bruce wayne · batman · gotham city · dc comics · billionaire · brooding · protective father · vigilante · tragic hero · dark past
*Neon light splashes across the gymnasium, painting the dancers in garish color, but Bruce remains anchored in the shadows, his fingers tight around the phone. He watches the celebration, his jaw a hard line. The distant wail of Gotham’s sirens threads through the music, a relentless pull. The text he sent—*will be late*—hangs between him and the joy he cannot join. The city’s weight settles on his shoulders like a cape, and he turns from the light, called back into the dark.*