Secrets shall be revealed

Part 7

He woke up later when Jason nudged him awake. The police were there, and they were taking the children and arresting the goons. It was time for them to go. Jason offered him a hand to get up. Damian was about to take it when Jason was pushed away, and Father grabbed his wrist harshly and yanked him up.

Damian couldn't help the pained grunt that escaped him as he was forced on his feet and pulled towards Batmobile. He didn't protest. He knew it would only make it worse. "Batman, calm down. He was trying to help." RedRobin tried to block their way.

The pressure on his wrist increased painfully. "Move," Batman said.

"No. What he did was not right, but it is the only reason we got to catch the culprit and all those dealers. He saved their lives." RedRobin tried again.

The pressure on his wrist increased again. Damian did his best to endure. He was yanked to the side and pushed into the car. Father got into the driver's seat and started driving at high speeds. Damian wanted to hold his body, but he knew it would anger Father more.

So he held back the urges and sat as still as possible.

They were soon back in the cave. Father got out and slammed his door. Damian was about to open his door when it was pulled open harshly, and Damian was yanked out of his seat. He did nothing to resist as Father grabbed him by the neck, lifted him up, and slammed him against a nearby pillar, holding him suspended in the air.

He was squeezing his neck so hard and Damian couldn't breathe. He wouldn't fight. He tried his best to stay still. Fisting his hands to prevent himself from grabbing into the arm, holding him in the air.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID TONIGHT? HOW CARELESS IT WAS? THOSE CHILDREN COULD HAVE DIED. YOU NEVER LEARN AND YOU NEVER LISTEN. HOW MANY TIMES...." Father was yelling at him, but Damian was losing consciousness from lack of oxygen.

Suddenly, there were incoming shouts in the cave. Still, the only thing Damian noticed was how the grip on his neck tightened even more and a sound of snapping before he passed out.

Damian woke up in Leslie's clinic. He could immediately tell since it was the room they usually occupied for more extended visits. He was hooked to too many machines, and his body was numb, no doubt from painkillers. He was alone, but he didn't have enough energy to get up, and the tube in his mouth wouldn't let him speak.

He didn't know how long he had been awake but heard footsteps approaching. Drake. Drake looked disheveled. He looked similar to how he did when he went for a few days without sleep. He was holding a cup of coffee, but when he saw Damian awake, he put it on the bedside table to check on him.

"Damian. You're awake. Can you hear me?" Drake asked as he started checking him over. Damian couldn't talk, so he used his uninjured hand to do one-handed signs.

'What happened to the bastards?' Damian signed

Drake understood him quickly. He gave him a quick report of everything that happened but decided to hold back the lecture about his carelessness until he was better. Apparently, the man was named Renard Lefebvre, and he worked as a child sex trafficker.

He would take pictures of the children to put in a catalog, and interested buyers would attend the auctions. The case was beyond GCPD and the bats since it involved international security.

It was time to answer the hard questions.

'Can you give me an injury report?' Damian signed.

Drake looked at the ceiling briefly before sighing and closing his eyes. "It's not good. Twisted ankle, dislocated wrist, cracked and broken ribs, the cut on your side, which was luckily shallow enough to only need stitches. But..." he sighed again, trying to control his emotions.

"When Bruce squeezed your neck. He... He broke your windpipe. We had to get Leslie to perform surgery. You are still healing, but there is a possibility that your vocal cords are permanently damaged." Drake said.

Damian held back his own emotions. 'I want to sleep.' He signed. He needed to be alone. He wanted to be alone.

"Damian..." Drake tried to say. He sounded so soft. He was never this soft with Damian.

'Now.' Damian signed, closing his eyes to hold back tears. A hand gently grabbed his shaking one.

"OK, I will leave for now. But we are here for you, OK? I still haven't gotten to thank you for that night. So thank you for saving me." Drake said. He gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go and leaving.