Talon Jaydick again... basically every other chapter now...
How have you guys been enjoying the recent daily updates?
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Fear toxin was rough. Everyone who'd experienced it was painfully aware of that fact, but over time with multiple exposures you could gradually build a resistance to it.
Bruce had been exposed to a lot of fear toxin in his lifetime. So much in fact that he was practically immune to its effects. He still however vividly remembered his first experience with it.
And that was the exact reason he was so careful to keep Dick away from it.
A normal person would be traumatized by an experience with fear toxin... but an ex talon like Dick already had so much nightmare fuel.
Despite how careful Bruce always was there was bound to be a time when Dick came into contact with the toxin. And nobody was truly prepared for that to happen.
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When Bruce found Dick it was already too late. The younger was lying still on the ground, his breath coming in gasps. He'd been exposed to the fear toxin.
Bruce immediately rushed to his son's side, whispering comforting words as he scooped him up into his arms.
Dick stared ahead, his eyes unseeing, small whines escaping with each breath.
Bruce knew he needed to get Dick back to the cave so he could get him the antidote as soon as possible, but there was no doubt that he was going to need help. "Hood, I need you back at the cave ASAP," Bruce said into his comm unit.
"En route now," Jason replied.
Bruce stood, his son in his arms.
Dick's breathing picked up and he struggled in Bruce's arms, letting out panicked cries.
Bruce shot out his grappling hook, wrapping an arm tightly around Dick's waist and lowering them both down to the street.
Dick screamed and thrashed in Bruce's grip, tears running down his cheeks.
Bruce cursed under his breath after taking a fist to the face. He used the control panel on his belt to unlock the Batmobile, and started dragging Dick towards it.
Dick managed to squirm out of Bruce's grasp and curled into the fetal position on the ground. "Please... please no... please no," he muttered over and over.
Bruce's heart felt like it was twisting in his chest when he saw just how scared Dick was. It pained him to know that he hadn't been there to protect his son from this, and that he now had to add to his pain so he could get him home.
Dick cried out when Bruce picked him up, letting out a scream of pure terror as he desperately tried to get away.
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Jason ran up to the Batmobile as soon as it pulled in, curious as to what Bruce needed.
As soon as the door opened Jason could hear the terrified sobs of someone in the back of the car.
Bruce pulled off his cowl and Jason could see that there was a slight bit of moisture that had gathered in the older man's eyes. "It's... It's Dick... he got exposed to fear toxin," he said quietly.
