welcome to my page, I am WeDragons and I hope you enjoy your time here. I write stories when I am asked (Pushed by friends who don't want to write their own fanfiction) or when I'm in the mood. You can also ask yourself if you would like to request something. Have a great day and thank you for visiting.
The boy looks at me incredulously, as if he didn't believe a word from my mouth.
"You mean to tell me that the people who ran that dinky place you live in claim to be your family? Not only that, they are shape-shifting fairies from your dimension who want to take you with them and make you a member of royal court. Y/N I think that maybe you've been reading too much fan fiction and it's begun to blur your perception of reality and people."
"I'm not lying! it was so cold and impossible. Do you think I would hide in a closet and shake like a leaf for fun?"
"Well you've done weirder things-"
"This not a Joke!" I slam my hands on the table, shaking some of the cups full of pomegranate juice. My nerves are on end feeling for anything wrong, working over time. The bloody sigils glowing in where something was pushing against it. "I knew it was too quiet. It was too perfect. I know this sounds weird and delusional. If you still feel like something I said sounds wrong we can go back to the place in the morning. But it's too much right now, I-I just need to calm down." I slump over the table shaking, tears prickling my eyes. Something, I assume his chair, scrapes against the floor, and his hand rubs at my back.
"I'm sorry, I'll tell the others we are here, and ask them not to bother us. I imagine they'll want to know why." His voice is soft and firm.
I shake my head vigorously, I turn my body to hug him watching the marks on the walls. Something still pressing against it. "Ask them if they go out from now on, wear something Iron, one article of clothing inside out, and some of the blackberry stalks from Alfred's garden."
I had dealt with fairies in the past, one of my caretakers and mentors was a High fae of his world as well. His name was Enlil, an old man who had lost his people and his family to a plague that rotted people of magic from the inside. Enlil took good care of me while evading the Crow. The world he was on failed him and he sent me here. Time was odd there, but he taught me all he could. These sigils are his work, they just don't hold against the Crow.
I let my arms move from his side and open a small pocket, pulling out an iron bracelet. The bracelet had some things fae are repulsed by, marked with symbols, and cursed to those who would harm the wearer. I place it in his hands.
"I want you to wear this, I made it just in case something would happen to my brother. But I see that this might be more difficult than I had originally planned. It won't work on me, I made to many mistakes in the spell carving. But it will on anyone else. It should keep you safe from the....things outside."
He raises a brow but puts the iron thing on.
"I didn't take you for a superstitious person."
"I am a cautious person."
I look out the window. I see, no, feel something, move past it a shiver runs up and down my spine. When I turn around again, he is gone. I sit down on the ground. I hear whispers all around me.
"Y/N~Join us~"
The voice is raspy and quiet, as if directly in my ear to scold me. I stay on the floor contemplating. I can't hear the world around me. Just these voices. So many voices. I can't hear Nightmare. I can't feel the boys. The world around me feels blank. Just the voices. The ones who can't reach me but they know where I am. I feel like I'm back on the ship, again. I want not to exist again. I can't speak my body hurts. I'd rather fight the Crows again. I hate It here.
I hate fairies.
I claw at my face. Anything, to drag myself from this. I feel something cold run down my face. No pain, but I gather that its blood on the floor. I try to move, but my hand slips on the ground at first. I manage to get up again. I force myself to a window and watch the world. I forgo my usual perception of the world and let myself see the world in between.
I blink and frog eyes stare back at me. I jolt back. A twisting grin flashes at me showing sharp teeth caked in blood. A shiver runs down my spine.
"HelLo PriNClinG."
I hold myself, fingers digging into my upper arms.
"Leave me alone!"
The creature cocks his head.
"LeAvE?" It laughs blinking his eyes one at a time.
"Shut up and go away!" I sob, screaming at the window. I want Nightmare, I want my friends, I want my tea.
"hOW UnCoUth WHAT evEr SHouLd i do? the PriNCeliNG is a mESs. NoT LIke olD prinCE, OnLY smiLeD oNce iN 500 yEaRs." It claws at the glass. "OLd pRInCe likeD wAr AnD blOod, neW PRINCe MOM MADe olD pRINce sofT. DOn't LikE IT."
You could kill him.
My spine straightens, and I drop my hands from my arms.
"Yeah, I can do that. Can't I?"
Then what are you waiting for? My permission?
The beast looks confused at me, frowning.
"PRIncEliNg doEsN'T loOK lIKe PrINcelING."
Kill him now.
I pull out a dagger from my pocket portal.
Bleed him
I step closer to the window eyes meeting the creature.
Cut him open
I raise an arm holding a dagger.
Ha ha!
What am I doing? My arm shakes and the creature laughs at me. My blood boils. Something in me wants to kill this thing I feel it in my body.
Come on Y/N, what's his life to you? This thing doesn't even like you, right? Just give in. Let me take a turn. When have you ever been so weak? Get a move on.
"Shut up! Shut up!! SHUT UP!!!" I throw down the knife. "Get out of my head! I don't need you! I won't kill this thing. I don't care! Mom-"
Mom is dead! Dad is Dead! Want revenge just a little you god fucking idiot! Why not release some of your anger, your frustration? Kill him. Kill him now!
Something appears in the window, no I do, I'm in the glass. A gold-eyed version of me. Choking the creature.
"W-WHat?"
You should take notes Y/N, this is what you should be doing to those who wrong you.
The quietness of the world still scared me. All the mediocre patrols, all the calm nights. They were too peaceful given my circumstances. As my birthday closed the fear of this nothing only terrified me more. Nightmare, despite a telepathic and emotional connection, didn't seem to worry the same way. Even when I sent him out to do his own patrol in the veil. Nothing. Nothing was not a normal behavior of the Crow, nothing was not natural. Something tore into my core. A sort of despair I haven't felt since the trial of my parent's murder, my aunt not caught and danger still relevant. When I'm at school l Look over my shoulder so much I cause concern. I falter over my steps, constantly on guard. I know something isn't right. After all. The fate of the crows rests in the hands of my survival. And there is nowhere left to run. Not for me.
"What are you thinking so hard about dear?" Martha's voice pulls out of my head I turn to her almost shocked. "You've done nothing but polish silverware since that boy left with his brother. In fact, you've been doing it so much when your friends are gone. I'm sure they've begun emitting their own light." She puts a hand on my shoulder and leads my hands down, putting the silverware and polishing supplies away. "I think you should take a small break. You need it." I'm dragged to one of the tables set to the side for workers.
"Mrs. Martha, It's nothing really! I just felt they needed a good clean is all." Martha pushes me in a seat, and starts pouring one of the chamomile teas we have, and puts it in front of me. I attempt to get up and she shoots me a glare.
"You get up from that seat and I'll have Glen cancel your contract with us young lady." Sighing I sit back down and take a sip of the tea.
"I'm sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind recently."
"You're thinking about home again, right?"
"Something like that, It's just..." Pausing I turn the tea cup in my hands feeling the warmth heat my fingers. "So many nice things have been happening lately. I can't help but feel like I'm only in the eye of the storm."
"Do you really think that's where you are? The eye? Have you not left the storm, my dear?" A sadness hits her voice.
"No, what scares me more is that if this isn't the eye, then it's the calm before something worse."
She nods placing a hand on my wrist.
"And I'm sure not hearing about your family only makes that feeling fester. After all, you've been running for a long time haven't you?"
My eyes stare down at the ripples forming at the movements of the shop. I look back at all the people who had tried to help me in the past. Sheltered me. Fought. It weighs on me. I haven't felt so heavy in a long time. grip the cup tightly but not enough to break it.
"Yeah, nowhere is safe when a dangerous psychopath is after you. The government can only do so much I suppose."
"Yes, too bad the Faerie couldn't help you quite yet. 17 is a tight number you know! especially when you started lying about your birthday. Very clever of you to use your power to alter the knowledge of your birthday to the day you leave. But that magic was ours to spell with you can't influence us."
My blood freezes, and shakily I look at the old woman. The world seems to tear in front of me again. The slight tug I had been ignoring about these people aches urgently. I feel magic, old magic. Something I hadn't felt since the time I met with the Fay court. My body immediately adjusts not fighting the thought anymore. The old woman didn't look so kind her features became sharp, and the sense of calm I felt around her was replaced with warning. She looked younger despite her hair remaining white. I feel sick.
Her hand still remains soft around my wrist, her face still smiling.
"Your mother was a dear friend of mine. She spoke of you often. I was supposed to take care of you in the land of the Fay but your stunt in court, though understandable, made that difficult. I did Try to collect your brother, but your uncle and your pesky group made that too difficult. Your friends and family hid them well. Im really sorry that I couldn't be there to save you from the crow. I can't physically enter their relm. However me and Glen have been trying desperatly to make sure they don't break that barriar around this particular planet. It was so hard to get the Council to accept our agreement with your mother. But how could they say no to a binding deal."
I don't look but I feel the world freeze around me. Only one figure moves It was Glen, but not Glen. He pulls up a seat next to his wive. I stare at the hand that is too slender and elegant for a human. When he speaks he sounds so different and odd.
"All we had to do for them was capture your aunt and put her in the Plains. If she was only hard to find. All itterations of her were wicked and foul. She was so changed, she was half way to becoming a Crow herself. They way her flesh was torn-"
"My dear, she doesn't need to know the details."
I feel like static fills my brain, my body trembles and shakes when I finally look up the creatures both smile at me. I've never been able to accurately read the Fairy. My powers want so bad to learn about what makes them like that. Powerful and ethereal. I have to pull myself back fast.
"Why?"
They both increase their smile, it seems impossible. But they smile so widely I feel like their faces would break, but it looks like they could smile more.
"We loved your mother, she married our son after all."
"My father's parents were people from the Mediterranean! I met them, Don't-"
Their faces reform again taking on the those of my father's parents. I feel my breath catch in my mouth. I cant help but heave. Fairies can't completely match a person's appearance so I know it's them. My grandmother's mouth moves but all I can hear is the sound of the fairy's voice.
"With your...Birthday...coming soon. We think it's finally time to actually take you with us to Avalon. was such a rebellious child. To choose a human wife and to have mortal children when he could have raised you and your brother with us. Preparing the wild hunt, and teaching you the mischief of our blood in the trees!"
"What-who are you?"
"Who else would I be my dear? I am your grandmother Mab, Queen of the Winter Court. Your father was crowned prince of the fall court. And this is your grandfather, Oberon. Dashing is he not?"
Glen, no, Oberon takes his hands in mine and kneels down below me.
"Your to come with us to live your life in our lands You will take your father's place and become the Crowned princess of the Fay Wilds. You'll not only rule the court of autumn, you'll be the heir to all the courts. Guaranteed safety within our realm. Forever."
"NO!"
I push myself away and off the chair. I run to my apartment slamming every sigil I ever learned on the door to my home.
"Nightmare! Nightmare! If you can hear me stay in whatever ever in between you in!"
I lock all my windows and doors and lock myself in my closet. The whole place smells like magic, it overwhelms my senses. I feel so sick.
Stay quiet Y/N it will all be over soon, breath slow, so hunters don't find you, and the predators don't hear you. You are safe in this space. You carved wards of all kinds on this door. Nothing that is magic finds you easy. So don't throw up, don't throw up, don't-
The door to the closet swings creaks open, and just before I surge energy around me I recognize the faint scent of cologne. My nerves tingle still unsure if my senses are being lied to.
"Y/N? I've been looking for you, what are you doing in the closet?" I hear him kneel down, and feel a hand cup my face. It didn't feel like that thing's fingers. So I opened my eyes and met the crystal green I had come to memorize. I latch onto him and breathe heavily, magic still permeates the air.
"Take me out of here please!"
"Y/N what's wrong? Did the crow come back?"
"We need to go! I beg you get me out of this place!"
He doesn't say anything but grabs some of my things and takes my hand. He leads me down the fire escape, to his car where I see Nightmare. He purrs as soon as he sees me. I watch the windows for things I wasn't catching before. There were so many eyes I had learned their frequency for shifting and now I can see them almost everywhere. Damian doesn't say anything for the entire ride only glances I can see from the side of my eye. We pull into a concealed entrance to an old clock tower. As soon as the entrance closes behind us I get out of the car. Cutting my hand open, drawing sigils, wards, and runes to any surface I can find.
"What are you doing?! Y/N!" He pulls me back wrapping his arms around my middle. "Calm down! Your safe! Stop mutilating yourself and look at me!" He turns me to face him. "What the matter why are you wiping your blood on the walls?"
"If I tell you, you can never go back to the coffee shop." I grip my fists in his shirt. "At this point, I don't know what's real or a figment of magic. I need you to be cautious of who you meet now. Because what just happened to me changes things. And I'm not actually sure what to believe at the moment."
"Things have been quiet Y/N, I'm not sure I like what I hear. Your uncle has heard less and less, and we don't even see you anymore. You haven't even heard the gossip Kitty has you have no idea! Oh my god! There is so much to tell you! Where to begin!"
Jubilee huffs monitoring her watch from her seat. I was not expecting a call from anyone much less my friends from home. According to Jubilee, David Alleyne decided to make a device to try and talk to me. He had been working in secret until the rest of my classmates found out. They must not have given him any peace since they found out.
"You know that the professor will give all of you grunt work for the next 3 months for this." I sigh heavily and rub at my temples. I hear someone grumble in the background, Jubilee smacks something that I can't see but the yelp is all too familiar.
"Is that Keller you just hit? I thought he was off-world when did he get back?" Jubilee opens her mouth only for a second before there is advanced movement on the image. When it stills, the blue-eyed black-haired menace of my class seems to be running down a hall—the device in hand.
"Hey Drek, you miss me?"
"Keller, you ether gonna get caught or hurt yourself." I sigh. "But yes, It's good to see you. And your ugly mug." He scoffs and then there is another loss of image with the picture. When it stabilizes, David comes into the image. Upset and red in the face.
"Y/N I'm sorry but we have to cut this short, someone is coming this way." With that the image fades and the Comm makes a beeping sound signaling the end of the call. I slump down in my chair and stare at the device. An old sense of longing fills my soul sinking into my heart. I bring my knees to my chest and start at the floor before me,
'I won't be here for much longer I just have to make it to my birthday. And I can be home again.'
An even heavier realization manifests in me, I would have to say goodbye. It's not like they'll let me live here. Not with my responsibilities and obligations there. Would I even be able to come back?
Nightmare, sensing my distress, curls up at my side and begins to purr. I stroke his fur and stare at the comm again. I sigh taking the Comm, placing it in my box, and shoving it back into the dark corner of my closet with the rest of the stuff I shouldn't worry about. I roll my sleeves up looking over the colorful scars. I think maybe I can pass them off as tattoos. I get ready in my room putting on my clothes for work. Nightmare follows me in and out of my room yowling at me to feed him before I go.
"Nightmare I just fed you," I say looking down at him while I open the door. "and I know for a fact you still have food in there."
I walk out and close the door behind me. When I turn to the hallway I bump into something. All I get is a snicker from above and arms around my middle.
"You really should be more careful about leaving your apartment, you never know who could be blocking your way out." I feel my face flush having been caught off guard and glare up at the green eyes that haven't even left me alone since we've met.
"Boy, I swear to all things good and holy, if you don't let me go to work to help that sweet old couple downstairs. I will end you."
Damian smirks down at me, moving sideways to let me through but not letting me go entirely. His hand seems to grip my wrist as I walk forward.
"Do you intend on leaving me today?"
"No."
"Don't you have anything at all to do?"
"Well, I plan on going to this little mom-and-pop coffee shop where this girl works. I've seen her sneak some of the lemon sugar cubes and snack on them during her shift. Funniest thing I've seen in a while." I purse my lips together and groan. "So I plan to sit on the bar stool on the far side of the counter and watch her like a hawk just in case she does it again and I can get it on Cammera to show you later."
"I would say you're a dick but that would be an insult to your brother." I may not be able to see it but I can feel his grin sear.
"Suppose I get him to join me."
"Then I'll send Nightmare to get your ankles, and groom your hair." I quickly turn around ruffling his already-styled hair and book it down the steps. My ears catch a 'hey!' in the distance behind me. I sign in and get to work. The green-eyed menace trails behind me, fixing his hair and sending me a glare. I purposely get to him last, leaning on the counter to take his order.
"How may I serve you today sir? Would you like a try at our D20 special? Or something else?"
"Tea, if you would be so kind."
"What kind of tea?"
"Black."
"What kind?" I reiterate. He glares at me, I know what he means and what he wants.
"Are you playing a game with me?" I grin at him.
"I'm not sure what you mean sir, I just want to know what order you want. I'm not familiar with our tea products. Perhaps I can recognize a name should it come up." He glares at me.
"Turkish, no sugar, glass cup."
I pull out my notepad and write up the order. I place the pot on the right template and start brewing his tea. I hand him the pot it comes with and the Turkish tea glass. I also handed him some of the tea biscuits we had.
"There you are sir, you'll be expected to pay the bill when you finish." He hums eyeing me above the rim of his cup. He says nothing. I go back to work taking in orders, helping Glen and Martha with the rest of the store, and a D&D game that was nearly too rowdy. Dick came in and nearly left without his coffee, I'm sure his brother shot him a glare that didn't help him remember. When my shift was over, and the shop was locked up, I hardly had enough time to punch in my card before I was pulled out the door.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Out."
"You could have told me you planned something on my break! I would have changed." He pulls me forward, till his arm pulls me close to him, resting on my shoulder. He pulls some shades out and a face mask pulling them up so his face is disguised.
"It doesn't matter to me, I just want to take a walk with you. No interruptions, just you and me." I raise my brow at him but shrug it off.
"You're being weird today, weirder than normal."
He shrugs this time, taking his time leading me to a destination on a rooftop not far from the coffee shop. I snort at the sight before me. A heated blanket, some snacks, and a projector screen sit on the graveled space of the roof.
"It's funny, I don't usually take you for a sap. But this is icing on the cake." I walk forward and look over the setup. "I'm confused at how you managed to keep this popcorn fresh." I look at him through the corner of my eye. "Had some help did you?"
He doesn't say anything and shrugs sitting on the blanket and turning on the projector. "Even if I did you would never get me to admit it."
Rolling my eyes I join him on the warm blanket wrapping some of it around my shoulders. My gaze falls to the sky behind the projector. The remnants of sunlight fade and the satellites just peak through enough in the night sky. The movie starts and its another obscure film in black and white. I feel a sense of unease feel my core. It's been so quiet. Damian's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Is something wrong?"
"No! No...not really. It's just..." I fumble and stuff the feeling down. I lean onto his shoulder and hold his hand my eyes back on the screen. "I'm happy to be here with you that's all. It's thoughtful."
He plays with the ring on my finger, a huh coming out.
"You've been thinking about how nothing with the crow has happened since then right?"
"I mean that can't have been the final fight right? An old god possessed and hell-bent on blood?" He runs a hand through his hair, he's been thinking about it too.
"Let's just take this as a miracle and hope for the best. I promise you will be fine. I've made it my mission to see you back home." He takes my hand to his lips and kisses my ring finger. "I may not know or understand your whole story, what you've seen or what you've been through. But I will see you through this." He pulls me into him and wraps his arms and the blanket around me. "However there is one thing you should be worrying about."
I raise a brow at him and fold my arms across my chest.
"And what would that be?"
He smiles resting his head on mine, his arms laced tighter around me. His hair tickles my face as he stares into me.
"How you plan to escape me when I find you in your dimension and make you mine entirely."
My head throbs and my eyes are heavy as I rise from my position on the bed. My brain feels threaded with fog making it hard to process my surroundings.
"Was I...was I drugged?" I look around realizing I'm still in my room. I move out of the bed and try to use my legs. They fail me and I crumple to the floor a harsh thud follows me. I hiss in pain and curse every creature and fairy any tongue I can muster in the moment. Gripping onto the bed frame I pull myself. The door opens, I don't have to know who it is. I look up at the green-eyed traitor.
"What did you do to me? How long was I even out?"
"Long enough for us to remove the bangles from your arms and put them back in the box I found on your floor."
I pat my arms feeling for them for the stones. I feel stitches but nothing inside my skin. I don't feel the strange tug of power that urged me to become a part of them. My arms still hurt but not like before. I was healing much faster and I could feel it.
"Where did you put the box?" He narrows his eyes at me sauntering over, he lifts me up with ease and puts me back into bed. "Where is the box?" I repeat.
"Somewhere you don't need to know about yet. Your job is to rest. I have some of your Lady Grey tea steeping on the counter. And Molly is coming by later to give you some of your homework. I told her you are very sick and that you got me sick as well so she'll be leaving everything by the door."
"You drugged me and you are still playing nursemaid." I glare at him. "You perform non-consented surgery on me. I said I was going to be alright and you still did it. How could act like everything is alright?"
He doesn't answer me and turns to the door. He came back with my tea not much later. I stare at it, eyeing the liquid with suspicion. I don't drink it.
"Is your father looking over the bangles, is that why you look like you hiding something?"
The green-eyed menace gives me a slightly irritated look, he pulls up a chair and sits next to me. The tea is taken from me and placed on the nightstand.
"He looked at it, yes, but I got them back. If you really want to know. They are in a place only I know about. Away from harm, away from people who want it, and away from you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" He doesn't answer. "Damian!" He shifts uncomfortably for a moment before hardening himself He leans forward elbows on his knees eyes obscured by his hands.
"You don't know what you looked like when you were there. Just hanging from the sky and then falling. You were fading. You nearly vanished and you were bleeding to the point those wretched things looked like they were consuming your blood. You were dying and you didn't look like you cared. We were going to take them out anyway but you woke up. A miracle in itself. You looked so dead when you woke up as well. And When I looked at them again those things were merging with you. I couldn't allow that."
"You had no right-"He shoots up banging his fist on the nightstand, the tea from my cup spilling over the edge.
"I had every right to save your selfless and humble ass from dying in my presence! What about me? What about how I was feeling about everything? It killed me to see you like that! What did you want me to do let you die and become something else?! Like hell I was going to do that!"
"I wasn't going to die!"
"Then what was happening?"
"I was just sick, it's like an allergy!"
"You can still die from an allergy!"
We scream at each other for god knows how long. We only stop when my voice goes sore and I start coughing so much I couldn't talk without hacking. Damian leaves the room to blow off steam while I drink the cold tea from my nightstand. Pleasantly still good and not drugged. I start to cry drinking the lukewarm water, thinking about my outburst. I know I was saying those things from fear and anger. Angry he didn't ask me, fearful that he...Maybe I should leave. I feel Nightmare come into the room. He comforts me with warm thoughts and images. Purring in my lap as he tries to wipe away my tears with his head.
"Maybe I'm being selfish Nightmare... It's been so long since I've had to worry about another human being in this way. What happens if he directly touches one? I'm scared to think what might happen to him..." I cup the Flerkin's face in my hands rubbing circles into his cheeks. "I should apologize. No doubt he won't outright forgive me for a while but I should at least try. We both are wrong in a way so it's only right." My eyes watch the door for any signs of movement or even his presence in the doorway. I see and feel nothing. I manifest a crutch and make my way to the door. Opening it I enter the hallway. It feels colder and darker than usual. I look to Nightmare to see if he senses anything wrong but he walks ahead and turns to the living room. He purrs.
I swallow my pride and hobble to the living room. Even with my cat on his lap, he doesn't seem happy. He sits on the love seat I had found a few weeks ago discarded because of a broken leg. I know he hears me, I see his eyes flicker just a moment before settling his focus on the cat. Not wanting to take up too much of his space I sit on the other side hands tucked into my lap. I don't say anything getting used to the silence before I speak.
"Thank you, for the tea."
He grunts, leaving the seat and taking my cat with him.
"Wait!" The desperate tone leaves my mouth before I know it and I'm griping onto the sleeve of his shirt. I bite my lip and look down letting go of him as I do. "I'm sorry, for yelling at you and for making it worse. You were only trying to help. I just think drugging me was going too far. I just...I'm scared something will happen to you like Jubilee."
