Damian grew up amongst an entire league of assassins, trained as their heir without emotions and learned skills to kill others despite him being a kid. Did that mean he was antisocial? Out of touch?
Oh, definitely.
Except for when he came to meet his father (read: dumped with) and the Batfam he had to learn how to deal and identify his emotions, which continously proved to be very troublesome, confusing and downright annoying for everyone involved.
It was a communications issue.
Some adults don't even know how to control their emotions, so how and why should he?
Cause his father and Dick said so.
And not just social skills.
He also had to train how not to kill his enemies as it went against the 'Batcode'. The latter progressed faster after he'd fought Deathstroke and the Court of Owls, to his father's relief (and pride).
Only one problem popped up.
He was then made to attend school cause he was still a kid.
Oh joy.
He had immediately shot down the idea and told his family he had already finished schooling at the league with the best tutor's, but did that stop his father from putting him in the same school his brother's had attended?
No, regrettably.
Meanwhile Todd and Drake were betting when Bruce would be called in cause of a dead kid or the first punch. So far it ranged from three days to two weeks, barely.
Sure, he easily dealt with the study materials by himself but staying around snobbish kids with a seniority complex when he had skipped grades was below him.
Now, Damian had heard of the concept of bullies but really? They were a nuisance akin to a plague you just wanted to poison or kill. Of which he could do both effortlessly and with half a working mind, mind you. And, Damian had to admit, he probably made a nice target with him being younger, antisocial and 'nerdy' - his permanent scowl probably didn't help either.
The others also had something to say about his attidude and way of speech, being the son of Bruce Wayne or (now this was downright racism) a 'mix-breed'.
He had thrown the first punch that time, two weeks after enrolling. Needless to say Drake won the bet, getting 20$ and Damian was scolded in the car ride as well as at home to 'not do that again... or maim them'.
Damian wanted to refute but he was above telling his father about the minor inconvenience, it wasn't worth telling him about it.
-That had been a mistake on his part.
The bullies had figured out that Damian hadn't told his father about the confrontation and thus a few more joined in on it.
He was beaten and called names, antagonized.
Truly, the heir to the demon, being ridiculed like that was shameful, even more so how it made him look weak. He hated it but couldn't do much about it at the moment, lest he get in actual trouble.
The teachers (pretended) didn't see it and he, while yes, he could use lethal force to immobilize them, knew very well that his father would be faster on him than one could shout out 'Dick's Ass'. Meaning he had to let this treatment continue for now...
But patrol? When he had begun letting his frustration out on the villains/ enemies for a week past a certain point of brutality Batman gave him a warning: temporarily stop being Robin or behave.
He had to reign himself in.
Robin was his everything, everything he could and wanted to do and be outside the Mansion.
He couldn't loose that one thing. So he conceded, once again, to the wishes and ideals of others, just like he'd done in the league.
.
.
.
Slowly he started feeling numb, emotionally exhausted, and so tired that he would probably (he already did, twice, blaming Jason) snatch one of Drake's weird caffeeine concoctions to make him last through the schooldays.
...was this 'depression'?
He had an ounce of pity for Drake now.
Dick (who always asked how he's doing or school was) and Alfred (who drove Damian to and from school) noticed his unusual quietness, but Bruce and Tim waved them off, saying he's either very busy and that he could handle himself.
They forgot that any resistance on Damian's part mostly resorted to offensive play due to prior education and he had never been to school before, hence had no expertise in what went above or below the line. And should he resort to said prior teaching he was made aware that it would undoubtedly result in a detention or his father being called into the office. And that would result to threatening his position as Robin.
.
.
.
A year later, after an especially bad day of barely passing with 57% on an exam and bullying, ranging from cruel whispers, name calling, shoving and being beaten in the boys locker room after gym, cliché much, Damian slightly limped to the school exit.
He was waiting for his annual pickup from Pennyw- Alfred, he should call him Alfred, when his phone rang. He took it out of his pocket, checking the screen and being met by a message from the british butler: [I will be there in 3 minutes maximum, Master Damian.]
Damian didn't write a reply, only took out his headphones that had a black and blue Nightwing insignia and hit the play button on his phone. Shortly after, rock music blasted in his ears. Before, he'd have preferred classic music, but this helped him in blocking out the shouts of torment and whispers of abuse ringing through his head. Occasionally, his fists and teeth clenched when he listened to some of the many song lyrics, comparing them with his life.
When Alfred had picked him up, he noticed the limp and busted lip: "Are you alright, Master Damian?"
"I am fine, Alfred."
...
To say the butler was surprised would be an understatement.
