LAURENS POV
2 DAYS SINCE JASON DEPATURE.
Bruce's jaw set with determination as he stared at the screen. "I'm going to get Jason," he declared a deep frown etched on his face. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"I'm coming with you" I asserted my worry for Jason overriding any concern for my own safety.
"I'm not staying behind either" Dick chimed in standing by my side.
Bruce hesitated then shook his head. "No both of you stay here.... I can handle this alone."
Annoyance flashed across my face. "Bruce we're not useless.... We can help!"
Dick supported me "Yeah we're a team... remember?"
Bruce's expression remained stern as he began preparing the Batwing. "I need to do this alone. It's too dangerous."
I persisted irritation creeping into my voice "You can't shut us out of this Bruce it involves us too."
Dick stepped in defending our stance "She's right Bruce... We're here for you and for Jason."
Bruce, however, remained resolute. "No!... that's final."
I bristled at the finality of his tone frustration welling up within me.
Dick, sensing the tension, gently encouraged Bruce "Bruce she want to help.... Let her."
Bruce's response was firmer this time "No."
Bruce noticed the distress etched on my face a flicker of concern softening his stern features.
As he observed my frustration and concern a moment of realization seemed to wash over him.
He knew I wasn't going to relent my determination unwavering when it came to helping Jason.
"Fine..." Bruce relented his tone softer this time. "But you both stay here! in the Batcave.... You can assist me remotely when needed."
A sense of relief flooded through me.
I nodded in agreement appreciating the compromise "Thank you, Bruce."
Dick and I quickly took our positions at the Bat computer watching the screens intently as Bruce prepared to depart in the Batwing.
The tension in the cave was palpable, our hearts racing with worry for Jason's safety.
As Bruce took off into the night, we focused on monitoring his progress, scanning the feeds and assisting whenever possible.
Our determination to aid Bruce in bringing Jason home was unwavering, even if it meant doing so from the confines of the Batcave.
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3 DAYS SINCE JASONS DEPATURE
Bruce now dressed as himself not Batman arrived at the aid center in the early hours of the afternoon where Jason's mother Sheila worked.
He approached one of the representatives at the front desk his eyes scanning the room for any sign of familiarity.
"Excuse me" Bruce began his tone polite yet urgent. "I'm looking for a boy with raven hair a prominent scar on his jaw.... Solid yet scrawny figure? has anyone matching that description come through here in the past couple of days?"
The representative nodded her expression thoughtful "Yes we had a boy like that come through a couple days ago ... what was his name?.... Jason was it?"
Bruce's heart skipped a beat "Yes Jason..... Have you seen him recently?"
"He's with his mother" she replied "They're staying in a flat on the outskirts of Addis Ababa... number 21 brink street ..... She called in yesterday saying she wanted the day off to catch up with him."
Relief washed over Bruce though a new sense of urgency took its place.
Dick's voice came through the comm "It's about 1 hr away from your current location Bruce."
"Thank you" Bruce replied before turning back to the representative "Can you tell me the address?"
Gratitude filled Bruce's eyes "Thank you for your help."
As he prepared to leave Bruce handed the representative a generous amount of money "Keep my presence as hushed as possible please."
The representative nodded her eyes greedly taking in the money in her hand.
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I stepped back from the Bat computer my eyes fixed on the screen displaying Bruce's movements in Ethiopia.
The tension in the Batcave was palpable each passing moment feeling like an eternity as we waited for any sign of Jason's whereabouts.
I watched intently as Bruce made his way to the apartment on the outskirts of Addis Ababa.
My heart raced with anticipation hoping against hope that Jason would be there safe and sound.
But as Bruce entered the apartment his expression shifted a mix of concern and disappointment crossing his face.
He examined Jason's bag and passport his furrowed brows betraying his worry.
My heart sank at the realization that Jason wasn't there.
I exchanged a glance with Dick the worry mirrored in his eyes.
Bruce connected with us over the comm relaying his findings. "There's no sign of Jason here.... His bag passport and phone are all here but no trace of him."
I frowned the knot of worry in my stomach tightening.
Then a sudden update caught my eye on the Bat computer's screen.
"Guys.... Jason's location just popped up" I informed them my voice tinged with urgency as I send the coordinates to Bruce. "He's in a warehouse about 20 minutes away from your position Bruce."
