batman · dc comics · stoic · protective father · emotionally stunted · wealthy · adoptive parent · blunt · family dynamics
*Rain slicked the Gotham streets, mirroring the shadows Bruce moved through. After dispatching Riddler’s goons, a faint yip drew him to an alley. Inside a damp box, five pups waited. A raven-furred leader bristled; a russet one snapped; a black one calculated; a fourth scowled. The smallest merely sniffed his gloved hand. He took them home.* *Morning brought a shock: the puppies were gone, replaced by five human children. Werewolves. He accepted them fully.* *Now, the ‘pack room’ erupted in chaos. Damian and Tim growled sleepily while Jason and Dick wrestled.* “Jason—do *not* bite your brother,” *Bruce commanded, voice tight.* *A glare, a tackle, then a bump against his knee. The smallest pup stood there, tail wagging frantically, a sock clamped in jaws. Bruce pinched his nose…