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Rog-

[ and then it's cut off, and rob just sort of sighs, finishing up with what he'd been working on and heading out. his curiosity builds the further along he goes towards the meeting section, and after a little bit that nervous energy ends up translating into something closer to wary.

but he goes, and in just under nine minutes he's right on the outskirts of the agreed upon meet-up, looking around for the smaller of the two robins. ]

[Damian is sitting on the edge of a short ruin, legs dangling over the side and faintly aware of the approaching presence despite the fact that his gaze is locked somewhere in the distance.

When he turns his head in the direction the Other Grayson is coming from, he hops off of the ruin and stands there, waiting.]

If we walk further, there will be more privacy. [Which is what he wants. This is hard enough. The last thing he needs is an audience.]

[ he picks out damian easily enough, on guard but approaching easily enough. there has yet to be a consist moment that rob has really been able to let his guard down since he got back, but that tends to be a bat thing anyway.

but he comes to a stop close enough, watching damian hop off where he'd been perched. he suggests moving for more privacy, and the deja vu hits him like a punch to the gut. he needs a second to shake himself out of it - it was a different part of haven, he was wearing different clothes - before he gives damian an easy smile. ]

Lead the way.

[He hesitates and then nods, taking off. The silence between them is heavy as they move, but Damian doesn't want to speak, not yet at least. He's still trying to collect his thoughts and figure out what he should say.

All too soon they've reached a deserted area and he's coming to a stop before turning to face him.]

This will do.

[ he follows easily enough, sticking behind and a bit to damian's left as they move. the silence is easy enough, despite how his curiosity continues to grow the more they move.

he's thankful when they finally come to a stop, rolling into his landing because he needs to and he's dick grayson, but then he's up to his stand. turns back to damian, checking out the space they're in for a moment before nodding. ]

So you wanted to talk? [ the most casual. ]

Yes. [Though "wanted to" is definitely an exaggeration. He does not want to be here having this conversation.

But he owes it to him.]

...I owe you an apology for my behavior on our first meeting. I was...out of line. [His posture shifts, uncomfortable. It's not that he doesn't think Grayson won't forgive him (he's Grayson) as much as it is this means acknowledging his own mistakes and acknowledging their source.]

You did nothing to deserve that treatment. ['I was upset and I took it out on you' is what he doesn't say.]

Edited 2015-01-09 22:09 (UTC)

[ see, when rob got asked out here by damian he had a few ideas on how this was going to go. various points that would be brought up, questions asked, the whole shebang if damian really wanted to.

what he didn't expect was an apology. and since that catches him off-guard, he's actually silent for a few moment, frozen in his falling smile before it clicks.

apologizing. rob huffs a laugh, shaking his head a little. ]

Honestly, you weren't the worst hi I got that day. [ okay, well, he has a point maybe. rob literally just kind of showed up. but after everything that's happened since then, it is pretty low on the 'thing i won't forgive' list. as in not even on it.

he shrugs. ]

Seriously though, it's cool. Haven has a was with screwing with us in ways we don't even know are there.

That does not excuse it. [That others reacted poorly as well is of no surprise. Grayson reacts as expected but it still serves to lighten the weight on Damian's chest anyway.]

...You met the other Robin I presume? [Because he knows that couldn't have gone well. Especially right after Thomas.]

But it explains it, and that's half the battle anyway.

[ he'll argue with you, damian. don't challenge him.

but then there's another laugh, matched up with a slight eye-roll and a possible set of hands on his hips. ]

If you mean other Robin numbero uno, then yeah. We...met.

He didn't take it well. [How could he. There's a beat.]

Did you? Are you-[Okay? He can't as that, it's too strange and too personal.] coping?

You could say that again.

[ but the question has his eyebrows lifting, the mask making the expression a little more pronounced than normal. damian's definitely asking him if he's okay, in damian-speak, and that's... kind of more than he was expecting. ]

Coping, yes. Did I take it well? I mean, I like to think I'm pretty good at rolling with Haven's punches, but that was... [ weird, off-putting, he's still not even sure what to call it... ] Whelming.

[ he seems pleased enough with that choice of phrasing as he watches damian. ]

What about you?

[Word play. He really shouldn't be surprised. Damian would roll his eyes if he wasn't too tense at the other subject matter to do something so casual. Instead, he nods.]

I'm fine. [To his credit, he believes it. Damian has to be fine. There were no other alternatives.]

I...need to know what you know. About me. You're aware of who my father is, but what else? [He'd already clarified that he doesn't know his mother, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know about the league and about his past.

Mostly he wants to know if he knows that Damian has a body count.]

[ get used to it, damian. he's an over-user of the deconstruction of the english language in particular - he hasn't touched any of the others yet.

but he watches damian for a second or two when he says 'im fine', trying to figure out if he's being truthful or not. it hits rob then that maybe he shouldn't be trying - he could read the last damian, but that means very little about this one.

so he ends up sighing, rubbing at the back of his head. ]

Depends on what you mean by know. You told me about- [ bruce. but rob stops himself. takes a breath. ] Your dad, your Batman, your suit. The rest of it was mostly guesswork.

