At least it was until Dick decided that Tim should take him on a trip to Titan’s Tower to mingle with his so called fellow heroes. He scoffed at how cheery the current Batman introduced the idea. He flat out refused when it was brought up, but Tim quickly changed his mind with pictures of his brother and father together long before their deaths. If he wanted those pictures, he had no choice but to comply. He found himself buckled into the Batwing with his arms crossed and waited for the looming torture to come.
“It’s not that bad.” Tim said exasperatedly as he flew the Batwing to the tower.
“I’m only doing this for those pictures, you better not double cross me Drake.” Damian grumbled.
Tim sighed and pulled out a photo and reached back for Damian to take the offering. “I’ll give you one right now and the rest when we get home.”
Damian was quick to snatch it out of his hand and carefully looked over the glossy surface. Had there been a mirror up front, Tim would’ve caught the smallest hint of a smile on the young Robin’s face.
“We’re here.” Tim said as the Batwing descended.
Damian peeked out the side of the glass and spotted a figure waiting for them near the landing pad. He narrowed his eyes when he spotted Superboy, the big blue boy scout’s clone. Already he could tell the visit would not bode well with him.
“… What’s so interesting about this place?” Damian muttered as ha climbed out the Batwing along with Tim. Their capes swished and covered them as they landed on the ground.
“Will you just give it a chance before you shoot it down?” Tim rolled his eyes as they walked towards Superboy.
“Hey!” The clone greeted them happily. “I see you brought Robin…”
Damian frowned at his tone and crossed his arms. “Is that a problem?”
Superboy towered over him and got into his face. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine?” He said sarcastically.
Before Damian could draw his sword and skewer the insolent clone, Tim grabbed the clone’s arm and dragged him aside to talk. He wasn’t interested in standing around while they bantered like an old couple. Within seconds he made his way down the stairs and into the tower. He debated where to go next when a voice came up from behind him.
“What are you doing here?” A snarky voice sniped.
He glanced back and spotted a shorthaired young woman, Bombshell. He read her file in Tim’s contingency hit list. Violent with a short temper, she was a formidable fighter. Then there was her betrayal to the Titans. He should be careful, but he would take his chances.
“I didn’t know the Titans took in lesbians on their roster.” Damian said smugly. He had nothing against lesbians; heck Batwoman back home was one. He just wanted to see how pissed he could get this traitor.
“Why you little!” She snapped, her pale skin turned metallic as she slipped into her battle form.
Damian dodged as she punched the wall behind him. “Aw did I make you mad?” He said childishly if not for the smugness in his voice. He never said he would make the visit peaceful. That’d show Dick to send him away when all he wanted was a peaceful day at home.
Bombshell roared as she tried to blast him with her energy blasts. “Stand still you brat!”
He dodged her attacks swiftly, he tucked into a tumble as he rolled out of the way. Bolos were tossed at her person. She easily broke through the binding and continued her attack. “What’s the matter? Can’t take the truth?” He continued to goad her. “Un-cute butch.”
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” She growled, but before she could blast him again, the alien clone caught her from behind and restrained her movements.
“Damian.” Tim scolded as he dragged him away from Bombshell. Superboy was left to deal with the short-tempered young woman. “I thought you would behave, what was that?”
“I never said I was going to come peacefully.” The shorter Robin retorted.
“Photos Damian, don’t forget I still have the rest of them. Can you at least try to be civil?” Tim rubbed the side of his temple.
“Are you going to let me roam without you trailing behind my every step?” Damian countered.
“Can I trust you not to cause another conflict?”
“Do you trust me?”
Tim was silent for a moment. “I want to trust you, but you’re not making it very easy. If you don’t like it that much, we could go home after tonight, but not before you make an effort to try to get along with other people here. You managed it in Gotham U. What’s so different about trying it here?”
Damian crossed his arms and glanced up to the ceiling briefly. “I want to have one day off from everything to do what I want without question, even if that day is a school day. Agree and I’ll try what you’re asking.”
“No more fighting with the other titans and no goading them either?” Tim asked.
“And no trailing after me while we’re here.” Damian added.
“Agree to meet everyone later civilly and you have a deal.”
“Done.” Damian said without a complaint. That single day would be useful for him for when his brother’s death day came again. There was no way he would be able to tolerate the nonsense Tim and fat girl puts him through on that day.
Once he got Tim off his back, he decided to raid each and every room of the titans. Sure, the files told him plenty about these people, but he preferred a more hands on approach. However, not even five rooms in, he found himself a stalker. At first he thought it was Tim, but after a moment he realized it was the clone. Tim wouldn’t be so sloppy.
“Stop following me.” He paused in mid-step and glanced behind him.
Superboy casually strolled behind him. “I’m not following you, I just so happen to walk in the same direction.”
Miffed, Damian tried another approach. “Your boyfriend Drake is on the other side of the tower. You can go molest him.” He said snidely.
