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Dick liked to think he was more open minded than Bruce when it came to many, many things. While Bruce was scared of what he didn’t understand and couldn’t control (or would control him if he let it), Dick found himself more willing to engage. He had to when his friends came from such different walks of life.
Today, it was magic.
Now, Dick had plenty of experience with magic. He’d been on the same team as Raven for years and Zatanna could be counted as one of his friends. Even John Constantine and him had… interactions that perhaps the family wouldn’t approve of. All this to say, while he may not be well versed or even necessarily comfortable with magic, he was familiar.
It was that familiarity that told him there was something... off. It wasn't anything he could see or hear, just a feeling. Something that settled deep in his bones the further he followed Zatanna into what she had told him was an ancient forest. The trees around them forced Dick to crane his neck to even hope to see the tops, yet their leaves still allowed for gentle sunlight to shine through. The trunks looked thick enough to live in, making Dick wonder just how many rings he’d find if one were to fall.
"Z," Dick looked around as subtly as he could. The first thing Bruce had taught him was to observe his surroundings. The first lesson Zatanna had drilled into him was respect. "Remind me why I'm here again?"
"Because you're likable," She flashed him a smile that showed no trace of unease. Maybe all the unease was just his bat-paranoia rearing its head in an unfamiliar situation. "If we needed to negotiate with anything, I'd much rather have you here than Dr. Fate or Etrigan."
"You’d take me over Constantine?"
Zatanna couldn't help but snort in amusement. "He pisses things off just by existing."
Dick let out a small chuckle as he tried to calm his nerves. Zatanna wasn't worried, and there was no one around. Everything was fine... And yet, Dick could not shake the sensation of eyes on him. His teammates had always called him paranoid, said living with Batman would make anyone see enemies in every dark corner, but this was different. Beyond what he could see, it felt like something, several somethings perhaps, were watching him with intent.
Strange was a word Damian couldn't always rely on to describe Richard Grayson, sometimes it paled in comparison to his eccentricities, however recently it seemed more fitting than usual. He wasn't sure exactly when it started, but there was a growing distance between him and the family, the type which was usually only preceded by a fight with his father. Either Damian had missed something (unlikely) or something else was wrong.
It started with his lack of care for Drake. He bothered him less about taking breaks and getting a proper night’s sleep, tending to back off uncharacteristically easily when brushed off before eventually dropping the topics all together. Then, it was his interactions (or, rather, lack thereof) with Todd. He avoided the territory he claimed like the plague, even when he required collaboration with Red Hood. The most glaring change was his behavior at the manor. He would pass by Damian with a smile, making no attempts to ruin his carefully styled hair or pull him into an ill timed hug. All the behaviors Damian had protested in the past were simply missing when he deigned to make an appearance.
Damian could stand the changes even less than Richard’s previous egregious behaviors. The worst part of it all was the dismissals his concerns got when brought to others.
"I thought you hated when he touched your hair?"
"I have more important things to worry about than Dickhead behaving himself."
And worst of all from his own father of all people, "If he needs space, it's best to give it to him."
Imbeciles. All of them. Obviously something was wrong with Richard and if they wouldn’t act, then it would fall on his shoulders alone to get to the bottom of things.
Reconnaissance was very important when solving a case which is why he thought it best to observe Richard on his own terms. Besides, a visit to Bludhaven was long overdue, invited or not. That's what led to him standing outside Richard's door with an overnight bag and pillow.
"Uh..." Richard looked down at him, more than a little dumbfounded. "Hey, Dami. I wasn’t expecting you..."
"Have I come at a bad time?"
"Not exactly-"
"Then you'll have no issues with my staying the night," Damian walked right past Richard and began to set up on his couch before he had a chance to protest. It wasn't the first time he'd stayed over, though it wasn't nearly as pleasant as Richard staying at the manor. "Father has been insufferable as of late and I recall you saying that your door is always open."
"Yeah," Richard finally seemed to comprehend what was happening as he closed the door behind him. He turned to Damian with an uncertain smile that quickly turned soft. "You're always welcome here."
Damian studied Richard for a moment. There was something... off about him still. The way he held himself wasn't as comfortable as it should have been when in his own home. Even with an uninvited guest, he seemed apprehensive about something.
