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“What sorcery have you cursed my father with?”
If Billy were in his human form, there would undoubtedly be a drop of sweat forming on his forehead, looking down at what was supposed to be a threatening interrogation by Robin. The boy’s sword was being pressed against his lower torso. It would probably be scarier if the newest bird wasn’t so small compared to Captain Marvel.
“What?”
Playing dumb was always a safe bet, especially since Billy legitimately had no idea what Robin was talking about.
Or maybe not.
The boy sneered. Billy sighed as Robin came closer, putting his sword away, likely figuring out how far from intimidating the weapon was to the behemoth of a hero with skin less penetrable than Superman.
“My father has been acting strange ever since that last meeting you had regarding property damage done during the last invasion-”
“Uh- should you know about that?”
“Quiet!”
Marvel placed his hands up in surrender at Robin’s reaction to his interruption, trying his best not to snort when the boy claimed to know and be told everything, knowing how unlikely that was to be the truth.
“According to the logs of the Zeta Tubes, you and Batman were the last to leave from that meeting.”
Billy nodded, knowing this to be true and not denying it.
“Oh yeah- Batman had a question for me-”
Scoffing, Damian shook his head.
“Yeah right! As if Batman would need something from a fool like yourself?”
Unluckily for Robin, Captain Marvel was one of the most patient heroes out there, taking the insult without so much as a frown or disapproving glare. It was a common tactic of the Robins, annoying or angering the enemy enough to reveal information, but one that was ineffective with Marvel.
Luckily for Billy on the other hand, he had heard much worse insults from children around Robin’s age. It was just something that happened when dealing with a bunch of traumatized children and teens, especially if they were repeating insults they themselves had heard. Even more fortunate for the teen masquerading as an adult, he knew how to handle children, even if they were as strange and spiky as Robin.
“Okay Robin, I feel like this isn’t going anywhere,” Billy started, sitting down on the couch of the Teen Titan’s headquarters, hopefully letting Robin see that he would have the high ground in a literal way and setting them as equals in terms of height and eye-contact.
“Can you tell me what’s going on with Batman? Because I honestly don’t know what you think I did to him. I recall our meeting, and I did help your father with something, but it should not have drastically changed his behavior.”
Damian stayed silent at this, not really sure where to go, having expected the other hero to succumb to his initial interrogations, as the man was known for not being able to lie to his teammates, including the Young Justice and Teen Titans teams, both of which loving him for this fact as the man would not hide things from them.
Billy felt concern at the silence, wondering if he had actually done something wrong with the spell he cast for the teddy bear.
“Is it a bad type of strange?”
The boy didn’t respond, Billy jumping to the worst-case scenario at the unusual behavior, even if he had only met the child a few times in passing
“Did he do something to you or someone else?” The anxiety that the teen had was evident in his voice, subtly asking if Batman was potentially hurting Robin, his experience causing slight worry and paranoia, even if he would trust the Bat with his life. Especially since the spell he cast did include messing with a person’s negative feelings.
What if he messed it up and the negativity was flooding back into Batman’s body?
Or maybe it was draining more than just the bad feelings?
By the gods! What if he were responsible for Batman hurting someone, especially his own kids?
“No!”
Robin’s surprised and insulted voice broke through Billy’s worrying, the older’s shoulders relaxing as the boy understood and denied the implied meaning.
“Nothing of the sort.”
Damian began losing confidence in this interrogation.
He had really thought Marvel had done something and would crack under the pressure, his paranoia and pride getting in the way of thinking that the man could be innocent. Not to mention the genuine concern and worry in the man’s eyes when he thought that Batman could have been acting badly towards him.
Meanwhile, Billy was just relieved, calming down with a smile.
“I apologize for thinking he might have done you any harm, I didn’t mean to offend you or him in any way. I was worried since I demonstrated a spell for him that would have an impact on his mood.” Marvel explained with a sheepish grin, Robin tensing once more at the mention of magic.
“What type of spell?” the boy asked, curiosity winning over.
“I enchanted an object for Batman that would drain negative energy, feelings, and thoughts from someone. I own one for my baby and offered to place the spell on something for Batman since he had questions about it.” Billy calmly explained, smiling as he remembered the positive reaction he’d gotten from the man after taking hold of the teddy bear.
The boy’s head tilted in intrigue, both at the fact that Captain Marvel of all people claimed to have a baby , but also at the fact that apparently, his father, the most paranoid, magic-hating detective in the world, had accepted a magical object from the one hero he didn’t know the identity of.
His respect for the man in front of him begrudgingly rose at such a feat.
“I assume any changes to his behavior were a result of that.”
Damian nodded, agreeing as he factored in this new information to the mystery that was his father’s behavior for the past few weeks.
