After the proper introductions, Damian asked for his name to stay just between him and father, he didn't know why he wanted that, but it didn't seem like father minded the secrecy.
Then the tests began. Father quizzed him on thing that only a Robin could know, little things about the uniforms, the car, the cave, the manor, even some questions about Pennyworth, nothing Damian couldn't answer and it seemed to appease the man. After that, Damian told the whole story about how he came to be there, that part left father frowning in concentration.
"We should continue in the morning. I think both of us need to rest."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's get you settled in."
They found Grayson standing guard on the hallway next to Drake's door. "Is this where we kill him and throw the body in the river?"
"Not quite, Jane. Robin is staying with us for the time being."
Grayson arched an eyebrow, the muscles of her crossed arms tensing, not bothering to look at Damian "Oh really? And where exactly is he gonna sleep?"
"I have my own room in this house, as far as I can tell none of you is occupying it."
"I don't think he should stay here, Bruce. We don't even know who he is."
"I'm right here, Grayson" Damian said slowly, through clenched teeth "And if I wanted to harm you, I would've done so by now."
"Is that a threat?" Grayson asked trying to stare him down, even when Damian was just as tall – if not taller – as she was.
"No, it's just fact."
Her face scrunched up and her head tilted slightly to the side, in the poor light, it could easily be Dick Grayson with a wig "How old are you?"
Of all the questions… "What?"
"Diana's right. You kinda look like a boy, but you talk like… weird."
"I'm glad to see you kids getting along, but I have an early morning tomorrow. So I'll leave you to it." Father said lightly, that tiny smile gracing his lips and Damian felt a shiver through his spine.
"Thanks a lot, Bruce! You're so helpful." Grayson snarked with no heat to it and turned back to Damian "Fine, kid… Where's 'your' bedroom?" she asked, air quotes and all.
"Don't call me that." Damian led the way, not bothering to check if Grayson was following, he knew she was.
"Call you what? Kid? First of, you are a kid. Second, a nameless kid. What should I call you then?"
"Call me… Robin." he said softly, opening the door to find his room barren, not that it had many trinkets as it were, but now it felt like the first time he was sent to the manor.
"No can do, kiddo. You're not Robin." Grayson let herself fall seated on the bed "That's Sammy."
"Sammy? Oh. You mean Drake."
"Why do you keep calling us by our last names?"
"It's what I've always called you."
"Wait, what? You mean I know you?"
Damian ran a hand through his face, suddenly exhausted. "Not you, another version of you, can we talk in the morning?"
"It is morning." she said, awfully chipper.
"Grayson…" he began tiredly, but stopped when he realized she was smiling "You are just as annoying as ever, I see."
"So what is this?" she dragged her legs up, sitting Indian style "Did you like… Come from another world?"
"I have yet to figure out exactly what happened, but I suppose so, yes."
"And are we friends there?"
Damian's whole face scrunched up in confusion and he took off his gauntlets as the words formed slowly "I guess…"
"So I like you?"
"Is that a trick question?"
"Look, Robin." her smile was still in place, but her voice changed, Damian figured it was her Nightwing voice "Bruce might've okayed you, but I didn't. You're staying the night, or what's left of it, in the same house as my sisters, and if I even think you're trying to hurt them, I will end you. Not kill you, end you. And if you are who you say you are, you know death is not the worst it could happen."
Damian prouded himself with his quick thinking, but the words just stumbled out before he had time to consider them "Your sisters?"
Her mouth twitched "Yeah, dumbass, my sisters. Diana and Samantha."
Todd and Drake. That made sense. "Oh." His head hurt.
"I thought you said you knew me. You even know our résumé, how the hell did you miss the fact that we're sisters?"
"I didn't. Things are different where I come from."
"We're not sisters?" she sounded upset.
"No." he replied taking his cape off.
"What are we?"
"Brothers. And Todd's somewhat… distant."
"Huh. Who knew?" she shrugged it off surprisingly quick "Anyway… You heard me. Forewarned is-"
"Forearmed. Yes, I know."
"All right then." she said, getting up and heading to the door "We'll keep talking in the morning."
"It is morning." Damian mocked mimicking her voice almost perfectly. Puberty made it harder on him to impersonate voices, with his own so out of control, but he was getting the hang of it again.
Grayson stopped and shivered "That was so creepy."
Damian smirked and turned to the bed, but Grayson just stood on the doorway.
"Hey, you're hurt."
"What?"
"Your back is bleeding."
Looking over his shoulder, Damian saw the spot colored in a darker red then the rest of his tunic. "It's nothing, I'll handle it."