"I was just about to make dinner, why don't you pick out a movie for us to watch?"
Damain nodded as he grabbed the remote sitting in plain sight. Another oddity. Usually Richard was not so organized.
While looking through different films, there was a loud crash of pots and pans falling in the kitchen accompanied by a pained hiss. In an instant, Damian was on his feet and standing in front of the mess Richard had made. He cradled his hand which, upon further inspection, appeared to have a nasty burn.
"Tt," Damian clicked his tongue as he approached. "You shouldn't be so careless. I know cooking isn't your strongest skill, but I expect you can at least use a stove without burning yourself."
"I'll be okay-"
"Where do you keep your first aid supplies?"
Richard stared at him for a moment too long before answering. "Uh, first aid’s in the bathroom."
While Damian went to fetch it, he heard Richard turn on the kitchen sink. When he came back with some ointment and bandages, he treated the burn. Once closer to the stove, he couldn’t help but notice the lack of heat.
After the burn incident, Richard maintained a wider berth. His visits to the manor dwindled to nothing, and yet still his father insisted that he simply needed space. Pennyworth had given the same advice.
The only time where Richard could be reliably found in Gotham was when he was called in as Nightwing. As such, it was important to keep an eye on him whenever the opportunity arose. Fortunately, his father required assistance in apprehending Freeze which put Richard both in Gotham and on patrol with them. Unfortunately, he was not the only one on call.
"Someone's excited," Drake quipped as Richard flipped between rooftops with more flair than usual. Though, there was something else different about it too, Damian just couldn't put his finger on it.
"Is it wrong to be happy about spending time with family?"
Before Damian could retort that it was Richard restricting his time with them, he was interrupted.
"Stay focused," Batman's low growl came through the coms. "I have eyes on Freeze, be ready to enter on my signal."
"Copy."
Damian cast one last look at Richard before putting all his focus on the task at hand.
Once inside the warehouse where Freeze was having materials for an entire arsenal's worth of ice weaponry components shipped, things grew chaotic. Damian and Drake engaged with several minions while Batman and Nightwing went after Freeze himself. Sometimes, out of the corner of his eye, Damian could see Nightwing flip out of the way of an incoming attack.
For Richard, gravity had always seemed more of a suggestion than a rule. Now, however, it seemed the air held him for just a moment too long. A bad landing was corrected before he could hit the ground, a mistimed jump (Richard never mistimed his jumps) refused to fall short.
By the time the fight was over, the warehouse was filled with ice shards and rubble. Crunching footsteps filled the room-
"Oof, that's a nasty cut," Except in front of him.
Richard examined his arm, not making a single sound as he shifted lower to get a better look. He gently grabbed Damian's arm with a warm hand. His own limbs were freezing. "Come on, we should- What's with that look?"
Damian wasn't entirely sure what look Richard was referring to, but pulled his arm away from his "brother's" grip.
"I don't need your help."
What he needed was to find out was what happened to Richard. The real Richard.
Damian had met his fair share of shapeshifters within his lifetime, though he couldn't recall any that could copy the victim's memory as well. Whatever had replaced Richard did not seem malicious, though the possibility that it was biding its time could not be ruled out.
Damian placed a neatly written note card on a large quark board. It was a technique he’d watched Richard use on difficult cases before, information was laid out visually then connected with string. It was strangely helpful at times.
“Working on a project?” Damian did not jump when Drake appeared behind him out of nowhere. Instead, he whipped around to glare at the nuisance for entering his room without permission.
“What do you want, Drake?”
“Nothing,” He raised his hands, “Alfred wanted me to tell you dinner’s almost ready.”
“Tt, I suppose you’ll be joining us?”
“I still have casework in the cave and Alfred insisted,” Drake’s gaze drifted to the board. Damian stepped in the way, but it did nothing to dissuade his interest. “You’re still on the Dick thing?”
“I know you refuse to believe me, but Richard has been acting differently.”
“So you think he’s, what? A shapeshifter?” Drake squinted. “Possessed?”
“I can’t rule out any possibility.”
“Whatever,” Drake rolled his eyes. “We can go over the evidence after dinner.”
“What?”
