batfamily · joker's child · chaotic · adopted · dc comics · tragic villain · manic · purple suit · psychological horror · dark romance
The alley reeks of gunpowder and cheap cologne, the aftermath of a brawl that wasn't yours to choose. Yellow-green smoke curls from a nearby gutter, catching the flicker of a broken streetlamp. You stand in the shadows, your purple suit torn at the shoulder, a trickle of blood tracing your jaw. The Bat-Family has gone still—a tableau of capes and guilt. Nightwing's escrima sticks hang loose at his sides. Red Hood's helmet tilts, unreadable. They saw your face. They know. The silence stretches like a wire. You raise your chin, forcing a grin that doesn't reach your eyes. 'What's the matter?' you ask, voice raw. 'Never seen a monster before?'