N/A: Alo! Another independent One-shot, focused on Damian. Just so you know, BYF should be up around two or three days, if you were wondering. Thank you again for all of your support. Feel free to leave a review or a request.
Title: A Reminder
Author: Rea Treoni
Rating: K+
Characters: Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth.
WARNINGS: None, I believe.
Idea originally from: ElephantMexx
Disclaimer: I don't own any Batman related character. They are DC Comics's.
Damian Wayne is no stranger to bullying.
From the first time he arrived to Gotham, he knew he had to deal with that kind of stuff, whenever they were rumors or simple jealous kids making mean comments about him. Back when Dick was Damian's Batman, they had the media under control, Dick made sure of that with the help of Lucius Fox and a reluctant Tim. So Damian Wayne was in the shadows for a while before he made his entrance to the press and the public world.
He knows how the media works; it's not for nothing that he acts different in public than when he's in his home. Therefore, the youngest of the Wayne family don't take the bullying to heart. Of course, there had been times when someone makes a mean comment about his family and Damian may or may have not punched them in the nose and made them bleed, because there is no prove what so ever. ("No, it's definitely no blood in my knuckles, Teacher. It's ketchup if you must know and don't judge my eating methods")
So Damian shouldn't have been surprised when a bunch of kids from his class walked up to him in the middle of recess. The leader of the mini band, a chubby blonde kid with a scar on his forehead, was puffing his chest and chin up, trying to look down on him, even though they were the same height.
"Wayne" the blonde kid sneered.
Damian limited himself to nod in response, not even looking up at the bully and took a bite of the sandwich Alfred packed him.
"Or should I said, Fake Wayne"
That caught Damian's attention. Slowly, the ten years old looked up at the kid and arched an eyebrow, more curious than anything.
"Do you need something, Martin?" he asks calmly, leaving the book he was reading by his side.
"I actually wanna know what you did to convince Bruce Wayne that you are his son" was the reply; the kids behind Martin snickered between themselves.
Damian frowns a little and titled his head "What are you –"
"Come on, Damian, we all know you can't possibly be Wayne's real kid" the bully cut off, a smirk on his lips "Did he found you on the streets like your brothers and took pity?"
Damian frown got deeper at the mention of his brothers, this time with menace "Don't talk about my brothers" he reproach firmly, standing from the bench he was sitting on.
Martin took a step closer and ignored him "Or maybe you are just abandoned by your mother in Wayne's door and had no choice but to take you in"
Damian opened his mouth but he was cut off before he could even speak a word.
"I bet that when you are old enough, Wayne is going to kick your ass out to the streets" Martin continued, each word he spoke with more venom than before.
A kid behind Martin laughed "Yeah, dude. Poor Wayne, having to deal with a bother like you"
"Stop" whispered Damian, his hand turned into fists and shaking ever so slightly. The bullies ignored him once again.
"My father actually told me that you are probably just around to make Wayne look good in front of the press" spoke another kid of the group, the red hair beside him nodded.
"My mom said that he's just another charity case"
"I'm not – !" started Damian, stepping forwards but Martin shoved him back.
"I mean, really, Damian, how do you manage to be around people that don't even want you there with them?"
Now that was a low blow.
As Martin opened his mouth, the bell ringed and sharing a glance and a smirk with each other, the group of bullies left, leaving a shaking Damian behind.
Damian didn't even heard the bell not did he noticed when he was finally alone. The word kept repeating themselves in his head.
They don't even want you. They don't even want you.
"They do" murmurs reassuringly the current Robin in low voice to himself.
They don't even want you.
"They do" he repeats out loud once again, flexing his fists and blinking hard, trying to stop the tears to gather around the corner of his eyes.
They don't even want you.
"They do" came the same reassurance but this time sounding a little less convinced. There was a pause before Damian spoke again, whispering brokenly "Don't they?"
Not caring about school anymore, he turned around and left the school grounds.
