Chapter Text
Damian was not having a good day. Ever since the possibility that he was a demigod was revealed, he had been vehemently against it. He was an Al’Ghul and a Wayne, two things that had been impressed on him until they were ingrained in his bones. He was the Son of the Bat and the Heir of the Demon’s Head! Except, as it turns out, only one of those things was true.
He was under no delusions; he knew almost all of the Bats hated his mother (or the woman he believed was his mother), and after everything both she and his grandfather had done, they probably deserved it. Except Ra’s wasn’t his grandfather anymore, now was he? There were too many questions, too much uncertainty. And Damian could feel the edges of panic start to creep over the edges of his mind. So he leaned on his training. He took deep, even breaths, forced the disturbing thoughts away, and cloaked himself in an air of purpose and authority.
He remained silent as he followed the other young heroes and his new sister (He had another sister!) around this…camp. Honestly, Damian did not know what to make of it. At first glance, it did appear to be an ordinary summer camp, like in those horror movies Jason forced him to watch. Only, Damian doubted that a masked maniac was about to crawl out of that crystal blue lake. Honestly, everything around here felt so bright and clean and full! Like the family room in Wayne Manner at Christmas time, when everyone was home and the fire was roaring in the hearth, and everyone was lounging around and laughing while eating Alfred’s cookies.
It would have made Damian curl his lip in disgust at the perceived naivety if it weren’t for the subtle signs that this was not exactly a normal summer camp. Things like how every single kid, from the burly six-year-old to the willowy teenager, was armed and walked as if they were ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Or how the shadows of the opposing forest seemed to deepen and darken the more you looked into it, as if something much more dangerous than a serial killer lurked within its depths. Or…
“Your rock wall spits lava!” Jay cried, staring wide-eyed at the surprisingly realistic construction that periodically shook and spewed molten rock over onto the hapless campers currently scaling its sides. Damian watched with no small amount of appreciation as the older campers expertly flung themselves out of the way as if it were no more inconvenient than a spritz of water. Meanwhile, the younger campers panicked and either scrambled out of the way as fast as they could or just dropped onto the pads below in their panic.
“Of course it does,” was all Annabeth said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Why wouldn’t it?”
“Because it's lava!” Dick cried. “Seriously! Why would anyone ever think of that?! It’s not like you're going to be scaling volcanoes mid eruption…”
Dick’s slightly panicked voice trailed off when he saw Annabeth's slight smirk, as she looked knowingly at the rock wall. “You’ve had to scale a volcano mid-eruption before, haven’t you?” he said with an exasperated sigh.
“That was our first kiss,” Percy said, approaching them with a smug smirk, Diana and Bruce trailing behind him, perfectly composed. He slung an arm around Annabeth’s shoulder, both grinning fondly at the memory.
“Yeah,” Annabeth said whisfully, “And then someone just had to leave me thinking he was dead for two weeks.”
Percy grunted as her elbow found his ribs, but he refused to moth his arm as he protested, “You said you knew I was alive!”
“Wait!” Leo said thoughtfully, “Is that when you met Calypso?”
Damian watched in fascination as Annabeth’s face twisted into a truly impressive and fearsome snarl, while Percy seemed to adopt a look of deep guilt. “Yeah,” he said, pulling Annabeth closer to him.
“Isn’t that also when you blew up Mt. St. Helens?” Their Jason asked innocently. Immediately, Annabeth burst into laughter, while Percy cried in indignation.
“That was not my fault!”
“Percy, it kind of was,” Annabeth laughed.
“Well, how was I supposed to know Typhon was chained there! If anything, it was Hephestus’s fault; he should have warned us!”
“Wait, seriously?” Tim cried, “You caused the Mt. St. Helens eruption!”
“Not on purpose,” Percy muttered, rubbing his neck contritely, while Annabeth recovered herself.
“There were extenuating circumstances that limited our options,” Annabeth said, wiping tears from her eyes. “Now come on, there’s a lot more to see.”
They left the rock wall and began moving down the trail to what appeared to be an amphitheater recessed into the ground. However, unlike the other Amphetheter, Annabeth had shown them earlier, which was the customary half circle around a central stage; this one was a full circle, and the stage at the bottom was covered in sand and lined with weapons racks and straw dummies. Damian could not help but twitch in anticipation at the sight of Campers interspersed throughout the space, training. Most had some sort of sword or spear, but there were others with axes, even one kid with a mace. Older kids were showing younger ones how to strike the straw dummies, while more advanced students sparred in prepared circles, or even on the steps and bleachers leading down for added difficulty. While those resting lingered by the water coolers.
