Mount Justice, Training RoomDamien stood alone in the dimly lit room, vibro-gauntlets humming faintly. He drove them into a holographic target, sparks flying.
But his focus wasn't sharp tonight. His strikes lacked their usual rhythm.
Robin appeared in the doorway.
ROBIN: "You're pushing too hard."
Damien froze mid-strike, sweat glistening across his jawline.
CROSSCUT: "Rumors."
ROBIN: "About?"
Damien finally turned, eyes shadowed.
CROSSCUT: "My father. Someone's spreading whispers… that he wasn't a good man."
Robin studied him quietly, then said,
ROBIN: "This life doesn't come with clean family trees. Trust me. What matters is who you choose to be."
Before Damien could answer, the zeta-tube flared. Aqualad's voice cut in over comms:
AQUALAD: "Team, prepare for deployment. Gotham. Cheshire has resurfaced."
Mission Briefing – BioshipThe Team assembled as the Bioship sped over the Gotham skyline.
AQUALAD: "Cheshire and League of Shadows operatives were sighted moving stolen tech through the Narrows. We intercept."
Artemis shifted uncomfortably at the mention of her sister but kept quiet.
Wally whispered to Robin, loud enough for Damien to hear:
KID FLASH: "Guess it's CrossCut's chance to 'not show off' again."
Damien ignored him, staring out at the city lights, jaw tight. Gotham NarrowsThe Team moved across rooftops, silent shadows. Below, Cheshire and her men loaded crates into black vans.
ROBIN (in comms): "On my mark—"
But Cheshire's voice rang out first, calm and sharp.
CHESHIRE: "Come out, little heroes. I smelled you blocks away."
The League of Shadows erupted from alleys, surrounding the Team.
Superboy crashed into Shadows, fists breaking concrete.
Robin danced across rooftops, flinging explosives.
Miss Martian lifted vans telekinetically.
Damien clashed blades with Cheshire, strikes sharp, efficient. But she was quicker tonight, almost playful.
CHESHIRE (taunting, mid-duel): "You fight with rage you don't understand. Tell me, CrossCut — has no one told you who your father is?"
Damien froze a half-second, eyes wide.
CROSSCUT: "…What do you know?"
Her blade cut across his guard, knocking him back.
CHESHIRE (smirking): "Only that his shadow is long… and you'll never escape it."
Her words rattled him. His counters faltered, footwork sloppy. Cheshire pressed hard, twin blades flashing.
Just as Cheshire's strike came for Damien's throat — thunk! — an arrow slammed into her blade, deflecting it.
Artemis landed beside Damien, bow raised.
ARTEMIS: "Focus, CrossCut. She's trying to get in your head."
Their movements synced instinctively. Artemis covered him with arrows while Damien recovered, blades slicing Shadows apart. They moved as if they'd trained together for years — precision, rhythm, trust.
Cheshire hissed in annoyance, leaping back.
CHESHIRE: "Cute. But you can't protect him forever, sister."
With a smoke bomb, she vanished, her forces retreating.
The Team regrouped, bruised and weary. But Damien said nothing, his thoughts elsewhere.
The others slept. Gotham's skyline glowed beyond Mount Justice's windows.
Damien stood alone on a rooftop ledge, wind tugging at his shirt.
Artemis climbed up behind him, settling on the ledge.
ARTEMIS: "You okay?"
Damien didn't look at her.
CROSSCUT: "She knew something about my father. She said I couldn't escape him."
ARTEMIS (softly): "Cheshire lives to mess with people's heads. Don't let her."
CROSSCUT: "What if it's true? What if I'm—"
He stopped, jaw tightening.
Artemis leaned closer, her voice firm but quiet.
ARTEMIS: "You're not him. You're you. Tonight you proved that. You had my back. That's what matters."
For the first time, Damien's hardened mask cracked. He exhaled slowly, eyes softening as he looked at her.
CROSSCUT: "…Thank you."
They sat in silence, Gotham's lights flickering below, the weight of unspoken truths hanging between them.