SUPERBAT

✨P T S D✨

Batmans P.O.V

J'onn teleported us to the batcave and I pointed to a door "That's a spare room, you can sleep." I said and I limped to my bed. Superman glanced at me but just called 'Thanks!' and flew down to his bed. I typed in the code to my door and had a shower, changed, and went to bed.

I held mum and dads hand as the steered me through the crowd, the name and details of the movie we had seen slipped my mind but I was happy, mum and dad were here, they loved me. We walked into an alley and a sense of dread came over me, I pulled on their arms but they kept walking "Mum! Dad!" I cried, I didn't know what was wrong- gun.

The shadows seemed to grow and I seemed to get smaller as the mugger pointed a gun at mum and dad, the mugger had green hair, white skin, and was dressed ridiculously, he had a smile that went from one ear to another but radiated anything but happiness, they had the face of a clown, they've got a gun- but it doesn't matter. I should be able to fight back, I know I shou- BANG, everything flashed red and I ran and hid behind a dumpster, screams and demands echoed and I covered my ears to try and block it out but it only dampened the sound, everything went silent and I opened my eyes, red trickled down from up the allyway and my world seemed to tilt to the side, I came out of hiding and saw their bodies.

Dead. They were dead. Killed, by a mugger. Everything turned red, the colour of my rage, I swear, no criminal will set foot in my city, without facing my wrath. I will rage a war against crime, I will-

Red and blue lights flashed as police pulled up and I snapped out of it, instead zoning out as I stared at their bodies. Sound seemed muted or underwater as everything and everyone seemed to rush past me, no one had any attention for a child at a murder scene and I doubted I could get anyones attention if I tried, I looked at mum and dads bodies being pulled away and the realisation creeped in, they were dead, they were gone, I would never see them again, it was all because of a mugger, he pointed his gun, and there was nothing I could do about it. I wiped the tears streaming down my face, I couldn't find the mugger, but one part of my anger was right, I was raging a war against crime. One fact kept me going, no one in Gotham will ever have to go through what I had to this night ever again...

I sat up in my bed.

Supermans P.O.V

I woke up and for a second I was confused before I remembered I was in Batmans house and why, still though, it's not like me to wake up for no reason, just incase I listened closer and I realised Batman was groaning and crying out in his sleep, his heartbeat was faster than I had ever heard it before and he was tossing and turning.

I quickly threw the sheets off of me and flew up to his bedroom. I opened the door and saw him sitting there in his bed, he was hugging his knees and covered in sweat, not to mention shaking. I ran over to him and he looked at me in fear and tried to curl up tighter, he stuttered something incoherent but I could make out the words: 'no' 'mugger' 'already' 'mum' 'dad' 'please' and 'fault'

I reached over to him and put my arm on his shoulder but didn't do anything else, he tensed as I touched him but calmed down after a minute or so, he pulled his head out of his arms and looked at me, his eyes were fulled with fear and I realised just how vulnerable he was right now "W-who are..." he stuttered fearfully, he seemed to calm down slightly "Safe." he muttered and he grabbed my arm tightly. He thought I was someone or thing safe? Isn't this Bat 'trust no one and nothing' Man?

Either way I sat down next to him
"Are you okay?" I asked, stupid question. "Just explain to me what's going on." I asked, he looked at me and he sobbed "Hey!" I said, I reached over to calm him and ended up pulling him into my arms. To my surprise he didn't protest and actually grabbed onto me, he sobbed again and broke down in my arms. I realised he just needed to cry and have someone there right now so I didn't say anything until he had calmed down.

By the time my shoulder was wet with tears it appeared Batman had run out of them. "What was that?" I asked because he seemed more stable
"P-ptsd episode." he said, my eyes widened
"Like, the mental problem? The trama one?" I asked because I had no idea what else to call it, he nodded. He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"I had a nightmare which was just a twisted memory of the moment they..." he trailed off
"You don't have to tell me." I reassured him but he took a deep breathe
"When I was a kid my parents were mugged and k-killed right in front of me. As well as giving me no reason to trust the police and ptsd, it inspired me to fight crime, to become a vigilante, so no one else in Gotham would have to feel like I did ever again." Batman explained, I was already hugging him but I pulled him in closer and wrapped my arms tighter around him.
"You have literally so much reason for everything you do, it makes sense now." I said and we sat like that for a while.

"Hey, what's your favourite food?" I asked, he paused
"Mulligatawny soup?" he said, I grimaced. (we see him have loads of different favourites so I just used the first google result)
"How about a grilled cheese or something I can pronounce?" I asked and he laughed at my attempt to be nice.
"Sure." he said, but he did seemed happier now.

I walked out of the room and found a kitchen, I grabbed some bread and cheese and started making a sandwitch, beleive it or not I actually made a good grilled cheese. As I cooked I called J'onn through my comm link
"Hey J'onn has Batman ever seen the Leagues therapist?" I asked,
"No." J'onn replied "Why?" he asked
"No reason." I said and hung up, I put the grilled cheese on a plate and flew back to Batmans room, I passed him the plate and he said
"Thanks."