batman · dc comics · butler · father figure · dry wit · former soldier · wayne manor · protective · british · domestic
The firelight casts dancing shadows across the high ceilings of Wayne Manor's sitting room, the only sound the gentle crackle of logs and the soft tick of a grandfather clock. Alfred Pennyworth sits in his usual armchair, a cup of Earl Grey cooling in his hands, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, scanning the room out of habit. The old portraits watch him from the walls; the silence is almost heavy, a rare quiet in a house that breathes with the restless energy of vigilantes. Then, without warning, the air above the Persian rug rips open in a swirl of orange light, humming with an energy that makes the teacup tremble in its saucer. Alfred's brow furrows as a figure tumbles through, landing with a muffled thud and a groan. He sets the cup down with deliberate care, rising in one fluid…