WHO: sami rowd, dami brat & pals WHEN: jan - feb WHERE: places WHAT: a catch-all NOTES\WARNINGS: discussions of death, dismemberment, arson, child endangerment, and someone in here will probably start a fight at some point.
( Another Bruce Wayne. It's a possibility he knows exists, Damian proof enough of that and while he can't exactly say he's dealt with anything of the sort in terms of having experience with such a thing, especially where he's from, being here has made it rather clear just how many possibilities there are out there. But another Bruce Wayne... a much older version from the sounds of it... he doesn't quite know how to feel about that... hasn't exactly been something he's wanted to personally explore or deal with himself. The fact that he didn't seem to know who Damian was implies it's not a much older version of the father he has with him back in his own Gotham and yet... hm.
His grip on Damian loosens some, likely due to his mind going into a state of shock. Or maybe it's denial. Maybe it's a number of things simultaneously, but. He doesn't let go of him β stares past him for a moment, takes the knowledge given to him and files it away before he's looking back down to him. )
You said he claims to be another Batman. Unless he happens to be an alternate version of you, that title's not his.
( bruce's grip loosens, but damian has already decided go limp is the best method out of. . . this. he notes the moment he could easily yank his arm free, but opts not to.
this is safer territory. something he can focus on without working himself up again. )
Ha. There are other, capable Batman who have taken up the mantle in times of need. ( grayson specifically. when drake wore the cowl, it was a bad time for everyone. ) He did not react to the name Wayne. I doubt he is. . . that closely related to us. He's familiar with the new Superman; they reside in the same building currently.
Borrowing it doesn't make it theirs. You said it yourself, it's your birthright.
( That he would one day take up the mantle for himself... when his father is no longer able to, depending on the reason.
Gently, gloved fingers still holding to Damian, he drops himself down on bended knee β slides his hand just under his son's arm where his other hand does the same to Damian's other arm and he holds to him like that. Makes sure he's not about to let himself fall due to his going limp, and looks up to him with those blue eyes through the thick paint smeared across his eyes. )
I'm sorry I haven't been there. Not in the way I should have been.
( the fall doesn't scare him. damian will catch himself, he always does. he could drop from a helicopter without any gear and he'd still find a way to land on his feet. years of training ensured that a fall would never be the death of him. bruce moves to support him, and damian wrinkles his nose, but does opt to shift his weight so he's holding himself upright and isn't in danger of dropping. there's no longer a need to try and escape from his father. )
Connor was my friend, and I was unnecessarily cruel to him.
( it's not a direct response, but it doesn't need to be. bruce will understand. )
I'm. . . tired of losing people. Of being forgotten or simply unknown.
( In his grief that's stretched as long as it has with losing Clark here, he's neglected to really be there for Damian, regardless of how often the young Robin has touted he's more than capable of taking care of himself. It's not the same. It's different. He knows it himself. It's why he can only remain silent as he stares down there, still on bended knee in front of him, still holding to his arms in a way that's both gentle and supportive.
The idea of another version of himself here β albeit a much older one β doesn't entirely sit well with him and he's liable to spiral about that on his own a few times, but. This isn't about him and this isn't the time to let those thoughts and insecurities consume him to the point of being unable to see Damian right there in front of him. He needs to be here for him. Needs to start being here for him. Again. Or better.
Lifting his gaze up, he stares to the young Robin, voice soft when he speaks. )
( he hates this part, too. wishes this had gone significantly closer to how he originally planned for it to, instead of it turning into this. because now damian's exhausted, and he wants out. unfortunately, damian also realizes that bruce hadn't known about the other him, or kirk, and now they're - here. damian sucks in a breath through his nose then rises onto his knees so he can slide his arms up and around bruce's shoulders. leans into him. )
You had better not disappear on me. Or forget me. Ever.
( in case bruce was planning on it, which damian doubts - but he wants it out there that it's not allowed. )
( When the arms come around his shoulders, his own snakes behind Damian's back β holding to him. He's quiet, arm tight around the boy, and he remains like that for a good long moment before he's letting his gaze drop and, eventually, fall shut entirely. )
I could never forget you. No matter what this place does... I could never.
