Disclaimer: I don't own DC or the Ruby's chain or restaurants.

Two months of school have passed and Damian was surprised it wasn't all that cruel. If he was completely honest, he might've been enjoying it. (If you tell anyone I'll kill you~Damian Wayne.) Although, his teacher treated them like little kids! Who did she think they were?! Little....kids...Oh. Umm...moving on! Damian also found out the look on her face was priceless when he told her she was wrong. Especially when he told her the right answer. She grew red and her cheeks puffed out. Every time that would happen he'd glance at John, and the two of them were both trying to hold in their laughs.

John even did it a few times as well! He even asked when they'll be beginning algebra! Damian loved it! He was also pleased another person could understand what he was saying. It was demeaning no one knew what the word 'demeaning' meant. He also liked talking with John. It was...fun... Damian would either bring up a topic or John would then the other would elaborate. By the end of their conversations the teacher would look at them like they had grown fourteen limbs. 

Their teacher was Ms. Crawford. Damian hated her. She was an annoying, spiteful, and an overall condescending woman. Damian hated her. Enough said. Damian once asked John what he thought of her. John responded with, "Comparing her to Joker...I'd take Joker." Damian appreciated the hero joke. He planned on being one one day...

Homework was a breeze. Adding, word problems? Tch, it's a cinch. Damian was bored after school though. He had nothing to do. Father was always at work, Pennyworth was doing work, Todd was complaining about something, and Grayson was training or something. Damian supposed he could ask Grayson, but he didn't feel like it. Which led to today. 

In the morning Damian had asked Pennyworth, "What do you call a meeting between two friends?"

Pennyworth raised an eyebrow, "A date?"

Damian scrunched his nose in disgust, "No, Pennyworth, with kids my age."

"Well, Master Damian, I suggest a play date."

So, a play date is what you call it... John always seemed so busy after school, but if they planned something beforehand...maybe they could hang out. That'd be nice. Which is why Damian was busy writing a question on his sheet of paper. He bit his lip. Would he be embarrassed? Nah, he'd be fine. John wasn't one to judge something as inferior as a question.  

The bell rang. John wasn't here. He was usually pretty punctual...Ms. Crawford was late. Again. Damian didn't care today, he was actually fairly happy that the teacher was late. It was John he was worried about. That is, until John rammed thru the door. His hair was a more of a mess, he wore his usual long sleeved top with jeans, and converse. Yet, Damian felt his demeanor tense. When John plopped himself down in the seat across from Damian he physically relaxed. It reminded Damian of times when he felt his Father's or Grandfather's incriminating gaze leave him, but why would John feel like that?

"Hello, Johnathon." Damian had taken to calling John 'Johnathon' because he believed it was more formal. He didn't find it necessary to call his friend by his last name.

"Once again, it's John. Just John. And good morning to you too Damian. What'd you eat for breakfast?" John asked placing a binder at the top of his desk. 

Damian placed his hands on his desk as he began, "Pennyworth made me pancakes with sausage, steak, and eggs."

John felt his stomach gurgle, but he didn't focus on that, "Based upon how you're describing all your meals his cooking must be spectacular!"

Damian nodded fiddling with the piece of paper he had, "It' adequate... Read this." He placed the paper upside down on John's desk.

John arched an eyebrow at it. He turned it over. Damian watched hesitantly as John's eyes scanned over the note quickly as he withdrew a pencil from his pencil case. John checked a box and handed it back to Damian. Damian almost screamed in joy at John's response, but managed to keep his calm demeanor in place.

"So, when do you want to come over?" Damian asked.

John 'hummed' in thought, "Is today okay? Will Alfred be alright with that?"

Damian replaced his usual blank face with a small grin, "Yes, I'm sure Pennyworth will actually be pleased I'm spending time with someone of my youth."

"Youth you say? I thought you were a hundred." John said keeping a straight face.

"I am, I thought you were a hundred and one!" Damian replied faking dramatics.

"I say!" John placed a hand on his forehead leaning back slightly, "That's a rude assumption good sir!"

Damian gasped, "Are you assuming my gender, peasant!?"

John gasped back, "Are you assuming my status, knight?!" (AKA future AU's I wanna do)

They fake gasped for about five more seconds until the both broke out laughing. John's more defined then Damian's. Damian was happy he could spend more time with John. With others, such as Grayson, Father, Pennyworth, or Todd were easy to learn and read. For example, from a simple Google search he learned everything about everyone. And he spends everyday with them, so it's easy to predict how each of them will react to each predicament. But with John, he barely knew anything. And John had only shown two sides of himself so far, frantic and sarcastic. And Damian felt that his newfound friend was down-sizing those emotions. 