“You’re worried enough to make a conspiracy board, the least I can do is debunk your arguments.”
“You won’t be debunking anything,” Damian crossed his arms. In his chest, some of the anxiety he’d been feeling loosened its grip ever so slightly. “But if you’re interested in hearing my findings… I suppose I can share my findings.”
Despite Drake’s consistent refusal of reality, Damian felt confident when he entered Richard’s apartment complex. Several days of research had narrowed down the possibilities of what he was dealing with, allowing Damian to arm himself with several fail safes in case his confrontation didn’t go to plan.
A curt knock on the door was followed by several seconds of silence. Then, without any sounds to indicate that someone was home, "Richard" opened the door.
"Oh, Dami, you didn't mention you were..." The impostor's eyes drifted to the bag slung over Damian's shoulder. "Staying over. Again."
"I have an important matter to discuss with you," Damian watched as a fond smile spread across the fake's face. It was the same look Richard would get when he thought he was acting 'too grown up'. He'd make sure this creature would regret the theft of something so precious to him. "May I enter your home?"
"Why so formal?" Fondness turned into something a bit more awkward as silence began to stretch between them. After realizing that Damian would not be moving without an answer, he stepped aside to let him in. "You've already been invited in before."
Damian kept his face neutral as he entered the apartment. Immediately, he made his way to the couch where he set down his bag and began to rummage through it. The creature's reaction to his question made him even more certain of the conclusion he’d reached (loathe as he was to admit) with Drake’s assistance.
"Hey little D, are you hun-" The false Richard stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of a small silver bell in Damian's hand. His eyes widened, but before he had the chance to do anything, he enacted his plan.
A single light chime sent the fake to his knees as he tried to cover his ears. He curled in on himself as the bell kept ringing. With him incapacitated, Damian grabbed a bag of salt that he quickly used to make a circle around the creature. Hopefully it would hold once the fake recovered. If not, an iron dagger sat heavy on his hip hidden beneath his shirt.
"Tell me what you've done with my brother," Damian demanded as he stopped the bell's ringing. The creature's relief was immediate, as was Damian's. Impostor or not, he didn't enjoy seeing Richard’s face contorted in pain. "Do not try to lie to me."
"If you know what harms me, you know what I am," The creature began as he slowly released the tension his body was holding. He flashed Damian a bitter smile that looked wrong on his brother's face. "And if you’re aware of that, then you’re aware the fae cannot tell lies."
"And yet you've been impersonating my brother."
"But I haven't claimed to be him, have I?" He tilted his head. "Is it my fault if no detective has been able to see what's right in front of them?"
"Someone did."
"Yes," He sighed, "Children tend to be more difficult to fool. Their eyes are more open to the world."
"I want him back."
"He's not mine to give. I was simply loaned the name and form of Nightwing... And the memories that come with it."
"Take me to him."
"Now why would I do that?" The impostor leaned back, eyes suddenly sharp with resentment. "You haven't exactly endeared yourself to me."
"If you don't cooperate," Damian drew his blade. The creature took a sharp intake of breath as he followed its movement. "I'll have no use for you."
The creature was silent for a moment. Several emotions flickered through its gaze before an ugly grin split across its face. "Your family refuses to take lives."
"Human lives," Damian held out the blade, lightly pressing it to the creature's chest, causing it to recoil. "Father would understand if I disposed of a creature like you."
"He wouldn't-"
"Even so, are you willing to weigh my concern for my brother’s life against my fear of Father’s disapproval?" He pressed forward, forcing the creature to the very edge of the salt circle. Its face twisted in pain as Damian fought to keep his unaffected mask firmly up. "What will it be?"
The creature weighed its options for a moment. Each passing second made Damian increasingly nervous that it might call his bluff. After all, he wasn't really sure he could kill something with Richard's face. Not to mention the backlash from the rest of the family.
Eventually, the creature reluctantly nodded.
Damian withdrew the knife. The creature's relief was palpable, even more so than with the bell.
"I will bring you as a guest to my court," The creature eyed the knife in Damian's hand wearily. "But you must swear yourself to secrecy. No soul of your world or mine may be told of its location. No earthly weapons may be brought to our domain. No harm may come upon beast nor vine that inhabit our land."