The air was full of the sounds of clashing metal and cheerful banter. Kids laughed and joshed around, some even cried, “Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya!” as they parried and blocked their friend’s blade. Sweat-soaked leather and cleaning oils tantalized Damian as Annabeth led them down the steps with a knowing and satisfied smile.
“Welcome to the arena,” Annabeth said, spreading her arms as if she were surveying her kingdom. “This is where we do most of our weapons training, though I doubt you’ll need our introductory classes. It’s also where we have duels, and other one-on-one competitions.”
“Duels?” Damien asked blandly, only the arch of his eyebrows and the fact that this was the first time he had spoken since being claimed betrayed his interest.
Annabeth and Percy’s grins said more than the other heroes like to admit, as they nodded. “Yep, duels,” Percy said, gesturing to different groups of kids with his hands, as he talked, "The Greeks have a lot of gods for war and other violent activities. So it was decided that if anyone had a beef with someone else, instead of getting their full Cabin involved, they’d have a duel. The Ares and Athena Cabins have them the most often.”
That was when Damian noticed that while everyone was mixed, there did seem to be a subtle difference between most of the Campers present. Some of them seemed…for lack of a better word…bigger. As if every muscle in their body had been optimized for battle and combat. Most of these were the ones sparring, and they seemed to move their blades with a manic glee, laughing hardest when their opponent almost caught them, and then returning the blow with greater fury. Meanwhile, the other group seemed more…relaxed. While they were not as physically imposing as the others, Damian observed that they, like Annabeth, had body types that were meant to move and adapt to any situation. Most of these were the ones teaching, and they moved with a surety of purpose and understanding that Damian envied.
Then it hit him like a rock between the eyes. These were his siblings…the Children of Athena.
Damian immediately narrowed his focus on them and watched as they expertly handled their weapons with an instinct that not even the most experienced assassins in Nada Parbet could achieve. They guided the younger ones with patience and gentle smiles, but they fought with the precision and deadliness of lightning in a hurricane. Damian’s gaze was drawn to the youngest campers in the arena, just now learning how to properly hold their weapons. She was barely six years old, but she was holding her sword like she was born to it. Before her, a boy, an Athena kid, was kneeling, gently guiding her hand through the basic swings and stabs. The two looked strikingly similar, and Damian knew that they were siblings, his siblings.
Damian’s chest ached as he remembered the first time he had picked up a blade. The yells of his trainers whenever he got something wrong. The blows rained down whenever he failed. The cold of the mountains bit his hands and cheeks as he struggled with the weapon that was just slightly too heavy, as masked man after masked man attacked and attacked and attacked. And all the while, the cold, merciless eyes of his mother and grandfather watched, never stirring to stop it or offer encouragement. Just…watching.
A gentle but firm hand squeezed his shoulder and brought him back to the bright, warm Long Island Day. A gentle breeze tossed his hair as he looked up at his father. Bruce’s smile was small but reassuring. Daimian did his best to keep his expression cool and neutral as if he was above everyone and everything, cloaking himself in indifference, but he could not help but lean into his father’s touch if only slightly. The sounds of joyful fighting returned to him as he watched his siblings once more. The practice blade the little girl held was clearly the right size and weight for her, and though her movements were slow and inexperienced, they were not clumsy. She was a natural, and her older brother praised her and cheered on every time her blade struck true on her target.
Something of his inner longing and bitterness must have shown on his face, because after looking at him, Annabeth cleared her throat and called them to move on. “We’ll have plenty of time to test your metal later,” she said, turning to walk back up the stairs. “We’ve still got a lot to see!” Damian took the out and they left the Arena and its music behind.
The rest of Camp was not nearly as interesting to Damian, but it was all impressive. Everything from the stables to the bathroom was built with a quiet elegance that echoed the art and architecture of Antiquity. Grey marble, fluted columns with ionic heads, expertly carved statues of gods, nymphs, and other magical creatures filled every building tastefully and purposefully. Green ivy grew artfully without overwhelming, and wildflowers decorated the lawns that enhanced the vibrancy of the rich greens of the grass.
Damian was amazed at how such wild and greedy plants could be so expertly curated, until Percy pointed out the children of Demeter weaving patterns of flowers through the grass with a wave of their hands. Idly, Damian wondered how they would react to Poison Ivy, and then resolved to make sure the two never met. His siblings, on the other hand, seemed much more impressed with everything, ohing and ahing as they went. Cassie, in particular, seemed positively gleeful with every discovery and introduction. Her new brother happily answered all of her questions and pointed out new things for her to see.
