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Nightwing and Robin had been making their way to docks when Batman called everyone back to the Cave. It had been a hard few weeks for everyone ever since the Arkham Breakout. The Rogues have been spending every night causing chaos at every opportunity up until the sun rose. They’d even had to call in reinforcements and the Birds of Prey.
Tonight had been no exception with the Bats being spread thin, especially when a Catwoman sighting was reported. She was the only Rogue they had yet to encounter and Damian was sure that she had something to do with this. After all, they could only take so many cat-themed schemes from the different villains.
To top it all off, Drake had disappeared all of sudden, leaving them alone to fend for themselves against the Arkham escapees while trying to search for Drake. In Damian’s honest opinion, they didn’t even need to bother with searching for him. He was better off gone but Damian knew better than to express that to the others.
Batman had quickly asked Oracle to get the Birds of Prey to cover for him as he went to confront Catwoman. Personally, Damian would have rather had someone else do it so that he wouldn’t be subjected to his father flirting with another woman who was not his mother but he digressed.
He and Nightwing had managed to deal with breaking up a gang fight between Penguin and Maroni’s men before they had been sent by Oracle to the docks to contain a shipment of guns that Black Mask had ordered in the hopes of dealing with the Rogues.
It was now low priority though since Batman had called everyone to the Cave. The Birds of Prey would have to finish patrol for them tonight. Damian didn’t particularly want to cut patrol short but he was still thankful for the slight reprieve they would get. All of them were sleep deprived and tired from dealing with the Rogues and trying to find the wayward ex-Robin.
As Nightwing and Robin ran across the rooftops to get to where they had stashed their bikes, Nightwing couldn’t help but try and make conversation.
“Why do you think B’s ending patrol early, Robin?”
“Tt. I don’t presume to know what Batman is thinking since the Rogues have been out in full force for the past two weeks. Maybe he discovered why the Rogues have been so active lately and he wants us to regroup to fix it all.”
“Why’d do you think so?”
“Well, he’s gone to confront the Cat, hasn’t he? I can only take so many “Cat sends her regards” from the Riddler before I bash his teeth in again.”
“You have a point but it could just as well be B finding Red Robin.”
“Tt. I do not understand why we needed to look for him. We’re better off without him.”
“He’s family, Robin. We don’t give up or abandon family.”
“Well, he may be your family but he’s not mine.”
Robin all but ran to his bike, ignoring Nightwing’s attempts to catch him and smoothen things out. He undid his safety precautions, revved up the bike and made his way to the Cave alone, refusing to even entertain the thought of having Drake part of his family.
It was bad enough that he had already taken control of Damian’s birthright with Robin but to add insult to injury, Father had placed Wayne Enterprises, their family business in Drake’s supposedly capable hands. Damian couldn’t refute that Drake did some good but Damian was sure that he would do better in the future once he got his rightful position.
Damian didn’t even understand why Father had yet to chase away the cuckoo bird who climbed into their nest. He could understand taking in Grayson. After all, he was a skilled prodigy in gymnastics. Todd was Gotham bred and born and he understood the city even better than Father did. It made sense to adopt him and develop his skills.
However, for Drake, Damian couldn’t find a good reason. Yes, Drake was intelligent but so were so many other children. Yes, Drake had really awful parents but that was fifty-fifty chance in Gotham and there were so many others that were worse. He was good with computers but Oracle is better. He wasn’t even trained in the beginning.
It made it all the more easier for Damian to prove than he was the superior Robin. After all, when your predecessor sets such low standards, it was very easy to raise the bar. Thankfully, Grayson had seen the light and given Damian the mantle of Robin.
They had learned to work together as Batman and Robin while Father had been presumed dead and they had managed to form a great working relationship then. It had been a shock to find out that Father was still alive. Damian had all but thought that Drake had gone off of the deep end when he said that Father was still alive but Drake had proved him otherwise.
