&& The request: Something with Damian swimming but not in a pool nor beach or something of the sort. This is what came to my mind&&

FROZEN MEMORIES

The look his father was giving him was of something between the concern and the disbelief. Like he was deciding if it was weird of him to doubt or if he was just out and not thinking. He cleared his throat, as if trying to make sure he was giving him attention and the head of the boy practically snapped up to his father, fixing his eyes in surprise in his dark figure.

"Robin, we have to get in to save those people in time" he said, as stern and calm as possible "Come on"

"I… I am going, Batman"

He heard the hesitation on his son's voice but decided not to say a thing when seeing his son entering inside the waters of the only river in Gotham. Turning to the scene that they had in place, he started swimming towards the boat that was sinking down, followed by him.

Damian bit at his lip at his hesitation and would have called himself stupid. Assassins didn't doubt, assassins weren't afraid of something so little… Assassins knew better than that… But… It was difficult when all he had, was that memory playing inside his head time and time again.

This was crazy. No, scratch that. His mother was crazy. Did she really want him to swim in that freezing cold water?! That was more than madness!

With his neoprene suit already put on, he looked over into the water, seeing his own reflection in a confused state. Not that it wasn't obvious because, let's be honest, even if he would be able to pass it, there was no way that he wouldn't catch a cold or a pneumonia. Actually, the only reason he was going to avoid death was because of the suit; that water would kill him if he would just enter with even normal clothes, not matter how fast he could swim.

They had gone to Siberia now that the winter had started, so the water was half ice in some parts but was most of all freezing. If you looked twice, there were parts with ice closer to where he had to start but since it was fragile, a barely move could break it.

Behind his back, he could feel his mother fixing her eyes in his little figure and he swallowed hard. Slowly, he bent down to sit on the ground and was going to touch the water of the lake in front of him when he thought it better and shook his head. No. If he was going to get in, better if he did it as fast as possible. Getting up, he took a few steps back and threw himself into the water, the freezing temperature contrasting with his warm skin in just a second.

He clenched his teeth, took a deep breath and shivered. Taking his right arm out of the water, he started to move towards the other side of the lake. The water was more than freezing and he wondered how he was moving a muscle at all. But, he guessed that if his mother had requested him to do it, it was then possible to do. Possible, but still a next sentence to death too.

He sneezed and his feet hit something that was floating underneath the surface and inside the lake. He instantly got goosebumps the minute he noticed something climbing on his leg and he was about to shriek if he hadn't covered his mouth in time. As hard as he could, he hit with his other leg (the one that was free) the thing that was clinging on his body and finally, he noticed it letting go. Swimming as fast as he could, he tried to get as far away of that area as possible. He almost was freaking out and he wanted to tell his mother about that thing that had perched in his leg, but he feared her reaction.

Pursing his lips, he decided to continue swimming to the shore as fast as possible, with the weather and the cold against his muscles. He could notice them tightening and it hurt like hell trying to move them each time.

Also, maybe it was his imagination, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the water was getting inside his suit and freezing him faster.

Suddenly, something gripping his leg again and this time he was unable to control a yelp when he noticed that thing trying to drown him in the water.

"Mother!" he was able to say before his head got inside the cold lake.

The freezing water hit every nerve of his neck and he could feel all the coldness even at the tip of his hair. He struggled for some seconds and try to get free of the grip. Bubbles came up and he tried to go higher so he could catch his oxygen since the sudden hit hadn't let him take as much as he would have loved to.

Trying to fight with the thing that was drowning him more into the water was incredibly difficult, especially since he was not more than six years old and the size of the hand that have grabbed him had to be of an adult.

He was able to get his head outside and took a deep breath before that thing pulled him inside once again. Now with oxygen and his head a bit clearer, he searched inside his neoprene suit a dagger that he had gotten inside one of the long sleeves, taking it out as fast and as careful as he could. He flipped over himself and without a second thought, he stabbed the hand at his ankle as hard as he could. The hand seemed to loosen up a bit but grabbed him strongly. A few bubbles came up and Damian struggled not to scream. Inside the water, he barely saw a thing and he could only relied on his senses, so he went towards his feet, where the person or thing (whatever and whoever it was) had to be. Reaching down, he was able to find what it looked to be the chest of someone and fast, he stabbed there the dagger. Once. Twice. Three times and the hand grabbing him released his ankle.

Going up to the surface, he could see blood coming up from down there and he resisted the urge of throwing up. Getting his head out of the water, he took deep breaths and swam as fast as he could to the shore. When reaching it, he put his hands on the cold snow, didn't give a damn about the burned feeling he felt in his palms and got out of there as fast as possible.

"Well… you at least got out of the lake, so it's better than nothing. But, you could have done better, Damian" his mother told him, getting near him.

"Yes, mother. Forgive me, mother" Damian said, still on his knees in the snow.

Talia just hummed before throwing him a small towel and sighed.

"Come on. Let's go to the temple. We'll tell your grandfather" she just said.

He shook his head. It hadn't been not even that much but still… the remembrance of something grabbing and pulling him inside the water had stayed in his brain and it was hard to forget the feeling of the moment he sank. He could have pinpointed that staying calm in that situation had been tougher than hurting (or killing, he wasn't sure) that person. Maybe it had been the training he usually received from the League… However, that should have guaranteed him peace of mind by the time he had noticed that hand clinging to his ankle.

Reaching to the boat that could barely be seen, he shook his feelings and decided to concentrate on the mission ahead. After all, that was what he had trained for. His fears could wait one more day.

&&& One more to go and I'll finish with the requests of the FF person! Sorry for the delay, things have been crazy and the other story goes first soo... yeah, forgive me . Anyway, hope everyone has enjoy it and if anyone has any request, you can ask me on my tumblr (see my profile for this) or by private message and I'll post it in AO3 (mostly because it's easier there) ^^. Thank you everyone for giving favs and follows and I'll see you around :)

If you like Batman Comics and stuff, I have a story centered most of all on the Batfamily (Damian and Tim mostly) called "Twisted Turn". Go on and take a look! Have fun! &&&