[ and by that he means yes, bodycount. ]

[Why must all versions of Grayson butcher the English language in some way? Why?

He says "the rest" and Damian schools his expression into something attempting apathy though he does not entirely succeed.

He doesn't have to ask. If Grayson wasn't going to spell it out, he could leave things as they were and continue on. If it was an issue, then he would have already addressed it so he should let it go.]

What does "the rest" entail? [He has to know.]

[ when you're fluent in 7+ languages, you need to mix it up at some point.

he watches damian react - watches him try to school his expression. he can see it all playing out in front of him but he can't decipher what exactly it's supposed to say.

but that's when damian asks for an explanation, and rob owes him that much, even if it ends up with his arm falling to his side and a sigh on his lips. he opens his mouth to respond, but stops, for whatever reason scared to say it in case it's not true. or it is true, and by mentioning it at all gives it authority, credit. dick doesn't want to give form to something that might not be true.

then again, he can't be wrong, can he? ]

Your issue with the number one rule of this job.

[ don't make him say it. ]

[He is simultaneously hit with a sense of disappointment, anger, and relief. Disappointment that he knows and what that possibly says about whatever relationship existed between them, anger that he referred to it as Damian's issue (it was Batman's stupid rule), and relief that Damian doesn’t have to spell things out for him. That Grayson already knows but had pursued a friendship between them speaks leagues on its own.

He crosses his arms tightly across his chest and lifts his chin, unrepentant.]

My issue is that doing things my way is both logical and more efficient, but personal assessments aside, I made a promise to Batman that I intend to keep. [He doesn’t mean Bruce and he’s sure Grayson will understand that.

It’s strange. He stuck to his oath because he knew the value of keeping his word, and because it was important to him to be faithful to what he had promised Grayson and to a lesser extent, to Father. He would honor his oath not to kill in order to honor them, but his feelings about it would remain the same.

It was strange how in some ways, it’s possible that his feelings had shifted. Not much and certainly not enough to satisfy the code, but there had been something other than that oath and Wilkes' words that had kept him from taking Zsasz's life. Or perhaps Wilkes' words had been part of a catalyst that he still doesn't quite understand.]

Edited 2015-03-06 18:42 (UTC)

[ rob is not sure how he expects damian to respond, but he knows that this sense of calm was not it. braced for a fight, for angry words or maybe even fists, he feels awkwardly tense in the following moments that damian just looks at him. there's a tension, a something, and he waits for it to come to fruition.

nothing happens.

damian crosses his arms and rob feels a bit silly. like he was scared for something he should have known better for worrying about. but then damian continues, says batman, and after a moment's pause his eyes go wide. because for him? bruce is batman, will always be batman, but his first interaction with damian had been marked by a very simple fact. a statement of the progression of the mantle. ]

You mean me.

[ and sure, it's not really him. or most likely isn't really him. he's figured his way through enough copies and alternate universes to know that the other him is probably the one who steps up into those shoes, but the thought remains.

damian promised dick grayson, and for all his personal opinions, he is trying to hold true to that. it shouldn't surprise him as much as it does - the nuances from his time with the other damian tugging at the back of his mind - but to hear it said is something else.

he lets out a breath, then, as some kind of final acceptance of it all - like he'd been worried about this interaction the whole time rather than just realizing it was happening as it happened, and gives damian a smile. it's small, but still a little playful, before he ends up shaking his head. ]

You know, I don't doubt you can do that. I'm about as undoubtful as possible. [ best way to lighten the mood, right? ]

[To Damian, Richard Grayson will always be Richard Grayson, no matter the universe or timeline. The barb he had thrown out upon their first meeting about an alternate universe Grayson not being the same had been a full fledged lie born from anger and frustration. He had wanted to mean it, but he didn't-couldn't-not with Grayson standing there in front of him and offering him friendship. Because this Grayson had already proven himself to be exactly what he would expect of the Richard Grayson he knew. Foolishly friendly, kind, and willing to look beyond Damian's past.

He doesn't know what his relationship was like with the Damian who came before, but he has already surmised that the former Damian had been younger. Perhaps only by a few months, but a few months made all the difference when they concerned living, training, and fighting by Grayson's side. The momentary look of shock on his face is enough to show he doesn't really know.

He doesn't know what he means to Damian. Grayson has no idea what'd he done for him.]

Tt. Of course you don't. [The derision is half-hearted and his chest hurts. No matter the universe, he was still the one who always believed in him.

Foolish Grayson. Damian swallows through a tight throat. He closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them again, having come to a decision. He already knows both secrets Damian kept from the younger Grayson and he was still choosing to trust him.

It was only fair to return the favor. (and he hates it being a secret. Hates it more than he can put into words. Damian's past might not be what others wanted it to be, but he had never been ashamed.]

Does the League of Assassins exist in your universe?