The boy had never called him by his first name, unlike the others. And this was a far too sudden change. Something was definitely wrong. He would need to talk to Master Bruce about it.
When they had finally arrived at the manor Damian went straight up to his room, unintentionally slipping into the manor's shadows and disappearing from view even though the hallways were bright - he was clearly erasing his presence so as not to be noticed.
"Lil'D, you're! ...home??"
Dick had jumped down the stair railings in bright enthusiasm, but quieted from confusion when he didn't see his brother and only received a frown from Alfred.
"Alfred, didn't you pick up Dami?" Dick knew the man had. So where was he?
"Hello to you too, Master Richard. Indeed I have, but he left very quietly upon entering the foyer. I'm surprised you haven't noticed him."
Dick was honestly surprised too.
He had never missed greeting his little brother and normally the younger would grumble about it too but he usually waited for Dick to come and welcome him home. That he hadn't even noticed him leave was also news: "Is he alright?"
"Regarding that I am going to talk to Master Bruce, would you like to join me Master Richard?"
"Sure, Alfred."
"He had also adressed me like that."
"Like what?"
"Master Damian had called me by my first name like you just did."
"But he never calls you that.
He still calls me Grayson, Tim as Drake or Replacement and Jason with Todd or Imbecile."
"Precise-"
"Who are you calling an Imbecile, Demon Spawn?!"
Jason was on top of the staircase, looking around angrily before confusion settled onto his face: "Wasn't the brat just here?
"Master Jason, no yelling in the manor, and if you were referring to Master Damian he had went to his room. Master Richard had been in the process of recounting Master Damian's way of addressing us all."
Jason inhaled quietly, muttering a quick 'Oh, sorry Alfred' before relaxing his position. He then turned to the last living Grayson and his older brother: "But why? And aren't you usually hogging him by now?"
He went down when the butler and his older brother continued on their way to the study, joining them.
"That is one of the reasons why we are going to talk to Master Bruce about Master Damian's recent behaviour."
"Why? Has he caused trouble at school again? And hello, Alfred." Another voice had chimed in, remembering to greet Alfred unlike his predecessors.
"Hello to you too, Master Timothy. Is Master Bruce still in the study?"
"Yes?" Tim questioned.
"Then could I ask of you to join us? I need to have a talk with Master Bruce."
The doors opened, Bruce standing behind them: "About what?"
Alfred walked into the room, not surprised that his oldest charge had eavesdropped on their conversation. The three boys and man followed after him like lost ducklings after their mother.
When he motioned them to sit, and did so himself after numerous persuasion, including a comment about his age that got Jason a 'no cookies for dinner' from the man, Alfred addressed the Joker in the room - well, not the real one.
Thankfully. It was just a general term for 'problem' among them, next to the League of Assassins.
"Master Damian has been behaving very oddly for the past few months."
Immediately Bruce's Dadfrown™ was directed at him: "What do you mean? What did he do now?"
"He has become more quiet, respectful and, dare I say it, less fierce or vicious."
"Isn't that a good thing? Shows that he's getting used to living here." Bruce denied the butlers concern as unwarranted, though pleased that Damian is behaving.
"He has also become more tired, is easily exhausted, started avoiding Master Dick while taking Master Timothy's caffeeine concoctions, took up music as well as the arts and today he had called me by my first name."
That caused a reaction.
Primarily confusion and rage.
The biggest being the question-more like conclusion: "You sure that isn't a faulty clone?!"
Bruce glared at Tim, who was still angry about the stolen caffeeine, but he had gotten to that option priorly so he wasn't as heated in his anger. He'd seen how Damian had gotten eyebags as of late, even if he hid them with make-up.
He still wondered where he got that from... Maybe he stole it from one of the girls' rooms?
"Also" all eyes returned to the butler as if asking "There's more??" OK, Dick said it.
"I saw him limping and attempting to cover a busted lip when I picked him up."
All eyes widened, turning to Bruce, who's Dadfrown™ had turned into the Batglare™ - welp, he was angry and so was Dick.
An angry Batman & Nightwing - good luck with that.
Gotham beware!
Tim turned to Jason, whispering to him: "You don't think he's actually getting bullied?"
To which Jason held up his fingers while listing the issues that could very well be theirs:
"He skipped grades, has a snobbish attitude, not enough social skills to make a friend on his own - and I mean a normal one by normal means. Not to mention, we both know what the kids and teachers there are like, particularly in regards to where ya come from."
"Yeah, but an Ex-Assassin trained by the entire LOA getting bullied?!
I didn't think that was possible." Tim argued.
Jason scoffed: "Let's just hope Thalia doesn't catch wind of this - the entire student body and staff would be wiped out overnight!"
