Chapter 4: Farewell

"Why are we here again?"

Grayson was typing something into a small computer when Damian, annoyed, asked this question. The four of them were standing on a crane, of an old abandoned factory site.

Without looking up, the oldest answered him:

"Well, since Bruce is on a business trip, there's been next to nothing to do the last few days, and we all happened to be in town, Tim and I thought we could do something together, and since you and Jason don't think much of movie nights, I came up with something else."

"And you seriously came to this crap Todd?"

Jason only shrugged: "It's just the kind of nonsense activity I haven't had in a while and I was bored anyway."

Damian just rolled his eyes and Nightwing began to describe their plan:

"I've been thinking that we're going to play Catch the Flag as a kind of training, Robin style. This old factory site will be the playing field. You should think about every step carefully, because everything is rotten and could collapse at any moment. Tim made us two drones with the little flags on top of them. However, they are programmed so that they will always avoid you and also open fire shall you get too close. Since I'm already a well-rehearsed team with Damian and Tim and he would only go at each other's throats, we form the following teams: Jason and Damian against Tim and me. Any objections?"

The elder looked around questioningly. While Jason and Tim had no objections, Dick could tell the youngest of them wasn't too keen on this idea. So he quickly continued, holding up a key.

"Since I'm in charge while Bruce is gone and want to make this a little more exciting, the winning team gets to drive around with the Batmobile for a night."

And just like that, he had them all on the hook.

"Tim and I are going to set up on the other side of the factory. You'll have 10 minutes to come up with a battle plan before a flare announces the start."

Tim was already making his way to their destination when Dick turned to the other two once again with his finger raised: "Oh and no firearms Jason and no half dead people Damian. I don't want to have to explain this to Batman. See you in a bit."

With that Dick swung off the crane and after Tim. Silence fell between Redhood and Robin. But after a moment, Jason said:

"Well Kiddo, since I don't expect you to stick to any plans, I suggest you take care of Tim and I'll take on Dick. To be honest, I'm really only here to kick his ass. I haven't done that since we all went happy family again, even though it's so much fun. From what I've heard, you're probably eager to kick Tim's ass too, right?"

A diabolical grin crept onto Damian's face: "Grayson said half dead, but not dead."

Briefly the man under the red hood paused before he began to laugh:

"That's how I like you kid."

Again, silence fell between the two before Damian asked a question:

"Tell me Todd, why did you decide to come back in the first place? I thought you hated being a part of this family."

Thoughtfully, Jason propped his chin on his fingers and looked up: "Good question. I could say something like 'I've finally realized that killing is bad', but that would be a lie. I still believe that criminals should be exterminated. I mean how many times have criminals like the Joker broken out of Arkham and killed innocent people over and over again. The judiciary is also one of the biggest criminals in my opinion. Judges are bribed, policemen miss use their power. That's why I've sworn to protect the weak by all means and to follow my own justice."

"So why are you here then?"

"Even though I hate to admit it but even a bloody Robin Hood can't do everything by himself, and if I may give you some advice, you should admit that too Kiddo."

Exasperated, Damian turned his head away: "-Tt-, you're starting to sound like that dreamer Grayson."

"I'm just trying to show you that the path I've been on is self-destructive. I can tell you're a lot like me in many ways, and I want to set a bad example for you. As for Dick, you can always be sure that this loyal fool will help you even if you don't stand for the same thing. I stabbed him in the back so many times and yet he never once hesitated to come as soon as I called him. I respect him for that. But don't you dare tell him that kid, or I'll blow your brain out of your skull."

Damian just rolled his eyes: "Like I'd care about something like this."

Jason relaxed and leaned against a bar of the crane:

"You will. I wonder how long it will take him to tame you little demon."

Bored, Damian merely growled:

"Shut the fuck up Todd, or I'll cut your tongue out." Jason couldn't help but laugh.

A flare exploded in the sky with a crash.

"So Kiddo, shall we go get the Batmobile?"

Grinning devilishly, the kid looked up to Redhood: "I'll drive."

Damian awoke to a wet tongue licking over his face. Titus had apparently found him in Dick's room behind the bed and was now cleaning the traces of the previous night from his cheeks. Gently he pushed the excited dog back and wiped the saliva off with his sleeve. Somewhat surprised, the boy looked at the large window, whose bright rays revealed the next morning. Had he slept here all night?

Titus looked at him worriedly and Damian replied with grateful ear scratches:

"It's all good buddy. I'm all better now." He stood up and stretched once before the sweater, while leaving the room, ended up in the laundry basket and Damian made his way to the kitchen.

