It started that summer

Batman: A Death In the Family

I could hardly breathe, it got harder and harder to hold my head up. The room felt suffocating, shadows lurking at the edges of the spotlight seemed to taunting me with my fears. Every second felt like an eternity, my mind racing with thoughts of what was happening to me and where my family was.

Then, I heard it—the faint sound of footsteps, growing louder until the door burst open. I tried to brace myself for whatever the Joker would do next. Todd stumbled in, collapsing to the floor in a heap. Panic radiated off him, his eyes wide and unfocused, a wild look that made my heart race. The sight of him—his bruised skin and bloodied appearance—set off alarm bells in my mind. "Todd?" I called, my voice trembling. No response. "Todd!" I shouted again, desperation clawing at my throat. Still nothing. He seemed lost, caught in his own storm of terror. I remembered when he was Hami, my protector, the boy who had once held me close. "Hami!" I shouted.

At the sound of it, he froze. Slowly, he looked up, recognition igniting in his eyes. "D-Damian?" His voice was choked. I could see the J-shaped scar cutting across his cheek as the light poured over him.

My heart sank, then it beat faster, anger filled me. "Why didn't you come for me?" I blurted out, bitterness rising as anger and desperation collided. "Why? Why did you leave? You left everyone that night! You refused help! You got yourself stuck here! So why?"

The tension hung thick in the air, and I could see the pain etched across his face. My heart stopped as I realized he had no idea I was even trapped here. He had no idea the Joker had taken me too. Todd's voice cracked, his eyes glowing with tears. "I thought he only took me. I... I didn't know." His expression crumpled as he processed it. He was at a loss for words, the weight of his horror and guilt settling on his shoulders. "Damian, I didn't know..." His voice trailed off, and I could see the struggle within him. He looked like he was on the verge of breaking, emotion spilling out of him. I felt my own heart shatter at the sight.

"You ran away!" I shouted again, the anger and hurt boiling over. "You ran away and left everyone behind!'

"I'm sorry!" he shouted back, "I thought I could handle it on my own—"

I cut him off, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. "You ran away and you left me! I've been here, scared and alone, and I thought you were dead!" My voice broke, tears spilling down my cheeks, a rush of feelings I could no longer contain. "You were supposed to be my Hami, my protector, but I couldn't even keep you safe. I... I missed you so much!" I sobbed, each breath coming in shaky gasps as the reality of our situation crashed over me like a tidal wave. "I'm so sorry for everything! I just want you to come back home with me!"

His face fell, eyes wide with empathy and sorrow. Todd leaned heavily against the wall, his body shaking as he struggled to find his footing. "Damian... I'm sorry," he said, his voice softening but covered in exhaustion. "I'm so sorry, but we'll get through this. I promise." He took a shaky breath, wincing as he tried to straighten up, the effort clearly costing him. The bruises on his skin were dark and painful, a reminder of everything we'd endured. It hurt to see him like this, so fragile.

Tears streamed down my face, and I could see him struggling to hold himself together, too. "I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go home!" I cried, each word laced with the deep pain of our separation.

He let his head rest against the wall, his breathing shaky as tears glistened down his cheeks. "I'm s-scared to go home," he admitted, the confession tumbling from his lips. He looked away, shame washing over him, and I noticed how his body trembled with the effort to stay upright. "I don't even know what I've become because of the Joker." His voice was filled with fear, and I could see it in his eyes—the terror of facing our father.