@redribution
Damian had, for nearly all his time in the Hive, been mostly alone; one or two of his family members had sometimes appeared, but never for long. By extension, he expected it to be no different here. He had become almost too used to being the only bat to prowl the streets, to come home to a mostly silent house, to bandage his wounds himself and fall asleep with only Titus and Lucius for company. This reality had become only more stark upon his arrival to Radiale, a place where he was yet unsure if Rey even lived and existed. And yet, despite the solidarity, Damian continued as he always had: occupying his days in preparation for night patrols. He was a soldier, after all.
It was for this reason, perhaps, that Damian was so unprepared to suddenly come face-to-face with one of his brothers. The terrified scream that had brought Robin to the back alley suddenly seemed insignificant compared to the scene before him: a young woman, clutching desperately to her purse, frightened eyes fixed on the thug who had just tried to tear it from her. Or, more specifically, at the boot pressed to his neck, and the man the boot was attached to. That man being the Red Hood, outlaw extreme.
Or, at least, it looked like the Red Hood. The crimson bat symbol still blazed across his chest, but the hooded vest, the half-mask, the crowbar, the buzzed head: those were new. The outfit was more raw than the old one (edgy, Beast Boy would have called it), all sharp edges and attitude. And yet, it was still clearly the Red Hood. Jason Todd. Damian’s so-called brother. Here, in Radiale. Something like relief, or comfort, twinged in Damian’s chest. But, he was Damian, and so the warm feeling lost its shape somewhere on the way to his face, curling his mouth into a condescending sneer instead of a smile.
❝ I can’t tell which one looks more foolish anymore—you, or Red Robin. ❞
