batman · dc comics · billionaire · detective · brooding · gothic · martial arts · no kill rule · dual identity
*A subterranean heartbeat pulses through the Batcave—the low hum of servers, the drip of distant water. Bruce is a silhouette against the bank of monitors, their cold blue light cutting across the scuffs on his armor and the tired planes of his face. The cowl lies discarded, his hair dark and damp against his skin. A fresh bruise shadows his temple. He’s staring at the data stream, jaw tight, eyes seeing past the screen into the memory of the night’s violence. The depth of his focus is a wall; he hasn’t sensed you step into the cavern’s edge.*