Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:53:41 -0700 From: B.E. Kelley Subject: Gotham Prep Episode 4 Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong to DC Comics. And also, if you are too young to read this, leave... please. Or if this type of thing is illegal where you live then also leave...please. This is a story involving homosexual, or rather gay, sex and love. So if this offends or freaks you out, leave... please. This is purely fiction, it doesn't imply anything about the character's mentioned sexuality. This story is a work of FICTION. The events described are my own invention. Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental. The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without my explicit authorization. Comments are always welcome at: hailcaesar2011@hotmail.com Gotham Prep Episode 4: Something to be Thankful For "I still don't understand this holiday," said Damian, as he neatly packed socks into his bag. "What's to understand about Thanksgiving?" asked Robbie, as he dumped out his duffle bag and started stuffing clean clothes in. "You worship a turkey to appease the ancient Native-American's and early Anglo settlers, and you don't find that odd?" asked Damian. "DW, seriously?" Robbie chuckled. "What?" asked Damian, confused. "Oh my God, sometimes I don't get how someone so smart can be so clueless," said Robbie, rolling his eyes, "ok, first, we don't worship the turkey, we eat it because it was what was served at the first Thanksgiving, and secondly, we're not trying to appease anyone, the whole point is just to remember the things we're grateful for." "I see, so is that like killing a vanquished enemy rather than force him to go through life with a colostomy bag?" Damian replied. "Well, I can see how he would be thankful for that," said Robbie, sarcastically, "but no, it's a time to be thankful for the good things in your life, you know, friends, family, good health, that kind of stuff." "Fascinating," Damian observed. "I can't believe you've never celebrated Thanksgiving," said Robbie, for what must have been the hundredth time. "Well, I'm betting you've never celebrated Waitangi Day," Damian retorted. "You're right, what the hell is that?" asked Robbie. "It's an official holiday in New Zealand to celebrate the Waitangi Treaty, in which the native Maori people signed the country over to the British," Damian answered casually. "Right, sorry, I sometimes forget that you're the only American I know who hasn't really lived in America," said Robbie. "It's not my fault, mommy moved us around a lot..." Damian began. "I know, the rigors of running an international clandestine empire," Robbie, interrupted, "is Colin still coming?" "He was as of lunchtime, he probably changed his mind a dozen times since then but he hasn't mentioned it to me," said Damian. It was the Friday before Thanksgiving and Gotham Preparatory Academy was closing down for the holiday. As a boarding school, Gotham Prep was home to students from around the country and the world, they needed more time to make it home and spend time with their families so the school would be closed for an entire week. Damian had been looking forward to the week off, and spending time with his father, but a last minute business trip had squashed Bruce's father son bonding plans. Bruce was headed to Taiwan with his eldest son, Dick, his CEO, Lucius Fox, and his Vice-President for Research and Development, Alan Matthews, Robbie's father. On the bright side, Damian had gotten permission to bring Robbie home for the week, their friend Colin Wilkes didn't have anywhere to go so he was invited as well. The problem with Colin was that he was nervous about staying at Wayne Manor. He was an orphan who had spent his life being shuttled from St. Aiden's Orphanage to various foster homes; he was cowed enough by Gotham Prep, now he was going to the home of the cities wealthiest family. He had changed his mind several times since accepting Damian's invitation but the Wayne Heir had simply admonished his friend for being a pussy, a new term he'd learned from Robbie, and Colin gave in. Colin was very fond of both Robbie and Damian, not only were the two wealthy boys nice to him but the three of them had done battle together, rescuing several children from a psychotic killer, just a few weeks ago. Colin was trying very hard to get used to his new surroundings, he'd won a Wayne Foundation Scholarship to Gotham Prep and it was opening all kinds of new doors for him. When he finished packing, he took his tattered old teddy bear, Rory, from under his pillow, and placed him in his suitcase. "Sorry old friend, I'll let you out as soon as I can," Colin smiled. Colin and Rory had been together for a long time. The stuffed bear was the only thing the boy had to remind him of his birth parents and it was also the trigger that allowed him to control "Abuse," his alter ego. When he was ready, he headed across the quad and found his friends waiting outside their dorm. "Hey guys," Colin greeted, with a friendly smile. "Five bucks, cough it up," Robbie smiled. "Damn it, hi Colin," said Damian, as he fished out his wallet and handed a bill over to his roomy. "What's that all about?" asked Colin. "I bet him you wouldn't show up," said Damian. "Oh, if you don't want me to come..." Colin began, his eyes downcast. "Oh shut up," said Damian, "I just wasn't sure you'd show up because you've been so back and forth all week, you're here now, you are coming, and I don't want to hear another word about it." "Ok," Colin replied. Damian patted him on the back, which made Colin smile. The boys spent the next few minutes talking about their plans for the week, when Alfred pulled up, in the Wayne Families vintage Rolls Royce limousine. "Hi Alfred," Damian smiled and waved. The old butler walked around the car and held the back door open for his young charge and his friends. He was one of the few people Damian actually liked and he cheerfully acknowledged the boys greeting. "Good evening Master Damian and company, I trust you gentlemen are ready to depart?" asked Alfred. "Yes, let's go before they decided to revoke our parole," Robbie joked. Damian climbed into the back seat and Robbie followed closely behind. Colin stood on the last step, staring down at his feet. "Master Colin, won't you be joining us?" asked Alfred. "Alfred, if he doesn't get into this car right this minute, I want you to put him in the trunk with the luggage," Damian ordered. Colin looked up with his mouth hanging open; sometimes Damian surprised him with his directness. It didn't help that Alfred looked the boy over and cracked his knuckles as though he was preparing to follow Damian's orders. "Ok," Colin muttered, then climbed into the back seat. "There's a good lad," said Alfred, as he moved to close the door. "You, you wouldn't have really, would you?" asked Colin. "What's that sir?" asked Alfred. "You know, thrown me in the trunk," Colin whispered. "We'll never know now, will we sir?" Alfred smiled. Alfred took his seat behind the wheel and all of the boys cheered when the car pulled out of the academy gates, you would think the place really was a prison the way they carried on. After that, the 1962 Rolls Royce Phantom V may as well have been the cross town bus, the boys laughed, joked and jostled about and they played their music loud, just like normal teenagers. Even Colin managed to relax, that is until they pulled up in front of the massive stone edifice of stately Wayne Manor. "Wow," said Colin, "is this your house or the train station?" "Hey, just take a deep breath, you'll be fine, ok?" said Damian. "Yeah, ok," said Colin. Damian took Colin's hand, squeezed it reassuringly and then led his timid friend towards the door. That left Robbie a little miffed, he had strong feelings for Damian, he knew he cared for him in more than a friendly way and he didn't understand how he could be so sweet to Colin and so gruff with everyone else. It wasn't that Damian treated him badly, it just seemed like he treated Colin better. What Robbie didn't understand was he was seeing things through the green eyes of jealousy, rather than the clear eyes of reality. Damian led his friends into the marble grand foyer, which was, actually, bigger than the train station, where they were met by his best friend. "Oh my God, a pony!" Colin squealed. "What? No, it's just Titus," Damian giggled, as the massive dog pawed at his chest in greeting. "You mean that's just a dog?" asked Colin in disbelief. "He's a Great Dane and he's just a puppy," Damian smiled. "Can we ride him later?" asked Colin. "No," Damian laughed, "I'm trying to teach him other things though." "Like what?" asked Robbie. "Like to attack Drake..." said Damian, as his older, adopted brother walked in. Titus walked up to the older boy and nipped at his hand, asking Tim to pet him. "So far unsuccessfully, it's a process," said Damian. "Hi Robbie," said Tim, who despite Damian's complaints, was quite friendly. "Hi Tim, nice to see you again," Robbie greeted. "And you must be Colin," said Tim, extending his hand to the red head. "Yeah, hi," Colin