The Mountain's Guardians

Instructions

The mission had taken Damian to the edge of a steep mountain pass, and just as he secured the stolen data drive, the ground crumbled beneath him. He fell hard, tumbling down the rocky slope and splashing into an icy mountain pool below. Gasping, he dragged himself from the water, each movement slow and stiff from the cold. Before he could even gather his bearings, he heard soft chittering sounds surrounding him. Damian looked up, bewildered to find a group of monkeys watching him intently. They crept closer, their curious, round eyes fixed on him. They were studying him, little hands reaching out to touch the odd stranger in their midst. Before he could react, they honed in on the pouch on his belt—a precious stash of nuts. His only food. “No. Back off,” he muttered, trying to push them away, but the monkeys only gathered closer, cooing and pulling at the pouch. Damian could only watch as they pried it open, their tiny hands rifling through it and sharing the food with surprising gentleness. He tensed, prepared to defend himself the moment they finished, assuming their patience would end when the food did. But the monkeys only tilted their heads, patting his arms softly, as if he were one of their own. Some of them even dropped pieces of nuts at his feet, offering him part of what they’d taken. Damian frowned, the strangeness of their kindness only adding to his discomfort. He sat there in silence, his head starting to feel light and dizzy from the cold. Above him, the rumbling sound of an engine cut through the mist. He looked up to see the Batplane hovering overhead. Damian struggled to sit up as the black figure of Bruce descended from the plane. Bruce took one look at the scene before him and arched a brow, taking in Damian surrounded by a small crowd of monkeys, each watching him as if he belonged with them. His eyes softened, and he held out a food pack, shaking it to draw the monkeys away. They abandoned Damian in an instant, flocking around Bruce to eagerly accept the new offerings. With the monkeys distracted, Bruce knelt beside Damian, gathering him up and helping him into the Batplane. Damian allowed it, too weak to resist after the freezing water had drained his energy. He leaned back into the seat as Bruce strapped him in, feeling the warmth of the cabin slowly seep into him. The plane began its ascent over the mountains, and Damian felt his exhaustion pulling him under. Just before he let himself drift off, he glanced at Bruce, who glanced back with a silent nod of approval—a reassurance that Damian hadn’t failed. Only then did Damian allow his eyes to close, safe in the knowledge that he was homeward-bound.