Rather Be On Top

chapter three

Finally, Damian spoke. "I thought we were to meet at the gala?" Jon sat up straight when the other turned around to face him.

Now he understood the efforts Damian put in when he dressed up like this.

The boy was sparkling for crying out loud and even when he didn't hold a smile, it just added to Damian Wayne's unexpected charm.

"Well, I'm actually not the only one in your house. Artemis is here with Oliver Queen-by the way, does she know you're Robin? Well, used to be? Does she know Bruce is Batman?"

Damian shook his head. "No. Nobody in the Young Justice knows any of the identites of the bat family aside from you and West. . . and Barbara as well. Oliver and Bruce to Artemis and everyone else are just really good business partners and friends during the day. I'm sure she'll find out eventually though. To her, I'm also just another young teenager to watch over as some kind of responsibility of hers." Jon noticed the way Damian said it and while he looked annoyed by the fact, deep down, he knew Damian liked being just a brother.

Responsibility and honour were two concepts he valued with his very soul and did almost everything in his power by those two righteous ideas.

One of the many aspects Jon admired Damian for. Damian was Jon's complete opposite and both of them loved that fact.

"Alright. I am finished. Shall we greet the guests?"

Jon nodded and flew to the door in a rush. Damian grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him backwards. "And we're going to walk down the stairs like we're civilians, okay?" With a quiet grumble, Jon reluctantly let his feet touch the ground and be dragged through the mansion and into the living room where everyone was waiting. Artemis beamed. "Aww, you're both taller than the last time I saw you guys." Dick agreed and went to ruffle Damian's hair only to be stopped by the smaller boy who shot him a deathly glare. Every strand was already placed to perfection so he wouldn't let anybody mess with it.

He forced a smile. "I really don't believe I've gotten taller. Kent is actually a little taller than I am, sadly." Jason, who sat on a loveseat, squished with Roy, was pulling at his collar to loosen it slightly. He looked at Damian with a strainrd smile. "Yeah, Dami will probably be short forever. He grows an inch every two years."

"Maybe it is because father is also short."

Bruce awkwardly waved a hand. "Okay, why don't we all go now? Is everybody ready? All things in hand?" Oliver nodded and was first to stand from the couches to exit the room. Honestly, he just wanted to be as far away from Damian as possible.

The archer was in denial.

Damian, a former Robin, was Renegade.

Ever since the night where Slade released him from probably eternal torture, that's all that's been on Oliver's mind because it really didn't seem possible.

Now, in the limo, Oliver unluckily sat straight across from Damian in the parallel seats.

Damian's eyes met his.

They read something he couldn't say.

It wasn't of evil intent but it seemed challemging almost, as if Damian were taunting him, daring him to tell everyone smiling and talking their hearts out, declare that Damian was Renegade, the rising new villain nobody has been able to stop for the past few weeks.

Oliver looked away first and forced a smile while he started a conversation with Roy and Dick.

Damian observed the other across from him. He supposed Oliver wouldn't come out to his family or anyone else really because of the shock it would cause all around. Their families were close too so things were awkward between them specifically now, since Oliver found out.