Lost in the Void, Found in the Stars | Damian Wayne Oneshots

When I say "Jump." | Nika

Summary: Damian Wayne and Flatline reminisce about their fun memories together. Nika tries to make Damian talk about his feelings, she fails and chooses not to push it.

.・。.・゜✭・»»--⍟--««.・✫・゜・。.

The night crackled with electricity, the storm clouds hung low like a bad omen. The air was thick with tension, the kind only a city like Gotham could muster. Damian stood on the rooftop, his black cape rustling in the wind, watching the chaos below. It was a familiar sight-criminals crawling out from every corner.

And then she arrived, just like always. A whirlwind of black leather, white hair, and that signature grin that signaled trouble. Flatline-or Nika, if you would. She hit the ground beside him, rolling her neck like she'd just woken up and was ready for round two. Her knuckles were still bruised from the last fight, but the way she moved, you'd never know.

"Rooftop fight club wasn't enough for you tonight?" Damian asked, the ghost of a smirk on his face.

"You know me, birdie. I live for this." Her reddened eyes gleamed in the dim light as she wiped the blood from her lip with the back of her hand. "What about you? Still pretending you don't?"

Damian's smile faltered, but he didn't respond. He leapt off the rooftop, landing effortlessly on the street below. Nika followed, always just a step behind, a force of nature more than a person. They slipped through the alleyways, like shadows moving in sync, dodging the city's prying eyes. This was their nightly routine-the chase, the fight. They didn't need words to communicate. Every glance spoke for itself.

Tonight, they ended up in a grimy diner on the outskirts of Gotham, the kind of place that looked like it hadn't seen a health inspection in years. Damian slumped into a booth, the tension leaving his body as Nika slid in across from him, all swagger and smirk.

"You know, I think we passed at least three fancier places on the way here," Nika said, grabbing a fry off Damian's plate. "But no, we end up here in a dump. You've really got that brooding Bat-family vibe down."

"I don't brood," Damian shot back, his voice steady, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

Nika raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure. Tell me that again when you're not staring out the window like you're contemplating the meaning of life."

He ignored her jab, but his mind was far from peaceful. Every night felt the same now-chasing down criminals, keeping the darkness at bay, never really knowing what he was running toward. And then there was Nika, with her reckless energy, like she thrived on chaos. He wouldn't admit it, but she made him feel like maybe the chaos wasn't so bad.

"You smiled," Nika said suddenly, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

"What?"

"When we trashed that gang's hideout in Blüdhaven last week. I saw it. You were grinning like a maniac after we took down those guys. I swear, you're worse than me."

Damian leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "I don't smile in the middle of fights."

"You do!" she pressed, eyes gleaming. "Come on, don't act like you don't get a rush from all this."

He let out a quiet sigh, turning his gaze out the window again. "It's... necessary."

Nika laughed, leaning forward, her elbows on the table. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. But I know you, Damian. You crave this just as much as I do. Hell, maybe more."