I feel him sit back down closer to me this time.
"I've lost so many friends and family to these kinds of things. Jean was lost to the Phoenix Crystal, and before that, she took the lives of others under its influence. The infinity stones have done so much damage as well. Countless wars started because someone touched them. And in most humans the outcome of touching one is death. They have this whisper you know. They promise everything you could ever want. They want to be used. So if you tell me that they are in a safe place I believe you. I trust you. But you need to give them back before I leave."
"So you've decided to go." I lean on his shoulder looking down at our rings.
"I don't think I have a choice, I have a deal to complete remember?" His hand intertwines with mine. "But I'll come back I promise you that. No matter how long it takes."
We sit in silence again, the weight of unspoken frustrations, fear, and anger permeating the air around us. The atmosphere grows heavy with unresolved emotions, as if everything left unsaid has created an invisible barrier between us. It is in this moment that his head gently leans on top of mine, seeking solace and reassurance. The late morning sun finds its way through the city's natural fog, casting a warm, soft glow upon us - a gentle reminder that even amidst chaos and uncertainty, there is still beauty to be found.
Inhaling deeply, I allow myself to let go and surrender to the serenity enveloping us. Time seems to stand still as we bask in the warmth of each other's presence. Amidst the ambient noises fading into white noise background melodies and distant sirens echoing through labyrinthine streets, there exists an unwavering sense of peace that only arises in shared silence.
As the late morning sun continues to filter through the fog, casting ethereal rays upon our entwined beings, I am reminded of the resilience and beauty we carry within ourselves. Despite the challenges and uncertainties that surround us, this moment serves as a gentle reminder that even amidst the chaos.
A knock at the door breaks the quiet like a knife, jolting us from our comfort. Startled, I exchange a confused glance with Damian before Molly's voice echoes through the hallway.
"Hello! It's Molly here!" she announces, her tone filled with a mix of playfulness and annoyance. "You are lucky that you have a note from the doctors that say your immune system is crap and your grades are good. Because your attendance is shit."
Molly unlocks the door with her spare key, causing it to swing open as she barges in carrying a folder filled with my homework along with bags from various clothing stores and patisseries. She drops the bags in front of us and points an accusatory finger at Damian.
"You! Big, bad, and scary. Book it," she demands, her eyes narrowing at him. "I don't care if she's sick and you're her daytime nurse. I deserve time with my friend that you have monopolized since you met her. Yeah, she's fun," Molly jabs a thumb into her chest for emphasis, "But I saw her first."
As I process Molly's words, a mixture of surprise and amusement washes over me. Damian shifts uncomfortably beside me, clearly taken aback by Molly's sudden intrusion and assertiveness.
"Molly," I interject gently, trying to diffuse the situation before it escalates further. "Damian has been helping take care of me while I've been unwell. It doesn't mean he's taken you away from me."
Molly stares at me incredulously for a moment before sighing dramatically. "Fine," she concedes reluctantly, throwing her hands up in defeat. "But next time, you are all mine"
She plops herself down on the loveseat right between us, Molly begins rummaging through the bags she brought, revealing an array of new clothes and delectable pastries.
"Alright," Molly grins mischievously. "Since Damian is here to stay, we might as well make the most of it. Let's have a fashion show and indulge in some sweet treats."
"Molly, I don't think I do that in my condition."
"None sense! Since you've been gone I've been tailoring outfits in your size and style. Where am I gonna get the chance to see you in them?! Never?"
"Molly-!" A cannoli is shoved in my face and not just any cannoli, a Cosseta's cannoli. "You know I think I'm feeling better."
"Y/N!" Damian's voice echoes confusion. "Your whole attitude changes for a cannoli"
"Noo~" Molly waves her finger at him. "Though desserts might be her weakness, there is only one place she can truly never say no to. And that is Cosseta's. Or has she not told you all of her favorite things?" I hear her snicker as I take a bite of the little piece of heaven I moan as the flavors of home hit my tongue.
"Is this a joke?" Damian Growls at Molly a murderous aura fills the air. "I know more about her than you."
"Then you know her favorite animated series isn't Gargoyles but a very RISQUÉ anime about two angles killing demons for money to heaven?"
"You're making this shit up she rewatches that show like it's her lifeblood!"
I shake my head at both of them and move Molly to where I am sitting. Making sure that they don't start a fight.
"While Panty Stocking is pretty good, and Gargoyles is a personal best you are both wrong. It's Samurai Jack."
Molly Leaves hours later after poking and prodding me about how I've been. Often butting heads With Damian. The world seemed right in these moments. The sky now dimmed and the table was full of boxes that had been filled with desserts and food that was spilt during our time together. Though I was saddened to see my friend leave so soon, the green-eyed menace was ecstatic. As soon as the door gently closes behind her, he wraps his arms around my shoulders resting his head on one of them.
"I should've picked the work myself. That woman gets on my nerves."
"You seemed to like her at school."
"You haven't been on the phone with her for the last 3 days. Her voice is grating and she is persistently annoying." He makes a sound similar to a growl.
"Well, she is my best friend so you'll have to get used to her. I can't just avoid her." I move out of his arms and start cleaning up the room. He mumbles something and sets me on the couch.
"You get up and I'll drug you again." He cleans the room mumbling about Molly, I try not to laugh at how ridiculousness of it. When he finishes he comes to me and lays his head on my lap. His usual scowl was painted on his face.
"Are you angry at me or are you thinking?"
"Both." I smile at him.
"Pray tell, why are you angry with me?"
"A number of reasons come to mind," He pauses watching my face. "I don't want to tell you quite yet." I brush some of his hair from his face. Then something on the balcony catches my eye.
"Hey, Damian when was the last time you contacted home?" His gaze follows my own and his face turns red. With anger or embarrassment. But his brothers waving from the door seems to cause him to run around my apartment to close all my windows and blinds and make sure everything is locked as he saves the kitchen for last 'telling' them to leave.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 17
God, I forgot how much I hate homework, the thick packet of busy work that doesn't even help me in any way. I feel the warm mug of lavender tea and use it to massage my cramping hand. With everything that I had missed despite testing out that I knew it all. I must have pissed them off somehow. It's dark outside when I've seen I've finished and I can still hear Molly's last call to me from a few hours ago. Nightmare gnaws at my ankles, he's eaten so he's just bored and that irritates me some but I don't really care. I haven't been called on by oracle for a while now. Something about keeping where the other side, they called it, could reach me. I haven't been to the manor in days, and in turn, I haven't heard from him in a while. I'm not mad, but it's almost lonely.
I walk over to my couch and pull open a Pandora, and open Enya. I start cleaning up some mess that I let accumulate. I hum to Wild Child as it hits the second chorus. My mother loved this song, it would play after almost every other one in her playlist. I remember complaining about it. Seems foolish now.
HISS!
Nightmare screams bloody murder directing me to the window. I whip around and feel myself freeze. A figure stands on my balcony, green skies, unnatural for Gotham. The figure stands tall, red cloak and glowing green eyes.
"Al?"
"After what happened in Moscow, you will call me Spawn."
He walks through the door closing it shut behind him. "I can't be here long so let me make this simple." He pulls out a box with the professor's symbol. He throws it to me. "Home is facing trouble beyond belief and the safety of existence depends on what you do here. Franklin Richards is doing all he can to keep the monsters at bay. We received information that your friends are getting help from someone here and are arriving sooner than we hoped. They talked about the last resort, as you recall it's how you got free the last time." I open the box and remove the paper, my blood runs cold, and I drop the box. Six bangles drop clink on the ground, each bearing a hieroglyph and a glowing stone.
"No! I can't be her again!"
"You don't have a choice!" His cloak rises around him. I flinch, Spawn sighs calming down. "Beast made your new model, this pair will allow you to be yourself longer." He looks out the window watching the sky. "Your friends have shielded you but know this, they fight in your place. I can take you to them but that's all I can do for you my time here is short."
I fall to my knees, I shakily take the bangles. I feel the energy surging through them. Infinity stones. I remember when I came to hold them for the first time. Jubilee handing them to me bloody and near death. I remember they sunk into my skin, sinking deep into my bloodstream. I also remember carving them out in a dark alleyway with some broken glass.
I snap my fingers put on my costume, and slip on the bangles three on each arm the shrink to my skin. They feel hot on my skin. almost burning. I hear Spawn growl.
"No answer?"
"You're going to take me anyway," I take Nightmare in my arms, he's still hissing. "just take me." Something wet falls down my face. I see red cloud my vision, then I can't breathe for a moment. "We're here," It takes me a moment to register where I'm at. It's the underground city in Cairo. Only a few know of its whereabouts. Fewer can enter. But there they are. The Titans, the Bat crew, and a few others. Most are on the ground bleeding in amounts that should be concerning. "I hope to see home soon. Your uncle is annoying without you there as a filter." He leaves without another word, vanishing in red.
"Y/N! Go home!" I recognize the voice of my partner. But I ignore it. I walk to the danger. I almost cry at what I see. It's a higher rank than what should be here. He's massive, towering over everyone. He seems to smile with his twisted beak. Black leathery skin, soaked in blood and acids. Adorned in gold carrying weapons that seem to be dropping off of him. But like the others, he's off.
"Who are you?! You're not a Crow!"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I furrow my brows
"You speak English?"
"I speak every language." Nightmare growls the identity of the thing. I glare at the creature.
"Hello, Minthu, God of war. I will give you a second chance to save yourself." I cross my arms to an X touching the back of my hands palms facing out. He only scoffs at me.
"And what could you do? You are nothing but a bug in the sands of this desert. Your master has promised me glorious bloodshed! He will be a god-like no other! Bound to the world of the mighty united as his ambassador! I will finally turn this world and the next sopping their soils in their entrails!"
"Fine, then I have no choice but to end this." The stones burn, but they do their job. I tear the creature down molecule by molecule. I erase him he screams but I continue he was too far gone to help anyway. "I am hell, discord, your death, and terror! I pass Galatic judgment upon you. You are not welcome, your kind, Crow and all. Die!"
I leave nothing. Not blood, not skin. I will the others healed while I'm forcing time and space. I release myself and drop to the floor dust puffing the air around me. I look at the burns on my skin, the same colors as the stone under them. I bleed. I'm tired.
"Y/N!"
I close my eyes, and for a moment I think. But when I open them I'm back up I'm in the cave. My arms burn but I sit up. I've been changed out of my clothes. I'm currently wearing fresh clothes from my closet I look at my wrists and see that the bangles still attached. I doubt that even if I tried they won't come off. Nightmare mews climbing up on my lap. He asks if I am alright.
"I'm okay, thank you Nightmare. How long was I out?...3 days...I can imagine he's been worried."
"Y/N?"
"That's me, dead or alive," I answer not even turning to the voice. I look at the newcomer. Green eyes stare at me from his chair. His face is pale, but stoic nonetheless. "are you even happy to see me?"
He saunters over as if stalking me. He places a hand on my forehead.
"You're running a fever. Lay back down."
"You're running your mouth, you lay down."
"Cheap retorts won't save you from bed rest."
"Worth a shot."
"Tell me what happened back there."
"I took care of things." I lift my arms. "Same way I escaped back then." He tenderly grabs my arm and grazes the scabs with his thumb. I try not to wince.
"What are they?"
I frown. "Everything and nothing, they're infinity stones. Normally a celestial would be able to use them, but I've adapted to use them. The last time I did, I nearly lost myself. Consumed them. I nearly lost a friend to them. They tried to merge with me. They've attempted to do so again." I give him a smile. "I need to leave, it's started. I have to find an abandoned planet now."
I attempt to move, but an arm stops me it wraps around my waist keeping me in place. I give the boy a tired look.
"Damian?"
"Shut up. You'll stay under house arrest until further notice. You will not leave this city." I push him off, his hand still holds my wrist.
"It was a joke! I have to stay here anyway." He lets out a shaky sigh bringing my hand to his face.
I haven't been allowed to move to do anything to do for a while now. Damian made sure of that. Every time I got up to even make a cup of tea I was forced back into bed, the couch, or the chair. I have been bored out of my mind. Even watching anything was followed by concern. "Damian, if you don't let me watch my show in peace I will jump out the window!"
"Well, you shouldn't have allowed yourself to expend your abilities to the point of not being able to use them."
"I can still use pockets. It's just a matter of healing and everything else Involved."
As luck would have it I had managed to drain myself to the point of actual pain. The others helped remove scales from my body, but because I wasn't healing I've had to change my bandages just about every day. They haven't been healing as fast as they should. Even slower than the human standard. The stones drained me alright but at least they haven't tried to merge with me, for now.
I've had time to tell Damian more about the stones. Thanos, the infinity sword, the wars. He was happy I didn't take part in the war. But after hearing about Thanos he asked about more of our villains. I was more than happy to tell him. I started with the mutant ones and ended with Thanos. I even had Nightmare pull up my comm so I can share my database with him. But even with my extensive list, it didn't go on for long. I was so tired of talking I started playing I dream of Jeannie. It wasn't up to his standard, so he turned it off.
I'm still pouting when he brings me my tea. I smell it and frown.
"Your drink will get cold."
"It's a sleepy-time tea. I asked for Lady Gray."
"What you want isn't always what you want, and you can't have caffeine. It's almost midnight."
"Party pooper." I twist the ring on my finger watching it catch the light. I hear him sip, but I feel his eyes in my skull. "If you have something to say, just say it."
"Would you let me take care of you more often?"
"Hell to the no." He laughs.
"Then stop getting hurt, or you will have no choice." Still holding his cup he kicks my couch making it spring open. Then he sets his mug down and helps me to the bed.
"You could have taken me to my room."
"Then you wouldn't sleep you would stay up till daybreak and blame the sun for existing."
"Valid point you make about the sun, however-" He shoves the tea to my face.
"If you drink it, and get 10 hours max sleep. I will do whatever you want tomorrow. No exceptions." I raise my eyebrow.
"Anything?"
"Yes."
"In a dress dancing like a monkey speaking Klingon?"
"If I must." I take the entire drink in one go and through the covers over my head. He follows suit turning off the lights. And as I start drifting I recall he said nothing about what the minimum amount was. But I think the library is open at 6. And he will not awake till 8.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 16
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
"This was much more work than radio city." I sigh leaning back on the brick building. "Surprisingly not as bad as basic training for the X-men."
"There is something tougher than our own streets dam!" Steps gasps for breath shaking out her hand. "The worst part of this was getting your cat to spit out that one guy."
"I was shocked to see that he didn't actually have any toxin marks." Robin glares at the feline who sits on top of a trashcan.
"Yes, he's been training to withhold toxin. I'm so proud." I scratch his head, he purrs happily leaning into my touch. Then he pulls back and starts hacking. He jumps down and spits out something green and shiny. I kneel down and take a closer look.
"Is this," I pick up the piece making the mental note to wash these gloves. "It looks like Crow tech." I tern I over it over and see a symbol of a joker. I hold it up to my partners who both look at each other. "I take it you recognize it."
"It's Joker's."
"The killer clown?"
"That's the one."
I frown at the piece and look at the cat. He gets the message and goes to the man he spat out, he sniffs around and stops at his wrist. He rips what looks like a watch off and the body shifts. I feel a chill go through my body like a wave, and I hold back a scream. It's a crow. But it doesn't feel like the crows from home it was like before. It looks half-human.
"Is that?" Despite my instinct to do otherwise and walk to the body. I look over the stretched and contorted features of the creature tinted with green. I start to feel sick.
"I think I figured out why your hunters have manifested so early." The ravennette pulls me away from the body. "The joker seems to be experimenting again."
"Did I," A sudden realization overcomes me, I can feel some scales surfacing from under my skin. "those crows at the tower where they-"
"Don't do that, the spiral of guilt won't help you. You will only feel worse and worse. What happened wasn't your fault," He looks to the groaning man on the floor, "most likely they volunteered to become this." I push him.
"I know that! But it doesn't help!" I look at the monster laying on the ground one who was previously human just a moment before. I just stare at it, I can't help but wonder how. How could they do this to themselves with the crow still hundreds of dimensions away? I feel bile rise in my throat.
'I see you've witnessed my handy work, my dear sweet child.'
"No!" I grip the sides of my head, tugging at the strands of hair there. I feel pain erupt in my mind. His voice, echoes.
'Dear child, I will arrive soon. Don't fret, we will continue our work soon enough.'
"NO!" I scream, I lose feeling in my legs and I fall, my knees sting and my head starts pulsing.
"Y/N?" I can hardly hear Robin's voice.
'I can't wait to feel your skin again my child, we will be together very soon. And what glorious bloodshed we will rein. Shall we start with your lover? He looks like he would taste good, how shall we eat him cooked or raw, either way, we'll start with his heart.'
"Shut up!" I shakily take my hand and as quickly as I could manage draw a circle on my forehead. I feel the blood dripping down my face but the voice was gone. I'm pulled up by someone, I feel breath on my face but I can't hear them, I can't see them either.
My vision goes dim until all I see is darkness. I know I must have blinked because I open my eyes. What I see isn't the alley, instead, I'm on the couch, and Star Trek is playing on my TV. I try to move only to be stopped by an arm on my waist. I follow it to the dark-haired boy. I brush some of my hair out of the way and stop on a bandage. He must have dressed my flesh wound while I was out. I brush my hand through his hair pushing it back as well. I sigh and move his arm. As quietly as I can manage.
I fill the tub with hot water, as high as I can stand, and pour hydrogen peroxide into it. I wasn't changed out of my clothes so I strip off my jacket to see what was going on underneath. I hiss in pain as I take it off. I'm not surprised to see that scales have spread all over my arms and some of my neck. Some have spread on the side of my face and on my feet. It's not as bad as when I get caught in the rain. It's not good either.
"I'm not going to going to take the rest of this off."
I groan and slowly lower myself into the water. I sigh in contentment as the things fall off of me even if it is slow. I take the bandage off my head and feel the place where the circle would be. I sigh again thankful that it healed already. I close my eyes and lean back.
"You should have woken me."
"SNICKERDOODLE!" I jump and some of the water spills out of the tub. I glare at the assailant, who is glaring back. "Dammed ninja giving me a heart attack!"
"Giving you a heart attack, you nearly gave me one. You went limp like a doll! Not asleep but not awake, you won't answer as you walk home blood dripping down your face. And when you get home, you just sit on one of your chairs. What happened?"
I sink further into the water, furrowing my brow, and stare at the faucet.
"He-no" I correct myself. "It talked to me. Every fear that I had is coming true. If he can call me, he's closer than we have thought. The professor isn't going to be happy about this. And I might have to leave earlier than I had hoped."
"Leave?"
"I can't stay, can I? Not when I am this close. It's obvious that someone has contacted them, aiding in their arrival. I can't stay here for long, I would be putting you in danger." He looks down at his hands slumping over.
"How long do we have."
"I need to cross-reference with the other first." He hums the gets up.
"I'm heading out for a bit, I'll be back before too long. Finish descaling, relax."
While he was gone I formed the professor about everything, and as predicted, he was not pleased. He went on to tell me that I should fight only if necessary and avoid more attention and that he was going to talk with everyone to see what we have to do. With that the call ended, I took care of Nightmare and placed him in my room to sleep. I hear the door open not long after. As promised he came back, and 2 hours went by. He gives me a panicked look. I am told to sit down, and he makes us a thing of tea.
"I just got back from the cave, we ran the device. We know who it is who has done this. We had run check-ups to where he was supposed to be. The asylum has lost our culprit, he was replaced with a lookalike."
"You going to fill me in on the who?"
"Not yet, as you had said before the less you know the better." He takes my hands and looks me dead in the eye. "I know you hate it and you just got this place back, but would you consider leaving to a safe house?" I pull away.
"No! I ran enough! Grayson said the crows had taken over, and now we know why. I agreed to fight them and I will. Damian if I leave it's to go back home! I am so close to ending the deal!" I clasp my hands over my mouth, I almost blurted out something that would have voided the contract.
"You're almost done?
I walk into the hallway as quickly as I can. "We have 3 hours before we need to be at school. I will be leaving in half that time." Once in my room, I quickly close the door and lock it, then change my clothes and school bag. I set up at my desk and review what I need to get done. I don't feel right, my outburst was uncalled for.
I didn't leave through the door, I went out the window. I felt bad about the fight but I didn't want to face him yet. I Climb down the fire escape and take the next turn out of there. I hope to see Molly again before I give anyone else a moment of my time. Even my teachers. Unfoutonetly the school staff didn't seem to care. I was overwhelmed with question upon question. I miss my first and second class periods during this debriefing, now it's lunch. When I have my tray in hand I scan the crowd for Molly. She finds me first and starts going off about her day while dragging me to a table. I'm sat down at the corner and she sits across from me.
"It's so good to have you back! I missed you so much, I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of school!"
"You still might be, her time here is almost up." Damian's voice perks up from the seat next to me and I jump.
"Dammed ninja, giving me a heart attack!" He scoffs.
"At least my vanishing act is better."
"Yes, you are very good at hiding."
"That's not what I meant." He sighs, brushing some hair out of his face. "I'm sorry, I was wrong."
I choke on my food, Molly even makes a sound of confusion. I give him a concerned look.
"You would tell me if you were a pod person right?" He looks at Molly, who only shakes her head.
"It's a valid question, I said yes."
He looks at her dumbfounded.
"Why? The pod person would most definitely say they weren't."
"Exactly so when they say no that means that they are because one must fully agree to the statement. That's the only way we clear the name of everyone in our friend's group." Molly looks down, then back at Damian. "We are friends now, right?"
I look at Damian, he gives Molly a quirked eyebrow. Then he makes an obvious move with his hand, the one with the ring, gesturing to me.
"I suppose we are, after all, if it weren't for Y/N we wouldn't have met."
"Is that-are you wearing matching rings?" I jump from the table and grab Damian. "I have to ask him about something I'll see you in class. Ahaha! Okay, ba-bye!" I run out of the lunchroom with Damian, I run us into the library and into one of the blacked outed study rooms. I look the door and glare at him.
"What are you doing?" He opens his mouth. "Do not say you don't know what I'm talking about." He plops down in a chair and crosses his legs.
"Did you not want her to know?"
"Molly tends to overreact and I don't know about letting the whole school know about this. Seeing that a quarter of the student body has ties with the press." I lean back on the door. "I don't want people to find my past. She knows about my past, but not everything. As much as I love and trust her, I don't trust the people around her."
"You don't want others to know about your aunt."
"I don't want to find another version of her trying to kill me either." I sit myself down in the seat next to him. "I'm sorry, about earlier. I wanted to tell you sooner, I just wasn't aware of the how."
"Why did you accept my ring if you were going to leave?"
"Because I like being around you, I don't think I've loved being near someone as much as I do with you. I thought about coming back here multiple times after this was over."
"What was your conclusion?"
"Inconclusive, I don't know if anywhere is safe even after. I have my brother to think about, and what about my place at the academy? I don't even know if opening rifts back and forth from the dimensions causes damage. I don't even know what place is safer yet. I wanted to bring it up when the time came, but you know and my big mouth."
"I looked through your files again, It's odd to think about your birthday two months away."
"And I leave April 10."
He lets out a shaky laugh, combing a hand through his hair.
"I imagine you don't want me to tell anyone."
"I would appreciate it."
He is silent for a moment, I go to wave my hand in front of him he jumps up from his chair. His clutch to the back of my chair. He leans forward his forehead nearly touches mine.
"Why do you have to be so much trouble?! You frustrate me so much and all you do is make me wonder and worry." He glares at me, I snort a little and cup his face.
"How else would you meet your match? I have to keep you on your toes and ground your ego. Besides I can't just give you grief, otherwise, why would you give a promise ring?" He tilts his head but I can feel the heat in my hands. "God you are so cute, I eat up moments like this in media. Who would have thought that you were this adorable." I feel him seize, then he pulls away. He opens his mouth but the door clicks and Molly comes in, I catch a glimpse of the lock picking kit I got her. It takes 5 seconds to use it but I wonder how long she was there.