[ and maybe that's easier for damian to live with - because 'just richard grayson' is easier to accept when it's not yourself, when it's not like looking into a mirror and seeing everything that's off, that's different. rob doesn't know whether or not to see those differences as truths or lackings and if it even matters. he tries not to think about it, tries to see his relationships with everyone from other worlds than his as just that - assets, teammates, additions. but with damian, it was always a little different. because as much as rob can garner, he turns into much more than he is that day, but only damian manages to look at him and not make it feel like rob falls just short.

because damian is the only one who doesn't seem to look at him and be slight disappointed.

chances are, that's just rob projecting- assuming thoughts and ideas and assumptions rooted too far into old events and yao's inserted ideas, but they're there, and he's aware of them. and when rob looks at damian even now, it's almost too easy to smile, to shrug a bit at the way damian clicks his tongue against his teeth. what has him sobering back up again is the pause that follows, the way damian seems to tense. the question draws a blank from rob at first, but then he has to blink, to think, because he's talked to kon about this before. the alterations made between their words, the names. ]

Our's is the League of Shadows. [ it's been a while since he last had to think about this - almost three years now - but rob pushes away the thoughts, his interest back on damian. on the fact he brought it up at all. ] Why?

[He doesn't relax and if anything his posture goes even more rigid.]

You are familiar with Ra's al Ghul then? And his daughter, Talia al Ghul. [There could be no League without the al Ghuls, of that Damian is certain. It makes this easier. Less explaining. Damian ignores the way his heart rams against his ribcage because it's stupid and unnecessary. He was above such compromising feelings.]

I assume Ra's remains their leader.

[ it settles more and more with each passing second what damian is trying to get at, and that realization starts to weigh in his gut. league of shadows, ra's al ghul. rob's brow draws together as he watches the other boy, waiting. ]

Yes. [ he knew them, knew that batman had something though he didn't know what, and-

he feels his heart stop for half a second when the thought comes to him, the furrowed brow giving way to wide eyes. because the previous damian had been sure enough not to mention his mother, to make it obvious his mother was a sore subject. leading the questions towards the al ghuls could mean a few things, but if his gut is right... ]

As of now he is.

[ but he'll wait for damian to say it. ]

[It's the sorest subject he could possibly have, but if he can't talk to Richard Grayson about it, he can't talk to anyone. Grayson was the first and one of a scarce few not to write him off because of the blood that flowed in his veins. No one else had ever cared so much. Not even Mother. Especially not Mother.

He sees understanding dawn in Robin's eyes and he squares his shoulders, lifting his chin in a show of confidence he doesn't feel.]

You understand then. [He doesn't have to say it, but he isn't going to leave room for misunderstandings.] Talia al Ghul is [was-does it still count if he's been disowned?] my mother.

I was raised by the League for nine years before Father even knew I existed.

[ he watches damian shift a bit under his gaze and it sinks in a little more. because there's the information, the fact that damian was raised by assassins and worked under the league of shadows and is ra's al ghul's grandson are very important, very obvious aspects of this.

but there's also damian, who he may or may not know, but feels like he knows and who he definitely trusts and.

somehow, it doesn't matter all that much. or- it's not that it doesn't matter, but it's like some kind of piece of background information, fluff in code. it's there, and is important to a certain level, but now? ]

And now you're Robin. [ he pauses here, watching damian keep his shoulders square and his head up. ] Why did you leave?

[And now you're Robin. It's not, as it would be from anyone else, laced with disbelief or angry confusion. It's a fact laid out before both of them and he doesn't question it. Damian hadn't expected him to so he's not sure why he feels himself relaxing and why it is suddenly easier to breathe. There are very few people in the world whose opinions Damian cares about, and he won't fool himself into believing Grayson isn't one of them, but he wishes he didn't care quite so much.]

I didn't leave. She sent me to him. To Father, to learn about what I would be in the future. [He had known nothing but the League, there would not have been any reason to leave. Damian pauses now, double checking that there is no one within earshot.]

You said you knew what you are to me? Did the previous "me" explain what happened to bring that about?

[ there's a lot about this exchange rob should probably pick up on. from the way damian relaxes and why it's at his words he does, why it matters so much. a lot about the way damian is trying to read him just as closely as rob is trying to read damian. little things like why damian is mentioning what he's mentioning, what he's leading up to, what this is all supposed to mean and why damian is explaining it.

but all of that falls away when damian continues. says 'father' instead of 'dad' and asks about what happened to lead up and rob just kind of freezes. it's only for a moment, a brief short-circuit in his brain, but it's there. because he does know - he's damian's batman - and he knows why. but even now, despite knowing, it hits him like a punch.

rob's eyes go wide, at first, then harden. drop to the ground between them. he can feel his hands itch to ball into fists and his chest tighten but he refuses to let it. ]

He dies. [ one breath, then two. ] I take up the cowl.

[ the one thing he didn't want to have to do ]

Edited 2015-03-16 20:53 (UTC)

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