blushed, he'd met Tim before but only briefly. He'd had his picture taken with the Wayne Family at the banquet honoring all of the scholarship winners. "Damian, it seems as though school is doing wonders for you, you have friends and I can't even see any bite marks on them," Tim teased his little brother. "Your eyes shine like metal zippers, your voice sounds like toenail clippers..." Damian smirked, reciting a line from a terrible love poem Tim had written. Damian had found the poem while snooping in Tim's room and reciting lines from it always got under his skin. "It begins," said Tim, shooting Damian a dirty look, "welcome home little brother." Damian savored his little victory, then led his friends up to his room. Alfred had offered to make up guest rooms for his friends but Damian's room was a palatial suite and he thought everyone would be comfortable there. He had his own king size bed and he thought, quite innocently, that his friends would be comfortable sharing it with him, or sleeping on the large leather sofa in the sitting area. "Wow, how many people live in here?" asked Colin. "This is just my room," Damian giggled, he found Colin's befuddlement to be charming. "This is bigger than some of the foster homes I've been placed in," said Colin, in awe. "Look Colin, you need to relax, I know it's big but it's still just a house and you guys are my friends, I want you to feel comfortable here," said Damian. "Don't worry about me, DW, I feel right at home," said Robbie, as he plopped down on Damian's bed and put his feet up with a contented sigh. "Where am I going to sleep?" asked Colin. "My bed's pretty big, I thought we could all just hang out here," said Damian. "Ok, said Colin. Colin shyly unpacked his teddy bear, gave it a little kiss and then stuck it under the pillow he'd be using that night. Most 14 year old boys would have torn Colin to shreds for the childish gesture but Damian and Robbie didn't say a word. They knew what the bear meant to their friend and they knew that there were some things you didn't tease about, some things were off limits. They did notice that some of the weight seemed to be lifted from Colin's shoulders, once Rory was comfortable. "Feel better now?" asked Robbie. "Yeah," Colin smiled, "can we get a tour of this place?" "Sure, come on," said Damian. Damian took the boys all over the house, he showed them the library, the study, the music room, the ball room, room after room of sprawling opulence. When they were finished, they gathered in the dining room for dinner with Tim and Alfred, where Robbie remarked that it was strange to be eating grilled burgers and hot dogs in such a formal setting, before he ate four of them. Damian and Tim managed to keep the death threats to a minimum and after a pleasant dinner, the boys retired to Damian's room. It was just after 9:00pm so everyone got into their pajamas, before settling in for a few hours of Halo 4 on Damian's 70 inch HD TV. For Damian, pajama's meant a loose fitting pair of plaid cotton pj bottoms, he never slept in a shirt, he always found himself getting twisted up in them so he simply didn't bother. That made it hard for Robbie to concentrate on the game, his eyes kept drifting to Damian's swimmers body with his slight shape and rippled tummy, he easily had the best abs in the 9th grade. Robbie knew he was in love with Damian, and it wasn't just because he was handsome. Robbie put up with his acerbic personality because he saw through Damian, he knew he had a good heart and was capable of expressing love, he just didn't know what kind of love that would be. Damian never talked about girls but he didn't talk about boys either, Robbie tried flirting with him but Damian's responses were so neutral that it just left him more confused. Then there was Colin, Damian was so sweet to him, he let Colin hug him and hang on him and Robbie couldn't understand why. Robbie knew he was spending too much time looking at his friend when Colin snuck up behind him with a machine gun and blew his character's head clean off, shortly after that, they called it a night. It was Damian's bed so he slept in the middle with Colin on one side and Robbie on the other. Damian had no trouble falling asleep, it had been a long day and a long week, he was happy to be home and the soft sheets were just to inviting. Robbie struggled; he kept going over his feelings which only made him frustrated, eventually he fell into a fitful sleep. Colin was wide awake, he couldn't believe where he was, in all his life, he never thought he'd be an invited guest at Wayne Manor, let alone sleeping next to the heir to the Wayne fortune. This was a life that Colin wasn't prepared for but he was trying to embrace, he was thankful that his friends were doing so much to make him feel welcome. Colin was just about to drift off when Damian rolled towards him, his face rested on Colin's chest and his arm was draped over Colin's body. Colin reached around his friends shoulder and gently stroked his soft, bare skin. While Damian slept contentedly, Colin leaned down and kissed the raven haired boy on the top of his head. "Mmmm, Robbie," Damian muttered in his sleep, as he wrapped himself tightly around Colin. Robbie stirred when he heard his name. When he looked over and saw his friends snuggled together, it was cute, but it broke his heart, he ended up sticking his head under his pillow and crying himself to sleep. In the morning, Damian woke to a warm tongue against his face. "Robbie quit it that tickles," Damian giggled. "Huh?" Robbie groaned, still more than half asleep, and still behind Damian. "What the hell?" said Damian, as his eyes snapped open, he found his dog staring right at him, "damn it Titus, I know where that tongue's been, no kissing!" Titus groaned and hopped off the bed. Damian noticed that Colin was gone and that Robbie was still trying to sleep, so he put on a t-shirt and went to look for his red headed friend. Damian found Colin in the library, Rory dangling from his hand. "There you are," said Damian. "Oh, hey, sorry, I just wanted to look around a little," Colin blushed. "It's ok, see anything interesting?" asked Damian. "Just looking at all the pictures, family," Colin sighed. "Most of them are dead," said Damian, "Tim and Dick are adopted, father and I are the only Wayne's left and Jason, well, you saw what he's like." "Sad," said Colin. "Come on, let's take a seat," said Damian, he took Colin's hand and led him to a sofa. "You're very lucky Damian," said Colin. "Look, I know my family has a lot of money but Colin, you can't let that make you uncomfortable it's just..." Damian began. "No, no, that's not what I meant, I was talking about your family, you're very lucky to have them," said Colin. "Yes, I guess I am," Damian admitted. "You are, they love you very much," said Colin. "How do you know, you've never really met them, I mean not for more than a few minutes," said Damian. "Well, you're well cared for," said Colin, "I'd give anything to know about my parents, who they were, where I come from, you're lucky to have that, I wish I had people who loved me." For the first time in his life, Damian's heart felt someone else's pain. He put his arms around Colin and hugged his friend tightly. "Colin, don't say things like that, I love you and Robbie loves you, you're our friend, you don't have to worry about being alone anymore," said Damian. "Thanks," said Colin, he rubbed up and down Damian's back and then kissed him on the cheek. When Damian didn't pull away, Colin kissed him on the other cheek. The boys pulled back and looked at each other, then giggled. Colin placed his lips against Damian's and the giggling stopped. Damian's lips were tight but as Colin kept the pressure on, he relented and the kiss became soft. Colin's tongue lapped at Damian's lips and when they parted he slipped it in to the smaller boys mouth. Damian had never been kissed like that in his life, it felt good, he wanted more of it but that was just the physicality of the thing talking. As much as he hated to, he put his hands on Colin's chest and gently pushed him away. "Colin, no," said Damian. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, are you mad?" asked Colin. "No, I just...there's someone...I don't know if I'm...look, can we just pretend this never happened, please?" asked Damian, who looked to be wiping a tear from his eye. "Yeah, it's cool, I got a little carried away is all," said Colin. "I meant what I said Colin, I do love you, just you know, not like that," said Damian. "Don't worry about it, I'm ok," Colin assured him. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast, you haven't lived until you've had Alfred's waffles," said Damian, still feeling very confused. They ate in the kitchen that morning, Alfred served his famous waffles with sausage and scrambled eggs. The food was just being placed on the table when Robbie padded in, engrossed in something on his iPhone. