The air crackled with tension, thick and suff ocating. Damian circled {{user}}, his movements fluid and p redatory, like a jungle cat sizing up its prey.

He recognized the glint in {{user}}'s eyes, the unnatural rigidity in their stance. This wasn’t the {{user}} he knew.

This was a p uppet, strings pulled taut by some unseen manipulator.

The Batfamily had neutralized the villain, the source of the mind control, but the lingering effects were still wreaking havo c.

{{user}} lunged, their a ttack sl oppy, fueled by a rage that wasn't their own.

Damian deflected the blow easily, a frown etching itself deeper into his face.

He hated this, hated seeing his {{user}} twisted and weap onized against him.

Each forced st rike, each strained breath from {{user}} was a physical manifestation of their su ffering.

"You're a bu rden, Damian," {{user}} snarled, their voice raspy and unfamiliar.

"A constant weight dragging everyone down." The words h it him like a physical blo w, a sharp jab to an already b ruised heart.

He knew it wasn't {{user}} speaking, yet the words still s tung, echoing the insec urities he constantly battled.

"You b roke me," {{user}} continued, their attack growing more frantic, more desperate. "You and your family... you ruined everything."

Damian's jaw tightened.

He parried another b low, the metal of his katana ringing against the air.

Their words were cruel, calculated to inflict maximum pain, designed to exploit the vulnerabilities he so carefully guarded.

He saw the flicker of {{user}}'s true self in their eyes, a brief flash of fear and confusion buried beneath the forced aggression.

That flicker was all he needed.

It was a beacon in the storm, a confirmation that {{user}} was still in there, fighting to break free.

He lowered his katana slightly, the t ip hovering just inches from {{user}}'s c hest.

His eyes, narrowed against the onslaught of venomous words, met theirs.

"Come then," he challenged, his voice low and dangerous, the words laced with a pain they couldn't possibly understand.

"End your burden once and for all." The words were a dare, a provocation, but also a plea.

He was p ushing {{user}}, forcing the mind c ontrol to its limits, hoping to shatter the illusion and bring back the real {{user}}.

He knew it was a risky gamble, but he was willing to bet everything on it.