“He has appeared less stressed recently.” Damian offered, still standing in front of Marvel, posture softening ever so slightly as he answered the question he hadn’t responded to previously.
Billy’s smile grew, eyes lighting up in joy that his friend was benefiting from the teddy bear, even if he had already received confirmation from the man himself. If other people could see the change as well, it just meant that Billy was right to think Batman needed the spell.
He kept his reactions to a minimum though, not wanting Robin to take it the wrong way.
“He told me he was ‘worried’ about an…unwise decision I made during last night’s patrol, resulting in a minor injury that ‘didn’t need to happen’ if I had listened to him. Typically he would be angry and bench me.” Damian couldn’t help but let out a small huff of frustration at the end, unsure of why he was telling the demi-god all of this. It did make him feel a bit better when the hero simply nodded in understanding, no other emotions showing on his face in reaction to the statement that now sounded stupid to the youngest bat.
“I see how that could be worrisome behavior from Batman.” Billy replied neutrally.
Damian nodded, glad that his pride wasn’t being shot down by the response.
“Sometimes people respond with anger to hide feelings they haven’t practiced showing before, like fear or worry.” Billy explained simply, knowing how emotionally constipated the whole Bat-Clan could be at times.
But especially Robin if his behavior was anything to go by.
Kids with trauma like Robin were very unusual, and Billy was grateful that he’d never dealt with an assassin-raised child, but he did know that trauma like that made dealing with and learning about feelings and how they worked a low priority.
Mix all that together with the fact that Batman had the worst, most confusing ways of expressing his own feelings, and Billy just knew that Robin would not be able to decipher the man’s anger as a defensive response to other harsh feelings.
He hoped he hadn’t crossed a boundary here with the impromptu analysis though.
It seemed he hadn’t when Robin hummed, the first non-confrontational noise he’d made since the initial statement, tilting his head as he thought about this new information.
“And you thought this spell could help him?”
Marvel nodded.
“Hn.”
Billy let the preteen take some time to consider everything, anger and suspicion currently forgotten in place of thoughtfulness.
Meanwhile, Damian let himself think about all the times that Bruce had been mad at him or his siblings, especially if they’d gotten hurt in some type of way. It made the boy think about how he himself did this, especially when he had first joined the family and reacted so negatively to his siblings, especially Richard, who apparently knew what Captain Marvel also did and Damian didn’t. He treated his anger as if it wasn’t the volatile emotion that it was.
He had not meant for this interrogation to be so thought-provoking. The blame couldn’t even be placed on the Captain, as he had been nothing but surprisingly helpful.
“Are you alright Robin?”
“I am fine.”
Billy heard the uncertainty in the boy’s voice, knowing that saying this didn’t really mean all too much since Robin wouldn’t have seen the bear working with his own two eyes nor the process in which it was done.
“Would you like to understand the spell for yourself? I know magic is unfamiliar to you bats and I’m sure it would feel better to understand why Batman might be acting differently.”
Damian stayed quiet for a second, juggling the options he had within the comforts of his mind.
On one hand, the spell could be dangerous, and this could all be a trick.
On the other hand, Marvel was an honest, genuine person(if not the best actor in the world, good enough to fool Black Bat since even she never seemed to pick up on the man being anything else), and he had been as such while answering the questions Damian had, even as the man had a sword pressed against his skin and insults and threats shoved in his face. Along with this, Damian thought about how hard it was for him to verbalize the care he felt for his family, thinking that this action could represent that care without the need of words.
“That would be acceptable.”
Billy giggled at the familiar words, having heard that exact sentence from Batman.
“Alright. I’ll summon the toy I spelled for Recruit Marvel since he is human and if the spell were to have any effects on a normal human, he would show signs of it.”
“Recruit Marvel?”
“Yes,” Billy paused, “I assume Batman did not inform you of what he learned about me?”
Damian scowled.
At least that aspect of his father had seemingly not changed.
“Well, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have told you, but long story short, I am a foster parent and am taking care of Recruit Marvel for the moment, the baby I mentioned earlier.”
There it was!
Captain Marvel proved again that he was truthful, treating Damian like he would any of his other colleagues with this information.
“That information is…useful.” Damian was unsure what to say, awkwardly trying to express his thanks at the openness.
Billy nodded, not bothered by the peculiar response.
“I figured it would be helpful to have some knowledge about me since you shared stuff about your family. I know how you bats like to keep stuff about your family close to your chests, so it’s only fair.”
A flicker of warmth welled in Damians chest at the easy show of trust. That wasn’t something you came by easily in this line of work.
“ Ahem -, yes that is adequate reasoning…Thank you.”
Billy was, once again, sure to keep his body language under control, acknowledging the response with a tilt of his head.
