Requested by: White-Sparrow
Prompt: It's Halloween and the boys decide to test their fear tolerance...
"This is extraordinarily childish, Grayson," Damian says with his arms crossed over his chest, an irked expression on his face.
"Come on, Demon! It'll be fun!" he replies with a sly smile. "You're not scared are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" he scoffs.
Tim examines the building restlessly. Ahead of them is the famed House of Horrors at the Newton Fairgrounds. Every Halloween, the directors from the movie studios on the mainland bring set pieces from famous horror films into the building. It's rumored to be truly terrifying, and those who are brave enough to enter are rumored to have difficulty sleeping for weeks afterward. Dick decided to give it a shot, and no way was he going without dragging his brothers along!
"This looks like the lamest thing ever," Jason mumbles, crushing his burnt-out cigarette beneath his boot.
"Wuss!" Dick teases.
"Easy for you to say, Circus Boy! I'm sure some of your best friends were psycho clowns."
"Do I detect a hidden phobia, Todd?" Damian laughs.
"Hey, you try being held hostage in an insane asylum and tortured by a deranged clown! It doesn't exactly make you feel warm and fuzzy inside."
Damian's smile vanishes and he shuffles away.
"It's alright, Jay. I'm not really into this stuff either," Tim says reassuringly, "but if I can do it, so can you."
"Tell you what," Dick offers, "I'll sacrifice myself and go in first. That way it'll be easier for you crybabies."
"Nonsense, I'll go in with you! I'm not afraid of anything," Damian returns confidently. Tim nervously follows Damian and Jason brings up the rear. He flinches a little as the door slams shut behind them. They find themselves in a dimly lit hallway. It's obvious that a Victorian Era set was used to create the house. The walls are covered with crimson paisley wallpaper and the gaslight fixture looks very nineteenth-century. The antique chair in the hallway smells musty and the pink patterned fabric is worn on the cushions.
"I didn't know we were going to Grandma's house," Dick laughs.
"This is pathetic," Damian states. "I'm going ahead." He passes Dick by only a few steps when a picture on the wall suddenly swings open and a figure dressed in all-black snatches at his arm.
"WHAT THE—?!" Damian screams, jumping onto Dick's back.
Dick starts laughing. "What's the matter, little girl? Afraid of the Boogie Man?"
"Oh, shut up!" he replies.
Tim looks down the hallway and spots a door. "Is that the way out?"
They quickly head for the door, but to Jason's utter dismay, they step into a circus-themed addition.
"Hey, I'm home!" Dick says happily.
"Oh god, get me the hell out of here," Jason groans, grabbing Tim's shoulders. "I wanna go back."
"There is no going back!" Dick replies in his best mad-scientist voice. They continue to the darkened big top when Dick sees something familiar settled in the middle of the room. It's a large wooden wheel with leather straps attached to it.
YOU ARE READING
The Great Big Book of Bat Family One-Shots (Written by Requests)
FanfictionA collection of short stories and imagines featuring the Bat Family, as well as the Outlaws, Justice League, and DC Villains. (Closed for requests)
