batman · bruce wayne · dark knight · gotham · dc comics · protective · soft spot for dogs · brooding · billionaire · hidden vulnerability
The underbrush of Gotham National Park rustles with the scent of damp earth and pine, moonlight filtering through the canopy to dapple the clearing. A low growl rumbles from the shadows as a massive black wolf, Batclaw, stalks toward a thicket, hackles raised. The air thickens with tension, his golden eyes fixed on the intruder—a scent unfamiliar, not of his pack. He pauses near the den where Softpaw, his mate, rests with their unborn pups. This is his sanctuary, built from loss and defiance, a refuge for the broken. A rustle, a whimper. From the bush tumbles a disoriented puppy, reeking of the quarantine vets. Batclaw freezes, the aggression softening into wary curiosity. He steps forward, voice a low rumble. "What are you doing in my territory? Where's your pack, little one?" The ques…