CRISIS

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— Jason... — Bruce tried to keep his smile friendly, but the state his son was in was worrisome — How are you feeling?

— What happened!? — Jason shrank even more when his father approached him a few steps - that was enough for the watchman to stagnate in place and stop the sudden movements. Damian, while still in that embrace, struggled to try to see his father or butler and find out what his older brother was talking about.

— Master Jason, we talked after you let your brother go, he needs to take the medicines — Alfred tried to negotiate, approaching just two steps — You want him to be okay, don't you?

— First my answers! — the boy demanded and pressed his brother against him even more tightly — What do you want with him? What medicines is he still taking!? What did I take!?

The older ones looked at each other, remained in absolute silence while sharing a worried look. The Fear Gas alone was already potentially fatal, but the "new version" extended the effects for much longer - it could cause irreversible damage.

— I want the fucking answers! — Jason demanded again. He got up from the floor while still holding his younger brother against him.

— Son, please... — Bruce sighed.

— Master Jason, we only want the best for you both.

— Lie!

— Jason ..

— I know it's a lie!

— Jay... — Damian almost called him in a whisper. He was still hugging him, but he was starting to get scared of how that discussion would end — Mr. Pennyworth doesn't lie.

— Brat, you can't imagine how much everyone here lies! — Todd snorted and looked at his elders, then sniffed and used one hand to try to wipe away the tears — They are lying now, you know? But I can tell you the truth... it's just a hallucination, it won't be a problem.

— ... Everyone lies? — The little one asked in a voice full of insecurity. I felt the body start to become rigid, the mouth to dry... — What are they lying about?

— About nothing, Master Damian. His brother is going through a difficult time called "panic crisis" — Alfred tried to explain it in the best possible way — Please, disregard these accusations, he is too nervous and does not know what he says...

— Crisis the fuck! I bet you drugged me like you do with the brat... — From a state of anger the rebel went into melancholy: — It is so easy to take care of him, but you keep giving these pills to him to sleep!

— Are the medicines for me to sleep? — Damian struggled to try to face his elders, but Jason was still pinning him — Mr. Pennyworth, is that true? Dad, is it true!? — He could feel the suspicion increasing as I felt the body tingle.

— You are scaring your brother, Jason — Bruce said in the most serious tone he could. If he got closer to his children, he needed to stop Jason before he did anything irreparable.

— Master Jason, you need to remain calm — Alfred asked. Like Master Wayne, he disregarded Damian's questions - they were focused on eliminating danger first.

— Calm fuck no! — Jason shouted.

The rebel could feel the sanity that was still fading. The hideous figures and the menacing shadows were cornering him more and more...

— Son...

DO NOT CALL ME SON! — He finally released the youngest, but only to start pulling his own hair with his hand - as if that were waking up from the nightmare he was living. When he saw that it wouldn't work, Jason just pulled back further and leaned against the wall, sat on the floor - still pulling on his hair.

Damian took advantage to walk over to the butler and embrace him with the strength he still had - he was more reliable than his father. He felt that at any moment he would lose control of his own body and feared that he would arrive in the same state as his brother... he was afraid to start being as neurotic as he was now, but he needed to know:

— Mr. Pennyworth... the medicines, do... — the little one looked at the butler with eyes overflowing with tears — Do they make me sleep? — Alfred opened his mouth, but said nothing — Do you want to get rid of me using them? I hate to sleep! I can... — He sobbed with his own cry — I can be quiet, I won't give you any more trouble, I promise! I'm sorry for killing Robin and causing trouble, please! I'll be quiet, please, Mr. Pennyworth! — begged — J-Just... don't make me sleep, please...

The old man stared at Bruce for some support, anything that would minimally calm that frail child, but the other adult was too busy trying to get close to Jason without scaring him. Alfred carefully touched Damian's hair, took a deep breath and tried to explain it as succinctly as he could:

— The medicines are for epilepsy, Master Damian. Unfortunately, they can cause reactions such as drowsiness... — careful, he used his thumbs to try to wipe the little boy's tears — But why do you hate sleeping?

