"Of course not," Bruce said. "We just wanted to..."
"To protect me?" Damian interrupted at once, hurt and resentment lurking in his eyes. "Is that protection? Protecting me doesn't mean shutting me out. I'm a descendant of Ra's al Ghul, raised in the League of Assassins. I saw bloodshed as an infant. Conspiracies and betrayal were my bedtime stories. I don't need you keeping me under glass."
He was more than capable, yet they wouldn't even let him know what was going on.
"What do you take me for? An ordinary elementary school kid who can only do his homework and obey the rules?"
Dick sighed softly and took half a step forward, trying to ease the tension. "Rice, we weren't deliberately keeping you in the dark. This situation is different. We didn't want to drag you into it for no reason."
"Drag me into it for no reason?" Damian sneered, his back ramrod straight. "Danger doesn't pick its victims by age. Besides, I'm Robin."
Miaomiao looked from one of them to another and asked quietly, "But Damian, even after you were turned, you didn't turn against humanity. Bruce doesn't need to be on his guard against you."
"Wh... what?" Damian knew nothing about their discussions of vampires and couldn't quite process what she had said. "Father... doesn't need to be on his guard... against me?"
"Oh, crap." Tim was the first to react, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Now the demon brat's ego is really going to shoot through the roof."
Although he still didn't know exactly what had happened, the clever Damian had already pieced together a few things from their scattered remarks.
"So, in the events you're discussing, some of you-Dick, for instance-did things that made Father wary of you?"
Damian folded his arms and narrowed