Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The next time Maps sees Damian, it’s at a little diner in Gotham a few months after he’d been expelled. It’s not like she was going inside for food. With it being one of the Sunday’s they got out of the school grounds the entire gang had decided to go an old sports supplies store for Kyle’s tennis supplies (preferred their stuff to the academies, that she knew).

And, so, instead of snooping around in a store she knew every inch of, Maps had gone to get herself and Olive a milkshake this place sold. The best milkshake in Gotham no matter what anyone (Pomeline) said.

Milkshakes were secure, the plastic bottles tucked away in her yellow backpack, and Maps was ready to go. And then she saw Damian come through the door with a...cop? And go over to a table. Huh.

Maps ran over at a light speed - heh- and came to a stop just in front of the table, grinning.

“Hey, Damian.”

The boy in question blinked in surprise but let it easily pass and be replaced by a neutral explanation, “Maps.”

“You remembered, of course, I’m not easy to forget,” Maps grinned, hands behind her back gripped together and shoulders high.

“And who’s this?” the cop questioned, his own blue eyes glinting with amusement.

“I’m Maps, nice t’meet you, mister. Are you related to Damian? Did he get into trouble? It wasn’t me this time I swear- don’t think I can ever say thank you enough for that-, sorry. Me and Damian went to school together at Gotham Academy. Gained a friend in less than a day, quite literally. Never got to see him again.”

“That so?” the cop grinned and rest his arms on the table, nonchalant as Damian kicked him under the table “My name is Richard, call me Dick. I’m a...close relative, of Damian’s. Didn’t realise he had such cute friends, never tells me anything,” again another kick “Is that a bat symbol?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah!” Maps giggled and patted the top of her cap “It’s like the batarang Damian gave me. Super cool, huh?”

“Oh, very cool.”

“Why are you here?” Damian cut in, looking to Maps. What was Dick doing talking to his friend? Hpmh.

“I’m getting drinks for me and Olive- and I better go get them to her. Looks like it’s gonna start raining, see you again, Damian. You too, Dick. The food here is really good,” Maps replied in a haste, giving the two a short wave before rushing out the store with the door bell jingling as she did so.

Dick rest his cheek on his palm, turning to Damian with a wide grin, “So this is the little birdy Tim told us about, hm? You’re her Robin, and she even got a batarang. I’m jealous.”

“Shut up, Dick ,” Damian muttered and delivered a rather hard kick just below the others knee.

Whatever. He most certainly wasn’t blushing.

Chapter Text

A Christmas party at Gotham Academy.

And a Christmas party at Gotham Academy meant a few public figures and alumni of the school attending.

Guess who that meant? Bruce Wayne and the rest of the family. All of them in the same room as the GA gang.

Once the short, yet somewhat intimidating, depending on the person, welcoming speech from the Principal had come to an end everyone got into the swing of things. Olive, dressed to the nines in a teal satin dress and silver heels barely two inches high, and Kyle, dressed in his only suit and tie, were out on the dancefloor along with other couples from the school. Colton stared on in jealousy of the two dancing, due to his very subtle and well hidden (except maybe from Pomeline) crush as Kyle, said crush, danced with the other. Tristan lingered at the edge of the hall entrance, deciding he’d rather live vicariously through the others this time, and Pomeline moved her way through the crowd with an old charm- something about keeping an eye out for the supernatural- in hand.

Maps had a similar idea to Tristan; except hers involved mentally noting anything she overheard or saw during the party. Nothing too entertaining, really. Apparently there’d been another flurry of Robin’s taking care of bad people last night. Wondered how ‘her’ Robin was.

Three quarters of an hour went by before Maps finally spotted Damian (a subconscious target, considering the Wayne family was here and all) with Dick, the close relative from before, and a girl with short, dark hair that could rival a movie star.

Smoothing down the lapels of her suit jacket, Maps made her way over to the three of them and grinned, “Hey, Damian.”

He didn’t look too surprised, at the suit or the recognition (subconsciously seeking out his friend since the parties beginning too, but being a Wayne meant socialisation with boring adults, ugh ). Dick spoke first.

“Ah, it’s the cute friend from before. Maps, right?”

