"Damian?" You called, as Bruce chatted on the phone.
You knocked on his door. He had been off ever since the hostage mission had went well.
"Damian?" You called again. "Damian, talk to me. I'm always here. I know what if feels like... I can help you."
No response.
You became frustrated. "Damian, quit being a little bitch and open the door!"
You let out a warning growl, before shoving open the door.
"Lorri?" You heard Bruce call.
"He's gone!" You called back. "And he took the fucking suit!"
"Shit. How far's the rig?" You heard Bruce ask Dick.
••
You had gone off on your own. Fuck Batman. You were in love with this boy. He was your Robin, and though you had hardly met him, you signed an invisible contract when he put on that costume, and that mask. You were going to protect him. He wouldn't end up like Jason, or Grace. He was your Robin. The only thing anchoring you to reality.
He was going to be there during the Wayne conferences, and during the balls, but he would also be there at patrols and robberies.
He was your Robin.
You swam to the shore of the rig, and snuck onto it. You could hear distant struggling, and found an open vent.
Damian.
You wiggled through the compact space, once again, feeling claustrophobic, but you ignored it. You found Damian in no time, and Talia al Ghul.
You fought the urge to kill her on the spot, she was already in bad shape, and focused that rage on Deathstroke.
Just then, Talia moved.
"Run, Damian!" She cried, shoving Deathstroke.
You leaped into action, and kicked the gun Deathstroke had. You threw some basic attacks, which he easily dodged.
"Black Bird!" You heard Robin call. "Don't!"
He was too late. Deathstroke whipped a knife out of thin air, and stabbed you in your shoulder. You screamed, hand going up to your shoulder. The shock had scared you, not the pain. The stab was shallow. It was a warning.
You felt Batman run past you, shoving you back. He always stole the spotlight. You fell back, landing near one Talia al Ghul.
"Oh, you poor thing." She whispered, eyes hardly open. "You must have been forced here."
You glared, ripping the knife out of your shoulder, and holding it above Talia. She wrenched her eyes shut, too weak to scream in terror.
The knife landed inches from her head, and you stood, running through a crowd of shrieking man-bats.
Both Robin and Batman ran to Talia, both moving past you without a second thought. A pang of jealousy hit your heart. At first, you wondered why they had ran after her and not you. And then you realized it was because she was family.
It all made sense now.
You could remember the night so clearly, sobbing as you held Grace close. She was hardly breathing.
"BATMAN!" You screamed "SHE'S DYING!"
You could hear Interpol sirens in the distance. Batman, without a second glance, grappled to a distant roof top, and ran off. You were in shock for a moment. And then you looked down.
"It's okay, Lorri." Grace smiled.
She wasn't dying anymore. She was dead.
"I'll kill her for you." You promised, leaving the corpse where you had found it not moments ago.
You weren't part of the family. Neither was Dick, or Grace, or Jason, Ella, Tim, Rachel.
"Deathstroke!" You yelled.
You chased Deathstroke down a series of hallways, finding him in a pumping room. You whipped out your Escrima sticks, and immediately turned them into a staff.
"I draw the line at taking hostages." You warned as Deathstroke pulled out his swords. "I don't play by the Bat's rules if my own are broken."
The fight was brutal. You got some good licks into him, and he got some onto you.
"Not bad." He complimented, rubbing his arm where you had slashed him. "We would have been perfect lovers."
You grimaced. "I draw the line at pedophilia, too."
With that, you ran forward, but Deathstroke was just too fast, he flipped you around, and stabbed through your stomach and pinned you to a wall.
You screeched, sobbing as you screamed.
"Deathstroke!" Robin yelled. "This is between you and me!"
The alarm blared in your ears as you tried to dislodge the sword from your abdomen, but it was no use. You couldn't even feel your arms.
Robin and Deathstroke fought for an eternity, and eventually, Robin won. He raised his sword.
"Robin!" You cried. "Justice. Not vengeance!"
His arms began to shake as he held the sword above his head, before sheathing it, and running towards you.
He grabbed the sword, and ripped it out of your body. You collapsed into him.
"Lorrietta.." He began.
You looked up, cutting him off, and kissing him. It was long, and gentle, and you never wanted it to end.
"Robin!" You heard Batman yell from above you.
"We're down here!" You called, and both he and Talia appeared.
"Are you hurt?"
"Badly." Robin replied, after grappling up to the floor they were on. "She's losing blood, fast."
Batman examined you from afar, Talia's arm around his shoulder.
"We need to move." Was all he said.
••
You bandaged Damian's wrists on the shore line. He sat on a rock, and you were kneeling in front of him. He had already cleaned and bandaged your wounds. He looked down.
"I'm sorry you got hurt." He began.
You sighed. "I chose to go after Deathstroke."
"So did I."
"You can't do that, Damian."
"Why not?" He asked, looking up with his eyebrows furrowed. "Afraid you'll lose me?"
"Yes, dumbass!" You replied, tying the gauze around his wrist. "A Black Bird is nothing without her Robin."
Damian grabbed your wrists, making you look up to him.
"Is that all I am to you? Your Robin?"
"Yes, that and so much more." You leaned forward, kissing him once again.
Damian's hands moved from your wrists to the back of your head, pulling you closer.
You never wanted it to end.