“I can’t wait to show you Camp Jupiter,” he said whistfully, “You’re going to love it!”
“When do you go back?” Tim asked casually.
“Probably not until Will and Nico get back from their…quest,” Jason said, “Then I’ll have to go and see how the construction of the new temples is going.”
“You’re really doing it, huh?” Percy said, but if the proud, satisfied smile pulling out his mouth indicated anything, he was really excited with whatever the Son of Jupiter had planned.
“Yeah,” Jason said with a sigh, “There’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s a start.”
“I know the gods are pleased with your work, Jason,” Diana said serenely, “And your family is proud.”
“Thank you,” Jason said respectfully. Damian watched the three newly met siblings. They seemed perfectly at ease with each other, even though they had only met not even a week ago. It had taken him years to adjust to his father’s children, and now he had who knows how many other siblings wandering around this camp. His eyes darted to Annabeth, seemingly unaware of his predicament. Even though he was slightly jealous of the children of Zeus, he was grateful that Annabeth wasn’t pushing it. As they walked, she seemed perfectly fine, moving at his pace and not overwhelming him. It was…nice. Especially with the memory of Dick dragging him and the other Batkids on any and every sibling bonding adventure he could think of still fresh in his memory. Still…
“This is arguably the most important part of Camp,” Annabeth said, interrupting his thoughts. “The Cabins.”
Damian looked around the new green space he found himself in. Twelve strange buildings were lined across from each other in a U, with two of them at the end. The two at the end looked like Grecian temples, while the other buildings were a wide and strange mix of everything from farmhouses to a military bunker. Stretching out to the side were more obviously themed structures; one or two were even under construction, and Damian realized that it was supposed to be the shape of an Omega. As they walked down one row of the newly added cabins, Annabeth stopped and pointed to one, saying,
“This is the Nemesis Cabin.” It is a simple building, reminiscent of Greek Temples, only it is far from the clean, pure traditional designs. With gold inlays over the whole building, half of the structure is pure black marble, and the other half is white. The broken wheel hung prominently over the awning, sending a sense of foreboding through Damian. The stark contrast of the cabin is intimidating, making the comfy black and white couches look incongruous before the wide open door.
A flinch of movement draws Damian’s eye to Jay. His green eyes seem to flash with green, and his whole body is tensed as if he can’t decide if he wants to run away from the gaping door or into it. Percy and Annabeth seem to notice this reaction, as they quickly move their group away from the cabin and further down the line.
“Typically, only the children of the gods are allowed to stay in their cabin,” Percy explained as they passed a building that just begged you to go inside and take a nap. “However, you are allowed to visit other cabins, but it can be dangerous. He pointed to the sleepy building, saying, “The children of Hypnos sleep most of the day, and going in there could mean falling into a coma if you're not careful.”
“What about the campers who stay in those cabins?” Bruce asked cautiously.
“They’re safe, obviously,” Annabeth said. “It’s they’re home.”
They then turned into the main loop of cabins, and Damian took his time to study them all as the two demigods continued to explain. He noticed a girl tending the giant bonfire in the center. She looked small compared to the flames and the statues of the Olympians surrounding her. But when she looked up to meet Damian’s stare, Damian bristled with the awareness that he was looking at something…other. It reminded him of when he looked into Mr. D’s eyes. At first, the god had seemed so…trite. Not at all what he imagined when picturing a god. But then he had been under the sole focus of the deity, and Damain got the distinct impression of an ant under a microscope. It was the same feeling here, but…gentler, almost…kind.
Percy noticed his attention had wandered, and smiled when he saw what the young boy was looking at. Damian watched in awed fascination as the Hero of Olympus, the man who seemed to mock and disrespect everything without thought or care, smiled and bowed his head deeply and respectfully to the girl. The girl acknowledged him and returned to the flames. Turning back to Damain, Percy explained.
“Hestia,” he said, “Goddess of the Hearth and Home…when the tour is over, you should go talk to her. She might be able to answer some of your questions, give you some insight.”
Damian nodded and turned to follow the others. “You respect her,” he muttered.
“Of course,” Percy said as if the very idea of not respecting the goddess was ridiculous. “She is worth it.”
Damian tried to parse that, but he was distracted by the commotion his siblings were causing. “So only the Hunters of Artemis stay there?” Tim asked, pointing to the building that seemed to be made of pure silver and moonlight.
“Yep,” Annabeth said, still leading them onward. “But they rarely come around. It’s more honorary than anything else. That’s one thing, you all will need to start paying attention to…if you honor one god, you have to recognize all of them in some way. The last thing you want is to offend one of them over something so...”
