Shadows and Cards (a Batboys x OC)

Chapter 14

   Damian

Damian gathered his thoughts as Athena pulled her throne back into her, and the color from her eyes turned back to their normal green and gold. She swayed slightly, and Damian made to help her, but she held a finger up, and he held his ground. 

She pulled her mask back on and surveyed them all with weary eyes. Damian shared a knowing look with her, and she returned it with a vulgar gesture. Behind him, Jason snorted.

"Now that was one hell of a light show." he chuckled.

Athena snapped, "Yeah, I hope that satisfies your needs. Now if you'll excuse me, Tim and I need to have a little chat."

While Athena pulled Tim to the safety of the edge of the clearing, Damian made his way to Jason and Grayson, who were now having an argument.

"All I'm saying is that we met her only two days ago Jason. We know nothing about her past and her ties with The Joker. She could be a major threat, and we just revealed all of our secrets to her." Grayson said.

Damian cocked his head slightly. "You're one to talk. Bruce didn't question your past when he took you in as an orphaned circus kid. For all he knew, you could have been a slave to a secret organization that was assigned to kill him. So don't go throwing theories at her."

Jason poked Grayson coyly, "Yeah Gray, and what about all of us? He's just a softie for weaklings. Don't take it personally, but all of us need a change of gender. Damian especially, the poor kid is fourteen and still hasn't had a first kiss. It's sad really."

Damian snarled, "That's it! You're so dead Jason!" he lunged at him.

Jason laughed and spun out of the way. He grabbed Damian's cape and pulled it over his head. Damian thrashed and doubled over when three blows, one to the face, one to the chest, and one to the stomach, landed with immense force. 

He used that split second between moves to blindly reach for the leg that he predicted was coming for his head, and swung Jason to the ground, putting himself on top. He flipped his cape out of the way and found Jason grinning back up at him.

"Wow, and here I thought that the stone-hearted assassin would never have feelings for another girl. Good job bro, you finally learned how to be a human," said Jason.

Damian punched him in the face. Grayson came over and heaved Jason up.

"Alright Jason, I think you've had enough for one day. Care to help me out with this? I think Athena might be starting to harass Tim. The poor kid looks ready to punch her."

Jason chuckled but the light didn't reach his eyes. He shrugged Grayson off and jogged ahead to where Athena was half pinning Tim to a tree, and a half reaching for his coms watch with her free hand. 

Damian huffed a breathy laugh and hauled himself up to face Grayson watching him with an assessing look. Calculating, no doubt. He gave him a vulgar gesture and walked to where Athena was now enclosed in Jason's grip. His eyes widened when Athena twisted around in his grip and head-butted him. 

Jason roared and let go of her. Not a lot of people got out of his grip so easily. And she certainly wasn't the strongest build wise. But nevertheless, she was released by him and she turned to Tim again yelling on about something. When he made it to Jason, he found that he had acquired a very nice looking bloody nose. Damian snorted and Jason glared in his direction.

"I need you to tell me the exact location of the lab now Tim. You have no idea how much I need those chemicals." Athena snarled.

"Yeah well, I can't exactly tell you how to break into a government facility now, can I. There are consequences. Not just for you." Tim shot back.

Athena shot Damian a pointed glance as if saying, Are you going to help me or not? Damian sighed and pushed off the tree he had leaned up against.

"Tim, I'm sure that whatever reason Athena needs the chemicals, they are for more than just for some petty experiment. From what I've based off her, she's not a person who would steal for the fun of it." He glanced at Athena, who was glaring at him with an intense amount of ferocity. 

"Or I could be wrong and she could be just like Jason, you never know. I'm not a master detective like you Tim. But I take her word that she won't use it to kill us. Athena may be arrogant and naive given what small amount of time we've had around her, but she's not stupid."

Tim sighed and pulled out a small tablet from his utility belt. He handed it to Athena reluctantly and shot Damian a look that told him he wasn't going to get to go on patrol anytime soon. But Athena gave him a small smile that made him think it would be worth it.