“That’s me,” the teen turned to the redhead who had an inquisitive eyebrow raised “But my real name is Mia, I prefer Maps. I don’t think I’ve met you before, no, I know I haven’t. You look pretty, nice to meet ya.”

The elder of the two girls smirked a little and looked down at Mia. Dick’s description was accurate, well wasn’t this just perfect bate, “Barbara, pleasure’s all mine, Maps. I love your suit.”

“Thanks! I don’t mind dresses, since I wear a skirt for school everyday and all, but suits are a lot easier to move around in, and chase after people in. Well, so are skirts, but there’s always the concern of the wind blowing it up and showing off your underwear- anyway, I just came to say to Damian but it’s lovely to see you,” Maps all but rambled. Sometimes pretty people got her starstruck and the mouth filter disappeared.

“Hi,” Damian finally cut in, seeing as there was a theme running with this sort of thing, “Are you...not annoyed, by the party?”

“Not annoyed? Oh! You mean having fun? Definitely. Parties are the best way to get dirt on others without them knowing, but only for good. Using information for bad purposes is pretty horrible.”

“Agreeable,” Damian nodded curtly.

“Say, why don’t you crazy kids go dance,” Barbara suggested, to which Dick gave an all too positive encouragement “It’s a party after all, and it’s a christmas party, so there’s no more convenient a time to celebrate than this.”

Dick looked to Damian expectantly, who, if you knew under all those masks, looked about ready to murder. In private of course, where he could do more damage and had more availability to weapons. But since he didn’t, Damian wandered off to the dance floor with a grinning Maps. What was so enjoyable about dancing anyway, if not for cover?

Cover. Of course.

It took a moment, but they finally agreed on Maps being the lead, much to Damian’s chagrin (even if he could hear the faint, distant approval of his mother, if not for taking control, but being more considerate towards women) and began moving to the music.

“Sorry if I step on your feet,” Maps supplied with a grin, shoulders shrugging “I don’t dance much,”

“I don’t like to dance much either, unless it’s mandatory, but we can use this as cover for you to ‘gather dirt’ on others.”

“Ah, you’re right,” Maps grinned, went silent for a moment before speaking quietly “Let’s dance a little closer to Olive,” so they did and pointedly kept their voices quieter. Kyle spotted them, silently simmering with the protectiveness every brother felt. Tim joined Dick and Barbara, ready to use this as blackmail material in the future.

“Why’d we have to move closer?” Damian muttered curiously, making sure his voice carried far enough for Maps to reach.

“Well...see, Olive isn’t gonna be with her mom this Christmas, and I wanted to make sure she was enjoying, rather than pushing, herself tonight,” Maps explained with a small smile. Damian thought to his own...family, and, privately, felt incredibly lucky to have them.

“That’s nice of you,” he replied, taking a small pride in seeing Maps smile grow wider.

The two danced until their feet got tired, and wandered over to the doorway.

“I’m heading back to the dorms. It was nice seeing you, Damian. Come by the school more often, there’s always something going on.”

“I’ll try,” Damian replied, sharing a curt wave goodbye as Maps wandered off back to the dorms. A smile briefly fluttering across his face before it was quickly shut away.

Bruce made his way over to the elder bat-fam members, surprised and intrigued all on his own. And proud for the fact Damian was acting less hostile towards others. Really was a Wayne after all.

Chapter Text

Two things, so as readers, and I, don't get confused with the next chapter.

1: Maps is one year older through this (Maps 14, Damian 13 and the number will get bigger the more chapters go on obviously). It makes the interaction easier between then, but that's how I feel.

2: Imposter Party, my other DamiMaps work, is technically the third chapter. Since it got so long I made it a separate work, so if things in Chapter 4 seem to confuse you (i.e. certain characters meeting/items obtained), it's probably because you haven't read Imposter party.

That is all; enjoy.

Chapter Text

“A mysterious, dark haired figure at my window in the middle of the night, how cliché.” Maps sang, voice soft, in the hopes of not accidentally waking Katherine up, and raspy from sleep. The best impression of Batman that she’d done so far.

“-Tt-.”

“But, seriously, why are you here, Damian?”

“Father informed me that your friend Olive has become a threat to Gotham City and its inhabitants.”

