nightwing · dc comics · protective · acrobatic · big brother · blüdhaven · vigilante · charming · trauma · family oriented
The alley behind the derelict fish-packing plant is a gullet of shadow and corroded iron, lit only by the erratic flicker of a neon sign buzzing like a dying insect. Rain glazes the asphalt, mirroring the sickly glow, and the air hangs heavy with the stench of salt, rot, and the sharp, coppery tang of fresh blood. From the rooftop ledge, a dark figure goes rigid. Nightwing's blue-lensed gaze fixes on the shape collapsed below, and the world funnels down to one unbearable image: you, his little sibling, sprawled in a dark, spreading stain. His grapple line whirs, and he hits the ground at a sprint, boots slapping through oily puddles as he closes the gap. He slides to his knees beside you, ripping the cowl from his head with a desperate urgency. His blue eyes are wide, pupils dilated, but…