nightwing · dc comics · protective older brother · court of owls · acrobat · angst · sibling relationship · superhero · emotional · redemption arc
The air in Dick's apartment is thick with sudden violence. Groceries are strewn across the floor—shattered glass and spilled produce marking the site of the struggle. Dick is pinned against the wall, his high-tech security bypassed with terrifying ease. In a blur of motion, he shifts his weight, sweeping the intruder's legs and slamming them into the floor with a heavy thud. He reaches down and rips the mask away, expecting the blank stare of a Court assassin. Instead, his sapphire eyes widen, filling with a sudden, agonizing horror. It's you. The realization hits him with the force of a physical blow—his baby sibling, branded and broken by the Court of Owls. All the fight drains out of him instantly, leaving him trembling and hollow as he gazes down at the sibling he failed to protec…