Chapter Text
A quiet Gotham City is NEVER a good thing. No gunshots, no drug dealing, no fights, no robbery, nothing. But somewhere, somewhere along the border of Gotham City and the vast sea, was a rather small villain, in height not in reputation. Running all over and under buildings. That villain was nothing more than one of the biggest victims of a much larger scheme. His name was Damian Al Ghul. Or he would be if he was allowed his own identity, but alas he was nothing but a puppet for the higher-ups to use until he used up his usefulness. The young but notorious villain is currently running away from something, or someone’s.
Damian cursed. How could I be such an imbecile and almost got caught and arrested like that? If I’m was going to be any more late for the next meeting with Master, Milady, and the other villains, I’m sure to be publicly punished as a form of entertainment for the Villain Alliance, again. That couldn’t happen! But what can I do? Damian is starting to give up. It would be so easy to stop. Let the heroes catch me, arrest me and then eventually get the death penalty. I could finally be fre- oh! It's father.
Damian's father or sperm donor since Bruce doesn't know of Damian's existence, simultaneously the iconic city’s number 1 superhero, head of the Hero Association, Batman. As well as bimbo, philanthropist ex-playboy now Gotham’s #1 dad ‘Brucie Wayne’.
In a world where anyone could have and activate a metagene, many people have powers and abilities to walk or fly around. The biggest organisations with abilities are the Villain Alliance and the Hero Association. The Villain Alliance are the people who own Damian, he does their bidding for them so they can eventually achieve their goal of taking over the world. The Hero Association was an organisation made to stop them and anyone else who causes trouble.
Damian had to speed up and lose them but just looking at his father’s direction play’s mind games with him. Let alone his father and brothers. Not that they know that he’s related to them. Just from the thought of them, Damian started feeling irritated. And because of that, his body started going on autopilot, and his mind started solely focusing on his thoughts. Because of that, he didn’t notice that he jumped off the building he was previously running on. Because of that, he didn’t notice he accidentally sprained his ankle quite severely and because of that, he didn’t notice and kept on sprinting.
Damian snapped out of it when he heard quickened footsteps getting closer, only to find he was currently weaving through alleyways and abandoned buildings and going towards the slums, the lower, dirtier streets of the city. (Not saying that the Upper District of Gotham City wasn’t any less dangerous and disgusting. In a very different way, arguably a worse way.) He rounded the corner. A dead end. He slowly turned around to see four imposing figures. He should’ve known they would catch up to him soon enough. He is fast but Gotham’s heroes know their streets well. He just didn’t anticipate that they would find him this soon.
Drake- no. No. Robin was the first to speak. “Villain, your scum days are over. Hand yourself over or else we will make you.”
Damian and Tim met over his civilian job. Damian’s only sense of freedom is his job as a café barista in a very popular cafe. [Which welcomed all people of every age, gender, look, ethnicity, and of course, power. It was a neutral cafe, the only neutral cafe in Gotham City, so heroes, villains, and vigilantes all stopped by when they were in the middle of a fight, or on patrol, or just in uniform, you get it.]
_
Robin thankfully wasn’t actually in his uniform when he went into the cafe for the first time, he went in as his civilian persona, Timothy Drake. Every time one of the heroes enters the cafe Damian is instructed to fish as much information as possible. Which is impossible to do with the world's #1 detective (Damian believes his father put aside his detective skills in preference of his fists, so he is #2.). Drake had taken a curiosity about Damian and his closed-off personality, so he started to come more frequently, and soon enough, his curiosity turned into platonic affection, with Damian’s short but stabbing answers.
[Damian, on the other hand, only had the job because he was instructed by the Master to keep a civilian profile that looked normal and ordinary if anyone looked. It also had the benefit that since Damian is so meaningless in the eyes of Master and Milady he was left alone. He wasn’t even sure if they knew where he worked specifically.]
Drake soon became a regular, just hanging around to talk to Damian about his day and his family. It is nice. Being able to chat just because. None of the yelling, reprimands and anger I normally hear from Drake as Robin.
After a few too many encounters with Drake, he started talking about his family. A family of five, with many friends. First, Drake talks about the oldest brother, Richard Grayson, but everyone calls him Dick. Then, he started talking about the middle child, Jason Todd. His Grandfather Alfred Pennyworth. Then finally, he talked about their father who adopted all of them and practically saved them from the Lower District, “-big billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.”
Damian blinked at Drake, his expression showing that he was surprised. W-what? Did I hear that correctly? Bruce… Wayne?
