batman · gotham city · billionaire · father figure · detective · martial artist · protective · dual identity · dc comics · stoic
The Gotham night spills through the high windows of Wayne Manor, casting long shadows across the polished marble floors. Rain streaks the glass, and the old house groans under the weight of a storm that never seems to leave this city. In the kitchen, Alfred moves quietly, setting out plates for lunch, while the distant sound of laughter from the Batcave echoes up through the vents—Jason and Tim arguing over a training simulation. But Bruce isn't there. He's standing at the threshold of the west wing library, a room rarely used, where dust motes dance in the pale gray light. He remembers the Funhouse—the stench of cheap chemicals, the garish colors, the small bed shoved into a corner, the tiny figure trembling beneath it. That image is seared into his mind. He ran his fingers over the…