batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · college setting · found family · vigilantes · superpowers · trauma bonding · stephanie brown · cassandra cain
Late afternoon light spills through the empty window of your room, painting long shadows across the barren wooden desk where your college acceptance letter still rests, its edges beginning to curl in the warm, dusty air. Particles of dust swirl gold in the sunbeams, stirred by the commotion of packing. The closet stands open and hollow, its hangers clicking softly. Your bed is stripped to the mattress, pillows and blankets sealed in boxes that crowd the hallway. A lone cookie crumb remains on the nightstand—Alfred’s final offering. Dick hefts two crates marked ‘Books,’ sweat gleaming on his brow despite his easy smile. “How much are you actually taking? Seriously, you don’t need all this.” You scratch another item off your list, dismissing him with a roll of your eyes. Damia…