Ember was nervous as she walked into the park, clutching the box in her hands tightly. She knew she was being watched but Robin had assured her that the vigilantes would be keeping watch too and will not let her get hurt.

She wasn't that worried for herself but she was more worried about Evan because if anything happened to him, she would not be able to live with the guilt that he got hurt because of her.

She had received a text that morning telling her to take the package to Robinson Park and drop the package in a dustbin marked with a yellow sticky note on the side. Her phone had already been tapped by the Bats and Tim was tracking the location from where the texts were being sent.

Damian, on the other hand, was keeping watch over Ember. But as he didn't want to attract any attention to himself from the kidnappers, instead of going there as Robin, he took Titus out for a walk at the same park.

He was already there by the time Ember arrived and he had also spotted the dustbin marked with the sticky note. So he discreetly kept watch while walking Titus around, apparently doing nothing out of the ordinary.

There was no one else who seemed to be there watching Ember which was slightly alarming. He felt there would be cameras or some other such device involved but that didn't seem to be the case either.

He checked his phone texting Tim to keep him updated. If he had to be in the park, he had to seem very casual, minding his own business so he couldn't risk staring at Ember or that bin too much.

As he took a turn and walked off to sit on a bench nearby, he saw her find the dustbin and drop the package in it then she texted something on her phone which Tim forwarded to Damian soon as he was able to intercept it. She had let the abductors know that the package had been dropped and received a reply telling her to leave.

From that bench, he had a clear view of the dustbin so he intended to stay there pretending to be on his phone while observing if anyone came to take that package.

No one suspicious approached the bin, however, the waste cleaning staff was emptying the entire contents of all the bins into dumping trolleys.

Damian texted Tim to start tracking the location of the package as it had been dumped into the garbage truck and was probably on its way to the hideout. While he had to make sure that Ember got back to her place safely.

From then onwards, their plan was simple.

Damian had to make sure Ember didn't get taken as well while the rest of the vigilantes would split in two teams, raiding the locations they were tracking both of the texts origin and the place the package was sent to.

Sinclair could be kept at either of those locations and they had to rescue him and get the truth from him as well as other people they could capture.

Intercept. Damian's phone vibrated and he saw the text from Tim.

What?

Stop Ember from leaving. Right now. The screen lit up again and Damian looked up to see the redhead woman walking to the gate.

Damian quickened his pace, and Titus had picked speed as well so it seemed the youngest Wayne was being dragged around by his dog.

Sometimes Damian felt Titus could read minds as it ran straight up to Ember, giving her quite a fright but at the same stopping her from leaving the park.

"I apologize," Damian spoke up as he pulled Titus away, feeling like his loyal friend had give him the perfect cover-up, "Miss Sullivan?"

From the corner of his eye, Damian spotted a car parked close to the gate that wasn't there before. But he turned his attention to Ember for the time being.

"Mister Wayne... I... I didn't expect to see you here," she remarked, trying to calm herself down.

"Likewise." His phone beeped and he had to check the text, "excuse me."

Stall. Take her out to coffee or something. You are not supposed to leave her alone.

A frown crossed his face as he wanted to text back that he wasn't on a date but didn't do so as Ember was standing there. Drake was being ridiculous, he thought.

But the next text from Tim made him more alert. The phone number that was texting her is nearby. Probably in that SUV by the gate that I can see through the footage rn. They're planning to abduct her too so stay with her.

"This must be Titus," she was slowly coming to her senses, trying to bury the nervousness underneath. She briefly recalled that Damian had told her about his dog Titus during the interview.

He nodded, "yes. I apologize for Titus cutting your path off like that. He gets excited sometimes."

"It's no bother. Hello Titus," she bent down to gently ruffle the dog's head and it barked in affirmation.

She was panicking and he knew that judging from her fidgety hands and the way she couldn't keep a smile on her face. That Evan Sinclair must be really important to her for her to get so worried about him, he thought.

"Miss Sullivan, is everything okay?"

She looked caught off guard but tried to mask it with a smile, "of course. Nice weather we're having today, isn't it? I came for a walk but I must go back now. It was a pleasure meeting you again."

Damian hated maintaining conversations for any longer than it was necessary and he certainly couldn't bring himself to ask her out for a coffee all of a sudden. Tim should have suggested something more doable but of course, no matter what the situation, his go to excuse would always be coffee.

"I was heading back too, I can drop you off at your place," he offered finally but she shook her head.

"No, thank you. I can manage," she replied politely, "see you around, I guess."

She was feeling just as awkward as him but there was the added anxiety of being watched by Evan's abductors for her too. So he didn't stop her but stood there, waiting for her to leave and check whether Tim's assumption regarding the SUV was right or not.

His phone had started ringing so he let go of Titus to answer the call. 

"Damian, what the hell?" Tim's voice sounded, "you had one task..."

But his voice trailed off as the next few minutes passed in a blur. Titus raced to the gate and Damian noticed that a man from the SUV had been about to drag Ember in if not for the black dog latching onto his leg.

"Okay so now Titus has to save the day for you," Tim's voice drifted away as the phone call was long forgotten and Damian too ran up to the commotion.

He had taken Ember's arm and pulled her back while the SUV rushed off, that man's shoe lying at the pavement beside a very worked up Titus. She seemed shocked by what had just happened, not a single word passed her lips as she saw Damian taking his dog's leash and then asking her if she was alright.

She was already frantic, being almost abducted didn't make the situation any easier.

"Miss Sullivan," his voice shook her out of the shock at last, "I must drop you back to your place. Safely."

"No, I... I shouldn't..."

"I insist," his tone was slightly firm, making it clear that he wouldn't hear another excuse.

She didn't object that once and he retrieved his hand from her arm, gently guiding her to his car. He held the door open for her as she got in while Titus took the backseat.

By the time, he had backed up the car from the parking lot, he checked again if that SUV was in sight. Luckily, Tim had gotten the number plate of that car and they would be able to track it as well.

His priority right then was to drop Ember back at the hostel although seeing her so shaken up, he felt he should do something to get her to calm down. 

"Thank you," she spoke after a long while of awkward silence between them, "I don't know what just happened but really, thank you."

"You are welcome. Though I think you should report this to the police. It clearly looked like an abduction to me."

She shook her head, "they're not gonna do anything..."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"I'm fine, it was nothing, really," she remarked, not eager to tell him about the situation although she knew he would have a clear idea since the officer assigned to her case was his elder brother. 

"I hope it is as you say," he mumbled and she felt he would add something to the statement.

But he didn't probe further, taking the turn to Aparo Square after she asked him to. He couldn't let it slip that he knew where she lived either and he was always careful to keep his vigilante and civilain lives separate.

As Robin, of course he knew where she lived. As Damian, he didn't.

"Just stop here by the hostel," she remarked, taking in a deep breath to calm her fraying nerves, "thanks once again."

She left the car and he kept parked there until she had gone in. However, by then it was confirmed to him that the people who had taken Evan weren't simply going to use him as a bargaining chip. They were targeting Ember as well and would have abducted her if he hadn't been there with her.

The case was getting complicated but the Bat vigilantes were always prepared.

He couldn't wait for that night's patrol.

***