Chapter Text
Dick sighed, turning to Damian, “Alright, so every year during the three days between the Joker’s disappearance and his body being found, without its head, Bruce investigates the crime. We have an agreement that this is the only time he looks as he spent far too much time getting nowhere when it happened.”
Damian frowned, “He puts this much effort into the investigation of the death of a monster?”
“Well… it is alarming that someone was able to remove him from Arkham without arousing suspicion and the fact that the head is still missing could cause complications if someone wanted to like clone him or something.”
Damian nodded, before walking over towards Bruce, against Dick’s efforts to keep him from having to deal with the extreme gruffness Bruce always had at this time of the year but Damian resisted all attempts and stopped in front of Bruce.
“Father, Grayson informed me you are investigating the death of Jack Oswald White.”
Bruce nodded, not looking away from the evidence running over the computer screen.
“There is no need to continue investigations of this,” Damian scoffed, “so called crime.”
Bruce turned to him, “It doesn’t matter who someone is, if they are killed, they have the right to have their murder investigated, no matter the deeds they committed when alive.”
“I meant in the fact that I know who killed the filth.”
Bruce stared at him, “Do you have proof?”
“As I was the one who did the deed, I need no such evidence.” At the silence of the others in the cave he continued, “It was my first kill. I located him, extracted him from his location, removed his head, disposed of his body, and then presented the head to my Immi.”
Silence rang through the cave as Damian waited for the others’ response, unable to stop tension forming in his shoulders as he waited for their reaction. He knew they might not react well, but he would not, could not, regret the monster’s death at his hands.
Dick blinked, “You would have been…”
“Nine, late in the league for my first kill, but due to the difficulty in accruing the beast I was allowed more time.”
“Wha- why?”
“White was the one to cause Immi to come into my mother’s care so damaged, he haunted my Immi’s dreams. Immi woke screaming more nights than not due to that creature, the other nights he woke without a sound fearing gaining the monster’s attention if he made a noise.
As Immi’s first kill was in my defense it was only appropriate that my first kill be in honor of him. After presenting the head of White to Immi he slept in complete peace, for the first time since White’s actions against him. I will never regret bringing peace to my Immi’s sleep.”
Grasping at something to bring from that Dick asked, “Damaged?”
“His numerous physical injuries were able to be mostly healed by the actions of the healers in Nanda Parbat his mind was still drifting. Only when mother… placed his body into the Lazarus Pit did his mind recover.”
“Placed? Why did you pause?”
“Grandfather was annoyed by the lack of progress in Immi’s healing and told mother to be rid of him, she instead took him to the pits and pushed him in. Immi was able to swim out of the pit and was restored to complete health, although all his previous scars still remain in the form of something similar to birthmarks.”
“Your mother allowed someone who had been in the pit near you as a baby?”
“It was the only way to ensure the protection of my Immi from grandfather that my mother had, as Immi came out of the pit had already presented as an omega. Grandfather noted that his form was,” Damian’s grimaced, “ideal for a breeder. Mother immediately placed me at his breast to prevent him from going into a fertile heat, but instead a familial heat that kept grandfather’s attention off of him.”
“She handed you to someone fresh out of the pit? The pits that cause rage and madness?”
“The pits exaggerate the traits of those exposed, with a focus on those of their designation along with the increased tendencies towards violence. The violence is usually in line with the basic instincts of the person’s designation. The first time Immi became violent at another person was when several assassins came after me.”
Damian paused thinking on how to explain, “The next day grandfather presented him with red robes stating he looked lovely in red. After that point Immi was given only red clothing in honor of his actions in my defense, at my grandfather’s orders.”
Dick swallowed, “Red?”
“Mother tells me the only place on my Immi that was not covered in blood at the end of Immi dealing with the thirteen assassins was the place my head came out of the cloth holding me to his chest. Mother said he wouldn’t allow me to be removed for several hours, and then only long enough to cleanse himself enough to feed me.”
“He killed them?”
Damian nodded, “All thirteen, which is why I had to give the honor of my first kill to be for Immi. Immi was not pleased that I went up against White alone, but after mother explained that she was present to protect me if something had gone wrong he forgave me for facing such a dangerous individual without his presence. Although it took much longer for him to forgive my mother. She finally earned his forgiveness when she got the cooks to agree to make this favorite food from his childhood, the chili hot dog. She actually imported the ingredients from America to get the exact taste correct.”
Dick nodded, an incised omega was one hard to please. He wasn’t surprised that Talia had to go that far to get an omega, whose pup they believe she allowed to be in danger, to forgive her. Omega’s were very slow to forgive anyone that may have even possibly endangered one of their pups and allowing the pup to be near the person who had so hurt the omega… yeah Talia probably did a lot more than importing a favorite food.
Damian settled his arms behind his back, “So father? What will you do with this information? Will you have me tried and placed in jail for killing that monster?”
Bruce stared at him, “You were nine.”
“I was.”
“I,” Bruce paused, “I’m not going to arrest you. I know you did things during your time with the League of Assassins but you're better now, you're just a child still, we will look to the future. I will notify the Commissioner that the case has been closed and everything has been settled.”
Damian nodded, “Thank you father. I have schoolwork to attend to so I will leave you be.”
Dick glanced at the still processing Bruce before quickly following after Damian. Bruce would be fine once he processed, he needed to focus on Damian. It was only once they reached Damian’s room and he had sat down that Damian addressed him.
Damian’s expression was serious as he looked up at Dick, “I do not regret, and will never regret killing White. If he was to show up alive right now, I would kill him again, father’s rule be damned.”
Dick sank down beside Damian in the other chair and smiled at him, “I’m just glad that his death stuck when you did it. Not so much that you specifically did it, but that man needed to be dealt with and Bruce never would.”
Damian frowned, “Stuck?”
“I killed him once but Bruce was able to bring him back with CPR. Beat him to death with a crowbar just like he killed…”
When Dick was unable to finish Damian finished it for him, “Jason, the second Robin.”
Dick nodded, wiping a tear from his eye, “Yeah, Little Wing.”
Damian nodded, pausing before asking, “Would you tell me about him? I, everyone here has trouble when he comes up, but if you would, I’d like to hear about him.”
Dick smiled, “I saw how you took over keeping up his room from Alfred.”
“Cleaning the room caused him unnecessary distress, my Immi refused to have servants cleaning his nesting room so he taught me how to take care of a room. It is easy enough to do and lets Pennyworth remember about his lost grandpup in a manner that causes far less distress.”
Dick ruffled his hair, “You softy, now did anyone ever tell you how he got adopted by Bruce?”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again, from your view.”
“Alright, now it was the anniversary of the death of Bruce’s parents’ so he was at that spot in Crime Alley.”
As Dick continued to speak, detailing all of the about how his Immi was adopted and moving onto other memories Damian sat back happy to finally getting a chance to hear about his Immi as a child, something he had been looking forward to as soon as he realized everyone knew his Immi from before his death and revival.