"But she doesn't care about him..?" Tim questioned louder, his confusion overruling his wish to remain quiet.
"I kid you not, when I was still with the League I sometimes took care of him... I think. He was the only kid around and they ordered me to guard him, so it must've been him. As in, when he was like 4 y.o. and they ordered me to guard him 24/7. When one of their assassins had almost killed him during training Thalia had killed the guy and then made an example of his corpse by brutally mutilating it in ways I will not say aloud so as to spare Dickie's Disney-ears. Same with any teachers that couldn't accept a kid that much smarter than them.
I think she said something along the lines of 'Respect the Heir to the Demon or I will turn your ribcage inside out and boil your bones off'."
Shocked silence reigned inside the study.
".. I honestly never expected to hear that. And Jay, how long were you gonna keep that a secret?
That you -Pfft- babysat him, even before Dick?"
"Shut up and fuck off, Replacement!"
"Mind your language Master Jason."
Jason winced: "Sorry, Alfred.."
"But Damian hasn't asked us for help yet. If we just approached and said that we want to help him he would think that we think he's weak. You know he will only get even more stubborn and refuse, dragging on the issue." Dick stated.
"Then should we just wait around for him to tell us what's wrong?!"
Jason argued, shooting Dick a sharp look. He knew very well how such a thing could end, especially with any Robin.
"We can observe his actions and gather evidence, then file it to the school. If Damian doesn't give a testimony now we can at least prepare to act and be ready." Bruce said, though he rather wanted to act fast than later.
It depended on Damian, and when he would ask them for help.
Or anyone.
"Fine.."
___________________
A week later, his school, Gotham Academy, was holding a competition with another school from Metropolis, Metro High, called the friendship games.
It was a kind of event to show off the schools by competing, though the students considered it as them trying to prove which of their heroes was better. Almost as if they were Robin and Superboy representing and protecting their heroes honor and dignity.
Damian had been chosen as one of Gotham Academies representatives for gymnastics, where he was still one of the best. To be precise, fencing.
While on the other hand Jon Kent also joined that particular field, though he was subbing in for someone else despite no real experience.
Of course, this meant the parents of both boys and anyone else who was interested to watch the games observed from the stands... namely Clark Kent, Louis Lane-Kent, Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle and Dick Grayson. They soon came to realise that something was very, if not terribly, wrong.
Damians team, the Bat's, had realised that he was holding back during his participation events and convinced him -pressured him- into doing it seriously by saying how much better his other family members aka his brothers, had been during these games and how much of a disappointment he must be to his father, Mr Wayne, and how this could be his chance to gain his acknowledgement.
That had hit the proverbial hammer on the head, aka Damian's psyche, who desired his father's acknowledgement and praise while also wanting to show that he was better than his brothers and anyone else.
What the gothamite students didn't know was that their teacher had stolen a device that enhanced a command, like hypnotism.
It was supposed to help people remember something by having a set command remain in the mind, effectively affecting their behaviour during work studies.
At maximum output the hypnotized person would not stop their actions unless their goal, the command, was accomplished, it disappeared, they were beaten into full awareness or received a great mental shock.
Damian's command had been to 'decimate his opponent', and that command was what would soon cause a panic in Gotham Academy on the level of a school shooting.
Actually it was worse than that, way worse. It was 'Assassin' level. The command had slipped past 'Damian' and Robin, triggering the killer - the Assassin in him.
The sparing grace to it all was that his friend, Jonathan Kent, Superboy, realised something was wrong with Damian before his school decided who would go up against him. So he'd volunteered to make sure his friend was fine.
And, as it should've been expected, the others from his school had somehow been too scared of the kid. And, to be fair, Jon could only sympathize. Damian could smile during comically horrendous situations and... had an uncanny similar expression on right now, no doubt scaring the peaceful metropolis students more compared to the 'doomsday is tuesday' gothamite ones.
But when he noticed Damian's heartbeat, his expression and his movements, he frowned.
It was erratic, unlike when they fought as the Supersons.
He concluded that something must've happened to Damian as his face was even more void of emotions, even his annoyance. Even his scowl was gone. Usually, when he faced a weak opponent he looked bored out of his mind, passively beating and sometimes sassing them, but if they were threatening then he would come to life like a vivid firework, fighting them like he enjoyed it with his very life.
This was unlike either instance.
This was like an empty shell...
"Damian?" he called when they approached the mattress they were to spar on. Now that he thought about it he had never actually used a sword.
Though there was this one time Damian had taught him how to at least hold it. How it had come to that circumstance was better left unsaid, especially if his parents asked.
