My Boys

Chapter 1

The entire way home was silent. No one said a word. All that could be heard was the uneven breathing caused by a few broken ribs in the back seat. Bruce didn't know what to say. What could he say?

I'm sorry?

He should have been there. If he was, this wouldn't have happened; and they all knew that. But he had other responsibilities.

The uneven breathing then turned into hard wheezing then soft sobs. Bruce looked back; it was Tim.

"You alright?" He had an almost concerned look on his face. But not enough to be comforting.

"Yeah. It just hurts a little." Bruce wondered why he was crying. He had broken them many times.

Tim reached for Jason's hand and grabbed it gently. Jason moved closer, comforting him.

"We're gonna be ok, Timmy." What was really going on? From what Bruce could tell, Tim was the only one with injuries. The others had a few cuts and bruises but nothing too serious.

Why wouldn't they be okay?

This wasn't the first time the Joker had kidnapped them. Won't be the last. They were only there for 6 days.

Why was this time so different?

What he didn't realize was how different this time really was. The joker didn't want to torture them for fun.He didn't want to scare them. He wanted to break them. More than a knife, a gun, or a crowbar ever could.

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BRUCE'S POV

When we got home everyone just left. They went to their rooms without saying a word, not even a good night. Even Tim had left and he was injured. It was only 10 p.m. Guess they're tired. I have work to do anyway.

"Good evening, Master Bruce."

"Good evening, Alfred," I said with a slight smile thinking that Alfred would be happy about the safe return of my children.

"You still have yet to locate the young masters?" I looked up from my paperwork. They've been here for over half an hour.

"What do you me-." Then I realized.THEY DIDN'T SAY HELLO TO ALFRED. They've been gone for a week. We didn't know if they were okay. If they were alive or dead. Yeah, it wasn't their fault; but they could at least say 'hello' to the old man. Could they really be that selfish?

" No. I found them, and they've been back for almost half an hour. Let's go find them." I was pissed. There was no way to get past Alfred unless you were trying to. Which meant they were avoiding him. But why?

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DICK'S POV

My bed was warm. I could tell that Alfred had washed the sheets while we were gone. I was so comfortable, which made me even more tired. I was exhausted.

The Joker didn't let us sleep. He said there was too much to do. Too much fun to be had. Then he would laugh hysterically. His laugh was one of the many things that kept me from sleeping. But this time it was something else.

It was my parents. I haven't thought about their death in a while. I think about them all the time. How I miss them. But I don't think about that night. The night they fell to their deaths. The night that my life fell apart. But now I thought about it. The night replayed in my head.

I just want to sleep. I thought to myself, "Why won't he just let me sleep?" His harsh words kept playing through my head. Why couldn't you save them? Why didn't you help them? You should have gone with them.

I don't deserve to sleep. He was right; it was my fault. It was all my fault.

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DAMIAN'S POV

The second my door closed I started to get undressed. Tossing the pieces of my suit on the floor and weapons on my dresser. I was nearly completely covered in blood. Some of it had soaked through to my suit. I was disgusted by what I had done.

I showered immediately. The water was scorching hot. It felt like my skin was boiling. I went to adjust the heat. Then I saw the bloodied water. I remembered what I had done. I let out a soft whimper. It hurt. But I deserved it. All of it.

It hurt a little to get dressed. I had a massive bruise on my left shoulder. I looked in the mirror; my skin was visibly red. Hot to the touch, too. I stood there looking in the mirror for a while.

I hated the way I looked. The way my face relaxed into an emotionless expression. My eyes were such a cold green. There was no emotion, no remorse. Nothing.

Maybe he was right I repeated to myself. Maybe I was a monster. Just like him.

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BRUCE'S POV

When we arrived upstairs, I noticed that two of the boys were still awake. The faint glow of their bedroom light peering into the hallway. Which meant that two of them were still ignoring Alfred.

The first was Damian. No surprise there. I quietly opened the door only to find Damian curled up on the floor. I glanced over to Alfred; he gave me a worried look. We took a few steps closer together to see if he was still awake. Then I laid my hand on his shoulder. He didn't move.

I quickly checked his pulse. It was there. I checked for any bleeding or head trauma. Nothing. Damian would never let anyone this close if he was sleeping. There's no way he's sleeping.

" Master Bruce, shall I get the first aid kit?"

" No. I don't believe that will be necessary, Alfred. He is only resting." I picked up the small figure and lightly placed him on the bed. I placed his blankets on top of him. I wonder if he's comfortable?

This is the only time he looks peaceful. He always looks so angry. He gets it from me, I guess. I started to smile. This was the first and probably last time tucking in Damian. I kissed him on the forehead then turned out the light.

I closed the door hoping not to wake Damian. Then we made our way to Tim's room. The door was already open a little. I pushed it a little more to see the whole room. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Not only was Tim asleep, but Jason was next to him. Tim's head laid on Jason's chest as he cuddled close to his chest. The two of them in the same room not fighting. They were cuddling. Just about as close as they could get. All they do is express their hatred for each other. Now all of a sudden they are close as can be.

"What did he do to them?"