Chapter Text
Damian slipped through the inner door undetected and sealed the entrance behind him.
The tunnel had been short and direct and he had only had to deal with three booby trapped tiles. Two had appeared to be rigged to probably activate the paralytic gas that Damian was all too familiar with and the third had been similar to something that he had seen in one of the Indiana Jones movies where blades were waiting to try and impale him from either wall. Fortunately, he had spotted them before they could be triggered because of West’s last recon mission; he would have to remember to thank Flash next time they saw one another as he had to admit that he wouldn’t have seen them if he hadn’t known to look for them.
The maze before him did not concern Damian in the slightest. From what he understood, it was nowhere near as elaborate as the one that Father had gotten himself trapped in at the previous headquarters of the Court, but even if it were, Damian was confident that he would have been able to master it. As it were though, it was not much of an issue because of his intended destination. He had entered through the most southern entrance and all he needed to do was try to keep north as best as he could. A child could do this. With the movement of the walls, and the fact that Talon’s nest was stationary, it was as if the layout were designed for him to end up exactly where he needed to be. If there were an intruder, they would be directed to Talon for him to deal with which would be less than ideal, but for Damian, it was perfect.
Room after room he ran, quick to make his way through the maze, until he finally entered into an atrium of sorts, with an inner room at the center of it. Scanning the perimeter, there were at least ten other doorways leading into the location.
This was it. It had to be.
He peeked through the doorway of the inner sanctum and saw what he was searching for. The room was dark and surprisingly cozy with its dark blue walls and draped tapestries. There was a couch with heaps of blankets and pillows and the walls were lined with packed bookshelves. Damian let out of small sigh of relief when he saw Grayson on the right side of the room. He was sitting in a chair, reading a book. It seemed almost normal and was something that Damian had seen countless of times before, except he had never seen Grayson do it while being chained to said chair.
“Gray Son,” he called out.
Grayson’s head snapped up from his book and he dropped it to the floor. “Robin? What are you doing here?” He looked at Damian and then around the room, apparently thoroughly bewildered, like things weren’t adding up in his head. “Robin is in Talon’s nest,” said Grayson, sounding very confused with the entire situation, like he couldn’t believe that it was real. Damian couldn’t blame him. For close to two years he couldn’t have many visitors to his nest other than the Grandmaster, and he certainly wouldn’t expect Robin to just show up undetected.
“I’m rescuing you.” Damian strode quickly over to Grayson and set to work picking the lock on the manacle that was binding his ankle. It seemed to have barbs that were digging into Grayson’s skin, deterring him from removing the device, but it didn’t look like he had even tried to break loose. Perhaps he had tried in the past with unsatisfactory results. The thought made Damian bristle. “Do they normally keep you tied up?”
Grayson continued to stare at Damian disbelievingly, but shook his head. “No. Talon is usually free. The Grandmaster wanted to make sure that Talon remained in his nest for the duration of the Feast. Talon was just going to read until Grandmaster returned.”
Grayson hissed as Damian picked the lock, barbs digging into his ankle, but stayed still while Damian worked. Less than a minute after he started, the lock sprung free and Grayson’s ankle was released. He stood and rotated it a few times, testing out the range. Damian watched and tried not to react as he watched the wounds on his leg heal before his eyes and when he was satisfied that Grayson was fine, he started to walk back to the door that lead to the atrium. “Let’s go.”
Grayson jogged quickly in front of Damian and blocked his path, spreading his arms wide to avoid Damian going around him. “But it is not safe for Robin to be in the Court of Owls compound.”
Despite the seriousness of Grayson’s tone and his claim, Damian had to bite back a laugh. The logic was sound, but it was too little too late; he was already there. “All the more reason for us to leave quickly. Come on.” He sidestepped around him, and continued his route.
“Wait.” Damian turned and saw that Grayson hadn’t moved, but he had tilted his head as he thought more about what was happening. About why Robin would be in his nest. The reasons why were limited. “It is happening now?” Damian nodded impatiently and Talon sucked in a sharp breath. “Batman is here?”
“Everyone is here. We have to go. Now.”
“Family is here?”
Damian was growing more frustrated by the second because they really didn’t have the time for this. He only really had one job for this entire mission and it was crucial to their success. If, by chance, things went poorly in the Bright Room, Damian was determined to get his part of this right. He grabbed Grayson’s wrist tight and tugged him towards the door. “Yes. They are in the Bright Room causing havoc during the Feast while I get you out.”