Yes, Damian had been guilty and a little bit jealous that Drake had been the one to find his Father, that Damian didn’t even think to question his Father’s supposed death. Grayson had said it was because Bruce and Drake were exceedingly similar in thought pattern and analysis which was why it was only Tim who realized that Father was still alive.
Privately, Damian thought that everyone thought too highly of Drake and they refused to see what Damian saw, a pretender who tried so hard to belong but never would. As he neared the manor, Damian shook his head as if to get rid of thoughts of Drake. He was better off gone and Damian need not worry about him anymore.
As he arrived at the cave, he noticed that his Father had only just arrived. Not only was the Batmobile askew in parking but the full force of Batman was still acting in full capacity as he had yet to remove his cowl or his suit. As he moved closer, Damian could hear snippets of the conversation between Pennyworth and Father.
“-perchance running a DNA test?”
“Selina told me something today and I’m not sure if I’m inclined to believe her until I see it with my own eyes.”
There on the Batcomputer was a DNA Sample being run against all the DNA samples in their database in order to determine parentage. Unwittingly, Damian’s mind flashed back to when his Father was trying to find proof that Damian wasn’t his son so he didn’t have to take care of him. A shiver went down his spine before he managed to catch himself.
It was a long time ago and now Father actually wanted him there so it shouldn’t have that big of an effect on him anymore and yet, somehow, it still does. Damian had been trained how to control his emotions and his reactions back when he was still with the League but Grayson had been working with him ever since he arrived in Gotham to counter it which made situations like this difficult.
Damian longed to question his Father about who’s DNA sample it was because some irrational part of his brain kept trying to convince him that he wasn’t his Father’s son but rather just his Mother’s. He viciously quelled that desire.
Instead, he went to his workstation and fiddled with getting his implements in order. His katanas and other knives needed a lot of consistent maintenance in order to be effective out in the field so he turned out the conversation going on around him as he put in ear plugs and sharpened his knives and katanas.
As the other Bats arrived, Damian didn’t bother with acknowledging them instead choosing to focus on finishing his task at hand. He could see Nightwing arriving out of the corner of his eye, about to head over to bug him about earlier before he was quickly distracted by the arrival of Red Hood.
Huh. While it’s true that Todd had started to slowly come back to the Bats, it was a slow process that was often derailed by Grayson’s attempts at brotherly bonding. After the last failed attempt, Damian had expected Todd to avoid the manor and Grayson for at least another week but maybe whatever Father had to announce was important enough for Todd to get over it.
As he finished up with the last of his blades, his mind wandered to where the other members of their family were. Cass was still deep undercover in Hongkong and Brown was more of a Bird of Prey than a Bat ever since Oracle passed down the mantle of Batgirl. Tonight, it would just be his brothers minus the Pretender and usually, this would make him happy but not when all the attention was on Drake.
That pissed him off slightly. After all, Drake had abandoned them. He had finally left. They should be celebrating, not trying to find him to bring him back. In fact, they should probably be focusing on dealing with the Rogues. After all, that was their biggest problem right now, not finding Drake.
As he put away his freshly sharpened weapons, Father called them over to the meeting table to discuss what he’d found out. After finishing up his organization, he finally filled up his seat, refusing to acknowledge the person missing from across him.
“E’ryone’s finally here, B. Let’s start. Time’s a wastin’. If only someone didn’ take forever ta put away his knives, we coulda been halfway through da debrief already.”
“Tt. Just because you have a propensity for being a slob does not mean I share the same sentiments, Todd.”
“Shut yer trap, Demon Brat! I got some o’ da cleanes’ safe houses outta e’ryone here, B included. I just don’ like ta keep people waitin’ unlike others here.”
“Well, at least I-“
“Stop it! Both of you. We’re brothers. Act like it.”
“Thanks, chum. Now, I know I promised to be more transparent with you all but there was something I didn’t tell you about Tim’s disappearance.”
“B! We talked about this.” Dick exasperatedly exclaimed.
