Damian doesn't notice his sister's frown from across the table. Cass stares at him over her breakfast, wishing he'd turn the music blasting from his earphones down. A song sung by a girl with a powerful voice. Despite that, it isn't something Cass wishes to hear after a long night of patrol.

Bruce drifts through the kitchen, large form hunching over the coffee machine once he reaches it. Alfred had gone to the city earlier, leaving him to domestically fend for himself for a few hours.

"Damian," Cass calls out, trying to catch the teen's attention. He doesn't notice and continues stirring his tea slowly whilst staring down at his phone.

Bruce takes notice when there is no response, glancing over his shoulder with a frown at his son. He prods Damian's shoulder lightly. The teen's attention snaps up to him with a mirrored glare.

He pauses the song, "What?"

"Turn your music down," Cass states flatly with a hardened expression. Damian continues his surly stare, but takes his earphones out, placing them by his phone.

"It does not matter. I am done with this album."

"What album?"

Steph enters with the light question and Damian knows it is time to panic. Sure, Cass won't know Ariana Grande, but Steph will. Without answering, he stands up with his tea, phone and earphones. He hastily evades the kitchen and the confused glances of his family and friend.

The questions will come one after the other. Why Ariana Grande? Who told you about her? Why are you blushing? Was it Rapid? Then he'll have to move back to Nanda Parbat out of shame.

As he walks up the staircase, the front door opens behind him. Expecting Alfred he turns around on the third step to collect the marshmallows the man had promised to purchase, but finds Tim blinking up at him instead.

Years ago this would have been unpleasant. Now it is...tolerable.

"Drake," he greets quietly.

"Hey," Tim replies in the same manner, pulling his scarf off as he closes the door.

"Why are you here?"

"The Titans have been quiet, so I thought I'd take the chance to come home and help with this speedster problem seeing as I've been dealing with Bart these last years," he replies, jacket and gloves coming off next.

Damian abandons the idea of going up to his room. Instead, he turns fully to face Tim, taking one step down.

"What do you know about Rapid?" He asks as casually as possible. He's not stupid; Tim may have had a better chance at gaining information simply with the time and hacking abilities he has above Damian.

"Well it's weird. We know she's Russian, seventeen, can reach mach 3 and is a known associate of the assassin Vermillion, and the former hero Glow. We now also know she works with the hacker known as Fantasy. Ex-member of the Twisted 12."

Damian isn't surprised at the information. The only surprise is that Rapid has been in Gotham for nearly two months, yet Vermillion, Glow and Fantasy have not made an appearance.

"We only know about her more recent work with Fantasy because when I tried to hack into the files on Rapid's full story- a virus designed by Fantasy overtook the entire Titan Tower. We're not sure what she got her hands on, but it took me weeks to clear out. The same thing happens concerning her associate's files," Tim goes on.

Damian stares at his adoptive brother for a few seconds, before turning back around and walking up the stairs. Tim frowns, watching the younger leave silently.

At that moment Steph bursts out of the kitchen, sprinting towards Tim and jumping on him with a hug.

"I need you to hack into Damian's Music Streaming," she says into his shoulder.

◊

◊

Damian finds her watching the city from the top of a building in the main square. She looks calm, swinging her legs against the wind as the lights of the night reflect off of her goggles.

"I don't bite," she says loudly, already aware she is being watched. Damian nears the edge of his current building ready to descend the three meters to her level. "-Unless, you want me to."

Immediately the teen freezes, boot peeking over the edge as he sputters at her words. He flushes a bright red unhidden by his mask.

Rapid is laughing to herself with those bright eyes watching him.

Scolding himself not two seconds later, Damian jumps and lands silently on the concrete. He takes pride in managing to do at least that in her presence.

"You don't talk to many girls, do you?" She asks, standing up. Damian takes a discreet stance in case she attacks.

Rapid rolls her eyes and moves right up to him in less than a second.

"Be prepared as you want, milashka. I'm still too fast," she taunts. Damian feels the slightest of pressures on his cheek before she dashes away again. Shocked, he slaps his hand against his face, spinning around.

She's on the other side of the roof grinning at him.

"Did you just kiss me again!?" He shouts angrily, rubbing his skin. Klavdiya shrugs.

"Wanted to see what you'd do this time. You've never kissed girl, have you?" She asks, accent thick.

