Hey Brother

Chapter Nineteen

Honestly, I hate filler chapters, but I feel it is too early to do the Big Drama. So, we are at a stand still with fillers. My sincerest apologies. I wrote this listening to the BoP soundtrack. Not related, just wanted to let y'all know its fire.

Damian stared at the bowl of cereal in front of him, stirring it slowly as he yawned. He heard footsteps approaching from behind him but paid them no mind as he took a bite of his breakfast.

"Hello, Damian. How are you, my son?"

Damian looked up at his mother, shrugging slightly. "I am okay. A little tired. How are you, mother?"

"Well, I would be better if you and your brother actually cared for me." Damian froze at that, scrunching his face in confusion to stare at his mother. Talia narrowed her cold eyes at him. "Don't give me that look, Damian. You never visited me in prison or called or came for my release. I am greatly disappointed in you both. I raised you better than that."

Damian felt his heart in his throat. "I-I...I'm sorry, mother. Father forbade us from contacting you and-"

Damian heard the slap echo through out the kitchen long after his mother's hand retreated from his cheek. "You may think you are sorry now, but just you wait. I will teach you to respect your mother and your lineage."

"W-what are you going to do?"

Talia sneered at Damian. "What I should've done a long time ago."

Damian woke up in a cold sweat as soon as Talia's hands wrapped around his throat. He turned the lamp on that rested on his bedside table, looking around his room even though he rationally knew his mother was in prison and could not possibly be in his room.

Damian shuddered, grabbing his blanket and wrapping it around his shoulder's like a cape. He crept out of his room, making his way to Jason's room. He slipped inside, shutting the door gently behind him.

Instantly, the bedside light was on and Jason was sitting up, a steak knife in hand. Damian eyed it, unimpressed. Jason noticed who it was and lowered the knife with a shrug. "Old habits die hard."

"Clearly."

Jason scooted over in his bed, patting the spot next to him. Damian climbed up next to him and leaned his head on his shoulder. "Bad dream?"

"Yeah...the usual, but worse."

Jason sucked in a breath. He knew what Damian's nightmares were usually about. "Want to talk about it?"

Damian shrugged. "Mother was here...she was angry at us for not calling or visiting her. She had been released from prison and came to confront me. Mother...she tried to kill me, saying she should've done it a long time ago."

Jason sighed, pulling Damian in for a hug. "Oh, Dami. Mother is most definitely mad at us for 'ignoring and neglecting her'-"

"Not helping."

"-but she would never try to kill you. In her own, very twisted way, she loves us. Both of us. She just has a very strange way of showing it."

Damian snorted against Jason's chest. "Yeah, like hiring the best weapons and explosives tutors to teach us from the age of five on."

"Don't forgot the combat training." Jason snickered slightly.

"Or the chemistry expert that only taught us about how to weaponize chemicals and the most explosive chemical interactions."

"But to her credit, she did hire some regular, normal people tutors as well. I mean, how else have we managed to survive as well as we have at GA if it weren't for mother?" Damian groaned. Jason looked down at him. "What?"

"Don't. Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Defend mother!"

"I wasn't def-"

"Yes, you were! You always do, whether you realize it or not. Whenever we discuss mother, you always have to say something nice or redeeming about her." Damian pulled out of Jason's arms to sit crisscross in front of his older brother, a stern expression on his face. "I understand she has emotionally manipulated you your entire life, but we are free of her. You no longer have to worry about her. Say what you want about her, you don't have to be her loyal lap dog anymore."

"I'm no-"

"Jay, be real. If she called right now and said she needed your help and that she was sorry, would you help her?"

"No..." Damian raised an eyebrow and Jason sighed. "She's our mother."

"Yes, and she is also a terrorist, abused us- especially you-, kept us isolated from the rest of our family, and trained us from a young age to take over 'the family business', which just so happens to be terrorism!" Damian sighed in exasperation. "What is it going to take for you to realize that mother doesn't always know best?"

"I know that, its just..." Jason flopped back on the bed, pulling his pillow over his face. He groaned really loudly into it before removing his face. "I need therapy, don't I?"

"I think we both do."

Jason grunted in agreement. "We can talk to dad about it in the morning. For now, we need to sleep. I have a huge English test tomorrow."

"And don't forget, you promised you would come to the shelter with me to see if we can find a pet that father and Selina would approve of after school."

"Of course." Jason smiled at Damian. "I feel like Selina is a cat person, you might have more luck with a cat than a dog."

"I'll keep that in mind. Good night, Jay."

"Good night, Dami. I hope your dreams get better."

"Thanks."

The two brothers got into a comfortable sleeping position before passing out for the rest of the night, both of their dreams uninterrupted by anymore nightmares. Somehow, in the middle of the night, they found themselves cuddled together, Jason curled protectively around Damian while the younger brother curled against Jason's side.

And if Helena snapped a few photos when she went to wake them up the next morning for black mail purposes, well, only time will tell.