( damian considers telling bruce that he can't promise that. none of them can. his father had prepared for everything, but he'd still returned with no memories of what made him batman, which also meant forgetting damian and the others.
his grip around bruce's shoulders is loose; more resting against him than anything else, but damian stays that way and doesn't move away. he stays quiet, for a good few moments.
( He likes to believe, regardless of how naive it is, that his heart, at the very least, wouldn't forget. How could it now after all the timeβ the almost year they've spent together here?
Gloved hand splayed against his son's back, he keeps holding to him β lets Damian rest against him for as long as he needs. Maybe he needs this, too. It's been... awhile, after all. Going back to his default hermit tendencies where even Alfred has a difficult time getting through to him. Some habits die hard. Some patterns are difficult to break. Sometimes you just need someone there to wake you up from the slumber you don't even realize you've fallen into with eyes open. )
( just a suggestion. damian starts to pull back, but only enough so he can get his arms in under the cape rather than on top of it. he presses against bruce again after, lowering his head so his cheek is pressing against said chest plate, and - drags the cape in around them both.
this younger, newer version of his father has embraced him countless times. damian assumes - perhaps he needs this. he had been sulking, for good reason. losing a friend is never easy; damian has lost several, so it's a feeling he understands well.
even if that attachment is something his mother had often discouraged. )
( He hasn't yet dealt with the significant losses that are likely a possibility for him to be forced to live through. Hasn't built a family for himself in any shape or form. Hasn't yet even fallen in love with a particular cat or Damian's mother where his heart will no doubt be broken over and over again through the years, most of the time because of his own doings. Clark had been someone like him in the sense of being new to the name and having expectations of a legacy not yet formed thrust upon his shoulders in a way anyone isn't entirely sure how to handle even on a good day. They'd had that in common β had slowly been looking to trust one another and then... he'd disappeared and Bruce had to, once again, deal with a loss of someone he [could have] cared for being ripped out of his life and against his will.
It's never easy for him. Even if it's been awhile. He never handles any sort of loss well.
If he were to lose Damian here... if he were to leave this place and go back to his own Gotham and his own father... it would be best, he knows. Where he should be and where he needs to go after all this... but that doesn't mean he'll handle it well. Doesn't mean he won't grieve or become angry or spiral into some self-destructive pattern where he doesn't care what happens to him so long as he can numb the pain even just a little. He knows he won't take it well, so he holds to him there as he curls up beneath his cape β as he presses his cheek against the chest plate and just stays there with him. Holding him. Shielding him from the city skyline around them as he stays there with him, gaze down. )
( he could bring up how impractical the greasepaint is again, but - there's only so many times damian can nag bruce over something before it becomes too much nagging. he knows it's impractical. or, practical for what he was working with before, but now he's got something nifty called lenses which actually protect his eyes among their numerous other technological advancements. damian doesn't need to point that out again, so he doesn't bother with the snide comment sitting at the tip of his tongue.
instead, he keeps his arms around bruce. sits there for a good several more moments in complete silence, before he bothers opening his mouth again, )
He lets Damian stay where he is β keeps his arm around him for as long as he needs. It's just the two of them up here and they aren't in any sort of danger of any means, so. Remaining like this is what he does and, again, it feels as if it's been awhile.
When Damian speaks, he lifts his gaze up ever so gently. )
( to say the least. damian feels like that bit is obvious, but he points it out regardless. he doesn't bother to meet bruce's eyes, but keeps his face pressed against his chest. )
You're only human. ( they both are, despite thinking of themselves otherwise. no amount of training, of honing their mental and physical capabilities, change the fact that they are mortal and weak to the same emotions any other human being would be. )
( Struggling isnβt the word heβd choose. Distracting himself with mindless tinkering and adjustments to things is more what heβd fallen into. A way to keep his mind busy and focused on something else as a means to cope. Heβs not about to claim itβs healthy, but it could also be a lot worse what with his penchant for not handling loss all that well to begin with.
He remains silent. Keeps Damian there against him and idly listens to the distant sounds that surround them. Both as a means to ensure their safety and privacy and also to simply let him mull over his sonβs words there while not growing too lost within them. )
Do you?
( He looks down to him again regardless of whether or not Damian looks up. )
Youβve had more than enough you know leave here.
