jla_watchtower | I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad... (Reply)

Nightmares of one father beating him bloody.

daddy daddy please stop why I'll be good please

Nightmares of one father abandoning him.

why why don't you love me don't you care why did you leave me with him I hate you

Nightmares one father dying in front of him.

what's happening dad where are you jenny stop we have to leave where's dad get out of my head GET OUT OF MY HEAD

Nightmares of the short time Eclipso took him, before trapping him in a shadow-created diamond

I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT YOU BASTARD I'LL KILL YOU WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY FATHER

Every day, a new memory to relive in his sleep.

Finding Panara dead, practically mutilated, after being acquitted and then escaping.

holy hell what happened who's Manhunter

Watching children die at the hospital while his powers do nothing

damnit live live live why is it stopping

Even worse, the possible taint on the ones that lived. An active metagene and bathed in his shadows. The hell their lives could see now, lives like his own.

maybe I should let you die more kind not like me please never like me

Trying to kill his own father, the JSA, the people he cares about most

you left me you abandoned me you don't care you never have i'm stronger now better kill you kill you KILL YOU

Or doing it again. Attacking his sister. Killing her in cold blood. Throwing her into her own darkness.

wrecking ruining dark shadow die i love you help me

He's awake. He's awake, alive, okay.

The sweat pours from Todd's body as he fights back the urge to scream. Even worse than the nightmares, he knows what causes them. The shadow-pool on the bed that he brought about on accident.

His own powers, taking him over, working against him--

No. That doesn't happen. Remember what Shade taught you, Todd.

No good or bad in his powers. Only good and bad in himself. He's using them, not them. They're not real.

Maybe he should still be in therapy. Maybe training with Shade wasn't the best of ideas.

And yet despite all this, despite the fact that he's not okay, he's never okay, he's never ever ever ever ever going to be okay, it's the next sight which really causes him fear.

The blonde beside him whispering in terror.

Shadow-pools don't just affect him, after all. Now even Damon's been caught in Todd's disgusting, fucked up little head. Todd could peer in, see what Damon's seeing, but he can't. He brought the man into this, but he can't even help him get out.

He needs to get out. He needs to get rid of this--this festering person who causes all these problems. He needs his sister and his dad and his friends.

But right now, he just needs to get away. It takes little effort for the shadows surrounding he and his boyfriend to be dispelled, and then he's just as quickly teleported away.

One day he'll stop running. One day, he'll conquer all this, and he'll be really, truly, absolutely okay.

But until then, the nightmares still come.