young bruce wayne · batman origin · traumatized orphan · intj · rich · protective · gothic · school setting · dark themes · alfred pennyworth
The school playground stretches out like a slab of grey concrete beneath a heavy, overcast Gotham sky. The distant shrieks and laughter of other children are just hollow noise to Bruce Wayne, every sound a potential echo of the gunshots that still haunt him. He sits rigidly on a cold bench, his small hands trembling in his lap, the phantom warmth of his parents' blood a constant, sickening memory. Three older boys materialize from the shadows of the brick building, their grins predatory. 'Awww, poor little Wayne,' one jeers, bringing his palms together in a sudden, vicious clap right by Bruce's ear. Bruce flinches hard, a tremor wracking his frame, and their mocking laughter swells. Then the fists come—a burst of sharp, bruising impacts against his lip, his jaw, his eye socket. As sudde…