When I was a child, ( he starts, easily. starts disentangling himself from bruce while he's at it - not because it's necessary, just because he feels like this isn't a topic one should get into while embracing. ) my mother gave me numerous tutors, to teach me everything she thought would be useful. When they had taught me everything they could, she would tie weights to their feet and drown them, leaving their bodies where they would still be visible.
( he's used to loss. )
Attachment to others is a weakness, and not one suited to the grandson of the Demon. I'm more accustomed to it than you are.
( Damian doesnβt often speak of his mother. Whether that be for his own benefit or for the benefit of his father, he doesnβt entirely know. What he does know is the few things heβs mentioned about her to him, he finds to be concerning, this included. But of course he would, given his stance on murder. He does his best to steel himself β to not show the concern there in his eyes or across his face, but. It has him wonder what Damianβs father could ever see in someone who could do such a thing and who he may be starting to think has possibly done worse. It justβ¦ doesnβt add up to him. )
Itβs not. ( A weakness, he means. ) It just makes you human.
Humanity is a weakness. It's just one I choose to indulge in.
( she's reminded him multiple times of that - that mourning others, feeling grief, will only weigh him down in the end. but damian doesn't care of it adds more onto his shoulders. there are things in this world that are worth hurting for.
eyes raise to focus on bruce's own, and damian - considers his words carefully, before he opens his mouth. )
Mother is. . . a product of her upbringing. She is intelligent, passionate, and fiercely loyal. But she hadn't needed to bring me to my father. I was meant to inherit the League, and while I had wanted to meet him I didn't want to be left with him. I want you to understand she went against everything she had been taught, even outright disobeying her father to allow me to become the man I am.
( Quiet, he listens β lets Damian explain to him the ways he sees his mother. The ways his father likely sees her. It still doesn't make sense to him but he isn't about to question his own love and relationship to his mother. Instead, he just looks to him. Words soft. )
You deserve better.
( A better life than what he's had thus far. Because he hates knowing his son could so intimately understand the weight and the ache of so much loss. He wears the cape and cowl as a means to seek vengeance on those who seek to harm others. Hoping that, maybe one day, he might come across the one[s] who murdered his parents and take it all out on them as he's wanted to for years now. Damian doesn't deserve to have this life. Regardless of having worn the cowl for only two years now, it's still too late for him to be anything other than The Batman. )
Better for me would have consisted of me simply not existing to begin with. And I know that, with your limited knowledge of my Gotham, you know that as well.
( talia al ghul could have still had her son, but given him up to prevent him from being raised within the league. either to a complete stranger, thus erasing the existence of damian al ghul in his entirety, or to bruce himself. and batman can't be batman with a young child, nor would his father have given up the mission for a child he had never intended to have. either damian would have been raised largely by alfred while his father consistently returned home injured, near-death, or disappeared for months on end, or he would have been raised by someone entirely outside of the wayne's household, intentionally removed from the bat's influence. damian al ghul, damian wayne, robin would have never existed. )
I have put in an almost insurmountable amount of effort to become who I am. The past cannot be changed, but my future is mine to decide. Father taught me that.
It is and I hope you choose to do what's best for you.
( Gently, he places a hand atop Damian's head β gloved fingers just barely squeezing through those dark strands of hair β before he drops it back down to Robin's shoulder there and he offers to him a squeeze of support. )
No matter what that may be, I'll always be here for you, Damian.
( it's said as if he is certain, but damian - isn't. he's lost his father before, lost his brothers, lost his mother, lost his father again - as he said, loss is something he's overly familiar with. but he raises a hand, presses gloved fingers over the top of bruce's own and squeezes tight for a moment.
( He may not be as old as his older self trekking along with his cane just yet, but the things he felt in his heart at the thought of something having happened to Damian when seeing that alarm⦠it had taken him a bit to regulate it, needless to say.
That being said though, )
Was there something you wanted out here? Or should we head back?
( no promises are made not to terrify bruce again, because chances are high damian will, even if it's unintentional the next time. instead, damian just raises a hand, and points out towards the justice tower that recently arrived. )
'Superman' and 'Batman' are staying there. I was able to confirm that this Superman is Kryptonian. He shares the same weaknesses as Kent.
