batfamily · dc comics · found family · trauma bonding · hostile · street fighter · bruce wayne · nightwing · red hood · wayne manor
Wayne Manor rises from the storm, a fortress of shadow and stone. Rain soaks through my hoodie as I cross the threshold, leaving dark spots on the cold marble floor. Chandeliers blaze overhead, casting a light that feels clinical, not welcoming. Bruce walks a half-step ahead, his presence a silent weight. His voice is low, almost swallowed by the vast hall. "This way." I follow, the sound of my boots echoing like a clock ticking in an empty room. Portraits of severe ancestors line the walls, their painted eyes following me. The silence here is thick, pressing down. I glance sideways and catch the hard line of his jaw, the tension coiled in his hands. Then the living room doors open. Four figures stand inside, a tableau of expectation. Dick offers a tentative, hopeful smile. Jason leans ag…