Broken(DC)

I descended a few flights of stairs, and my last strength left me, causing me to collapse on the floor. Even moving a finger was impossible. Sleep began to pull me in. I started to have a strange dream, a sort of nightmare. I was some kind of monster, killing people. But everything was blurry and jerky, it was hard to put the whole picture together.

"Hey, there's someone here!" I heard a male voice.

I slightly opened my eyelids and saw an approaching light. I couldn't make out what was behind it. Soon, someone's hands began to touch my body.

"He's alive. Carefully, let's get him out of here." An unknown voice spoke. The light disappeared, and I saw firefighters.

A face hovered directly above my head, and as I stared into its eyes, a vision flashed before me. His eyes were vacant, and his face was disfigured with a torn jaw. But then the vision quickly vanished. Was I hallucinating?

They lifted me up and began to carry me down. I could no longer stay conscious and fell asleep.

End of Pov

The firefighters carried the wounded boy's body out. The girl, who had been waiting and never losing hope, noticed her brother and rushed toward him as fast as she could. Tears streamed down her face. When she approached him, the firefighters stopped her. She broke free from their grasp, trying to reach her brother.

"Calm down, little girl, he's going to be fine." One of the firefighters tried to reassure her.

The doctors had already taken him to the ambulance and were preparing to leave, but they were stopped by Alfred.

"Please, allow the sister to be with her brother." He requested from the doctors. Bruce stood next to him, gazing at Brian with sadness in his eyes.

The doctors exchanged glances and decided to give in. Nodding, they allowed Alice to sit beside her brother.

"He will be okay, Alfred?" Bruce asked, looking at the departing ambulance.

"Yes, the doctors will help him. It's time for us to go too. We still have a lot to do." The butler replied, patting Bruce on the shoulder. They both headed toward the car.

Brian Forman POV

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a hospital room. My doctor was once again Charles McNider, and he brought me some grim news. My powers had somehow disappeared. Previously, my wounds would heal quickly, but now my regeneration was like that of an ordinary person, and the toughness of my skin was significantly reduced.

I couldn't understand why my powers were gone. I distinctly remembered having them before I fell, but then they vanished. The news that I would have to get used to limping on one leg darkened my mood even further. Some nerves had been damaged, and now I couldn't move my leg the way I used to.

I sank into apathy, feeling like I had lost a part of myself. There was also a strange sensation that I had lost far more than just my abilities, though I couldn't quite grasp what exactly had disappeared. The only bright spot in my gloom was my sister. Every time she came to visit, it felt as though I hadn't seen her in ages, and I cherished every moment of her presence. But when she left, I missed her terribly.

Eventually, I was discharged from the hospital. Elizabeth was unusually quiet when she came to pick me up.

"Mom, is something wrong?" I asked, looking at her.

She glanced at the rearview mirror and met my eyes.

"I'm thinking about leaving Gotham. I've been offered a job in another city. It's a good opportunitybetter pay and career prospects," she replied, returning her focus to the road.

"And you've already decided?" I asked.

"Yes. Gotham is a dangerous city. I'm afraid for you both. You've already suffered so much from its brutality, and it won't get better anytime soon. I don't want to keep worrying about you and fearing that you won't come home," she said, her eyes reddening as she wiped away the tears welling up.

I nodded and turned to look out the window. I understood her, and I'd asked myself the same question many times. Now that I no longer had my powers, the fear for my life was stronger than ever. I'd think twice, maybe a thousand times, before walking into a dark alley or doing any of the reckless things I used to.

When we arrived home, I saw boxes stacked near the house and movers loading them into a van. It seemed Elizabeth had already made up her mind to leave.

"We're leaving tomorrow. The doctor said you've recovered enough to handle the trip. I don't want to stay in this city any longer," Mom admitted, noticing my glance.

At the entrance to the house, Alice was waiting for us. Finally, I was home. How long had it been since I was last here? A long time? It felt like just a week, but... hmm, there it was again—that feeling as though years had passed. I'd often get this sensation when looking at or touching completely ordinary things. I assumed it was just a side effect of my trauma and the loss of my powers, a thought I used to reassure myself.

