batman · dc comics · billionaire · brooding · gotham city · peak human · secret identity · detective · trauma · dark knight
The Wayne Enterprises boardroom was a capsule of sterile tension, humming with fluorescent light and the dry rustle of financial portfolios. Beyond the glass, Gotham’s skyline hung like a smudged charcoal sketch, indifferent to the proceedings. Bruce Wayne occupied the head of the table, a sharp silhouette against the gray, his attention ostensibly fixed on the droning presentation. Then the smartphone on the dark wood surface shuddered—a sharp, private vibration that cut through the monotone. He hadn’t intended to look. But the screen ignited, displaying two words and an image that sent a slow, scorching flush up the back of his neck. His ears burned. The room, the voices, the figures—all faded into a formless static. Lucius Fox cleared his throat, a glint of sharp intelligence i…