"Hello, brothers."
"Ja...Red Hood, what are you doing here?!" Nightwing demanded, his eyes filling with fury as he looked around at the explosive mess his younger brother had made. Not that Jason could see Dick's fury behind the mask, nor did he care.
"I just saved your asses, you should be grateful I was here," Jason replied calmly, taking a few steps toward the pair.
Tim scoffed, stepping out from behind Dick's protective stance, "You blew that wall open. You could've caused the whole building to collapse!"
"But I didn't!"
"Enough." Dick's authoritative voice rang out, silencing the squabbling pair. "Not that I'm not happy to see you Red, but why are you here?" He asked with a sigh, calming down for a second and letting his anger slide.
"Well, I heard about a case, oh golden one."
Dick rolled his eyes at Jason's comment but kept his mouth shut, letting his brother finish.
"I heard about a gang of dangerous drug dealers hiding out in some abandoned warehouses. Turns out I was right and came just in time to stop them," Jason said smugly, keeping his charming smirk present on his lips.
Tim and Dick shared a look of bewilderment before Tim stepped forward, gesturing toward the rubble piled on the floor. "Then, what's with the explosion that could've killed us?"
"I thought Bats would've taught you better, replacement," Jason responded, disappointment clouding his voice. "You wouldn't have been killed, take it from someone who has actually been dead."
Dick shook his head in slight amusement at Jason's response. He knew Jason would never let go of what happened to him, but he always found ways to bring it into the conversation whether it be serious or with a hint of humor. If he had to be honest, Dick was happy to see Jason again and wanted him around more; he missed him. But he knew Jason never really forgave Bruce for not killing The Joker after his death.
"Listen, the criminals were using this place as a hideout and I knew you were in here, so I saved you from being discovered. You don't have to say thank you."
Jason began to retreat, holding his hands up with his ruby helmet now back on his head. Dick was about to stop him when he received an incoming call from Bruce. He answered it immediately, using his vigilante name, as he always did on the job. Jason was close enough to hear and was instantly intrigued by what Bruce was saying.
"We have a situation. You and Robin need to come back right away." With that, Bruce ended the call.
The three boys looked at each other, Dick and Tim taking no time in following Bruce's orders. Jason took his helmet off and rushed over to catch up with his brothers.
"What did he mean by 'situation'?" Jason asked once he caught up.
Tim quickly hopped on his bike as soon as they left the warehouse, starting the engine as Dick got on behind him.
"Only one way to find out, little wing."
Jason smiled at his old nickname, wondering whether to join them or not. He hadn't been back to the manor in years, not since his death. He wasn't sure if he was welcome anymore. He looked back at his older brother who was practically begging him to come along. Jason thought about it, it would be nice to see Alfred again, and despite everything, he did miss Bruce. Sure, he was mad at him for not ending that psychopath when he had the chance, but Bruce was the one who took him in and raised him when he had nowhere to go and no family to love him anymore.
Jason always wanted a brother, and he found that in Dick when Bruce adopted him. Dick was always there for him, taking on the big brother role quickly, it suited him. And now it was his turn to be a big brother to Tim. He wasn't doing a very good job at it so far, but he thought maybe if he went with them, he could return to the family.
He nodded quickly, "I'll meet you there!" Jason called rushing off to his motorbike hidden on the other side of the warehouse. Whatever situation it was, Jason knew Bruce needed all the help he could get. And it was a good opportunity to find out if Bruce really did love him, the same way he loved Dick.
***
Alfred Pennyworth stood by the Batcomputer, waiting for his master to return like he always did. He prepared the medical facility the moment everyone left, just in case they returned with injuries, which they usually always did.
The hum of the Batmobile engine alerted Alfred that his master had returned. He watched as the oddly shaped car, drove past in a black blur then came to a stop in an instant.
"Welcome home, Master Bruce!" Alfred announced as Batman quickly got out of the Batmobile. Alfred was walking down the metal staircase to meet his master when his eyes landed on a small child exiting the vehicle from the passenger side.
Alfred approached the Batmobile, getting a closer look at who was accompanying the Bat this time. The child was staring at the cave around him in awe, not noticing the butler had approached him and was currently staring at him in shock.
Alfred swore that this child standing in front of him was the spitting image of Bruce when he was younger, he had the same ebony hair and blue eyes. But Alfred shook it off as mere coincidence.
"Alfred, this is Damian, he'll be staying with us for a while."
Wonderful, another mouth to feed.
Alfred walked closer to the boy, lightly bowing his head, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Master Damian."
Damian returned the gesture, keeping his hands clasped behind his back in a formal manner, "Likewise," he replied politely.
Batman removed his cowl, showing Damian his true identity for the first time. Not that it was a shock to Damian, he knew someone was under the mask. Bruce knelt down to Damian's height so he could look him in the eyes.
