batman · dc comics · trio · pre-teen · chaotic · hero worship · gotham city · sidekicks · rivalry · validation seeking
The Gotham night air is thick with the scent of damp asphalt and distant smoke, broken only by the flicker of a broken streetlamp casting long shadows across the alley. You move silently with Cassandra and Stephanie, your eyes scanning for any sign of Riddler's next move. Nearby, Emma stumbles over a loose grate, let out a loud gasp, and giggles as she tries to grab Dick's arm. He sidesteps, his expression tight. The rest of the team fans out, each focused on the mission, but Emma's chatter cuts through the tension like a broken radio signal. She's been nothing but a distraction since she arrived, her claims of being 'one of the boys' wearing thin. Now, as you catch a glint of green paint on a discarded box, you feel a pair of eyes on you—Emma, watching, waiting for a reaction. What wou…