Intoxicating Desires | T. Al Ghul ✔

[42]

Damian had been training diligently at the Al Ghuls' training fort for months. He would excel in each and every task because he knew as Talia's son, everyone held great expectations from him.

He couldn't afford to fail or show any weakness.

No matter how tough his opponent was, he would give his best to take him down. And so far, he hadn't lost a single battle.

Until he was put up to fight with the newest recruit to the fort, an eccentric young man with electric blue eyes and a white streak up front in his dark hair.

That was the first time Damian lost a battle in the fort and the first time he tasted the bitter chalice of failure.

He did not know who the man was or why he was there, all he knew was that somehow he had managed to defeat him and he wouldn't rest until he got better and was able to defeat that opponent too.

Still, he felt curious about that mysterious man. he hadn't seen him in the League before and he certainly did not fight like an assassin. Perhaps that was how he was able to catch him off guard and defeat him.

So he went to the training master Raziq and the man stood up immediately, bowing his head in respect.

"Raziq, who is the man you set up to train with me today?"

"He has just joined the fort, Master Damian," he replied, feeling that Damian was angry at the fact that he had lost to a new recruit, "in fact, your mother specially requested for him to be trained here."

"Ummi requested that?"

"Yes."

"Clearly he doesn't need much training," he huffed turning to leave but then paused, seeing that man standing by the wall that displayed the names of all the previous assassins trained at the ort.

"Master Damian, just one battle doesn't determine anything. I am sure you will be able to defeat him in the next..."

"That's enough, I will see to it myself," Damian didn't let him complete the sentence as he left, walking off to the wall as well.

He looked up at the stoic features of that man who upon closer inspection he realized wasn't much older than himself. He would assume he was eighteen or nineteen but was quite tall.

"What's your name?" He asked when he paid absolutely no attention to him.

Electric blue met his emerald eyes as he turned to look at him briefly. "Jason," he replied, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"Where did you come from? I haven't seen you with the League before."

He did not reply, eyes flickering to the names again as if he had no interest in maintaining conversation with the boy.

"Hey, you, I am talking to you. Answer me when I ask something," he huffed angrily, not used to such treatment.

Jason stepped back, raising an eyebrow as his eyes met his again, "why? Do you own this place?"

"Yes."

"I could hardly care less," he shrugged, his eyes narrowing slightly to see the exact shade of the boy's eyes. He reminded him of Talia and the Lazarus pit's healing waters had the same color as his eyes.

"You should if you want to stay alive," Damian remarked but even those words didn't get much of a reaction out of him.

"I died once and I have no preference to stay alive either. Do as you see fit."

Damian's curiosity was piqued by those words. He did not know that Jason was revived by the Lazarus pit but he saw the flecks of emerald in his eyes.

However, the training master came to them, bowing to Damian again, "Master Damian, you must leave for the base today. Mistress wishes for you to return." Then turning to Jason, he added, "and you, Ajay, will be going with him."

Jason gave no reply as if he was very unaffected by the entire situation. But Damian asked, gaining his attention for some time, "you told me your name was Jason. Why does Raziq call you Ajay then?"

"I don't know and I don't care. Go pack your stuff. We will have to leave before sunset."

"Don't order me about," he snapped, feeling the urge to stick his dagger where it would hurt the elder boy most.

Jason seemed to have sensed that hostility as he turned to look at him again, "you are Talia's son, are you?"

"How dare you call her by name! You disrespectful imbecile!"

A very faint smirk threatened to break upon Jay's lips as he mumbled, "just as I thought. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree... A little brat and no more."

Damian lunged at him furiously but Jay managed to block his blows. It wasn't until Raziq and his men came to pry Damian off him that he reluctantly let go.

"When we go to the base, I will fight you on the training ground and I will defeat you," Damian challenged, eyes blazing furiously as he was being led away, "you hear me? I will defeat you."

"We'll see about that," Jason replied, not at all fazed by the threat.

That journey back to the base was going to be interesting, Jason thought, finger brushing against the scratch the little midget had left on his arm. Talia's son was a nutcase, but the more alarming aspect was that the boy looked a lot like someone else too.

Jason felt as if he knew that other person Damian resembled because as far as looks could go, the only thing he had inherited from his mother was the color of his eyes. Other than that, he must be a spitting image of his father.

He must have known his father although he couldn't clearly recall. His memories were still damaged and each time he felt like he was starting to remember, his head would begin to hurt uncontrollably and he would have to ask Talia for the medicine that numbed the pain.

So he hadn't been able to recall much because he was unknowingly suppressing those memories himself. Though the day he would finally remember everything and connect all the dots could be the day the League would face an unprecedented storm.

He didn't have much stuff for him to pack so he joined the rest of the small troop accompanying Damian to the base. Damian was the only one of them who had the privilege of riding a horse, the others were going to be walking on foot all the way back to the League's base.

Jason stood at the end of the troop, distancing himself from Talia's brat intentionally. The lesser he got to interact with the demonic child, the better.

He had managed to control his anger well that day and not lashed out at Damian, thinking that he was still just a little midget who needed to be taught manners. But if Damian kept getting on his nerves, it could make him angry and he could end up doing something that would result in Talia getting disappointed in him.

So far, she was the only person in the League who cared for him or so he thought. And for that very reason, Jason did not want to do anything that could disappoint her. 

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