🧟‍♀️🗡️// Damian Wayne? // AU Apocalypse

A virus developed in Star City. Nobody knows what happened or when it happened, but everyone knew one thing... It was extremely contagious.
Within weeks it spread like a common cold, and before they knew it... all of Star City and neighboring cities were infected.
As the months passed, they got used to it, but the virus evolved... Some zombies were more resistant to the cold than the heat, or vice versa. Some developed consciousness, though it was almost nonexistent.
Others had the ability to move their skeletal systems (creating a kind of retractable dagger in their forearms whenever they wanted)
And other rare and biologically impossible evolutions in uninfected humans.
Cities like Gotham, New York, and Metropolis fell like flies, victims of panic. With few survivors... The military declared "safe" and "zombie-free" zones, but nobody wanted to leave their hiding places, and realistically... those hiding places probably didn't even exist or had a limit on the number of people (usually 15-30).

Bruce organized his kids so they could leave Gotham. Cities are total chaos in apocalypses; it's preferable to be in towns, which are statistically easier to clean up and protect. The only real threats are the looters, a group of people who are determined to survive at all costs, killing other survivors if necessary (or just for fun sometimes, to demonstrate communist superiority).

Conclusion: Three years had passed since the first zombie sighting... More than a thousand days (1,095 days to be exact). The human population wasn't zero, but there were few left. They had to start settling down and rebuilding the United States.

Physical characteristics:

Name: Damian Wayne.
Age: 16 years.
Height: 1.68 m.
Weight: 62 kg.

Build: Slim but very muscular; every kilogram of mass is designed for speed and endurance, not to appear strong.

Hair: Black, short, and messy. He no longer cares about keeping it perfectly styled like he used to.

Eyes: Intense green, always alert to their surroundings. They often appear cold and tired due to lack of sleep.

Skin: Light brown, full of small scars, old cuts and superficial burns.

Physical condition: Excellent. Maintains a daily training routine to avoid losing reflexes, strength, or flexibility.

Strength: Far superior to that of an average teenager thanks to years of training with the League of Assassins and Batman.

Speed: Its greatest attribute. It is able to change direction quickly and attack before the enemy can react.

Agility: Extraordinary; climbs buildings, jumps over obstacles and moves through ruins almost without making a sound.

Stamina: Very high. Can walk for hours with little rest and continue fighting despite exhaustion.

Reflexes: Near instantaneous. Detects movement and threats before most survivors.

Outfit:
Wear completely dark clothing to blend in.
Jacket reinforced with improvised protections.
Thermal undershirt to withstand temperature changes.
Tactical pants with multiple pockets.
Heavy-duty military boots.
Fingerless gloves to preserve sensitivity when using weapons.
Robin's very worn cloak, which he only uses on special occasions or when he needs to protect himself from the rain.

Equipment and weaponry:
Katana (his main weapon).

Two combat knives.

Reused Batarangs.

Gun as a last resort (prefers not to use firearms because of the noise).

Compound bow with some arrows he made himself.

Rope with hook.

Red light flashlight.

Small first aid kit.

Gun repair kit.

Canteen and backpack with supplies

Weapons proficiency.
He can master virtually any weapon thanks to his training:

Swords and katanas.
Knives.
Walking sticks.
Spears.
Arches.
Springs.
Pistols.
Rifles.
Shotguns.
Basic explosives.
Completely unarmed combat.

Mental characteristics.
Mindset:
His way of thinking changed completely.
I used to fight to save people.
Now he fights for the survival of those who are still worthwhile.
He doesn't believe the world can ever be the same again. His goal is to build something new on the ruins of the old world.
He is extremely distrustful. He assumes that any stranger could become an enemy.
He does not waste resources or energy on sentimentality during a mission.

Aim:
Their main goal is to survive long enough to rebuild a society where chaos will never be repeated.
He wants to create a safe haven for the few survivors capable of cooperating and protecting the innocent people who still remain.

Strengths:
Exceptional tactical intelligence.
Strong leadership skills under pressure.
Plan several scenarios before acting.
He remains calm even in critical situations.
Excellent fighter.
Great observational skills.
He learns very quickly from his mistakes.
He never gives up easily.
You can improvise tools and weapons with few resources.

Weaknesses:
Difficulty trusting other people.
He tends to carry all the weight on himself.
He represses his emotions to the point of exploding when he is completely exhausted.
He sleeps very little.
He feels enormous guilt for those he failed to save.
He can become too cold when making decisions, sacrificing a few to protect many.

How did it get to that point in history?

The outbreak destroyed Gotham in a very short time.
Although he tried to help alongside the Bat-family, the losses were inevitable. As the months passed, he realized that saving everyone was impossible.
From then on, he stopped acting like a traditional hero and began to think like a survivor. Every battle, every loss, and every day without rest further hardened his character.

Method of fighting:
He never fights head-on if he can avoid it.
Prefers:
Attack from the shadows.
To set traps.
Study the enemy before acting.
Make the most of the land.
End the confrontations as quickly as possible.

For him, a long fight means wasting energy and taking unnecessary risks.

His colleagues:
Titus;
A huge dog trained for combat and tracking.
Detects threats before Damian.
Track missing persons and prisoners.
Defend the refuge.
It can immobilize enemies if necessary.
He is the companion Damian trusts most; they are rarely apart.

Alfred;
A gray tabby cat, calm and surprisingly intelligent.
It detects rats and small animals, helping to find food.
It perceives strange noises before many humans.
It keeps small animals away from the shelter.
She accompanies Damian during the nights, being one of the few living beings that manages to give him a sense of calm.

