Birds without wings

Torment

"Wakey, wakey!" Damian heard that maniac cackling again. He'd been tortured before and this was not easy to endure. He felt like he couldn't move. He was still held up by the thick rope from the ceiling and he could tell this was an abandoned warehouse. God knows where though, he thought.

"Ya know I have enjoyed our time together. You're much better than the last kid, you put up more of a fight. Last time I blew him up he came back. I wanna see if you can with double the explosives and half the time!" The laughter echoed through his head. There was no way he could escape like this. His legs and his arms were covered in cuts and bruises. He just hoped the homing beacon would be his way out.

"You're an imbecile Joker, I will get out and when I'm free I'll come for you!" Joker seemed unfazed. His experience with Batman made threats seem like a slight gust of wind which he'd barely acknowledge.

"Confidence, my boy is not always rewarding. You now have a quarter of the time. TALLY HOO HAHHAHA!" Joker ran out and locked the door. Damian knew this could be it. He could die here. He just wanted to see his family one last time. To hold Raven again and kiss her belly, holding their unborn child.

The roof suddenly shattered and Batman and Raven came in. The other Titans were after Joker. Batman immediately began trying to disarm the bombs while Raven freed Damian. She was horrified at the sight of seeing him like that but she had a feeling he'd be fine, he always was in the end.

"Are you alright? What did he do to you?" Raven grabbed hold of him tight when he couldn't stand. He still had almost no feeling in his body besides his face.

"He couldn't do anything too severe. Thank you for coming Habibti." Damian said with a smile that lit up Raven's face. It made her cheeks burn and she gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

"No need to thank me. You know I'll always come to you." Raven smiled now and Damian couldn't shake off the childish grin.

"Raven! Get Damian out of here! Now!" Batman demanded. The bomb had 45 seconds left. No developments had been made in disarming it.

"Father we're not leaving you!"

"Yes you are! Joker rigged this so at least one person has to be in the building. Otherwise the explosives go off! I won't lose both of you, now leave!" Damian knew his father wouldn't survive the explosion. He was sacrificing himself and Damian couldn't bare another loss.

"Dami..." Raven knew too and she wasn't about to lose Damian so she tried pulling him out. After some resistance (mainly verbal) he submitted.

The explosion erupted and Damian and Raven fell back. Raven was quick to tend to Damian and help him up. He could at least stand now thanks to Raven's healing.

"FATHER!" They looked at the massive ball of flames and smoke on the horizon. No one could survive that. No one human at least.

Batman was gone. He was dead.

The team returned to the Tower and Damian locked himself in his and Raven's room. Raven decided to give him some time. He considered using the Pit but knew of the consequences. Kori had been trying to convince him otherwise but he knew better.

After a few hours Raven finally came to see him. She saw him sitting on the bed staring out the window at the dark gloomy sky. He had only taken off his mask and he hadn't moved otherwise.

"Dami... I'm sorry." Damian bent his head down. He told Raven he knew but he wouldn't face her. He wouldn't even budge when she sat down next to him.

"Damian. I can't imagine... I just... look, you know I'm here for you. You know how much I love you and I will do anything for you. It hurts to see you like this. All I wanna do is take the pain away but all I can do is be here... and love you." His eyes began swelling up with tears and she quickly engulfed him into her arms, whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

"I don't want you to see me as weak."

"I know you're not weak and I never see you as weak."

"I miss him Raven! I miss him so much!" He wrapped his arms around her and the tears were bursting out now. She stroked his hair and gave him a few kisses along his head. Damian had lost so much recently it was like he was losing every link to his past. Raven knew now more than ever that they needed each other. Her pregnancy had started and they could now do more together and they both knew this would be their retirement. This would be them settling down like they had talked about.

Damian decided he would patrol less to be with Raven more. She kept cooing him and she finally took his face in her hands and kissed him in the most loving way possible. Damian still had tears running down his eyes and he grabbed onto her like his life depended on it. In a way it did. She was almost the only one he had left. She was always the one he loved most. They laid there on their bed holding each other as Damian cried his heart out.

They could almost never leave each other again.

They needed each other.

The love each other.

Their child was on its way and they decided it required all their focus and keep superhero life a bit lower than usual.

Would fate allow this though?