His son

12 years later

12 year old Damian ran through the alley ways he had grown up in passing the spot he and his friends would play everything from soccer to wrestle each other till their faces were purple. A smile creeped onto his face as he saw the places were the other kids in the orphanage would hide as he pretended not to see them so they could tease him for being blind later. Sure It sucked not knowing who his parents were and watching kids come and go as they went from crying toddlers who had lost everything to smiling kids with a new family a new life to look forward to even though he know nobody would adopt him. He was the oldest at the orphanage almost a teenager and who wanted a teenager who was raised in a chaotic environment. The kids at the orphanage weren't the problem it was the staff, most of them were criminals who got out of prison and tried to do some good no crime no foul except for they have very violent tendencies so if they had a hard day they would take it out on the kids. Damian took most of it himself because he felt it was his responsibility to protect the younger kids and because he had been stuck and their hair for years so they choses him because who would notice another abused kid on the streets right. Damian hadn't been paying attention to where he was running and he tripped over a rock landing hard on his wrist twisting it till he heard a snap causing him to cry out in pain. The gang that had been chasing him caught up and started beating on him even more. Damian wasn't the best behaved kid and the gangs around Gotham had started he's poppins to their territories which normally meant he had distorted something of theirs. He had thrown a bunch of drugs that the gang kicking his ass had been selling to kids in to the bay pissing them off to the point where they chased him. Damian had already been kick and punched in they head multiply times when the gang ran away yelling something he couldn't make out and as he started to pass out he noticed the colorful figures walking toward him.

Damian woke up with a killer headache and sixteen eyes on him.

"So what do we do with him NightWing," the one in yellow said getting closer to Damian's face causing him to backup a little, "this is your city." So I'm still in Gotham good he thought. Damian tried to get up even though his head disagreed causing him to spill into the big ones arms.

"Hey there you're in no condition to be walking" said picking up Damian as if he was nothing which surprised he sure he wasn't as bulky as some of the other boys he has a pretty good build for a someone his age.

"you have a bad concussion, broken wrist, multiply bruises and cuts some we had to put stitches in and a gash on the side of your head we didn't get to before you woke up," the one he knew as NightWing said.

"Yeah that explains they headache and why I feel like shit," he mumbled as he thought aloud getting some more than deserved looks.

"So kid do you know where you live or a parents number" the blond girl in green said unfazed by his comment.

"Uh Annie Marie's orphanage" Damian said quietly. It didn't bother him that he lived in a orphanage at 12 what bothered him was the pited looks he got when he said it. He didn't need pity, at less he had a place to sleep even if he had to share it with other boys. When he looked up has saw the heros that saved him look at NightWing clearly not knowing the city well.

"Oh ok um sorry, but after we finish fixing you up will take you back" NightWing said as he prepared a needle to stitch up the gash on his head.

"so" Damian started, "where is this place"

"It's one of are safe houses you were pretty knocked up so we took you here so we could get better supplies and ta da your good to go" NightWing said as he finished stitching the wound.

Once Damian got steady enough to walk on his own feet they all started to walk to the orphanage the team decided to walk him their incase the gang was still out. The walk was filled with an uncomfortable silence until the Martian asked, "so Damian how long have you been at the orphanage."

"For as long as I can remember. The owners said that they found me on the door steep in a blue blanket with a note that said my first name only and asked that they take care of me. The caretaker at the time guessed that I had been left as soon a I could live without relying on my mother. Probably a teen who refused to get an abortion ,but I guess I'm lucky that I never had to go through losing a family seeing I never had one. Some kids come in balling their eyes out and screaming I try to calm them down but you can only do so much for a kid who just wants to be held by their parents " He answered just glad that a conversations was started.

"Well at less your trying to help that itself is more than most can say," NightWing said with a sad looking smile, " most just turn a blind eye. If they can't see it it's not their right," Kid Flash moves his are around the black haired boys shoulder in a comforting motion.

"You sound like you've been in the system before, have you" Damian asked wondering if he had been someone he new. NightWing was obviously older than him but he had old friends who could be his age judging by height and the range of his voice.

"Yes for a small period of time nothing I could compare to you, the point is I'm sure you'll get you break soon," he said with a warm smile that made Damian almost believe him but as his prison came into view reality came with it.

"Yeah sure nobody wants a kid who grew up in the system," Damian said with a sigh, "anyway thanks for helping me, if you guys weren't nearby I probably wouldn't be here right now knowing how the gangs in Gotham work."

Dick began to ask why he was in trouble with gangs but got interrupted by the orphanage's door when it roughly swang open and a bulky male came out and growled in a aggressive tone, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PAPERWORK YOU ALMOST CAUSED ME"

"Sorry Gabe" Damian said just loud enough for the man to hear.

"WHAT YOU SAY PUNK" Gabe said as he came close enough that they could smell the alcohol in his breath. He took another step towards Damian and hit him so hard it made him stumble back into Superboy's arms. Dick quickly pulled him behind him to take a look at the stitching had come undone and the black eye that was forming under his right eye. Dick was about to attack the man when Damian grabbed him and mouthed 'Don't it's fine his just drunk.' Dick couldn't even begin to know why the kid was defending the guy that had hit him but he didn't argue and just stood there like a Gaping fish as he watched Damian walk calmly into the orphanage. The last thing he saw was Damian waving from the window before a small boy jumped on him smiling. Somewhat content with knowing he was fine for the rest of the night NightWing followed his team to the zeta tube that sent them back to the station.