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It was coming.
No matter what they did It kept coming.
They were trapped in an endless maze; wherever they turned they couldn’t seem to find an end, not even a sign of the edge of the maze. Nothing worked, they were turned around and even Bruce’s knowledge of labyrinths couldn’t help them. Leaving a trail was fruitless as they could never find the trial again. It was following them and most likely destroying their trails.
What It was they didn’t know. There had been a break-in at Ace Chemicals, for the third time that week, and somehow they had gotten their signals crossed which ended up in all of them turning up. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin ad Red Hood were at the scene at the same time. There wasn’t a sign of the break-in and before they knew it darkness overtook them. None of them had any idea how but they ended up unconscious and on the floor of their now labyrinthine prison. From what they could tell It was a large black coated figure that followed them wherever they went and attacked whenever close enough with claws that could not be fought against. So they were running.
They had no weapons, no other way out as of yet as the walls were high and the ceiling a solid block. Although far from defenceless they were running out of ideas and growing more tired the longer they stayed there.
Reaching a dead end they paused to gather themselves as they saw no sight of It but knew it was coming all the same.
“Father,” Robin panted out, leaning against the wall, “it has been hours.”
Batman grunted. “Thank you, Robin, I am well aware of that.” He was tapping the walls, his ear pressed against it as he went. His side had a gouge in it, he’d wrapped his cape around it to stop the blood flow but it was seeping through the material. Long ago they’d decided against leaving a trail as It could track them down that way so he did not want blood getting onto the floor, not to mention that bleeding would be detrimental to his health.
“This is getting us nowhere! Literally!” Red Hood began punching the wall in shear frustration, not even creating a dent in it. Nightwing went over to him trying to pull him back, though his exhaustion was showing as he wasn’t nearly as effective as he usually would have been. Red Robin laid a hand on Nightwing’s arm to stop him from wasting his own strength.
“Stop being a child, Red Hood!” Batman snapped, this was not needed. “That wall is solid, you’ll only hurt yourself and we cannot afford any more injuries.” The fact that Batman was getting so snippy was not a good sign, that meant he was starting to lose, possibly from blood-loss.
“B,” Nightwing said, going up to Batman, “we should start moving, right?”
More running away, that wasn’t what any of them wanted to do but they had no other choice It wouldn’t go down. A sharp nod from Batman and they were on their way again, winding through the maze, hoping for an exit. Or anything.
A high-pitched scream from behind them and they ran down the hall splitting up when they reached a fork hiding on either side as It charged into the wall. They had made the mistake of not running before and it cost their bodies greatly, Red Robin could still feel the searing knifelike stab wounds in his back, not deep but very painful.
The hulking black clad figure rose up and screeched at them, long claw like fingers spread out before it charged. It was close to getting the tired and in pain Red Robin but the teenager managed to roll out of the way just as the hand descended upon him. Whilst the creature was looking the other way Red Hood leapt upon it, laying blows left, right and centre. Any normal being would have been on the floor from the barrage of kicks and punches but not It, not It was far from anything they’d seen before, It wasn’t even phased. Nothing had any effect on It. Turning slowly It spied Jason, the hand swiped at him as though he were a lowly insect. Red Hood went flying into the nearest wall.
“No!” Nightwing ran to Jason’s side, he was bleeding from the head but it was a small wound.
“Look out!” Robin’s voice rang through the corridor as it warned Nightwing of It’s focus changing to him. Nightwing looked up and managed to flip away in time, dragging Jason with him as best as possible, a few more bruises wouldn’t hurt him, right?
Now they needed to get over to Red Robin, Robin and Batman though as they were still on the opposite side. There was no time though as It moved towards them now, turning its back to Nightwing and Red Hood, obviously not seeing them as a threat as Jason was currently unconscious.
Batman and Red Robin ran around the creature, jumping over the claws. Robin tried to do the same but he missed a jump, a claw sunk into his leg, the boy screaming out in pain. Immediately Batman ran to help his son, kicking where a head should be on the large figure and pulling Damian from the claws, earning himself a cut to the arm in the process, but he still got Robin out. Then ran to them. Red Robin had hooked one of Red Hood’s arms around his shoulder whilst Nightwing got the other. As soon as they had regrouped them ran as best they could. The large figure was still behind them. Though It was slow to move it always caught up to them. They’d have a little time. A little time.
Down a few more passages they stopped, resting the injured heroes against the walls as they caught their breath.
“Jay?” Dick said softly, touching Jason’s skin, he was clammy. There were no bandages for the headwound so Dick pressed his hands against them to see if that would help ease the bleeding. Bruce was doing the same, pressing against Damian’s leg, the boy was bleeding a lot, a fine sheet of sweat covering his face as it twisted in pain.
Red Robin was on look out, peering around the corner to see if It was upon them again.
“Father?” Damian gasped.
“I’m here,” Bruce said softly, looking at his son. “We’re all here.”
Damian nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Bruce shook his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
A screech in the distance.
“We need to get going.” Batman picked up Damian carrying him on his back.
