Damian Wayne's P.O.V:

We were on patrol again. Just me and Batman, not Nightwing and those other idiots. Just the two of us, like it should be.

I went to go help father with the thugs attacking a civilian on the street, but I noticed something else. Above the alleyway on top of the apartment block stood a figure, darkened by the night sky, with only a sliver of their skin visible by the faint light of the moon.

They were watching father, and only I managed to notice.

I always have to do everything myself.

Using my grapple gun I made my way up to the building's rooftop. I stayed hidden behind the box vents and watched the situation unfolding. There was a girl, about 5'3, blonde and blue-eyed, kneeling by the edge of the building.

"Sasha," a man spoke, and I adjusted my position in order to see him.

Deathstroke.

We had crossed paths numerous times before. He was a serial killer, who despised me and my entire family back at the League of Assassins. He'd been the reason behind our fall.

I hated him more than father did.

Deathstroke approached the girl and she spun around. "What's happening down there?" He asked her, eyes narrowed into slits.

When she didn't answer, his voice sharpened. "Tell me. Now."

The girl looked nervous, wrapping her thin arms around herself in an attempt to curl away from him. I assumed that her name was Sasha. I immediately took in her full appearance, noticing the small, pointy nose and pale skin that suggested Russian or Scandinavian heritage.

She wore attire very similar to that of an assassin, with weapons on her belt. Although she looked quite young, definitely around my age. What was Slade doing with someone like her? Was she another child-assassin from the League, too?

Sasha swallowed and said, "I... I think the Batman is down there."

As if already knowing the answer, Slade shoved past her to peer at the scene below while I conjured up a plan. I considered jumping out and attacking him, using the element of surprise for my benefit. But I knew that father would grow angry if I chose a "reckless approach."

I needed a real strategy, and I needed Batman to hurry the hell up.

Slade stood up and spoke to the girl quietly, "We're leaving. I have a job, anyway, a mission I need to complete. You can wait outside."

They went to leave, and I knew my chance was slipping.

Fuck what father thinks, I mentally scowled, and I went to confront them.

"Robin," Bruce's voice spoke in my comms, halting me before I could begin my attack. It was like he'd sensed that I was going to do something.

Typical.

"Where are you?" He demanded while I silently ran across the rooftop.

Deathstroke had already leapt off the building, and Sasha was next to go. I threw a micro tracking device at her, then jumped off the edge and landed on the fire escape stairs below.

"Robin, answer me. Where are you?"

I leapt to the ground and stood up, rolling my eyes. "Focusing on more important matters, father."

I could practically hear Batman's glare on the comms.

"What did you do?"

He always thinks so little of me.

I pulled out my computer -- a holographic device shaped as a tablet -- and checked the location of my tracker. Sasha was heading toward 8th street.

"Deathstroke was here a minute ago. There was a girl with him who I was unable to identify—,"I began before father interrupted me.

"Blonde, blue eyed and around your age?" He muttered.

I frowned. "How do you--"

"I'm a detective, Damian," fathers voice was flat. "That's Slade's daughter, Sasha Wilson. They've been sighted together on a few select occasions."

""Whatever." I rolled my eyes, irritated by his consistently extensive knowledge. "Slade spoke about a mission, so I placed a tracker on the girl. They're moving toward 8th street now."

I aimed my grapple gun at a building and fired, the cold wind sending my cape billowing as I flew through the cold air.

"We'll follow them there," father's gruff voice replied, failing to compliment me once again. Not that I needed his approval.

"On my way," I responded.

I jumped onto a rooftop, then rolled into a crouch and continued running. As I made my way across buildings, I spotted Batman swinging up ahead.

We made our way to 8th street, perched atop the roofs and looking down at the alleyway between. Two motorcycles pulled over, and Deathstroke got off.

"Stay here," father told me as he prepared to jump down.

I couldn't believe him.

"What? You're not going down there without me."

He sent me a glare. "That's an order, Robin."

I glared daggers back at him as he jumped off. I was furious, he always did this to me. He thought he was better then me just because he was older. Because he was my "father."

I'd fought Slade before. I'd won.

And I could do it again.

----------------------------------------------

Sasha's P.O.V:

I parked my motorcycle by the curb and jumped off. Father checked the holographic computer on his wrist before looking up at the apartment in front of us.

"This is it," he said and began to load ammunition into his pistols.

I observed the old, dirty building with smashed windows. It looked pretty abandoned to me, though I didn't dare say a word. I wasn't that stupid.

When he was done unloading, Slade looked at me. "Head up to the roof and keep lookout. I have a contract to fulfill."

