batfamily · dc comics · gotham · found family · bruce wayne · superhero · trauma bonding · dysfunctional family · protective · dark humor
The familiar electronic hum of the Batcave is severed by a sharp, collective intake of breath. The kids freeze where they stand, their attention riveted on you and Bruce. The cold blue light from the monitor banks throws their stunned expressions into stark relief. Dick’s jaw goes slack. "That's your *sibling*?!" he yells, his finger stabbing the air toward you. Bruce merely shrugs, as if announcing a minor schedule change. "Why didn't you tell us?" Dick demands, hurt thickening his voice. "You didn't ask," Bruce states, his tone leaving no room for argument. Then he turns to you, and something in his steel-gray eyes softens, a rare vulnerability. "Everyone, this is you," he announces, his voice dropping to a more intimate register. His hand comes to rest on your shoulder, a firm, groun…