Clone^2 Damian
If you really think about, Damian's situation in the clone^2 au is... kinda tragic? Especially in the early months of his arrival. Like,,, think about it. Damian has always known he was a clone of Damian Wayne, that he was a copy of the blood son. There was nothing 'original' about him, not even his name (of which at least Danny has that). He was just... a replacement. A disposable one, to boot.
And he knew that, to an extent, by the time he was six years old. he might not have been actively acknowledging it -- he's six years old -- but deep down he knew. And like, he's six years old. Every small child craves the love and affection of an adult, especially their parents, and even though he knew he was clone, I imagine he still considered - and still does consider, somewhat - Talia and Bruce as his mother and father. And I really doubt he was... getting it?
Now, I know Talia loves Damian, her son. At least in some interpretations she does, and in this au she does. But... a clone of her son? I'm not so certain if she would have the same affection for baby Dames as she would for Damian. I don't think she would treat him badly, but I don't think Talia would treat him warmly either. Kinda just, distant. Colder than she would have been with OG Damian.
And, I know I've mentioned Damian's arrival from Danny's point of view, and its kind of comical kind of insane from his perspective -- a little boy clone of Damian Wayne falls through a portal and immediately attacks him. That sounds like a bad joke.
But, if you think of this from Damian's point of view? It's like he just got dropped into a scary movie. Like, think about it. You're six years old, and suddenly a portal, as green and as swirling as your grandfather's pools, opens up beneath your feet and sucks you through.
After an intense bout of vertigo, you end up in a massive, urban city -- completely different from the rural mountain palace that you lived in for the last six years of your life, and in this city, you don't know any of the language. You don't know what anyone is saying, you can't read any of the signs - you are completely stranded, away from home.
And then, to make things worse, you're facing a figure with a terrifying mask and eyes as burning green as the portal you fell through. Of course Damian's first instinct, six years old, is to attack. He's terrified.
And this figure, he's not a good fighter, but he's fast, and he dodges you quickly. He grabs your sword with his hands, and tries to restrain you, saying something in a language you don't know. Naturally, Damian is just scared. He's six! He'd just be learning how to read if he was normal child going to school.
This figure halfway through the fight yanks off his mask -- he realizes you're scared -- and looking at you now, is a youthful version of your father. This is a clone of your dad, someone you have never met but, six years old, still wants to. Damian gets defensive. This is an imposter.
But this imposter eventually gets you home with him - and he's using his little box, his phone, to communicate with you through a mechanical voice speaking in arabic. and it's frustrating. The boy, the imposter, can say whatever to you just fine, but trying to talk back is a hassle and a half. He's six, he doesn't have that much patience.
He wants to go home.
And so he keeps trying to run away. He keeps trying to find out of this hellish concrete jungle, and he keeps getting lost. It's loud, and busy, and there are people talking to you and you don't understand them, and there are rules and signs you don't understand - Damian tries to cross the street and nearly gets hit by a car. He doesn't know how the road signs work, he was never taught. They didn't get to that.
And he gets lost. And it gets dark, and Damian is brave, but he is six, and this is the worst stress he's been under in all his six years of life. He wants, desperately more than anything, to go home. Why wouldn't he? The only stable... semi-stable environment he was in just got ripped out from under his feet, literally! He wants his mother.
And it's not happening.
But there's something good to be said, at least. The imposter that looks like his father always comes and finds him, no matter what. He could have left that morning, and he will find Damian at midnight, frazzled and worried, and carrying an extra jacket with him because it is cold in Amity Park and Damian is six years old.
And sometimes Damian attacks him - he's scared and stressed and he doesn't want to be here. And every time he catches the sword. Even though Damian can see it cut into his hand and pearls of blood well up and stains his fingers. Even though Damian can see him wince in pain and bite his lip, he still catches it.
But with that little box, he coaxes Damian to come back with him. It's cold, it's dark, Amity Park is unsafe at night. They can figure something out tomorrow, please. And every time, he agrees, reluctantly. And the imposter takes the extra jacket he brought with -- a flannel, a hoodie, a jacket -- and he wraps it around him. It's warm, Damian's clothes are not that thick, and even though he thinks he might hate this imposter, he still sticks close to his legs as he leads him down the street.
