The Bat's Daughter

Blood Brother (Story)

Now you know all about me and my childhood, how I became a hero and a lady. That was years ago, now I'm sixteen. Dick has long since moved to Bludhaven, Jason was always on his own, he used to show up once and a while, now he doesn't, and even Tim has left the manor. It gets kinda lonely, but the manor, it's home, despite all the empty halls.

It was a normal night, I was patrolling with my father. We were investigating a break in at a biotech facility when we run into Killer Croc. We end up fighting him, he was on some drug that made him more powerful. We fight him in a big storage room of the warehouse, he hits me with his tail knocking me clear across the room. I land on a bunch of crates dazed, I can see Father get grabbed by Croc, "NO!", I yell desperately struggling up off the crates and to Father. Father struggles, but it no use.

Crocs about to get him when a black clad woman jumps down and electrocutes Croc, he falls to the ground. "Batman!", I yell running up to him and the woman. The woman turns around, I stop. "Hello aibnatu," Talia says to me, "it's been a while." "Yes, mother," I spat the word at her, "it has."

Father and I go with Talia to her yacht, the same one I was brought to Gotham on. She offers Father a drink, he declines. "What do you want?", I ask her harshly, my arms crossed. She proceeds to explain, that Ra's Al'Gul is dead. "You're lying," I spat, "he can't die." Father looks at me, Talia ignores me and explains that a traitor want to kill "us". I'm confused, nobody but Talia knows I'm alive, so is Father. "We?", he asks. "Not Mara, or you," she replies, "me and your son."

"Son?", Father looks shocked under his cowl as mother pulls back a curtain. A young boy steps out. "You expect me to believe this?", Father asks, as I'm speechless. 'Of corse she tried again', I think studying the dark haired emerald eyed boy in front of me, 'cause she failed once, she'll try again'. "I assure you," Talia says to Father, "he's yours." The boy steps forward, "don't look so stunned Father," he says with so much self assurance, "I thought you'd be taller."

Talia leaves the boy, Damian, with us. We all stand on the dock as the yacht leaves Gotham. I signal my motorcycle to me as Father and Damian talk. "I'm going back," I say getting on the bike. I don't wait for a response before I leave. I just need some air, to process what is going on.

'He can't be older than eight years old,' I think as I drive the silent streets of Gotham. "He was born just after I left,' I realize, 'he was my "replacement"'. Suddenly everything makes sense. My head spinning with all the thoughts, information and memories in my head. 'This just keeps getting better and better,' I think as I continue to drive through the night.

I get back to the manor the next morning to Damian outside in the garden slicing up shrubbery. "He's been at it since five 'o clock this morning," Alfred explains getting me breakfast, as Father watches Damian. 'Of corse he's been at it since five,' I think as I eat breakfast, 'he's an assassin from the League of Assassins.' Father walks up the the window to get a better look, as Damian leaps and climbs, slicing up the bushes.

Damian dose a particular move, Father leans on the counter watching. The shrub Damian attacks falls away in pieces. Father looks impressed then smiles, "he has talent." I scowl at him, "corse he has talent, that's like saying I have talent." Father looks at me, "of corse he's been dismantling shrubs since five," I continue, "he was raised to be the elite warrior, just like I was."

"You weren't like he is when you were brought to me," Father says. "I had been living like a normal person for five years before I lived with you," I tell him, "when I was his age I was just like that." "Of that I have no doubt," Father says, "now go get some sleep. You were up all night." "Went for a ride," I tell him finishing my breakfast and putting the plate in the sink, "needed some space." "I imagine," Father says, "now sleep." "Yes sir," I say yawning. I go to my room to get some much needed shut eye.

That night I'm making my way to the main level of the batcave to get ready to go on a late patrol when I see Damian in the walk way in front of me, I stop and hide in the shadows. Not wanting him to see me, not out of costume at least.

