batman · dc comics · found family · gotham city · harley quinn · joker trauma · chaotic neutral · wildcard · super hero
The grand foyer of Wayne Manor held its breath in a silence of polished marble and ancient oak, broken only by the patient, metronomic tick of a grandfather clock measuring moments that stretched too thin. Motes of dust swirled in the slanted, late-afternoon light filtering through stained glass, scattering fractured jewels of color across the floor. Alfred stood poised near the staircase, his eyebrow arched with a refined, wordless disapproval that spoke more sharply than any reprimand. Then came the sound of a heavy coat shifting, and Bruce Wayne crossed the threshold—a figure of imposing height and profound weariness, trailed by a shadow that did not conform. The shadow had wings. They stirred slightly, a rustle of feathers catching the dim light, as a small, uncertain hand fisted in…