And sometimes the imposter carries him, because Damian's shoes are not that thick, and he cuts his foot on broken glass while they're walking home. The imposter sits in the bathroom with him and carefully cleans the cut out, and makes sure it doesn't get infected.
There's hope you know, he still has it. His mother will be looking for him. She'll be worried. He's important to them. Damian may not be the original, but he is still a blood son. He is still her son. She will come find him. This nightmare will end soon. He can go home.
And then weeks pass, and nothing. Then months, and nothing. His family is not coming for him, and it hurts. Hurts more than anything. And yet while that happens, the boy he's attacked, and hurt, teaches himself arabic in order to speak to him. He takes Damian out of the house one afternoon and buys him new clothes, or tries to. And then he keeps buying him new clothes. He gives him blankets and gives up his bed to him until they can get him one himself, and steadily he teaches Damian english.
This boy is kind. Kinder than Damian's ever experienced, and he doesn't know what to do with it. He's devastated by the fact that he is not as important to his family as his family is to him. What do you do when you're six years old and you learn something like that? When a random stranger who looks like your father is kinder to you, and cares more about you than your family did?
And then Damian tells him he's a clone. He's Damian Wayne's clone, and he tells him his purpose - that their grandfather made him to kill him. And the boy, the imposter, Damian thinks he probably already knows that he's a clone. But he doesn't say that. He just nods, and asks him if he wants to tell his original about him.
Damian says no. He doesn't want to. He's tired of living in the shadow of his original. He wants to keep this to himself. This is his. For once, all of this is his.
And to his surprise, the imposter doesn't try and convince him otherwise. He just nods, and says okay. And when Damian asks why, the imposter - his brother - looks at him and says.
"I don't care about Damian Wayne. I care about you." And in Damian's gobsmacked silence, his brother continues. He tells him that if Damian doesn't want to tell his original that he exists, then they don't need to. They don't need to worry about the LoA going after him, because clearly if his 'grandfather' needs to make a clone of Damian in order to take him out, then whatever it was that Damian Wayne was doing to keep himself safe, was working.
"Wayne already has people in his corner, he's got Gotham's army of vigilantes to keep himself safe." his brother says with his eyes as blue as moonlight. "You, however. Do not." And he continues, and says that if Damian Wayne has the same training as Damian does, then he will be fine. He doesn't need to be aware of his clone. Because if DW doesn't know about Damian, then the LoA doesn't either.
And here's the thing. Damian would not have survived in the LoA for long. Not as a clone. No matter what, he was going to die no matter what he did, and sooner rather than later. The sword of Damocles was always hanging above his head in the League of Assassins.
That portal, and meeting Danny, saved his life. There's no way around it. And to an extent Damian knows this even at six years old. He may not be aware that he would've died, but he knows that meeting Danny was the best thing to happen to him.
It's no wonder after that, that Damian is as clingy to Danny as he is. Danny is the first person he's met to offer him unconditional love, with no strings attached, only pure affection.
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now...what do i do with my little troublemaker? | jade leech
Jade surprises you on your birthday (which you didn't tell him about).
A/N: It's my birthday (31st March) I'm 19 now! Here's to a year of growth and love, thank you for the love and support you've given me thus far <3 fem!reader here!
Divider by @/osqrie
Jade felt like he could slap a fish out of water right now.
One glance at the scowl -that was very much out of place for the eel- decorating his visage and one could tell he was not himself.
"Hey, Jade~ when are you gonna pull out the surprise gift or celebration for your favourite little shrimpy?" His twin had questioned him as early as 8 in the morning. Their walk to school was brought to a temporary halt, with him shooting Floyd a somewhat confused look.
"Whatever do you mean by that, Floyd?"
It was Floyd's turn to be confused. "You didn't know? Today's her birthday, she didn't tell you that? Or did it just slip your mind...that's not like you, eh~?" A small giggle left his lips. However, the amusement was short-lived as Floyd noticed the complete silence from Jade. Even someone as scary as him would never want to know what ran through his twin's mind whenever he refused to utter a single word.
The other students, also walking to the main building repelled from the pair that stopped right in the middle of the street. Had they been some insignificant students, they would've been ridiculed and possibly (read: most definitely) been involved in some sort of scuffle. But these were not some randoms one could brush off so easily, this was the feared pair of twins, notorious for their scheming smiles and otherworldly strength.
