it was five minutes before damian began the hunt, not from when he intended on finding bruce. no, by the time he does manage to track down his movements, it's closer to fifteen minutes. twenty and change, taking into account goliath isn't the stealthiest creature, and damian needed an easy way into kwik trip without alerting anyone. he's out of uniform, given bruce doesn't seem to be in anything close to one, but damian wayne was never one to allow clothing to dictate his actions.
because he's still inside the air vents of the building, quietly crawling through them and waiting, until bruce is positioned close enough under one that damian can kick the vent open (swinging open, it's not falling off entirely) and drop straight down from inside to, hopefully, land atop bruce's shoulders. )
[ It is a good thing Bruce already had plans to go out. Nothing extravagant; he's too old for patrolling in the field. But he found himself liking the coffee served in the Kwik Trip. So Damian's message is incentive enough to send him there for a cup. Black, of course.
He didn't doubt Damian figured out where he is holing up, since Damian had enough courtesy to announce a countdown. So it's right here that Bruce responds to the first message. And where he almost anticipates the ambush. Bruce keeps an eye on the entrance and a door he assumes leads to a back room, while he pours his coffee into a paper cup.
Neither of them seem to be the definitive point of entry. Damian is quiet in the vents - to people not trained to listen for that kind of ambush. Anyone else would have had the little gremlin land on their shoulders. Bruce is thankfully not just anyone. So when the cover kicks open just above his head, Bruce has enough warning to step to one side and swing his cane in Damian's direction. ]
( the cane swings out towards him, and damian - well. he's armed, but not visibly so: the soft hoodie, slacks, and sneakers are meant to leave him appearing like a normal child, not a trained assassin.
so he doesn't reach for any of his weapons to block the cane when it comes out towards him, instead raising an arm to block it with his forearm. the impact causes him to slide slightly off from where he'd originally intended on hitting the ground - but he manages to land on the balls of his feet regardless, rocking backwards instead of the preferred roll forward into a somersault, so he's instead knocked back onto his ass on the ground.
damian grins, one hand moving back to press his palm against the floor to keep him sitting up even as he leans back against his hand. )
Good. I would be disappointed, if you slowed down in your old age.
[ He eyes Damian for a moment, mouth tight and brows furrowed. Then he smiles and turns back to the coffee machine to finish preparing his cup. ]
Ambushing me from the air vents would have been clever, [ He takes a sip of his coffee then reaches for a bit of cream. ] if I hadn't heard you coming.
( it's not a question. it's a statement, one damian sounds absolutely certain of and will refuse to accept any alternative answer for.
he does start to get his feet back under him, moving up onto his knees before standing upright and raising a hand to - fuss with his hair that's refusing to stay styled up. the woes of being short a butler. )
And if I had opened it any slower to prevent noise, you would have seen me coming.
[ Subtle enough for their purposes. But Bruce isn't in the business of giving credit where it's due. If Damian thinks he's good and from all appearances, he is, Bruce will let him know he could stand to improve. He picks up his cup when he's satisfied and turns around as Damian gets to his feet. ]
but damian, despite the very irked expression on his face, doesn't argue against him. yet. instead, he grabs onto his own paper cup and shoves into bruce to get to the coffee machine. )
[ Thankfully, Bruce does not lose his balance when Damian shoves him. Thankfully, he doesn't spill his coffee either. That settles Bruce back into unamused. ]
Then you need to go home.
[ He doesn't say and stop bothering me. But the implication is there. He told the younger Bruce he wouldn't be too hard on them so that's how he plans on keeping his word. ]
I would love to go home. Unfortunately, that's not possible.
( he understands what bruce was getting at. unfortunately for his father, damian refuses to abide by his demands. instead, he stays leaned up against him, and takes a drink out of the coffee cup once it's half-filled.
makes a face over how distasteful it is, then reaches for the sugar. )
[ You know what annoys him more about this than Damian's refusal to obey? It's how familiar this feels. He'd been a stubborn, willful handful when he was kid himself. He owed Alfred such an apology. ]
Well if you're going to insist, help me.
