Silence Speaks Volumes

A Young Assassin and His Father

Bruce was troubled. What was troubling him was the little kid following him. He was too scared to ask the boy what he needed, so he pretended he didn't notice. He figured it may have something to do with all the boys being gone, but he wasn't sure. He wanted to ask Alfred, but he couldn't with Damian right there. Thankfully, Alfred helped him.
"Master Damian, would you go find my gardening gloves? I believe I left them outside." Damian ran out of the room. He didn't like Alfred doing all the housework. His grandfather gave older servants supervisory roles. He helped whenever the man would let him. "Master Bruce, I am sure you're wondering why the young master is following you."
"What's he doing," Bruce asked.
"It seems the young Master Damian is accustomed to always having a companion with him. You've noticed how he follows his brothers at pretty much all times. You should try doing an activity with him."
"Oh, that makes sense. Thanks, Alfred."
"At your service, Master Bruce." Damian came in a minute later with the gloves. "Thank you," Alfred said warmly as he left. 'That man's diabolical,' Bruce thought. Alfred gave Bruce a look and left.
"Damian," Bruce said. The boy looked at his father attentively. Bruce didn't know what to say next. "I-- What do you do in your freetime?" Damian began signing, but it was too fast. "If you wouldn't mind slowing down." Damian tried again.
I train, do my schoolwork, read, and draw. Bruce never saw the boy drawing.
"May, I see some of your pictures." Damian blushed then nodded. Bruce stood up and Damian took his hand. This makes Bruce remember when Dick first came. He wasn't used to holding hands with anyone. Jason and Tim weren't the hand holding type, so it surprised Bruce that Damian did. The boy was an assassin after all.

Damian led Bruce into his room and opened a drawer. Bruce notice how austere the room was. Unlike the other boys, Damian didn't have posters or medals or even a calendar. Bruce knew Ra's believed in simple living, so that could be a part of it. He wondered if Damian wanted any of those things. Damian handed Bruce a sketchbook, which looked to be one of many, and stood straight waiting for approval. Bruce was tempted to say 'at ease, soldier,' but he didn't want to mock the boy, especially when Damian wouldn't understand the joke.

"These are good," Bruce said, in awe of the sheer skill Damian had. Damian blushed and nodded a thank you. Bruce looked at the pictures a bit more and asked for another one. The father and son spent an hour looking through Damian's pictures. He had five with him, but Bruce suspected he had some back at his grandfather's compound also. "Thank you for showing me," Bruce said when they finished. Damian nodded. Bruce tried to think of what else they could do. "Would you like to spar?" Damian's eyes sparked with excitement.

Bruce didn't know this, but Damian always wanted to spar with his father. He always felt jealous when any of the other boys got to. His mother said his father was a great fighter and that he could learn many martial art forms from his father in that aspect.

Bruce could tell Damian was a different fighter from his brothers. Dick would play around alot, Jason got frustrated too easily, Tim overthought his every move and hesitated, but Damian, the boy looked like he was born fighting. He probably had been fighting since he was a toddler. Damian was efficient and put all his effort into fighting. He was quick on his feet and didn't hesitate. Bruce wondered if the boy would ever consider vigilantism. Bruce hated that he had brought his kids into his war, but Damian would be in it either way. What if he got the boy on the right side at least? Damian was going to become Ra's and take Talia's spot, but he was a chance for change. Those groups were powerful. Plus, combine them with the Justice League, and crime could be practically eradicated.

There was one problem, though. Tim was his partner, and the boy has too many issues with abandonment for Bruce to replace him. He could partner the boy with Jason, but the killing Jason does is not the example Bruce wants to set. Maybe he could partner the boy with Dick. The man always jokes about having a sidekick, Flamebird. Bruce would think about it.