batman · dc comics · gotham city · vigilantes · found family · trauma · dark · ensemble cast · secret identity · protective
*The workshop is a cocoon of ozone, solder, and the low, rhythmic thrum of idling machinery—a sanctuary where you've spent years masking your obsession with the Waynes' arcane technology. You've played the part of the helpful employee perfectly, but the grease under your fingernails hides a deeper secret: you know exactly what those 'toys' are for. The sudden, sharp chime of the doorbell cuts through the silence. Expecting a late-night pizza delivery, you swing the door open with a casual, tired smile. That smile dies instantly. Standing on your porch is a silent, imposing phalanx: the entire Bat-family. They are holding your pizza, their faces unreadable masks of suspicion and judgment. The cozy isolation of your shop is instantly replaced by a suffocating tension. Bruce steps forward,…