The Batpoint Paradox

Talia al Ghul's F- Parenting

*Damien
In recent years after gaining some distance, perspective, and engaging in some in depth introspection a few things became quite clear to me-The most pressing realization, one that despite arguably being painfully obvious to everyone else, was the one that took me the longest to admit to myself. Regardless of that and even though I still choose not to openly discuss it, I am not an Imbecile, a fact my brothers, often act as though they don't know.
Sigh. Useful as it can occasionally be, I do despise introspection. I am evolved enough to admit it, after all the ability to own up to one's own shortcomings is a mark of superior character, thank you Todd.
In any case, my point is this;
I do not have what most deem 'good parents', even father with his righteous crusade and legendary moral compass falls quite short of that standard. Though many would argue that unlike my brothers, Thomas included, I do in fact have living parents in full possession of their mental faculties-though there is much evidence to the contrary-and as such am inherently better off. As far as my father is concerned that is something I largely am in agreement with, however the same cannot be said for my mother. For instance, her calculated, underhanded orchestration of my conception, or how she was actively and remorselessly responsible for my death, among countless other atrocities she inflicted upon me.
Really it had been years since I'd felt any positive emotion toward the woman, long since acknowledged that my personal standards for my parents are all but non existent and done my best to move on. An unfortunate mistake if current events are anything to go by, clearly my mother cannot simply be ignored and forgotten like any other bad memory. No, she is an ever ticking time-bomb, one that cannot simply be diffused, no something must be done about my mother. Somehow I must not only correct the monumental mess she created, but also find a way to neutralize her.
It is this reasoning that has me where I am presently, which is crawling through Watchtower air ducts with pilfered technology in my hand and Todd harping impatiently in my ear.
"Any day now brat, being up here made me uncomfortable even when I was a semi-tolerated ex-bat-brat with former Robin immunity, I do not want to run into one of the heavy hitters on their own turf without that, so get your ass in gear."
I roll my eyes and mentally remind myself that yes I do need him, and verbally eviscerating him will not only put me at risk of discovery, but that there's a real chance Jason isn't above just leaving me here. So I bite my tongue and redouble my efforts to reach my destination, thankfully Todd manages to keep his trap shut for the twenty seconds it takes me to get there. Moments after that I've used Tim's ghost drive to access the mainframe and disengaged the locks and security of the weapons vault, as well as looped the footage both inside and in the outside corridor.
I crack my neck as I tap my comm, letting just a little of my annoyance out now that I've done my part.
"Done, now you can stop your wining and actually do what you're here to do Tt."
Jason chuckles, apparently amused with my ire, an unfortunately common occurrence despite numerous attempts to teach him respect.
I close my eyes and count to five, forcing myself to ignore his idiocy and refocus on the mission.
"Do you have eyes on the target Hood? According to RR's intel it should be on a low shelf in the back of the room on the left hand side."
Jason snorts, "Only replacement would be such an anal-retentive overachiever to make ridiculously detailed blueprints of a top secret weapons vault just because. You're lucky he's so wrapped up with his superboy-toy drama, otherwise he'd probably already know you accessed his files and cornered you about it."
I let out an exasperated sigh, "Todd, the target?? Do you have eyes?"
Jason huffs, "Yeah yeah, I got it, don't get your panties in a twist, target in hand, or rather in duffel bag, heading out now."
I exhale some of the tension that has been building in my chest, "Good, rendezvous at the secondary safe house."
"Aye-aye captain, over and out."
I barley repress a scoff, settling for rolling my eyes as I make my way through the vents and back to the zeta tubes we came in through.
Still as much as he vexes me Todd is the only one I knew I could trust with this mission, the only one who really understands why these kinds of measures need to be taken. Grayson would mother hen me and Drake, well I don't actually know, but I can't be certain he won't tell Grayson out of some misplaced concern for my well-being or some other perplexing reason. Todd for all the idiotic drivel that he regularly spews, can keep his mouth shut and do what needs to be done. He might be unbearable at times but he did his part today, we're almost there, almost home free, I can taste the success on my tongue. Then it happens.
I'm already in the zeta already by the time it all falls apart, just starting to be beamed away in a flash of light, Jason ten feet behind me when a familiar voice calls out.
"Jason?"