Beneath The Mask

Chapter 3: The Search For Nightwing

  "What do you mean?"

"He's...something came up, he said," Father explained. "He won't give me full details, but he said he won't be able to make it tonight for the family dinner. He said he might make it tomorrow, to meet up with everyone else, but that'll be it."

No! Grayson had to come! He had to come tonight! ​​​He'd have to endure the pain of his brothers all night long, and he'd have no one to talk to. Jason was going to confront him again he knew, and Tim would try to annoy the world out of him without realising it. And the two girls....ugh! He could barely believe he meant this, but ​​he needed Grayson. His brothers were out to get him.

"Surely he can make it tonight," Damian said, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. Not a single piece of desperateness would leak through him.

"I'm sorry son, its really urgent," Father sighed. "He said he'll try to make it tomorrow. Listen, I know how much Grayson coming tonight meant to you--"

"No you don't!" Damian yelled. His emotions had snapped along with his temper. "You don't have the slightest idea of what this means to me! And you never will!" Damian stormed away, Titus hot on his heels.

"Damian..."

Damian ignored him, running up the stairs. He didn't want to listen. He didn't have to. Father would never understand. He blindly ran down the hall and burst into his room, slamming the door closed, leaving Titus outside. He collapsed onto his bed, anger surging through him. But that anger was soon replaced with hopelessness and sadness. Grayson had been everything to him. He'd even been Batman at one stage, fighting alongside his boy wonder partner. They'd worked pretty well together, but even better when it had been just Nightwing and Robin. He'd realised how much Grayson meant to him on every daring mission, but two missions in particular had stood out to him the most. The day he had died fighting his clone, he had told Grayson before he went up and fought it that they were the best together. And no one could take that away. And another time, when he and Grayson had set out on a mission to retrieve Shawn Tsang, Grayson's girlfriend. He'd been affected with a knife that made him see possible futures, possible terrible futures that could only happen if you succumbed to them. Damian had pulled him out of the haze, telling him that he needed Dick. And that he was afraid. Afraid that his brother was going to abandon him and replace him with Dick's possible future child, for Tsang had been believed to be pregnant at that stage, but it had been false. When Grayson had come out of the haze, he didn't remember anything that Damian had said, and for that Damian was part grateful for. The mission had ended with Damian getting captured and stabbed, but being rescued by Grayson in the end. He'd realised how much he'd meant to him then, in his possible dying moments. He'd realised he'd missed him. So bad.

"Damian? Damian are you ok?" Stephanie's voice sounded on the other side of the door, edged with concern.

Damian took a deep breath and called out, "I'm fine."

There was a moments silence before Stephanie's footsteps faded away. Then Damian allowed himself to cry. Not exactly cry, but he allowed tears to fall. He was ashamed of himself, but he'd really been looking forward to meeting up with his brother tonight. Now he'd only get to talk with him for five minutes at the most before Father and the other flooded him with attention. They were expected to leave in the morning, so he'd only get to have a quick pop in. Damian wiped at his wet face with his sleeve, sniffing. Then he had an idea.

Grayson had a problem. He wasn't going to make it tonight. And Damian was going on patrol tonight. And Grayson would be nearby, definitely near Gotham. Damian could find him. Help him. He knew he could find him if he tried hard enough. He could do anything if he tried hard enough. He felt a renewed spark of hope, and he got off his bed and grabbed his laptop. He froze suddenly, hearing scratching and whining and the door. Titus. He'd shut him out. He walked over to the door and opened it just enough for Titus to slip through. He quickly closed the door silently and sat on his bed. Titus leaped onto his bed, joining him. As if sensing his earlier sadness, the Great Dane nuzzled his neck comfortingly. Damian responded by gently stroking the dog's nuzzle, before Titus rested his head on Damian's lap. Damian opened his laptop and set to work.