In Need
Chapter 2: Alike
As the night grew older, Damian swung through the city with his grapnel hook. How could Tim and Dick do this to him? He actually thought he had someone to talk to….but why would he trust someone who he would have killed before? Damian swung passed Crime Alley finding a whole mob scene. Some man was shooting other people. Damian leaped to the top of the theater looking down on the scene. As he had gotten closer, he realized that the man was his older brother, Jason as the Red Hood. Damian had always looked up to Jason. Growing up as an assassin for ten years will help you know if someone has the true potential-and Jason had it.
One by one, the thugs dropped to the ground splattering blood all over the asphalt pavement. Damian watched with no emotion. His mother taught him that killing for the good of mankind was the true meaning of a hero. But his father taught him killing was what kept the criminals from the heroes.
As Red Hood took out the last man, he shouted to Damian.
"You going to just sit there and watch me like 'daddy' did?" he retorted without looking up. Damian hopped down from the 5 story building and landed silently on the ground. Jason was facing the other way, still looking for an answer.
"N-no…" Damian stuttered. Even though he had looked up to Jason, he was still afraid of him. The thought of the damage he can do with a gun made Damian tremble inside.
"Well, then why are YOU here?" Jason spat. Damian looked as if he was a lost puppy that had just got beaten.
"Y-you're the only other person I know that I can't get mad at." Damian explained.
"Oh? And why is that?" Jason said finally turning around.
"Tim and Dick don't trust me." Damian finished.
"Well, I can see that knowing that you almost murdered Tim's goddamn ass…" Jason retorted. Dick or Tim never swore or cursed at or around Damian. The language made him twitch which didn't help the cause of his trembling.
"But I like you," Jason said crouching down to the height of his little brother, "You remind me a lot of me." Jason sounded like he was smiling, but his red helmet covered his mouth making it hard to see if he really was. Damian smiled back as much as he could without showing that he was a little afraid. Jason stood up looking down Damian.
"Well, little brother," Jason started as friendly as he could, "since you don't look like you want to stay at the manor, want to spend the night as my place?"
Damian glanced around making sure there were no "followers" that were going to chase after him. He looked up at Jason and nodded slightly showing his approval.
"Alright then, baby bird," Jason took out his grapnel hook-one of the only things he planned on keeping from his father, "Follow me." Damian responded by taking out his grapnel hook and following his second oldest brother.
Damian had never been anywhere else besides the streets of Gotham and the manor. The images of what he had expected from Jason's home circled in his head. He was always used to the luxury of a beyond decent house. Knowing that Jason was an adopted heir of the Wayne's, he had expected a lot out of his house.
As they arrived to the roof top of the building, all of the images in Damian's head were flushed down the toilet. As he hopped down and looked at the front of the building, he noticed it was worn down with boarded up windows. Jason hopped down looking at the front of the building just as his brother was. He sighed.
"Ah, home sweet home." He basked. He glanced at his brother's face. "Something wrong?" Jason asked.
"I-it's just that…I expected-"
"You expected some high class building with butlers and maids around the house didn't you? Heh heh." Jason finished for him. Jason started to walk as he guided the young robin through the entrance. Damian's interest in staying with Jason suddenly dropped as he followed his brother. Now, there were images of his home being infested with rats and roaches as the wallpaper was half torn down. Jason felt around the top boarder for the key. As he grasped the key, he took off his crimson helmet with his other hand revealing his masked face.
Damian had always wondered why Jason wore two masks…Was it for extra protection? Jason inserted the key through the whole unlocking a whole different world within. Damian's eye grew wide with surprise. Living in two different places during his life that looked pretty on the outside AND inside had made him think that everything else was just plain dirt. Damian glanced around the modernized house, looking at the ivory colored walls and the modern black or red furniture, the marble topped counters that lined the kitchen walls across from a two seated table.
Damian slowly walked in taking in every single inch of the one story apartment.
"You live HERE?" Damian asked surprisingly. Jason chuckled taking off his other mask revealing his light brown eyes to the boy. He placed his crimson helmet and his extra mask in a display case and pushed a button making the head gear disappear from sight.
"Can't always judge a book by its cover, kid." Jason replied. "Make yourself comfy." Jason went into the other room.
"Damian took off his mask and placed it on the shiny black coffee table as he sat on the bright red sofa. Jason came back out with blankets, a pillow and a few old clothes he had that used to fit him. He handed the folded stack to Damian. Damian smiled at his older brother.
"Thanks." Was all he had said. Jason grinned back.
"No Problem little brother. Now why don't you go get changed while I make your bed for the night." He showed Damian to where the bathroom was and headed back into the other room setting up the sofa into a little day bed for the kid. Damian came back out, holding his suit with both hands. He gave them to Jason who threw them in a hamper.
"I see the clothes fit nicely…you hungry?" he asked while walking towards the fridge. Damian looked down at his stomach noticing the painful hunger that he felt. A growl of his stomach had escaped before he could say anything.
"Heh…I guess that means a yes." Jason said. He took out a jar of peanut butter and jelly, and a loaf of wheat bread.
"Feel free to turn on whatever you want on the TV." Jason told Damian without turning to look at him. Damian sat down and looked at the countless remotes that could have controlled the 52" plasma screen TV.
"Um…" Damian said while looking at the numerous remotes and back at Jason.
"Oh," Jason said turning around at the sound of his brother's confusion, "Second one on the right." Damian picked it up and hit the power button.
"Thanks" Damian said. Jason didn't reply. The young boy flipped through the channels. He stopped at the news where he had seen a shot of Tim saving him from Two face. The title of the story was 'Ex-Boy Wonder saves his Replacement'. The voice of Vicki Vale rang in Damian's ears. His face was blank as he stared at the HD Television set. Jason came in with two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in his hands.
"Well…" Jason said, trying to break the awkward silence, "I see you were famous, tonight." Jason handed Damian a sandwich as he scarfed down the other one. Damian took a bite.
"Yeah…as the Damsel in Distress…as the Replacement…." Damian looked down at the dark hard wood floor. Jason put down his half eaten sandwich on the coffee table and scooted over towards the depressed child. Jason tried his best to comfort the child, but with lack of experience, he did not do a very good job. He patted Damian's back three times.
"Look, I know it's hard to accept the fact that you can't always be the…hero." Damian looked a Jason with watery eyes. The puppy dog look had made Jason's heart skip a beat. No one has ever given him that look before. "But…that's the whole point of learning." Jason wiped a tear from Damian's face. They grinned at each other.
"Now get some rest, you're going to need it after this long day." Jason said. He rose from the couch and started heading towards his bedroom down the hall. Damian slipped himself under the covers of the makeshift bed.
"Um, Jason?" Damian called. Jason stopped before going down the hallway. He turned to his little brother. "Thanks…" Jason smiled again at Damian.
"Good night, Baby bird." Jason said. Jason turned off the light to the living room and headed down the hall to his bed.
Damian rested his head on the pillow Jason had given him as he stared at the ceiling, thinking: Thinking of his father…of his mother…of his brothers. Pretty soon he had dozed off into a deep sleep.