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to put your iPhone down for 5 minutes," Damian teased. "Not mine, this one's yours," Robbie yawned. "Oh, and do you mind if I ask what you're doing with it?" asked Damian. "Don't get your panties in a twist, I'm just installing my new facial recognition app on it," Robbie explained and handed it over. "How does it work?" Damian was always intrigued by Robbie's gadgets. "It's simple, you just open the app, then take a picture of whoever," said Robbie, he took the phone back and snapped a picture of Damian. "Damian Wayne. AKA: Gotham Prep Panther. Security Clearance: High," said a computer generated female voice. "Robbie that is so cool, let me try," said Damian, grabbing his phone. "Take a picture of Colin," Robbie instructed. "Colin Wilkes. AKA: Abuse. Security Clearance: High." Damian thought Robbie's app was ingenious and snapped a picture of his roommate. "Robbie Matthews. AKA: Backslash. Security Clearance: High." "Backslash?" asked Damian. "I told you, I'm not going to be Gadget Boy," Robbie smiled. "Why not Delete?" Damian teased. "That would still be better then Gadget Boy." "What are you three up to?" said Tim, he came in from the backyard and judging by his track pants and sweaty t-shirt, had been running around the grounds. "Perfect, a field test," Damian grinned wickedly, then snapped Tim's picture. "Tim Drake. AKA: Usurper, Dickhead, Douche Bag, Taint Stain, Robin..." "Yeah, I'm going to take a shower," said Tim, rolling his eyes. "Well, that's a first," said Damian. Tim walked out of the room, flipping his little brother the bird, over his shoulder. Damian spent the rest of his day trying not to think about the kiss he'd shared with Colin, he didn't know what to make of it, he'd enjoyed it, it felt good but it made him feel incredibly guilty. Determined not to let it bother him, Damian and his friends spent the rest of their day playing with Titus and swimming in the indoor pool. They enjoyed more of Alfred's delicious cooking and settled in for more TV and video games that night. Robbie broke out his stash of junk food and though Damian didn't eat it all, this time, he ate enough that he started complaining of stomach cramps before bed. As the other boys slept, Damian tossed and turned and eventually had to get up to vomit. Thinking that the worst was behind him, Damian crawled back into bed between his two friends. He scowled at Robbie, blaming him and his bag of goodies for his discomfort, but when he rolled over and the moonlight hit his face, Damian felt his heart soften. Damian drifted off to sleep swearing that he'd never over indulge in sweets again. In the morning, he woke in more pain then he'd ever known in his life. His brow was sweaty, he was curled up in the fetal position and every time he sucked in a breath he felt like his stomach was going to explode. Damian had suffered any number of injuries, beatings from his trainers at the League of Shadows, broken bones, you name it, nothing hurt like this. Damian was genetically perfect, mommy said so, the last time he'd been sick was when he'd done it to himself, by gorging on junk food and contaminating his body with a foreign substance. He didn't know what this was, all he knew was that it made him weak and weakness meant danger. He was on the verge of panic, when he heard the TV in the distance and felt around the bed and discovered that his friends were already up. With considerable effort, he got out of bed and started towards the bathroom, he stopped halfway there, bracing himself against the wall, when he almost collapsed. "Damian, are you alright?" asked Colin, when he saw the state of his friend. "Stomach hurts, something's wrong" Damian groaned, "bathroom, help me?" "Ok, don't move," said Colin, as he rushed to Damian's aide. Colin was very gentle as he put Damian's arm around his shoulder and guided him to the bathroom, even still, Damian winced with almost every step. It was only a few feet to the bathroom but to Damian it felt like a mile, he let out a loud groan when they reached the bathroom door and discovered it was locked. That answered one question; at least he knew where Robbie was, as he knocked on the door. "I'll be out in a sec," Robbie shouted, while brushing his teeth. "Robbie, open up," Damian whined, as he banged on the door again. "I said in a minute," Robbie shouted, annoyed. "Robbie, for the love of God, please?" Damian moaned and beat on the door. "Alright, alright, where's the damn fire?" said Robbie, then he opened the door and saw Damian, "Jesus DW, you look like shit." Damian didn't respond, he grabbed Robbie and pulled him out of the bathroom then pushed him out of his way. He stormed into the bathroom, locked the door behind him, out of shear habit, and doubled over the toilet just as a stream of vomit spewed from his mouth. Damian heaved until his stomach was empty but he couldn't stand, after a few minutes, his stomach let loose again, only this time there was blood in his vomit. "What's the matter with him?" asked Robbie, as they listened to Damian through the door. "I-I don't know," Colin stuttered, "He got up and was walking to the bathroom, then he almost fell over; you think it's something he ate?" "We all ate the same thing," said Robbie. "Yeah but maybe he had too much junk food?" "He ate way more than that last time and he didn't look like he was dying," Robbie reasoned, he felt a little guilty; maybe it was all the sugar that made his friend sick? They boys sat outside the bathroom, nervously waiting for Damian to come out but after half an hour, he was still in there and had stopped making any noise. That's when Robbie got up and knocked on the door. "Damian, are you alright?" said Robbie. No answer. "Damian, come on, open the door," said Robbie, as he knocked again. Robbie tried turning the knob and discovered that it was locked. "I don't like this, he looked really sick," said Robbie. "Let me try," said Colin, "Damian, open the door!" Still, no answer. "Ok, stand back," said Colin. With Robbie safely out of the way, Colin kicked the door open. The two boys rushed into the room and found Damian lying in front of the toilet. When he heard his friends come crashing into the bathroom, he tried to sit up, but collapsed back to the floor. "Go get help," Robbie ordered, as he raced to Damian's side. "Damian what's the matter?" asked Robbie, as he knelt at his friend's side. "S-stomach," Damian groaned through clenched teeth, "help me." "It'll be ok, Colin went to get help, just, just hang in there," said Robbie. Damian didn't respond, his body was overcome with another wave of pain emanating from his stomach. He curled into a little ball and shuddered, clutching at the leg of Robbie's pajama bottoms. Just then, Colin raced back into the room with Tim hot on his heels. Though he wasn't in uniform, Tim was in full Robin-mode; he took charge of the situation and helped Damian lie flat on his back. "Damian what's the matter?" asked Tim, in a commanding tone. "S-stomach, something wrong, h-hurts," Damian panted. "Has this ever happened to you before?" asked Tim, trying to gather all the facts. "Never this sick before, help me, Drake, please," Damian pleaded. Clearly the boy was terrified, the fear on his face, and in his voice, made Tim feel sympathy for Damian, something he wouldn't have believed possible until now. Tim tried hard to put up with Damian; he endured his sharp tongue and constant condensations, partly because he was Bruce's son, and he loved Bruce, and partly because deep down, he understood that it wasn't Damian's fault. Damian's mother had raised him as if he were a little prince and after 14 years of constant praise, how could he help but think he was better than everyone else? Lying there, writhing in agony, Damian's bravado was gone, leaving behind a very scared little boy. "Damian, calm down," said Tim, soothingly, as he gently stroked the boy's forehead. It took a moment but Damian's breathing slowed and some of the panic began to ebb from his body. Tim waited until his brother was as relaxed as he was going to get, before he spoke again. "You said it's your stomach?" asked Tim. "Y-yes, please make it stop," Damian whined. "Shhh, it's alright," Tim soothed, "I'm going to put my hand on your tummy and I want you to tell me where it hurts, ok?" Damian nodded his head and Tim placed his hand on the boy's abdomen. Tim moved his hand, slowly and gently, around Damian's stomach, he suspected that his brother might be suffering from acute appendicitis, and searched for a tell-tale sign of the inflammation. "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," Damian howled, just before he passed out. Tim's fingers found the tender spot, just above Damian's waistline, a few inches from his bellybutton. "Shit, I think his appendix is about to burst," said Tim, "Colin, wake Alfred and tell him to get the car, Robbie, get me a blanket." Both boys raced from the room. While Colin woke Alfred, Robbie pulled a blanket from Damian's bed and ran back to the bathroom as fast as he could, nearly tripping as his socks slipped across the polished wood floor. Tim took the blanket and wrapped it around Damian then carefully picked the boy up in his arms. Tim carried his brother out into the hall, with Robbie right behind