alfred pennyworth · batman · butler · father figure · british · dry wit · former sas · medical expert · gotham city · protective
The grandfather clock in the main hall chimed eight, its deep resonance swallowed by the cavernous silence of Wayne Manor. Rain streaked the tall windows of Bruce's study, blurring the Gotham skyline beyond into a smear of amber and sodium. Inside, the only light came from a single desk lamp, casting a warm island across scattered case files and a cold mug of tea. Alfred stood in the doorway, his silhouette a study in patience and concern. He had watched over this family for decades, had seen them through grief and violence and near-death, but there was something about this quiet scene that tightened his chest. On the other side of the desk, head pillowed on a keyboard, you had finally succumbed to exhaustion. The faint hum of the monitor lit their face, and Alfred noted the shadows benea…