Chapter Text
Talia Al Ghul had always been a cautious woman.
Distantly he can remember a memory of his mother sitting by his bedside. She was observing him after a long day of work that she never explained the details of. For the first few years of his life all he knew was that they lived in the league of assassins. Mother would often go on missions leaving a few trusted servants to look after him.
Mother always had some hesitance in exposing him to all of the League's missions. It had irritated Damian to no end considering he was supposed to take over the League one day. What kind of leader would he be if he knew nothing of how things operated? He would surely have people trying to overthrow him everyday.
He had of course tried to explain it to mother but all she had done was remain silent. She was considering before she ran her hands through his hair, a soft look on her face that she only looked at him with. He had certainly never seen mother look at grandfather, or rather her father like that before. With grandfather she always had a much more reserved expression that sometimes turned icy.
“You will learn soon enough.” Mother reassured, her hands continuing to run through his hair. Damian resisted the urge to brush her hands away. “There is no need to rush my heart.”
Something flashed in her eyes and her expression hardened. She removed her hands a tad bit too quickly before she stood up. Her face was hidden as she spoke, “You have much to do tomorrow, get some rest.”
“Yes mother.” Damian had responded as he continued to stare at her.
As she had opened the old cedar door, decorated with an abundance of carvings there was a flash of movement.
As Damian blinked suddenly mother was in front of him. One hand holding a sword to a disguised man’s neck and her other hand gripping a knife that was aimed at Damian’s chest. It was mere inches away, if mother had not intervened then he would have been dead. He quickly pushed himself further up the bed. Assassinations were not uncommon, however, not many had gotten this close to achieving their goal.
Damian knew of the pits, glowing green water that were hidden within the League. There was no reason to fear death but there was always the childish fear of pain that Damian couldn’t ever fully squash.
It was as if time had stopped for a mere second. Mother seemed to be evaluating the man with narrowed eyes. The mysterious man opened his mouth but by then mother had already come to a decision. She quickly ran her sword across the man’s neck.
She didn’t warn Damian though she had no reason to. Damian inhaled loudly as he watched the man tilt until he fell to the ground with a loud thump.
Mother glanced at her other hand. Blood was slowly trickling from her palm, the knife of the assassin being the culprit.
“Mother?” Damian whispered, voice uneven.
She let out a little breath as she eyed the room. “You will have to sleep in another room tonight. You will not sleep beside this filth.”
He nodded in agreement and quickly padded his way to his mother’s side. There is a conflicted look on her face as she clutches her sword with her uninjured hand. Damian could never truly understand what his mother thought of. What did she see when she looked at him with that expression?
Her hand twitched before stilling. Damian gazed at her hand, “I’m sorry mother for being…” For being weak, incompetent, useless, “unprepared.”
She does not acknowledge his apology for a moment and instead she carefully grabs his hand. He tried not to squirm at the feeling of her blood sliding onto his palm. “You will learn to be prepared Damian.”
Her tone leans towards something regretful yet once again Damian can not understand why.
Mother leads them to the door sword and Damian both in hand. She clutches both, refusing to let go as she walks silently. They both ignore the servants quickly walking past, fear in their voices as they head towards his room. Occasionally, Damian would glance back to see the crowd around his room grow larger and larger.
Mother remains steady in her path.
-
As mother had promised he had learned much in the following months.
He had learned how to wield a sword with exact precision. This meant knowing where and when to strike. Mother had told him a sword had to be used properly and its uses could not be so simple. It’s why Damian suspects she had taken over his training in that aspect.
‘To use a sword only to kill is simple minded’ Mother had scolded him after watching him show off what he learned. Damian’s stomach had dropped at his mother’s disapproval. He was unsure when she had later shown him ways to injure with a sword both lethal and unlethal. It only served to confuse him at first when he had been previously taught to only kill.
But despite his uncertainty he listened closely to his mother’s lessons. Her words held more value than his instructor who would swing his sword too harsh for comfort.
