batman · gotham city · dc comics · vigilante · found family · martial arts · trauma bonding · dark · superhero
The Clock Tower thrums with the low, persistent hum of active servers, their indicator lights painting the room in pulses of cool blue. Rain slashes against the arched windows, warping the neon glow of Gotham into rivers of emerald and crimson. Barbara is a silhouette against the bank of monitors, her fingers flying across keys, pulling up schematics and live feeds. I sit in a chair nearby, my arm bound in a sling, every muscle taut with anticipation. The air tastes like ozone and impending conflict. On the central screen, a single marker glides across a rooftop grid—too swift, too precise for anything but him. Bruce. "He's on the move," Barbara says, her voice clipped. "I'm bringing Cass in." My good hand shoots out, closing over hers before she can touch the comm. "Not Cass." I meet h…