Damian glares at her, "I have."

"Mothers do not count milashka."

"I wasn't talking about my mother," he snaps, "There was that time...when we met-"

"Mm, I kissed you, silly-"

"-I have a sister."

She rolls her eyes, stalking along the edge of the building.

"Well I suppose since they are not of your blood that counts," she murmurs, "Besides; you-"

The speedster freezes in her strut, realising what she had just let out. Damian puts the same thing together. How does she know his sisters are not blood related?

"How did you know that?" He questions lowly, taking a step forward with his bo staff drawn. Klavdiya hastily scrambles back.

"Ya glupaya," she snaps at herself, before looking at Damian. She stands at the edge of the roof and mulls over what to say to save the situation. "Batman knows," she decides quickly.

Damian frowns, "He knows you know who I am... Did he tell you!?"

She scoffs, "Of course not."

"Then how!?"

She doesn't shout back, or fall into a defensive stance as Damian had expected. Instead, she approaches him slowly.

Her smile slowly start to form on her face again, leading to Robin finding himself a little on edge.

"You get all flustered after you see me, da?" She asks sweetly.

Damian's glare hardens as he repositions his staff to point at her.

"I do not."

"Really? Then explain how you missed my tracker."

Realisation crosses the boy's features for a moment. Surely, he hadn't been that dumb just from seeing her. Surely something in him thought to check that night?

"You can't, can you....Damian?"

A shudder rolls down his spine like a soft wave. It's euphoric in nature and not something he wants to neglect, but hearing her say his name feels like a scandal.

"You know, you should ask your father about me. Looks like he hasn't told you all he knows."

"I-I did." He's stuttering again, like a fool.

Rapid merely shrugs with one last cutting grin, before the violet speedster dashes off into the night.

◊

◊

Clack, clack, clack.

"Hear you before I see you, every time," Rowan calls over her shoulder to Valeria. The sorcerer doesn't turn her head though. Instead she continues to read over the contract in her lap.

Valeria ignores her words and throws another file down in front of her wife. Rowan's forest green eyes watch the Russian as she struts towards the door, still refusing to talk.

"You're angry with me," the assassin concludes. Valeria stops walking and turns on her heel to glare.

"Of course I am. Of all the sides to take-"

"They aren't sides, Val. If she likes Robin... I don't see a problem with them hanging out," Rowan presses, standing up.

The last thing she wants is a fight with Valeria. That is one of the few battles in this world she is sure to lose. An angry Valeria is a scary Valeria and Rowan doesn't know what more she can buy for her to make up for something.

A tension rises slightly between them. Silver eyes glare into slits. Rowan stares back for a few moments, weighing her options, before relenting. She stops rocking on her chair with a sigh and comes to her senses.

"Alright, yes, there is a reason. The prophecy, I know."

The first prophecy enticed her to go there, the second one calls her back.

Silence is broken by the door at the head of the vast mansion room opening and closing. Sailor struts into their base like she owns it; a fort-like building located on a cliff face in Russia.

The younger girl has a comic in one hand, laptop balancing in the other and is donned with Star Wars branded clothes. She looks funky and out of place in the architectural room, especially compared to Valeria dressed in designer furs and Rowan donned in black leather.

Sailor doesn't look at either of them, but makes a beeline for her desk where she places her items down.

"I need to hack into the Titan Tower," she states dismissively, glancing over her shoulder at them. "Oh," her eyes set on Rowan "Do you have all you need for you next mission?"

The Australian doesn't answer at first, watching Valeria head back down the hallway with the same clack of her heels.

"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?" She asks when she finally looks back at Sailor.

As if on cue, the colours of pastel purple and green change to a pretty silver shade in Sailor's hair. Her eyes flash green, just like the Martian's her powers derive from, and Rowan knows her mind is being read.

"Well go on," Sailor chides, turning back around to face the six computer screens ahead of her. "Your buddy Red Hood isn't going to kill himself."

"Yeah yeah," the Australian replies, gathering up her bags and the files. "I doubt I'll be able to do it but it's worth a shot, right?"

"Exactly."

Rowan waves at Sailor, opens the door and descends the stairs, knowing Valeria's private jet is waiting to take her to Gotham.

She changes into her costume and becomes Vermillion, the assassin.