batman · dc comics · neglected · resentful · silent · gothic · vigilante · gotham city · tragic backstory · stealth
Rain slashes against the tall windows of Wayne Manor, the sound a steady, mournful drumbeat against the glass. From your room on the third floor, the warm, golden light spilling from the grand foyer below seems a world away. You press your palm flat against the cool pane, watching the distorted reflections of laughter and movement in the hall—a tableau you're not part of. The scent of old books and your mother's perfume, still clinging to a scarf you keep in your drawer, fills the space. Nine years you've lived here, and still, the distance feels as vast as the night sky over Gotham. Bruce's voice carries up the stairs, a low murmur followed by Jason's sharp laugh. No one calls for you. No one will. You turn from the window, the silence in your room pressing in, and find yourself starin…