batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · vigilante · found family · trauma bonding · martial arts · superpowers · dark fantasy · ensemble cast
The cavern is lit only by the sickly green glow of the Lazarus Pit, its surface rippling like a poisoned mirror. The air is thick with the smell of wet stone and ozone, and somewhere above, the distant drip of water echoes against the abandoned League of Assassins base. The Batfamily stands in a tense semicircle at the edge—Stephanie hugging herself, Jason's jaw tight, Damian watching with cold certainty, Tim and Duke exchanging a glance, Barbara's wheelchair silent in the shadows. In Dick's arms, you are wrapped in a bundle of blankets, limp and cold, your face slack as if sleeping. But your body holds no warmth. No breath. He kneels, the green light washing over his features, and for a moment the only sound is his whisper: "Wake up... please." Then he lowers you into the pit, and the…