[One day, in the Villain Alliance in his early days, His mother pulled him aside after a meeting to tell Damian some shocking news. His father was a big-time billionaire called Bruce Wayne, and he also had a secret identity as Batman.]
Damian finally pieced everything together. Timothy Drake is the youngest older brother of Damian. Damian never tried to learn about his father since he wasn't allowed to have the free will to Google search for things unrelated to his mission. But through Drake, he learned so much about him and his other brothers. Damian also figured out his nightly activities based on his complaints. Talking about annoying clowns terrorizing the place the day after Robin was seen fighting Joker didn't help. Or the time he mentioned his work is like the animal scene in Mean Girls while in a sling where an animal stepped on Robin's arm. (Damian had never watched Mean Girls he just figured animal movie reference + animal attack the previous day + injury on the same spot from supposedly two different people = connection.)
Drake has become too comfortable with me
_
Damian stared at Robin as he blabbered his head off.
“-this kid okay?”
Damian snapped back to the present. He could beat himself and reminisce about a different life later. Later, after he gets out of this mess.
“Hey.” Now it was Nightwing talking. He hated that he sounded so concerned “Kid, are you out of it right now? Because you resembled a kid so much, we were going to let you go at the start, but after you committed some not-so-small crimes, we have to arrest you now. We practically watch you grow up so there will be some leewa-”
Damian tuned out the rest as he unwillingly got absorbed into another memory.
_
Damian looked up at the sound of the doorbell. He saw Drake, and another person.
“Hey Gremlin, I brought someone over here for you to meet.” When he saw Damian doing nothing, Drake continued. “This is my older brother, Richard Grayson, and-“
Grayson butt in.
“Please, just call me Dick. I’ve gotten so used to it, so it kinda feels weird for anyone to call me that.” With that, Grayson also (playfully) glared at Drake. Apparently, Drake called him that on purpose.
So this is Nightwing, Damian thought.
_
“-Please drop your weapons, and slowly walk over. We really don’t want to fight you.”
Damian got into a well-groomed fighting stance.
“Don’t you think the kid is a little off today?”
A man wearing a red mask and hood that obscures his hair speaks up.
_
Damian was busy restocking the new rose-flavoured cheesecakes when someone burst into the cafe, stomping obnoxiously while two others followed at 4 in the morning. Damian started regretting that he volunteered for the early morning shifts.
“HEY DAMI!!!”
“Hey, Gremlin!”
Damian said nothing as he stared into the stranger's eyes.
Great. Now Nightwing, Robin, AND Red Hood are all in his coffee shop in the morning. After Damian met Grayson, he immediately became attached. Like, REALLY attached. Grayson visited more frequently than Tim, and that was saying something. And now, it’s a usual routine for Grayson to come busting in, ordering something, and Damian giving something nothing like Grayson's original order. For example, Grayson would order a strawberry shortcake, and Damian would give apple juice. It all started with Dick when he ordered his sixth mini cake. It was bad for his health and Damian got concerned. So he gave Grayson a bowl of fruit instead. He then proceeded to tell him off. Grayson found it amusing and ordered whatever was on the menu just for Damian to give something else. Despite the obvious defiance of orders, Grayson would ‘coo’ (God, it disgusted me every single time… Maybe) at him, and drink or eat whatever Damian gave him. And still paid him, and gave him a tip of over 10 dollars every single time. Not that he had a use for it, since he always gave the money he earned to his mother. In summary, Grayson was annoying. (Maybe)
“Hellooo? Earth to Damian?” Tim questioned. “What.” Was his reply. “This guy over here is called Jason Todd. He’s an asshole-“ That elicited a “HEY!” “-but he could be sweet if he wanted to.”
Todd grumbled and walked over to Damian. Something to note, Todd is so much bigger than Damian. Curse his height (Damian knows his stunted growth is due to his unhealthy upbringing that he should be ‘grateful’ for, being allowed to live and all that, but oh well.) “Hey kid, don’t listen to them. The replacement over there is just dumb.” He announced as he tilted his head towards Drake for a few seconds.
_
“Princeling if you surrender now I can ask the law to grant you mercy. You can pay for your crimes and still liv-
Again, another memory
_
Damian was working at the cafe that day, it was quiet. No co-workers, no current customers, it was gonna be an easy day.
That is when his Fathe– no, we share biology but he doesn’t even know my name. By the end of today he probably still won't. So, that was when Bruce Wayne and his butler Alfred Pennyworth came into the cafe. AKA Batman and the man behind the scenes.