"My true identity is Bruce Wayne. You mustn't reveal this to anyone, understand?"
Damian nodded, looking into Bruce's eyes, eyes that seemed familiar yet distant.
Bruce stood up and made his way to the Batcomputer. Damian remained where he was, unsure of what to do.
Looking at the boy, Alfred noticed that his clothes were soaked through from the downpour earlier that day. "Why don't you follow me, young Sir. I'll take you to change out of those wet clothes."
Alfred wrapped his arm gently around Damian's shoulder guiding him out of the cave and into the manor. Bruce watched them leave, waiting for them to be out of sight before turning to the Batcomputer, trying his best to find whatever information he could on his new house guest.
The moment Damian left the cave and entered the manor, the warmth engulfed him. He was once again, gawking at his surroundings in astonishment. Alfred guided him out of the room and towards the grand staircase. As they climbed the stairs, Damian couldn't help but glide his hand along the polished, mahogany banister as he went.
They reached the end of the hall, stopping at a door just to the side of another set of stairs. Alfred opened the door, gesturing for Damian to step inside.
He walked into the dark room, his eyes quickly adjusting, allowing shapes to form. It was quite a small room, even with the light off Damian could tell not much was in there. The door closed, fully enveloping them in darkness before Alfred switched on the light. Damian hadn't seen all of the rooms, but so far it seemed every room, no matter how small, had a magnificent, crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling.
How rich are these people?
Alfred moved to the other side of the room, opening an old looking, but well taken care of chest of drawers. "Master Bruce wore these when he was about your age," Alfred said, taking some clothes out of the second draw and handing them to Damian. "I'll wait for you at the bottom of the stairs," Alfred told the boy and left him in the room to change.
Now Damian was certain this was no trick from his mother. These people barely knew him and already they had shown him kindness that he had been deprived of his whole life. Damian placed the clothes back on the dresser, taking his katana off his back and placing it down carefully next to the folded clothes.
He quickly undressed, slightly shivering but thankful to be out of those wet clothes. He changed into the new, dry clothes Alfred had provided.
Alfred had said they were Bruce's old clothes, but they smelled fresh and clean as if they had been recently washed. Damian wondered just how serious this butler took his job.
Bruce ran Damian's face through the Batcomputer several times and nothing came up. It was as if the kid just didn't exist. Of course, there wasn't much to go on, Bruce didn't know Damian's full name or where he came from. But he thought facial recognition would be enough for his tech to work with. Obviously not.
He slumped down in his chair, burying his face in his hands. He was exhausted, and it was beginning to take its toll on him. Bruce contacted Dick some time ago, he figured he and robin would be back any minute and he hadn't prepared what he was going to say. He told them they had a situation but was Damian really a situation? Bruce was the one who invited him back here. He just didn't want Tim thinking he was being replaced.
A roaring engine pulled Bruce out of his thoughts. He made his way down to the parking area of the cave, waiting for the bike to come into view when he heard a second engine. Bruce frowned, knowing the boys only took one bike. Who did the second engine belong to?
The red motorbike carrying his two boys sped towards him, closely followed by a black and crimson motorbike, sitting atop was Red Hood.
They stopped just meters away from Bruce, who stood there watching them, expressionless. Tim immediately dismounted and approached Bruce, removing his domino mask. Behind him came Dick, following suit. Jason dismounted his bike but decided to remain next to it rather than joining the others.
"I'm glad you're here," Bruce said, stopping to look directly at Jason, "all of you."
Jason rolled his eyes and removed his helmet revealing his matching blood-red domino mask underneath. "So, what's the situation, old man?" He asked, leaning back against his motorbike.
Right after Jason asked, as if on cue, Alfred appeared at the top of the stairs and made his way down to join them. Damian followed close behind him, dressed in Bruce's old clothes from when he was younger. It was chilling to Bruce how much this boy looked like him in his old clothes, but Bruce thought it may be because they both shared similar features, just like the other boys do. But there was still something about this boy that was unsettling.
Alfred began to welcome the boys home whilst Damian stood closely beside Bruce. Jason moved away from his motorbike to stand beside Tim. All three of them were staring at the small child in front of them.
"Is he the situation?" Tim suddenly blurted out, pointing his finger at Damian. Jason elbowed him in the ribs causing him to yelp.
Damian stepped forward, approaching the three older boys with caution. He studied them quickly, taking in their approximate ages, height, and weight. Bruce stood behind him placing his hands upon the boy's shoulders.
"This is Damian, he's going to be staying here for a while"
Not another one, Jason thought. How many brats does Bruce need?
Dick immediately approached the young boy, greeting him with a warm smile. "Hey, Damian. My name is Dick Grayson, and these two are Jason Todd and Tim Drake," he said, gesturing to the reluctant pair behind him.
Damian nodded instantly, muttering a quick 'hello' before Alfred guided him back upstairs, sensing the sudden animosity within the group.
