To tame a Demon (english)

Chapter 2: Reality

Batman's gloved fingers wandered meticulously over the many different keys of the large Batcomputer. The events around Trigon were just half an hour ago, but Bruce knew that he could not waste any time. He had left for the Batcave with Robin immediately, also to avoid the other Justice League members. After all, they had stopped him from doing anything. 

While Bruce knew it was only for his own protection, he still didn't want to see any of them at the moment. His only focus now was on getting Dick out of the other demension.

He refused to give up on his foster son just like that. There had to be a solution, something to get him out of there!

Robin sat on a staircase and tried to find a solution as well. Grayson that idiot had no right to die without his permission. With his laptop Damian was going through all the files about interdimensional travel, wormholes and anything else that might be of some use.

Alfred was just coming down the stairs with a small tablet on which Two Hot Cups were placed, when Batman's fingers slowly paused. Resigned, the Bat leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. Robin noticed this:

"What's wrong father?" 

Briefly, Bruce took a breath before dejectedly replying: "It's not possible."

Surprised, Damian raised his eyebrows: "What's not possible?"

"Getting him out of there." 

Batman paused before continuing: "I went through all the possibilities, but it's like Raven said. You need a strong energy source, on the other side, to help stabilize the portal. I've scanned the dimension Dick is in right now over hundreds of times for such an energy source, yet there hasn't been even one hit. Trigon wiped them all out."

Disbelief came over Damian's face: "Are you saying you're giving up on him?!"

Thinking, Bruce looked at his son before standing up and turning to Alfred: "Alfred I want you to watch Damian while I'm gone."

Perplexed, the butler asked: "Sir, are you going out?"

"I need to talk to someone."

"You're leaving now? Are you serious?!" loudly Damian protested as his father sat down in the Batmobile: "Grayson is somewhere in hell right now fighting for his life. And you're disappearing just like that?!"

"I'm getting a third opinion on this case. Right now I can't find a results here. You can't come with me this time. This is something I have to do on my own."

Stunned, Damian watched as the roof of the Batmobile closed and his father drove away. In frustration and anger about this, the boy yelled out and smashed his expensive laptop onto the floor. Individual keys and fragments, of the now broken computer, scattered several meters around him. Damian angrily crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Master Damian, if I may give you some advice ..."

"You may not!" Snappishly, the boy interrupted the worried butler. Alfred knew that Damian and Dick enjoyed a special relationship, even if the little boy's pride would never openly admit it. He could well understand the boy's tenseness.

Still, the old butler was surprised at the childlike voice with which Damian now made a demand:

"Alfred, please go."

Sadly, he looked down at the boy before disappearing into the manor with a: "Yes Master".

Damian remained sitting on the stairs for a while before he got up and went to the Batcomputer.