What Am I?

Part 1

Hey guys! Okay, so, Kestrel's Shadow was way more popular than I was expecting, so I'm going to turn it into my own damn universe. I've already got two stories planned for it, and this is the first one. So, enjoy.

Italics are thoughts, I own nothing.

Damian Wayne, AKA Nightwing, stood on top of a building, watching a compound that he had recently discovered was a Court of Owls base. Most people thought they were just a legend, but not him. He knew they were real, hell, he'd even met a few of their Talons. But now he was on the other side of the law. He was a hero, and he needed to capture at least one of the assassins. Make the streets a bit safer. And there was also the fact that if the others actually saw one, they'd have to admit he was right. But at the same time, he knew the Penguin was after the compound too. Planned to blow it up, something about them sending Talons after his workers.

There he is.

Penguin was leaving, holding something that looked like a remote control, preparing to press the button.

He's already set the explosives!

Damian leapt towards the building. Maybe he could save at least one life. Entering the first room, he saw a boy who couldn't be older than eight, wearing the black clothes and white mask of a Talon, staring at the complicated bomb in front of him. He seemed to be considering his chances of disarming it before it went off. An older Talon walked in, saw the bomb, and yelling a warning behind him, ran out, shoving the boy to the ground as he passed. Damian swore and darted forward, grabbing the kid and using his grappling hook to escape, just managing to get clear before the explosion destroyed the base. The boy looked at him warily.

"Nightwing," he breathed, edging away. Damian crouched in front of him, not wanting to scare the kid off after all the trouble he went to saving him.

"I am not planning on attacking you."

"Why'd you save me? We're on different sides."

Nightwing honestly had no answer to that. It had been an instinctive action, but instinct, he knew, wasn't something assassins tended to trust. He came up with a reason quickly, one that was technically true, even if it wasn't exactly the correct reason.

"Just because we're on opposite sides doesn't been you should die for it."

"But... I'm an assassin. I kill people."

"And do you regret that?"

The boy hesitated, then nodded.

"Well, you're not an assassin now. Besides-" Damian cut himself off. Something about this boy seemed trustworthy, but he wasn't about to tell a kid he had only just met that he had once been a member of the League of Shadows.

"Besides what?"

"...Nothing. Anyway, what is your name?"

The boy considered the question, apparently trying to decide whether or not to answer it.

"Kestrel."

Kestrel... He knew that name. Kestrel had a reputation for killing quickly, not toying with his targets like some other assassins. They were killed with a single blow, usually slashing them across the throat; they were almost always dead in seconds. He was a legend among the League of Shadows, known for his speed and skill. No one had ever seen him in action. All in all, his style had always seemed like someone who didn't enjoy killing, getting it over with as fast as possible with the least amount of pain to the victim. In Damian's experience, that usually meant the assassin was being forced. He suddenly realized Kestrel was waiting for a response.

"Tell me Kestrel, did you like the Court of Owls?"

"...No."

Nightwing made a split second decision. After all, the kid was eight, and Batman would want to question the young Talon. Activating his comm, he called the Batcave.

"Nightwing?"

"Batman. I have found someone you may like to talk to. Should I bring him to the Batcave with me?"

"Who?"

Damian hesitated. Should he tell Batman? He could just say he had just found a Talon... but the Dark Knight would certainly find out the truth eventually.

"Nightwing..."

"Kestrel."

"What?! Alright, bring him in."

"Batman, there is one more thing you should know."

"And that is?"

"He is only eight years old." Damian shut off the comm.

"Kestrel?"

The young assassin looked at him. "Yes, Nightwing?"

"Would you like to come with me to the Batcave?"

He hesitated. "Yes. I would."

Damian sincerely hoped that bringing the child with him wasn't a mistake.

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Bruce shook his head. One of the most elusive killers on the planet, a legend to both the Shadows and the Justice League, and Kestrel was eight? This was going to be far different from anything he had ever done before.

Ha ha, the Batclan have no idea what they're getting themselves into... Oh, I am so looking forward to Part 2. They're going to find out what a smartass Kestrel is! Hey, who wants him to already know their IDs? The Batclan is, as always, Damian, Tim and Jason. Well until next time, and

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-Bird