However, in this very moment, even Floyd was unnerved with his twin. Slowly but surely, a small smile crept its way onto Jade's face before he opened his mouth to speak. "Thank you for the reminder, Floyd. Perhaps it did slip my mind...silly me. Let us continue our journey."
Floyd couldn't help but pout childishly as his twin walked ahead of him with quite the pace. "Wait up, Jade, you're walking too fast~"
He didn't bother to look back. They both had ridiculously long legs, surely Floyd would catch up to him in time. For now, he had a girlfriend to surprise...and perhaps, punish for a little bit for keeping her precious day a secret from her beloved.
--
"Hey, henchhuman! There's a letter for you here."
Grim's voice echoed from the front door of Ramshackle Dorm, calling for [Y/N] to make her way over to him. The envelope was intricately designed, giving off an exclusive and luxurious feel. It was even sealed with wax, and if one observed closely, the wax was stamped; a moray and a shrimp curled into each other to form a heart shape. Grim couldn't help but hold onto it carefully. He was pretty (very) sure that the envelope in his hands cost more than a lifetime of tuna.
[Y/N]'s footsteps made small thuds as she walked down the stairs. She sluggishly dragged her feet, having just gotten out of the shower and wanting nothing more to relax. Though, the slight frown on her face told a slightly different story. You see...
No one had wished her a happy birthday today. Except for Grim, who woke her up with a loud 'happy birthday!' this morning.
It wasn't like she desperately yearned for a grand celebration. All she had hoped for was for someone to remember, yet it seemed that not even her close friends, Ace and Deuce, seemed to be aware of it. Though she could tolerate that. Those two were idiots that shared a single brain cell. She was much more upset with her boyfriend.
[Y/N] was spacing out as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. A slight tug at her pants pulled her out of her trance. Looking down, she saw Grim holding out the letter to her.
"Come on, stop spacing out. Open it!"
"Alright, alright, just be patient with me for a little." She opened the envelope as carefully and delicately as she could. Inside was a golden piece of paper, the paper itself felt exclusive...like the ones she would feel in a hard cover book. The letter unfolded and presented itself, clearly having been charmed by the sender.
"Read it out loud, henchhuman! I want to know what it says." Grim cheered, a bit too short to see from his position on the floor.
[Y/N] chuckled before doing so.
"The only one I call my beloved,
It is with great pleasure that I invite you to a very special event, held specially at your favourite place in Night Raven College. As the organiser, I am fully aware of your extreme tendencies to worry about your appearance, even excessively at times.
Fret not. The perfect outfit has been prepared for you. The probability of you liking said outfit has been calculated to be approximately 99.9%. Of course, should you experience the feeling of disdain upon feeling the outfit hugging your figure, my team has a broad variety for you to choose from later.
Save the date; 31st March at your most favourite place, 2 pm. Should you not turn up 30 minutes after the designated start time of the event, the team will come pick you up personally.
Much love."
[Y/N] finished reading the letter as it folded itself into its original form. She met Grim's eyes. No words were exchanged, yet they both had a knowing look in their gaze. Even if the letter wasn't signed, there was no such question as 'who could've sent this?'
Before either of them had the time to break the silence with any words, the letter changed its form. A bright ray of white light that nearly blinded them both shone in the entrance hallway. As the light dimmed down, their jaws almost dropped to the ground in shock.
The letter had turned into a stunning dress.
The dress was a combination of [Y/N]'s favourite colours in dark shades. The floor-length dress featured a fitted bodice, hugging her figure perfectly as if it was a second skin. The V-neckline was adorned with lace, which traced her collarbones delicately. The sheer long sleeves added a mystique feel to the outfit.
A satin sash cinched her silhouette at the waist, which cascaded down her back into a bow which would definitely trail elegantly if she moved. The skirt was the main attraction of the outfit, luxurious layers of chiffon and silk that flowed all the way to the floor.
The final touch of the dress was the embellished hem of the gown, delicate beads and sequins that caught the light with the slightest movement of the wearer. [Y/N] couldn't help but feel as if she had seen this dress somewhere...
Her hair was styled into a beautiful princess bun, with a few strands of hair elegantly framing her face. Her feet were adorned with a pair of low heels that clicked onto the floor just how she liked it.
