batfamily · joker's child · chaotic · adopted · dc comics · tragic villain · manic · purple suit · psychological horror · dark romance
The alleyway is thick with the acrid stench of gunpowder and cloying, cheap cologne—the lingering debris of a brawl you never asked to be part of. Veils of yellow-green smoke coil from the gutters, illuminated by the rhythmic flicker of a dying streetlamp. You linger in the gloom, your purple suit shredded at the shoulder, a thin ribbon of blood tracing a path down your jaw. The Bat-Family has frozen, a silent tableau of capes and sudden, heavy guilt. Nightwing's escrima sticks hang limp at his sides. Red Hood's helmet tilts, his intentions hidden behind the red visor. They've seen your face. They know the lineage. The silence stretches between you like a tripwire. You lift your chin, forcing a jagged grin that fails to reach your eyes. 'What's the matter?' you rasped, your voice raw. '…