John was for one, happy to be invited. He knew he could never ask Damian to come over to his house because of Slade, but he wanted to spend more time with the other. He was also glad to get away from Slade. Slade had been especially cross this morning, Slade said he wanted John to run around the school yard 257 times before running home. 257! John didn't want to do that, and he estimated that 257 laps around the track of this private school would take about 2 hours, so he'd have about 2 hours with Damian. Which would be awesome! Damian was so nice and funny. Although, he could be a little mean with other kids, especially Liberty. But John couldn't necessarily say he liked Liberty either. She was impatient, annoying, and thought she was the center of the universe. She called John a faggot before! John didn't know what that word meant, but Damian didn't seem to like her saying it to John. In fact, Damian punched Liberty because of it. 

He ended up suspended.

Either way, both boys were excited for the upcoming play date.  

***Batbreak***

Five minutes before the last bell rings and Damian felt like he was going to die. How come school was so damn long! Yeah, new word Damian learned from watching Todd's television series. But anyways, Damian wasn't listening to the teacher anymore (not like he was before) and just staring at the clock. Why can't I be a meta-human so I can speed up time? Damian thought. 

The bell rang. Instantly, Damian hopped out of his seat and grabbed John's wrist pulling his friend out the door. John chuckled as he pulled on his backpack. "Let's go Jonathon! You're too slow."

John raised an eyebrow mischievously, "Oh really? Race?"

Damian smirked, "You're on."

Off the two went. The ground leading to Alfred's car was all pavement, but that just helped them run faster. Damian was initially in the lead until John sped up for the last few paces and beat Damian to the car. (A/N: Mind you John has gone thru more intense training at this point. Later on they'd be evenly matched in a race.) John grinned smugly at him at which Damian rolled his eyes, but a small smile was on his face too. Alfred watched the two boys come to the car. At first, he was surprised seeing Damian interact with a child his age, but that initial feeling changed into appease. He was glad Damian made a friend.

"Pennyworth?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow at the two small boys, "Master Damian?"

Damian straightened his back and asked, "May I have a play date with Johnathon today?"

Alfred glanced at the other boy. He was looking at Alfred with a strong hope he'd say yes. Alfred couldn't say no, "Of course, young sirs." Damian simply nodded at him, but both John and Alfred could see the excitement in his eyes.

Alfred held open the door for Damian and expectantly waited for John to get in as well, but when he didn't Alfred decided to mention it. "Master Jonathon, please get into the car."

John glanced at Alfred and grinned slightly, but it looked strained. Alfred, soon after, shut the door and got into the driver's seat. When he revved up the engine he could still hear the rapid fire of conversation coming from the back seat.

Damian began this time, "What do you think about... global warming?"

"Well, I think it's caused by Superman."

Damian paused looking at John crazily, "You think global warming... is cause by Superman?"

John laughed a little, "No, but it'd be funny if it was. Just imagine, an actual reason for the government to take him in custody. It seems like they're way to happy to look for one at least. Damian imagine you have an imagination."

Damian raised an eyebrow while saying, "Okay?"

"Now, using that imagined imagination imagine that global warming is caused by hot gas coming out of Superman's pores. It squirts out when he's flying and-"

Before John could finish Damian shoved him playfully, "Ew! What made you think of that?!"

John shrugged, "I used my imagined imagination."

Damian chuckled lightly at that. Alfred, who had been tuning in said, "Young sirs, would you like to eat at a restaurant?"

Damian glanced at John asking, "What do you want?"

John's gaze averted to the ground as he realized he wasn't necessarily sure what food places there were. A light flush was on his cheeks as he asked, "What kind of places are there?"

Not thinking anything of it Damian replied, "We can go to Ruby's I've heard about that place. Pennyworth, can we go to Ruby's?"

"Of course, Master Damian."

John looked away embarrassed. He should know what the food places were around here. He's lived in the stupid city for two years. But he doesn't. All he knows is the terrain of the city from maps Slade made him study front to back. John suddenly registered the fact that he'd get actual food. Or would they just give him bread too? John hoped he'd get something more. And as if his stomach shared the same opinion it growled.

"Good thing we're going to lunch," Damian remarked, "You seem hungry."

"Yeah, didn't have a good breakfast." That was true, he didn't have a good breakfast. Unless you counted bread as breakfast. Actually, he hated bread now. 

