Silence Speaks Volumes

A Young Assassin's Anxiety

Jason and Dick were taking Damian to the zoo. He seemed to take an interest in animals, so it seemed like a good idea. Then Ra's thought today was a good idea for a test. Damian pulled a collapsible katana out of his... well no one knew where he got it. He attacked the assassins while Jason and Dick rushed to get civilians out of the way. When they came back for Damian they were met with a dead bodies strewn all over the ground. Dick had to fight back the urge to vomit. Jason, being a guy who would send seven heads to someone, wasn't too bothered. "Damian," he called. Then he saw the boy. He walked up and Talia was standing there.

"You were adequate, my son." She gave him a small smile. He bowed. "Father will be calling you tomorrow to see your training progress. Do impress him." She gave him a kiss on the forehead and ladder from a helicopter dropped. She climbed on and was gone.

"So, a test," Jason said. "If the goal was to kill them all, good job." Damian rolled his eyes.

"They're all dead," Dick said in horror.

"That's what assassins do, Dickie," Jason said, trying to lighten the situation.

"You can't just kill people, Dami," Dick said softly. His phone rang. "Bruce?... we'll be there." Dick hung up. "Bruce wants us home now. I think he's mad."

They went home quickly, and Bruce was waiting for them. "What happened," he said evenly, staying as calm as he could.

"Talia sent a test. Damian passed with flying colors." Jason was being blunt. Damian smirked.

"You think it's funny to murder people? It's not, Damian." The boy stood his ground. Jason stepped in front of him a bit. "That's unacceptable. I don't care what they taught you. When you're in Gotham, you don't kill." Damian stood as a soldier.

"Go to your room," Bruce's voice was more like Batman's now. Damian bowed. Then the boy went away calmly, not rushing or trembling. He was trained for this. He could calm himself down. Jason went after him.

"Bruce," Dick said. "He wasn't taught any better. We have to teach him, not scold him." Bruce grunted and left.

Jason didn't see Damian when he first entered the room. "Damian," he called. The boy came as he always did. Damian sat down against the foot of his bed. Jason sat next to him.

I didn't mean to disappoint . He was signing.

"I know." Jason went to hug Damian and the boy flinched. He noticed Damian was staring into space. "Damian." Jason snapped his fingers in front of Damian's face. Damian began to hyperventilate. "Hey, Damian. It's okay. You're okay. You're in your room in the manor." Jason snapped his fingers in front of the boy's face again. Damian wasn't responding. Jason noticed Damian was signing, but it was too fast for even him to understand.

"Damian, you have to breathe." Damian didn't respond. "Hey," Jason grabbed Damian's face. He waited for Damian's eyes to focus on his. "Breathe." Jason showed Damian an over-exaggerated breath. Damian tried, but began to cough. Jason rubbed soothing circles in the boy's wrist with his thumb. "It's okay. Try again." After awhile of just sitting with the boy until the episode passed, Damian's breathing slowed and he slumped against Jason. "You okay?" Damian looked at Jason, but didn't respond. Jason picked him up and put him in his lap. The boy was limp against Jason's chest. "It's okay, buddy." Jason carded his hands through Damian's hair. Jason wondered what had brought on this episode. It was probably something Bruce said. It took him somewhere else in his mind. Damian's breathing deepened and the boy's eyes drooped. Jason got up to put him in bed and the boy clinged to him. "I'm not going anywhere." Damian's grip loosened and he closed his eyes. Jason sat on the bed and covered Damian with a blanket.

...

Damian woke up about an hour later. He looked up at Jason, stretched, then laid his head down and closed his eyes again. "You okay?" Damian nodded his head in Jason's abdomen. Jason picked him up and flipped him around. Damian's back was on Jason's chest now. "What's the word?" Jason was asking what happened that took Damian there. Damian shrugged. Jason began to rub Damian's wrist again.

"We can go back to the zoo another day since your mom decided to crash," Jason said softly. Damian shook his head.

Aquarium . That made Jason laugh.

"Okay." Damian yawned. "Still tired?" Jason figured panic attacks always were tiring. The boy answered by turning back on his abdomen. Jason chuckled. He was going to let Damian sleep until dinner when someone knocked on the door. Tim walked into the room.

"Dinah's here for Damian."

"For what," Jason asked.

"They read or something."

"Damian reads at a college-student level."

"I don't know why they do what they do. Just wake him up."

"He's good here. Tell her to go away in high society Tim speak." Tim rolled his eyes and walked over to the bed. "Don't try it, replacement. You'll live to regret it. Well, more like you won't." Tim took a step back.

"Jason, stop being difficult."

"I'm just helping Damian out. Goodbye."

"Damian," Dinah asked. She popped her head into the room. "Oh, hi, Jason." Jason glared at her. He never liked Dinah. She used to throw herself at Bruce. She still would be if Oliver hadn't finally gotten her. "Would you wake Damian up for me?"

"No," Jason said.

"We were just going to--"

"He doesn't like you guys trying to make him do things he's not comfortable with. If, and only if, he wants to talk, he'll do it on his terms." Dinah was speechless.

"I-- um... I'll go now," she said quietly as she slipped out the room.

"How protective," Tim said with mock enthusiasm.

"Shut up." Tim was laughing as he left. Damian stirred a bit, but stayed asleep.