“Where to?” Red Robin asked.
Batman ignored the question and lead the way, not even waiting to see if Nightwing and Red Robin were following him with Red Hood. More corridors all exactly the same. There was no telling if they’d already been here. Keep going. He had to keep going. Focus forward and keep going, check the walls, check the ceiling. Keep moving.
“NO!”
Batman turned and nearly dropped Damian when he saw It behind them. Claws were raised as it swiped through the corridor. The three heroes went to the floor but one was there not out of choice.
Deadly spear-like fingers cut into Red Robin, deep red gashes ran into his chest and legs, split skin oozing blood.
“NO! TIM!” Dick didn’t even care for his own safety as he crawled to Tim, tears streaked his face as he pressed his hands against the wounds. “TIM!” There was no way to help, he couldn’t heal the wounds and stop the bleeding. Tim’s body shook, seizing up. The figure was standing over them, watching.
Bruce put Damian down and ran to the other boys, dragging Jason’s body away before It decided to move again. Then he went to Dick’s side.
“We need to go,” he told the man, “come on.”
“TIM!”
Bruce leant over and pressed his fingers against Tim’s neck, no pulse. He’d expected as much, the wounds were deep there would have been no chance of survival.
“He’s dead,” Batman said simply.
Nightwing shook his head and reached out for Tim’s body. Batman would have none of it, the figure was moving again, he forcefully dragged Nightwing back.
“We have to go.”
“NO!”
Batman turned Nightwing around and slapped his face, trying to snap him out of it. “The creatures moving and we need to move out.”
He’d never seen such a look of betrayal from Nightwing before, the man’s mask was broken so he could see as the blood-shot blue eyes dulled.
“Tim.”
“Is gone, we need to continue on.”
Dick reached back and Bruce pulled him just as the creature swiped the air with the pointed claws. A second later and Dick would have lost his arm.
“MOVE!”
Batman wrenched Nightwing forward, shoving him towards Jason as he lifted up Robin, swinging him onto his back again. Nightwing followed him, just about carrying the larger man himself. It probably would have been wiser had Batman taken Red Hood but he needed to hold onto his son, it was something that he couldn’t explain but he knew he should carry Damian.
When they stopped next Dick all but collapsed onto the ground, sobbing as his body shook, even Damian had tears in his eyes. Batman couldn’t do that. He had to keep going. Focus, he needed to be focused.
“Timmy,” Dick gasped as he wiped his face.
“Dick,” Bruce said softly.
From the looks of it Dick was exhausted, in pain and losing control of his emotions. It was unusual but after what had just happened and the fact that he was covered in his brother’s blood… well… it was expected.
“We’ll get out here and stop the creature,” Batman told them, both of them.
There was a groan from Jason as he came to.
Not a second later a screech cut through the air again.
Nightwing looked up at the thing that was chasing them.
“No!” Batman knew what he was going to do and he couldn’t have Nightwing doing it.
Headless of the order Nightwing launched himself at It, kicking and punching, twisting and turning. Not a single blow phased the being. Not even when Nightwing used the rest of the electricity in his suit, disabling the safety measures so he shock it through his gloves. Red Hood struggled up, he wanted to join the fight.
It was all pointless.
Batman watched on as Nightwing acted out, he couldn’t move. He wanted to. He needed to stop them but his body wouldn’t do anything even when he saw Nightwing impaled on a pointed finger, the claw going straight through his stomach. Not even when he saw Red Hood scream in grief and attack, wobbling on his feet from an obvious concussion. Then a red helmet bounced on the ground, spinning, spraying blood over the floor. Jason’s body fell, Nightwing’s on top of it as it dropped from the claws.
Damian was screaming in his ear.
Batman ran.
There was no reason for it. When his body worked again he ran. Away from the bodies of his dead sons, away from the screeching beast, away from everything.
But there was no point.
It was still a maze and there was still no way out.
Everything was the same.
No exit.
“Father!”
Batman stopped, his lungs burning as he fell against the wall, dropping Robin to the floor.
His last Robin.
Reaching out he cupped Damian’s face.
“Son.”
Damian was all he had left. Dick, Jason and Tim were gone. He had let them die. He could have stopped it. He knew he could.
Upon Damian’s face was an expression he had never expected. Fear. Damian was afraid. Before him was a pale and frightened child. Not a soldier. Just a ten year old boy who had seen his brothers murdered. There were tears falling from his eyes and he was reaching out from his Father.
“Father, I-”
Bruce would never know what Damian was as a claw came out of his mouth. The dark figure was leaning over them.
Batman screamed, moving back from It and the now dead last Robin.
This couldn’t be.
This couldn’t be happening.
It turned towards him, Damian falling to the floor in a puddle of his own blood as it moved.
A screech rang through him, driving him insane. The noise was horrible. It was too much.
Batman was covered in blood. His sons blood.
There were four batarangs in his belt.
He wasn’t unarmed.
He could protect himself.
Just him. Only him. He could protect himself. No one else. Just Batman.
Batman ran.
A scream filled the air.
It was coming.