Anyway, from Damian's past teaching he felt a bit more confident in wielding the saber... But when he compared it with Damian's current stance...
It felt a bit different compared to what he'd been taught and seen him use. Plus, he could see his hand shaking. It never shook and he could tell via X-ray that nothing in it was broken...
Damian was not OK.
"Are both contestants ready?" asked the referee.
Just when he wanted to say that Damian didn't seem like himself and should get checked up just in case, his friend replied with a clipped nod, saying he was ready. The refferee nodded, before looking at him.
He gulped but followed suit.
Still, he whispered, knowing full well his dad could hear him: "Dad... I think somethings off about Damian."
******
Clark and Louis had sat next to the undercover Batfam, Dick having waved them over enthusiastically enough that someone would mistake him for a dog greeting his food-holding owner.
"Why am I not surprised about this?"
"Because this is my city and I'm an influential man."
"Why do I even bother asking?"
"Because you like being made a fool of?"
"Do you enjoy being like this?"
"A little."
"Bruce, Clark, would you two cut it out? You can always argue another time. We are not here to see you fight like cats and dogs."
"You mean bats and dogs.
I'm not a part of their argument."
"Sorry Selina, but you know the saying goes that way."
"Oh I know alright."
"So Richard-"
"Please call me Dick."
"As I was saying, Richard" she clearly ignored calling him like that and he visibly winced "who do you think will win? Super or Bat?"
She had a smile on her face that suggests and hinted at the fact that she didn't just mean their team names but their aliases.
It certainly seemed interesting,
the Son of Superman VS the Son of Batman. Mini-Clark & Mini-Bruce.
"I only hope that they don't take it too far, but Dami is obviously gonna kick his as-!"
"Dick, Language."
"Sorry, B."
"So anyway -" Suddenly Clark held his hand up in hushing, the fight was starting but that wasn't the only thing. He had picked up his son's voice from the makeshift 'arena' on which the two boys would fight on.
The arena was six mattresses in total, two in width and three in length.
"Dad, dad can you hear me?...
Dad, I think somethings off with Damian, but I can't find out what it is. It just.. feels different than a normal fight."
He chuckled, then whispered loud enough for his son to pick up: "You're just nervous to fight him with a sword. Don't worry, it's just a game. He is more experienced than you are and you can't use your real strength. But I think it's good that you realise that your friend could pose a threat to you... You know what it's like with Batman and me, he's the same."
Jon sweatdropped, his dad clearly didn't think anything was strange.
"Ready..!" the referee called.
He focused back on the fight and Damian still looked like a Boulder. Impassive and imposing.
Maybe he was overthinking it and Damian was just worried about accidentally hurting him too?? That's gotta be it!
"GO!" The referree lowered the red flag, motioning them to begin. In an instant Damian was on him, dashing at him in such an unbelievable speed that a normal person wouldn't have been able to perceive, nevermind dodge, his advance.
The audience was instantly on the edge of their seats at the display of skill from such a short and younger boy while Jon tried his best to parry, having to move every which way as Damian slashed at him without stop.
Now that looked more like his actual fighting style but it was more... brutal. Cold.
He had to resort to his superspeed.
These were still actual swords, they would hurt if they hit.
And their supposed to make the other surrender not- not kill them!!
He got an accidental hit in once, by swiping Damian's feet and kicking him almost out of bounds.
Bruce gave him a batglare from the stands, same as his dad.
He could feel them burning into his back, despite only one of them being known to have laser eyes.
"RAAAH!!" A warcry responded to his action and Damian had jumped at him while he was distracted, slashing his saber at him to which he parried just in time, causing sparks.
Damian suddenly stopped pushing, using the other's pushing against him to drop to the ground as Jon stumbled from the loss of resistance, went between his legs and sliced at his back. There was a ripping of clothes heard and Jon started panicking - Damian certainly didn't care about injuring him!!
His heartbeat was now normal too, unlike before. He was completely focused on fighting him.
"Uuh, Bruce? Isn't your son a bit too serious in trying to stab Jon?" questioned Louis. Bruce frowned, his eyes analyzing Damian's movements critically.
"I second that. B, he looks like when I first met him, fresh out of the League." And wasn't that a dangerous thought?
Mind made up and seeing the urgency, Dick stood up and moved towards the bathroom to change. The entire school was watching the 'games' so he could change into Nightwing without worry - he just needed to activate a jammer so that the cameras didn't see him.
Meanwhile the Bat's (schoolteam) were cheering from the stands, happily gloating that their plan had worked and the weak nerd was decimacting the other.
Damian's head suddenly snapped their way, going rigid.
Bruce tensed, he could feel the underlying tension in the room suddenly skyrocket.
