The Team lounged around after a sparring session. Tension filled the air.
Kid Flash paced, gesturing wildly.
KID FLASH: "I'm telling you, he's a show-off! All flips and glowing blades — like we need another Robin wannabe."
Robin smirked but said nothing, flipping through his tablet.
Damien sat calmly on the couch, arms folded, eyes half-lidded. He didn't even look at Wally.
CROSSCUT: "If saving your life is showing off, then I'll keep doing it."
Wally stopped, bristling.
KID FLASH: "You're reckless. One day you'll get us all—"
AQUALAD: "Enough. The mission tomorrow requires unity."
Black Canary entered, arms crossed.
BLACK CANARY: "Robin will lead this one. Gotham. Undercover. That means subtlety, teamwork — and no personal grudges. Clear?"
Everyone mumbled assent, though Wally shot Damien a glare
Robin projected a holo-map of Gotham's east dock.
ROBIN: "The shipment tonight isn't weapons. It's tech. Stolen from STAR Labs. Buyer unknown. We need intel before Batman moves in."
Miss Martian tilted her head.
MISS MARTIAN: "So we're undercover?"
ROBIN: "Exactly. Blend in, observe, report. No grandstanding."
His eyes lingered on Damien.
Damien only smirked faintly.
CROSSCUT: "Don't worry. I can be invisible."
Wally muttered,
KID FLASH: "Yeah, right."
Infiltration – Gotham DocksThe night was damp, smog clinging to the air. The Team slipped through shadows in street clothes, earpieces buzzing softly.
Robin led with calm precision, guiding them into a warehouse vantage point. Inside, thugs unloaded crates marked with STAR Labs insignia. Two masked villains supervised — Count Vertigo and Cheshire.
ROBIN: "Stay low. We need evidence first."
Damien crouched by a crate, eyes scanning. His mind worked fast — too many guards, too open. He spotted a control panel across the dock.
CROSSCUT (whisper): "Security hub's there. If I loop the cameras, Batman gets proof."
Robin glanced at him, surprised.
ROBIN: "…Good eye. Go."
Damien slipped through shadows with fluid grace, vaulting silently between stacks. He moved like smoke. Even Artemis watched with a flicker of surprise.
Conflict in the FieldDamien reached the hub, pulling a small device from his belt. He hacked fast, fingers flying. Screens flickered. Evidence uploaded.
But a guard rounded the corner. Before Damien could neutralize him, Wally zipped in, knocking the man out with a grin.
KID FLASH: "You're welcome."
Damien's jaw tightened.
CROSSCUT: "I had it."
KID FLASH: "Sure. Like you 'had it' last mission."
Their voices rose — loud enough that Vertigo's men snapped their heads around.
VERTIGO: "Intruders!"
Alarms blared.
Robin swore under his breath.
ROBIN: "Blown. Everyone move
Gotham WarehouseChaos erupted.
Superboy barreled into thugs, sending crates flying.
Miss Martian raised a shield against gunfire.
Artemis unleashed a storm of arrows, covering Robin's advance.
Damien leapt into the fray, blades flashing. He was efficient, slicing weapons apart and flipping enemies with sharp precision. But his movements synced poorly with Wally, who zipped past, nearly colliding with him.
CROSSCUT: "Stay out of my lane!"
KID FLASH: "Maybe if you had one!"
Their bickering opened a gap. Cheshire slid in, smirking. Her twin blades slashed at Robin, who barely parried.
CHESHIRE: "Children playing hero. Always my favorite."
Vertigo triggered a device, a pulse of green energy disorienting half the Team.
By the time they regrouped — the villains were gone, crates emptied, evidence stolen
The Team stood in the training room, battered and tense. Black Canary's expression was stone.
BLACK CANARY: "You failed. Because you couldn't work together."
Her gaze locked on Wally and Damien.
BLACK CANARY: "Especially you two."
Wally crossed his arms, glaring at Damien.
KID FLASH: "He thinks he's better than the rest of us."
Damien's tone was cold, controlled.
CROSSCUT: "I don't think. I act. Maybe if you did the same—"
BLACK CANARY (cutting sharp): "Enough! Both of you are liabilities until you learn control. Understood?"
Silence.
Surprisingly, Artemis stepped forward.
ARTEMIS: "It wasn't all him. CrossCut got us the intel. Without him, we'd have nothing."
Her eyes flicked to Damien, a subtle spark there.
Damien met her gaze — just for a second — then looked away, expression unreadable.
Wally threw up his hands.
KID FLASH: "Unbelievable."
Later, in the hall, Robin caught Damien on his way to the training room.
ROBIN: "You're good. But if you don't fix this with Wally, you'll drag the whole Team down."
Damien paused, then gave a small nod.
CROSSCUT: "…Maybe. Or maybe he just has to catch up."
Robin smirked faintly, half-exasperated, half-amused.
ROBIN: "No wonder Batman likes you."
Damien didn't answer. He just stepped into the training room, blades humming to life.
The camera lingered on his focused expression, the faintest trace of something softening when Artemis' words echoed back in his mind