Test HTML for second dream
At first everything just hurts. There's something warm running down your chin as you become aware of a distinct stiffness in your shoulders, but when you try to move them, you feel the coarse rope and the solid wood of the chair holding you. Surrounding you is dynamite, wrapped and bundled with care, but in the center is a timer with six seconds on it.
But the clock doesn't seem to move on its own. There's not even a tick or a beep, but you know that there's six seconds, even though just thinking about the time means it will run down.
Instead of struggling, though, your attention focuses on the dead bird in the grass before you, crimson spread out across the muted and burned ochre. It's body twists and contorts, bones snapping and skin pulling until bat-like features emerge. With its fanged mouth it croaks out, "Who killed the cocky Robin?"
You glance up from the foul thing to suddenly see your gravestone, the angel's arms bent into a prayerful position, wings spread wide. As you watch, though, the marble shifts and her arm points toward you.
"With his stupidity and uselessness, he killed himself."
But you can't respond, you can't fight, not as a cruel laughter rings out through the graveyard and the ground shifts to the right of you. Now you can walk, your binds freed, but the threat remaining. You can't run away, you can only crawl forward on your hands and knees toward your own grave. The name no longer remains on the stone, but you know it's yours and as you lean over the side of the grave, the coffin opens.
There it is. Your body at peace, eyes closed and hands folded across your chest. At least something is right.
However, the eyes snap open, blue and piercing as they stare up at you. "Why are you back?"
The voice is so much younger, so much brighter and higher, not only through biology but through an unloved strife, something changed you even after you stepped out of your own grave. You began to worship the same death and blood that you fought against. You're done wrong and you know it.
And you hear the tick of the timer. Five seconds.
You should be running, you should be escaping, but you can't move. Instead another shift of dirt to your left catches your attention. Another gravestone, another name wiped away. You don't deserve it.
"You should be rotting six feet under the ground." A skeleton, dressed in the Robin tunic and cape sits up and leans casually on the edge of the dirt. "No one cares about you, anyway."
And another second ticks off the clock. Four.
Both corpses don't stop there.
"You're dead."
"You failed."
You know it's true. You failed. Not then. Now. You went after your mother, then, you tried to save her. You died knowing you tried.
But now? What have you turned yourself into? A murderer, a killer, just like every dirtbag you've put down. As you finally try to get away as you crawl forward toward the dark woods surrounding the graveyard, a figure emerges from the mist, his cape flowing out from the darkness itself. The cowl. You know that cowl. Batman.
His message is simple, "You failed me.
And there's one more lanky figure emerging from the dark, green hair slicked back, a manic smile twisting his lips. The Joker. "Time to go back to sleep."
Batman doesn't stop him as he moves forward, crowbar raised. It cracks across your back, breaking more ribs as you fall back down, unable to protect yourself, unable to protect her, but where is she? Where's your mom? You know you tried to save her, you know you failed, but you tried. Your skull caves in, your lungs refuse to work, your bones break and shatter under the assault and you can smell your own blood spreading out across the dead grass. The time ticks down suddenly. Three. Two.
Breathing is difficult, but you still bring your head up. You can't plead as the crowbar cracks your jaw, sending teeth and blood flying from your mouth. Then there's a pause and you hope that he stopped the Joker, Batman did. He finally listened, he finally---
Batman seizes the front of your shirt and drags you across the grass toward a sudden, new grave, a coffin laid inside as you scream. As you beg. You'll be better. You'll do better. You'll stop.
It's too late. He throws you into the coffin and the lid slams over before you can even try to escape.
One second.
It's just you and your breath in the silence for a couple moments. You reach out for the fabric only a matter of inches in front of your face. You did this before, you can do it again. You can escape. Breathe. Stay calm. You can do this again. You'll explain. But then there's laughter, the same cruel laughter of before and you scream for him, push your lungs. Help me. Help me, Batman. Your nails tear against wood and earth as it sprays down on you but you're trying to hold your breath as you push upwards. You don't know how you got in here but you don't care, you're getting out, you're getting home. Tears pour down your cheeks as you scream. This can't be the end.
But as you push one breaking hand through the wood, the bottom of the coffin drops out and you fall. You're screaming. No. No. No you're not dead. You can't be.
You land in something soft, supple, pliant under your broken fingers. No, no, no. Then two gloved hands cover your eyes.
"No." The voice is deeper, more calloused with a darkness you know is growing in you.
"We will prove to him. With my way."
Surrounding him is a mass of corpses and you know he killed them. You know you killed them.
Zero seconds.
You wake up.
(ooh: IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: There's no mention of "Bruce" and the dreamer does not see or know Jason's name in the context of the dream. This is done (on an ooc level) to keep from ruining the Bruce Wayne/Batman secret identity. Please respect this! <3 Those that see Jason in public, have seen his face, obviously can totally feel free to infer who is the subject of the dream. As well, those that know of the Bruce Wayne/Batman identity can feel free to do the same, as again the secrecy is done to protect the Bruce Wayne/Batman identity, not the Red Hood/Jason Todd identity. The Red Hood/Jason Todd is completely free game. Original comic can be found here. I take no credit for the art. )