When Alfred heard the back door next to the kitchen open, he popped his head in the hallway to see a sweaty Damian, his backpack on the floor but still holding it by one stripe. Alfred was about to greet him but the current Robin looked away and run off upstairs, leaving Alfred more confused than before.
The old butler quickly left the kitchen and, with a worried frown, he followed the youngest of the family.
"What do you mean you can't find him?" demanded Bruce over the phone, pacing around the living room.
"What's happening?" asked Tim as he came into the room, a can of soda in hand. Dick turned around from his seat on the edge of the couch.
"Apparently, the Academy lost Damian somewhere during the day and they can't find him" he explained quickly, attention back to Bruce's heated argument over the phone.
"I don't pay you thousands of dollars through the year so you can lose my son! Where is the security of this school?" answered the billionaire frowning displeased "And another thing –"
"Master Damian is home"
The three men in the room turned their head towards the butler, who glance worryingly at Bruce from the room entrance.
"I will call you back, Principal Clint" Bruce says before hanging up, not bothering to wait for a reply. The billionaire raised an eye brow to the butler, asking the silent question.
"He's in his room" says Alfred smoothly "and he has been there for the last hour"
"No one checked his room, really?" asked incredulous Tim looking around him.
"Is he okay?" asked Dick, concerned at the Butler's solemn tone.
Alfred waited a moment before nodding his head "You should go to him, Master Bruce" he suggest but sounded more like an order, which Bruce complied gladly. As he left the room, leaving Alfred to explain whatever he knew to the confused brothers, Bruce headed towards Damian's bedroom.
Bruce knocked twice, and after he heard a faint quiet 'enter', he stepped inside. Damian was sitting by his window, knees pressed against his chest and eyes staring outside the glass.
"Damian" he called as stepped forward but his son didn't seemed to knowledge him "Damian" he called one more time, this time a little louder.
The boy wonder slowly turned his head towards Bruce's firm voice "Father" he nods in greeting, not really meeting his Father's eyes before turning back to the window. Bruce sighs and took seat in front of his youngest.
"Son, you can't just leave school without informing someone" he says calmly "We know that you can handle yourself, but what if you were in trouble? What if someone had kidnapped you and we had no idea? What you did today was very irresponsible and dangerous" he scolds waiting a reaction from his son that never came.
"I'm sorry I'm a nuisance, Father" murmured Damian, dropping his chin on top of his knees, turning his face farther away from Bruce.
Bruce stared incredulous at his son "Damian, that's not – Why would you –" he starts but when he heard the soft sniff coming from his son, he stopped short.
"Hey, guys?" calls Jason as he took off his helmet and got off from his bike "I saw Demon Spawn running in the street around two hours ago and isn't he supposed to be in school? And – " Jason trailed off as he stared at the screen of the computer where his brothers where working on "Why are you guys stalking the Facebook pages of ten years old?" he asks slowly and somewhat disturbed.
Both Tim and Dick turned their heads from the Bat Computer and faced his brother. Dick's eyes expressed full coldness while Tim's were calculating and serious. Jason pauses for a second as he contemplated their angry faces.
"Whatever it was, it wasn't me" he declares, raising his arms up in defense. Both of his brothers rolled his eyes at him before filling him in the situation. After a few minutes of explaining, Jason took his gun from his holster and started to spin it around his thump.
"Looks like some kids are going to receive a visit from the Red Hood"
After each brother finished their own plan of revenge, Dick turned to his little brothers "How do you think it's going?" he asks, a worried frown in place. Both middle brothers shrugged. There's a short pause before "I vote eavesdropping" said Jason.
Two second after, Dick and Tim raised their own hand, supporting the decision. The three brothers headed upstairs.
"Damian, loot at me" the dark knight demands firmly after a second, clapping his son on the shoulder to encourage him "Son, please, look at me"
As Damian turned around to face him and Bruce confirmed his suspicion of his son crying, he quickly turned concerned.
"Damian, what –" he starts but is yet cut off again, this time because Damian spoke above him.
