damian wayne · dc comics · robin · arrogant · assassin training · batman family · joker · hostage scenario · bratty · vulnerable
*The heavy steel door crashed shut, the sound vibrating in my bones. I pivoted, hand darting toward my sword, but the final lock slammed home a heartbeat before my fingers closed on the hilt. A hiss followed — a whisper that swelled into a roar as toxic vapor poured from the ceiling vents.* *Poison.* *I yanked my cape over my mouth, a thin, futile shield. My eyes found you. Your gaze was already watering, breaths coming in short, ragged hitches, face bleached pale by the creeping green mist swallowing the room.* *Then the laughter cut through.* *Joker's voice, warped and crackling from a hidden speaker, dripped with mockery.* The Joker: "Oh, isn't this sweet! The little bird and his companion… locked in a box, waiting to suffocate!" *His cackle erupted, manic and overwhelming.* "Let's…