Batman: Bad Blood Page #3

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I wasn't aware you received

a medical degree

while you were in the Himalayas,

Master Damian.

I've been hurt worse than this

sparring with my grandfather.

I'd hardly hold Ra's Al Ghul up

as an example of enlightened

child-rearing.

Master Dick was quite explicit.

At least 24 hours of observation.

He's not my father! And neither are you.

And for that, young man,

you should be profoundly grateful.

He saved my life once before, you know.

In a way, he created me.

Yeah, he does that.

He pissed me off.

He does that, too.

When I got kicked out of the military,

my life was a blur of sex,

drugs and techno-house.

But I thought I could take care of myself.

- How ya doin', gorgeous?

- Out of my way, a**hole.

I don't think so.

You little b*tch!

You're welcome.

After that night, I swore I'd never need

Batman or anyone saving me again.

My mother and sister were victims

of the animals out there. Not me.

I get that, Kate. But it doesn't mean

you have to be alone.

You made a big mistake coming here.

I was trained to never make mistakes.

Just like you.

Don't fight it, Damian.

I've had the flaws bred out of me.

But you... you're just a boy.

What was it like growing up with him?

When I was a kid, I idolized him.

Hell... I wanted to be him.

But the older I got, the more I realized

that I didn't know him at all.

How could I? Bruce Wayne

is as much a mask as Batman.

And I think the only thing

behind those masks is pain.

A pain he refuses to share with anyone.

So what was it like?

Lonely.

- It's Alfred.

- Your butler is a part of this, too?

Trust me, he's a total badass. Yeah?

Master Damian is gone, sir.

Where am I?

- What the hell are you doing?

- Unfortunately...

I have no more choice in this than you do.

Who are you?

I'm you, Damian...

all grown up.

You're not me. You can't be.

I'm the product of a program that your...

our grandfather initiated.

He wanted to create the perfect soldier.

They used your DNA and put it

through a process of accelerated growth.

Most of the prototypes died quickly.

But I survived.

I was the strongest of them all.

Still...

I was an empty shell, till Mr. Tetch here

brought me to full consciousness.

And as good a job as he did,

there's always been something missing.

A void.

And I'm going to fill that void...

with you.

Everything in there...

is going in here.

You, brother...

will provide me with a soul.

The hell, I am.

I don't understand why she just

doesn't grow another one of you.

- She's got a freezer full...

- Are you insane?

Mother.

How dare you!

It wasn't my idea.

This lunatic said he'd kill me if I...

Shut up! You'll suffer for this.

My entire life I've been suffering!

Tell me, what is a man without memories?

I want to know you,

and love you, as he does.

I want to feel you in my heart.

In my blood.

I've always served you without question.

I've never asked anything of you.

Please, let me have this.

You poor tormented creature,

how could I not have felt

the depths of your pain?

How could a mother have left

her child so alone...

in the dark.

How could you just kill him

like that? He was...

He was flawed.

What about me, am I flawed, too?

Remove all memories of this incident

and then make the other

necessary adjustments.

- Adjustments?

- You're of no use to me like this.

Recalcitrant, emotional.

Your father's influence, no doubt.

Onyx, get this trash out of here.

Good thing Alfred had the foresight

to put a tracker on the kid's uniform.

The sisters of perpetual grace.

A respected religious order

with missions across the world.

Perfect front for criminal scumbags.

This isn't gonna be easy.

Nuns with M60s and katanas?

That would make them nunjas.

Kind of hate I let you talk me

into using rubber bullets.

Looks like you could use a little help.

- Hello, nurse.

- Luke?

You want a megaphone to announce that?

Call me Batwing.

Batwing? That's original.

Can't say I'm not glad to see you.

It's the bats. Three of them!

Three?

- We retreat.

- Why?

The compound is expendable.

We have more urgent matters

to attend to. Come.

Kill him! Kill him!

It's me, it's your son.

Come on, Father.

Batman, we need you.

Can you blow those doors?

- God's not going to like this.

- I don't think she's been here for a while.

This way!

Come on, Father.

How are you?

In one piece, which is more

than I can say for this place.

No.

Thanks for saving our butts

back there, Luke.

Yeah, too bad they got away.

Well, Dad always wanted me

to work with Bruce Wayne.

I'm proud to be a part of your team.

We can handle this on our own.

Nightwing, Robin, back to Gotham.

You're welcome.

You really should be resting.

The summit's tomorrow.

It's been a week, I'm fine.

Like father, like son.

All things considered, Master Bruce,

you're in surprisingly good condition.

She treated you... treated us...

like we were machines

that she could just program.

That's all we were to her.

After Bruce Wayne completes

his hosting duties at the summit,

we'll gather any leads we can to find her.

Why wait? I'll call in Kate

and Luke and then...

No. You shouldn't have involved them

in the first place.

- Batwing pretty much involved himself.

- And Batwoman?

Did she force you to reveal our secrets?

You weren't here, sir.

Master Dick made a judgment call,

and I think it was the right one.

Maybe so, but from here on...

it's only family.

Kate's going through the hard drive

we pulled from the convent.

- Fine, but when she's done, that's it.

- But we have to...

You're not Batman anymore, Dick!

I call the shots around here.

He's been through an extraordinary

ordeal, Master Dick.

Yeah? Well, so have we.

As the summit kicks off today,

politicians and dignitaries

from more than 20 nations

converge on Gotham,

for what promises to be a pivotal look

at how technology will shape our future.

Minutes ago, Bruce Wayne arrived to deliver

the keynote address that will kick off

the conference and also unveil

ground-breaking technological advances.

Up next, researchers discover

mysterious findings on Mars...

What do you mean he doesn't want my help?

He says he's grateful for everything

you've done, Kate, but he just feels that...

Oh, hell, you know what he's like.

He just wants to keep it in the family.

I thought you wanted me

to be part of the family.

Yeah, what do I know?

- Find anything on that hard drive, yet?

- No, I gave it to Batwing.

I figured his father's tech could help us.

I'm sorry about this, Kate.

- If it were up to me...

- Nothing to be sorry about.

Goodbye, Dick.

Dad!

As the co-chair of Wayne Enterprises,

it is my profound privilege

to present our host.

A man of fellowship, a man of kindness,

a man of peace.

Mr. Bruce Wayne.

Soon, we'll be through

the looking glass, gentlemen.

You're all wearing beta versions

of Wayne Tech's

latest breakthrough in communications.

With these translators, we hope to build

bridges between language and culture.

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