Unfortunately for them all, this was one of the touchy subjects between Father and Grayson. It never failed to instigate a fight and after the whole debacle with Grayson becoming Batman, Damian has since been conflicted about who to side with whenever the two fought.
“You can’t keep hiding things from us and expecting us to be alright with it. It wasn’t cool when we were kids and it’s not cool now when we’re a team. We need to trust each other and that means not keeping vital information.”
“I’m trying, Dick but I didn’t know what to make of what Oracle found which is why I didn’t want to tell you all until I had the whole story. I only just found out earlier tonight which is why I called this meeting.”
“Whatcha hidin’ then, B?”
“Tim is my biological son and Selina is his mother.”
With those simple words, Damian’s world spun. This was not what he had expected to hear. Of all of the possible revelations to be made, this was not one had ever considered. He was not ready for the implications of this. This was not anything he had prepared for.
What then was his purpose? What was his reason for existence if there was one that came before him? What was going to happen now? What would Father do now that he knew? Damian’s mind was spiraling out of control so badly he was barely paying attention to the conversation happening around him.
“What?” Dick asked, flabbergasted.
“I knew it!” Jason crowed.
“How could you know, Little Wing?”
“Talia didn’ hate on Tim fer nothin’. I hadda hunch but I couldn’ find anythin’ solid ‘til now.”
“You just had a hunch?” Dick questioned, disbelieving.
“How many 9 year olds do ya know tha’ would abandon da comfort o’ their safe n’ warm bed ta go out n’ take life-risking pictures o’ vigilantes in da seediest parts o’ Gotham? Even more importantly, 9 year olds who couldda done it undetected by said vigilantes ‘til he told ‘em ‘bout it? Tim has da same self-preservation instinct as Bruce which is ta say, none.”
“I mean you’re not wrong but you really got it from just that?”
“Aw hell no! B n’ Timmy are so very similar but in ways you would never think ta look at. Who do ya think worked on organizin’ da case files? Have ya seen how deep they get into da zone when they’re workin’ on a case? Have ya even tried getting’ ‘em to sleep n’ eat like normal human beings?”
“You do have a point. How did you even find out, B?”
Todd raised an eyebrow and smirked before he interjected.
“Lemme guess, Selina had ta tell ya tha’ ya had a son?”
“I-“
“Don’t even bother ta try n’ lie, B. Yer face says it all. I can’t believe tha’ da World’s Greatest Detective let it slip under his nose tha’ he had his son under his roof for da past 4 years n’ he didn’ have a clue!”
Todd cackled with laughter, almost falling out of his chair just before he caught himself. Father was as stone-faced as ever but a hint of a flush could be seen where the cowl didn’t cover. Grayson just watched as Father tried to get Jason to stop laughing and to let him continue. Damian didn’t dare speak, unsure of what would come out of his mouth for once. Much like with all of their arguments, Grayson had to mediate once again.
“Okay, yes Jason, it’s absolutely hilarious and we can continue poking fun at B later but we need to focus. What did you mean earlier, B, when you said something about what Oracle found?”
“I had Oracle try and see what suspicious footage was around the area of Tim’s Perch when he suddenly disappeared. We couldn’t find any footage of Tim heading out but that was typical Tim. However, the night of Tim’s disappearance, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn were found on footage heading to the area where Tim’s Perch is. This isn’t usually shocking since Catwoman lives a few blocks away but they stopped by Tim’s Perch and they managed get through all of the protections. They made off with some of Tim’s stuff. From what Oracle was able to trace from what hasn’t been scrubbed, they then made their way to Catwoman’s apartment. That same night, the rest of the Rogues escaped Arkham and I haven’t been able to get anywhere close to the Gotham Siren’s area without any of the other Rogues kicking up enough chaos to warrant my immediate presence.”
“So ya think tha’ Timmy had some’n ta do wit’ da Rogues’ escapin’?”