Damian placed his hand on his chin in thought, "You know...what'd you have for lunch at school anyways? I don't think I ever-"

"OH LOOK WE'RE HERE!!!" John shouted suddenly. He didn't want to talk about his... issues. Yeah, he knew that Slade was bad and what was happening was wrong, but... he couldn't risk anything.(A/N: You'll learn about that later in the chapter...😎😅) 

John and Damian got out of the car, with Alfred following behind. And, to John's surprise Damian held the door open for him. John gave a him a smile and walked in. The whole place looked beautiful to John. The booths looked polished, the floor looked cleaned, and the lady behind the counter smiled at him. Smiled! Damian walked next to John and nudged him slightly. The two walked up to the counter. 

The lady whose name tag read'Rebecca' said, "Why hello there! Three?"

Alfred nodded, "Yes, please."

Another lady came from behind Rebecca, grabbed two kid menus and one adult menu. She led them to their table. John slipped in choosing the widow seat. Alfred sat across from the two boys. John began looking over his menu to choose a food. Chicken strips? He furrowed his eyebrows in thought. His mother made him chicken before...but chicken strips? Was that like the chicken torn apart? That sounded pointless...

"Pennyworth what's the point of drawing on your menu? You need to be able to read off of it, right?" Damian asked glaring at the outline of a T-Rex.

Alfred had a bemused smile on his face as he responded, "Master Damian it's all up to you. If you want to draw on your menu you can, but if you don't want to you don't have to. Do you two know what you want?"

Damian hummed in response, but John asked, "Aren't you going to have something Alfred?"

"No young sir. I'm going to eat later. I'm not a fan of fried food." Alfred said with a blank face, but John could see the disgust.

He made an 'o' shape with his mouth. Wait, fried food? "Umm...may I ask a question?"

Alfred was slightly surprised by this question, but responded anyways, "Yes."

"What're chicken strips. Are they-"

"Johnathon," Damian began cutting off said boy. "Chicken strips are, as said in the name, chicken torn into strips. Then crusted with a breading, fried, seasoned, and served. You can get a side as well. I suggest fries."

John felt slightly stupid after Damian's articulated answer, but nevertheless appreciated it. He nodded to himself and told Alfred, "I'll have the chicken strips with...fries, please."

Alfred gave a small smile, "Of course Master Johnathon."

John flinched slightly, but only Alfred noticed. After Damian and John ordered their food, ate, got stampeded by a few paparazzi, and paid they decided to drop John off. Alfred offered to drop him off at his house, but John quickly said that they could drop him off at the school. Damian decided to stay in the car as Alfred led John out.

Before Alfred left John asked, "Alfred...why do you call Damian and I 'master'?"

"I use the term 'master' as a sort of paternal term. In a sense I find you and Master Damian my bosses or something to guard," Alfred said matter-of-factly. (A/N: Look up the history of the title master. It's interesting.)  

John didn't feel less confused, "But...doesn't it mean...something else. Like...Damian and I aren't more important than you."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, "Where did you infer that from?"

John realized he was digging his own grave, "I'll tell you later. Gotta go! Bye."

So, Alfred was left alone with his thoughts. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind for the moment. He'd do some investigating of this 'Johnathon' later. For now, he wanted all the details of this friendship from Master Damian. 

John sighed at the close call he made. Dang, Alfred was smart. So was Slade...John sighed once more. He realized a hole in his plan; he hadn't sweat. Hopefully my beating won't be too bad today... John thought to himself. He sat down on his backpack as he waited for his guardian. The sun was setting leaving an orange purple gleam over the surface of Gotham. A soft breeze blew thru John's hair. It was comfortable. John almost felt calm. But that calm turned sharp as the car pulled up. John picked up his back pack and got in the back of the black car.

Slade was at the front, dark glasses were covered by a gray baseball cap. John had never seen his face, much less wanted to. "You didn't run."

"No," John replied even though it wasn't a question.

"Good," John's head snapped upwards "You have a mission tonight, Specter."

John's skin paled more, "A mi-mission?"

"Yes," Slade tossed an outfit to John as he sped out of the school grounds. "You will be retrieving something simple; a black diamond. It's in the Central City Museum. If you do this right only cops and perhaps a speedster will come."

John looked up from his uniform, "A speed-speedster?! Master I-"

"You will do as I say! Or would you prefer no food for a month and a dead friend?"

John grew silent. With shaking hands he changed into his costume. 

And so Johnny Grayson was now Deathstroke's apprentice.

***

Holy crap that took a while! Well, for me anyways. Hope you liked it. Tried to portray Alfred and Damian correctly, but don't worry speedsters will appear. As well as Jason. Oh boy I'm excited! So much opportunity with this story I tell ya! Okay, now I'm gonna start working on the next Chapter! See ya! ~DCROBSCOMICS