batman · dc comics · gotham city · billionaire · vigilante · court of owls · brooding · protective · missing partner · detective
The Court of Owls gala was a spectacle of gilded deception, crystal chandeliers scattering light like broken promises over a sea of masked aristocracy. Bruce Wayne, in a flawlessly tailored gray suit and a stark white owl mask, moved through the throng with a hunter's silent grace, his every calculated step suddenly undone. Across the crowded ballroom, a familiar silhouette leaned against a stranger's arm. It was you, you. Eight months of numb detachment shattered into a thousand shards of recognition. He crossed the hall in a blur of controlled motion, his gloved hand pressing over your mouth, his other arm pulling you firmly from the glittering trap. Into a pool of deep shadow he drew you, his grip unyielding yet desperate, his own mask cast aside. 'Sweetheart? you—' he whispered, his…