Here we go! This fic is going to be an interesting one to write for me. It's another one of my branch off AU's where I keep things cannon until a certain point than deviate from comic plot entirely.

The point of deviation here would be New 52's Batman Incorporated, between issues #4 and #5. Some pieces of issue 5 remain but not all, and from there on out everything cannon will be ignored.

For those of you who do not know and have no intention of reading the comics, quite bluntly, Bruce makes the decision to send Damian back to his mother, telling him he can no longer be Robin, and he will NEVER be Batman otherwise the world will end. He is sending him back to stop Talia's attack on Gotham, and to pull the mass bounty off of Damian's head, on top of saving the world from a potential apocalyptic future (Aka: Stuff that was shown in Batman issues #666 and #700 as well as a few others prior to the New 52.) Dick's reaction to this in the comics was completely nonexistent and OOC. He was unfazed and carried on like nothing had ever happened. Not sure what Morrison was thinking there. Regardless of whether you ship Dick and Damian, or you think of them as brothers, or a father/son type relationship, you know very well that Dick should not have gone along with that so very easily, if for nothing else, Bruce treating his son in such a poor way, knowing just how to heart Damian takes things. It is not in Dick's nature to just let that slide past him.

So here we are. Dick is going to have feels.

In this particular fic, I am shipping Dick/Damian, though noticeably not until later when Damian is somewhat older. There may be a few underage tidbits, but nothing too strong. Damian IS going back, but that does not mean he will be the same obedient perfect son that he once was prior to being placed in his father's care, and prior to being Dick's Robin.

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"This has to end Damian. Robin, Redbird, all of it." Batman sighed. "I thought it could be different. But I was wrong."

He watched his father hold his hands out to the side, begging him to understand.

But he would never understand.

He gaped at the man, face scrunched up, unable to really process just what he was feeling other than dread and inevitable betrayal.

Jason was behind him, seemingly legitimately shocked at the turn the conversation had taken. Tim was standing by idly, watching the scene play out. Dick's eyes had gone wide, his face drained of color, with fists clenched at his sides.

"I-I did everything… I gave up everything." His voice cracked.

His voice never cracked.

The Batman's face softened slightly, but all Damian could see was pity. Damian did not want pity, he simply wanted acceptance, trust. Something he had thought he had earned.

Apparently not.

"Your mother has manipulated us into an impossible situation. Son, I wish it wasn't true, but I know now." The Bat paused, perhaps judging his reaction before continuing. "You have to go back to her. If you do not, Gotham, the world, will be plunged into chaos. And you Damian? You are going to be responsible…"

At that he froze.

It was simply not something he could believe about himself, nor could he believe that his father of all people was basing his opinions and decisions upon a dream. Even if said dream had had some merit to it, the future was never written in stone. There were an endless number of futures that could occur based upon single choices and actions. If given the chance and the knowledge of a potential situation, one could easily avoid self-fulfilling prophecies.

He sunk to the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest as he stared at the men before him.

They were giving up. Plain and simple. His father had never asked for him, had never consented to his 'birth', and now wished to take the easy route and be rid of him.

It shouldn't, but it hurt. The knowledge clawed at his chest, and clenched at his throat, burning at his eyes. He had never felt such despair and desperation before.

Jason seemed distressed at being in the position he had been brought into.

Memories… sympathy he supposed.

Dick was stiff, jaw clenched, as he stared at him.

A frustrated sigh escaped the Bat's throat, bringing all of their attention back towards him.

Jason huffed and shook his head.

"The kid's in shock Bruce. Give him a break-"

"I saw the future… I know what your mother is planning Damian." Batman interrupted, ignoring the attempted protest.

The monotone voice, for the first time in a long while, caused Damian to flinch, and he curled in tighter upon himself.

The way in which he had spoken… had sounded as though the man believed that he himself was aware of what went on within his mother's head.

The hurt in his chest only increased tenfold with that thought.

Jason seemingly could no longer stand the cloud of distress he was putting off, as he slipped away silently, Tim following close behind, leaving the three of them to themselves.

"She wanted you to join me as Robin. She intends for you to replace me, and I cannot let that happen. Because if you become Batman…" He paused, stepping closer. "Everything falls apart."

He watched his father approach him, tensing as the man's shadow enveloped him, before he stood at rest behind him. It unnerved him further, being unable to see the man.

