Archive of Our Own

Damian - couldn’t keep going. He was pushing himself; he truly was trying to force himself to go on.

But he couldn’t. 

The situation they were in was all Jon’s fault. He had been the one to insist that it would be fine for them to go exploring on their own. 

Damian supported going to explore on their own; he was not a child . He did not need supervision to go explore farmland and woods. He faced by far worse each and every night as his Father’s right hand. Routinely, he faced down evils that few outside of Gotham could even fathom existing as a myth, let alone in reality.

So no, Damian had not found himself wanting to tell someone that they would be going out to survey and collect data. He had been wary about not telling anyone what their plans were… 

When they were going out in a tornado.

And Damian, he found, had been right to be cautious. 

They had been prepared against the high winds, Damian suiting up appropriately as he was human and therefore easier to be harmed. Jon had waited, looking out towards where they would be flying excitedly.

They had no tornadoes near where they were located, and they did not wish to attempt their experiment within the borders of Kansas. Both of them believed that if they attempted their idea on the east side of the state, somehow his grandmother would know. And she would in turn tell Alfred.

And then they wouldn’t get to attempt their plan.

So they had left as soon as Damian was ready. He had perched on Jon’s back, arms crossed to hide his mounting excitement as they neared the Tornado. They were flying to Colorado, both of them telling their parents they were going to stay at the other’s that day. They had left before Damian’s father would be awake, flying early to where there should be a scheduled tornado.

As they neared the location where it was supposed to happen, they had been able to watch as the clouds formed their funnel. 

Damian’s sidekick had reached up and grasped his leg with one hand, ensuring that they would remain tethered should what they used to secure Damian to his back break. 

They had a great deal of fun within the winds, making it to the center of the tornado before they remained flying inside of it. Damian had had to admit, it was dramatic and extraordinary to be able to sit inside of a hurricane and watch as it weaved its path of destruction. 

It had been an experience of a lifetime until Damian got hit by the side of a house.

It had torn him free of the bindings that kept him secure on Jon’s back. Wheezing and gasping, Damian had gone careening forward uncontrollably. It was only Jon’s grip on his leg that kept him from his death.

All of a sudden, their fun day spent inside of a tornado had become a much more terrifying experience. 

Jon had tried to say something to Damian, but Damian couldn’t hear him. Even with the comm in his ear, Damian couldn’t hear his brother over his own laboured breathing. Jon dragged him up so that Damian was no longer dangling by one leg, before he’d headed off.

Damian was helpless to anything and everything as Jon took over and started to fly them back to the ground. Damian was unable to do anything at all, even cling to Jon, as he was carried away. He’d only been able to focus on his breathing, even after Jon broke through the cyclone as he raced off somewhere.

Jon had landed eventually, throwing open a door next to a house and entering the storm cellar. He’d put Damian down in the mostly empty room, before he flew back out of the cellar with a hasty “I’ll be back!”

Before Damian had been able to do more than glance around the semi empty space, Jon was back with a few lanterns.

“Thank Krypton that all farmhouses keep their lanterns in the same spot.” Jon said as he’d lit one. Damian wheezed at him.

Jon immediately started to look anxious again, coming over to his side and hovering anxiously. “What can I do? What were you hit with? The storm won’t be over for a while, it’s a violent tornado.”

“H…ouse.” 

“You want to go into the house? We can’t do that, it’s probably gonna get eaten by the storm.” Jon had gone back to the lamp to bring it closer.

“Hit… house.”

“Yeah; it’s gonna get hit - wait did you get hit by a house ?” Jon asked, looking shocked.

Damian wheezed at him again, slumping into the ground. Jon came over, hovering - literally - beside him anxiously.

“If you got hit by a house I think you need more help than just me.” Jon told him. “I’ll go get dad!”

Before Damian could tell him that he could simply call for his father and he would hear, Jon had left.

Damian was now struggling to stand up. He tried twice so far, and each time had ended up with his legs buckling under his weight before he could stand. He had passed out at least once more, as a candle wouldn’t burn as quickly as it had during a simple eyeblink. 

Damian was also certain that he had passed out again, as when he woke up next it was to Uncle Clark kneeling beside him to pick him up.

Uncle Clark gave him a strained, though still soft, smile. “Hey, bud. Your gramp Alfred is already preparing for how hurt you are. Now let’s get ya to him.”

Damian let himself go limp, trusting his uncle to get him to his father and grandfather. He let his head loll over Uncle’s arm, safe and saved.

He woke up next, being cradled to his uncle’s flannel shirt as they flew across the world.

Then he was waking up as they landed somewhere. Damian could distantly hear voices, even as he let himself drift off yet again.

He woke up as he was being placed in a bed, father brushing his hair back as he was laid down. 

Then he was waking up pain-free, Alfred the cat on his right side as Duke and Cass sat in the plump armchairs that decorated the medical portion of the batcave.

Jason had insisted on there being comfortable chairs there, as they spent so much time with one of them injured.

“Baby brother.” Cass smiled at him. Duke jumped at the sound of her voice, looking up from the book he had been reading.

“Damian! You woke up!” He smiled. “Bruce’s upstairs with Jon at the moment, they were just bringing down some food for everyone. Jon’s been so upset about everything that’s happened that Bruce is letting him stay here.

“Clark made him sign a contract saying he wouldn’t adopt Jon without permission.” Duke was grinning, and so was Cass. Damian laughed as well. 

And if anyone asked, he was going to blame the pain medication.