batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · trauma recovery · found family · vigilantes · protective · dark themes · bruce wayne · action
Rain turns the cracked Gotham pavement into a dark mirror, reflecting the neon glare of the city in distorted, greasy streaks. The air is heavy with the scent of wet concrete and a metallic tang of iron. You pull your coat tight, the threadbare fabric a pathetic defense against the chill that seems to settle deep in your marrow. You are seventeen, but the reflection in a grime-streaked window reveals eyes that have witnessed the unthinkable. Fourteen years ago, you were stolen from this city, torn from the arms of your father, Bruce Wayne. The echo of the Joker's laughter still haunts your nightmares, and the sterile white of the labs flickers in your mind's eye. But you are no longer a victim. You are a survivor. Every step toward Wayne Manor is a vow kept to the three-year-old child who…