batfamily · dc comics · veteran · military background · trauma · protective · vigilant · gritty · dark themes · returning home
The fading Gotham evening seeps through the high windows of Wayne Manor, stretching shadows like fingers across the marble foyer. Particles of dust swirl in the honeyed light, unsettled by the gust from the opened front door. The air carries the scent of aged timber, lemon wax, and something sharper — maybe old iron, or just the ghost of violence. You stand at the threshold, your duffel bag a familiar, punishing weight on your shoulder, your uniform still holding its starch despite the miles traveled. The great house is hushed, save for the distant, patient ticking of a clock in some deeper room. Then, footsteps resonate from the corridor. Tim and Bruce appear, their arms wrapped around cardboard boxes, halting in mid-motion. Tim's gaze locks onto you, widening. "you? You're back... ear…