Damian did not understand why his mother had left him here - his father was so much more, and so much less, than what he had imagined, but he could not understand. The other occupants of the manor - his so-called "brothers" - were loud (Grayson), and needy (Drake), and Damian did not, could not understand why his father sheltered them.

They were always so emotional, bursting with feelings, with weaknesses that would have done them much good if culled, and yet...

And yet his father talked to them, and spent more time with the ones not of his flesh and bone, with the usurpers of his father's affection -

In retrospect, what he had done to retrieve the Robin identity from Drake was predictable. Damian had sought his father's attention, and had done what he had been taught to do since birth - he had defeated the current object of his father's affection so that he, in turn, would be granted the privilege. It had come to him as almost a second nature, and Damian had completed it without remorse or a second thought.

His father's reaction confused him further. He had just defeated Drake to earn his father's affection - just as he had always done with his mother and grandfather - and his father was defending Drake, telling Damian that his actions were wrong.

The ten-year-old's mindset that he had possessed since birth did not react kindly to this new information - what his father had informed him of was so vastly in contrast to what he believed, but could not reject it. He himself was correct, but his father could not be wrong. So where did that leave him?

Confused, he had lashed out in anger and petulance, hiding his childish confusion under contempt and scorn - for this, this emotion was a weakness and he was an al Ghul.

("Remember this, habibi - al Ghuls cannot be weak.")

Then his father died, and Damian was numb - because Father was Batman, and Batman could not die. He wanted to protest to the world that things did not work that way, and that his father was not dead, and that he would be back - but his father was not coming back.

After several weeks, the family was falling apart ("Bruce - Bruce is dead -") and Todd traversed Gotham as Batman, guns blazing and black cape flaring. Grayson did not want the mantle, while Drake could see how Gotham needed it - how Gotham needed the Batman, and argued that it was for the best - but still Grayson would not bend.

Soon, Drake grew tired of Grayson's refusals and went out on his own, wearing the cape and cowl - going out to fight Todd.

(Predictably, he lost, and Grayson had to rescue him.)

Later, when Grayson chose Damian over Drake for the mantle of Robin ("He needs this, Tim."), he was triumphant. He had come to terms with his father's death (slightly) and had grudgingly accepted Grayson's ascension to the mantle (without it, Gotham would have perished into chaos).

Besides, Drake had lost his mind, saying that his father wasn't dead ("He's still alive! I know he is!") and Gotham did not need an insane Robin.

In a fit of childish behavior, Drake left the house, worrying Grayson to pieces ("This is all my fault - maybe I should have waited longer...?") until he reappeared several months later, wearing an old costume of Todd's ("You've got to be joking. Red Robin?"). The former Teen Wonder moved out, leaving Damian to be the sole object of Grayson's attention.

(It took him a while to get used to it, but when he did, it... wasn't as bad as Damian first thought it was.)

While he worked with Grayson, Damian began to understand why his father had defended Drake. The acrobat taught him, guided him, loved him - and Damian was happier than he had been in years. Grayson was patient (excessively so), slowly teaching Damian his father's brand of justice. In this way, Damian did not need his father's approval - not when he had Grayson's.

He was content with his situation (He was feeling slightly guilty for betraying his father by appreciating Grayson more - but his father had never showed him affection, and was gone, so it did not plague him constantly.)

AN:
Sooooo... Yeah, I should be finishing So Not Feeling the Aster, but the chapters aren't flowing... Much. Sorry to those who're waiting for the next chapter - it might take a while.
This is basically going to be little drabbles for (mostly male) Robins (past and present)... So I might be updating this more frequently than So Not Feeling the Aster :/ Thanks for reading! Please review - I'd really appreciate it :D