair as he held her tight, breathing in the familiar scent. "Missed you too." It's ok guys. We're good now.
We can tell. Artemis assured him with a smile as she quietly stowed her crossbow away.
Danae pulled back, gently tracing her fingers over his features. Tears welled in her eyes. She gently finger combed his green black hair back out of his face before returning it to cup his face again. "Oh Damon…" she breathed. "What did that maniac do to you?"
Damon frowned. "What?"
She helplessly gestured at him. "Your skin's bone white Damon! And your hair's green!"
She's got a strong grasp of the obvious don't you think? Mini Me asked.
"That's not normal!" Danae continued.
…Then again, maybe not the best eye for detail… Damon's self proclaimed conscience added.
Damon gave a soft laugh, catching hold of Danae's hands. "This is me Danae." He said. "This has always been me. My skin and hair have always been this color. I just hid it before."
For a moment Danae seemed hurt, as if disappointed that Damon had hidden from her. "How come you're not hiding now?" she asked after a moment.
"I finally realized I didn't have to." He answered honestly.
She arched an eyebrow. "Took you long enough." She commented dryly.
"It took me a while." He agreed. He shook his head. "Sorry, I can't seem to stop staring! I can't believe you're alive. You're actually here!"
"Well, you can thank your Mamaw for that." Danae answered. "She's the one who kept me alive."
So this is the girl who tried to rescue you when Joker took you away? Wally thought at Damon.
And got gutted for her trouble. Damon thought back. The nearest hospital is miles from here, it's a wonder she's alive.
The speedster nodded. Just checking.
Leosani snorted. "Please. We all know you're too stubborn to just give up that easily."
Danae flushed. "Maybe…" she agreed after a long moment. Her eyes suddenly snapped wide. "Crap! I've got to warn…"
A loud crash cut her off, drawing all eyes to the back door where it let into the kitchen.
Standing in the doorway was yet another teenager. Though slightly taller than Danae, his features were too similar to hers to be anything other than family. Probably a brother. At his feet was a wooden crate of metal camping dishes, the dishes spilling out across the floor. His dark eyes were wide with shock, and considering how Danae had reacted, it wasn't hard to picture what he was seeing.
To his eyes, the Joker had his sister. Again!
This should go over well. Mini Me thought dryly.
The teen had gone exceptionally pale, staring at his sister in the Joker's hands.
"Joseph, it's alright." Danae called, grinning. She planted a quick peck on Damon's cheek for emphasis.
Joseph's jaw dropped at that. "What the heck is going on here?!" Everyone burst into laughter, breaking the tense atmosphere. Joseph glared at them suspiciously. "You're joke's in pretty poor taste Danae." He growled, crouching to get the dishes.
No, you're just a party pooper. Mini Me thought back.
Damon quietly pressed a finger to his lips, asking Danae to remain silent. He slipped out of her arms and walked across the room. Crouching by Joseph, he started gathering up the dishes.
"I don't know who you are or how she talked you into dressing up like that twisted, psychotic piece of maniac trash…" Jo growled without looking at him.
"I don't know Jo. I thought it was actually kind of funny."
The teen beside him went absolutely still, but Damon continued picking up the dishes as if nothing had happened. Across the room, he could hear one of his friends snickering.
Cut it out KF, or you'll spoil his joke! Robin thought across the psychic link.
"Damon?" Joseph asked, stunned.
Damon grinned at him. "Well I'm certainly not the tooth fairy Jo."
Joseph gripped his arm, the tactile proof seeming to reassure him that his friend was really alive and there. "Damon!" he gasped. "I… I know you're not the tooth fairy but…" he trailed off. Reaching up his free hand, he caught hold of a strand of Damon's long green hair. "…What on earth happened to you?"
Damon chuckled. "I just skipped the makeup is all." He answered blithely.
Joseph gave him a shrewd look, but he didn't ask. He jerked his friend into a hug, laughing as he welcomed him home. "I'm just happy you're alive!"
Conner finally released Naomi, and she wasted no time in going to her master's side. She nosed at him, checking him over in an effort to make sure he was alright. Damon chuckled, submitting to the once over as a matter of course.
Joseph stared. "…you've got a lot of explaining to do."
Damon chuckled, looking up at the team. "You know, you're the second person to say that. In the meantime though, I believe introductions are in order." Grinning, he said "Time for my old friends to meet my new friends…"
The dark knight silently drummed his fingertips across the keyboard.