Damian carefully looked around, and suddenly everyone got a cold shiver down their backs.
Their breath hitched when the shorter boys' eyes landed on them.
Damian's glare (under the sparring helmet) stayed on Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent the longest. It was as if he only then realized they were even there for the first time.
Suddenly he zoomed at his own team, similar to how he had to Jon at the start of the game, sword at the ready.
The team scrambled back as fast as they could while Damian moved to cut down the fence in between them. The audience stood up in shock as he began swinging his sword around, cutting at anyone and everyone.
Someone screamed: "He's lost it! Everyone out!"
Instantly, Damian was on the person's head, preparing to wring their neck backwards.
"-Oh no you don't!"
Damian jumped back, evading a thrown weapon- an escrima stick. He clicked his tongue at the unknown newcomer, dressed in black and blue, a sudden annoyance washing over him.
He growled.
"Not in the mood to talk, are you?" spoke the other, retreiving his stick as Louis threw it at him when Clark escorted her out - well, more like asking her to make sure the other students, parents and teachers got out safely.
Clark moved to his son's side:
"You okay?"
He looked at his cut back, a very thin and small cut sticking out. He frowned, looking over at Bruce. "Bruce, your kid is clearly not in his right mind."
Damian growled and lunged at him. In response, Clark caught and blocked him by catching the blade, then enhancing his grip.
Damian let go, flipping backwards to create some distance when he realised that one of the bigger threats was breaking it.
The sword shattered in Clark's hold.
Damian was caught by the unknown and annoying acrobat in black & blue, holding him down.
Damian then used his helmet to hit him in the shin when he mumbled some nonsensical words that sounded like "alm dow".
The other had grabbed after him just as smoke bombs fell from above, managing to grab ahold of something, but his target went slack shortly afterwards.
When the dust settled, the Dark Knight stood there, staring Damian down.
Nightwing had ended up grabing the helmet off of Damian's head, making them finally catch a glance of his face... it was contorted into an emotionless frown, but what stood out were his eyes. They were rompletely red, from the iris to the sclera -heck there was neither to be seen beneath all the red!!
"That's not Damian fighting us" spoke Batman, his voice cold and angry, his mouth edging down at the edges, showing his dislike of the situation.
"I told you something about him felt off!" said Jon to his father who nodded. He had dismissed his son's instinct too fast for childlike nervousness. He hadn't realised, unlike Jon, that he was facing very real danger and not anxiety.
Well, maybe that too, but not as much as he'd believed.
Nightwing turned to them:
"When did something feel off? Before the match?"
"Yes! -well, even before that actually. I don't know how to describe it. It didn't feel like Damian's usual self. He looked like he was neither bored, annoyed or enjoying a good fight - and he's usually either of those three!
But this was nothing like him
It was like- like he was a doll..."
Meanwhile Damian was staring down Batman, flinching and repeatedly trying to relax his muscles: "You..." he spoke to Batman to which they perked up.
"Lil'D! Can you hear me?!"
His older brother shouted, but Damian's attention was focused solely on the man before him. His voice came out robotic, as if trying to identify an object he was made to scan: "Remember. Enemy?"
It seemed like whatever state he was currently in he couldn't really tell who Bruce was, or Batman.
He apparently knew he'd seen him before, but he couldn't place it, like his brain was muddy and he didn't know where to look. Like he only distinguished his... enemies.
"Nightwing, stay back. He seems to mistake us all for enemies, threats. Call Red Robin or Signal and have them come here. We need to find out what caused this change." Batman ordered
"Enemy." Damian decided, going close range and punching Batman.
He must have judged him for a threat when he said he'd get more people and implied that he'd 'change him'. Maybe hearing the name Red Robin triggered something too. It was hard to tell when he tried not to hurt his son when he wasn't even himself. And this wasn't even their first fight...
"Please get out Mr. Kent, Louis is probably worried about you both. I'm sorry, but this is officially a Batclan problem."
"Meaning cats are allowed to join the fray, right?"
They turned to the voice, seeing Catwoman at the top of the gym. She opened a window, allowing Red Robin to drop through. She followed after him, landing with feline grace next to the others.
Damian had twitched at the voice. "Cat?" He mumbled the word, as if tasting the meaning of it on his tongue, but Batmam had heard him. So he could recognise Catwoman but not Nightwing. Odd, considering he'd known the latter for much longer.
"OK, so I heard a report about a rogue teen with a sword.... wait, that's our gremlin ...with glowing eyes. What happened?"
"Damian had attacked Jon during their fencing match and he was being serious about dealing some damage. Shortly afterwards he started attacking civilians after hearing them, as if he only realised they had been there at the time. They all fled and now it's like this.