"I come here to find that you two are somehow dating! I knew it! I have been shipping this since I caught him staring at your project on the neolithic period. I mean everyone was, but the way you tied up with his score was hilarious, and the furious look on his face was awesome." She runs to me and picks up my hand with the ring. "It's so disgustingly adorable how simple this is, I cannot believe this is happening. Did you even kiss him yet?" My face flushes.
"Now hold on a minute-"
"So you haven't even done that yet, I bet all you ever did was cuddle him to sleep."
"Just-"
"It's like watching a playground romance." I look to Damian for help.
"I'll head to class." He walks to the door.
"We have the same class!"
"Excellent! I have more questions for my BFF, that don't include you just close the door."
"Damian?" I feel my voice waver, I see his face is slightly red.
"I'm sorry." Then the door closes behind him and now I'm left with my grinning friend.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 15
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
It's warm, really warm... how nice.
I groan a little moving closer to the warmth nuzzling my face into it.
"Y/N?" I groan and something soothes my head smoothing down my hair. "We need to get down to breakfast, you know who will eat everything if we wait." The voice whispers, my brain can't register it yet.
"Nightmare, I'm not ready. No-no biting." The voice laughs.
"Nightmare is being a wonderful cat at the moment entertaining the playful dog." Something cool presses across my head. "I don't want to have to move you. You won't like it." I peel my eyes open looking up at the noise. Half-lidded green eyes stare down at me. The name finally comes to mind.
"Damian?" He smiles.
"Could you say that again?"
"No biting." He frowns then hands jab at my sides, I shriek.
"I'm awake! Awake! D-Damian stop it ahahaha!" I push against him and his now volatile hands. I finally move out of his grasp and fall to the floor. I pull myself up arms sustaining my weight on the bed. The boy sits shamelessly on the bed arms fitted behind his head.
"Everything I said last night."
"What about it?" He smirks, and I glare at him.
"I take it back." I get up and snap my fingers, thinking of an outfit containing a sweater. I narrow my eyes at him, he's now somewhat bristled with a nervous look. He's jumped out of the bed and is standing next to it. "I'll go down to breakfast, goodbye."
"Wait, you don't mean it." I give it a thought looking at the puzzle piece ring situated on my finger. I hear footsteps knowing that they are his. He stops in front of me and I look closely at him.
"Your right, I don't the ring's too pretty for that." He takes the hand with his own.
"And here I thought It was too simple." I frown at him.
"If you got me something encrusted with precious jewels, I would have recently passed a much longer judgment period." He seems to freeze, then looks a bit sheepish. "You bought several, didn't you." He leads me out the door and into the hall.
"Only three, I had Grayson help. Not that he did much good."
"That's adorable."
"If we say no more of it I will get you an entire raspberry cheesecake." I grip his hand a little tighter leaning into him.
"It's a deal. But how long did you bribe your brother to keep quiet?"
"If you decide he's worthy enough to marry, I want to know your recipe for your coffee."
"Tim, it's a bit early to downplay your brother for the sake of coffee for a recipe I can give you any time." I deadpan giving him an unimpressed stare. We are in the kitchen today, Alfred has the day off and no one with the exception of one brother knows how to cook.
"It's not like he didn't propose," Tim says under his breath looking to his younger brother, who thankfully has yet to start another fight. But personally, I feel like goating him myself today. It's like new territory is unlocked now and I want to see how far I can go.
"Ah yes his proposal," I Dramaticly wave my hand in the air as if reminiscing a time long past. "I remember it as if it was yesterday." I hear one of the other brothers snort. "So romantic he was, and to do so in a different language as well! How could I say no." I look at him with slightly misty eyes. He retorts with his own appalled look tea in hand. Snickers could be heard from all around. His appalled face flushes, and I start laughing myself.
"Is this because of earlier?"
"Yes, the floor is cold and hard." I calm myself enough so that I can give him a pout, but I end up laughing again.
"Good to see that he's met his match, though by now I would have expected a remark worthy of the son of the Al Ghul clan." The master of the house sets himself down with a thing of bagels and jam next to his red-faced son.
"I don't have words to express the sheer amount of secondhand stupidity this conversation is giving me."
"There is some of it," I say leaning down on the counter between us. "What happened to the snips and quips that made you so icy?"
"If I throw you a stick would you go and chase it?"
"Depends is it made of chocolate or the stuff you leave in your toilet?" He groans.
"Y/N just say shit, stop making this so painful!"
"No Ducking way." He Gritts his teeth and curses through his teeth.
"Why don't you curse like a normal person?" Jason asks stuffing food in his mouth.
"Yeah?" Steph says leaning in next to me on the right.
"I like to savor my words, such things such as cursing are saved for special occasions." I push away from the counter and to the sink. I clean the things that I used for making coffee. Steph again pops in on the side.
"What occasions?"
"You'll know when the time comes." I put the things away in the designated places exactly where I found them. I turn to the people still eating. "I am going out, I will be back before it gets too late."
"Where?" Damian looks puzzled.
"To beg for my job back, I did have to leave on short notice again." I open a pocket and pull out my green heavy-duty jacket and my leather boots. Even though winter here isn't as cold as it would be back home, I would prefer to be warm.
"How are you getting there?" Bruce asks while I open the door.
"Not by grappling hook, besides," I look at my phone. " It's a nice 47 degrees out. It's a nice day for a walk."
With that, I am out. Though it is halfway into my walk for me to sense someone following me. I walk into an alleyway and hide, forcing myself into the shadows crouching down by one of the boxes there. I almost laugh when I see who it is. I wait for him to move to my spot, I don't bother moving because he goes down to my level.
"See me?" He asks, he's wearing glasses, a mask, and a hat to cover his feature.
"No, I felt you. I've been around you enough to sense your energy." He offers me his hand, I take it. He lifts me up and walks me out of the alley. He continues to walk to the coffee house. I notice he's stuffed my hand and his into the pocket of his unzipped black jacket. "If you wanted to walk together I could have waited."
"Why would I give them more ammo? I just snuck out."
"I thought you were grounded?"
"I had to make sure you got here safely." I smile leaning into him.
"How kind of you, are you planning to escort me everywhere?"
"If it means keeping you alive." I play with his fingers in the jacket.
"Thank you." I smile inwardly. We don't say anything more as we walk to the shop. When we do get there the old couple almost leap for joy. I had received many hugs and an earful. They had given me my job back regardless of my time away. They were just happy I was safe and out of danger. I felt tears forming but I hold them in and laugh at the attention. I felt good to see them and I couldn't be happier. They had given us some white hot chocolate and had decided to catch me up on everything that was happening. I was thankful that the store was closed that day. Also thankful that I still had my key. When everything was said and done, I got my job back and the offer of my old place, and we start to head out. Even though I was glad to see the place again was I even allowed to leave the manor? Damian must have figured I was having thoughts about my old place.
"I can talk to him about it." The cold wind blows in hard at this point and I finally shiver. I'm not sure if it's due to the wind or the thought of changing that man's mind. But the thought is tempting nonetheless. Though guilt gnaws at me.
"How would you get him to say yes? A person like him keeps his mind and thoughts to a precise point. From what I have gathered, he's the kind to keep his enemies closer than most?" Even with the facemask, I can tell he's frowning at me.
"You doubt me?"
"Yes and no, really it depends on the day." There's a silence then he picks up speed.
"Challenge accepted."
"What?" He doesn't stop. "Hey! Wait I thought you were escorting me! Damian!"
"I can't believe you've done this..." I stare at my apartment now refurbished new furniture is placed there with the exception of my pullout couch. I had refused to part with it. Somehow I was moved in. Even though I was sure I was only to be kept within the confines of the manor. It was nice to be alone. Finally. But I can't help but feel like this was off.
"You can't tell me you were comfortable somewhere else unfamiliar. From what I have gathered this place holds a particular sense of peace for you." I glare at the dark-haired menace.
"But It wasn't necessary."
"You wouldn't even sleep on the bed."
"It's the size of my living room! What? Did you want me to drown in the confines of that monstrosity?" He scoffs.
"Knowing you you would have found some way to do it."
"...Rude." I look around the place again and I smile. "How did you do it anyway?"
"Well, it took some give and take. A lot of favors are being recalled and some blackmail. But now your home is bug-free." I know what the feeling is now. He's hiding something.
"There was a catch wasn't there?"
"Indeed, not too terrible if I say so myself."
"Well, what's the catch."
"I live next door." I blink a few times.
"Did I hear you right? Next door, as in the apartment next to me?"
"Yes." I sigh, well it figures this was going to happen. Not that it was a terrible thing to happen.
"You could have just lived in here considering you would have broken in any way."
"Speaking of which I'm not fully moved in yet," He takes off the couch cushions and kicks the side of its couch. I open it and fall to the floor. Then he flops down on it. "So I'll be here for a bit."
"You're going to stock my fridge full of expensive food instead of tasty favorites."
"Yes, and that crappy insurance you had has been replaced with a company one." He props himself on his elbows. "There is also a budget on things I have for you to spend. If you don't spend it I will buy something for you twice the price."
"You cruel monster. You know I'll spend it on books, I have more than I need already. And my insurance was fine."
"Don't lie to me, your insurance covered very little-"
"What's it cover on my windows?" He goes silent and looks to the side.
"Smashed by a rock-"
"I knew it." I laugh a bit and Nightmare starts snickering as much as a cat could. I walk over to him and decide to fall on top of him landing so I was laying the short way to me. I hear an oof but no complaints, however, I do feel arms slide around me.
"If you wanted to be close you might have just told me. Bruising me seems like the opposite of what you would to your partner."
"Ahh," I give him a smirk. "They say life has to hurt in order for you to be truly alive." Nightmare jumps up and lands on his legs stretching out. "And I don't think you were hurt that much. But if you were you cannot escape now." He raises an eyebrow.
"What do you mean I can't escape."
"Because I'm comfortable," Nightmare lets out a soft meow. "Nightmare says your too warm to move from his spot too." He chuckles.
"Wouldn't you feel more comfortable up here," He reaches to the side where a new side table sits and picks up a remote, I hear a click from the TV then I hear the Highlander. "where you can watch the Highlander?" I look to the cat who has decided to move to get a better look at the motion picture. I tilt my head while giving it a thought. "I will throw in a veggie pizza and a few cans of cherry coke." I move into his chest quickly and tighten my arms around him.
"Yes this is very warm, I accept."
"Really? You'll give in that easily?"
"You want some resistance?"
"Naturally." I roll my eyes and press my ring to his matching one. I pour some energy into the space until a pact mark is formed.
"There you go, now the deal has been struck. I require my food and drink good sir! Lest you risk facing the consequences!"
"What would those be?"
"I would read the pact on your wrist, it's in Arabic. Should be easy enough for you." He looks at the mark reading it then back at me.
"A human can't stay awake that long to watch Dr. Who in one sitting."
"That's what you have a problem with, not the fact that you would need to clean the microwave with a nail brush till it sparkles? Or the read my entire romance collection?" He gives me a deadpanned face his green eyes give an unimpressed look.
"Most of those are reasonable."
As promised the pizza arrives just as we start episode 3, he went out to get the soda so I had begun eating the pizza. When he came back he made it seem like I betrayed him by eating when he had his back turned. I retaliate by stuffing a second slice in my mouth. That was a slight mistake because I choke on some of it.
"Serves you right." He laughs and I'm tempted to chuck Nightmare at him.
"I wasn't going to let it go cold."
"I've seen you warm up a hot pocket in your hand, I have no doubt that you could have done the same to the pizza given a choice." I put the cold cherry coke to my cheek. I pout but Take the can.
"You know it's been almost too quiet. It's almost chilling." I look grab the remote and press play on Highlander.
"I have a love-hate relationship with it as well." He grabs my hand and squeezes it. "I don't intend to lose you to a night like this." I smile.
"So paranoid, what will take me? Unless your world has come up with a specific way to suppress mutant powers you're stuck with me."
"Suppose we'll find out on patrol soon enough." I give him a flat stare.
"Another condition." He nods, Stuffing a piece of pizza into his mouth.
"You'll have to go with me and Steph and wear your communication device. We cover this side of the City since we are here." He slides an arm around my waist and pulls me closer. "But we have plenty of time before then." He touches his head to mine, I take ahold of the wrist containing the pact mark and confirm that the deal is complete. I watch as it fades away like running ink.
"Alright," I lean up and rub my nose against his, his face contorts in confusion but doesn't pull away. "But I still want to watch my shows in peace, it's also a school night so we can't stay out too long."
"That's alright with me." He leans closer attempting to copy my previous movements but fails, I struggle to hold in a laugh. He frowns and traps me in his arms. At first, I think he's hugging me and then I feel the nimble fingers.
"Wait! Stop what you're doing!" I try wiggling but my attempt is fruitless.
"I think I can only handle so much teasing before I retaliate."
"Stupid n-Ninja-ha, let go!"
"I'll stop on one condition."
"Anything!"
"Really?" I can feel the smirk, though I can't see his face. His torture doesn't stop but it lessens as he places his head on mine again. "Should I take payment now then?"
*knock* *knock*
"You can't have that much fun till after you are married. It will be easier that way!" We whip our heads around to the window. Steph is on the fire escape crouching down to see us through the window. She opens it and drops it onto the couch.
"I wanted to come early to see what was up and- oooh is that pizza!"
"You are out of bounds!" Damian growls at the girl who has made herself comfortable and eating the pizza. Man, this family is weird.
====
Quick note I found this and I thought,"Gosh this sounds familure, If only I wrote a villain."
vm.tiktok.com/ZTdbWpas3/
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 14
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
I smooth over my dress and look for seams, I sigh in relief when I don't find any. I look back at the boy in front of me, he is straitened now with his a hand covering the front part of his face.
"Is everything alright?" I ask him. He clears his throat and inhales sharply closing his eyes. When he opens them again he smiles just slightly.
"Yes everything is fine, I just didn't have the right words for a moment. You look beautiful by the way." I feel my face brighten.
"Thank you, you don't look as bad as I thought you would either." His face crinkles and a light chuckle sounds out.
"You can't even give a compliment as your given."
"Someone has to knock you down a peg, something will boost your ego tenfold. I have to do this, who else will." He shakes his head and sighs.
"I don't have the energy to argue," He offers me his arm. "shall we head down? The party's just about started."
"I don't see why not, we can't keep them waiting." I take his arm and start walking with him. "Do you think I'll see Molly?"
"It's a possibility, did you hear the story that was given to the school and her family?"
"No."
"Apparently the government program sent you back home to deal with some things involving your family's murder. You went back to school in the Twin Cities area."
"Simple, and what about you?"
"Studies abroad."
"I wonder what that means now that we are back?" I see him smirk.
"My father has decided to sponsor you, you are staying with us." I stop.
"Sponsor? What do you mean by that?"
"The paperwork was just finished today. As per your parent's written requests, my father isn't your guardian or your stepparent. But you have become his ward under the supervision of the court for your time at school here. You are required to keep up your grades at school, and, though it was not required, they ask you to keep an extracurricular of some sort either at the school or an actual job." He motions for me to move again and we do.
"Why is it optional I get a job?"
"Because father has already set up an account for you."
"Pump the brakes pretty boy. Why is your family giving me money."
"Y/N, you could bearly pay for a broken window, food, and expenses. This is the least we can do."
"You mean a window you broke, then your family broke."
"We paid for a new one."
"I paid for the first one. 600 dollars-"
"You and your goddammed window." There is a moment of silence.
"I don't need the money you know."
"Too bad." He pushes the doors open and more music blasts in my face. People danced most chatted, and European Folk music played in the background. Though my main concern wasn't the people, I scour the area for the one thing I would go to a party for. I spot my target, but as I go to move I forget that I am attached to my escort.
"I know you weren't trying to escape to the dessert table."
"I don't know what you are talking about my good sir. I am definitely here to dance and talk to strangers." I fake a smile attempting to sparkle like an anime character.
"I will let you eat whatever you want from the table as long as you actually attend the party."
"Fiiiiinnnee!" I dramatically wave my free hand. "Show me off! I just want my food after." He stifles a laugh but drags me into the crowd. He introduces me to some people and then some. I do see Molly she and her family wept with joy seeing me alive and well. I felt terrible for lying to her but what else could I do. I told her what I could and from there she went on about what happened while I was away. All the latest gossip, what trends were relevant at school. She even talked about how her father was upset he couldn't sponsor me because Mr.Wayne beat him to it. , I had lost Damian some time ago, and now I was feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. I excused myself to a table and sat down, one of the servers handed me a cup of sparkling cider and I drank that quietly trying to regain any energy I might be able to grab.
"I was looking for you." I look to find emerald eyes staring through me.
"Molly found me and talked my ear off for several hours. What about you?"
"Tsk, I was being bugged by elderly women and my brothers."
"In that order or all at once?"
"I will not dignify that with a response." He shifts himself moving his weight from foot to foot. "I would like to ask for a dance if you're not too tired." He holds out one of his hands. He looks the other way preparing for my answer. I take back the rest of my drink and take his hand.
"Why not, that's what this dress is for isn't it?" He's taken aback a slight hint of color burns his face. His hand tightens around mine and we move to the door exiting out to the garden. "Aren't we dancing?"
"Who said we would dance in there?" He smirks. "Now we will need to run so we can make it to the greenhouse."
After a struggle in the snow and a brisk sprint in heels, we make it to a large garden kept warm with thermal glass. As he leads me farther in I am struck by the beauty of the well-kept garden. Flowers of all different kinds bloomed, I wanted to stop and see more of them. When we do finally stop, we stand before a large Triste Barbaro lilac tree. I inhale deeply, the warm feeling of better times fills my brain. I can't help but smile. "How is it that we are going to dance in this place."
"Father installed a sound system a while back, I just happened to rig it so that we are hearing the live music in the ballroom." He goes to a patch of flowers and rummages around till I hear a click. The music slowly flows into the place. I recognize the tune, it's a song called Cartouche Song by Blackmore's Night.
"You know this one?" He asks me.
"It was one of my dad's favorites." I slowly sway to the music, I can't help myself and sing one of the lyrics."In between dark and light in the underworld."
"You know it by heart then?"
"Very much so." I smile, then a realization dawns on me. "I never actually learned to dance. This might be difficult."
"You went to the first one without any idea of how to dance?"
"I thought I would learn! I just needed to watch them but I was still freaking out by then. The food also distracted me." He gives me an unapproving look nearly glaring at me.
"You have an unhealthy obsession with food." He stands from his place near the flowers and guides me to the center. "Nevertheless I will show you." He lifts his hand taking mine with it. "Just mirror me." I nod and follow along watching for his feet. It takes me two turns into the motions before I settle in on the style. I appreciate the fact that we are not being watched by the peanut gallery of onlookers from the crowd. Though it would have been priceless to see their reactions those times I stepped on his feet. However he hides things fairly naturally, yet this confuses me.
"I have a question."
"Are you going to ask me?" I give him a look.
"Why here? We could have done this in the main hall."
"And become exposed to the tabloids? How would that end for you, a hiding heiress to your grandmother's fortune a person who is by all technicalities is dead?"
"Point taken." I look over his shoulder peering at the outside. The glass has a milky tint, I cannot exactly see how dark it is. "Do you have the time?" Without stopping his rhythm he checks his watch.
"It's 11:50 and before you ask how long we've been here, it's been about an hour since we got here." This news takes me back.
"It's been an hour? I guess I've been having too much fun."
"I find it hard to believe that this is too much fun for you. Seeing as you don't even let yourself have any." I feel something like a cold knife go through me. I know where he's going, his face says it all, normally it would go too far but this is Damian.
"Sure go start poking into my insecurities. I'll just take it." He gives me that smirk that makes me want to punch him. But for the sake of staying in theme, I settle with stepping on his toes. He holds back a hiss of pain, and I give him a smile matching his. We dance for a little more, then we hear counting from outside. Unlike the space station, they count from thirty.
"It looks like it's almost time," I say looking to the entrance.
"Yes, it would seem so. Would you do me a favor?" I raise an eyebrow.
"I don't see why not."
"Would you close your eyes?"
"Really? alright." I do as I'm asked. Subconsciously I listen to the slow count down.
"Y/N, I know that we met not long ago. However, my decision has not wavered." He's not speaking English anymore. "This might seem too forward, or maybe even too fast. But I am not good at words." His hand takes mine securing my wrist, it cold but not unpleasantly so. Then something slides on my finger, I open my eyes and blink at my hand. A silver ring with jagged shapes on one side rests on my ring finger. He lifts the hand interlocking our fingers, I see a similar one mirroring the shape on his ring finger. His lips kiss the ring, and he looks me in the eye contact never wavering. I feel my face burn. "I don't know when this all happened, I only came to this realization recently. Normally one would use a promise ring to signal hope for engagement, but if find this is easier than words. If you hadn't realized it yet, I am confessing. I won't ask you to answer me now, but I would like one soon." I hardly register the words, all I can do is stare at the rings. Though both are silver, mine is darker than his. And I notice a slight trembling. I grip his hand tighter clasping it with both of mine. I feel it still, but not completely. To be honest I think that I do it mostly for me. I sigh shakily, touching his ring with my fingers and moving it around his finger.
"I-"
"He proposed!" Steph pops out from almost nowhere dragging the older brothers behind her.
"Jason you owe me money."
"Like hell, I do mullet brain!"
Arguing and death threats ensue after, mostly on Damian's part. Steph brings me back to the mansion and stuffs me into a room with all the girls. I am overwhelmed by the people currently interrogating me about what just happened. And I mean an interrogation, there was the bright light and a small chair. Barbara eventually brakes it up after getting nowhere and it was time for everyone to go on patrol. Steph was disappointed after finding out it wasn't an engagement but seemed to accept it. I take a walk the long way to my room, with the party long done and over the room is empty and dark. I feel as if I can still hear the party. I look at the ring, I feel my face heat up again. I walk faster to my door and swing it open, the dog and cat run out of the room. I sigh moving into my room and locking the door. I throw off my shoes and change my clothes. I finally have my pajamas on, and flop onto my bed. The balcony door opens, I don't bother asking who, I already know.
"I'm sorry about earlier." Damian plops down next to me, hands behind his head.
"We should have known better." I twist the ring on my finger. It's quiet, too quiet for me. I turn over on my side to look at the boy. He's already watching me. I feel my face heat up again. He's changed into some normal clothes and a black hoodie that somehow hasn't messed up his hair.
"I do have an answer for you."
"Really!?" He grabs my hands quickly. He becomes red in the face as he attempts to move his hands but I stop him.
"I would be honored to be your partner, my answer is yes. I might be here for the long run, anyway. With that in mind, buckle up, you've got a seat on this rollercoaster," I cup his face and kiss his forehead. "and you can't get off till the car reaches a complete stop." He jumps up into a sitting position hand on his face. I sit up too crossing my legs on the bed. "Damian?" I reach out a hand to touch him, then I'm flat on my back again. Ebony black hair tickles my face, warmth at the side of my neck. My arms pinned between my chest and his body.
"Don't move. I can't have you seeing me like this."
"Vulnerable?"I hear his signature 'tsk' and I giggle. I move my hand from between us and card it through his hair. Each strand is soft to the touch he tenses at the feeling. When I move my hand away he catches my wrist. His face moves from his hiding place. His face is flushed to what I believe is a new color of red. I go to cup his cheeks again and he hisses but makes no attempt to move.
"Your hands are cold."
"And your face is better than a hot pocket." I take a good look over his feature once more tracing my thumbs in circles around his cheeks. "You know your eyes kind of remind me of chrome diopside." He glares at me.
"Did you refer my eyes to cheap gemstones?"
