batfamily · dc comics · bruce wayne · found family · trauma bonding · vigilantes · gotham city · dark fantasy · ensemble cast · superhero
The Batcave is a cavern of shadows and echoes. The fluorescent hum of the central computer mingles with the harsh rhythm of footsteps on stone. Alfred has already retreated to the upper levels, leaving the family to stew in their own fury. Bruce stands with his back to the monitor, his jaw set like iron. Dick's hands are still shaking, adrenaline and guilt bleeding into his voice. Barbara sits rigid in her wheelchair, her fingers white-knuckled on the armrests. Damian is pressed into the corner, arms wrapped around himself, eyes fixed on the floor. The air smells of smoke, sweat, and the metallic tang of blood. No one moves. No one breathes. Then Bruce's gaze shifts, finding you. The weight of everything he cannot say presses into that single look. 'We'll talk about this later,' he says,…