He holstered the gun and pulled out one of the katana's strapped to his back. I obeyed his orders and made my way to the fire escape. I climbed up quietly until I reached the roof. Crouching down, I kept a hand on the dagger strapped to my leg. I was certain that someone was watching me, and felt the need to stay low.

I peered over the ledge and saw my father enter the building. But almost immediately, a dark figure landed in the alley behind him.

Oh no...

Batman was here.

I jumped onto the ledge and watched him follow my father in. Panicking, I wasn't sure what to do. I needed to warn Slade somehow. He'd kill me if I didn't.

"Don't move," a harsh voice ordered from behind, and I turned around slowly.

A boy in a red suit and green mask stood a couple feet in front, holding what looked like Batman's batarangs in his hands.

"Who are you?" I questioned, racking my brain for the answer. I swear I had seen this kid before, but I couldn't quite place him.

The dark haired boy scoffed. "Who am I? I'm Robin. And you're coming with me before I hurt you."

He stepped forward and suddenly I felt extremely nervous. What the hell was happening? I wasn't ready for this!

I didn't have a gun on me or anything, so I reached for my knife. I pulled it out in one swift motion, but Robin had already chucked several batarangs at me and I was forced to roll out of the way.

Landing in a crouch, I watched him catch the flying weapons and charge at me. He pulled out a sword, a deadly-looking katana, and swiped.

Terrified, I dodged and swung my dagger, but he deflected with his blade. He grabbed my other wrist and twisted it. It hurt, so I kicked his leg and he fell to one knee, letting go of me.

I swiped at his cheek with my knife, grazing it slightly as he moved out of the way. He moved his leg out, tripping me. I let out a yelp as I fell forward, and he grabbed the knife in my hand as we rolled to the ground.

"Why are you working with Slade!" Robin yelled at me. I tried to break free from under him, but he had a strong grip.

"He's my father!" I snapped back, not so nervous anymore.

I kneed him in the belly, a move I had often used with Conner. It worked, as his grip weakened and I rolled out. Standing up, I noticed my knife was on the floor a few feet forward. I glanced at it, then at Robin who stood in my way. He noticed it, and soon we were both lunging for my dagger.

He snatched it up first, but I swung a fist at his face. It hit him, causing him to fall back to the ground. He quickly recovered and rolled back up.

I noticed the blood dripping from his nose, but he just wiped it with his hand like he didn't even feel it and leapt at me again.

I swung my dagger at him, but Robin flipped over my shoulder and landed behind me. He pulled my arm from behind, kicked me in the back and sent me falling to the ground.

I laid on the concrete floor in pain, not wanting to give up but also too scared to fight. He was better then anyone I had ever fought before, and I didn't think I could defeat him.

I noticed I was at the ledge of the roof, and the fire escape was right below. Maybe I could get down there...

"I've fought your father plenty of times before, and won. You think you stand a chance against me?" Robin spoke from behind me.

I rolled onto my side and tried to get up, but everything hurt too much.

"Stay down," Robin told me, glaring through his domino mask. I wanted to, I really did. But I couldn't give up like this. And where was my father? What if Batman had won, and he'd been arrested already? What would happen to me?

Memories of the times Slade had made me kill someone flashed through my mind.

Pull the trigger, Sasha.

Do it, Sasha.

This is your job, Sasha.

I would go to jail, too. I would join him and be stuck with him forever. I was a murderer, how would I be able to avoid prison if Robin arrested me?

"No," I growled, pushing myself off the floor.

On shaky legs I stood, grabbing on to the ledge of the building and gripped it with one hand. I jumped over and landed on the stairs a couple of feet below.

I glanced up and saw Robin follow me, so I made a risky decision and leapt off the railing into the street below. I fell to the ground, somersaulting into a crouch as I landed. Robin was right behind me as he flipped through the air and landed a foot way.

I punched him but he caught it and used my fist to slam me against the fire escape.

"Just leave me alone!" I snarled and kicked him in the side.

He didn't budge, and only grabbed my arms and spun me so my chest was now against the railings.

"Robin," A deep voice yelled as the boy pulled my wrists together and began to handcuff me, and I realized that it was Batman's.

"Yeah, give me a second!" Robin snapped back.

I wasn't letting him throw me into jail, no way was I going to spend the rest of my life there. I didn't even want to be an assassin. I didn't want to kill people.

But what else was I supposed to do? I had to obey my father.

"Get off me! I didn't do anything!" I protested, struggling against his hold.

"You're a criminal, and criminals go to jail," Robin replied flatly, like it was the most obviously thing in the world.

