Chapter 14: My fair Lioness

Jason's POV

There was nothing I liked better than laying on the couch in my boxers and doing nothing. Well, except maybe laying on the couch in my boxers and eating before taking a nap, while watching TV.

I heard Bruce enter the room. Great, he probably wants something from me.

"Jason, we're leaving now. Don't forget, to take Damian over to Colin's at 11:00.

My mind went blank for a second. Damian? Colin? 11? "But it's 10:30."

"Then, you'd better get dressed." Bruce said sternly.

"Um, where are you going?"

"Alfred and I are going to Star City. Dick and Tim are going to the new astronomy center in Metropolis today. And you are taking Damian over to Colin's; you can pick him up around 5:30."

Ugh, there goes my entire Saturday. Looks like I'll be spending the day playing chauffer to a brat. Great, just what I needed.

********Break********

"Damian! Let's go!" I yelled up the stairs.

He walked down the stairs leisurely at his own pace. "Todd, there is no need to yell."

"Let's get this over with." I commented.

We then walked into the garage and got in my Hummer.

As we pulled into Colin's new home, he ran out of the front door, followed by a very, very sexy redhead. She was about 5'4 with flaming red hair and a perfect body. She wore skin tight jeans with a low-cut top and riding boots. A few freckles were visible on her beautiful face. She had stunning green eyes. She was probably around seventeen. Perfect.

"Hi, you must be Jason. Colin has told me a lot about all of you. I'm Sara." She said while revealing a perfect set of pearly-white teeth and extending her hand.

"Um, yeah." I said while taking hers. Oh God, she smells incredible!

She bent down and wrapped one arm around Colin. "I was going to take Colin and Damian to the fair today. Would you like to join us?"

I reached down and yanked Damian towards me. "Of course I would! There's nothing I like better than spending the day with my baby brother."

********Break********

Damian's POV

About twenty minutes later we were standing at the gates to pay the ridiculous entry fee. Todd and that girl were chatting pleasantly. Damn. Why did she have to invite Todd? It's bad enough that she had to come along, but they're both here now. Damn.

"Isn't it great that Sara and Jason are getting along?" Collin asked happily.

Poor, simple-minded fool. "Collin this is not a good thing." I said coldly.

He looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Before I could answer Sara bent down and retrieved Colin's hand. Todd reached down, seized my hand and drew me to his side.

"Come on Damian, I don't want you to get separated from me."

"Todd, release me before I gouge out your eyes with your own knife!" I threatened.

Sara looked shocked at my threat.

Todd only chortled and ruffled my hair, "Isn't he just adorable?" he said while smiling.

Adorable? Adorable! What in the hell is wrong with him?

He tightened his hold on me and bent down and growled in my ear. "Don't screw this up for me, brat!" he threatened before releasing his grip.

********Break********

The day was long and torturous. Todd spent all his time flirting with her! Sara kept making sure Colin was okay and having fun and asking if he was hungry and all nonsense questions. Todd practically ignored me! I need to get these parasites away from Colin and me!

It was already 8:30. We decided to stop by the haunted house before heading home. Perfect! Now was my chance to get away. However, Sara and Colin were reluctant to go inside.

Todd enclosed her hand in his. "Relax Sara, there's nothing to worry about. It's all fake. Just hold my hand and I'll protect you." Todd said innocently.

What in the hell is wrong with him? No, what in the hell is wrong with her? She is falling for him! Fools!

Fortunately it was pitch-black inside. Grabbing Colin's hand I pushed us past them, doubled back, and exited the building.

"Damian, where are we going? Sara and Jason are still inside." Colin asked nervously.

"I am aware of that, Colin! We need our own space." I replied forcefully.

"But, they don't want us to get separated from them."

"Colin, stop whining! We'll meet them later."

I dragged Colin over to some sideshow. It was one of the only places we hadn't been yet. The place was completely empty. It was a tent occupied with bleachers around a hollow center stage.

"Damian, I think they're closed."

"I can see that for myself Colin!"

"We should go back and find Sara and Jason." He quietly suggested.

I suddenly felt a shiver up my spine. We were not alone.

********Break*********

Jason's POV

Sara and I finally made it through the 'haunted house.' I noticed that Damian and Colin weren't with us. I am going to kill him.

She started to panic. She was almost on the verge of tears. She started screaming random scenarios at me. "What if they're lost! What if they've been taken! What if we can't find them! What if I never see my little brother again! What if they're cold and alone and-"

"I get it! Calm the hell down! We'll find them okay!"

The next second she brought her hand across my face. She slapped me. This bitch just slapped me!

