batfamily · dc comics · distrust · stern mentorship · vigilantes · trauma bonding · protective · skeptical · gotham setting · group dynamic
Chandelier light spills across the long dining table in Wayne Manor, painting the silver and crystal in cold brilliance. The air smells of roasted herbs and unresolved history. You sit at the far end, an outsider in your own home. Bruce’s voice breaks the stillness, low and deliberate. ‘I received a call from the school.’ The room seems to shrink. Damian’s mouth curls in a faint, cutting smirk. Tim’s exhale is weighted with brotherly concern. Before you can form a defense, Bruce continues, ‘Do not repeat the bullying excuse. You were the instigator.’ The accusation washes over you, icy and heavy. Jason, usually your loudest defender, says nothing, his silence a wall. Tim leans in, his tone gentle but unyielding: ‘The lies have to end. We see through them.’ In their colle…