[ He lifts his cane and points to the bag beside the coffee maker. It's instant coffee and bottles of fresh spring water. ]
( he looks over to the bag, with his hand still pouring more sugar into the coffee cup. scrunches his nose at the sight of it, as if it's very existence is somehow distasteful. )
»Tt«.
( the lid goes back onto his own coffee cup, and damian picks that up as he takes a step back from the counter, but not the bag. )
You're more than capable of carrying your own groceries. I don't take orders from those who haven't earned the right to give them.
[ Damian isn't wrong. It just takes a little adjusting so he can carry everything. He slips the handles of the bag over his wrist and uses the free hand to carry his coffee. He's done here and he's going back to his apartment. ]
If you're coming with me, keep up.
[ not that he's particularly fast - he isn't - but if he and the boy are going to speak then he'd rather do it while they're moving. ]
( he rolls his eyes, but falls into step with bruce regardless. bruce isn't very fast, and damian - has little legs and is used to keeping up with people who are significantly taller than him, so this is nothing. )
Where have you decided to settle in?
( not that it matters all that much, really. damian doesn't need the answer, he has plenty of ways to find out himself. but he knows that, occasionally, people prefer to actually tell others their plans, rather than be stalked down to find out. )
[ A question Bruce is a little surprised to hear Damian ask. Bruce is careful about his comings and goings but they're not secret. If any of them wanted to find him, it wouldn't be terribly difficult. ]
I thought you would have figured that out by now.
[ But Bruce is kind enough to nod toward the apartment building. ]
( obviously he's figured it out by now. obviously he knows where bruce has been spending his time, given he's been going out of his way to follow his movements. )
( he's quiet, for several moments. left contemplating what would leave bruce wayne on his own, alone, without anyone to keep him from burrowing deeper into his cave. it's not all too difficult to imagine: he doesn't have damian, his experience with his proteges seems to be much more limited than what damian is accustomed to. but. )
What happened to Pennyworth?
( he may already be ancient by damian's standards, and while he's well-aware that no one lives forever, especially not in their line of work, a future without pennyworth feels - wrong. )
[ The answer is short and clipped. Because it still hurts to acknowledge even though it's been years. Though once it's out of his mouth, Bruce realizes how poorly that could sound. Their lives had been fraught with danger for many years, it could be easy to assume something horrific happened. And he didn't want that on the boy's mind, so he adds: ]
( damian doesn't expect anyone in their line of work to have an easy death. a warrior's death, yes. todd died in an explosion, damian died with a sword through his chest, grayson died to save everyone. pennyworth - well. )
That's good. He deserves at least that much.
( to die peacefully, surrounded by those he loves and knowing everything would be taken care of in his absence. )
Grayson?
( they've fought before. grayson leaving the house for an extended period of time isn't - odd, but leaving bruce alone feels off. )
[ That question has Bruce setting his jaw, as if he can still feel Dick's fist connecting with it. He doesn't want to answer that question. So he ignores it. ]
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There is nothing beyond my reach.
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Good luck.
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it was five minutes before damian began the hunt, not from when he intended on finding bruce. no, by the time he does manage to track down his movements, it's closer to fifteen minutes. twenty and change, taking into account goliath isn't the stealthiest creature, and damian needed an easy way into kwik trip without alerting anyone. he's out of uniform, given bruce doesn't seem to be in anything close to one, but damian wayne was never one to allow clothing to dictate his actions.
because he's still inside the air vents of the building, quietly crawling through them and waiting, until bruce is positioned close enough under one that damian can kick the vent open (swinging open, it's not falling off entirely) and drop straight down from inside to, hopefully, land atop bruce's shoulders. )
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He didn't doubt Damian figured out where he is holing up, since Damian had enough courtesy to announce a countdown. So it's right here that Bruce responds to the first message. And where he almost anticipates the ambush. Bruce keeps an eye on the entrance and a door he assumes leads to a back room, while he pours his coffee into a paper cup.
