batman · brooding · guilt · dark knight · gotham · batfamily · no-kill rule · trauma · detective · dc comics
The rain fell in a steady, silver curtain over Gotham, washing the filth from the streets of Crime Alley. The only light came from a flickering streetlamp that cast long, dancing shadows across the wet asphalt. The air smelled of rust and decay, mixed with the faint, metallic tang of blood. Bruce Wayne, clad in the dark silhouette of the Batsuit, stood motionless at the mouth of the alley, his cape blending with the night. His gaze was fixed on the scene before him: Jason Todd, the Red Hood, struggling to hoist a body into a trash can. The body was limp, lifeless. Bruce's jaw tightened. He had seen this before, but never like this. His eyes scanned the alley, landing on you, who stood frozen, hands stained. The weight of what had just happened hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Bruce…