Once there, his father was already sitting at the large kitchen island. Alfred was pouring him a cup of coffee when the boys presence was noticed.

"Good morning Master Damian, would you like some breakfast?"

Politely the butler asked him, but Damian just walked disinterestedly to a nearby wall.

"No thank you Alfred. I'm not hungry."

With a skillful jump, the little boy retrieved the katana from the wall mount and examined the sharp blade scrutinizingly: "I'll borrow this for now."

Damian was about to leave the room again when his father's voice stopped him at the threshold, "Damian, I need to talk to you about something."

His son didn't even turn around as he calmly replied:

"I already know father. You don't have to explain anything to me...I'll be out in the garden training with Titus, should something be up."

Damian left the kitchen, leaving his surprised father behind.

Sighing, Bruce massaged the root of his nose in exertion: "So he did stand at the door last night."

"That's all right sir, at least the boy knows the reasons then. He probably needs time for himself right now to deal with it. Master Damian may want us to believe that the whole situation doesn't bother him much, but I doubt that very much. Master Richard was very important to him and I would even go so far as to say that he saw in him something like a second father when you weren't around."

"I know there was a strong bond between them and that's why I'm worried about him Alfred. Even if he doesn't seem like it most of the time, he is still a child. I don't want him to let that influence his actions. He's impulsive and I'm not sure he won't accidentally start the killing again."

"Other than that sir, how about you?"

Bruce looked up: "Pardon?"

"How are you doing with the loss of Master Richard?"

Bruce lowered his head again: "How do you want me to be Alfred? He was a son to me and my longest partner whom I could trust unconditionally. How do you want me to answer that question?"

He put his face into his hands before continuing: "I feel like I'm back in that alley where my parents were taken from me. But I can't let that get to me. I'm Batman and I have to be the constant pillar."

Concerned, Alfred looked down at his foster son before placing his hand on his shoulder:

"You know Master Bruce for me Master Dick was the Boy Wonder for a very specific reason. He made you open your heart and trust other people again because he understood you. He made you participate in life again, and that's how he made a person out of you. You may be standing in the alley, but by now you are not standing there alone. This manor is no longer big and empty, but full of life and beautiful memories. Don't let pain take over again, but use it to help Master Damian. The boy needs his father now."

Thoughtfully, Bruce looked into his coffee.

"I know Alfred and I'll be there for him."

Bruce pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number: "I'll let Tim and Jason know and that the funeral will be in four days. It's better if we can say our goodbyes quickly so we can move on. I'll talk to Damian again tonight."

With a sad expression, the butler put his coffee pot into the dishwasher.

"A good decision sir."

As announced, Bruce stood outside his biological son's room that evening. Carefully he knocked on the wooden door and was let into the room with an: "Come in."

Damian was sitting at his desk, writing his report about the events. He did not look up.

"How are you Damian?" As if nothing had ever happened, the little boy replied:

"Everything is fine father. The injuries from the fight were only superficial."

Concerned, the man drew his brows together.

"That's not what I mean. I know Dick was important to you."

But his son's reaction remained the same.

"It's part of professional risk. Any one of us could have been hit."

Straining, Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Suddenly, a gold object caught the father's eye, lying on the nightstand next to the big bed. Bruce picked up the familiar bracelet with two robins embossed on it:

"That's Dick's, isn't it? Why do you have that?"

Damian looked over his shoulder briefly before answering: "He lent it to me."

Puzzled, Bruce inquired further: "Why?"

"Father excludes me all the time. He hides information from me and doesn't take me on every mission. I am Robin, Batman's partner, yet he doesn't see me as such!"

Damian sat on a couch in Dick's apartment as he angrily complained about his father. He has had a fight with him and in his rage had ridden one of Batman's motorcycles to Bludhaven, to his old partner. The latter was just coming out of the kitchen with two hot cups of tea.

"Bruce keeps secrets from everyone and it takes years for him to trust you completely. Any Robin can tell you a thing or two about that."

Dick placed one of the cups on the table in front of Damian and then sat down in the chair next to the couch before taking a sip.

"But I'm his son and the future wearer of the mask. If he should trust anyone, it should be me!" Angrily, the kid crossed his arms as Dick just raised a brow.

"No offense Damian, but you're not exactly what you'd call trust worthy."

"What do you mean by that!"

Theatrically, the taller man counted off the facts on his hand:

"You ignore orders, still get violent sometimes, and your backstory isn't exactly the best either. Trust doesn't happen overnight. You have to work for it."

"But you didn't hide anything from me when we were a team and you took me seriously."

"I'm not Bruce Damian. I like to work with others and such things require mutual respect. However, at the same time, it is also a high risk of being betrayed. But I take it. Bruce doesn't. He distrusts everything, including you."

