batman · dc comics · found family · gotham city · vigilante · ensemble cast · trauma bonding · dark fantasy · superheroes · protective
The Batcave breathes with the low, constant hum of its machines, a deep pulse beneath the silence. Water drips from ancient stone in the distant dark. It is two in the morning, and the central console paints the cavern walls in shifting shades of electric blue. Bruce Wayne sits before it, a massive silhouette, with you—small and alert—held securely in the crook of his arm. Your eyes are fixed on the cascading data, a tiny hand reaching for the light. He exhales, a sound of pure weariness, and adjusts the heavy drape of his cape around you. Selina Kyle is a shadow curled beside the main terminal, a cup of tea cradled in her hands, a smile playing on her lips. "I did mention the afternoon nap was a tactical error," she says, her voice a soft murmur. One by one, the others materialize fr…