Chapter 5:
Key Character: Damian Wayne
Life can be so boring. So bland. Nothing but just plain vanilla. No other flavors. No other color.
This was Tim Drake's life.
Currently, he's eating a sandwich alone in the kitchen with nothing on but a tank top and sweatpants.
The last time he saw Dick was a few weeks ago when he was glued to a chair.
The last time he saw Jason was the day after when he was stuck on a rooftop with nothing to do.
The last time he saw Kon was a week ago when he stayed in bed.
Whatever type of excuses he made or whatever strategy he used for evasion, it was actually quite impressive that he was able to avoid contact with any of them (especially Dick).
It actually surprised him. The more he avoids contact, the easier it is to avoid any emotional pain. Of course, he missed feeling "important," but sitting around and waiting for something to happen wasn't exactly the brightest idea either. This gave him the idea that maybe he should go out and do something. Either he can join an extracurricular activity or look for a college to apply too. He does have the skills and the brains, not to mention he's still seventeen.
Or better yet, why not travel? Travel to see different places, different people, and above all, to get away.
Sometimes life can't just involve playing Red Robin all the time. Maybe it was time to do something different, something meaningful. He can start whenever. How about today?
After all, going out and doing something meaningful was much better than staying in the manor with nothing to do. As a matter of fact, that's him right now, eating a meager meal.
"Can't you do something productive with your life, Drake?"
And there comes the voice of the demon child at such an ironic time.
Damian walked into the kitchen wearing gym shorts and a sweaty white tee. "Instead, you choose to sit there and eat a boring meal that Pennyworth could have made ten times better."
"Leave me alone Damian," Tim addressed. No doubt he was annoyed already.
"I'm just stating facts," Damian added as he looked around for fruits in the kitchen. Bruce was out in a charity event with Alfred. Whenever Damian and Tim had the house to themselves, he would always stay active by performing different exercises or training routines. It was a habit that never ceased ever since he first lived here.
After finding an apple, he went and sat on the opposite side of the table facing Tim.
"What is up with you?"
Tim rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, Dick or Jason told you about me?"
"Grayson was wondering what was up," Damian answered, "Haven't heard anything from Todd."
"You can tell him I'm fine."
"Tt. I've also been told to be aware of that lie."
Tim was getting frustrated. Seriously, now his brothers pay attention to him? All he wanted was to actually feel like being part of the family, not to be looked after like a crying baby.
"Can't you guys just all let it go?" Tim exclaimed, "Seriously, you guys are making it too much of a big deal."
"Well why do sulk around like an imbecile?" Damian questioned.
"I'm not sulking around."
"Yes you are, you're just too foolish to notice."
Though he was used to this type of snotty behavior from Damian, now wasn't the time.
"Seriously Damian, stay out of my damn business!" He shouted at the eleven year-old.
Dick was right. Something about Tim seemed so, un-Tim. The gloomy face, the moody behavior, and the attitude were something he would find on the streets of Gotham, not on Tim Drake.
"Watch that tone Drake," Damian asserted, "That's the type of mouth that gets your head sliced if you were living with my grandfather."
"You're not even an Al Ghul anymore."
"I'm just making a point. Seriously, people are starting to find your personality to be quite bothersome. Stop being so annoying, Drake."
So I'm annoying now? I'm annoying because I feel left out? I'm annoying because no one gives a damn about me?
"Don't accuse me of being annoying," Tim affirmed, "You don't know what's going on."
"Then how about you try talking to one of us?" Damian simply asked, "Maybe you should give that a try."
"Pfft. Who should I talk to? You?" The older brother questioned with sass clearly evident in his voice.
Damian will have to admit, he's never one to "comfort" Drake. Yet the sassy comment still slightly offended him.
"I'm not saying me, obviously," the eleven-year old rudely remarked, "One of the others in the family can certainly look after you since you clearly need your diaper changed."
This conversation was useless. The only thing Damian was doing was enhancing the negative emotions that Tim was slowly trying to forget about. Why is it that the young demon always has to find some sort of way to ruin his mood? It was ridiculous.
"Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone?" The teen lashed out with his hands grabbing his hair.
Usually, Damian would want to decapitate anyone who gives him this type of attitude. However, in this situation, he was too surprised to even think of that. As a matter of fact, he was too surprised to even respond.
"You were probably the one who caused this anyway," Tim further added, "You were the one who took the Robin mantle from me in the first place."
"What the hell are you talking about?" The eleven-year-old questioned, "I gained it. Father and Grayson gave it to me."
"Maybe because you were such a selfish, arrogant brat that Bruce allowed you to be Robin so you could whine down."
"Don't you dare state that as a fact!" Damian shouted, "I proved to father that I was worthy! I became a better Robin than you ever did! You're probably just jealous."
Jealous? Maybe a little, but that's certainly not the main reason.
"Wrong adjective Damian. Try neglected."
"Oh man up Drake!"
"Ever since you came in the picture, no one cares about me anymore. Imagine feeling that. Imagine feeling replaced by someone who doesn't give a crap about you, and everyone all of sudden likes that person and not you."
Though it was rare for Damian and Tim to get along, Damian can assure that replacing Tim was not the reason why he chose to be Robin. Anyways, not everyone can keep the Robin mantle forever, right?
"Todd probably felt the same way when you took over," Damian proved.
"That's different. Everyone still grieves for Jason, even now." The seventeen-year-old stared at his empty plate with a lost look in his eye. "Me? I'm just that one sidekick that Bruce never pays attention to."
Damian raised an eyebrow. "I think you need to stop acting like a depressed pre-teen."
Even though his words sounded like an insult, his tone actually sounded sincere.
"You need to man up Drake. That negative energy of yours is starting to bring people down."
And that was the last straw. He's bringing them down? Did people not pay attention to the fact that he was the one who was down the whole time?
Who does Damian think he is telling him this?
Tim shut his eyes hard, frustrated with his feelings and annoyed with anything Damian had to say. This conversation has to end.
"You need to leave Damian," he spoke in a forced-calm tone.
"Watch it Drake. You should feel lucky that I'm trying to help."
Man how he hated that tone. Seriously, who does Damian think he is?
"You are doing anything but helping," Tim stated through gritted teeth, "You're a pain in the ass. You don't deserve Bruce. I just don't get how Bruce even loves you one bit. I don't get how he chose you over me."
Damian was surprised. Not only was he shocked to see this type of demeanor, but he actually felt….
Hurt.
"I'm his son."
"So am I."
"Well why is it so hard for you to see that father and I belong together?" Damian asked curiously. Normally, he would want to slice Tim's throat, but he's actually curious. "Tell me Drake," he commanded.
"Like I said, you're arrogant, selfish, snotty, rude, and above all, you're an Al-Ghul. You don't belong in the Wayne family. You share the same genes as them."
That was little a mean, yes, but what about all the things Damian did throughout the time they met? Tim said what first came to his mind, and hurtful or not, he's not in the mood to take it back.
As for Damian, he didn't know what to say. He wanted to strangle Tim's neck so hard, but he didn't. Why? Because what Tim said was true.
Smashing his unfinished apple on the table and kicking his chair back right after standing up, Damian walked out of the room with a heated face and slightly teary eyes.
And Tim didn't bother finishing his sandwich.