"Yeah, now I see it." Grayson commented, rolling her eyes "You really are family." and left.
Damian took off his tunic slowly, now very aware of his battered muscles and the wound on his back, it wasn't big, but it was bleeding, probably after reopening during the last few minutes.
Sighing, he sat on the bed, rubbing a hand through his face and wondered what was happening back home, if father had already figured out his disappearance was related to the prototype they were investigating or if they all just assumed he was dead.
He wondered what happened here that made Todd reconcile with the family enough to move back in.
He wondered why this Bruce Wayne seemed to smile more.
He wanted to wonder about a lot more, but was interrupted by a bundle of flying clothes hitting his face.
"Change your pants and lay on your stomach" Grayson ordered seriously, but the Superman nightgown compromised the effect "I can't bandage you in your leggings; I'll stare at your ass."
Damian was gaping a little, he knew that, but if took him some effort to snap his mouth shut, the force of it made his teeth click.
"And that was a joke." she gave a long low whistle, leaning on the dresser, going through a first aid kit she'd brought with her "Tough crowd."
"I don't need any help, Grayson, it's just a scratch."
"Shut up and lie down."
Moved by years of conditioning – of simply being accustomed to listen to Grayson – Damian almost did as he was told, but managed to stop himself just in time. "Why are you doing this?"
"You're hurt." she said it slowly, like he injured his head, not his back.
"I am aware of that." he answered in the same tone, fingers gripping the bedspread to keep his voice in check "But you don't even know me. And you've just made it fairly clear that you do not like me, so I'll go back to my initial question: why?"
"It's my ADHD, I get really pissed one second, the next I see something shiny and that's that." she gave him a brilliant smile "Don't worry, if I see you screwing up, we'll get back to that and I'll wipe the floor with you. Otherwise, you're pretty shiny, you know?"
"Do you ever think before you speak?" Damian was slightly appalled and so bone tired he couldn't even try to disguise it.
"I try not to," she said lightly, her twirling finger telling him to turn around "it gets in the way of being awesome."
He shot her one last dirty look, before remembering that his mask blew the effect, and ended up complying. He leaned his head on the crook of his arm and held back a yawn.
Grayson's hands were as gentle as ever, but softer, she hummed and winced in sympathy while she worked. It grated him, but he refrained from moving; the more he cooperated, the sooner she'd leave.
"All done."
He sat up stiffly, though it wasn't obvious, still Grayson's eyes were on him.
They stood like that for an awkward moment, Grayson still with one knee on the mattress, Damian leaning his elbows on his thighs. Was he supposed to say something?
"Uh… That will be all, Grayson." he didn't stammer, but his tone was clipped "You may go now."
Her eyebrows grew close "I know you said we were friends, but I think you might be lying."
"And why is that?" he asked just because it seemed to be what she wanted, at that point, he couldn't care less.
"I'm not supposed to wanna deck my friends."
"I grew on you."
She snorted "Right."
The next day started messily. Damian was always in control, if not of the circumstances, at least of himself, his body. Even when he slept, he made sure know his surroundings; he didn't expect to rest completely, just enough to function properly the next day.
During his years living with father, that control was adjusted, since he was able to identify the sound of his family's steps, the noise – or lack thereof – they made, the speed, their weight; each one of them had a particular walk, like a fingerprint. Knowing that – along with the fact that no one would harm him, not intentionally at least – his guards dropped slightly. It didn't make him weak, just… adaptable.
However, here, things were different. His conscious mind new he was somewhat safe, after all, father had promised safe haven. Not in so many words, yet Damian felt unconcerned.
But there were new steps, ones he didn't know, and instinct kicked in before he was fully awake. Luckily, Damian was conscious enough to make it a warning shot – or two – it still was enough to elicit an unnecessary loud shriek from the girl, but otherwise she was unharmed, whoever that one was.
Damian sighed and swung his legs off the bed before scrutinizing his handy work. Two blades were etched to the doorframe at what he fairly certain was the girl's eyelevel, he gave himself an appreciative nod and stood.
The clothes Grayson had supplied him with were hardly presentable – the t-shirt was stretched across his chest, barely covering his navel and though the pants were an appropriate length, they were a bit too tight on the hips – but it was either that or his uniform, and it broad daylight, the latter wasn't an option.
It made him wonder where Grayson got the clothes from, they didn't look like they belonged to a girl. At least he hoped not, this situation was humiliating enough as it was.