Uncle Supes had broken the blade and Damian mistakes everyone for an enemy, even me. Though he seems to recognise Batman to a certain extend."
"Catwoman too, he called her 'Cat'." Batman added. Damian growled at him, before changing his opponent and going after Red Robin.
"Whoa!" the other had just enough time to get out his staff and block him, throwing him into the air with one end of the staff by lifting him.
Both Kent's left, reluctant to leave the scene, but they knew they needed to leave as it would cause questions (how uninjured they were despite being in a room with a raging samurai-kid) and that Louis was waiting for them outside the school. They could hear her shouting their names.
They hadn't given a single 'sign of life' be it as their Super-Ego's or normal selves, so she was anxious.
After Red Robin had thrown him in the air both Nightwing and Batman threw wire at him, trapping him and shooting the other end to the gym top. Damian was dangling from the ceiling, a snarl on his face: "Release me!"
Finally some emotion, though not the one they'd wanted to see but progress is progress.
"No." Red Robin said with a smirk. He'd be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn't somewhat enjoying this situation.
"Stop playing around.
Red, run an analysis on him. Nightwing, check the perimeter. Me and Cat are gonna try to talk some sense into him."
All three nodded before leaving to do their assigned tasks.
*****With Red Robin
"Damn. I expected a lot but the demon really knows how to make life hard for me- hm? What's this?" He looked at his wrist computer that scanned Damian's vitals.
His heartbeat was erratic, same with his brain activity. "Strange.."
Then Nightwing called him.
*****with Nightwing
He completely checked the gym before going to the surveillance room. He went to check the cameras: "Seems like everyone made it out."
He pretended to not have seen Louis hug Jon and giving Clark an earfull during his check.
He zoomed back on the records, keeping an eye on Damian through the different monitors. From when he began fighting them, to him facing off against Jon, talking with his team...
"Woa, hello..". He looked at the image of the kids ganging up on Damian and he instantly went into protective big brother/ vigilante mode.
He activated his masks camera: "Red, are you seeing this?"
He showed the footage of Damian being lifted up by histeammates who were clearly taller than him, getting yelled at and threatened to take these 'friendship games seriously or else he was gonna see another side of them as 'good friends'.
"Wait, pull back" Red ordered.
Nightwing did and stopped at a part Red had pointed out: the teacher telling Damian to 'decimate his opponent' while the guys necklace glowed. The others had ignored the weird show but Damian's eyes had became void, gaining a slightly red iris.
Damian's eyes were shaking, but he just nodded to the man, promising: "I will slaughter them." The man nodded, clearly satisfied before he sent Damian out into the arena; he didn't know what kind of monster he had unleashed.
"Nightwing." Red Robin called.
"On it. That Bastard will pay."
Nightwing left to apprehend that underhanded and irresponsible teacher who'd endangered civilians at his baby brothers expense.
********With Batman, Catwoman and Damian
"Damian, darling, please listen to us. We are not your enemies." Catwoman spoke.
"Then who." Damian questioned, sounding like he is extremely suspicious of their identity.
"We're your family." Batman answered, saddened.
"Family? I have none."
"What do you mean? We clearly are, you have a big family right here." Catwoman inquired, but was confused, and furthermore shocked at his next words.
"An assassin has no family, only bloodties. Emotions make you weak. I want to be strong, I don't need emotions. I am an Assassin.
I am am Al Ghul. I only need to fulfill my destiny and slaughter my enemies."
She cried.
He honestly believed that.
He didn't know how Bruce cared, how the others cared, how she cared for him.
She was angry. Whoever had driven him to forget them, who he was as Robin, the Son of Batman, a hero- a Gotham Vigilante! was gonna pay, a lot.
Batman's fist clenched. He stepped forward and Damian tensed, his eyes glowing a fierce crimson: "You may be able to kill me but know that I will be avenged! An Al Ghul pays a debt in blood - !?" '-??'
Batman had hugged him, embracing him: "You are an Al Ghul, your mother's son, yes but you are also a Wayne, your father's son. You are their child, you are my son. The Son of Batman and you are Robin. You are ALL of them and their future. You are who you want to be... but you'll always find a home with me. Me and your family, the Batclan of Gotham City. Because... because I love you."
Damian had completely stilled by the end of it, his eyes were wide open as Batman held his head, holding it tightly as if to never letting go.
Beepbeepbee-
Red Robin looked at his monitor, Damian's heartbeat was pounding more calmly now, his brain activity calming down significantly after spiking.
