Brothers To The Bitter End

35

The morning of the fight dawned bright and clear. Damian was already down in the training room warming up his muscles. Even though the fight wasn't going to be until this afternoon, Damian wanted to be prepared. He had just finished cooling off his muscles and was sitting to begin his morning meditation when Rachel burst into the room, panting.

"You know if you regulate your breathing while running, even though you're out of shape you'll have an easier time breathing." Damian didn't even open his eyes at the sudden interruption. It wasn't uncommon. Rachel was, in fact, the only Titan who bothered him during morning meditation. Apparently being "friends" gave her that right.

"Justice League . . ." Rachel panted, "Batman . . . all here . . . for fight . . ."

Damian paused and opened one eye a slit. "Are you trying to tell me that the entire JLA, including Batman, is here to see my fight with Tara Markov?"

"Yes!" Rachel finally seemed to have gained her second wind. "You have to come right away! They want to meet you!"

Damian closed his eye again. "If that's all please leave me to my meditation."

"But," Rachel spluttered, "it's the Justice League! You can't just blow them off!"

"Watch me."

"Damian!" Rachel grabbed Damian's arm. "This is important!"

"To you I'm sure it is." Damian removed her hand from his arm, much more gently than he would have to most other people. "But to me they're simply another organization determined to control the world. Just because they put on a better face does not mean that they are any better. Now please, Rachel, leave me in peace. When I am done I promise to come and meet with your idiotic league."

Rachel sighed. "That's all I'm going to get from you, isn't it?"

"Yes. Unless you're particularly fond of being punched in the face?"

"You don't have to sound so gleeful about the prospect," Rachel muttered sullenly. "I'm going."

Damian allowed himself a tiny smile as Rachel slammed the door on her way out. This was going to be fun.
******
Batman frowned even harder under his mask as Rachel came back to the JLA without Damian. He had both been looking forward to and dreading seeing his blood son. But now he was feeling something akin to irritation, not an unfamiliar feeling after being Jason's legal guardian for years.

"Where is the boy?" Batman growled out at Rachel, who looked positively terrified.

"Uh . . . well . . . Batman . . . uh . . . sir . . ." Rachel stammered.

"Spit it out!" Batman snapped.

"He's not coming!" Rachel squeaked.

"Not coming?" Batman hissed. Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the JLA took a few steps back. No one wanted to get caught in this crossfire.

"Well, at least not yet," Rachel amended. "He has to finish his meditation."

Batman's eyes narrowed to a slit. "Take me to him."

"Well, that's not such a good idea . . ." Rachel bit off the rest of her sentence and shrugged. "Ok, then. Let's go."

Tara followed behind the JLA and the Titans at a distance. She really needed to contact Slade, but for some reason her device wasn't working. She hoped he would be here today.

The Titans and the JLA filed into the training room only to find out completely devoid of life, human or canine.

Batman whirled on Rachel. "I thought you said he was in here."