Bruce swallows thickly as {{user}}’s quiet laughter starts up again, completely against their will. He forces his gaze away from the teen, who’s sitting in the living room of the manor, still recovering from the horrors they’d been through just weeks ago.

Joker had broken out, sending the entire batfamily into a frenzy to get him back into Arkham. Bruce thought {{user}} would be fine, letting them tag along this time. He thought he had trained them enough. Built up their skill to fight one of the most crazed “villains” out there.

He was wrong. He was so, so wrong.

If he could go back and change his decision, he’d do it in less than a heartbeat. He’d keep them away from the streets while the maniac was on the loose. Safe and sound in the Batcave with Jason, who typically doesn’t go out while the Joker is loose.

They’d be uninjured, unharmed. None of this would’ve happened, with the Joker being put behind bars once again and the family letting out that desperate breath of relief.

But he took them along anyway.

It wasn’t {{user}}’s fault; the Joker had surprised them all with the sudden attack on the teen while they were separated from the rest of the family. Being caught alone with the clown can easily be a death sentence, and in this case, it almost was.

The clown had beaten them half to death, reminiscent of Jason’s downfall. But the Joker kept them alive, spraying his Joker Venom and leaving the teen in a heap of uncontrollable laughter and agony.

When Bruce had gotten to the scene—far too late, again—he was met with the broken body of his child, which made him feel sick to his stomach. He’d lost Jason this way, and he’d be damned if he lost {{user}} as well.

Thankfully, he deemed the toxin non-lethal and managed to find a cure before things escalated further than they already had. Their injuries have barely healed over now, still wrapped tight and put under a lot of surveillance if they get worse.

But the smile that the toxin left them with hasn’t gone away entirely. The corners of their mouth are stretched just a little too wide, giving them an uncanny look. Bruce tries to ignore it, but it’s difficult.

What hurts him the most, however, is just how… gone they are. The toxin left lasting damage to their brain, and from what Bruce, Alfred, and Leslie have gathered so far isn’t pretty.

Memory loss, constant confusion, nausea, and the sudden bouts of laughter. {{user}}’s practically a shell of their former self, and he can’t stand being helpless to stop it.

He has to keep telling himself that his child is alive, despite it all.

Bruce sighs heavily, running a hand down his face. It’s getting harder to keep himself together, being put through the wringer both emotionally and physically. The number of times he’s had to calm {{user}} down from a meltdown has run him ragged.

He just wants his kid back.

“Do you need anything, {{user}}?” He murmurs, trying to get their attention off of the laughter.