"Petty?" Cassie offered. Annabeth just nodded silently.
“So where is the Themis Cabin?” Tim asked, looking around.
“It’s on the other side,” Annabeth said, gesturing to the outer line of cabins they had yet to walk down. “We had to put the Themis and Nemesis kids on opposite sides because they were having too many duels.”
“Why?” Dick asked, “I would have thought they would have gotten along, since they’re both all about justice and such?”
“You would think that,” Annabeth said bitterly. There was a story there, and given the way she was glaring at the outer cabins, no one really wanted to ask what it was.
Percy took up the explanation, saying, “It’s more to do with the definition of justice. Get a Themis and Nemesis kid in the same room, and you’ll get a full lecture on the philosophy of the law and whatnot. But the other side of the coin is if you can get them to agree on something…Well, let’s just say I’ve faced monsters more terrifying than those two groups getting along!”
“Hey!” Jay said, nudging Tim, “Maybe that’s why we can never get along, eh, Replacement?”
Tim rolled his eyes, but he seemed thoughtful, responding, “Yeah, Zombie Boy, you trying to kill me multiple times has nothing to do with it. It’s all because two goddesses we’ve never met, and have no relation to, decided we’re going to be they’re errand boys.”
“That’s the demigod spirit!” Leo cheered.
“So,” Dick interrupted, “Do you keep the two Cabins apart because you don’t want them to fight, or because you don’t want them to get along?”
Annabeth and Percy exchanged a look and said, “Both.”
Jay and Tim seemed to notice this, and for once they seemed in complete agreement, as Jay said, “You know Timbo, I got some mercenaries encroaching on my turf, I wonder—”
“Let’s move on,” Bruce insisted. A premonition of Tim, the boy who had stalked him into becoming Robin, and Jason, the boy who had tried to steal the wheels of the Batmobile, working together in Jason’s crime empire, made Bruce shiver in terror and pride at the sheer amount of chaos they combined could unleash.
Annabeth chuckled but obeyed. At the next Cabin, she turned and, for the first time since his claiming, looked Damian directly in the eye. Damian froze before her stormy grey eyes, suddenly wary of her and what she wanted from him. But she just tilted her head toward the Cabin beside them, saying, “This is Cabin Six, Athena. Want a look?”
Damian looked up at the pale stone building and the watchful owl above the door. Where the Nemesis Cabin had seemed to be a forbidden cave of danger, the Athen building with its wooden door and white curtains almost seemed…inviting, as if it were welcoming him in.
Keeping his composure, Damian stepped up the smooth steps and pushed open the clean wooden door. The first thing he noticed was the smell of books. Paper and parchment lingered in the air and enveloped him eagerly. Looking around, he was grateful that no one else was here, as he was able to take his time and process this new world. Half-made bunks were pushed to the side, while every open wallspace was covered with shelves. Scrolls and books seemed to burst from every nook and cranny, and where there were no books, there were weapons. Swords, spears, daggers, and meticulously maintained armor were displayed wherever the shelves did not linger. Damian ran a hand over the holographic table in the center. The glowing battle plan hovered in the air, and Damian smirked at the simple genius of what he could see displayed.
Moving around, Damian’s eyes lingered on the space at the back where it seemed each camper had their own desk and workspace. Some were carefully organized down to the millimeter, while others were a storm of papers and creativity. With some satisfaction, he noticed that there were even some artists among the children of Athena, and he idly wondered if they would spend their nights talking about weapons, battle strategy, or art more.
Natural light bathed everything in a soft glowing glow that had him itching for a paintbrush, and he could not compare this place to the other three rooms he had lived in before. The cold darkness of Nada Parbet. The rich opulence of Wayne Manner. The casual comfort of Titan’s Tower. Each had been his, and he had made each his own, but this…This place seemed to be…curated for him, as if every detail had been specifically selected for his comfort and interests. It was warm like the League of Assassins never was. It was comfortable in a way that the Manner could never quite achieve. And it was his in a way Titan’s Tower could never feel.
Damian was baffled by these new sensations, and while they comforted him, they also terrified him. He had never felt such… instant connection before, but this more than anything seemed like the proof he was waiting for. More than the claiming, and more than the satyr confirming his smell, this Cabin and the feelings it pulled from the depths of his heart convinced him that he was a demigod. He was a Son of Athena.
Turning around, he saw Annabeth watching him with a knowing but gentle smile. There was so much to say, but Damain did not know how to say any of it. But apparently, he didn’t need to talk, as Annabeth just stepped forward and said, “Welcome home, little brother.”