Personal Warfare

Deranged Valadation

Wayne manor was always full of vigilantes. Whether they were batman's kids or not.

The house was just a safe space for teens and young adults alike that fought the crime and injustice of Gotham.

Among them were, of course, the normal acupoints of the manor; Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake, Duke Thomas and Bruce's biological son and the newest Robin, Damian Wayne.

When Damian first arrived, he had no idea how a normal family acted, not that anything about the Waynes was really normal.

But as time passed and as he assessed his new home, he came to realize that no matter how much his siblings and their friends argued and fought, one thing was still the same.

They cared about each other.

Damian still had trouble wrapping his brain around this. His whole life up till now, he was taught to be the best. To fight till he won. To take out anyone in his way.

He was taught that feelings and emotions were a weakness and anyone that couldn't control them should be taken out.

He was grandson of Ra's AL Ghul, son of Talia AL Ghul. That was just their way as leaders of the league of assassins.

Until he was sent to live with Bruce, his father, he didn't know any better. He didn't know any other way to live. Now though, he was trying to learn.

It was much easier said than done. People had come to expect a darker side from Damian. An emotionless character that acted with anger. Even his own siblings believed he'd never feel real emotions.

But the truth is, he felt more than they could know.

It bugged him when they tested his intelligence, hurt when they called him names, made him rethink his worth to the team when they put him down because of how small he was.

But he never voiced or showed it. He kept it all buried deep, hidden away so they wouldn't think, among all the other things they thought, that he was weak.

Pain can only be hidden for so long though before it just breaks the person down. Destroying who they are or who they're meant to be.

And that's just what was happening to Damian. Slowly, but surely.

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Damian's POV

I watched Jason flip Tim over before folding his arm back and holding him down. "Ha! I win again." He snickered, keeping his hold on Tim.

"Yeah, whatever, get off me, Todd." Tim thrashed around, his face turning even more red in his frustration.

I couldn't help my own snicker before calming my features while Jason finally got up. "Aw look who's all butt hurt. Little baby Tim." Jason made a pouty face then laughed when Tim punched his arm.

"If you hadn't cheated-" Jason scoffed. "I play by street rules, Timbo. It's not my fault you're too much of a sissy to play dirty." Tim huffed, but rolled his eyes and turned to look at Dick.

I looked over too, watching Dick hold back a laugh of his own. "Honestly Tim, Jason's right. Villains don't play by our rules. If you're gonna take someone down, you've gotta learn to fight a little more dirty."

I zoned out, barely paying attention to the rest of Dick's speech as I thought about that statement.

Back on the island with my mother, I was taught to fight any way I could to take out the enemy. No matter who they were.

I knew too many different ways to kill a man without even picking up a weapon. All before the age of six.

I sighed heavily, rubbing my face with one hand as I leaned back in my seat. My head was starting to hurt again from everything my heart was feeling. I didn't know how to stop it, so I just let the pain ground me.