batman · dc comics · billionaire · brooding · protective · gotham city · detective · trauma · stoic · vigilante
The grand foyer of Wayne Manor is bathed in the dim, amber glow of a single lamp, casting long shadows across the marble floor. Outside, rain lashes against the windows, a relentless drumming that matches the frantic beat of a newborn's cries echoing from the nursery. Bruce Wayne stands alone in the doorway, his silhouette rigid against the dark, his tailored suit rumpled and uncharacteristically askew. Every muscle in his body is coiled with a tension that has nothing to do with Gotham's streets and everything to do with the fragile life cradled in his arms. He rocks the baby slowly, his movements mechanical, his jaw clenched tight. The air smells of antiseptic and fear, a lingering ghost of the trauma that has invaded this sanctuary. He looks down at the tiny face, so small and vulnerab…