"You're in no position to bargain."
"They are not my rules, but I must uphold them," The creature raised its hands. "I cannot help you unless you agree to these terms."
Damian weighed his options, but there really wasn't much choice. As loath as he was to make a deal with one of the fair folk, he knew there was nothing else to be done if he wanted to find Richard.
"Fine. I accept your terms."
Hairs stood on the back of his neck as the wind chittered with gossip and the shadows watched with interest. Animals approached without fear of their human visitor and looked at him with eyes that held more intelligence than they should. The air was unseasonably warm, the slight chill of autumn gave way to the heat of summer.
"We're almost there," The fae assured, as if sensing Damian's growing unease. Maybe he did. It didn't matter.
Before long, they arrived at what almost looked to be a small town. When Damian looked to his guide, there was not a single trace of him to be found. Alone and hesitant, Damian entered the fae’s court.
Fireflies floated lazily through the air, bright enough that they glowed even in sunlight. The trees formed a canopy over small cottages that looked to be carved from ancient trees. In a large clearing, several fae were gathered, and among them, unmistakably, was Richard.
His breath caught in his throat when he saw him. Draped in fine silks and adorned with precious gems was his older brother. He wore a radiant smile as he chatted with the creatures around him.
He wished he could say he looked out of place...
Without hesitation, Damian rushed to his brother's side. In his hurry, he attracted the attention of the entire group, but he couldn't focus on them. Not when Richard was so close.
"Nightwing!" Damian almost threw himself against Richard's side, but he had more decorum than that. He opted instead to grab Richard's wrist and pull him away. Or, attempt to pull him away. His brother was in no great hurry to leave. "Come with me. We have to leave this place."
"Hm? Oh, you poor thing," Richard cooed, his tone completely off as he condescended to Damian. He turned to him and crouched down so he could more easily look in his eyes. They didn’t hold the fondness they were supposed to. It hurt, though Damian chose to attribute that to the disorientation mortals often felt when stumbling beyond the veil. "Are you lost, little one?"
"Little one? No. Get ahold of yourself we-" Damian looked at his brother, really looked at him. Richard's smile was sharper than it should have been. He held himself differently as well, it felt more... refined perhaps, though distinctly off. Most importantly, he didn't seem to have even an ounce of recognition as he smiled at Damian. "You don’t know who I am, do you?"
"My memories are a little fuzzy," His smile turned apologetic. "Maybe a name would help?"
"You don't remember your own brother?" Damian fought to keep the building desperation out of his voice, but when Richard just gave him a blank look, he couldn't stop it from bleeding through. Without thinking, he pulled him into a tight embrace. "What have they done to you?"
Richard stood, frozen, as Damian clung to him. Somehow, that felt like the most damning detail.
Eventually, Damian pulled away. He tried not to dwell on how much it hurt to see his presence met with only confusion, but seeing Richard's face was almost too painful. Still, he had a job to do.
"I demand you release him," Damian glared at the group of fae that had been engaging with Richard. "Now."
"How presumptuous," One of them laughed. Another pulled Richard back into the group where he seemed to effortlessly fall back into place. His expression twisted into something almost cruel in its amusement. “He thinks his demands mean anything here.”
“He is not yours-”
“But he is.”
A voice made of rustling leaves and cicadas and thunderstorms rang out. Instantly, all the fae as well as Richard kneeled before the approaching fae. He was inhumanly tall and beautiful in an uncanny way that screamed threat.
“Our dear Nightwing, belongs to the Court,” The fae cupped Richard’s jaw as though he were an object rather than a person. He led him to his feet with a satisfied smirk that showed too many sharp teeth. “And this Court is under my command. My will does not bend to an entitled child.”
“I am not a child.”
“I know a young mind when I see one,” His smirk grew unnaturally wide. “A pity you were invited, young minds are so fun to mold.”
"I'm here to take my brother back," Damian couldn't help but glance at Richard. It made him sick how dutifully he was standing at the king's side. "He will return home with me at once."
"You still seem to be mistaken. All who reside in this court are my subjects. You have no claim to them."
