2014-03-16 - The Awakening: The Morning After

CRASH the laptop smashes into the wall and shatters. A few moments later Damian storms from his room, barefoot, still in his pyjamas with his sword in his hand. He's heading for the study en route to the cave. He has his phone in his free hand, and glances briefly at the screen as he comes down the stairs. At the bottom he stops to tap angrily into the device.

The noise wakes Bruce, who, to be fair, sleeps fairly lightly. The man is out of his bed, in his own pajama bottoms, also barefoot, and moving out the door. He is at the top of the stairs when Damian hits the bottom, and he looks from Damian's open bedroom door (and a few pieces of scattered broken electronics in the doorway) to his son below, and the sword in his hand.

"Damian?" he intones. "What is wrong?"

The crash of a lamp jolts Carrie awake only for her to be caught up in the tangle of her sheets from tossing and turning as she slept such a breif time. The footsteps that go out the hall stir her further and she kicks the off only to head out toward the sounds as well. With hair a mess, and glasses left off, she comes to the top of the stairs herself rubbing the heel of her palm into her eye blearily blinking awake. It's only her free hand on the banister that keeps her from wobbling as she comes down stopping several steps behind Bruce as it becomes apparent that Damian was there, with his sword and a cellphone. "What's going on?"

Damian glances up the stairs at his father, and flinches guiltily. Of course he'd actually be home right now. "Nothing I am just going to-" then Carrie appears and he shoots her a hurt and worried frown "You're back?" he asks her. Then glancing down at his phone again he tucks it away. "Just go back to bed," he says to both of them before he starts towards the study. "I am just going to go solve our Red Hood problem."

Bruce takes the stairs two and three at a time. "What do you mean by /that/?" he asks calmly. "You are angry, and carrying your sword-- Damian, this is not how we resolve things. And this time of morning? I believe there is more to this than you are saying."

Carrie scrunches her nose at the look Damian shoots her along with the surprise that she's here. "Of course I'm..." The sword is taken in even as Bruce points it out. Without thinking she follows down the stairs as well only to stop short. It was taking her mind a moment to wake up and peice things together but then it hits her: "... That complete dilche. Damian, you don't... ugh." With a sigh she sinks down sitting on one of the lower steps rubbing a hand over her face. "This is my fault."

"Ask Carrie," Damian says flatly still going on towards the study with murderous intent. "If I'm not back with Red Hood's head, contact Mother, she can probably put me back together again." He keeps going.

"Damian." Bruce's tone is firm. "Stop. This moment." He glances to Carrie. "Mind if I get an explanation?" It's a question, but it's not a request.

"Yes, Boss," Carrie states quietly while she stands. The way she moves is with the expectance of being in trouble--which she rather feels she is. If not from Vruce, then with Damian. "I've been training with Wildcat at his gym. Selina introduced us. I've kept my identity secret and taken on a new persona while training there," she adds though perhaps needlessly so. "There was this new guy that showed up sparring with him and after awhile I suspected he might be Red Hood. I was correct and he left a calling card for me. Given he hasn't hurt any of us yet, I went to meet him." Oh yes, very much in trouble and she knew it. "We talked, he left. And I came home."

Damian slows to a stop, turning, arms wrapped around his sword. He watches Carrie as she lays out her story. His mouth twitches, and he opens his mouth to speak, eyes on Carrie, when he opens his mouth to speak he says "Then he bragged about the meeting on Twitter to me. Suggested to there might have been more to it than just talking, and so, I am going to fight Red Hood." It was almost a lie, but not entirely.

Bruce lifts a brow, looking between Carrie and Damian, the gears turning. Damian's violent reaction. Carrie's obvious nervousness-- and not saying everything. Damian... hmm.

"Ah." Bruce looks between the two again. This was /not/ his forte. Where was Selina when he needed her? At this point, for a brief moment, he /almost/ considers asking the woman to marry him so he can foist /these/ sorts of problems off on her.

Almost.

"Carrie. You and I will have a discussion later. Consider yourself confined to your room until that discussion happens." He turns to Damian. "Son. Put down the sword. The Red Hood is trying to rile you. You are better than this. Do not fall into his games."

Damian frowns at Bruce's suggestion that he might be playing into Red Hood's hands. His eyes flit down at the floor before he nods. "Fine. I'll fight him later then." He switches the sword to his right hand and starts back towards the stairs.