"How dare you speak to me like that! This is all that little bastards fought! He's gotten Colin in trouble!" she spat venomously at me.

Did she just call Damian a bastard? Did she really just do that? Granted, she was probably right. Avoiding us had Damian written all over it. But no one is going to talk about my little brother like that.

Drawing myself to my full height, I stepped towards her and grabbed her arm tightly. I could tell she was feeling extremely intimidated.

"What did you say?" I growled through clenched teeth.

Fear was shown in her beautiful eyes. Tears were now swimming in her emerald eyes. "I…I… just want my little brother back." She choked out.

I let go of her arm and gently said, "Look this is getting us nowhere. You want your brother back and I want mine back. Honestly, they're probably hiding from us somewhere. We just need to start looking for them. First we should call them. Okay? It will be okay."

********Break********

Damian's POV

My head ached. What happened? I was lying in a cage. Colin was beside me, unconscious. Where are we? How did we get here?"

We were in some kind of lab? A table of chemicals was to the right of the cage. Cages containing different dead species of animals were to the left of us. What appeared to be an electric chair was centered in front of us. I reached over and grasped Colin's shoulder and started to shake him.

"Colin, wake up, wake up!"

He arose groggily. "What happened?" he asked drowsily. He finally seemed to notice our surroundings. His tone turned frightened, "Where are we? I… I wanna go home! I want my sister!" Tears were falling from his eyes.

"Colin, stop sniveling! I'm trying to think!"

"But Damian, I'm-"

"Well, well. I see the two of you are awake." A ghastly and unknown voice called out to us. The voice ascended from the shadows. He was tall, dressed in lab coat stained with blood. A mask shaped like a lion concealed his face. He was followed by a slightly shorter woman, wearing a similar blood stained coat. She too wore a mask. Her mask was different, it was a lioness.

"What do you want! I demand we be released at once!" I commanded.

They chuckled at my comment. He stepped right up to our prison and pressed his masked face up against the bars. The mask looked real. It was if he had murdered a menacing lion and had sown it onto his face. The eyes! His eyes were moving! The mask was real! I could feel Colin positioning himself closer to me.

Words fell from the lion's mouth. "You both shall be released soon. You will soon be released from your human form, my children. It is so unbelievably hard to crossbreed humans, especially young ones. I do hope you survive. We have lost so many cubs already."

I admit, I was now somewhat frightened. They were clearly insane. Todd, please help me.

********Break********

Jason's POV

Okay, now I'm worried. It's been two hours. I really wanted Damian back. And Sara was losing her shit. She practically kept crying the entire time we had been looking.

"Come on, we haven't searched this tent yet."

"But, but the sign says they're closed." She replied.

"I know; that's why we're going to check it out."

As we stepped inside I heard a crunch from underneath my boot. I bent down and picked up the object. A cellphone. This is Damian's.

"They were here."

Sara started to wail. "We'll never see them again!" she cried hysterically.

"Calm down! We're going to find them!" I shouted at her.

"Don't yell at me!" she screamed.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Let's just take a look around here. We might find something."

About twenty minutes later, she cried out in frustration, "This is pointless!" and she stamped her foot in frustration. Sara was standing on the stage, as soon as she stamped her foot, she fell through.

I bounded over to her. She was lying on a hidden staircase. I dropped down beside her and helped her to her feet.

"Great job, Nancy Drew, you found a clue." I stated sarcastically.

She glared daggers at me.

"Okay, I'll go down and check things out. You stay up here."

"Do you think they're down there?" she asked.

"Possibly."

"Then I'm coming with you." She said stubbornly.

"No, it could-"

"I don't care! Colin could be down there and he needs me!" She exclaimed defiantly. She then turned and started down the staircase.

I moved ahead of her. "Fine! But I'm leading and you have to stay quiet and do as I say!"

She nodded and continued after me.

The stairs led to some kind of laboratory. My eyes wandered around the room before landing on Damian and Colin.

"Colin!" She screamed, while rushing past me.

Damian's POV

"Sara!" Colin cried.

I then saw Todd step from the shadows he bent down and examined what was on the table. He hadn't come for me. He came to impress her, not to rescue me.

Suddenly, the masked lioness leapt from the shadows and caught Sara around her neck. It was then I noticed that the deadly doctor had lethal paws. Sharp claws protruded from them. They were positioned at Sara's jugular.

"Don't move or the girl dies!" she growled at Todd.

I heard Colin gasp. He then started shaking in anger.

Todd surrendered without a fight; he wouldn't want his precious new girlfriend to be harmed. His hands were then tied behind his back by the male lion and Todd was thrown roughly against our cage.

The lion then reached down and lifted Todd's face. "This one is strong. Darling, shall we add him to our pride?"

