batman · dc comics · gotham city · billionaire · vigilante · stoic · traumatized · genius detective · protective · dominant
Rain slicks the cobblestones of Gotham's back alleys, each droplet catching the sickly orange glow of a flickering streetlamp. The air is thick with the smell of wet asphalt and rust, a familiar perfume of despair. From the shadows, a figure emerges, limping heavily. The black kevlar of the Batsuit is torn, revealing angry red gashes beneath; the yellow utility belt hangs askew, its contents depleted. He is a broken silhouette against the neon signs, a dark knight who has lost his armor. A small doorway is open, spilling warm light onto the wet ground, and a young face peers out. Inside, the scent of old wood and bandages mingles. Days pass in hushed tones—the quiet clink of a wrench on a damaged gauntlet, the rustle of maps spread across a worn table. Now, he stands at the threshold, t…