him, Colin and Alfred joined them on the landing. "Master Timothy, what's the matter with Master Damian?" "I think his appendix is about to burst, can you drive?" asked Tim. "Absolutely sir," Alfred replied. Alfred raced down the stairs, Tim took his time. He was in just as much of a hurry to get his brother to the hospital as everyone else but one false step on the marble stairs and he could drop Damian, bursting his appendix. Damian was looking at minor surgery to remove the inflamed organ, if Tim dropped him and it burst, his abdomen would fill with toxins, causing infections in his internal organs that would almost certainly kill him. Considering that Tim didn't want to explain that one to his dad, he watched his step. Alfred had the car waiting when Tim and the boys reached the front door, they carefully climbed in and Tim continued to hold Damian, in order to keep him from jostling about and aggravating his condition. Tim looked at Robbie and Colin, they were both as white as ghosts and Colin looked like he was going to cry, that's when Tim tried to lighten their moods. "He's not so bad when he's not talking," Tim joked. Robbie and Colin just sat there, glumly. "Is he going to be ok?" Colin sniffled. "Sure, he'll be up and threatening to kill me in no time," Tim smiled. Tim was trying to be upbeat about the situation, in the hopes of relieving some of the tension, but it wasn't working. The boys looked at Damian as though they were on their way to his funeral. "Guys really, he's going to be fine, it's just his appendix, he's going to have a little surgery and he'll be good as new," said Tim. "I-I let him eat a lot of junk food last night, it's not my fault he's sick is it?" asked Robbie, he looked like he was about to burst into tears. "Of course not, it's like an infection or something, it had nothing to do with anything he ate, ok?" said Tim. "Ok," said Robbie. Intellectually, Robbie knew what Tim was saying was true but as he looked at his poor, helpless friend, he couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. Robbie knew his feelings weren't rational but that's what happens when you love someone, it's hard to be rational when they're hurting. Alfred pulled right up to the ambulance bay at Gotham Children's Medical Center and with Colin and Robbie's help, Tim carefully took Damian into the emergency room. He placed the boy on a gurney and after a quick examination; the doctors confirmed Tim's assessment of acute appendicitis. Damian was immediately taken into the operating room for an emergency appendectomy. The doctors performed the laparoscopy, found the inflamed organ and had it removed within the hour. It was a tough hour for Damian's family and friends, Alfred called Bruce, in Taiwan, who canceled his meetings and made arrangements to fly back immediately, only to find that all air traffic was grounded, thanks to a Typhoon brewing in the South China Sea. Tim felt bad for all the little fights he'd had with Damian, sure the kid was a brat but still, Tim took no pleasure in seeing him hurt. Colin understood that Damian's condition had been caught in time and that his surgery would be minor but that didn't mean it wasn't still dangerous and Robbie, he paced the waiting room, blaming himself for what had happened, then feeling foolish because he knew it wasn't his fault. When the doctor came out of the waiting room, still in his surgical scrubs, and announced that the surgery had been a complete success, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. The doctor informed them that Damian would be in the recovery room for a couple of hours, then transferred to a regular room, where he would have to stay for a couple of days. Feeling much better about everything, Alfred and the boys went across the street for breakfast, at the diner, while they waited to see Damian. When breakfast was finished, Alfred and the boys returned to Wayne Manor so that they could gather a few things and make Damian feel more at home, during his stay at the hospital. Alfred packed a small overnight bag, Colin hid Rory in his hoodie, Robbie threw all of his snack cakes in the garbage and Tim checked in with Bruce. At noon, they returned to the hospital and when they checked in at the nurse's station, they learned that Damian was awake and had been transferred to a room. "You can go in if you want, I wouldn't, but you can," the nurse said cryptically. Everyone pondered that remark, wondering what it was supposed to mean, when they heard Damian's snarling voice, coming from a room down the hall. "...I don't know who you think you're dealing with but I demand to be moved to a private room," Damian's growl was followed by the giggling of at least two small boys. "I'm sorry but the hospital is full, I don't have anywhere I can move you to," said a clearly distraught admitting nurse. "Save your excuses for someone who cares, simply move someone else, at once," Damian ordered. "I can't do that, you're just going to have to deal with it," said the nurse, finding her backbone, after all, he was a 14 year old boy who had just come out of surgery, what was he going to do? "When my father hears about this..." Damian began. "You're grouchy," interrupted one of the little boys, eliciting more giggles from his compatriots. "That's enough out of you, peasant," Damian warned, the little boys just continued to laugh at him. "Look, you just came out of surgery, why don't you relax and have some water?" said the nurse, trying to calm the boy. "I'm not thirsty," said Damian, as he picked up the plastic cup and dumped the contents on the floor. That's when the door opened and Damian's friends and family found him sitting in bed, wearing a hospital gown with teddy bears on it and crossing his arms over his chest, a deep scowl on his face. "Jesus Damian, would you relax, we could hear you bitching down the hall," said Tim. "Oh good, the peanut gallery arrives," Damian grumped. "You're his family?" asked the Nurse. "So he tells us," Tim quipped. "He's all yours," said the nurse, as she threw her hands up in defeat and left the room. "How are you feeling bro?" asked Tim. "Haven't I suffered enough indignities for one day, do you have to call me bro?" said Damian. "Ok, how are you feeling, Damian?" "I'm ok, the doctors said I have to stay here for a couple of days, in this semi-private room," Damian complained. "What's with you two?" asked Damian, noticing the looks on Colin and Robbie's faces. "You scared us," said Colin. "We're just glad you're ok," said Robbie. "I'm fine," Damian blushed; he was embarrassed that his friends had seen him in such a weak moment. "Cute outfit," said Tim, gesturing at Damian's teddy bear covered gown. "Can you believe this ridiculous thing?" Damian snorted. Tim and the boys just giggled but Alfred placed the bag he'd packed on the nightstand. "Perhaps this will cheer you up Master Damian, I've brought your jammy's," said Alfred, sending another round of giggles ringing throughout the room. Damian grabbed the clothes from the butler and then tried to sit up, only to realize just how dizzy he was. "Whoa, that's not such a good idea," said Damian. "It's alright," said a doctor, as he entered Damian's room, "you're going to feel weak but you should be able to make it to the bathroom to change, provided someone helps you." Damian carefully got out of bed and both Colin and Robbie helped him over to the bathroom. There were three boys, between 8 and 10, sharing Damian's room, as soon as he was out of bed, they started laughing again. "What's so damn funny now?" Damian demanded. "It's nothing bro...Damian, just go change," Tim snickered. Damian made it to the bathroom, with the help of his friends, and that's when he realized what everyone had been laughing at. He was naked, save for the hospital gown, and whoever had put it on him had neglected to tie it in the back. As a result, the entire room had been treated to a glimpse of us pert little rump, the moment he climbed out of bed. "God damn it," Damian swore from the bathroom, his new roommates heard him and doubled over in more laughter. While his friends helped him change, Damian's doctor explained to Tim and Alfred that his surgery had gone fine but that he would have to remain in the hospital for a couple of days, for observation. When Damian was tucked back in bed, in his own pajamas, the doctor informed his guests that they were welcome to come back the next morning and anytime thereafter, but that for now, Damian needed to rest. "Alright," said Tim, as he rose to leave, "be nice to your roommates and to the staff, try not to complain too much." "Yeah, yeah," Damian pouted. "It's no problem, if he gets out of hand, well, it's a children's hospital but I'm sure we can find a straight jacket," said the Doctor, earning himself a glare from his patient. "Is there anything I can bring you from home, Master Damian," asked Alfred. "No, thanks Alfred," said Damian, it was the first pleasant thing he'd said all afternoon. "Take care of yourself, ok?" said Robbie, patting Damian's hand. "I'll be alright," Damian smiled at his friend. "I-I want you to have