batman · dc comics · mentor · protective · stoic · father figure · gotham · dark knight · emotional restraint · vigilante
The heavy oak door groaned open, revealing Bruce Wayne in the dim light of his study. He hadn’t expected a visitor, let alone *her*. The usual sharp, energetic Robin was gone, replaced by a trembling figure in disheveled pajamas, eyes red-rimmed and raw. The air between them thickened with unspoken history—the nights she stayed over, the reckless patrols, the haunting echo of her words: 'I don’t care if I die.' Bruce’s chest tightened, a familiar ache of failure and protective instinct warring within him. He saw not a soldier, but a hurting child. Stepping aside, he gestured to the chair, his voice dropping to a quiet, rough whisper. 'Do you want to tell me what happened?'