“Right then, let’s summon Tawky Tawny.”
“Tawky Tawny?”
“Mhm!” Marvel nodded excitedly, always happy to talk about the first item that allowed him to get through all the horrible moments in his life.
“He is the object I spelled, as many of the children I look after find stuffed animals to be a source of comfort, myself included, and he is what Mini Marvel currently is when he feels too much.”
Damian grimaced, thinking about how childish it would seem to have to hold a stuffed animal that was currently being used by a real baby. But this was his task, and the stuffed animal was merely a tool. A sentimental tool that he was being trusted with and would apparently make him feel as good as his father, but a tool, nonetheless.
“That would be...”
Billy smiled again, “Acceptable?” he finished.
With a sharp nod, Damian remained silent, allowing Marvel to do what he had to to get the toy.
A few words of a dead language later, and a stuffed tiger toy appeared in Billy’s hands.
Damian took a second to observe the toy, seeing how it must have been well used and loved, if the worn-out appearance was anything to go by. A tiny part of the vigilante felt his mind flicker with childish excitement as he noticed it was a tiger, a fierce animal that he had always respected and loved.
He shoved that down in favor of watching Marvel’s face, gauging the other’s reaction, paranoia kicking in and doing a last-minute check to be absolutely sure that the man wasn’t lying to him.
The man let out a sigh of contentment after a few seconds of holding the tiger, shoulders releasing tension that Damian didn’t even know he was carrying at the moment.
Billy relished the happy memories that began to push forward as he held Tawny, allowing himself a few more seconds of the feeling before holding the plush out for Robin to take.
Damian stared at the extended limb for a moment, mind informing him of how kind of rash and stupid what he was doing was. There was no one else around and he had no way to confirm that this magic was going to work as Marvel said it would, intentionally or not.
With a deep breath, he took the tiger into his own grasp.
Nothing happened for a few seconds, and Damian felt irritation rise in his gut. Was this an elaborate joke to humiliate him? What if Marvel told someone that Robin had been playing with a stuffed toy?
He opened his mouth, intending to explain, before suddenly, his heart began calming itself, the stress he perpetually carried around always having his body on high alert. Damian felt his shoulders drop, mimicking the way Marvel’s had less than a minute ago, a gasp leaving his mouth without permission as he first felt his extreme paranoia of the situation go away, the warmth he felt when the hero trusted him with personal information nudged forward instead.
His head, perpetually filled with a typhoon of anxiety, paranoia, anger, and so many more overwhelming emotions, was soothing down.
“What- What is this?” as Damian spoke, he could tell his voice was lightened, and he was unable to suppress the awe in his voice like usual. This fact didn’t fill him with rage and shame at himself, the usual heaviness of failing in such a way not pressing down on his chest in self-hatred.
It almost made him feel sick; it was so unnatural.
Billy felt his smile shrink at the reaction. Robin looked almost scared, yet clutched the plushie like he didn’t have the ability to let go of it.
He should’ve seen this coming.
“Would you like to set Tawny down? I know the way it works can sometimes be overwhelming, especially since you are less acclimated to magic.” Billy was drawing his calm demeanor from Solomon, feeling immense guilt for not considering this as a possibility when giving Robin the plush.
Damian shook his head, dazed at the sudden change that encapsulated his mind, the nausea he felt at being so vulnerable not rising, allowing him to take a deep breath and get ahold of himself.
He gasped when even this feeling was syphoned out, “I am,” he wasn’t sure how to explain it.
His life, however short it has been, was filled with nothing but pain up until 2 years ago when he joined the Wayne family. And even then, he went through heavy struggles to fit it and unlearn all the horrid behaviors that he’d been raised with. He would take these feelings to the grave with him, but it was something that haunted his every action, even now that things were so much better with the Waynes.
“Robin.”
Damian looked up, clutching Tawny like a lifeline, feeling smaller than he ever had before.
“It’s okay Robin, can you breathe for me?
A sharp inhale forced itself into his lungs at the question, eyes shutting tight, the training he’d had all his life taking over, shoving the overwhelmness into a tiny box where it wouldn’t ever be unlocked(until he was in front of the blank of a canvas, letting the brush control his hand, letting red streaks tear across the page, the opposite of his normally composed art style. No one would have to know), opening his eyes when a slightly comforting wave of apathy washed over him.
“You should not have seen me in such a way, I must apologize for my weakness.”
Billy’s eyes softened.
“You don’t have to apologize, Robin. This was not a moment of weakness. In fact, I would call it a moment of ‘weakness’ on my end. I know that Tawny isn’t suitable for everyone, and I should’ve warned you. So in fact, I owe you an apology I’d think.”