He looked up, slightly envious of the words Batman had spoken. But what shocked him were the sobs. Damian's body trembled with soft sobs escaping it. But that wasn't all.
His eyes turned blue then green, tears falling from them.
As his tears fell to the floor, the color occupying his eyes drained out, revealing his normal ones. Catwoman cut the wires binding Damian. It seemed like he was back to normal, thankfully.
(Or as much as a crying Damian could be considered normal if not disturbing.)
Damian then swung his own arms around Batman's tall figure, hogging him while saying "sorry" over and over again. Catwoman motioned him over to them and he reluctantly joined the hug.
It was rare enough that one could hug both Bruce and Damian Wayne, so he honestly wouldn't let the opportunity escape.
Not to mention seeing Damian apologise like that, like a child, was like a world phenomenon.
Nightwing had found them like that after finding the teacher, arresting him for hexing his student, several other charges and taking the amulet. The GCPD had alread arrived and instantly took the man with them after Nightwing explained to Commissioner Gordon.
The present children and adults from Gotham and Metropolis looked at the teacher in disbelief and disgust. Nightwing convinced Gordon that he would safekeep the amulet as they still needed to have someone break -if not check- that the spell was broken and completely gone.
He instantly joined the cuddle pile. Damian had fallen asleep like that, actually asleep without frowning, from crying.
They knew he would deny it later by saying the witchcraft was at fault, so they let him sleep, wrapped in Batman's cape.
Yep, Nothing to see here.
No, there wasn't Bruce Wayne's youngest son in Batman's hold.
No, everyone keep your stares to yourself and voices low, there's a kid sleeping here!
...The press was gonna be a nightmare to deal with after this.
Especially telling the others what happened at school. That would be a disaster the size of doomsday.
When they had returned the Superfam was already waiting for them in the Batcave. Nightwing went to tell them what happened while Red Robin went to get Alfred... what was he saying, the butler was already standing there with a plate of milk and... CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!
He had gotten a few with an unmasked Dick, Jon already nibbling on his own. Alfred had already treated the young half-kryptonians injuries just in case. While this was going on Bruce (with Damian on his lap) sat down at the Batcomputer, calling a certain Magister he knew who most likely knew a thing or two about amulets -Constantine.
After convincing the guy to actually show up at his place via various means, including the promise of giving him the amulet if he was responsible for it, the man appeared 1hour later, having arrived via car at the manors entrance. Dick and Bruce had, while waiting for him, ran a more thourough check on Damian as well as diagnosed the list of kids who had messed with him.
"So what are we talkin' about 'ere?" asked the man in his thick british accent.
Bruce showed him the amulet: "Mind manipulation and control. You are to check that the victim's free from this things interference."
"Well, 'ead the way then."
"So, just to be sure what imma have ta look for, what did the kid act like while under the amulets control?"
"Like an angry assassin trapped in the body of a constipated kid."
Red Robin answered from outside the medbay. Batman glared somewhere and Constantine knew without looking it had delivered to the intended target.
"Well don't you have your work cut out for you." He said, turning to Batman. "I'm gonna need to check the kids mental state. Hope ya don't mind?"
For one reason or another he felt like he needed to ask for Batman's permission on this. Batman agreed but he could tell the man was staring at his every movement. Good lord, did the big bad bat care for this kid? Or adopt him already?
Constantine decided to ignore that question, opting to trace the residual magic energy in the unknown kids mind instead.
To say it felt creepy in there would be the biggest understatement he'd ever seen.
It was different from any other mind he'd seen and expected from a kid, even one from Gotham.
It was dark, felt dangerous, cold and hard to breath while a certain pressure weighted in his shoulders. It was as if knifes could poke out of every shadow- kinda hard with everything being blanketed by a deep Darkness.
He made a protection charm on him activate just in case. It would make sure neither he nor the mind he was in would inflict harm on the other. Further unsetteling for him was the fact that the trace of magic was open to him, like a path made for him.
And here Batman had said the kid wasn't a Sorcerer or the like - the kid had better control over his mind than some amateurs he's seen over the years!!
When he arrived at the end of the line, he saw four copies of the kid, all with different eyes and clothes.
From right to left:
Red with some black clothes that seemed more fit for an assassin than a kid. Then Green with the Robin costume (thankfully with pants) and a kinder(?) scowl than the first. Next was Blue with tears streaming down his face and baggy clothing. Lastly, there was... He wasn't really sure which color it was. It seemed shifty but they were dressed in formal clothes.
"Hello, Johnathan Constantine. You're here for the parasite I assume?" The last one spoke.
"Yes" he replied evenly, frowning over the fact that the kid apparently knew what he was dealing with. He looked at the 1st, who was undoubtebtly the troublemaker.
