The Deceiving Demon

The Devil Has Arrived

Damian's POV
When Mother gave me to Batman she offered no explanation as to why. I saw as she gave him a brief narration on how I came to be. On how Batman came to have son. However, all their words fell silent to my ears as did everything else. Sometimes I wish I could hear my Mother's voice, just once. I refuse to allow those thoughts to linger in my head. I was taught emotions were for the weak.

Mother finally did gesture to where I hid after her exchange with Batman. I predicted that she was introducing me from my attempts to read her lips the entire conversation. Although that was hard because Mother had her back to me most the time. At least I got most of Batman's words, I believe.

I walked out of the shadows and into the view of Batman. The stare he gave me was intimidating, but I wasn't one to back down. He stared at me for a couple minutes, his lips never moving. I also stared at him. Observing the suit he had on that resembled a nightime creature, observing the muscles that bulged from his biceps, I studied every inch of my father.

Finally deciding I'd be the one to break the silence I spoke, "Don't look so stunned Father. I'd thought you'd be taller."

Yet, all was still silent for me, nothing was broken for me. I just had to be sure my lips moved to say the correct words. Mother made sure at an early age I would know how to speak correctly, even if I'd never be able to hear my voice say such words

Not soon after we were in a vehicle with Batman driving us somewhere. When we first got in the automobile, he called a person on the dashboard computer which was troubling because I couldn't make out what the person on the other line was saying. I could only see Batman's body language as he responded and if you didn't know, Batman isn't the most expressive person.

I assume we were heading to Batman's base of operations. I've heard stories about the intelligently named, 'batcave'. Mother speaks of it often, and over years of experience, I can read her lips with little to no errors.

When we arrived we met with another man who resembled the contact photo of the person Batman called in the car. Now that I got a good look at the older man I was able to deduce that this was 'Alfred Pennyworth', the famous butler of Batman. Mother use to speak about him a lot, therefore I greeted him by last name in a show of respect.

It was not that hard to read Pennyworth's lips and his body language showed more emotions than Father. He informed me that their was no other servants around which confused me. Grandfather had thousands of servants come to his aid whenever needed and from what Mother tells me, Father should have multiple butlers. Mother says he is rich, so why wouldn't he have tons of men to serve him?

I comment the layout of the batcave and made my way around to observe every inch. I was sort of going out on a limb by walking around so freely, as if this was by own home and I was invited. That's wrong though, this is nowhere close to 'home' and I most definitely was not invited to stay. I just hope that Father wouldn't reprimand me, from what I've seen of him he didn't seem like the type to but I wasn't about to make that judgement just yet.

I still am clueless on why I'm here. Growing up with Mother and the League of Shadows, now I was in a different terrain with new people, what was going on? Was this all part of training? Was it a mission, or a test? Maybe it was because I failed Mother and she needed to rid herself of me. You couldn't have a failed assassin as Ra's Al Ghul's grandson. But I was unsure now I could've failed. I did every task asked of me, right? Well, if this was a test, I was determined to prove that I was worthy.

I realize that Pennyworth and Father are discussing something on the first floor, but I am aware that this is not my business and I don't try to make out what is being said. Instead I study the costumes of Batman's old protégés and soon, I am shown to the room I'll be staying at.

It's a huge room and I had to keep myself from showing surprise. Pennyworth showed me a screen much like that on a computer and said it was for my entertainment. I didn't know how to react to this, I didn know what it was. I just dismissed the moving images of non realistically drawn animals.

Still, all this leisure was surprising. I would not expect someone to trust an outsider enough to allow them all this extravagance. I guess the fact that I am Batman's son allows me to have a lot of luxuries for my satisfaction. Realizing that, I made a point to order Pennyworth to fetch me some tea, because I could, because I was the boss, because I was never able to do this before.

Pennyworth made a comment before he left the room and, although I didn't understand what he meant by it, I  could tell from his body language that this was a sort of mocking. I was sure to make Pennyworth aware I was not too young to know when starcasm was being used, and Pennyworth then got me the tea. I guess it isn't too bad here, but I mustn't make assumptions.