— ... B-Bad dreams... — he replied between his teeth, forcing himself to stop crying in order to explain better: — Very bad, nightmares… I die every time, Mr. Pennyworth! No matter what I do, wherever I go, I always die and don't wake up after that! — He hid his face in the butler trying to muffle his voice — It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... but I don't wake up, it's torture! I-I keep reliving everything wrong I did to try to stay alive, but I'm still dead, Mr. Pennyworth!

To the surprise of the butler, Bruce who intervened to try to calm the younger son. As lovingly and zealously as possible, he took Damian on his lap and hugged him - as if he were a small child who needed to be restrained.

After hearing the little report, the "inconsequential father" could only feel even more guilty for having neglected the little one. Now he understood that reluctance to sleep; that question "if I don't wake up?"; even bored drawings depicting nightmares - only when you know fear is it possible to stop having it.

— Let's try other methods, son... you just need to be patient.

The promise without an oath was enough for little Wayne to calm down a little and finally embrace his father as he used to do. In fact, it had been a long time since these actions had been repeated, one of the last times was when they were still in that neurological clinic.

— WHAT OTHER METHODS!? — Jason forced himself to get up and faced his father — What are you going to do with him!?

— There are other remedies that... — He stopped explaining when he faced his rebellious son, now with a hateful look, ready to attack him. There was not much to do, Bruce was hurt and with his son in his lap, it remained to try to avoid that attack or, at least, protect Damian.

— RELEASE HIM! — ordered. Even staggering, Jason was able to be agile thanks to the high levels of adrenaline.

— Master Jason, restrain yourself! — Alfred demanded putting himself between him and the Wayne.

Nothing more was needed.

Jason saw a hideous figure with pulled, putrid skin in the place of the beloved butler. Even Alfred's voice sounded monstrous... the boy just cringed and dropped to the floor again, crying, since he couldn't save his brother - even if he saw him as a hallucination.

— ... I'll be right back! — Alfred said quietly while rushing out of the office. Had no time to lose: the Fear Gas effect was overcoming the antidote effect. A new dose was needed as soon as possible, otherwise that crisis would become a much bigger problem - and perhaps irreversible.

Bruce remained stagnant in the same place. He didn't take her eyes off Jason, but didn't approach him for fear of making the situation worse or of being attacked again - he didn't mind being hurt, but he wouldn't allow anything to happen to Damian.

— Everything will be fine... — he whispered, as if trying to convince himself that everything would be resolved soon.

— Dad... — When Bruce became the focus of total attention, the little one continued: — Can I talk to him? — He had already stopped crying, had smothered all the tears with the concern he felt for the older brother - it was Jason who needed to be saved.

— Damian... — Bruce tried to argue a valid reason to deny, but there was no — Just be careful — he asked while placing him on the floor.

And so, Damian approached his brother slowly, sat down next to him and waited patiently until Jason embraced him willingly. He didn't hold the brat in a bear hug, nor did he even have the strength to do that, but he hugged him with one arm and covered his face with the other - he didn't want to see those horrible things.

— Jay, is it a nightmare again? — Damian asked quietly, he was worried about his brother. The boy was unable to answer, choked on his own tears - that torture was much worse than any nightmare.

— He just needs the medicine, son. He'll be fine... — The father tried to explain.

— Does he need medicine like me? T-To sleep?

— No... — the eldest sighed — Son, you don't take medicine to sleep. Neither you nor Jason.

— ... What are they for then?

— Yours are for epilepsy and his for panic attacks... — Bruce ran his hands over his face. He had been through endless interrogations, tortures, threats... but Damian asking those questions - probably suspicious of him - gave a horrible feeling.

— Why does my brother have panic attacks?

— Because... because he... — He looked away — Because he had an accident when he was younger.

— Yeah, an accident... — Jason intervened in the conversation — because of you! — He faced Bruce with anger overcoming fear — I died because of you and you are also to blame for the brat's death!

— Jason! — Bruce scolded him, but the damage was already done:

— ... I-I died? — Damian looked at his father and, with the lack of an answer, he looked away from his brother — Jay, have I died? — The rebel was also unable to answer that question, he continued to mutter that "B was the culprit".

With the lack of answers, Damian's mind accepted that as a truth and worked to shape the reality as vivid of those nightmares as something concrete, a painful reminder of what was probably his death.