Damian didn't respond, looking down, back at the plushie that had caused all of this, setting it down on the couch, hand hovering over it but not touching it anymore.
The negativity in his mind swelled up, replacing those warm memories of Richard, and his pets and art.
"Did my father react like this?”
Billy hummed.
“He did not.”
Before Robin had a chance to stew on that, he continued.
“However, he had very light exposure to Tawny the first time he held it and he is also aware of my capabilities and has been near my magic enough to be less sensitive to it.”
The boy nodded, accepting the logical explanation as is, even if he still looked disappointed, whether in himself at Billy, or something else far more complex than either of them were comfortable getting into.
Billy licked his lip with nerves. He probably shouldn’t be making offers or directing this stranger child, the stranger child of Batman of all people, but he didn’t want Robin to feel like this was at all a failure.
“If you talk about it with Batman, we might be able to work something out. I could dilute the spell’s power, or you could share Batman’s object and work with him if using this spell to settle some of your struggles is something you're still interested in. If not, that's also okay too.”
Damian considered this offer, fingers still just barely glossing over the orange dyed fur.
The way his paranoia had stopped, letting him see the world and his thoughts so differently…He wanted to feel that again.
“Will it help me beyond just holding it?”
Damian didn’t want to rely on something, especially magic, to feel good. It felt almost like a drug.
“Yes. It is intended to be used as a tool in high stress situations and not something to completely rely on all the time. With Batman for example, he can hold his cool most of the time, however, when stressed, concerned, or anxious, those emotions can take over which leads him to make irrational decisions since he has not practiced the ability to work through volatile feelings to make way for his usual logic. That is how something like Tawny can be useful, since when he notices that he may be in a highly emotional state, the spell will drain it at the moment and stop how he is feeling from boiling over.”
Billy technically didn’t need to, but it felt natural to pause for a moment to take a breath and see if Robin was following along. Of course, the boy was listening with rapt attention, taking in every word as if he were in the classroom of his favorite subject. He wasn’t sure if this speech would work since he was kind’ve making a few assumptions about how Batman’s mind works from what he’s seen and heard.
Not that Billy could relate to that.
Thank the Gods for Solomon who helped him understand everything about this since he still wasn’t really that good at reading.
Anyways.
“If you feel the same way, this spell could ease you into calming down, especially if you feel overwhelmed or confused about how staying calm may look in a stressful situation, which may be useful in the long run. I know some of my kids used the idea of the spell itself and how it draws comforting memories that soothe them forward as a future means of calming down without wanting or needing to rely on a physical object. Does that make sense?”
Robin nodded slowly.
“So, if I talk to my father, would you make me something of a similar nature?”
Billy nodded back.
“And you think it could help me like it does him?”
Billy smiled, “Yes, that is what I think.”
Damian’s shoulders slumped against each other, getting up from the couch with a brief glance back at Tawny.
He had reached his limit for being vulnerable today
“Thank you...”
Marvel didn’t respond, nodding again with a simple smile and looking away from his retreating figure to pick the tiger back up.
He had a lot to think about.
Going back to the Batcave took a matter of seconds, even as his mind seemed to slow with everything that just transpired.
“Master Damian, where have you been? I don’t recall there being any meetings relevant to you at this time.”
Alfred’s aged voice questioned. Damian could hear the raised eyebrow and accusation even though the old butler likely didn’t know why he left in the first place.
This normally would annoy him, being talked to as if he were a mere child who got caught sneaking cookies from the cookie jar, but there were more important things to focus his attention on at the moment.
“...”
“Are you quite alright young sir?”
Shame and embarrassment wanted to take over as he knew that the hardest step of this whole process would be trusting his family with his wishes, something he rarely ever voiced out loud, much less to Father or Pennyworth. Relife cooled the flaming emotion. This could be his chance. His chance to let go without completely relying on his unstable mind. He was certainly better than he was when he first arrived, but it would be nice to have a crutch of sorts to help him through the difficult hurdles that were trying to be good.
“Can you tell me where Father is Alfred? I must speak with him.”
If the older man was any kind of shocked at the use of his first name, he did not show it. He still looked vaguely concerned but nodded anyway.
“Of course Master Damian. Master Bruce is in his room. Allow me to fetch him for you.”
As Alfred walked off, Damian stood, fists clenched.
A few minutes passed before his father appeared before him.
“Damian?”
Deep breath.
“Father, I wish to talk with you about Captain Marvel.”
Another deep breath.
“I would like to feel better…and I would like the assistance of you and Marvel to do so.”
He hoped this would be worth it.
Bruce’s eyes softened in understanding, and as his next works come out almost shockingly empathetic despite retaining the blunt, monotone quality of his voice, Damian thinks it might just be.