Chapter Text
“You missed your brother's graduation. Where were you?”
My father's words. It's funny, really. Damian's graduation was a priority. Damian this, Damian that. 8 years of living under that rich roof with Bruce Wayne. And yet, even after my mother married him a year into introducing Damian and I to him. I was shoved off to the side. Buried under the busy lives of the vigilante business. Even mom turned against me, defending his choice not to continue training me like Damian. Sending me away to boarding schools, summer schools, camps. You name it, I probably went there at least twice. I graduated 2 years ago, and yet none of them showed. At least Grayson sent a card and Jason sent me a text. But here I was. Standing in the doorway to the dining room with my bag still swung over my shoulders, my lab pass around my neck and my car keys in my hand.
“His graduation was today?”
I don't know why I asked. I knew it was today. I just knew that I'd rather spend my time on myself. Damian scoffed in that rich spoiled-milk sort of tone. In a way, I'm glad I was neglected. I was forced out of that spoiledness we had when we were growing up.
“Yeah it was today. But you probably couldn't get a ride there.”
Damian rolled his eyes, as Bruce stood up and walked over to me. Instead of that brooding energy as usual it was replaced with frustration. Maybe even disappointment. Which is worse, this or the neglect? I couldn't tell but a sense of panicked dread came over me in a wave as Bruce stopped in front of me. His arms crossed as he huffed.
“This was a big event for your twin brother. The least you could have done was show up for him.”
He took a moment before continuing.
“I know I didn’t do much for you, but that's not a reason to ghost your brother's graduation.”
So he does admit his neglect. Lovely… And yet, the rest of the family was sitting at the dining table, no food but playing cards. Alfred in the corner drinking his tea seemed to be the only one not trying to ignore what was happening. He looked different. Not his usual indifferent or neutral expression as a butler does.
“Are those— you can drive?”
Jason blurted out suddenly when he saw the keys in my hand. I instinctively moved to hide the keys, but Bruce beat me to it. Grabbing my wrist tight and taking the keys from me. I don't think he realized it was harming me a bit.
“Where did you get this? Did you steal it?”
Bruce questioned me. His hand is still gripping my wrist and only releasing it to walk to the table and setting the keys down.
“I bought it, myself. And I got my full license a few months ago.”
Alfred then commented in the awkward elongating silence.
“Master Ara. You haven't had your own allowance since you were 12. Did you acquire a job of sorts?”
“I did. Lab assistant in the university and as an EMT when I can.”
The silence managed to become even worse. So much of what I said was just dropped on them. I'm already in university meanwhile Damian just graduated high school today. I have a medic certificate and an EMT certificate. I'm also a lab assistant at the Uni. I've also been having a job since I was 13 so I could pay for events, snacks, and other school related activities because I didn’t have a damn allowance. I also have my full driver's licence, my full insurance and most likely did driving lessons too.. I'm basically already doing adulthood when I only turned 18 just 2 months ago, same as Damian.
“Alfred, can you tell Harley and Ivy to take over patrol tomorrow? We have stuff to deal with, clearly.”
“No problem, Master Wayne.”
Alfred nodded and disappeared through the doorway, heading to the batcave. His steps echoing through the hall till it trailed into silence.
“You have a driver's license. You bought your own car. You have an EMT certification and a medic certification. You're a lab assistant in G.U. and you graduated early from high school and you have already been in university for about a year. Anything else missing, Ara?”
I shook my head, my gaze avoiding Bruce and Selina. Especially since Selina hasn't said a single word, I practically feel the Joker acid manifesting itself with her disappointment. Even my siblings, blood and not, were just staring.
“B, why don't you give her some slack? She actually did good things even if it was behind your back. You don't even give me that Batman attitude when I crashed the Batmobile that one time.”
Jason had spoken up, a casual but honest defense to my side. Which everyone but Damian shrugged with agreement.
“I mean, it sounds like something I did before I dipped to start Titans.”
Dick commented. A Batman fueled glare was sent their way. All of them. But it reluctantly softened as he took in their points. It was a quiet moment of just Selina and Bruce looking at each other before Bruce dragged Selina to another room probably to debate on it.
Damian, the “loving” brother he is.
“You fucked up. Geez. Even mom's quiet.”
“I get it, asshole.”
“Whoa! I was just making sure you got that.”
“Well I did. Now fuck off.”
Damian rolled his eyes but didn’t shut his mouth. The other siblings just watched his verbal fight between the two blood twins.
“You're just mad our parents don't love you.”
“...”
Damian realized his error when I didn’t answer. But the room understood his error before he processed it.
“So they're just your parents then.”