“Wha - Olive is not a threat, to anybody!” Maps hissed. “She wouldn’t-”

“Hurt anyone? Are you so sure about that? From the imaginary friend that your brother reported, to the reaction she had to well meaning, if stupid, friends and the consequences her actions have caused, of course she’s going to hurt someone. It’s inevitable.” It had never been in his nature to lie, or soften the blow, though Damian is questioning whether acting that way would help in future scenarios. Or current ones; such as now, masked gaze narrowing at the hurt expression on Maps’ face, smile dropped and gaze less…Maps. Hmph.

“So…you agree with him, Batman, that Olive is dangerous? That she would willingly hurt someone? Hurt her friends - friends like me, the ones you called stupid?”

“I didn’t call you-”

“Yes, you did.”

“I said her friends are stupid. You’re not her friend.”

Well, even from Damian, she’d never expected that.

Tipping her chin upwards, the hairs on the back of her hair sticking up, still messy from bed, Maps reached out her left arm, fingers curling around the handle to the window and pulled it shut, proceeding to lock it - for once - and shut the curtains in Damian’s hanging upside down face.

If he wanted to be like that, then fine, but she wasn’t about to put up with it.

“Maps?” It’s the sleepy voice from across the room that finally has Maps stepping away from the window, fluffy sock covered feet sliding against the wooden flooring before coming to a sudden stop. Turned her head and head offered a cheery smile. “Go back to sleep Katherine, just needed some fresh air is all.”

There’s a muffled noise of agreement before Katherine is curled up, content and sleeping.

“At least you’re safe, Katherine.”

The next morning counts the third day since Olive’s disappearing act. Haven’t heard about anyone getting hurt yet, which is a good thing - further proving Maps point that Olive would never hurt anyone.

It’s a Saturday, melting remains of snow littering the school grounds, the early morning chill continuing with its daily routine of joining the oversized school library for a spot of never ending cold.

“We should be looking for Olive.” Though it not said to any given audience, because the club isn’t together - no meeting in the last three days, not even any banter in the second year class that they all share together. Olive is the one who kept them together, Maps is sure of that now, despite how true or untrue it may be, and now that she’s gone ‘dark side’ disappeared? There wasn’t a reason for them to stick together like glue any more. Hopefully the friendship clay doesn’t crack and fall to pieces without her here, too.
Did the others think that stuff, though? Think that Olive really was a bad person? Did they not care-

Her chair pushes out against the carpet of the library, metal legs dragging roughly backwards, and hands slam onto the desk.

“Sssh.”

“Sorry,” the sheepish apology does nothing to ruin the grin now adorning the teen’s face, dark hues alight, gears in her brain getting to work.
If no one else would help Olive, then Maps would do it herself.

The archives at the school that night didn’t bring up much, but the next day seemed more promising. Even if Damian had said those…things, to her, that didn’t mean Maps was about to ditch him without prior notice. Make promises and honour them; right? Old sneakers swallow up the brunette’s feet, yellow umbrella her only protection from the rain.

She could do this.

One small, determined nod later and Maps took a step forward - knocking on the door, opened only moments later by Alfred, looking as impeccably butlerish as always.
“Ms. Mizaguchi, I was informed that you wouldn’t be attending today.”

“Who said that?”

“Master Damian.”

“Well, he was wrong - I told him I might be a little late because of homework, but I’d definitely be here.” Wasn’t above lying to do what she had to.

“My apologies, Miss. Please, come in.” One sharp step to the side and one arm extended in direction, Jarvis showed the young girl inside, shutting out the cold and swallowing the both of them in the warmth of the house. “May I get you some tea?”

“That would be nice, thank you, Alfred.” The footsteps grow more distant the closer to the kitchen that Alfred gets, giving Maps the chance to go upstairs to the study in the second floor. It’s clean - modern with all its brown leather and oak furniture, the barest amount of dust staining the corners of the door frame.

Shuts the door behind her and turns to the bookshelf, puffing her chest out.

“Time to get to work.”

“You have no right to be in here.” The cold tone of the familiar voice cuts through the stale air, hands halfway to reaching for the old books dropping back at Maps’ side, looking over her shoulder at the new arrival. “As far as anyone else is concerned, I’m supposed to be here, even if you don’t want me to be.”