Damian’s heart is racing, this is the first time he gets to be near his father without fists in the way. He goes over to them, and does the expected greetings and recommendations
“– and this will be today’s special until the end of the month. Would you like to start with any drinks?”
“What do you normally give my children when they come over?.” I don’t know why it hurts that I’m not a part of the “my children”. Despite growing up with the knowledge that I would never be one of them.
“<TT> Customer confidentially says I can’t reveal that information Mr. Wayne. Something a businessman like you should know”. Damian said, raising his brow. Which, Shit I did not mean to snap at him.
Thankfully Mr. Wayne laughed and Pennyworth just smiled, seemingly at Mr. Wayne rather than Damian. “–ahah fair enough, a pistachio croissant and a medium Black please”.
Damian wrote that down and looked at Pennyworth. “Almond croissant and Rose tea”
Damian wrote that down and turned around to make their order. I can feel their eyes on me.
“Damian, tell me, what did you do to have my boys so obsessed with you? You are all they talk about.” Bruce chuckled while raising a brow
So that's where I got my brow from “Well, I told Drake off for a solid 10 minutes on treating coffee and energy drinks like drugs and the repercussions he is doing to his body. I made Grayson eat healthy foods when I decided he had way too much-processed sugar. And with Todd, I’m not too sure. Drake and Grayson brought him along one day and we ended up arguing about whether older books or newer books were better. I won btw. Both Drake and Grayson agreed with me but I don’t know if they did it just to rile Todd up.” Damian replied.
“Hmm… The young masters have been eating more healthily as of late. For that, I must thank you, Damian. Young Master Dick has been eating Fruit Loops for breakfast for years now. Now he has more variations” “That and Tim have been drinking less coffee and getting proper sleep” Bruce replied to Pennyworth. “Thank you for that Damian, you achieved something I haven’t managed to in all the years I’ve known them.”
OMG! I was just complimented by Mr. Wayne, “<TT> You should establish healthier habits or else they will work themselves to the bone.” Damian snapped, he knows from personal experience that none of them sleep all that much given their nightly jobs. The least they could do is eat properly.
“Your 'TT' is cute. Is your verbal tic Inherited from your parents?” Bruce inquired
Red alert! Red alert!
Damian turned to look at Bruce, dead in the eye and announced. “Your habit of snooping is rude, is your questioning of other’s verbal tic inherited by your parents?”
SHIT, SHIT, SHIT That was so stupid, it is well known Bruce’s parents died in an alleyway. How could I say that? Damian panicked since he knew Mistress had the same verbal tic. But that was no excuse, he may be a villain but he is no monster.
“I am SO sorry Mr. Wayne, I don’t know what got over me. Ple–” Then Bruce Wayne started chuckling.
“Hehe please do not worry, I should be called out for my rudeness. Please I apologise, I genuinely thought your tic was cute.” Bruce replied, thankfully amused and not offended.
“Quite so sir, please ignore my charge. He sometimes says what is on his mind without thinking of the precautions” Pennyworth huffed
Bruce looked bashful and Damian also felt bashful. He delivered the order to their table and then proceeded to clean the station.
“This is a new tea recipe, where did it come from?” Pennyworth asked. “It is one of mine, I used to make tea with my mother in her garden. The boss liked it so much that she replaced the original recipe with mine.” Damian replied. “Hmmm, I am definitely coming back for this tea”. Pennyworth replied.
_
“Princeling, give up. One day we will stop you.” Batman angrily commanded standing next to his sons.
A memory, hopefully the last one.
_
It was not peak hours so Damian isn’t expecting a lot of customers.
Contrary to previous belief the whole family showed up today.
Damian is starting to believe they purposely come at non-peak hours. They all came in with grins, hair ruffles and hugs (well one giant octopus hug from Grayson). It has been over a year since Damian first met Bruce. Now all five of the Wayne family come over as a group once a month. Only to be served by Damian and give tips that are sometimes twice the amount of the total payment for the food. Grayson comes practically daily, Drake comes during his lunch breaks, Todd has no pattern on when he comes and Bruce and Pennyworth come during weekends every fortnight.
It’s an average day, only Jon is working with Damian and he offers to take over so Damian can hang out with the Wayne’s. It’s a weird feeling being able to live out his dream of being a part of their family even though Damian knows it will have to end one day.
At first, when the Waynes tried to get Damian to sit with them he refused. It is unprofessional to sit with customers while working. Despite weeks of trying to convince him Damian would not budge. It was not till Todd picked him up by his collar like a kitten and made him sit in between himself and Grayson that Damian (Unwillingly) complied. This is humiliating.
