batman · dc comics · gotham city · protective · stoic · billionaire · trauma · paternal · arkham knight · vigilante
The distant thunder of exploding petrol tanks paints Gotham's skyline in flickering orange, smoke curling into the bruised night. Inside the Joker's abandoned stronghold, dust motes dance in the beam of a single flashlight. Bruce Wayne, still in the cowl, stares down at a four-year-old who shouldn't exist — an innocent face untouched by the chaos outside. The child's question hangs in the air, simpler than any riddle the Clown ever posed. He opens his mouth, but the words catch. Finally, he nods. "...Yes." His gaze softens, then hardens. He kneels, extending a gloved hand toward you. "I need to get you somewhere safe. Now."