Sorry for the slight delay. I thought I was on top of it, but time kind of slipped away.
The room was a mess as Dick went into a stir crazed rage. Books and trinkets lied on the ground as Dick paced around the room. Damian was a little frustrated with the reaction. He woke up to Dick loudly stomping around. And after breakfast, with a conversation about possible homeschooling, Dick flew into a rage.
Damian wasn't the only one to watch this display. Tim was also observing the situation. Tim couldn't say that he was surprised. Dick was so used to whatever routine he had with the Court of Owls that being in this situation was probably jarred to him.
"Have you tried giving him a dog?" Tim suggested. "Didn't Bruce give you Titus as a means to settle your violent spirit?"
"Titus helped yes," Damian confirmed, "but that was after Father had time to get to know what he was dealing with. I do not have that level of understanding yet. Not that Father wants me to bring home another dog."
It wasn't an unreasonable response. This child did just fall into their lives a few days ago. It was going to take a little time to understand him. However, Tim wasn't opposed to introducing an animal. There was a chance it could spark a soft spot in Dick.
"What about introducing him to Titus?" Tim recommended. "That might do something."
"I'd prefer not." Damian argued. "Titus got one look at him before running the other direction in fear." Another option quickly came to mind. "However, there is an alternative."
Ace and Dick sat on the ground locking eyes with each other. Ace wasn't fazed by the child's demeanor. In fact, he didn't even seem bothered by the child's aggravated aura. However, both of their guards were kept up.
It was a little tense as Damian and Tim waited for a reaction. Pulling Ace into the equation was an unwanted feat on Bruce's part, but after arguing that Ace was the better animal option in the house, he begrudgingly agreed. It was worth trying and, out of the two, Ace would be the least nervous around him.
They just had to wait and see. Ace took a step towards Dick, affectionately licking his face. It was rather surprising, but at the same time relieving. He wasn't afraid of Dick, which meant that he must have saw something in Dick.
Dick was a little startled by the affection. It took him a moment before he would run a hand through Ace's fur. He wasn't hard, but surprisingly gentle. Dick's expression even seemed to soften some.
"You are a very good boy." Dick stated.
Two hours later, Dick seemed to keep this calm. He still seemed a little agitated, but he calmed. He sat in the middle of the study fidgeting. Damian thought he could try to see if there was anything he could get Dick.
"Is there anything I can get you?" Damian asked.
"No." Dick denied.
That made Damian reconsider his strategy. Damian thought it would be a good time to try and get to know Dick. To try and peel away the layers and ty to find something pleasant about his childhood.
Jason came into the room and set a three foot tall elephant plush between him, Damian and Dick. They looked at Jason with confusion.
"I got this for you." Jason stated.
"I am not a child." Dick argued.
Jason smugly grinned. Dick was trying to be a smart ass. He liked that, but now was not the time to be one.
"Yes, you are." Jason reminded, chuckling. "You just forgot what it was like." He patted the head of the elephant. "This is Peanut. He's an elephant."
"I know." Dick accepted.
"Then you must know what they say about elephants. They never forget. I know that deep down, you remember what it was like to be a child. To swing through the air with grace. Maybe you knew an elephant in person." Jason smirked. "I want you to keep Peanut so that you will remember what it was like to be a Grayson. What it was like to be a kid."
Dick looked at the plush intently. Its floppy ears and grey frame were nostalgic traits. The tusks and eyes were familiar. Dick grabbed the elephant and pulled it closer.
"Reminds me of Zitka." Dick stated.
"Ah yes, Haly's circus' prized elephant." Jason recalled. "Probably one of my favorite acts growing up. Besides the Flying Graysons."
Dick awkwardly hugged the plush. He began to ignore the adults on the room as he went into a nostalgic mental state. He wasn't as antsy and he almost seemed tired. Damian gave Jason a look to exit the room for a moment.
"How'd you figure that would work?" Damian asked, once they were out of the room.
"Bizarro." Jason replied, granting a confused glare. "He's like Superman in a number of ways, strong, kind heartened, and has some intelligence behind all that brawn, but is a little more chaotic. He also has the mentality of a child. To help him feel calm and more comfortable with his existence, I gave him Pup Pup, a Superman doll. It works for him, so why not try to introduce a similar stimuli to Dick?"
"Well thank you."
Dick hadn't let the elephant go since Jason gave it to him. He even took it to bed. As he read a book, Robin Hood, Damian entered the room.
"You're quite the lucky kid." Damian stated, sitting on the bed. "You've been given friendship from Tim and memory from Jason. I feel like I should too." Damian paused, as though thinking about what to give. "Strength. My gift to you will be strength."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Dick asked.
"I will train you."
Dick eyed Damian curiously. It seemed problematic that Damian would suggest something like that. It wasn't too long ago that he and Bruce argued about his threat level.
"I will train you like an assassin like I was." Damian decided. "It is probably what you are more familiar with. Though I'd like to get you to a nonlethal style eventually."
"And what do you get out of it?" Dick asked, crawling closer to Damian.
"The hope that you will one day use your skills for good and so that your spirit will become strong. I will mentor you, and maybe one day, you'll be Robin." Damian chuckled as Dick scoffed at the thought. "However, this training will not be so cut and dry. When we spar, the winner will get answers from the other. If I win, you will tell me about your past. Be it as a Talon or with your parents. If you win, I will tell you about my upbringing in the League of Assassins and why I left."
Dick contemplated what Damian provided him. It sounded reasonable in theory. Getting to know each other through sparring. However, in practice, it seemed like it would be challenging.
"You make it sound so simple." Dick stated.
"Well of course." Damian agreed. "On paper it does. But I won't go easy on you, and I hope you won't go easy on me. So long as we don't murder each other we should be fine and learn a little more about each other in the process. Who knows? Maybe you'll finally know what it's like to trust someone."
Yes a reference to to Bizzarro and Pup Pup (Red Hood and the Outlaws Rebirth Bizarro has to be one of my favorite iterations of Bizarro). And of course I had to get an elephant in there somewhere. And of course, I just had to add a little something for Damian and Dick to bond over.
So I am considering writing a fic about Tim getting deaged where he loses his memory and latches onto Jason. Maybe not alongside this (begin writing it maybe). What do you think?