He had continued other lessons as well. Close combat was a priority in comparison to everything else he learned. Many of the situations he would face in the future would require the utmost of skill or else it could result in death. He learned how to fight all different kinds of people. Such as people young as him, older people, and those who were much bigger than him.
Damian had also learned of more subtle things over the months.
Grandfather had talked to him sparingly, however when he did he would discuss important league conversations. Like who were strong allies and those who would be quick to turn their back in the near future.
Mother had of course attended most of their discussion with watchful eyes. Occasionally she would offer up something to their conversations. Like how to make someone loyal and how valuable connections were.
Damian had been under the impression that his status would automatically cement his place. No, he would have to communicate with others even if he found them unpleasant. It was overwhelming knowing that he would have to manage all of that when he became older.
He of course knew it would be something he could handle with ease as he was the son of Talia Al Ghul. However, there were still tiny doubts within his mind that he didn’t speak aloud as he knew it would sound like weakness.
Similar to the more discrete lessons there were other lessons that had him displeased. Damian hated the lessons that required him to show weakness, be vulnerable. Thankfully, those lessons were kept between mother and him. Mother herself admitted it would be unwise if others were allowed to see and know.
So, Damian had drank cups of tea filled with dozens of poisons. Mother would sit across from him drinking her own cup elegantly. She had never shamed him when he would start coughing and struggling to breathe. Instead she would wait silently before handing him an antidote until he was at the brink. Damian had thought giving him an antidote was defeating the purpose but deep inside he was grateful he didn’t have to die every time they had tea. Occasionally she would surprise him with pastries that would have poison in it only sometimes. She claimed it was to keep him on edge though Damian remained unsure.
“This is a new set.” Mother commented as she gazed at the tea set they were using. The golden brass was adorned with small gems. It had shone under the light in the room. “A gift from a couple after we killed poachers.”
Damian nodded as he took the teapot and poured it gently into both mother and his cups. He distantly wondered what poison she decided on today. Mother did not hesitate as she took a small sip.
He followed and took his own sip. He tasted nothing aside from the taste of mint, meaning mother had chosen a tasteless poison. This small detail narrowed down what the poison could have been to a mere few. While mulling it over, mother was gazing at him with blank eyes. Though he could have sworn he saw her lips twitch upwards.
“Do you know why I killed them?” Mother questioned as she set her teacup down gently.
He furrowed his brows as he considered.
Mother continued, “I was originally planning on sparing them.”
She had wanted to teach him a lesson. One he did not understand although that was often the point of mother bringing it up.
“They took from the land, killed animals that weren't meant to go yet.” Damian reasoned, glancing at mother to see her reaction. “That is reason enough to take their lives.”
“Sometimes people have no other choice.” Green eyes stared right at him. “Killing people with no choice in the matter solves nothing. You must find the root and pull it.”
Damian couldn’t help the curiosity within him. “Why did you kill them then mother? If they were not the ‘root’?”
“They were not going to change.” Mother answered with cold eyes. “I could see it in their eyes. If not poaching they would take from the ground. Plunder all its materials and leave locals with nothing.”
“Death was the only answer.” Damian nodded in agreement. He would not hesitate to make the same choice as mother had.
“Sometimes you need to trim the roots.” His mother simply states. “Besides they gave very important information about who was funding their little escapades.”
Damian leaned forward slightly. He was eager to know more about the outside world. His life was limited to the league and he couldn’t help but imagine what it was like.
“A rotten lady from Gotham wanted a new trophy for her collection.”
Damian raised a brow, “Gotham?”
Mother’s nose scrunched up in distaste. It was a show of emotion that she did not typically allow. “A horrible city of all kinds of evil. The world would be better if that cursed place was destroyed.”
Her hatred sounded something close to personal, Damian noted.
Mother took another sip of the tea before she spoke again. “Perhaps you will see for yourself one day.”
Damian blinked as he ignored the strange feeling in his throat, surely the poison at work. He was not like mother; he would not take another sip of the tea she had prepared.
An amused look crossed her face before it settled into something more neutral. “You will be going on missions of your own soon. You will need to put that knowledge of yours to use.”