“I believe you have your words twisted, Mizaguchi. You’re the one that didn’t want to see me - it was only obvious to come to the conclusion that you would not want to come for your bi-weekly visit."

“You’re the one who said that Olive was a threat, and the one that said I’m not Olive’s friend!”

“You’re not her friend.”

“What do you kn-”

“You’re her family, Maps.”

Oh.

Pursing her lips, Maps couldn’t help but stare, shoulders drooping, eyes wide.

“Why…you couldn’t have said that the first time?”

Damian sniffed and looked away, noise pointing upward, arms crossed. “You shut the window in my face.”

“You said-”

“That Olive would hurt someone. And she will - unless we stop her from doing so.”

“...huh?”

“I assume you were looking for records of the families that lived in Gotham during the time that her ancestor was murdered?”

“...Hmph. Stop going all Sherlock on me.”

“For such an elementary deduction?”

“Was that-” Oh. It so was. “You made a Sherlock reference-! But you haven’t even read Harry Potter yet!”

“I would rather read Greek mythology in its original dialect.”

“I’m sure you can get Harry Potter in Greek.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

“Yes-! Yes, I’d love your help.” Clapping her hands together, Maps lifted them, covering the bottom half of her face, and grinned. “Thank you, Damian.”

“Your tea, Miss. And your water and lemon slice, Master Damian.” If Maps didn’t already know who Batman was, she would have for sure thought it was Alfred - the super light footsteps, the efficiency he had when handling situations. His build might be different but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t put a lot of extra padding in the suit. Who knew how strong he actually was.

“Thank you, Pennyworth, leave them on the desk.” Came Damian’s reply before he moved further into the room, to Maps’ side, gaze meeting hers. Small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Time to get to work.”

Three hours and a bunch of old files and a pile of dust later, they managed to get something.

“Oh, look at this,” Maps hummed, fingers brushing an old document encased in one of the books. “It says here that the Cobblepott's have been in Gotham at the time Olive’s ancestor was burnt for her ‘witchcraft’. But Edward Cobblepott is…”

“Penguin,” the raven haired teen beside her muttered in distaste.

“Hm…It’s an option - but we don’t know where the spirit will strike until the time that they actually do anything.” Let out a sigh. “We can’t do anything, can we?”

“Father is looking for her as we speak. I’m sure of it - he would not let Gotham be exposed to the danger that Ol- that the spirit has brought to it for long.”

“Olive won’t accept Batman’s help - she hates him, everything he did, even if it was to protect her. But - if we told her it was Bruce Wayne under the mask-”

“Revealing the man she trusts to be the hero she hates most?”

“Guess you’re right. Man, the Wayne’s are so respected around this city, they’ve done so much for it. Could only gain a reputation that long if…”

Damian simply rose an eyebrow.

“Do you think the Wayne’s could have been here, at that time? They could’ve agreed to the death of Olive’s ancestor, and this estate is pretty old by the looks of it, with all the renovations and - the mansion could be targeted. Mr.Wayne could be targeted and Alfred and you-”

“If Calamity were to find out the location of the Batcave then we would be compromised.”

“You know what this means, don’t you?”

“Yes. We inform father of the possible security breach and danger to our public perso-”

“Eh, those can wait for later. This means we can totally go on a stake out!”

“...A stake out in my own home?”

“Fine, protecting the territory for you, stake out for me. We can wear the Robin costumes.” Pushing herself up from the ground, book sliding effortlessly off her lap and onto the floor, Maps picked up her backpack and got to work.

This was going to be a long day.

“I have told you time and time again about the rules of stealth-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but we’re aaaaall the way on different sides of the mansion and stake outs are…really quiet. Can’t we bring out the dragon as, like, an intimidating boss battle for the first line of defence?”

“I’m pretty sure the defence doesn’t have a boss battle.”

“No, but it does have a last line – which could count as the boss battle.”

“Now that’s a reach.” No witty response in reply, just a bout of laughter and then silence. “Do your friends not know you’re here?”

“Kyle knows that I’m staying late – figured you could sneak me back into the school if the spirit doesn’t show up. I may be good but I’m not that good.”