The touch was light. To light to actually press the keys hard enough for the computer to register them as keystrokes. But heavy enough to produce a satisfying tap from the keys when struck. The glow from the massive computer screen did little to alleviate the gloom of the Bat Cave. But unlike most, the man sitting before that giant monitor had never found the dark of the cave oppressive.
On the screen before him was a tracking program.
All it needed was one of a small number of passwords to direct it's search. One for the Bat Mobile, another for the Bat Wing. One for his motorcycle, and another for Robin's. He knew all of these, and many more, each to guide him to what he wished to find. Robin had blocked him from tracking the bio ship, but he knew a word that would overrule that too.
He reached out once again to key in the word that would unlock the blockade, allowing him to set the search program in motion. And once again he stopped himself.
After a moment, he came to a decision.
Fingers flew across the keyboard, downsizing the tracking program and bringing up new windows. Robin had told him that, while Coyote had ultimately revealed his identity to the team in the end, Robin had been able to deduce the boy's identity through observation.
His eyes narrowed as he studied the footage and documents on his screen.
If that were the case the world's greatest detective would soon learn what he wished to know in the same manner his son had. Through deduction, and detective work. He wouldn't betray the team's trust by tracking the bio ship, though he was perfectly capable of it. Robin had left him means to get past his hacker traps if something should come up and he needed to find the team quickly. But that would be cheating in this case.
He liked a good challenge.
Long ago when Robin had first shown promise as a hacker, Robin had promised him that in cases such as these he would always leave a back door for his guardian and mentor to follow him. And the key was a single word, the same word to be used again and again, though he had often changed the language in which the word was written. It had been a simple matter to deduce that the word was in the Romani language this time.
And beyond all else, it had been the meaning of this word that had stayed the dark knight's hand. Batman's fingers stilled for a moment, and a smile touched his lips as he realized once again that that had probably been his son's intentions. Robin had been wise in his choice.
The word meant 'trust'.
"That meal was great Mamaw."
Damon smiled at the speedster, watching as the redhead sat back from the table patting his stomach. Having known Wally for some time, and having had ample time to observe Wally during his weeks at the mountain, he knew Wally's eating habits quite well.
Glutton. Mini Me thought in the private recesses of the Indian boy's mind.
Damon's smile widened. Actually, he held back this evening so he wouldn't eat Mamaw out of house and home. For him, tonight showcased some pretty remarkable restraint. Across the psychic link at Wally he added, Wally. Has anyone ever managed to sate that appetite of yours?
Not since I became a speedster. The redhead thought back, fingers drumming contentedly on his flat abdomen in a parody of contentment. I don't think I can even remember what it's like to not be hungry for more than an hour or so. Much less what it feels like to have eaten too much!
Damon nodded. A soft whine drew his attention to the floor where Naomi lay at his feet, shamelessly begging. He was having none of it. He quietly pushed his plate away a little and folded his hands on the table with a tired sigh. "So that's the whole story." He said softly to his friends and grandmother. "Beginning to end."
Joseph shook his head. "If we'd known you were alive and trying to protect us we would've outfitted one of the cave's for you. Made a new 'den' or something."
"We would've tried." Leosani answered calmly. "I've had some time to think about this, and as much as I hate to say it, Damon was right to stay away." Seeing the startled looks on the teens faces she clarified. "At least at the beginning. I'm still irritated with him for dragging this out for two years, but the initial thinking was sound. His father's been here at least five times since the night Damon supposedly died in that fire."
Damon stiffened. "Pops was here?" he asked in a strangled sort of voice. Naomi raised her head, sensing his distress.
Leosani nodded. "I told you those dogs I got didn't last long. That's why I borrowed Shadow, Brand, and Vitani from the Two-Wolves. Half wolf cross breeds like those look a whole lot more intimidating than a German Shepherd or a Golden Retriever when they're angry. And besides…" she smirked. "They're a heck of a lot smarter."
Joseph nodded. "After that first attack, father and I started taking turns standing guard here." Giving his sister a look he added, "We weren't really keen on the idea of Danae joining us, but she insisted."
Danae smirked, folding her arms as she leveled a gaze at her brother. "You can't deny that the look on that pale freak's face when he saw me alive and well and aiming an arrow at his chest was beyond priceless." She answered.
Joseph chuckled, reluctantly agreeing.
Hey, easy on the 'pale freak' bit! Mini Me fussed on the psychic link.
What, you wanna claim Joker's not pale, or a freak? Artemis thought back.
Mini Me snorted. They don't get much paler, or freakier. He answered. It's just very crass to make a comment like that in front of someone who is just as pale and well on his way to being just as freaky.
