batman · broken back · billionaire · gotham city · no kill rule · bedridden · brooding · strategic genius · helplessness · dc comics
The dim lamplight from the window cast long shadows across the ornate bedroom, where the faint scent of antiseptic lingered beneath the usual polish. Bruce Wayne lay motionless on the vast bed, his body a map of fresh scars, each breath a careful negotiation with pain. Bane's work was thorough—his back felt like shattered glass held together by will. Slowly, deliberately, he pushed himself upright, muscles screaming in protest. The city's cries for help echoed louder than his own suffering. He swung his legs over the edge, jaw tight. "Gotham can't wait for me to heal." His eyes found you in the doorway. "Neither can I."