this," said Colin, pulling Rory from his hoodie. "Colin, I can't, you need him," said Damian. "I'll be ok," said Colin. "But what if you start to, well, you know," said Damian. "It's ok, we're just going back to your house, no one is going to hurt me there, I'll be fine," Colin assured him. After that, the family turned to leave the room, when Damian asked Tim to stay for a moment. "What's up?" asked Tim. "Have you spoken to father?" asked Damian. "I called him as soon as they wheeled you into surgery," said Tim, "he was going to cancel his appointments and fly home but he called back later and said that a storm was grounding all the flights." "Oh, did he say anything else?" Damian asked, timidly. "He said to tell you he loves you and that he'll be home soon," said Tim. "Ok," Damian acknowledged, "hey Drake?" "Yeah Damian?" "Thanks for what you did, the doctor said that my appendix was ready to burst and if you hadn't gotten me here so fast, I might have died," said Damian, his face downcast, his hand coming to rest on top of Tim's. Tim surprised himself and his brother, when he bent down and kissed the top of Damian's head. "It's alright kiddo, I'm glad you're going to be ok," said Tim. "Gross," Damian moaned. "And on that note, I'll see you in the morning," Tim smiled. Tim turned to leave and was almost out the door, when one of the little boys took another poke at Damian. "I like your teddy bear," giggled the little blond. "Oh shut up," Damian groaned. "Be sure and get some rest, little brother," Tim smirked, before joining the others in the hall. That's exactly what Damian did. He was exhausted from his ordeal and still under the influence of the heavy medication he was given, with his family gone, he closed his eyes and slept the rest of the day. He slept peacefully, with the help of the drugs, but when they wore off, he started to toss and turn, that's when the dream came. Damian was standing in the alley behind the monarch theater; he was dressed in his black yoroi, sword in hand. He felt powerful; he knew this weapon, was a master with it and knew that no one could touch him when he held it. He flexed his fingers around the hilt and then charged into the building. He was consumed by darkness; there were no windows, no light from the streets, just pitch blackness. He pulled out his night vision goggles from the folds of his clothes, the proceeded deeper into Zsasz's lair. Zsasz henchmen had no idea what hit them, he slashed them to ribbons with his sword, he hardly even broke a sweet form the effort. Damian freed the children from the basement and once they were safe, he continued his search for Zsasz and as he searched the darkness, he heard it, a high pitched scream that pierced his heart. Damian tore up the stairs, he kicked in doors, looked high and low, but he found nothing and the screaming grew worse. It wasn't the screaming that worried him, he'd heard screaming before, heard men beg for their lives, no, what bothered him was the source of the screaming. He'd come here to find Robbie, he hoped his friend would be with the children, he searched frantically because he knew that with every second wasted his friend could be subjected to unknown horrors. Finally, Damian saw light coming from a room at the end of a long hall. He ran down the hall and took the door down with a flying scissor kick, finding himself in a room flooded with florescent light. Robbie sat there, tied to a metal chair, his body covered in blood, his dead eyes staring blankly at the wall, Damian was too late. Zsasz stood in the corner, carving another tally mark on his grotesquely covered body. "So glad you could join us, your little friend didn't want to play anymore," said Zsasz. "Y-you bastard," Damian stuttered, then drew his sword. Damian charged at Zsasz, he slashed at him with his sword but his attacks didn't make a dent. Damian grew angry as Zsasz laughed maniacally, he hacked away at the villain until he could barely lift his arms, that's when the laughing stopped and Zsasz looked down at him. "Time for you to join your friend," said Zsasz. Zsasz punched at Damian, his fist bursting through the boys chest and with a powerful tug, he ripped out Damian's still beating heart. Damian watched his heart pulsate in Zsasz's hand. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO," Damian shouted. When he opened his eyes, Zsasz was gone and he was back in his room at the hospital. Damian wiped his face and panted for breath. "Did you have a bad dream?" asked a small voice. "Yes, just a dream, only a dream," Damian panted. "Are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm ok, thanks..." said Damian. "My name's Scotty," said the little boy in the bed across from Damian. "I'm Damian." "I know, I heard your friends call you that, you know, when you were yelling at everyone," said Scotty. "Oh, right," said Damian. "What was your dream about?" asked Scotty. "It was nothing, just stupid," said Damian. "Who is Robbie, you kept saying his name over and over." "Just a friend," said Damian. "Was he hurt?" asked Scotty. "Yes, someone was...look, I don't want to talk about it," said Damian. "Ok," said Scotty, "I have bad dreams sometimes." "Yeah, about what?" asked Damian. "About dying and not being able to see my mommy and daddy again," said Scotty. "Why would you think about that, you're just a little boy," said Damian. "I'm real sick," said Scotty. "Oh, right, we are in a hospital, what's the matter with you?" asked Damian. "My heart, it doesn't work so good, they're trying to get me a new one," said Scotty. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," said Damian. "S'ok," Scotty smiled. Damian couldn't help but notice Scotty was a cute little fella, with his brown hair and big green eyes. He was small for his age, Damian guessed him to be about 9 or 10, but that was easily explained by his heart condition. "Are these two as sick as you are?" asked Damian, gesturing to the two sleeping boys in the other beds. "No, they have cancer," said Scotty. Damian instantly felt bad for how rude he'd been to the children when he'd first been admitted to the room. Thanks to his upbringing, Damian didn't trust many people, the way he saw things, people were only nice to you because they wanted something from you or because they were stupid, except in the case of children. Damian hadn't had much of a childhood himself, but he regarded children, normal children, as innocent and it pained him to know that the three boys he was sharing his room with were so ill. Like him, they had to grow up before their time, in order to deal with their grown up problems. "Well, like I said, I'm sorry you're sick," said Damian. "It's ok, I might be getting my heart soon, that's how come I'm here," said Scotty. "That's great, I hope it works out for you," said Damian. "I don't know though, see a little girl died in Metropolis but her mommy and daddy haven't taken her off life support yet, they don't know what they're gonna do, I hope they decide soon, I don't want to be sick anymore," said Scotty. The little boy wasn't complaining, he was speaking very mater-of-factly. Damian wondered how long his new little friend had been sick but didn't want to ask, he sensed that it had been a long time. "So where's your mommy and daddy?" asked Scotty. "Oh, my fathers's in Taiwan but he's coming home soon," said Damian. "What about your mommy?" Scotty persisted. "She's, well, I don't know where she is right now," said Damian, as he began to miss Talia. "Why don't you know where sh..." Scotty started. "Where are your mom and dad?" Damian interrupted. "They went across the street to sleep at the hotel, they were here earlier but you were snoring," Scotty giggled. "I don't snore," Damian scoffed. "Do to!" Scotty exclaimed with more giggles. Damian talked to Scotty for several hours, he found the boy to be quite engaging and really enjoyed his company. Back at Wayne Manor, Robbie was busy giving Colin the cold shoulder. He started seeing his red headed friend as a rival for Damian's affection, particularly after Colin had given him his teddy bear. Colin was a little slow on the uptake but he eventually figured out what the problem was, unfortunately, Robbie went to bed before they could talk about it, and things were busy the next morning. After breakfast, Alfred and the boys returned to the hospital. Alfred and Tim paid Damian a short visit, both of them had work to do in Bruce's absence, and when they had to go, they left Colin and Robbie behind to keep Damian entertained. Damian had his room to his-self that morning, Scotty, Chucky and Nicky were all seeing their doctors for tests or treatments. There was a nurse's assistant assigned to the room and he was just checking Damian's surgery incisions, when Colin and Robbie came back from the waiting room vending machine. "Gross," said Robbie. "That looks painful, does it hurt?" asked Colin, putting his hand on Damian's shoulder. "No, not at all," Damian smiled at Colin's touch. Robbie just rolled his eyes. "So when are you getting out of this place?" asked Robbie. "My doctor came by this morning, he said if