Sorry this took me awhile. I've been really busy.
L.L.A.P
~Laces
Chpt.31
While people were sprinting out of the building, struggling to get people who were hooked to I.V's, giving birth, and in emergency surgery, out of the building. During people's mass panic, Livy and Damian kept themselves calm and searched for the bomb throughout the building.
"Found it." Livy whispered. She found it in the basement, inside a small airshaft. "I hate him." she growled.
"Talking about me?" Damian inquired, walking up behind Livy.
"Do I hate you? Yes. But I was referring to Joker." Livy informed, glaring at him. "I found the bomb. It's in there." She stated, pointing to the airshaft.
Damian knelt and tried to fit himself into the airshaft, but frowned. He couldn't fit.
Livy pushed him out of the way, and then took in a deep breath, crawling into the shaft and grabbing the bomb.
"Pull me out!" Livy exclaimed, already panicking as she felt like the walls were closing in on her.
"I don't know if I should since you hate me."
"DAMMIT DAMIAN!" Livy shouted, however, Damian quickly grabbed her feet and pulled Livy out of the airshaft. He knew that he wouldn't be able to keep her in the airshaft for long. She most likely would have hyperventilated if he didn't help her.
Livy shook a bit when she was brought out, then handed the bomb over to Damian.
"So what is this? Is this a 'pull the blue wire' situation, or what?" Livy questioned as Damian examined the bomb.
"It is not that simple, but I should be able to diffuse it." Damian informed, and Livy rolled her eyes.
"Should. Yeah, that's comforting."
"It's better than being completely clueless." Damian retorted, then went to work on the bomb.
Livy held her breath as she watched Damian skillfully tinker with the bomb. They only had two hours left to get it right, since it took them four hours to locate the bomb.
However, Damian prided himself in being the son of Batman for many reason. One of these reasons include sharp intelligence, which helped him quickly diffuse the bomb.
"I deactivated it." Damian stated with a sigh, and Livy let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding.
Damian pulled out his cell phone and called Dick.
"Grayson, are all the building empty?"
"Pretty much. Bruce and I found the bomb at the Children's hospital. Commissioner Gordon and Tim was able to find the bomb at Gotham P.D, and some college student was able to disable the bomb on her own at Gotham U. Her name was Stephanie… something. It was a color. Stephanie Black? No that's not it…"
"Grayson, I don't care about the girl's name." Damian said with impatience heavy in his voice. Dick apologized,
"Sorry. Anyway, did the two of you manage to diffuse the bomb where you are?"
"Tt, of course I was able to." Damian sneered.
"Good job. Bruce wants all of us to rendezvous back to the cave. Bring Livy with you since the cat's out of the bag with Joker. We wouldn't want her going after him."
"Understood." Damian nodded, then hung up the phone. Glancing over at Livy, he noticed that she still looked furious.
"We have to go back to the Manor." Damian stated, but Livy shook her head.
"No. I'm going to make sure Lancy's alright. Then I'm going to find Joker." Livy informed as she brushed past Damian.
Damian spun around and gripped Livy's arm tightly, then pulled her towards him.
"That was not an option. We are going back to the Manor. End of debate."
"I hate you." Livy whispered, but followed Damian out of the building and to the Manor. It was obvious by her angered face that she didn't want to go with him, but she felt like she didn't have much of a choice.
While walking, the two teens were completely silent. Damian often looked over at Livy, frowning at the sight of the bruise forming on her cheek that his hand caused.
He wanted to apologize, but he knew that this was not the right moment to do so. Her words to him echoed in his mind.
I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. Damian shook his head. But I don't hate you, Livy. I could never hate you.
~*~*~*~*~At the Batcave~*~*~*~*~
Tapping her foot anxiously, Livy stood next to Damian, listening as Bruce talked about Joker and how they were going to catch him.
To Livy's dismay (but not surprise), Bruce mentioned that the girl would be staying in the Manor with Alfred.
"No." Livy stated, crossing her arms.
"What?" Bruce questioned, not used to anyone saying 'No' to him.
"No. I won't stay here. I'm going to find Joker before any of you do, and then I'll kill him. You can't keep me here."
"You will stay here. It's not safe for you to see him. you'll be rash, make poor choices, and then he'll kill you." Bruce said in his cold voice.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Livy informed. "I will find him and then kill him as slowly and painfully as I know how. I know you won't have the balls to do it."
Bruce's face darkened.
"I don't want to have to force you to stay here, but I will if I have to." Livy rolled her eyes at the man's statement.
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"
"I will handcuff you to a chair and lock you in a closet to keep you from following."
Livy's eyes flickered with fear for a moment, but her face hardened again. Damian knew that she wasn't going to easily give up a chance to find Joker and get revenge. Even if that meant being possibly locked into a closet, which would end very badly on her part due to her claustrophobia.
"I will stay here with her and make sure that she doesn't leave, Father." Damian stated.
"You won't be able to stop me." Livy grumbled.
"You doubt my skills?"
"Yes, I do." Livy nodded, but Bruce stated,
"But I don't."
With that, everything was settled. While Bruce, Dick, and Tim went after Joker, Livy and Damian would remain in the Manor.
"I'll get out." Livy whispered once she and Damian were settled in the living room and everyone else was gone.
"I won't let you. Now, would you like some paper and a pencil. I remember how you like to draw and it will be a way to pass the time." Damian informed.
Livy slowly nodded, and Damian gave her some loose leaf paper and some pencils while Damian had his own sketchbook out.
"You have a sketch book?" Livy questioned, somewhat shocked that the violent boy showed a passion for art.
"Tt. Of course I do."
The two drew in silence. Livy's mind was going every which way, trying to think how to get out of the Manor, while Damian's eyes were on her, sketching her body and making sure she wasn't trying to escape.
Damian finished her body and face in his sketch and started to shade in her skin to show her darker complexion. He then started to fill in the darker area of her cheek where he had hit her.
I'm sorry. he thought. I am so very sorry. Damian wanted to tell her, but he felt like she would brush off the words at the moment. Once again, it wasn't the right time.
While Damian was drawing Livy, she was drawing him. Her original thought was that she was going to draw him with devil horns and fire all around, but after drawling his body, she couldn't bring herself to draw the horns and fire.
Her mind wandered away from escape plans and to Damian.
He offered to look after me instead of letting me be locked in a closet. Does that show that he cares? She wondered as she brought her hand up to her face. However, she winced when her hand touched her bruised cheek.
That was meant for Lancy. How could he? She didn't do anything to him. She only told him what I wanted to. I told him to leave me alone and she was right. I meant it. He didn't have to try to hit her. She was just being a good friend. Livy's mind flashed back to the ordeal. Why did he act so upset anyway?
Damian noticed the confused and somewhat hurt face Livy had as she stopped drawing, and her hand rested on the bruise.
He left the room but was quickly back with an icepack.
He knelt in front of Livy and grasped her hand, moving it away from her cheek. He then gently rested the ice pack on her cheek.
"I'm sorry." Livy whispered, confusing Damian.
I'm the one who should be sorry, not you. He thought.
"I don't hate you."
Those words made Damian want to kiss her, however, he was silent and continued to hold the ice pack to her cheek as he grasped her hand.