Heya so this is Damian's pov in the chapter 16 of my fic Hostage situations and other romantic activities based on @iguessthisisanewobsession's prompt! I had it written out and though it doesn't fit in with the main storyline, I figured I'd post it here and link it in case anyone was curious. Feel free to ignore this if you haven't read the fic <3
Hope you guys enjoy:)
(Spoilers ahead)
Damian’s head hurt. Zsasz had managed to get in a good hit before Damian had managed to knock him out, or at least what he thought had been a knock-out. He’d been sloppy and now the teen’s head was throbbing. At least, he had seen no injuries on Danny though the other boy had been very pale and looked unwell.
That was another thing. Danny.
Gotham wasn’t a safe place for civilians, and metas had it even worse. That was true everywhere but in Gotham even more so; discrimination, increased risk of violence, even human experimentation.
It wasn’t surprising that Danny would want to keep his abilities a secret. But something about the blast, how despite clearly having been instinct, the shot had been so very precise that Damian who had been pinned under Zsasz hadn’t felt more than a cold blast of wind made it seem as if there was more to it than that.
And right now, as he was perched up in the tree waiting for law enforcement, there was nothing to do but to speculate.
No, that was untrue, he thought as he took his phone out of his pocket. He could do more than that.
He could research. And so he did.
And found nothing.
Oh sure, there was a blurry picture here, an oblique mention there but no proof of existence beyond a social security number, a high school diploma, and one measly article.
No birth certificate, no social media, no medical file, not even a driver’s license.
It wasn’t that Danny Fenton was a ghost. It was more like he was a half-finished person.
Damian breathed out slowly.
It wasn’t Danny’s powers that made him suspicious. It was everything else.
An hour later, Damian slid down into the now dark forest and started walking.
Damian looked up to see Danny coming down carefully. Damian steeled his expression into a neutral one, unwilling to let his thoughts play on his face.
“Daniel,” Damian started formally. “You went back to the school.”
That was a point in the boy’s favour; at least, he had not ran.
“Yeah,” Danny answered, too casually. “thanks again for saving my butt back there.”
Damian nodded, but abstained from saying anything further in favour of studying Danny’s expression. He didn’t seem any different but Damian knew appearances could be deceiving.
“So-“ Danny started but Damian wasn’t interested in small talk.
“I could not find a picture of you before your fourteenth birthday,” Damian stated clearly.
“Uh,” Danny stumbled. “Ok?”
“Nor could I find a birth certificate in your name.” Damian continued expecting a twitch, a frown, something.
“Yeah,” Danny answered calmly, waving. “Mom and Dad are terrible at paperwork.”
Alright. If that was how Danny would play it. Flimsy excuses could only go so far.
“No social media, no bank account. Not even a tax return in twenty years.”
“IRS have given up long before I was born,” Danny answered airily. “And Amity’s not the safest place for technology.”
Damian studied the boy in front of him. He looked relaxed and mostly at ease. A bit confused, a bit tired if anything. And Damian wanted to believe it.
Yet, both his instinct and his experience were telling him not to, and so Damian forged on.
“Why did you come to Gotham?” Damian asked.
“What?” Danny answered, once again frowning in confusion. “Uh, I’m here for school? I think I told you that.”
This was getting insulting.
“Do not lie to me,” Damian said, feeling something brewing.
“I’m not,” Daniel persisted in a stupid simplistic excuse. “I’m really here for school.”
Damian clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes peeled on the deceptive face in front of him. Damian had come for the truth and he was going to get it.
“You truly had me fooled,” Damian stated as he slowly started to circle the other teen. “I did not suspect you for a moment.”
“What are you even talking about?” Danny said, but Damian wasn’t listening to more lies.
“Why did you approach me?” Damian asked asking from Danny’s side. Because that was the most logical explanation, no matter what Damian wanted to believe. It wouldn’t be the first time mother or another one of his enemies had sent someone to kill him. He had to consider the possibility. Danny turned to keep himself facing Damian.
“I didn’t,” Danny stressed, his voice almost snarling. Good. More likely to let something slip.
“Maybe so, but you did not turn down the opportunity to do so either.” Damian allowed, because it truly would’ve been a convoluted plan to manipulate Damian into choosing Danny.
“What,” Danny’s voice biting. “Like you left me any choice?”
Damian stopped short at that. He knew he could be forceful and overbearing but he would never force anyone to do anything like that. He was nothing like her.
“Damian,” Danny’s voice rose again, kinder, softer. “Im not sure what this is, and we can talk about it, I-”.
No. This wouldn’t work. Damian wouldn’t let himself be pacified like a child. “You have deceived me,” Damian reminded himself and Danny
“I haven’t,” Danny protested but Damian wasn't listening.
“You are not who you say you are.” That was the truth. And no matter what he said, Daniel knew it too.
“Yes, I am,” Danny refuted strongly and Damian had had enough. There was one thing Daniel could no longer lie about.
“Are you?” Damian asked clearly. “Tell me Danny, are you human?”
Danny flinched and Damian’s heart sank even as it confirmed what Damian already knew.
“That’s what I thought,” said Damian, more calmly than he felt.
“What does that mean?” Danny asked, still trying to pretend but Damian wouldn’t let him.
“It means, I am ashamed I let you get so close.”
It means I know, Damian thought. It mean there’s no use pretending. It means, please do not try.
There was a moment of silence where Damian held his breath. For Danny to finally give it up and admit it.
Daniel took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. And Damian held himself straighter. Daniel opened his mouth but closed it again.
And then finally-
“Please leave,” Danny’s voice came and what was left of Damian’s hope froze over.
So this was it then.
“Fine,” Damain said dispassionately. “I’ll send you the severance pay before the end of the week.”
“I don’t want it,” Daniel bit out and Damian could feel something ugly within him rear its head, and Damian let it take the place of the coldness.
“Waynes believe in tying up loose ends,” Damian said silkily. “It does not do to for past indiscretions crop up at importunate times.”
“Ok no. I’m done with this.” Danny stalked off, and it welled up again, poisonous and mean.
“I would be happy to give a recommendation to any new employer of yours,” Damian shouted.
He knew he was supposed to be better than this, but he couldn’t help it.
“Screw you!” Danny yelled back and Damian snarled, stopping himself from punching at a tree or something equally stupid and emotional.
Whatever. He turned away and started walking.
It wasn’t like it had been a real relationship. It wasn’t like it had meant anything. Damian started running.
It had done what it was supposed to do, and really, Damian had gotten out of it exactly what he wanted.
The thought did nothing to appease the empty feeling in his chest as he made his way back home.
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