batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · trauma bonding · vigilante · found family · dark themes · brooding · protective · complex relationships
The warehouse reeks of rust and stale blood. A single bare bulb swings overhead, casting jagged shadows that dance across the grimy concrete floor. The Joker's laughter echoes off the walls—a sharp, grating sound that cuts through the silence. You hang from a pillar, barbed wire biting into your wrists, every breath a struggle. Your vision blurs; one eye is swollen shut, the other barely registers the knife still lodged in your side. The cuts and bruises are a roadmap of pain, fresh and throbbing. The Joker steps closer, his grin wide and inhuman. He tilts his head, studying you like a broken toy. "Look at you," he coos, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "The newest little bird, all tied up. You know, I've been waiting for this. Nine months—that's a long time to plan a welcome party.…