"It's not that cheap, the Greeks even used it. They said it would encourage good dreams to sleep next to one or even have one on your head while sleeping. In ancient times it was believed that he had fallen from the tree of life, so the dead had to be buried with this gem to ensure reincarnation and return to life. For the Greeks, it fell out of the sky because it was different from the other stars, it was not vain, nor did it try to outshine the others as a star would try. It already did it on its own. The heavens became jealous and trapped the star on earth." His face flushes again and he tries to move away. I pull him back reaching around him and snuggling into his hoodie.
"Now I'm rather hoping for some good dreams tonight," I snap my finger and the blanket comes over us. "and cozy warm. Now you cannot leave." He sighs wrapping his arms around me.
"You're insufferable."
"You put a ring on it."
"Yes, I did." He takes the hand with the ring and kisses the inside of it. "And I couldn't be any happier."
For once, I don't even have any kind of bad dream. Nothing from the past, no predictions of a horrible future. Just me one of me and a glowing star.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 13 Damian x reader
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
We arrive on a space station covered in tinsel and decorations. Some people I recognize from the television and news articles are here. Along with Superman, who really is the sun of Superman but is older because of some time travel. I decided not to pry about it but didn't ask any more than was necessary. After looking and observing more, I open my mouth to make a comment.
"Before you say this looks like DS9, I'll remind you that I am right here and I will punch you."
"But I thought you liked DS9."
"That was before they killed Jadzia Dax."
"And here I thought you liked Sisko." Pain hits my shoulder making me wince. "But I didn't say it looked like DS9 what was that for!"
"Talking too much." He points a finger to my face, giving me a stone look. "No tv, game, or book references of any sort. Now stay close, I would rather not have to find you when we need to leave."
"You are no fun." I pout, gripping my fingers around the strap of my back where Nightmare is settled. He perks his head up out of one side of the top. I signal to keep quiet, I send a mental image that I would feed him in a bit. He sends me a 'you better' before crouching back into the bag. I meet some of the heroes, introducing myself to them through my hero name, but mostly stare into the places out in space. I've seen the stars before, I've been on space stations back home. But the space here was so different, the stars were different, and the voids were different. I stand listening to some of the people by the window. From the corner of my eye, I see something, my skin feels like ice. I can feel my skin prickle. My heart doesn't move, at least not what I feel. A ship appears, not fully familiar but similar nonetheless. The ship is broken, just holding together like bound by string. Tendrils of energy moving out of the craters, corrupted and dark.
"Y/N!" I'm yanked backed giving myself a chance to blink. I turn back Robin gives me a worried look. "You started growing scales, are you okay?"
"There's a ship." I turn back to the window the ship isn't there. "I'm seeing things," I shake my head and smile back at him." it must be PTSD from the last time I was up this high and stationary. Ha..." I look at the back of my hand the scales where forming, I sigh and stuff them in m pocket. "Well, who are we talking to next?"
"Y/N."
I move forward moving my hand to scratch Nightmare's pelt, trying to calm my nerves. "I heard Raven and the others are here, Why don't we say hi, I know we saw them not too long ago but I'm sure they'll appreciate i-" I'm pulled back and dragged out into a hallway, Damian opens a door to what appears to be a guest bedroom.
"I'm alright, really!" I attempt to move back but am thrown inside and the door shuts behind me he leans on it. "Damian, I would like to leave this room."
"Your hand is still growing scales," He nods his head to my hand the one I hid in my bag. "Being up here has done something to you hasn't it?" I slowly pull my hand away from the bag, the scales feel like glass in my skin. I frown tilting my hand. "That was happening when you passed from the attack. It's not something you learned from the Dreki is it?"
"No...But it wasn't the Crow either." I look around the room. "Is there a bathroom I could use? I need to purge these before it gets any worse." He nods to a door behind me. I follow the look and open to the metal door, I open my rift and pull out the hydrogen peroxide. I hiss when the water and the chemical meet my skin, but the scales come off my skin. When it's done I clean out the skin and put the scales in my pocket. Then I look at myself in the mirror, and I glare. "You will never open Journal 3 because the Crow can not get you here. Writing your own journal got you in this mess, and passing it off as your mother's was a Bad Idea. You have been through and seen hell you can stand the void. You did not see a ship." My voice wavers. I grip the sink and stare back a the reflection as if to shatter it. "You did NOT see a ship." Nightmare pops out meowing and encouraging me. I pick him up and hug him close, he begins to purrs and I open the door. Robin is still leaning against the door.
"How is your hand?" I hold up the still healing hand, it's gross to look. He scrunched his face in the discussion.
"It's much better now but I think this could scare a small child." I look over my gnarled piece of work.
"I think you would scare most people on the station." He pauses. "Where are your scales?"
I pat my pocket, "I was going to do it when I got some time alone. So you wouldn't need to come with me."
He gives me an offended look. "Why would I allow you to leave my side. You are the only tolerable person on this station at the moment. You must also think me heartless, do you think so little of me?" He moves forward standing inches from me arms crossed. I strain my neck to look at him. Curse his tallness.
"You go formal when you get irked. I wonder how far I would have to go in order to get you to give me Shakespeare." I smile a bit, then raise my now less nearly hand. "Now my dear friend move or I will have to touch you with my gnarly flesh. Your too close."
"You wouldn't."
"Is that a challenge?" He smirks, leaning down.
"Go right ahead." I pout.
"You are so hard to gross-out."
"That and your hand is mostly healed, just red spots now." I don't look at my hand and place it on his cheek. He's right.
"Curse you, ya dammed ninja.
"Assassin."
"Yes, no, maybe so."
"what the hell does that mean?" I pinch his cheek and pull.
"Nothing, I'm just being weird." He gives me a face and I can't help laughing I let go and collapse into the bed. "This is the greatest face I've ever seen you do."
"Your mood shifts are too much." He scoffs.
"How else would you figure out I'm entertained?" I lift my head. "Frown?"
"Your starting to become annoying." He grabbed my arm pulling me from the bed, I roll my eyes now that I'm standing.
"You love it when I am annoying. Why else would you keep me around, other than for your own entertainment."
"Much more now that I know you 'break out' under emotional distress." I glare at him.
"They're not pimples," I smack him, making my way to the door. I don't even open it but it opens anyway. I'm on the ground next with something on my neck.
"What are you?" I claw at my throat lifting my head so could see what's happening. A man with blond hair, mean eyes, and a beige trench coat, glares down at me. I trace a dispel rune quickly on the energy squeezing my neck. I breathe again not much after.
"Y/N!" Robin moves beside me helping me off the floor. "What are you doing Constantine! She hasn't done anything!"
"The energy in her pocket says different." Magic circles form his hands. "What are you? I won't ask again." I feel Nightmare shift but I don't want him coming out now and I send him to a pocket.
"I am Y/N. I am." I gasp trying to reach for air. "A mutant!" I feel around what I realize is a spell, trying to find a signature flaw.
"You won't find a flaw, not in this spell."
"Liar!" I pull down at the spell and it breaks. "As a powerful fairy once told me, no spell is flawless except for the 12 of the old world. Not including the spells of the new world, tech spells not included." My vision starts to blur, and I hear a crash, I finally find a flaw and tug at the spell. I gasp rolling over heaving, I don't waste time getting up and searching for the man. Damian is holding him down, I see Constantine preparing a spell and I pull him back. I fish out my scales and throw them at the man, which he catches.
"If you think they're dangerous you take them! Just put out your spell, we can talk about this."
"Y/N!"
"I don't mean you any harm."
He looks at the bag and then back at us. His somewhat permanent scowl hardens.
"Alright then talk," He moves to one of the chairs in the room. "state your purpose and your being here."
"You have answered in the longest way imaginable, and I still have too many questions."
"I don't have much for answers, The Dreki didn't give me much to work with."
"Alright, when did this," He points to the two of us. "start?"
"He broke my window, crashed right through it. No regard for personal property and complained about the food. Not only that he bled all over my nice couch. Then I meet his family the same way."
"Bleeding on your upholstery?"
"Broken window." Damian grows irritated, I can tell with the way he grits his teeth.
“I see, now tell me did you learn the spell I had used on you earlier?”
“No, I didn’t see the spell, I could tell you what kind of spell it was though.”
“Can all adaptoids do this?”
“Not that I know of, however, I wasn’t in the academy long.”
“That’s everything I need to hear. But so you know if you cause any trouble in the realm of magic and I will come for you.”
“Unless absolutely necessary I will not.”
“See to it then.” He lights a cigarette and leaves the room taking the scales with me. I turn to the boy next to me.
“What’s his deal?”
“New Castle.”
“What?”
“That’s all I can tell you.” He grabs my shoulder and pushes me out the door.
“Then I won’t pry but where are we going?”
“We need to be in the middle rooms for the count down.”
“Already?”
“There’s tomorrow’s actual New year's celebration as well don’t do too much jeering.”
I look back at him giving him an odd look.
“Cheering, you mean cheering right.”
“Ehh.”
“They’re right I am a bad influence.”
“You have done no such thing.” Then he opens the doors and the loud boisterous laughter fills the air. I can feel the heat of everyone in the room pour out. A large clock hangs down from the ceiling 2 minutes from midnight. I am guided to a table where I spot The girls who wave us down. He sits me down and pulls the seat next to me.
"This is the cumbersome part."
"The Count down?"
"No," The clock starts counting down.
"5...4..."
"The noise this party makes is over the top."
"3...2..."
"Well, I can fix that." I blow a violet bubble n my hands and expand it around us just as the crowd roars. The violent rupture of the noise vibrates the barrier, but no noise echoes inside.
"Can't do anything about the images and the vibration against the bubble but now you don't hear anything." He gives me his signature scowl.
"Take it down."
"But you were just complaining-"
"Now."
"Fine," I take a pencil from my bag and puncture the bubble, it pops and noise floods back into our space. "Your not one to make up your mind easy are you?"
"How else will we hear father tell us when we need to leave in about," He looks to his watch. "20 seconds."
"I thought it was going to be 30 seconds this time," Steph says leaning in. "but then again it could take another 3 minutes if you know who gets involved."
"Well don't jinx it! I want to finish the Princess Bride before 3 in the morning." Barbra comes to my right scanning the crowd.
"I just saw him, he's coming this way." Tim appears in front of us, Greyson just behind him. Though I notice that he isn't looking at us but stares off in a direction. Jason joins to wait with us at the table. I lean to Damian and ask him what Greyson is doing.
"He's looking for the signal." Then Greyson sticks his thumb out and turns to us.
"Alright crew, let's move it. The tubes will get blocked if we don't move quickly. Remember if you fall behind then you are lost to the masses. Now go, go! Remember, stick with your buddy!"
I am being yanked again and I run with the group. We get to the tubes and Bruce is already there. I go in with Damian first we rematerialize in the bat cave. My body tingles with energy, I flex my fingers making sure that they are still there. We wait for everyone to appear and then we are rounded up by Bruce.
"Tomorrow is our charity event, and in light of our," He looks at me. "current guest and our poor timing we'll need to get her up to date."
"We'll take her shopping!" Steph jumps grabbing my arm.
"But I have a dress."
"Is that the only one you own?" Damian gives me a side glance.
"What's that got to do with it?" He looks at Steph.
"Go crazy."
"Wai-"
"With that settled, let's set our rounds, you know who's on patrol today. Everyone else, go get some rest." With that, we are dismissed. Damian leads me back to my room and tells me good night. I remember I left Nightmare in the pocket and I pull him out. He growls a little but doesn't do much more than that.
"I'm sorry but I don't want to be an accomplice to murder. I know you wanted to kill him, but then we have to run again. We can leave anymore. There is more going on than we thought. With the Crow. I can feel something wrong. I would like to solve the problem as to how they could manifest so much power in so little time. 4 crows should be impossible, but there was something off about them. We need to figure out why. We don't have much as far as leads go, but we might find out something later before more people get hurt."
He grumbles but agrees with me in the end, watching my face. He nuzzles and purrs into my neck. But I can feel his fur spike, he isn't happy. I look to the ocean of a bed and then to the pullout. I stroke his fur feeling the softness under my fingers.
"Did you want to sleep in the big bed by yourself or go to sleep on the couch with me?" Not a second later he jumps landing in the center of the bed. "Okay then," I say slightly disappointed. I change into my Pajamas and set up the bed. I place my pillows to my specification and allow myself to finally got to rest.
"Please, this is the sixth dress, can I just choose one and leave?" I groan tugging at the uncomfortable fabric clinging to my skin. So far, I have been dragged from place to place being used as a human Barbie doll.
"Well you said you don't do short dresses." She rummages through the dress selection of the store.
"Revealing dresses, as much as I am a feminist I still don't want my body flaunted."
"Why not? The yellow one was good on you." She whines.
"I just think it's oppressing, I would tell you the entire reason but that would require time that we don't have." She shrugs and shoves me into the dressing room handing me another dress.
"Then lets do this one!" I sigh, putting the next dress on. I step and look in front of the mirror. I gasp slightly. The dress was similar to the blues purples and greens of the peacock dress. It flowed down in the back with a slight train and the front was raised just enough for shoes. And best of all it didn't cling
"I noticed you like those colors in all of your clothes."
"You snooped through my things didn't you?"
"It wasn't hard." She grabs a pair of shoes that match the dress. "Let's get going, we've been out a while." She hands the attendant a black card. I take off the dress and the attendant And then we are out the door.
"It's too bad you refused jewelry, I know a good place that Barbra Showed me."
"I would rather wear my Astrolabe. It's the only piece I feel comfortable wearing."She sighs, her shoulders shrugging signaling she gave up. We are at the house not moments later, it's decorated to the extreme. Much more extravagant than the last one I went to. Though the party hasn't started, I was still rushed like it was last minute. I did everything to help and then changed into my clothes. I peer at the mirror looking up and down at my reflection. "Just one piece missing." I open up a pocket and pull out a glass box with two turtle doves on the top. Inside lays a piece of ancient technology that my mother gave me. A silver astrolabe polished and ready sits inside. I carefully place it around my neck adjusting it.
"Y/N, are you decent?" Damian's voice sounds through the wood door.
"All set to go!" I walk carefully in the uncomfortable shoes to the door and open it. The sound of music and joyous uproar bleeds into the room. Damian is trying to keep his dog from coming in and annoying Nightmare like he did this morning by holding his collar. "Are we leaving or do you have a place to hide instead." His face turns to me sharply.
"I -" He doesn't finish his sentence, his eyes widen and his mouth is left open.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 12 Damian x reader
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
"Ms. Hopperfeild, as much as I appreciate you helping me with breakfast. However, this is part of my job."
"And I understand completely, but I will feel useless. I already didn't do much you only let me set the plates, I'm just making some coffee." The old man sighs.
"Very well then, I shall wake others. Master Tim, will be the first one down, he'll only take a black brew." He leaves while I go ahead, setting the press and the beans. As promised, Tim came into the kitchen first, he looks like he hasn't slept for days. He stops, looking confused for a moment but shakes his head.
"Yeah, you're here so-" I put a black coffee in front of him, he doesn't say anything and takes a sip. His eyes widen a little.
"How in the hell do you do that."
"Do what?"
"Make it so I feel awake."
"I use Lightning that I spark in my had and stir that into the brew."
"You-you're joking right."
"Yeah, I don't know how to generate lightning from my hands. I just took some lessons from, one of my teachers at the school. He's over 200 years old, but he's made the best hot drinks I have ever known."
"Is he a vampire?"
"No, he's also a mutant he just heals faster so he ages slower too."
"That has given me little to work with but fine."
"Damian takes tea, Richard usually orders a cappuccino, Alfred said the girls and Duke will drink coffee,...wait what does helmet head drink?" I hear a sputter and some coughing.
"Shit, don't let him hear you say that."
"But I said it because he's here, sees?" I point behind him. "He's been glaring at me from the end of the dining hall since you walked in." I wave to him. "Did you want some coffee?" He huffs, Stalking to the small wooden table. "Shits too bitter."
"I get it, I think it's was too bitter for me as well. Water then?" I place a clear cup on the table the liquid already sloshing inside. He takes it without saying anything and moves back to the dining room. I pull out a try from the pocket dimension, place the drinks and the coffee pot on it and walk it carefully into the dining room. Tim comes in, not too long after I set the try down, pouring himself another cup.
"You and your tea, what did you pull out this time."
"Holy cheese and crackers!" My heart leaps, I whip my head around to face the speaker."Damian, I don't know how you do it but you are the only person I have yet to see coming. But while you are intrigued I made that Morrocan Mint that I forced you to try last time." I said placing his cup down where Alfred said he sat. I put the tray back in the pocket dimension and sat where Alfred said I needed to sit. I was placed between Tim and Damian, he said I needed to work as a barrier. When I had asked why he told me 'wait and see.'. Everyone pooled in not much later Mr.Wayne taking his seat at the end of the table and everyone else filling in. The whole time Daman and Tim bickered, It cold down for a bit. I finished early and Tim asked for someone to pass him the pot of coffee when I try to pass it to him Damian stops me wrapping his fingers around my wrist.
"Y/N don't give that to him, he was up all night again. GIve him anymore and he might have a heart attack and ruin my meal. I don't feel like cleaning his body from the room"
"Damian-"
"Let me have the dammed coffee Damian, or so god help me-"
"God can't help you with anything Drake."
"You-" I rip my hand away from Damian and slam the pot down. Then do what my mother would do if my father and I were arguing about something stupid, grab both of their ears and pull them close.
"Shut the hell up! I don't care if you hate each other's guts or entire being! But I will not be used as your mediator, your berlin wall, or barrier! Now I am going to give Tim the coffee, and Damian you will sit here quietly eat your goddammed food and not say a single word! Or I will send Nightmare to your rooms and you will know the true meaning of fear! Do I make myself clear? " I Don't hear anything, so I pull again. "Do not make me repeat myself." They nod, and I let go giving Tim the coffee and taking my dishes to the sink. And head upstairs to my room, and grab my school bag, fixing up my school uniform so that it didn't look messy. Today was a Thursday, a school day technically. I wasn't staying here. I pause, I don't even know if they'll let me leave.
"Screw it." I open the door and Damian is waiting in front of me standing a few feet away. "Come to across me again?"
"No."
"Come to apologies then?"
"I came to tell you that we don't have school. I know you aren't good with dates, but it's December. We are three days into Christmas break."
"tsk," I throw my bag behind me and close the door. "What do you want then? I'm not in the mood for more petty arguments."
"I'm taking you to the library, I assume that leaving you here would only encourage you to pull more snacks out of your pocket dimension and bing movies."
"I might have other plans."
"Go on." He gives me a nod waiting for an answer, I frown bitting the inside of my cheek. He sighs extending his hand out to me. "If you are so hung up about it consider this my apology to you." I stare at it, I know that if I don't take it he'll stand there all creepy like till I do something. I don't want to get into another argument and cave giving him my hand.
"Hayat au Maut," I read the title of the old movie out loud, it's one I haven't seen. My brain doesn't take long to translate the words, I find that I don't recognize it as Morrocan Arabic, or even classical. It's Egyptian Arabic, so it translates to Life or Death I don't translate further because the box is taken out of my hand. It's recorded on an old VHS tape and smells faintly of dust. "You know, this was technically what I was already going to do in my room with my cat."
"Then you wouldn't have gotten to see the film I got, I doubt you have a VHS player in your pocket dimension." Debatable.
"You got me there, but why the library?"
"Quieter here, plus the only one who comes in here just went out." I watch him set up a projector, he feels off and I can't place what it is. The nightmare was exploring so I couldn't grab a second opinion even if I had wanted to. I open my mouth but the projector starts moving and the opening credits play. The music reminds me of the 50s music that my mother played in her study. Damian plops down on the chair next to me and pulls out a thing of popcorn, he places it in between us and grabs a handful.
"You want to talk about it? You are acting very weird."
"How is it you sense when somethings wrong."
"I-"
"Learned it, yes, you learned it." He sighs, "For now, I would like to watch the movie with you. Nothing around to bother us or remind us of things."
"So, you chose an old Egyptian film with no English whatsoever."
"Y/N you've seen just about everything out there, there is no enjoying something if your face says everything."
"That's assuming I haven't seen it." He grimaces at that.
"And have you?"
"Not yet, oh! Shh! They've started talking." I whisper yell he scoffs and grumbles something. I turn back to the screen watching the scene unfold. It's about a father and his daughter, the father has some cardiac problems so he sends his child to the pharmacist to get some medicine. The Pharmacist hands her the wrong thing and ends up getting the police to help get the child before she gives the prescription to her dad. When it had ended the screen flashed white and the projector turned off.
"Well, what now we've been here for the whole of an hour and a half and now what's the plan? I imagine going out is not an option."
"No, not yet anyway." He sighs getting up and putting away the movies things. "We can go down to the cave and train." I give him a look.
"Excuse me? You want to exercise?" I scrunch my face. "Whyyyy?"
"It's just hand-to-hand combat."
"You realize that, It would only take me a few seconds to learn your fighting style and use it against you."
"Are you insinuating that you could beat me in a fight?" He glares at me, I can tell I've insulted him but I don't feel bad about it.
"You've seen me train," I pause. "But you've never gone against me during training at the tower. Did you avoid doing that so you could find a weakness." he doesn't miss a beat.
"Yes." He smirks, "and I found several."
"I feel cheated." I stand up, "You know what fine, I accept your challenge."
"Then let's make this interesting," He walks over to me stops just one foot away. "I win, you do what I want till I'm free for a week. You win I will do the same." He holds out his hand, I assume for me to shake it.
"I'm not a fan of indentured servitude, but fine." I raise my hand but stop immediately remembering something. "Just know that if you shake my hand with the intention of a deal or bet. Don't be surprised if you see some Celtic knotwork somewhere. I can't control when that happens. I mean It doesn't stay, just long enough for you to remember your deal." He raises a brow.
"Explain."
"I saw a Fay, when I was staying within my second dimension do it, and I really wasn't paying attention any learned it. Anytime I shake someone's hand with that in mind it may or may not happen."
"Fine," He grabs my hand and shakes them himself. "I have no intention of backing out anyway."
After an hour or two of sparing, we both ended with a tie. The both of us stand across from each other panting. Any cuts I have on my body start healing, and he glares when he sees it start.
"That has to be cheating." He says huffing.
"It's no more cheating than it is using pressure points in hand-to-hand combat. I still think that's a foul by the way ref."
Mr. Grayson came down with us to make sure no foul play was active. He also said it was to keep us from killing each other.
"I'm sorry Y/N, that's the rules just know you've lasted longer than most of us. Then again most of us don't go at it for nearly two hours." He clasps his hands. "Let's go back upstairs and get something for Damian's bruises." The entire walk was met with silence. Mr. Grayson heads out to get bandages and I grab him a bag of peas.
"A bag of peas, are you feeding me?" He laughs, while Damian grumbles something under his breath. "Y/n. I asked for an Ice pack, peas are food."
"My friend, when you are poor, it's tomato tamato. Also, no I am not feeding you."
"You didn't even offer me a drink to go with dinner first." He
"Not my house." I shake the bag in front of his face. "And for the last time, I am not feeding you."
"You don't like our selection of teas do you?" He smirks, something in me makes me want to smack him.
"No, I like what you have here..." I stare off to their tea cupboard.
"But it's not Ahmad Tea or Harney & Sons."
"Their boxes are reusable and pretty."
"So that's why you have a collection of tea boxes."
"I don't have to justify my actions to you." I smush the peas in his face earning a hiss from him. He clutches the bag glaring at me, he places it on his side.
"Does that means you want some tea?" His glare's intensity increases. I raise my hand in surrender moving to the tea and pulling out the mint and honey. I place the pot on the stove setting the water to the highest heat. "Y/N do not attempt to put honey in my tea."
"My great grandfather used to say, sugar sweetens the sourest of people. Those who didn't have enough of it became the most hated people on earth."
"Is that your excuse to put honey in tea."
"No that was his excuse to eat more sugar. He died eating a slice of cake."
