Chapter 14

November 21st, 2017. 5:47 PM.

"Welcome to Gotham City, Miss Roth."

Damian smiled as he watched Raven step off the plane to the rain-covered concrete below. This was her first time in Gotham, and it was comforting for Damian to know that her first experience in the city would be in the best care possible; Gotham was was a dangerous place, but they were in the care of Bruce Wayne. They couldn't possibly be more safe.

Awaiting them at the bottom of the steps, umbrella in hand, was Alfred, a sight for sore eyes if there ever was one. He smiled up at the girl, his eyes tired, but full of life. This time of year was special to him; he'd grown to love all of the members of Bruce's little family just as much as Bruce had. They were like his grandchildren, and it was truly a blessing to see them all together, especially when it didn't involve some dire threat to the city.

"Th… thank you, sir." Raven stopped for a second, turning back for a moment to look back at Damian before taking the the elder gentleman's hand. As she stepped down onto the wet ground, Alfred turned to Damian, who was now making his way down the steps.

"Master Damian!" Alfred smiled up at the Titan. "It's good to see you again, sir! You look well."

"Thank you, Pennyworth," Damian smiled as he stepped down underneath the umbrella. "How are Father and Alfred?"

"I'm happy to say that the both of them are in good health, sir," the butler said he led them to a golf cart parked near the runway.

"Wait…" Raven's eyebrow rose as she hopped into the passenger seat of the cart. "I thought you were Alfred."

"Alfred is what I named my cat," Damian explained. "Here, let me drive."

"I'm afraid not, sir." Alfred folded in his umbrella as he sat down behind the wheel. "Master Bruce gave me specific instructions not to allow you to drive for the duration of this trip."

"What? But I know how to drive, what's the deal?"

"Apologies, sir…" Alfred grinned slyly at Damian. "But your father was quite adamant. He said that you are, and I quote, 'a madman behind the wheel'."

Damian chuckled as he flopped across the back seat of the cart. "I steal the Batmobile one time…" Raven looked back at him bewildered as Alfred laughed, driving off towards their car…

After avoiding the lecherous members of Gotham's press as best they could, the three of them arrived at Wayne Manor. As Alfred opened the door for the two Titans, Raven looked up at the old mansion curiously.

"Welcome to Wayne Manor, Miss Roth." Alfred gestured toward the front door, beckoning for the two to head inside.

"Thank you, sir. It's a beautiful building," Raven replied as they made their way up the steps. "How long as it been here?"

"This manor has been in the Wayne family since the early 1800s," Alfred began to explain, reaching for the door. "In fact, the tunnels underneath were once used to conceal runaway slaves in the Undergro–"

Before he could open the door, it burst open from inside, nearly knocking Damian back down the stairs. As the boy sat back up and shook the dirt from his hair, he looked up to see a red-haired, bespectacled girl standing in the doorway. Judging by her stature, she looked to be about Damian's age.

"Oh, jeez! Sorry, dude," the girl ran to Damian and helped him to stand back up. "Didn't see ya there! You alright?"

"Um… yes?" Damian replied, bewilderment displayed on his face. "Who exactly… are you?"

"That," a voice replied from just inside the house, "is Carrie. Carrie Kelly." All four of them turned to see Bruce Wayne standing in the foyer, his arms crossed as he looked down at his boy.

"Hey, boss! Sorry about your guest…" Carrie stopped for a moment as she looked back and forth between Damian and Bruce. "Wait… is he one of…"

Bruce nodded. "He was the fifth. Just before you."

Carrie grinned. "Coo'," she said, walking back inside. Damian paused for a moment as the realization came to him.

"You already had me replaced?" He looked at his father in surprise.

Bruce nodded. "Carrie comes from a rough home. Her parents are both drug addicts, not providing the environment she needs to grow."

Alfred smiled with pride. "She's every bit as energetic as Master Richard was at that age."

"Wait, so you just…" Raven stuttered for a moment, blinking rapidly as she took in this information. "… you just swooped in and pulled this girl out of her terrible home life?"

Damian shrugged. "He tends to do that. It's kind of his thing."

"We'll have plenty of time to discuss the misfortune of all of your siblings, Master Damian, once they've all arrived. For now, let us get out of this rain. Come now, Miss Roth, let me show you to your room." Raven followed the butler into the manor as Damian walked with his father into the study.

"So this new Robin…" Damian began as he scanned the shelves. "How long have you had her?"

"I found her early September, started training her right away," Bruce replied as he approached the old grandfather clock against the wall. "I haven't let her come on patrol with me yet, not until she's ready."

"Does she take to it?" The younger Wayne turned to face his father as the clock moved out off the wall, revealing a passageway behind it into the Batcave. "She seems like she has the energy for it, especially considering how old she is…"

Bruce grinned. "Like a fish to water," he said, beckoning for his son to descend first. "In fact, when I told her the last Robin would be here, she insisted on sparring with you."

Damian smirked as he walked down the stairway. "How does she like the uniform?"