Again Damian crossed his arms angrily and leaned back into the couch petulantly:

"Robin should be Batman's partner, not his temporary substitute."

Dick furrowed his brows and sighed briefly before asking the boy a question:

Tell me, what is the Robin to you?"

Puzzled by the question, the boy replied:

"A way to beat up bad guys?"

Dick just smiled briefly at this answer before continuing:

"Maybe you should think about what your Robin means."

"What do you try to say?"

Damian was now visibly even more confused as Dick explained himself as well:

"Well each, of us had our own idea of the Robin. Jason saw him as a way to protect by any means the weak, even from justice. For Tim, he was a sign of danger. That's also why he chose the name Red Robin, to honor Jason's death and to remind himself that fighting crime is a game with your own life. So what kind of Robin do you want to be?" *1

Strained, the boy thought carefully, but didn't come up with an answer:

"I don't know."

"I would have been surprised, if you did."

Dick stood up and retrieved a golden object from a nearby dresser before walking back and holding it out to Damian with a smile. Examining it, he accepted the bracelet with two robins embedded in it:

"What's this?"

"Something that means a lot to me and the origin of my Robin. Give it back to me as soon as you know what your Robin means. Take your time with your answer."

Dick got up and took his cup to the kitchen as he continued: "I'll let Bruce know you're sleeping here tonight. Alfred will pick you up in the morning, and don't even think about riding back home the motorcycle."

The taller man was about to hit the shower when something occurred to Damian:

"What does the Robin mean to you?"

Dick turned again and replied:

"I'll tell you when you give me back the hoop." With that, Richard disappeared into the bathroom.

Damian looked up to the golden bracelet in Bruce's hand before replying: "I was supposed to give that back to him as soon as I could answer a question. However, I guess I'll have to keep it now."

Bruce's brows drew together. He hadn't seen that hoop in ages, and he knew it was Dick's most important possession. It amazed him all the more that he had entrusted this precious piece to Damian just like that.

"Would you like to know the story behind the bracelet?"

Now interested after all, the little boy looked at his father, who just sat down on the bed.

"Well come here, the report isn't so important. It can wait." Slowly Damian rose and sat quietly next to his father before he continued speaking:

"You know, Dick had gifted this bracelet to his mother as a birthday present, just before she died. She loved Robins and always referred to him as her little Robin. Every time he felt lost, or stuck, he'd looked at it to calm himself and think. I guess it reminded Dick which way he wasn't going to go. He always guarded that hoop like a treasure, so you have to take good care of it." *2

Bruce placed the golden piece in his son's hands before Damian thoughtfully asked a question:

"If it was so important to Grayson, why did he give it to me?"

"I think he was just worried about you and thought the hoop might help you as much as it helped him."

Damian smirked briefly before quietly adding: "A hopeless idiot all through."

Slowly the little boy leaned against his father's body and he closed his eyes: "I'm tired father."

Bruce put his arm around him reassuringly and returned the gesture:

"Me too Damian."

As announced, the funeral took place four days later at Wayne Cemetery. Uncharacteristically for Gotham, it was one of the few days when the sun shone. Appropriately for Grayson.

But there was no grave, just a stone with a name and year. Well, no one laid in it anyway. For Damian, the whole thing was merely a symbolic act, to have something to go to later on.

And yet, even Todd had come to pay his last respects. Though Grayson has had many friends, Bruce wanted it to be just with family. So now the five of them stood around that polished stone and listened to his last words for Grayson.

Damian was the first one to leave the scene. It was only a stone after all, and not him. The boy passed through the cemetery gate and was walking up the steps to the manor door when Jason came up behind him.

"Hey Kid, wait a minute. I wanted to give you this." The Outlaw held out a small device to him that had similarities to a cell phone. Without showing any reaction on his face, Damian accepted the strange thing.

"Since I often have to operate in the underground, cell phones aren't much of a use with me, but you can always reach me with this. I know I'm not Dick, yet you can always contact me if you ever get tired of the bat."

Silently, Damian looked down at the device, but said nothing.

"Well then Kiddo, I've got to get going again before the old man makes me stay for dinner. Keep your chin up." Jason walked to his red motorcycle at the stairfoot and left the property with a farewell gesture.

Life went on.

Notes:

1 These are Jasons and Tims interpretations of the Robin. They talked about that topic in the Robin War.

2 The bracelet I used in this scene, does exist in the New 52 (Nightwing #0) and was, as I said Dicks most important treasure in memory of his parents. Originally he gave it later to a little random girl, but in my Story he kept it instead and gave it to Damian.