Bat-Family Oneshots

Forever there

Dick was sitting in the den with his head in his hands, silently rocking. Suddenly the silence was filled with screams, the screams he was trying to keep out, screams from a moment long ago, a moment he doesn't want to remember. But it's no use the screams get louder and the memory plays in his head like a broken record going around and around stuck on the same sad tune. Dick can feel his breathing pick up as he verged on a panic attack. Internally he knew it's not real, know it's in his head, in his memories. He knows he's not eight anymore, he knows he's not at the circus, he knows it's been ten years. He knows he's at home in Gotham. He's safe. He falls back into his old mantra "Im in Gotham, Im in Gotham, Im at Home, Im at Home, Im safe, it's safe" he repeats it over and over again like it's the only thing stopping the pieces from shattering once more, into even smaller fragments. His hands still glued to his head. His body still rocking back and forth. Lips still muttering. Screams and pictures all but an echo in the depth he is drowning. They will continue to haunt him, every day the mask goes up, the broken gets hidden and all but a few really see, really notice, really care. All they see, all they choose to see is the happy go lucky guy that doesn't really exist. He's broken, the mask fall, the tears came, he let it all go, no more running, no more. But knew even in the depth that in an hour maybe two the mask would reappear the broken will hide once more, the smile of gold will grace his lips, the tears will dry, he'll run once more. But the echo remains, forever there.