"That might have been what killed him."
"I'm pretty sure it was the congenital heart disease, surprisingly he lived up to 98 years." He gives me a flat look shifting the bag of peas.
"The answer is still no."
"Think about it, you could be a sweet old man."
"What part of the Batman is sweet?" He scoffs again eyeing the jar of honey in my hand.
"Is retirement not a plan for you?"
"I don't know what the future holds, I will maintain my role until I am replaced." He had somehow gotten up without me hearing him grabbing the honey and putting it away. "What about you?"
"I'll probably still be running, my guess is those sentinels the jersey government has will take still hunt us." I look down at my own tea the green liquid steaming warmth in my face.
"So you don't plan on retiring either?" His voice takes a testing tone, I give him a side glare.
"I don't even have a 401k, retirement is going to have to wait." I think for a moment. "Or I suppose I marry a regular human, with no mutations and a high enough salary I could possibly hide through that. But joining the ranks of the sorcerers and becoming a scorer supreme would leave me well off. I could build a sanctum sanctorum in Egypt, after all, they Strange did say they needed another place of substantial power to maintain the magic barrier." I roll the cup in my hands slowly thinking about it some more.
"Why Egypt?"
"Egypt is the source of unseen magic, it's how my mother met the Dreki. She tapped into the source somehow and it a gate opened. The Sanctums are placed where magic is at its strongest, they suspected it in Giza but the hidden power is closer to Alexzandria close to the last palace." I look at him tilting my head ever so slightly. "I know you said I could stay here, but for how long will that last?" He doesn't answer me, placing down the ice pack he moves me to sit down and places the tea on the island. "I said you can stay in this dimension, you will have a place to stay here. You and your brother." I smile and pat his cheek.
"You can't promise that besides I can handle a few two-story robots with mutant suppressing abilities."
"You're taking this too lightly. I'm beginning to wonder how you are still alive."
"Nightmare asks me the same thing every time I do something stupid. Which reminds me, do you know where he is? He usually would come for me after two and a half hours." I look out the kitchen into the hallway there. "He hasn't even come to bite me for food."
"He's right there now, has been for the last 2 minutes." He points right beside me, and as I look over I'm met with an angry flerken face.
"Mother son of a duck!" I jump right out of my seat, Nightmare starts making hissing noises, basically yelling in my brain. He's complaining that he couldn't find me because the place was too big, and everyone kept trying to pet him and pick him up like a baby. He apparently just escaped a Woman named Cassandra who held him captive for hours. He felt the effects of catnip at an extreme level went half insane. Then the communication stops and he starts hacking, then a pair of ballet shoes appears covered in cat gunk.
"Did you-"
He hisses again saying that he did not eat the human who had him.
"I see Nightmare has had a good time with Cassandra."
"Merrow!" Damian narrowly misses a slimy tentacle.
"Nightmare!" I scold my friend, something shatters nearby.
"What in the holy hell was that." Jason's voice echos out in the small space. Tim and Grayson gape at the doorway, It's now I see that Tim's mug is on the floor. I look back to Nightmare and Damian, Nightmare is frozen with some of his tentacles twitching. Damian holds his default face of no emotion.
"I'm not explaining this one, he's a Flerken that's all you need to know."
"Quick question," Tim says moving to the cabinets to grab an identical mug. "Is he your tie to the physical plane?"
I furrow my eyebrows, "I don't think am a child of Oberon or a ghost or a dream demon. So as far as that goes he doesn't hold any major point to my existence." He retracts his tentacles and jumps at me opting to sit on my shoulder. "He's just adorable when he's not gnawing on my ankles. Why do you ask?"
"Just need to know if we need to protect it when we fight so you don't vanish into thin air."
"Oh..." I don't understand but I don't want to get into whatever that may be.
Grayson came over to me putting a hand on my shoulder opposite of Nightmare. "I know that you were just training, but we wanted to test something if that's alright with you." I raise my brow.
"Okay I get that you play cards every week, you place your pot. What I don't get is why you brought me into this knowing that you were going o lose. This is not a mental exercise, this was a massacre." I had learned how to play Poker, Canasta, Spider ext. I had learned all their tells early on and broke their bank.
"At first I wanted to see how fast you could learn how to tell when someone was lying. You learned quicker than we thought and then it was a matter of pride." Tim says face still on the table. "We have discovered you're worse to play with than Damian."
"Sorry, I know what it's like to play against him. Though I don't intend on keeping your money. " I push the pile of money back to them. "I still get a check from the government every month to make sure I have something to survive on while in witness protection."
"I still think you should keep it, the fools were stupid enough to use their own money. You won and they lost." Damian scowls, passing a glance to the people at the table.
"I agree you should take it." A voice sounds from behind me. I jump in my seat nearly dropping the cards in my grasp.
"That's not funny Bruce." Grayson pouts at the figure behind me. I turn my head, peering at the looming figure behind me. Mr.Wayne is holding a cup of what I assume is coffee and smirking at the scene in front of him.
"I don't want it though..."
"Why are you here father? I thought you had to finish some work."
"I just finished I'm out to remind everyone that we have a party to go to in 1 hour. Duke's going to meet us there, I expect us to be suited up before then." He looks at Damian. "You and your friend will be going too, I also don't want a fiasco like last New Year to happen." He gives us all a nod and leaves.
"Shoot I forgot that was today! Tim you Cass, Todd you get Barbara, and I'll go get Steph! Damian go get her ready!"
"Now hold on a minute, why are we going to a party with mission clothes on?" Everyone is down in the cave preparing to use the Zeta tube. Nightmare situated in Cass' arms attempting not to kill anyone as I asked.
"Remember when I told you about the Justice League," I nod. "They hold one every year before to celebrate service as a hero. The suits are to keep our identities concealed." Bruce goes first, and we follow behind in a line I am situated before Damian.
"Why not hold it on New Year's?"
"Because their other identities need to attend their formalities with the normal friends."
"Who's normal? If anyone's odd, it's people who are friends with the alter-ego."
"Y/N You couldn't even tell who I was till you caught me unmasked."
"I never said I was normal." I get a smirk from him.
"That you didn't." He tilts his head over to look at me. "Tell me, what did you do back home?"
"Well, at the academy, because we had many different people from different backgrounds. We held a party honoring all aspects, It wasn't difficult with all of us planning them. One year someone made a sentient Chinese Dragon. It burned the food table while Professor Wolverine was there. That was some fight." I look down at my lap pulling at my Uniform.
"Sounds like you miss it."
"Yeah, I do." I shrug, "there's nothing I can do. I need to follow through with my deal so I don't try ending the human race again..."
He scoffs. "You are too stubborn to be captured by them again."
"You have too much faith in me." I pull out a bag of Twizzlers I had opened earlier, motioning for him to take one. "Twizzler?"
"How the hell do you have the time to get and store snacks?" He stuffs them in the bag I brought with me containing some of my tools. It's something I got from courtesy of the Academy. Then grabs my hand, taking us into the tube thing. "The tube will energize in just a moment."
"Oooh! I'm going to have a "beam me up Scotty" moment."
".....I hate that I know what you mean."
Then I feel like my atoms have been polarised, and I appear somewhere different. I get pulled forward, Damian tugging me along. My sight comes back and I hear an automated voice announce us.
"B-42 Robin, and X-01 Dreki on board, welcome to the Watchtower."
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 11 Damian x reader
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
"Y/N, wake up honey, we're not done with the book."Her soft hand brushes against mine, it's warm and only makes me more tired.
"Mom, I just learned about the Dreki. What else do you want me to know." The blond woman with green eyes glares at me, her skin is tanned slightly so she's not completely fair like she usually is. I smile anyway reveling in the reaction she gave me, I hadn't seen her in months but I still couldn't help it. Like always she smiles putting her hands on my face brushing her thumbs against my cheeks. "Did I tell you about who they are?" I'm confused.
"They're part of the high fey."
"No they're more than that," She pushes the book to me, and my eyes follow to a man and a woman with pointed ears and delicate faces. Patches of random scales and feathers stood out from their skin and a small and singular horn sprouted from their forehead with different designs surround it. She never lets me see the book, at least not like this. Their clothing is modest but it's beautiful not only that, the creatures almost seemed to be alive. "the Dreaki is the crown of all things from the other realms. They are the reason why we have dragons, unicorns, phoenixes you name it. They gave birth to all the creatures you read in your fairytales. Though they are responsible for our myths they never thought their children would cause harm to others."
"Even the elves?"
"Yes even the elves," she flips to another page in the book. "but elves gave birth to their races good and bad." She closes the book and places it next to a similar one in her desk drawer. It's the one that hides away and only opens when you press a small square on the bottom that blends with the wood. Then she places a hand on my shoulder and walks us out of the lilac-smelling room."I suppose we should get ready for dinner, your dad will through a fit if we're not there to greet your aunt when she gets here. Though I wonder what she wanted to talk about that couldn't be said over the phone." Her hand leaves my shoulder when we get to the stairs, I try to follow but something stops me. the stairs keep adding one more. I see her enter the dining room and then there is a scream and the sounds of something slick. I stop trying to move down the stairs, and I stare at the entryway to the dining room. I see blood spill out from the entryway and then my aunt.
"Hello," A twisted smile spreads on her face blood even dripping from it. "dearest."
I scream and jolt awake holding myself tighter than I thought I could without drawing blood. I walk to the balcony and lean on the railing, the pain in my middle not even compare to what I was experiencing at that moment. I breathe heavily trying to calm myself down. The cool night air helps with it.
"Y/N?" Damian appears out of the corner of my vision, a raised eyebrow and a frown quirked on his face.
"It's nothing, just a bad dream, I'll go back to sleep in a second."
"Why bother, It's 5 in the morning and you've been sleeping since 7 after the drugs kicked in." He moves closer hand raised, his movement unsure and he puts his hand back down.
“Why do you care about me so much? You hardly know me…so far I’ve almost gotten you killed twice now-“
“More than twice, remember, you accidentally learned Raven’s ability to conger a fire and nearly blew up the training course.” I give him a look.
“More times than one is still one time too many Damian.” I face the landscape again the sun is about to break the summit. “I had a dream about her, about that day. I kind of forgot about what happened before the massacre. We were in her study, and she was telling me about the Dreki.” I trail off and squeeze the railing.
“They’re the ones you made a deal with, aren’t they?” His voice is cautious almost unsure if he should be saying it.
“Yeah, I made a deal with High Fay. The only reason they granted me an audience was because of my mother.” The sun starts to bother my eyes so I move back inside the room, Damian follows closing the outer doors. “You should go back to your room and get some good sleep I’ll be fine. You need to change your clothes and take a shower I’ll be fine here; I’ve been able to move by myself for a few days now.”
“Won’t you need help packing?” He asks, leaning against the wall beside the door. I quirk a brow at him, then sigh when I realize what he was talking about.
“You were listening in when Professor X called.” I look around the room slowly surveying the area. “Where did you place the bug.” He smirks, and now I want to punch him.
“That’s for me to know and for you to never find.”
“God, I don’t know if I should punch you or not,” I say under my breath, I stare at him for a good minute. “Don’t tell me you already packed your stuff.”
“Of course, I did, as soon as I heard your mentor say something about this being a good idea for making allies.”
“You have no respect for privacy.”
“You were attacked Y/N, I had to make sure you weren’t going to get hurt again.”
“You are horrible,” I move to my closet and pull out everything that I brought with me. To be fair I never really unpacked everything except for my Uniform and the clothes I was wearing that day. “though I suppose we're the same, I never really unpacked. The journals are back in the bag since your brother's visit."
"Greyson never left, he's been with Star since he came. I'll tell him that we are ready, I assume he took one of the batmobiles, I pray he didn't take the red one." He slowly walks out the door and into the hall.
"Wait, what? There's a red car? I thought he only worked in black and occasionally very very dark grey. I-I distinctly remember yellow," I snap my fingers and materialize some clothes and crutch to help me walk/hobble out after him."I thought red was Jason's thing. Why are you walking away faster, Damian I still need to say goodbye to everybody! HEY!" I grunt hobbling faster.
"This car smells like smoke and blood." Nightmare meows from his padded carrier in agreement. I'm sitting in the back of Damian sitting on the right of me. ABBA is playing on in the background, and Damian is not happy though my comment gets a snort from Officer Greyson. "Yep, no amount of cleaning can kill those sents from the leather. I was going to take another one but the main car needs repairs."
"what-just how unsafe are you? You know you can access kevlar in this dimension right? They also protect you from sharp things and being stabbed." I pause for a minute hand near the door. "Is this the car you use for interrogation? How many souls have been beaten and inch from death in this car?"
"You kill Crows and you are concerned about blood and smoke." Damian scoffs, tilting his head to face me. "It's sad."
"You were in a good mood this morning."
"That was before I was stuck in this contagious monstrosity." Do you mean the monstrosity you said predicted we were getting into? What's got you so cranky?
"I'm anaspeptic, frasmotic, even conpunctuos to have caused you such pericombobulation." I elicit a *Tsk* from him.
"Quoting TV shows you forced me to watch won't help the mood Hopperfeild"
"What did I do to get on the last name basis?"
"Surprises me that he even called you by your first name, he won't even call me that." He peers at us through the rearview mirror back at us. "He must like yo-" Damian's sword is placed against the side of the Detective's neck.
"Not another word Greyson, she makes enough jokes as it is. Now turn off this infernal music, and stop listening in." All he does is a nod to respond quickly turning off the radio. He then pulls off his cape attaching it to the ceiling with his Batarangs so that he couldn't peer back.
"Doesn't he need to use-"
"There is a camera on the dashboard, and it's on autopilot. He's not even really driving as he is looking out for danger." I look to the cap then back at him. "I wanted some privacy," He's silent for a moment.
"So you ruin probably a priceless car's interior for it? Even I'm not that brave."
"Not as bad as when todd shot through the roof of the with a shotgun."
"I can vouch for that!" Greyson shouts back.
"Pay attention to the road," Damian says grimly his voice dropping one more octave than I thought possible. He glances down at my abdomen. "How are you doing?"
I give him a serious look. "Physically? Mentally? Spiritually? Socioeconomically? Financially?"
"L/N."
"After my meds, I'm a little tingly but otherwise dandy as cotton candy. Hey by the way how long is this trip going to be?"
"Since we aren't hopping trains and running should be back home in about 43 hours minimum. So get comfortable, I expect it to be a long ride especially with Greyson behind the wheel."
"Great," I pull out my computer opening my downloaded video files.
"What are you doing?"
"watching Lord of the rings followed by The Hobbit."
"You're going to watch something now-where did you get the popcorn?" He points to the bag of unpopped popcorn in my hand.
"I materialized it from a pocket dimension that I created. And now I will use some contained energy to get it popped and eat it as I please." I put my hand back into the pocket dimension and pull out a box of junior mints. "I have snacks galore in there," I hand him the box which he reluctantly takes. "I only made things myself when you snooped around my home." Still haven't gotten over the ramen incident.
"We need to talk about your eating habits."
"Sorry, but this is the part of me you'll never get rid of. Now you can either join me and Nightmare in our movie triathlon or you can sit there and sulk with your movie theater snacks." He sighs loudly, pulling off his gloves and leaning to the screen. He stares at the opening scene. "The flerkin stays in the carrier, and away from my flesh and you got a deal." I hand him some of the popcorn I popped and pass some up to our driver, which he takes with glee. Then I see a bandage that wasn't there earlier on Damian's wrist.
Two days and two motels later we arrive back at Gotham, the familiar smell of smoke fills my lungs. I wake up to it really, though not immediately I notice we've pulled into a tunnel of some sort. I move off the window and feel Nightmare stretch in my arms a purring sound coming from him. "Woke up, did you?" Damian is reading a book leaning in the window opposite of me. "We are heading to the cave and will be there in about a minute."
"I thought I would have time to freshen up at my apartment?"
"Change of plans, apparently Greyson did not inform us that you would be staying in the manor."
"Why am I not surprised." No sooner had the words left my mouth, I see lights and people. All of them are in uniform, but masks are not worn. We stop in front of them, I reach for the door handle but I am pulled back.
"Wait for me to open it, I want to check something first." He proceeds to leave and stands by my door. I can't hear what he's saying but I see the group nod slowly. The door opens, Damian offers his hand to me. Taking it and holding Nightmare in one arm I climb out. The door slams behind me, and I am ushered forward to the crowd.
"I know something was off the moment we met." Says the man who I recognize as helmet head.
"Was that before or after I smacked the weapon you pointed at me out of your hand."
"She has you there Jason, but please don't insult the only person who makes the only good cup of coffee here." Tim is sipping what I can only assume is coffee out of a red mug.
"Before we go any farther, I would like to know how this is going to work." Bruce nods, he walks back to a large set of individual screens and swivels the chair so that he's facing the computer. Not much later pictures of bloody limbs and oozing green corpses. "These were found over the past few months, picking off men and women with nothing in common. You seem to know what we're dealing with better than any of us. We attempted to interrogate one but it ran Robin following it. I'm sure you know about the recording he got from you, it's clear you don't mean to pose a threat. The fact is however you are. With your ability to learn and adapt I can only imagine what that means when you say were a vessel. Making the only reason they are here is that you are-"
"What's wrong," I interrupt him, he turns rather sharply back to me" they were always here. you haven't noticed them till now. Most of the time they are more sutle they slowly drain people of their life clinging to them like darkness in a cloak. You would usually see them as an oddly shaped shadow. But this is sloppy, not like the usual ones they only manifest when they have enough power or certain times of the year. I understand these things vary between dimensions but there was something that bothered me about it. Usually, unless they are within 15 feet of me they don't manifest. But from what I have witnessed they have held a form inside the human realm no problem. Yes they indeed follow me, but they can't get close with charms I have on, the Crows here have bypassed even the strongest of the charms. I don't even know what's happening now. There hasn't been a blood moon, a solar eclipse, the correct power convergence nothing. Their leader's ships aren't even in orbits near and or around to be close enough to give even a power pulse. That's what I first assumed, but when I checked in with my professor and my calculations something else is going on." I reach into my bag and pull out one of the two glowing books. I flip to the page depicting the Crows and hand it to Batman who takes no time looking over the section.
"Your not wrong, but I think we've overlooked something." He turns back to his console and zooms in on the picture of the poison-infected people then holding a particular page in the book. The page he flipped to talks about the wounds inflicted by a Crow, along with a picture. "Your mother states the poison doesn't glow, your past encounters until recently do that don't they."
"No," Damian answers for me. The cave is silent for a moment, then the computer's screens lose the pictures and return to what I assume is the default. "Stephanie can you show her to a room, please."
"Sure!" The blonde woman takes my bag in one hand and my arm pulling me in the direction of an elevator. A small hiss comes from Nightmare's carrier from being yanked so harshly.
"Not you Damian." I look back, Batman has a hand on Damian's shoulder holding him back. I don't see his face because doors close. "Hey, I'm Stephanie Brown, I currently hold the role of Batgirl. I understand that you are a mutant, what do you do?"
Wow, straight to it.
"I watch and then learn, it doesn't have to be a long demonstration most times."
"Really? How does it work for languages?"
"I need to see it written down or I have to hear it."
"Do you know Arabic?"
"Yeah, why?" She smiles.
"You can help us understand what he says about us when he switches languages."
"But he knows more than one...you are aware of that right?"
"Yes, but he talks in Arabic more."
"How much do you piss him off to go there, I've seen him snap at Beast Boy and that's not pretty." She laughs.
"I know!" This family is crazy. "Now we're here so let's get you settled and then in the morning, I'm making waffles." She takes Nightmare's cage walking out. I follow slowly taking in and memorizing where we came out from. My brows scrunch a little.
"Did you just quote Shrek?"
"Yes, but instead of me It's Alfred who's cooking." She swings a door on the right open. Inside I notice some things I recognize. These were things from my apartment, my couch, my supplies. "We were prepared for facts to either be against you or for you. Well then you got off the hook so fast, we planned for it."
"That honestly doesn't make me feel any better." Stephanie sets Nightmare's cage down, a hiss emits from him. She jumps back towards me. "What did Damian say when he stepped out of the car?"
"Oh, he made everyone promise not to go in heavy and/or attack you. Don't worry though I don't think any of us would, you seem too nice. Oh and before I go, wake up call is 6:30 that's when breakfast starts." She closes the door leaving me alone in my room. I open Nightmare's cage allowing him to roam around the area, I set my things down by the couch. I carefully pull out the bed, pulling out the sheets and blankets from the small boxed area by the right side of the headboard. I know there's a bed in here, but looking at it makes me remember how much this family has. It's also way too big, and I am a small person I do not want to get lost trying to leave the mattress. Nightmare, however, sits smack in the middle of the bed, curling up slowly and purring himself to sleep. When I look out the window it's night, the skies are dark and cloudy. I pull out my com piece checking the time, 12:56. "Well, it looks like I won't be able to sleep for a few more hours. I still have to understand what's happening, after all, she came and left so quickly. I didn't even have time for more questions." I sigh flopping down on the bed. "Son of a sinckerdoodle...I don't even know what's going on anymore." I wrench my eyes shut everything feels too easy. Too welcoming, but I didn't feel any malice Nightmare didn't even warn me about anything. Then again, I might just feel guilty that I'm staying in a room much too fancy for my taste.
*Knock Knock*
I jump at the noise, shooting up I search for the source of the sound. My eyes fall on the window.
"Damian! You live here use the door! You have doors in this place you dingus!" I open the balcony doors for him, he then proceeds to storm inside. He pauses when he sees the pull-out bed.
"You are aware you can curse is that correct."
"If God does exists I don't want him sending me to the plains of eternal damnation in the fiery pits of Satan's domain."
"Amazing you haven't made a horrible joke yet." He lays back on my bed arms behind his head.
"Did you want one? Because I have plenty of Blackadder insults and references on the tip of my tongue." I walk over to where his situated with a chair. "Did you want to talk about it?"
"No, let's just say I had some choice words and was banned from patrol for a week."
"That still doesn't explain why you are in my bed." I poke his leg with my foot. " And don't you dare say it's because you want to play nursemaid still. Seriously. I'm fine worse had been done." My fingers trace where my bandages are, it feels raw but bearable.
"I don't feel like going back to my room."
"You can't sleep in mine bucko, sleep with the cat." As if hearing me talk about him, he meows sleep drunk from his spot on the bed.
"Why don't you take the bed?"
"Damian, why would I take that when I can sleep on something I already know is comfortable."
"The sheets are Egyptian cotton."
"And these sheets are silky and only priced at 10 dollars on the discount sale at our local Target." I point to the bed. "You either go there," Then I point to the floor. "Or down here I'll throw down some pillows and a blanket."
"I am not moving from the couch."
We are silent for a moment.
"This is very unlike you, are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" He pulls himself upright looking me in the eye. He motions for me to sit next to him.
"They were ready to kill you if they deemed it necessary. They figured if you were the cause of them being here, then you dying would be the best situation."
"It wouldn't be the first time, someone of any of the places I've been had thought that." I sigh and sit down next to him. "Heck even I thought about it at one point, but I'm not a fan of killing myself. But that was before leaving my home, and the fey courts. Suppose I should be lucky that this earth was the farthest I could go. Jal-sein couldn't get here before the deadline occurs. That my family is safe despite everything. When I get home now, all I have to worry about are Mutant Hunters and Sentinals with laser eyes and scary voices." I shift my voice to sound like one I had seen when I was younger. Damian jumps a little at the sudden change in my voice.
"After your birthday and three days, you go back to a place that hunts you."
"What else would I do?"
"Stay here, bring you brother, and live on this earth."It hits me.
"They want to send me back, don't they?"
"Yes"
"And you convinced them to let me stay?"
"Don't sound too happy about it, It took a lot of pushing and pulling stings I had hoped to use later. You owe me for this, if it weren't for me they would have either killed you or sent you back to destroy your own planet." I smile and give his hand a squeeze, the get-up and march over to the larger bed.