"Oh, she… has opinions on it," Bruce sighed as he followed behind his boy into the Cave. "Opinions that I don't necessarily agree with, but…"

As they entered the cave, Damian was surprised to see Carrie standing in the training ring, wearing her uniform… or, at least, part of it. She had no cape, her mask was replaced with what looked like some kind of goggles, and her legs were completely bare.

"Hey, you! Five!" Carrie called out, addressing Damian as she spun her staff in her hand. "Wanna go a few rounds?"

Damian looked the girl up and down, and almost had to stifle a laugh. "Maybe once you actually get dressed, sure," the Titan quipped, cocking an eyebrow. "That can't possibly be your whole uniform."

"Okay, one: I don't wear the cape when I'm training." The new Robin stood leaning on her staff, one arm wrapped around it and the other on her hip. "And two: you're just jealous my legs are awesome."

"It isn't about how you look, Carrie." Damian pulled his shirt off, revealing his Red X uniform underneath. "It's about how protecting your body. It won't matter what your legs like if someone gets lucky and shoots them full of holes."

"That's exactly what the big guy said!" Carrie grinned as she shifted into stance.

"Well, that makes sense," Damian said before flipping into the ring, his pants flying off, leaving him in the top and leggings of his uniform as he landed in a stance of his own. "After all, he IS half of my DNA."

"This'll be good…" Bruce said under his breath as Raven and Alfred walked into the cave. "Grab some popcorn, you two."

Carrie launched off her staff, flying at Damian feet-first through the air. The Titan shifted out of the way of her body, but threw his arm up to block the staff coming behind him. The instant her feet touched the ground, the girl shot forward, swinging her staff low, knocking Damian off his feet. Damian caught himself on his hands, throwing himself in a circle on the ground and sweeping Carrie's feet out from under her.

"Beast Boy taught him that one," Raven whispered to Alfred. He nodded in acknowledgment.

Carrie threw herself into the air with her arms as Damian rolled away, pulling himself to his feet. Carrie leapt at him again, stealing the offensive back as soon as Adam had taken. Damian ducked just as her leg tore through the air where his head had just been. Damian felt the wing behind her kick, and threw his arms up in front of him just in time to block her other leg. But when it connected, the sheer force behind it was more than Damian had expected, and she tossed him into the air. Just as Damian realized he was airborne, Carrie leapt up after him, locking her legs around his head and driving it into the floor.

"Catwoman taught her that one," Alfred whispered to Raven. She remained motionless, save for a twitch in her fingers.

"You give, Five!?" Carrie taunted, squeezing Damian's neck between her legs. "Tap out if ya give!"

Raven's brow began to furrow.

Damian gripped at the new Robin's legs and pulled. Good lord, it was like trying to pry open a vice! "Robins don't give…" he growled, deciding on a different tactic.

Raven's hands clenched into fists.

Damian slid further up, pushing himself to his feet with Carrie sitting on his shoulders, her legs still locked around his neck. He threw himself forward, hoping to catch her off-guard, but Carrie caught them both with her hands before her head could crash to the ground.

Raven's eyes widened.

"Whoa, now!" Carrie shouted, flipping the two of them over and grabbing Damian's hair as he clawed at her legs for breath. "You're gonna hafta try harder than that, cowbo–"

The two of them were suddenly lifted into the air, pulled apart by a dark energy. Damian looked down to see Raven with her hands raised, her eyes glowing with a deep purple light.

"Let's get something straight, 'Robin'…" Raven growled. "His name is Damian. And he's mine."

"Oh, dear…" Alfred muttered under his breath.

"Raven, please put my kids down." Bruce's voice was low, as to avoid aggravating the girl any further. After a moment of glaring up at Carrie, Raven gently set them both down, walked into the ring, and put wrapped her arms around Damian's neck.

"Wow…" Carrie sat on the ring floor blinking for a moment. "… I'm sorry, I wasn't tryin' to…"

"Daaaaaaang, kid!" Everyone turned to see Dick Grayson drop into the ring. "Who would have ever thought you'd be the jealous type?"

"Oh! Hey, One." Carrie held her hand up, and Dick pulled her back onto her feet.

"Good to see ya again, Six," Dick replied, before turning to Raven and Damian. "Listen, Raven, Carrie didn't mean any harm…"

"I know," Raven said, looking back at the new Robin, one arm still around Damian. "I'm sorry for snapping like that. I just…"

"Hey, I get it!" Carrie threw her hands up with a grin. "You don't like people messin' with your guy. That's fine."

"Gotta admit, though," Dick said as he turned back to Carrie, "I actually expected Damian to pull the win out. That was impressive how you pulled that out!"

"I told ya already…" Carrie stood proudly, hands on her hips. "Awesome legs."

"You should wear something to protect them," Raven said. "If they're you're best weapon, you have to take better care of them."

"Thank you, Raven!" Bruce shouted as he walked back up the stairs into the house.

Damian groaned. It was going to be a very long week…