"Nightwing is human-”
"For now," The king glanced at Richard, gaze hungry. Damian wanted to remove his eyes for daring to look at his brother in such a way. "But such a beautiful face is wasted on humanity. When the time is right, he'll shed his humanity and his youth will remain preserved as a member of my court."
"You have no right to change him. He's not yours to have."
"Of course he is. We have his name, so he is ours. You should be grateful I chose to elevate rather than punish for his transgressions. Trespassing with that witch," The fae's nose scrunched in disgust as he recalled what could have been Raven or Zatanna. "It was difficult to take him, but with a name, well, a human witch is easily fooled."
Most likely Zatanna then.
"You have an alias, not a name."
"An alias which holds enough power to keep him here. The responsibility tied to it is strong, the loyalty even stronger."
"His loyalty is to the people he cares about, which you’ve stolen from him," Damian's eyes flicked to Richard, who watched him with detached interest. If Richard did not have his memories, he likely would not be persuaded to return. Or, more accurately, the fae would not allow him to be persuaded so long as it felt its claim on him was legitimate enough.
He needed options. He needed leverage, but there was only so much he had.
Only so much he could lose.
Damian took a deep breath, steeling himself before he continued. "If you had his true name, you would have a real claim, and you wouldn't need to resort to tricks."
"Oh? Is the child offering a trade?"
"No," He clenched his fists. It wasn't an ideal plan, but he only had so many options if Richard wouldn't willingly return home. "You fae enjoy wagers, do you not?"
"We do, but you have nothing to offer."
"I have his true name-"
"We do not need a true name to make him ours. He's eaten our food and danced in our revelries. Besides, you stand to lose nothing and we stand to gain nothing. Why should I bargain what already belongs to me for no benefit?"
Damian opened his mouth to argue but snapped it shut. Richard did not belong to them, but he was still in their possession nonetheless. His mind rapidly ran through his options as the king's expression grew increasingly bored.
Then, as interest began to fade to boredom, then annoyance, a plan came to mind. It was undeniably stupid and reckless. The exact thing that Richard might do in this situation. But still, it was better than nothing. "Then... What if I were to wager my name."
"Oh?" The king wore the same look as a cat that just cornered a particularly tasty mouse. Richard looked at Damian with a flash of concern, but it was gone in an instant, immediately replaced with a sharp smirk that looked so foreign on his face. "Are you really so desperate?"
"I refuse to leave without my brother."
"Very well, I acknowledge a fair trade and accept your wager. As for the challenge..." He thought for a moment before grinning. "A child should be familiar with Hide and Seek. No?"
Damian hesitated for a moment. Part of him wanted to protest the inherent unfairness of such a game when one party knew the land and the other did not. At the same time, he at least knew the rules. A complaint might risk the fae changing the challenge to something entirely unfamiliar. "...I am."
"Then, the conditions are thus. You will seek Nightwing after he’s given an hour's head start. If he is not returned to my throne before the full moon falls, your true name will be ours. Find him, and we shall return him to you and allow both of you free passage. Do you accept these terms?"
That should give him three days assuming time worked as it should. It wasn’t much time at all to comb an entire forest. Damian quickly glanced at Richard, but found nothing to reassure him. Their wager was far from fair, but he had no choice. "I do."
"Wonderful," The fae snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Damian found himself unable to move as Richard's form shifted. Feathers sprouted as arms turned to wings. In a matter of moments, a small black bird with blue breast feathers stood where his brother once had. Damian stared, horrified, at the creature as it let out a series of happy chirps.
"Turn him back! This isn't what we agreed to!"
"Our terms never stated what form he must take," The king rose from his throne as the bird flew onto his shoulder. "I would suggest caution in the future, but you'll have learned your lesson by the time we claim you."
Damian glared at the fae, but he just smiled back in amusement. Then, he turned his attention to Richard.
"Fly, Nightwing, and do not let the boy capture you." With that, Richard soared into the air far faster than a normal bird.
Damian watched helplessly as his brother disappeared into the surrounding forest. Three days to find a bird in a seemingly endless forest. One that was once Richard Grayson no less. Even as a human, when he didn't want to be found...
Ugly laughter brought Damian back to the situation at hand. It didn't matter how difficult the task would be. He would not allow his brother to remain in the hands of these fae. No matter what, he would save him from their clutches.