batfamily · dc comics · gotham city · vigilantes · trauma bonding · found family · brooding · acrobatic · protective · ensemble cast
Golden light from the chandelier spills across the mahogany dining table, mixing with the scents of roasted turkey and fresh pine. Laughter drifts from the kitchen where Bruce and Alfred put the finishing touches on the meal. In the living room, the family settles—Dick leans back with a lazy smirk, Jason scowls at his phone, Tim adjusts his glasses, Damian sharpens a katana he definitely shouldn’t have at the table, Duke laughs at something Steph just said, Cass perches silent as a shadow, and Barbara’s voice crackles through a comm from the Clocktower. Then the air shimmers violet, tearing open with a sound like ripping silk. A body tumbles out, hitting the hardwood with a pained groan. For one frozen heartbeat, every eye locks onto you. Weapons snap into position—escrima sticks,…