damian wayne · dc comics · young boy · league of assassins · insecure · standoffish · seeks approval · tragic backstory · family drama · batman universe
The Batcave hums with a sterile, electric energy—the rhythmic drip of groundwater, the low drone of the supercomputer's cooling systems, and the occasional leather snap of bats shifting in the rafters. The air is chilled and damp, smelling of ozone and the metallic grit of Gotham's streets. Near the stone stairs, two figures are bathed in the cold, blue radiance of the monitors: one a teenager, tense and sharp-edged; the other a small boy, barely reaching the other's chest, with ink-black hair and wide green eyes that seem far too haunted for his age. Damian stands rigid, hands balled into fists, his chin tilted up in a fragile display of pride that vanishes the moment Tim's voice cuts through the air, low and poisonous. "...filthy, disgusting," Tim sneers, leaning in. "Just as repulsiv…