It was then that Jason decided to speak up, "You just love collecting orphans, don't ya Bruce?" he chided, shaking his head, "when are you gonna stop? Maybe after the fifth or sixth death!"
"Jay!" Dick yelled, yanking Jason's arm back roughly.
"You're lucky golden boy is here to defend you!"
Dick hauled his younger brother away from the group, his grip tightening as Jason struggled to get free. Dick wasn't sure what Jason had planned on doing, but he knew Jason's anger would get the better of him, and Dick wasn't going to stand and watch his brother beat up their surrogate father. Even if he sometimes deserved it.
They stopped a little ways away from the others, Jason admitted defeat and stopped trying to escape from Dick's grip. Dick let go of his brother's arm, he couldn't tell, because of Jason's leather jacket, but he knew there would already be a mark forming.
"What are you doing?" Dick began, trying to get Jason to look at him. His brother was silent and refused to look in his direction. Dick sighed, "look, I know you're angry with him, but Jay, you're going to have to make peace with him someday."
He knew his words fell on deaf ears, so he turned away from his brother, sighing slightly. Dick didn't want Jason to leave again. He hated watching the two of them fight more than anything, but he could see where Jason was coming from.
Bruce never forgave himself for Jason's death, and he vowed he would never put anyone in danger like that again. But then, Tim came along and just had to be smart enough to figure out who Batman was, therefore becoming Robin. But now there was Damian, a kid who nobody knew anything about. Tim was still Robin, and Bruce wouldn't replace Tim so eagerly, not without a valid reason. Dick just hoped that Bruce was thinking as Bruce and not as Batman when it came to this kid.
"You're such a loyal soldier, you know that?"
Came a quiet voice from behind him. Dick stopped in his tracks, turning his head just enough to see Jason's defeated expression.
"Believe it or not, I am more loyal to you and Tim than I am to him," Dick answered before leaving his brother to cool off on his own.
Dick approached Tim and Bruce in the midst of a heated conversation of their own. They stopped when they saw Dick coming their way and remained silent, neither wanting to speak.
Dick stopped, staring at the two in utter confusion. They both had their backs to each other, arms folded, and scowls painted on their faces, looking like children.
"What's wrong?" Dick asked, looking between the two of them.
"Nothing," Tim snapped before he stormed off, leaving Dick even more confused.
"Why is he mad?"
"Same reason Jason's mad, I guess. He'll get over it."
No, Bruce, he won't.
***
Damian was sat in the living room by himself. Alfred had left a while ago to prepare dinner, Damian insisted he wasn't hungry, but Alfred wouldn't listen. Instead of trying to argue with the butler, Damian allowed Alfred to make the food for him.
After a while, Damian grew bored and decided to explore the house, after all, Alfred had given him the run of the mansion. He stumbled upon a hall on the second floor, he noticed that the walls on either side were covered with portraits. His curiosity got the best of him and he wandered down the hall, glancing at the portraits as he went.
He stopped to look at them more closely, running his fingers over the golden frames. There was one that immediately caught his eye, it seemed to be the largest of them all. The detail was extraordinary, it was almost as if it was real and not a painting. The tall, dark-haired man in the painting wore an elegant suit and fine shoes, recently polished. To Damian, he looked like a king overlooking his kingdom with his painted, lifeless eyes, the ghost of a smile hidden beneath his thick, combed mustache. Wrapped in his arms was a woman, slightly shorter than he was, even with her high-heeled shoes on. She had a slender figure, and mousy-brown hair pulled up into a loose bun. She wore pearls around her neck, and jewels in her hair. She must be his queen.
Standing in-between them was a boy about Damian's age, if not younger. He too, wore an elegant suit the same as the older man, except his was a darker shade of gray. A shiver ran down Damian's spine as he looked at the boy in the portrait. It was like looking into a mirror, the same ebony colored hair, their eyes so strikingly similar. Damian reached out and gently pressed his fingers on the boy's face, careful not to damage the paint. "Who are you?" he whispered gently, removing his fingers from the portrait. He looked down, breaking his eye contact with the boy in the painting, and there it was, beneath the pearlescent frame, written on a wooden plaque, 'Thomas and Martha Wayne, with their son Bruce.'
Bruce...
Damian was stunned. They looked so much alike even now. Damian had never met his father and he knew his prominent features didn't come from his mother, he wondered if by chance...
"No!" he yelled out loud, his voice echoing through the halls, "It's just a coincidence. "
He shook his head, willing the thought away. There was no way that Bruce was his father, it was just Damian fantasizing about meeting him again. But the thought was still there, just as it had always been. The thought of finding his father, being with him, it was enough to make Damian's eyes water. But Bruce wasn't his father, and Damian knew that. He walked away from the portrait, keeping his head down, avoiding the lifeless eyes glaring back at him.