Damon made a face. Pale? Yes. Freaky? God, I hope not.
Apparently the face he made hadn't gone unnoticed. Danae watched her friend, her face awash with concern. "Damon?" thinking back on the conversation, she suddenly made the same observation Mini Me had. "Oh Damon, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to imply…"
Damon shook his head. "I know you didn't, and it's not you."
She frowned. "What is it then?"
Damon chewed his lip, unsure how best to phrase this. Mini Me was the one bit he'd left out of the story, unsure how his family and friends would take the idea that he was now at least partially insane.
Robin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Slow and steady." The young bird advised with a reassuring smile.
Kaldur quietly rose and politely pushed his chair back into place under the table, the others following his example. "We will be outside if you have need of us Damon." He stated. Politely thanking Leosani for the meal, though he still stumbled over calling her 'Grandmother' instead of 'Mrs. Cliffrunner', he silently led the team from the room.
"What's going on?" Asked Joseph curiously once they were gone.
Damon sighed. "There's one more thing I need to tell you. It's hard for me to say, and it will probably be even harder for you to hear and accept…"
Danae quietly wrapped her arm around him. After things had calmed down and introductions to the team had been made, Danae had never strayed far from his side. She often caught herself reaching out to touch him, as if to reassure herself that he was really here, that he was really alive. Her other hand silently slid itself in between his folded hands, resting there on the table.
He cast a grateful smile her way, squeezing that hand.
After several long minutes of silence, Leosani reached across the table to lay her hands over theirs. "Take a deep breath." She gently instructed, "And tell us what you need to tell us."
Joseph nodded, though he refrained from joining the girls in the handholding.
Damon chuckled a little. "To manly to hold my hand?" he teased.
Nah, just antisocial. Mini Me answered. Or cooties, he could totally be afraid of cooties.
Joseph grinned. "In case you haven't noticed, both your hands are taken." He answered.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Damon laughed, extracting one hand from the women's hold and offering it to Joseph, who laughed and took it. His smile soon faded, as his mind returned to the matter at hand.
Jeez is it really that hard to say you hear voices in your head? Mini Me asked.
Do you realize how many negative connotations saying 'I hear voices' has? Damon thought back bitterly.
"You … you know Pops is a psycho, right?"
All three of his audience members had matching 'duh' expressions on their faces.
"Gee, I wonder what could've clued us in." Joseph muttered. "The fact that he runs around dressed like a clown and tells bad jokes all day while committing crimes? Or the fact that he gutted my sister and left her for dead in the middle of the barnyard?"
Danae's hand crept unbidden to her stomach, but she made no comment. The hand that clasped Damon's tightened though.
"I think that fact is well established Damon." Leosani answered, shooting Joseph a glare.
Damon nodded. He hesitantly reached back, grasping his purple sweatshirt and pulling it off over his head to pool on the table. At first the scars wouldn't be noticeable against his pale skin. He knew that. But many of them were of the raised kind, rather than just the pale lines that most normal people got. Joker had assured him that he would scar up like this.
Joker liked his handiwork to be easily seen.
Damon felt fingers hesitantly trace some of the scars on his arm, but he kept his eyes riveted to the purple sweatshirt tangled round his hands and the table it sat on.
And he began to talk.
"Pops was disappointed in me." He whispered softly. "I think he knew I didn't have the stomach for the sort of life he led. I wouldn't kill, and I was a reluctant thief. If it weren't for the fact that he could come back here and hurt you I would've rebelled, and he knew it. He had to break me, but he had to be careful as well. What good would a Joker with a broken spirit be? He'd never be able to stand up to the cops, or taunt the Batman with impunity. And he knew my mother would probably kill him if he tried to seriously hurt me. So he opted for driving me insane."
He shuddered, remembering his father's voice speaking out of the darkness in the dead of night. Oh JJ… He would hiss into his son's ear in the darkness of the bedroom. Sometimes Damon would leave a light on, as if he fell asleep reading. It was always off when his father came for him in the night.
Up and at 'em sport, it's time for another one of our father/son chats!
"He…." Tears welled in the teen's eyes. Naomi seemed to sense her master's distress and got up to rest her head comfortingly in his lap. He petted her gratefully. Damon swallowed against the tightness in his throat and went on. "…he used anything and everything to get to me. At first it was just beatings, then he started playing with sharp objects. From there, he started getting creative. Ice baths, electro shock therapy..." He shuddered.
