Listening to "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons brought this little piece to life.


Bleeding Out

Dick gasped at the sudden pain in his stomach. Up until that moment, everything had gone according to plan. He and Bruce had broken up a drug ring and were patrolling the city together, something they had not done in three long years. It had felt good, to be out with his former mentor and father, to be able to view the city in a way that he had not been able to in so long. One second was all it took, however, to turn everything sour.

Dick's hand instinctively moved to cover the wound, and in that moment of inattentiveness, he was hit again, this time in the chest. He fell back, blinded by a white hot pain, and hit the ground with a cry.

Bruce was at his side in a matter of seconds, cradling Dick's torso in his arms. Blood was pouring out both wounds, but Bruce didn't even bother to try and stem the bleeding. Why was that?

"B—Batman?" Dick's brow knit together in a harsh combination of worry and pain.

Gentle fingers removed Dick's mask, despite the fact that they were still out in the open. Dick mustered the strength to look up and found that his eyes met a pair of equally blue ones, not the white lenses he had been expecting.

"Bruce?" he dared to venture, barely able to form the simple word. He tasted blood in his mouth.

"Dick," Bruce slowly intoned, his hand rubbing gently up and down Dick's right arm. "My son…"

There was no pain anymore, only numbness as the realization hit Dick. There was nothing Bruce could do. "Please," he begged, coughing blood onto his already soaked chest. "Help me… Dad."

"Oh, Dick," Bruce said. There were tears in his eyes, and it was obvious that he was struggling to keep them from spilling over.

Dick fought to push himself into a sitting position, to do anything to convince Bruce that he was alright. He had lost too many people already.

"Lie still, son," Bruce whispered softly, brushing a hand through Dick's hair.

Dick gave up his attempts at moving. "Can we go back to the cave?" he whispered at an equally quiet volume. "Alfred can…" His voice failed him before he could finish speaking.

Tears began to fall from Bruce's eyes, but he didn't even attempt to brush them away. Instead, he brought his hand to Dick's chest and placed it over the bullet wound that was there. "No, son," Bruce said, choking on his words. "Just lie still."

"I—I'm scared, Dad," Dick managed to choke out.

"I know, son," Bruce said. "Everything will be okay…"

He continued speaking, but Dick could no longer hear him. Dick searched his father's face, trying to find a trace of determination to save him, but there was nothing. He knew why. The second bullet had hit right above his heart. Bruce might have been able to do something if he hadn't already lost so much blood from the first wound, but by the time he had gotten shot again, there was nothing he could do.

Dick let his eyes wander over his father's face one final time, and he thought he caught the words I love you on Bruce's lips. He smiled then and, no longer afraid, closed his eyes.


Thanks for reading! If you have the time, please let me know what you think in a review!

~Red~