Chapter 2: 'Father Would Be Overjoyed'
His eyes snapped open when he heard Titus barking. He groaned and reached towards his phone and clicked it on.
'7.17,' he grumbled. 'Oh joy, another day of horror. Just let me sleep in peace for once until lunch time.'
Damian got out of bed and trudged towards the toilet. He glanced at the mirror, staring at his own reflection. 'I really do look like father, do I? Then why does he treat me as if I am not his blood son? Am I not a perfect son for him?'
A heavy sigh left his mouth and he slapped his cheeks, 'Get over it, Damian Al-Ghul Wayne. Everything takes time, just like how long it took mother to train you to become the perfect assassin.'
He washed himself and dressed up to prepare himself for school. Before heading downstairs for breakfast, he made a quick glance at himself in the antique mirror on the dresser.
"Tt, again with this ridiculous attire," he grunted. "I can't believe father for sending me to school with a bunch of fools. They are not even worth my time to deal with. I could have ruled the world instead of wasting time on something like this."
...
Breakfast was as expected, the aura of disappointment was heavy. Damian flickered his eyes to steal a quick glance at his father. He wanted to start a conversation about the incident last night but the displeased look on Bruce's face was enough to make him discard the option. He knew that an argument before school and work is the worst way to start a busy day. He finished his toast and downed his tea before leaving the dishes in the sink.
How was breakfast, Master Damian?" Alfred gestured him towards the front door.
"Excellent, Pennyworth," Damian's mouth formed a thin smile. "Thank you."
"It is my greatest pleasure, Master Damian," he smiled warmly.
Alfred has started to like the young master more as of late. He has taken notice of the slow but notable improvement in the young boy. Knowing that he grew up differently compared to other children of his own age, Alfred has a strong feeling to let Damian experience life as a normal child. He heard about the incident that happened last night, however, he refused to be indifferent towards the boy. Damian needed all the love and trust that he requires to keep moving on.
"I shall pick you up after your classes end today," Alfred handed him a lunch box. "I hope the packed lunch is to your liking."
Damian took it and offered Alfred a hug before walking towards the car. "You have my utmost gratitude, Pennyworth. I can see why father trust his life in your hands."
''You flatter me, Master Damian."
"I meant my words and I really do appreciate it," Alfred nodded.
"Run along now," he ushered Damian. "I shall see you in the afternoon. Enjoy school and make some friends, Master Damian."
Damian waved and closed the door to the car.
'Thanks, Pennyworth, but that is not as easy as it sounds.'
...
Damian hopped off the car without a glance to his father. He was going to avoid any sort of conversation with Bruce unless necessary. Before he could dash away from the car, he heard Bruce calling him and he stopped in his tracks and glanced back. His father's face was stern, but his eyes were less cold than the one he had previously.
"Damian, please do behave and listen to your tutors," Bruce nodded at him.
Damian resisted the urge to roll his eyes and ignore him, but he knew better than to attempt that. "Yes, father."
Bruce sighed at him and close his eyes, then a warm smile formed on his face. "You know, Damian. It won't hurt to start calling me Dad as you are living with us now. You can try to be more open and friendly too. This is not like how it is in the League."
"That will not be necessary, father," Damian proceeded towards the school entrance.
Bruce shook his head. He gave another last glance at Damian before he drove off the school compound. 'Back to work then, I should call Tim.'
Damian looked back as he heard his father left and tt-ed. 'Attachments will make me weaker. Whether I am in the League or not, such things will not change, and they will not benefit any of us here.'
...
"Wayne," the blonde hair English lady called after Damian.
It was history class and the tutor was discussing about the beginning of the modern age and how it was a glorious moment for the world. Damian did not realise that he lost track of what she was babbling about, wishing she would just stick to the facts instead of praising the developments made in those times.
"Yes, Mrs Black," he answered monotonously, knowing that she was picking on him again. It always has been him, the outlandish son to the great billionaire Bruce Wayne.