“What? Jealous?” The other said cheekily.
Damian gave him the odd eye, surprised at his counter, but he paid little heed to him as he continued to raid the other titans’ rooms. He expected the clone to pick a fight and tell him he shouldn’t invade other people’s privacy, but he did nothing of the sort.
Instead, the other just followed and watched him quietly. Damian had no clue what the clone was thinking or doing. It felt a bit unnerving, but he couldn’t pick a fight with him since he promised Tim he’d behave. His exploration continued through the tower and it eventually brought him to the training room.
By far, the training room was the most interesting room he found. Diaries and whatnots bored him compared to the excitement of battle and a chance to use his skills. A module caught his eyes when he found the hologram generator.
Sure the cave back home had the latest and greatest money could buy, but even then he couldn’t generate an image of his father and brother. They were simply not in the program… but both his father and brother visited the tower on a number of occasions. Maybe…
“Are you interested in trying?” The clone’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Damian took a step back from the controls. “…Can you get anyone onto these holograms?”
The other tilted his head curiously. “Sure, who do you have in mind?”
Damian looked away, almost embarrassed to say it out loud. “My father and brother.”
Superboy looked surprised, but he said nothing as he moved to the controls and typed in the commands. The room glowed for a moment before the familiar figures of his father and brother appeared. His heart clenched at the sight of them. He wanted to reach out to touch them, but he knew if he tried, his hand would simply pass through.
He has to accept the fact that they were both dead, but he couldn’t let it go. He wanted them back. He steeled himself from showing emotions. He won’t show weakness to outsiders.
“Enough…” He whispered after staring at his father and brother so longingly. He needed to vent he needed to avenge them. “Get rid of them and make Jason Todd.”
Without a word, Superboy brought up the hateful former Robin to sight, but glanced to him questioningly “What are you—”
Damian interrupted him. “When I kill it, re-spawn him.” He ordered as he drew his sword and charged violently at the hologram.
One after another, he decapitated Todd, skewered him over a hundred times, and chopped off limbs left and right. He had done it so quickly, that the system had trouble re-spawning them. Eventually, the Todd holograms were spawned more than one at a time. He soon found an army against him. He wasn’t sure how long he went on, but he knew that even after destroying so many of them, he still couldn’t calm him heart and soothe his anger.
Fatigue overcame him when he decapitated the last of the Todds and the program turned off. He felt himself kneeling forward in exhaustion and quickly thrust his blade into the ground to support himself up. He won’t show weakness. He won’t embarrass himself.
Superboy came up to him with a smile after the ordeal. “You want to take a break in my room?”
What kind of offer was that? Damian scoffed. He withdrew his blade and sheathed it in its proper place. “I’m not your boyfriend. Go find Drake to share a bed with you.”
He had enough of this tower. There was nothing worthwhile here.
o.o.o.o.o
By the time evening came, Damian had returned to Gotham with Tim in toll. Exhausted from the Todd slaughter, he slept the whole way back, not noticing Superboy passing them twice. Little did they know, the other had gone to Gotham and back to pick up a certain Batboy and brought him to the tower.
“Who came to visit the tower today?” Terry asked as he noticed the Batwing passed them. He was under the invisible cloaking in his suit as he held onto Conner.
“Tim and your brother.” Conner answered truthfully.
“Did any of you…” He trailed off dangerously.
“No, no! No one said anything about you. We didn’t let anything slip.”
Terry look pleased for the moment and resumed his silence as they flew back to the tower.
“But you know… Your brother had a strange request when he was in the training room.” Conner commented. “He wanted to see you and your dad when he stumbled onto the hologram module.”
“And?” Terry said dryly, he showed no interest in the manner as they flew into Conner’s room through the window.
“I’m just saying…” Conner trailed off as he followed him down to his room.
Terry turned off his cloaking device and strolled to his workstation. With a few taps he managed to pull up the footage of Damian onto the screen. His brother showed no emotion as he stared at their father and a miniature version of himself. His fellow project was happy that he even bothered to look at the footage. His brother’s face steeled warding off any attempt to read his thoughts, at least until he said to rid of the hologram and call up Jason. He saw a hint… of something.
“Look!” Conner pointed at Damian. “He really misses you and your father there.”
Terry looked skeptical for a moment before the slaughter of Jason holograms appeared. His brother has gained some sort of hatred against the former Robin more so than what he had against him from when they first met.
“I think he’s really upset that Jason killed you.” Conner commented.
Terry held back a snort. That was an understatement. He continued to watch until Conner offered him a place in his room. His fellow project shifted uncomfortably as he set an eye on him, he would deal with him later.
“There’s really no reason for you to avoid them now right? Your brother’s changed. He won’t hurt you.” Conner said cheerfully.
Terry hummed for a moment as he rewound the clips and watched it over again. “He’s grown…but not enough.”
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