The lioness answered, "I suppose" as she strapped Sara to the chair. "However the girl is frail. Shall we change her into something a bit more appetizing? I am a bit hungry."

"Leave her alone!" Colin and Todd screamed at them.

I grabbed Colin's shoulders and forced him to face me. "Calm down." I ordered.

The lions only laughed and turned towards the girl. I moved closer to Todd and stuck my arms out through the bars and started to untie him; so he could save his precious red head before Colin could change.

Jason's POV

The lions then picked up the hide of a deceased giraffe and held it towards her face. Hurry up Damian!

"Leave. Her. Alone." Colin growled through clenched teeth.

That's weird. Why does he sound like he's already been through puberty? Have his veins always been that visible? Is he growing?

The next second Damian and I were thrown aside by Colin. Oh holy shit! He literally just busted through a steel cage!

He was bigger than Bruce! He was like 7 feet tall! You could see his veins pumping through his skin. He had both of the lions by their throats and was slamming them repeatedly against the ground. The floor held impressions of their bodies. Oh holy shit! I was too shocked to move. For once Sara wasn't crying. I think she fainted.

Damian raced over to Colin and wrapped both of his hands around Colin's wrist. "Colin, stop! You've got to calm down! Enough!" he cried futilely.

I moved over to Sara and untied her. She wasn't moving. Yeah, she's definitely unconscious. At least she's being quiet.

The pounding suddenly stopped. I looked over at Damian and Hormone Addict. Colin was back to regular size, well short kid size anyway, he was leaning against Damian, crying. The lions lay crumpled at his feet. Damian had his arms wrapped around Colin, comforting him. What in the hell is wrong with him? What in the hell is wrong with Colin? How in the hell am I going to explain this to the police?

********Break********

I pulled the car into their driveway. Damian and I walked them to the door. She drew Colin to her side and looked at me. She suddenly shot forward and literally tried to suck my lips off. She pulled back and said, "Thank you Jason. You helped me get my little brother back. I had a great time, except for well you know…. Call me sometime."

I nodded. Yeah, not gonna happen.

"Bye Damian! Bye Jason!" Colin called happily before being ushered inside.

What in the hell is wrong with them? Apparently Colin had been used as a sick science experiment by Scarecrow before Damian befriended him, but what is her problem?

As we walked down the steps, I looked at Damian. He looked pissed and kinda upset.

"You okay, Mini Bat?" I asked him.

"Like you care."

I grabbed his arm and forced him to look at me. "What's that supposed to mean!"

"The only reason you came for me was so you could impress her by saving Colin! Why didn't you just stay the night with her! You probably could have gotten what you really wanted instead of a kiss!" he screamed at me.

Ouch. I can't believe he actually thought… wait, is Damian actually jealous of that crazy bitch?

I dropped to my knees and looked him in the eye. "Sara came back for Colin, because he's her little brother and because she loves him. I came back for you, because Bruce and Dick would kill me if something had happened to you."

Damian's face fell. I pulled him closer to me and whispered, "And there's the fact that you're my little brother and I love you. Besides, I'd never let some crazy dumbass turn you into an animal. Plus Sara's a pain in the ass and a crazy bitch. And between me and you, I'll always pick you over her."

Damian took some time to think it over. "Very well."

I stood back up and we continued towards my car and Damian suddenly stopped and looked up at me. "Todd, I… I love you too, occasionally. However, if you tell anyone, I will deny it and be forced to use lethal force!"

I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair. "No one would believe me if I told. Just don't let Dick catch you saying something like that or we'd both be screwed."

********Break********

Bruce's POV

It was almost 10:00 when I arrived home. Dick and Tim came back from patrol about thirty minutes later. Where are Jason and Damian? Jason was only taking Damian on a play date! Why do I buy them cell phones, if they never manage to answer them or call me back!

A little after midnight, I heard the front door being opened. It revealed Jason holding Damian. Damian was asleep. I extended my arms and reached for Damian and Jason reluctantly relinquished his brother.

"Where were you? Why are you late? What happened? Why didn't you answer your phone?" I asked in a hushed tone.

Jason looked up at me and sighed. "It's been a long night."

I nodded. "Just go on to bed. We will talk in the morning."

Jason headed for the stairs and I followed him. He suddenly stopped and turned towards me.

"When you watch the news, you should know that you're on it. It'll say something about Batman saving four kids from a couple of freaks. Don't worry, they're both alive. For now."

What? I didn't even patrol tonight! What in the hell did they do now! Too tired to yell at Jason, I simply carried Damian to his room. Tomorrow will be a long day. I should have stopped at one.