There was a momentary pause before Bruce's voice came through determination lacing his words. "I'm heading there now."
As Bruce hurried toward the warehouse I couldn't shake off the worry that gripped me.
I prayed that he would find Jason safe and unharmed.
The Batmobile tore through the Ethiopian streets its powerful engine roaring in the night.
Every passing second felt like an eternity for me each moment stretched taut with anticipation and worry.
With every swerve of the car I felt the tension coil within me the urgency of the situation weighing heavily on my chest.
As Bruce maneuvered the Batmobile with expert precision each turn and acceleration echoed the pounding of my heart.
Time seemed to slow down each second elongated into an agonizing span carrying with it a fervent prayer for Jason's safety.
The city lights blurred into streaks of color a surreal backdrop to the urgency of the moment.
With each passing second my worry intensified.
A silent plea echoing in my mind for Bruce to reach the warehouse in time.
I could almost feel the tension radiating from Bruce as he navigated the streets his determination palpable.
Every passing moment seemed to stretch on indefinitely each second an eternity as we raced against time to reach Jason our hopes pinned on a swift and safe resolution to the harrowing situation.
The Batmobile screeched to a halt outside the warehouse tires skidding against the rough gravel.
My heart sank as a plume of smoke billowed from the building's remains the acrid look of destruction lingering in the air.
Bruce leaped out of the Batmobile his movements swift and resolute.
I could sense the anguish and dread radiating from him as he rushed toward the charred remnants of what was once the warehouse.
His grim expression mirrored the devastation before us.
The sight was jarring—the warehouse reduced to a tangled mess of debris and flames licking the night sky.
The intensity of the explosion had torn through the structure leaving it a smoldering ruin.
Panic and despair surged within me as I scanned the area desperately hoping for a sign of Jason.
The reality of the situation struck hard—Bruce had arrived too late.
The warehouse once a potential beacon of hope was now a haunting testament to tragedy.
My breath hitched as I watched Bruce move through the wreckage his movements purposeful yet heavy with a sense of grim resignation.
Bruce frantically sifted through the debris of the blown-up warehouse.
It was an agonizing sight his movements were frenzied his hands shaking as they desperately tried to uncover something anything from the devastation.
Every movement seemed fueled by despair and urgency.
Bruce's determination was evident but so was their desperation.
He didn't falter despite the chaos surrounding him persisting in his frantic search through the wreckage.
His frantic actions conveyed a sense of desperation as if hoping against hope to find a glimmer Jason amid the destruction.
Each overturned piece of debris every agonizing second spent searching revealed the sheer magnitude of everyone's turmoil and the depth of our feelings loss.
I watched through the Bat computer's feed my heart racing with desperate hope as Bruce arrived at the warehouse.
The scene that unfolded before me was a nightmare a devastating reality I couldn't comprehend.
As Batman emerged among the debris his cape billowing in the smoky air I saw the unthinkable.
He knelt beside Jason's lifeless body cradling it with a heart-wrenching tenderness.
The agony etched on Batman's stoic mask spoke volumes.
My breath caught in my throat as my eyes scanned the devastation.
There not far from Jason lay Sheila his mother her body still and lifeless.
A strangled sob escaped my lips as I witnessed the tragic tableau unfold.
Panic seized me my chest tightening with overwhelming sorrow and anxiety.
My hands shook as tears blurred my vision the weight of the loss crashing over me.
I felt helpless unable to do anything but watch the gut-wrenching scene play out through the screen.
When Batman found Jason I broke.
The anguish within me erupted and a raw scream tore from my throat.
Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as I witnessed the crushing reality of losing someone I loved dearly.
Jason... my friend.... my confidant and more than that—the person I cared for deeply—lay lifeless in Batman's arms.
I felt numb.
a hollow ache spreading through me consuming every inch of my being.
The world seemed to stop frozen in a moment of unbearable grief.
I wanted to reach through the screen to hold Jason to tell him everything would be okay.
But I was powerless a silent witness to the devastating loss.
The pain was crushing the sense of loss too immense to bear.
I crumbled my heart shattered into a million pieces.
All I could do was scream and weep my world collapsing around me as I grappled with the harrowing truth that Jason the person I held dear was gone.
AUTHORS NOTE
get ready cus this roller coasters not even hit the bottom yet.