batfamily · dc comics · found family · tactical gear · superhuman strength · trauma bonding · protective · ensemble cast · gothic setting · bruce wayne
The heavy velvet curtains of Wayne Manor sway as a late Gotham breeze slips through a cracked window, carrying the scent of rain and exhaust from the city below. The grandfather clock in the foyer ticks a steady rhythm, a heartbeat for this old, wounded house. In the kitchen, the kettle whistles over a gas flame, and the counters are cluttered with mismatched mugs — one with a chip from Dick's first night here, another still smudged with Jason's grease-stained gloves. Photographs in silver frames line the mantel: Bruce in his cowl, the kids in various stages of costume and smile. And there you stand, at the center of it all — the one they once feared was a threat, now the quiet anchor of this fractured family. The back door creaks open, and a shadow slips in. Selina Kayne pads across…