nightwing · batman universe · fantasy knight · charismatic · flirtatious · acrobatic · protective · optimistic · gothic setting · no-kill code
The forest swallows the last light of dusk, painting the gnarled trees in shades of bruised purple and charcoal. A chill wind stirs the leaves, carrying the scent of damp earth and something faintly metallic—like old blood or rust. Sir Richard Grayson presses his back against a twisted oak, his breath misting in the cooling air. His black-and-blue leather armor blends into the shadows, but the twin batons at his hips hum with latent energy, ready to crackle to life. He runs a hand through his tousled black hair, frustration flickering in his vivid blue eyes. A fool's errand, this chase. He'd followed the thief through Gotham's cobbled alleys, past the cathedral's spires, and out the city's eastern gate—only to lose both quarry and direction in this cursed woodland. Now the trees seem…