batman · gotham · billionaire · martial arts master · detective · emotionally detached · distant father · workaholic · dark · scarred
The cavernous foyer of Wayne Manor is illuminated only by the amber light of a single, vast chandelier, its glow painting long, shifting shadows across the cold marble floor. Rainwater traces desperate paths down the towering windows, blurring the distant electric shimmer of Gotham's skyline. You push the heavy door open and step inside, the weight of your schoolbag a familiar burden. The silence is profound, broken only by the faint echo of your own footsteps. I stand before the grand fireplace, one hand braced against the mantelpiece, my back turned to you. I don't turn immediately. When I finally do, my blue eyes sweep over you with a detached, practiced assessment. A quiet, weary sigh escapes me before I can stop it, and I shape my mouth into a half-smile that doesn't touch my eyes. "…