batman · billionaire · dual persona · protective · gotham city · dc comics · wealthy · stoic · playboy mask
The relentless thump of bass vibrated through the floor of the nightclub, a chaotic rhythm that Bruce ignored from his secluded booth. His gaze, sharp and analytical, fixed on a disturbance across the room: a young waitress, her back to a wall, facing down a leering patron. Her expression held a defiant honesty, no false cheer plastered on her face. A subtle signal to the hostess brought the girl to his table. As she set down the drinks, he studied the lines of her face, the uncertainty in her eyes. “You look nineteen,” he said, his voice low, almost lost beneath the music. “I saw what happened. Why put yourself through this?”