everything looks ok, he'll release me tomorrow evening," said Damian. "Good, it'll be nice having you back, your house is kind of weird without you," said Robbie. "Drake and Alfred are making you guys comfortable, right?" asked Damian. "Of course, we just miss you," said Colin, as he put his hand to Damian's cheek and stroked it with his thumb. Robbie didn't know which turned his stomach more, the way Colin touched Damian or the way it seemed to make Damian purr. "Anyway, how are your roomies?" asked Robbie. "They aren't so bad, Scotty's cool," said Damian. "You're buddies with a little boy named Scotty? Why Damian, that's almost cute," Robbie teased. "Shut up Gadget Boy, he needs a heart transplant and he's a really brave kid," Damian admonished. Damian was only giving Robbie a hard time, he wasn't seriously rebuking him, but that's how Robbie took it. He spent the next hour pouting while Damian talked to Colin about Chucky, Nicky and Scotty. When the little boys came back from their treatments, Colin entertained them with stories and jokes, he really came out of his shell. Colin was normally shy and reserved but he'd spent a lot of time with other children at the orphanage and being around them put him at ease. The day passed, the sun set and Robbie spent most of his time stewing in the corner. Occasionally Colin would come over to Damian's bed to talk to them, he'd stroke Damian like a puppy, Damian would smile and purr, and Robbie's stomach would turn itself into knots. Colin was just reading the boys a story and now that they were semi-alone, Damian wanted to find out what was the matter with his best friend. "What's the matter with you?" Damian asked Robbie, while the others were distracted. "I don't know what you're talking about," said Robbie. "You've been pouting since you got here," said Damian, "that's not like you, what's up?" "Why don't you ask your boyfriend," said Robbie. "I beg your pardon?" said Damian, taken aback. "Oh forget it," said Robbie, as he rose from his seat and stormed out of the room. Colin was just finishing his story, he traded a look with Damian and when Damian tried to get out of bed, Colin came to his side. "Going somewhere?" asked Colin. "I've gotta go see what his problem is," said Damian. "No, you stay put," said Colin, as he gently but firmly pushed Damian back in bed, "I think I know, I'll go talk to him." Colin searched the floor for almost half an hour before he found Robbie in an alcove that overlooked a small, deserted atrium. Robbie was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest, Colin would have missed him if he hadn't heard the muffled crying. Colin eased on to the floor and put his hand on Robbie's shoulder. "Robbie, what's the matter?" asked Colin. "Just go away," Robbie sniffled. "Come on, I wanna help, don't push me away," said Colin. They sat there for a moment, Robbie didn't say anything and Colin kept rubbing his shoulder. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be ok if you just talk to me about it," said Colin. "I can't talk to you about it, you are the problem," Robbie exclaimed. "Me, what did I do?" asked a puzzled Colin. "The way you're constantly hanging on him, the way you make him smile and giggle all the time," Robbie huffed. "Who, Damian?" asked Colin. "Yes Damian, every time I turn around you're hanging on him and he's just eating it up," said Robbie. "He's my friend, why wouldn't I be affectionate with him?" asked Colin. "Because he's Damian and if anyone else tried to touch him like that, he'd rip their thumbs off or something and it hurts because I love him," Robbie confessed. "Robbie, I know you do," said Colin. "Wait, what?" asked Robbie. "It's obvious, the way you stare at him, the way you blush when he teases you," said Colin. "Then why are you constantly flirting with him?" asked Robbie. "It's just how I am, if you haven't noticed, I do the same things with you," said Colin. Robbie thought about that for a moment, he hadn't really noticed it because he was too busy focusing on Damian. "And you should know, if you touched Damian, he wouldn't rip your thumbs off," said Colin, "I think he likes you too." "How can you tell, I can't get a read on him, every time I think it might be possible, he says something that throws me completely off," said Robbie. "Ok, well, the other night he was murmuring your name in his sleep," said Colin. "Really?" asked Robbie. "Yeah, and there's something else, but, well, don't get mad, ok?" "Uh, ok, I can't promise that but I'll try," said Robbie. "I, uh, kissed him," said Colin. "You what!" Robbie exclaimed. "Relax, it was just a heat of the moment thing, he was being sweet and I kind of took it the wrong way," said Colin. "Colin, how could you..." Robbie began. "He stopped me, he didn't go into a lot of detail but he said that he wasn't sure about something and that there was someone else, it was all very cryptic," Colin explained. "Uh, yeah that sounds like DW," said Robbie, "but I don't understand, why doesn't he say anything?" "Have you considered that he might be scared?" asked Colin. "Ha, DW scared? No way," said Robbie. "Robbie, think about his background, I'm sure you know more than I do, but I get the impression that there weren't many kids his age around, and that his childhood was kinda harsh. I don't think he knows how to express his emotions because he was trained not to have them and I don't think he knows much, if anything, about sex," said Colin. "Really?" "I'm sure he's covered it academically but you and I know there is more to it than that," said Colin. "Yeah," Robbie agreed, "you really think he likes me?" "I think it wouldn't hurt you to talk to him about it," said Colin. "Ok, thanks, and Colin?" "Yeah?" "I'm sorry about getting pissed at you, you're a good friend," said Robbie. "It's alright," said Colin, as the two friends hugged. While they were hugging, someone came into the atrium below them, they must have met here often because they didn't make any attempt to lower their voices, they seemed to know this place was always empty. Robbie and Colin were about to get up and go back to Damian's room, when they heard something that grabbed their attention. "So it's coming in tomorrow?" "Yeah, the harvesting team is taking it out in the morning, it should be here by tomorrow evening," said a voice that Robbie and Colin recognized as Frank, the nurse's assistant from Damian's room. "Short notice," said the other man. "I know Jack, I guess the parents in Metropolis had trouble making the decision, I don't see any way for us to get our hands on this one," said Frank. "A child's heart is worth double on the black market, we gotta have it," said Jack. "I won't have access to it, we're taking it straight from the airport to the hospital by ambulance, then straight into the operating room," said Frank. "I think I have an idea, a quick smash and grab job," said Jack. "What's that mean?" asked Frank. "Are you going to be in the ambulance with the organ?" asked Jack. "Yeah, I'm certified to handle organs, I've been selected as part of the team," said Frank. "Alright, I'll need some time to think about it, I'll give you a call when I have it all worked out," said Jack. Robbie and Colin waited until the men were gone before they spoke again. "Robbie, did I hear that right, are they planning to steal a human heart?" asked Colin. "Yeah, that's exactly what they're planning," said Robbie, "come on, let's go back to Damian's room." When they returned to the room, they found Damian sitting alone in bed. "Oh good, you're back," said Damian, sarcastically. "Where are the kids?" asked Colin. "Chucky and Nicky are watching a movie with the rest of the ward, Scotty's parents took him out a few minutes ago, I'm not sure what that was about," said Damian, "More importantly, are you two ready to tell me what is going on with you?" "Not now," said Robbie, "something important came up." Robbie and Colin spent the next few minutes explaining the conversation they'd heard between Frank and Jack. Damian's blue eyes seemed to burn with fury as he learned what was going on. "But that's Scotty's heart, it has to be," said Damian. "Are you sure?" asked Robbie. "He told me that the whole reason he's here is because he's on standby, there is a donor available but the parents hadn't made a decision yet," said Damian. "That fits with what we heard," said Colin. "No fucking way, this is not happening on our watch," said Damian, as he tried to get out of bed. "Uh, just where is it you think you're going?" asked Colin, as he pushed Damian back into his pillows. "I'm going to beat the shit out of Frank, until he tells me where I can find this Jack, and then I am going to beat the shit out of him, until he tells me his plan for taking that heart," said Damian. "Easy tiger," said Colin, "you're in no condition to beat the shit out of anyone right now." "Watch me," said Damian. "Oh yeah," said Colin, as he playfully slapped at Damian's face, "whatcha gonna do about it tough guy?" Damian, whose reflexes were normally lightning fast, found them terribly dulled by the medication he was on, he couldn't even dodge