EUPHORIA

A Thin Line

The Batcave was steeped in an uncomfortable silence, the kind that always seemed to precede a storm. Damian Wayne paced the expansive cave, his mind racing as he replayed the heated argument he had just had with Raven. They had been working together for months, and he thought he understood her, but in that moment, nothing made sense.

“Damian, you can’t keep shutting me out!” Raven had shouted, her frustration boiling over. “Every time I try to connect, you push me away!”

“Maybe it’s not all about you!” he snapped back, his voice laced with irritation. “I don’t need your help. I’m fine on my own.”

“Fine?” she echoed incredulously, her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing. “You think pushing everyone away is fine? You’re drowning, and you don’t even see it!”

“You don’t get to tell me how I feel!” he shot back, his tone sharp, feeling a surge of anger mixed with something more painful. “You don’t understand what I’ve been through. I’ve learned to survive on my own.”

“Surviving isn’t living!” she countered, her voice rising, each word punctuated with emotion. “You can’t keep pretending that shutting everyone out is a sign of strength. It’s just lonely! You think isolating yourself makes you stronger, but all it does is drive people away!”

“Loneliness is better than depending on someone who will only get hurt!” Damian barked, the words spilling out before he could stop them. “You think your pity can save me? I don’t need your sympathy!”

“Sympathy?” she spat, hurt flashing across her face. “This isn’t about pity! It’s about partnership, about being there for each other. But you won’t let me in! You’re scared of what it means to care, and that fear is consuming you!”

“I don’t need your help!” he yelled, frustration boiling over. “I can handle myself. I don’t need anyone, especially not you! You’re too weak to understand what it takes to survive in this world!”

Raven’s expression turned cold, her voice trembling with anger. “You think I’m weak? You think I don’t know pain? I’ve lived through hell! I’ve faced my demons! But here I am, trying to reach out to you, and all you do is push me away!”

“Fine,” he shot back, unwilling to back down. “If you think you can do this alone, go ahead. But don’t come crying to me when it all falls apart!”

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the Batcave, leaving him standing there, the weight of their fight settling heavily on his shoulders. The echoes of their argument lingered in the air, like a storm cloud threatening to unleash its fury.

---

**The Mission**

Hours later, the tension hung thick as they prepped for their next mission. Raven returned, her demeanor cool and distant, but neither spoke of the fight. Instead, they gathered their gear in silence, the air crackling with unspoken words.

“Are we ready?” Raven asked, her voice steady but lacking its usual warmth, her gaze focused on the gear.

“Yeah,” he replied curtly, avoiding her gaze. Guilt twisted in his stomach, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the mission at hand.

As they suited up, Damian couldn’t shake the feeling that this mission felt different—dangerous in a way that made him uneasy. The weight of the earlier argument hung over him like a shadow. He brushed it aside, unwilling to dwell on his feelings when there was work to be done.

They moved through the Gotham streets, shadows blending into the night. Their target was a warehouse rumored to be housing stolen technology. They approached cautiously, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on both of them.