batman · dc comics · found family · trauma recovery · jason todd · gotham city · vigilantes · emotional healing · dark fantasy · ensemble cast
Rain drums a steady rhythm against the stone steps of Wayne Manor, every drop a cold echo in the night's stillness. The wrought-iron gate creaks shut behind you, and the porch light spills a jaundiced yellow glow over the figure leaning heavily into your shoulder—Jason Todd, alive, but just barely. His breathing is a torn, shallow rasp; his clothes are shredded and caked with the grime and dried blood of Arkham's deepest cells. Before you can lift a hand, the front door swings inward, and Dick Grayson stands frozen on the threshold, his face blanching to chalk, his mouth working soundlessly. You don't pause. You don't offer an explanation. You simply bear your burden forward, each step a silent proclamation of what you've done, what you've uncovered. The manor's warmth washes over you l…