Batman: Fear Of Loss

True Fear

Light flashed beneath the door followed by a burst of thunder. Bruce Wayne frowned, opening the wooden door. Inside the window space sat a young boy sporting black hair, a white t-shirt, and blue jeans. He stared out the window, tears streaming down his face. The patter of rain nearly drowned out his sniffling.
"Hey, Dick," Bruce said in a comforting tone, smiling.
Dick rubbed his nose, sniffling. "Hey," he said quietly.
Bruce frowned, looking out the window. He sighed and placed his hand on Dick's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Dick, eyes swollen by tears, was overcome by anger and sadness. "I could have stopped him! I know he wasn't supposed to be there!"
"You keep thinking that there was something you could've done - something to save them," Bruce said, looking down at him. "There's nothing you could've done, Dick. You can't blame yourself."
Dick wiped his nose once more. "You too?"
Bruce looked up at the painting of Martha and Thomas Wayne, hanging over a stone hearth, and nodded.
"Does the hurt ever stop?" Dick asked, looking up at Bruce.
"I wish I could say yes," Bruce responded, kneeling. He wrapped his arm around him. "But it gets better."

"Approaching destination," the computer said in it's monotone voice.
Batman came back to reality, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. The batwing pulled out of the dark clouds, and Blüdhaven came into view. It was much more modern compared to Gotham's gothic architecture and atmosphere.
Batman swung onto the building from the stationary Batwing, planting his feet into the gravel roof. "Barbara," he said, bringing his index and middle fingers to his ear. "I'm at the warehouse."
Barbara's voice came through the communicator. "I'm getting the building's blueprints, hold on."
Batman peered through the building's sun roof, activating his Detective Vision. "Twelve men, six armed. This is the place."
"I've got it, Bruce. There's an air duct on the roof that leads to building's vent system."
"I see it, Barbara," Batman said, ripping off the duct's frame. He climbed inside, sliding down into the vent system.
"I don't get why we have to stay here," a voice said, echoing throughout the vent system.
"Scarecrow's got a plan, man. Says he's gonna take out the Bat once and for all," another replied.
Batman could see them through the vents, positioning himself above them.
"Those freaks say that all the time," one of the thugs said dismissively.
"Careful, man. Scarecrow's one guy you don't want to pis-"
Batman launched from the vent system, landing on one of the thugs. He looked up to examine the room briefly. Standard room, two doors, he thought.
"It's the Bat!" one of the thugs screamed, charging.
Batman threw down a smoke pellet, clouding the room in a thick smoke. What followed next was sporadic, confused gun fire, the sounds of several bones breaking at once, and screams of pain.
When the smoke cleared, one thug remained. "N-no! Leave me alone!" he shouted, pounding on one of the doors.
Batman yanked him off the ground like a sock monkey. "Where's Scarecrow!?" he yelled. The thug was unresponsive, gripped by fear. "Where is he?!"
"Here, Batman," a raspy voice echoed throughout the room. Batman turned, dropping the thug. Scarecrow's mangled, sewn-together face lit up on a screen.
"Look around you, Batman," he said, each word brushing air against the burlap covering his upper teeth. His teeth clenched in an expression of either anger or pleasure. "This is the fear you cause. This is what holds Gotham in your grip, whether the vandals admit it or not." His voice went from a rough whisper to gravely and deep. "Your inspire fear almost as well I, Batman. After years of being swallowed up by fear - after years of using it as your weapon - I've realized something. I won't beat you with hallucinations. No, your will is too strong. I'm going to show you true fear. Something even you cannot change."
Batman clenched his fist, preparing for the worst. "You don't scare me, Crane."
The Scarecrow chuckled, leaning forward. "Enough bravado. I do, Dark Knight, but that will change, soon enough."
"Batman, I'm getting an electrical spike! Get out of there, now!" Barbara yelled over the comms. The room became dark. Armored shutters rose, blocking the windows. Batman raised his arm, firing the Batclaw at the sunroof, but it was cut before he could even get off the ground.
The room was lit only by Scarecrow's horrid face. "In order to truly understand fear, one must take it away... Bruce."
Batman's eyes widened. Before he could muster words, the room filled with the hiss of concentrated gas screaming from pipes. Batman turned frantically in a panic. He began coughing violently until he hit floor, struggling for breath.
"Goodnight, Mr. Wayne," Scarecrow mocked. His image faded into nothingness.

Then there was nothing but darkness.