The inevitable came, when Raven had given all that she was willing and Constantine would spill no more, and when the hour had gotten late enough to elicit heavy yawns and drooping eyelids. It was time for everyone to go home.

Raven opened a portal and Constantine walked through. Batman would contact them when he needed to. That was the way Batman worked. Monitoring discreetly, keeping strict tabs always; Robin knew the methods well.

Before she passed through the black abyss, in to some place Robin reckoned she called home, the woman glanced at him and held his eye. Then she took a step and all was over as soon as it began. Damian was left wanting; he didn't know for what.

Sombre and still, Batman pulled back his cowl and leant back in his seat. He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. Damian's shoulders drooped and he wanted to go. It was at this point that Batman would have a talk; that talk would spiral in to a shout; that shout would turn ugly and one of them would walk away first.

Or perhaps this time wouldn't be a talk like that. Perhaps this would be one that left them both sad and tired and gnawing at meatless thoughts.

Damian had a clue of the topic. Three demons after his blood. He'd heard Batman's breath in the comms link when it had happened; when Robin had once again become Al Ghul.

"Father I'm going to go to bed." He said.

"Damian wait-"

"Goodnight father."

Damian said it, and for the five minute trek up stairs and through corridors, he meant it. Then the curtains of his window billowed and beckoned.

With a clenched fist and right jaw, Damian left Robin behind, in a neat pile beneath his bed. He retrieved pure black, hooded and slick, from the bottom of his cupboard and donned the garb he'd sworn off years ago.

An Al-Ghul leapt from that window, in pursuit of answers.

***

"So Bruce, how'd you find my Raven?"

Zatanna drummed keen nails on her vanity, back turned to the mirror, facing the ominous Batman square-on. She raised a sharp black eyebrow and probed him with a long-practiced look.

Bruce aimlessly set a top-hat down at the end of a costume rail. He sighed. The cowl was down and he frowned to his old friend.

She pushed herself off of the vanity and watched him sympathetically.

"I know how you feel about us magical lot Bruce, but she's a sweetheart- albeit with hellish relatives."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, "So I keep being told."

"Dick?"

"Constantine too." He sighed.

"Oh yeah," Zatanna chuckled, slotting a loose makeup brush in to its pot, "Constantine loves that kid. She might as well be his protégée rather than mine." The magician tilted her head and said, wistfully, "But it's nice seeing a careless asshole like him acting so paternal. She seems to have that effect on people- feeling anything Bruce?"

He merely glanced at her in answer.

The call of a parentless child was mighty strong, however grown and powerful that child was.

"Mind you," Zatanna snorted, "I think Lucifer's trying to shove him out of the way as daddy-o number one. Half the magical community is waiting to see how that plays out."

Batman's mouth had fallen open at that; he slammed it shut and trying to look as un-owlish as possible.

"Lucifer?...As in..."

She slapped her hand to her forehead, "Oh yes the Morningstar- fallen angel the original- You haven't met him..." she glanced up sheepishly. "Sorry, I don't want to give you more paperwork..."

As always, there was more to the magical world that Bruce didn't know. On this occasion, he had more pressing matters; and he was too tired.

"...I'll pretend I never heard the name."

Seeing through Bruce's letting her talk, Zatanna asked, "So what are you really here for? Don't try lying to me sweetie."

She held a hand before her and commanded " Riahc raeppa!"

Batman took her pointed look and sat down, all-too dark and armoured for the floral armchair that had popped in to existence. With thought behind his eyes, he watched Zatanna slip in to her own, less randomly-selected chair. Wrists resting crossed on her legs, the magician narrowed her eyes for him to start.

"It's Damian. He..." the man struggled to find a starting point. "Those demons spoke to him. They were after him as well as Raven- after 'the Al Ghul'. Had she not been there- had no one intervened- they... I don't know what they would have done." He ran his hand down his face and it rested anxiously at his chin.

With a renowned passion, he jerked forwards and slammed his fist on the armrest, "'A dept on your head' they'd said to him. What dept? Robin hasn't got anything to do with magic! Al Ghul heir'? He hasn't seen foot or tail of the League of Assassins since his mother died for them to have something to do with this. They were disbanded years ago! I don't... I don't know..." Bruce implored, "He's my son for God's sake! What am I supposed to think?"

He looked up, searching for answers, anything to set him at ease, in the magician's face.

Zatanna's face was set with a deep frown. That didn't bode well.

"The sons of Trigon..." she began, "Are after Damian?"

He blinked, stoic.

"I'll look in to this Bruce. Believe me, I'll figure this out." She looked behind him and Bruce felt the air stir. "Just hold on..."

On the back of his neck, the hairs stood up. Someone was there. Bruce turned around.

"Oh- hello- sorry, I'm interrupting-"

The woman stumbled. Dark cloak, magical portal, and unmistakably soft voice, Raven stood in full view, happening on Bruce and Zatanna's catch-up. Only the night before she'd seen the Batman; now felt too soon.

"Oh no hun you're fine- how's about I fix us some tea?" Zatanna entreated.

Batman had stood up; his cowl remained down.

"I was just leaving." He said.

Raven felt his presence was empty, then realised what had brought on the feeling. "Robin isn't with you?"

That sparked interest.

"No, not this evening? Hes of interest to you?" Bruce raised an eyebrow just a little.

Empathically sharp as ever, Raven caught hold of troubling undertones in his probing.

"Oh no no- I was just asking." She said.

Zatanna made to wedge a word between them, but Batman pulled his mask back up and made his purpose clear. He nodded to her, glanced at Raven, and moved to the dressing room door.

"nepO." Zatanna said, and the door opened. "Goodbye Bruce."

He weighed up once more the demon in purple, then left, silent.

With a huff from Zatanna, the stiff quiet that he'd left broke. Raven ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"So," Zatanna began, "why don't you tell me about Robin?"
***

They never saw him coming. Not a single suspicion. The floor kept his feet's secret well. Closer and closer he stalked.

Damian Al Ghul had tracked these two down with ease. He was almost disappointed; there's no fun in a hunt where the prey doesn't bother running. 

Really, he tutted to himself, condescending beyond pride, an assassin oughtn't be so sloppy.

They sat around a table, so used to the slouched position of that evening that both chair and human seemed one. With a soft, slapping sound, cards were dealt out casually. Four players. Two of them, prey. The others, collateral damage if they dared.

A change in the wind streaming through the crack of a window, and Damian sprung.

He yanked the chair of the first target back and the other scrambled. Target one flailed, while the second snapped in to a fighting stance, free of the table. He tried a kick and Damian shifted to the side. A jab of the fingers was all it took; the man fell limp, arms and legs locked even as he continued shouting .

The skills of the assassin weren't in brute physical attack, but in the subtle refinery of deadly skills: to incapacitate, yes, but to do so with a body comparable to the honed blade-edge.

The first target had gotten to her feet, furious and flustered. While the potential collateral damage behind them cried their surprise, the first target lunged for Damian. Lack of practice had made her slow. Ra's Al Ghul had had standards. Damian knew that her's were far, far below those.

A duck, a punch, and a blade to the throat later, Damian seethed, "Don't be stupid. You cannot fight and hope to win." He glanced to the man on the floor. "I want information on the League of Assassins."

A.N:

Aaaand we'll stop here! Hiya by darlings, how are we doing?

Sorry this chapter is out late; I've had a bit of shite going on in life that'd set the chapter back a little.

I hope you enjoyed that chapter! We're really getting the wheels in motion now huh? Next chapter will be delving in to Raven a heck of a lot more, so stay tuned for that!

So mwah! Thank you

-Bats