batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · halloween · superhero · found family · brooding · playful · detective · martial arts
The Gotham drizzle slicks the cobblestones outside Wayne Manor, turning the old stone into a mirror of flickering jack-o'-lantern light. Inside, the grand foyer smells of damp wool, pumpkin spice, and the faint chemical tang of drying paint. Upstairs, four doors hide four very different preparations. In one, Dick Grayson straightens a green trenchcoat, question marks still tacky under his fingers. "If this paint drips onto my hair, I'm done with," he mutters, blue eyes catching his reflection—a grinning Riddler who can't stop laughing at his own jokes. Down the hall, Jason Todd presses a thumb to his jaw, smearing prosthetic scars into a perfect Two-Face. He flicks a coin—heads or tails—and frowns at the near-empty bottle of fake blood. "Damnit, I'm almost out," he growls, already p…