Colin's slaps. He also knew that one good blow to his stomach would rip open his stitches and do God knows what to his insides. "Ok, I see your point, I've decided you two will handle this on your own, I'll, uh, supervise from here," said Damian. "I thought you'd see it my way," Colin smiled. "Yeah, yeah," Damian grumbled, "ok Backslash, tell me you've got a plan." "I thought you'd never ask," Robbie grinned. "While Frank and Jack were talking, I cloned their phones," said Robbie. "How did you do that?" asked Colin, "I didn't even see you." "Trade secrets my son," Robbie grinned, "we'll be able to monitor their calls and texts, when Jack calls with his plan, we'll know everything, then Abuse and I will pay them a little visit." "I like it," Colin smiled, "but uh, I'm going to need something." "Take him," said Damian, pulling Rory the teddy bear form his nightstand and thrusting him into Colin's hands. Colin hugged his teddy tightly. "Hey old friend," Colin gushed. Robbie and Damian traded a look, then smiled at their friend. Colin really was a sweet boy and Robbie was glad he was seeing clearly again. Being angry with Colin had just felt wrong. The boys were interrupted when Scotty was wheeled into the room by his parents. "Hey Damian, guess what!" Scotty exclaimed. "I don't know, what?" said Damian. "I'm getting my new heart, its coming tomorrow, isn't that great?" said Scotty, excitedly. "That's amazing, we're so happy for you, aren't we guys?" said Damian. "You bet, that's awesome," said Robbie. "Yeah, you'll be out of here in no time, and you'll get so big and strong," smiled Colin. "Come on sport, you need your rest for tomorrow," said Scotty's dad, as he hoisted the little boy into his bed. Both of Scotty's parents smiled at the older boys, they appreciated the teen's kindness to their son. "Guy's," Damian whispered, drawing his friends close, "no matter what happens, Scotty gets that heart, got it?" The three friends traded looks, then nodded. Each of them understood, there was no room for error, they could not fail, Scotty's life hung in the balance and they would not let him down. Robbie spent the night, and the next day, monitoring Frank and Jack's cell phones. When the call he was waiting for came in, he took careful notes and reported back to his friends. The timing was tricky, Damian's doctor had cleared him to be released at 5:00pm, the same time that Scotty's new heart was scheduled to arrive. Frank would be in the ambulance and would send a text to Jack when they cleared the intersection at 4th Street and Gotham Avenue. At that time, Jack, who would be waiting across from the hospital, would ram his car into the ambulance, and take the heart at gunpoint. He hadn't been kidding when he called it a smash and grab job. The tricky part was that with Damian being released, Alfred would want to leave the hospital and would wonder where Colin and Robbie had gone to. They had decided to keep the butler in the dark, least he try to talk them out of their plan or involve Tim. With Bruce and Dick out of the country, Tim, as Robin, was the only one left to look out for the city, and Damian and his friends were confident they could handle this on their own. It was decided that the top priority wasn't to capture the perpetrators but instead, to insure that Scotty received his heart. At 5:00pm, things were set in motion. Alfred arrived and signed Damian's release forms, as a representative of his father, Bruce Wayne. Robbie and Colin told Alfred that they were going to Damian's room, while he filled out the paperwork, instead, they took to the elevator and hit the streets. While Damian was getting dressed, orderlies came into the room to take Scotty to pre-op. "Bye Damian, it was nice meeting you," said Scotty. "Good luck with your surgery, Scotty," Damian smiled. "Promise you'll come visit me?" asked Scotty. "Uh, yeah sure I will," said Damian, he wasn't used to being asked questions like that. Other then Robbie and Colin, most people were usually happier when he was going then when he was coming, maybe there was something to be said for being nice? When Damian was dressed, Alfred came into the room with an orderly, pushing a wheel chair. "Bye grouch," Nicky and Chucky giggled. "Later peasants," said Damian, he'd grown to enjoy the two little boys and they seemed to think his haughty attitude was funny. "Where are Master Robbie and Master Colin?" asked Alfred. "They, uh, they went to the bathroom," said Damian. "Together?" asked Alfred. "Yeah, they had to piss, or maybe they're on their period or something," Damian complained, "what's this?" "It's a wheelchair sir," said Alfred. "Yes, I can see that, I mean what is it doing here?" "Its hospital policy, all patients ride down in a wheelchair," said the orderly. Damian was well aware of this, but an argument would give him a perfect opportunity to stall for time. "I am not ridding in that thing," said Damian. "Its policy kid, you need to get in the chair," said the orderly. "It may be your policy but it's not mine. I'm perfectly capable of walking out of here on my own," said Damian. "Listen kid, you get in this chair or I'll put you in it," said the orderly. "Listen plebian, I assure you, if you walk over here, you'll be limping back," Damian threatened. "Master Damian..." Alfred began. While Damian was buying them time, Robbie and Colin hid out in an alley off of 4th Street. Robbie was monitoring Jack's cell phone, waiting for Frank's text message, while Colin kept his eyes on Jack's car. Colin had already transformed into Abuse, he had Rory safely tucked into the folds of his trench coat. "Ok, that's it," said Robbie, as he read the message he'd been waiting for. "I'm on it," said Colin. Jack started his car and pulled out onto the street, he put his foot down on the accelerator and gained speed until he ran straight into what he thought was a brick wall. Colin had taken up a position in the street, like a blocker on a football team, when Jack's car hit him, the front end was destroyed. Colin simply stood up and brushed the dust and broken auto parts from his coat. Jack hit the airbag hard, he had blood rushing from his nose and he was totally disoriented, when he opened the door and climbed out of his car. "Who the fuck are y..." Jack began. He never got a chance to finish his question; Robbie stepped up behind him and shoved his stun gun right up his ass. Robbie sent 4 million volts running through Jack's rectum, and throughout his body, dropping him to the ground in a twitching heap. While Jack lie there, Robbie watched the ambulance carrying Scotty's heart, turn into the hospital's emergency bay, unmolested. He saw Frank climb out and look around for his partner, wondering what had happened, as the doctors rushed the organ inside. "Well, that's that, you won't be stealing any children's hearts today," Robbie told Jack. "H-how d-did y-you-k-now?" said Jack. "Magic, mother fucker," said Robbie, as he kicked Jack in the balls, then shot him up with another 4 million volts. "Magic huh?" said Colin. "I didn't have time to explain my methods, now help me search the car, maybe we can find some evidence and do some real good," said Robbie. Before they had left the hospital the day before, Robbie had infiltrated the human resources department and used his iPhone to scan Frank's file. They didn't find anything useful in the car but Robbie got a good picture of Jack's license. In the end, they stopped the theft and came away with full names, addresses and a set of photographs of each would-be thief. When Colin had transformed back into his normal form, he and Robbie returned to the hospital. They reached Damian's room and found him with his hands on his hips, shouting at his orderly, two nurses and a doctor who had come to coax him into the chair. "I said I am not sitting in that chair and that is the final word on the matter," said Damian, as Colin and Robbie walked in. "Young man, for the last time, you need to sit in the chair, its hospital policy," said the doctor, who was losing his patience. Damian looked at Robbie, who gave him a wink and a thumbs-up. "Alright, let's go," said Damian, as he sat in the wheelchair. The doctors and nurses traded looks, they didn't know what had happened to change Damian's mind after arguing with them for 20 minutes, but they didn't care, they were just happy to be rid of the brat. Damian was happy to be home; he hugged his dog, and then rested comfortably in his own bed. His friends told him all about what had happened on the streets, outside the hospital, and Damian laughed hysterically at Robbie's `magic, mother fucker,' line. Damian took the file that Robbie had collected, with the scans of Frank's human resources records and Jack's driver's license, and slipped it into his backpack. "What are we going to do with that?" asked Robbie. "I'm not sure yet, I'll think of something," said Damian. "We can't let them get away with this, sure we stopped them tonight, but they'll just do it again," said Colin. "Don't worry, they won't get away with it," said Damian, he already had a pretty good idea of what he would do. That