Interlude: Damian Wayne

AN: Sorry, I know y'all don't like interludes as much, but they're better than nothing, right? And they're so much easier for me. When I'm stuck or time crunched, I just pick a character and write. Hopefully this will tide you over for next week.

XxXxX

"You're not in charge of me, Drake!"

"Yes. I. Am." Tim is tired of this argument. Can't Damian just accept a 'no' for once? With the Team's founders gone, he has to keep on top of about ten things at any given moment. He hardly even has time for Cassie anymore, much less this. He has more important things to do than argue with his younger brother again. "You are a member of this team, and Aqualad made me leader-"

"Tt. As if that moping Atlantean could give you any power over me."

Tim clamps down on his outrage at that, and tries to channel Nightwing's calm reasonability. "B and Nightwing both support me in this," he grits out.

Damian looks away, domino mask furrowing. "Then Father can tell me that himself. I'll follow his orders."

Red Robin's voice follows him as he stalks towards the zeta tubes. "Impudent brat. Don't know why Dick puts up with you…"

Damian's ears aren't burning at that. They're not. It's the residual numbness from Zeta Particles, or something. The Replacement would probably be able to explain it to him, should Damian feel the information is important enough to condescend to the hyperactive speedster's level.

A voice calls out as he stalks into the Batcave's main area. "Whoa. Who're you going to kill this time?"

"As ever, Todd, your nonsensical attempts at humor fall flat." Damian scoffs at the former Robin sitting at the Batcave's mainframe. He's most likely studying case data again, trying to put together the years he lost between his death and resurrection.

Red Hood just rolls his eyes at the younger Wayne's disrespect. He's faced far too much in life to be riled up buy such little things. No, his irritation is reserved for his absent big brother only. "Right. I'll make sure Tim locks his door tonight."

Damian doesn't respond. He has more important things to do than rise to Todd's goading.

Drake denied his request to be added to the Anomaly Mission. Again.

As if some third-stringer who stalked his way into the family had the right to tell him 'no'. Damian is an Al Guhl! The grandson of Ra's al Ghul himself. He's a Wayne! Batman's biological son. He was bred for greatness.

He knows he's living up to his legacy too; he's hacked the Team's records often enough to know that he's excelling at every solo evaluation that's been thrown at him.

That's why he knows it's not his abilities keeping him off this mission. 'You have school,' Father says. 'Be a kid; spend time with the Team!' Nightwing says.

Well, come summer neither Father nor Grayson could pin him with the responsibilities of 'school' and 'maintaining cover.' He's already drafted documents for a fake summer camp, to strengthen his argument on that front. And if they put him on this mission, he will be spending time with the Team. Well, some of them.

Of course, if his guardians remain obstinate, he's not above holding the replacement Kid Flash at sword point and forcing him make Damian his own TD tech. It shouldn't have to come to that though.

Damian always has a back-up plan, especially when dealing with a team leader that is as determined to restrict him as Drake is.

The newest Robin is nothing if not a good manipulator, and he's been twisting the knife of guilt into Allen's back for months now.

They're out there risking their lives for analogues of your cousin. The one that you let die. The one you got killed?

What would Wally say, if he knew that you were safe at home while his own girlfriend and best friend risked their lives? He would be so disappointed in his baby cousin, wouldn't he? And after he gave the little replacement his mantle and everything…

He might not be that upset though. The older heroes are keeping us out of it, after all. There's no way for us to sneak across dimensions. It's not like you have the capability to create your own TD tech. Oh wait.

Artemis' disappearance couldn't have come at a better time. Damian hammered it in especially hard during that tense fortnight, finally breaking the speedster upon the good news of her safety. The boy had been forced to hide out at Artemis' apartment, returning only at the behest of the Beetle (and that was another issue he must contend with; the insect insisted on worrying for Bart's safety, as if that was what was important here).

To Damian, this was proof that the Replacement was broken, and that it should take only a few more cracks to have Allen working at his behest.

"Damian."

His father interrupts his thoughts as he steps out of grandfather clock that hides the Batcave. Damian turns and gives the man the full attention he demands. He tries to ignore the increasingly sharp lines and the dark circles around his father's eyes. They're due to extra stress from Drake and Todd's incompetence, no doubt.

"Yes, Father?"

The man peers at him for a moment before saying, "You should be nicer to your brothers."

Damian wants to protest – they're not his brothers – but the tension in his Father's face is too reminiscent of that in Grayson's. The retort dies on his tongue. Damian isn't some backwards commoner; he refuses to add stress to his Father's load the way the Reds insist on doing. He nods in acquiescence.

"As you say, Father." His father continues to study him. It makes Damian uncomfortable.

"We all miss him too, you know." Bruce finally says.

Damian denies it automatically. "I don't know what you're talking about." Even though he does. Isn't that the whole reason he wants on the Anomaly mission? So he can bring Grayson home?

"Don't give me that, Damian. You're too smart to be 'playing dumb.' It doesn't work for you the way 'Brucie' works for me."

It takes Damian a moment to realize that it wasn't a put down – the type of comment he's most used to. His father just complemented him, and he did it so casually, like it was natural...

There's a warm tingle in his stomach, the same as when Grayson holds him tight and calls him 'little brother.' Damian likes it. "I'll endeavor not to have 'ditzy playboy' as my cover role when I grow up, then." He retorts dryly, keeping that spark of joy out of his voice.

Bruce half-smiles at Damian's joke. Damian doesn't move as the man stands up and give him a hug. He endures the embrace for his Father's peace of mind. Said peace has been increasingly fragile as worry for his eldest son had increasingly disturbed Bruce's sleep.

"I remember when Dick was this size. You all grow up so fast. What am I going to do when you get older and go off on your own too?"

"Taking Oracle's position so I can operate as Batman in full most logical."

"There is that, I suppose." Bruce chuckles, and finally releases his son. "Go on now, do whatever you were doing. Don't let this old man's musings weigh you down."

Damian nods, and takes his leave of the den. He's more convinced than ever that he needs to be put on the Anomaly mission.

Do you know what you're doing to us, Grayson? How much we love you, even if we're too broken to say it? Those imposter speedsters don't deserve you. Aren't we your family?

XxXxX

AN: I am so interested to know what you think here. I felt bad because a) Damian isn't technically from either of YJ or JLU's continuity and b) I've never read his comics, only fan fics with him in it. How did I do? Is he too OOC, considering how YJ differs form the Batman main timeline? Do you understand what's going on here, even if you're not familiar with Damian as a character?