"Don't take Red! He was only trying to protect us!" screamed the Blue one.
"You are mistaken if you think I would follow a guy with a few drinks too many to think straight."
"Red, Blue" called green in warning. Both looked at him but relented, giving him a "<Tt>".
"Red, give him the parasite" continued Green. Red then started vomiting, a reddish-purple mass landing on the ground. However, the red stripes over it seemed to get absorbed by the purple mass until it was completely gone.
The unknown copy of the kid raised a hand over it and the mass was promptly encased in black: "You will have to add an encasement spell or something similar when you leave this place. I will not wait until you do so, so leave."
"But what about 'Red'? The kid clearly acted like him."
"And at the same time not.
Red was already existing before that thing came in here. It targeted one of us to help carry out it's command and Red was taken. That's it. He's back to normal now so no need to involve yourself any more than this."
"OK and while that's all nice and dandy, who or what are you, specifically?"
"Do you plan to give Batman a heads up? In that case don't bother. Father has already accepted us all into his family.
But if you must know: we are the personification of when 'Damian's' separate emotions were at their strongest and are divided according to them.
Red is anger, rage, hate and inner Chaos. He was the first to exist, born from the LOA.
Green is his sense of duty, responsibility, compassion, trust, comraderie, self-control, faith and reliance in others, born from the Batclan.
Blue is sorrow, sadness, self-doubt and depression, born from school.
And I am what he can still discover about himself, his hope and his faith - his future.
I am Damian, present and future, his core. Now leave, I do not like to entertain intruders for longer than necessary and your business here is finished."
*********
"I'm up, I'm up!!" Constantine stood up straight, nearly falling over himself, retracting his hand from 'Damians' head as if he'd been chased by Hellhounds.
That kid was definitely a handful.
"And?"
"I got the thing out. Also you won't believe what I found in there.
First of, you have a son?!
Second of all, you're kid is a real terror, and lastly, he has one of the most complex minds I have ever seen. Is that a trait for you Bats!?
I also need to correct you on somethin'. The amulet only amplified an emotion, blocking out the others and the person's sense of reason."
"So which emotion did we have to deal with? Bloodthirstyness? Feeling stabby?"
"Tim!"
"Not bad, Replacement."
Constantine looked around, taking in the way the shadows moved and some lighter colors (mostly red and purple) flitted in and out. There were like 20 or so.
"...since when was your cave so full of young adults and kids?"
"Don't even ask" spoke Signal while Spoiler actually tried to think about since when they were all here.
He turned back to the dark 'I work alone' knight. Yeah right, as if that title counts for anything.
"From what I gathered the kids mind literally filters his emotions into a representatives persona of when it showed the most.
You basically fought against his anger, hate, rage and inner Chaos.
He was represented by possessing red skin and an assassin uniform,
apparently from the LOA - which means you fought against him, not the amulet."
"So those thoughts were still his?" inquired Nightwing. His lil'D had those thoughts?
"Yeah. But he didn't actually plan on fighting that other kid, who I guess means you." He pointed at Jon, who immediately looked relieved. His friend didn't hate or wanted to kill/ main him.
"Well, I got what I came for and the kid is gonna wake up after some good sleep. Congrats on having so many kids Batman, I'm outta here." Constantine left with the amulet.
"...Who's up for maiming some rich kids with a stick up their arse?"
Red Hood asked, waving his guns with an evil grin, whistling a seemingly nonchalant tune. Tim, Cass, Steph and Dick raised their hands. Duke turned the other way.
"Then let's leave a gift for them to never bully someone again!"
They cheered, some grabbing water ballons, glitter, gum, tape, neon glow-in-the-dark markers, rubber bullets, a few canisters of paint and stinky socks from Dick's and Cass' gymnastics...
It was better not asked what torture the Academy teens underwent that night by Gotham's very own vigilantes.
Bruce had actually left them to it, not planning to interference until it actually became life threatening. At least his youngest son now knew where he belonged.
And, hopefully, he'd go to them or him next time he had a problem.
.
.
.
Needless to say, Damian recovered and semi-apologised to Jon (the closet thing to an apology he could muster) while his brothers made sure to monitor his classes at random times of the week via hacking the school cameras, picking him up from school as well (some while brandishing a police uniform or guns) and both father and son had to face the press about the latter attacking his schoolmates.
At the end of it, Bruce had masterfully thrown any accusations at the teachers who let the bullying continue and the magical artifact, leaving them to rot at the hands of the press.
Damian was now pretty sure that no one would challenge him like that anymore and that he was for certain accepted into the family.
His new family accepted his past and present.