Mother stood up and gazed down at him. “Maybe then our conversations can be longer as I’m sure you will learn many interesting things.”
Damian couldn’t help the small smile on his face, he should not so easily show excitement but he couldn’t help it. “Thank you mother.”
She tilted her head in acknowledgment before making her way out of his room.
-
Over the course of a few years Damian had gone on many missions.
He was now thirteen, turning fourteen in just a few months when he decided he was not fond of the world outside of the league. He saw people’s unrelenting greed wherever he went. Yet Damian found himself sparing more people than killing them. It felt like a betrayal to the league despite what his mother taught him. The only places he found respite were in between missions where he explored. He ventured to the beaches in Italy at the dead of night when he should have stayed in the shadows. He had even explored past his mission site in Chile to gaze upon the mountains.
Those quiet moments were the most important to Damian but it was something he could not say to mother and grandfather. It was something he struggled to come to terms with on his own. He should enjoy the thrill of missions and building a reputation for himself in the league.
Nothing could compare to his home and the beauty of it.
Damian let out a breath as a strand of his hair fell in front of his eyes. His hands were occupied by holding a small bird, curious enough to land on him. Damian had been curious as well and let the creature stay. Someone had been feeding the birds in the garden for them to be this comfortable he mused to himself. It was hard to imagine mother or grandfather doing that but the garden was restricted to the direct family line.
“There is something important we must discuss, Damian.”
He glanced to the direction of the voice, only to see his mother. While she maintained her usual, guarded expression there was something that stuck out. She was ruffled, something had her on edge.
Damian tensed as he carefully set the bird on the ground. “Is something wrong mother?”
She pursed her lips, “Your grandfather has a mission for you.”
He raises a brow but doesn’t say anything. Grandfather often has missions for him but he wouldn’t dare say that aloud to mother at the risk of sounding disrespectful. Instead he waited for her to continue.
“But before you go there are things you must know.” She said carefully before eyeing the garden with suspicion.
“I had planned for you to stay with the league and inherit everything.” Mother explained, a pained expression on her face. “And you still will but it will take longer than I expect for that to come to fruition.”
The admission had not been one Damian was expecting. Over the years he had lost hope of taking over the league. Grandfather was stubborn and wasn’t planning on giving away his power anytime soon. Even if grandfather were to let someone else take over it would be mother. But it sounded as if mother had a plan for him, one that he didn’t know of.
“You will be going to Gotham for the indefinite future.” Mother practically spat out.
“That rotten city you have mentioned before?” Damian inquired despite already knowing the answer. It wasn’t uncommon especially over the past few months that mother would spit vitriol about the city. She seemed to hate everything about it from the weather to the figures hidden in the dark that came out at night and controlled the city.
Mother seems to know that and doesn’t answer his question. “Your father is there.”
His eyes widened, “What?”
Damian’s father had never been a topic of conversation. He hardly even recalls ever thinking about a father figure. It was not something he had needed when his mother had provided him everything. There may have been a few stray thoughts about where certain features of his came from. His green eyes and large head of hair that often needed to be cut were clearly from mother. But occasionally he would look at his face and see someone else, facial features that he surely hadn’t gotten from mother.
His father was real and in reach, always has been. He wasn’t a random man that he could never meet and track down.
“Your father is Bruce Wayne.” Mother tensly explains. Clearly, she did not want to have this conversation. “Batman.”
Damian can’t help the snort that escapes him. It was disrespectful to his father but Damian found he did not care especially since his father had taken up the title of ‘Batman’. “What is Batman?”
Mother’s eyes narrowed, “When I first met him he told me he was a hero.”
Hero was a strange word. Damian could hardly believe there were people out there who claimed to be a hero.
“But he is not a good man Damian.” Her eyes were clouded when she spoke. Reminiscing on the past that she had with him. “I have loved him for a long time and while I couldn’t understand his reasons in the beginning, I admired it. But he changed, abandoned it all.”
It was a bit frightening to see the amount of love mother had for…Batman. It left him speechless despite the fact that he knew he needed to speak up. Ask for questions and gain more information before his mission.
