Chapter 63

"Hey. Take it easy." Barbara said. "Don't fight."

The two broke eye contact at the same time.

"Damian. Do you know why Wonder Woman wants to kill your mother? Something that she took?" Barbara asked.

Damian exhaled. "She stole two relics from her. The gauntlet of atlas that amplifies the wearer's strength and the Sandals of hermes that amplifies the wearer's speed along with the ability to fly." He replied nonchalantly.

"So that's why..."

"Do you know something about this, Barbara?" Terry asked.

"I saw Talia... one morning. Here. Visiting Bruce's and Jason's grave. She told me something about Bruce's seed." She looked at Damian. "She flew away right after, which shocked me. So, now she has super strength and the ability to fly..."

"Jason Todd... big brother really is dead. Were you really the one that defeated him?" Damian asked Terry.

"I defeated him, but I didn't kill him, if that's what you mean. He killed himself."

"He commited seppuku? To preserve his honor? Is that still fashionable these days?"

Terry narrowed his eyes at Damian. "Where did you grow up in?" He asked as sarcasm.

"I grew up in the mountains, training to become my mother's successor as the leader of the league." But Damian still answered the question.

"Well, that explains why you act the way you do." He said.

"What is wrong with the way I act?" Damian furrowed his brows.

"Let's just say that we can't tell what time period you came from."

"What do you mean?"

Barbara sighed. "Have you watched television before?"

"I only watch world news. I was forbidden to watch anything else."

"That explains it."

"Do I act that abnormally to you?"

"""Yes.""" All of them answered at the same time. Even Alfred who was keeping quiet this whole time.

Damian blinked in confusion.

----

Terry and Barbara left Damian in the living room watching TV with Alfred and Ace while they talked privately in the kitchen.

"This is a big problem."

"I still can't believe you kept something like that from us..." Terry was referring about Talia's appearance years ago. "Now you call me here for this. What was it about not being our business?"

"All of that changed when the issue walked into Alfred's doorstep. Plus, you kept the fact that you visited the place where Jason was killed, remember?"

"F-fine... point taken. What do you think her goal is by sending Damian here?"

"I don't know. Maybe it really is just to discover his roots."

"What are we going to do with him?"

"If he wants to learn more about Gotham, the modern world..." Barbara peeked her head and watched Damian in the living room watching anime for the first time. His eyes were glued to the television screen with his jaws dropped. "...we should send him to school. It's the fastest way to make him adapt."

"Are you crazy? He'll cause so much problems! What about his background? He's not a registered citizen. I think he didn't even enter the country legally!"

"Have a heart, Terry. He's still just a kid that hasn't been exposed to many things and hasn't yet experienced what normal is. Alfred and I will handle it. It's just to let him see what normal looks like, that kids his age aren't training to be killers..." Barbara said with a mysterious smile.

"I don't know about this... a stubborn kid like that, at his age, he's going to be a headache if you send him out there."

"Speaking from experience?" Barbara teased.

"Yeah..." Terry couldn't help but admit that he does see his young self in Damian a little bit.

----

"You're going out again? On a sunday?" Dana asked.

"Yeah. It's Alfred. He needs some help with something."

He was tasked to guide Damian about what Bruce stood for, why he created the Batman persona. Because it is now the title that he carries and no one understands the responsibility of carrying it better than him.

"Okay..." Dana gave permission unwillingly.

Terry looked at her with guilt written all over his face. "I'm sorry, Dana..."

"No, it's okay... as long as you come home safe." It's something that Dana says everytime he leaves for "that" part of his life. He couldn't tell how but he thinks Dana has formed a conclusion in her mind that he's doing something dangerous. Because of his past as a criminal, maybe.

Terry just hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead before he left to assure her.

"I promise." He said.

As he drove to the Wayne Estate, he saw a bunch of criminals getting arrested.

"Where are these guys coming from?" He muttered as he watched this scene while he was at a stoplight.