"I don't know exactly how it happens. But I know what happens. I know how it ends." Damian slumped as his father's tone only grew darker. "I had a dream of a future Batman who sold his soul to the devil and destroyed Gotham. Your mother is manipulating events to mold you into that Batman, her agent. We changed this much at least- your intervention here tonight did not get one of us killed, which is what I had feared. But you cannot be Robin. You can never be Batman. Right now I can only think of one solution Damian."

He took in a shaky breath, and turned to glare at his father, only managing to muster up a crumpled, pleading gaze.

"No one knows what the future holds Father. Why would you do this… to me? Do not make me go back to her. I want to stay with you…"

The Bat let out another frustrated sigh, far closer to a growl, and clenched his hands. But before he could speak further, a strangled whine sounded from across the room.

"Dammit Bruce! That's enough!" Dick exploded, stalking towards the two. "He's a ten year old little boy! Your son! He may act all big and tough, as old as Tim and Jason, but he's not! You can't treat him like a criminal. He's a child, and he's done nothing wrong. You're judging him by something he hasn't done, something he doesn't have to do, something his mother hopes to accomplish, not him." He growled, fisting the front of the man's cape as he glared up at him.

"Nightwing, this is none of your concern-"

"The hell it's not Bruce!" He snarled, pointing down at Damian. "You were gone for a year! Even then some since you ran off to parade around the world looking for soldiers to add to your war. I wore the mantle that entire time, even though I knew that Batman was something I was not, and never could be! I was the one who took care of him, who trusted him, who welcomed him into our home and our lives! So I'll be damned if it's 'none of my business'." He hissed, crossing his arms.

"This isn't up for discussion. It is my choice."

"And he has no say in the matter!?" He gasped. "You know what sending him back there will mean. You know what it entails, what they'll have him doing. He will be at their mercy, forced to kill on command, forced to slaughter innocent people just because they wish it, regardless of whether or not he wants to."

And Damian did not wish to go.

"It is… unfortunate, but something that must happen. Talia created the boy for her own purposes, for her father's. She never intended for me to be more than a genetic donor. She knew where I stood and that I would not return to her and her ideals. She will not allow me to have him without paying the ultimate price, and I will not condemn a city of people for one single boy, even if he is my own flesh and blood."

"You are impossible! This is not what is best for him, for all of us! You're just looking to take the easy way out!" He roared, giving the man's chest a shove.

Bruce only frowned and shook his head.

"And you are not thinking about what is best for the city, the world Dick. You are not the boy's father-"

"I never claimed to be! I never tried to be! That is your position alone Bruce, and you're failing at it. You're pushing him away because it's gotten too hard." Dick insisted, grimacing. "Just like you have done at one point or another with each and every one of us. This isn't right, and you know it. I can't believe that you would give your own son to the wolves."

The Bat stepped forward once more, crowding the smaller man.

"Contrary to what you may believe Dick… I am not doing this because I want to. I am doing this because I have to. There is more at stake than just the wellbeing of my son. You will come to understand that in time."

"The hell I will!" Dick hissed, turning towards Damian.

He crouched down in front of the boy, placing his hands on his shoulders, and squeezed lightly. He gave him a small smile and reached upward, flipping his lenses up to look the boy in the eyes.

"You did good tonight kiddo. Real good." He insisted, nodding his head.

Damian stared up at him, heart hammering in his chest as he regarded the man in disbelief, awed at the display put forth over the last few minutes all on his behalf.

"Grayson, I-" Damian paused, eyes widening as he looked over the man's shoulder. "Thank you." He murmured, face falling as a gauntlet brushed against Dick's neck.

The man stiffened and shifted, attempting to turn around, only for the room to sway.

"You- you didn't?" He gasped, sliding backwards, reaching a gloved hand up to his throat.

His fingers brushed up against the small dart lodged in the side of his neck, and he whimpered, glaring up at the man towering over him as his back connected with the ground. He wrenched the protrusion from his throat, and tossed it as far away from himself as he could muster, before turning his head back towards Damian with a crestfallen look on his face.

"M' sorry…" he murmured, reaching a hand out to the boy, before blacking out altogether.

Damian's throat clenched tightly at the motion, and he glared viciously up at his father.

"He will not forget this." He snarled, rising to his feet.

"No, he won't." Bruce agreed, staring down sadly at his eldest son. "No he wont…"

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