“I did not want you to see this cruel shell of himself.” Mother hisses although it was weak as she quickly looked away from Damian. The unspoken fact that she might have shown him his father if he was a better man, the man he was before.
Damian cleared his throat and repeated his question. “What is Batman?”
“He’s a man of the night. He kills villains and those who go against his ‘ideals.’” Mother looked particularly disgusted at that.
Damian finds it hard to distinguish the truth. A sneaking feeling within him suspecting that perhaps mother’s personal feelings clouded the truth about his father. “Is that not what we do mother?”
She is quick to respond, her words laced with pain. “It is not the same Damian. I do not want to explain to you but there is something wrong with your father.”
He doubts he can change her mind or prod enough to learn more of the truth. So instead he changes the topic. “What am I supposed to do in Gotham?”
Mother is silent as she gathers herself, hiding away all the emotions she had shown so easily. “Your grandfather wants you to go to Gotham and stand by your father’s side. Gain information about the superhero scene. He assumes it will be a long process gaining Bruce’s trust.”
It was a type of mission Damian was not used to. Of course he had gone undercover on multiple occasions but with his mother’s warnings and the knowledge Bruce Wayne was his father it made him unsure.
“That’s it?” He asks hesitantly.
“You will have to deal with many of Bruce’s…children that may see it fit to confront you themselves.” Mother answered evenly as she glanced at the fountain beside them, her hand dipping into the cool water.
Damian’s mouth did not gap although it was a close thing. “I have siblings?”
A father and siblings were something that Damian didn’t know was possible for him until today.
Damian watched as his mother’s face twitched before she responded, a warning in her words. “You should be wary around them as well. I am sure they are not fond of your grandfather and I.”
He nodded as he considered what his plan of approach should be for the mission. If mother’s warnings were all true then he had to be extremely careful of how he acted around father and everyone else in Gotham or else it could have severe consequences.
“Damian, remember that you must not be cruel. It will be easier there with your father, but you are an Al Ghul. Only do what is necessary.”
“Thank you mother, I will not fail.” Damian reassured, certain he could accomplish this mission and return home to the league. He does not plan on staying long in Gotham. While he may have some curiosity about the life his father lives, ultimately the league is where he belongs. And according to mother, where he will eventually rule.
“You are my whole heart Damian, be safe.”
-
Damian is dropped off right at the edge of Gotham.
A green, rusted sign welcomes him to the city. He gazes past and through the relentless rain he can see the skyscrapers in the distance.
He frowns not exactly knowing where to start with his mission. Mother had given all the information she was willing to give and grandfather provided him nothing. He is going into Gotham city knowing essentially nothing.
So instead of walking forwards he turns around and heads to the gas station not too far away. While he did not have information, thankfully, Damian did have connections. Once inside the gas station he opened his phone sending a quick text message to a number he had memorized over the years.
Damian glanced up and noticed a woman was staring at him skeptically. She wasn’t exactly trying to be subtle as she eyed him up and down. He was aware he was soaking wet, looking less than ideal but that didn’t stop Damian from flushing in embarrassment.
He quickly made his way to the bathroom for an illusion of privacy. Looking at himself in the mirror made his frown deepen. He looked truly pathetic with his dark hair sticking to his face. He could already see why mother had complained about the weather.
His phone vibrated and there is only one thing that could mean.
Damian left the bathroom and the gas station altogether. He ignored the pointed looks the lady gave him on the way out.
In the parking lot a motorcycle with a key conveniently left within it stood out. It certainly hadn’t been there before Damian had entered the gas station. He hadn’t expected for one of his league connections to get him what he needed so quickly.
Damian grinned before heading towards the motorcycle. He had only driven a motorcycle once before but that would not be an issue. He settled himself on the wet leather and briefly familiarized himself with the controls before leaving the gas station parking lot.
He turned right and the opposite way of Gotham. Damian made a promise to his mother and he was going to see it through. So, instead of running into that cursed city blindly, he would rather take a visit to another city first.