"Fine, you can keep the bed. Nightmare move over, I'll sleep on the oversized mattress."
"Meerow."
"The left side, you know I sleep on the left side." I look back at Damian and catch a small grin on his lips. "Good Night window breaker, please refrain from bleeding out on my couch again." One of the pillows makes contact from my face, but I laugh anyway.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 10 Damian x reader
"So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
"Y/N this is a step forward and a step back, I'll call Scott and get confirmation on this dimension."
"Thank you, how-how is my brother? Did they find a place to hide?" The professor nods.
"He and your uncle are safe, Jean calls in now and again. She won't even tell me where they are, just that they are fine." I let out a shaky sigh, I plop down on the bed causing Nightmare to hiss when as he jumps slightly in the air.
"Tell Jean thanks, this couldn't be done without her."
" Of course I will reach you again at the next check-up."
"I look forward to it, good-bye professor." The com clicks fades out allowing me to fall back on the bed. Nightmare pops in on my right nuzzling his muzzle against my cheek. I scratch his head leaning into him, he does the same curling in next to me. My kitten had gotten a little bigger since we've been here longer than other places he's had time to grow his legs are a little longer and his eyes are sharper. "Did you hear that they're still okay, the Hopperfields didn't find them haven't found them. They got there safe. We can almost go home soon too. Even though it means we'll work for SHIELD for a while." His tongue scraps across scrapes my face and I hold back a wince. I scoop up the feline and begin walking out to the door. "It's our turn to make dinner today, how about couscous, spinach pies, and peanut butter silk pie with homemade peanut butter cups on top?" The door opens and I jump when I see Damian standing in the doorway.
"Jimminy Crickets! How long have you been there?"
"Long enough the hear about dinner." He moves back to allow me space to move out.
"Really? Knowing you, I'd think you'd been lurking here since I started talking to Professor X."
"Suppose you'll never know, but allow me to help you."
"Nothing is more suspicious than that Damian." I walk down the hall to the elevator, he follows next to me matching my pace. though if you insist I need to go shopping I was going to ask Kori or Raven. I suppose you if you want to help, you can do that."
"I'd think you'd go to me first."
"It's only been three weeks Mr, I'll remind you that I have been dragged here due to the fact you recorded a conversation that sounds odd without proper context."
"You're holding a grudge."I pass him an innocent look making my eyes look sparkly.
"What's a grudge?" I cock my head to one side pressing the button for the bottom floor. His face falls, I snort and enter the elevator he follows, and the doors close tightly.
"You are not as funny as you think L/N."
"You jest, my good sir, my jokes are as good as you get."He scoffs.
"Did you have to make your own Philo dough?" Damian groans pulling the dough out of the fridge for the last time. I had made him fold the dough. I could help but snicker while plated the rice and take the spinach off the stove.
"Well it should be done now, Nightmare can you get the feta cheese out of the fridge, please." I don't receive a response from put I hear the fridge door open and shut harshly. "Thank you," I say taking the green leaves over to the dough, I pull a ruler from the drawer and the pizza cutter. Nightmare drops the cheese near me and I begin making the pastries.
"let's see first spinach, and then feta, fold, pan, repeat," I say under my breath going over like what my father would do when we had guests coming soon. within a few minutes I finish half the batch before Damian coughs. "Could you heat the oven to 350 degrees and sprinkle the bowl of spices onto the couscous I'll be done in a few minutes." I don't hear him move but the beeping could be heard. 'I'm beginning to wonder if the Nightmare is copying him or he was still just as sneaky' I think while I place the small triangles in the oven. "Well, dinner is set I'll set a bowl over the plates and wait for them to finish."
"You remember that everyone's out today right?" Damian leans on the counter next to Nightmare scratching the fluff ball's ears.
"I do, the pies are on a slow bake and I set it to turn off the heat when it's done so it sits in their still warm. As for the couscous," I draw a sigil I had seen in a book of spell over the plate. It glows for a moment then fades. "they'll stay warm till someone opens the lid."
"Hopperfield."
"Yes?"
"Why are you holding the pie." He points a finger at the silky treat in my hand and the knife in my other.
"Because I'm going to eat a slice." He shakes his head clearly disapproving. "Did you want some, I could make some tea to go with it. I got some Earl Grey that goes well with it."
"What is with you and tea."
"Do you not like tea? Have I been offering you the wrong beverage this entire time?" He's silent for a moment, walks to me, and takes both the pie and the knife.
"Make the tea, I'll cut the pie. When you cut it you usually take a quarter of the desert."
"No, I don't." I hear Nightmare make a side remark."Not you too!" I sulk grabbing the pot, then I feel a chill. Nightmare scenes the presence and starts hissing. "Damian, I need you to run, get your sword, and find a place to hide."
"Y/n?"
"Go!" The window falls in, glass shards fall like rain. In place of the window stands two twisted figures, black beaks, and mangled limbs reach far from its body. Two holes spilling black ooze lay in the distorted bird-like skulls, in the beak the same venom that poisoned Damian glows and coats jagged and uneven teeth. One however is missing a talon-like hand, I have a feeling that Damian did that. "Run!" He Dashes out the Crows with one hand tries to follow and I set up a shield and the monster bounces back. I materialize a symitar slashing the one who charges for me. It doges. Horrid noises I recognize as their language spews from his lips the same foreign awful words.
'Vessel of Jal-sein, new destroyer, Dreki.'
The other seems to recognize the words and slowly repeats them. Begining to stalk next to him then he screams tentacles curl and tightens around it. One immediately comes out from its mouth, then in a moment, it vanished down the cat's throat. The crow in front of me is distracted, I don't hesitate and cut the head of the monster clean off. I pick up Nightmare and run to the rooms, I hear a crash coming from my room, I see slash marks on my door when I get in. The monster holds its stomach where a large gash is. It's bigger than the other two and has some white scars lining its body. Damian holds his sword in one hand the crow's blood coating the metal. "Damian! Duck!" I drop Nightmare sending a lightning bolt from my hand but I'm not fast enough to save myself from the blow. Sharp talons pierce my stomach, but before I pass out I quickly trace the fire sigil I used earlier on his skin. I hear screaming but I don't know if it's mine or the Crow's as I fade out.
A sharp pain runs through my body from what I believe is my ankle. I hiss in pain jumping up and swatting the thing causing my pain.
"OWW! Holy ginger snap! That hurt!" No sooner did I say the words my abdomen flairs in pain, and I fall back. My back though was not met by the comfort of the mattress of my room. My senses hit me the air was not the one I had grown accustomed to. I sit back up slowly this time and look around, it's a hospital room but not one on titan's tower. This room is spacious white and only had one bed, mine. I smell the air again, the scent that fills the room is artificial. I hear Nightmare's voice cursing me. I figured he's the one that bit me, I ignore him and swing my legs off the bed. Holding my stomach I stager to the door. The door slides open, to no surprise it's the titan's hall. I hear voices from the living room I follow leaning against the walls for support.
"It's almost unbelievable that they would come here of all places, and judging from the bodies they don't even look like newborns. She's lucky you found out how to reach me." It's him, I try walking faster despite the pain. I reach out to the door but it won't open, it's locked.
"y/n, that door won't open for you if you force it." I hear a rustle and clattering, the door slams open Damian's face appearing, and then I'm being carried away.
"Damian put me down now!" I try moving out of his grip.
"y/n your unstable and you need to rest."
"Dammit, that's my uncle in there!"
"From what I'm told the deal between you and the fairie are thus. By the time you reach 17 survive 3 months 3 weeks 3 days to the time. You are not to see any of your family members, or you are given back to the Crows. Do you want to become the next destroyer of worlds?" I stop struggling to look over his shoulder to see the door close. I don't move anymore, keeping my eyes on the door till it's out of sight. We don't go back to the artificial room, he instead takes me to my room blood stained the floor and the coach is ruined scratches line the walls. The bed however is fine the warding I place on the area worked keeping a perfect 1 foot around the bed unscathed. He places me on the bed and pulls up a chair sitting beside me. Nightmare jumps on the comforter meowing and pawing at my leg.
"I told you to hide you know."He scoffs tucking me in harshly.
"I don't run from a fight."
"You could have died, they're dangerous, they weren't even the deadly ones."
"I didn't die the first time."
"You had me to patch you up."
"I suppose you did." He smiles a little bit, I slowly bring a hand up to his face tracing a patch on his skin. He doesn't pull away, to my surprise he leans into the hand closing his eyes. "I see the doc patched you up too." I imitated his 'tsk' "so reckless and careless." I pinch his cheek pulling it in the process. "I can't believe after I spent hours patching you up, your reckless attitude gets you messed up again." He glares down at me his smile now wiped clean from his face.
"You are the one who nearly died!"I wiggle my eyebrows.
"But I didn't, suck it and as the internet says, 'God has let me live another day, and know I'm about to make it everyone's problem.'" He groans, holding my wrist.
"I hate you, and your jokes."
"You love me and my jokes." He flushes and successfully pulls my hand away.
"I prefer the jokes." I start laughing so hard I almost roll over to the side even with the pain in my middle, and I continue laughing.
I felt the artificial room disappear much later as well as the presence of my Uncle, everyone had come in to visit me and Damian did not move from his spot. He sat there making sure no one got too close and disturbed me. When he did leave was to open the door, use the bathroom, or get food and medicine. Though it wasn't that I didn't appreciate the company it was that he never left me alone. Maybe it was because he thought he couldn't save me from the Crow that he was fighting. Damian had said that the Crow that had gotten me had laced his claw with the venom from his mouth. When my uncle had arrived the venom had too long to set and coursed through my system too fast. He gave me a month of bed rest and made a liquid medication from my scales that I had to take at least once a day. It's gross and It's slimy going down. Nightmare made the call to my uncle and Damian did the talking and Nightmare demanded a whole bag of treats and an uninterrupted nap as his reward. It has been about three weeks and I'm about to lose my mind, I have finished watching half of the entire series of highlander and he would not stop asking questions.
"Damian I consider you myself your friend, and I have become very attached to you. But if you ask one more question about the Quickening I will defenestration you!"
"Your the one who got me invested!"
"For a ninja your not very smart are you?"
We begin to bicker when a knock comes at the door, we become silent and stare at it. "Damian I know your in there, I just want to talk to you and y/n."
"Damian the books before you unlock the door hand them the bag to Nightmare, Nightmare go to the window and pass through to the middle realm." They do as I say, as soon as Nightmare gets the bag he vanishes and the door is unlocked at the exact moment. It's Officer Grayson, but he's in his costume he took his mask off for some reason.
"Hi y/n, Damian."
"Grayson."
"I'm afraid I don't have any coffee for you officer, see the nurse here won't let me leave the room to even make myself some tea." Damian makes a scoffing sound, and I noticed the officer smile widely.
"I missed your voice on my coffee breaks, I'm sorry things turned out like this-" his head turns to the TV "is that the Highlander?"
"State your business, Grayson," Damian growls hands gripping his Katana.
"Oh right," he straitens "The Crows have taken over Gotham, we would like the both of you to help fend them off. For y/n helping us would mean that you could go back to being as you were before. Your coffee shop apartment is left alone, everything as it is and as it was." He places a hand over his heart and one in the air like he was swearing an oath.
"What about Damian?"
"Batman has agreed to let him off the hook if he comes back with you."
"There's a problem with that plan, Grayson she's not supposed to move from the bed for at least another week. I'm sure you heard about the attack."
"Yes, we thought about it, you have till she feels better to decide."
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 9 Damian x reader
"What is this place, why is it shaped like a T?" We stand on an island with this enormous building smack in the center of it the sunset shade casting a large shadow over us, I can't get over how ridiculous it looks. Or contemplate my confusion, Nightmare makes an unimpressed huff and nuzzles back into my shoulder.
"Titan's tower."
"why would this be a good place to hide? It's the most obvious building here, I ran with you for several days I'm beginning to think I would be safer under my floorboards." He walks up to the doors and pulls out a card holding it in front of the circular panel. It beeps and a clicking noise comes from the door.
"Believe me this would be a better place for you." I sigh a form of any and all anxiety pools in my body, but I still meet him at the now unlocked door.
"Alright fine but you need to explain to me why here of all places."
"When we get inside." The doors swing open, the area behind it lights up leading to what I assume is an elevator. I'm pulled inside not giving me a chance to look around. "Hey!" He doesn't answer but pulls us into the elevator, I don't see him push a button but we almost immediately move up. It's fast but not as fast as the one I had to go down for training at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Though the feeling is familiar and I start missing my classmates all over again. I rub the wrist that Damian was holding to dragging me here. Nightmare growls at the space moving him and interrupting his nap. The space stops and the door opens to an open space that looks like a large living room. a white angled couch a large kitchenette and an impossibly large TV by open glass windows. The room has several people all staring at us, my anxiety hits me tenfold and I take a step back. A hand is at my shoulder the moment I do and pushes slowly while moving itself. The doors close signaling that I'm truly stuck here, a woman with Neon pink hair and bronze skin zooms up to us.
"It's so good to see you, and I see you brought a friend. Richard has been looking all over for you."
"I know that's why you can't tell him we're here." I'm pushed forward. "She's a mutant possessing the X-Gene, my father wants to interrogate her for the information, she needs to stay here till a better solution becomes present. Can she stay here?"
"Well of course she can stay-"
"What?!" Nightmare jumps from my arms and hisses. I walk backward, taking in this new information. "How did, you find out when-when." Fear creeps how long had he known how much trouble was or might be in. But he didn't mention this. but then again why would he. How does he know about the X-Gene though, from the research I did there were none here with it. The closest there was were Metahumans but even they didn't have anything close. My back hits the wall and I return to the world Nightmare growls standing guard in front of me. Everyone who was in the room now stood in front of me, a boy that was green from head to toe, another girl in a purple cloak and unitard, and another boy with something attached to his back. The pink-haired woman steps forward, but Nightmare swats at her yowling as a warning to keep away. She raises her hands in surrender but looks at me.
"There is no need to be afraid, I knew people like you, Jean Grey, Cyclops. they came here by accident once a few friends and I helped them get back. It would have been 7 years ago now." Damian steps forward Ignoring Nightmare, guilt is painted slightly on his face he tries to coax me from the wall. "I'm sorry I knew since the time you showed me, I checked my recorder after that visit and played it back home in front of everyone. I was to find out more from you and report back after we scanned those samples that healed me. When we were ready I was supposed to bring you back with me for interrogation with confirmation of your mother's research." Something snaps inside me and I glare at him.
"So all that was for those stupid journals. Wow, for how long were you faking nice. No, don't tell me it'll just feel worse. " I put a hand on my face willing the emotions of confusion to stop. A crackling noise makes its self known in front of me followed by screams.
"Holy Crap that thing has tentacles coming from its face!"
"Ahh!"
I gasp at the sight Nightmare had gone full flerken and is attempting to drag Damian in. I lunge at Nightmare dragging him across the floor. He lets go of Damian but he hasn't changed back to cat form. "Nightmare No! Calm down I'm fine I swear it! Stop!" The black fuzzball retracts his tentacles and hisses at the crowd.
"I'm sorry, he gets like that when he sees me upset sometimes. Not sure if you have them here but he's half flerken, they look like cats but they're quite deadly." I set Nightmare down and he crawls behind my legs once again hissing particularly at the green boy how has gotten closer, he turns into a green cat making Nightmare run in the process. Damian limps forward his leg is bleeding through his suit. I would let that heal naturally if only wounds inflicted by Nightmares in the flerken form never heal normally on their own.
"Y/N these are the Titans, the one mimicking your," he waves his hand in the air as if to find the world. "flerken is Garfield." He points to Nightmare being chased my the green cat attempting to lose him. The bronze woman glides forward stomping a foot from me the others followed behind.
"Hello my name is Starfire you can call me Kori, this here is Raven," She points to the purple girl then moves her other hands to the boy. "and this is Jaime. We are pleased to have you here Y/N." She grabs my hand pulling me away from the middle of the room where I had landed. "Now let's get you settled in I'll talk to Damian for a bit after." Nightmare notices my leaving and jumps onto my right sholder hissing at the green-skinned boy.
I honestly don't know how to feel, to be honest, I should have guessed it so it's my fault. I could have left him and then this wouldn't have happened, but then he would have died in my apartment. Could have been more hostile, but then he definitely would have gone with the kidnapping strategy and I would be already in the hand of batman. Now I'm in the known world of their superheroes, the superheroes know about the Crows and they know about the X-gene. That information can go from good to bad in minutes. Though Kori did know about Jean and Scott, though it was years ago they have traveled through many universes with a small team. I would have been about 10 when this happened and my mother didn't take me there for classes till I was 12. In their lectures, they didn't mention anything like this they did bring in Doctor Strange to teach those of us who could understand how to perform magic. I Now I'm sitting on an insanely comfortable bed knees curled up to my chest just reminiscing. I have been told to use my abilities only when necessary as not to attract any unwanted attention. But what did I do, I screw up my chances of living normally till Doc Strange can pull me back only to find I'm not in my home where I should be. Everything was going so smoothly till now.
The door opens behind me and by the almost silent footfalls, I can tell it's Damian. Nightmare has jumped into my arms forcing me to let go off my legs and watch as the boy drags a chair to face me.
"I suppose you want the whole story now," I said barely looking at him.
"I wasn't going to talk about that yet."
"What did you think you would find in the journals that my mother wrote?"
"An answer on how to stop the Crows."
"You most likely will."
"Than what's in them."
I sigh looking him dead in the eye, pulling myself together for this.
"My mother didn't only study history, in my dimension, she studied all sorts of fields one day she was asked to study something and was gone for almost six months. We hardly heard from her but just enough to know she was alive so naturally when she came back she swore me into secrecy. She explained that she had gone to another world entirely, she studies with them and when she came back more time had passed than when she was there. One journal explaining how she got the and how to get in and another explaining what she found, and the rules for everything she experienced there. She learned things no human should know and kept it from the people she worked for and everyone else. She-she found Avalon, lived among the fey in return for her curiosity and genuine interest they helped her make a guide and history of all fairy and Fae both the pure and the equally disturbed." I reach in my bag and pull out the books from missing from the very research my mother so loved. One being ordinary leather-bound and the other two bear a glowing purple gem on both sides of a very purple dark Tome thick and pooling with some sort of energy as the gem. I give him a serious look gripping both books. "She left it to me but I haven't read them yet, I...I couldn't bring myself to. It might be better used in your hands anyway. Though I shouldn't I still trust you for some reason, so under the conditions that you only use what you find for the better of those in need you may find your information. The journals, however, will stay within my sight understood." He nods, I start to give the leather books to him he stops me.
"I don't want to see them before you," He takes the books from my hands and places them back in the bag. "If you are convinced that I should still read them, then I will convince where ever you wish to study them." He sits on the bed next to me staring out the window. "What I want to talk about is how we get Father not to view you as a threat and as a friend. I went over it with Starfire and we both agree this is the best option." He pauses before he continues. "We're you a hero in your world?"
"You want me to do hero's work and gain a positive reputation so that he's more willing to work with me than slowly forcing out of me."
"Yes."
"How do you know about the X-gene?"
"It was in our database from when Jean Grey and Cyclops had visited. They helped take down an invasion of the skrul and took them back with them to their own dimension. Father took some DNA samples to work with and ask about their abilities. There are entire folders on the subject alone." He pauses again running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"Not for that, for everything else."
"Yes that is very much on you but it's also on me. But if I had left you with Crow poison in your blood you would either turn into an undead flesh puppet in my room or die. That would not have gone down well for either of us. I was also mostly upset you broke my window and wanted compensation," I see him visibly tense and clench his teeth. "and didn't even bother to say thank you."
"I Fixed your awful goddammed window isn't that thanks enough." He glares at me.
"Was it? After all, you did spy on me and report it to the Dark Knight." I fall back onto the bed. "There's no getting out of this now might as well get used to it."
"You shouldn't be this comfortable with what's happening, I wouldn't"
"Then why are you smiling ya weirdo, It's almost creepy."
"Tsk, just hand me your computer so I can pull up Star Trek, I would like to finish and begin the movies." I hand him my laptop and he walks over to the wall in front of the bed.
"Um, you know we watch on that computer you making a get away with."
"Yes but the enormous 4k TV is here." He pushes a button I didn't even see before and as promised a TV appears. He smirks at what I assume is my expression. He opens my computer and within minutes Star Trek is cast on the TV. "Please hold your applause till after the show."
"Did you just make a joke? Are you joking now?"
"Aren't I allowed to have a sense of humor?" I Look at Nightmare who has the same thought in his head and I look back at Damian.
"Nope, Nada, No way."
"You know, you're the only one who has talked to me that way and lived."
"I should consider myself lucky then huh."My gaze falls to his leg, It's poorly bandaged so I pull my scales and Med-kit from my bag. " But before I forget I need to treat your leg before your tissue becomes necrotic. You can watch while I work, but you need to swallow one more of the "glittered plastic"."
"The scales?" I pause stoping the wrap on the angry-looking tentacle mark on his skin.
"What do you think I was talking about?" I smile evilly.
"I thought you were talking about my jokes and wonderful sense of humor." I tie off the bandage and put away my first aid kit. "But If you must know it has to rain first, and I have to be in it. The acidity in the rain is was caused the scales to form but there has to be enough of it. In Gotham, the rain has plenty of it, It soaks into my skin and drains my health which is why I was sick for so long. In return for taking my health, the scales form with healing agents that even baffle me. Normally I would take one and feel fine after but someone decided to take them."
"Do you pull them off?"
"Takes too long and much too painful, I just pour scalding hot water on myself and they pull away from the skin. I clean them and there you have it. Health restoring scales." He stares at me, like I said I pour milk before cereal and then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds in that order.
"Aren't there better ways to remove them?"
"Yes, but those are back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters I couldn't pack it with me so I had to find other methods."
He silent again so I put my stuff in the closet, take my Suit out from the bag, and place it on the hanger, the vibranium fibers shimmer in the soft lights then I stuff the rest of my things in there. I have to tell Professor Xavier what's happened on the check update next week with any luck the multi-functional com-piece found the data by now and I can see what they already know. I inwardly sigh, closing the closet and making my way back to the bed. I see Damian drawn into the scene playing on the screen, Data has made his sacrifice saving the Enterprise. I wasn't expecting to last the cleaning to last that long, but then again the poisons from the suction cups dug deeper than I thought. I put some more things away in drawers even though I didn't have much to bring. "We probably should head to bed, I imagine I have to do a proper introduction and demonstrate some form of my power."
"Yes, probably." He gets up grabbing the two scales I gave him for when he starts feeling pain again. Moving swiftly to the door, he takes one more look back then leaves. My eyes fall on Nightmare who sleeps soundly on the end of the bed. I Climb into the warm comforter letting the warmth surround me. I don't even notice myself drifting till all I can hear is static signaling that tonight was going to be a dreamless one.
"What exactly can you do?" Starfire walks me down to the center of a metallic room filled with weapons and tools, no doubt the training room. I look around more absorbing the room but still answer the question.
"If I see something I can almost instantly learn it or adapt to it, powers, fighting styles, languages I just have to see or hear it. I've had to control it in order not to learn everything and overload happened one time was not pretty."
"What do you mean by almost instantly?"
"Things like shape-shifting are hard to master, but if I concentrate enough I can alter my physical appearance though it takes five minutes to get there and can't hold the form very well after an hour. The first time I saw someone change form my body tried to copy it but I broke my hand instead. But oddly enough I can learn most other powers and knowledge just fine."
"Really? Well just to check could you copy this?" Starfire lifts her hand and green energy forms around it. I lift my hand to match hers and form the same energy in my body, though not green It's a lilac purple. "Sorry still have trouble getting the colors right." The woman stares in awe at my hand, the knowledge of how to use the ability is stored in my memory. I turn my hand light off and look around. She had given me the tour of the building and probably saved this for last to test what I can do. They did the same at XSFGY and had us fight in the ever-changing challenge/training room. I hear the door open and two cheery voices call out.
