Blessing In Disguise

Four

Damian stays with me for around a week, give or take a day, and then Ra's steps back into the kid's life. At first, only Talia knows, but she reveals it to me after only a few hours. My job is to keep that knowledge from the kid, who's already scared of having to go back.

We're in our soft bed, Damian lying beside me, sprawled out on the pillows, when she comes in. I wake up when she shakes me, gesturing in the dark. I make out enough to rise and look at her, somewhat alert, when she starts whispering. "Jason, my father is here. I did not have time enough to formulate a large plan, so I need your help."

"Okay," I tell her, shaking the haze of sleep off. She tells me, "He is waiting downstairs. He thinks I am rousing Damian and will bring him down. I need you to sneak him out and hurry away. I do not know what direction or where you might end up."

"What about back to Gotham and Bruce? It shouldn't be too hard. I could call or something."

"I suppose so. Yes, head to your father, he can help. I will attempt to get in touch with him and inform him you are... I will try to get in touch with him to tell him about Damian and you being alive. Please stay safe for me."

"Of course. I... I'm going to miss you."

"Perhaps we may meet again."

With that, she disappears, and I'm left to protect a preteen and myself from an army of ninjas who most definitely will try to hurt or even kill us. It's my mission to make sure that they fail.

First I throw together a backpack. We must travel light, but a few outfits in an Adidas pack won't hurt us. We can change clothes once we get to a city somewhere. I also pick two books, unaware of which ones due to the dark. Finally, I put a plastic water bottle in the bag. It had been sitting on my nightstand, but I figure it won't hurt to have something to carry water in. We could quite easily need it.

Then, I wake Damian. He is reluctant to leave the bed, so I pick him up and hurry down the stairs, though the extra weight of a child makes it hard to keep my footsteps light. I manage to creep somewhat soundlessly to the back door and then I head out of it, closing it behind me.

As I sneak away I am completely unaware of my surroundings. It is a new moon, according to the starry sky that is missing the bright orb. It couldn't be harder for me to sneak, but Damian is waking up. The weight lessens with every few moments.

Eventually, he awakens enough to begin walking himself. The dawn is coming, and with it a sense of dread. We must keep moving or Ra's men will catch us, but the daylight means we will be much easier to see. Due to that, our chances of being caught increase significantly with the sunrise. I decide we are in a forest and heading north. The rising sun is on my right.

Damian is silent, probably still half-asleep and unsure of what's going on or where we are. Half of me says this is good, because in the moments he is drowsy and content he could be scared again. But the other half of me, probably the half that idolized Bruce, is saying he should know now. It pesters me until I give in, when the sun is just peeking over the trees-midmorning-and I stop to talk with the kid.

I try to keep it brief, which isn't too hard, since I don't know too much. It's enough, however, and Damian blinks up at me with wide eyes. I know Ra's wanted him to be a soldier, and almost succeeded, but this kid is just like me when I was his age. The streets didn't harden my emotions, just like Ra's didn't hamper his.

"What about Mother?" Damian questions. "And where are we headed now?"

"She'll be okay, I promise. We're just going to go to Dad now, alright? He's going to help." But as hard as I try, I can only reassure Damian as much as I can myself. I'm not entirely confident in this makeshift, messy plan.