Angst Damian Wayne One Shots

Shadows Of The Mind Version 2

The Batcave hummed with quiet activity, the distant drip of water echoing through the vast space. The team had just returned from a grueling patrol, each member exhausted but satisfied with the night's work.

Tim was already at the computer, pulling up intel on the next mission. Dick leaned against the Batmobile, peeling off his gloves, while Bruce methodically removed his cowl, his face a mask of calm. Damian sat on the metal examination table, his shoulders stiff as he unbuckled his gauntlets.

"You alright, kid?" Dick asked, noticing the tension in Damian's movements.

"I'm fine," Damian snapped, sharper than he intended. He flinched at his own tone, then forced a calmer response. "It's nothing."

Bruce glanced over, his sharp eyes narrowing. "You were exposed to Scarecrow's gas tonight. That's not 'nothing.'"

"I said I'm fine," Damian insisted, his voice tight. "I'm stronger than that. It didn't affect me."

Bruce exchanged a look with Dick, who raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Tim turned from the computer, frowning. "Even if you think you're okay, fear toxin can linger. You need to get checked out."

Damian rolled his eyes, hopping down from the table. "I said I'm fine. You don't need to babysit me." He started walking toward the training area, but his steps faltered.

"Damian?" Dick called, his voice cautious.

Damian's fists clenched at his sides, his head dipping slightly as if he were trying to shake something off. "I... I'm fine," he mumbled, though his voice cracked.

Bruce stepped forward. "Damian—"

Before anyone could react, Damian let out a low, shaky breath, then collapsed to his knees.

The world around Damian shifted violently, the edges of his vision warping as the Batcave melted into something dark and unfamiliar.

"No," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Not again..."

He was back in the great hall of Wayne Manor, but this time it wasn't empty. Blood painted the walls, smeared in jagged streaks. The faint, metallic smell filled his nose, making his stomach churn.

"Damian..."

He spun around, his heart racing. The voice was soft, broken, and it came from the far end of the hall. His eyes widened as he saw Alfred slumped against the wall, his face pale, his chest rising and falling in shallow gasps.

"No! Alfred!" Damian sprinted toward him, but the floor beneath him stretched endlessly, the distance growing with every step.

In the Batcave, Damian writhed on the floor, his breaths coming in shallow gasps.

"What's happening to him?" Dick asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"It's the fear toxin," Bruce said grimly, crouching beside Damian. "He's trapped in his own mind."

Tim rushed to grab the antidote, but Bruce held up a hand. "Wait. We need to understand what he's seeing first. Otherwise, the antidote might not work."

"Understand?" Dick repeated, his tone incredulous. "He's freaking out, Bruce!"

"Trust me," Bruce said, his voice firm.

Damian's hands trembled as he finally reached Alfred, dropping to his knees beside the butler. "I'm here! I'll help you. Just hold on!"

Alfred's lips moved, but no sound came out. Blood seeped from his chest, pooling around Damian's hands as he tried desperately to stop the flow.

"Don't leave me," Damian whispered, his voice cracking. "Please..."

"Damian..." Alfred's voice was faint, barely audible. "You failed..."

The words hit him like a blow, and suddenly Alfred's body dissolved into ash, slipping through Damian's fingers.

"No!" Damian screamed, his voice echoing in the endless hall.

"Damian, listen to me," Bruce said, his voice low but commanding. "You're safe. Whatever you're seeing, it's not real."

Damian's eyes darted wildly, unseeing, his lips moving soundlessly. Then, he let out a strangled sob, his body curling inward.

"He's not hearing you," Dick said, kneeling beside Damian. "We have to do something—he's breaking."

The scene shifted again, and Damian found himself in the Batcave.

But it wasn't the same.

Tim lay sprawled on the ground, motionless, his bo staff snapped in two beside him. Dick was slumped against the Batcomputer, blood dripping from a deep gash across his chest. Jason's helmet was cracked, his face pale and lifeless beneath it.

And Bruce... Bruce stood in the center of the room, his back to Damian.

"No..." Damian's voice was barely a whisper. He stumbled forward, his legs feeling like lead. "Father... what happened?"

Bruce turned slowly, his face cold and emotionless. "You happened."

Damian froze, his breath hitching. "What?"

"You were supposed to be better," Bruce said, his voice sharp as a blade. "But you let your arrogance get in the way. You let them die."

"No!" Damian shook his head, backing away. "I didn't... I tried to save them!"

"You failed," Bruce said, stepping closer. "You failed all of us."

"Damian, wake up!" Dick shouted, shaking him by the shoulders.

Damian's eyes snapped open, wide and wild, tears streaming down his face. "I didn't mean to," he choked out, his voice hoarse. "I didn't mean to..."

"You're okay," Dick said, his voice softening. "You're here. We've got you."

Bruce placed a hand on Damian's shoulder, his grip steady. "You're safe now, Damian."

But Damian flinched, pulling away. His breaths came in short, shallow gasps as he stared at them, his expression a mixture of fear and guilt.

"I saw you all die," he whispered, his voice trembling. "And it was my fault."

"It wasn't real," Tim said gently, kneeling beside him. "The gas made you see things, but none of it was real."

Damian shook his head. "But what if it is? What if one day I... I mess up, and it does happen?"

Bruce crouched in front of him, his gaze steady. "That won't happen. Because you're not alone, Damian. You have us. Always."

For a moment, Damian just stared at him, the fear still raw in his eyes. But then he nodded, the smallest of movements, and let himself lean into Bruce's steady presence.

The Batcave fell silent, the echoes of his screams fading, but the weight of what he'd seen lingered in the air. For Damian, the fear would never truly go away. But with his family beside him, he knew he wouldn't have to face it alone.