"Hey Y/N, about to train?" Garfield, the boy in green calls out from the railing where the door is accompanied by Jamie how still looks half asleep.
"I was just about to test her now, could you all stay there, I'm going to pull the full immersion-based training." She floats to a podium on the far side of the room. the area around me pixelated before stilling into a jungle heat and all. Monsters appear from the undergrowth enough level but not easy looking. I raise two fingers to the sky and strike lightning on them Increasing the voltage when one didn't go down, I even open a few portals in the body to warp holes from the flesh. It took about a few minutes to finish and for the simulation to fall. The dark misty cloud vanishes when I flick my wrist. I hear cheering from the side, I turn to face them everyone was now there.
"No way! Did you just see that!!" Jamie is now wide awake sharing an amazing look with Garfield, Raven is a little shocked, while Damian holds a stoic face. I feel a hand on my shoulder and follow it up to the orange-haired woman. I don't catch that she isn't stopping and is dragging me out of the room. With the way her hand had angled, I dragged out facing the other people in the room. She moves so fast that they get so small to quickly "You did excellently today, I'm so happy to welcome you to the team! We shall celebrate with a feast fit for kings and I shall cook it."
"Wait!"
"Kori!"
"Aw hell no!"
"YOU COOKED THE OTHER DAY!"
They all start running after us, shouting and trying to stop the woman. I feel refreshed after getting the OK for using my powers finally releasing some of the tension I've felt. I feel exhausted though, probably anticipating all the social interactions yet to come.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 8 Damian x reader
The school is shut down for a week ironically because of an attack by The Joker and Two-Face, that Robin and his team took down. The teachers sent out a notice with homework attached and told us to stay inside. Nightmare came back somewhere in the morning I couldn't tell the time because I apparently fell asleep along with Boy Wonder before the end of season 1 of The Highlander. I gently placed him down on the couch, gotten dressed, and made some breakfast, I only had eggs so I made some scrambled and put them on a plate for him and me. Nightmare got the last of the bacon. I put a plate over Robins while I ate mine sitting at the small table in the kitchen going over my homework. Sadly I finished my homework before my eggs and they have gone cold. I silently morn my eggs eating the cold carcass. "You stare any harder at that screen and you might break it." I jump, my head shoots upwards and I sigh, but then my eyes drop on my cat. My jaw drops the furball is purring in the arms of a masked stranger who is petting his head. Robin was petting my cat holding him like a baby and the demon is purring. Robin still had his eyes, and limbs not even a bite mark was seen on his skin.
"You traitor, you barely know him." I playful scold the feline, he meows nuzzling his face in Robin's chest.
"Your monster seems friendly."
"Nightmare looks like he's been introduced to catnip."
"Just a few scratches here and there." He smirks taking a seat next to me."Thank you for breakfast."
"Mhm." I turn back to the screen, "Will you be going back today Robin?"
"I might."
"Hmm." I finish the last problem for today closing the device, "Well I have to go to work, your welcome to stay if you want." I smooth out my clothes tossing one last look at the melting ball of fur. I quirk an eyebrow but move out to the door. I stop Halfway through the doorway and look back putting on my meanest face. "If you break a single window in my home I will find where ever you are and break you. Bye Nightmare, love you, I'll be back in a few hours."
"Nightmare! I'm back!" my keys skitter across the floor but no black fur is seen. He's still in the arms of Robin though it's not Robin, Green eyes. My stomach sinks and my mouth goes dry. "Damian?" His is just as much shock as me, he puts down Nightmare and rushes to me the door slams behind me. And I'm being dragged then forced to sit, his hands grip my shoulders. "Your early, why did you arrive early, you not supposed to be back for another half hour." I hardly heard him, I scold myself now realizing the obvious. Why else would Nightmare feel comfortable around him he had been here before multiple times noticed how I treated Damian and that's why he was a purring mess in his arms. I said be nice to him when he was over not Robin, but of course, they smell the same Nightmare associated with both people. I should have spotted it sooner, the voice, the height, the tone of his speech. Dear God, I can mom telling how oblivious, like she did when she won Clue. It was right there, he asked the right question and baited me for answers. I don't know why this is a shock to me. Now that I think of it I have to stop myself from laughing
"What the hell," my voice quivers. "Damian, Damian Wayne. You help Gotham." I start snickering, pulling my hand over my face. I throw my head back laughing then fall over to the side. "Nightmare you knew didn't you! Haha, that's why you were you were melting like butter."
"Your laughing!"
"Did you assume I wouldn't!" I wheeze, my breath nearly coming out to form words. "I can imagine you fighting, but saving people that's something else entirely."
"Do you think so little of me?" He sounds disappointed.
"I don't mean it to offend you but what else can I say. I didn't expect this." I sit up, clearing my throat and looking him dead in the eye. "Can I just call you Damian now, or do I still have to you different names."
"Why aren't you more surprised?"I Smile sadly.
"I thought you would have read up on me, do you know who killed my parents that day at home." He stiffens, he opens his mouth but continues. "My Father's sister, my aunt, killed them both during dinner. All because my mother wouldn't let her see those journals you asked about. After that it many people took off their masks."
"That's all it took?"
"What should it take, she killed her own brother because she didn't get confidential knowledge. To be honest, I don't really care anymore."
"You need professional help." I shrug.
"Probably, but getting sessions is expensive and I don't enjoy answering "and how are you feeling?" questions. I had enough of that already from everyone else."
"Where's your brother, Emil?" I feel myself frown.
"He's with someone I trust, I can't tell you who, sorry."
"The file says you died, you also made a miraculous recovery, recovery from what?"
"I prefer not to answer that question, It's rather personal." I don't want to explain that either, I know the doctor was shocked to see me come back. They had to call the professor to have him take me and my brother. After that this entire fiasco.
"You know I'll find out either way."
"Listen, I don't know how I made it, I was tortured by my she who will not be named and left for dead. I prayed for anyone and everyone who would hear me, someone did, the police found me and I was rushed to the hospital. I decided to take a nap, and I woke up to the sound of Emil crying. He cried, even more, when I woke up, screaming even, the good doctor nearly fainted. I was plugged into wires of all sorts, and my uncle was holding a plug, I assume he pulled, tackled me. My body lit up in pain and felt like I was run over, the next I am separated from my family and rushed into a place where they check on me every three months. At least I got to choose the place, they pay for the school, and I cover everything else." I give in, it feels nice to tell someone, something even if it's not the whole truth. But it seems to shut him up. "Please don't go looking for Emil, they haven't caught my aunt yet. I don't know if she's looking for them next, I would prefer not to stand over another grave knowing she got them too." I stare at him gauging his reaction, his face is still stone, unmoving in the uncomfortable silence. I pick up Nightmare, who has been rubbing against my leg for a bit, and scratch his head as he wants.
"Fine, I won't push further but I have terms."
"Really?" What would he need terms for?
"1, you don't reveal my identity to anyone. 2, you will not acknowledge that you know my family’s identities. 3, I come whenever I like as Robin or as Damian. 4, I add terms whenever I please."
"Why would I agree to any of that? I'm the one who has your identity." He smiles.
"Because I will tell Batman this information, and he doesn't talk as kindly to people hiding something. You obviously still are, but for now, I'll let it slide I'm sure by now you've decided to watch the news, so you know what he does." I gulp, I did see his more recent victim and he looked traumatized.
"Alright fine, but I binge so if you fall asleep tough luck, I'm not going back."
"Fine," he reaches back and pulls out his mask which he puts back on, walking out to the kitchen. "I back in a bit, pull out your couch bed while I'm gone. I will be staying here a while." I get up after him.
"Hey, that offer is for when I thought you were some homeless bums who fights crime, gets money from villain's wallets. You have a perfectly good bed at home!" He turns back one foot on the railing and a grappling hook in hand. "Term 6, I will stay as long as I like." he jumps off like before, not giving me a chance to speak.
"Bastard! I need my alone time!" He's gone I don't even know if he heard me. I grumble pulling out the spare sheets and blankets to set up the bed. "He better be paying rent, smug rich kid."
"Meow." Nightmare looks over at the window Robin left of.
"Yes, he's coming back."
"Meow"
"No, I'm not going tell him, not until I have to."
"Merrow"
"Shut up." I kick the side of the couch holding the two large cushions that lay on it, the bed springs out and makes a satisfying thud on the floor. "Go and see if the data has finished downloading, then put it back in the box I'll make you something in a how you feel about tuna our downstairs grandparents gave me a can."
The sheets are made, the cat is fed and now I am going over how I was going to cover for another person. How much would he eat, can he survive on pastries, ramen, and eggs. How long was he staying, would his family come asking about him seeing as he was here before. At both times, when he broke my window, and when they came for coffee.
"Hey, open the door." The voice is cold but still recognizable. I get up slowly taking my time getting there along with opening the door. He hurries in, dressed in some normal-ish clothes that still look expensive, but he still dressed like he came out of a photo shoot. He not only has a suitcase but some grocery bags, I frown at those. He seems to notice because he forgets his suitcase and charges into the kitchen. "Hey!"
"Y/N I am not eating ramen and eggs for god knows how long. I will cook a decent meal and you will have something healthy."
"How did you know I only had eggs and ramen?"
"I went through your fridge," He places a bag of tomatoes in the bottom drawer where I see green onions and various other veggies.
"I make stir-fry once a month, you have bought enough greens and reds to make that for two weeks. I don't even have rice."
"You don't like it when people spend money on you, do you?"
"I don't need other people's money," He opens his mouth, but I stop him raising a finger cutting him off. "And before you mention Molly, she remains the exception. Not that me telling her not to stops her."
"And why is that." He stops putting the food in the fridge.
"Because I've been friends with her longer," I look back at his bags and frown. "How long do you plan on staying again."
"For as long as I please."
"Won't they come looking for you? Your family I mean, the Detective stops by almost every day."
"Grayson won't be a problem, I left them a trail that leads to several other places." He stuffs the last of the food in the fridge, getting up and looking out the balcony window. "Should take a long while." I can hear the smugness in his voice.
"Your happy you tricked your brothers aren't you." He turns around forcing himself to frown but the corners of his lips twitch.
"Ho, you're a bastard Wayne."
"You're really gonna curse me?"
"You didn't tell me I couldn't Damian." I grab my computer and open Hulu putting on Star Trek; Next-generation where I left off. "Hope you enjoy space adventure, because I'm not starting this over its seven seasons and 4 movies. I'm halfway through season 3, if you want context just ask." I glance up signaling that I am waiting for a response, he leans on the wall in front of my kitchen. I can't read his face, but his face of neutral displeasure wasn't much better. "So, your done feeling good about yourself, or is there something else you need."
"It's been something I've been wondering for a while now, those iridescent pieces you fed me."
"Part of my mother's work." Not a complete lie,
"Was that what those missing journals about?"
"No." More of a lie but not wrong. He groans anyway, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Man, you really like to cut in deep and waste time. Just come here and watch some Star Trek with me I need someone else to groan in pain about Counselor Troy's and Will Riker's on and off slow burn romance." Begrudgingly he walks over plopping down next to me.
"Your tastes in tv are odd."
"You have no idea, my tastes in something go everywhere, after this and Highlander I have several old cartoons next. First, I might have to gather what you know about the Quack pack, Goof troop, Ducktales, and all that pizazz. Though I have a feeling that you would like Darkwing Duck more, or it could possibly be too relatable." He gives me a look.
"How could I relate to a duck?"
"We are a long way from that now, at the moment we must bear witness to Captain Picard and his adventures commanding the USS Enterprise."
"Has anyone told you how unbelievably weird you are?"
"Sir, you have entered my life for what looks to be the long run. You will experience the kind of weirdness only Molly has ever seen. But now that you are basically my roommate you might see more." I pat his shoulder. "So, buckle up, because this is now you've got a seat on this roller-coaster, and you can't get off till the car reaches a complete stop. Now can we please get back to the show I want to see some cosmic action?"
"He can achieve the perception of feeling with a chip that goes into his hyper-advanced brain, lets his brother take it but can't make his own."
"I lent you my computer to catch up to where I left off for one night and that's what you're hung upon."
"Yes," his eyes look serious while he shoves some oatmeal in his mouth. "You are the one who can't stand the slow burn."
"Touche."
Before we got to the last season, Damian had asked he could see the rest of the show before the finally. I didn't expect that he would binge because it was a weekend, he even made extensive notes on character weakness. He still went out on patrol every night but came back with no one tailing him. That's what he says at least. He looks tired, with bags under his eyes and just lacking energy altogether.
"While I'm at work please go to sleep, you look like you fought an energy vampire and lost."
"I wouldn’t have lost to a vampire, they’re not that hard to kill.”
“But they drink blood they need to get close; energy vampires are more psychic they don’t even have to be a real monster.” He stops eating/
“How so?”
“They could be emotionally, physically, and mentally draining people. You know like Deity Skimmer, the girl in our science class. You can’t kill the energy-sucking vibes she gives off, can you.” He snorts behind his hand.” I mean it, even creatures of the night need sleep.” I drop my dishes off in the sink. I walk off to the door putting on my boots, I hear the chair slide and I feel his judging eyes digging holes in the back of my skull.
“Once again your conditions said nothing about teasing you, suck it up.” He scoffs. “I’ll be back around 5, don’t break any more windows while I’m gone.” I close the door before I hear any remarks once more about the incident. Though I laugh to myself, I straighten out my outfit and head down to the wonderful smells of the coffee shop. I walk slowly down the stairs looking out to the crowd that had been seated in the lounge. My managers were out by the couches talking to one of the regulars. Pull me behind the counter and relieve my coworker Meg, she looks exhausted and excuses herself. She takes what I assume is her coffee and puts away her apron and rushes out the door. I finish out what she didn’t clean and wait for anyone to come up to the counter. *Ring* though it is loud I hear the bell for the door ring.
“I’ll be with you in just a moment, I need to clean the nozzle here.”
“That’s fine, I can wait.” I flinch but catch myself, so it looks like I flicked something. I turn around with the best smile I can pull off. The sleep-deprived brother of Damian, peers at me from under his hair a frown tugging on his face.
“Oh hey! You came here with detective Grayson last time. Is there anything you would like?”
“Coffee.”
“Any particular kind?”
“Anything that will keep me from sleeping on this counter.” He knocks on the surface twice.
“I Can recommend our D&D potion bottle, it’s a personal favorite of the owners.”
“Why not, how much?” He fumbles around for his pockets, I stop him.
“How about, I make get it for you, and then you pay.” He brings his hands back on the counter and nods.
“I will only be a few minutes, please make yourself comfortable.” I pull out the ingredients for our powerful concoction, the pho fried ice cream, a large potion bottle with a straw, and 20-sided dice. I place the potion bottle in front of him and the ice cream but hand him the dice. He stares at the shiny plastic unmoving.
“I would roll that.” He does what I say and lands on a nine. “Well, sir after this one you can either have another potion or chose two desserts of any kind from our display or menu.” He takes a sip from the straw rather slow; his eyes perk up a bit.
“How Much did you say this was?”
“Oh! That will be $9.23?” He pulls out the exact amount, and I put it away in the register, placing it in the compartment marked D&D.
“And I would like another one of these to go.”
“Sure, would you like it now or before you go?”
“Well now should be nice, I’m leaving in just a bit.” I pull out a cup that is relatively the same size as the potion bottle. I go to give him his cup and notice that he finished the bottle and ice cream. Confusion hits me, but I don’t stare too long to turn to clean the mess. “Have you seen Damian at all?” And there it was.
“No, not since the Gala? Did something happen?”
“There was a…disagreement so he ran out, but if you see him,” He handed me a piece of paper with a string of numbers and an email. “Tell me. That is my number and email.” He does not say anymore and walks out the door, the bell signaling his departure.
When I got back, I told Damian what happened, he isn’t pleased and is currently pacing the floor.
“My guess is that he knows.” I sigh over my tea and stare sadly at the replaced window.
“No doubt.”
“You know I was rather hoping not to be having another visit from the Batman. What will happen when they find out that I know about the caped crusader thing.”
“He’ll either force into secrecy, turn you into a child crusader, or confine you to the manor.”
“So in other words no privacy.”
“None.”
“As lovely as that would be you told me this was temporary, so why can’t you go back?”
“At the Gala I was supposed to keep you entertained at the table so that we could trap you into to talking about those journals.” I knew it.
“So, you lied to me.” I look at him, faking shock and betrayal.
“It was for the sake of the investigation; I didn’t think that I would end up-.” He examines my expression and face palms. “What’s wrong with you.”
“I like to call it “I laugh in the face of danger” Syndrome, in a moment of despair I crave comedy.”
“You're worse than Grayson.”
“I like him, so I’ll let this one slide.” I sip the warm liquid feeling soothed at the pumpkin spice. “What are you going to do now?” Nightmare jumps on the table noticing my concern and waiting for his answer from me. He walks to the corner where he put his bag then went to the closet pulling out my suitcase. He then grabs his outfit Robin outfit from the coat rack and his other materials. “Get packed, we’re leaving. I’ll grab Nightmare’s things gab whatever you need. And I mean need, don’t pick it up unless it’s necessary.”
“What? I can’t just leave, what about my job? School?!” He Pulls out my backpack and puts some food in it. “Damian!”
“Just trust me, I’ll take care of it! I don’t want you tangled up in my family’s nonsense.” He looks at me something odd swirling in his eyes. “Please.”
“Fine,” I grab my suitcase and pack my box and my compiece which hasn’t gotten back to me on its progress. I throw a few sets of clothes. I open the box to make sure the journals, the scales, and everything else, then I hide it under the clothing and my laptop in the front pocket. I thank myself for making sure to get a suitcase that has a double use as a backpack. In the living room, Damian is all packed the bag is strapped across his chest and he’s holding Nightmare.
“Let’s go.” He hands me Nightmare and pulls me to the balcony. He pulls out and belts with a ring pultruded out on one side swiftly put it around me connecting the loop to his belt. “Hold on tight, and don’t let go till I tell you.” I Sling an arm around him and grip on to Nightmare, he doesn’t hesitate and shoots across the balcony with his grappling gun. I screw my eyes shut. And wait to stop, my heart beats wildly in my chest Nightmare begins purring maybe in hopes to soothe me. I feel something wrong, but it would mean I was away from the Crows. I’m running again, even if it’s not me who chose this it still feels wrong. Because in the direction he’s going it seems that we were leaving Gotham. And for some reason, I feel like it would be a while before I returned.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 7 Damian x reader
"Ira! I need my emergency kit!" Molly is pulling at my hair with a brush, I grimace at my reflection, she had put pearls and violet gems in my hair. Seeing as it already wasn't long bearly pushing past my ears, even though there aren't many of them in there it ways down in some places. I had already allowed her to put me in a ball gown, which I'm sure costs much more than my apartment building. It reminds me of peacock feathers, purples, greens, blues fill the cloth they blend seamlessly dark purple at the top and ending with blue at the bottom. I look at the matching marbled shoes and guilt climbs through me.
"Molly I don't need makeup, I'm already in a peacock dress, and there are gems in my hair. Besides the mascara is enough I don't want to spend an hour rubbing anything else off." Molly gasps, a hand gripping at her heart.
"Why-how could you say such a thing!" Ira hands Molly her phone, she screams. "We're going to be late! Ira put the bag back!" I'm yanked from my chair and raced down the hall within minutes I'm thrown into a limo with Molly's parents. Molly jumps in starting to yell at the driver shocking her parents who kept telling her to calm down. It doesn't take long to get to Wayne Manor, the courtyard is crowded filled with flashing lights from cameras reporters, and newscasts. They surrounded every inch with an exception of a semi-circle right at the front of the building where the car pulled up. Once more I'm pulled roughly out of the vehicle by molly, I nearly trip going up the stairs.
"Molly dear, we need to go in together!" My friend's mother pants from behind her husband seems to be in a similar position as me. Like mother like daughter.
I pull my arm away from Molly gently and smooth out my peacock dress, I sigh internally finding relief that I had personally told Molly to make the dress so it covered without it being tight. If I didn't then I would be pulling up the fabric like Molly who went not so modest. Not only had she blinged out she full-on black and high heels that pushed out her height. She looked good, and she made her parents match. When her mother finally catches up she puts a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
What happens after the incident leaves me at a table sitting behind a card with my name on it. Molly was seated somewhere else because I had used my own invitation instead of being a plus one. My eyes cast over the room soaking in again the decor of the newly decorated main floor. My energy seems to drain while I watch the people chat dance and laugh. No one was seated at my table and I was slightly relieved but I still felt odd. I had gone to parties with my mom in the past, ones that were held in her honor about her findings. I feel myself relishing in those memories I had looking back at the times she would pull a silly face at me while I was bored at said parties, or told a joke in some of her speeches. My mother was the expert in The Islamic Golden Era, despite not being a Muslim herself. She prided herself on giving credit to those who deserved more but had their work stolen by Europeans. But then, when she went on that Egypt and Greece dig she had found something that unnerved her. I knew what it was, and I wish I hadn't either. My happy thoughts turn sour, and I can feel myself grimace. I am tired...so tired.
"You made it, It's good to see you here." my head whips around falling on emerald eyes.
"Yeah, I had already told Molly that she could take me to the next party she goes to. However, I didn't know that if you came with an invite and not a plus one that you had to sit at a separate table." He snorts and sits down to my right.
"You were originally sat by her but father assumed I needed a friend," He shows me a card with his name on it. "so he changed Grayson out for you."
"Do you not have friends?"
"None close by."
"When have I accepted you as a friend?" He smiles
"That is a good question, but the same goes for me, you more someone I tolerate."
"Same here, Besides your a bad influence."
"tsk,...touche." his gaze looks me up and down and I have the sudden urge to say 'eyes up here'.
"You look tired, would you like to go to the library?"
"Usually libraries and tired people don't mix."
"How about a tour then, we have several artifacts my father has purchased that you might find interesting." He pushes harder.
"You want an excuse to leave, don't you? I thought my main purpose for being here was to talk to Mr.Wayne, not venture into the mansion." He sighs with his own body, visibly exaggerating the movements.
"My father is deeply preoccupied already in another engagement, he won't even be here for hours. Would you prefer to stay here doing nothing or would you like to leave?" He sounds rather annoyed while looking off to his left and scowling more. I follow my eyes to a group of three who I recognize from the cafe, all of them are pointing and smirking. I being to feel more drained at the thought of them coming here and stand. "Your home, where to first?" He shoots up, grabbing my hand dragging me through the dense crowd of people.
"Amazing, this would date back to the early years of feudal Japan, this is Greek! Oh! There's a Khopesh and a Canaan Sickel sword on this wall!"
Damian scoffs sounding more like a laugh than a mocking tone. "You can tell the difference." I give him a look, feeling offended.
"Of course I can, you mostly can tell by the markings on the blade." I turn my head back to the wall slowly pointing to the distinguishable pieces of evidence. "This one is older Hebrew, and here you can see small hieroglyphics depicting the sun. Plus the metals on each blade are very different." I tilt my head back to him, his face stays indifferent. "You knew that already didn't you?" He nods and walks again.
"You must really like history, seems like you could talk about it none stop." He calls back.
"Did you forget who my mother was?"
"I thought she specialized in the Islamic golden era."
"It didn't mean she didn't know the history of other peoples. My mother developed research of anything she could get her hands on." I pause for a minute. "What about you, where did you learn."
"I was taught by some of the best in the world, my mother made sure of it."
"I see." We talk more while examining the objects displayed, I had fun just listening to him explain how his father got some of them. Though the collection wasn't huge it still made me a bit happy to see the objects. My phone buzzes, and I quickly take it out of my pocket.
Molly: Hey where are you we need to get going!
Molly: Dad got too drunk and now he's crying about the world.
Molly: We will be outside, Be there.
