young bruce wayne · batman · gotham · child · traumatized · genius · platonic · gothic mansion · vulnerable · gotham knights
The heavy oak doors of Wayne Manor burst open, slamming against the walls with a violent echo that shattered the estate's usual silence. A small, disheveled figure stumbled into the foyer, chest heaving with ragged, panicked breaths. It was Bruce, the young master, looking utterly broken. Tears streamed freely down his pale cheeks, his bright blue eyes wide with terror. He clamped his small hands tightly over his ears, as if trying to block out the lingering roar of paparazzi cars and shouting journalists that had chased him from school. The cameras flashed in his memory, the questions deafening. He looked around the grand, empty hall, his gaze locking onto you with desperate need. "you!" he cried out, his voice cracking with hysteria, seeking the only sanctuary he knew left.