Batty Family - Batfam Oneshots

Al Ghul - Part 2

Tim ran into the Batcave, panting and tripping to his knees. As he slid across the slippery floor, Cass caught him and Dick ran over.

"Woah, woah, Baby Bird, what's wrong?"

"It's Damian. He—"

Tim took a breath

"He's back with the League."
***
The League was definitely not as glamorous as Damian remembered it to be; then again, he absolutely worshiped it when he was younger, so no surprise there.

"See, my son, what you need to do is flip your hand like this. Hm...go practice on the man across the way. The one in green."

"The man out that window?" he raised an eyebrow, "Mother, he's just an innocent civilian. This would kill him."

"You don't know that. Besides, he's only a simple peasant. His life has no worth, not like ours do. You know this, Damian."

Did he? As the boy gripped the sword in his hand, he was contemplating his next moves. What could he do?
***
"He's what?" Dick scowled, "Jesus, I can't believe him!"

"No, can't be..." Cass whispered.

"It is. I was there when he went back—I tried to convince him to come home, but he wouldn't listen."

"I thought he'd changed, I really thought he'd changed," the eldest ran his hands through his hair.

Tim was frantic, "Is there a way to get him back? What can we do? Long as he's with her, we're targets for death."

"Ah, I—I don't know. We have no way to contact him."

Cass interjected, "Next time we see him. Talk."

The teen was silent for a moment, then agreed, "R-right. It's inevitable that we'll run into him at some point."
***
A few days later, in the dead of the night, Damian was planning his escape. He tried to do what his mother asked, but he found himself hesitating and thinking of his father and his siblings. Finally, he realized that they were the only people who ever truly believed in him—the real him. Not some version his mother or his grandfather had conjured up in their heads. It was imperative for him to go back.

As he creeped down the hallway, he could feel sweat dripping down his neck. If he was ever caught—

"Stand down, Damian."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, the boy thought.

"Mother."

"Where do you think you're going?" Talia stepped out of the darkness. Even her pajamas were skimpy, which made her son cringe.

"I'm leaving," he held out his sword in front of him, "But first, you will listen to me."

She laughed, "You're really going to threaten me while I'm unarmed? Manners. Well, I suppose I'm powerless to do anything, and you've peaked my interest. Speak, my son, and I shall listen."

"My entire childhood was spent trying to please you. You, my own mother, who used me as a pawn in your little game. My mother, who trained me to be an assassin from the day I was brought into this earth. I thought what I wanted was power and respect, but really, I was only doing what you wanted me to do. I am done following your rules. How can you possibly justify murdering innocent people on the street?"

"It was to train you—"

"It was cruel! And it was wrong. I have received all the training I've ever needed, and I did it without you! Bruce, Dick, the others...they are the ones who believed in me and taught me all I need to know; they taught me more than you did in ten whole years!"

She was silent for a moment, but manipulation was always Talia's strong suit.

"That Dick Grayson boy has gotten to you, hasn't he?"

Damian smirked, "I suppose he has."
***
"How could I have let this happen?" Dick asked himself as he stared at a photo of his family. It was in a picture frame that he kept in his apartment back at Blüdhaven.

"It wasn't your fault," Wally said quietly, sitting down next to Dick.

"Somehow, it feels like it is. Maybe I could've done more to convince him that this was the right path, not what he's doing now."

"Dick, he's just a kid; he's probably confused. I'm sure he'll come home soon."

"I hope you're right," he ran his thumb over the boy's face, "Y'know, even after everything he's done, I don't hate him. I just want him to come home."

"Yeah. That's a little brother for ya'," the speedster joked.

Dick smiled, Little brother...I wonder if he sees me as family, too.

"Come on, let's just chill out for a while," he leaned on top of the raven-haired young man.

"Yeah, okay."

Wally kissed his temple, then turned on the TV
***
"After I leave here today, I'm going to join Batman and his team again. They've been more so a family to me than you ever were."

Talia rolled her eyes, "Lovely. Inspiring, really; maybe they can pass down to you the ways of drama and failure."

He pointed the sword closer to her throat, "But I've come to an even more important decision. I am going to help them take you down. I am going to help them defeat you and disband this League."

"You really think a thirteen year old child and some emotional dirtbags could take down years of hard work and sacrifice?" she glared. Damian's silence was answer enough, so she continued, "Fine then. If you think you're so high and mighty, then why wait? You've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?"

"Because I know where I am supposed to be, and who exactly I am supposed to be with. I am a Robin and an heir of the Batman legacy. We are a team, which means I will not fight alone," he put his swords away, "Goodbye."

Damian walked around his mother and to the door before her words once again stopped him in his tracks.

"I think you're scared."

"What?" he growled.

His mother insulted him without turning her back, "You never acted like this before. You're afraid. You're a coward."

The boy ran up to her swiftly and climbed up her back, then held a sword to her neck. He shouted into her ear, "I am not a coward! Don't you dare disrespect me like that ever again! I could take you down right now if I wanted to, but I am well aware that if I did, I would kill you! I would tear out your spleen through your asshole and stab you until you no longer breathed a word! But I do not want to be that person! I want to be good!"

He jumped off of her, knowing he made too much noise. As he once again ran to the door, he composed himself and said calmly, "Goodbye. For real this time."

He pulled a pair of stolen car keys out of his pocket and sighed.

This is going to be a long night.