An Inaudible Irritation

11. Teammate

As his older brother came into sight, Damian lowered his sword from the instructor.

"I will see you Thursday," Damian said before he started to gather his things. The instructor gave him a nod in response and went to clean up the equipment.

Once Damian had packed up his bag and removed his fencing gear, the two brothers began their journey home.

"Am I still grounded?" Damian decided to question before sneaking a glance at Dick.

Dick looked down at Damian and met his gaze before signing, "No."

Damian fixed his gaze back at the sidewalk in front of them. "I suppose you'll punish me worse when I do it again," he said before looking at Dick through the corner of his eye.

Dick caught his gaze again and signed the same answer again, "No."

Damian raised an eyebrow at his response. He didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet as he pondered the subject at hand. The two boys walked back home in silence.

When they got back to their duplex, Dick changed into his police uniform so he could leave for work. Damian met him at the door and bid him goodbye before he left.

As he made his way back towards his room, a handwritten letter lying on the coffee table caught his eye. He walked up to the table and picked up the paper, letting his eyes trace over the words his brother had written.

I can't stop you from going out. I'm sorry for being so strict on you, but it's only because you're not my child, no matter how much I wish you were. Bruce is still your dad, and the truth is, I am also afraid of you getting hurt. However, I have decided to come to an agreement if you wish to accept. I will not tell Bruce of your patrols, nor will I ground you, as long as you take someone else with you. I'm trusting you.
-Dick

Damian gently placed the paper back down once he finished reading it. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he pondered the deal.

—

When the sky changed from different shades of orange to dark blue, Damian began to gear up. While he was grounded, he took the time to upgrade his Robin uniform with new technology.

He now had motion sensors on his tunic that he programmed to alert him by pulses of vibration when someone was closeby. Attacking him from behind would be more difficult now.

When he was ready for patrol, he pulled out his grappling hook and leaped out of his window and into the city, making his way across the many rooftops.

Soon he reached his destination and planted his hook into the cement, climbing down the side of the building in search of a specific window. Once he spotted the dark blue curtains, he knocked on the glass, hoping deep down that someone would answer.

Moments later the curtains slid back and a confused Raven gazed out her window. She reached down and slid the window open, allowing the vigilante to step through.

"We're going on patrol," he ordered as he retracted his grappling hook and stepped further into the dark room.

Raven raised an eyebrow at the statement. She opened her mouth to speak, but Robin quickly interrupted her. "My brother said I could patrol as long as I wasn't alone," he informed, "So you're the lucky person I've decided to choose to accompany me. Go get ready."

Raven gave a huff before she retrieved her cloak from what Robin assumed was her closet. Once she gathered her things she headed for the bathroom.

Robin started to snoop around her room out of curiosity. On her bed laid a laptop that was still turned in, so he assumed she had been using it before he came. Her dark blue walls were blank and the only furniture she had was the bed, nightstand, and a vanity table. The only pictures she had were of her and the Teen Titans. If he were being honest, the photo made him envious of her. With his disability, no one would want him on a team.

The sensor in his tunic vibrated and he quickly turned around to meet her annoyed gaze.

"Took you long enough," Robin spoke before ignoring her glare and heading towards the open window. "Let's go."

Robin leaped from the window and pulled out his grappling hook once again to swing onto the closest rooftop. When he looked back, he saw Raven flying right behind him.

Above the two vigilantes was a bright crescent moon and an endless blanket of twinkling stars.