Red Hood And Company- My Life as an Outlaw-

/

12: Gabadagooks, or - Words I Cannot Say Aloud

/

" The muffins aren't on the floor! Why not??" Bizzi dropped to scoop up the tray as Damian grabbed it, slamming the thing into the bat as he wasn't told ANYTHING by his one family. The truth, the very truth….

"You cannot be who mother….you won't help us." He accused with a snarl. "Batman, stopped men like Todd from doing all they must. We needed you, and your cronies, Nightwing refused to lend his aide to us. Why should we trust a word –

"Dami. Cause…well, Jason was one if us. Once."

"He still never left. Not entirely."

"Not true, Bruce." Jason snorted as he came to stand behind Dami. "I'd do my best because I owe Talia for saving me when you couldn't figure out that I was still alive. Dick saw, he did…but we don't talk because you didn't have to be a part of this family."

"Todd…" Dami gritted his fists and turned to the other, his brother. Not his real teacher, this was….was…

Family? With no trust, and regrets left behind?? What sort of family was less than honorable! What sort ….

"I can't ever be a part of what you wrought." Damian looked up as Jason slapped the dark knight right in the face. "He isn't your responsibility. Talia wanted him here, woth me –

"If I'm not allowed to see my brother, then we don't need you. Or your army and weapons. We'll defend this place all on our own. You forgot about him, Bruce. You didn't know anything!"

"Talia took my DNA when I was in her home, taken. Jason, Damian can't stay. He'd be a target for the next assassin that tries to claim him back for Deathstroke."

"Wh –

Jason put up a hand, stopping the younger boy from speaking. "Roy called you to help out, not stall and lecture. If you let us do what we can, you could just…-

"I don't want you to live here, you or Jason."

"I got connections again. I can barricade us –

"How long, you know?" Sniffed Dick as hole threw his head to the side, eyes rolling. "How long before Deathstroke doesn't come to finish the job? You know what he did to Bludhaven. I was homeless for a –

"You got over it." Growled the antihero. Bizzi and Arte with Roy all stayed on the side, cleaning up the kitchen and then moving to the next room.

"Bruce, this has gone on long enough. Jason is just afraid we're always right. We are!"

"He is too, Nightwing." Frowned the dark knight. "If you come back to the manor, we can talk things over. Damian needs a safer place to stay. This isn't all you can provide, is it?"

Jason looked around. Down graded from the place they'd fled from, it wasn't ideal for too many. Arte didn't have a place, and Bizzi was not to be trusted around high rises.

"If I get to bring my team. Get them there own safehouses, and Dami is still –

"A child."

"With your very reflexes, Batman." Damian sassed the vigilante. "I could win against the blue footed book anytime."

"You won't have to fight. This was truly why Talia sent you to Gotham."

"I went to find you, not her."

Bruce blinked.

"I, thought I could ask for help, but that dumb big bird of yours pushed me out."

Jason scowled as Dick ducked his head. "You started it by walking out with the League! He –

"As much as I'd like to leave this to you both, like I said. Damian is by rite, by blood, my son. He needs a home, a future-

"I need a better explanation." Damian stated. "About why Jason didn't tell me about what you would certainly have done and why we are running. Todd?"

He turned to the other clown, his brother. "All this time, why did you take this job? I'm it, the reason he is such a problem, the fact mother said to stay close. Why, then?"

"Because, being near him brings nothing but trouble. Death, like mine."

"We didn't stop –

"Ah, save it." Jason huffed. "You just told the kid you knew where we both were. You aren't hiding it now."

"You would have made a choice to stay, but you aren't loyal to the shadows, only Talia and her son."

"I won't go back with Deathstroke." Damian crossed his arms as Jason nodded as well. "And I won't let him be taken. We got a foothold as my Red Hood label. It will give us more firepower if –

"Assassins snuck into the country and tried to abductor him, Jason. How much can you take if one of your jobs becomes too much alone?" Dick pounded out, impatient. "You're not a parent, I know. You used to take care of yourself, but this is…big! Damian is royalty, he's risking it all by asking us to do something. That could mean going back and STOPPING Slade before he stays in Gotham to go searching…you really don't know what he's capable of. Those idiots who you fought, they're peanuts compared to whoever else he'll hire to get his dirt and bring it back to Ra's fortress."

