Lost Son

enyaw

Do you guys prefer the chapters to stick with Jason or to flip flop?

Also, this kind of goes all over the place and is a little crappy so I apologize.

Tim and Dick watched from afar as Damian trained in the Batcave, Bruce hunched over at the computer typing rapidly.  They followed his movements with their eyes, never once taking their gaze off of his fluid gestures as he tossed his throwing knives across the training area into the targets, hitting them dead center. Damian wasn't just throwing the knives from a standing position, he was flipping through the air and acting as if he were in the midst of battle, ducking and leaping over imaginary foe.

In short, he was showing off for his audience.

Tim scoffed at the young boys action. Dick turned to his younger brother, brow arched. Tim rolled his eyes in return, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "He is just trying to impress Bruce with his Shadow training. 'Oh, look at me, the son of Talia al Ghul, I'm so cool'."

"I'm guessing you meant that childish rhyme on purpose, Drake." Tim and Dick turned to see Damian behind them with a sword, a calm expression on his face. "Based on your personality and your apparent disdain for me, it seems fitting that you would try to mock me so."

Tim looked to Dick, who was smiling at the young boy before them. "Hey, Dami - "

"Do not call me that."

Dick ignored him and continued on. "How would you like a sparring partner?"

Damian looked at the young man thoughtfully before barking out a laugh. "You think you are on my level, Grayson? Please. Even if you are the first protégé my father brought on, that doesn't make you comparable to me."

Tim rolled his eyes once more. "Full of yourself, much?"

Damian turned his amused expression to Tim. "And you, Drake, aren't even close to Grayson's level, let alone mine. So it puzzles me as to why father let's you stick around."

Tim sneered at the boy. "I could easily take you, Damian."

"Those who boast about their abilities usually lack them."

Tim smirked. "Then what does that say about you, Mr. You're Not On My Level?"  Damian faltered, glaring at Tim. Tim looked back smugly. "And that's why B keeps me around."

"To turn ones words against them?" Damian snapped.

"Enough." The trio turned to see Bruce approaching in his suit, cowl down. He glared at the three of them. "Dick, Tim, watch Damian. I'm heading out."

"Where are you going?" Dick asked, stepping after Bruce as he pulled the cowl on.

Bruce paused, looking back. "To speak with Talia."

Something flashed across Damian's face. "You are going to speak with mother, knowing she wants you dead?"

Bruce stared at Damian. "Yes. You said she can't bring herself to kill me, hence why she wants Jason so badly. She won't harm me, fatally at least."

"Need company?" Tim asked, not wanting to spend anymore time with Damian.

"No. Watch Damian. I'll be back." Bruce left the cave in the plane, leaving the trio behind him to watch him exit.

Bruce piloted the plane to Talia's last known location, Infinity Island. He arrived there in record time, getting off the plane. Making his way to the compound, he snuck in and found himself standing face to face with Lady Shiva. She raised a brow at him. "We have not done anything as of late to warrant such behavior from you, so, what brings you here?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes at Lady Shiva. "Where is Talia?"

Shiva stared at him for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Oh, I see. You've come for a romantic moment with your beloved. I am sorry to disappoint but she is not here."

Going to refute Shiva's statement about him being romantic with Talia again before thinking better of it, Bruce just grunted. "Will you tell me where she is?"

Pursing her lips, Shiva thought about it for a second. "I suppose I could. Or, you could wait here for a moment and join me for the call I am about to receive from your beloved Talia."

Bruce weighed his options. "Fine. When will she - "

Getting cut off by a ringing phone, Bruce looked to Shiva as she smirked at him, pulling out a phone from her pocket. She answered it. "Hello, Talia. I will preface this call by letting you know your beloved Batman is here with me, looking for you." Shiva listened for a moment. "Understood."
She reached out with the phone in her hand, looking at Bruce expectantly. "She wishes to speak with you."

Bruce took the phone. "Thank you." Placing the phone against his ear, he kept his eyes on Shiva as he spoke. "Talia."

"Beloved. Why would you travel all the way to Infinity Island when I am right in your city?"

Bruce elected to ignore that, jumping straight to the point. "Talia, why do you want me dead?"

There was silence on the other side of the line. "Who told you I want you dead?"

"Damian, our son."

Bruce heard a curse in Arabic. "I see. Beloved, you must believe me, I do not wish you dead."

Staying silent for a moment, Bruce thought over his next question. "Then why go after Jason and send Damian to me?"

Talia sighed. "I am 'after' Jason, as you put it, because he is a valuable asset to have in my arsenal. We grew close during his time with the Shadows and I wish to rekindle that bond. Damian knows this and grew jealous, running away from me to find you in hopes of sabotaging my plans to bring Jason back to my side. I never sent Damian to you, he went of his own accord, with his own agenda. I have been searching for him ever since he left." Bruce didn't respond and Talia inhaled deeply. "Beloved,  our son is very intelligent and very gifted, that makes him dangerous. I don't know what he has planned for you or your family, and I am sorry he is taking his anger at me out on you. If I believed I could help, I would."

"Back off of Jason. Let him come home to me."

"...I can't do that."

"Why not?" Bruce snarled.

"I...I hired Doctor Strange to recover Jason's memories and bring him to my side. He has already been paid, so he will fulfill his job or face the consequences. If I intervene...who knows what that man will do to Jason's mind."

Bruce heaved in a deep breath. "Thank you for the information, Talia."

"Of course, beloved. Please put Lady Shiva back on."

Bruce handed the phone back to Shiva, leaving without another word. Once he was back on the plane and flying over the ocean, he cued up a call to the cave. Alfred answered within seconds. "Sir, I have been trying to reach you - "

"Alfred, where is Damian?" Bruce cut off the butler.

"That's the thing, sir...Damian attacked master Richard and master Tim moments after you left, leaving them in terrible condition, before taking off. I have no idea where the boy is."

Bruce gulped, pushing the plane to go faster back to Gotham. If his hunch was correct, he had a son to save and another to stop.