"Maybe you need more anesthetic," Damian says in a harsh snotty tone, looking down over the rail of the walkway. 'Maybe you need to-", a familiar voice tries to make a rude retort before being cut off by Alfred. 'Dick', I think, surprised, 'what is he doing here?'  I look toward where I hear his voice and I can see him all cut up, Alfred stitching up the deep ones. 'Goodness,' I think, 'Damian did that...' my mind suddenly makes the connections. I'm angry, I don't care who he is, or that he is my biological brother, no one, no one speaks to my family like that. Damian retorts, "Maybe you should remember who the blood son is."

"What about the blood daughter?", I ask in a deadly voice from the shadows. "Who goes there?!" Damian spats whipping around, "revel yourself!" Dick laughs at him, "Demon Prince, meet the Lady of Darkness." "What?" Damian asks as I step out of the shadows. "What about the blood daughter?", I ask again.

"What do you mean 'blood daughter'?", he asks me. "I bet your smart," I tell him, "considering that you hacked the bat computer today. Why don't you figure it out?" "Cute," Damian says with a scowl, "now who are you?" "You don't now who I am?" I ask mock offended, "why Damian, I'm just like you," I tell him calmly moving to stand right in front of him. "No ones here is like me," Damian spats, "I was groomed for a higher calling." Dick scoffs, "more like to be blood thirsty." I shoot him a look, he becomes quite.

I kneel down so I'm just bellow Damian's eye level, "so was I," I tell him, "to make the world better, stronger. Right?" He pauses at my words then says, "what do you know? No one here understands." "I'm the only one here who understands you," I say simply, "all the sweating, suffering and pain. Just to please them." "You don't understand anything," Damian tells me arrogantly, "You ignorant, soft, pathetic girl", he spats at me.

"Hey!", Dick protests angrily, "You will not talk to her like that." "I can talk to her anyway I want," Damian says, "you can't tell me what to do Grayson, you're puny, insignificant and weak." That was the last straw for me, this kid need to be taught some manners. "You listen here Damian," I say in a deadly voice, "you can talk to me however you want and say whatever about me, but I will not allow anyone, I mean anyone to disrespect my family. Is that understood? You will treat everyone in this house with respect."

"Make me", Damian says, I can tell I made him angry. "You're on," I say daring him to take me. He charges me and I catch him as he does so and throw him, just like I have Dick, Jason and even Tim. He goes flying over the railing and lands on the ground on his back. "That's what happens when you're disrespectful," I say as he gets up rubbing his head. "That's enough," Father says stopping Damian before he can attack me. Damian looks at him and me angrily.

I see Talia's handwork all over him, the anger and attitude over the pain, the unfulfilled desire. 'He is what I would've become,' I realize with a shock, 'but I was saved.' And I was saved because I was the best, elite and I was first. Damian grew up just like me and was forced to do what I was, but do it better. I decide I need to save this boy, my brother.

Damian is still fuming, but I decided to approach him again. "Look," I say walking up to him and kneeling again, "I think we got off on the wrong foot." He just scoffs at me, I ignore it. "My name is Sara Wayne," I introduce myself to my little brother, "I've also been know as Mara Al'Gul," that catches his attention, he looks at me. I take a breath and look him in the eye, "and I'm your sister."

Damian stares at me, trying to believe if I'm telling the truth. "I've never heard of you," he says. "As far as the League of Assassins is concerned, I'm dead," I tell him, "Our mother is the only one who knows I'm alive. Grandfather himself believed me dead." "How?", Damian asks intrigued despite himself, "did mother keep you a secret from grandfather?" "No, I was raised by the League like you were," I reply, "ever heard of the Demon's Daughter?" "That's mother". "Wasn't always," I tell him, "you've been called the Demon's Son, correct?", he nods. "When I was being trained by the League I excelled at every task. I beat the adult assassins and even Mother," I explain. He looks at me a mixture of shock and awe that I beat Talia Al'Gul. "I was the Demon's Daughter." "When was this?", he asks me. "When I was eight," I reply.

"So you see Damian, I know," I tell him meeting his emerald eyes, just like mine, "I know because I lived it."