“-Tt-.”

Maps, some day, would like to question her genius – and why it always landed her in trouble. Sometimes good trouble, sometimes bad, and sometimes trouble in the grey area; which was now, to be exact.

It’s the sound of Titus’ barking that pulls Maps from her reverie. Moved from where she’d perched herself, slipping in through the window – footsteps as quiet as they could be as Maps head through the abandoned guest bedroom and opened the door, finding Titus there as expected, head held high and barking. “What’s gotten into you, huh?”
Titus continued to bark, however now that he is her attention, turns and run out the room and down the hall, not stopping to wait for Maps who follows in pursuit. Dogs always bark, so it's unlikely she'd need to tell Damian, not unless it got serious. She catches up soon enough as the dog comes to a stop at -
The entrance to the Batcave.

"Huh. Did a squirrel get in there or somethin', Titus?" He just scratches at the wall panelling in response. Alfred wasn't gonna like that. "Well, we can't go in there, we're not suppose to - I'm just visiting, and it's gotta be the other version of the 'no dogs on the couch' rule for you. Besides, I don't know how to open it."
Maps isn't sure if dogs can roll their eyes - seemed like Titus could do, though, as he moved over to her side, canines biting with a surprising gentleness at her shirt sleeve, tugging Maps over to a statue head by one of the seats in the room. "Woah, seriously? This is like Indiana Jones all over again - wonder if Batman ever watched Indiana Jones." A gloved hand reaches for the head, going to open it (or at least find a way to).

A smashed window and Titus is knocking Maps roughly behind a leather chair, stance protective as the dog growls at whoever seems to have entered the room in a less than practical fashion.

Maps lifts her arm, so she can wave. "Uh - I'd rather not get hurt!"

"...Maps?"

That's -

"Olive?" Scrambling up, the younger looks to her friend with wide eyes - she's Olive and yet...she's something else, too. Something different; something new; something old.
"What are you doing here? You should be back at the school, with Pomeline and your brother-"

Olive barely sounded in control of herself.

"I was - I was looking for you, Olive, to bring you back to the school, where you belong, with all of us. The detective club, remember? And we have that class together and -"

"I can't go back there. I have to take revenge, Maps, for what they did to me - to me and my ancestors, locking us away and calling us criminals even though those they call 'heroes' are just like us. You understand, Maps, you understand me, why I would do this." Olive - Calamity, Maps doesn't know - moves forward with ease, one hand, grey with patches of Olive's usually darker skintone, reaching out to touch.

Not afraid; how could she be? Olive was her best friend, is her best friend, but hurting people wasn't something that Olive -

Olive lets out a sharp cry, skin hissing as it sizzles, shooting backwards. Both their heads turn towards the doorway.

"D- Robin, don't!"

"You're with Robin, Maps?" A harsh jab, voice rasping - monster like - and the room feels so, so much warmer than it should be. "He is the partner of the Batman! Batman - the vigalante who has hurt me -"

"The Batman is not here, and when I'm done, neither will you be, Calamity."

The batarang is flying through the air, quicker than Maps can realise - but she does see the blood that comes from Olive's cheek. It doesn't look real, it's...the blood is black, Olive's eyes are dark and swirling and -

Her hands are on fire. Not Olive anymore; it's Calamity.

Crying out, Calamity's chin tips upward, a loud cry of anger disturbing the dull heat in the air, exploding with heat. Skeletal hands with potruding nails rise, fingers spreading as balls of flames settle and flicker in her palm before throwing. And like a pitcher in a baseball game, Calamity throws them directly at Robin.

Maps feet move for her, brown hues wide behind her mask, sweat running down her face, arm stretching out in a feeble attempt to stop the flames. And it does, in a sense, though not how Maps had hoped. Maybe it's the shock, but the sensation of burning has yet to register, forearm taking the brunt of the first flame ball. The second falters, as does Calamity's conviction in that moment, it shoots past Maps and catches on the carpet.

"Maps-!"

"Go, Olive! Go!"

Damian is on the move, racing forward as he grabs for the spirit - a gas bomb in hand, hoping to cut off the flames, as well as the flames on the carpet in the process. He's never dealt with such an out of control possession before, and usually damaging the house wouldn't be a problem. But Maps was here, a civilian life, and he was responsible for those now, as a Robin.

