Damian frowned as he watched everyone suit up, they were all so slow, especially considering the current case at hand.
Todd had made a clever decision, for once, and swiped a blood sample from the bathroom to try and see who their flexible foe may be.
Father was currently running the blood sample through the bat computer and police databases simultaneously to try and get a hit on who he may be legally registered as.
Last night, not even 2 hours after their infiltration, Grayson's old apartment had been broken into by 3 more talons. They had all watched as the 3 figures snuck around and placed their own cameras and audio devices around the apartment unit.
Unfortunately, many of their own cameras were found and discarded or covered with new technology. They only had about 1 camera in each room, 2 in the hallway, and 2 in the bathroom.
Damian knew better than to 4ely on his emotions and driving factors when a case was a hand and logic was required, but Grayson was involved. This unsettled Damian severely because even though he would never admit this weakness to anyone out loud, he desperately missed Grayson.
That loud mouth dark-haired, bright-eyed gymnast was the only one to welcome him with open arms when he was left with father. The others didn't like his mother didn't like the new competition or didn't like his harsh training styles. But Grayson never dropped his grin, always going off to the others about how they should get to know their new little brother better.
Grayson was the first one to suggest Damian find himself a hobby that benefitted no one but himself, and 2 weeks later he and Alfred were at Michael's shopping for paints and paper.
Grayson was the only one to suggest they watch Disney movies and Pixar so that Damian could add his favorite comedies and cartoons to the family movie bin. 1 month later Treasure Planet, Tarzan, and the Iron Giant were bought and added to the rotating selection for family movie night.
Damian wasn't blind to how much he lost independence and gained a dependence on Grayson. His emotional support, his smile, his attitude and stupid jokes, his effort….his everything.
He still remembered his one and only panic attack was the night Grayson died.
All the bats and half the justice league had scoured Gotham Bay and ocean for signs of Grayson's body with no luck. After 13 hours in the field batman had forced them all back to the cave. Alfred had tucked Drake in at the computer, forcefully sedated Todd, and forced Damian upstairs to his room. Despite the sleep deprivation, the moment Damian was alone it hit him. It hit him that he may never see his big brother again, his second dad, his closest friend.
Damian suddenly couldn't breathe and felt his lungs and chest grow hot. His throat and eyes started to ache but all the pain he was feeling was originating from inside. Looking back he would clinically describe it as internal bleeding on a spiritual level. His grandfather would have had him whipped and thrown into solitary for such a reaction.
"Come on brat" Todd called, Damian snapped his head up coming out of his darkening emotional headspace in an instant
Drake and Todd were waiting on their bikes by the cave exit. Staring at him.
Damian felt his cheeks head at their expecting stares and couldn't help but miss the way Grayson would have probably come up to him and asked if he was ready, using his name, not a stupid moniker.
"Tt" he got on his bike and slipped on his gloves before revving to show Todd he was ready.
Since Batman would be staying in tonight to monitor them and the blood results, They all raced out of the cave together.
"GPD reports last night showed there is higher gang activity and petty theft on l and F Street downtown right now" Tim's voice informed them.
"Lead the way replacement"
By the time they arrived, Gotham nightlife had quieted down some, they parked their bikes and hid them before taking to the rooftops and swiping out the streets never staring more than 5 minutes from each other.
Damian took a deep breath and pushed tonight's earlier thought to the back of his head. He was a Bat, heir to the al ghul line and current Robin. He would not allow himself to mope and make a mistake.
Damian checked his wrist, 12:01. They agreed to meet up by 12:30 and head back to the cave. Tonight had been incredibly busy, petty missing and theft, 2 gang meet-ups to be broken up and the usual arrests had left them all scrambling in different directions. Damian was hopeful Alfred would let him skip school tomorrow and sleep in, it was pointless anyway. He was far above high school math and stupid Kelly Marks, his ridiculous project partner.
Damian had no idea where the others were as they had split up to handle everything and just agreed to meet back at the bikes by 1230.
He pulled his grapple hook out, preparing to throw himself to the other side of the street and up some of the taller corporate buildings to get back to the meet-up point. He had barely gotten a firm grip on it when he heard a shift of rooftop gravel behind him and to his left. Damian froze and listened, most likely a bird or rat buuuut- the air left Damian suddenly as he was thrown forward onto the floor. His chest and face hit the gravel harshly. Not letting the shock or pain stun him too long, Damian rolled to his left and flipped to his feet. He pulled out his bo staff and that's when he saw him, Deathstroke.