“No. Selina all but confessed that she orchestrated everything earlier tonight with her actions. She also sent me a message once she left saying that the Rogues will back off for now to give me a chance to fix things but that if I mess up that she isn’t liable for what they might do.”
“Okay, I’m still lost. Can you run through this one more time, B?”
“Geez, ‘Wing ya have no problems out in da field wit’ orders but yer strugglin’ wit’ dis?”
“Yes, Jason. Contrary to popular belief, I am not perfect nor infallible. Now, B, can you give the chronological order of things? I do enough of this theorizing at work. I don’t want to do any more than I need to.”
“Approximately two weeks ago, Tim found out that Selina Kyle was his biological mother. He confronted her and found out that I was his biological father. Tim must have decided to stay with her to get to know his mother. Selina, being as possessive as she is, orchestrated the Rogues’ escape and had them keep us busy enough to not be able to make the connection between Tim and Selina.”
“Well then, mystery solved. What’re we still here fer then? When’re we stormin’ Cat’s place ta get baby bird back?”
Father visibly hesitated. This had all of the boys suddenly on edge. Father never hesitated. He was always so sure, so decisive with his words and his actions. It was one of the reasons why he was the team leader.
“Jay, I’m not exactly sure Tim would want to be back.”
“Whatta ya mean? What’re ya talkin’ about?”
“Selina told me that Tim doesn’t feel like he belongs in our family and after the revelation that he was my biological son, it only raised more questions in his mind.”
“But, B, Tim’s always been part of the family. This doesn’t change anything!”
Damian finally found the courage to find his voice again.
“Don’t act stupid, Richard. It changes everything.”
Damian swore he could have heard a pin drop in that moment. The Cave silenced, as if understanding the gravity of his statement. Damian was grateful for the silence because it gave him time to determine how to express his sentiments. Damian took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts into something of coherence.
“Dra-Timothy is Father’s first born, the rightful heir, produced from an early tryst with Father’s current paramour.”
The weight of the unspoken “I was created without consent by one of Father’s enemies to fulfill a position that had already been filled” and “What value do I have, then for me to stay with this family when Dra-Timothy is everything I should be?” bore down on Damian.
In a family full of detectives, the unspoken is sometimes louder than what is spoken. It took a good few moments before anyone had been willing to break the silence. Of course, it would be Grayson, as he couldn’t stand moments like this.
“Dami, just because Tim is also Bruce’s son doesn’t mean that there isn’t a place for you anymore. Do you remember what I said when you first arrived?”
Of course Damian remembered, even he didn’t necessarily believe it then.
“I said, that in this household, blood is not what makes a family. That still holds true.”
An echo of a memory flashed in Damian’s mind.
_____
It had just been after his first attempt on Drake’s life. He had been foolish and he had gotten caught. Grayson had grasped his shoulders and looked him in the eye.
“You are not with the League anymore, Damian! In this family, we have different rules and a different organization. Here, you don’t fight to earn your place because you are given it without asking. Here, we don’t hurt each other but we help each other grow. Here, we do not kill but instead, we protect. Here, a family is not just by blood but by choice. You need to learn this, not because you will be punished if you don’t but because you deserve to know what a loving family feels like. Do you understand?”
It seemed too good to be true. Damian knew that. This was yet another test for him. Regardless, he would not fail next time. He would not be caught next time.
No matter how many times he has been taught how to lie, it still tasted of the same acrid bitterness as it left his lips.
“Yes I do.”
_____
More than a year has passed and yet Damian had yet to fully convince himself of this. He had been raised to believe that blood meant family and he’d automatically assumed the opposite held true. Grayson tries to teach him otherwise but at his core, Damian could not relinquish this belief that had been so deeply embedded into his psyche.
Family above all was one of the few teachings of the League that Damian could actually still hold true. As much as Grandfather was a villain in his own right, he had at one point, cared enough for Damian to have him trained to survive out in the real world. His mother needed no explanation.
