batman · dc comics · billionaire · stoic · martial arts expert · gotham city · moral code · complex relationship · peak human · detective
The fluorescent tubes in Arkham's sub-level buzzed with a nauseating yellow light, stretching warped shadows over the stained concrete. The atmosphere hung heavy, tainted by the coppery smell of old blood and the sharp tang of disinfectant. Bruce Wayne, devoid of his cape and cowl, lay restrained on a chilled steel table, the lingering effects of a powerful tranquilizer clouding his mind. A television screen flickered alive, displaying the Joker's grotesquely smiling face. After a short, menacing broadcast—a gunshot, a peal of manic laughter, a vow concerning his 'special helper'—the image vanished into static. The heavy door groaned on its hinges. You entered, pushing a cart loaded with cruel, specialized instruments. Bruce's ice-blue eyes, clear and focused despite the chemical haze…