Carrie takes a deep breath as she laces her fingers together looking up to regard Bruce. "Yes, Boss." She does turn to Damian however as she stands. Looking to Damian she exhales a slow breath. "I hugged him and he kissed me. I wasn't expecting that." With that she turns to head back up the stairs running a hand through her hair. Time for her to get cleaned up and prepare to deal with the day. She pauses, though, glancing over her shoulder at the pair. "... He said to say 'Jaybird says hello.'" Huh? (Type "help" for help.)

Bruce gives the pair a considering look. He doesn't respond, otherwise... his mind churning.

Then... "Damian. You are also not to leave the house until I have given you clearance to do so. I will need to speak with you as well, first."

Damian pauses when Carrie turns towards him. "I know," he says quietly with after her admission. "I wasn't going to say anything about it," his expression is one of hurt and concern still though some of that concern is for Carrie. He turns back to his father. "That's fine," he says and then follows Carrie upstairs.

Carrie swallows hard, and reaches out to touch Damian's shoulder lightly as she moves back up the stairs to her ordered confinement. "S'fine. I screwed up. Time to deal with it." With that she heads up the stairs to her room quickly.

--- Carrie’s Room

Carrie's room was... immaculate. Most of the rooms in the Wayne household were, but there was a decided lack of anything that would really give it personality like the others. There was no gaming system like in Tim's room, no whatever it was that Dick had in his--Possibly cop stuff, or girl stuff. And no cat or sword rack like in Damian's. If anything it appears as if Carrie hadn't changed much of anything except the bedding which was what Damian had gifted her at Christmas. Currently she sits on the bed with legs pulled up to sit indian style. Her hair was brushed out and she'd put on her glasses while waiting. There were chairs in here--It was a large enough room to have it's own little 'sitting area', but past that it's spotless.

Bruce made sure Damian had gone to his room, and then follows Carrie into her room. He says nothing, only moving to one of the chairs that face where she sits, taking a seat.

He says nothing. His face is impassive, measuring, weighing, judging.

Perhaps, finding wanting. He does not speak, does not greet her, does not ask her questions, does not look for excuses. He is simply sitting there, as if carved of stone.

Carrie looks up where she sits regarding him for a long moment in turn. When she feels she's waited the proper amount of time and thought of what to say she speaks.

"You know why I gave him a chance, Boss. He asked for me to give him until after Dick's birthday, this Sunday. If it were anyone else I wouldn't." Carrie meets his gaze levelly waiting for his response.

Bruce lets out a breath. "No."

Denial, or disagreement? "That's not what this is about." He closes his eyes, sighing. These sorts of conversations were hard for Bruce. He preferred superficial nothings, or intellectual debates.

Or just punching the offending frustration in the face. To be fair, Damian did get that part honestly.

"I am responsible for you now, Carrie," he says quietly. "You and Damian..." a hand waves, as if he doesn't want to discuss that in depth. He doesn't. He really, really /doesn't/. "You had to be aware of how, even if... things did not happen... Damian would have responded. You both... both do not /think/. In part, it is the age. Dick was headstrong at your age. Tim has his moments still. Stephanie still does." He pointedly, /pointedly/ does not mention the other person to wear the Robin costume and name. "But I expect better out of you. Both of you. I expect you to consider the implications of your actions, the consequences, the reactions."

Carrie glances down to where her legs cross with one hand lightly grasping her ankle with her hand. It's an idle, absent gesture while she gives a nod. "I never intended for what has occurred to happen in the first place. Damian is so... Protective. What he does he considers acceptable. If I do anything similar, even if of sound logic, he feels compelled to strike out. I've tried to temper that many times. He is trying, but there are those that know how to manipulate emotions better than others. I should have anticipated that."

Carrie looks up again regarding Bruce a moment before asking something she hasn't said in years and never to this version of Bruce: "Am I fired?"

This Bruce isn't her Bruce. His face doesn't quite soften, but he shakes his head.

"You don't fire family."

Carrie smiles at Bruce with such a remark. Normally she would hug, but she holds back for now. She knew she was still in trouble. "Kay." There's a long pause before she asks, "You okay? I know this is hard for you to deal with." Does she mean her and Damian or who Red Hood may potentially be?

Bruce gives her a stony look.

"This... is something I will have to handle, Carrie." He doesn't refer to what /this/ is. "I will be fine."

