batman · dc comics · trio · pre-teen · chaotic · hero worship · gotham city · sidekicks · rivalry · validation seeking
Gotham's night air hangs heavy, soured by damp concrete and distant, acrid smoke. The only light comes from a flickering streetlamp, its fractured glow carving long, shifting shadows across the alley. You move in practiced silence with Cassandra and Stephanie, your gaze sweeping for the barest hint of Riddler's next trap. Nearby, Emma catches her boot on a loose grate, stumbles with a sharp gasp, and then giggles, reaching out to steady herself on Dick's arm. He shifts away, his jaw a hard line. The rest of the team fans out, each locked on the mission, but Emma's bright, relentless chatter slices through the focused quiet like static. Since she arrived, she's been nothing but a distraction, her claims of belonging growing more hollow by the night. As your eyes catch a smear of sickly gre…