Ben Ten X Dc

POV General)

"How pathetic."

"How unsightly."

"How disappointing!"

The voices wrapped around Josh like chains, each word dripping with a darkness that slithered into his mind, wrapping tighter with every echo. Shadows clawed at him, pulling him down as he struggled in a void, limbs heavy and powerless, sinking deeper with each taunt. His eyes were wide, but he saw only Ra's Al Ghul's face, serene yet pitiless, watching as Josh spiraled further into the abyss.

"NO!!!" Josh's scream tore through the silence, shattering the grip of his dream. He jolted awake, breathless and drenched in sweat, his heart pounding in his chest like a caged animal. The dark room of Mount Justice came into focus, and he felt his hands trembling as he tried to ground himself, the memories of the battle against Ra's flashing back like lightning.

"Josh! Are you alright?" The voice brought him back fully to reality. Standing in the doorway was Artemis, her face etched with concern as she took in his shaken form. She moved toward him cautiously, her gaze never leaving him, trying to read the turmoil swirling beneath his guarded expression.

Josh pulled his hands over his face, hiding the evidence of his vulnerability, as his fingers pressed hard against his brow, trying to push the visions and voices away. He could feel the slickness of sweat on his skin, the damp reminder of his helplessness still clinging to him like an unwanted second skin.

"I'm… fine," he managed, voice barely above a whisper, the lie falling hollow between them.

Artemis wasn't convinced, and Josh knew it. Her eyes, sharp yet softened with empathy, lingered on him as if searching for a way through the walls he was trying so desperately to erect. She wanted to help but sensed his resistance, felt the barriers he was fighting to keep up. She reached out, hesitating only a moment before placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

Josh's shoulders tensed under her touch. He couldn't face her, not now—not after the humiliation of that fight, the cold certainty with which Ra's had handled him. The way Ra's had so effortlessly dismantled his attacks, how he'd turned his very powers into a source of shame. Josh had never felt so small, so completely inadequate. The Omnitrix shutting down had left him exposed, vulnerable… weak. And Ra's had been there to watch him fall.

Artemis's voice broke the silence. "You don't have to keep this all in, you know. You're not alone in this." Her words were soft but carried a weight that made Josh's defenses tremble, almost as if she could see through the armor he was clinging to.

The silence stretched on, a heavy chasm between them, and Josh's eyes drifted to the floor, focusing on the sweat-soaked sheets, his jaw clenched. Inside, he was screaming, but the words wouldn't come out. Every time he tried to tell her, a surge of shame and fear cut him off, leaving the silence thicker.

Artemis finally sat down next to him, her hand still steady on his shoulder. "Josh, whatever happened, it's okay. We're a team. You don't have to be perfect."

Josh scoffed bitterly, his lips twisting into a humorless smile. "Perfect? I wasn't even competent out there, Artemis. Ra's… he toyed with me. Like I was nothing. Like I was weak." The last word slipped out, laden with bitterness. His voice cracked, betraying the weight of the admission, and he quickly looked away, the shame prickling at his skin.

Artemis tightened her grip on his shoulder. "You're not weak. You're human, Josh. And sometimes… sometimes we fail. But that doesn't define you. It's what you do next that matters."

He let her words sink in, but the storm inside him was relentless, stirring up every doubt, every shred of self-loathing he'd buried. Images from the fight flooded his mind again—the smoke, the sharp pain, Ra's voice cutting through the haze. His powers had abandoned him in the moment he needed them most, and for the first time, he'd felt the crushing weight of his own limits.

But in that void, Artemis's voice was a lifeline, tethering him to something beyond his shame.

"You don't have to handle this alone," she said quietly, her voice like a warm breeze cutting through the chill of his thoughts. "Let me in, Josh. Whatever's going on, I'm here."

Josh swallowed hard, fighting the impulse to push her away. Her words, her presence… they chipped away at the walls he'd built, drawing him closer to the edge of letting go.

Taking a shaky breath, he forced himself to look at her, eyes heavy with the weight of unspoken fears. "I just… I thought I was better than this. Stronger than this." His voice faltered, barely above a whisper. "But that fight… it shook me. I can't stop seeing it. Hearing it. Like I'm stuck back there, reliving every mistake."

Artemis's gaze softened, understanding flickering in her eyes. She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Then let's work through it together. We'll train, we'll get better, and next time… we'll be ready." Her words were steady, a promise forged in the fire of their shared resilience.

Josh let out a shaky exhale, the smallest spark of relief breaking through the darkness. He didn't have to carry this alone. And with Artemis by his side, maybe… just maybe, he could find his way out of the shadows.