( weaknesses that he and the rest of the robins previously refused to tell bruce. )
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His grip on Damian loosens some, likely due to his mind going into a state of shock. Or maybe it's denial. Maybe it's a number of things simultaneously, but. He doesn't let go of him β stares past him for a moment, takes the knowledge given to him and files it away before he's looking back down to him. )
You said he claims to be another Batman. Unless he happens to be an alternate version of you, that title's not his.
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this is safer territory. something he can focus on without working himself up again. )
Ha. There are other, capable Batman who have taken up the mantle in times of need. ( grayson specifically. when drake wore the cowl, it was a bad time for everyone. ) He did not react to the name Wayne. I doubt he is. . . that closely related to us. He's familiar with the new Superman; they reside in the same building currently.
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( That he would one day take up the mantle for himself... when his father is no longer able to, depending on the reason.
Gently, gloved fingers still holding to Damian, he drops himself down on bended knee β slides his hand just under his son's arm where his other hand does the same to Damian's other arm and he holds to him like that. Makes sure he's not about to let himself fall due to his going limp, and looks up to him with those blue eyes through the thick paint smeared across his eyes. )
I'm sorry I haven't been there. Not in the way I should have been.
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Connor was my friend, and I was unnecessarily cruel to him.
( it's not a direct response, but it doesn't need to be. bruce will understand. )
I'm. . . tired of losing people. Of being forgotten or simply unknown.
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The idea of another version of himself here β albeit a much older one β doesn't entirely sit well with him and he's liable to spiral about that on his own a few times, but. This isn't about him and this isn't the time to let those thoughts and insecurities consume him to the point of being unable to see Damian right there in front of him. He needs to be here for him. Needs to start being here for him. Again. Or better.
Lifting his gaze up, he stares to the young Robin, voice soft when he speaks. )
I know. I'm sorry, Damian.
( For all that he's had to deal with here. )
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You had better not disappear on me. Or forget me. Ever.
( in case bruce was planning on it, which damian doubts - but he wants it out there that it's not allowed. )
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I could never forget you. No matter what this place does... I could never.
( Or his heart could never. )
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his grip around bruce's shoulders is loose; more resting against him than anything else, but damian stays that way and doesn't move away. he stays quiet, for a good few moments.
then grumbles a soft, )
Your response time wasn't terrible.
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Gloved hand splayed against his son's back, he keeps holding to him β lets Damian rest against him for as long as he needs. Maybe he needs this, too. It's been... awhile, after all. Going back to his default hermit tendencies where even Alfred has a difficult time getting through to him. Some habits die hard. Some patterns are difficult to break. Sometimes you just need someone there to wake you up from the slumber you don't even realize you've fallen into with eyes open. )
Could have been better.
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( just a suggestion. damian starts to pull back, but only enough so he can get his arms in under the cape rather than on top of it. he presses against bruce again after, lowering his head so his cheek is pressing against said chest plate, and - drags the cape in around them both.
this younger, newer version of his father has embraced him countless times. damian assumes - perhaps he needs this. he had been sulking, for good reason. losing a friend is never easy; damian has lost several, so it's a feeling he understands well.
even if that attachment is something his mother had often discouraged. )
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It's never easy for him. Even if it's been awhile. He never handles any sort of loss well.
If he were to lose Damian here... if he were to leave this place and go back to his own Gotham and his own father... it would be best, he knows. Where he should be and where he needs to go after all this... but that doesn't mean he'll handle it well. Doesn't mean he won't grieve or become angry or spiral into some self-destructive pattern where he doesn't care what happens to him so long as he can numb the pain even just a little. He knows he won't take it well, so he holds to him there as he curls up beneath his cape β as he presses his cheek against the chest plate and just stays there with him. Holding him. Shielding him from the city skyline around them as he stays there with him, gaze down. )
And grease paint.
( It's an attempt at a joke. Mostly. )
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( he could bring up how impractical the greasepaint is again, but - there's only so many times damian can nag bruce over something before it becomes too much nagging. he knows it's impractical. or, practical for what he was working with before, but now he's got something nifty called lenses which actually protect his eyes among their numerous other technological advancements. damian doesn't need to point that out again, so he doesn't bother with the snide comment sitting at the tip of his tongue.
instead, he keeps his arms around bruce. sits there for a good several more moments in complete silence, before he bothers opening his mouth again, )
Are you going to be alright?