The little one, who was almost as scared as his brother, gave in to one of his absence crises. He faced nothingness, kept himself busy enough with his confused thoughts so that he no longer perceived the reality around him.

When he finally realized what he did, Jason added the blame to the fear and it got even worse. He released his brother and covered his face with his hands, as if hiding his face was enough to hide everything and everyone who made him feel bad.

Bruce, who could not do much for his children without making the situation any worse, was content to keep watching them and waiting for any sign of improvement. He felt completely useless, a lie as "Gotham's protector", since he couldn't even be the protector of his own family.

— May everything be fine... — he begged in a whisper to God, to the universe or any kind of force that would govern that cruel sequence of events.

And so the seconds... the minutes passed.

After what seemed like an eternity, Alfred carefully opened the office door and went in, carrying the antidote to Jason. The boy, by the way, was already lying on the floor babbling completely meaningless things - as when he had arrived at the Batcave -; Damian was still inert and Bruce was unable to do anything for his children - he tried, but Jason screamed and kicked at the slightest movement he did.

— Master Bruce, be careful — the butler said handing him the syringes.

— Alfred, you need to help me, I... — Bruce looked at the butler, but not even he knew exactly how Alfred could help now — Why two?

— Forgive me, I do not want to watch how you are going to inject the two doses... — He said, showing how tired he was.

— But Alfred... — Wayne tried again.

— I'm sorry, Master Bruce, but my fees do not cover this type of situation — Even the attempt at sarcasm sounded more like a whine than something poisonous — If you need something, Dick is already returning... I can't do it anymore. I'm sorry, Master Bruce — he said softly as he stared at the floor, he felt defeated.

Alfred left the office again, leaving Bruce even more lost than before. If he could, Wayne would have clung to the butler's feet and begged him to stay at least for emotional support, but he knew Alfred had been pushing himself for a long time.

The patriarch looked at his children, took a deep breath in search of some stability and approached cautiously. Jason started shouting threats and things completely meaningless while Damian remained a statue.

— Jason, you know I won't hurt you... — He tried to keep his voice as soft as he could — This is just an antidote to the fear gas. You want to stop seeing these hallucinations, don't you?

Jason Todd fell silent, faced his father as he forced himself to sit on the floor and waited a few seconds before finally answering:

— I want...

— So you just need to trust me this time, son — he asked. Was already close enough to him preparing the syringe needle - just apply.

— Ok, ok... — the boy murmured looking away from his younger brother — And Damian? What are you going to do with it?

— There's not much you can do but wait — He sighed and held Jason's forearm carefully and firmly, ready to apply the serum and surprised by the momentary stability of the situation.

— Hey! Don't come near me with this thing! I need a few seconds until... until I'm ready... — He pulled his arm towards him and stared at his father — I want a hug first.

— ... A hug?

— B, I am seeing you in such a horrible way... — Jason shrank — I am fucking scared! I'm just asking for a damn hug and you don't even want to give it to me! You're a fucking war veteran who doesn't even want to calm a soldier in the face of death!

— ... Jason, you know it won't kill you, don't you?

— I just wanted a hug... but you don't like me, do you? — said quietly, staring at Bruce with eyes overflowing with tears — Of course you doesn't like me, nobody does…

The older one rolled his eyes, sighed again, put the needle aside and hugged Jason. It wasn't an exorbitant request, and if Bruce was really going to endeavor to be a good father, he needed to get used to hugs and things like that.

Jason looked so scared and helpless... he just seemed, because the first chance he got, he took the needle and injected all the content in some region of his father's back - he couldn't defend himself, he didn't expect that kind of thing, no was prepared.

However, Bruce managed to immobilize him before another attack was made. The second syringe was nearby, an extra dose of that cocktail to lower adrenaline would be fatal - taking into account the amount of tranquilizers the bat had already taken.

Now it was time to wait, because the winner of that battle would be the one who resisted the longest.

And so it was done.

Bruce waited for what felt like hours, despite the clock showing a difference of only four minutes.

He felt completely lost, a failure as a father or anything close to that... He even had doubts if he was still a hero - he was so easily deceived, his reflexes were slow...

— Dad? — Damian called softly, running his hands over his eyes — What happened?

