The Nowhere Girl

7. Get in Losers, We're Going Shopping

I woke up to Damian at the foot of my bed, demanding that I train with him. I stick my arm out the warm sanctuary of my blankets and take a swipe at him. I groan groggily and circle into a ball under the covers. I don't want to get up.

Tim and I stayed up late last night talking. He showed me some programs he was working on, while I put tiny braids in his hair. It was a good night and he told me about the time Bruce told him to let a case go, leading to him sing the entirety of Let it Go. Bruce just facepalmed. When I brought in the donuts, he'd been in the middle of finishing the wiring for a tiny robin shaped drone and connecting it to a screen on the arm of his suit. He flew it around his room and showed me how it worked.

I started working on the artificial spider-sense for Jason's helmet, and we got to work on that before Alfred kill joyed our fun by forcing Tim to go to bed because he had school in the morning. Far enough though, I needed to fix my sleep schedule anyway. So I borrowed a t-shirt from Tim to sleep in since I only had two scrappy pairs and was planning on washing both the next day and headed to bed. Although I'm a lot taller than Tim, our shoulders are around the same size and the shirt fit well.

And that is what brought me to the groggy mess I am down.

Damian drags my lazy arse out of bed, and I pick up the sword from the nightstand. "I don't have all day, Kelly," he says, getting into a ready position. He is in his school uniform – Gotham Academy the logo reads.

I start out on the attack but pretty soon Damian puts me on defence, and I switch from form V to form III. Still for someone with no formal training, I'm doing well. Sliding down the staircase rails to put distance between me and the little demon, I narrowly avoid a collision with Bruce. I wave before I'm forced to block an attack from my left.

We move into the lounge room where Tim is sitting on the couch with his laptop and Dick and Jason are talking off to the side. My senses are working overtime. I now understood what the PJO books meant about ADHD keeping you alive in battle. I am wide wake, noticing every little detail.

I could see where Damian is tensing. I can tell which way he will strike. At the same time, I am aware of Dick and Jason watching. I step forward for a thrust of my own. Damian deflects it easily, but I see a change in his face. His eyes narrow, and he starts to press me with more force.

It is only a matter of time before he beats me, so I figure, What the hell?

Avoiding Tim, I vault over the couch and step onto the coffee table. "It's over Damian, I have the high ground."

"-tt- are you quoting Star Wars?"

"Yep, so surrender or prepare to lose three limbs."

Damian lunges, but instead of taking off three of his limbs, I go for a disarming manoeuvre. My blade hits the base of Damian's and I twist, putting my whole weight into the downward thrust.

Clang.

Damian's sword clattered to the floor. The tip of my sword is a couple of centimetres from his undefended chest.

Damian is silent, too stunned to speak.

"Shit, doll," say Jason. "You just bested the demon."

It's not dark out this time and I can tell by the smug Jason look on his face that he recognises me. Before I can even get a word out, Damian growls and lunges at me. I grab his arm and tuck him under mine.

Damian yells and thrashes. "Let me go! You have to pay!" I hold him tighter until he gives up and then I put him down, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shrugs my hand off. "I don't need to be coddled by you, Kelly."