"Whoa, henchhuman...he really outdid himself this time."
[Y/N] didn't know how to respond properly to that. She felt like she was in a dream.
A knock at the door broke the silence between them. It was 2.30 pm when she glanced at the clock. Ah, it was his 'team', was it?
--
[Y/N] couldn't recall much of what happened on her way to Octavinelle Dorm's Mostro Lounge. She only remembered the fear of possibly falling off from Kalim's magic carpet as it flew and sped through the school, as well as Kalim's laughter upon hearing her and Grim's screams.
The duo took deep breaths to calm themselves down. After finally getting their heartbeats stable, they observed the lounge and the decorations. They seemed to compliment [Y/N]'s dress perfectly. However, their visions were limited as the only lights present were the candles on an elegantly decorated birthday cake. Even Kalim, their guide, was nowhere to be seen.
Grim was about to push her to go over to the cake. Before he could do so, he was grabbed by a pair of arms. His mouth was also covered so that he couldn't alert [Y/N] with any sound.
She was, of course, aware of Grim's sudden disappearance as well. However, her eyesight was limited and she didn't want to risk destroying any Mostro Lounge property or she would have to pay for them out of her own pockets.
She only had one choice; to walk over to the birthday cake.
Her heels clicked on the floor. She found herself in front of the cake in no time. As soon as she stood in front of it, the lounge lit up and all her friends - from the 1st years to the 3rd years - started singing her the classic happy birthday tune. Jade stood next to her, one hand holding Grim and the other around her waist.
"Happy birthday, [Y/N]!"
The whole group took turns engulfing her into a hug, with the best one saved for last.
The lounge eventually had a lot of noise; with people eating, drinking and conversing with each other after having had the chance to hug the star of the day. After Jade had hugged her, everyone huddled up around her to witness her cutting the cake.
Quite cheesy if you asked [Y/N], but hey, it's a surprise for her. The least she could do was accept it.
--
After the final shutter of the camera for the day, her boyfriend had whisked [Y/N] away from the crowd in the lounge. She was now sat at a quiet booth in a more secluded area of the lounge with a pair of heterochromic eyes observing her every move carefully.
"Did you enjoy this celebration, dearest?"
His silky smooth and soft voice snapped her out of her trance. She nodded eagerly, excited to express her gratitude to her most beloved.
"Of course! You didn't have to Jade, really...I love anything that you do."
He couldn't help letting out a little chuckle. Oh, if she had the slightest idea of what kind of strings he pulled to execute this plan...
His right hand was placed on top of hers. Gently squeezing it, his voice dropped a few octaves along with its volume.
"Mind to enlighten me on why you didn't think to tell me today was your birthday?"
[Y/N] quite literally froze in shock. Her lips could only curl into a crooked smile as she began speaking, with a somewhat shaky voice.
"A-ah, I did, didn't I...?" She was praying to the Great Seven that she was in the right. Yet the smile on his face told her that lady luck had no luck to shine on her today.
He stroked the right side of her face with his other hand, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Don't look so fearful, my dearest, even though it is an adorable expression on you. Now...what do I do with my little troublemaker?"
[Y/N] let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm in danger."
"This dress, is the Noir Vogue dress that you eyed at the mall last week."
Her eyes widened. That's why it felt so familiar! It was the luxury brand that Jade and Floyd used a lot, though she assumed that it was a brand they consumed, not a brand their family quite literally own.
"You can keep it...only if you complete your quota of one thousand kisses daily, for a week."
"Deal!"
Thank you for reading!
Bonus: What Jade did and why no one wished [Y/N] happy birthday (in bullet point form)
Jade was absolutely pissed that he had no idea of her birthday being today. I see him as someone that would be really dedicated and somewhat possessive of his lover. The fact that her friends (like Ace and Deuce) know her birthday but not him gets his blood boiling underneath his skin.
Her friends remembered her birthday but didn't wish her birthday because...
Jade literally sent out a PSA in the groupchat without her (idk i feel like it's funny if they somehow have a group but act like they don't know each other irl LMAO) to save their wishes and gifts for the surprise party he's throwing
Quite literally threatens to ruin anyone's lives that dare say happy birthday to her before he does (except grim, cause. she literally sleeps next to grim)
Tldr; Jade is one crazy, lovesick and down bad eel
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