— Nothing... — lied — Go to your room, son... everything will be fine.

— ... Where's Mr. Pennyworth? — the little one looked around — why is Jason still like this? Didn't he take the medicine?

— Not yet son... — Bruce arrested his older son a little more, Jason continued to squirm and murmur things completely meaningless — Better to wait in your room.

— Do you want me to look for Mr. Pennyworth? He can help and...

— Damian, go to your room — It took a lot of control for Bruce not to shout that order — Son, just try to go to sleep... ok? It's gonna be okay.

In fact, it was not a lie. Jason was increasingly lost in fear, at any moment he would lose control by himself and giving a dose of the antidote would become something much easier - however, waiting so long could result in sequels.

— I can help! — the little one insisted, approaching them.

— Help me to escape! — Jason shouted in a small flash of sanity.

— Damian, pay attention to me — Bruce said, he was much more serious than usual - he was like Batman — You will go to your room and stay there. There is no way to help me with your brother and Alfred needs some time... understand?

I can help! — repeated, looking like it was the old Damian insisting for something — It is just an injection, isn't it? — He took the second syringe and prepared a needle — I-I... I think I know how to do this...

— You know, but you don't have to do it if you don't want to...

— Do not do! — Jason shouted, struggling even harder — Don't do this to me, runt! — He tried to get rid of his father — do not do... don't do, do not do...

— Jason, calm down! — the eldest asked while trying to immobilize him more firmly — Damian, if you really want to help, you will need to inject this liquid into your brother... — He had to pause to be able to arrest Jason again, his own muscles were already starting to show rigidity due to the medication — You will need to be quick, before your brother gets hurt!

Damian nodded positively, bringing the syringe close with his syringe to Jason's arm. He didn't understand how, but he knew where he needed to insert the needl ... first put a finger in the spot to make sure it would hit the target, but before he could pierce the skin, the brother put one hand over his - Bruce barely managed to arrest him now.

— H-Him... You are always deceived by him... — Whispered — Don't do this to me, he doesn't really care, Dami! He is lying! — insisted looking at the youngest, now trying to reach his face with his free hand — He will never love us, he doesn't care... — he whispered, touching Damian's hair — We can run away... from him...

— Damian, your brother is just hallucinating, is confused...

— He will never be a good father for both of us! He never wanted us, Dami! — Jason shouted, insisting on getting rid of his father once and for all — It's all a lie! He wants to get rid of us, Dami... We are his two biggest mistakes! — He clung to his brother in an attempt to get up - he was so dizzy that he almost ended up knocking them both down.

— ... A-Am I a mistake? — Damian looked at his brother and then at his father. Neither of them responded as he did the other time, which made the little one's mind as messed up as before, occupied with making that an irrevocable truth.

He would have continued in that mess had it not been for the butler to kick the office door open, stealing everyone's attention by carrying an old rifle.

— The only mistake here, Master Damian... — He took a short break and aimed at Jason — ... is that I think you could survive more than ten minutes without me — He shot. Jason settled down instantly, while Damian and Bruce stared at him with panic on their faces — Oh, no need to worry, it's just a medium-sized tranquilizer — Smiled — I think I'm more adept at unorthodox methods.

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EPILOGUE

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— Then Mr. Pennyworth appeared with a shotgun and solved everything! — Damian told his parents about the recent dream, glad that it was a nightmare with a happy ending. The three of them were having breakfast together at the big table in the ballroom.

— And as always, Alfred solves everyone's problems in this house! — Selina commented between a laugh and another, eliciting a smile even from Bruce.

— Son... — Bruce tried to sound mild, but he was clearly concerned — You were never a mistake, nor will you ever be. And his brother has crises at times, but he need not be afraid of him, let alone take seriously the insanities he talks about...

— I know, it was just a dream — Damian smiled, but shortly afterwards he seemed to be thoughtful and looked at the elders somewhat more seriously — It was a dream, right?

— Of course yes — Selina smiled.

— Just another dream... — Bruce murmured and took a sip of coffee.

The little one looked at them suspiciously for a few seconds, but soon afterwards he turned his attention elsewhere: Dick and Jason were coming to join them, Jay leaning on the older man's shoulders.