Cars raced by behind me on the busy street. I looked around for my father, hoping that he would get me out of this situation. But it seemed like I was on my own...

Where the hell was Slade? Had he won or lost? I had so many questions.

The handcuffs were nearly around my wrists when I lifted my foot and kicked Robin's shin. I chucked my elbow back into his shoulder and he let go of me. I twirled around to face him, he was clutching his shoulder and glaring at me.

He looked pissed. As in, I'm going to kill you pissed.

"You won't stop, will you? I'm trying to do this the right way, but you're not helping," Robin snarled at me.

I didn't understand what he meant by the right way, but whatever the alternative was sounded bad, too, and I wasn't sticking around to find out.

I checked my surroundings to find somewhere to run, but when I turned back Robin was delivering left hook to my jaw.

I stumbled back, the power in his hit was unlike anything I'd felt before. Flynn should meet this guy, a random part of my brain thought. He wouldn't feel so cocky anymore.

As I tackled him, I wondered where Batman was and what he had done to my father. Robin twisted my arm and I winced, then I stomped down on his foot. He shoved me into the fire escape once again.

I heard commotion coming from the roof and wondered if my father was winning.

I pushed myself off the railings and turned back to the boy in red. His face was bleeding a little, and there was a large cut running down his chest from my knife. I was worse, however, with multiple bruises and cuts covering my body.

This fight had gone on long enough.

"You said I was a criminal," I replied, a little less tense then before. "But I'm not a criminal, my father is."

Robin stared at me, doubt and suspicion evident in his body language. He didn't believe me. Of course he didn't believe me. No one ever did.

"It doesn't matter," Robin spat. "You're his child. You're associated with him. Plus you're dressed like an assassin and you know how to fight. I'd say you've done some bad shit in your life."

I swallowed. If only you knew, tough guy.

But I wasn't about to let him know this. I wasn't about to let him assume the worst.

"You don't know anything about me," I growled instead, anger surging through my bones.

Another realization entered my mind and my brows furrowed as I scanned the boy before me. "And you fight like an assassin, so don't tell me I'm the only one who's done bad shit."

Robin seemed to stiffen at that, and I knew I'd struck a nerve. Who was this kid? Was he really a hero after that reaction, or something else?

His fists clenched. "You want to finish this, then?"

I didn't really, to be totally honest. The odds were really in his favor, not mine.

But backing down meant getting arrested, so I stood up straight.

"Bring it on, tough guy."

He charged at me, fists flying. I blocked a few punches but was hit pretty hard in the cheek. He sent a painful kick to my knee, causing my legs to fold. I reached for something, anything in my belt, and pulled out a few ninja stars.

I slid under his legs and scrambled up a few feet away, then threw the weapons at Robin. He dodged most of them and caught one in his hand, but the last one struck him in the arm. He grunted and yanked it out, then tossed it back at me. I jumped to the side before it hit me in the face.

I moved forward and kicked him in the chest. Robin stumbled back, and i used the opportunity to push him into the railings like he had done to me. Very suddenly, I remembered the small blade in my jacket and unzipped it, then whipped it out.

I held it against Robin's neck. He glared at me, lips forming into an egotistical smirk that was surprisingly... attractive.

"Not bad. For an assassin in training," he said.

I scoffed back, hoping he couldn't detect my flushed cheeks.

"Whatever. I'm not the one with a knife to my neck."

Robin grabbed my free arm and pulled it into a lock, causing my other arm and the knife to drop.

"Right," he spoke.

I wanted to scream with frustration. Why is this so hard?

And then my father fell from the rooftop above us, followed by Batman. One of Slade's swords clattered next to me. Thinking fast, I snatched it up, swung and missed Robin's neck by a quarter of an inch.

Robin dropped his hold and stepped back. I swiped at him again with the sword.

And he caught it.

The boy held my blade between his hands as I pointed it at him. I was completely shocked.

Suddenly, he yanked it off me and I fell forward from the force. He spun, and sent a roundhouse kick straight to my chest...

...knocking me onto the road.

"Robin, no!" Batman's voice bellowed, as I rolled across the sharp ground. I stopped and looked in front of me. Cars were beeping and honking like crazy.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.

Blinding lights hit me harder then anything as a vehicle came swerving up to me. I screamed and covered my eyes, unable to react quick enough to get out of there.

But someone scooped me up just as the car sped by. I flew through the air in Batman's arms, and we landed on a rooftop on the other side of the street. He put me down and turned to Robin, who appeared a few minutes later with my father in shackles.

I sat on the roof shaking, scared to death of what had just happened. I nearly died. I nearly died.

"Robin," Batman growled, sounding scarier then the devil himself. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Oh god he sounds so pissed.