"What do you think about this topic," she asked with a soft voice, but he could tell she was being sarcastic. "I assume that you learn this when you were home-schooled, yes?"
"My apologies, Mrs. But I don't see how this would benefit this session nor would it benefit me to share my opinions." He internally sighed at what was about to come.
"Well, I think we all believe that sharing opinions may be a good thing as well. It helps broaden our minds and knowledge, don't we all agree?" She was pressing him. His classmates were cheering at the tutor's suggestion.
Damian sighed internally and pushed back the urge to explode on the spot. He imagined himself leaving the class while ignoring the cries of the blonde lady calling him a rude, impudent student. His thoughts went to how his father would regard him for doing so. A heavy sigh left his mouth without him realising it and he could hear the soft snickers from his classmates. 'Here goes nothing then. Just keep cool and ignore their attempts to harass you, Damian.'
He stood up and cleared his throat, "Well, modernisation might have started long before these people who wrote these textbooks knew when it began."
Damian explained what he was taught back in the league by his mother and tutors. He believed that whatever he was telling them will undoubtedly be a laughing material for Mrs Black and her brats. 'They can laugh for all I care, fools will always be fools.'
"Hey Wayne, I don't think you learned anything from home, huh." Lane jeered at him. Damian huffed. 'Tt, as I said fools. What a waste of energy.'
"I have shared what I was taught and if you don't agree," he paused. 'You can just shut the hell up.' Damian gritted his teeth, "you can just leave it alone and stick to what you think is right."
"Very well," he swore that he heard a dissatisfied grunt from his tutor. She continued her class to his relief. 'Well, that went well.'
...
"Hey!"
Someone smacked him behind his head. Damian knew that was about to happen sooner or later. 'It's about time, here we go again.'
"Boredom snaking through your lives, is it?" He stared at them coolly.
Always the same three boys who never missed the opportunity to bother him during lunch break. Hans Dent, the so called most ruthless bully in his year but was actually a huge wimp when he got scolded. Despite such antagonistic character he has, the kids still fear him. Well, might be his height. He was as tall as the first-year middle school students, which if compared to him, Damian is just a midget with guts. Teddy Jackson, his sort off right hand man, was small but has a huge ego which Dent liked about him. Last but not least, Nate Harold. He looks average, but everyone knew that he is not a person to mess with. The Harold family, well known for their wealth would do anything to cover the boy's wrong doings. No one couldn't help the fact that because of his background, it was an easy way to encourage his growth as an impossible bully.
"Ooh, look at the mighty son of Bruce Wayne," Hans slapped him from the back again. Damian contemplated punching him in the face but held his ground. You need to refrain yourself from violence. Not all situations can be fixed with a fist. His father's words reminded him.
"Is that a compliment?" Damian smirked. He knew that Hans hated being talked back to. "I won't be surprised if it is one."
Hans' face turned into a frown. "Being humble and playing hero are you, Damian. Well, that sounds pathetic. Thought you had more power to fight than that. You know," he towered over Damian's short stature, forming a fist in his blank face. "Like this."
"Don't be such a pussy, Wayne." Nate made an intentional squeaky voice.
Teddy decided to rub it more into his face. "Yeah, we all know what you are capable of. We are just poor, weak souls compared to your huge temper," He faked a scared innocent face at Damian.
'Ah, this is why I hate these guys,' Damian tt-ed. 'Picking on the outliers of the school. Pathetic.'
Damian tried to pull away from the three and just ignore their attempts to rile him up. 'Patience, not vengeance. Father will not allow such irrational actions towards commoners like them.'
There was a sudden strong grip on his right shoulder. "No one," his hand dug into Damian's shoulder, he winced at the pain. "No one has ever ignored me. Not even the teachers nor my parents and you dare ignore me?"
