It started that summer

The Day Before

I paced around the Batcave, the tension bubbling up in me with every step. The map of Gotham lay sprawled out on the table, a glaring red X marking the baseball field where Joker had decided to make his stand. The Joker's twisted games had left us with nothing but shattered leads and cryptic messages. And now, Damian had been snatched right from school. The only trace left was his backpack, abandoned on the side of the road. He's just a kid. Raised by assassins or not, the Joker is out of his mind. We have to get him back. We have to save both of them.

I glanced over at Bruce. He stood by the window, his hands gripping the edge of the frame so tightly his knuckles white. His jaw was clenched and the lines on his face seemed deeper. His eyes were clouded with anguish. "Dad," I began, trying to catch his attention.

He turned to me, cutting me off before I could say more. "I know how you're feeling. Believe me, I do." His voice was strained, and he looked down as if he were trying to hold back tears. "I've lost Jason once before. The pain is... unbearable. I won't let it happen again. I can't."

"Hey, we all lost him. We're going to bring them back," I reminded him. His words hit hard. He had faced this torment not as a brother, but as a father. The weight of his own loss, combined with the responsibility of keeping us all together was clear in every tense muscle and every strained breath. I needed to keep my emotions in check. As a leader, I couldn't afford to break down. Not yet. Not when everyone was depending on me. Bruce's gaze met mine, dark and serious.

"I'm doing everything I can. But it's not just about getting Jason and Damian back. It's about stopping the Joker from causing more harm. I know I've been cold and distant, but this... it's tearing me apart." His emotional armor was slipping, revealing a vulnerability I rarely saw. The man who was usually a fortress was showing cracks.

"You've done everything you can to protect us. We're all in this together. We have to stay strong for Jason and Damian. They need us to be strong," I said firmly.

Bruce nodded, though the anguish in his eyes remained. "I know. I just... I can't lose them again. I can't lose another part of my family."

Steph glanced over at Bruce, her eyes full of concern. "We're all here for each other. We're going to get through this." The rest of the team was focused on their tasks—Steph and Duke checking their gear, Babs setting up communications, Cass silently preparing herself. The tension was like a cloud in the room, the unspoken worry hanging heavy in the air. I glanced around and noticed Tim was missing.

I excused myself and headed upstairs. I looked around and turned the corner, Dami's door was open. I peeked inside, Tim was rifling through Damian's belongings, his movements were increasingly frantic, flipping through drawers, tossing aside clothes, and looking through every corner as if a clue would magically appear. I watched him from the doorway, "Tim?" He ignored me, "Tim, stop!" I finally said, my patience wearing thin. "We need to focus on the plan. There's nothing here that's going to help us right now."

He barely glanced at me, his eyes wild. "I can't just sit around and do nothing! I should have been there for Damian. I should have known something was wrong!"

I walked into the room. "Tim, you need to calm down."

"Don't you understand? I've let them down! I've failed them both!"

"Tim, listen to me!" I said, trying to grab his arm to stop him. His eyes flashed with anger, and before I could react, he shoved me away, sending a stack of books crashing to the floor. His face was flushed with frustration, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

He glared at me, his eyes brimming with anger and desperation. "You don't get it! I'm supposed to be the one who can keep things together. I'm supposed to be the one who figures things out and knows everything. But I can't. I can't do anything!"