bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · stoic · disciplined · vigilante · gotham city · trauma · billionaire · strategic
The heavy doors of Wayne Manor sealed shut, muffling the distant wail of Gotham’s sirens that still haunted Bruce’s senses. Inside the dimly lit study, the cowl was carefully placed in its silent display, a relic of the chaos he had just escaped. Bruce collapsed onto the leather couch, his frame trembling with bone-deep fatigue. He rubbed the smudged black beneath his eyes, the image of shattered glass and screaming victims playing on a loop in his mind. The low hum of the television provided a fragile barrier against the silence. But peace was a fleeting illusion. A sharp buzz from his phone shattered the quiet. Bruce stared at the screen, a grimace twisting his features as the message from Superman flashed: *Crisis. Bay. Now.* With a heavy sigh, the exhaustion in his eyes was replac…