All disclaimers continue to apply.
Ibn Al'Xuffasch is Warith al Ghul.
Son of the Bat and Heir to the Demon. The legacy of thousands of years rests upon his shoulders. An understanding of what the world needs to make it great. Mother says he will be worthy of it. He was born for it.
He is perfection, and when he falls short there are consequences.
He learns. The stones are stained with blood that is not his own.
His mother nods approval.
*S*T*A*R*S*
His mother is Talia, Aibna al Ghul.
She is beautiful. She is deadly.
He will make her proud.
She tells him of his father and the far-off land he rules.
Someday, he will make them both proud.
*S*T*A*R*S*
His father is Al Xuffasch, Ibn Al'Zulma.
He is the Batman. Son of the Night.
He is angry.
He does not approve of Ibn al'Xuffasch, does not trust him. But Mother has given her orders.
Damian Wayne goes with his Father.
*S*T*A*R*S*
The old servant is beneath the notice of Damian Wayne.
Father trusts him. Why will he not trust Damian?
*S*T*A*R*S*
How can he be the Son of the Bat when the Bat is no more?
*S*T*A*R*S*
Damian is a failure. He is weak.
Al Ahiya shot him like a coward and left him for dead, all while wearing a perversion of Father's uniform.
Damian can only lie on the bed in the Cave, listening to the weak Robin struggle for breath on the other side of the curtain. At least Al Ahiya, Al Wahi'dun Rrajul, has destroyed him too.
The curtain is pushed back by the old servant and Damian can see Al Rajyri, standing before the Batman's cowl.
The man turns and exchanges nods with the old servant and if Damian could move, he would shiver.
He has never considered that Al Rajyri, with his pitiful origins and ridiculous behavior, could be dangerous.
(He has seen the look in those cold blue eyes before, on different faces.) He was wrong.
*S*T*A*R*S*
Damian is Robin.
Grayson is Batman.
Grayson trusts him.
Grayson...cares about him.
And Damian understands.
He had always wanted to know what it felt like to be loved.
*S*T*A*R*S*
Father is back.
Father is alive.
Father still does not trust him.
Damian pretends it does not hurt.
Pretends that he does not still expect a smile and "well-done" at the end of patrol.
He is Ibn al'Xuffasch. He does not need such plebeian reassurances.
Why was Grayson so willing to give him up? Why wasn't he good enough?
*S*T*A*R*S*
Damian is Robin.
Grayson is Nightwing.
Father is Batman.
Grayson takes him to play tag over the rooftops and his smile is as warm as it ever was. Damian feels his heart warm in response.
He is Damian Wayne. He is the Son of Batman. He is the brother of Nightwing.
Everything has changed and yet...nothing has.
Al'Esliha commands her muscles not to shake as she stands before Father. The gun barks, a searing pain fills her body, radiating from the new wound in her leg. She does not flinch.
Father nods in approval and stitches her wound himself. After, he takes her outside and they watch the stars for hours.
*S*T*A*R*S*
The old man that Tim-Robin-warm-small-fragilestrong-love-protect-protect calls Alfred is afraid of her. He finds her...creepy. (Unsettling, Bruce-Batman-big-quiet-lonely-caressomuchfightssohard says is the word) The-Weapon-Who-Might-Be-a-Girl has been unsettling to many people. She is used to it. It still hurts. She follows him as he takes care of Batman-Bruce and the big house-castle. She startles him. He smiles anyway. Hands her a cup-tiny-delicate-easytobreak-pretty with tea-warmsmell. The Girl feels less like a weapon.
*S*T*A*R*S*
Patrol was long, hunting Arkham-crazy-broken-sick-hurtingwanttohurtothers-peoplewhoforgothowtobepeople all over Gotham-city-home-family-darklight-protect. Steph-Spoiler-sushinesmile-warmhug-heartsister-bestfriend-protect and Tim-Robin-brother-toostrongtoofragile-protectfirstofall are curled around her on the couch in Tim's home-movie-popcorn-TimNSteph-safe. They are asleep. They are safe. The-Girl-Who-Was-a-Weapon will make sure of it.
*S*T*A*R*S*
Dick-Nightwing-bigbrother-warm-smile-fly-fly-dance-rumblelaugh makes Tim-Brother happy. He makes Tim-Brother laugh with his stories and makes Batman-Bruce smile with his body even if his face doesn't always remember how. He hugs Cassandra-the-Girl and calls her sister.
He is sad for her. But glad for her. He does not linger in sad-past-whatoncewas like Bruce-Batman and even Tim-Brother do sometimes. He tells her Cinderella. Tells her with his words. Tells her with his body. Angry-Hard-stepmother, Silly-Proud-Angry-Stepsisters, Sad-Happy-Hopeful-Cinderella.
Batman-Bruce and Tim-Brother understand the language of Cassandra-Who-Is-a-Girl-Always-and-Only-a-Weapon-Sometimes. Dick-Bird does not always understand. But he always speaks.
*S*T*A*R*S*
Bruce-Batman was gone. Tim-Brother brought him back. Dick-Bird is Batman-not-Bruce. Steph-Sunshine-notdeadnotdead is Batgirl-trust-family-aplacewiththem-gift. Cassandra is Black Bat. She left them. She is back. Tim-Brother is hurt. (He was alone.) Dick-Bird is tired. (He was alone.) Steph-Sunshine is determined. (She died. She lived. She lied.) Damian-Robin-angry-scared-fierce-unsure is hurt. (He was not alone. He feels alone now.) Alfred-Butler is tired. (He took care of them.)
But Cassandra left them. She is supposed to protect them. She left them.
She is back now. She will not forget again.
*S*T*A*R*S*
Dick-Bird-Nightwing laughs as he flies off the roof, Damian-Robin behind him. Damian is yelling, his voice is angry. His body is happy and he feels safe.
Jason-RedHood-LittleBrother rubs his knuckles (noogie) over Tim-Brother-RedRobin's cowl and says "tag you're it". Jumps off other side.
Tim-Brother-RedRobin laughs and chases. Steph-Sunshine-Batgirl laughs. Follows.
Cassandra-BlackBat looks up at Bruce-Batman. His mouth is frowning. His shoulders are happy. Happy that they are happy. His stance screams love-love-pride-love!
Gotham is theirs. The night is theirs. They are Family.
Cassandra hangs her Batgirl costume carefully in the cave. Bruce-Batman-Father joins her as Alfred-Butler brings them sandwiches. Alfred-Butler makes very good sandwiches. Bruce-Batman is tired and sad so Cass hugs him tightly. He is surprised at first but soon he is hugging her back like he never wants to let go. They watch the stars until dawn chases them from the sky.
Notes & Translations:
Warith al Ghul - Heir to the Demon (stolen from CW's Arrow)
Aibna al Ghul - Daughter of the Demon
Ibn Al'Zulma - Son of the Night - A name for Batman among the League of Shadows according to my headcannon
Al Ahiya - The Undead - A League name for Jason, according to my headcannon
Al Wahi'dun Rrajul - The Resurrected One - ditto
Al Rajyri - The Gypsy - Something Talia uses to refer to Dick Grayson, according to my headcannon (Those two have never gotten along. That is cannon.)
Note that I do not speak Arabic. I pulled these together by cannibalizing from CW's Arrow and utilizing an online dictionary. If anyone notices any errors and lets me know I will be happy to correct.
Let me know what you think!