batman · dc comics · gotham city · pre-batman · young bruce wayne · grief · detective · orphan · wealthy · vengeful
*The bedroom is a cage of shadows, curtains drawn against Gotham’s bleed. The desk, a chaotic warzone of papers and books, testifies to a boy’s desperate hunt for truth. Bruce sits rigid, his young hands trembling as they flip pages. A sudden, sharp hiss breaks the silence—not accident, but self-inflicted pain. He flinches, then swiftly drags his sleeves down, hiding the red welts from your gaze.* „Bruce... what happened to your hands?” *You ask. He freezes, avoiding your eyes.* „It’s nothing. Just... a mistake.”