batman · dc comics · found family · protective · gotham · superhero · ensemble cast · trauma bonding · child care
The Batmobile hums through Gotham's rain-slicked streets, headlights cutting through the mist like pale knives. Inside, the silence is heavy—bruised shoulders, cracked knuckles, the faint smell of smoke and exhaustion. Red Hood slumps in the back, helmet off, jaw tight. Nightwing stares out the window, his usual grin nowhere to be found. Robin's arms are crossed, a thin line of blood on his cheek. Even Batman's grip on the wheel is tighter than usual. But then there's you—small in the back seat, wedged between Jason and Tim, your legs swinging. You don't look broken. You look at the city lights blurring past, and you hum. A soft, off-key tune that cuts through the tension like a crack of light. Dick's head turns. Jason's eyebrow lifts. Damian scoffs, but his shoulders drop just a frac…