[locked] action;

[babybatshit]

Who: The Batfamily
What: Baby brother crashes the party
When: The day of Damian's arrival (we'll call it May 30)

[The arrival of Damian Wayne begins with a bang and not with a whimper.

He doesn't bother to go for subtlety at the hospital, when he smashes a doctor's face into the wall repeatedly, ties up another and leaves him strung up from the ceiling and beat nearly to a pulp. The statements filed with the police attribute it to a dark-haired boy, somewhere around elementary school-aged, but Damian's long gone by the time any of the authorities can get there with all his gear, and he doesn't intend to be caught any time soon.

Somewhere somebody knows something, and the premise is too mad to be real. But maybe somebody believes it, somewhere around here, and somewhere there has to be a clue as to who would go to the lengths of constructing an entirely new city just for the sake of some stupid plot like this. In his mad rush for answers he goes after the likely targets first. Hospital personnel, and whatever files he can find; the city government, and their records, and the elected officials most likely to have any clues on any sort of criminal conspiracy involving the kidnapping and psychological mind screw that is attempting to convince people they're fictional. Worse, they must know he's Robin. Somebody must know, his clothes were there. This can't be a coincidence. There's got to be a reason he's here, a pattern between what's going on and what's been constructed and a plot to string together to make it all make sense and give him a direction that points to the culprit, and from there, back to Gotham. If Richard doesn't find him first.

From there he moves downwards, into the slums and the gutters and the underworld. Something has to be there, somewhere.

For the people who know how to read the signs, all of this- the systematic searching for information, the harsh interrogations conducted swift and brutal- should make it obvious who the culprit is. And when his investigations turn up certain names- Timothy Drake (not Wayne, no matter how much he wants to call himself Wayne, Damian is Batman's true son), Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd- he'll have a new direction entirely. Tracking them down and breaking into their strongholds. Waiting for them to come.

If they don't find him first.]

Comments

[uneulogized]

[There are days when he misses carrying a weapon on him, but he knows that it's too risky. The trust he's gained here reminds him of when they were looking for Ray Palmer, and every time he goes through something, he feels as if he's waiting for someone—usually Tim—to get tired of him for existing. Jason hates that there's a part of him that even cares, but he knows that the only way he'll get the resources he needs to accomplish anything is to play nice.

That's what he tells himself. Jason's a pretty awesome master of denial when it all comes down to it.

The point is, he would've let off a few warning shots already, but instead, he's pausing, aware that his pursuer isn't patiently playing along, and then turning. Not in time, because Jason is good, but he thought he had a few more seconds. Damian's foot makes contact with the side of his neck, and Jason doesn't hesitate to reach toward his leg to wrap his fingers around it. Better to take hold of him quickly, right?

Recognition does pass immediately. Talia and Bruce's son. Exactly who he wanted to see here.

Well, at least Tim probably wants to see him as much as Jason does.]

[babybatshit]

[He's fast. Faster than Damian had expected, getting ahold of his leg like that. But as he's yanked he takes the opportunity to size up Jason, the fall of his clothes and the potential tell tale bulges, subtle as they'd been taught to keep them, that would indicate weapons. His suspicions are confirmed; Jason isn't carrying anything, or there would be a gun I build face right about now. That's a substantial advantage in Damian's favor, because as ever he's armed to the teeth.

So: Jason grabs, and Damian rolls with it, letting himself get held close as he goes for a batarang at his belt and drive for the weak points. Kidney, abdomen, thigh, whatever he can hit first that might throw Todd off balance or get him to loosen his grip.]

No guns? Are you losing your edge, Todd, or did you finally come to your senses and accept your failure?

[uneulogized]

Didn't need a gun to take you out before.

[It's said with the slightest hiss of breath before he twists to reach for the front of Damian's clothing so he can throw him down against the ground and hold him there. He doesn't need any weapons to take out Damian—Talia had been sure that one of his instructors would make him a human weapon. Of course, Jason had thanked that German asshole by killing him with poison. It still did the job.

But either way, he keeps himself composed. This isn't the first time he's dealt with Bruce's kid, and the circumstances are different. He's different, even if he hates it sometimes. "Different" is a way to taunt him, to tell him he's lost his edge. No, he can still take out a ten-year-old boy one handed. And he intends to.]

[babybatshit]

[Damian recalls all too well getting slapped out of the way by Jason, and it's not a mistake he intends to make again. It would be easy to kill him. It is always easy to think about how to kill anyone he gets in a fight with, and much harder to think about how to not do that than it is for the rest of Bruce's "sons".

He doesn't really see what good letting Jason live serves, but the lesson's been drummed in enough. We don't kill. Incapacitate, though. Maim? Does he really need Jason intact? These and other issues have to be considered.

But it's more important not to get caught underneath Jason, not to get pinned. Twist away before Jason can grab ahold of his front- cape's going to be tricky but that gives him more room to maneuver if he gets grabbed there instead, if he can't move fast enough. Get a kick to the inside of his knee, break out of his grip and roll away, if he can. Distance. It's going to be about distance. Close range, Jason's much stronger.]

That was then. This is now.

[uneulogized]

Yeah, you're right.

[The difference is now, he's not confused, lost, broken, letting Bruce's damnable words play over and over in his head. See, even though he's working with Tim—to some extent now—the last thing he's letting happen is allowing those words to rule his life.

Needs help. Sure. He took care of himself just fine before Bruce had come along and decided he needed to play father. And he did just fine after that, right up until he died.

But Bruce acted like it was a thing all along.

Oh, well. He's living in the here and now and the here and now means there's an annoying ten-year-old boy who looks like a bizarre mix of Bruce and Talia. That doesn't mean Jason's overly fond of him, actually. Talia's great, on occasion, but Bruce? And of course, a bright young youth like this could just be another Robin heading out the door (even if somewhat temporarily).

Damian's kick lands and he allows it, and then he recovers, allowing Damian to move away.]

But ... see. I didn't need a gun to beat Bruce, either. Or Tim. It's all about raw talent.

[babybatshit]

[Jason might not have a gun, but Damian has blades. Knives, of course, the ones he's not supposed to have unless somebody like Dick or Alfred or Bruce allows it, and at least one of his swords if not both. It's enough to be working with. For somebody else it might be a source of pride, to take Jason down without them, but Damian's never truly given a damn about anything like that. He's too confident not to.

Next time, though. Crowbar. Going to have it. But if Todd's going to give him the space, he's going to keep it, at the point of his sword, on the attack this time. Precision strikes to get him on his guard and on unsure footing. Face, inside of the thigh, across the abdomen.]

Says the son of a drug addict and a petty criminal. You wouldn't be anywhere without my mother's help, Todd.

[Some part of him knows this is an unproductive conversation, that there are things he could be asking Jason that might help. But really, does he really want Jason's help?]