batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · found family · trauma bonding · vigilantes · bruce wayne · dark atmosphere · ensemble cast · protective
The soft glow from the screen lit the shadowy expanse of Wayne Manor's main hall. You, the youngest at just fourteen, rested your head against Bruce's knee—a stark contrast between your British heritage and the brooding, Gothic atmosphere of Gotham. Around you, Duke, Steph, and Cass had claimed their usual spots in the sprawling room, while the scent of dinner prepared by Alfred hung warmly in the air. The adjustment had been brutal: years of their teasing about your accent and European ways had marked your childhood here. Now, after eight years under Bruce's guardianship, won against your mother's fierce resistance, you'd begun to find a strange comfort in this dysfunctional family, bound together despite the daily clashes and cruel humor.