'How pathetic, what is he? A baby?' Damian clenched his fists. "How does that apply to me? I am not your mommy or daddy. Does that not mean I can ignore you, I am not obliged to do so. You do not own me."
He felt Hans releasing him from his hold and heard him chuckle. It eventually came out as a loud laughter.
"You, Damian Wayne," he stated. "Are so clueless about what we can do, huh."
'Uh, ok. I might be clueless about them, but I don't see what the problem is about.' Damian bit the insides of his cheek. "And?"
Nate covered his back and held Damian's arm to his sides. Teddy snickered when Hans cracked his knuckles. "You are so going to regret this."
Damian could tell what was coming but he refrained himself from elbowing Nate in the stomach. 'Think, Damian Wayne. All problems can be solved, not with your fist, not with violence. What can you do?'
Before he could think of anything, Hans had already made his move. A straight punch to his stomach made Damian gritted his teeth in pain. Hans was merciless as he kept on bashing him in the abdomen whilst his friends laughed at the act.
"Yeah, show the son of bitch that he shouldn't mess with us!"
"Have a taste of our strength, what can you do, Wayne! So pathetic!"
Damian sucked in his breath but all he could feel was the endless pain in his stomach, he could retaliate but he didn't want to injure any of them. He strongly hold onto his father's warning. There will always be other ways to get him out of the situation. 'Patience, not vengeance,' he repeated in his head like a mantra. He was so lost in his thoughts when he was hit in the face and he looked up at the bullies.
"What are you doing, huh? Trying to act cool after receiving all those hits," Hans pulled his hair. "Looks like you can be an excellent punching bag for us, got to thank that strong will of yours."
Damian spat at him. "Try me, you pathetic scumbag."
"You bastard!" Hans kneed him hard in the stomach again.
'Fuck!' Damian cursed internally. 'That hurts like a bitch. This is not funny anymore.'
Damian twisted himself from Nate's hold and made a quick punch at his jaw. He heard a soft crack and saw him cover his mouth with a loud whine, Nate must have lost a tooth then. Hans screamed with a loud battle cry and attempted to pounce on Damian. But, with his tiny stature, it was easy for him to slip through and made a fast axe kick onto Hans' exposed back. He planted face down onto the ground with a huge grunt. Teddy, who was just a laughing bystander before witnessed the whole situation, ran away with his tail between his legs.
'That was for self-defence, if I get into trouble because of this,' he paused looking up at the striking sun. 'If I get blamed for this, I really don't know what is going to happen. How stupid.'
"There!" Damian heard someone shouted. He turned back and saw Teddy running towards them with a tutor, Mr Thorns. 'Oh shit.'
"What is going on here?" The tutor bellowed when he and Teddy arrived at the scene. Hans' face was still on the ground and Nate was at his side, covering his mouth with tears streaming out from his eyes. Damian cursed softly and he knew that he was screwed. Mr Thorns was definitely one of those tutors who have been searching for opportunities to ruin Damian's already so called bad reputation in school. He certainly will not believe Damian's excuses and he does not even have an alibi to prove his innocence.
The moment the tutor set his eyes on Damian, his eyes zeroed onto him. "You," he said.
Damian did not even bother to say anything to defend himself. He knew there was no point on attempting to do so, it will only make the whole situation much more messier. He could see Teddy's sinister smile. 'Tt, I should have known this coward have his own ways with me. Such a despicable coward.' Damian wished he could smashed his face into bits.
"I supposed no explanation should necessarily be provided," Mr Thorns cleared his throat, his eyes were ice cold without any sympathy. "Mr Jackson, please assist both Dent and Harold to the infirmary."
Teddy nodded and made his way to pick Hans up from the ground. He had Hans' arm over his neck and dragged him towards the direction of the school infirmary, Nate tailing behind them.
"Mr Wayne." Damian deadpanned at the tutor's voice. "To the principal's office with me, now."
'Great, one disaster after another. Father would be overjoyed,' Damian chided himself.
