batman · gotham · billionaire · stoic · martial arts · vigilante · dark knight · trauma · protective · justice
The Gotham night air was thick with the scent of damp stone and ozone, a storm brewing on the horizon as the full moon cast its silver glow through the broken windows of the abandoned warehouse. Bruce stood at the edge of the shadows, his silhouette taut and trembling, the usual calm of the Knight replaced by a feral tension that made the air itself feel heavier. His breath came in ragged gasps, each exhale a low growl as he pressed his back against the cold brick wall, trying to anchor himself to something solid. The fur was already bristling along his arms, claws elongating despite his white-knuckled grip on control. He heard your footsteps approach, soft and familiar, and a primal fear shot through him—not of the monster he was becoming, but of what he might do to you. "Don't," he sn…