Scene: League of Assassins Stronghold — Midnight
The fortress sleeps.
Or at least, it pretends to.
Hidden among jagged mountains, the stronghold is all stone, shadow, and silence—the kind that feels watched.
Damian moves through it like a ghost.
No hesitation. No wasted motion.
This is familiar ground.
Too familiar.
Guards fall quietly. Cameras go dark. Traps—noticed, avoided, dismantled.
He is efficient.
He is inevitable.
And he is absolutely prepared to retrieve a kidnapped civilian who, by all logic, should be injured, restrained, and terrified.
(…Or at least mildly concerned.)
Damian reaches the inner chamber.
Voices.
He freezes.
One is calm. Ancient. Controlled.
The other—
“…I’m just saying, if you’re going to do the whole immortal warlord thing, maybe workshop the branding a little? ‘Demon’s Head’ is intense. Like, maybe ease people into it?”
Damian’s eye twitches.
He knows that voice.
He pushes the door open—
Inside the Chamber
It looks less like a prison…
…and more like a study.
Low lighting. Shelves of ancient texts. A small table set with tea.
And seated across from each other like they’ve scheduled this?
Ra's al Ghul and Danny Fenton.
Danny is lounging.
Not tied up.
Not injured.
Not even slightly stressed.
He’s holding a teacup.
Wrong.
He’s holding it like it’s a soda can.
“…and another thing,” Danny continues, “you guys really lean into the whole dramatic stabbing thing. Like, is that in the employee handbook or—”
Ra’s raises a hand.
Danny stops mid-rant.
Not scared.
Just… polite.
Damian stands frozen in the doorway.
Processing.
Failing to process.
“…Fenton.”
Danny turns.
Brightens instantly.
“Oh hey! Damian!”
He waves.
Waves.
Like this is a cafeteria.
Not a League stronghold.
Not a hostage situation.
Not—this.
Damian’s gaze snaps to Ra’s.
“Grandfather,” he says, voice sharp, “explain why the hostage is… having tea.”
Ra’s regards him calmly.
“He is… an unusual guest.”
Danny leans in. “He means I didn’t stay kidnapped correctly.”
“I did not say that.”
“You implied it.”
“I did not imply—”
“You stabbed me three times.”
Damian’s head whips back to Danny.
“…What.”
Danny gestures vaguely. “It was a whole thing. Honestly, kind of repetitive.”
Ra’s studies Damian now.
“You came alone.”
“Of course.”
A flicker of approval.
Then—
“And yet you expected to retrieve him.”
Damian steps forward, chin lifting.
“I still will.”
Danny raises a hand.
“Quick question—before we escalate—are we, like, fighting fighting? Or is this one of those dramatic standoffs where everyone monologues first?”
Damian stares at him.
“…You are currently a captive.”
Danny looks down at himself.
Looks back up.
“…Am I, though?”
A beat.
No one answers that.
Ra’s sets his teacup down.
Deliberate.
Measured.
“You intrigue me, boy,” he says to Danny. “Your resilience. Your irreverence. Your… nature.”
Danny winces. “Yeah, about that, can we not do the cryptic ‘I know what you are’ thing? It never leads anywhere fun.”
Damian narrows his eyes.
“What. Are. You?”
Danny smiles.
Too easy.
Too casual.
“Alive, technically.”
“…That is not an answer.”
“Okay, dead, technically.”
Damian grips his sword.
Ra’s leans forward slightly.
Interested.
Danny sighs. “Look, it’s complicated, alright? Labels are hard.”
There’s a faint sound behind them.
A soft, unmistakable crunch.
Danny glances to the corner.
Grins.
“Oh, hey Vlad.”
Damian spins.
Nothing there.
Ra’s eyes flick—just slightly.
So he senses it too.
Invisible, smug beyond reason—
Vlad Masters
—is leaned against the wall, eating popcorn like this is premium entertainment.
Damian slowly turns back.
“…There is another presence.”
Danny nods. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. He’s annoying but mostly harmless.”
The popcorn crunches louder.
Ra’s speaks, quieter now.
“You are not human.”
Danny tilts his head.
“…I mean, I try.”
Damian exhales sharply.
This mission is unraveling.
Rapidly.
“Fenton,” he snaps, “we are leaving.”
Danny perks up. “Oh cool, yeah, I’ve been meaning to head out—this place has, like, zero Wi-Fi.”
Ra’s does not move.
“Do you believe I would allow that so easily?”
Danny considers.
“…I mean. You could?”
Silence.
Damian closes his eyes briefly.
Regains control.
“Grandfather,” he says, steel in his voice, “this is no longer a negotiation.”
Ra’s smiles faintly.
“On the contrary.”
His gaze shifts to Danny.
“It has only just begun.”
Danny looks between them.
Then raises his hand again.
“Counterpoint: what if it didn’t?”
Both assassins freeze.
Because for half a second—
Danny’s eyes flicker green.
Cold.
Ancient.
Not human at all.
The air drops.
Just a little.
Just enough.
Ra’s notices.
Of course he does.
And for the first time—
he smiles like he’s found something truly worth keeping.
Damian steps forward.
Instinct screaming.
“Fenton—”
Danny blinks.
The moment’s gone.
“Yeah?”
Back to normal.
Back to weirdly okay with everything.
Damian decides, instantly:
They are leaving.
Now.
Whether Fenton cooperates…
or not ? Readmore