a/n: I forgot to post a story again! I'll be posting two today to make up for it. The other one is a crossover with Hawkeye, and it focuses on Steph rather than Damian (gasp!), so prepare yourselves. That's going up right after I post this one.

15. Demon Possession

"Damian? Are you alright?"

Dick knew that he was hovering, but he couldn't help it. Damian wasn't what people would call needy, though he did act out for attention fairly often. This, though, was definitely not Damian's preferred method of getting his mentor's attention, and that was exactly what worried him.

His young charge was curled up on the bed, so tightly that it looked like it hurt, with his breathing hitched and his hands pressed over his ears. It looked like he was in the throes of a nightmare, but Dick knew that he was very much awake. It had been hours since patrol, and Dick couldn't remember running into Joker or Scarecrow at all. Damian's actions made no sense, and it was starting to scare him.

He immediately moved closer when Damian let out a whimper.

"Dami?" He tried again. The nickname was usually enough to snap Damian out of whatever mood he was in, just to throw insults at his older brother. "Dami, what's wrong?"

Dick eased himself on the bed, then carefully wrapped his arms around the small boy. His worry increased tenfold when Damian uncurled and latched his arms around Dick's neck. Tight. The older man fought a wince, then nearly missed his brother's words.

"—a name," the child whispered.

"What?"

"It's not a name."

"What isn't?" Dick ran his hands up and down Damian's back, trying to soothe him.

"Ra's al Ghul." Dick froze. "Head of the demon. It's not a name." Damian pulled back, eyes wide with fear, face pale. "It's a title."

Dick was completely thrown by that. He shifted a bit, spooking his brother into tightening his grip, and ran a soothing hand down Damian's face. He was trying to subtly check for a fever, knowing that asking out right would bring all the boy's defenses crashing back down. After a few seconds, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion and concern. Damian definitely didn't have a fever. In fact, he was… cold.

A door creaked open behind Dick and he sighed in relief. Alfred was always better at ferreting out sickness and dispelling lingering concerns. Damian would be fine in no time.

When Dick turned, however, Alfred was merely standing at the door. He gave a grim smile—the elderly butler was probably trying to give the two a moment to bond, as he often did. Dick was sure that no amount of bonding would fix Damian, though, so he was happy to relinquish him to the gentle care of the grandfatherly figure before him. When Damian spotted Alfred, however, he began to shake. He pressed himself more tightly against Dick—nearly strangling him in the process—and stared at the advancing butler with mute horror. Dick didn't understand until Alfred was standing beside them.

His eyes were black.

A sinister grin that was most definitely not Alfred spread across the man's face, and he leered down at the boy in Dick's arm. If there was any doubt about the situation at hand in Dick's mind, the rough, smoky voice that emitted from Alfred's mouth convinced him.

"Hello, grandson."

Damian screamed.

end notes: So I know the whole Ra's being a demon thing has been done before, but I've never seen it like this, so hopefully you guys liked it! Five more prompts to go! Although I haven't actually written four of them yet... My words are 'boomerang,' 'seduction,' 'car wreck,' and 'roller coaster' and I have NO idea what to do with them, so the results should be interesting.

Sorry this one was so short!