MISTAKE
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Jason Todd was just finishing the last of his cucumber sandwiches while watching Batman and Nightwing against Joker and his helpers. The good guys tried to prevent an escape after the theft of chemicals, or rather, to prevent innocent people from being run over by the gang.
— If I were there, I would have stopped them already... — he grunted with the rest of the sandwich in his mouth.
— If you had not acted badly with a child for being drunk, you would be there, Master Jason.
— He's not a child, he's Damian!
— Master Jason, manners please! — the butler asked, hated to see his sandwiches rolling around in people's mouths.
The boy fell silent and returned to follow the pursuit. The various screens were divided into a map of the city with trackers, the view through the Batmobile's cameras and a local newspaper covering the chase.
It didn't take long for everything to be resolved: Joker henchmen incapacitated while Batman personally took care of the clown, healthy and safe people returning to the streets, Dick worried about Damian...
— Alfred, is he awake yet? — the boy asked for the vehicle's communicator.
— Not yet, Master Dick. Due to the heavy dosage of medications, you should only wake up in an hour. — the butler replied.
Tired of his exaggerated concern for a fake brat, Todd got up from his chair with an implied excuse of taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen, occasionally he could open one of several bottles of wine by mistake. He grunted all the way, especially on his way back when he saw Damian leaving the room and resting his broken leg on the floor — for him, more than enough proof that it was all forged.
— Look who's going for a walk! — he said sinic, stopping in the middle of the room and waiting for Damian to say something to try to deny it.
The boy, however, hadn't even noticed him there. He continued to try to walk alone, leaning on the wall until he managed to reach the front of the stairs, when he leaned on the handrail. He was hungry, but "Mr. Pennyworth" was not in the room like the other time, so he was forced to look for the butler around the mansion.
— I should film this and send it to Dick's sucker! The fragile and helpless baby Wayne walking perfectly with his broken leg!
Again Jason was ignored, which only made him even more annoyed by it all. He knew that Damian could only be lying — or being controlled by some psychopath — and it was by faithfully believing this that he took such extreme actions:
He went up the stairs and grabbed Damian by his pajamas, starting to shout threats and orders for him to stop acting. When it was not answered, or rather: when it was answered with a start of crying and an apology, he was even more angry.
Todd thought of throwing the boy where they were, trying to hit the chandelier with him or something, anything that would make Damian reveal that it was all just a joke to get attention, that he was fine and remembered everything — including how to "land" on the ground safely with a broken leg.
— It gets to be a shame... — the eldest said in a cold tone, going down the stairs and only throwing Damian on the floor when he was on the last steps — How long do you intend to continue with this!? Until you get tired of your spoiled little boy life and come back as if nothing had happened!? After everyone feels useless because of you!?
At this point, little Wayne no longer tried to understand what he had done so wrong "before" to be treated that way. He could only cry and feel fear, fear to the point of not being able to breathe, a fear that reminded him of an even greater dread — but only the feeling, without the causes.
— A killer... — Todd kicked him, which made Damian's body hit the wall, he was much lighter — A real demon! — He held it, lifted it in his pajamas with both hands — An inconsequential that does not deserve Robin's mantle!
Damian tried to apologize for what he didn't even know he had done, but he no longer had air in his lungs and couldn't even breathe. All that came out besides murmurs of pain were shards of a request for forgiveness.
— How long will you keep pretending!?
Jason stopped the shouting and was silent, listening to the sound of a few drops dripping on the floor. Damian pretending to be a demoralized and fragile child was one thing, but humiliating himself like that just to continue with who knows what he wanted was beyond all the principles he could have.
He left the boy, took a few steps away, muttering curses, and tried to think of what he would do. For the first time since it all started, since Damian was gone, found and then woken up; for the first and only time Jason Todd began to accept that it might be true: there was no longer Damian, Robin, Batman's own son, there was only one broken child that everyone was trying to reassemble.
— Hey... — he started — I'm not that bad guy I look like, okay? I know it must be too late to believe me, but I didn't do anything wrong... — The boy didn't answer, he was still lying on the floor, crying to the point of sobbing — What the fuck! Stop crying and listen to me, you...!
Damian was no longer in himself.
The eyes were rolling, stopping at the absolute white.
His hands were fisted, they were shaking uncontrollably with their arms twisted in front of their bodies.
Todd bent down beside him, tried to hold him or support him as best he could, but he continued to struggle. Nothing worked and, as if it was not enough to blame it all, Damian was starting to choke — at least that's what it seemed.
— Oh my God! Alfred shouted. He had been surprised by Jason's long disappearance, but he never expected to see it happen again.
— Alfred, Alfred I didn't mean it! — the boy started trying to explain himself, but was completely ignored. The butler practically snatched Damian from his arms and laid the boy on the floor — Alfred, you believe me, right!?
— This is no time for that, Master Todd! — the elder scolded him. Jason was sure that if Alfred's hands hadn't been holding Damian's head, he would have been slapped.
— A-Alfred... Alfred, is he going to die? Is he going to die like that because of me!?
There were too many things for Alfred to handle: Damian was having an epileptic fit, similar to the one he had when he woke up the first time; Jason was in denial, guilt, or whatever it was — it was the least relevant now.
— Tell Batman to come back immediately! — the butler ordered. Of all, it was Bruce who managed to be more effective in dealing with his son in the current situation, it would be better if the child woke up with him around.
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NOTES:
Was it Jason's overreaction? Probably yes. Remembering: he thought that the "little brother" was lying to get attention — which does not involve just pretending that he forgot, but causing problems and concern for the Batfamily. Jason sometimes gets a little out of control, as in the last part — in fact, it's a lot better done than my writing allows.