"To this day I'm not sure what all the chemicals he ladled into my system were. Some of them made me hallucinate, some of them made me pass out, and more than a few hurt like hell." His fingers were tightly tangled in Naomi's thick ruff, but if he was pulling the hair she didn't complain.
"The mind games were the worst." He whispered. "He was always playing mind games of one kind or another. What really scared me about them was when those completely pointless games began to make sense to me, and I could see the twisted and completely illogical logic behind them, and worse I understood it."
"My mind broke Mamaw." He wept, looking to her and to Joseph and Danae. It felt good to finally let it all go, let the tears fall as they may. They were almost tears of relief, rather than fear or pain.
Well aren't we the blubber baby. Mini Me remarked snidely.
"I hear a voice in my head now. I have for the past two years. Miss Martian's gone into my head and made sure that he can't take over, but he's there, and he's as real as you or me." Damon continued. He laughed a little as he wiped his eyes. "And he's currently calling me a crybaby."
"So… we've basically just had supper with a lunatic?" Joseph asked.
"Half lunatic." Damon answered. "I'm not entirely crazy yet, and hopefully I won't slip any further down that slope, but otherwise that's essentially correct."
Danae leaned against his shoulder, hugging him closer. "What does the little voice in your head say?"
Why is that always the first question people ask? Mini Me wondered.
Damon smiled. Probably because they don't hear voices in their heads. They don't know what it sounds like. Despite the easy acceptance of the team, he still found it incredible that people could acknowledge such quirks as his without too much trouble.
"He's always got a comment or two." He answered Danae. He shook his head. "You guys are taking my admitted insanity quite well…"
Joseph shrugged, a lazy grin on his face. "Meh, you've always been a little weird. But you're our friend..." His own face became a little hesitant as he added. "and, more recently, you've sort of become an honorary brother."
Mini Me sounded a little nervous. Well that sounds ominous.
Wow, you actually used a word with more than two syllables. You must've worked really hard at that. Damon teased, taking some revenge for Mini Me's constant ribbing.
Don't make me hurt you moron…
Joseph chewed his lip. "Danae and I… we've been living here with Mamaw for almost a year and a half."
Damon went stock still, looking from one to another in shock. He knew very well what that meant. "Your parents…? He managed to choke out. They nodded, and a new and horrible thought came to him as a memory of something Joseph had said earlier came to his mind. "Oh god, Pops didn't…?"
Joseph and Danae were quick to shake their heads.
"No, he didn't kill them." Joseph answered, as Danae cuddled closer to Damon. "Dad… Dad was out riding Bell. Near as we can tell, she stepped in a hole. Nearly broke her leg… The doctors say Dad broke his neck on impact. He never felt a thing. And Mom… had an aneurism. No one knew. The stress from losing Dad…"
Danae's hand moved out to hesitantly stroke Naomi. "We lost her two weeks after Dad."
Damon nodded, slipping an arm around her. That had to have been hard, to lose one and then the other in such a short period of time.
Many years ago when Joseph Two-Wolves had been born, his parents had named Leosani Cliffrunner the godmother of their child. When Joseph was a year and a half old, his godmother had gotten a child of her own, and his parents had gifted him with a little sister. He had been the big brother to both, and Leosani had happily taken on another godchild, with the understanding that the Two-Wolves would return the favor and take Damon if something should ever happen to her.
Though they had never really put much thought into it, they had all assumed that it would be the Two-Wolves who would have to step up if the services of a godparent were needed.
"We left your room alone." Danae said, looking up at him pensively.
He smiled, if they had taken his room he would've happily taken the couch.
"Thanks." He answered. "But you didn't have to."
Naomi made a grumbling sound in her throat, eyeing Damon and Danae.
Danae shifted nervously under the hyena's scrutiny. "Um… She's not gonna bite me or anything is she?"
Damon laughed, fondling the animal's ears. "Who? This dear heart?" he snorted in mock derision. "She's harmless."
Danae gave him a suspicious smile. "…somehow, I doubt that."
Just…just behave ok?
You could practically hear the eye roll in Mini Me's voice as he answered. Yeah yeah. Sheesh, you'd think I was meeting the friggin' president or something.
Ha! Based on what I've heard of you so far, you wouldn't behave if you were meeting God himself. Wally thought back.
This coming from the least disciplined member out of the entire team. Artemis thought.
Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. …that's comforting…
Danae touched his arm. "You ok?"
He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Min's just giving me a hard time, as per usual. I'm alright. You ready?"
She nodded. "This is going to be so weird."
