"I still don't understand the cow." Mary said, stoking Bat-Cows fur with a brush. "I mean, I get saving it but, Bat-Cow? Come on, there must have been a better name?"

Damian shook his head at her, combing Bat-Cow on the other end with his brush. "Bat-Cow is a wonderful name, and I wouldn't want to confuse her with two."

Mary nodded. "Makes sense…Are you returning to the Teen Titans today?"

"Tonight. Actually." Damian corrected. "Due to the circumstances-"

"You mean me." Mary interrupted dryly.
"Yes, due your return and to-

"The manor blowing up, me trying to kill you, Talia, Slade, Cain trying to kill me, me having a chip thing in my head that could go off and kill all of you. The whole-"

"Yes." Damian snapped annoyed. "As I was saying; my leave of absence from the Titans and from Superboy had not gone unnoticed. It is necessary I return."

"Gonna tell them about me?" Mary asked, glancing over at him standing on the tips of her toes, Bat-Cow's body covering most of her.

Damian paused, shaking his head. "No. Father and Grayson believe waiting a little longer before informing anyone other than the immediate family would be the unwise, considering the-

"Circumstances." Mary finished biting her lower lip, setting the brush down sitting on the bench next to the barn.

Damian sighed, tossing the brush on the grass, taking a seat next to her. "I understand your frustrations Mary. When I had first arrived, things were not easy. They will get better eventually."

"I know…it's just-I've been here for months, hidden away in the Manor. Never going out. I understand why. But Damian, I don't want to hide anymore." Mary said, though in her ears it felt more like a whine.

Damian's unnaturally relaxed state annoying her more with each passing second. "I under-

"No, you don't!" Mary cried, jumping up. "You have been out there all the time. Either as Robin or Damian Wayne or Damian al Ghul even as Ibn al Xu'ffasch. I've never even been out, not really. You can't possible-just agree-"

"I can when it's to protect you." Damian said instantly. "I will always do it to protect you."

"I thought we protected each other." Mary said her resolve beginning to deflate. Damian rubbing her arms gently. "A little long Mary. Just a little. I promise when it's safer. I will do my best to convince Grayson and my father."

Mary sighed, looking up at him. "Alright."

Damian smiled, picking up the brushing. "Come now, Blue. Bat Cow cannot brush herself."

Smirking, Mary picked up the brush, taking a long breath of the fresh air. And Bat Cows calming 'Moos'

"Very well, your highness."

Climbing up on the bars, Mary pulled herself up, swinging on them. She had been practicing for some time now (she had not been idle in her four month house arrest) but even thought she had improved she had barely scratched the standard her father was on when he was her age.

Damian had left yesterday, her father and Bruce gone to work and Tim and Jason off doing whatever they did when they weren't visiting the manor.

Flipping over; standing shakily onto of the bars Mary straighten herself up, wobbling. Instantly topping over onto the mat.

"Are you alright, Miss Mary?" Alfred asked, fast walking towards her.

Mary nodded, pulling herself up. Pain shooting up her arm, but she ignored it. Pain was just in the mind. "Yeah, I'm okay." she mumbled, dusting herself off.

She was more embarrassed than anything else.

Alfred nodded, not seeming to believe her as he looked over her. "Hmm." he mumbled, after a few seconds of silence. "If anything hurts Miss Mary, I urge you to come to me." Alfred said withdrawing, returning on his path to the Bat computer.

"Yes, Alfred." Mary said, shaking her arm out following him. "What's happened?" she asked, as Alfred pulled up the new channel.

They seemed to be looking at a park, with a building far off that was smoking which she thought was probably due to the giant rampaging robotic monkeys that were flying everywhere.

'As you can see here Bob. Central City Park has been attacked with his monkeys an attack that is suspected to be orchestrated by Professor Ivo-Ah!' the reporter screamed, ducking her head.

A robo-monkey jumped in front of the camera, swishing it around like it was rubber.

"Shouldn't we-" Mary started, just as a Batarang embedded itself into the robo-monkey's skull. The robo-monkey fell to the ground. Robin flipping into the camera's shaky view.

"Titans, go!" he shouted, as a blur of yellow and red flew past the camera, monkeys were blasted back by flashes of green as a long haired woman in strange skimpy clothing appeared. Her eyes completely green.

'The Titans!'

"Robin! Behind you!" as another voice as a giant green lion appeared, launching itself at some of the robo-monkeys.

Other super powered people began appearing on the screen: A man in blue, a girl in dark purple who lifted things straight of the ground.

In less than a 10 minutes the Titan had manged to maintain the situation. Taking down the monkey and managing to keep everyone safe.

'Another amazing safe from the Titan's! Bob, as you can see here-'

Mary turned away, walking back towards her bars. The feeling of uselessness gnawing in the pit of her stomach. Swallowing hard, Mary jumped back onto the cool bars. Gripping them tightly, she swung herself back up.