Calamity disappears as the bomb makes contact.

"Olive...she's safe," Maps huffs out in relief, a smile, forced and small, on her face. The pain is finally settling in; her arm feels like its on fire. "She's still in there, I can tell. Calamity doesn't have control over her. Olive is stronger than that."

"Olive can wait," Robin mutters angrily, staring at the black patch on the carpet with narrowed eyes before looking to Maps. "But you seem incapable of doing so."

The next morning, after a rather awkward night (Batman returning, angry - not even blank angry, like, really angry, and Maps falling asleep in the middle of getting her arm tended to), Maps finds herself back at Gotham Academy. Had gotten a ride in a limo there; super awesome. Arm bandaged to perfection, the teen lingers in the vehicle, seeing her brother at the school's entrance with his usual look of worry, before looking to Mr.Wayne, who'd decided to accompany her to the school that morning. Damian had been silent the entire ride.

"What do I tell them?"

"Tell them what you think they should know."

"Father-"

"Maps knows how to keep a secret, Damian."

"...Right," Maps gives a nod and then looks to Damian, offering a grin. "We make a pretty cool team, though, huh? As a pair of Robins?"

"You still need to refine your stealth skills."

"Not a chance. See you in two weeks, Damian, Mister Wayne. Tell Cassandra I said hello." With that, the brunet gets out of the limo, barely getting halfway to the gates before Kyle is running up (worry wart that he is) and hugging Maps with a nervous urgency. She could barely breathe. Giving a thumbs up behind her back, the student waits until the limo begins driving off before burying her face into Kyle's chest.

The truth could wait a while, she supposed.

Chapter Text

"Goliath totally likes me better."

"I have trained him since infancy, there is no question as to who his strongest his bond is with."

"Yeah, but I made him purr when I pet his scales." Another Sunday, another argument, albeit a friendly one, between Maps and Damien. Down the cobblestone path and passing by well tended to bushes of flowers as they made their way back to Wayne Manor.

"It's because I was directing him that you even got to pet his scales." Damien replied with a sniff, chin tipped up. Maps just laughed and walked a little quicker, beating Damien, though she being the only one to consider it a contest, through the back entrance of the manor and into the kitchen. "Something smells good, Alfred!"

"Thank you, Miss. Ah, Master Damian; Master Drake has left you both a gift in the living room." Alfred noted before returning to his task of cooking dinner, trying not to add too much spice - Master Wayne had an aversion to it, especially after the spices Damian had laced their food with when first arriving in Gotham.

With a shared glance, Maps rushed off to the living room, curious. Damian merely followed, making a list of what stupid items Drake had acquired this time. Why he had gifted it to them, he had no clue; a prank, perhaps. Once in the living room, he found Maps standing by the couch, a pair of black sunglasses in one hand (the kind you could see on shows like FBI, or his preferred favourite, NCIS) and a note in the other.

"Well, what is it?"

"Hm? Oh-" Maps smiled. "Apparently they're one of those complimentary gifts, that business partners give each other. The note says 'even better than the Oculus Rift, this provides the experience of virtual worlds, immersing you into another reality'. Pretty awesome, huh? Tim didn't know what to do with it so he figured we'd get a kick out of it."

Damian could only scowl. Indeed, it interested him - such a device could help with his training, but he refused to admit that Drake had been useful.

"It's weird though," the girl mused setting the note down, "how do you put virtual reality into a pair of sunglasses? There's no way that's possible. Where would you put the memory? Maybe it's a portable system that connects with Bluetooth?"

"It will fail on the market, using the model of sunglasses is stupid."

"Aw, c'mon, D. Lets give them a try!"

"We are n-"

"I'll admit you're Goliath's favourite if you dooo." Maps sang.

"...very well, though I already know I'm his favourite." Damian grumbled, moving to take a seat next to Maps on the couch, picking up the extra set of sunglasses. And with that, they both put them on.

Nothing and then everything at once, Maps awoke in a different world that made no sense at all. Snow and glaciers in one area, the one she'd gotten teleported to, now covered in snow - which was freezing, by the way - and then another area that looked to be made of dead plants and sweltering in sunlight. Rain forests in another, and finally a large body of water the furthest away.

