Bat-Family and Bat-Mom-(Batman)One Shots

Together We Stand, United We Fall

The update I promised for 200k reads! Enjoy!

The sky, so gray and ashy it looks like a stormy night, somber and reflective of the horror that went on that day. Hero's, young and old, the ones who lived, stand together. They're all gasping for breath, chests rising and falling rapidly. The adrenaline from the battle that ended just seconds before was slowly draining. They dropped like flies, not dead, but close enough to death that an onlooker may have guessed they were all deceased. Except for one family. The Wayne's. For they lost in a battle that has been won.

24 hours ago, they were all sitting and laughing happily as a family as the cold December air swished and swooshed outside. The crackling sparks from the fire joined the chorus of clinking glasses full of eggnog, and soft sniffles of running and stuffed noses. Bruce Wayne sat comfortably in his pajamas, a mug cradled between his calloused and work worn hands. He was pressed into the arm of the couch, the warmth of his family surrounding him. Richard was on the single seat chair, feet kicked up and body tilted back as he relaxed for first time in months. Jason and Tim were on the other end of the couch, Jason on the carpeted floor in front of Tim as the latter curled his knees and lugs under him, warming his frozen toes. Stephanie was to the left of Tim, slightly leaning into him as her eyes shined with the reflection of the movie.
Alfred had actually relaxed this time, tucked into the single chair opposite Richards. Their youngest, Damian, was snuggled into Bruce's side, asleep and making soft rhythmical snoring sounds.
         Everything felt perfect. It felt nice to actually come together as a family and hangout with each other.                Christmas was right around the corner and the Bat-Family were planning on celebrating together this year, the first time in almost a decade. They would pass presents around and feast on a wonderful dinner that they would spend all day making.
        But, not every wish comes true.
Later that night, when the kids were wrapping presents for each other with hot chocolate mustaches and crumbs stuck in-between their fingers, a deafening *BOOM* rippled through the house. Bruce and Alfred instantly herded everyone to the bat-cave, sealing the entrances carefully before starting their investigation of the noise.
        "It sounded like an explosion," Dick stated, " but I have no idea what could possibly have created that loud of noise without it being right next to the house."
        "And clearly it wasn't, but now we need to check the security cameras set up along Gotham's streets to try and figure out what that could possibly have been." Tim finished his sentence already seated in-front of the computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. They others joined him, after they had suited up of course, crowding around behind his chair.
        "I may have a slight idea of what could have caused it." Damian confessed, eyes trained on the screen.
         "Well, don't leave us hanging pipsqueak. What is it?" Jason teased, flicking Damian's nose as it scrunched up from the nickname.
         "When I trained with Mother, there were these explosions that would sometimes shake the buildings. They got louder every time they sounded, mostly likely the engineers improving it, until one day I was outside meditating and one went off. Everyone out side was deaf for a couple days, and neighboring islands were able to hear the noise miles upon miles away."
         "And, with all the League threats and symbols showing up at every big crime scene, they just might be who we are dealing with." Stephanie added, gaining nervous nods from the others.
Bruce rubbed his hand down his face, only ever wanting to relax and enjoy Christmas without tragedy.
        "Damian, do you have any more knowledge as to why they would use the bomb? Or any other knowledge of it?" Questioned Bruce, hands coming to rest on his son's shoulders. Damian was quiet for a moment before nodding.
        "I remember hearing how they wanted to take over Batman, over throw his rule from Gotham and give him a weakness, then take Gotham for themselves with the bomb. But, they haven't overthrown you yet, and they've already set off the bomb." Bruce shared a look with Alfred, nodding to each other before turning his attention back to everyone else.
       "Everyone, get every weapon you can. Split into groups of two. Stephanie and Tim. Jason and Richard, while Damian is with me. Stay together at all a times." Everyone nodded at Bruce's commands, collecting any and all weapons they could find and fit on their bodies without hindering their movements.

5 hours later:
Chaos. That's the only word to describe the fight. Citizens of Gotham were strewn about and destroyed from what were their heads to their toes. The Bat-Family were still fighting, Jason with bloody arms and back, Richard with lacerations littering his head and legs, Stephanie and Tim with bullets through their shoulders, Bruce with a minor stab wound through his, and Damian with two less fingers and cuts along his arms. Blood splattered their bodies and the ground, sweat soaking their hair and dripping into their eyes and mouth. The fight was draining, slowly, but it was still draining them, leaving them all tired and internally begging for this to end. The Justice League had joined them in their battle, just as roughed up as the Bat-Family.

5 hours later {10 total hours fighting}:
        "I want a deal Beloved." Talia demanded, running her hands across his face. "You know how much I love our son. I can't stand being away from him any longer."
         The Wayne's had been caught, captured and bound in the street with leather bound handcuffs. Bruce, Richard and Jason were all next to each other, while Tim, Stephanie and Damian were lined up across from them.
          "I'm right over here, mother. Come and take me. I'm all yours." Damian spit out a bloody glob of something as his mother turned to him.
           "Shut your mouth Robin. You aren't going anywhere with her." Bruce growled.
            "I'd watch your tone when speaking of me you" Talia was cut off by Wonder Woman licking her in the stomach, sending her sprawling across the pavement. Superman and The Flash worked on untying the Bat-Family. Once untied, assassins seemed to pour in from every building, crowding the street and raining violence on its occupants. Everyone was split up, every hero fighting multiple assassins, two seemingly appearing for everyone one killed. Talia and Wonder Woman we're still going at it, both evading punches and kicks as well as delivering them. Suddenly, in the midst of a battle full of only the noise of grunts slaps of skin on skin, sounded a scream. It was loud and deep, shaking each hero to the core. The assassins stopped at the scream, so suddenly that Jason's punch thrown at one had him staggering forewords. The assassins parted onto ether side of the street, showing the most devastating  site to grace the Bat-Family's eyes. Damian, the poor kid, was pinned to the ground with a sword through the heart.
        "DAMIAN!!!" Bruce hollered, his kids joining him as he bolted over to his son, hoping beyond hope for him to be alive.
        "Who did it? Who stuck a sword in my son's heart?" Talia screamed, watching as a weaponless assassin stepped forward out of the left line. Before anyone could react, the assassin had a bullet through his neck and was dropping to the floor with the other bodies. Talia spun around, hair spinning outwards, and marched around the corner where a air plane type machine stood, the living assassins following after.
       The Bat-Family was left surrounding Damian. Bruce has placed his fingers on his sons neck, searching for a pulse that would never yet beat again. Searching for a pulse he would never find. Searching for a pulse that would make this battle worth every single body lost and every single drop of blood shed. His search ended with his fingers falling from his boys neck, a single tear falling from his eye.
        He stood from his crouched position, his family following, all with their heads down and tears welled in their eyed. They didn't peak at the bodies of the Justice League falling in exhaustion, none of them moving. The silence of grief was broken, as Richard leaned down to pick up Damian, petting his hair in fondness before he did.
     

      Only to gasp in surprise as Damian's eyes flew open and the younger boy sputter and cough as he heaved in lungfuls of precious air. He grasped the weapon in his chest, sliding it out to reveal that only it had only went in half a fingers length into his chest. The bat-family dog-piled, gently, onto Damian, spreading the love they had for him through warmth as he snuggled into their bodies.
          Maybe the day was chaotic, and maybe they had a little bit of damage to repair in Gotham. But they were together, and alive, and that's all that mattered to them.

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