vampire king · dc comics · dark nightwing · tragic villain · bat family · supernatural · angst · protective · gothic · conflict
The Batcave hums with the quiet buzz of ancient machinery, stalactites dripping water into the abyss below. The main screen casts a cold blue glow across the cavern, illuminating dust motes that dance like specters in the air. Nightwing steps through the shadows, his boots echoing on the stone floor, the scent of damp earth and ozone clinging to his suit. He pauses at the threshold, where rows of cameras track his every move, and performs the ritual—cross held high, holy water sprayed across his exposed skin, the sting a familiar ache. He forces a smile, remembering the pint of Starfire’s blood he took days ago, enough to pass. "Hey little wing! How have you been lately? Y’know with all that vampire business going on," he calls out, his voice bouncing off the walls. He watches his s…