Surviving allies:
Bruce Wayne;
Status: Alive.
He remains the group's main strategist.
Age and accumulated injuries force him to spend more time organizing operations than fighting on the front lines.
He maintains several safe havens scattered throughout Gotham.
Although he remains an authority figure for Damian, the two constantly clash due to their different ways of dealing with the new world.

Dick Grayson;
Status: Alive.
He is the one who keeps the group together when tensions rise.
Keep trying to prevent Damian from completely losing his humanity.
Excellent explorer and fighter.
He acts like the older brother that Damian rarely admits he needs.

Tim Drake;
Status: Alive.
Responsible for repairing technology and maintaining communications.
Design traps, surveillance systems, and evacuation plans.
He prefers to avoid direct combat whenever possible.
He is the scientific brain of the group.

Cassandra Cain;
Status: Alive.
One of the most dangerous fighters in the shelter.
Specialist in silent infiltration.
You can eliminate threats without making a sound.
He communicates with Damian even without needing to talk much.

Barbara Gordon;
Status: Alive.
Coordinates information between shelters.
It keeps records of survivors, routes, and supplies.
Although the technology is limited, it manages to keep old communication equipment working.

Titus;
Status: Alive.
Protect Damian during expeditions.
Track threats and survivors.
It is the first to lunge if someone tries to attack its owner.

Alfred the Cat;
Status: Alive.
It always returns to the shelter even if it disappears for hours.
Detects small animals and nearby dangers.
It is a silent presence that helps to keep Damian calm.

Deceased allies:
Alfred Pennyworth;
Status: Deceased.
It was one of the first major losses.
He died protecting several civilians during the early days of the outbreak. His death left a huge emotional void in the entire Bat-family, especially for Bruce and Damian.
The cat that accompanies Damian was named "Alfred" in his honor.

Jason Todd;
Status: Deceased.
Jason survived for quite some time thanks to his enormous fighting ability.
He finally died covering the retreat of a group of survivors when he was surrounded by an unstoppable horde.
Damian still keeps one of his pistols as a souvenir, although he almost never uses it.

Stephanie Brown;
Status: Deceased.
He died trying to rescue some trapped children.
His optimism led him to take a risk from which he could not escape.

Kate Kane;
Status: Deceased.
He led the defense of a shelter during a massive invasion.
He managed to get dozens of people to escape before falling in combat.

Commissioner James Gordon;
Status: Deceased.
He never left Gotham.
He remained organizing evacuations and protecting civilians until the very last moment, dying while defending an extraction point.

These losses deeply affected Damian. Each one reinforced his conviction that survival isn't enough: he must also prevent those still alive from dying due to avoidable mistakes. However, the price was that he became so hardened that, at times, even his own allies fear he'll end up resembling the League of Assassins more than the legacy of Batman.

Each death left a distinct mark on Damian. He doesn't cry openly; his way of grieving is to change his habits, keep his belongings, and become more reserved. Over time, these losses shaped the young man he was, turning him into a relentless survivor.

Alfred Pennyworth;
How it affected him:
Alfred's death was the first time Damian felt that the world had truly broken.
Although he rarely said it, Alfred was the one who always found a way to remind him that he could be a better person. His absence meant that Damian lost one of the few figures who offered him affection without expecting anything in return.
When she found an abandoned cat months later, she decided to name him Alfred. She never explained why. It was simply that one day someone asked his name and she replied, "Alfred." It was her way of keeping a small memory of him alive.

Jason Todd;
How it affected him:
It was, by far, the death that devastated him the most. Jason had always been the brother who best understood his darker side. They argued, competed, and even fought, but they both shared a similar way of seeing the world.
When Jason decided to stay behind to cover the group's retreat, Damian wanted to go back and help him. It was Bruce who stopped him. That moment was forever etched in memory.
The last thing she saw of Jason was a tired smile and a sentence:
"Don't waste this opportunity, tadpole."
They never found his body. They only recovered one of his pistols, badly damaged. Damian cleaned it, repaired it, and put it away. Not because he wanted to use it, but because it was all that was left of Jason.
Every so often he takes it apart, cleans it, and puts it away again. It's almost a ritual. He doesn't allow anyone else to touch it. When he feels his strength waning, he holds that gun for a few minutes. It's a reminder that Jason died so that he could continue living, and that he can't afford to waste that sacrifice.

Stephanie Brown;
How it affected him:
Stephanie represented hope even in the worst of times.
His death made Damian stop believing that optimism alone could save lives.
Since then he became much stricter with the missions.
If a rescue has too high a chance of resulting in more deaths than survivors, you may decide to cancel it, even if it breaks your heart.

Kate Kane;
How it affected him:
Kate died doing exactly what she would always have done: protecting others.
Damian admired her deeply.
After his death, he began to study military strategy even more.
It was promised that no comrade would ever again die due to poor planning.

Commissioner James Gordon;
How it affected him:
Gordon died believing that Gotham still deserved to be saved.
That made Damian stop seeing the city just as a pile of ruins.
She began to think that, one day, someone would have to rebuild it.
That idea ended up becoming one of their main objectives.

The sum of all losses
Each death took away a different part of himself.
Alfred took away the warmth.
Jason took away his joy and the feeling of having a brother who understood him.
Stephanie took away his optimism.
Kate taught him the weight of responsibility.
Lucius forced him to mature prematurely.
Gordon entrusted him with the mission of thinking about the future of Gotham.

Those who are still alive notice the change. Dick, Bruce, and Cassandra know that Damian is still the same at heart, but they also see that each loss has built another wall around him. Jason's gun, the cat named Alfred, and his obsessive planning are silent reminders of those who are gone and the promises he feels he must keep in their memory.