The Devil's Daughter (Damirae)

Chapter 6

Damian's Journal:

It had been far too long since I had been to Wayne Manor. I was there were a few things I had to do. First, I had to discuss my behavior with my father, just a basic checkup to make sure I have been avoiding killing and had been doing better than before.

That is, in the sense that I am not doing things I shouldn't be. He and I never talk about anything other than me acting like a miscreant and, of course, criminal activity in our cities.

This visit was entirely different, however, as when I walked into the manor with Grayson, I was met by Todd and Drake, as well as my father and Pennyworth. Immediately. At the door.

"Took you long enough." Todd said.

"What's going on?"

"Follow me." My father said, acting like The Batman and not at all like Bruce Wayne.

This was concerning. He always acted tough around me, yet he was usually direct about problems, whether it be criminal activity or people who lesser men call super villains.

Additionally, he never had to get us all together to tell us something.

And there was something else... only a Robin or someone else trained by Batman would ever have noticed it, but...

He was scared. Nothing ever scared him. Nothing except...

We walked into the Batcave (ugh, why does he insist on naming everything 'Bat') and sat around his workstation. This was the table where he he made his Batarangs. (I rest my case)

He looked at us all, very sincerely, and cleared his throat to speak.

I beat him to it.

"He's back, isn't he?"

"Who?" Grayson said, not that he hadn't figured it out just that he was pretending he hadn't. Nobody wanted to be the one to say it. Except me. Because I didn't give a damn who said it.

"You know exactly who. Who else would have father this on-edge? Who else would everyone be so depressed about? It's the Clown Prince of Crime. The Jester of Genocide. The Ace of Knaves."

"Just say his name, Damian." My father said, like I was going to lift the burden from his shoulders. Probably thought I would, too.

He was mistaken.

No one was getting him out of this.

"You're not getting out of this that easy, father. You have to say it."

He took a deep breath, and then said, "The Joker is back."

No one was surprised. We all knew what he would say before he said it. Still, the words sent chills up their spines.

Not mine, though. Funny how the youngest person here was the least afraid. I, however, did not fear him but saw him as a problem that needed to be dealt with. And there was only one way to deal with it.

And he wasn't going to like it.

"Father... I know you're going to react badly to me saying this but... if it comes down to it..."

"Don't even suggest killing him, Damian."

"It may be necessary if we're ever to be rid of him. I don't want to kill him either, but ending the Joker's reign of terror forever, we need to do that by any means necessary. Putting him in prison only to wait for him to get out? We are by extension killing everyone who he kills, by allowing him to kill them."

"Damian!" This time it was Grayson.

What is wrong with them? So naive. It's like they're the young teenagers and I'm the adult, lecturing them on on how the world works.

"Whether the Joker lives or dies is ultimately up to you. But allowing more to die because you can't kill? That's your call."

I stood up. "Now unless there's any other important business to attend to, I would like to speak to Pennyworth. Alone."

"Go ahead."

I walked out of the room with Pennyworth. He spoke first.

"Why did you wish to speak to me about, Master Damian?"

"You're an excellent physician, Pennyworth. I have a feeling I'd like you to explain to me. I don't know what it is, which means it may be a sickness."

I explained the feeling. How it only came about when I was around or thinking about Raven. How it made my heart beat faster. How it made me nervous in a way that I never am. How it felt... pleasant, oddly.

By the time I was done he looked to be suppressing a smile. Very unlike him. He always kept him self very formal, very perfectly postured. Strange.