M'Gann lightly touched Danae's forehead, her eyes glowing silver green. Link established. She thought. Everyone online? The rest of the team silently concurred, but there was no response from the newcomers. Mamaw? Joseph? Danae? She asked, giving them a concerned look.
Leosani was the first to come to grips. "I can hear you." She answered aloud.
How do you get people to hear you? Danae wondered silently, eyes widening when she realized that they just had. Wow. This is so…
Surreal? Joseph supplied. The others nodded.
Um… The other's looked to a very nervous Damon. Mamaw, Joseph, Danae? I'd like you to meet the uh…the voice in my head…
Hi ya guys! Mini Me called cheekily, completely disregarding Damon's earlier pleas for good behavior. 'bout time the idiot introduced us.
Damon rolled his eyes. He'd noticed that subtle differences had started to show between his voice and Mini Me's voice ever since he'd started to call the broken corner of his mind 'Min'. He supposed it was because he had accepted Mini Me as a person. That that had perhaps granted the annoying little voice in his head the ability to become more than just a miniaturized version of himself.
Danae set her hands on her hips. The idiot? She asked. To Damon she added, And how do you glare at someone who essentially lives inside someone else's mind?
If you ever figure it out, I'd sure like to hear it. Was Damon's heartfelt reply.
Mini Me jumped in. Sorry chicky, that's impossible. He answered. And he is an idiot. Has been ever since I met him. He insists on doing all this idiotic 'heroic' nonsense. He's going to get himself killed, and me along with him.
Robin cackled, rolling his eyes. And a life as a villain was safer?
Maybe not, but it definitely paid better. Mini Me grumbled in turn.
You've just never gotten a chance to see the pay. It's in the faces of the people you save. Wally answered, thinking of the young Queen Perdita of Vlatova. She'd been the one to bring that lesson home for him.
Mini Me snorted. You can go in for that mushy crap all you like, I'll take a good profitable heist any day of the week.
Damon flushed, glancing nervously at Leosani.
The elderly woman shook her head. Why would you allow such a being to remain in your mind Damon?
He gave a helpless gesture.
Who knows why the idiot keeps me around. Mini Me answered tartly. If you ask his 'Pops', he'll tell you his kid's a spineless weakling, with no guts for killing. If you were to ask his psycho mama, she'd probably say he's just more 'sensitive'. Maybe he's just a sentimental fool, keeping me around 'cause me and scars are really the only things his Pop's ever gave him. But any way you slice it, I couldn't survive without him… I'm grateful.
A soft smile touched Damon's lips.
And that is why Damon lets him stay. Zatanna thought to the others.
"Mrs…" Kaldur caught the mistake, quickly correcting himself. "…Grandmother. My team and I thank you for your hospitality."
Leosani smiled at the Atlantian.
The two were outside on the porch, taking in the evening air. The rest of the team was inside, finishing up the tail ends of a game. Both Kaldur and Leosani had made a mistake and were out.
"Damon certainly wasn't joking." She said.
Kaldur cocked his head. "I beg your pardon?"
"He told me that you are polite, as a rule, and incredibly formal." She chuckled. Seeing the Atlantian's flushed face she continued. "I'm not criticizing, and neither was he. He spoke to me about each of you, making certain that I understood your differences, and assuring that you would'nt be harmed or offended."
Kaldur frowned. "What could he have warned you of?"
Leosani smiled. "Your manners and formality for a start." She answered. "He also warned me against lighting candles, as one of your teammates would be harmed by the presence of flames." She continued to list things off on her fingers. "He warned me that Kid Flash has quite the insatiable appetite and that Robin is required to wear a mask or a pair of sunglasses at all times. He also mentioned that Superman is a taboo conversation subject, especially with Superboy. He didn't really explain that one, and I didn't ask."
Kaldur nodded, though he still seemed uncomfortable with the idea that Damon had felt the need to warn his grandmother about Kaldur's impeccable manners.
Leosani patted his shoulder reassuringly. "He just wanted me to understand. He said that the idea of calling me by so familiar a title as 'grandmother' would be awkward for you."
Kaldur flushed again, nodding that this was so.
The elderly woman smiled. "Allow me to explain myself to you then. Your culture is very formal, well mannered, yes?"
Kaldur's answer was hesitant. "It is not entirely my culture." He answered. "It varies greatly between one realm of the sea and another. Especially between the cities."
Leosani smiled. "But amongst my people, 'Grandmother' or 'Grandfather' are as formal as saying Mr. or Mrs. Do our grandchildren call us this? Sometimes. But as Damon has already shown, it isn't unusual for them to come up with other names for us. More personal, affectionate names. If you still don't feel comfortable with the practice, you are more than welcome to call me Mrs. Cliffrunner."
