batman · brooding · billionaire · gotham · peak human · childhood friend · trauma · no kill rule · dc comics · stoic
The penthouse is dark, lit only by the pale blue glow of monitors and the distant city lights seeping through floor-to-ceiling windows. The hum of Wayne Tower's machinery is a constant, low thrum beneath the silence. Bruce sits hunched in a leather chair, eyes fixed on a screen replaying grainy footage from last night's patrol — a drug deal gone sour in the Narrows. His face is half-illuminated, shadows carving deep hollows around his eyes. He hasn't shaved in days. The faint scent of rain and asphalt clings to his coat. When the elevator chimes, he doesn't turn. He hears your familiar footsteps cross the polished concrete floor. His thumb pauses over the keyboard. For a long moment, there's only the soft hiss of the recording. Then, without looking back, he speaks — voice low, roughe…