"Father, I know I'm not perfect but I'm really trying. I have work so hard and I will keep working hard. Just, please, don't cast me away. I can be useful. I will train harder, I swear. I know I act as I don't like any of you, but I do. You are my family. I won't call Drake an idiot anymore, or play with Todd's guns when he's not looking and I will even accept Grayson's hugs. I will obey every single order you say, just don't – "rambled on the ten years old, tears flowing down his cheeks freely.
Bruce was confused as ever "Damian, stop. Son, what is all of this coming from?" he asks bewildered. Damian sniffed loudly before wiping his nose on his hoodie sleeve.
"Some kids at school said that…" he stayed quiet for a second before taking a breath "They said that you guys don't even want me and as soon as you are able to, you will kick me out". Bruce tries to keep him calm and he reminds himself on the back of his mind that it's not ethical to punch mean ten years old in the face, doesn't matter that you are Batman.
"Son, whatever they told you, they were wrong" he says firmly, placing both of his hand on both of Damian's shoulders.
The young boy blinked at him, disconcerted "But – "
"Damian, we love you" declared Bruce without hesitation "You are family. We will never leave you"
Suddenly, Dick's voice came through the closed door "Yeah, lil'D" exclaims Dick loudly "We love you so much!"
"I, uh, like you enough, okay?" came Jason's voice behind Dick's.
"I'm the only one that is allowed to gives you hell, so I'm pissed" came Tim's indignant voice, then there was a cry out of pain from Tim before he spoke again "And of course, I also like you, Demon. Jeez, Dick, you have a mean elbow"
"Boys" warned Bruce in low threating tone and the older bats shut up. Damian frown confused at the door before his Father caught his attention by shaking him a little.
"Damian, what I want you to understand is that you are family" Bruce states firmly "And nothing you do or say can ever change that fact"
"But I don't deserve that" whispered Damian brokenly, shaking his head.
"Why do you say that?" Bruce asks incredulous, Damian rubbed his left eye, trying to get rid of the tears in vain.
"I have hurt people, I have killed people before and even after I came to you" answers quietly the ex-assassin "And also, I'm a pain in everybody's ass. I'm not even a good son. I bring everybody trouble" continue the list the current Robin, looking at the ground.
"Damian, your past does not define you, remember that" reminds Bruce sternly at his youngest "And you're not a bad son nor a bad person" reassurance Bruce softly before shrugging "I mean, sure, you have your moments of being an reckless pain, but have you met your brothers? They are also a big pain and they're still around"
"We heard that" came back the muffle sound of three voices combined behind the door.
"I didn't heard you disagreeing" retorted back Bruce loudly.
"Touché" was the response. Bruce shook his head fondly while Damian let out a small snicker.
Bruce pointed with his head at the door "See what I'm talking about?" he jokes with a faint smile. Damian nods in response, a soft small smile in his lips as he tries to wipe the reminding of his tears with his sleeve.
"So don't ever doubt the fact that you are family and that we love you, son" declares the dark knight, as he looked at his son in the eye.
Not looking away from his Father's honest eyes, Damian nods once again before wrapping his small arms around Bruce's neck.
"Thank you, Father" he whispers softly. Bruce smiles and as he rubbed his son's back soothing, he turns his head slightly and drop a small kiss on Damian's temple.
"Class, I just wanted to inform you that some of your classmates are not here because they moved out of the city just a few days ago" explained Miss Hills the following next as she pointed at the empty seats around the room.
She ignored the excited 'wooho' sound almost the entire class made at the news "I'm sure they will be missed" she nods softly before turning around, giving her back to the classroom.
"I heard that Ryan's mom founded out about his stack of adult magazines" whispered a girl with piggy tails. The boy sitting next to her, snorted.
"That's nothing. I heard that the Red Hood visited Martin at night, with guns and all"
"I heard that he actually peed himself" said another classmate snickering, the rest of the group laughed quietly with him.
As the rest of the students celebrate of the permanently absence of the Band of Bullies, Damian blinked before letting out a small relieve smile.
His family does want him.
Hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought of it.