Neither of them seem to be the definitive point of entry. Damian is quiet in the vents - to people not trained to listen for that kind of ambush. Anyone else would have had the little gremlin land on their shoulders. Bruce is thankfully not just anyone. So when the cover kicks open just above his head, Bruce has enough warning to step to one side and swing his cane in Damian's direction. ]
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so he doesn't reach for any of his weapons to block the cane when it comes out towards him, instead raising an arm to block it with his forearm. the impact causes him to slide slightly off from where he'd originally intended on hitting the ground - but he manages to land on the balls of his feet regardless, rocking backwards instead of the preferred roll forward into a somersault, so he's instead knocked back onto his ass on the ground.
damian grins, one hand moving back to press his palm against the floor to keep him sitting up even as he leans back against his hand. )
Good. I would be disappointed, if you slowed down in your old age.
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Ambushing me from the air vents would have been clever, [ He takes a sip of his coffee then reaches for a bit of cream. ] if I hadn't heard you coming.
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( it's not a question. it's a statement, one damian sounds absolutely certain of and will refuse to accept any alternative answer for.
he does start to get his feet back under him, moving up onto his knees before standing upright and raising a hand to - fuss with his hair that's refusing to stay styled up. the woes of being short a butler. )
And if I had opened it any slower to prevent noise, you would have seen me coming.
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[ Subtle enough for their purposes. But Bruce isn't in the business of giving credit where it's due. If Damian thinks he's good and from all appearances, he is, Bruce will let him know he could stand to improve. He picks up his cup when he's satisfied and turns around as Damian gets to his feet. ]
Now that you've found me, what do you want?
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but damian, despite the very irked expression on his face, doesn't argue against him. yet. instead, he grabs onto his own paper cup and shoves into bruce to get to the coffee machine. )
I never said I wanted anything.
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Then you need to go home.
[ He doesn't say and stop bothering me. But the implication is there. He told the younger Bruce he wouldn't be too hard on them so that's how he plans on keeping his word. ]
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( he understands what bruce was getting at. unfortunately for his father, damian refuses to abide by his demands. instead, he stays leaned up against him, and takes a drink out of the coffee cup once it's half-filled.
makes a face over how distasteful it is, then reaches for the sugar. )
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Well if you're going to insist, help me.
[ He lifts his cane and points to the bag beside the coffee maker. It's instant coffee and bottles of fresh spring water. ]
Carry that.
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»Tt«.
( the lid goes back onto his own coffee cup, and damian picks that up as he takes a step back from the counter, but not the bag. )
You're more than capable of carrying your own groceries. I don't take orders from those who haven't earned the right to give them.
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If you're coming with me, keep up.
[ not that he's particularly fast - he isn't - but if he and the boy are going to speak then he'd rather do it while they're moving. ]
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Where have you decided to settle in?
( not that it matters all that much, really. damian doesn't need the answer, he has plenty of ways to find out himself. but he knows that, occasionally, people prefer to actually tell others their plans, rather than be stalked down to find out. )
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I thought you would have figured that out by now.
[ But Bruce is kind enough to nod toward the apartment building. ]
I'm in one of the units there.
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Is there a particular reason why?
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[ Plus that avoidant attachment style. ]
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What happened to Pennyworth?
( he may already be ancient by damian's standards, and while he's well-aware that no one lives forever, especially not in their line of work, a future without pennyworth feels - wrong. )
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[ The answer is short and clipped. Because it still hurts to acknowledge even though it's been years. Though once it's out of his mouth, Bruce realizes how poorly that could sound. Their lives had been fraught with danger for many years, it could be easy to assume something horrific happened. And he didn't want that on the boy's mind, so he adds: ]
Peacefully.
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That's good. He deserves at least that much.
( to die peacefully, surrounded by those he loves and knowing everything would be taken care of in his absence. )
Grayson?
( they've fought before. grayson leaving the house for an extended period of time isn't - odd, but leaving bruce alone feels off. )
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I can manage the rest of the way.
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( he knows this is bruce trying to get rid of him. damian - just isn't going to let him do it that easily.
so he takes several quick steps forward, turning around in front of bruce to block his path. looks at him. )
What happened with Grayson?
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