Kaldur nodded, head bowed in thought.
The door opened, and the click of blunt nails on the wooden porch warned them of Naomi's approach before they even looked up. Damon smiled, offering a shy wave as he moved towards them. Having concluded their game, the rest of the teens had come outside to join them. They settled themselves around the porch, still laughing amongst themselves over the antics of the game.
Damon rested his elbows on the porch railing between Kaldur and his grandmother, seeming to crave the nearness of others. He murmured a few words to Naomi, and the hyena made a snorting noise before she trotted down the steps and out into the night.
Leosani followed the hyena's movements suspiciously. "She's not going to eat my chickens is she?"
Damon laughed. "No, she knows better than to hunt for fun, and she's been well fed tonight. She'll let your chickens alone."
Leosani nodded, seemingly satisfied. Her gaze turned to her great grandchild, now leaning against the porch railing between herself and Kaldur. He must have seen that look, because he immediately lost some of the lazy relaxed attitude he'd had before.
"What?"
The elderly woman narrowed her eyes. "I think it's time you informed the adults of your true identity." Seeing the utterly shocked look on the teen's face she cut him off before he had a chance to say a word. "No more hiding Damon. No more lies." She reprimanded sternly. "You've seen the damage and suffering they can cause. It is time that those in command knew the truth, if for no other reason than that it is wrong to keep such a secret from them."
For a moment, the Indian boy seemed ready to argue with her.
"While I would agree with your principle," Kaldur said gently, "I am not certain such a tactic would be advisable. There are some who would trust Damon less because of his parentage."
"I don't know, I really can't see the league being that shallow." Wally answered from where he was lounging against the wall.
Artemis arched an eyebrow at the speedster. "Really Baywatch? Clearly you've forgotten Damon's first meeting with the League. He and Green Arrow were practically at each other's throats after the first thirty seconds."
Leosani gave him a disapproving look. "…at each other's throats?"
"I told you, provoking someone is a good way to tell which way they'll swing if things go bad. Green Arrow has been having issues in his personal life, and it wasn't all that hard to bait him." Damon answered. He chuckled. "As it is, I don't think we'll need to worry about the 'emerald archer'. He and I had a talk over a pleasant little archery contest a couple days ago. We may not be the best of friends, but we're on better footing than we were."
Leosani nodded. "Aqualad." she said softly. "If the league doesn't take the news well, will they let him leave in peace?"
Kaldur nodded. "If what Robin has told us is correct, then Damon has already paid the price for the crimes he committed as the son of the Joker. They have no legal reason to hold him."
"That, and no one but Batman and the team knows Damon's real name or where he lives. If he sticks to first name only while he waits for their reactions, he'll have a home here to fall back to if things go south."
Danae folded her arms. "But can you guarantee that he'll get out of there alive?"
Mini Me finally decided to chip in to the conversation. Get out alive? He asked over the psychic link M'Gann was still maintaining. As the idiot once pointed out, that's one of the advantages of working with the League. They've got all those weird morals and stuff that says they can't do anything fun. They're too busy worrying about the rules and whether it's ok to blow their noses without the ok of the all knowing Batman.
Robin rolled his eyes. "Batman doesn't mind them blowing their noses. Now if they were to sneeze on the other hand… Superman sneezes hard enough he could take out a building!" Seeing the look on Conner's face he added, "Sorry Supey."
"Either way, Damon's got the last say you know." Zatanna answered. Her voice drifted away as Naomi made her way back up the steps to thump down next to her friend.
Damon cupped her head in his hands, rubbing his thumb across her cheekbone. For a moment, the two just sat there. Him fondly gazing at her, she returning the look adoringly. He gave a soft laugh. "Well dear heart? What do you think?" he asked. "Shall we take the plunge?"
Naomi grinned and gave a little yip in answer.
"Alright." The Indian boy straightened. To the others he said, "The secret's out then. We'll bring the mentors in on it the first chance we get."
I couldn't get the archery contest Damon mentions to flow with the story, so that'll be a part of the one shot series. And again, I apologize for not getting this darn thing up in it's entirety before now. There's one more chapter I think, and an epilogue, and then I'll be through with this'n.
Review! I still need a name idea for the one shot series! Oh, and thinking of branching out into some new fandoms when I have time. I'm putting a poll up, so you guys can tell me which you think I should go for.
Until next time...