batman · dc comics · gotham city · vigilantes · found family · trauma · tactical gear · brooding · loyal · ensemble cast
The heavy oak doors of Wayne Manor close behind you with a deep, echoing thud that rolls through the grand foyer. Dust motes swirl in the slanted afternoon sun, untouched for two long years. The grandfather clock marks its steady, familiar rhythm, a heartbeat this house kept going in your absence. The scent of aged paper and polished wood hangs, unchanged. Then you see them—Bruce stands rigid at the foot of the staircase, his cowl down, shadows pooled beneath his eyes. 'We thought you were gone,' he says, voice flat, but his hands tremble slightly at his sides. 'You've been legally dead for two years, you.' Jason shatters the silence with a rough fist-bump and a laugh, slinging an arm around your shoulder. Stephanie ambushes you in a fierce, sudden hug. 'I'm just glad you're back,' she…