— ... What happened to my brother? — The youngest looked at the two suspiciously, then looked at the parents, as if he expected some convincing explanation for that.

— He arrived drunk at dawn, slipped on the stairs and fell sitting on top of the keys... a real tragedy, isn't it, Master Jason? — the house butler smiled in a corner, placing a jar of juice on the table

— Yeah... — The boy turned his face to his own feet, he wouldn't risk answering something that would make the little brother's distrust increase even more. They had agreed that it would all be a nightmare - what was one more lie among so many others?

Dick, no longer able to control his laughter, ended up commenting as if he wants nothing:

— I already took a tumble of these entering the kitchen, I know how it hurts! — He helped his brother to sit in one of the chairs, more specifically, next to Bruce — Hun... No, that doesn't seem right to me. Selina, could you...?

— Of course! — Understanding between the lines, the cat got up and finished taking the glass of warm milk standing next to Damian, taking the opportunity to touch his hair.

— I can't believe you did that... — the rebel murmured watching Dick sit on the other side of Bruce.

— ... Did what? — Damian, who still didn't quite understand what was happening, faced the brothers and then his mother in search of an answer - they were on the opposite side of the table.

— Dick is jealous of me... — Jason replied and rolled his eyes.

— Of course! Do you know how rare it is for Bruce to show up here at an acceptable time for breakfast?

— Then why don't you take the B and stick it in your...

— Language! — the father interrupted before any more insanity was said — nobody needs to be jealous, I treat you exactly the same.

— ... With indifference? — Jason glared at him.

— ... With a lack of dialogues, approaches or family moments? — Dick tried to make fun, taking the opportunity to annoy Bruce a little.

— They are forgetting the disappointment! — Tim warned while approaching them next to Barbara.

— You talk as if I really were that bad... — Bruce murmured taking some more coffee.

— Sometimes you can be worse, B! — Barbara said laughing. She and Tim stayed behind the chair where Bruce was sitting, they could feel the "judgmental look" even with his back to them.

— They speak as if they were well-behaved and obedient angels — the father murmured surly, taking the newspaper.

— It is the duty of every Rob... — Jason rethought and corrected: — ... of every son to disobey his father! — countered — Isn't it? — Faced the others.

— You are the family rebel, Jay, don't count! — Dick said between the laughs — Everyone knows that I am the most behaved and obedient here.

— Excuse? — Barbara got into the discussion.

— Both wrong: the only one who still listens to B is me — Timmy said convinced.

Damian stared at his brothers, his father... the red-haired girl he didn't know yet, but who Alfred had said was Bruce's godson named Barbara Gordon, or Babs. They all looked so good together, as if they were a family in the television margarine commercials.

— Dami, why don't you join them? — Selina asked in a low voice, she didn't want to call attention to other people, she was still talking about "parental attributes".

— I believe that in the well-fitting... — He looked at the mother — As if I Im't part of... that.

— It was only a dream, my kiddo... — Careful, she tried to pull Damian's hair out of her eyes, put it back as it used to be, but the straight strands just ran and came back to the same place — Go there and give a pretty smile.

— But mom, is it okay to take a picture of them distracted? — The little one asked as he stood up.

— And is there a better way to take a picture of someone? — She smiled in a corner, also drawing a smile from the little one. She took out his cell phone and prepared to take as many photos as possible before anyone noticed or before they started fighting as usual. Damian, who at first looked more like a shy boy, at the last he was already clinging to his brothers, laughing, having fun...

— An excellent way to end a family crisis, Miss Kyle — Alfred commented optimistically, pouring another cup of warm milk.

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NOTE

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Finally we reach the end of the second phase. I am confident that it was very different from what I intended, since the idea of these last five chapters was to summarize more personas. However, they will appear next! We still have a lot, a lot of chapters for a while, so don't worry! XD

As a final note, since I have nothing very important or interesting to say, I will kill a possible curiosity of you. Remembering: I changed some things to fit the fanfic better.

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Selina Kyle:

Age: approximately 33 years.

Height: 1,70 m (according to DC Comics, game Arkham)

Weight: 60 kg (rounded because it is "less active")

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Alfred Pennyworth:

Age: 72 (according to DC Comics)

Note of note: time passes, but Alfred is eternal.