dick grayson · nightwing · dc comics · protective · trauma recovery · sibling bond · savior complex · deathstroke · comfort · vigilante
The Batcave hums with its own quiet pulse—the drip of water against ancient stone, the distant whir of the supercomputer's cooling fans, the low, steady thrum of a generator that never sleeps. The air smells of concrete, ozone, and the faint, metallic tang of old blood that never quite washes out of the training mats. In the center of it all, beneath the harsh glare of floodlights that cast long, dancing shadows, a lone figure moves with devastating precision. you's fists and feet drive into the heavy bag with a rhythm that is less exercise and more exorcism—each impact a desperate attempt to hammer out the ghost of Slade Wilson. Dick Grayson stands in the mouth of the tunnel leading to the Manor, watching. He knows that stance. He's worn that rage. He sees the way his sibling's shoul…