Nightmares: The Bat Brothers

The First Night: Dead of Night Tea

Bruce as Batman was in Europe for the week, chasing after Scarecrow and Joker, who were working together. The boys were struck with fear toxin and trying to cope.

It was only 2 in the morning. Damian made it a total of 32 minutes of sleep. The window was open and the curtains blew summer wind in. The Wayne Manor was built in the 1900's and although they had heating and air conditioning now, Damian's bedroom, Bruce's childhood room, had a fireplace. It was bare and cold.

Titus lifted his head. Titus was Damian's loyal Great Dane. He watched as Damian closed the window and checked that it was locked. He turned around.

"Titus, come. We're going down to the Cave. I need to stab something."

Titus stretched and followed Damian out of his room. Alfred was up and he was carrying a lantern.

"I heard you get up." Alfred said. "Are you alright, Master Damian."

Damian shrugged. Why lie to Alfred? "Just couldn't sleep." Okay- a little lie.

"Well the Cave is off-limits. If you can't sleep, I suggest having a cup of tea in the kitchen."

Damian nodded. "Okay." He followed Titus who trailed behind Alfred.

Tim was sitting at the table in the kitchen. He looked up. "Can't sleep?"

"No, I just decided to bother Pennyworth for no reason at all."

Tim didn't argue with his little brother. He watched as Damian sat across from him and cupped his hands around a china cup of herbal tea with a spoonful of honey.

Footsteps.

"I'll be back." Alfred said, taking the lantern out. That way he wouldn't turn on the lights and wake everyone up.

"Did you see his face?" Tim asked.

Damian stayed silent before looking up. "Why would I tell you?"

Tim shrugged. "Because we both are coping with post-trauma stress. And I'm your brother."

Jason walked in. He was covered in sweat. All of the boys had stitches in someplace or another. Unfortunately,  Jason's was on his neck, a painful and visible trigger to Damian who had stitches on his stomach.

"Nightmares?" Jason asked, looking at his brothers. Tim nodded. Damian sipped his tea.

Footsteps.

Alfred sighed and set a cup down in front of Jason.

"I'll be back."

Dick came downstairs. He was calm. "D, why are you up?" He asked Damian.

Damian shrugged. "Titus woke me up. He needed out."

Dick placed a hand on the chair beside Damian and pulled out the chair. He poured a cup of tea before Alfred could. "Well let's take him for a short walk and then I'll walk you back to bed."

Damian frowned. "I'd rather gargle glass."

Dick laughed before taking a sip. "We're leaving as soon as I finish my tea."

Damian was silent.

Tim stood up. "I'm going to the library."

Dick pushed himself away from the table. "C'mon D. Let's go."

The Wayne Manor had amazing security. No one was coming in. After all, Batman himself created the defense system.

Damian closed the door of the greenhouse and ran up to Dick. They had been walking in the moonlight around the Manor grounds.

"You can't tell anyone." Damian said, seriously.

"I won't." Dick said. "But it's nothing to be ashamed of. That's why I bought you a blanket."

"I'm 13 and I sleep with a blanket."

Dick shrugged. "And I sleep with a night light. It's okay." Dick said. "We still kick ass." He looked at Damian. "Do you want to talk about what happened?" 

"No." Damian said, hands clasped behind his back. "I don't."

Dick sighed. "I can't get those thoughts out of my head."

It was a humid summer night. They walked out towards the hill that showed the Gotham city lights on the horizon. Titus was biting at fireflies. Damian cupped one in his hands.

"Look." He said, quietly.

"You should put it in a jar." Dick said, sitting in the grass.

"No." Damian replied. He put his hands out and opened his palms, letting the bug fly into the nighttime sky. He sat next to Dick who was tugging lightly on the corner of Damian's shirt.

"Sit. Enjoy the safe night."

"I'm never safe." Damian said, thinking of his mother.

"Well you are tonight." Dick said, putting an arm around his youngest brother.

---

 "Jay? Are you going to bed?" Tim asked as Jason walked into the library.

"No. That's why I'm here. Figured I'd sit by the fire."

The fire was burning down to embers. To keep the room at a decent temperature, the windows were open, letting cool summer air blow in.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tim asked.

Jason rolled his eyes and groaned. "Stop, Tim. I don't want to talk about it. You and Dick keep pressing the Brat and me. We don't need to talk about things or we would never be able to fight crime. It's hard enough not killing people."

Tim shrugged and looked at his book. "Scared of feeling?" Tim scoffed. "Whatever."

Jason bit his lip. "I'm sorry."

Tim looked up. "It's not easy for me either. You do know that, right?"

Jason stretched across the couch and tucked his arm behind his head. He checked his watch. It was almost 3. He sighed. "I'm not going back upstairs. I don't want to deal with the darkness. My sheets are all sweaty, too."

Tim put in a bookmark. "I'm sleeping down here. I don't want to go back to my room either." He grabbed a blanket from the chair beside him and curled up on the couch. Tim had stitches on his bicep but he had a bandage on his cheek where he somehow got cut in some sort of altercation, which he didn't want to remember.

---

Alfred dimmed the lights of the library but left the embers burning to give the boys some light. He shut the windows and locked them before putting a blanket over Jason.

Back upstairs, he looked into Damian's room but it was empty. The bed sheets were bunched up on the floor and Titus was gone. He walked out of the room and walked down the hall, opening Dick's door open a crack. Damian was sleeping at the foot of the bed with a blue blanket that was given to him by Dick when he moved in 3 years ago. Damian slept with it every night. Titus was curled up on Dick's couch and Dick himself was up on his laptop.

"Screens in the dark is terrible for your eyes, Master Dick." Alfred said softly as to not startle him. Dick jumped sightly anyways.

Dick shut his laptop and clicked on the dimmed lamp on the table beside his bed.

"I said I'd watch the windows while he slept. He hasn't shut his eyes in almost 50 hours."

"But you need sleep, too Master Dick." Alfred reasoned.

Dick sighed. "I know. But I have to be strong for D. He's not used to being scared. I am."

Alfred nodded and backed out. "When he inevitably gets up to train in an hour, I recommend you get some shut-eye."

"Good idea, Alfie." Dick said, adjusting a pillow behind him. "You should get some sleep, too."

"Yes. I should. Good morning, Master Dick."

"Good morning, Alfred."