"HE murderer grandfather."

Gasping, Roy didn't stay silent fir long. "Impossible-

"He didn't reach the pit in time, I mean it."

Damian looked to Jason who hung his head. "He's right. We didn't have time and Slade even had his kid, Rose. We wounded her –

"ROSE??" Dick gawked. "How?? She's like him –

"Not in the eye, it was clearly on the left side." Damian hummed, taking pride in not playing the victim during that falling about. "She'll be just as bitter as her parents, like I should fir my grandfather. If I were to take his role up as the next demon head, Slade would have no reason to become a threat."

"You would." Dick put in darkly. "We don't kill,Damian."

"Yes, you torture, but can't think twice about selling yourselves." Dami snuggly said, a smirk upturned as Jason continued. "The kid needed to cool it, and I promised not to –

"To kill anyone? Is that even true?" Artie frowned.

" You aren't lying." Bizzi did the same. "All of the killers coming here, they won't hurt us."

"That's very true, Bizzi."

"At the fullest extent, I'll only allow you to help. Only if you return to the cave for a full examination. And for Damian to be safe where Slade can't raise his hand there." Bruce brought himself a step closer as Dami backed into Jason's chest. Just as Jason was about to kneel and whisper something, Dick spoke up.

"I know we have new additions, lots of weapons and…I'll even monitor these "gatherings" to be sure you're just making them useful in protecting one of our own. Okay with you, Jace?"

Damian turned to his once loyal family, to see the shrouded doubt evolve and be swallowed. "Todd, mother said –

"To keep you safe, at all costs. And they, they have everything, while we are going to get burned out. I'll make a few connections, get Intel. Like old times…."

"No! No, playing the fool is beneath you, and I can't….you said I was your student!"

"You'll be his in self defense, not in weaponry." Bruce corrected.

Jason looked up. "Wait, you won't take that away? What about Dick?"

"I'm on the sidelines. We sure could do more for the kid, but Dami is keen on you. What? Did you think your little team was a problem for us? Not really, but we have to do the right thing. You're not a real dot org, which is why you've been looking at this, way wrong."

The others smiled, Roy seeming bashful. "I told you, he's on our side. You just hated him cause it was all that confusion."

"I wanted to defeat him, Deathstroke hurt my –

"Killing him isn't the answer towards solving your problems." Bruce got to one knee as Damian looked away, scowling. "You're wrong. If he can't be killed in fire, then maybe there is another way to incapacitate –

"Hear him, Jay?? He's talking like a Shadow! You have to say, yes. You know it's the only option right now..." Dick clasped his hands as Batman put out a palm, a peace offering to Damian. "We're not enemies. We want to bring Wilson in, just like you. But killing him won't bring back your Grandfather. Your mother knows that better than anyone."

"You don't know her like you think you do…" The boy sneered and simply left the hand, unclasped. He'd get his way, then he and Todd would be done taking orders. There was no freedom, and his brother was stricken by the choice yo take this for so long. A soldier and his underling, the same as how Rose might be to him with her father.

They were mirrors, if ever he recognized how needed he was to either party. Sought, by his association with his Grandfather if the demon's head.

"I'LL fight, I'll go. Only this condition I …command."

"Command away, highness." Dick cocked a stupid grin as Dami clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Todd's wrongdoings are to be put away, this case will clear all past incidents. You are to not have me stay and be treated like a child, but a man of the home. I could even run your cave front wards and back if I wanted to. Make no error in this. I was born to BE at his level. To surpass the Batman, not to become him."

"Then stay a Robin."

Dami blinked. "What?"

Barman stood up and added in more, all the faces looking quite confused.

"He'd become their target! That's not –

"He can try it. Not like it will have him any good if he's a damsel in distress. Give the boy the training." Artie smirked. "The short-term version, seeing as his home isn't here."

"That was the plan. To get you prepared for every eventuality." Bruce continued. "When Deathstroke finally comes back to this city, you'll be the only army you need."