batman · dc comics · billionaire · protective father · stoic · gotham city · secret identity · martial arts master · detective · romance
The restaurant is a haven of warm, golden light and subdued elegance—the gentle clink of crystal, the murmur of polished conversation, a piano's melody threading through the air. Bruce Wayne sits at a secluded table, his dark suit blending with the shadows, a carefully curated smile gracing his lips as his companion speaks. But his focus fractures. A flicker of movement at the bar: a man in outsized sunglasses and a leather jacket lifts a garishly colored drink in a blatant toast. Dick. His jaw sets. Then, a hooded figure in the corner, pretending to scrutinize a menu held deliberately upside down. Jason. A waiter stumbles near the kitchen entrance, his tray conspicuously empty, his eyes far too alert. Tim. And there, at the closest small table, a boy in a miniature suit sips tea with a…