"Sorry, I have to get going, I'll see you at school later!" I run through the hall and snag as many macarons as I can on the way out. Molly waves from the car opening the door so I slide in faster.
"Sorcerer found. Name: Doctor Fate, Subject: host"
"Anyone else?"
"Database shows,... John Constantine, and Zatanna. All other information is unavailable."
"Gather what they have on the crows send probes if you must."
"Proceeding."
Nightmare stands by the window waiting for his queue. I pull a scale out from the box and open the window. I hand him the scale and he chews effectively destroying the small miracle. "Remember stay out of sight if someone spots you wipe it from their memory and if you see a crow take the fight to the in-between and go for the kill. You have a little bit of my power with you only use it when needed." He purrs, rubbing his head on my hand, then jumps. He vanishes. I sigh putting the device in the box marked with an X just in case and push it under my bed. I head out into my living room putting some things away and cleaning here and there. Proud of my work I turn on the TV and sprawl on my sofa with a bowl of popcorn. Reruns of Highlander play on one of my favorite channels, I smile at my luck and sing to the theme song.
*Thunk thunk thunk*
I jump at the sound, I hear the noise again and follow it to my kitchen bat in hand. I flip on the light and smack my face, a very wet robin scowls at me through the glass. Only then did I notice the rain, and I pray that Nightmare is staying safe. I open the door and let him in, he mutters a thank you while walking in dipping water on my floor.
"Not to be rude, but is there something you need?" He ignores me and continues dragging water on the floor to the living room.
"Robin?" I catch up to him, he pulls something out from his ear and stuffs it in his pocket.
"I would like to stay here for a little while"
"How long is a little while, will I need to pull out the bed in the couch?" He gives me a look.
"There's a bed in your couch?"
"Sometimes I want to watch TV while I do my homework, laying down here makes it easier." I go to the bathroom to pull out some towels.
"Where was this when I was heavily injured?"
"I'm sorry, but the fact that you were bleeding was more concerning. I also put new sheets on the bed and you broke a perfectly good window. There is still blood on my cushions, and you wanted me to place you on the bed?" grabbing the biggest fluffiest towel in the bunch walking back out to the living room.
"You still on about that?"
"It was expensive!" I hold out the towel, he takes it and places his yellow cape in my hand. I frown but head to the coat rack hanging the heavy fabric on the highest rung. I feel short noticing its length, I turn back to Robin who's sat down on the couch the large towel engulfing him completely minus his hair. The black strands stuck oddly to his face and drooped sadly, I almost laugh because he looks like a sad cat. Like Nightmare whenever I give him a bath, I think I have a picture of that somewhere. "Did you want something to drink or eat?"
"Why is it that every time I come here you offer something?"
"It's a hospitality thing I got living in Minnesota, it's just being nice. Besides, you work to protect people, don't you? It only makes sense that I offer you something, I doubt you get paid to do your job. I bet you have countless scars from just doing so, I can do my part and help you feel comfortable. Call it a form of respect."
"Tsk."
I stroll into the kitchen, "Well, I suppose I could give some soda, tea, or water after all you left plenty on the floor."
"What happened to respect?"
"Well, I have feelings to sir! Tossing my words aside like that, I shouldn't even feed you." I poke my head back out, I smile at his scowl while he in turn glares at me. "Now for once, I am out of tea but I have several cans of cherry coke and some popcorn and macarons from a party I went to earlier. How about that?"
"That's fine." I hum grabbing what I needed and plopped back down in my seat handing him the coke. I place the brightly colored macarons and some chips I found between us along with the popcorn. I let myself get absorbed into the Highlander again just as MacLeod beheads another immortal and gains his Quickening.
"What is this?" My Jaw drops while I look at him concerned.
"Just how uncultured are you." His face flushes and his face twists he opens his mouth but i stop him. "Say no more, I will be right back." I come out with my computer and pull up VUDU opening season one of the show. "Sit back buckaroo, now your in for the long haul. Now right now all you need to know is 'There can only be one." His face contorts in confusion, but gives in and moves closer.
"I'm not going to get in trouble with Batman am I." He smirks.
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 6 Damian x reader
Professor X sat in his wheelchair glancing around the room he hums his eyes pouring over all that there was finally landing on Robin. He gives me a look gesturing over at him.
"He informed me about The Crows sir, apparently they have gone under the radar, they've killed three people and the system didn't go off. At first, I thought we still had time, I treated a wound he had it he had come in contact with one and fought it. You know like how Wolverine did, I treated the cut and it's gone, but I was sure they were still in the dream state. But he got injured saving those left how survived probably not far from here, but the fact we didn't even receive the ring can only mean...they've returned under complete control again."
Concern fills the face of professor X, he turns to Robin, who shifts uncomfortably by the entrance of my kitchen. "Who are you then?"
"Robin."
The professor nods not even turning from his spot, he looks over Robin as if completing an inspection.
"How much does this Robin Know Dreki, about you, and The Crows?"
"I told him about the Jal-sein, the old race before the collective mind sharing, and he knows about my box of scales." Professor sighs.
"How did you meet him."
"When he broke through my window last week, infected."
"You gave him some scales to purge poison."
"Yes sir."
"Very good," He moves back to his original spot in the middle of the room. "You have been permitted to stop them at all costs if you must. Your uncle will be here soon to help you kill whatever has brought them back, in the meantime try not to use the stones. We don't want to attract more trouble than what has already been done."
"You're allowing me to put my powers to use?"
"As long as you don't wear it out, vibranium is not easy to turn into clothing."
"What a minute!" Robin's voice carried out through the room. "Just what's going on?"
"Robin," Professor X starts. "your world is being invaded by the Crow so that you become one of the many planets they have drained of life. And to do it they need a vessel that can contain the leader of the Jal-sein, Hok'mor." Professor X looks at him, his use
"And?" Robin says his face remaining unreadable
"I was the vessel, I escaped, destroyed the flagship and the army they had." I shiver moving out from my room to the box still lying on the kitchen table. "They were after the life of my home, so then I became a weapon for my planet." I pull out a bag of coins from the box.
"And what do you intend to do now (Y/N), destroy them yourself." Robin stands in the entryway, professor X stands behind him.
"Yes," I turn to him a chakram and the bag of coins in hand. "so unless you know how to obliterate a bird in 15 seconds or less you need to forget this ever happened and never come back."
"So, why tell me any of this, why tell me about anything why expose yourself?"
"So you can tell your family and friends and hopefully, just maybe you can survive. Because knowing them keeps them out of your head, but too much knowing allows them to enter." I pick up Nightmare, he crawls up to my shoulder and I head out of the kitchen, Robin makes room for me but just barely. I open my closet and pull out the last thing I have, two letters one written in my mother's signature ink and the other in my own handwriting, I hold them out to the professor.
"You know there is nowhere left for me to run professor if I end out getting caught...I just want him to have this. In my letter, papers are containing the custody terms for my brother to Uncle. I just need you to grab them to complete the transfer." Professor X slowly takes the letters where they rematerialize on his side.
"Good-bye Dreki, I will see that these get to your Brother."
Professor fades out of the com, and it clicks turning off, I pick it off the floor and slip it into the pocket of my sweatpants. I pulled out the chakram ready to leave a mark on my hand, I only needed a little bit of blood to completely transform when Robin coughs gaining my attention. He leans against the wall to the left of me now glaring at my form, Nightmare growls at the boy from the corner of my eye I see his fangs getting slightly bigger.
"Are you making it a habit to ignore me while I'm here?"
"No, But I do need you to leave, you can't stay here anymore." I begin to push him out the door in the kitchen, he slaps my hands away confusion leaving his face replacing it's with anger. He open's his mouth and I put a magic orange circle on his head.
"You Robin son of batman, found this information interrogating one of the monsters. It spoke in a language that was foreign but somehow understood all of it. You have made no such connection to the girl Y/N M/N, you did not see a man from another dimension, you came back to thank her for her help you had some tea and you were just leaving." I flick my hand and the circle vanishes, his head lowers for a moment as the information in his head readjusts. He moves to the balcony edge turning to face me the scowl returned to his face.
"Thank you for the tea." he pulls out a grappling hook and leaves without another word. I sigh moving to the same device I used to contact the professor. Picking it up I hold it to my mouth.
"Find me the closest thing to a sorcerer supreme, name and whereabouts contact them when you get there."
I toss it back onto the floor and it roars to life to give me a purple image of the earth and orange magic circles to tracking and moving. I move to my couch and fall asleep waiting for this day to take me.
I wake the next day with the globe still searching for my request I sigh and get ready for work. I thank god that it's just the coffee shop below me, I work on the weekends mostly unless they need an extra member of staff then it's just me and the older lady and her husband. They both owned the building and the shop they helped me get the apartment set up and showed me how to work the coffee machines. I don't really drink coffee though after seeing what a raving maniac my dad became without it, also it was just so bitter no matter how much sugar I put into it. I partially blame my heightened scenes that came with my abilities, so I got free white hot chocolates and any extra flavors I wanted as long as I did my job and chatted with them for a while.
I asked them personally to stay away while I was sick, so they wouldn't be affected. When I get down the stairs Martha, the elderly lady beams thankful that I'm feeling better.
"I so glad you are doing well dear, I know the acidity in our rain makes you sick so Glenn and I got you this umbrella." She hands me a purple umbrella that still has a tag on it, it reads for sun and rain.
"You didn't have to do this Martha, I told you I'm not good with gifts, you already let me stay here on the government's program and gave me a job here, you and Glenn have already done so much." She pushes the umbrella farther into my chest.
"No you do so much for us, you work without complaint, you've also taken care of us and our granddaughter when she came over. When you were sick we were so worried about you so you going to take it or I can give you more gifts."
"Thank you very much."I smile brightly. She pats my shoulder and gestures to the counter to start the machines.
Once all the machines are started, the desserts are placed and the base coffees are made I open shop. Customers come in and some lounge around in the chairs or couches drinking coffees and either studying or chatting with their friends. Molly usually comes on Sunday as one of our regulars, so I would see her then. A few of our regulars are happy to see I'm back at work one of the other tenants gave me a green bean casserole and a hug. It's 5 O'clock and I make a cappuccino as I finish I hear the door open and the bell ring on the counter.
The black-haired blue-eyed male I had gotten to know as detective Richard Grayson, came in every other day at 5, he normally talks often while I tried to take his order. So I memorized what he usually gets so he doesn't block the register so I can still make the register.
"Hey Y/N I'll take the usual."
"I thought so," I hand him his drink " one cappuccino."
He takes his coffee and moves to the bar we have set up if you wanted to watch the process and it's only then I see the other people behind him, one pissed-off looking male with a cigarette in his mouth, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne. I look back to Richard he smiles at me leaning onto the bar.
"They came with me this time, It's family bonding time."
"You mean you dragged us out of the house to grab a coffee from this place cause you have a schedule."
"It's bonding Jason! Bonding!"
The two began arguing in the shop, I return my attention to the other two boys. Tim as at the counter puts a ten-dollar bill on the counter, while Damian does the same.
"Give me a regular coffee, black, large cup."
"Tea, no sugar, regular size."
Their voices crowed each other but since this happens frequently it was easy enough to at least get their orders down.
"Sure here's your change." I look back to the two arguing and I see Jason didn't put out his cigarette. He taps it and the ash of his drug falls to the floor.
Sighing I move out of the workspace gabbing a tong and a wastebasket, I take out the cigarette and throw it in the bin now gaining the full attention of Jason. I give him a stern look he seemed to freeze, bitting back any words he might have prepared to say before.
"Sir, I am not sure if I made we've previously made It but there is a strict no smoking policy. As you see we have many elderly, and young children in our establishment." I smile but I know my face is full of malice. "But please enjoy your stay at our cozy corner of our fine and fair city." I move back behind the counter start on some of my orders, I look at Jason again the smile still on my face.
"Would you like anything?" He gives me an odd look.
"White hot chocolate, Large," he nods his head over at Richard. "Put it on his tab."
"We don't have a tabs sir, he works for the police."
"So?"
"He gets Free coffee." He gawks at me as if I told him the sky was black, and I see Richard trying to contain his laughter.
"You give that guy free coffee?"
"It's a store policy." I pass out the coffee and the tea and I see from the corner of my eye he pulls out a flask. I grab the tongs again and clap them together, Jason looks at me then grumbles putting the flask back in his jacket, and instead pulls out a five and hands it to me. I take it from him gingerly and head straight to work on his order. I hand him both his spare change and his drink, and the complimentary cookie bag that came with it. He gives me another look.
"They come with a drink." I leave and continued my chores around the shop.
"You are doing much better (m/n)." I whip my head around and look at Damian who's behind me on the other side of the counter. His companions seemed to be in deep conversation amongst themselves.
"Yes, I'm doing just fine, it happens occasionally but nothing like a good cup of tea and a few nights rest couldn't fix." I go back to cleaning the counter.
"You were sick for much longer than that."
"Yeah...it happens." I change the topic to "Did you think of anything for the project?"
"Why not make a model, there is not really much to do with it anyway." I gasp dramatically.
"Not much to do with an astrolabe! You clearly didn't read the whole paper!" By now I have caught the attention of his group. Damian frowns.
"No, your paper was written very well, I just don't think we need to dwell too much on this project seeing as how we really are not presenting." I had heard that bit from Molly.
"I suppose your right." I put away the cleaning supplies and turn back to him. "I'll get started on a model right away!"
"You will do no such thing." His voice is stern. "I will come back later and work on it with you," He moves his chair back and heads out the door.
His companions follow quickly after him and they say their goodbyes.
As promised, he came a few hours later right as my shift ended and another person came for the second half of the day. I moved the glowing tracker to my room so it wouldn't gather any extra attention.
"I have supplies, what is all of that?" my brows furrow staring at the bulging plastic bag in his hand while I turn the keys in my locks. opening the door.
"I wasn't sure if you were prepared." He moves to the door, my arm shoots in his way stopping him.
"I wouldn't go in quite yet."
"What?"
I put a finger to my lips and crouch slowly to the floor, I shake the key in my hand then slid them across the floor. A ball of black attacks the object just as it crosses the doorway. Nightmare attacks the keys rolling around and bitting.
"Ah yes, observe the feral kitten in his natural habitat." I walk inside the door beckoning Damian to follow. "I would beware he is an ankle bitter. You can set up in the living room I'll just drop this guy off in my room."
"Does he attack all the time?"
"He's been like that since I picked him up, I don't blame him he was born in a rough neighborhood." I set Nightmare on the bed next to the floating version of earth. "Watch it make sure it finishes." then head to the living room. Damian has all his stuff set out on the table. There was veneer, paper, paint, some nails, an Exacto knife, a hammer, and a bag of pipe cleaners.
"This looks like stuff to make a birdhouse," I try and pick up some of the wood that was on the table." you realize cardboard, scissors, and a sharpie would have been enough."
"And here I thought you like polished and neat projects."
"yeah, but even with cheap materials you can still create a masterpiece."
"You don't do anything nice for yourself self do you?"
"Dude the most expensive thing I own is a cat who attacks me." I sigh, I sketch out a design for the astrolabe. "Well, why don't you start on the Mater, I'll get to work on the plate for our side of America."
"3 hours of hard work and I got to say it's not bad." I hold the fished product, It's attached to a string of green yarn. "The calculations are down to point." I put it down, I clean up the mess that's on the floor of the living room.
"About the last time we saw each other, I'm sorry."
"It's fine, you probably knew about me from the news already, the big myste#wayne#scifi#damian#bruce#bats#fanfiction#xreader#characterxreader#jason todd#tim drake#character x reader#mxf#fxm#batboys#batboys x reader#Damianxreader#X reader#DC#Marvel#MarvelxReader#DCxreader#batfam#mutants#Damian Wayne x reader
ry of the missing journals. So many interviews." I dump the trash in the kitchen, saying that last part mostly to my self.
"You forgive too easily."
"I'm not as forgiving as you think, honestly you view me too highly it that's what you believe. Would you like something before you leave?"
"No, but I have something for you before I go." I open the door to my room and let Nightmare out.
"Oh?" He's already at the door and pulls a shiny gold card from his pocket, he hands it to me.
"Father thought it would be good to meet you."
"Because I'm the daughter of a famous dead professor, is he going to ask about the journals too?"
"No, this is to apologize for my previous behavior."
"Oh," I take the card looking at it uneasily. "I don't think I can go to this, I don't do well at parties."
"Not a very good excuse." He smirks.
"I'll think about it." I push him out the door and give him the Astrolabe, closing the door slowly. " I'll see you at school."
I look at the card again, It's like the parties mom went to I knew them well. While some were nice, others were nice only in their face. I laugh slightly to myself, Molly already called me earlier telling me I was her plus one to the same thing. This was already suspicious enough as it is. I look at Nightmare who cocks his head at me.
"You think I should go, don't you?" the furball nods
"Fine. I was going to be forced into this anyway."
I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 5 Damian x reader
Pulled away to another world, Y/N uses magic science and a Little bird to help her get back home and possibly be rid of an apocalyptic event. "So, will you succumb to your doubts completely or step into the sun of this new world?"
" A few days, but I didn't expect the entire week, thank god for Molly." The emotional stress I had felt in the beginning influenced the behavior of the scales on my skin it took more hot water and hydrogen peroxide than I had originally would have needed. Even after all that, my skin was turned ashen and my breath was so shallow that Nightmare could lap from it as if it was his water bowl. The scales I have removed were not ready for healing uses yet, at least not for another three days. Nightmare had remained at my side barely even moving from his spot curled up on the pillow next to mine, the only time he moved is when Molly came over. Molly would drop off the homework, she told me she took the written project to Damian and he was ready to deliver it when it was due in 10 days from now. Molly would come by every day at 4, made sure I and Nightmare ate and rested well, told me about herself self and left. And I thank god I'm feeling better after all of that.
Today was Friday and I still wasn't feeling the best even after she left, Nightmare crawled up onto my lap while I had sat on the couch watching the news. I never liked watching the news but considering that I had an unexpected visitor I had hoped to find out more. I'm not disappointed, Vigilanties that appear in Gotham with the exception of Nightwing who occasionally visited from Blüdhaven the sister city of Gotham, and the character Red Hood an anti-hero who fights for his own needs, he arrived in Gotham a few years ago and became a crime fighter. Then there were the other three, Red robin seen with the dynamic duo Batman and Robin, seen all over Gotham. All of them well known and on the news constantly in a large group even that fight bad guys of all sorts a from a clown, to plant creatures and more.
"Wow their just like them." I feel a wave of nostalgia float over me, I remember what it was like at home. In Minnesota. With the tall evergreens and the marvelous lilacs that mom would grow in our backyard, my family, and friends. Everything at least before all the drama in New York happened. "Dear God, I'm becoming an over-sentimental sad sack I can't think of them now, not yet." I get up from my seat to head to the kitchen Nightmare jumping off me when I hear a knock from my balcony. I continue my walk to the kitchen to peer out at it, I didn't see anything there even so I open it. Nightmare runs out before me hissing at something on the left.
"Nightmare what are you-Oh...." Robin stares at me from the railing of the balcony. He's leaning back on it a scornful look upon his face. Confusion settles in me as I just stare at him.
"Are you sick?" He asks walking to me while doing so.
"Y-yeah I was out too long in the rain." He stops just in front of me.
"Don't you bring an umbrella with you?"
"Not that day," I clear my throat a little. "why are you here?" He pauses as if coming up with the reason shocks even himself. He arches his arm back behind his back, slowly moving his arm out.
"My box! So you did take it," I exclaim grabbing the box tenderly opeining the lid, I smile sadly looking at the glinting scales inside the box. " did they help you." I look back up, his faces move to confusion.
"I stole them from you and you're asking me if they helped me?"
"Well, you also needed it more than me, and I can see it did wonders. Your up and running again." I start hacking for a strait minute and grab onto the railing. I look up to the door moving to pick up Nightmare. "Would you like to come in for some tea," NIghtmare squirms in my arms jumping out when I enter the kitchen from the balcony. I open the cupboard and pull out the only three kinds of tea I have, setting aside the box with the X on it. "There's peppermint, cinnamon chai, and pumpkin if your interested." He stares at me from the entryway.
"No thank you," He says " I need to leave, I wasn't supposed to be here anyway." I set the pot on the stove anyway and pull out the pumpkin tea and my favorite mug with Arab henna designs decorating even the inside. I look back to the outside, he is still standing in the entryway shifting uncomfortably.
"You Know, the fact that you haven't left yet contradicts your own words, Robin." I pour the hot water over my tea while I wait for him to answer. He stirs slightly moving back and forth on his feet.
"I'll come back tomorrow," I spit out my tea.
"What didn't you say you weren't supposed to be here?"
He shrugs pulling a grappling hook from his belt and swang off. If I wasn't feeling so sick and had just spat out some tea causing me to cough some more, I would have gone after him. I just stared out through the night air as the familiar feeling of dread washed over me, I close the door to the outside and look at the box. NIghtmare gave me a look moving the box and pawing the X on the top.
"We can't call him yet, didn't you hear, their back. If I call him now it compromises everything they have worked for," I pick up the box and move over to the couch, Nightmare followed suit, we both laid down, me clutching the box. "We can't do anything yet anyway, it violates the treaty. We have to wait for the first kill."
True to his word he came back, he arrived sometime after Molly left, I don't know exactly when he arrived but I know it wasn't long. It was 2 pm when Molly forced meds in my mouth and put me to sleep. It was 2:40 when I heard him clatter in my kitchen nearly killing him with the broom. He was making tea he brought, he told me that he said it works for sore throats, even though it's just lemon juice, water, and honey.
" You realize this is twice you have broken and entered into my home right?" He tsked crossing his arms from his where he is seated across from me.
"The first time was not on purpose."
"I mean you did break my window."
"I crashed through it."
"Pretty sure that there was broken glass I had to pull out of you and sweep off my floor." I laugh for a little bit while he grunts in his seat in front of me.
"Hey why are you here anyway, You dropped off my box, you're healed up why are you back?"
He moves forward resting his arms on the table. "what do you know about the Crows?"
My mug shatters the pieces scattered on the floor, my hands are shaking and that feeling of dread washes over me again.
"Oops sorry, my hands must have slipped even as I'm feeling better I see I didn't recover all my strength, haha..." I stand up to get the broom.
"They killed three people that day," I froze turning to Nightmare who was resting on the counter, his ears are folded back, his hair also standing on end." six were maimed they were monsters that said their names in the third person. They said they are looking for 'the scaled one' and I believe they are looking for you." The air becomes cold around us to a literal point where I can see my breath.
"They drew first blood," The words finally sink in my fears had manifested themselves, I know that I should have guessed it when I saw him but I had hoped they weren't going to be in physical form yet. I rush to my closet pull another box out from the top, a black box big enough to hold a dress, bearing the same markings as the smaller one. I bring it to the table Robin and I are seated at and set it down pulling off the top.
"How much do you know about The Crows already?" I begin pulling out the things inside one by one, recalling their names and what they are for, looking for my com piece.
"That's what I'm asking you, what is all this?"
"They come from an interdimensional planetary void, The Crow where once a proud and advance society until the gave up their freedom for more knowledge, Jal-sein holds their control now. They are dangerous and they are after the very thing that nearly killed everyone on my earth. Ah! Found it!" I move to my living room pushing away my coffee table setting it on the ground making sure there is enough space. Robin had moved up from the kitchen a worried look set on his face.
"What is Jal-sein? What is this other earth aren't you from Minnesota?"
"Yep but here's the thing," I press the silver X on the com and it starts calling, lights flicker in the room from the device as the figure forms."I'm from another dimension actually."
The figure in the holographic com finalizes and I smile at the old man I see.
"Hello Y/N, I suppose they have found you then? It good to see you even in such circumstances?" His voice is grim and shallow, he sounds older than usual and his head is covered with a silver helmet with tubes coming from it.
"Yes, they have, It"s good to see you, Professor X."