night, the boys shared Damian's bed, careful not to bump his healing surgical incision. When he heard light snoring form Colin's side of the bed, Damian reached over and shook Robbie's shoulder. "Robbie, are you awake," Damian whispered. "I am now," Robbie yawned and rolled over to face Damian. "I understand now," said Damian. "Understand what?" asked Robbie. "About Thanksgiving, I understand about being thankful for the good things in my life, and I know what I'm most thankful for," said Damian. "Oh, good, what is it?" asked Robbie, curiously. "You," said Damian. "Come again?" said Robbie. Damian was not one to repeat himself; instead, he pressed his lips to Robbie's. It was the exact opposite of when he'd kissed Colin, this time Damian was the aggressor and Robbie's lips were tight, but when Robbie realized what was happening, he relaxed and invited the unexpected kiss. Robbie reached out and put his hand behind Damian's neck, he stroked it gently while Damian's tongue softly probed his mouth. For Damian, the kiss was exactly what he wanted it to be, it made him feel warm and there was no guilt, it confirmed everything he'd been feeling about his best friend. When the boys finally pulled apart, Damian let out a contented sigh and rested his head on the pillow. Robbie reached out and stroked his cheek. "Thank you," Robbie smiled. Damian smiled in the dark and pulled Robbie close to him. "What about your stitches?" asked Robbie. "It's ok, I know you won't hurt me," said Damian. That night, the boys slept contentedly in each other's arms. When Colin got up to pee, sometime after midnight, he looked at his two friends and smiled, then kissed each of them on the forehead. Two days later it was Thanksgiving Day, as the boys padded down to the kitchen for breakfast, they heard men talking in the dining room. When they stuck their heads in, they found Bruce sitting at the head of the table, chatting with Dick, Tim and Robbie's father, Alan. "Father," Damian exclaimed, as he rushed in and threw his arms around his father. "Good morning kiddo," said Bruce. "I didn't think you'd be home until Saturday," said Damian. "I didn't either, but there was a break in the storm and we were able to get out," said Bruce, "how are you feeling? I understand you had a rough couple of days." "I'm fine, I'm really glad to see you," said Damian, as he hugged Bruce tight. Bruce was somewhat taken aback, Damian had never been this affectionate before. He traded a look with Tim; Tim just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Hi pop," said Robbie, as he hugged his own father. Alan hugged his son tightly, his work kept him very busy and he didn't get to see Robbie as often as he liked. Moments like this were few and far between, most teenagers didn't want to be around their parents, so Alan savored the opportunity to hold his boy. Colin took in the sight from the kitchen door, then retreated, he felt like he was intruding on a family moment. "Why aren't you in there Master Colin?" said Alfred, from the stove. "Oh, I uh, well, it looked like a family moment, I didn't want to intrude," said Colin. "It's not a family moment unless the whole family is there, sir," said Alfred. "I don't understand," said Colin. "Master Damian seems quite fond of you, I'd say he's claimed you, like it or not, you're a Wayne now, so go in there and take your place, sir," said Alfred. "What about you?" asked Colin. "I'll be in, in a moment sir, without a mother on hand, someone's got to do the cooking," Alfred smiled. Colin rejoined Robbie and the Wayne's and they did indeed make him feel like part of the family. For all three boys, it was the best Thanksgiving they'd ever had, Damian learned the true meaning of the holiday, he had Robbie and he'd never been more happy to see Bruce. Robbie was grateful for the time with his dad and curious as to where his relationship with Damian was headed and Colin, like the others, had found his family. The boys spent the rest of the holiday at Wayne Manor. Damian recovered quite quickly and he even made good on his promise to visit Scotty, whose prognosis was excellent. Damian even gave the boy his cell phone number and promised that he would keep in touch as long as Scotty promised to keep getting better. Before they knew it, vacation was over and it was time to return to Gotham Prep. They got back to school on Sunday night and Damian waited until Robbie was asleep before he climbed out the window. He would have taken his partner with him but Robbie wouldn't have understood, Damian had to do this alone. When he reached the ground, he pulled his hood over his head, snuck off campus and headed out into the night. Finding The Red Hood turned out to be a lot like finding criminals, all Damian had to do was head to the worst part of town, find the worst element and wait patiently. Damian caught up with The Red Hood in the bowels of the narrows, he stuck with him throughout the night, watching him as he patrolled the city, and finally traced him to an abandoned apartment building, close to Arkham Asylum. The Red Hood climbed up the fire escape and ducked into a window on the 5th floor. Damian counted to ten then gave chase, when he stuck his head through the window; he found an empty room, a bare mattress on the floor and light coming from under the bathroom door. Damian let himself in and waited in the corner, he was silent as death itself. When The Red Hood came out of the bathroom, he walked into the middle of the lonely room, and cocked his head to the right, he felt something, sensed that he wasn't alone. "How did you find me here?" he asked the dark. "You should know that I'm an excellent tracker," said Damian, stepping out of the shadows and into the moonlight. "What do you want baby brother?" "Nice to see you too, Todd." "Does your dad know you're here, do Dick or Tim?" asked Jason. "Would I be here if they did?" Damian retorted. "Fair point, which brings me back to my original question, what do you want?" asked Jason. "Did you know I was in the hospital?" "I heard about that, sorry I didn't send flowers, next time, I promise," said Jason. "Save your promises, I know what they're worth, I know what you did to Zsasz's men," said Damian. "Who told you, Dick?" "I figured it out for myself," said Damian. "You're not here to avenge them, are you?" asked Jason, now slightly puzzled. "Hardly, I didn't shed any tears over them," said Damian. "Alright, damn it, enough of your coy attitude, no one comes to one of my safe houses, so tell me what you want and be on your way," Jason snarled, he wasn't in the mood for games. Damian wasn't afraid, not even a little; he knew Jason wouldn't dare harm him. He also knew that Jason took great care to keep his whereabouts hidden from the rest of the Bat Family. Damian showed up uninvited, and unannounced, to prove a point, that he could do this any time he wanted. He felt it put him on equal footing with his wayward brother. "I need a favor," Damian announced casually. "Sorry baby brother, I don't do favors." "While I was in the hospital, my friends uncovered a ring of human organ traffickers," said Damian. "Life's a bitch, tell it to Daddy, Dicky-Bird and Tiny Tim," said Jason. "Robbie and Colin were able to stop them from stealing a heart, a heart that's now pumping blood for an innocent 9 year old boy," Damian continued. "Ok, you've peaked my interest," said Jason. "I've got their names, addresses, even photographs," said Damian, pulling a file form his hoodie and dropping it on the mattress, "If you get these two, they should have enough information to bring down the entire ring." "Why are you bringing this to me? You could handle it yourself or tell the old bat," said Jason. "They almost killed a child..." Damian started. "And you want me to kill them?" Jason scoffed, "screw you Damian, do your own dirty work." "I can't." "Why, because Bruce told you that you have to be a good boy?" Jason spat. "I gave my word," said Damian. "Talk is cheap," said Jason. "I gave my word, it means something to me, look they almost killed a little boy. Who knows how many others could be hurt by them, are you just going to let them get away with it?" asked Damian. Jason didn't answer; he let out a sigh, then picked up the file on his mattress. "I didn't think so," said Damian, as he moved towards the fire escape. "Don't get cocky about it," said Jason, "and don't look for me here again, I'll never spend another night here." "Fair enough," said Damian. "Oh, and Damian?" "Yes?" "You may have dumped this in my lap but that doesn't mean your hands are clean, this is just as good as pulling the trigger yourself," said Jason, "you think about that." Damian smiled and disappeared as quickly and quietly as he'd arrived. He knew Jason was right, he had blood on his hands but to his way of thinking, he'd kept his word to his father. Bruce just didn't understand; all this discipline and regard for human life, it didn't apply to people who hurt children. Damian believed that there was a special place in hell for people like Frank and Jack; all he'd done was send the devil to make sure they got the invitation.