Four Months In: Patrols, Dates, and a Dangerous Breakthrough
(10-Month Timer → Now 6 Months Left)
Four months passed faster than Damian expected — a rhythm of night patrols, stolen lab hours, and something completely new in his life:
peace… and romance.
Four Months Summary
1st month: Metropolis infiltration → Kryptonian data stolen.
Months 2–4:
Patrols in Gotham and Jump City.
Avoiding Batman's overly curious surveillance.
Beach dates with Raven and Zatanna.
Occasional training against low-level villains.
And in between all of it — the weapon project continued.
And now:
[System Progress: Kryptonian Neutralizer — 52% Complete.]
[Time Remaining: 6 Months.]
Damian's Pocket Dimension — Late Night
The house inside his private dimension was quiet, warm, and his alone.
Inside the lab, pages of Kryptonian physiology, Lex Luthor's stolen energy logs, and solar conversion biological charts floated holographically.
Damian rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck.
"Six months left… plenty of time."
He didn't believe that even for a second.
The Prototype
The weapon's core hovered in front of him — a glowing shard of stabilized synthetic kryptonite, forged using:
His Sun Breathing heat refinement
His Logia flame control
And Lex Luthor's stolen crystalline matrices
It pulsed rhythmically, like a heart.
Damian slowly closed the containment casing, locking it behind seven defensive seals.
"Stay in there," he muttered.
"This world is not ready for you."
A Flashback to the Beach — His First Real Break From War
Raven and Zatanna walking ahead of him on the white sand.
Raven in a dark-purple bikini with a sheer shawl.
Zatanna in a black magician-themed swimsuit she claimed was "purely coincidental."
They bickered much of the day.
Raven:
"Stop flirting with him like you're performing a stage show."
Zatanna:
"Sweetheart, this is my stage show."
Damian simply smiled — the kind of smile he never had at the League.
And when they pulled him into the water, splashing him with magic and dark energy?
He almost forgot he was building a weapon to challenge gods.
Almost.
Back in the Present — Damian Finishes Another Stage
His Sun Breathing flared — a controlled, precise weld hotter than any forge.
The system chimed:
[System: Core Stabilization 90% → 100%.]
[Overall Project Progress: 54%.]
Damian exhaled, wiping sweat from his face.
Six months left.
But he wasn't afraid.
He was getting better, faster, stronger.
And unlike when he was in the League…
he wasn't alone anymore.
Never Leaving the Dimension
Damian approached the dimensional vault — a square block of shifting black metal.
"This weapon never leaves this place," he reminded himself aloud.
He placed the prototype inside and locked it with a sunfire seal only he could generate.
[System: Weapon Containment Confirmed.]
Damian Steps Outside — And The System Speaks
He stepped into the backyard of his pocket-dimension home — the artificial sky glowing sunset-orange.
Then:
[System Alert: Mission Phase II Approaching.]
[Note: Kryptonians will soon notice missing data.]
[Prepare accordingly.]
Damian rubbed his forehead.
"Great. Superman-level problems incoming."
A quiet breeze shifted through the illusionary trees.
He straightened up.
"Six months left," he whispered.
"I'll finish this. No matter what."
Raven and Zatanna Confront Damian: "What Are You Hiding?"
(6 Months Left — Secrets Becoming Too Heavy)
For four months, Damian had balanced the impossible:
Night patrols
Training
Building a Kryptonian-Neutralizer
Keeping Batman from discovering it
And most dangerous of all… keeping Raven and Zatanna from sensing anything.
But today, both women arrived at his Jump City apartment with expressions that made Damian instantly tense.
They weren't here to flirt.
They weren't here for a date.
They were here because they knew something was wrong.
Inside the Apartment
Damian stepped in and closed the door behind them.
Raven stood with her hood up — aura rippling with her emotions despite her attempts to hide it.
Zatanna leaned against the counter, arms crossed, blue eyes narrow.
They didn't say a word.
Damian sighed.
"…Okay. What happened?"
Raven finally spoke, voice quiet but sharp:
"Your soul feels… heavier. Tired. Like someone carrying a burden they can't talk about."
Zatanna added:
"And your magical signature spikes at random times. You're doing something — something dangerous. We can feel it every time you vanish."
Damian froze.
They'd sensed his Sun Breathing power surges, his flame training, his weapon forging, and the dimensional shifts.
Of course they would.
One was the daughter of a demon.
The other was one of the world's strongest sorceresses.
He rubbed his face.
"Look… it's not something I want either of you involved in."
Raven stepped closer, eyes softening.
"Damian… you don't have to protect us from yourself."
Zatanna flicked his forehead lightly.
"And you don't get to decide what we can or can't handle, Fire Shadow."
Damian winced.
This was the exact scenario he wanted to avoid.
Not because he didn't trust them.
But because if they knew…
It put them in danger from Kryptonians, Luthor, the League, and whoever else came after him.
Damian Tries to Deflect
"I'm fine. Just… busy."
Zatanna raised an eyebrow.
Raven crossed her arms.
Clearly, that answer was garbage.
Damian tried again.
"Okay, I'm working on a project. Something that needs to stay hidden."
Raven stepped right up to him, placing her hand on his chest.
Her voice was low.
"You're scared."
"…I'm not—"
"Not for yourself," she clarified.
"For us."
That hit him harder than any assassin.
Zatanna moved closer on the other side, touching his arm.
"Damian… we're not here to interrogate you. We're here because we care."
Damian Finally Cracks — But Only a Little
He breathed out slowly.
"…fine. I'll tell you part of it."
They both nodded and stayed close.
"I'm working on something that could… neutralize a Kryptonian."
Raven's eyes widened.
Zatanna blinked.
Neither spoke.
Damian continued:
"It's not for killing. Not for war. It's for protection. Because someday — maybe sooner than I want — I'm going to face something stronger than Superman."
Raven touched his cheek gently.
"You're preparing for something terrible."
Zatanna whispered:
"And you didn't want us to worry…"
Damian nodded.
"Exactly."
Zatanna Steps Closer — Voice Soft
"Next time you burden yourself like this…"
She cupped his jaw.
"…Share it with us."
Raven slid her hand into his.
"We're not going anywhere."
Damian swallowed.
He'd fought assassins, Talons, Slade, monsters…
But this — emotional honesty — felt harder.
"Okay," he whispered.
"I'll trust you more."
Raven allowed herself a small smile.
Zatanna smirked triumphantly.
"Good. Now sit down. All this stress is killing your aura."
The Chapter Ends
With Damian sitting between the two girls on the couch — both curled up against him protectively.
For the first time in four months…
Damian felt lighter.
Until the system chimed in the back of his mind:
[System Alert: Kryptonian entities are beginning to notice anomalies.]
[Expect contact soon.]
Damian closed his eyes.
"…of course."