The intimidating mercenary was leaning against the rooftop access door casually, one foot crossed over the other as his shoulder supported him. Deathstroke had his arms crossed and his head tilted as he watched Damian.
"You know, that was pretty sloppy there. Robin"
Damian clenched his teeth and extended his bo staff to the full 3 feet. "What do you want Slade" he spit out.
"Oh? Are we using names in the field now little D?" Slade mocked
Damian glared harder, not at all amused by Slade mocking Grayson's old pet name for him. The only nickname he had ever allowed.
"What do you want" he demanded again
Slade pushed himself away from the wall and slowly approached Damian. Damian straightened and tensed before frowning and trying to shake his muscles loose, Grayson always admonished him for being too tense, it would impact and hurt his muscles later on in life he said. The key was to be loose and prepared to respond to anything, tensing could only help lessen the impact he would definitely not dodge in time.
Slade saw his self-correction and huffed out a smirk behind his mask.
Slade circled Damian, looking him up and down. Damian countered, rotating to always keep Slade in view.
"Well," Slade finally said, "I can't say I'm surprised that once again, Robin doesn't live up to his namesake. Well at least the original's namesake"
Damian took a step back and kept his focus on Slade, "Are you just in town to mock me or are you setting up a hit?"
Slade stopped walking before facing Damian fully and loosely holding hands hands behind his back. "You know," he said, completely ignoring Damian "the first time I ever fought Richard, I pummeled him so hard he was bedridden for a week. The next time we met he broke my jaw."
Slade held a hand up to his orange-tinted mask as if fondly remembering the time a pre-teen had broken bones in his face.
Damian said nothing, continuing eye contact.
Slade sighed at the lack of response and continued, "He would never admit it but I know he would be disappointed in his mother's legacy turning out this way"
Damian felt his chest clench at those words and as much as he wanted to dent it. He felt shame that he might bring Grayson's parents anything but honor with Robin.
"The Bat decides to take Robin away from dick, that was a bad move, then Brucie smacks Richard in the face by adopting the next violent little hoodlum he can pluck off the streets. Todd may be an excellent fighter but that was a move I think really should've driven them apart. Then the big bad bat doesn't even wait a month for his second brat to die and picks up a new orphan. This one might been enough but his old fling comes into town with a blood-related child and boom, another Robin title stolen away." Slade tisked slowly and scornfully. "You bats are horribly toxic and unfaithful to those you call family. Richard's behavior wasn't healthy by any means but at least he was loyal until the end, am I right?"
Just then, Todd's voice came across on his comm. "Hey you little shit, it's 12:31 are you coming back or not?"
Damian and Slade froze watching each other. Slade tilted his head and appeared relaxed and he let Damian consider his next options.
Damian brought his hand up to his ear comm and slowly started to pull it out and suddenly rushed out, "Deathstroke has me cornered, track my loc-" Damian was cut off as Slade lunged for him.
Damian could vaguely make out Todd and Drake cussing on the other end before they cut off, most likely calling for help.
Damian lunged to the side, barely avoiding Deathstroke's long arms. Damian couldn't wait to grow up, being 5'9" when most of his enemies were 6 foot and taller made him despise his height.
Damian rolled before popping up and pointing his bo staff at Slade.
Slade snorted as if Damian said something vaguely funny before pulling out a gun from his thigh holster and pointing it at Damian.
Damian froze, his neck heating up. He knew Slade was fond of Grayson but would that make Slade go easy on him or would it encourage him to do the opposite out of jealousy?
Slade cocked the gun and pointed it down by a millimeter when suddenly he was launched sideways across the rooftop back to the other ledge. Todd dropped down into a roll and Drake grappled over the edge.
Todd glanced at Damian and must've determined he was unharmed because he turned to look at Deathstroke. He slanted his hips and put on his usual cocky tone of voice, "Hey there Slady poo! You didn't tell us you would be in town?"
Slade stood up fully before taking note of Tim behind Jason. "Ahhh the little detective protégé, Ra's sends his regards."
Tim turned red in the face but said nothing. Jason frowned at being ignored. "So what? Are we going catch up ooooooorr?"
Slade pulled a large hand-sized hunting knife out of his back and flipped it so the blade was pointing down his forearm instead of forward at Jason.
Jason smiled under his helmet and took out his gun pointing it at Slade, "Do I really have to remind you not to bring a sword to a gunfight?"
Slade sounded like he was smirking as well, " That's something your brother should have been reminded of, don't you think?"
Jason froze before his face contorted in fury. He didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger and unloading the whole clip at once into Slade. 1 missed but 4 made their home in his chest and shoulder.