With that came his Father to whom he owed his unfailing loyalty and support. Along came his supposed brothers and Pennyworth and all of the others whom he was supposed to consider family even though they had no blood ties.
This concept was foreign to him. Family above all meant that things were done for the good of the family, sometimes based on the hierarchy. Grandfather was always the most important and sometimes family was sacrificed for Grandfather but that was called a worthy sacrifice for the good of all. Damian had almost been one until his mother had turned away from his Grandfather’s side.
It had been difficult to lose everything he had ever known, to try and decipher this new hierarchy. Everyone knew that when you came to a new place, you always started off at the lowest rank and you had to work your way up. Obviously, Grayson was the highest after father and then came Todd and Cain and lastly, Drake. Damian refused to classify the others until they were legally his siblings.
The only way to earn the next spot was to remove Drake from his current spot, or at least this was what Damian had thought. Even now, some part of him still believed that but now a greater part of him was warring at his treatment of his blood brother.
Family, especially blood family was sacred. He had never been able to raise a weapon against his mother or his grandfather. Hell, even his mother was incapable of actively betraying his grandfather. Only grandfather had been able to do anything resembling harming the family and even then, under the guise of it being a sacred sacrifice.
Family meant being treated with the utmost respect at all times, of siding with them even when they were wrong because that was what family did. Family meant acceptance of what they were, what they are and what they will be. Family meant upholding family morals and ideals even when they didn’t necessarily align with your own. Family meant belonging and unquestionable acceptance, all things he refused to do to his blood brother.
Family above all, even above yourself was the unspoken rule and Damian had failed to keep that due to his misguided attempts to increase his status. Now, he had not only alienated his blood brother from their collective choice family but he had also simultaneously lost all purpose and rhyme and reason.
His mere existence was now obsolete. The purpose he was created for had already been fulfilled. He was unwanted in the beginning and now he was unneeded as well. Sure, he was still Robin but if it were given to him just as easily as it was ripped away from Drake then it could easily be ripped away from him too.
“-ami, Dami, breathe!”
Huh? Grayson had been shaking his shoulders and taking exaggerated breaths in front of him. Damian hadn’t realized it but his breathing had speeded up passed the acceptable and he had been silently hyperventilating.
“Relax, kid. Ya were havin’ a panic attack.”
Oh. So that’s what that was. Damian had had no prior experience with panic attacks and he had always looked down at Dra-Timothy whenever he dealt with this but having experienced it, he could finally understand why it took so much from his brother.
His brother. He had tried to kill his own brother. He had unknowingly and unwittingly tried to get rid of his older brother, disregarding all of the usual hierarchal rules when it came to the line of succession.
Father suddenly crouched in front of him. When he had he sunken to the floor?
“Damian, are you alright? You’re spiraling, son.”
“H-how are you taking this so lightly, Father? W-why are you not as badly affected?”
“Oh son, in my eyes, you are all equally my children, regardless of who your parents were. I considered Tim my son long before I got him from the Drakes. This does not change anything to me. I had four sons before tonight and I had four sons after.”
“But-“
“I know that Talia and the League look at family differently. I know that you have always had your qualms with Tim, goaded by your mother or not but I want you to know that you and Tim both have separate places here in this family that do not compete. You are both my sons and I love you all equally. I want you to know that family is more than just blood. I want you to know that your chosen family is not worth any less than your blood family. Do you understand?”
Father wouldn’t understand Damian’s perception of family, not when he had been raised with Western ideals of family and honor. Regardless, for once, his beliefs would align with what Father would want them to do.
Damian would now have to create a plan of action to bring back his older brother into the fold. After all, Family above all and blood meant family. Damian could only hope that Timothy would understand where he was coming from and that he would allow him a second chance to prove himself a worthy little brother.
No matter how many times he has been taught how to lie, it still tasted of the same acrid bitterness as it left his lips.
“Yes I do.”