And tried again.

She had bad days. Days when it seemed much harder to shake off her past. She never knew when these days creeped up on her. But when they did, it was like she was back.

Back in the dark.

She hated them.
Those days.

It felt like all the progress she had made, had just undone itself.

"Hey there, Mar-mar." Dick greeted, tossing his bag on the floor, scooping her up in a tight hug. Mary slowly hugged back (something that Dick was rather chuffed about. She had been awkwardly patting him for almost two months until she got the hang of it)

"You okay?" he asked withdrawing his hug, seeing her rather troubled face.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm fine…it's just…" Mary trailed off. "What? Hmm?" Dick asked, bending down so he was on her eyelevel. "Mary-"

Mary sighed, running her fingers though her hair. "I can fight!" she burst out. "I-I can fight a-and I've killed people-and I know that's not good! But I can! And now...I'm…I'm just—stuck! Stuck here! And I can't take it anymore-!"

"Mary-"
"I know-"

"No, you don't!" Dick said sharply. "You don't understand, Mary. I want you out this life, your nine years old-!"

"So were you!" Mary cried back, jumping up pacing around the room. Her fingers winding themselves into her hair, lightly pulling at it.

She was starting to freak.

"Exactly." Dick said softly. "I want you to run around in the sun and-and play games and go to the beach and splash in the waves. I don't want you to, get back in and face blood and death and have guilt over people who in fact aren't even our responsibility, but we have to because if not us who. I don't want you to be traumatised and alone because of the life we lead. I want you to find peace, Mary. I want you to be happy and health and normal. A normal kid."

"But I'm not normal, Dick. I can never be normal. My whole creation is abnormal and wrong. I'm a weapon-"

"No, your no-"

"Yes, I am. I know that. I was born like that and I want to be different. I want to be at peace, but I can't. I just feel useless and cowardly because, you and Damian and Bruce and Tim and Jason. Your heroes." Mary whispered, staring at the ground.

"And I'm waiting safe and home. Wondering and wishing when you're going to come home. And I hate that. And I know, I'm disappointing you, but I can't-just sit and watch on a Batcomputer anymore." she said, glancing up into her father's eyes. "I tried…I tried, so hard. For you to, but I can't."

"Please, let me. Let me help." Mary whispered, her heart was pounding in her chest.

She had no idea what reaction she might receive. Now that she thought about it. She hadn't been this openly defiant in years. She had it beaten out of her when she had been in Talia and Slade's care.

She wondered if he would hit her, maybe he would scream or drown her.

While she knew. She knew. That Dick and Bruce and Tim and Jason cared for her and probably not kill her. At the back of her mind, the nagging feeling of running away and fear from her years of abuse was creeping back in.

Dick stared at her, slowly reaching a hand out.

Mary instinctively stepped back, suddenly feeling rather nauseas. Dick withdrew his hand, lowering himself further until he was sitting on the floor, looking up at her.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mary." he whispered, his eyes were full of hurt. Mary nodded attempting to relax herself, ultimately failing. She felt awful. He looked so sad.

She hurt him, she knew that.
She didn't mean to.

Her breath was coming in too fast.

"It's okay, it's okay, Mary." Dick said, not moving just looking at her. He smiled, it was a strange smile. Both happy and sad.

"I'm so proud of you." Dick whispered, after a while. "I am, I am…really I'm so so proud of you. I know that was hard. It's okay, now. I'm not going to hurt you. I'd never—" Dick sighed, smiling his strange smile again.

"I'm here." he said, his shoulders slacking as he crossed his legs. "I'm here, Mary. It's going to be okay…I'm here."

Mary paused, watching him. He looked rather odd, just sitting there, waiting. He was unnaturally calm and still.

Slowly Mary sat down a few feet away from him. His calmness somehow starting to calm her down to. Copying his crossed legs, Mary took deep breaths, shutting her eyes.

Bruce found them like that two hours later…

Okay, just to clarify coz DC ages can be sooo confusing! I mean I confused myself trying to decipher them; but I have finally decided in this story: Bruce is 36, Dick is 26 (his DNA was taken when he was around 16) Jason is 21, Tim is 19, Barbara Gordon is 28, Stephanie Brown is 20, Cassandra Cain is 19, Damian is 13 and Mary is 9 turning 10.

(There are roughly 3 years between Mary and Damian. Mary and Jon Kent are the same age; but Jon was born a few months before her.)

Ps. If there is anything confusing about this, please point it out to me.

So thoughts? I love hearing from you all! Ps. It's a bit strange usually I jump right into the action, but I felt that I really need to 'deal' and highlight some of Mary's trauma, before we jump into the good stuff. So please, please, review if ya can, would love to hear the general take on it.

Thanks for all the follows and faves!

Till next time...