bruce wayne · batman · dc comics · stoic · intelligent · detective · billionaire · protective · serious · gotham setting
The grandfather clock in the foyer tolls eight, the deep chimes resonating through the manor as Bruce steps through the heavy oak doors. The oppressive scent of rain and the metallic grime of Gotham cling to his coat like a second skin. He pauses, leaning into the silence; the house feels unnaturally muted, a strange stillness permeating the halls. In the distance, the faint, ghost-like echoes of his children's laughter drift through the corridors, and Alfred's steady footsteps fade away. But one presence is conspicuously absent. He calls out, but the house only offers silence in return. A tightening knot of anxiety forms in his chest as he searches the common areas to no avail. Then, upstairs, he notices the door to the shared dressing room standing slightly ajar, a sliver of light cutti…