Carrie reaches out to give Bruce's shoulder a squeeze reassuringly in spite of the fact that he's the adult. "You know we'll be here, Boss. Should go talk to Damian now. He's not as patient as I am and he knows how to get out through the windows."

Bruce lifts a brow. "I am aware." He pauses. "You're grounded, Carrie. For the next few days. Take the time to think about thinking things through more often." He actually gives her a slight smile, before rising to his feet. "For now, go see if Alfred is making breakfast. I'll bring Damian down after we talk."

"Figured," Carrie responds with a wan smile at mention of being grounded. Oh well. At least it wasn't too long a time period, really. Mention of food reminds her that she was hungry but she pauses none the less. "Wildcat would like to talk to you sometime, by the way. Wants to make sure you're not upset that he's around. Don't figure it's a huge issue but... Just passing on the message." With a shrug she slides her legs off the edge of the bed to stand only to lean over giving Bruce a quick hug. "Don't be too hard on him. Least give him a way to work out some anger," she suggests, perhaps needlessly, of his talk with Damian. Then she releases the hug in favor of heading for the door to go downstairs.

--- Damian’s Room

Damian does indeed know how to sneak out of the windows, it was one of the perks of his current room that there was only a single story drop to the terrace below. Though for once Damian isn't making use of that perk to pursue his vendetta with Red Hood, instead he is stretched out on his bed with his back to the headboard and Little Wing in his lap, with his sword carefully back in place on the sword rack. For once it seemed that Damian had no plans to go anywhere.

Bruce steps into Damian's room. He stands there just inside the doorway for a moment, observing his son.

They are more alike than either would like to admit. Same scowl. Same anger driving them.

Bruce is just more mature, more calm. Mostly. He observes for a few moments, but doesn't speak, allowing Damian to speak first.

Damian's eyes shift towards the door when it opens he doesn't turn his head though. He simply reaches out to scratch behind Little Wing's ears. He tries not to speak, tries not to play the same game as his father is playing but he finds to his frustration he lacks the patience for it and speaks "So...?" he queries simply.

"Are you still wanting to be my heir?" Bruce asks simply. "To take up the cowl after I've retired or gone, to head the company?" He knows Damian benefits best from directness, that has been shown.

Damian turns and fixes the family scowl on Bruce. "Is that on the table again?" he asks acidly. "From what I understood the last time I talked to you Tim would have the company and Dick would be Batman, and I would be 'taken care of'." The hurt in his voice makes that a yes to Bruce's question.

"You act without thinking. You are easily swayed by emotion." Bruce's expression is... resigned. "I want you to be my heir, Damian. To all of it." His voice roughens slightly. "You're my /son/."

But just as fast as the emotion tinges his voice, it is gone. Bruce Wayne is controlled. "But you must learn to think with your head, not your fists. You have to consider things, to think about the potential ramifications of your actions."

Damian's heart leaps at the confirmation and he turns to look at his father more fully pushing the cat off his lap in the process, letting his own legs hang down the side of the bed. "That is all I wanted to hear Father, I know I can be a worthy heir," the rest might not have been said for all Damian heard it. "You'll see," he adds.

Bruce gives Damian /that/ look. The one that makes it clear that his point had been proven, somehow.

He doesn't say anything else, letting Damian perhaps think, and let Bruce's words catch up with the boy.

Damian blinks in response to the look. It takes him a second to review his father's words before he hits on what he missed. Ah, that. "And yes, I will learn not to think with my fists," he promises, though his head is clearly firmly fixed in the future he learned would be his again.

Bruce is silent for a moment or two. "Would you be willing to help present some of the company's new technology with me at the upcoming Stark Expo?" He pauses. "As, of course, I will be doing so, and it would be only fitting for my son and heir to assist. If you'd like."

Damian seems to calm in that silence. His relief and excitement contained for now. "Of course Father, whatever you need me to do," he says simply with a nod. "I did get the specs on the new technology from Lucius to read while I was grounded, so, I am mostly up to date on it."

Bruce gives his son a wry grin. "Well, then. Shall we get breakfast? I think I smell cinnamon."

Damian nods and pushes himself off the bed to stand across from his father. "Sounds good, can I go get Carrie or is she confined to her room?" he asks.

"She should already be down there," Bruce replies, already stepping out the door with a slight chuckle.