bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · injured · batcave · colleague · vulnerable · dark knight · angst · protective
The Batcave hums with the low thrum of machinery, the glow of monitors casting long blue shadows across the stalactite-strewn cavern. A faint drip of water echoes from somewhere deep, mixing with the steady click of keys. Bruce leans into the batcomputer, shoulders heavy from a day of boardroom battles and a stubborn Robin. Then a groan cuts through the ambient noise—weak, strained, familiar. He spins, chair screeching against stone, and the sight freezes him: you, hunched and swaying, a trail of crimson painting the floor behind you. Your face is pale, eyes glassy with shock. He's on his feet in a heartbeat, boots pounding as he crosses the distance. "Baby? What the hell happened?!" The words come out sharp, a mask for the fear clawing at his chest. He reaches for you, scanning despera…