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Damian watched as his grandmother took a particularly large book off the shelf and added it to the stack in his arms. There were quite a few, nana was much stronger than the slender arms let on. Imprudent training got him enough muscles to overcome his incest polluted Victorian genes.
Timothy walked away to sit at a table nearby. His cup of coffee still steaming where he had left it. Ra’s has once asked about his excessive consumption of the beverage and apparently it was because coffee represented the era of enlightenment. One of Tim’s favorite times of history, that he missed by a couple of years. The time when science thrived in a magical way.
Damian wondered what the man was reading about and leaned forward from his hiding spot behind the bookshelves. The letters on the ratty cover of the notebook being read first were unfamiliar to him. Clearly, this was an ancient work, perhaps even one written before Ra’s was born. What use was there in studying documents from such primitive days? Nana truly had an enigmatic mind of his own, no one ever knew what he was scheming or where his motive in certain actions laid.
The boy creeped onwards, his feet trained well to not make any sound. He stopped breathing and tried to lower his heartbeat once he reached the last table separating Timothy and himself.
„My dear, why are you sneaking around?“ Tim asked and lifted his head, causing Damian to jump and blush. „You can simply sit with me if you want to know what I’m doing.“
Damian was ashamed of himself for being surprised, for underestimating his nana. In battle a mistake like that would have cost him his life. Talia would surely punish him for it were she present. He sat down on the chair next to Tim without a word and inspected the books contents.
The curiosity got the best of him after a couple of pages and Damian asked trying to hide any excitement, with an even voice, „What’s the subject of this decayed book you’re reading, nana?“
Tim looked up, his eyes lighting up in joy, blissful about the fact that his grandson was interested in his studies. His lover has been traveling instead of himself lately, trying to find new Lazarus pits, and Timothy didn’t have anyone to discuss his new findings with someone who had adequate intellect and was interested enough in the matter. „It is an old diary of Alexander the Great. A true intellect when it comes to strategy and leadership. Someone you can learn a lot from.“
Damian has heard about king, his triumph and fall alike. „Mother told me he was a great example of how quickly you can loose everything.“
„Yes, while he might be a good example for that as well, there is a lot more knowledge you can acquire from him. Do you know what made it possible for him to lead his armies to such great success?“
„All and sundry feared him and his army,“ Damian responded confidently. Talia has told him that much.
„Fear is indeed a great instrument, but it wouldn’t have gotten him very far by itself. There is something else much more powerful than that. It’s harder to obtain, but the results make it worth the while,“ Tim cupped his grandchild’s cheek and continued, „Respect is the mightiest weapon of all. With fear, you make servants who await for the chance to overthrow you when you tumble, but with respect you gain allies who make sure you never fall,“ Timothy let go of his head and smiled.
Damian liked the sound of that. „Would you want me to be like Alexander one day?“
„No,“ Damian was told firmly after some time to think. „While he had a lot of positive sides to him that serve as a good guide, he eventually fell, along with his reign. He knew how to build and conquer, but he didn’t understand how to upkeep and protect it afterwards.“
„Then how would you like me to be?“
„As your grandmother, I don’t dictate your life. But if it were up to me, I would want you to be greedy, but understanding of your limits.“
„Greedy? Isn’t that what leads so many great men to their demise?“ Damian asked perplexed.
„Greed at its core isn’t a bad thing, without it, humans can’t evolve. The problem lies in the overestimation of ones capabilities and loss of morals.“
Timothy noticed how more material wouldn’t stick anymore and Damian needed some time to let the information told to him sink in. „Let us go and take a break from our studies and go for a walk in the garden, shall we?“
Eagerly, Damian nodded his head and was lead out of the library by his hand. Unlike with Talia, grandmother walked next to him, instead of before him. Strange, how different they were despite being mother and daughter. Grandfather’s genes must have been implemented slightly stronger to prevent genetical diseases.
Nana’s hand was warm in his own, and unconsciously he leaned towards him, while they were walking down the hallways. The corridor was bright, thanks to the countless windows, priceless vases placed on the small cabinets in the corners. Some of his ancestors’ portraits were hung up on the walls too. Most of them were of Ra’s, Talia and him, however there was no sign of a single one with Timothy on it as well.
It reminded him of how little time his grandmother spent at home.
„Nana, do you not come home a lot because you dislike the company of our family?“ He asked before he could stop himself.
Suddenly, he was yanked to a stop, seemingly not on purpose if the apologetic look on his grandmother’s face was anything to go by. „Of course not. Family is the most precious thing men and women alike can have. But it’s often more complicated than that. I’ve watched my loved ones grow old and die one by one. It never gets easier to see them go, while you stay behind, trust me on that one, darling. So sometimes, selfish men such as myself chose to keep our distance to prevent getting hurt. A truly awful thing to do to the ones you cherish, however I am too weak to endure the pain and much too egotistical.“
A short pause. Damian has never lost someone before, he wouldn’t know how it feels like to suffer like that and couldn’t quite understand nana. „Nevertheless, I am sure you will find yourself a family that is much more caring than us al Ghul’s, one that will be able to teach you much better life lessons than I ever can. How to love and how to find something to fight for. A family that will comfort you and be there for you no matter what.“
And while Damian asked himself how he could ever have another family other than the al Ghul’s, unbeknownst to him, a grown man in a bat costume jumped in front of a white van, full with a dozen of armed criminals that same moment, the sun and the moon nowhere to be seen thanks to the smog resting on the city.