Neither Batman nor Batman Beyond are owned by my person.
This is my first story in this fandom, brought on by only a vague confidence. Here's hoping it turns out well. Constructive criticism is welcome, I need commentary to improve so, have at me I guess.
Ploy
"He's a scared young boy, Master Bruce."
"I think the problem is he's not afraid of anything, Alfred."
"That's where you're wrong, sir. Damian watched his father get beaten up before his eyes tonight. I saw the fear on his face while I stitched you up. I think for the first time he realized just how Human you truly are- That you don't wear an 'S' or a Green Ring, or ride a Sea Horse 20,000 leagues under the sea.
You're fallible and no longer immortal- Like a small part inside of that young boy that Talia didn't destroy still believes himself to be. As you unfortunately know better than most, Bruce, each of us has a day when we realize for the first time that nothing lasts forever."
Damian sighed at the beast that trailed him. "If you're going to keep following me around, we should probably move past 'dog' at this point, hmm?" A big black nose touched his hand and a soft 'rraf' sound accompanied it. "Read any Shakespeare lately?" Another answering huff. "No, didn't think so." He kneeled a bit to hold the dog's head. "I guess you're going to see a lot of suturing and blood in that cave over the years… You look like a Titus to me."
"Rraf" The Great Dane groaned lightly.
Damian smirked a bit. "Then Titus it is." All too suddenly, the dog's ears twitched to the property walls and he growled low. Damian lay a hand on his collar.
"I'll teach you everything I know." Six red eyes on a mask stared down at the two from the tree line. "I won't hold back and I expect the same from you."
The ten year old didn't so much as blink. "I know who you are."
"Then you know I can keep my promise, just like the one I made to you about not saying anything to your wonderful father about that braindead creep in the alley. We both understand how he feels about going the extra mile in crime prevention. You have a lot to think about, Damian… Like whether you can live a life of lies."
Bruce glanced sideways at Alfred from where he stood by the fireplace. "I've let my own son slip away…"
The butler watched as Damian's drawings burned. "Poor boy, to have kept this level of rage in check for so long."
"We're getting him back, Alfred. I won't let him down again."
"Not knowing where you are but knowing who you're with is painful and frustrating… I'm recording this while I scour the city for you, hoping that some rock I turn over gives me a lead, points me in the right direction. I thought I might be able to say these things face-to-face, Damian, but the moment seems to keep escaping me—escaping us. I'm your father, you're my son. My job is to love you and protect you. It's simple, but somehow it keeps getting harder…"
The gun clicked, but no shot fired. As he expected. Damian twisted and threw the empty weapon at Nobody. "I'm not here to play games, Ducard!"
He caught the gun with an audible crack against his glove. "Neither am I."
"Then stop trying to manipulate me!"
"I had to see how committed you are. My doubts needed to be put to rest."
Robin snarled. "And were they?!"
"Yes—So now we get this piece of garbage to my safe-house where we can find out more about his trafficking network." Ducard pulled the ambassador into a strangle hold.
"What are you doing?"
"Remember that move I incapacitated you with in the alleyway?"
Damian's eyes narrowed. "How could I forget?"
"Index and middle finger, the small space between the nose and the forehead. The bones of the cranium actually don't fuse together completely by age two. They're pliable your whole life."
"But I might kill him and any information we have a chance of—"
"You can do it. I trust you." Damian struck with careful precision and the ambassador went slack. "Perfect execution. He's still breathing. For the moment."
"Feels like I've been holding my breath for hours, Damian."
Batman swung within sight of the recently deserted building. "Upload our mainframe tap to my cowl and give me a picture of the embassy cameras."
"There are no signals." Alfred reported. "All the cameras inside are malfunctioning."
"I'm going in."
"There's only one ten year old in Gotham who'd be in the vicinity at two in the morning, and it has to be you. You're trail's getting warmer, son…"
"You're dunking him in acid!" Things escalated pretty quickly. Damian clicked on the tracker in his emblem and made to slip around Ducard to save the ambassador.
Nobody knocked him back. "I don't believe in fanfare or a signature style of crime fighting. I make the guilty disappear. That's my calling card." He activated his Sonics, and Damian felt his ears pop and then blood drip down the sides of his head. "It's like they never existed at all. Just as you're about to discovAurg!"
Damian's grapple cut through Ducard's side.
Batman raced down the bridge. "I've got a position lock on Damian, Alfred! The signal's moving—Gotham Harbor!"
"So this was an elaborate scheme between the both of you to—"
"No, he didn't know anything about what I was trying to do— our problems are real— I used them to help me sell you on bringing me closer… and you bought it."
Nobody pulled him up by the collar of his hood. "I was setting you free! Why would you throw away all I had to offer?!"
"Why?" Damian glared up at him. "-TT- Because he's my father you idiot."
The audio on the tracker sprang to life within the batmobile. "Hello Bruce…" Ducard taunted. "Your problem child was actually more of a good, little soldier than you thought. Seems he pulled the wool over your eyes and mine. I'd like to take full advantage of this G.P.S.'s capability to transmit sound, so listen closely…" He paused. "Because the next noises you hear will be your son breaking."
A new voice shattered the temporary silence. "Agghhh!"
Bruce snapped. "Damian!"
A sick cracking sound rang out, followed by more screams. "And that was the sound of your son's fingers fracturing." Nobody pressed his glove up near Damian's ears. "Did you know a ten year old's inner ear is more susceptible to high frequencies than an adult's? Seems my Sonics are taking the fight right out of him, Bruce."
The batmobile slammed through the bridge barrier and into the bay. The sound crackled through again, Ducard's voice wavering between rage and glee. "I'm going to leave him broken and bloody, just like you left me that day in England, Bruce. You'll see that everything you taught him just didn't measure up. In the end, he'll be a disappointment."
The car jettisoned upwards through the surf. The onboard computer updating as it went. "Collision imminent. Brace for impact in four seconds… three seconds…"
Metal burst inward and Bruce ejected from his seat. He turned to the sounds of his son's cries.
They echoed from a transmission box on the floor. The Robin emblem sat next to it, carrying on the message.
"It's been fun, Bruce. You won't find me so easily, but by all means keep trying, he might even still be alive when you do."
Bruce snatched up the transmitter. "Ducard, I swear to God I will make you pay for this!"
"Hmmm, I'd like to see you try. Say goodbye to your father, Damian." There was a brief scraping of the speaker being moved and then a heavy gurgling sound, air sticking with each breath.
Between the choking gasps, he could barely make out his son's voice. "F-Fath-"
A sharp crunch resounded and the transmission box went dead.
"Damian!"
"If I'm going to be honest with you, Damian, I'll need to be honest with myself. It's not just the upbringing that your mother forced on you that made you who you are… I'm also to blame."
