What started as a just a challenge to Damian quickly turned into an actual friendship.
He wasn’t planning on truly befriending Danny, Damian had learned not to call him Daniel after an accidental black eye incident. But here he was 6 months later going on a camping trip to go star gazing because Danny was obsessed with everything space.
Damian and Danny had recently had a discussion about Danny’s admissions essay when Tim did some digging out of curiosity and found it. Needless to say, after they all read that Damian was asked by the rest of his family to get further information about why Danny wrote that particular paper. (Jason was already planning what baked goods to gift Danny for that brilliant essay)
Turns out Danny had developed a fear of clowns after he was kidnapped and brainwashed by one that ran a circus that forced the brainwashed people to perform and steal things on the side. (Which was a doozy of a story for Damian to find out that his civilian friend had gone through that BEFORE moving to Gotham) At the very least Danny assured Damian that guy was arrested and still in jail.
Damian and his family were never able to dig up information about the incident but with Danny being from a small town and a minor they just wrote it off as there being only physical documents of the incident and Danny being redacted from anything in the larger system about the whole thing. Danny having also told Damian he only knew the guy’s stage name and not his real one. Which even that didn’t result in anything but still, a no where Midwest circus group not showing up online wasn’t to shocking, and since the situation was resolved already, even though they’d like to know more, Danny was a sweet kid and they didn’t want to dredge up anything that could cause him undue stress (plus Damian and Jason teamed together to force the rest to let it go under threat of blade, gun, and Jason not cooking for anyone for a year)
Fast forward back to the camping trip Damian and Danny were going on at one of Bruce’s private cabins. They’d plan to camp like normal with tents in the property and just use the cabin in case of an emergency.
Though Damian did lie to Danny about why he suggested they go on this trip. Bruce actually having been the one that suggested it after they’d found out all this about Danny and the Joker had escaped again and was possibly targeting kids with dark hair and blue eyes. So to be on the safe side Bruce brought it up to Damian, and while he hated seemingly being benched, he was concerned about Danny’s safety. And with Damian being a witness to Danny’s terrible luck agreed to keep him safe out of town and away from the danger.
Damian was actually surprised Danny’s guardian agreed to let them go camping on their own, clearly Bruce knew Damian would be fine but was ready to have Alfred go with them if Danny’s guardian requested an adult presence, but then he also claimed Danny was more than capable of handling himself and if Bruce was fine with them on their own he was too.
And so here they were in the middle of the woods just hanging out. Damian was somewhat surprised at how much fun he was having. The trip reminded him of the peace he’d sometimes find in the wilderness on his forced survival treks growing up, though this trip was nothing like those treks and he was actually able to enjoy being in nature and not worrying about surviving.
He expected this peaceful trip to pass without incident and go home with Danny in tow to a Joker free city.
But as he should have expected, the universe had other plans.
It was their fourth night on the trip and everything had been going as normal with the routine they’d already fallen into: wake up - eat - hike - go to the lake - swim/relax - fish - eat - hike again - and then start setting up for dinner and to turn in for the night.
Everything was going as normal, when while they were getting ready to head to bed there was a large explosion in the distance.
Both boy froze and looked at each other.
After taking a moment to process, Damian was on alert and reaching for his commutation device that would work in the middle of the woods, when Danny suddenly took off towards the sound with a yell of
Without a second thought Damian rushed after him, but quickly lost sight of Danny in the thick woods. He still charged forward in the direction of the explosion, cursing himself for not picking up the communicator before charging after Danny and hoping his friend wouldn’t do anything reckless until at least he got there.
After a few minutes he finally slowed on his approach to a clearing hoping Danny was at least hidden somewhere in the underbrush.
Damian’s heart dropped when he peered into the clearing.
Because there was Danny in all his 5’5” glory staring up at the seemingly leader of a small army of some type of extra-dimensional being if the swirling portal behind them was any indication.
Damian is running battle strategies in his head on how to grab Danny and book it back to the campsite long enough to grab the communicator and keep running with Danny, when he hears Danny speak to the leader
The leader looks down at Danny with a somewhat amused expression
“Oh? And who are you young one to demand me to go”
Damian is shocked at how calm Danny is, and while also impressed at his boldness, is quickly running out of any safe options he can think of to get Danny out of there, the Danny speaks again
“I’m technically your boss so if you could kindly *points to portal* fuck off back to where you came from, it’ll save you a whole lot of time and injuries”
That gave Damian pause, and while a part of him was still screaming at Danny “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!!”, his training kicked in to analyze the situation more, because Danny spoke with too much certainty that these beings had to listen to what he was demanding for it to be fully any type of ruse he was trying.
The leader of the group also took pause with what Danny said and was clearly analyzing him for any indication of why he spoke so confidently. When the leaders face abruptly fell and the color drained from his face and he got down and kneeled to Danny with an apology off his tongue faster than the initial explosion.
“I apologize High King for my insolence, I did not recognize you for a moment. I did not realize this dimension was under your protection! We will leave at once per your command and I will extend an official gift of apology once we have returned!”
Danny was just standing there with his arms crossed unbothered by the whole interaction with only a reply of
“Per my official orders, as you should be well aware of, any and all concerning of other dimensions is strictly forbidden under my rule. Go now and return, be prepared to explain yourself in court, and do not think of running, I know you now and there will be nowhere in all of existence I will not be able to find you”
Damian watches and the army quickly flees - the portal vanishes - and it’s quiet as if none of that ever happened.
Only when Danny starts to turn around back in the direction of their campsite does Damian show himself.
“Oh uuuuuhhhh…hiiiii Damian..uh fancy seeing you….here…”
“….Danny care to explain what that was?”
And for the next 3 days Damian gets the whole spiel of Danny’s whole story and learning not only is his one normal civilian friend the furthest thing from that. But Damian learns he somehow befriended probably the most powerful entity in the entirety of existence.
Damian decides that it’s only fair Danny the know he’s Robin and the real reason they went on the trip. Which Danny is touched by his concern. And Damian also asks if he can at least tell his family since they are good at keeping secrets, which Danny does agree to.
When they finally return home Damian announces to his family that he did loose the challenge actually but now he has a powerful ally forged through the bonds of friendship and then proceeded to tell them everything that happened the just walks away.
The rest of family tried to bombard him for more information but he just runs off saying him and Danny were meeting up to hang out later.
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