Chapter Text
Jon sighed heavily. He didn't know what to do. He was conflicted. He promised his lover he wouldn't say anything... but he couldn't watch as he suffered. He took a breath and held the USB in his hand tightly before walking down the stairs into the Batcave.
"Oh! Jon, nice to see you!" Dick waved from his place next to Jason (Whom was trying to beat up Tim), "Damian should be in his room."
Jon bit his lip. "Yeah... I know... I'm actually here for Batman and you." He told him, his voice shaking.
Dick looked up in curiosity and glanced over at Bruce whom was busy typing something, but looked over when his name was mentioned. "Go on." Bruce said.
The half-alien walked over to the console and held the USB shakily before plugging it in. Before it started he hit pause. "I wanted- no-I needed to show you all this... I promised Damian I would delete it, but I transferred it to my USB before I did." He pressed play.
Damian was on the screen. He was crying. "What-" Dick started, but Bruce placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
The Damian on the screen had on skinny dark green capris and a red sleeveless hoodie. He fell to his knees, sobbing his little heart out. He was screaming and smashing things that Bruce forgot he even had. Damian sniffled and fell to his knees before glancing over at a vase shard.
Everyone knew what was about to happen. Everyone felt the horror, bubbling in their stomachs and to their hearts as they watched Damian slice away at his own skin. Tears mixing with blood.
Just as Damian was about to plunge the shard into his throat, Jon burst onto the scene. He tackled Damian and used his super strength to knock the shard out of his hand. "NO! NOOO!!!" Damian cried, trying to break his hands free.
Jon had tears streaming down his face as he watched his broken lover cry for death. He hugged Damian tightly and poured all his love into the embrace. Damian was overcome with sobs until he was just hiccuping and hugging Jon back.
Dick had his hands covering his mouth, eyes wide with horror. Bruce looked defeated and hopeless. Tim and Jason looked so upset for their younger brother.
The video was about to continue, but... "Hey, is Jon down.... here..." Damian's eyes traveled to the screen and he paled. "Oh no." He turned and started running.
"Shit!" Bruce gasped as he smacked his hip off the desk. "Go get him!!" He ordered the batfam, and Jon.
They split up to look for Damian. Tim and Jason went to the left side of the mansion, Jon and Dick took the right.
"Alfred, if you see Damian. Catch him." Bruce said into the intercom in the kitchen.
"Very well, sir." Alfred said and hung up the call. He looked around and heard frantic running. He peeked out and saw Damian about to run past him. Like the epic butler he was, he grabbed Damian's hoodie and slammed the door shut, trapping the hood in the door and keeping Damian put.
By time everyone found Damian, he wouldn't look up. He felt ashamed and embarrassed, two emotions he wished he didn't have.
Bruce picked Damian up and took him downstairs. "LET ME GO!!" Damian shouted and struggled to escape the bat's arms.
The father ignored him and strapped Damian to the medical med. He felt awful for doing so, but Damian wouldn't cooperate. "Alfred, check his arms."
Alfred walked over calmly and slid up Damian's yellow hoodie sleeves, revealing tens of scars. A few were just scabbing over, which meant they were recent.
"D-Damian..." Dick breathed shakily. Dick and Damian were the closest out of the brothers, so this hurt Dick a whole great deal.
Damian felt his eyes burn and he looked away, biting his bottom lip to keep from screaming out in internal agony.
"Damian, are these the only ones?" Bruce asked. Damian didn't reply. "DAMIAN! Are they the ONLY ONES?!" He was so scared he was going to lose his son.
"M-My legs..." Damian finally replied after Bruce begged for a few minutes. Damian would've said a snappy comment, but he knew this was a serious conversation that needed to happen.
Alfred grabbed a scalpel and cut the pants off from right at the top of the thigh so it looked like Damian was wearing booty shorts. That wasn't Alfred's plan though. He ain't no pervert. There were scars the lined up and down Damian's pale thighs, some around his calves and ankles.
"Why did you do this...?" Bruce asked in a low and hushed tone, he gripped the sheets Damian was lying on.
Damian felt tears slide down his cheeks. "Because I hate myself! I hate me! I'm nothing but an abomination! I didn't even get to have a childhood!" He sobbed. "I-I killed a man when I was only three.... I've killed ever since up until I was ten..."
Jon stared sadly at his boyfriend. He wouldn't butt into this. That was their conversation they needed to have.
"So you thought dying would be the better solution??" Bruce asked, slamming his fist down next to his lap. "If Jon hadn't been there, you would've been dead! DEAD! Nothing would've been able to bring you back!"
Damian covered his face with his hands. "I... I know... I apologize..." He whispered. That was definitely a day of surprises. They heard Damian apologize AND saw him cry. He looked so shaken and broken.
"Please Damian... Don't leave us.... I'll do whatever you want... is there anything you need?" Bruce asked, holding Damian's hand almost desperately.
Damian bit his lip and looked down at his lap. "I-I want to go to high school...! With Jon and... my brothers.." He said.
"School?" Bruce questioned, looking confused.
"Yes! School! Dick went, and my two stupid brothers get to go! Why can't I???" Damian asked, his voice rising.
Bruce shook his head and sighed. "Dammit Dick, you were right."
"Aren't I always when it comes to Damian?" Dick semi-boasted.
Bruce looked up at his son. "I'm sorry. You can go to school... I just didn't think you'd want to. Because A.) You would want to kill everyone for being stupid. Or B.) You would know everything and get bored." He explained.
Damian sighed softly and nodded. "I understand, father... But I really want to go... I-I want to be a normal kid... Just once..." He whispered.
"Then... I guess you're going to school."