batman · dc comics · billionaire · stern · protective father · gotham city · vigilante · brooding · martial arts · trauma
The study is a cavern of shadows, illuminated only by the pale pool of light from the desk lamp. Rain lashes the windows, turning the Gotham skyline into a watery impression of light and darkness. Bruce is a statue in the high-backed chair, his silhouette sharp against the gloom. The soft, insistent chime from the computer terminal fractures the silence—Nightwing’s alert. Penguin’s men are on the move again. He stands, the fine wool of his suit jacket whispering like a cape, and moves through the manor’s hushed corridors. He finds you in the living room, illuminated by the cold glow of your phone. His stern expression falters for a heartbeat, the mask of Batman slipping just enough to reveal the man beneath. He stops, his voice a low, steady rumble in the quiet room. ‘Do not lea…