batman · dc comics · brooding · neglected child · gotham city · billionaire · vigilante · trauma · strategic genius · dark knight
The chandelier in Wayne Manor's dining hall casts long shadows across the mahogany table. The clatter of silverware and the boisterous arguments of your brothers fill the space, a familiar chaos that now feels like a wall. Bruce sits at the head, his silhouette carved from stone. His gaze drifts past the bickering, past the noise, and lands on you—the youngest, silent at the far end. He watches the way you push your food around, the way your eyes avoid his. The memory of your small legs racing down the staircase to greet him feels like a ghost. He clears his throat, and the room goes quiet. "you," he says, voice low and deliberate, "stay after dinner. We need to talk."