His bare feet padded their way to the kitchen, where he found all three girls. Grayson had headphones on – plugged to the biggest MP3 player Damian had ever seen – and was braiding Todd's hair, not seeming to notice how extremely bored the criminal looked even as she stuffed spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth.
Drake on the other hand sat stiffly, hand clawed around a glass of milk, staring intently at Damian, who narrowed his eyes. The mystery as to who was spying on him in his sleep was uncovered. Not that it was much of a surprise, Drake did have a record.
"Why were you in my bedroom?" he asked, his naturally clipped tone drawing Todd's smirking eyes.
"Well, Samantha" she drawled licking her spoon "Spying on the new kid, are you? You little whore."
"What?" Grayson asked loudly over the music blasting on the headphones, still busy with Todd's hairdo.
Todd just waved her off and watched Drake squirm for an instant before she could collect herself and answer all no nonsense "I was just calling him down for breakfast, he was the one who threw two freaking knives at me!"
"Knife play? Already?" Todd's eyebrows shot up "You kids these days..."
"What the hell are you three talking about?" Grayson pushed the phones down around her neck.
"Go on…" Todd goaded, around a mouthful of cereal "Tell her." when no one spoke, she continued with an eye roll "Stalker Sammy broke into our guest's room to take a peek of his ass. Unfortunately for her, he is not an enabler of her disgusting habits, unlike you, so he tossed a few pointy things on her general direction. Now you are all ruining my perfectly good breakfast by arguing over it."
"You threw pointy things at her?" Grayson echoed Todd's words unable to disguise her amusement.
"You broke in to stare at my ass?" Damian deflected, questioning Drake instead.
He didn't really expect it to work, back home everyone rather drill him with the questions and the hard stares, but Grayson's head snapped to Drake and Todd simply smirked.
Damian took the chance to serve himself a cup of tea.
"Sam…" Grayson began sternly.
"I was calling him for breakfast!" Drake nearly shrieked, horrified "I swear to God! Why would I be spying?"
Todd let her spoon drop to the bowl dramatically. "How did you become Robin again?"
"You guys are such bullies!"
Alfred chose that moment to walk in, effectively killing the whole argument. If the butler was surprised to see Damian, he didn't show in the least.
"Master Robin" he said instead "Would you please refrain yourself from using any sort of workwear during daylight hours?" the question was poised with a familiar demanding tone, and Damian stared wistfully at the man for a second.
"Yeah, why is that?" Grayson asked, leaning on the table, elbowing Todd's bowl to the side "You know all of us, you seem to trust us." when Todd snorted, she added "To a point. So why the mask?"
"He slept in it too, you know." Drake supplied helpfully eyes fixed on her glass and Damian wished his warning shots earlier had nicked her ear or something.
"I believe Master Robin is entitled to some privacy, isn't he, girls?" Alfred didn't even have to turn from his position by the sink to make them all look abashed.
"Yeah, you two made me lose my appetite. Thanks a lot." Todd complained standing up and shoving Grayson with the motion.
Drake peered into the bowl "But you ate it all."
"Nice detective work!" Todd called over her shoulder before leaving.
Damian finished his tea, placed the cup silently on the table and stood as well "Thank you, Pennyworth" he said solemnly and realizing only after he left the kitchen that he had absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to be.
He thought about going back to his room, but then what?
"Don't let them get to you" Todd told him as she breezed by "Jane came from the circus, they have no clue of personal space whatsoever there. And Sam… She's just weird."
Damian only nodded in response, eyes traveling up and down Todd's body, trying to decide how much she had in common with her counterpart in his world. He found nothing.
Nothing helpful, that is. She did remind him of Todd, they could be twins, both with pale skin, dark hair – though the true color of Todd's hair remained a mystery to him – with a white streak, teal eyes… She was obviously a lot leaner, a woman with Todd's build would've been kind of terrifying, but still tall, maybe even having a couple of inches on Damian himself, he wasn't sure.
She stopped and glanced at Damian over her shoulder "Wanna spar?"
And then Damian realized, with no little disgust, what women had been fawning over since he could remember. He was aware that his siblings were attractive men, but only on principle, like he knew he was attractive, or mother and father. It was common knowledge and he simply accepted that, not bothering to look into it.
But now he got it. Todd, this Todd, was beautiful. And it freaked him out almost as much as father's smiles the night before.
Suddenly, if he didn't hit something he'd explode, and the answer ripped itself out of his mouth "Yes."
A/N.: Hey you guys! Thanks for the feedback hope you like this one too!
I think I'm making the girls a little too crazy, but it's too funny to stop, but tell me if it sucks and I'll tone it down