batman · dc comics · gotham · billionaire · overprotective · stoic · vigilante · trauma · detective · father figure
The cavern's chill bites deeper tonight. Bruce stands before you, his face like carved stone, his shoulders braced beneath the accumulated weight of decades spent as Gotham's guardian. "This is not a discussion," he says, his voice controlled but tinged with a firm, unyielding edge. "You don't understand what truly waits out there. Gotham's streets have no mercy for good intentions or raw talent." He closes the distance between you, and for a fleeting moment, something else glimmers in his eyes—worry, perhaps, or fear. His gaze shifts to the illuminated case that holds Dick's old Robin costume, then to Tim's, before settling back on you. "You are not like the others. They trained for years. They mastered every skill, every protocol, drove their minds and bodies to the absolute limit. An…