It was cold, I hated that Damian just suddenly escalated to painful hits so quickly. I knew I should have waited for Bruce and Selina to return with a verdict for my extreme independence. But I couldn't. I stormed off before Damian could get another word in. But then again, he's too stubborn to apologize. But so am I. I heard Dick and Steph's voices call out for me but it faded quickly within my pace. Finally falling into the door of my quarters, slipping down to the floor. I expected tears, salty tears to start falling. But nothing. I just ended up staring across my bedroom to the bare bluish gray wall. The only wall in my room that didn't hold trophies or posters. Just emptiness. I took a shower, and ended up sleeping. And of course, I woke up to Alfred's rhythmic knocks to signal morning, but also a family meeting.
“Get dressed, Master Ara. Your parents wish to speak to you, along with the family. I wish you the best of luck.”
Alfred then walked away. I could hear his fancy shoes click with every step. I checked my phone for any messages, none from the family luckily. But the one filled my screen. That romantic dork.
“Lovely morning dearest! I forgot to text you good night because I was so locked in on some dark matter stuff”
“Im truly sorry, please forgive me I'll buy you coffee ❤️❤️❤️”
He's such a goofball. Truly. I sometimes wonder if he was a time traveler from the Romeo and Juilet era.
“I don't need a coffee you dork”
“I forgive you anyway”
“Well… Can you visit my place then?”
“I think my cat misses you”
“She genuinely won't leave the door area”
“Maybe but I've got some family stuff 😶”
“I exposed all my independence lore to them and I think I'm getting scolded”
“If he lays a finger on you I'll knock his teeth out”
“Babe.”
“I love you but don't”
“I would at least try!”
“Give me the benefit of the doubt I'm still a young man versus a 50 something year old”
If only he knew my dad is Batman. If only. I ended the messages with an ily ttyl. But spelled out of course. I got to the living room about 45 minutes later. Bruce and Selina were standing, the only person missing from the living room was Duke and Barbara. Probably fell back asleep. Selina elbowed Bruce quite harshly. Sure he could handle full arm swings but that still looked like it hurt. Bruce let out a huff of air, rubbing his rib before speaking up.
“I want to start with an apology.”
An apology? From Bruce Wayne? The most stubborn man I've ever met since my implant to the uterine lining? Everyone sitting on the couches nearly did a spit take, especially Dick and Jason.
“Your mother and I tried to give you a good life. But you know… The whole vigilante business is heavy on our shoulders. We—”
“Then why wasn't I trained like Damian?”
“You know why.”
“No. I don’t. I want to hear it. Why am I the only person in the family besides Alfred who isn't a vigilante? Barbara and Jason still contribute! What's the difference between me and the others?”
I was getting snappy and I knew it. But gosh it felt good to get it out. I always wondered. Yet Bruce's answers always changed with certain degrees of vagueness. Selina turned her eyes away, ashamed almost. Even Bruce's gaze turned to the rug. It was a miracle the kids of the family were silent. Bruce finally met my gaze again.
“We neglected you. I get it. We get it. The reason we never trained you was because we already picked the heir.”
So… Blunt. I could see that regret hit Bruce right as he spat the word heir out. I even could feel Damian tensing next to me where he sat. As if he felt guilty.
“Heir? That's what this was about? So what about everyone else? Dick, Jay, Todd, Steph, Barb, Cass and Duke? Were they all trained in case you never had blood kids?”
Like a shipwrecking wave, everyone else tensed just as Damian did. Dick tried to stand up to play mediator but Jason pulled him right back down. Bruce has his morals, he could never swing at a kid. Especially his own. Right? Bruce nearly lunged at me by the looks of it. But stopping half a foot in front of me. Face to face.
“We chose Damian as the heir because he was showing more Wayne traits.”
Damian looked so conflicted. His chest rising and falling, matching the pace of a horse. And it was so immediate, he ran up from his seat and shoved Bruce and I apart with quite a bit of force. I wasn't expecting it at all so I fell on my ass like a loser, meanwhile Bruce only stepped back about a foot. Cass helped me up, she was sitting the closest to where I fell anyway. I mumbled a “I'm fine” as I stood up, feeling the ache in my hip.
“You have to understand, kid. We had to make the decision. You get it, right?”
Bruce replied, he sounded like he was using his party Bruce Wayne tone. I scoffed.
“Sure. Generational sexism. Got it.” “For the record, with how genetics work, the daughter gets most of the father's genetics, not the son. The son gets most of his genetics from their mother.”
I walked off. Not looking back. I grabbed my satchel and dressed to leave. I needed fresh air. Something. Anything. As I stepped through the front doors, ignoring Bruce's yells trying to stop me. I started to ponder. How different are Damian and I? He has a double life. Robin along with future Batman, and the heir of Wayne Enterprises. So much on his shoulders. And yet I'm here with open arms, not allowed to be given any of that load. I barely ever got to stay at the manor like he does. Bordering school after bordering school. Sent away, every time. I don't think he'd care if I got ruler-smacked on the ass at those schools. At the rate my life was going, I should have moved out a year ago. So different. Two twins on completely different paths. Funny enough, if Bruce offered me Wayne Enterprises, I might have said yes. My hand is practically already out for that quite firm shake. But he doesn't hand it over. Never.