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He lets Damian stay where he is β keeps his arm around him for as long as he needs. It's just the two of them up here and they aren't in any sort of danger of any means, so. Remaining like this is what he does and, again, it feels as if it's been awhile.
When Damian speaks, he lifts his gaze up ever so gently. )
Why wouldn't I be?
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( to say the least. damian feels like that bit is obvious, but he points it out regardless. he doesn't bother to meet bruce's eyes, but keeps his face pressed against his chest. )
You're only human. ( they both are, despite thinking of themselves otherwise. no amount of training, of honing their mental and physical capabilities, change the fact that they are mortal and weak to the same emotions any other human being would be. )
Do you want to talk about it?
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He remains silent. Keeps Damian there against him and idly listens to the distant sounds that surround them. Both as a means to ensure their safety and privacy and also to simply let him mull over his sonβs words there while not growing too lost within them. )
Do you?
( He looks down to him again regardless of whether or not Damian looks up. )
Youβve had more than enough you know leave here.
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( he's used to loss. )
Attachment to others is a weakness, and not one suited to the grandson of the Demon. I'm more accustomed to it than you are.
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Itβs not. ( A weakness, he means. ) It just makes you human.
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( she's reminded him multiple times of that - that mourning others, feeling grief, will only weigh him down in the end. but damian doesn't care of it adds more onto his shoulders. there are things in this world that are worth hurting for.
eyes raise to focus on bruce's own, and damian - considers his words carefully, before he opens his mouth. )
Mother is. . . a product of her upbringing. She is intelligent, passionate, and fiercely loyal. But she hadn't needed to bring me to my father. I was meant to inherit the League, and while I had wanted to meet him I didn't want to be left with him. I want you to understand she went against everything she had been taught, even outright disobeying her father to allow me to become the man I am.
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You deserve better.
( A better life than what he's had thus far. Because he hates knowing his son could so intimately understand the weight and the ache of so much loss. He wears the cape and cowl as a means to seek vengeance on those who seek to harm others. Hoping that, maybe one day, he might come across the one[s] who murdered his parents and take it all out on them as he's wanted to for years now. Damian doesn't deserve to have this life. Regardless of having worn the cowl for only two years now, it's still too late for him to be anything other than The Batman. )
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( talia al ghul could have still had her son, but given him up to prevent him from being raised within the league. either to a complete stranger, thus erasing the existence of damian al ghul in his entirety, or to bruce himself. and batman can't be batman with a young child, nor would his father have given up the mission for a child he had never intended to have. either damian would have been raised largely by alfred while his father consistently returned home injured, near-death, or disappeared for months on end, or he would have been raised by someone entirely outside of the wayne's household, intentionally removed from the bat's influence. damian al ghul, damian wayne, robin would have never existed. )
I have put in an almost insurmountable amount of effort to become who I am. The past cannot be changed, but my future is mine to decide. Father taught me that.
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( Gently, he places a hand atop Damian's head β gloved fingers just barely squeezing through those dark strands of hair β before he drops it back down to Robin's shoulder there and he offers to him a squeeze of support. )
No matter what that may be, I'll always be here for you, Damian.
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( it's said as if he is certain, but damian - isn't. he's lost his father before, lost his brothers, lost his mother, lost his father again - as he said, loss is something he's overly familiar with. but he raises a hand, presses gloved fingers over the top of bruce's own and squeezes tight for a moment.
lets go after. )
I apologize for frightening you.
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( He may not be as old as his older self trekking along with his cane just yet, but the things he felt in his heart at the thought of something having happened to Damian when seeing that alarm⦠it had taken him a bit to regulate it, needless to say.
That being said though, )
Was there something you wanted out here? Or should we head back?
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'Superman' and 'Batman' are staying there. I was able to confirm that this Superman is Kryptonian. He shares the same weaknesses as Kent.
( weaknesses that he and the rest of the robins previously refused to tell bruce. )
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( Clark, to him, was Superman. )
And how did you manage to confirm that?
( He has a pretty good idea, but. Figures he'll ask anyways. )
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