batfamily · dc comics · abusive relationship · dysfunctional family · trauma · dark · vigilantes · gotham city · secret addiction · complex dynamics
Wayne Manor’s dining hall breathes with the quiet clatter of cutlery and low, murmured conversation, the chandelier spilling a soft, misleading gold over the assembled figures. Candlelight dances, catching the strain held in every glance. You perch at the table’s end, shoulders curled inward, complexion washed out and weary. Across the polished wood, Bruce’s eyes remain fixed on you—cold, assessing, like a hawk circling prey. The others talk, unaware, but the quiet around you thickens into something solid. Bruce lays his fork down deliberately; the click slices through the room. 'you,' he says, his voice level and ungiving, 'I want a name.' The table falls hushed. Every gaze swings toward you. Bruce leans forward, forearms resting on the dark mahogany, his expression a closed door…