Be Mine Beloved

Chapter 2

Grayson's death is when it all started to fall apart. Damian cared for his family but there was a special bond that tied him to Dick. A brotherly love filled with teases and silly arguments and a solid foundation built upon always having the other's back. When Dick died the sense of family disappeared in the Wayne mansion as if it never existed. Although they never were the stable family of the year, they had the decency to make small talk or acknowledge each other when one stepped into the room. Now it was a mansion filled with strangers.

Todd's visits were far and few in between and always ended in a shouting match with his father. Drake was always around if Damian saw him he did if he didn't then he didn't. His father... Batman was always at work. There was no shortage of things to do when the symbol of peace was flying around painting his hands red in criminals' blood. There was little time to start conversations that would no doubt end in an argument and the illusion of the great Dark Knight growing weaker.

When Alfred died Damian had no reason to stay. The old man was the only thing left that kept Damian grounded, the only person trying to keep him sane in the endless tug of war he was caught in. He died a peaceful death as he deserved but it didn't hurt any less. Without a word he mounted onto Goliath and left Gotham.

Damian spent most of his days travelling on the back of Goliath and doing some vigilante work in small forgotten towns and cities.  He didn't find trouble staying in the loop when Superman's Regime and his father's Insurgency was all the news would report on.  It was hard to continue enjoying International Puppies Day and celebrity gossip when your country was on the verge of civil war. His soul continued to be in a deadlock between the two sides. After all the time that has passed, he still hesitated to choose a side. Damian had never struggled to make a decision as much as this one in his life. Even leaving the League to join his Father felt simple compared to his turmoil now. 

Damian was sitting on top of Goliath lost in his thoughts as they both glided in the night sky. He was so absorbed with his internal conflicts he missed the figure steadily approaching him and Goliath. Damian narrowed his eyes down while Goliath's head popped up. He stopped in place and his tilted his head. Damian straightened his back and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword ready to draw in a moment's notice. Goliath's ears perked up and started to wag his tail.

"Goli-!" Goliath pulled forward and soared into the dark clouds causing Damian to tighten his hold on the reins. Goliath went up and took a deep dive down, left then right, twisting at sharp angles to chase down their mysterious figure. "Stupid Bat," Damian hissed as he tried to get Goliath back under control. It was rare for Goliath to defy him but there were always the occasions, food, toys, him.

Goliath came to a halt and began to lick a male figure floating in front of him. "Hey, buddy I've missed you too," the laughter echoed in the sky. The hand on the hilt of his sword tightened. The floated up to look Damian in his eye and the corners of their lips softened up. "Dames," the man whispered with a soft crinkle at the corner of his eyes.

"Superboy," Damian kept his head down and away from him. 

"Please," Superboy landed next to him, "don't speak like we are strangers." He stretched out a hand towards Damian's face and Damian for his good move it out of the Kryptonian hybrid's way. 

"What is it?" Damian got straight down to business. A visit from any meta nowadays wasn't welcomed as it was in the past. Damian wasn't blinded by his past with Jon either. Despite the sunshine smile Jon always wore there was a devious person under that indestructible skin trying to calculate his every move.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for my father," Jon sighed. "The matter is personal."

"What do you want?" Damian's grip on his sword relaxed but never left the hilt.