It felt comforting to return to the familiar setting and sit at the table again, enjoying a meal with my family. I decided to call Bruce to let him know I was leaving. Unfortunately, I couldn't get through to him. Well, I guess I'd have to call from the next city.

Back in my room, I looked around with a mix of nostalgia and unease. The walls felt familiar, yet distant. Fatigue washed over me, and I decided to lie down, resting my head on the pillow. Sleep claimed me almost instantly. It was peaceful, as if I hadn't slept this well in a very long time.

The next day, I woke up quite early, suddenly inspired to bake something. Slowly, I began combining the ingredients for my favorite cookies. As I laid the dough onto the baking sheet and placed it in the oven, I anticipated the sweet aroma to fill the air. Instead, a strange, unpleasant smell wafted toward me. Odd, my cookies always turned out great. Distracted by my thoughts, I caught a faint burnt odor. Opening the oven, I hurriedly pulled out the tray, almost dropping it in the process. Some of the cookies were scorched, and when I tried a piece, the taste was awful—too much sugar and a bitter tang from the burnt edges.

Tossing the entire batch into the trash, I couldn't understand what went wrong. I'd followed the same recipe as always. It was as if I'd sabotaged them on purpose. I'd have to figure it out later.

"Decided to cook something?" asked a sleepy Alice, watching me.

"No, just woke up early," I replied awkwardly.

"Too bad. I was hoping to try your cooking," she said, disappointed.

"Next time," I promised.

"By the way, you fell asleep early yesterday, so we didn't bother you. We packed most of the stuff for you. Your things are by the door don't forget them," she added before heading upstairs.

At the house entrance, I found my backpack. Opening it, I saw just a few of my personal belongings. Most of the luggage was already gone, likely taken away yesterday. Lifting the backpack, I stepped outside. While I wasn't as agile as I used to be, I could still manage. I began hauling the remaining bags to the car and loading them into the trunk.

I was distracted by a car horn. Turning my head, I saw a familiar vehicle. Inside was Alfred, who nodded at me in greeting. Standing next to the car was Bruce, waving.

I walked toward him, surprised to see him today.

"Hi, Bruce," I greeted him.

"Good to see you, Brian. I'm sorry about that tour I didn't think you'd get hurt," he admitted, looking down apologetically.

"It's my fault. I could have just left," I replied. There was no one else to blame but myself.

"I heard you're leaving, so I decided to come by and say goodbye," he said, extending his hand. "You know, I've been doing some thinking, and I've decided it's time for me to hit the road as well," he confessed unexpectedly as we shook hands.

"Just two questions: why and where?" I asked.

"Where? I'm not sure yet, but I plan to visit many places. And why? I realized I don't have the strength or knowledge to protect the people I care about. And helping Gotham? That's a battle I can't win," he replied, gazing at the city with its ever-growing skyline of skyscrapers.

"I wish you luck in finding whatever it is you're searching for," I said sincerely.

"Thanks. I hope everything works out for you too," he replied.

"Brian, we're leaving soon!" Elizabeth's voice called out.

Turning around, I saw that they were already locking up the house and getting into the car.

"Oh, by the way, I bought your house. Your mom handed the sale over to a real estate agent, and I purchased it from them. Just know, you can always come back to the city and your home," Bruce said, catching me off guard. Honestly, I didn't even know if I'd ever return.

"Thank you. Even though I only lived here for five years, this house became my home," I replied.

"They're waiting for you. It's probably time to say goodbye," Bruce said.

I stepped forward and hugged him tightly. After a firm pat on each other's backs, we nodded in mutual understanding. Waving to Alfred, I made my way to the car. Settling into the back seat, Mom started the engine, and as we pulled onto the road, we set off on our journey. Bruce stayed behind, watching us go.

I glanced back at the city a place with the most unusual history but also the most terrifying one. Just as I was about to turn my gaze away, an unexpected vision flickered before me.

The city lay in ruins. Flames engulfed the buildings, fire and ash rose into the sky. But as quickly as it appeared, the image vanished. Another hallucination.

[image]

I hoped they wouldn't come back. From now on, my life was taking a new path.