The criminals didn't look like they were Gothamites.

"I'm gonna have to ask Barbara about this later." He said before driving off.

Once he arrived in the mansion, he saw Diana having a conversation with Damian.

They were smiling and laughing while having tea.

To outsiders that don't know who they are, it looks like a peaceful conversation, but to Terry, it looked very weird, not to mention, dangerous.

But it seems like Damian kept his word about keeping the identity of his mother a secret to Diana.

"Oh, Terry. Good morning." Diana happily greeted Terry as he walked in.

"Good morning." He replied as he glanced at Damian who just smirked at him.

"I was just having a conversation with this brilliant boy. He reminds me a little bit of myself when I first went outside of Themyscira. Entering a world full of mystery. " Diana said. "He's knowledgable in Sun Tzu's the art of war and other classic literature. Very insightful and a fast learner too."

"A feat that father has shown as I've been told." Damian remarked.

"Yes... Bruce is a man of many talents." Diana said with a melancholic smile.

"Yeah... I'm going to show Dam- my little brother around, if you may excuse us, Princess." Terry said as he gave a meaningful look at Damian.

Damian stood up. "Would you excuse us." He bowed his head.

"Sure." She replied with a warm smile.

As Damian accompanied Terry, Diana watched them walk away with a meaningful look.

----

"Is this father's secret lair?" Damian asked as they walked into the batcave after walking down the stairs.

"This is the batcave, yes."

"So many advanced technologies..." Damian uttered as he scanned the place and his eyes landed at the batsuits being displayed. Particularly the one that Bruce wore last before he died. The hellbat suit.

"You'll get used to it." Terry said before taking a seat and offering Damian to sit across from him. "We haven't talked properly yet."

Damian took a seat and crossed his arms. "There is no need. I know who you are. You're my father's child from another woman. The man that took over his mantle as the Batman."

"Do you know what is the purpose of being the Batman. What that title stands for?"

"It's about being the greatest warrior in this lifetime. And frankly, I haven't given you my approval yet."

'Who the hell needs your approval?' Terry thought. His brow twitched but he held back from getting angry. "It's not about being the greatest warrior. I don't know who told you that but you are misguided. Batman doesn't fight to be the strongest or the greatest at anything. He fights to protect the weak and innocent from the tyranny of evil men. To be strong enough to protect everyone."

"Isn't that just the responsibility of being a lord? To protect his state from danger?"

"State? No. A lord has an army. Batman is just a single knight and he doesn't own Gotham. He's just taking the responsibility of protecting it on his own."

"You're wrong. He's a lord and a knight. He doesn't need an army because he is the greatest warrior that has ever lived."

Terry sighed and massaged his temples. 'This kid. How do I get through to him.'

"If you can't even understand that, I don't think you should be Batman."

"...Maybe you'll understand it better once you get to school tomorrow."

"Why do I need to go there? I'm already learned."

"It's not the books. It's about understanding how society works, even in a small level."

"That will be easy." Damian scoffed.

A faint smile emerged from Terry's face."Oh? Is that so?"

"Of course."

"If it's so easy, why don't we make a bet."

"Hmmm... what's at stake?"

"If you can make a friend, a REAL friend, then I'll.... give you my motorcyle. It's not that special to you but it is special to me after all the hours I spent on it."

"That's it?"

"Under these conditions.... you shouldn't pick a fight with anyone or use violence to get what you want."

"Violence isn't everything. Do you think knights and the samurai are just a bunch of barbarians? They're intellectuals who have reason too."

"Oh? Since you keep comparing yourself to these once great warriors, then can I expect that you'll do this task with ease?"

"Of course." Damian said proudly with his arms crossed.

"Good." Terry stood up from his chair and turned around.

"That's everything you wanted to tell me?"

"No, but you weren't really willing to listen to me, anyway." Terry said as he walked back to the stairs leading to the mansion.

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