I pushed the loose strands of hair out of my face as I tried to get up. Why did Batman save me, exactly? Was that what heroes did? Save the bad guys?

"I was defending myself," Robin answered simply. He glared at me, but I just looked away. I was still shaken up. My body was in shock from the near-death experience.

Batman stepped in front of him. "You could have killed her."

The boy did not seem fazed by that at all.

"She's a criminal. She doesn't deserve to live."

"You need to get your sidekick under control, bats," Slade commented with a dark, humorless chuckle.

Batman only glared at him, while Robin sent a kick to his stomach and spat, "I am not his sidekick."

"We'll talk about this later," Batman snarled, then turned to Slade. "You're under arrest."

Although my father looked beaten and bruised, he always kept his pride.

"Say whatever you want, I'll get out of there. I always do."

He sent me a sideways glance, but I refused to meet his gaze.

He wants me to break him out.

Fat chance.

"Robin, take Deathstroke to the GCPD," Batman ordered. "Then head back to the cave. We need to talk."

Robin glared but did as he said, taking my father away.

Batman looked at me and I gazed at the floor. What's he going to do with me?

I moved to the edge of the building and sat down, dangling my legs over the edge. He joined me, much to my surprise, and I tensed up a little. Please don't take me to prison, I kept thinking to myself. But then again, I didn't want to go back to Midnight, either.

"Am I going to jail?" I asked quietly, feeling pretty beaten up both inside and out. I was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but also scared of what was going to happen to me now that my father was gone.

Batman was silent for a few seconds. "No," he said finally, and my heart lifted in my chest for a split second. "I've been investigating an illegal assassin business that seems to be a frequent topic of discussion among criminals in Gotham. This business involves child trafficking, abuse, and similar felonies."

I stiffened at his words and he turned his head to me.

"Do you know anything about this, Sasha?"

I wasn't sure if I should tell him about Midnight. Slade would surely kill me if I did, as would every other assassin there.

But at the same time it seemed like it was the right thing to do. I never wanted to return to that horrid place full of horrid people and horrid tasks. All the abuse I'd been put through had scarred me...

I was miserable there. We all were.

Maybe it was for the best if I exposed them to Batman so he could stop them for good. Maybe it was for the best if I closed that place down once and for. If I freed all those children, like the little kids who still had so much ahead of them.

So, hesitantly, I offered him a single nod.

Slade is definitely going to kill me now.

"There's a place called Midnight just outside of Gotham. It's hidden in the forest. I grew up there. They trained me to be an assassin my whole life," I whispered, letting my hair fall around my face like a shield.

Batman looked thoughtful, glancing over at the sparkling city beneath us.

"And Slade, did he train you there?"

I refused to make eye-contact. "Sometimes. He wasn't always around much. I was mostly taught by the other trainers there. They were ex-assassins."

Suddenly Batman stood, and my nerves returned. Was he going to leave me?

"Wait, you can't go. They'll find me, they put a tracker in my arm. I can't go back there!"

He looked down at me and shook his head. "I won't let them take you. But I need more information on Midnight. If you help me shut them down, I can guarantee they will never hurt you again."

I stood up and nodded. I was willing to do anything to get away from that place. And to help Batman shut it down? Even better.

A sudden image of Conner flashed through my mind. He had been a nice guy to train with. He was probably the closest thing I had to a friend there, even if we didn't talk that often.

"Batman, the other kids there... they're not going to prison, right?" I couldn't help but ask.

I needed his reassurance. The students at Midnight were just like me; forced to work and train as assassin whether they liked it or not. I was just lucky that Deathstroke was my father, and that he could take me out. The others had hardly even seen outside the forest.

Batman turned around and began walking to the other side of the roof. "No. What Midnight is doing is illegal, forcing children to kill. The GCPD will find a home for them, as they will you."

I swallowed hard. "And the trackers?"

He turned to me, his eyes white slits piercing through a dark cowl. "They'll find a way to remove them. All of them. In fact..." he paused, and reached out for my arm. I let him examine the skin on my wrist where the device had been implanted.

"...I may have an idea."

wow this was a long one! 3972 words, way more then the other chapters. you can probably expect some more chapters to be this long, as sometimes i can go a little crazy with my writing when i'm in the mood lol.

rlly hope you enjoy this book. i'm getting pretty into myself. and batman has a clever idea, which you'll find more about in the next chapter.

also what did u think about damian's pov? finally we're getting some robin action. i'll include a photo of what he looks like because i know there's a few different adaptions and stuff. if any one has read the Super Sons comics he pretty much looks like that. ;)

xx