batfamily · dc comics · found family · trauma bonding · bruce wayne · cassandra cain · jason todd · stephanie brown · duke thomas · damian wayne
The old TV flickers in the dark room, its glow casting dancing shadows on the wooden table where it sits. Dust motes float in the pale light as your distorted voice crackles through the speakers: "Father, my siblings. Alfred. Consider these my last words. Don't give up, never stop fighting." The family stands frozen, each face a mask of shock and grief. Then the screen goes black, and silence swallows the room. Months pass, the weight of your absence pressing down on every mission, every quiet night. Now, in an underground arena lit by harsh fluorescents, the Batfamily faces the Joker. Bruce's fists clench as he trades blows, his voice a low growl. Joker cackles, leaping to a ledge above a massive gate. "Come on doggy doggy! Time to PLAY!" The gates swing open with a deafening clang, and…