"Could've given me a snowsuit y'know," Maps grumbled, shivering as she scrambled out of the snow, wiping some off her knees. Looked to her left, to her right, and then frowned. "D?! Damiaaaan? Are you here?!"

No answer.

"Huh...maybe he got sent to another area - oh my gosh, this is definitely one of those survival game scenarios, so cool!" Feet drag through the snow, socks and sneakers soaking through as Maps continued to walk, itching to write down as much about this as possible.

How else would the review be fair? Duh.

He didn't like this one bit.

Not only had the system chosen the area for them, no formal rules had been given, let alone any equipment given when Damian had appeared in this wasteland; a land of no life and overcompensating with heat. There was barely anywhere that offered shade, besides a cracked rock or two. He needed to find an objective to this game. He needed to find Maps, who had, to his annoyance, not been sent to the same area.

How long did the power last on the system? An exit menu, was that available? Or was it voice activated? Why had there been no instruction manual with the glasses, but a note, with the bare minimum?

When they were free of this, Damian was going to kick Drake's annoying head into a wall.

The priority right now, however? Finding Maps.

"I can't believe I ever thought I liked winter! As soon as I get home I'm gonna buy a new blanket and never leave the school building during the whole of the season! I hope we don't get a white Christmas this year you - you freezing system!" Yelling at the sky, Maps glared, wishing she could just...shoot the sky and break a barrier, like in Hunger Games, or like she'd done as an enchanted archer in one of her Serpents & Spells campaigns, to escape.

"Okay, Maps. Your watch is broken, Damian definitely isn't enjoying the snowmageddon right now and you'll probably turn into an icicle before getting anywhere near somewhere dry. C'mon, what would the others do? Olive and Kyle would probably keep up the morale and get us out of here, Pomeline would probably suggest some sort of cool witch-y spell, and Colton...would probably try and blow the place up to make a path.

"...none of that's gonna help."

Sighing, Maps continued on with no other options, shoulders slumped and feet dragging. At least she'd have some ideas when working on her Geography presentation for class. This totally sucked - where were all the cool abilities she was suppose to get, all the tiny monsters she was suppose to fight to level up? Sure hoped no one had put stocks on this product.

"Maybe Damian's having better luck."

Damian had been following a lizard-cat hybrid for the past fifteen minutes, expression one of neutral displeasure as he continued through the wasteland (apparently home to various beasts). The ending of the habitat, it was close, nearing a flat piece of land that centred itself between each area, the teen continued on, still as withheld of information as he had been at the beginning. If he could find Maps, they could retreat to the rain forest, find supplies and brainstorm a plan to get free.

She may not have his tactical and survival training, but Maps was nothing if not adaptable to the situation, something Damian appreciated; there was less chance of being burdened, after all.

Hairs prickle up on the back of his neck, stops in his tracks. The lizard-cat scurries off in a hissed panic. Hands move in a practised motion, the teen reaching for a batarang on instinct, they ball into a fist when Damian realises there isn't one there. No matter; he can fend for himself without a weapon.

Turning to face the creature, something unknown to Damian - like many of the beasts in this wasteland -, as it got closer, he could only prepare himself for a fight.

"Where's Batman when you need him? Oh right, in reality!"

In this reality, Map's whining would be of no use, all her energy used in a panicked sprint as she tried to put some distance between herself and a snow monster; A SNOW MONSTER, for Gotham's sake! Who the hell put snow monsters in a game without access to weaponry or some sort of magic, like fire, or a spell that could totally make the temperature hot, boiling point, even! A wave of relief fills Maps, as she finally passes between snow and flat land, but that doesn't stop the monster coming after her.

It doesn't stop the monster that's coming after Damian, too, apparently.

"D, you're okay!"

"No time for that, to the rain forest!"

"Excuse me for being happy you're okay," though, she did as he instructed, "How are you so calm?!"

"I have faced worse - you have no reason to be scared, it's just a pile of moving snow and a hippo-elephant hybrid."

"Oh, it's totally not terrifying to have the snowman from Frozen chasing after you to freeze you and dump you on a Popsicle stand!"