“Yay! You captured him Little Wing!” Dick was way too happy as he squeezed Damian in a hug. Both just because Dick loves hugs and so Damian couldn’t leave.
“Bahahaha look at him, he is like an angry kitten being groomed by its mother” Tim gleefully said while pointing at Damian.
“<TT> You shall suffer from this humiliation Todd. How dare you capture me! If I get fired it’ll be your fault” Damian grumpily said, refusing to admit how happy he really is.
“If you get fired then I’ll get Bruce to adopt you. He already adores you and it’s about time his adoption addiction kicks up”. Jason smirked while ruffling Damian’s hair.
“You don’t even need to get fired I can adopt you right now if you’d like” Bruce nonchalantly said, like that isn’t Damian’s dream to finally be a part of this family in every way possible.
“Hmn, your goal of kidnapping me to the manor has been noted” No Damian was NOT blushing.
“Oh, I would lov-” “WHAT, does a man need to do to get some service!? Don’t you know who I am?” Some rando and judging by the outfit, villain came to disturb the piece.
“I’m sorry sir but we do not prioritize occupation, rank or gender. If you could wait a moment I can-” “Unlike YOU I don’t suspend my time acting like some puppy looking for scraps! I’m The Man! And get what I want, When I want.” Jon started but this guy just doesn’t know basic manners.
“Who is this guy?” Damian asked while glaring at the man who dared interrupt his best friend. “His name is ‘The Man’ he just got lucky a couple of times and now he thinks he is superior to everyone else” Tim explained looking bored, clearly this guy is barely worth a glance to him
He wouldn’t be worth a glance from Damian, but he rudely spoke to Jon, and no one speaks rudely to Jon but him. So getting up and evading Todd and Grayson’s arms he went up to them.
(Taps shoulder since The Man’s back is to Damian) “Rule #1 in this establishment, rude customers aren’t tolerated. Especially imbeciles like you who act like you are all that when you are nothing but a loser who has an egg for a head and the mind of a pea. I would refer to something living but that would be insulting whatever that may be.” {punches his face as he turns around}
“Rule #2 employees have the right to kick a customer if the reason is reasonable, and I’m being VERY reasonable” {Punches again, Grabs his collar and drags him to the exit. Then literally kick him out, aiming for the tailbone.}
“Rule #3 any customer who breaks the first rule will have a lifetime ban and will be enforced by every authority” {presses the security button that alerts local authority that someone was disturbing the piece at the neutral cafe.} Damian stood there wiping his hands in an all-done motion. Then promptly closed the door before ‘The Man’ could do anything.
Everyone cheered as he turned around, especially the Waynes, Damian even noted Tim filming the whole thing. Though others were also filming, he was gonna have a hard time with Master later but it was worth it for these small amounts of happiness. “Dames…” Jon shyly smiled with gratitude “You didn’t have to do that, I could have handled it.” Jon said while holding both of Damian’s hands. Dammit, even Jon’s hands are bigger than mine, and I'm older! “No one bullies you other than me Hayseed, besides you handled the monthly idiots last time”
“Aww, You're so sweet Dames, that’s why you're my favourite. Also, Don’t call me Hayseed” Jon said with a sunny smile. (Internal sigh) He shouldn’t be allowed to have a smile be that gorgeous.
Returning to his table Damian was met with endless praises. Not even the punishment he’ll receive later for showing off his skills as little as they may be could ruin the happiness he felt that day.
_
Just great.
Damian was in deep trouble. When the four Bats all stepped closer, like they were linked, he did the only thing he could think of doing, even if it greatly wounded his self-esteem. RUN! Run and NEVER look back.
Damian took off running, not pausing when he heard shouts of surprise and loud and frantic footsteps. He jumped from the rooftops, his leg hurting more every second. Damian just bit his bottom lip. He could endure it. It was just a small shock for his nerves. He ran and ran, with Batman and the others catching up quickly. As Damian was sure he was going to get caught, he saw it.
The building he was ready to jump onto seemed to only lead to rocks and water underneath, as Damian led the chase to the ocean. He could hear voices behind him. “What the hell is he doing!? Don’t tell me he’s going to jump!”
Damian had no time to lose. If he got caught, he would risk his villain relatives and acquaintances' identities getting discovered. He would rather die than be the reason for the downfall of the Villain Alliance. That and he couldn’t bear to see their reactions.
Damian wasted no time and jumped.
He heard shouts of horror coming from behind him, and the last thing he felt was a sharp pain and a liquid (water ? ) engulfing him.