Chapter Text
Grimacing at the smirk rising on her face. He scowled, "He's my son Talia..."
Rippling anger running through him even more so, he watched as the slenderness of her frame quivered from laughter. Letting out a growl between clenched teeth he seethed.
He didn't want to do THIS! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever...
"You forget beloved," The devilish woman said while tentatively touching her lips, "he's my little soldier too."
With anger coarsing through his veins, he now more than ever, wanted to soccer punch Talia right in the sucker. Instead however, he pulled Damian closer to his side.
How dare she try to pull a stunt like this? Especially Now?
Damian, the little boy pressing himself against his side -maybe without even knowing it- was finally starting to normalize. And when he thought 'normalize', he meant that the boy was starting to act like a child, not like an assassin, or an infernal destroyer as he was trained to be. He had finally begun do thing's that other kid's his age would do. He had even taken up an interest for art. He was the best in his home-school class. Even all his brothers were impressed and encouraged him to continue to draw. Some unfortunately encouraged more than the rest... Like when Jason had encouraged Damian to paint the Bat-mobile pink. Nevertheless, that was just a taste on how the whole family dynamic had shifted with the new recent events. They had swayed to becoming something better. Sure at times it had been a little hectic, or at times heated...
For right now, it was settling.
That was until, a phone call from his lawyer detailed about a change of custody for Damian. Then, that's when everyone got riled up. It's like they went 'batsy'.
Brushing a hand through Damian's hair he, with his most intimidating glare huffed, "May I quote,... 'beloved', that, THAT argument stopped working after you abandoned our son. Also, it's 'son' not soldier."
"In your eye's dear," she quickly quipped back, "he's seen as a son. Before, however, it was but an honor, for him to be seen as my strong warrior, rather than,..." she paused giving a distasteful scoff, "my son."
With a pause she continued.
"I understand that to some, my action's may have been seen as, reprehensible."
"However,"
"...I do what is in Damian's best interest. Which in turn, is in the best interest of the League. Nonetheless, I implore to you. My son is in more capable hand's with me, rather than with you. You have tainted his learned knowledge. Just look at him." She said vehemently whilst pointing to Damian who was now beginning to shift away from him. Almost in a guilty fashion.
Placing a hand on Damian's shoulder, more so to comfort him than not, he growled, "Talia, is this what this is about? You want Damian back to fulfill a position in your crumbling League." Whispering the next line as he leaned forward, "You can't possibly do that and win in court. I won't allow you to ruin Damian's life. Remember, this is about Damian, not you, me nor your insidious ambition's that ar-"
"Oh, beloved..." Talia gave with an impish banter. "You're the one to talk. You take the boy out almost every night to fight in that clowned costume. What ambition of yours is he fulfilling? Also at least with me, he wore honored clothing. Clothing most worthy of a fighter. Not some bird, one of the most smallest of animals. It's an insult to his character!"
Furrowing his brow's, he wore a face of disapproval that anyone could clearly see, "Talia, I had at one point given you a chance. A chance to turn away from your diabolical way's. Nonetheless, you denied me, have had a child with me, raised him Fatherless. And still, you don't see it..."
Looking away for a moment's glance. He turned back to give a killer of all the looks, empathy. Whispering, so the other people around them couldn't hear, "I Feel sorry for you. You have no other interest than in yourself. We aren't talking about the lives of anyone here but your child and mine. A child that at one point looked up to you, as his Mother. Robin isn't what I gave him. He took up the mantle of Robin because he needed it. If he wanted to stop being Robin, he could do so with no quarrel from me. If you were so concerned that I, or our family, which might I say, Alfred has personally excluded you from, were to 'defile' him, 'corrupt' him. Why did you give him to me? As ever grateful that I am to have saved him from the clutches of his own future, I-"
"I didn't 'give' him to you, I 'lent' him to you." She snarled. "It will only be a short while longer that he is your Robin. All birds need to fly from the nest you know. And I'm just taking back what is mine anyways. If I had known that his mind would have been squandered for such childish purpose's that you have been doing with-"
"Mother-" a small voice interrupted.
Damian.
The boy, who was now standing a few step's closer, was staring into the pools of green that encompassed his Mothers eyes.
"I-II'm sorry Mother. I'm sorry that I can't be the warrior that you want me to be. However, I have been learning a new way. A new way from Father. A way in which you don't have to kill, or even destroy to get what your specially after. Mother, we can still make the world a better place, in a better way. There are differing types of warriors. Warriors don't have to specifically murder those that are victims of crime. I am, you know who, and I'm proud to be able to use my training from the league in order to aid Father's mission. Which, really in retrospect should be your mission too." Pausing he watched as Damian nervously twiddled his finger, and spoke in an even lower tone. "I however, in no offense to you, like being with Father. I would much rather prefer if we kept the current arrang- "
"Damian," Talia all but growled, leaning towards her son's face, "It's a very good thing that I'm not your legal guardian as of the moment. That's because when I am, we have a lot of lost time to make up for."
With a gentle patting upon Damian's head in an almost menacing kind of way she mumbled, "Also, a lot of behavioral misconstructions to make up for, as I can see..." Watching as she swiftly grabbed Damian's chin, pulling his lowering face to look her in the eyes, he himself flinched. "Your Father has allowed you to slack. He has allowed you to have become something that you were not bred to be. Let me say this clearly my child, you are mine. You are not your Father's. You have no choice, no say, no action whatsoever in the matter. By the end of today, you can kiss you life here goodbye. Your grandfather and I will see to it, permanently..."
Damian staring wide eyed at Talia's starkness, looked as though his Mother had crushed any residual hope of everything being ok.
"Grandfather's alive? But how Mother?"
As another smirk had rose on her face, she relinquished her hold on Damian's chin causing Damian to almost lose his balance, "Of course he is child, he wouldn't miss this for the world. He will be the witness that assures for your beginning of a new life, a life where you are to take up a new position. One that was solely given to you the day of your birth..."
With that Bruce couldn't take it anymore, he pulled Damian away from Talia's still encroaching face. Inwardly sighing at the drained look upon his son's face, he was about to fondue some ill imparted word's, when he stopped and saw the Judge. The Judge had his eyes glared upon the silent scene that had unfolded in the past few minutes. Decidedly, he had walked up to the bench and was about to hammer his mallet. Therefore, calling the hearing into session.
So, with a hand resting upon his son's back, he led them both away from Talia so they could sit down in their designated seating.
With a quizzical expression, he took a glance back from where they once stood. He couldn't believe it. She said that Ra... Ra was alive. Apparently, one way or another he was going to make an witness appearance. Could he really take Talia's word that he was alive? Or was this another trick. One that was to peak Damian's interest? Damian had always had a soft spot for his Grandfather, and so had Ra for Damian. He couldn't imagine Ra being so desperate that he would contribute his personal time to a matter such a this even if he was alive. Was the League in that dire of a state? What could Damian do? He was but a child. A strong child, but a child nonetheless.
Anyways, with Ra here or not.
The battle begins.
This battle they would win.
Bruce Wayne might not be able to, alone, win against the whole League of Assassin. However, his whole crazy family sure can. Even with or without Batman's help.
They would win, for Damian's sake, for Robin's sake, ...and for his son's sake.
So,
Let the fight begin... He just dared Talia to bring it on...