"Frozen?"

"It's Disney - now's not the time!"

Legs numb, bodies relying purely on adrenaline, the two raced their way towards the rain forest. Close enough, Maps reached out, trying to grab onto the nearest tree. Fingers barely brush against it before she's pushed back by an electronic shock. It lets Damian rethink in that split second, rushing to grab a disorientated Maps, and drag her in the direction of the body of water. This had to be planned - it was practically a survival simulation, but without the possibility of survival involved.

Whoever Wayne Enterprises had made a deal with, Damian wanted to know.

They won't last here, not with just water and fruits possibly growing within the forest. Expending their energy to flee the monsters and travel from place to place, there would be no use, and that, has Damian very pissed off. Give it a week or two and they'd die from exhaustion. A lack of a fair fight; what cowards they were, to create this.

"D, I can't-" Maps panted, standing on shaky legs. It was to be expected - that the water was cut off from them too. What was the point in four habitats, if you only got the worst ones to go through? Totally lame. "The monsters are catching up, I don't think I can run anymore."

"Are you giving up?"

"No! I - I'm just, this is an impossible situation! You're trained for this, you're Robin! I'm...I'm Maps. I'm just a teenager, you're just a teenager, and I don't wanna die!"

"Maps-"

"But I'm gonna die anyway! 'cause we don't know if the system even lets us out, it's like that half-prince manga or-"

"Mia."

Silence falls between the two, only disturbed by the monsters growing ever closer, loud and growling, hungry for blood. They were most likely to die here, if this were designed to kill them on the outside of the game, as well as the inside. It's uncharacteristic but Damian takes Maps' hand, staring down the monsters as they came. "We are most likely to die. But you're not going to die alone here, and at least dying from this will have the company investigated. Something good will come out of the sacrifice."

"I-"

"Your friends and family will be sad, yes. But you might have saved them, along with millions of strangers in the process. That's something to be proud of."

Sniffling, Maps could only smile, a weak, genuine smile, at Damian's words. Turned and faced the monsters too. "Your comforting skills are getting better."

"You think?"

"Oh yeah, totally. Might wanna tweak the dying thing a bit more."

"Noted."

The light is swallowed by the shadows of monsters, too real and victorious. Maps squeezes Damian's hand tight, eyes shut. Damian just stares them down. There's a sickening crunch and a scream.

Game over.

When Maps woke up, she was sat in a large leather chair in the Batcave, sweating and shaking and...and alive.

"You're awake. How do you feel?"

Lifts a hand and feels for her butterfly clip, the other raising to offer Mr.Wayne a thumbs up. "Peachy keen, Mr.Wayne, little woozy. What happened?"

"The devices you were given were sent here by a company I had declined to collaborate with two years ago. They'd been dealing in experimentation of the human psyche and the effects technology can have on it. How they got it here in Tim's name, I'm not sure - Red Robin is tracking them down now."

"Oh, but one thing. I died."

"Theoretically. The company believe they've killed two people, whilst Nightwing saved you and Damian-"

"Damian! Where is he?!" Maps shot up, eyes wide.

The door at the further end of the Batcave slid open, and Maps ran over with what energy she had left, practically falling into Damian for a hug. The one getting hugged, however, stood frozen in surprise. Even more so when tears spilled down Maps' cheeks. It must be the shock.

"You're alive-!"

"Well of course, Grayson saved us both from the system, after all."

Relieved laughter echoed through the cave, Maps clinging to her friend just that much tighter. "We're definitely just gonna stick to reading books and riding Goliath from now. No more virtual reality."

An arm settles around Maps, hand pressed comfortingly between her shoulder blades.

"Yes, we will."

"Thanks, Damian. You're the best. And Goliath totally loves you the best."

"Well - of course," Damian cleared his throat, momentary embarrassment hidden by a smirk as Maps' stomach grumbled. "I believe you should eat some food before returning to the school."

"You're a genius," Maps snickered, unlocking Damian from her embrace. Wiped her eyes. "Just one more thing, Damian?"

"Mm?"

"No one usually calls me Mia besides Alfred and my mom, but-" raising her left hand, she offered the vigilante a peace sign and a wide grin, "you totally have special permission to."