“Family… is with the Grandmaster?” The words fumbled out of Grayson’s mouth, apparently still confused about what was happening. Or maybe he was not confused but wanted to make sure that he understood fully, not wanting to misinterpret what was happening. Damian sighed. It was to be expected. Richard would have wanted to know the rest of the family’s status if he were the one being extracted, and Talon was even more single track minded.
“Assuming he is in the Bright Room, then yes.” With that confirmation, Grayson’s whole demeanor changed and Damian suddenly found himself to be the one that was being dragged. They exited the room as Damian had been trying to do, but instead of going straight Grayson turned left and started heading north.
Damian tried to pull him backwards, but Grayson was stronger and didn’t even seem to notice Damian struggling against him. “Gray Son! That is the wrong direction!” He felt foolish as the words left his lips. Grayson knew this compound better than anyone. He was going in the right direction for what he wanted, but they clearly had clashing opinions of where they should be going.
“Override Two requires that Talon must keep Family safe,” said Talon, looking straight ahead towards a door. “Family is in the Bright Room. Talon must go there.”
“No, come with me. It is part of the plan that you come with me and leave while they are fighting.”
“Override Two.” He pushed the door open and dragged Damian through with him without hesitation. “Bright Room.”
“Damn it, Gray Son.” He tried to grab the doorframe to stop them, and he managed it for a few seconds, but Grayson just kept pulling and his fingers didn’t hold out long.
“Talon must keep Family safe. Override Two.” repeated Grayson for what now felt like the thirtieth time.
He had to think of a way to get Grayson out; to get the attention turned back on him and redirect Grayson’s focus. “But what about me? I’m Family. If I go in there, I won’t be safe. I’m not safe in the Court of Owls.” He released Grayson’s wrist, and started walking backwards through the door, trying to coax him back towards the direction of the south exit. “Come with me. We can both be safe if you come with me.”
Grayson stopped short at that and he turned to stare at Damian as he considered the words. His face was impassive, but Damian could tell that he was trying to sort out his conflicting thoughts. Override Two seemed to dictate a lot of his actions, but what would happen when it was pulled in two directions? He couldn’t do both.
Close to a minute passed before Grayson finally made up his mind and reached out to grab Damian’s arm. “Robin must come with Talon to the Bright Room. Talon will keep him safe. Talon will keep everyone safe.”
Damian quickly stepped out of reach. “Richard! We have to leave.”
Grayson scowled, though Damian wasn’t sure if it was at the use of the name or because Damian wasn’t doing what he wanted. He turned and examined the room that they were in. It was plain and without furniture, with only old pictures of the Gotham skylines on the wall. “Fine. Robin will be safe enough to wait here. Do not move from this room. Not safe in other rooms for Robin. Talon will return for you.”
“You’re just going to leave me here?” Damian voice cracked as he protested. That was not a move that he had predicted Grayson to make.
Raising his arms helplessly, Grayson tilted his head in the direction of the door. “Or Robin comes with Talon to the Bright Room. Talon will not force him.” Grayson then grinned and ran through the door without a second thought.
It was an absolutely infuriating grin. Grayson was forcing Damian to follow, and he knew it because there is no way that he would let Grayson run off into danger by himself. Damian sighed, resigned to the fact that he had been outwitted, and chased Grayson through the door. It became an odd mixture of tag and hide and seek, chasing Grayson through the maze. He seemed to be timing things exactly so that Damian would have just enough time to follow, but cutting it close enough that the walls changed directly after him. Damian had to run at top speed just to keep Grayson in view.
He burst through a door and was greeted by Grayson catching him, slowing him down in his arms so that he didn’t run straight into a wall. Damian took a few seconds to take in their surroundings while he caught his breath. They were standing in a long but narrow hall that was lined with candles and directly in front of them was an ornate wooden door with two crumped guards on either side. Once his breathing slowed, Damian could hear screaming and smashing behind the door.
This had to be it. The Bright Room.
Grayson was frowning at the door, listening to the commotion on the other side as well. He flexed his fingers several times, and shook his wrists out.
“Are you sure about this, Gray Son? We still have time to leave.” It was a last ditch attempt, but Damian knew there was no way he could get him to leave now, when they were so close to the fight. To their family. Family.
“No. Family is in there. Talon needs to keep them safe.” Grayson grasped the door handles and turned his head to Damian. “Ready, Robin?”
Damian shook his head in disagreement, but pulled his katana from his back and held it firming in his hand. Father was going to be so irritated when he saw them. Damian was going to blame this plan deviation all on Grayson the first chance he got. “Obviously. Someone needs to watch your back if you insist on being this stubbornly foolish.”
Grayson grinned at him again and pulled open the doors.