No one said anything as Slade's chest started to drip blood. The dull pings and drips echoed around them. Then more followed, 1, 2, 3, 4 metallic pings sounded off as the bullets forced their way out of Slade and into the floor.
Slade watched them fall before looking back at the 3 Brothers anticlimatically.
"Fuck" Jason breathed.
Slade charged them, lunging for Jason but swiping far to the right for Damian.
Damian gasped and left backward, using a flip Grayson had taught him.
Tim threw a batarang at Slade, hitting him in the shoulder. Slade pulled it out and threw it back, hitting Tim in the upper arm and slicing him deep.
Jason tackled Slade by his middle, seeing as he was the bulkiest and tallest he usually resorted to close contact violence. He kept Slade down by the hips and elbowed him in the throat, Slade made a choking noise before pulling another knife from his arsenal and stabbing Jason in the thigh.
Jason howled and fell back onto his ass and scrambled backward, putting all his way on his other leg. Tim flipped over Jason and and swung his bo staff down on Slade's head, Slade countered holding up his forearms to block the swing like an x.
Damain slid under and kicked the backs up slade's knees forcing him to buckle forward.
Slade turned the fall into a roll, another move Grayson liked, and rolled into Tim's legs; Taking Tim down with a grunt. He punched him in the chest and throat, forcing Tim down from lack of air before sitting on his chest and zip-tying his ankles together.
Before Slade could tighten them fully, Damian jumped up and kicked Slade in the temple, his boot throwing Slade to the side. Jason made his way to his feet and threw 2 throwing knives at Deathstroke's legs, one hitting him in the calf. Slade cursed and ripped it out immediately, he threw it at Damian who dodged to the left away from Jason. The moment he looked away to lunge, Slade jumped after him, the bigger man's body easily pinning him. Slade leaned his knee on Damian's throat and pulled his arm up and away from his body, zip-tying him to a rusted steam pipe at the end of the building.
Damian struggled to breathe as Slade pushed off him and turned to face Todd head-on. Todd was limping and bleeding heavily but he had thrown his helmet to the side and now stood with 2 fully loaded guns facing Slade.
Slade calmly pulled out 1 gun and pointed it back.
"Hood" Drakes's strangled voice came from behind, " Don't. You're gonna get shot up"
Todd seemed to consider this and his aim wavered.
"What do you want" he spat at Slade.
Slade lowered his gun before turning and prowling forward towards Damian. Damian tensed as Slade knelt down next to him. Slade grabbed his jaw with one firm hand and pulled the ear comm out with the other.
He turned around, "Nothing much. Just to talk" he finally answered.
"Batman, did you catch all that?" Slade asked with a pleased grin.
"What do you want Deathstroke" fathers voice came over the earpiece loudly for everyone to hear.
"I just want to have a little chat is all. Your boys were very welcoming. Well. Most of your boys at least."
"Slade-" father began but Slade cut him off. "I hear you are having some avian trouble. An owl pecking up the wrong tree? Stop me if I'm incorrect" knowing he was spot on.
"What do you know" Batman demanded.
"You know" Slade intoned softly, "Richard was never this demanding. He had needs, yes every prodigy does, but entitled? Nooo that boy's self-worth was 6 feet under and far too buried to be as entitled as you and your sons" Slade's voice dropped the fake saccharine sweetness. "Now, what's going to happen is you are going to realize I have information you want. You are also going to realize that I have all 3 of your birds at my mercy, one even in denial about bleeding out, and then you are going to realize time is of the essence."
A beat went by before he continued," Don't bother worrying about the cave and your location….B"
Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at each other. In one letter Slade had let them know he knew their real names and the location of the cave. For how long, they were uncertain but B was a name Grayson and Jason had usually called Bruce as children.
The fact that Slade's fondness for Grayson always bordered on obsession was even more troubling now that severe facts about the Batclan were out in the air.
Batman responded, his voice firm and severe, "You will transport yourself separate from the others to the tarmac entrance. We will meet you there"
Slade smiled smugly before tossing the earpiece back at Damian, it bounced off his chest and fell to the ground. "What are you waiting for? Lead the way little birds"
By the time everyone made it back to the cave entrance, Slade was already waiting for them, a black sports bike waiting behind hip. Slade didn't bother to acknowledge them. Damian couldn't help but notice that Todd had gone out of his way to stay close to Damian, riding next to him on the way back and standing in front or to his side now. Even with his bad leg, bleeding and tied off, Todd expected some ridiculous alpha behavior out of himself.
