Demonfire: Welcome to the Family

Chapter 11

Damian POV

I was running after her. I don't know why she was running away or why I needed her so badly, but we were running.

There were pillars on either side of us, stretching on endlessly. Or so I thought.

We stopped in a a room with a dome-like ceiling. A dead end. I walked towards her as she backed against the wall. I reached out to touch her shoulder and pulled her to my chest.

She started sobbing into my chest and I hesitantly rubbed her back. But as soon as I did, I felt something wet stick to my fingers. I looked at my hand. Blood.

I stepped back, horrified. When I looked back up at her, she was bleeding from numerous cuts all over her body. My eyes went wide as I watched her crumple to the floor.

It took me a second to realize that I was holding my katana.

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I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling for any foreign objects near to me. I sighed and touched a hand to my chest, right where her head had been. I stiffed. My chest was wet.

I tried to convince myself that it was just sweat, but I knew better. I slowly lifted my hand to see. I was right.

I ran to the bathroom and began taking off my clothes. As I showered, I vigorously scrubbed my hand. The blood wasn't coming off.

I sat on the floor of the shower, closing my eyes and hanging my head. I couldn't believe this. I hadn't killed anyone. I had promised my father and I had meant it this time. Why? Why me?

I looked back at my hand. There was still blood.

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Mar'i POV

The week I had before going to live withy father passed slowly. I met with all my friends and we laughed and tried to pretend that everything was okay. It was a nice change from the seriousness of everything else.

They wanted another sleepover with all of us, but I hastily declined. No one had to ask why. We agreed to meet every day until I left. Then, they would say goodbye at Lian's and I would leave.

I had forgotten to ask Roy where my father lived. All I knew was that it was nowhere near my family. My real family.

I didn't want to think about my father and what he was like. I didn't care. He was taking me away from everyone I loved. I wasn't going to like him, no matter what.

The night before I left, though, I couldn't help my curiousity about my father. I went down after everyone was asleep (Uncle Roy and Lian) and sat down beside Uncle Jay. He put an arm around my shoulders. I leaned my head against him, thinking about how to go about asking him about my father.

"¿Que pasa mi hija?"
What's wrong daughter*

Sometimes I forgot that he could speak Spanish.

I sighed and looked up at him, he looked down knowingly. Despite the fact that my uncle is rude to most people, he's actually really sweet to those he loves. Not that he would let us tell anyone.

"Nada," I said, hoping he would detect the question in my voice.

"You're worried about something, I know you Mar'i."

I sighed. "I- I want to know more about my father...please," I said, trying to choose my words carefully. He had seemed the most upset at the fact that I would be living with my father.

He was quite for a moment, thinking most likely. Then, after a long, awkward silence.

"Your father is my brother," he sighed as he said.

My mind went haywire. "What?"

"Adopted, but my brother."

"My dad's adopted?"

"We both are."

"Is that how you met my mom?"

"No, I knew your mom way before she got pregnant with you."

"Before she met my dad?"

"Nah, your dad knew her first." He seemed to cringe as he said it.

"How long?"

"Three, maybe four years." I could tell that he wanted to end this conversation, but I wasn't done asking questions.

"Can you tell me about him?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I waited.

"What do you want to know princess?" he asked, sighing again.

"Well...where does he live?"

He seemed relieved. "Gotham, most of the time."

"Most of the time?"

"He visits Blüdhaven and Jump occasionally."

"Really?" I asked, excited about the fact that might actually get to see them all again.

"Yeah," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"What kind of house does he live in?" I was asked to keep conversation. We both knew that I really didn't care.

"He lives in a manor with our adopted father," he said calmly, as if he didn't care.

"Really?" Uncle Jay didn't usually lie, but he did like to goof around a lot.

"Yes,actually, it's ancient."

"Oh," I said, "why does he still live with his father?"

"He has a job, he just prefers it there."

"Because it's big?" Was my father a jerk?

"No, there's a lot of people living there."

"How many?"

He sighed. "Let's see...Dick, Tim, Bruce, Stephanie, Cassandra, Barbara, and-"

"What was that tone?"

"What tone?"

"When you said Barbara, you sounded weird.

"Weird how?"

"I don't know...just weird."

He rolled his eyes.

"So...which of those is my father?"

"Dick."

"Dick?"

"Dick."

We looked at each other and burst into laughter. He rubbed my head as we both stood up. I stretched and yawned.

"Goodnight Uncle Jay."

"Goodnight princess."

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A/n idk what to say, just comment or something, vote if you wanna, maybe I'll make more cover art, who knows.