Brother
Damian blocked a punch from Kaden so the boy cartwheeled backwards, grinning like the Cheshire Cat as Damian retaliated with a jab of his own. They were training in the gym of Wayne Manor, as usual. Kaden had been learning to fight, to defend himself, from his dad, his papa, and his half-brother for years. Now ten, he was quite skilled.
"Don't get cocky. Just because your circus clown father taught you some flashy acrobatic movies, doesn't mean you're any good," Damian said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. Kaden frowned and shook his head, pointing at Damian.
"Hey, don't talk about papa like that! And besides, you can't deny I'm getting better, Damian!" Kaden snapped back. Damian snorted and waved his hand dismissively.
"Pfft. You're not on my league and you'll never be on my league. You're a mistake so I wouldn't be surprised if you never get any better. Not that you're good now. Mediocre at best," Damian snapped back. Kaden frowned and lunged at Damian, swinging his fists at the teen. Damian snorted and blocked the attacks with ease.
"You definitely have your father's anger issues," Damian said flatly, unimpressed as he tripped the boy up and pinned him to the mat "but unfortunately, not his skill or control. You're hopeless."
"Get off me!"
"Admit defeat and I'll let you up."
"Damian, that's enough," came Bruce's voice. Damian and Kaden looked up to see Bruce in the doorway. Damian snorted and got up off of the boy. Kaden pushed himself up and shot Damian a glare.
"You're a real jerk, y'know that?"
"You mean I'm just better than you in every way and you're jealous?" Damian barbed back with a grin. Kaden snorted in reply and stormed out of the gym. He stopped by the door way and looked back over his shoulder.
"You know, when you were really mean, you didn't like it when Uncle Tim judged you. You didn't think it was fair," Kaden said before he left the room. Damian quirked an eyebrow and Bruce gave a slight smile at him.
"He's right you know, Damian. Tim didn't trust you for the longest time and you didn't like it. How do you think Kaden feels? You should know." Damian snorted and waved his hand dismissively before retreating from the room.
Alfred stopped the car outside of Gotham Academy. It was going to be Kaden's first day here; he was starting fifth grade this year. Gotham Academy was a prestigious kindergarten to grade 12 school that was difficult to get into. Though even without being the grandson of Bruce Wayne, Kaden would still have qualified on his own.
"And here we are. Enjoy your first day of school," Alfred said, glancing back at the two boys in the rear view mirror. Damian scoffed and got out of the car, shoving Kaden out of his way, Kaden glared after him before getting out of the car and looking up at the school building before him. He glanced back at Alfred who simply flashed a smile before driving away from the school.
"Hurry up. You don't want to be late for the first day," Damian called back to him. Kaden snorted and glared at Damian.
"Why do you care?"
"About you? I don't. I just don't want you to make me look bad by association," Damian replied, making his way up to the school building. Kaden glared after him and reluctantly followed.
Damian passed by some fellow students who bumped into him. Damian glared at them and they just grinned. Then they turned their attention on Kaden.
"Look, it's one of the new kids!" said one of the older boys.
"Yeah, Kaden Todd-Grayson. His dad is one of those filthy gypsies," the other taunted. Kaden scowled but ignored the comment, pushing past the boys.
"Yeah, and his other dad is a street rat! He's a gay boy!" another boy jabbed. One of the teens grabbed his backpack and yanked him backwards. Kaden fell over backward and glared up at the teens before him.
Kaden wanted to hit them, but he promised his parents he wouldn't fight. He growled at them but chose to ignore them. Then another of the boys took a threatening step toward him.
"Listen kid-"
"Let him go," came Damian's voice. Kaden looked up in surprise to see Damian glaring at the boys.
"Piss off Wayne. This doesn't involve you," one of them growled. Damian snorted.
"Actually it does. That's my half brother you're picking on."
"You're related to this piece of trash?" one of them said with a laugh. Damian scowled and shoved the boy away, holding out his hand to Kaden. Kaden hesitated before taking Damian's hand and letting the boy help him up.
"First of all, he's not trash. And second of all-" Damian said, taking a threatening step toward the boys "step off and leave him alone, or else." Damian gestured for Kaden to follow him and he did.
"Why did you help me? I thought you hated me," Kaden asked, quirking an eyebrow. Damian snorted, waving his hand dismissively.
"Don't read too much into it. I hate bullies. I would've preferred to kick their asses, but father would be...displeased to hear I got into a fight on the first day of school," Damian answered. Kaden frowned at the very-Damian-esque response, but didn't pursue the issue.
"You should tell someone by the way. Like the Principal, or yout parents."
"No. It's fine," Kaden protested immediately. Damian groaned and scrubbed his face with his hand.
"You're as stubborn and prideful as your father."
"Don't tell, Damian."
"Fine."
School came to an end and Damian and Kaden waited patiently outside the school to be picked up. To their surprise, Bruce was driving a black Lamborghini.
"Grandpa, what're you doing here?" Kaden asked in surprise through the rolled down passenger's seat window. Bruce flashed a smile and shrugged.
"I can't pick up my boys from school?" he asked. Kaden smiled and hopped into the backseat, Damian jumping into the passenger's seat.
"Buckle up," Bruce called. Damian rolled his eyes, but obeyed as did Kaden. They went first to Kaden's apartment building and dropped the little boy off.
"Good bye Kaden. And tell your parents I said hi!" Bruce called, waving goodbye to the boy.
"By grandpa!" Kaden called cheerily before making his way inside. They pulled away from the building and headed back for the manor.
"Damian. I heard what happened in school today," Bruce said evenly. Damian quirked an eyebrow at him.
"How did you - nevermind," Damian said.
"Thank you for standing up for Kaden today. But I'm curious; why did you?" Bruce asked. Damian snorted and waved his hand dismissively.
"Because I don't like bullies."
"Or perhaps because you like your brother more than you're willing to admit."
"Pfft. As if," Damian snorted. Bruce smiled at the teen briefly before turning his attention back to the road.
"You can't fool me, Damian. You don't hate him as much as you profess to," Bruce answered. Damian growled and glared out the window as the manor came into view.
"Okay, fine. He's not all bad. Annoying, stubborn, arrogant-"
"Just like you," Bruce pointed out. Damian glared at his father, but Bruce was unperturbed. He glanced at Damian as they came to a stop in front of the manor.
"You're both share the same mother. It's no surprise you share similarities," Bruce began, but Damian interrupted.
"No. We share a mother and that's all-"
"He's your brother-"
"Half-brother"
"-and you love him like one, despite how mean and hateful you act toward him." Damian snorted again and hopped out of the car, pulled the bag over his shoulder.
"Whatever," he replied, attempted to leave, but Bruce stopped him once more, following him out of the car and resting a hand upon his shoulder.
"Damian. Promise me you'll at least make an effort to be kinder to the boy. He's only ten, and honestly? He admires you."
"What?" Damian asked in surprise. Bruce chuckled in amusement and led him inside.
"Oh yes. I've seen it. Have you ever noticed how much effort he puts into training against you?" Damian frowned and looked down at the ground.
"No. I havne't. But..." Damian paused for a moment staring at the ground as he recalled what Kaden had said to him earlier that morning abd Tim not trusting him, about how he used to treat him. The boy's words rang true, he hated it, and he was treating Kaden even worse than Tim had treated him.
"Fine. I will try to be nicer to Kaden. Happy now?" Damian asked haughtily. Bruce nodded.
"Very," he replied, watching as Damian strutted through the doors of the manor.