Damian internally tsked at Todd's weakness and emotional reaction to a villain that was not even of the cruelest calabar. He would never admit it, but his heart clenched the way it used to when Dick would look over his superficial wounds to reassure Damian that a sprained wrist was just as bad as a broken leg because at the end of the day, Damian was hurt and that's all that mattered to Grayson.
"Don't sell yourself short little D" Dick smiled at him, "Not only is it smart to have all wounds double-checked, but just because your injuries aren't as bad as Bruce's does not mean you don't need to be looked at"
"Grayson, you are being ridiculous. It's like you are unable to appropriately measure the severity of wounds in a proportional manner. If someone is bleeding out, they deserve medical attention before someone with a papercut"
"You're right on that account Dami, but what I'm trying to explain is that I care about you, so when I know you're hurt I'm gonna check you over, no matter what. Got it?"
"..."
Tim stepped up beside them, and whispered, "Bruce put a few files away but just opened the cave up so we don't have to give Slade a remote opener"
Drake's voice snapped Damian out of his daydream and he nodded in response.
Todd had not stopped staring down Deathstroke since they all parked. Even though it did very little with his helmet on and his visor blacked out, Todd was most likely unable to control his anger at Deathstroke's presence. It was a slap in the face to them all that Deathstroke had killed their brother and was a free man.
When Todd said nothing, Drake sighed and looked to Deathstroke, "It's open, follow us"
All 3 of them got back on their bikes and rode in, hearing Slade's deeper engine roar to life right behind them. They all pulled up and purposefully parked much further than needed from the main area before walking to Bruce.
Batman had probably had Alfred help him cleanse most of the cave seeing as how every table and desktop was now bare. The monitors were black and the equipment and uniforms were stored away.
Slade turned his bike off and looked up, admiring the bats above them, "I always wondered if Nightwing was exaggerating about the bats"
Damian turned to Slade, "Do not even try to fool us with stories of Nightwing selling us out. We know he would never inform you of anything, much less anything important"
Slade crossed his arms, "You'd be surprised by your brother, kid. Nightwing wasn't some dummy you can throw your pent-up insults at every day. Besides, when Nightwing told me Batman let the bats stay in the Batcave, he was high off his birdbrain from a drug bust gone wrong. I always assumed he was referring to you brats"
Batman approached from the left, probably double-checking the talon hostages they had confined back there, "You are going to regret blackmailing me, Wilson"
Slade took off his helmet and propped it under his arm and over his hip. One white eyebrow lifted, "Really? Are we going straight to threats? You don't even wish to hear what information I may have on your elusive court?"
Now that Batman was present, all 3 brothers made their way over and stood across from Slade. No one said anything but it was blatantly obvious Slade was not fairing well. He had half of one eyebrow charred off. His face was littered with cuts and his Goatee still had dried blood flaking off the sides. Damian wondered if he had just gotten back from a contract or kill.
"You aren't looking too pretty old man" Jason joked with a straight face, obviously enjoying any probable pain Slade felt.
Slade grinned back a grim smile, "You have your wonderful owl avian friends to thank for this" he motioned to his torso.
"They attacked you? Why? Where?" Drake asked, not even bothering with the facade of anger and defense the rest were maintaining.
Slade glanced at Drake casually, "They wanted to know where I had taken Nightwing. Apparently, they want him back"
Back? Back? What? No. No! Damian's mind was whirling too fast for him to keep up. Why was the court dragging Slade into a hunt for his brother's body? Why was everyone convinced Grayson was alive? Why did Slade say they wanted him back? When had Grayson ever been with the court of owls? Father had already speculated they were after him as a child but that his adoption had disrupted the court killing his parents and taking him.
Everyone understood the severity of saying something to Slade that would give him an informational advantage. They stayed quiet, looking to Batman for the next step to proceed.
"Do they even know?" Slade asked gravely.
"Know what?" Drake asked.
"I swear to God Br- you better not have been keeping secrets again" Jason spat out, turning on Batman.
Batman sighed, "It's not a secret, I just confirmed it for myself about an hour ago"
Without saying anything, he approached the batcomputer and hunched over the desktop, typing in and bringing the screens to life.
The previous screens that were analyzing the bloody cloth were gone and instead, the screen just reported that a match had been found and completed.
Batman scrolled down the screen to the informational part of the results and Damian's knees buckled, he barely caught himself and locked his knees to stay standing. He vaguely heard Drake gasp and Todd start raising his voice. The edges of his vision started to blur and Damian wondered if this was his second panic attack.
The screen read, "Confirmed. Match 99.9% match for Richard John Grayson"